Girl Obsessed: A Dark Romance

by Zee Shine Storm

  My palms grew moist with tears and I gasped into them, suddenly feeling an aching need to be with my mother. The mother she had been before she started seeing Joshua and her feelings blinded her to his reality. Jude was amazing but…how long was he going to put up with my stalling?

  When I finally composed myself and went upstairs, he was lying in bed with the sheets up to his waist and his forearms tucked behind his head. The white, silk sheets on his bare skin appeared tempting but I was so depressed that I didn’t make any move to touch him as I got in bed. Jude shifted next to me and nuzzled my neck, his stubble pricking at me but in a comforting sort of way and his warmth seeping into me. His cock was hard against my spine but still, I said and did nothing, unable to shake off my dark mood.

  “I’m sorry I got mad at you,” he apologized sincerely and kissed my temple. “Are you okay?”

  I couldn’t even bring myself to reply.

  “Wynnie, I’m with you,” he said to me and tightened his arm around my tummy. “I get scared for us but I’m with you every step of the way. It’s not as bad as you think. If you plead self-defense-“

  “Please, Jude,” I interrupted in a pained voice and closed my eyes. Don’t bring him into our bed. I just couldn’t talk about it or think about it anymore.

  “Okay.” Jude kissed my cheek and then my neck and brushed back my hair. “Okay.” He seemed to understand what I needed and so he fell silent afterwards.

  I was about to close my eyes when I felt his lips trailing my arm before lifting my t-shirt to kiss my breasts. Physically, I was capable of responding to his touch but my mind was in such a heavy, dark place that the thought of sex just put me off. Jude never failed to arouse me, his body was a place of worship for me but tonight, I just wanted his comfort and his reassuring presence.

  When he moved down and parted my legs, I sucked on my lip, knowing I wouldn’t say no to him if he decided to get sexual. I loved this man and I was willing to please him this way. It was my own pleasure that I wasn’t interested in seeking tonight.

  His mouth brushed my inner thighs and I shuddered. Then he did it again, lightly. And again, a third time. That was when I realized Jude was simply kissing the spot where his name was tattooed on my skin.

  “Wynnie,” he sighed and it tickled a little so I smiled slightly. “I have no words. And that’s saying a lot because you know how great I am with those.”

  My smile widened when he moved back up to settle his weight upon me before wrapping me up in his arms.

  “Ride or die, Wynter,” he whispered to me and I felt my heart crumble with emotion.

  “Yes,” I whispered back and tightened my own arms around his warm body, breathing him in as I fell asleep.

  I awoke to find light streaming in through the thin curtains and Jude’s figure standing in front of the dresser in formal clothes. Black pants, a pale blue dress shirt and black coat. He looked incredibly handsome but I was confused to see his attire. Until I remembered what day it was!

  “Shit,” I said and threw off my blanket. “Jude, I’m so sorry. I forgot. You have that interview thing, oh my god.” I slapped a palm over my forehead and groaned. “I made notes for you yesterday but I forgot to give them to you.”

  He chuckled at my frantic worrying while adjusting his tie. “Wynter, go back to sleep. Believe it or not, I remembered to check my calendar before bed and I did find the notes in the living room earlier. I got this.”

  I regarded him with a bit of shock and marveled at that for a minute. Wow. This was new.

  “But I feel like such a slacker,” I whined and started to make the bed, determined to make up for my lack of diligence. “Shit. I’m really sorry. I wish I could go with you.”

  He came up to stand right behind me as I bent to straighten the sheets and his groin pressed against my ass, his legs on the back of mine, trapping me in that position.

  “I wish so too but it’s all right. You can watch me on TV and I’ll be back around lunch. Keep the house locked and don’t go anywhere.”

  The command in his tone was sexy and I wished there was time for a quickie because the guy was definitely getting a boner.

  “Mr. Knight,” I teased in a little girl voice and wriggled my ass a little. “What is that? And why does it feel so good.”

  He stepped away from me and I straightened to find him regarding me with a neutral expression. “Promise me you won’t go anywhere,” he insisted and I rolled my eyes.

  “I promise,” I said. “I’ll stay out of trouble and I will catch up on more work while mooning all over you on TV. Happy?”

  Jude placed his arms on my waist and kissed my forehead. “I mean it, Wynnie. You stay indoors till I get back. We can go for a walk in the afternoon, okay. I’ll take you out. Be safe.”

  I hugged him tightly and wished him luck for his interview, reassuring him about my determination to behave today. I really did wish I could have gone with him. He was finally going to talk about his new book, would be revealing details about his work in progress to the world on live television and I was so excited to see that. Jude was going to kill it. I was monitoring his social media and the hype was strong. All his fans were excited and anticipating his next release now after the last talk show he did where he spoke about dedicating the book to someone who had inspired his new story. Thousands of people were streaming in and Jude told me his parents were going to be watching as well.

  It was going to be a lonely day for me. I knew he’d come back in a few hours after he’d played his part in promoting and mingling, with Phillipa accompanying him this time. But then he’d have to leave to attend dinner at his parents’ place in the evening and I would be alone again. It shouldn’t make much of a difference but I was so used to being with him now that even these small periods of absence began to feel like a sacrifice I needed to endure because being seen with him was no longer an option.

  I freshened up, grabbed my notes from the office and made myself a sandwich before going to the living room to settle down on the sofa and switch on the TV. His interview wasn’t starting for another forty minutes so I had time to get some work done; organize his calendar for the next month and think of how to use this latest TV interview to do some social media promotions. I felt so fucking proud of him and couldn’t wait to hold the finished book in my hands. He still hadn’t chosen a title and I was dying to see how it would turn out but I’d observed first-hand just how hard he worked, how much effort and thinking went into writing a book like that and for an author of his calibre, the expectations were quite high. I was going to be as patient and supportive as possible.

  The interview began and I went to grab a soda, hurrying back into the living room just in time to hear the host introduce his esteemed guest to the audience (as if he needed an introduction). Popping open the soda can, I sipped on the ice-cold beverage while gazing at my real life love interest with adoration.

  Just like he had in the church that night and just like he had during his last interview, Jude commanded the attention of everyone present and exuded confidence and charisma. It was a treat simply looking at him and hearing him speak in that sensual voice of his while harboring dirty thoughts about what I was going to do to this man once he got back home. I squirmed in my seat as I fantasized but then made myself sit up and pay attention to the show. I’d promised him I would watch it.

  “Mr. Knight?” It was time for questions from the audience and Jude nodded at the person who had spoken up as the camera shifted to zoom in on a middle-aged woman in a pant suit frowning at him while holding a notepad. “I wanted to know if there is any truth to the story that you cheated on your girlfriend, Senator Steele’s daughter, with your assistant.”

  There was a hushed silence all throughout. I gaped at the TV in disbelief and stopped breathing while I waited for someone to call ‘cut’ on this footage and cue in a commercial. But the camera instead shifted to focus on Jude’s shocked and pale face as he sat there speechless.

  “Shit,”
I bit out, digging my nails into my palms.

  “No,” Jude denied after a long while, sounding annoyed and defensive. “There is no truth to that statement. Can we please stick to talking about my books?”

  He glanced at the host who cleared his throat and mumbled an apology, clearly rattled by the question too but the woman was like a bloodhound.

  “But you did break up with Miss. Steele recently, right?” she persisted in a passive aggressive tone.

  I scowled at her through the television screen. Who the fuck was this woman? This was live for fuck’s sake. Why did she feel the need to air his dirty laundry on national television this way during such an important event?

  “That is personal and I choose not to comment,” Jude replied, clenching his jaw. His Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed and I bit on my lip, knowing that his anxiety was going to reveal itself soon if someone didn’t stop this rude interrogation. Why weren’t they calling for a fucking break?

  “There’s another rumor going around that the girl you hired as an assistant is actually barely out of high school. Is that true?” the crazy lady inquired and I swore again, picking up my phone so I could text him. Tell him to stay cool and not engage. I knew Jude was impulsive at times but this could not be one of those times. All those people were watching…

  “What is this, Barry?” Jude demanded angrily, turning back to the host. “What kind of rude and unprofessional people are you letting in the audience these days?”

  “Jude, please don’t say anything,” I prayed, clutching my phone tightly. I kept it in my hands but if I called him now, he might panic and the spotlight was on him terribly at the moment. He’d reveal the truth to the whole world simply by his reaction.

  “Mr. Knight, I do apologize-” Barry was saying but the woman in the audience talked over him as the others who were present started murmuring amongst themselves.

  “Is she still under your employment, J. R? This young assistant you hired because of whom you-”

  “That’s enough,” Jude snapped at her and I sucked in a breath at the fury in his tone and eyes. “You need to stop asking me all these questions, lady. My private life is none of your business. It’s nobody’s business.”

  The woman actually laughed at his response and as she did, I began to get the feeling that she had been planted there by Jennifer specifically for the purpose of humiliating Jude in such a public manner. Jennifer hadn’t backed down. Jude had been right. She had decided to strike where she knew he would hurt the most and she had absolved herself of the crime by staying out of the picture and getting someone else to do her dirty work. To make Jude look bad and herself seem like a woman scorned and not reduced to petty accusations. I felt so bad for him, sitting there and having to deal with all of that.

  “Mr. Knight, I take offence at that because I’m one of your fans and so are many of the people in attendance and watching this show. Naturally, they are curious and worried that you and Miss. Steele would break up your partnership this way. We deserve to know the truth about the kind of person we are supporting, don’t you think?”

  Jude was quiet as he grew even more pallid and I screwed up my expression in pain, hurting for him. He was caught between being diplomatic towards his beloved fans and demanding that they mind their own fucking business as people should. Nobody had the right to expect an author to share their personal life with them just because they were attached to their work. But he was not just some anonymous writer so maybe the world felt like he owed them an explanation because they had accorded him the status of a celebrity.

  I stayed frozen as he ran a hand over his face and released a breath before saying, “Whom I choose to fuck or not is actually not up for discussion on a public platform no matter how much anyone claims to love my books. Everyone needs to understand that. I don’t owe you people anything, do you hear me?”

  I slumped against the sofa as the murmuring increased in volume and at last, the dratted, stupid commercial came on, cutting him off from my sight.

  Jude came home an hour later looking extremely flustered and pissed off and I, the girl who had stuck a knife in a huge man's stomach and twisted it with the intention of killing him, actually felt afraid of my lover. My lover who gave off dark, devilish vibes with his shirt halfway unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up and tie missing. His hair was messed up and his eyes stormy and angry as he stalked inside and slammed the door shut, so far removed from the persona he had shown me this morning.

  Walking swiftly around the house, he drew all the curtains closed, ignoring me standing there in the middle of the room. I absorbed all that fierce energy emanating from him and despite the uncertainty of my predicament, my pussy still tingled when I thought of all the angry sex I could have with him in this mood. Just like that day he had discovered my secret. That rawness and vitality I had felt from him was unforgettable.

  "Jude-"

  "I'm going in my office," he cut me off abruptly after he had finished securing the house. "Don't disturb me."

  I studied him thoughtfully as he headed upstairs and debated on whether to follow him or not. This was bad. Really bad. He had just lost his composure on live television and the video was already making the rounds on social media. The press was going nuts now that his break up with Jennifer was public along with the alleged reasons behind it. I wasn’t worried about myself at all right now. I just felt awful for him. That had not been an interview. It had been an ambush.

  I inhaled and exhaled several times, telling myself to be calm because this was not the end of the world. Sure, there was going to be a lot of backlash over this but it wasn’t going to last forever. His fans loved him.

  But would they support him now that his cheating was public knowledge?

  I sighed heavily and my fingers hovered over Jennifer’s number on my phone, aching to call her and tell her exactly where she could go and stuff herself. She knew how much support she had from the female population here in Georgia and also throughout the States as the daughter of a politician. She in her own right had a huge following and engaged in numerous charity events and fundraisers. She was an influencer and would find sympathy amongst her fans but Jude…

  I waited about an hour and then went into the kitchen and poured him some wine before taking it upstairs and gingerly knocking on his office door. He didn’t call out for me to come in but I did it anyway, unable to leave him alone while knowing that he was going through a tough time.

  “Jude,” I said when I entered and found him standing by the bookshelves just rifling through his books in the same disheveled state he had arrived in. Asking him if he was okay was stupid. He clearly wasn’t. I remembered what he got like the last time he was under the media spotlight and received negative attention.

  Without saying anything else, I placed the glass of wine on his desk and went over to hug him. What else was there to do except offer some physical comfort? He was stiff and silent as I held him and I rubbed a hand over his arm, thinking of the mess we were in. This was deep shit. Regardless of the rumors, if they found out that his eighteen year old assistant was also a fugiti-

  I straightened suddenly and pulled away from him, cold spreading through my veins at the unfinished thought. Before I could open my mouth to tell him what I knew to be true now, the doorbell rang and we both froze.

  Jude looked so stressed as he ran his hands through his already untidy hair and then barked at me to stay hidden before going downstairs.

  I kept the door open a crack as I listened to him invite someone inside. My palms grew clammy and I wished I could drink some of that wine to soothe my dry throat but I didn’t want to miss the conversation happening downstairs.

  There were no cops, thank God, but Ella was speaking to him, getting angry with him for shutting her out for so many days and offering to deal with Jennifer for him. She informed him that she had no clue Jennifer had decided to go back on her word. Jude apologized…actually apologized to that witch, apparently too distracted to connect th
e dots. Ella was the reason he had been publicly humiliated today. Didn’t he see that?

  I couldn’t even say anything as I stood there and prayed for him to realize the truth and kick her out. She was taking advantage of his distress to get close to him and he was lapping it up. I barely held back my growl of frustration but finally, I heard Jude tell her to give him time to sort himself out and that he would call her tomorrow.

  A relieved sigh escaped me when the door was finally shut and he trudged back upstairs.

  “I’m sorry,” I blurted out as soon as he walked inside the office. The apology fell from my lips unbidden because watching him appear so devastated messed with my own peace of mind. “Jude, you can’t trust Ella. She knows about me. I think she saw me yesterday. Or found out somehow that you lied.”

  Jude sat down in his chair and peered at the computer for a minute and I waited for him to say something. His silence was torture.

  “I know,” he replied after a minute in a brittle tone and I blinked at him. “But I had to act like I didn’t so she would fall for it and I could buy us time.”

  I breathed another sigh of relief upon realising I didn’t have to convince him of his friend’s betrayal. She was the only one who had known how old I actually was. Not Jennifer. This was all Ella’s doing. She had found out that Jude lied to her and resorted to vengeance. Maybe she hadn’t meant to hurt him but had intended to show him how his involvement with me could ruin his career, his life. Ella wasn’t as smart as she claimed to be if she had overlooked the fact that we would suspect her after the information about my age was leaked out.

  But then, she wanted to play at being smart by offering her support when she thought Jude was susceptible to her influence. Jude wouldn’t give in to her though. I knew that now. My biggest worry with Ella was that she might grow tired of waiting to see if the havoc she had caused was going to make him change his mind about me and pick her instead. We weren’t safe anymore.