Amber was entranced by the deep sound of Seth’s voice. She was paying attention to what he was saying, but found herself getting lulled by its baritone quality. She suddenly realized that this was the most she had ever heard him speak. Even the night in the hotel room, he had spoken in short sentences - and when things had gotten heated, then short commands. She liked hearing more than five words at a time from him. It was oddly soothing.
“And remember, attacks happen in an instant. There are no absolutes in them. Basically, there is no right and wrong way to handle a dangerous situation. You need to stay flexible, assess the individual circumstances, and act accordingly. I am only here to give you some tools to make you better equipped to handle yourself in any situation.”
Amber looked down the row at the ladies that were gathered for the class. At one end there were a couple of older women that looked like they had heard this all before. Beside her stood a young girl. She was probably in her early twenties, and she looked terrified. In the middle, there were two ladies in their mid-to-late twenties that looked to be completely twitterpated with one Mr. Seth Sloan.
All Amber could think was, 'Join the club, ladies. Join the club.'
“I am going to show you three moves that can help you escape an attack, even if your attacker is bigger and stronger than you – which, nine times out of ten, they will be. Your best weapons are the edge of your hand, your elbow, and your heel.
“You need to aim for the parts of the body where you can do the most damage. For example: the eyes, nose, throat, groin and knees. It doesn’t matter how big and strong a man is, these areas are his weakest points.”
Seth went on to explain and demonstrate several defensive moves. He then said that each participant would be practicing these moves on him. He would be the attacker and he would walk the ladies through each technique.
He asked if there were any questions. Amber thought that, although this may be her only opportunity, it probably wasn’t the most appropriate time to raise her hand and ask how he felt about her, and about them. She sat silently, as did the other women.
Amber watched as he called each woman up, one by one. She did notice that he started at the opposite side of the row, leaving her for last. She had no idea what the significance of that was, if any at all. Still, she noticed.
The first four women went through the paces with no problems. The older ladies at the end were going through all the motions but did not seem all that impressed with Seth or this little tutorial.
The two brunettes in the middle were impressed, and their interest in him was fairly obvious. One giggled like a schoolgirl every time he gave her an instruction and the other one literally had to wipe drool off of her mouth…twice.
Seth nodded at the petite blonde who was standing next to Amber, indicating that it was her turn to go up. Amber looked over to see that the young girl was shaking like a leaf. She also seemed like she might be hyperventilating just a little. If a 'little' hyperventilating was even possible.
Amber looked back at Seth and saw that he was just waiting, not rushing the scared girl. He stood, hands clasped behind his back, face void of emotion. Betty stepped away from the wall and started to say something but Seth held up his hand causing her to stop in her tracks. Everyone just…waited.
After what seemed like a half an hour but was probably two or three minutes at most, the girl beside Amber took a deep breath and walked forward on what looked to be shaky legs. When she came to stand in front of Seth, he leaned down and said something to her. Amber strained to hear what it was, but she couldn’t.
The girl nodded at him and, with a look of frightened determination, began going through the all the moves that they had been taught. She noticed that the girl froze the second Seth’s arms came around her, but he didn’t release her, didn’t back down just kept talking to her in low tones. It frustrated Amber that she couldn’t make out what he was saying.
By the end of the demonstration the girl didn’t quite look confident, per se, but did look very proud of herself. She walked back towards her place beside Amber with a small smile on her face.
Amber looked up at Seth and her heart filled with…love. Wait! She realized right there that she was starting to fall just a little bit in love with him. Oh, no. Not good. Lust she could handle. Attraction was her middle name. But love? Love was…scary.
--- ~ ---
Seth’s pulse raced as he stood waiting. Amber was next. He hadn’t believed it when he had walked out and seen her standing in the small rec room. She had looked just as surprised as him.
Betty had explained to him that this class was for residents of the shelter. He knew Amber lived next door to Jamie, so it made him wonder why she was here. Maybe she had lived there in the past. Seth had to admit to himself that he didn’t really know anything about her past. He barely knew anything about her present. But oddly enough, he felt as though he knew her.
Amber licked her lips as she walked towards him. Today she wore blue jeans, tennis shoes and a large gray sweatshirt that hung off one shoulder. It reminded him of a movie from his childhood, Flashdance. He had had a serious crush on Jennifer Beals, the star of that movie, and Amber put her to shame.
Amber’s hair was pulled back in a ponytail and her face looked clean and fresh. With no make-up on, she looked young and almost vulnerable. It made his protective instincts -which were already in overdrive when it came to Amber – kick into an even higher gear. He wasn’t able to control his internal impulses with her.
“Seth?” Amber said looking a tad confused as to why he was just standing there, not doing anything.
Get it together, Sloan, he told himself.
“Do you have any questions?” he asked.
Her mouth opened like she was about to say something but then, just as fast, she shut it again. She pursed her lips slightly and shook her head no. He noticed her ponytail swishing back and forth and his hands itched to touch it. He wanted to reach out, wrap his fingers around and grab it, holding the silky locks tightly in his fist, then firmly tug her head so it tilted up and he could crush his mouth to hers.
He still hadn’t moved. They just stared at each other. He heard Betty clear her throat and it pulled him out of his lust paralysis.
“Ready?” he asked. His voice had a gravelly tone to it.
Amber nodded her head.
He moved behind her, and the second he wrapped his arms around her he, knew it was a mistake. She felt right, there in his embrace. Too right. He never wanted to let her go, in fact.
He closed his eyes for just a moment and let himself absorb her nearness. Her backside tucked snugly against his growing erection. The feeling of her delicate shoulders as they pressed against his chest caused a warmth to spread through him. She felt so small, so tiny and fragile in his arms. Of course, he thought wryly, when she opens her mouth it becomes clear that she is anything but fragile. Still, he liked the feeling of protecting her within the strong circle of his arms.
He felt her body shift slightly and, before he had a chance to move out of the way, her heel came down hard on his shin. It hurt. Bad.
He heard himself groan and her head spun around, eyes wide with worry. “Did I hurt you?”
“I’m fine.” He seriously needed to regain focus so that no other body parts became unintended victims to his distraction.
“Did I do it right?” she asked looking a little confused.
“Yes,” he answered, pushing down the pain.
She had done everything right. He was the jackass that didn’t move out of the way. He couldn’t believe that she had caused him to completely forget where they were and what they were doing - especially since he had specifically given himself time to prepare for having her in his arms by making sure she was the last demonstration.
Shit. He had to get himself under control, quick.
As they went through the final moves, he was able to keep his head in the game and, luckily, came through without any further injuries. As she
walked back to stand with the other class participants he took a moment to watch her. Amber was strong. Physically and mentally. Tougher than her beauty might lead you to believe.
She was also a fast learner, agile and quick.
He was drawn to her. No matter how many times he had tried to keep her from his thoughts over the years, they always seemed to drift back to her. He hadn’t known her name then, but he knew her face, her body, her voice - the night they shared together would burst in his mind like a flash flood of water breaking free from a dam. His feelings were that strong before he had known anything about her. Even her name.
“Okay, ladies, thank you so much for coming today. Let’s give our instructor a nice round of applause.”
The women all clapped.
Seth was so ready for this class to be over. He needed to figure out what to do about Amber. He wasn’t looking for a serious relationship. He wasn’t even capable of one. And she was so intertwined with his life that he really didn’t think a casual affair was plausible. But ignoring her and the attraction he felt for her didn’t seem to be working either.
“So, you are all excused. If you have any questions for Mr. Sloan, he will stay and answer them for you.”
He will? Seth did not know that a Q and A was part of the class. Damn.
Betty stood beside him as a couple of the women came forward to speak to him. He noticed out of his peripheral vision that Amber slipped out the side door. Maybe that was for the best. He should probably figure out all the shit that was clouding his judgment and get his mind right before he saw her again.
Maybe then, he would know how to handle this situation.
Chapter Thirteen
Amber could still feel Seth’s breath on her bare neck as she walked quickly down the gray hall that led back to the reception area. She reached up and touched her neck as she shivered at the memory. When Seth had first put his arms around her and she felt the heavy heat of his exhale on her skin, a tingle so intense she had thought her legs might buckle beneath her had run through her entire body. It had taken her a moment to remember why he was holding her and what she was supposed to be doing.
When she finally had remembered what her move was, she must have timed it wrong, because she had ended up making contact.
She didn’t believe that he was really fine like he had claimed. He looked like she had hurt him. The rest of the demo was, luckily, incident free (Hey, she only had one thing to feel guilty for! She could consider that a win!).
Now, though, she could not shake the feeling of being held by him. His arms were so strong. His biceps pressed solidly against her as they wrapped her up, and she loved looking down and seeing the difference in their sizes. She could have stayed in his arms forever and been perfectly happy.
That, and the small (huge!) realization that she was developing some pretty serious (love!) feelings for him, had completely knocked her world off its axis. She had originally planned to go straight to bed when she got home. Instead, it was looking like a 'glass of wine and hot bath' kind of night.
Just as she was reaching the double doors, her phone buzzed. She ignored it. She would call whoever it was back later. After her wine. After her bath.
She stepped into the reception room and it immediately rang again. Her shoulders slumped. She answered it.
“Hi Mom,” Amber said. She hoped this conversation would go as well as the last one had.
“Hi, Babygirl,” her mom’s speech was slurred and she was talking very loud.
Yep, she was definitely drunk or high or both. Perfect. Why did Amber ever let herself hope? One day she would learn her lesson.
“Mom, where are you?” Amber knew that her mother probably wouldn’t answer her but she had to try.
“At a party,” her mom declared happily.
“Where?” Amber asked hoping her mom would be a little more specific.
“At a house,” her mom hiccupped.
Okay, that was a little too specific. She didn’t want to get off the phone with her mom since she seemed to be happy to share information. Maybe Amber really could get her to say where she was.
Realizing this call might take a minute and not wanting to go out in the cold, Amber motioned to the girl sitting at the front desk to ask see if she would mind if she talked in there. The girl blew a bubble with the gum she was chewing and shrugged her shoulders before returning her attention to her own phone.
Amber moved to a secluded seat in the corner and positioned her chair so that her back was facing the room. She knew logically that it didn’t really give her any more privacy, just the illusion of it. Sometimes illusions could be comforting. She took a deep breath before continuing.
“Do you know what town you’re in?” Amber tried not to sound tense. When her mom was in happy-drunk mode she was very sensitive and would get extremely upset if she thought anyone was mad at her.
“Ummm, I think so. Wait, no. No, I don’t.”
Amber heard the sound of music and people talking in the background.
“Can you ask someone where you are?” Amber’s patience was wearing thin but if there was even the slightest chance that she could find out where her mom was, she needed to try.
Not that it really mattered. If her mom didn’t want Amber to come and pick her up, it’s not like she could force her to leave. Also, who was to say that her mom wouldn’t just bolt and go somewhere else as soon as she got off the phone with Amber? Somehow, though, it always made Amber feel better if she at least had some idea of where her mother was.
“I will if you send me money.”
Aaaaannnnnddddd...there it was. Amber knew it was coming, she had just hoped that she could get a little information from her mom first. Again, she thought, that’s what she got for hoping.
“I’m not sending you money,” Amber firmly stated.
“Pleaaaaassseeeeee,” Susan begged, her voice taking on a childlike quality.
It made Amber sick to her stomach to hear mother sound like that.
“No.” Amber deliberately tried to remain quiet and not let the rioting emotions that were just at the surface break through and cause her to raise her voice.
“Just a little bit, a few hundred is all I need,” her mom tried to bargain.
“This is not up for discussion.” Amber was so tired of having this same conversation again and again. She was going to try one more time and then she was hanging up.
“Where are you?”
--- ~ ---
After Seth finished speaking with Betty and the other ladies he headed out the side entrance to the parking lot. He saw Amber's white Prius and realized she was still there.
Seth closed his eyes and took a deep calming breath in through his nose, trying to use the technique to calm his quickly-flaring anger. Her Prius was parked at the edge of the parking lot - the now secluded and dark parking lot.
Of course, he was aware that she must have parked it there before she had taken the self-defense seminar. But, honestly - how was locking your doors or parking in well-lit areas not just common sense?
He pulled his leather jacket on, cringing just a little as a pain hit his shoulder. He hadn’t really worked it out since he had finished physical therapy and he realized that if the small amount of exertion he had just put forth in class was causing it to flare up, then he really needed to hit the gym.
Looking around, he didn’t see Amber anywhere. He decided he would wait and ensure that she made it to her car safely. Betty had told him about some disturbing incidents that they had recently had at the shelter, and Seth did not want Amber walking to her car. At night. By herself.
He was very aware that the level of responsibility he felt for her was completely out of proportion for what their relationship, or lack of relationship, was. It didn’t matter though. He may not know exactly what was going on between them, but he did know he would do anything to ensure her safety. That was an indisputable fact.
After waiting a few minutes, he realized he didn�
�t know if she possibly had another meeting, or if she was taking - or maybe even teaching - another class. He had seen the activities schedule and noticed that there were several sewing classes. He remembered Alex telling him that Amber designed a lot of the pieces she sold at Bella.
Seth figured he would just run around to the front desk and see if they knew where she was. Even though they were tightening up their security, he figured he could have them call Betty to vouch for him.
As he stepped out of the cold into the small reception area, he saw Amber huddled in the corner speaking quietly into her phone. She didn’t seem to notice him walk in.
The gum-smacking receptionist seated at the front desk looked up, saw it was him, and went back to typing on her phone.
He decided he would take a seat and wait for Amber.
“No,” Amber’s quiet voice said into the phone, her voice tense.
“This is not up for discussion,” she said with clenched teeth.
After a few silent moments he heard her slowly ask, “Where are you?”
He saw her body jerk as she pulled the phone away from her ear. In the small space of the lobby he could hear the sounds of loud voices coming from the phone and a woman that sounded like she was wasted.
“No, Mom, I’m not sending you money. Goodbye,” her voice cracked as she pulled the phone from her ear.
She lowered the phone and he could hear a woman who he now assumed was her mother screaming ‘Bitch!.’
He didn’t want to intrude, but at the same time he thought Amber that maybe Amber could use someone to be there for her. He got an odd ache in his chest as he saw her slump down in her chair, her hands rubbing her face as she sniffed.
He just sat still, giving her a moment before announcing his presence.
He stood just as she was turning. She was lost in her own world, and at the sight of him, she screamed, her legs flailing out from under her, and she very nearly fell flat on her butt. He automatically reached out and grabbed her, catching her before she landed on the ground.
My Everything - Seth & Amber Page 10