The Obsession

by Nora Roberts

He yanked her in for a kiss, gave the dog a quick rub. “See you later.”

“What happened? Are you hurt? Where are you?”

He knelt down beside her, pulled her in.

He eased back, skimmed a hand over her face. “I’m going to take you up to the house.”

“I want to take her up to the house. I want to take her away from here.”

He wanted to pick her up, just lift her up and carry her back to the house. Instead, he kept a solid grip on her hand.

“Okay. I’ll give you a hand.”

He had his arm around her waist now—a step closer to just carrying her—and

But I’m not going anywhere,

Because it soothed him, and hopefully her, he ran his hands up and down her back.

“She won’t be alone.”

One look at her had his hands taking her face, a hard grip.

I’m not going anywhere.”

He rubbed those work-rough hands up and down her arms.

“You don’t like to ask.” “I don’t. That’s probably a flaw I like to think of as self-reliance.”

“I’ve avoided being in a thing.”

In a gesture as easy, and intimate, as his voice, he danced his fingers down her spine.

I like who you are—right here and right now.

he touched her arm lightly,

“This is your place, Naomi. Nobody can take it or what it means to you away except you.”

Brooding, worrying, second-guessing accomplished nothing.

“I’m so glad to see you.” She loosened the hug enough to tip back, study Naomi’s face. “Are you okay?”

grab Naomi’s face and give her a kiss that went from hello to steamy in a heartbeat.

No, Naomi thought, you don’t always know what lives with you.

She loved him, or he had a hold over her. Maybe it’s the same thing.”

“No walking alone after closing. Not right now.”

“I never thought of you as either one.”

“Marla’s body, about thirty-five feet straight down from where you’re sitting, says I can.”

“No one dictates to me, and if you think sleeping with me gives you that right, you’re very wrong.”

“I damn well do.”

Not from him, he thought. Goddamn it, not from him.

And Naomi, it’s not an everyday name.”

Since when? LOL

“Womb to tomb doesn’t mean I tell him what you don’t want told.”

But once I knew? I wasn’t going to put that look on your face again.

If you need to yell, I can handle it. If you need to cry, I can handle it.

Yelling’s preferred.”

I pegged you as smart. Really smart.

“It’s a young century yet,”

And if this whole fucked-up bullshit is the reason you’re trying to kick me to the curb, you’re out of luck. I don’t kick that easy.”

I didn’t mean it about you.

He crossed over, sat beside her again. “You’d have slept with me. I saw that the first time you came into the bar.”

“You want romance? I could bring you flowers.”

I don’t need romance, and I don’t know what I’d do with it. I like knowing my feet are solid on the ground.

He thought, Naomi

He’d liked seeing her there—and more, he’d liked knowing Kevin would make sure she got home, got in the house, locked up safe until he’d made it back.

Distracted, Xander laid a hand on the dog’s head and just looked at Naomi.

So this was what it was, this was how it fit. How his half fit anyway, he thought. It fit, all those moving parts, because he was in love with her.

He crossed to her, yanked her up to her toes, and took her mouth like a man starving.

He rested his forehead to hers a moment while tenderness twined with heat.