Page 2 of Unruly Obsession
I don’t know why I'm so anxious around him; maybe it has something to do with my obvious attraction to him. I’m certain it has to do with his six-foot-two height and the obnoxious amount of muscle that makes it hard not to imagine what he might look like without a shirt on. He has dark hair, brown eyes, thick eyelashes, and a perfectly shaved shadow of stubble along his jaw. He looks like he was molded by the gods themselves, but his aura warns not to get too close.
Damn it, I'm staring again. I take another harsh slurp of the drink, trying to drown out the heat rising to my cheeks.
“Is that how you usually hit on men?” he asks, his face turned in my direction for the first time since being here.
“Excuse me?” I whip my glasses off to glare at him.
“You’re trying to get me to remove my shirt, no?” he asks, still with that grimace staining his face.
“I was being polite because I thought the temperature might be intense with your twenty layers of clothing." I huff out a breath. "You know what, I think I’ve had enough sun for today,” I say, snapping my book shut and moving to sit on the side of my lounge chair. I push to my feet, wrap my sarong around myself, and begin walking away, immediately regretting it as the sand scorches my feet, but too proud to go back for my shoes.
“You forgot your shoes,” he calls out behind me, as if I’m a nuisance more than anything.
I can’t believe I was ever attracted to this guy, but maybe it’s because I looked at him from a distance. I can appreciate beauty, but I can also categorize someone with a sour attitude.
“Another drink, miss?” the bartender asks as I storm toward him.
“No, thank you. Thank you for today. The piña colada was incredible.” I attempt a bright smile, reminding myself it’s not him who’s ruined my peace.
Lorenzo is only a step behind, infuriating me even more because the guy just doesn’t take a hint. I internally curse his name the moment I hit the coarse gravel of the road, but continue to charge on with a cool indifference.
“Would you at least put your shoes on,” Lorenzo says dryly from behind me, as if he’s speaking to a child.
My feet stop of their own accord, and I look over my shoulder to glare at him again. If anything, he’s probably happy because he thinks he’s getting his own way since we’re returning to the villa. I don’t entirely understand his relationship with Luca Armani, nor do I care to give in to his antics. I came here for me. And I’m not going to be pushed around; I get enough of that from my father.
I snatch my shoes out of his hands and put them on. His expression doesn’t change, only infuriating me more.
Flipping my hair over my shoulder, I decide I’m not giving in to this brute of a man. Instead of walking up the grassy path that goes directly toward the villa, I continue along the gravelly road.
“Where are you going? The villa is in that direction,” he says with a trickle of irritation in his tone. Good, at least I’m not the only one who's annoyed.
“Surely you don’t need me to escort you there, do you?” I say, turning and popping my hand on my hip. It’s rude, but I don’t care for his attitude toward me. “I’m going to find a nice, quietplace to read my book. Please, leave me alone.” I tighten my grip on the paperback.
He probably thinks it’s stupid that I enjoy reading romance novels. He seems like the type, anyway.
Stop being judgmental. You don’t know anything about this man.
What I do know is Lorenzo gets under my skin.
Exhaling a frustrated breath, I try to bring myself back to the polite and polished version of myself that people expect.
“You can read at the villa,” he says matter-of-factly.
“I can readwhereverI like.”
He remains silent as he continues to walk a foot behind me, and I release a cleansing breath before I can face him once again. “You really don’t have to join me. We’re literally in the middle of nowhere, and I can make my way back to the villa. I’ll even promise to be back before dark. So, please, don’t feel obligated to be by my side because Luca said so.”
“If only it were that easy,” he grumbles.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask as a car comes speeding around the corner. My stomach drops, and I freeze as it lines up in my peripheral.
Oh my God, it’s going to hit me.
I’m jerked to the side, the car narrowly missing me, as I watch everything unravel in slow motion. My body is already beginning to tremble as adrenaline pumps through my veins. Lorenzo pushes me behind a tree with ease, caging my body with his, and my mind goes blank as he pulls out a gun and aims.
My entire world spins as he pulls the trigger, and I realize with startling clarity that I’ve stepped into another world entirely.
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