OBTAINED (Book One)

by Williams, Shanora

  He moves in closer, his breath warm and brushing against me. He wraps a hand around the nape of my neck, pulls me in, and crushes his lips against mine. I groan, moan, but I don’t pull away. It’s frightening, freaky, but sexy all in one. He continues to kiss me and I have no choice but to fall into him and kiss him back while twisting my fingers through his silky brown hair. He wraps his other arm around me, hugging me against his firm body, and I am surprised to feel so delighted by this. This is all so new to me, but this is kind of what I want.

  Okay, who am I kidding? This is exactly what I want. I’ve wanted to feel these lips since the first day that we’d met.

  He pulls away, both of us panting, his face still hard and his eyes still solid. “Is this what you want?” he breathes.

  I tilt my head, confused by his question. “What do you mean?”

  “This, right here. Is this what you want?” he repeats. “Do you want me to step out of character and take advantage of you? Because, if so, I’ve wanted to do it since I’d laid eyes on you. I was just being cautious and trying my hardest not to hurt you, Alexandria.”

  “Felix, you can be a gentleman, just don’t be so overbearing. I can open a door on my own without feeling offended that you couldn’t get to it fast enough.”

  A smile graces his lips. “Fair enough. I will try to hold off but that’s the way my mother raised me. I’m sorry if I’ve offended you.”

  “No offense taken.”

  He smiles completely now, revealing those beautiful white teeth. He pulls me in again—his hand still wrapped around the nape of my neck—and then kisses me. And I must admit that Felix is a wonderful kisser. His lips are so soft, but his touch is so aggressive, so demanding. Just like a man’s. He wants me, and I can tell that he’s wanted to do this since he’d met me. He pulls away, both of us panting heavily again but I am still hanging on, my eyes shut and trying to fall forward for more but he just chuckles.

  “You are a truly something, Alexandria. You look so innocent and unsure about life at first sight but from what I can see and feel right now, you know exactly what you want.” He leans in to plant one last kiss on my lips then pulls his arms away to open the door behind him. “Come on. Let’s go have a simple brunch.”

  GOODBYE

  “See you around, Alexandria,” Braxton calls as he climbs out of the car behind Stacy.

  “Yah—hey you should come to our flat sometime. I could really use the company of a girl,” Stacy insists, rolling her eyes playfully.

  “That actually sounds great. I need the company as well.” She smiles.

  “Oh—and also,” Braxton says, ducking his head inside of the car. “I have an art show tomorrow. I forgot to tell you at brunch but Felix knows all about it and you are more than welcome to come if you’d like. We’ll have wine afterwards to celebrate. It’ll be fun.”

  I take a peek at Felix who is smiling casually. “She will be there,” Felix assures him.

  “How do you know I’m not doing anything?”

  He tilts his head as he eyes me curiously. “You said you were free from work tomorrow, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah, but—”

  “I understand if you don’t want to come,” Braxton says, his voice and eyes depressing.

  “No, it’s not that! I—just . . .” Damn! Why does Felix always have to put me in awkward situations? “I will be there, Braxton,” I assure him with a nod, forcing a smile.

  “You promise?” he asks.

  “I promise.”

  He beams a grin as he pulls out of the car. “Great! See ya tomorrow night.” He shuts the door and I watch as he wraps his arm around Stacy and leads her to their apartment.

  “Why did you do that?” I scowl, twisting around to face Felix.

  “What did I do?” he asks, his lips hinting with a sneer.

  “You know what you did. Just because I’m not as busy as you are doesn’t mean that I don’t have things to do or a life to live.” I frown, letting my temper get the best of me. I’m mainly upset because I really don’t have anything to do tomorrow but I don’t want to spend my entire day with Felix again. Instead of coming straight home after brunch, we went to the mall—and I had to hold his hand. It was a pleasant feeling, but it was really weird to walk hand-in-hand with a handsome, rich guy because everyone was staring at us. And I couldn’t even compare to him in his high-dime suit and perfectly cropped hair. Most wouldn’t picture him with a girl like me—the simple, boring blonde with the pixie haircut that hardly wears any other make-up besides mascara and lip-gloss.

  He chuckles. “We all know that if you aren’t working, you aren’t doing anything, Alexandria. You said it the other day when I asked you about your hobbies after coffee—and you said it today, at brunch.”

  I scowl at his blunt honesty then reach for the door handle. I push out of the car, flustered and annoyed as I slam the door behind me, snapping with rage. How dare he say that? He makes it seem like I have no life at all. I mean, I know I can be a bore but I hate that he has pointed it out—especially to the outgoing couple, Braxton and Stace. If he thinks I’m so boring, why doesn’t he just leave me alone? What is making him stick around?

  My boots scuffle against the hard asphalt as Felix turn’s his car off. I hear his door shut and, in the blink of an eye, he is standing right in front of me, stopping me from taking my next step. His face is hard but his eyes are soft and he is still smirking. “Have I offended you, Alexandria?”

  I don’t answer. I’m still shocked to see that he is standing in front of me. How in the hell did he get in front of me that fast—and without a single loss of breath? Unlike me, he isn’t flustered and his hair isn’t untamed. “It’s fine. I’m just going to go up to my apartment.”

  He tilts his head, his eyes gleaming. Is he mad? “You’re mad at me. I’m sorry,” he says sincerely. I frown. Okay, he’s not mad and he looks like he means it—sounds like he means it. He reaches forward to rub my cheek and I flinch—not from being afraid, but from the comfort of his warm fingers as they tickle skin. Gosh, am I really attracted to this? To someone that can be so intimidating, scolding, and demanding but most times sweet, gorgeous, and formal?

  “It’s okay,” I sigh.

  “No. It’s not okay, Alexandria,” he sighs back. “Can I make it up to you?”

  “How?”

  He pulls his hand away slowly with a smirk and somehow, after losing myself in his pool of hazel, I am in his arms and he is carrying me effortlessly up the two flights of steps to get to my apartment. “Your key?” he asks.

  I dig in my coat pocket for my bundle of keys, separating the door key from the rest before handing it to him. Why am I allowing him to do this? Am I really that thrilled to see how he will make it up to me?

  Duh. Of course I’m thrilled by these strong arms, those beautiful eyes, those soft, full, and pink lips that I’ve had a taste of earlier. He sticks the key in, opens the door, and then shuts it behind us. He makes his way to my room but my heart fails to beat. Why is he taking me to my room? What is he about to do?

  I’m still in his arms as he shuts my bedroom door behind me, locks it, and then places me down on my bed. He takes his suit jacket off, lays it on the grey chair beside my bed and before I know it, he is pushing me back, his lips are pressing against mine, and he is cradling me in his arms. He kisses me deeply, passionately. His lips feel so nice, so soft. I sink into him again, wrapping my arms around his neck as he wraps his around my waist. Is this how making out with someone feels? It’s a huge turn on, especially with him. We kiss for another few moments, groaning and moaning lightly without letting our lips fall apart—that is until he pulls away to look into my eyes. We’re panting heavily again, like we were earlier, but this time there is intensity. There is a spark—something that we both feel but can’t explain, even if we were to try.

  “I know that was brief, but am I forgiven?” he asks.

  I nod quickly, grinning as I melt against his firm body. He smiles b
ack, kisses my lips again gently, then pulls away and reaches for his suit jacket that he laid on the chair. “Where are you going?” I ask, wide-eyed.

  “I had a meeting earlier this afternoon but I told them that I wouldn’t make it in time and to reschedule it. The meeting is now in an hour and I must be on my way if I want to dodge traffic to get there on time.”

  “You rescheduled . . . for me?” I ask, standing and trying to hold back on a pleased smile.

  The corner of his mouth quirks up as he slides into his jacket. “Perhaps.” He steps towards me, pulls me in, and eyes me. He is charming, swift, and so well-crafted. “I should get going. As always, I’ve had a lovely day with you.” He kisses me softly but my chest tightens and my mouth lacks the normal production of saliva. He’s leaving. I don’t want him to leave. I want him to stay here . . . with me. I want to learn more about him, feel his lips brush against mine again. Ugh, why am I getting all mushy now? I’ve never been like this over a guy—at least from what I can remember. Most times I ignore men. He pulls away and my arms fall and land flat against my sides. He heads for the door, swings it open, but stops to look at me before stepping out. “Tomorrow, Alexandria. But this time, try to find some fancier shoes for the showing,” he teases, glancing from my boots to my eyes. I flush as I stare down at my boots but as I look up, he is stepping towards me again.

  “You’re going to be late,” I mumble.

  “Never mind being late. I’m not leaving until I see that magnificent smile of yours.” He raises a brow, his lip tugging up at their corners, revealing those baby dimples. I have no choice but to smile at his beautiful face and his caring response. He really is gorgeous. “Much better.” He kisses my cheek then turns around to make his way out of the room. “Tomorrow, Alexandria!” he calls again right before shutting the front door behind him.

  ****

  After clumsily stumbling around the house, still dazed from the two times that Felix and I had kissed, I decided to rush to the Redbox and grab a few movies. After I chose what I really wanted to watch, I slumped down on the couch under my coziest blanket and got ready to watch the actions of Liam Neeson fight for his kidnapped daughter in the movie Taken. I love action packed movies and Liam Neeson is a terrific actor. I also love romantic movies, classical movies, and Disney movies. Liam accuses me of being a big kid for watching cartoons all of the time, and he’s right. I won’t deny what I love.

  A knock comes from the door and I sit up quickly, my face twisting heavily. I know for sure it isn’t Felix because he forced me to give him my number at brunch and then text me as soon as he had arrived at his meeting. He said he was going to go back home, take a shower, and think about me afterwards. Of course, I blushed at the sight of his flirtatious words.

  I push my blanket away and trot to the door. I peep out of the peephole but no one is there. Shit, please don’t let it be anyone creepy—or the Hellions, as Felix called them. I crack the door open slightly, peeking out, but as I do, I spot Jules’ car screeching out of the parking lot, his red tail lights drifting in the distance.

  Opening the door completely, I rush to the guard rail to see if he will stop but he doesn’t. What in the hell is he doing? And why did he leave without speaking? I frown with a sigh but as I twist around, I spot a laminated drawing taped to my door. I snatch it off and at the sight of it, my heart leaps to my throat, my mouth becomes dryer, and my palms are suddenly sweating. It’s freezing outside but I can’t feel that because in my hands is the hottest, most realistic drawing that I have ever seen with me in it. And behind me in the drawing is Jules.

  He is holding me from behind, a few loose strands of his hair are hanging in front of his face and his eyes are focused on the drawing of me but his nose is buried in my neck. And me, I am happy, smiling, and my face is content. I look so young, so healthy but, unlike now with my pixie haircut, I have full, healthy curls that are bundled on one side. I can tell that Jules took a real picture that he had and drew it but it is gorgeous and so realistic. We were happy and, if I’m not mistaken, we were in love. I step into the house, shutting the door behind me but not letting my eyes drift from the drawing. On the corner below is the print of his signature and a thin arrow below his name that is pointing to the right.

  I frown as I study the arrow that wasn’t on the other paintings of his home. I then flip the laminated drawing around and now I realize why the arrow is there. To point me to the letter that he has written on the back.

  Alexandria,

  Although it feels terrible and is truly heartbreaking to have to let you go, I feel that your happiness is much more important than what you can’t remember. I am so sorry to have put you through so much or to have even gotten you involved in this supernatural mess, but I hope that you enjoy the rest of your days with Felix. Although I can’t stand his guts for stealing the love of my life away from me, I must admit that he is a good man and he will do his all to protect you.

  With complete and utter sincerity,

  Jules

  I cringe at the sight of his words. He is telling me his final goodbyes . . . on paper. He could have at least had the decency to tell me face-to-face. This only means that I will never see him again without being able to explain myself to him.

  Oh, who am I kidding? I can’t explain to him that I was just in my room smooching it up with Felix. I can’t pretend that I don’t care for him. My fingers begin to tremble, knowing that I’ve probably made a huge mistake by kissing Felix and getting in deeper with him than I need to be. I wouldn’t be feeling so terrible if I didn’t care for Jules—but I do. And he cares for me. He loves me. And unlike Jules, Felix can’t say that. Felix doesn’t know me or what I’ve been through . . . but Jules does. And now he is going his separate ways.

  My mind remains in shock, my knees lock, and my eyes are still staring at his words. Liam Neeson is still fighting for his daughter but I am fighting for my composure. But I’m failing, my fingers still clutched around the laminated drawing. There is no way around how I feel, no way to explain the gut-wrenching moment that I am having. My body falls forward on its own, my legs are giving out on me and I thud on the floor, crashing down on the side of my face. Everything is black, dark, and cold as my cheek crushes against the soft tan carpet. I am no longer in my right state of mind. I am out of it, my vision is fading and my eyes are shutting.

  Everything is out of sight and no one is here to pick me up. No one is here to help me recover from this faint feeling that has just overwhelmed me. But I know Jules would help me if he were still around. He would rescue me, just like last time.

  ****

  “Damn it, Alexandria. Don’t do this to me again!”

  I groan, dazed as I lift my head. My cheek throbs and as I reach to touch it, it feels swollen. I gasp as I open my eyes quickly and realize that instead of lying on the floor, I am lying on the sofa and Liam is standing above me, breathing down on me with worried green eyes. “Shit, Alexandra! What did you do?” he asks, his voice shaky but scolding as he helps me sit up. All of the blood seems to rush to my right cheek and I wince from the continuous, throbbing pain. It’s like my cheek has its own heart. “Your cheek is swollen, Zandy. Sit here. Let me go get you some ice.” He pounces from the couch quickly then makes the turn for the kitchen.

  Crap. I feel terrible. I reach to rub my cheek and it doesn’t hurt to the touch but it is pretty sore. Liam rattles some ice around in the ice-maker but my mind remains a pile of goo—that is until I spot the laminated drawing lying on top of the glass coffee table. My eyes widen, my chest constricts, and the memories come back to me. Jules’ letter, his goodbye.

  Crap, his goodbye.

  Liam steps around the corner with a bag of ice in his right hand. He hands it to me and I immediately place it on my cheek. “So, you want to explain this to me?” he asks, reaching for Jules’ drawing with furrowed brows. I freeze, my whole body becoming numb. Liam doesn’t like Jules. He blames him for my memory loss.

  “I um�
��”

  “Are you seeing him again? Do you remember him?” he asks, cutting me off.

  “No—I mean he shows up at the coffee shop sometimes and he took me to his house to talk but—”

  Liam stands over me ferociously. His eyes are angry, burning like the pits of hell, and his face is hard like granite. “He took you to his house?” His jaw clenches. “What the hell did you do with him?”

  “Nothing! He was just reminding me of what we had before I lost my memory. It’s nothing major, Liam,” I lie with a scowl. “What are you getting so worked up for anyway?”

  He cocks his head while stepping back. “Why am I getting worked up?—Alex, I thought I had lost you again when I picked your unconscious body up off of the middle of the damn floor!” he shouts, his face creasing heavily. “And seeing that stupid drawing with his note and signature on it makes it worse!”

  I place my bag of ice down and stand, letting my temper get the best of me for the second time today. “Why is it that I had to wait four years to be told that I was in love with someone? Why—out of all of the things that you’ve told me—did you feel like you could hold off on something so important? You knew we were in love, Liam, and you didn’t even tell me!”

  Liam’s face softens, his eyes still wide. He straightens his head but his lips press into a thin—almost invisible—line. “I—I can’t explain this to you right now, Alexandria. I have my reasons but it’s not worth it to bring up the past.” He spins around, clutches his keys that are on the coffee table, and rushes around the corner wall of the apartment to get to the door. He swings it open, slams it behind him, and I flinch, still agitated. Is this really happening?

  I’ve never, in my entire life—even before the memory loss—fought with Liam. We are always a team together. He always makes sure that I am happy—but now is different. He doesn’t care if I’m happy and my only reason for that is Jules. He and Jules must have had a huge falling out because he never gets angry about anything. I understand that Liam wants to protect me, but from what? He can’t blame Jules just because he couldn’t get to me quickly enough to prevent the incident.