Free Wicked Obsession by Cora Zane Page A

easily define. Her eyes drank in the sight of him. He’d showered and shaved, and wore his long hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail. Dressed in a crisp black suit jacket and a black silk shirt, he looked the epitome of male arrogance and beauty. It excited her, but at the same time, made her extremely nervous.
    The chandelier was aglow over the formal table, which had been set for two, with a space for her at his right hand side. It came as a great relief that Gisele would not be joining them, not that she had expected it, but she had wondered if the woman might appear, perhaps to see if she mentioned anything about the incident upstairs. Thankfully, Julian sat alone. It would be much easier for her to talk to him about Gisele without an audience, although in her experience, being alone didn’t necessarily mean they wouldn’t somehow be overheard.
    Almost as though Eleni’s brooding thoughts had summoned her, Claudette bustled into the room pushing a serving cart. Her iron gray hair caught in a kerchief, she lifted the tray from the cart and set it on the table. She took one look at Eleni and nodded curtly. “ Bonsoir, Mademoiselle .”
    Smartphone pressed to his ear, Julian looked up at her as she neared and did a double take. His eyes glittered with heat, but almost as soon as her gaze connected with his, his expression frosted over. He spoke quickly and quietly into his phone and hung up. Confused and wary, Eleni forced a smile as she approached Claudette and reached for a chair. “The coffee smells fantastic.”
    The housekeeper responded with a pleased grunt as she poured steaming coffee into the cups set out on the table. Eleni was just about to reach for her chair when Julian stood and came around the corner of the table to hold out the chair for her.
    “Thank you,” she murmured as she slipped into the seat, and allowed him to help her scoot toward the table. Something was up, she sensed it. The minute Julian took his seat again, his phone began to ring. Cursing under his breath, he picked it up long enough to silence it then set it down again.
    Claudette uncovered a tray of fresh baked croissants, and the smell of warm bread made Eleni’s stomach growl. She hadn’t had much to eat since her arrival in Ville Cleménce, but the way Julian watched her with such focused intensity, she didn’t know if she’d be able to eat anything.
    By the time Claudette had left the room and closed the door to the kitchen entrance to allow them their privacy, her heart was hammering. Eleni stirred a spoonful of sugar into her coffee and when Julian still did not speak, she sighed. “Last night was wonderful, Julian. At least, it was for me.” She looked up at him and studied his stern face. “If something is bothering you, I wish you would just tell me.”
    A storm brewed in his gray eyes. He rested his elbow on the table, and the way he traced the pad of his thumb over his lower lip made Eleni put down her spoon. A sinking feeling took root low in her belly when he ran his tongue over his fangs.
    “The matter is simple—you are here for my pleasure. In return, I offer you the comfort and richness of my house. It is the old way, and I’m an unashamed traditionalist.”
    She frowned in confusion. “I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me. I can’t imagine what I’ve done to make you think otherwise.”
    “I don’t like secrets.” His voice was rough with anger. “There isn’t a single room in this house I shouldn’t have access to. That includes your suite. The doors in my house are to remain unlocked at all times. Do you understand?”
    A chill prickled over her skin even as heat rushed into her face. “It wasn’t my intention to lock you out. Gisele —”
    “Do you understand?” He punctuated each word with cool authority.
    “Perfectly,” she said, and was about to excuse herself from the table when Julian threw another surprise her direction.
    “I also will not tolerate mistreatment of my