Page 6 of Unapologetic Obsession
CADEN
She was perfect this way.
Complacent and nestled in my arms, Rose fought the food coma. Exhaustion settled on her features once she finished her meal. The comfortable setting only added to her fatigue, and she drifted in and out of her slumber.
I stroked her cheeks periodically to keep her awake, but otherwise, I let her rest, staring at the little stowaway with an intense hunger burning inside me. She was unkempt in a torn hospital gown, the cotton fabric marred with mud and soil. There was dirt under her nails, and her skin was speckled with scrapes and bruises.
But fuck, if she wasn’t the most beautiful thing I had seen.
She seemed filthy and smelled rancid, but I couldn’t find it in myself to care. The man who demanded proper hygiene of everything was suddenly unperturbed by uncleanliness. Even in this state, Rose was better than any runway model or pageant beauty queen. Brown, almond eyes I wanted to dive into, hair so fucking long she might as well be Rapunzel, and miles of caramel skin. Everything about her made me feral and scream one thing on repeat.
Mine.
The possessive word reverberated through me, sending a shock wave of confusion through the staff on this mega yacht.
I bought this boat with my cousin, Xander, as part of a joint venture. Although we delegated the day-to-day operations to a general manager, we hand-selected and approved everyone who worked for us. The staff knew me well enough to be shocked that I had assaulted our deliveryman over a thief.
The flabbergasted crew stared at us from afar, confused as to why I would let a homeless girl on my luxury yacht. She was far from the target demographic. Their disapproval was evident when I texted them, instructing them to open the main dining hall only after I took Rose to the infirmary. I didn’t want nosy passengers prying into my business, whereas the staff was concerned her ragged condition would scare away the other passengers.
I inspected the marks on her arms and face. They were either from sleeping on concrete or rodent bite marks. Antiseptic should do the trick for the superficial scratches, but she may need a tetanus shot for the rest.
My main concern was her ankle and the bruise on her forehead. The darker it got, the more my blood boiled with the need to find the deliveryman and break his other hand. On second thought, I texted my head of security to track the man down. If she had a concussion, I would finish what I started.
Luckily, Rose hadn’t exhibited signs of impaired coordination. I’d still prefer to take her to the medical room for a closer inspection.
Before I could lift her in my arms, a brave crew member interrupted us with an anxious gaze. Todd, I think. “Good evening, Dr. Maxwell. We have completed boarding and are all set to depart in the morning. Have you decided if you’ll be joining us?”
Cruises were among the most profitable travel ventures, and luxury voyages were an untapped market. Though we left the details for Olympus to our team, the captain insisted that one of the owners join them for the first voyage. Instead, we compromised on a stamp of approval before they set sail. Xander was preoccupied, so I begrudgingly agreed to the task. My little fugitive was the last thing I expected to find at the final inspection.
The crew had asked me to join them. On top of being one of the owners, it didn’t hurt to have a doctor on board. Most cruises hired a few nurses, the larger ones opting for a physician. I didn’t deem it necessary since we had fewer than one hundred passengers.
My jaw clenched with a swift change of heart. “Yes,” I announced, surprising both of us. “I’ve decided to join after all.” No sooner had I said it, I knew it was the right decision.
“Very well, sir,” he said without missing a beat. “I’ll get the Owner’s Suite prepared.”
I nodded, making a mental list of everything I needed. I texted my chauffeur to swing by the house for the items and drop them off.
When Todd lingered, I glanced at him. “Anything else?”
“Um. Your guest,” he spoke in an undertone, surreptitiously glancing between me and Rose, whose legs were draped across my lap.
The blood in my veins pounded, and I covered her thighs with possessive hands to shield them from his view. I didn’t rip his eyes out because he was an older man with a daughter the same age as Rose. However, he was examining her for a different reason, which was no less infuriating.
“Would you like us to show her out?” he asked.
I arched a brow and suppressed the rage I was finding harder to control with every passing second. Over my dead body. She’d never be out of my sight because…
She.
Was.
Mine.
I expected him to be somehow privy to the information, as if it were common knowledge and everyone should know it.
“Are you calling the shots about when my guest needs to depart?”
He gulped. “No, of course not, sir. I just don’t want her to get stuck on the boat. I assumed she would want to disembark before we pulled the gangway.”
