Obsession Page 4

Though white really wasn’t Lex’s color, his interior designer had decided to go with it for the seating and most of the decor. In the end, Lex had just decided to stick with it because he was too lazy to go through another annoying session of chatting about what he wanted and didn’t want. Thankfully, the rug was a tasteful mix of gray and blue. It matched the blue brocade drapes that hang over the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out into the city’s skyline. The wall adjacent to the windows held large glass double-doors that led out to his furnished solarium and pool.

  “Oh my God. This is insane.” Freddie gasped as she slid the double-doors open. “You have a personal pool.”

  She walked out to the solarium, only to turn to her side and be confronted by a small enclave that held all his workout equipment. “And a personal gym.” Her eyes wide, she turned to face him. “Why have I never been here before? I could’ve been losing weight.”

  Lex could only laugh as he set the alcohol she’d bought on the coffee table. To be honest, he wouldn’t have minded if she came here often.

  Compared to other Captains of Industry, Lex was practically a recluse. He only attended or hosted events that he absolutely had to. Even then, he often left the party earlier than everyone else. He’d never even held an official house-warming party because he didn’t know who to invite. The only people who ever came here were Ari and their other friends, Michael, Red and Logan. And even they didn’t come by often. Freddie would’ve been a welcome break from the loneliness of his home.

  “You mind if I look around the rest of the house?” she asked eagerly.

  He grinned. “Be my guest.”

  While she took her fill of his condo, Lex got on the phone to order food for them. By the time Freddie wandered back to the living room, he’d already set out the alcohol and glasses, and turned on the TV to one of those Spanish telenovelas that he knew she was addicted to.

  “Tell me the truth, Lex,” Freddie said as she shrugged off her blazer. “Are you into drugs?”

  His eyebrows shot up. “What?”

  “Creating games cannot be making you this much money,” she insisted.

  He shrugged. “You’d be surprised.”

  “I mean, I’m a doctor. We’re supposed to be making all the money,” she complained, “but your walk-in closet is bigger than my bedroom.” Her eyes dancing with humor, she teased, “It’s drug money, isn’t it? Tell me the truth…” With a cheeky waggle of her eyebrows, she added, “… then hook me up with your supplier.”

  Lex could only grin.

  “There’s so much white around,” she said as she took in his seats. “I’m afraid I might spill something. Is it okay if I sit on the floor?”

  “Sit.” He offered. “I don’t mind if you spill.”

  “But I do.” Freddie settled on the rug. “I’m taking the floor.”

  Just as she popped open a can of beer, the doorbell rang. Lex left to go and check who was at the door. It was the deliveryman with their food. After paying, Lex brought the food to the living room.

  “What’s that?” Freddie asked as her gaze settled on the brown bag.

  Lex set the bag in front of her. “I thought you might be hungry.”

  “I am.” With a smile, she opened the bag. However, that smile soon turned into a frown. “Philly cheese-steaks, burgers, fries… all this grease?” She shook her head disapprovingly and clucked several times. “Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Lex, Lex, Lex…”

  Was he wrong to have ordered that? Lex was momentarily confused. Some women eat ice-cream when depressed; Freddie liked fast food. At least that’s what he’d figured out from all those years of hanging around her family. Had he figured wrong?

  The bright smile that came right after her frown said he wasn’t. Grinning, Freddie gave him a thumbs-up. “Good job. It’s like you’re in my head.”

  Lex returned her smile with a wide one of his own.

  The next few minutes were spent spreading out the food and alcohol and getting settled. Though he ached to sit on the floor beside her, Lex stayed in the armchair. Her being in his house was an already dangerous situation. If he came too close to her, he might just combust.

  “Okay. Okay. Alright.” Freddie excitedly flicked the tab off a can of beer then held it out to him. “Here you go.”

  “No.” He shook his head. “I’m good.”

  “Are you kidding me?” She offered him a disbelieving look. “You want me to drink alone?” When he just stared at her, she explained, “That would make me an alcoholic. Here.” She scooted closer to grab his wrist then force the can into his hand. “Drink.”

  Lex was caught so off-guard by her touch that he didn’t know how to react.

  “Drink,” Freddie repeated.

  What choice did he have when she was being so firm about it? With a mental sigh, he took a sip. Smirking in satisfaction, Freddie settled back on the rug.

  Setting a plate with a cheese-steak in front of him, she asked, “Have you ever been in a relationship?”

  “Of course,” he returned simply.

  “Really?” Curiosity glinted in her eyes. “When? I’ve never seen you with anyone.”

  “We don’t live together,” Lex retorted. He didn’t mean to sound annoyed but that’s how it came off.

  Fortunately, Freddie didn’t seem offended. In fact her eyes twinkled with amusement as she teased, “Oh, snap! Lex has claws.”

  He winced. “Sorry.”

  “Nothing to apologize for.” Waving his apology away, she took a bite of her own cheese-steak. Moments later, she paused as a sudden thought struck her. “Or are you in one right now?”

  Lex shook his head. “Nope. Single.”

  “You broke up?” She frowned. “Why?”

  Lex shrugged.

  Freddie’s eyes narrowed. “You didn’t cheat on her, did you?”

  Of course with Freddie’s current state of mind, confessing that he was a cheater would’ve been like putting his own head in the garrote. Luckily, he had no confessions to make. He shook his head. “It wasn’t that kind of relationship.”

  “Huh?” She looked confused. “What kind of relationship was it?”

  “Friends with benefits,” he returned.

  The truth was that most of his relationships had been those of convenience. Hell, it was an exaggeration to even call them relationships. His interactions with women involved mutual sexual satisfaction. The ‘relationship’ ended whenever they got tired of one another or the woman found someone she wanted to be serious with.

  It wasn’t that Lex didn’t want to be in a serious relationship, he’d just never found a woman that he wanted to try one with… well, one that wasn’t off-limits.

  “Oh! Friends with benefits? Interesting.” Freddie looked intrigued by his response. “Maybe I should’ve tried that instead of wasting my time with Wesley.”

  From then on, the conversation wandered around Wesley territory. Of course Lex hated hearing her speak about another man but what could he do? It wasn’t like he could tell her that he wanted her to focus on him and him alone. So he just listened to her and kept his thoughts to himself.

  However, Freddie wasn’t just looking for a good listener. She was also looking for a drinking buddy. Unfortunately, Lex had never been a good drinker. His plan for the night was to drag that one can out for as long as he could while keeping an eye on Freddie to make sure she didn’t get too drunk. But even the best laid plans tend to fall on the wayside when a woman like Freddie is involved. She kept shoving can after can of beer interspersed with shots of vodka at him.

  By around nine, he was already feeling the effects of all that alcohol. He should’ve stopped her when she ordered more beer over the phone, but he didn’t. Bad idea! By eleven he was truly tipsy and somehow found himself seated on the floor next to Freddie. Interestingly enough, she seemed just fine.

  There was no slur in her speech as she asked, “Do you also think the same?”

  “Think…” Lex blinked several times as he tried to take cont
rol of his thoughts. “Think the same about what?”

  “That men aren’t meant to be with one woman,” Freddie explained as she watched him. “Wesley said that it’s science.”

  “That’s bullshit!”

  “Right? You get it.” She offered him a bright smile before setting her head on his shoulder. “That’s why you and I get along so well.”

  She was closer to him now, closer than she’d ever been. That proximity combined with alcohol and his latent feelings for her was more potent than any drug. Lust swooped in swiftly to heat up his body even blood rushed straight from his brain and straight to his cock.

  Fortunately, even with the alcohol in his system, fragments of common sense still remained. He grabbed the can he was holding more tightly to keep from wrapping his arm around her shoulder and dragging her in for a kiss. Unfortunately, that common sense didn’t apply to his mouth or his thoughts. Before he could help himself, he found himself asking the question that had been bothering him since the moment he’d saved her from Wesley.

  “Freddie?” He looked down at her.

  “Hmm?” She turned her face up to meet his eyes.

  Why hadn’t he ever noticed how lush her lips were? They were plump and lightly shimmered with the glow of her lip gloss; the perfect shape and texture for kissing. What would it be like to kiss her? To taste her? Would she taste as delicious as her scent?

  “Lex?” Freddie prodded, dragging him from his lewd thoughts. “Did you want to ask me something?”

  “Mm.” He shook his head to clear it before asking, “Did you mean it?”

  “Did I mean what?”

  Christ! She was close and her lips were there, softly parted in question. Oh, how he wanted to kiss her. He swallowed to ease the sudden tightness that had engulfed his whole body before explaining, “Did you mean it when you said that you were attracted to me? That I was going to be your one-night stand?”

  “When did I-” She stopped speaking when the memory seeped in. Seconds later, she smiled. “Ah! That?”

  Yes that! Tension raced through him as he waited for her answer. That tension was laced with a heavy dose of anticipation. What if she said yes? What if she was attracted to him? Did that mean that he could-

  “No way!” She immediately shattered his hopes. With a chuckle, she added, “You didn’t think I was serious about that, did you?”

  Disappointment shuttled through him with unbelievable force. But her next words replaced that disappointment with surprise.

  “You don’t have to worry, Lex.” She patted his thigh. “I know I’m not even your type so I wouldn’t force you to sleep with me.”

  What? He blurted. “What makes you think you’re not my type?”

  “Huh?” Freddie looked confused

  Watching her with hooded eyes, he repeated, “What makes you think you’re not my type?”

  She straightened from his shoulder to meet his gaze directly. “Am I?”

  Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was the blatant disbelief shining in her eyes. But Lex found himself admitting, “Yes.”

  CHAPTER 5

  Yes? Freddie’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Had Lex Bishop just claimed that she was his type? He was just kidding, right? Or maybe she’d heard wrong.

  She shook her head and rubbed her ears to make sure her hearing was still fine before tentatively repeating, “Did you just say I’m your type?”

  Lex nodded.

  She still couldn’t believe it. “You’re kidding, right?”

  He stared at her without blinking. “Do I look like I’m kidding?”

  No, he didn’t look like he was kidding. His expression was as grave as his tone. She searched his eyes, looking for a glimmer of amusement but there was none. He wasn’t kidding. She was really his type.

  Freddie liked to think that she didn’t have too many self-esteem issues. Most of the time, she was okay with how she looked, her personality and how her life was going. But even so, she’d never thought of herself as being the average man’s type. She was more of… an ‘acquired’ taste. Who would’ve thought that she was Lex’s taste?

  Suddenly she was curious. Still watching him, she asked, “So if I’d been serious about the one-night stand thing, would you have taken me up on the offer?”

  Lex didn’t answer. He just took another sip of his beer.

  What did that mean? Yes or no? She needed an answer.

  She scooted closer until her shoulders brushed his. Though Lex didn’t move, his whole body stiffened and wariness filled his gaze. Why hadn’t she ever noticed just how pretty his eyes were? Though his eyes were brown like hers, they were a lighter shade of brown, almost light amber in fact. The way the light played in them as he watched her was incredibly fascinating.

  And why had she never even tried to touch his hair? The dark strands were long, silky and practically begging to be touched. So she did.

  “You have really soft hair.” She smoothed her hand down his hair. Repeating the action, she said, “And it’s so long. Almost as long as m-”

  “Don’t!” His hand came over hers on his head and he squeezed her fingers. In a strangled voice he added, “Don’t touch me.”

  For some reason, the dark look in his eyes as he spoke sent her heart thumping madly. Breathlessly, she asked, “Why?”

  Instead of answering, he dragged her hand away from his head down to her lap. However, he didn’t let go.

  “Why?” she repeated.

  He was quiet for a long, tense moment before answering, “It makes me want to touch you too.”

  His words and their meaning slid across her skin like rough velvet and sent her already racing heart into a tailspin. Heat spread through her whole body, and parts of her that she’d never quite before noticed started to tense. Suddenly, she was curious; how would it feel for him to touch her? How would it feel if he kissed her? Without conscious thought, she moved forward and set her lips on his.

  Lex was obviously shocked by her actions because he went absolutely still. He didn’t move away, he didn’t move forward. His lips were as still against hers as hers were against his. Her eyes open, she watched him, waiting for him to make a move; push her away or move his lips. But he did neither. So she took matters into her own hands.

  She swept her tongue over the seam of his mouth then nipped at his lower lip. Her actions were enough to startle him, and his lips parted on a whoosh of breath. Immediately, she took advantage of that opening and snuck her tongue in. This time there was a response, his tongue flicked against hers and his lips moved tentatively against hers.

  Still, it didn’t seem like he was really interested in this kiss. There was no passion or commitment to the kiss. It felt like he was only kissing her because she’d started it. Maybe she’d read him wrong. Maybe being his type didn’t mean that he actually wanted to sleep with her.

  God! She was an idiot for even imagining that he might want her.

  Embarrassed heat already rising up to her face, she ended the kiss and drew backwards. However, she didn’t get far because he set his hand on her neck and dragged her right back. Then he took control. He took her mouth fast and hard.

  This time she was the one caught by surprise. For a moment she couldn’t even react. However, when his tongue swooped into her mouth in a slow and thorough invasion, she had no choice but to meet him halfway. She opened to him fully.

  The kiss was deep, passionate and intense – nothing like the previous one. Lex was kissing her like there was no tomorrow, like a man taking advantage of an opportunity that might never come again. She’d never been kissed with such intensity, and it left her clinging to his arm like a drowning woman.

  His tongue tangled with hers wildly, drawing pleasured sighs from her. He drank in those sighs while his hand moved to her arm. Slowly, he dragged her closer. When he grabbed her thigh to bring her over him, she willingly straddled his lap.

  As soon as Freddie sat on him, she felt the heat of his cock through the layers of clo
thes they wore. The knowledge that she was right on top of that part of him sent a jolt of electricity through her. She circled her hips and ground down into him. Lex’s response was a pained groan even as his hands squeezed her waist. Those errant hands skimmed down the side of her body to her hips then around until they were on her ass.

  When he cupped the fleshy globes, Freddie moaned. And when he gave her a gentle squeeze, her moan turned into a cry. With his lips, he swallowed that cry, and with his tongue he drove her further into insanity. Having his hands so intimately on her body sent even more heat shooting through her. It felt like all her bones were dissolving and like her heart was trying to jump out of her chest. She’d never been so wet in her life or wanted a man as much as she wanted Lex. Her arms around his shoulders, she brought her chest even closer to his.

  Oh! Delicious! Her breasts immediately swelled with the contact and her nipples hardened into tight points. It felt so good. But not good enough. She wanted to feel his naked chest against hers. He was wearing too many clothes. Need biting at her, she reached for the hem of his t-shirt. However, before she could drag the fabric up, his hands closed over hers.

  He tore his lips from hers to meet her eyes. His gaze was glazed with passion and his voice rough as he asked, “Are you sure about this?”

  No, she wasn’t sure about where things were going. But her body answered before her brain could protest. She nodded. “Yes.”

  Lex watched her for a while as if to make sure that she was sure. Whatever he saw in her eyes must’ve convinced him because he suddenly smiled. It was so rare to see Lex smiling that her breath immediately caught. The man was already gorgeous enough, but when smiling he was Greek god material.

  Before she could compliment him on his smile, he brought her back in for another kiss. This kiss was even more passionate, even more forcefulness. It was almost as if he’d been holding back before and had now resolved to give her everything he had. The intensity of the kiss had her cupping his face as she tried to ease his passion and temper the kiss. If they weren’t careful, he’d burn them both. But Lex was too far gone. He consumed her like a hungry man, dragging her deeper and deeper into the madness that seemed to be gnawing at him.