Page 41 of His Secret Obsession
Less than forty-eight hours ago, I kissed her until she was whimpering in my arms, her lips swollen as she tilted her face up for more. And now she’s out with another man when I should be the one sitting across the table from her?
Me.
She should be mine.
“Well, if she’s yours then you better make sure she knows it.”
I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts to no avail. My fingers are still clenched around my cell phone. I hadn’t meant to speak those words aloud. Why would I even say that?
“She can’t be mine.” I run my fingers through my hair while I stare daggers at the picture on my phone.
Mary reaches across the table to place her hand over the top of mine, and I nearly flinch at how cold her skin is. “How do you know if you don’t try?”
“I just pushed her away yesterday.” My desperate eyes meet hers. “And nothing has changed since then. She’s still my brother’s girl.”
Mary arches a perfectly manicured eyebrow and gives me an unimpressed look. “First of all, she’s a person. Not a possession.”
“I didn’t mean—”
“Second of all, she isn’t Luke’s girl anymore.” Then she snickers to herself, a mischievous smile spreading across her red-painted lips. “She apparently didn’t like that ride, or she would have kept riding.”
“Oh, for the love—please, don’t.” I groan, but she only gives me a cheeky expression.
“Either you stop pussyfooting around and go get her, or risk watching her fall in love with another man.”
I tense, my eyes darting back down to the picture. She’s smiling at him, and I don’t like that she’s giving her smiles away so freely to someone who isn’t me. I want to hoard them all for myself.
My phone chimes with another text message from Paige, and this time, I see red. My anger swallows me whole, and if Mary weren’t sitting across from me, I would probably flip the table across the damn room.
It’s another picture. This time, the man is reaching across the table and resting his hand over her forearm. She’s giving him a coy smile, leaning forward just a little bit. Enough to show the lines of her ample cleavage, and although I can only see the back of his head, I’m almost positive by the way it’s cocked, that he’s staring down her dress.
“Well?”
My eyes slowly slide back up to Mary, and whatever expression I’m wearing, it makes her smirk. I think a flash of excitement dances across her face, but I’m too busy fuming to care.
“I’m not about to let another man look at what’s mine, much less touch her,” I practically growl. I’m not going to watch Maddie be with yet another man thatisn’t me.
My fire captain chooses that moment to walk into the room. His jaw cracks as he yawns, his hands scratching at the brown beard sprinkled with gray. He pauses, giving me an inquisitive look when he sees me staring at him.
“What?” he asks.
I give him a diabolical grin. “Get the guys ready. We have a fire to put out.”
When I tell him what I want to do, he throws his head back with a spluttering laugh. Thankfully, he’s a cool guy. While he’s gathering the rest of the men into the fire truck, I shoot Paige a quick text.
I’m coming. If he touches her again, break his nose.
Maddison
Ismile politely, nodding and feigning interest while the man seated across from me continues an in-depth explanation of his accounting job. I frown as I try to recall his name. He pauses, pushing the wiry glasses up his nose as he studies me. His face has a scattering of freckles, and his brown hair is neatly combed back tonight. He’s wearing a light gray suit over his thin, gangly limbs.
“Is something wrong with your pasta?” he asks.
“It tastes great!” With a tight smile, I stab another ziti noodle onto my fork and push it past my lips. Honestly, the food isthe best part about this date. The zesty Italian meat sauce with the creamy ricotta cheese layer? I want to forget all about my manners and inhale it.
“Hmm.” He nods, but his smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes. His lips thin as he watches me take another sip of wine.
My eye twitches.
