He walked inside, hands full of my bags from Langley Mall, which he set behind the door.
He’d removed his jacket, so he was only in a long-sleeved shirt tucked into his slacks.
It was a shame I couldn’t fuck him.
Elias swung his arms outward and brought them in to clap his palm on his other fist.
I slowly turned my head to look at him, and I raised an eyebrow.
“I have something to say. Now that it’s just you and me.” I stayed silent while he shuffled a few steps toward me and stopped. He dropped his head, and his hair fell forward, shadowing his gaze. “I should have been a better Alpha. To Kyan and Sin, but more to you. As much as they wanted you, I refused to see reason?—”
I disagreed; they were big boys who could make up their own minds, but he seemed so anxious, and I didn’t want to argue.
“Elias, not right now.” Or ever. I picked at my cuticles, waiting for his retreating steps.
“Do you want me to crawl?” he blurted.
It shocked me so much, I whipped my head up.
His head lowered, shadowing his face further. “I’ll do anything. For your acceptance. Fuck, for a scrap of your attention.” His voice cracked, turning husky toward the end. “I’m sorry.”
“Do you even know what you’re apologizing for?”
“For everything. For breaking into your house and not running to find you as soon as I caught your scent. For how . . . I treated you when you arrived at The Bordello.” He clenched his hands in front of him. “For letting a woman get anywhere near me.”
Just the reminder raked at my insides. “I’ll never be able to erase the image from my memories.” My sharp words found their mark, and he flinched. He had no right to be hurt! “You know what? Yes.” I glared, knowing that this massive man was too prideful to bend to me. “Crawl,” I called his bluff.
“You think I’m joking?”
He cocked his head, and that heart-stopping smile with a tinge of a smirk settled on his mouth. He looked as full of himself as he did when I first met him.
It didn’t disappear as he lowered to his knees. “You don’t know what I would do for you.” My tongue refused to work. I gawked, watching him fall forward on his hands.
He moved like some sort of big cat. Dangerous, careful, and measured.
He crawled.
To me.
My heart thundered in my ears, and he crawled as if he was born to. I swallowed with effort as he prowled, his green eyes peeking through the messy strands across his forehead. He got a foot away from my knees, and I couldn’t move. His chocolate scent wafted to my nose, and I bit back my groan. Sinclair had left me primed.
“I will crawl for you every day. Whatever you want.” His hand hovered near my leg, barely touching my leggings. I swayed forward, desire stiffening my limbs.
“Briar.” He licked his lips. “Biting you the first time battered through the shell I had around my emotions. I didn’t feel anything before you.”
He laughed, the sound low and frightening enough to send a shiver down my spine.
“What’s so funny?”
He lifted his head, looking up at me.
“No one can bring me to my knees. Only you . . .” His smile twisted. “I know you don’t believe me, and it’s okay. I brought it on myself.”
“You did,” I agreed. “All of you hurt me, but you, Elias? You smelled my scent. You were the one to realize what we were whenyou broke into my place.”
His head dipped lower, and he shuddered. I could feel their regret, but as much as they hurt, their actions drove me to the deepest of hells. I was at fault for hurting myself. I should have seen reason, should have snapped myself free of the shadows like I always did.
Hurting myself was the lowest I had ever hit. Never again.
