Page 31 of Obsessions of the Heart

As soon as I opened my door and entered my room, it felt like ants were crawling all over my skin. I tried to ignore the barren walls, the bed that didn't have all my normal accessories, and the floor that didn't have my custom-printed persian rug.

Just ignore it, Rav. We need to get ready and make sure she sees us all shiny and new and impressive. We’re going to see our gorgeous and beautiful Rin. Nothing else matters.

Yanking open my drawers, I pulled out a pair of snug jeans and a thin, loose scoop neck. A retro hooded overcoat with suit buttons that made me look like I just got off the runway finished off the outfit. It wasn't like she would know the brands off the top of her head, but she would be stunned all the same.

I shucked my pants off and looked up, checking myself out to compare. My chest was much larger than Elio’s, my arms defined and muscular. I wanted this body to remind her that I was very much a man, not the boy who’d left all those years ago. Weak and frail, not strong enough to stand up for what I desperately wanted. Fingering my chin, I turned my face, making sure I looked good from any angle. I wanted her to fall in love with me the second her eyes landed on me.

No. I ran my hands down my chest as a familiar feeling flooded my veins, causing my breathing to become erratic. I didn't just want her love; I wanted her eyes to never leave mine. I wanted her by my side until we crossed into the everlasting world together.

I wanted more than forever.

My fingers twitched as short, shallow breaths fell from my mouth. I needed my stuff. I needed to feel surrounded by her, so this overwhelming obsession couldn’t take me over. Running for my closet, I threw the doors open. The first thing to fall out was my life-sized cut-out of her, looking just as she had the night she’d gone out with her stupid dead friend.

I fingered her hips, pretending the smooth plastic was the slinky blue fabric that hugged her curves like a second skin. Yes. I needed to indulge one last time.

The warm calm that came over me when I looked at my closet was unnatural, I knew that, but that didn't mean it wasn't real for me.

I could stare into her eyes for hours, days, and I needed to get that out of my system before she was here, able to detect my desire for her. It would be too much for her, as well as too much for me to have her so close while being unable to feel every inch of her skin. So, yes, I was going to give myself a few moments of indulgence before I shut the closet doors again, not wanting my room to be the place that would make her uncomfortable.

Setting a three-minute timer on my phone, I stepped into my closet and bathed myself in my Rin.

After my private moment, I dressed myself and sailed down the stairs, ready to win back our girl.

“Looks like he’s taking her to Fruits of Nature,” Rion said as he clicked away on his tablet, probably hacking into any nearby surveillance cameras to pick up their exact location. “He’s too close to her for comfort. I’m glad we’re intervening today.”

My muscles tightened as I grabbed the car keys. “And why are they spending so much time together?”

Rion huffed, “Looks like he was placed in her English class.”

“And Cinzia is with her in Art History, not to mention being her roommate. The fucking Riccis' are everywhere around her!” Throwing up my arms might not be necessary, but it did make me feel good. The hounds were far too close to our Rin. “Why can’t we just kill them all, again?”

Rion looked away from the tablet. “You know why. Even if they’re our fiercest rivals, they’re also the right hand family. They’re powerful, and Maria Ricci is the current head. We need to play this by the book and steal her away like normal.”

Shaking my head, I reminded him, “But it's not normal. We never show interest in women. They’ll know she’s special to us.”

Rion took a few steps, getting right in my face so he could stare me down. “Not if you act like it's a competition, like having her was just to get to them. You have to make them believe it.”

A whisper spilled from my lips. “And what do I do if she believes it?”

Rion exhaled, slumping against the back of the couch. “We’ll tell her what we can, when we can.” His brows pinched before they cleared up thanks to whatever idea was brewing behind those eyes. “In fact, you can bring her here. We’ll be able to tell her more as long as she’s not within the Riccis’ reach.”

My breath hitched, and my mind circled on one thought. She’s going to be here, in our house. Twinkling butterflies traveled throughout my body, causing my mind to go haywire and my dick to feel all the tingles.

She was going to sit on this couch. She was going to walk on these floors and breathe the same air as me. My whole body seized as I envisioned all the things she would touch. They would need to be preserved and kept in pristine condition. Her natural scent would be trapped in these walls. Is there a way to keep the air from escaping? Or capture and recycle it throughout the house for all eternity?

My head jerked forward, pain radiating from the back, and I swung around to find Roux. “You're spiraling. Stop daydreaming and get the job done.” He held out the keys to the Bentley, and I snatched them out of his hands.

It was annoying that he was right, but he was. We were so close I could taste it, but I needed to bring her home at all costs.

Roux tried to hand me a rope, but I scoffed and pushed it away. “That might be how you get the ladies, but I don’t need that. She’ll get in the car willingly. In fact, I’m going to make her leave Elio right in front of his face.”

Every once in a while, we acted like the identical triplets we were, and in this moment, we circled around each other, all sporting the same evil smile.

Pulling up to the restaurant, I took a breath and thought about how I was going to do this. Should I interrupt their lunch? Should I pay the waiter to spill something on Elio, so I could convince her to leave with me before he got back? Did I go in and request a table next to them, feigning ignorance? What to do, what to do.

I should probably do some recon first. That way, I could see which option would work best. If memory served me, this restaurant had a side entrance near their overflow parking area. Instead of parking in front with a valet, I parked in the back where all the workers parked. Nodding to a few of the line cooks on a smoke break, I made my way around the side and entered the small white door.

I was right; there was no one on this side of the restaurant. I was trying to decide if I wanted to go around the front or the back when my gray-eyed goddess surged forward, grabbing a menu from one of the tables. I was stunned in my tracks.

---