Chapter 10

Amber exited the limo, making sure to pull her clothes back into place. The guilt of what she had just done was weighing heavy on her heart. She felt like a horrible person for betraying Tristan. He deserved better.

Her body still tingled from Alex's touch and her heart was beating fast at the memory of their lovemaking. A light breeze from the cool summer afternoon washed over her, slightly cooling her skin. She stood and stared at the apartment complex, but she couldn't make her feet move.

She felt Alex as he came up behind her and took her hand into his. She wanted to blame him for the way she was feeling, but she knew that she just had herself to blame. She could have said no and resisted him, but she didn't. She let herself give in to the need and the want. She had only herself to blame, no one else.

Her feet refused to move, but Alex wasn't letting her out of their agreement, not after what just happened between them. He was going to make her see it through, even if he had to drag her kicking and screaming. Taking hold of her hand, he started walking in the direction of Tristan's apartment.

She was reluctant to move at first, but she soon realised that Alex was not going to let her back out. As they enter the apartment complex, a few of the people who worked and lived there gave her strange looks. They all new that she was Tristan's girl and they were curious as to why she was holding another man's hand.

Amber ignored them all and made her way over to the elevator. Alex never lets go of her hand, even as the lift ding to a stop in front of them and they got in. with shaky hands she pushed the bottom for the eighth floor and typed in the security code. She was starting to feel light headed and woozy, dreading the inevitable.

Alex felt her shaking next to him and he pulled her to him so that her back was flat against his chest. She leaned into to him and relax slightly, taking comfort from him. He would like to say that he was sorry for making her break it off with her boyfriend, but he'd be lying if he did.

From the moment, he saw Amber he knew that he had to have her. There was just something about her that called to him. He might have been more willing to let her have the company and walk away if he hadn't experienced what he did with her in the limo. But he couldn't very well let her walk away without exploring more of her until he had his fill.

As the lift slowly rise, Alex swept her hair away from her neck and inhaled her intoxicating scent. He lowered his lips to her skin and lightly placed a kiss there. She closed her eyes and leaned back more into him, a soft sigh escaping her lips.

He was about to turn her around and kiss her senseless, but the elevator came to a stop at its destination. All the calm left her body as they stepped out onto the eighth floor, which was directly into Tristan's apartment.

A modern designed open plan kitchen and living area greeted them. And in the kitchen, standing by the stainless steel fridge, freezer was a shirtless Tristan. He looked up with a smile on his face at the arrival of the lift. But his smile fell from his face when he saw Amber standing next to Alex.

At first he was confused, but when he saw Amber holding Alex's hand, anger replaced his confusion. He slammed the fridge close, shaking it and startling Amber in the process.

He stormed over to them, his gaze heated with hurt and betrayal. He could see that tears were starting to fall from Amber eyes and Alex showed no emotion.

"What the hell is going on, Amber?!"

He didn't mean to shout, but seeing her with him, was driving Tristan crazy. Her tears started to fall more and she refused to look at him. She opened her mouth to say something but then closed it again.

"Amber!?"

He demanded. She slowly raised her eyes to him and squeaked,

"I'm sorry."

He never got a chance to question her on what she meant because she turned and threw herself into Alex's hands. Tristan watched the way Alex held her possessively. Something inside of him burn to trip her away from Alex, but he didn't.

He raised his eyes to Alex, letting him see his anger. Alex still showed no emotion. He continued to soothe Amber's cries.

With Amber still tucked up in his arms, Alex spoke directly to Tristan.

"She's here to get her things then we're leaving."

Tristan clenched and unclenched his fist. His jaw tightens as he gritted out.

"You son of a bitch, what did you say to her?"

Tristan knew that whatever was going on it was Alex's doing. And he knew that he had something to do with her father's company. He didn't think Alex was going to hand the company over without wanted something in return, he just never thought that he would go to the lengths that he did. The bloody bastard wanted Amber to break up with him, but Tristan wasn't going to give her up without a fight.

"I made her an offer she couldn't refuse."

Alex smirked. He was downright enjoying the look on Tristan's face. Some might call him a bastard for doing what he was doing, but he was never one to care what people thought about him.

Amber cries eased up and she turned to face Tristan again. When he looked at her with betrayal written deep in his eyes, her tears threatened to fall again.

"Please Tristan, don't make this any harder than it is."

Tristan almost laugh. He was making it hard for her? She came into their home, holding another man's hand and she had the audacity to tell him he was making it hard for her.

"I'm making it hard for you, Amber? This is our home, in case you forgot, and you're standing here in the arms of another man."

She cast her eyes down in shame. Stepping out of Alex's embrace, she moved a little closer to Tristan. She lifted her hand to touch his arms, but he flinched away from her touch, cutting her deep in her heart. She slowly dropped her arms and ran in the direction of the bedroom. She just wanted to get her stuff and leave as quickly as possible.

While Amber moved around in the room, Alex and Tristan stood at the entrance to the loft apartment, staring each other down.

"I told you to stay away from her. You don't deserve her, and she doesn't deserve any of what you're putting her through."

Alex stepped a little closer to Tristan, his voice laced with anger as he spoke.

"And I told you that I can do whatever the hell I want and I can take whatever the hell I want. And I did."

Tristan was on the verge of knocking Alex out. His hands itched to do damage to his face and other part vital parts of his body. However, Amber came out of the room pulling two of her luggages.

Alex moved over to her and took the bags. He carried them to the lift and waited for her. He watched as she started crying again and Tristan walked up to her and took her into his arms. His jaw tightened as she pressed her face into his bare chest and hugged him tightly.

Tristan's hands went around her, pulling her closer to him. He used one of his hand and ran it through her hair, soothing her sobs. She pulled away to look in his eyes and he leaned down, resting his head against hers.

"You don't have to do this, princess, we can sort something out."

His voice wobbled a bit as he spoke, he didn't want to lose her. But from the look in her eyes he could tell that he already have.

"It's too late, you deserve better than me. I'm not good for you."

Her lips trembled as the words came out. Her heart was hurting her so much, but strangely enough, she felt like she was doing the right thing. She wanted what was best for him and that wasn't her. Raising her hand, she rested it on his cheek and as if to mock her, the ring sparkled.

She was about to pull her hands away, but Tristan captured it.

"What the hell is this?"

She pulled her hand away from him and stepped back. His voice was laced so much rage it scared her. She looked to Alex for help but she could see that his eyes was also glazed over with anger. Tristen took a step closer to her and she took one back. She had never seen him so angry before. It was rolling off of him like heatwave and scaring the hell out of her.

He grabbed her hand, "What the hell is this?! You're going to marry him? If it's marriage you want, I could have given it to you."

She stood there not knowing what to say, how could she answer him?

"I... um... I... it's not what you think."

She pleaded with him to understand, but he just got more pissed. She felt Alex come up behind her and she unconsciously leaned into him for support. Alex wasted to time in pulling her into his arms, possessively.

Tristan saw this and it incited his anger further. But something else also got his attention. He could see Amber's red lipstick on Alex's shirt collar. He took in the way that Alex was holding her and how Amber was leaned into him and he cursed. Turning around, he picked up a vase from a nearby table and threw it across the room.

Amber gasped, looking at him in horror. He looked at her with disgust and spat.

"You slept with him, didn't you?"

When she didn't answer, Tristan cursed taking that as conformation.

Alex had enough of whatever was going on, he wanted to return to the comfort of his own home. He took Amber's hand into his and started walking towards the lift. He let go of her hand to grab her bags, then pressed the bottom on the lift.

It opened immediately and he took the bags into the lift with Amber following him. She stopped and cast one last look at Tristan, saying.

"I'm sorry."

Then she stepped into the lift and the door closed, but not only for the lift. It also closed on her relationship with Tristan.