Page 31 of Shadows of Obsession
“You two work well together,” I say, trying to keep my voice neutral.
“I suppose we do,” he says, looking amused again.“Let's eat first, then we can get back to work.” He hands me one of the boxes.
I'm so hungry I have to force myself not to inhale these noodles like some kind of starved animal. Only when my stomach stops growling do I set the box down.
Between bites, I keep puzzling over why anyone would want the code for a monitoring bracelet badly enough to try corporate espionage.
“Any theories about who's after this?” I ask, keeping my eyes on my food.
I know Roman's not what he seems, and that should terrify me. But something about him makes me feel like if I were in a fight I'd want him in my corner. It's this weird sense of safety - like my brain knows he's dangerous, but my gut says he wouldn't hurt me.
The question is: which one do I trust?
“We've got plenty of competitors, but that's what's strange - none of them work in this field. And the ones who do have their own tech,” he says, shrugging off his jacket and rolling up his sleeves.
Christ. As if he wasn't gorgeous enough, those hands of his are giving me completely inappropriate thoughts. Never knew a man's hands could look so masculine and perfect. I watch the veins flex as he reaches for the boxes and have to swallow hard. Force myself to look away.
Remember, Tim's probably floating in a river somewhere, and you're drooling over his killer's hands.
I push away fantasies of those hands exploring places my boss definitely shouldn't touch and focus back on why I'm really here.
"What if it's simply about what the product itself does? Monitoring."
I look at him and see him frowning at me as if he doesn't understand what I'm trying to say, so I gather my courage to continue.
"There are many influential people who have health issues and would need such a bracelet. Knowing when someone is about to have a heart attack is quite important, isn't it?" I finish the thought and bite my lip from stress because I know it sounds like science fiction, but if thinking from the outside, it seems logical.
At least in my head it seems logical.
His face lights up like I've just solved a puzzle he's been working on forever.
“Can it really do that?” he asks, moving closer.
I'm still on the couch, and him standing over me is pure intimidation. I stand up too, not realizing until it's too late that I've put myself right next to him. One step and we'd be touching.
“I could make it happen,” I admit, thinking back to my talks with Gregory.
He says I've got storms in my eyes, but he's got his own tempest brewing. Looking up at him now, I see so many emotions swirling, but I recognize one instantly - it's the same one I've been running for all my life...pride.
I feel the blush creep up as he reaches for my face. My body betrays me, flinching back before I can stop it. But instead ofpulling away, he catches a loose strand of my hair between his fingers.
We both remember what happened last time he touched me.
My cinnamon strands contrast against his skin, and this close, his cologne wraps around me - orange and sage making my head spin. My eyes flutter shut on their own. Everything about this crosses every line, but something deep in my soul begs for this moment to freeze in time.
“Where did you come from, Luna?” he murmurs, and his presence overwhelms every sense.
Something in me wants to lean in. Just a bit closer. Part of me craves the safety he radiates. But my brain's screaming warnings - reminding me not to draw more attention from the boss who casually admitted to making Tim disappear.
I already regret my decision before I make it. Taking a step back, I whisper,“Can we pick this up tomorrow?” I wait, holding my breath.
The silence stretches on forever before he turns my world sideways with, “Of course. Come on, I'll drive you home.”
Chapter 15
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Roman
