Obsession Falls (The Haven Brothers, #1)

by Claire Kingsley

She was wrong about one thing. I did understand. She wasn’t the first woman to make that choice where I was concerned. But she was sure as hell going to be the last. I wouldn’t give someone else that chance again.

She also had like a million kids, so working from home suited her. Okay, she had four. But still.

A squirrel ran across the road, making a guy in a red pickup truck slam on his brakes. The truck skidded to a halt, the front tire coming within inches of squishing the animal. It ran on, bushy tail bouncing along behind it, apparently oblivious to the fact that it was almost roadkill. The squirrels around here thought they owned the place.

Dad had me, Luke, and Garrett with his first wife. Mom—she was the only mom any of us had ever known—had Reese, Theo, and Zachary. Dad had adopted them after they got married and no one questioned the fact that they were Havens. Then they’d had Annika together.

But I couldn’t shake the thought that he might have followed her.

“Half the time I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic. You have the ability to deadpan everything.” “Assume sarcasm.”

was at the top of a big-ass hill with a dog covered in either shit or the rotting remains of a dead animal, or both, with a woman limping in her heels who was absolutely not my problem. Except she was. She really, really was. Damn it.

For a second, she didn’t move. Then she stepped closer and hugged me. Without thinking, I wrapped my arms around her and drew her in tight. Fuck me, that felt good.

I wanted to give Aida a ride about as much as I wanted a hole in the head,

Audrey wasn’t my problem. Except that was a big-ass lie. She was very much my problem. A sense of hard resolve poured through me. It was time I stopped lying to myself. That wasn’t getting me anywhere.

Josiah turned out the light, and for a moment, it felt like I couldn’t quite breathe. Then he reached over and pulled me close, tucking my back against his front. He took a deep breath and with his exhale, the tension in my body melted. He was warm and strong and close, and I could have stayed in bed with him forever. And as I fell asleep, warm and safe in his arms, I fell a little bit in love with Josiah Haven.

“We’re not concerned about gun violence against squirrels at this time.”

My blood surged with anger when I thought about that psycho. I wanted to rearrange his face for what he’d done to my girl.

Every thrust felt like a chorus of mine, mine, mine.

“You read too much.” “I know. I really do. It’s given me very unrealistic expectations. But I still think he secretly likes you.”

Why are you so convinced I’m going to leave you for a freaking job?” “Because she did.” His voice boomed but I could tell he wasn’t yelling at me. “They both did.”

Realization washed over me and my heart broke for him. Of course his mother would have given him abandonment issues. And his ex-girlfriend would have torn that wound open again. If I knew him, that was probably the first time he’d ever admitted to anyone how much it hurt.

I marched over to him and threw my arms around his neck. His wound around me, like an automatic response, but his body was still stiff. “What are you doing?” he asked. “Sticking to you like Velcro.” I squeezed him and felt him start to relax. “I’m not leaving you unless you make me.”

“I want you to stay.” His voice was low and soft. “Stay for me.” As if I could have refused him anything. “Of course I’ll stay. I don’t want anything else. I just want you.”

“What was I supposed to say? Hey, Josiah, we haven’t been together very long, but I’m thinking about rearranging my life so I can stay here with you. Are you up for that kind of commitment?” “Yes, that’s exactly what you should have said.” His tone was vehement. “Then I’d know. You have to be straight with me. I don’t get subtlety.”

“I’m in love with you.” All at once, he picked me up off the floor and kissed me. Hard. I held on, my arms around his shoulders, and let him devour me. He could have it all, every bit of me. He set me down, his face still close, his nose brushing against mine. “I’m so in love with you.”

“I love you,” he murmured. “I love you, too. So much.” He held me tight, and he didn’t have to say anything else. My man of few words had said the only ones I’d really wanted to hear.

“Fuck, I can’t calm down. He could have killed you. I swear, I’m never letting you out of my sight.” He kissed my hair. “I love you. Damn it, I love you so much.”

“I mean it, Audrey. I’m shit at romantic stuff but I love you and I’m going to marry you.”

“Do you think maybe you’re getting ahead of yourself?” “No.” “So you’ll still mean it even when we haven’t just experienced intense trauma together?” “Yes.” I blinked at him. He really was serious. “How about I say yes now and we can have a rational conversation about it when we’re calm and you don’t have a knif...

Sometimes people choose darkness.”

“Yeah, I get it. But that’s the thing. Sometimes it’s up to us to be hard so they can stay soft.”

“I’m a simple man, Audrey. I just need one thing from you.” “What’s that?” “Just love me.”

I certainly hadn’t imagined I’d find everything I’d been looking for in a little town in the mountains. But here he was, kissing me, loving me. Ready to start a life with me.

I was going to marry that bubbly, dog-loving girl. And she was going to have my babies.