by Linda Verji
“Don’t care.” Ari turned to shoot Lex a smirk. “I won’t be on the same team with him until I see a wedding ring on Freddie’s finger.”
“You’re a petty, petty man.” Red shook his head and gave Ari a disbelieving look. “Aren’t you the same one who was throwing tantrums six months ago because you didn’t want them together?”
“I changed my mind.” Ari shrugged. “A man can change his mind.”
“Man?” Logan snorted. Spinning the basketball on his finger, he taunted, “That’s what you’re calling yourself these days?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ari sniped back with narrowed eyes.
Lex, meanwhile, watched in silence. Even though he was the reason his friends were arguing, he had zero desire to get involved. What was he supposed to say? That he was going to marry Freddie? Of course he wanted to, but he couldn’t very well drag her to the altar. She had to say yes first.
Okay, fine. Maybe part of it was his fault. After all, he hadn’t asked her to marry him yet even though he’d been carrying a ring around for the last month or so. Why hadn’t he popped the question? Because lately her life had seemed so complicated that it never seemed like the right time.
Just after he and Freddie had started dating, the issue with Wesley had blown up. As soon as people found out that Freddie had taken out a restraining order on him, the questions had started. Who was she anyway? Ex-girlfriend? Since when? No one had ever even heard of her so which bush had she crawled out from. Was she doing this for money? If it wasn’t for money, then it had to be for the attention, people said.
The whole situation became worse when Wesley and his team tried to spin it like Freddie was just a stalker. According to them, she was out to take revenge because Wesley refused to give her attention. And why wouldn’t people believe him? There was absolutely no proof that he and Freddie were even dating. Besides, he’d created such an innocent mirage bolstered by his ‘romantic man’ image that people believed his claims.
Lex, along with the other men, had used their influence to somewhat quiet the traditional media houses, but there was only so much they could do. The gossip-sites had eaten up the news like it was manna from heaven. It had spread like wildfire on social media until she had to close all her social media accounts because she was getting death threats. People who knew nothing about the situation made videos just to bash Freddie and voice their support for their handsome, kind Wesley. The few brave souls who rushed to defend Freddie and asked for people to wait to hear both sides of the story were crushed and silenced by Wesley’s fans.
It was so bad that Freddie had been on the brink of losing her job. If it wasn’t for another one of Wesley’s exes coming forward to describe how possessive and abusive Wesley really was when they were together, Freddie would’ve been forever branded a liar, attention-seeker and gold-digger. When the gossip-sites finally found the police report that had been written on the day Wesley locked Freddie in the bathroom, it was game over for him. Wesley had crawled back into his hole with a restraining order in his pocket and his abusive tail tucked between his legs.
With the Wesley issue solved, one would think that Lex and Freddie’s dating life would be smooth from then on. Well, one would be wrong. Lex’s father had suddenly decided that it was his business who Lex dated. Andrew had ‘invited’ Freddie to a meeting at the hotel then demanded that she leave Lex. Apparently, with all the drama in her life, she wasn’t fit to be Lex’s partner. He wanted Lex to be with someone more ‘wholesome’. This coming from a man who’d had several public affairs and a child from those adulterous wanderings.
When Freddie didn’t fall in line, Andrew had gone after her job. He’d tried pushing Freddie’s superiors around to fire her. Fortunately, her immediate boss wasn’t willing to let a talented junior go and was influential enough to make others listen to him. Freddie had kept her job. But even now, she couldn’t say his father’s name without grimacing.
How was he supposed to ask her to marry him with all that commotion going on in her life? How was he supposed to ask her to be part of his family when his father had tried to screw her over? How was he supposed to ask her to marry him when she hadn’t even told him that she loved him?
Hell, forget marriage. Lex was surprised that she was still with him.
“Michael, just let Ari be the captain and come to our team,” Red suggested, cutting into Lex’s morose thoughts. “Logan, you can go to Ari’s team.”
“No way.” Logan slung his arm around Lex’s shoulder. “I want to be with my brother on one team.”
“Here we go.” Red rolled his eyes. “Another man-child.”
Both Logan and Ari turned to Red. “Who are you calling a-”
“Are we playing or not?” Kevin, the new guy in the group, cut them off. “We’ve been arguing over teams for the last ten minutes, and it’s ridiculous. Someone will grab our court if we don’t get our acts together.”
“What he said,” Michael agreed. The other three courts in the gymnasium had people playing on them, and there were a couple of groups on the bleachers just waiting their turn.
“Fine, fine,” Logan surrendered. “I’ll move.”
With the teams settled on, the men began to play ball. Five minutes into the game, Logan who was dribbling the ball suddenly stopped to stare at the entrance. He grinned. “Look who’s here. Morticia in the flesh.”
Everyone followed his gaze to see Freddie walking into the gymnasium. Freddie’s friend, Winter, was with her but Lex barely noticed. All his attention was on his lady. Lex’s heart immediately bumped in his chest and his lips twitched in an instinctive smile. Freddie looked damn good for a woman who’d been going through hell for the last few months. A white tee, jeans and white sneakers would’ve looked demure on another woman. But somehow, Freddie, with all her curves, made the outfit just as sexy as if she was wearing a mini-dress.
Ari turned to give Lex a disbelieving look. “You brought your own cheering squad?”
“I didn’t bring her,” Lex said, but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t glad to see her. Before anyone could make any other smart comments, he strode towards Freddie.
Her large beautiful eyes scanned the crowd to find him. When she finally saw him coming to her, her lush mouth widened into a grin. Talk about unfair. How was he supposed to go back to the game with her looking so inviting?
“Hi,” she greeted when he was within speaking distance.
Lex didn’t answer. Instead he closed the last inches between them, then swooped down and slung his arms around her thighs to lift her off her feet in an embrace. Lex had never thought of himself as a PDA man, but with Freddie he couldn’t quite help himself. He fixed his mouth to hers in a deep passionate kiss that drew whoops and shocked gasps from the people around them.
When he ended the kiss, Freddie laughed breathily. “I guess that means that you’re glad to see me.”
“Very glad.” Lex grinned as he set her back on her feet. “What are you doing here? I didn’t know you were coming by.”
“I got off work early and wanted to see you,” she explained. “I hope you don’t mind me crashing your game.”
“I don’t mind at all.”
“But the rest of us mind,” Ari announced from behind Lex. Neither of them had even noticed him moving towards them.
In typical sibling fashion, Freddie rolled her eyes. “Go away.”
“You wish.” Ari turned away from his sister to face Winter. His mouth immediately widened into a smile. “Hi, Winter.”
Winter smiled back at him. “Hi, Ari.”
“Oh, hi!” Lex finally noticed Freddie’s friend. Giving her a sheepish grin, Lex apologized, “Sorry. I didn’t even notice you.”
“I know.” Winter guffawed. She waved the hand-mirror, she was holding. “I had to take out my mirror to check and make sure I wasn’t invisible.”
Lex winced and apologized again, “I’m sorry.”
“What are you two doing here anyway?” Ari cut in.
>
“We just wanted to see your game,” Freddie said as she looped her arm around Winter’s arm.
“Well, if you’re staying then you need to stick to the bleachers,” Ari ordered bossily. He must have forgotten that he and Lex weren’t even on the same team because he added, “Don’t go around messing with Lex’s head. We need to win this game.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.” Freddie sidled back next to Lex and lifted up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. Turning back to smirk at her brother, she said, “If I want to mess with Lex, I will.”
Ari had no good reply for that so he resorted to pettiness. “What are you wearing anyway? Whoever told you that wearing those tight jeans make you look good is a liar. You look like a damn muffin.”
Freddie immediately lunged for him. “You little-”
Ari sauntered off with a taunting laugh before she could lop his head off, leaving Freddie simmering and Winter laughing. Lex could only chuckle. He was so used to the siblings bickering that he wasn’t even surprised that Ari, who’d been defending her honor just moments ago, had no qualms about insulting her to her face.
“You better go,” Freddie told Lex. Motioning to the other men who were watching from across the court, she added, “The rest of them look like they’re thinking of coming for you.”
“Okay.” Lex leaned to her for another kiss. “But don’t leave before the end of the game.”
“Don’t worry,” she reassured. “I’ll wait for you.”
The game lasted for an hour or so, yet it felt like ages. Lex was so eager to go back to Freddie that as soon as they were done, he announced that he wouldn’t be heading for the usual drinks after workout. Apart from a little ribbing, the other men were okay with it. Winter grabbed a ride with Logan while Freddie left with Lex.
The evening breeze was biting enough that Lex gave Freddie his jacket so she wouldn’t freeze while on his bike. As for him, just the thought of having her plastered behind him was enough to heat him up. He didn’t need a jacket.
“You ready?” he asked over his shoulder once they’d settled on his back. Freddie’s nod and smile were answer enough. With a grin, he started the bike. “Hold on tight.”
She followed his order splendidly, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning forward. Her body was sealed so tightly to his that he could feel the mounds of her breasts pressing into his back. Her thighs cradled his so closely that he was sure he could feel the heat of her mound pulsing across his tailbone. Her hands were so low down his stomach that if she moved them even one inch she’d be touching that part of his anatomy that was already hardening.
One would think that after six months of having his fill of her, he’d be tired of her. But he wasn’t. In fact, he wanted her more each day. He hated the fact that they still lived apart, hated the fact that he only got to hold her all night if the following day wasn’t a work day. It wasn’t even about the sex. He just wanted her with him all the time. He wanted her to make her home with him. Forever!
Once on the highway, he sped up, whizzing between cars. Though he was focused on the road, he was also quite aware of the woman holding onto him. So attuned to her every movement was he that he immediately noticed when she took one of her hands off his waist. He felt it when she set her palm on his back, its warmth seeping through his t-shirt straight to his skin. And when she started to draw, he noticed it too.
When he realized what she was drawing on his back, his breath immediately caught and his blood froze in its tracks. She was repeatedly drawing a heart. Did that mean what he thought it meant? Without delay, he searched for somewhere to park. As soon as he saw a gas station, he darted in then drove his bike to a secluded spot. He brought the machine to a stop and turned to face her.
“Why are we stopping?” Freddie asked, curiosity glinting in her eyes.
Lex didn’t speak. He got off the bike, took off his helmet then helped Freddie, who was still on the bike, take her helmet off too.
Curiosity had turned to concern. She asked, “Is something wrong?”
He ignored her question and instead said, “Try saying it with words.”
Freddie frowned. “Try saying what?”
“What you were drawing on my back.” He edged closer to her and set his palms on the bike, trapping her between his arms. “Try saying it with words.”
For a moment, she looked confused, but soon understanding seeped in. She knew what he wanted her to say. Nervousness flashed in her eyes and she worried her bottom lip.
“Try saying it, Freddie,” he urged, wrapping one arm around her waist.
Though he sounded calm, he was nervous as hell. His heart was in his throat, thumping in both anticipation and desperation. He needed more than anything to hear those words fall from her lips.
She lowered her eyes shyly. “You haven’t said it either.”
“I love you,” he immediately confessed. He’d held the words in for six months so letting them finally be heard was easier than expected.
His easy capitulation shocked her. Her eyes widened as they met his. “You love me?”
“Of course I do! How can I not?” Not giving her a chance to ask more questions, he demanded, “What about you?”
She hesitated a moment then nodded.
“I need to hear the words,” he urged. If he wasn’t so desperate, this situation would’ve been funny. Usually, she was the one urging him to talk more.
Unexpected tears gathered in her eyes, and for a moment, he feared that she was about to tell him that she didn’t feel the same way. But then she whispered, “I love you.”
Exhilaration wasn’t a big enough word to describe the emotion that overwhelmed Lex in that moment. Before he knew it, he’d lifted her off the bike and gathered her into his arms.
“I love you too, honey,” he whispered against her hair as he held her close.
Sniffling, she looked up to meet his eyes. Her tears were now in free-fall. Out of the blue, she punched him in the arm.
“Ow.” He winced but didn’t let her go. “What was that for?”
“What took you so long?” She swiped her palm over her wet cheeks. Pouting, she demanded, “Why didn’t you say it before today?”
Grinning, he smoothed his hand gently over her cheeks to wipe the tears she hadn’t caught. “What took you so long?”
“I was waiting for you,” she explained. “I didn’t want to rush you into anything you didn’t want.”
Lex burst into laughter.
“What’s funny?” she demanded.
Lex could only laugh. They were both ridiculous. All this time, he’d been holding back because he didn’t want to push her too hard and make her run. Meanwhile, she was doing the same thing. The self-torture had all been for nothing. If he’d confessed earlier, they’d be in Vegas right now.
His courage bolstered by the moment, he set her side. “Give me a second.”
He moved to the bike, opened the top-box and pulled his bag out. The moment he extricated the black box from his bag, Freddie gasped. She was smart enough to figure out what he was about to do.
Right there, in that gas station, Lex got on one knee. Even as he opened the box to reveal the diamond ring inside, he knew that he could’ve waited, made the moment more special. But he didn’t have it in him to wait any longer. He’d wait too long already. And he wanted her – no, he needed her badly. Like a drowning man needed oxygen.
“Yes,” she eagerly answered even before he could ask the question. “I’ll marry you.”
With a grin, Lex took the ring out of its box and slipped it in its rightful place. Her finger. He stood back up and lifted her off her feet for a fierce embrace. Giggling, Freddie bent to press a kiss to his lips. Lex grinned. He couldn’t hide his delight, his happiness.
He was getting married to the woman of his dreams.
│ THE END │
‘Tis over. At least for now. I hope you enjoyed the ride. Let me know what you thought about Obsession by leaving a review at your f
avorite store/site. Again - Thank you.
What’s Next?
Obsession is part of a series of five books that follows the five friends/heirs (Lex, Michael, Red, Logan and Ari). The next book in the series is Michael’s book, Passion. Though I haven’t finished the book, I’m well on my way in and should be done by the end of March or April. Are you ready for it?
If you’d like to be the first to know when Passion finally drops or get further updates about new releases, free stories, discounts, giveaways, reading recommendations and many more goodies, you should join my Book Club.