Page 55 of Obsession

His smile disappears, and after a beat, he steps toward me. I freeze in place when he invades my space and then tilts my head back with a finger under my chin. I can feel his breath on my face, and his cologne has an addictive woodsy scent that makes me slightly light-headed.

I have never been so wildly attracted to a man who is so much older than me, but there is something about this man that makes me quiver yet feel completely safe in his presence.

This intense attraction has been there from day one. It’s clear that he’s also aware of it, and he’s made no secret of the fact that he does want me, but I refuse to be swayed. Yet, I’m concerned about my ability to keep holding out. How long can I refuse to give into this attraction when he protects me the way he does and performs gestures like these?

It’s intoxicating.

“Have you been applying a cold compress to your cheek?”

“Um, yeah,” I stammer, unable to tear my eyes away from his.

“Well, the bruise is fading,” he releases me. “You’ll settle in here today, and you’ll come to work tomorrow.”

I nod mutely, wishing he would step away from me so that I can think more clearly.

“All right, then,” he says, moving back, and I immediately miss the warmth of his touch. “Go back to school tomorrow as well. I’m sure you’ve missed a lot of work.”

Based on his tone, it’s not a suggestion but more of an order, and again, my natural instinct is to bare my teeth at him, so I have to force myself to control myself.

Not every battle, Megan.

For some reason, his words are reverberating within me.

When he turns around, I find myself saying, “I didn’t mention this before, but I have a roommate, and she’s a friend. I’m worried about her staying there, too.”

“Naomi Turner?” he states plainly.

Of course, he knows.

“Yes,” I mutter.

He looks over his shoulder at me, “Would you feel better if she stays here with you?”

I nod.

“You have three bedrooms. Do what you want with them.”

“Would she pay rent?”

“No.”

“This is temporary, of course,” I remind him. “I don’t expect to live anywhere for free forever.”

“Of course.”

He’s about to leave when I speak up again, wondering why I keep finding excuses to make him stay. “What’s going to happen to Mickey?”

His eyes darken. “Don’t ask questions you can’t handle the answers to.”

I fall silent, but it seems he also has some questions.

“Is this the first time he’s come after you?”

I try to shrug, but the movement is jerky because the look in Mr. Middleton’s eyes makes a shiver of fear run down my spine.

“He’s wary of Naomi, so he’s never pulled something like this before, but he watches me sometimes, which is why I try never to keep a routine so that he doesn’t know when to wait for me.”

Even if he’s never pulled something like this, my instincts always warned me about him, and I trust my instincts. They’ve never failed me before. I’m still here, and I’m still in one piece.

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