Page 39 of Burning Obsession

“What is it?” Victor asks from behind me.

I let out a sigh, my eyes not moving from the bed. The single bed. Not the two queens like I booked but one king size bed. I step further into the room, letting Victor come up beside me.

I know instantly when he sees the issue. His eyes move from the bed to me, and the corner of his mouth lifts.

“Two beds,” I say, mostly to myself. “There were supposed to be two beds. I don’t want you to think I set this up and lied to you.”

“No, I don’t think that,” he quickly answers as he rolls his suitcase over to the dresser.

“Well,” I say, clearing my throat. “I can sleep on the floor. Or the couch should pull out into a bed, so I can sleep there.”

“No,” Victor says sternly.

I look at him, eyebrow raised, confused about his sharpness.

“No? Oh, I get it, I can go down and see if they have another room since there's just one bed.” I turn to head toward the door. Our weekend is not starting on a good path.

“Jake, that’s not necessary. Just like you sleeping on the floor or on an uncomfortable couch isn’t necessary. We can share the bed. It’s more than big enough for the both of us.”

My stomach flips. He says it so casually, like sharing a bed with me is the most normal thing in the world. But it isn’t.

I swallow, trying to control my emotions. “Yeah. Okay. As long as you don’t have a problem with it.”

But inside, absolutely nothing about this feels casual. Sharing a bed with Victor excites me in a way I don’t even want to admit, while it simultaneously scares the shit out of me. I’ve never moved this fast before with a guy. Usually, I take my time. We talk on the phone and then go out on numerous dates. That is before I even let them know where I live. But with Victor, I’ve broken all the rules. And I’m oddly okay with that. In fact, I wouldn’t care if we moved faster. Victor’s different, and I can see myself with him long term even though I barely know him.

“I’m going to use the bathroom real quick, and then we can head down to dinner.” I check the time on my watch. “I apologize in advance for any embarrassment my family may cause.”

Victor shakes his head and laughs.

“Is this okay to wear?” He looks down at his clothes; jeans and a nice button up shirt, much the same as what I’m wearing. “Or should I add a jacket? I brought one.”

“Nope, it’s perfect. Lena said to keep it casual. Just give me a minute.”

I shut the bathroom door behind me and take a deep breath. I didn’t really need to use it. My anxiety is spiking and I just needed a couple moments alone. Deep breaths. That’s what I need. We’re sharing a room. I knew that. Nothing new. But the bed? That’s so much more intimate.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

There’s a knock at the door, then Victor’s voice drifts through. “Are you okay, Jake?”

“Yeah.” I take one more breath, plaster a smile on my face and open the door. “Ready for the madness to begin?”

“Maybe.” He laughs, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. I don’t know what takes over me, but I step into him, pulling his arm down, taking his hand in mine and kiss him. Soft, but forceful at the same time. His hand slips around my waist as he melts into me.

“Careful, or we’re not going to leave the room,” he mumbles into my mouth.

I pull away, my eyes still on him. He’s right. All I want to do is rip his clothes off of him and make him mine. Claim him in every way imaginable.

“Let’s go.” I don’t release his hand as I make my way to the door, Victor following close behind me.

It doesn’t take us long to make it to the banquet room where the rehearsal dinner is being held. Laughter floats out of the room, mixed with the clinking of glasses. The party has already begun.

The room is full. My family gathered in groups, drinking, talking and having fun celebrating my cousin and her soon to be husband. Lionel is an amazing man and the perfect fit for Lena. While she is wild and outgoing, he is calm and reserved. The perfect ying to her yang. She gets him to loosen up while he reins her in when needed.

"Come on," I tell him, gripping his hand tighter. "I want you to meet Lena."

He smiles and we make our way across the room. I spotted Lena the second we walked into the room. She’s standing off to the side with a couple of her bridesmaids and my parents.

Here goes nothing. Not the ideal way to introduce him to my parents, but if they don’t like him, at least they won’t make a scene.