Page 53 of Unapologetic Obsession
“Suit yourself.” He turned on his heel.
I downed my drink, and resentfully spat out the word, “Wait.”
I didn’t have to look at him to know he was wearing a shit-eating grin. He returned to the bar, cherishing every moment of this interaction. Although I couldn’t tell him about Rose, he could still shed light on the matter.
Frustration gnawed under my skin when Chad, the dean of the university, approached the bar at the same time and asked if we would be departing shortly. I was about to bite his head off when Damon intervened and made up an excuse in a charming voice. We were Jekyll and Hyde, except I had a shorter fuse than Hyde.
I ordered another drink and told the bartender to leave the bottle. When I glanced at the entrance again, Damon reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled pack of cigarettes. He flipped open the lid and held out the pack for me.
“I know you quit, but you could use one tonight. Calm down before you deck the dean of the university.”
He was right. I was on edge.
A flame danced at the end of the cigarette as I lit it and took a long drag. We had picked up smoking in high school, but since I prided myself on my self-control, I kicked the habit after my residency. Nowadays, I only smoked on select occasions when my temper was through the roof.
Damon took a drag of his cigarette. “Your problem is that you got used to girls chasing you. Every woman wants to tame the bad guy. They respond to your dark persona because they want to fix you. Clearly, this girl’s different if yourcharming personalityisn’t working on her.” He used air quotes around the words charming personality. “It could only mean one thing—she isn’t looking for trouble.”
I eyed him through the haze of smoke, shocked that he had hit the bull’s-eye. Rose had an obsessive-compulsive disorder and left nothing to chance. She arrived fifteen minutes before class, did two safety checks before using anything flammable, and if anything was left out of order, she returned to the lab to fix it. Proactive and diligent, she had spent hours familiarizing herself with the lab because she would be joining my team next semester. She was the only person meticulous enough to manage a high-stress work environment like mine.
The only risk she had taken was changing her major against her family’s wishes. Even then, she secured a job to maintain financial independence in case they found out.
All in all, Rose Ambani wasn’t a risk taker.
“Do you know what these types of girls like, the ones who aren’t looking for trouble?” His index finger waved over my face. “They like it when you smile.”
Seriously?
“No, no. Not that face you’re making—the wholegrr, I’m going to kill youlook. And your hair.” He rumpled my hair, and I jerked out of his hold. “Relax. I’m trying to make you approachable. You look like a Disney villain between the hair and the face. Try smiling. Never mind, that’s worse. Just…stop frowning. And why does everything about you have to look so stern?”
He undid the first two buttons of my shirt and ran his fingers through my hair to destroy the smooth and neat pile. If it were anyone other than my twin, they would have been lying in a heap by now. But I didn’t shove him away, because he had a point. Although I had done everything in my power to downplay my scary demeanor around Rose, it wasn’t enough. Her history was too ingrained in her personality, and she was scared of someone like me.
At least there was a silver lining. I had memorized every expression on Rose’s face, and though she exercised immense caution around men, she didn’t view me as a threat. I took full advantage and engaged her in small talk at every opportunity. My staff was shocked. I was notoriously famous for being short with people. I didn’t have time for idle chitchat and maintained a relentless pace at work. I never shared personal thoughts with my team or inquired about their lives. It was different with Rose, and others noticed, though no one was brave enough to point it out.
After Damon stopped with the grooming, I glanced at the mirror over the bar. My hair was a disheveled mess, with strands sticking out in every direction for an unkempt appearance. “Great. I look like you.”
“You’re welcome.”
I rolled my eyes.
“What did I tell you about making that face? Try to be polite for once in your life. If you don’t bite anyone’s head off in front of her, then maybe, just maybe, she won’t be scared shitless of you.”
I lifted the drink to my lips. He had a point. Rose and Damon shared a casual friendship, and she wasn’t scared of him. He was a philanthropic goody two-shoes who didn’t pose a threat.
“Oh, and buy her gifts. Girls like that. Go to Cartier on Fifth. That’s where Dad used to take Mom.”
Damon talked my ear off with more unsolicited advice on my love life. When I still hadn’t given the thumbs up to set sail, he said, “Farewell, young grasshopper,” and disembarked the yacht.
If we left now, the boat would return too late for my brother, and I got the feeling that he wanted to see Poppy. It seemed both of us had an unhealthy obsession with the Ambani girls.
A loud laugh pulled my attention to the other corner of the deck. It was Rose’s roommate. She threw her head back and laughed at something. Next to her was none other than Rose herself.
There was suddenly a loud thumping in my chest.
When did she get here? I had been staring at the entrance for an hour.
She stood in a circle with other students from the lab, wearing a black, knee-length dress with full-length sleeves and a high collar. The material clung to her curves, stressing the dip around her waist and accenting her ass. My gaze leisurely traveled up her body, paying extra attention to her long, toned legs, which were on display for the first time. She had become bolder with her outfits over the last month. The dress was classy and sexy without being over-the-top, and my imagination was running wild about what was hidden beneath.
I was about to cross the deck when I noticed she was speaking to a tall blond, who had his back to me. She smiled warmly at him, and I froze in my tracks. Anger roared in my ears when the man turned out to be Matt Doyle.
