Obsession Read online

  OBSESSION

  The Heirs Book 1

  Linda Verji

  Copyright © 2019 by Linda Verji

  www.lindaverji.com

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior consent from the author, excepting brief quotes in reviews.

  This is an original work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), events, businesses or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Edited by Cathy Editing

  Cover Design by Duong Covers

  {An Interracial BWWM Contemporary Romance}

  Rated 18+ for Explicit Sex & Strong Language

  Table of Contents

  Titles in This Series

  About This Book

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  What’s Next?

  Titles In This Series

  Obsession

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  About This Book

  Billionaire Lex Bishop has had a thing for Freddie Latham for so long that he can’t even remember when it started. She’s everything he wants in a woman; gorgeous, generous, warm and she makes him smile every time he sees her. Unfortunately, she’s also his best friend’s little sister a.k.a. seriously off limits. He can’t have her.

  That is until heartbreak and drinking together leads to one unforgettable night of passion.

  Lex has an empire to run and a friendship to keep… so why can’t he get Freddie off his mind. She’s the one woman he shouldn’t want… so why can’t he forget how right she feels in his bed? Or how much he wants her there, not just for one night but forever?

  Being together might be against the rules… but being apart is impossible.

  Obsession

  ‘When I lay with you, I could stay there. Close my eyes, feel you here forever.

  You and me together. Nothing is better.’

  ~ Adele ~

  CHAPTER 1

  Siblings were created for two reasons only; to annoy you and to make you do stuff for them. At least that’s what Fredericka ‘Freddie’ Latham firmly believed. The conversation she was currently having was evidence enough that her belief was well-founded.

  “Are you there yet?” her older brother, Ari Latham, harangued over the phone.

  “No.” Rolling her eyes, Freddie added, “But I’d get there faster if you stopped calling me every two minutes to ask me if I’m there yet.”

  “It’s not two minutes, it’s every hour,” Ari corrected unrepentantly.

  Freddie snorted. “Because that makes it sooo much better!”

  Her Bluetooth-headset was truly the best investment she’d made this year. She could talk to her annoying brother while working. She grabbed the top ends of the white, evidence sheet and pulled it back to reveal the dead body beneath.

  “You’re sure you’re on your way?” Ari’s voice echoed in her ear.

  “Mm,” Freddie answered distractedly as she took in the woman on her table.

  Even in death, the woman was beautiful. Late twenties, long, lustrous hair, lush albeit now bluish lips, porcelain smooth skin, and a slim, athletic body that could easily walk a runway. It was too bad that her head was bashed in on one side.

  “I don’t believe you,” Ari cut into Freddie’s musings.

  “I don’t care if you believe me,” Freddie retorted, turning the ladies’ head so she could take a better look at the wound.

  It looked like the wound had been caused by something like a club… hammer? Sporting equipment? The police suspected that the death had been caused by her ex-boyfriend, but they’d know better once they’d done a proper autopsy.

  To her brother, Freddie said, “May I remind you that I’m doing you a favor?”

  “A favor that I’m paying for,” her brother reminded her. “By the way, you can’t take my car to Orlando unless you get that wallet to Lex by close-of-business today.”

  “What?” Freddie’s gloved fingers paused over the dead lady’s face. “You promised that you’d let me borrow your car as long as I got to him. There was no timeline involved.”

  “Well, there’s one now.”

  Freddie kissed her teeth. “You cheap cockroach!”

  “What’s that now?”

  “I said you’re a cheap-”

  “Careful, Rericka,” Ari teased using the nickname the family had given her when she was younger because she couldn’t pronounce her own name right. “Keep calling me names and I might rescind the offer completely.”

  “You dirty scumb-”

  “Okay. Okay.” Ari laughed. “Just get the wallet to Lex. Today.”

  This is what she got for buying a powder-blue Miata. The car was pretty and everything but it was too cramped and noisy for a long trip. Her brother’s SUV, however, was the perfect size.

  “Yeah, yeah. Got it,” Freddie said as she picked up her camera. “I’m hanging up.”

  “Wait!” Her brother stopped her.

  “What?” Freddie brought the camera to her eye and began to click, making sure to take clear photos of the corpse.

  “Are you sure you’re on your way?” Ari demanded for the umpteenth time.

  Freddie didn’t answer. She hung up on him. It was just in time too because her immediate boss walked into the lab right at the moment.

  “Are you done with the pictures?” Dr. Thomas Walker asked as he strolled towards the table.

  Freddie kept clicking. “Just about.”

  It took almost three hours for Freddie to get out of the lab, and by then it was past five p.m.. Still, it was great to feel the sun hit her face and to get some fresh air.

  Freddie loved her job. She’d never been the squeamish type and being a medical examiner meant she could help the dead tell their stories. Also, the hours were often better than those of other doctors. But sometimes seeing the depths of man’s inhumanity to fellow man could get to a lady. Stepping outside like this, feeling warm and breathing was a welcome reminder of how lucky she was to still be alive.

  Freddie called Lex as she was walking towards the gate. He picked on the first ring.

  “Hello?” His smooth, deep voice echoed over the line.

  Unsurprisingly, a warm, honey-like sensation swept through Freddie. Lex’s voice was the kind of voice women had erotic dreams about. Imagine that silky, smooth voice whispering your name while his hands skim your body…

  Down, girl. She gave herself a mental slap. What the hell was she doing fantasizing about Lex? He was her brother’s best-friend. Plus, she had a boyfriend. Wesley.

  Ah, Wesley. Her Wesley. According to Harper’s Bazaar, he was the twenty-third most beautiful man of all time. According to Ebony, he was this decade’s third most handsome black man. So, he wasn’t number one… but at least he was ranked. Who would’ve thought it? Freddie Latham dating a guy who actually got ranked by magazines? She couldn’t believe it either.

  Frankly, she was surprised that he’d even noticed her let a
lone hit on her. It wasn’t every day that a popular R&B musician dated an everyday woman like her. Freddie wasn’t ugly but she wasn’t that pretty either. She certainly wasn’t the type you see posing with their superstar boyfriends on basketball courts or at music awards. She was a little too dark for these light-skin obsessed celebrities, not thick enough but somehow still managing to be a little plump.

  Still, Wesley claimed he loved her, and over the last six months she’d started to believe it. So what if he didn’t like them being seen in public? It was for her safety. His rabid fans had been known to go bonkers whenever he announced a relationship. He’d told her that they’d even gone as far as to dox one of his ex-girlfriends.

  So what if the gossip rags were always pairing him with some Instagram model or wannabe singer? It was all fake news. Yes, Wesley liked to party, but that was all he ever did. Anyone who listened to his ballads and the interviews he gave could tell he was a one-woman man. If they wanted her to believe it, then they needed to show her some real pictures of him with those women. Show me the receipts.

  “Hello?” Lex prodded again. “Freddie, are you still there?”

  “Hi, Lex.” Freddie was all business as she said, “Ari asked me to drop off your wallet. It fell into his bag yesterday after your game.”

  “Oh,” Lex answered shortly. “Where are you? I’ll come.”

  “No, no. I’ve already left work so I can drop it off,” she rushed to say. “Just let me know where you are and I’ll bring it.”

  “The hotel,” he answered.

  “Your dad’s hotel?” she asked. When only silence greeted her, she took it to mean that she was on the right track. She said, “Okay, I’m on my way there. Where will I find you?”

  “Thirteenth floor.”

  “His office?” she prodded. There was no answer from Lex…. So yes, he was at his father’s office. Freddie smiled. “Okay, I’ll be there in about fifteen.”

  Freddie wasn’t surprised or annoyed by Lex’s short answers. He’d never been a talker. She’d known him for more than fifteen years and had never heard him utter more than five words at a time. The only surprising thing was that he and her brother were best-friends because Ari was the type that could run his mouth all night. It must be true… opposites attract.

  It took her about fifteen minutes to get to the hotel a.k.a. The Bishop. As the CEO of his own gaming company, Lex was wealthy in his own right. But his family was loaded… Hilton loaded. And they had their own fleet of hotels all over the world to prove it. This was just one of many.

  After a brief stop at the concierge’s desk to identify herself, Freddie hustled to the elevator. She smiled when she noticed that it was on the third floor and coming down. It would soon be here. She gripped her purse closer to the side of her body as she watched the numbers. Second floor… first floor… ground floor…

  The doors slid open to reveal a scene that could only be described as x-rated.

  Holy molly! There was only one couple in there and they were trying to eat each other’s faces off. The woman looked like she wanted to climb the man like a tree. Her leg was looped around his waist and her talon-like, fake nails were digging into the side of his face as she ravenously kissed him. The man didn’t seem to mind though. He was inhaling her and groping her ass like it was dough and someone had asked him to make pizza.

  Get a room, you rabbits. Freddie made a face. She was so revolted by their show that it took a moment for her to recognize the male-half of the couple. And when she did, she staggered backwards. Her jaw did a trap-door motion as her eyes zeroed in on the man. Her man.

  “Wesley?” She didn’t even realize that she’d gasped his name aloud until he tore his lips away from his companion’s to turn his head.

  There’s a reason women loved Wesley Drake, and it wasn’t just because of his voice. He was tall, had dark smooth chocolate skin that begged to be licked, eyes that screamed ‘take me to your bedroom’, and a smile that could charm the panties off any woman.

  He wasn’t smiling now though.

  His brown eyes widened in panic and he jumped out of the woman’s arms before sputtering, “Fre… Fre… Freddie?”

  Freddie stared at him, not quite believing what she was seeing. Was this bum cheating on her with… Freddie’s gaze swept from Wesley to the woman still clinging to his jacket. Instantly, Freddie recognized the woman. She was the Instagram ‘model’ that the press had attached him to. And she looked as ratchet in person as she did on her wall. Who the hell wears booty shorts, fishnet stocking and a crop-top while the sun is still out anyway?

  “Freddie… Freddie, it’s not what you think,” Wesley said as he shuttled out of the elevator.

  Yeah, riiight! Freddie couldn’t believe that he had the balls to spout that kind of crap when his mouth was still stained with the ‘model’s’ purple lipstick. Without a word, she turned on her heels and walked away.

  “Freddie, wait.” Wesley raced after her. “Wait. Let’s talk about it.”

  Talk about what? He’d just handed her the receipts himself.

  CHAPTER 2

  Freddie was on her way over.

  Despite himself, Lex Bishop couldn’t help the thrill that immediately raced through him. It had been this way for so long that Lex didn’t even know when it started. Every time he even heard her name, his heart-rate increased and excitement pulsed through him.

  Of course he was old enough to know what that meant. It meant that he liked her. Unfortunately, he couldn’t do anything about his liking her. She was Ari’s sister and thus off-limits. However, that didn’t mean that he couldn’t enjoy being next to her. Yeah, she was just dropping off his wallet but still, she was on her way over. It was enough to make his lips curve in a smile.

  “You find this funny?” Eve, Lex’s older sister, immediately noticed the smile. She shot him a glare. “Are you laughing at me?”

  Lex’s smile immediately dropped but before he could say anything to defend himself, their father jumped in.

  “So what if he’s laughing at you? You deserve to be laughed at.” Andrew’s irate voice boomed in the spacious office as he scowled at Eve. “How could you let something like this happen?”

  “I didn’t let it happen,” Eve retorted sulkily. “It just did.”

  “It just did?” Andrew’s scowl became even fiercer. “Is that your way of saying it’s not your fault?”

  Despite their different genders, the father and daughter duo looked startlingly similar. Both had dark blonde hair, blue eyes, strong roman noses and wore spectacles. Even their scowls were similar as was their hot tempers. The only difference between them was that Eve’s other features were a little softer, and she was more slender.

  “Yes.” Eve remained defiant. “It’s not my fault.”

  “So whose fault is it?” Andrew returned.

  “I don’t know. The head of operations in Boston,” Eve suggested. “The employees there…. They’re the ones who kicked the man out. Not me.”

  “How typical of you,” Andrew mocked. “Trying to shift the blame to your employees. And you wonder why I don’t want to make you V.P.”

  Eve’s only response was an angry silence.

  Lex supposed he could’ve intervened to save his older sister, but he didn’t. Why? One; because he just wasn’t the intervening type, especially when it came to members of his family. Two; Eve wouldn’t appreciate it. In fact, she would absolutely hate it. She already hated him enough, and he wasn’t inclined to give her more reasons.

  Andrew’s gaze shifted away from his daughter to Lex. When he spoke, his tone was calmer and more respectful. “What do you think, Lex? Is this something we can fix?”

  “We can fix it,” Eve cut in before Lex could even speak up. She grabbed a black folder from the coffee table and held it out to their father. “I’ve already come up with a plan. All we need to do is-”

  “I didn’t ask you,” Andrew cut her off rudely before turning back to Lex. “What do you think we shou
ld do?”

  Andrew’s dismissive attitude towards Eve was nothing new, and it wasn’t because of her incompetence. Apart from the occasional incident, Eve was actually great at her job. She was also the only one in the Bishop family who knew as much about Bishop Worldwide Holdings Inc. as Andrew did. She was the perfect heir. Unfortunately, she had one very glaring fault.

  She was a woman.

  Andrew didn’t believe that women could run a company, especially one as big as his. He’d always planned to make Lex his heir. Unfortunately for him, Lex wasn’t interested in the position. That however, didn’t mean that Lex couldn’t help in times of crisis.

  With a sigh, Lex leaned forward to pick the black folder Eve had set on the coffee table. He opened it to see what ideas she’d proposed to deal with the current crisis.

  The crisis under discussion was quite serious. The previous day, employees of the Boston branch of The Bishop had dragged out a homeless man from their hotel after assuming that he didn’t have the money to spend in their hotel. As it turned out, the man wasn’t actually homeless. He was a stockbroker who was doing a social experiment. After recording the whole event, he’d uploaded it on YouTube.

  Social media and the media had gone crazy. Everyone was after their heads and raking the company over the coals. Several twitter celebrities had called for a boycott of their hotels, their Trip Advisor page was currently flooded with one-star reviews, and there was even a petition to investigate the group. That petition had over ten thousand signatures. Worse, their stock had tumbled overnight because of the fiasco.

  It was a full-blown disaster, and they were losing money.

  Lex was acutely aware of both his father and sister watching him as he read through Eve’s proposal. He ignored them. After a quick scan, he closed the folder and held it out to his father.