Page 4 of Obsessed

"You should just tell Blake to bring you fully loaded carbs," a woman named Georgia tells me. I remember her name easily because she has a sultry Southern accent to go with it. So far, she is the only fairly genuine person at the pool. Georgia rests her arms back on the pool edge and lets her long, tan legs float up. She says the tan is from a bottle, but it looks amazingly real, like she's been sitting on a beach in the Bahamas for a week. "And I don't mean whole grains like all the nutrition experts say," she continues with her advice. "You need waffles and pancakes smothered in butter and topped with plenty of maple syrup. That'll plump you upnicely."

"Waffles and pancakes? Can't say no to those." I lift my hand to rub the creepy crawly feeling in my arms but stop myself short ofscratchingthe itch. The friction only makes the symptomsworse.

Georgia floats away from the edge of the pool and wades to the steps where I'm sitting. She has light hazel eyes and short brown hair with a pert little nose dotting the middle of her face. "You aren't the first girl to suffer weight loss from nectar. A girl named—" she taps her chin. "Betsy or Beverly or something. Can't remember." She laughs once. "I sometimes think living down here is wiping away every bit of my memory. Can't hardly remember a darn thinganymore."

I nod in agreement only I'm certain the nectar has more to do with the memory loss than living belowground.

"Anyhow, Betsy was skinny to begin with. You know one of those tall runway types. In fact, she was a little too thin. The club members overlooked her a lot, even though she was stunning with big blue eyes and cherry lips. But she got so skinny, Mr. Freestone decided she wouldn't survive down here, so he sent heraway."

"Away? Whereto?"

Georgia smiles. "You sound worried. I don't blame you. If you get much thinner, I think you'll be sent away too." She seems to say it not to be bitchy but more as a warning. "Not sure where the girls go when they leave here because it's never happened to me. I get picked every club night," she says proudly. "I've got a solid position here unless I start growing warts on my nose or something," she laughs. "Anyhow, you should try the waffles andsyrup."

"I'll give 'em atry."

Two other women swim over to hear what we're talking about. I recognize one of them as Eve, the woman who Blake had labeled toxic. My first encounter with her was pretty muchthat.

"Why are you talking about waffles, Georgia?" the other woman asks as they near. She has long hair that she's braided for the swim party. She looks young, not more than twenty, but she also looks like someone who has seen more than her share of the ugly side of life. There's a scar on her chin that looks as if it was put there by a fist with aring.

"Hey, Robyn," Georgia says, "just telling Tawny how to put some weight on her bones." She mumbles something else to Robyn, but I can't make out thewords.

Robyn looks me up and down. "You are pretty thin. You should just eat sticks ofbutter."

Eve rolls her eyes. "You are so stupid. Nothing will help. If the drug makes you anorexic, there's no way to stop it. You either need to get off of it or starve to death," she says confidently. "Either way, you'll be of no use to Mr. Freestone or to LaceUnderground."

"Then that's it," I say sharply back. "I guess I'll just pack my things and hike out of here because you've already predicted my future." When the drug wore off, Detective Tennyson came jumping back in bold, flying colors. I miss her. Unfortunately, I'm certain I will miss the nectarmore.

"I think that's a grand idea." Eve swims closer, trying to intimidate me it seems. That only pushes Angie to the surfacemore.

I open my mouth to say something biting back to her but realize, suddenly, that the entire pool room has fallen silent. Everyone, even Eve, turns to thedoor.

His blue eyes don't sweep the room. They are already focused onme

"Everyone out," he commands. "Now."

There are a few muted grumbles and complaints, but everyone quickly complies with his order. Eve sneers up at me as I climb out of the pool. "This is your fault," she mouths to me before I can pull my gaze away from herface.

I find the towel Blake supplied me with and begin drying my skin. An annoying tremble has started in my limbs. My stomach churns around the fruit smoothie I sipped before swimming. I haven't seen Kane since the afternoon in his office. Since that ended with somewhat of a calamity, I decide my best bet is to dry and quickly shuffle out with theothers.

Some of the girls grab the fried chicken and pineapple cake on the table before hurrying out of the poolroom.

"Apparently, the party is over," Georgia whispers in my ear as she scoots past. "He doesn't look happy," she adds. She swoops past the table and grabs a piece of cake on her way to the door. I decide to follow swiftly in herwake.

People left the pool so quickly, the water laps against the tile and creates a dance of reflective shadows on the room's walls and ceilings. I avoid eye contact with his aggravatingly magnetic gaze as my bare feet slap the cement pavement outside the pool. I don't need to look up to sense his presence. It's there, tall and brooding and dark, at the end of theroom.

I keep pace with Georgia but stay behind her to keep out of sight. A long arm snakes around me stopping my progress. "Not you," Kane says quietly. There's less edge in histone.

I still avoid his face and focus on the door. Most of the women have left, but Eve stops and looks back, favoring me with a wicked scowl before walkingout.

"I see you've met, Eve." Kane sounds oddly normal, like we're about to have a natural, friendly conversation about the lovelyEve.

I nod and bring myself to look at him. He is by far the most strikingly handsome man I've evermet.

He lowers his arm, walks to the door and locks it. Not that I believe for one minute any of the women will disobey his order and return to theroom.

"Take the bathing suit off." He starts to unbutton hisshirt.

Ihesitate.

---