Deadly Obsession Read online

  His eyes are filled with desire as his gaze slides over my naked skin when my dress hits the floor. He licks his lips, and I start trembling with desire. He strides over, grabs my wrists in his strong hands, pulling my arms over my head, and he traps me between him and the wall. I feel the hard length of him against my belly. I squeeze my eyes shut. My lips tingle with need and let out a soft moan when his mouth finally descends over mine. Our tongues meet in a primal mating dance and he suddenly lets go of my wrists, but only to pick me up by my butt and drop me off on top of the bed. His tongue sweeps over my sensitive nipple, causing a wave of pleasure wash over me. My body is screaming for more, I need more of him, so I run my hands down his body until I reach his member, sliding my hand up and down his length, which drives him insane. His head disappears between my thighs, and he eats me out like I’m his favorite dessert, and I can’t help but to buckle my hips, trying to get as close to his expert tongue as possible. It doesn’t take long for me to explode like fireworks on New Year’s Eve.

  But he’s not finished with me. Before I can regain my senses, he pushes into me, burying himself to the hilt, taking me to new heights with hard, purposeful thrusts. I flip him over so I’m straddling him and I bounce up and down his hard length like I can never get enough of him. Our bodies are slick with sweat; hearts pounding wildly in our chests.

  Suddenly he grabs my hips and pulls me off him, rolls me underneath him, puts my legs over his shoulders, and he buries himself back inside me with a loud groan…

  I inhale deeply and then exhale. I feel dazed. His thigh keeps brushing against mine.

  “April, you agree, right?” Max’s voice cuts through the fog in my head.

  “Huh?” I raise my head.

  “Were you even listening?”

  “Yes, of course I was,” I lie to his face.

  “Great, then we are settled.”

  “Yes, sure.” What did I just say yes to? I smile hesitantly at Max, then Jude. It can’t be anything drastic. Jude is going to protect me, they’ll find Leo soon, and my life will get back on track. This sounds great. I can’t read the expressions on their faces, and they nod at each other and shake hands.

  “Take a good care of her,” Max instructs Jude.

  “Always,” Jude nods solemnly. “You ready?” He turns to me.

  “Ready for what?” I squint my eyes, watching him cautiously.

  “Now that you have access to your home again, it’s best we head there right away. That way Max can continue with his work and I’ll be able to assess how safe you are in your house and what extra security measures we can implement so you aren’t in danger.”

  Why does his voice sound so deliciously raspy it makes my skin erupt in goose bumps?

  “Um, let me just grab my things. Give me five minutes.”

  “Take your time. We’re not in a hurry.” He winks at me and I melt under his grin. April, get your head together and forget about that night! He’s here to protect you, not fuck your brains out.

  It doesn’t take long for me to pack the few articles of clothing I brought with me. Then, I take a minute to sit on the bed to collect my thoughts. I pick Bella up and bury my hands into her silky hair, making her purr with delight.

  How could my life change so much? I had a boyfriend whom I loved, but who didn’t appreciate me enough. I never thought he’d regret his decision after we broke up. I also never imagined his behavior would change so drastically, either. I’d never peg him as a stalker, but apparently people are capable of all sorts of things. And then Jude walks right back into my life, reminding me what an incredible night we shared. I was never more satisfied in my life. And to top it off, he’s a detective! I should’ve figured. You can’t be born with that kind of body; you have to work hard for it. I’m trying to console myself and hope that they’ll find Leo in no time. Then I’ll be able to go on with my life without Leo destroying it and without Jude making me relive our passionate encounter over and over again in my head.

  “Shall we?” I say as I return to the living room. Jude gives me a nod, grabs my bag and walks out the door. I say goodbye to my brother and promise I’ll visit soon.

  “I’ll drive right behind you,” Jude points his head to his car as I join him outside. Thank God, I think. I need time alone to process things.

  It feels like we’ve barely taken off and we’re already standing on my porch. Jude has my bag in his hands again, and I’m holding Bella.

  “Thank you,” I say. “I’m sure babysitting isn’t one of your favorite things to do. Or exciting, either.”

  “I have a feeling I’ll be alright.” He offers me his charming, slightly cheeky smile and it leaves me speechless. My cheeks even turn slightly pink.

  “Uh, okay,” I scratch the back of my neck. “Then I’ll leave you to… What did you say? To check if my house is safe?” Jesus, I’m acting like an idiot.

  “Yes, I need to inspect the rooms, check the windows, doors, the outdoor area. Let me just put this away and go grab my things in the car.”

  “Your things?” I raise my eyebrows in surprise. Why would he need his things?

  “Yeah, the bag with my clothes. Unless you want me walking around your house naked for the next few days.”

  At the word ‘naked’, I involuntarily lick my lips, catching my lower lip between my teeth. An image of him lying naked in bed pops into my head. His arm is resting above his head on the pillow and I walk over to him… Then, I shake my head.

  “Wait a second. You’re telling me you’re going to live with me? In my house?” Please, tell me I misunderstood.

  “Yes, you’ve got yourself a roommate for the foreseeable future.”

  No, no, no. And no. Shit! Fuck! I can’t share a house with an incredibly sexy guy, especially one that I know what he looks like under all those clothes. It screams trouble! His scent is going to seep into every thing in my home, and on top of that, he’ll be there, a walking temptation, right beside me. My battery-operated friend is going to burn out. Why wasn’t I listening to the conversation between my brother and Jude? I’m sure we could’ve found another solution to my problem.

  “April? You spaced out for a moment there.”

  “Me? No,” I try to play it cool. “I’m just…um… feeling hot.” And that was the best excuse you could come up with?

  “Hot? It’s 41 degrees out there. I’d think you’re freezing cold in that thin coat.” A playful grin is plastered on his face and his gaze is pointed to my chest. Shit, I hope he’s not imagining me topless. I hug myself.

  I’m trying to ignore his sex appeal. “Yes, I’m hot. Doesn’t matter. I thought you’re going to leave once I’m safely home and return when I needed to leave the house. That’s it.”

  “Unfortunately, you’re stuck with me.”

  “Yay, me.” My voice is dripping with sarcasm. “I hope you’re not expecting to sleep in my room.”

  Jude walks into my house before me and looks around. “Not that I mind, but I think it’ll be best if we slept in separate rooms,” he says over his shoulder. First, he checks if the windows are shut. My gaze falls to his delicious butt. April, you need to focus. “You know – so you can avoid temptation,” he winks.

  Mouth agape, I blink at his words. I finally clear my throat to speak. “You don’t need to worry about that. Once was once too many.” How dare he? “I have a guest room you can use. Can I go to my bedroom now? To sort out the mess?” I need to retreat, my brain’s suddenly empty of any reasonable thoughts. Damn you, Jude!

  “As soon as I check if it’s safe.” It won’t be safe with you in it, that’s a fact. Jude in the same room as my bed—that could prove too dangerous for my imagination… and for my battery-operated friend.

  Five

  Jude

  “Shit, shit, shit! What the hell have I gotten myself into?” I mutter to myself when I leave April in her bedroom and head outside. I never imagined my client would be the woman I spent one of the most amazing nights in my life with.
And I’ll be damned. She looks good, even more beautiful than when I first saw her, if that’s even possible. She was a traffic stopper even then.

  When I’d left Max’s office that morning, I never would’ve imagined the girl standing in the kitchen, mile-long legs and wearing nothing but a shirt that barely covered her butt, was the girl I’ve already had a very pleasant encounter with once before. And she stopped me in my tracks once again. I have no idea how long I stood there, just taking in the vision in front of me. All that bare skin… The moment she turned to face me, I almost choked on my saliva. It was the girl who’d managed to crawl under my skin in less than a night… My hungry eyes took in every single inch of her exquisite body that wasn’t covered. I got hard in an instant, like a teenager, and I was grateful for the kitchen island between us so I didn’t completely embarrass myself. I wanted to grab her and bend her over the counter, have my way with her, taste her again. That night she’d been like a wildcat, demanding everything and giving back even more. I’d never thought I’d ever see her again and now she turns out to be my newest job assignment.

  It happened a little over two years ago, after I closed a very tough case and headed out to a bar with my friends to unwind a little. There she was, sitting across a crowded bar, and my plans changed. In that instant, my only objective became to seduce her. I had to have her. She grabbed my attention with her stunning blue eyes, full red lips, long curly hair and skintight mini dress. She sat at the bar, laughing at something her friend shouted into her ear. I walked up to them and bought them drinks. The attraction between the girl and me was instantaneous and exploding, and a short while later, we were in her hotel room indulging in the blinding passion. I never asked her why she was at that hotel, or what brought her to the city. Heck, even our names didn’t come up. We were too consumed with lust, talking was the last thing on our minds. The only thing I wanted and needed at that moment was her body under mine and me inside of her. We gave each other the best night of our lives, and after a very pleasant shower we took together in the morning, I walked out of her hotel room and out of her life, leaving her satisfied. It was just sex, but it was the best I’ve ever had.

  And then I meet her two years later in Max’s house, all curves and temptation, and above all, she’s his sister. I’m in serious trouble. Every time her big, blue eyes looked at me in that kitchen, I couldn’t stop the images of her in that hotel room on her knees, her mouth wrapped around my hard dick, her eyes staring up unabashedly into mine as she sucked me off. I’d been in seventh heaven. “Down, buddy,” I mumble into the direction of my crotch where my jeans have just become uncomfortably tight. “I have a sneaky suspicion these are going to be some long, torturous days…”

  The client is untouchable, no matter how attractive or how persuasive she is. I never get involved with them. This is my one and only rule I stick to and I’m suddenly starting to hate it. Her toned, bare legs were practically begging me to wrap them around my waist. And her luscious, disheveled hair—I could imagine grabbing a handful of her hair, tilting her head back and trailing a path down her throat with my tongue and lips… I shake my head; now is not the time for dirty thoughts. I need to focus on how to keep April safe, and it’ll be a helluva lot easier to do so without walking around with blue balls.

  We’re at April’s house and she’s in her bedroom, cleaning the mess her ex made. The state of the room filled me with such rage I could barely contain myself. I despise men who intimidate and hurt women. Especially those who just can’t seem to realize they’ve messed up so badly the relationship can never get back to the better days. They’re making it even worse by acting like complete psychos. Even though I feel like I could lose my sanity around April, too. Which man wouldn’t? I can see myself walking around with blue balls for a long while, at least until I’m finished with the case, and then I’m going to indulge in some wild partying late into the night. Until then, I’ll just have to make do taking lots of long, cold showers. I don’t know why I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t get involved with clients. I’d had a lot of opportunities in the past. Women who’d hired me to find out whether their husbands were cheating on them and if I confirmed their suspicions, they usually weren’t saddened or mad, they preferred to get even by trying to get me in bed. I could’ve used those opportunities, but I didn’t, because I was disgusted by the idea. If they loved their husbands like they’d claimed, the news about their husbands having a mistress on the side would’ve hurt them. But they were mostly only interested in revenge and divorce settlements. Sometimes, I just don’t understand people. Not that I’m an angel myself! I’ve had quite a few women in my life, but I’m a bachelor who is honest with his life choices, so women always knew what they were getting themselves into. No big deal. I choose not to get too emotionally involved with women, not because I don’t allow myself to, but because I simply don’t have the time. Sometimes, I’m away on a job for weeks on end. I’d seen my parents’ marriage suffer when dad used to do the same. Mom was constantly worried about his safety when he was away, and not much has changed even though he now works in an office. Their marriage was on the rocks for a while, and, with joined efforts, they managed to save it, but they needed to make a lot of sacrifices. That is why I prefer one-night stands.

  But with April, for some mysterious reason, it’s different. She keeps bringing out an animal side of me. This time, it’s going to prove extremely difficult to keep my dick in my pants. And I’m pretty sure the attraction is mutual, which makes it even more tempting. I saw her undressing me with her eyes, her tongue subconsciously running over her lips, watching me as if I was the most delicious meal she couldn’t wait to indulge in. Perhaps I should fuck her again, one last time, to get her out of my system and head so I could restore balance and focus solely on the job.

  I mentally shake off the thoughts of April and me in bed. I’m here to do a job. And performing that job with a hard-on doesn’t help one bit, so I walk around her property, look for weak spots, and observe the neighboring houses. When I’m familiar with every rock and bush on the site, I focus on the front door of her house. April’s house is big and tastefully furnished. There are a lot of paintings hanging on the walls and there are vertical blinds on all the windows. In the living room, there is a giant sofa with a flat screen TV so big that it wouldn’t fit into my bedroom. The floors are covered in an expensive looking carpet and her spacious and modern kitchen is equipped with cutting edge gadgets. Besides the master bedroom, there are three guest rooms. The girl is loaded, that’s for sure, but considering how luxurious the house is its security is so half-assed. It doesn’t even take much force to push open the front door and enter the house. My first objective is to replace the old, wooden front door with something sturdier, and install a security system. That’s a good start.

  “Can I offer you something to drink?” April asks, her tone friendly as she moves to stand beside me with the cat in her lap.

  “Just some water, please,” I say, even though I’d give my left nut for something a bit stronger in this moment. I frown as I stare at the front door.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Checking the state of this house’s security. Your front door will have to be replaced. And you’ll have to get a security system.”

  “A security system? I don’t need that.”

  “Think again,” I arch my eyebrow. “That way, you’ll feel safer.”

  I’m surprised she doesn’t object further; she turns on her heel and leaves in the direction of the kitchen. A minute later, she stands before me with a bottle of water in her hand. Then she walks off again, into the living room this time, turns the TV on and plops down on the couch. The cat follows suit.

  “Can you tell me more about Leo?” I walk in after the cat and sit next to April. I want to get to know Leo through her eyes.

  “Didn’t Max go over that already?” She sounds annoyed.

  “I need to hear it from you. Things Max doesn’t know about. I’m
sure you haven’t shared every detail of your relationship with your brother.”

  “Okay,” she sighs and straightens. “But, as I’ve said before, Leo was never violent or anything like that. He was lazy, yes. I sometimes felt like I was his mother or his maid. His clothes and food leftovers were everywhere. We never went on a trip or to the movies. All he wanted to do was watch TV, ignoring me most of the time. We didn’t have sex for months.” Her cheeks turn slightly pink after she mentions sex, but changes the topic soon after. “He was never possessive of me. Well…” she raises a finger. I tilt my head to the side. “He was jealous of my co-worker, Todd. But that’s it.”

  “Jealous?”

  “Yeah, he didn’t particularly like me working with him because Todd’s reputation is that of a womanizer. Todd has always also been quite vocal about the fact he’d like to get me naked. But Leo knew I’d never cheat on him, even though he’s an asshole who didn’t care about me much.”

  “Did he drink a lot?” April nods. “How frequently?”

  “He was drunk more than he was sober,” she shakes her head. “I can’t remember him without an alcoholic beverage in his hand, be it a beer or something stronger. I’ve asked him time and time again to check himself into rehab to get clean.”

  I find it interesting April still harbors hope she can save him, despite his constant harassment. Many people would’ve given up all hope a long time ago, but not April.

  She tells me about his upbringing, his family, job and their relationship. Lastly, she hesitantly gives me a recap of the downfall of their relationship, how the alcohol ruined everything good they had. He’d liked to drink socially when he and April first started dating but, after his brother was killed in a car accident, his drinking spiraled out of control. Leo blamed himself for his brother’s death. He was supposed to pick up their parents from the airport, but he went to a party instead and asked his brother to go to the airport. It wasn’t Leo’s fault destiny dealt his family a shitty card, but he obviously didn’t see it that way.