Page 197 of Obsession

I rubbed my temples, which threatened a headache, and mentally prepared myself for what was to follow. Harris took my chin between his fingers and leaned closer. We were both decent now. I’d borrowed some dry clothes from V, but we didn’t have time to shower.

“Do you want me to go in with you?”

I blinked a few times, shocked.

“And what will you say?”

“That we’re together now and I’m to blame for your disappearance last night.” His bravery still surprised me sometimes, and I giggled.

“Thank you, babe, but I plan on my dad liking you in the near future.”

He smiled.

“I plan on that, too.”

“Which is why you shouldn’t take the blame now.”

He looked at my house and weighed his options. I knew he wasn’t afraid to meet my father, he hadn’t been afraid when he’d snuck into my room either, and there had not been anything between us then.

“It’s your choice,” he finally said.

I smiled and leaned in to kiss him.

“When do you want me to pick you up?”

I grabbed his hand and looked at the smartwatch on his wrist. It was just over five in the morning.

“In an hour and a half.”

“Okay.”

This time he was the one kissing me, much deeper as he massaged my neck and grabbed my damp hair in his fist.

“Go,” he moaned over my lips, then gritted his teeth.

His obvious struggle made me smile. After last night and everything that had happened between us in his car, his resistance was wearing thin. That pleased me a little too much as I waited with devilish satisfaction for him to give in.

His mouth collided with mine again.

“I can’t really leave if you won’t let me,” I laughed against his lips, and he smiled and pulled back.

“I’ll never let you go,” he said after I got out of the car and turned to face him.

Everything inside me started to burn.

I forced myself to smile without melting, closed the door and stumbled to the house.

Any hint of arousal inside me evaporated when I entered the kitchen and saw my dad.

Oh, damn it, this wasn’t going to be easy.

He was sitting on a stool, one arm propped up on the table while his eyes looked out the window. I knew exactly where he was looking because Harris hadn’t left yet, but the most shocking detail about my dad was his clothing.

He was wearing a firefighter uniform, dirty with ash, as were his hands and face. He had had a rough night.

I hadn’t seen my father like that for a long time, and painful needles pierced my heart as the memories resurfaced. Every time a strong fire broke out somewhere, my mother wouldn’t sleep a wink, especially at night. She would walk around, lost in thought, until he came back, and then the relief on her face would light up the whole house when she saw him come into the house, exhausted, dirty, but safe.

Now he was exhausted, dirty and safe… too… but no one had been waiting for him.

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