Free Obsession by Bonnie Vanak Page A

she forced a smile. Her only pretty accessory, and they criticized it as if she wore something gaudy. They had enough money to buy a store filled with accessories. “If you don’t like it, I’ll put it away. I wouldn’t want to offend.”
    J.J. shrugged. “It’s your clothing. But if I were you, I wouldn’t wear it.”
    Jessica pushed back her plate. “Thanks for breakfast. I’ll go change now.”
    “Jess,” Alexa began.
    She waved a hand. “Your house, your rules. You don’t like it, I’ll put it away. It’s not like I need it to keep my pants up. With my hefty weight, I don’t have to worry about my jeans falling down.”
    Alexa’s mouth wobbled. “Jess you never make fun of your weight. What’s going on?”
    Pushing back from the table, she stared at her best friend, the only other female besides Molly who truly understood her, who supported her without hesitation. Alexa had included Jessica in her family’s celebration upon graduating from the University of Florida. Alexa had made sure Jess didn’t feel left out when none of her adopted family couldn’t scrape together the money for the long flight.
    Alexa had done so much for her.
    But now she was mated, and her loyalties lay elsewhere.
    “Nothing.”
    “Jessica, you haven’t finished your breakfast,” J.J. said gently. “Please, eat.”
    “Not hungry. It’s okay. I’ll grab something later.”
    You don’t like this belt because you don’t own it and it’s mine, all mine. Back off, before I hit you.
    This time the bad thought didn’t startle her. It scared her.
    Jessica went to her room and removed the belt. The dark thoughts swimming in her mind lifted.
    Maybe it was evil, like Daniel had hinted.
    Evil, clogging her mind, filling it with nasty thoughts.
    A lump clogged her throat as she ran her fingers over the stones. Alexa had her parents, her family. All she had was this purple belt that the mother she never knew might have worn. It remained the only connection to her past. Surely the belt wasn’t evil if it belonged to her family.
    Jessica felt the warmth of the stones, and they comforted her.
    She tucked the belt into her suitcase and placed her Days of the Week panties over it. No one would search her suitcase. Or dig through her underwear.
    A knock came at the door. She opened it and saw Raphael, a computer case in one hand, and her spirits lifted. “You rang?”
    He flashed a crooked grin. “I see you finally decided to wake up and greet the world. Did you have a restless night?”
    Why was it this handsome, sarcastic Lupine with his sexy smile made her feel all warm and pliant, forgetting the isolation she’d felt at dinner and at the breakfast table? Around Alexa, her mate and her family, Jessica was reminded of the differences that set her apart. She felt cold and lonely around them. But Raphael was curling up with hot cider on a winter’s night, spicy and intoxicating. She licked her lips.
    “As a matter of fact, I did.”
    Gone was the smile. He looked deadly serious. “What happened? Anything unusual?”
    Remembering the feel of his hot mouth sliding wetly across her most intimate flesh, Jessica felt a flush ignite her cheeks. “You might say so.”
    A frown dented his dark brows. “Did someone threaten you?”
    He looked ready to storm the castle, slay her dragons. The thought was absurd, yet deeply touching. “No, just a weird dream.”
    “Oh.” Raphael looked down at her. “What kind of dream?”
    The flush deepened. “Just a dream, you know, those dreams…”
    That make you hot and sweaty and the sheets wet beneath your thighs…
    “Was I in it?”
    Blinking she looked away. He asked the question again, the deep timbre of his husky voice sliding across her skin like warm silk. Jessica crossed her legs, wanting to squirm.
    From embarrassment or sexual need, she wasn’t certain.
    “Yes.”
    Expecting him to give a knowing smile, or tease her, she watched his frown deepen. “It was a sexual dream.”
    Oh