Page 44 of The Dark Obsession

“Well, I thought I’d play along.” A smile stretches across my reddening cheeks.

We both drink deeply from our first glass and finish it in seconds.

He pours me another and stands, proffering a hand. “Let’s go relax, Rosalie.”

I always forget how very elegant and gentlemanly he is, even when he sometimes seems reckless and impulsive. I take his hand and stand much too quickly, knocking into his other hand holding his wine. The deep red wine splashes across his shirt, soaking the breast pocket.

He steadies what’s left of his wine and places it on his desk. “Rosalie.” He laughs.

I put down my glass. My cheeks burn uncomfortably at my moronic moves.

He unbuttons his shirt a bit more, then pulls it over his head, his arms stretching high. I stare at his toned abdomen; the scar glistens across his stomach. My mouth is still hanging open when his shirt lands on my head.

“Eyes up here, Rosa.” Rafael laughs.

His shirt smells strong of wine and sandalwood. I pull it off my face. I’m unable to suppress a laugh as I throw the shirt back at him. “Hey, that’s my line.” I giggle and steal another glance at his abdomen.

“Well, apparently, I need it more.”

“What happened?” I stretch my fingers to touch the scar.

Rafael takes my hand before I reach his skin. I shiver at his touch. My stomach buzzes lively with butterflies.

“My brother was in trouble. I was protecting him.” He pauses to inspect it himself. “It’s very sensitive to touch though, a decent amount of nerve damage. But let’s not dwell on that right now.” He guides my hand along the upper part of the scar.

The scar feels jagged and warm under my fingers, where they touch the unscarred part of the abdomen, its colder, like the rest of his skin. He studies me while I suck in a sudden breath at the heat coming from the scar as it stretches around and down to his hip.

He releases my hand, analysing me, as I hesitantly step closer. He peers down at me through his thick eyelashes and laughs again, breaking the silence between us. “Rosa.” He sighs. “You’re mad.”

“What?” I glare at him.

The door opens, and Lucy stands with a tray of snacks.

I startle and pull my hand from his side.

“Take it to the entertainment room, please,” Rafael says to Lucy, not even looking up. He watches me as I grab my glass off the table.

I smile at him as I walk to the door. “Let’s go, then.”

“May I put on a shirt, or would you rather I just get naked?” Rafael points to his chest.

“Oh …” I stare at him, my cheeks burning again. “Sorry. Yes.”

He chuckles and walks down the hallway and into his room. I ponder my strange attitude towards Rafael, its like he’s the flame and I’m the moth. He comes out seconds later while buttoning a dark purple shirt and stops halfway. “Come on, then.” He smiles and leads the way.

The bright gold writing on almost every door pulls on my curiosity. The shapes that all mean something to Rafael remain a complete mystery to me. Questions brew inside me faster than I can ask, faster than I can even comprehend myself. “Raf,” I say, calling his attention.

He slows down on the stairs. “Yes?”

“What does the Enochian on the doors say?”

Rafael stops midway down the stairs and focuses on the stair rail. “It just describes what’s in each room. The one on my room literally says Rafael’s room.”

“Oh,” I mumble, my curiosity dissipating as quickly as it started.

He leads me to the left of his house, past a large kitchen, and into a large, dark, and square high-ceiling room. A huge grey stereo system is central to the back wall, alongside a glass bar. Bottles of alcohol on a mirrored back wall stretch at least two metres high. A piano is set on a small stage opposite the bar, with a pool table nearby, and tables dotted around. I try to stop my jaw from dropping at the sight of Rafael’s little bar, but I don’t succeed.

He chuckles as I stand in the doorway and flicks a switch that partially illuminates the room, and some music plays faintly in the background. “Surprised?” he asks, obviously smug.

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