Page 7 of Obsession

Sonia gives him a sultry look, then snaps a picture of the bowl with her phone. Gliding over to the bookcase positioned on the wall behind her desk, her perfect hips swaying with each step, she seductively runs her finger along the spines. Why did I choose to be the bigger person again? Stopping on a book spine, she pulls an ancient-looking tome. “I’ll lend you this book. It will be a good place to start with some basic background on incantation bowls.”

“Knock, knock.” We turn to see Nora Blackmon standing in the doorway. Damion’s mother is a lovely woman in her late forties to early fifties, with curly blonde hair and sharp, catlike green eyes. And those sharp eyes are homed in on me. “Oh. Aubry. This is a surprise.” She called the binding of Damion and me an “unsavory situation.” Me being here is likewise an unsavory surprise, based on the sour look she’s giving me.

“Hello, Nora.” I give her a polite smile. Dang, it’s so hard being the bigger person.

“And Damion, you not telling your mother you were coming! Don’t you dare forget our dinner plans next week.”

“I wouldn't dream of it.” He flashes his dimples again, and I try not to roll my eyes. “Aubry and I will be there.”

She gives me a tight faux smile. Back at her. “Ladies, I’m going to borrow my son for a moment.”

“Sonia, thank you,” Damion says. Giving me a wink, he gingerly floats the bowl in the box and carries it out following his mother.

“You think you’re good enough for him?” Sonia asks now that we’re alone. She gives me a critical look and shoves the book at me.

“Oh goodie. Let’s just get down to brass tacks. Since that’s not really a question, why don’t you go ahead and tell me.”

She crosses her arms. “I might decide that I like you after all, little witch.”

“Jury’s still out on you, little succubus.” Still writing checks I can’t cash, but she doesn’t need to know that.

Spinning on her heel, she walks with a noticeably less exaggerated hip sway to the bookshelf and pulls a smaller book. “I forgot about this one; it might have some information on incantation bowls.”

“Thank you. We’ll make sure these are returned.” Having my fill of Sonia, I exit her office with the books in hand.

Taking a seat on the bench in the hallway and watching the college kids walk by, I can’t help but think of Maddie. I send her some love as I twist my bracelet, and then I busy myself by flipping through the smaller of the two books.

“Hey, I haven’t seen you before. You new to the department?” A cute guy in his early twenties takes a seat beside me, pulling ear buds from his ears.

“Yes,” I say, figuring that’s the easier explanation.

“Cool,” he nods. “Let me see your schedule. Maybe we have a class together.” He scoots in closer, his skinny jean-clad knee bumping my bare one. “I’m Lance, by the way.”

“Aubry,” I say, scooting over to preserve my personal space and envisioning a protective shield around my aura for good measure. Unnecessary? Probably, but once you’ve had an energy vamp feed off your aura, you learn to take better care of your energetic house. “I don’t have my schedule with me. But what about Dr. Blackmon?”

He whistles. “Try to avoid her classes at all costs.”

“Why?”

“She’s a hard-ass and her finals are brutal.”

That doesn’t surprise me one little bit. “Good to know.”

“You wanna go grab a—”

He stops midsentence, his eyes big as saucers. Jumping up from the bench, he’s already down the hall, practically in a sprint.

Damion is now seated next to me. “What did you do to that poor kid?” I cross my arms and give him a look.

“That poor kid who was staring at your legs? I didn’t do anything to him. Yet.”

“Let’s go before you get us kicked off campus,” I say, handing him the books, secretly delighted to see his possessive side. And then secretly concerned with what that says about me.

“What was his pickup line?”

“‘Let me see your schedule.’”

Damion snorts. “Rookie mistake. The better line is ‘What’s your major?’” He flashes his dimples. “So, what’s your major?”

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