Endless Obsession (23 page)

Me:
H. I’ll call you this evening before bed, Beautiful.

She doesn’t respond, but I didn’t expect her to. I pull the video feed up, needing a quick glance at her before I make my phone calls. She’s in her living room, sitting on her couch looking down at her phone, a stunning smile on her face. My chest swells, knowing I put that smile there.

She has a look of concentration on her face, and I wonder if she’s trying to rearrange the letters in her head, trying to figure out my name. I know the combination I’ve given her will make it difficult for her, but I can’t help the small part of me that hopes she figures it out. Regardless, my time is almost up, and once that happens, there will be no holding back. I’ll give her time to come to terms with what I’ve done and who I am, but after that, I’ll move full force ahead. Poppy won’t know what hit her.

I stand in my closet and stare at the contents. Why didn’t I buy more clothes when I went boot shopping yesterday? I have skirts, dresses, slacks, and every color blouse imaginable, but not one damn thing I can wear that has a western feel to it. I’m such an idiot. I should have done what Asher suggested and bought a plaid shirt. Maybe I can talk him into letting me shop if we have the time while we’re there.

A stirring of desire blasts through me when I think about spending the next few days with him. But then guilt trickles in when I think about Sterling. Both men have me tied in knots and fill me with confusion. I have no right to feel the way I do toward Asher. He’s my boss for Christ’s sake. I’ve worked for him coming up on a year and yes, I’ve had several fantasies featuring him, but it’s one-sided. He’s not interested in me. And Sterling, I still don’t know who he is. But the pull I feel toward him is undeniable and won’t be ignored.

A hand pushes me aside and then extends out to reach for a blue silk shirt, then a red one. Without saying a word, Liv leaves the closet. Slumping my shoulders, I follow her and plop down on my bed.

“Why did you let me leave the store without buying something that would help me blend in with the locals?” I whine. “I can’t go dancing in that.” I pluck up the blue shirt and let it drop back to the bed.

“Oh, stop pouting,” Liv reprimands. “You don’t even know if you’ll have time to do anything. And, if you do, just insist that you need to go shopping.”

I watch Liv fold my clothes and place them in my suitcase. I’m nervous and excited all at once, which has my body both jittery and jumpy. The only thing I’ll miss is Sterling and the chance of him coming to me. Today’s Thursday. When he got back to town on Monday evening, not Tuesday evening as he previously said, he told me he had some things that came up and wouldn’t be able to come to me until tonight. He hasn’t brought up my impending trip with Asher again, but he knows I’ll be leaving tomorrow morning. I wonder if this visit is a reminder to me that I belong to him. I have no idea what tonight will entail. Is he planning on revealing himself, or just claiming my body so thoroughly I won’t forget him while I’m gone? He doesn’t have to worry about that. I’m one of the last people Asher would want to have an affair with. My only problem is, I don’t know if I would refuse Asher if he
did
want me. I want to say no, just for the simple fact that I have Sterling in my life now, but I’m not entirely sure I could. And I worry that makes me a terrible person.

“Get off your ass and help me pack your suitcase. I have to meet Tony in an hour.” Liv swats me on the butt.

I stick my tongue out at her, earning me another swat. Laughing, I walk over to the dresser and pull open my top drawer. The memory of finding it open and gone through flashes in my mind. I still don’t think I left it open, but the alternative is shudder worthy, so I try to ignore it. I pull out several pairs of bra and panty sets, along with a few thigh-highs and walk them over to the suitcase.

“I think Asher wants to fuck you,” Liv says out of the blue, shocking the shit out of me.

I look over at her with my mouth hanging open to see her looking at me out of the corner of her eye as she continues packing.

“Have you lost your mind? Where in the world did you get that from?” First Eric, and now Asher. The girl is delusional.

“You really have no idea, do you?” she asks curiously and turns to face me, her head tilted slightly.

“No idea about what?”

“How amazingly beautiful you are.”

A soft smile forms on my lips at her words. Liv can be so sweet sometimes, even if other times I really think she’s gone off the deep end. I, by no means think I’m ugly, but I also think Liv likes to romanticize men when it comes to me. She’s so happy with Tony, she wants me to have what they have, and hopefully one day I will. But she needs to stop with this crap.

“I think you like to see things that aren’t there,” I tell her, taking the skirt from her hands and folding it, then placing it on top of the others.

“And I think you need to open your eyes and see what’s in front of you.”

“I’ve worked for Asher for almost a year, Liv. I would think if he was interested he would have made it known by now. Besides, there’s Sterling.”

She sighs and pushes back the suitcase. Grabbing my hand, she pulls me down so I’m sitting beside her.

“The Sterling thing is a fantasy. He’s not even real yet, and won’t be until he actually shows his face. And Asher may not have come right out and said how he feels, but I see it when he looks at you. I’ve seen it for a while. I think he tries to hide it, but sometimes he can’t and it slips through. There are times he looks at you like you hung the stars.” She wiggles her eyebrows at me. “And sometimes, he looks at you like a starving man with a juicy steak in front of him. My point is, you can’t put your life on hold for some faceless man, not when another good man is there, willing and waiting.”

I pull my hand from hers and get up from the bed. I pace my floor in front of her. Anytime I’m uncertain or nervous, I pace. It helps calm my racing thoughts.

“I just can’t ignore Sterling, Liv. Even without knowing who he is, I feel like I need to give it a chance. There’s something that’s pulling me toward him and won’t let me back away. As far as Asher, well, you know I’m not the type of person to just sleep with someone for the hell of it. And I think you’re way off base. Asher has never acted like he wanted a relationship with me. It’s always been business between us. At least Sterling has been truthful with his feelings and intentions. I don’t feel right stringing them both along.

I stop pacing and turn to her. Her expression is filled with pity. I hate that look.

“Just promise me you’ll keep an open mind and won’t completely close the door on the possibility.”

At her earnest look, I give into her. It’s the least I can do.

“I promise,” I tell her with a smile.

She gets up from the bed and comes to me for a hug. We break apart and she walks back to the bed and grabs her purse.

“Okay, I’m off. Tony will have my hide if I’m late. Call me when you get to Dallas.”

I walk her to the door and pull it open. “I will.”

“And don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” she says, turning around and giving me a wink.

I laugh. “So in other words, do everything?”

“Yep, pretty much.”

We both laugh and hug one more time, before she walks out, leaving me even more confused than I was before she got here.

I just walk out of the bathroom and into my bedroom with a towel wrapped around me when I feel a tingle of awareness at my neck. I freeze in my tracks and hold my breath. I don’t know how, but I know Sterling is nearby. Without moving the rest of my body, I turn my head and look around. Sterling hasn’t told me when he would show his face, just that it would be soon, that this time next week I would know who he is. Is he here now, in my room, watching me?

My eyes land on the window and I suck in a breath when I see movement. I’m just about to move that way when my phone on the dresser starts ringing. Keeping my eyes on the window, I move to grab it. Sterling’s name appears on the screen.

“Hello?” I answer, my heart racing and my breathing turning hurried. It always does when I talk to or text Sterling.

“Hey, Poppy,” he replies, his voice deep with desire. Butterflies swarm in my belly, making my stomach flop. “You look beautiful wrapped up in that towel. I want to unwrap it and lick off all the droplets of water you left behind.”

A shiver races down my spine, and I have to put my hand on the dresser for support when my legs go weak. It still amazes me that a man I’ve never seen before can affect me so much.

“I want that, too.” Even my voice sounds weak with desire.

“Release your hair for me. I want to see it falling around your bare shoulders,” he says thickly. I briefly notice his accent seems off a bit tonight.

Without taking my eyes off the window, I reach back and release the clip that’s holding up my hair. I give my head a slight shake and the thick mass falls down. A few tendrils that managed to escape during my shower sticks to my cheeks and I push them back.

The slight groan from him makes my body tremble.

“Thank you, baby. I love your hair. Do you know what I want to do with it?”

“What?” I ask breathlessly.

“I want to grab a handful and hold your head just right for me to claim your lips. I want to wrap it around my fist as I fuck you with long sure strokes from behind. I want to fill both hands with it as I guide your head, while I fill your mouth with my cock.”

I hold tight to the dresser as visions of what Sterling just said run through my head. I want that so much. I want his hands on me again. I want to feel him pull my hair as he fucks me senseless. To feel his lips glide across my skin. The mark he left on my neck the other night tingles. It’s faded and hardly noticeable now, but I want him to mark me again, except all over my body this time. I want everyone to know I belong to him.

“Are you going to come in?” I ask, desperately wishing he’ll say yes.

“Not this time, Beautiful. If I come in, there’s no way I’ll leave.” His voice has deepened even more.

“Then don’t leave,” I tell him. The way he makes me feel, I’d be happy for the rest of my life if all we did was stay in bed. Anything to feel his touch again.

“I’ll be in your bed soon enough, and there’s no way I’ll be leaving it,” he says. I want to protest, but before I get a chance, he continues. “Drop the towel for me. Show me that sexy body of yours.”

Under normal circumstances, I would never be brave enough to expose myself like he’s asking, but once again, Sterling makes me act out of the norm. Pleasing him is one of my greatest pleasures, and if that means dropping the towel and standing in my room naked as he watches from the window, then so be it.

I let go of the dresser and release the towel that’s tucked between my breasts. I don’t let it go right away. I stand there with it clutched in my hand as I stare at the window. Something shifts in the darkness, sending goosebumps up and down my arms, knowing he’s just on the other side of the thin pane of glass.

“Let it go, Poppy,” he demands softly in my ear.

Taking a deep breath, I let go of the towel. It drops with a whoosh and lands at my feet. The groan on the other end of the line is unmistakable, and it gives me a rush of power, knowing I can affect him so much.

“So fucking beautiful,” he whispers.

A blush creeps up my neck and into my cheeks at his praise.

“Thank you,” I tell him.

“Go to the bed and lay down. If I can’t be in there to pleasure you, I want you to do it for me.”

I hesitate for a moment, feeling self-conscious, but oddly excited about the prospect of touching myself while he’s only feet away, watching. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no prude. I’ve played with myself before, just never in a situation like this.

Sterling stays silent as I work up the courage to do as he’s asked. I’m grateful he’s giving me time and not pressuring me. He knows when to push and when not to.

After several more seconds, I square my shoulders and turn toward the bed. Once I’m standing beside it, I turn to face the window again.

“Good, baby,” he continues to whisper softly. “Now lie back against the pillows.”

With the phone still clutched in my hand at my ear, I do as he says and lie down so I’m in a slightly reclined position against the pillows. I want to stay high enough so I can see the window. Even though I can’t see him, I still know he’s there, and I want to see the dark shadows he’s shrouded in.

“Bend and spread your legs for me. I want to see your pussy glistening with your juices.”

My breath gets stuck in my throat and my body is shaking from nerves with a deep-rooted need to please him. Breathing in deep for courage, I bend my knees and part my legs.

“Wider, Beautiful. I can’t see you yet,” he says gruffly. His breaths become heavier in my ear.

I spread my legs wider, and I know I’ve gone far enough when I hear his sharp intake of breath. I can feel my arousal leaking out of me and running down the crack of my ass. It feels erotic as hell, sitting here with my legs spread wide for Sterling’s viewing pleasure.