Page 38 of Volatile Obsessions

But she wasn’t buying it one bit, sitting at the edge of the bed with her head tilted aside.

“You know I’m right.”

“You’re not,” I retorted.

“I am, and you wanna know how I can tell? Those killer cheeks of yours ran bright red when I mentioned it. Tell tale sign right there. Plus, you were on the defense before I could blink.”

I went completely rigid as a tense silence engulfed the room. The only thing I could hear was my pulse thundering in my ears.

“I know you too well for you to play dumb,” she continued, snapping my attention her way once more. “Is he hot?” she queried, waggling her eyebrows.

“Why does it matter?” My head reared, which earned me another satisfied smirk.

“Because you never told me what he looks like.”

“Because it’s irrelevant!” I bellowed, arms shooting out to my sides.

Suki chuckled and shook her head. “Judging by your reaction, I’d say it’s pretty relevant. Spill, L,” she ordered, motioning to empty space on the bed beside her.

But I didn’t move.

If I took the bait, I’d only be encouraging her assumptions, and I was blatantly refusing to believe she could even be partially right. Something was wrong with me, that’s a definite given, and it was one-hundred percent Roman’s fault. But no, I did not want him in any other way than gone, dead or alive.

I couldn’t.

I don’t.

And yet you do, whispered that bastard little voice in my head.

Shooing her away with a shake of my head, I forced myself to focus on all Roman had done up to this point. So what if he was good looking? I could acknowledge his beauty and still hate him.

Right?

Nothing but laughter greeted me, both in and out of my mind. Suki and my subconscious were enjoying quite a good chuckle at my expense.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” she snickered, and I groaned, because I was contradicting myself left and right, at every fucking turn.

My body was not at all in sync with my mind.

“Yes, he’s striking, okay,” I admitted, shuffling toward the bed and dropping down beside her in a heap. “But like I said, irrelevant. His looks don’t change what he’s done or how I feel about it all.”

“Sureee,” she drawled.

“I just want him to make a move already.”

“On you or—”

I shot her another glare. “Drop it, Suk.”

“Okay, okay, fine.” She giggled, holding her hands up. “Provoke him then.”

“What?”

“Provoke him. You want him to react, right? Fuck with him like he fucked with you. Nothing too extravagant, but enough to make it clear you’re waiting on him.”

“What do you mean clear? I was clear that night in his office. Vic and Roscoe wiped out every body on the first floor, for crying out loud.”

“Obviously wasn’t clear enough, or perhaps he just didn’t believe you. Make him believe.”

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