Page 53 of Twisted Obsession

27

Ansel

The day had been a productive one as far as I was concerned. I’d spent half the day with Regina and half in my office attempting to play catch up with work.

Except for a few business-related fires I’d extinguished, I’d been in my office for an hour and hadn’t accomplished shit. Regina crossed my mind. She’d taken her lessons well this morning and had puffed my chest up with pride. She’d not given too much resistance about me being tough on her. However, the mean looks she gave hinted at her irritation.

As much as I didn’t like the lame ass idea in my head, I enjoyed having someone to go home to. Before Regina, working a fourteen to eighteen-hour day wasn’t shit. With Regina around, my normal routine had become a whole different story.

All I’d improved lately was my imagination on how many ways I wanted to see Regina tied up. I closed my laptop and prepared to go home, reminding myself that I paid people good money to do most of the shit I did anyway.

The drive home had gone by in a blur. Regina’s scent and her pheromones met me as soon as I stepped off the elevator and into my apartment, wreaking sweet havoc on my senses. I had no view of the woman and already ached to fuck her.

My gaze fell on the spectacular view of the city through the floor to ceiling windows in my living room. She’d often sit on the chaise and study until her body slumped and her eyes drooped. It was her favorite spot in the entire apartment, but she wasn’t there.

If she tired of that, she’d sit by the pool. I’d seen her swim laps like a champ, but she was more content to sit by the pool and enjoy the view. A peek onto the balcony sent my gaze to her second favorite spot, but she wasn’t there either.

“Regina,” I called. My brow bent as a crease of concern wiggled its way into my brain when she didn’t answer my call. The kitchen produced steam flowing from the pots and pans. It was after six, so Gigi had come and gone.

My pace quickened as I left the kitchen and marched up the stairs to Regina’s room. I used the tips of my fingers to open her cracked door farther. Emptiness and silence greeted me as my gaze raked over her bed and her open bathroom door.

I removed my phone and brought up the cameras, clicking over each, searching for the woman who was about to cause me to have a heart attack before I turned twenty-seven fucking years old.

Phone in one hand, I reached back with the other and gripped the handle of my pistol as it rested against my back. I didn’t put a fucking thing past her family. If I had my way, I’d kill each and every last one of them.

A rustling from the closet sent me in that direction. A deep sigh escaped, and I released the grip I’d placed on my pistol. Regina was sitting on the floor of the closet with a damn book in her hand. She was such a beautiful nerd.

“Regina,” I called in a firm voice, making her jump at the sound of my urgent call. Her head jerked up from the book that nearly toppled from her hands. She popped a set of black earbuds from her ears that I’d just noticed.

“Yes. What’s…what’s wrong?” she stammered. Her face squinted in concern as she glanced up at me with an endearing innocence before she gripped the hand I lowered to help her up.

My quick eyes scanned her delicious body. First, it was the jeans, but now my sweats. I loved Regina in my clothes, but I wanted that sexy body of hers exposed for my eyes only.

I’d stuffed a few of her drawers full of the kinds of sexy clothes that I wished to see her in. However, I was learning that Regina wasn’t going to let me run every aspect of her life, and she managed to get her points across loud and clear despite her calm nature.

“Nothing,” rushed out of my mouth. “I didn’t see you. I’ve been calling out to you with no response.”

My labored breathing sounded over the buzz coming from her earphones as relief unfurled the strong fist that was squeezing my heart. This damn woman was going to be the death of me.

“I apologize,” she declared. “I didn’t mean to make you worry.” Her big brown gaze projected a sincerity that couldn’t be missed. “I was listening to music and studying.”

While some women in her situation would have been out spending my money or planning some type of scheme, she studied, conditioning her mind on the ways to fix the broken human body.

A teasing smirk raced across my lips.

“What?” she asked, considering my expression as a tiny smile surfaced on her lips.

“You and Megan,” I started. “I’ve never met women like you two. Megan has the mind to torture the devil and leave his ass in distress. You, I do believe you can take a human apart, and rebuild him into a better person.”

There wasn’t enough money in the world to pay for the smile that lit her face. It wasn’t often I could get her to grin wide enough to show me the full beauty of her smile, but when I did, it shone light into my dark world.

“Thank you for such a nice compliment, but all I aspire to be is a good doctor.”

“You already are,” I complimented, making her brown cheeks flush pink.

“Is there any word on my name change?” she inquired, stopping my uncharacteristically rare moment of dishing out compliments.

“Not yet. Give it at least another week.”

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