Free Obsession by Brooke Page

thinking, I climbed off my
stool and went out the back door.
    A breeze brushed against the bareness
of my arms as I searched the back porch. A few smokers were
chatting quietly on the deck. I found Mitch resting on the banister
facing the beach. The moonlight reflected off the water, and the
sound of the gentle waves was soothing.
    I leaned against the banister. “Well,
that was awkward and embarrassing.”
    A low, frustrated sigh escaped Mitch’s
mouth. “I don’t need your sass right now, Jamie.”
    His reaction to my smart comment made
me wince. I hadn’t meant to fuel his anger. My intentions were to
defuse the situation. “I thought you liked when I was
feisty?”
    My recovery was quick, and made his
lip twitch upward. We stood silently under the stars for a few more
moments. Normally, silence like this was extremely uncomfortable
for me, but tonight, it was calming. Finally, Mitch stood tall from
the banister, his hands gripping the wood frame tightly.
    “I really didn’t mean to piss Nathan
off like that.”
    “ Nathan will get over it,”
I said, brushing it off as though it was no big deal. “You know he
can talk his way out of anything. If I didn’t know any better, I’d
say Kobiashi has a crush on him.”
    That statement got a slight laugh from
Mitch. “I’m sure Nathan would give him a chance if it meant he’d
get what he wanted.”
    I shook my head. “He’s not his
type.”
    Mitch’s eyebrow rose in question. “Are
you his type?”
    “I’m missing a few key components to
his usual preference.”
    “And what would that be?”
    I laughed. “ Well ,
a penis, for one.”
    Mitch threw his head back
and joined my laughter. His cool green eyes caught mine. “Want to
get out of here?” Licking his lips, he leaned in,
“ I promise
it ’ll be a night you
won’ t
forget. ”
    My teeth caught my bottom lip as I
contemplated his invitation. “That’s an overused line,” I whispered
as my body instinctively moved closer to him. He shifted slightly,
moving his arm across my stomach and to the other side of the
banister, caging me with his body. My heart raced with his
proximity, the urge to reach my hands onto the collar of his shirt
and yank his mouth down to mine was overbearing.
    “You know you want to. Your body is
practically begging to touch me right now.”
    My lip twitched as I shook my head.
“I’d never admit that.” The cockiness in his voice made me want to
slap him then rip his shirt off and lick his chest.
    “ Let’s go,” Nathan’s voice
vibrated from the back door to the bar. Mitch moved his head, his
nose brushing against the shell of my ear. Shivers ran down my neck
all the way to the pit of my stomach and lower as he let out a
slight breath.
    “Jamie,” Nathan commanded again,
completely breaking my trance with Mitch.
    My trembling hands gently pushed
Mitch’s chest so I could move in Nathan’s direction. The irritated
breath Mitch released didn’t go unnoticed by Nathan or
me.
    “What?” I snapped, my head whipping in
Mitch’s direction.
    Mitch slowly turned so his back was
leaning against the banister, his arms wide. His demeanor was smug,
causing the shivers that traveled down my body to turn into fire. I
hated his cocky side.
    “Nothing. Go be with Daddy. I’m sure
he’ll satisfy the flame I just lit inside you,” he
teased.
    “You’re a prick,” I muttered, my face
burning with embarrassment. His head cocked to the side as though
he were daring me to say more.
    “Let’s go,” Nathan grabbed my bicep
and tucked it under his arm. “I’ll see you in my office on Monday
in Grand Rapids,” Nathan added sternly toward Mitch.
    “Wouldn’t miss it, big brother,” Mitch
mocked as we walked out the door.
    I shrugged my arm from Nathan’s the
second we got out of the bar. Nathan calmly walked next to me, his
long stride keeping up with my quick pace to his yellow Spider
Ferrari. Holding my tongue was nearly impossible as he opened my
door.
    Our ride was