Page 9 of Darling Obsession

“Well, let’s see.” I throw it back to him, playing to his ego, because I can’t exactly tell him the truth. “Other than Savannah, you know me best, so you tell me. What problem would you have if you were me right now?”

He laughs a little. “Okay. If I’m you… I have literal OCD-level control over every detail of my life. And that control would evaporate if I lost my inheritance and my place in the family business. The news would go public, and I suppose I’d have some sort of nuclear-level meltdown.”

Irritatingly accurate.

“And maybe,” he probes, “I don’t trust that if that happens, my siblings would protect me.”

Maybe he’s right.

I definitely don’t trust them not to abandon me.

When I neither confirm nor deny, he says, “You don’t give us enough credit. Just bring her around to a family dinner or something, and be done with it. You know Savannah would love to host.” He holds up his hands in surrender. “We’ll be on our best behavior.”

“No.”

“Then you do have a problem.”

The blonde waitress drifts by to check on us, and Damian indulges her, flirting. I tune out, rubbing my fingertip over my pant seam, forming the letters. Performing the compulsive ritual, chasing the soothing that never quite comes.B-E-A-U?—

“The poor girl,” Damian says when the blonde leaves. “You won’t even look at her.”

I finish the word, because I can’t not.T-I-F-U-L.“Can you take this seriously and forget about your cock for two seconds?”

“I’m not thinking with my cock. I’m thinking with my bank. She’d be good for Bliss, no? Those lips…”

I grunt with annoyance. “Maybe you’re conveniently forgetting our fraternization policy.”

“Oh, I don’t forget.”

“Then you know the full-blown fit Graysen would have if you got caught fondling the company goods. He’d never climb down out of your ass after an infraction like that.”

Damian just chuckles. Of course, he’s the sole owner of Bliss. He doesn’t have to follow Graysen’s rules for how he conducts business there. But he’d be stupid not to.

“How would he know, though?” he says. “Wouldn’t it be my little secret? You know… like you and your Darla.”

“And what if weforcedyou to tell us all your little secrets?” I growl back. Surely he can understand how fucked this position is I’ve been put in.

“I wish you luck with that,” he says, eyes twinkling, “but I’d love to see you try.”

“Not interested.” I keep rubbing my fingertip over my pant seam, making sure to complete the word.BEAUTIFUL. “Keep your secrets. And I’ll keep mine.”

Damian studies me with open interest now. “Does Darla even exist? Is she a ghoul?” He leans in again. “Better question… Doesshe knowyouexist? You know, the way you’d talk about her, about ‘holding out’ for her, I halfway thought you were stalking her.”

I laugh humorlessly, then realize he’s not kidding.

“You have to admit, you do obsess.”

I scowl. “About women?”

“How would I know? You never talk to me about women.”

We stare at each other for as long as I can stand, before I start rubbing my fingertip on my pant seam again.

I don’t like being out of control. Who does?

I tell myself this is a normal way to feel.

But there’s nothing normal about the way I feel most of the time.

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