Page 27 of Obsession

Lark

Awhirring sound split through the air. My body jolted as I shot up in bed. My eyes felt heavy, my mouth coated with sleep.

I blinked, trying to clear the confusion. I was in my apartment, but I didn’t remember getting here. As I sat up, the covers shifted, revealing the sweatpants and sweater I’d worn last night. My gaze darted around, looking for the source of the sound.

My heart raced when I saw Nathan’s jacket thrown on the back of a chair. It was amongst my clothes, the ones I’d deemed too dirty to hang up, but not dirty enough to wash yet.

Did that mean he was here?

The whirring filled the air again, and my body started moving without my permission. The floor was cool on my bare feet as I yanked opened the bedroom door. Anticipation raced through my veins as I rushed down the hall.

Maybe I should be worried. Scared, the sound was coming from my attacker. But I wasn’t. I knew Nathan was here. I could feel it in the air. The shift of energy that came when I was around him.

And I was right.

My feet stilled as I found him. He stood on a step stool in the living room near the sliding door. The drill in his hand whirred as he pushed the screw into the ceiling. His t-shirt stretched over the muscles in his back.

My thighs clenched together as they rippled with his movement. My eyes trailed down his body, lingering on his tight ass in his jeans. A shot of electricity burst through me as I pictured him standing there in only the jeans. I wanted to see him naked again. Trace the ridges of his abs with my tongue. See the parts I hadn’t before.

I wasn’t sure if my reactions to him should embarrass me. Or if I should be mad that he was in my house without permission. Or annoyed because I was going to lose my security deposit if he kept drilling holes in my ceiling.

“What are you doing?” My hands landed on my hips as he turned to look at me. His clear blue eyes locked with mine and my heart flipped over in my chest.

“Good morning.” A smile spread across his face as his gaze raked over me.

Oh my god, what did I look like? I’d been so excited to see him I hadn’t thought about how wrinkled my clothes were or the state of my hair. My hands flew to my head and, sure enough, the curls were wilder than usual. I felt the frizz and strands that were sticking up in weird places.

A groan escaped my lips, but I dropped my hands. It was too late now. They wouldn’t get better until I showered. I ignored the amusement in his features as I stared at him. “Morning. What are you doing?”

“Installing cameras and a security system.” He stepped down the ladder. It was then I noticed the small camera and the plastic device underneath it. “Motion detector. When the system is in ‘away’ mode, sensors will alert you to any motion. The cameras will continuously run and record. We both have access to the live feeds. There are also alarms on every entrance. They’ll admit a loud noise and send a notification to your phone and mine.”

My stomach twisted as I listened to him. My life had taken a hard right turn into dangerous and I still wasn’t sure how or why it had happened. I hated not having answers. Hated being vulnerable.

“I’m done out here.” He grabbed the small ladder, moving past me down the hall. “I just need to do your bedroom.”

“I’ll make coffee.” My voice sounded a little hollow. What was I supposed to say?

Did I want cameras in my house? No. Did I have a choice? Also no. This is what I asked for. Protection. Help.

Funny how I hated asking for help except with Nathan. It came easily with him. Everything seemed to.

As I made my way into the kitchen, I noticed a black bag sitting on the counter. A quick glance and I saw all the things Nathan mentioned: cameras, alarms, and the tools he’d need to install it. When had he gotten all this?

I grabbed the can of coffee from the cupboard before filling up the pot and pouring it inside the machine. No fancy espressos or whipped milk for me. Though I had an addiction to the sugar filled creamers.

“How do you take your coffee?” I shouted down the hall.

The drill stopped long enough for him to answer. “Black.”

Figured. As the machine ran, I took two tumblers out of the cupboard. My lip twitched as I poured Nathan’s into a bright pink one with sparkles. No better way to test a man than see if he acted like an ass when he was forced to drink out of a pink mug. I grabbed gray with metallic stars for myself. I added ‘berries and cream’ sweetener into mine.

With both coffees, I headed back into my bedroom. I placed Nathan’s on the dresser before sitting on the bed. Crossing my legs beneath myself, I took my first sip. The bitter notes danced on my tongue, warming my insides.

Or maybe that was watching him as he worked. My body heated from the inside out as his biceps bulged. He reached down for his drink, exposing a strip of tan skin at his waistband. He didn’t even flinch as he brought the cup to his lips.

My fingers twitched to push his shirt the rest of the way up. To see everything he hid underneath. I needed to stop these thoughts. Especially now that my life depended on him.

“How did I get home last night?” I asked the question that had been bothering me since I woke up.

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