Page 106 of Plunge into Obsession

“I had no idea you’re so ticklish.”

I shrugged. If he wanted me to be talkative, perhaps he shouldn’t have done all those things to me this morning.

“Did I push you too hard?” he asked, and I could almost hear the regret in his voice. I lifted my head from his chest and looked at him.

It was the first time this morning that I had been able to look at him with clear eyes, free from sleep or lust.

He had dark circles underneath.

Not prominently, and even as tired as he looked, the man still managed to look beautiful.

“Did you sleep at all last night?” I asked. I should not be feeling anything for this man save for contempt, and perhaps a little hatred—and if he was really associated with the man responsible for Lucinda’s disappearance, then a lot of hatred. Instead, I found myself feeling for him.

It could just be the pregnancy making me a little more emotional than usual.

“Here and there,” he answered me.

I blinked. “Is everything okay?”

He didn’t say anything for a moment. Then, “Do you really want to know?”

I assumed he would only ask me if the thing that wasn’t okay was related to the more unsavory side of his business.

I still couldn’t believe the man I had been pining after for nearly two years was like this. Did I really have that bad of judgment when it came to men?

“Is it that bad?” I asked.

“Nothing I can’t handle.”

I watched his facial expression. As usual, his brown eyes were unreadable but no less fascinating. His face was relaxed, giving away nothing about the man.

Would he really tell me if I said yes?

Before I could really think about it, the word was out of my mouth.

“Yes.”

It took him a moment to realize what I was talking about.

He smiled a little at me as if he was surprised by my answer but not all that disappointed.

“Someone is stirring up trouble,” he said. “Thefactorywhere I run my business, and create the product, was attacked last night and set on fire.”

I gasped. Of all the things to have happened, that was the last thing I would have expected him to say.

“Is everyone okay?” I asked.

“Thirty of my men were killed.”

His jaw clenched, and his face was no longer expressionless but held a sort of rage that made me glad to not be on the receiving end of it.

Was that why he’d taken me so desperately this morning? Was he trying to forget about all that went on?

What exactly did Gabriel do to have men under him? Men who had died?

I licked my dry lips while he watched me intently.

“What do you do?”

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