Page 43 of His Secret Obsession

But the way he’s walking towards me, like he has a score to settle, makes my palms sweat. My date calls my name, but allthe noise around me is like the reflections of sound underwater. I swallow hard.

What could he possibly want?

He’s barreling towards me so fast that I begin to think he’s going to pass me. It makes my heart plummet for all of a second before his body collides with mine. A yelp is torn from my throat when his hands suddenly wrap around my legs, his arms lifting me off the ground and hoisting me over his shoulder.

“Jax! What the hell are you doing?”

Ignoring the warmth of his body and the way his hard muscles press against me, I smack his shoulder. Outrage and indignation make my cheeks and neck flush with heat and my voice shrill. His arm tightens around my back, but he otherwise ignores me. He turns to my wide-eyed date, whose mouth is repeatedly opening and closing like a damn fish.

“Are you deaf? This building is under evacuation. If I were you, I would get to stepping.” I suck in a breath at the sound of his dark tone. “Unless you want me to drag you out of here, which I’d be happy to do.”

My date shakes his head, jerky fingers fidgeting with his glasses before taking a step back. “No, sir. I—I’m going.”

Looking at me, he mouths a silent apology and I return it with a glare, watching as he turns on his heels and sprints away.

I’m not sure I blame him.

“Were you flirting with him?”

“Is that really what you’re worried about right now?” Other customers are still exiting the building around us, many of them shooting me perplexed expressions as I hang over Jax’s shoulder. With a huff, I wiggle in his hold. “Is this really necessary? I have two legs, and I can leave on my own.”

His arm bands around the back of my thighs, hoisting me up a little higher and squeezing me to his body as he begins walking. In the wrong direction.

“Oh, we’re not evacuating. They are.”

“What?” I look over my shoulder, watching as we walk down a darkened hallway underneath a sign for the restroom. “There’s nothing but bathrooms back here!”

He chuckles, and I smack the back of his head. His palm comes down on my ass in response, making me yelp. The hot, aching sting that spreads across my skin sends a spiral of heat swooping through my stomach.

That’s…interesting.

He carries me into the ladies’ restroom, depositing me on my feet before locking the door behind him. I gape at him.

“Have you lost your mind? What are you doing?”

He turns back towards me with that same almost-angry energy he walked into the restaurant with. Whatever he’s after right now, he’s determined. And I would be lying if I said it wasn’t a turn on. He saunters towards me, my pulse thrumming in my neck. I stumble backwards, and he doesn’t stop until he’s got me backed against the wall.

“We can’t be in here. The building could be on fire or something!”

I push on his chest, but he doesn’t budge. His forearms rest against either side of me, cocooning me between his hard muscles and the wall. With him this close, I can smell that spicy, clean wintergreen scent of his body wash. But beneath that, the stubborn scent of motor oil clings to his shirt. It’s like his own unique scent, and it makes my eyelids flutter.

“The only person in danger here is your date. Did you go out with him to punish me?” He quirks an eyebrow, and his pensive gaze dips down to my lips.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Is that what this is about?”

“Answer the question.” The rough pad of his thumb brushes against my bottom lip, the touch making me inhale sharply. His pupils darken, and my heart begins to slam against my ribcage.

“Maybe a girl can only take so much rejection before she decides to move on.”

Something indecipherable flashes across his face, and he scowls as he moves away to pace back and forth. I stare at him, watching as he runs a hand through his hair. His entire body hums with barely restrained energy, like a tiger ready to pounce on its prey.

Why do I get the feeling that I’m the prey in this scenario?

He shakes his head with a mirthless chuckle. “Maybe it’s that easy for you. Believe me, I’ve been trying to do the same.” He spins back around with a wild look and taps a finger against his temple. “But I’ll be damned if you aren’tstuckin my head. Of all the people I could want, it had to be my brother’s ex-girlfriend, didn’t it?” He pauses at my sharp inhale, his jaw working. His voice is harsh and guttural when he speaks again. “Were you going to let him fuck you?”

“Thatis none of your business.”

Where does he get the audacity to turn me down and then proceed to go into a jealous rage and interrupt my date?

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