Page 23 of Abundance of Obsession

If only I could…

She grabs the knob, trying to leave, but I thwart her plans. My finger presses the button, locking all the doors before she even reaches out.

She blinks, annoyed, and clenches her jaw. It’s a war of two hearts, and I don’t intend to lose. I never lose.

“What are you doing? Let go—”

From the corner of my eye, I see the bouncer she was talking to earlier waving for me to drive away. I ignore him.

“Raven,” I interrupt her.

“What now?”

I swallow. “You dyed your hair. And cut it.” I couldn’t be any more obvious. “You’re different.”

Zoe rolls her eyes. “I’ll take that as a compliment. Unsophisticated, but we’re all learning new skills.”

She folds her hands, which makes my eyes wander right there. To those round…

A guttural growl escapes me. I press my lips together to keep from saying how sexy she appears.

Looking at her tousled hair, I want to run my fingers through it and feel its softness. Pull on it.

This isn’t good.

I can’t take my eyes off her. I’m trying with all my might to hide what I’m thinking behind a mask of indifference. Hoping she won’t see me behind it.

A knock on the window interrupts my thoughts.

On the passenger side, one of the bouncers rests his hands on my car. He tries to look inside, but the tinted windows prevent him from doing so. So I press the button, and the window rolls down.

“Could you move your fucking ass—” he starts, leaning in to reveal his face.

But he falls silent mid-sentence. His eyes land on me, and I already know what’s about to happen. With a stony expression, I stare back at him.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Montgomery,” he says, a muscle twitching in his face. “I was unaware it was you. Let’s pretend I said nothing.”

I nod once and close the window, trapping us inside. Stepping away, the big guy periodically casts anxious glances our way.

“Jesus. Does everyone in this city lose their mind the moment they see you? They fear your name like it’s fire.” Zoe’s shoulders slump as if she has lost faith in humanity.

“Apparently not everyone.” I shoot her a pointed look. “News travels fast. There’s no hiding who I am.”

“Let’s go already, lover boy.”

I sigh, shift into gear, and pull away from the club. My plan is to drive her back to her apartment and escort her to the door.

Silence fills the car until Zoe looks away from the passing scenery and says, “What was so urgent that it couldn’t wait until I returned your call?”

“You know deep down you never would have picked up the phone. I understand this from personal experience.”

Those few minutes of driving didn’t help me calm my anger or lift my foul mood at all. Quite the opposite. Seeing her in that outfit, a fresh wave of anger flooded my insides. And it seems I can’t shake it off.

From what I know about the girl sitting next to me, she’s a nerd who never leaves her cave. Give her a computer and internet access, and she won’t see the light of day for a week. None of this is her style, and maybe Ryker was right that something’s going on with her.

“What were you even doing there?” I change the subject, which is convenient.

“What do you think? I went there to dance. To have fun. To meet new people.”