Page 47 of King of Obsession

My eyes traced the muscles in his back shift beneath the cotton shirt that stretched across his broad shoulders.

Fuck, he annoyed me.

Yet somehow, he also calmed me. How else had I slept so well?

How was this man who, before yesterday, had only been a distant whisper of a memory, now become a bedrock in my uncertain existence?

Those questions and more danced in my mind, unbidden and unanswered.

Gingerly, I sat on the outdoor sofa, resting my head against the backrest. I exhaled an extended, measured breath, allowing the tension woven through my muscles to unravel.

To let go.

Of the apprehension, the need for control, and the fear of the unknown that had kept my world contained.

I closed my eyes, surrendering to the silence, my thoughts searching for peace in the wake of chaos.

The sun climbed higher, its rays filtering through the leaves, projecting a dappled pattern on the wooden floorboards.

Its warmth touched my skin, casting me adrift in a rare serenity when his quiet stride signaled his return.

A mug clinked onto the outdoor table before me.

The scent of fresh-brewed coffee wafted, waking my senses.

Still, with my eyes closed, I sensed his presence as a subtle shift in the air—a displacement caused by his solid frame moving through the space.

His arm brushed against the back of the sofa as he settled down, his steady breathing blending with the rustle of leaves outside.

I let a slow exhale escape, not ready to break the spell or open my eyes to acknowledge him.

But I nodded in a silent thank you for the coffee.

Settling into a fractious understanding that didn’t demand words or action, just simple, shared existence despite the fact I wanted to slit his throat.

ALESSIO

I tagged the slight upturn to her lips as the sun warmed her.

Her eyes parted with an inhale, and she sliced her gaze to the mug I’d set in front of her.

Neat, elegant, unadorned fingers curled around its heat, bringing the lip to her mouth, sipping.

It was proving too hard not to resist needling her, pushing her buttons, talking dirty and crude-as-fuck.

Just to see her reaction, loving how her cheeks pinked up at my outrageous utterances, how her eyes lit up, and her lips tightened.

I was enjoying this shit a little too much.

However, I wasn’t driven by pure lust alone. I wanted to pull her mind away from her present troubles, to see her light up with anything other than sadness. To witness an eye roll or curse that took her away from her loneliness.

Still, the sensuality of the game I was playing sent a jolt tomy traitorous cock, and I found myself rasping out words to refocus my wayward body.

‘The men who ambushed me, where do they operate from?’ I growled.

‘Why?’

‘Like I said, I’m after Franco Conti. But I need to know of all possible threats in the area.’

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