Owned by Him by Sam Crescent

walking out of the office building as Connie was walking
inside.
    “I’ve brought dinner for
Dale. He works too hard, and he deserves a really good dinner as compensation.”
Connie was smiling.
    “Are you and Dale a couple?”
Amber thought about Wade. What was her friend going to do about him?
    “We’re friends. He’s nice,
and he’s not pressuring me to be something I’m not. Please, don’t get the wrong
idea. He’s different, and you’re all busy. Heather’s dealing with Julian and
her pregnancy. Ashley’s got some issue. You’ve been disappearing, and it has just been me.”   Connie shrugged. The sadness on her face was
clear to see.
    “I’m sorry.”
    “Don’t be. I’m happy, and
you guys are happy. This is dinner and friendship, and I like him. He’s
different.”
    “And he’s older.”
    “Don’t judge,” Connie said.
    “I’m not judging.”
    “Good. I’m going to get this
up to him before it gets cold.”
    Amber watched her friend go.
She was the second friend she’d seen walk away. It had been a strange day and a
strange week.
    ****
    “I thought I fucking told
you to make sure my shift is different from yours,” Ashley said. She couldn’t
believe Amber was the one to find out Jonathan was her boss. Shaking her head,
she let out a frustrated groan. When had her life gotten so complicated?
    “I’m the boss, Ashley. I’ve
got no choice but to be here all the time. Every shift I’m here. I just stay
out of your way.”
    “Then why didn’t you stay
out of my way today?” She turned back toward him, glaring.
    “This is insane. You’re my
employee. I pay your wages, and if any other employee was to talk to me the way
you just did, I’d fucking fire them.” He stepped closer to her, invading her
space.
    She hated this job. She
hated him, and she wished he’d fuck off.
    Grabbing the apron from
around her waist, she slammed the fabric against his chest. “I fucking quit,
you piece of shit.” She thumped him for added measure. His chest was hard.
Growling in frustration, she glared at him. “Do you fuck your other employees
and then destroy them in high school, Jonathan?”
    “I said I was sorry. If I
could take it back I would.”
    “That’s the good thing, saying
words of regret. It’s a shame you can never take back the shit you did to me. You bastard.”
    Ashley saw red and slapped
him around the face.
    When she lifted her hand to
hit him again, Jonathan caught her hand. “Do not hit me again,” he said.
    The look in his eye was
deadly.
    Tears sprang to her eyes. “I
hate you.”
    “I know, but I made a
mistake and I’m sorry.”
    She let the pain sink in.
The tears spilled out of her eyes without any pressure. “You ruined my life.
I’m never going to get that back.” She let out a sob as all the men she’d been
with came rushing through her. “So many men. All you
had to do was deny it, but you didn’t. Why couldn’t you leave me alone?” she
asked.
    His arms wrapped around her
as she fought his hold. Closing her eyes, Ashley wished she could change
everything, her life, what she did. If she could have a do over, she’d love it.
    No one could change their
life, and neither could she.
    Ashley would be cursed to
forever know what she’d done to help ease the pain because of this man who’d
claimed her heart and ruined her for life.
    ****
    Elijah slammed shut the door
to his car. It was Friday afternoon, and Amber was standing outside her
apartment building waiting for him. He’d never once thought his life could be
so perfect. Heather was talking with him, and Amber was in his life. After
years of Heather thinking he was the perfect son, wrongly on his sister’s part,
she was finally getting over her issues. There were no problems between them,
only what Heather had made up in her mind. At least he and Amber did not have
to sneak around, and now he and Julian could join the ladies at their table in
Wade’s.
    Amber rushed toward him. He
held his arms