Page 44 of Arranged Obsession
Dread starts to fill my stomach. “I didn’t know I had another bed.”
I glare at him. “You’re joking?”
“Do I seem like a funny guy to you?”
“Not even a little bit.” I push past him. Sure enough, the only other room that gets any use is half office and half library. The second I step foot inside, I breathe deep, and the smell of my ghost hits me in the face like a fist to the nose. It reels me, nearly flattens me, and I have to lean against a nearby shelf to keep from staggering.
My god. This is him.Thisis where that smell comes from.
It’s leather, old wood, and bookbinding. Plus Cormac’s unique musk.
“Are you alright?” He’s beside me, a hand on my back again. His fingers are so large and his palm is so strong. I turn to him and stare into his handsome face, and I catch a flicker of emotion.
“I’m not sleeping in your bed,” I say, raising my chin defiantly.
His hand drops away.
“I don’t see many other options, do you?”
“Beds are cheap.” I stride past him, mostly to get out of this room. I pause outside of one last door, try the handle, but it’s locked. “What’s in here?”
“Don’t worry about that.”
I glance over my shoulder. “Is this where you keep the bodies?”
“Those are all stashed at the bottom of the river.”
“And you say you’re not funny.”
“Actually, you said that.”
I storm back to his bedroom and pull out blankets and sheets from the linen closet. “Don’t worry, I’m a very practical woman.”I head back downstairs and toss everything onto the couch. “I can sleep here until Ikea comes through.”
“My wife isn’t going to sleep in the living room.”
“Are you volunteering?”
His expression hardens. “Absolutely not.”
“Then I’m glad we’ve reached this agreement,” I say brightly, my chest already a mess of anxiety. “Why do you care, anyway?”
He stares at me for a long moment. I wilt slightly under the pressure of that gaze. This man is my ghost, my stalker. He’s been in my life for seven long years, but we haven’t spoken about it just yet. Only mentioned it sideways and in passing. But I know there’s something more here. A deeper, more terrifying relationship than I ever imagined.
It’s like there’s a monster under the bed, but I’m acting as though it can’t hurt me if I don’t take a peek.
“I don’t do things halfway.” He steps closer. A leaf from a big rubber plant brushes against his leg.
“Big shock there.” I stand and face him. If I’m all meek and small, he’s going to roll over me. That’s what men like him are used to. The only language Cormac speaks is strength. So I’ll be strong. “Here’s the deal. We’repartners. We’re not married. We’re not a couple. You and me—” I gesture between us. “We’re an arrangement. Nothing more than that. Got it?”
“No.”
“You can’t just sayno.” I grind my jaw, frustrated.
“I can. I did.” He picks up my pillow. “This comes with me.”
“Great, go ahead and take it. I’ll find other arrangements.” I cross my arms and hold my ground. “Or are you going to drag me up to your room?”
He licks his lips, and for a beat, I think he might. The way he’s looking at me makes me think he’d very much enjoy it. And God, I’m thinking I might too. That smell wrapped around me, those lips on my throat, his strong hands dragging me into his bed as he undresses me, panting my name the whole time?—
