Beautiful Obsession
Preview of the Obsession Trilogy
Roxy Sinclaire
Illustrated by
Natasha Snow
Edited by
Elizabeth A. Lance
Copyright © 2019 by Roxy Sinclaire
All rights reserved.
Cover design by Natasha Snow
Edited by Elizabeth Anne Lance
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locations is purely coincidental. The characters are all productions of the authors’ imagination.
Please note that this work is intended only for adults over the age of 18 and all characters represented as 18 or over.
Contents
Mailing List
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
About Roxy Sinclaire
Also by Roxy Sinclaire
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Chapter One
I have my own inheritance, and I can do what I want.
He rose and dressed quickly, still in the darkness until he stepped into the hall. He was in a rush to find the next toy, and he didn’t see his brother approaching. He knocked into his brother and took a step back as the breath whooshed from him for a moment. He glared at his brother, looking into the distorted mirror that reflected all that he should’ve been, but wasn’t. Like always, he longed to break the mirror, but couldn’t. His brother ran the business, controlled the bulk of the estate, and knew his darkest secrets, so he couldn’t afford to destroy him. Yet.
“You all right?” his brother sounded concerned and wore a frown.
He wasn’t buying it. He knew it was an act. Summoning some of his acting talent, he put on a careless smile. “Just fine, brother.”
“Are you sure? You’re pale and sweating.”
“I just need…” Blood. “Coffee.”
For a second, his brother seemed poised to keep him from going down the landing and leaving, but then he stepped aside with a sigh. “Be careful.”
“Sure.” He didn’t bother to hide his smirk as he moved past. He was almost to the edge of the landing when his brother calling his name made him still. He thought about ignoring him, but relented when his brother said his name again. “Yeah?”
“Did you take your meds?”
He squeezed his fists tight enough to feel the sting of his nails. “I sure did, thanks for asking.” Stop trying to control me!
“Good. That’s good. We both know what happens when you don’t.” There was a hint of threat in his brother’s words.
He just nodded before rushing down the stairs and out of the house. He retrieved his Ferrari and drove like the demons he didn’t believe in were hounding him every step of the way.
No, not hounding. Just encouraging. They were hungry for bloodshed too.
The coffee shop wasn’t too busy, which suited him when he wasn’t hunting. Tonight, when he wanted soft and willing flesh to mold and break, it was disappointing. There were no prospects, except…
“Here’s your coffee,” said the new barista as she placed it before him. She didn’t even glance at him.
She was petite and Asian, though he couldn’t guess which nationality. She reminded him so much of his Japanese pet that he reached for her and almost grabbed a handful of her blue-black hair before common sense reasserted itself. She was back behind the coffee bar a moment later.
That gave him time to regain control and think of a strategy. He glanced around, finding no one else at the few stools arranged in front of the coffee bar. Scooping up his cup and saucer, he moved there from the red couch on which he’d lounged.
She moved closer to him, wearing only a polite smile, but he could imagine how she would grimace with pain. “Is there something wrong with your coffee, sir?”
He shook his head. “No. I’m just looking for conversation.”
Her body language radiated reluctance. “I can’t really take the time to talk.”
He looked around in a dramatic way. “Why? It’s dead in here.”
“Um, company policy.”
He was angry for a moment, squeezing the coffee cup so tightly in his hand that it shattered a second later. Hot liquid spilled over his hand, and he cursed at the distraction.
“Oh, my gosh. Are you all right?” She was feigning concern now as she rushed to the sink before returning with a cold cloth. “I’m so sorry, sir. I guess the cup was defective.”
“Yeah, defective.” He took the cloth and pressed it against the burn, though the pain was actually blissful in its own way. Sometimes, when he couldn’t immediately inflict pain, being on the receiving end could temporarily soothe him.
“Do you need some burn cream or something? I think there’s a first-aid kit…” she trailed off with a wave of her hand toward a white box on the wall behind the bar.
“No, it’s okay.” He handed back the cold cloth and flexed the hand. “Just fine.”
She still looked concerned. “Maybe I should call my manager?”
He waved a hand. “Don’t bother. I don’t want you to get in trouble.” He leaned closer, pitching his voice to a whisper, “You know what would make me feel better?”
“New coffee and a scone on the house?” Her tone sounded wary.
He laughed. “Sure, but I was thinking more along the lines of your phone number. I’d like to take you out sometime.”
Her expression closed. “That’s so sweet of you, but I just broke up with someone, and I’m not really ready to be with anyone else yet.”
His gaze dropped to her small breasts for a moment, but then darted to her nametag. “I’m sorry to hear that, Keiko. Any man who’d leave you is a fool.” He reached into his pocket to pull out a bill to place on the counter as a tip. “Don’t worry about the coffee and scone. I’m done here.” He flashed a charming grin. “Have a good night.”
She looked relieved as she said, “Good night,” and watched him leave.
He walked out the door and around the block before stopping in the alleyway for the store. He laughed to himself as he imagined Keiko currently inside the store trying to dismiss her instinctive fearful reaction. She was like a timid bunny, but too civilized to listen to the instincts warning her to run. He loved that about them. They were all so clueless, and it was usually self-inflicted.
He had to wait for two hours, but the pain in his head had faded, and he was caught up in the fantasies of what he’d do to Keiko. He was so immersed that he almost missed it when she walked by. He blinked and gave her a few moments before emerging from the alleyway to follow her.
She lived near the coffee shop, so it was a quick walk. He waited until she let herself in before slipping closer. The side window provided the perfect view of the mailboxes in her lobby, and he saw 118 clearly before she unlocked and opened it.
He walked on then, grinning and whistling to himself. “I have plans tomorrow night.”
Chapter Two
It was bright and early in the morning. The air was warm, filled with the sounds of cars and people moving around the streets. Camila was stuck in a bit of traffic on her wa
y to Central Park. She sat in the back of the taxi with the window down, looking outside at the passing life. Internally, she was trying to calm herself down.
You’ve done this plenty of times before, Camila, she told herself. This is your job.
She was going to meet a man for an interview. And not just any man, but one of the most rich, influential, and handsome men in New York. Camila knew it was for her job, but just seeing a picture of the man had her heart pumping, and hearing she’d get to meet him in real life had left her dazed for weeks.
Good thing she took her work seriously, or she wouldn’t be prepared for this at all.
Camila wasn’t actually a reporter, she was a photographer. She worked for a blog, a “Humans of New York” style photoblog, that didn’t have a great many resources that they could afford to hire both photographers and reporters separately. But it still earned her quite a bit, and the blog was pretty popular, or they couldn’t have managed to get ahold of a man like Samuel Kane for an interview, one of the billionaires that lived in New York City.
“Ma’am, we’re here.”
The cab driver speaking brought her out of her reverie, and she focused her eyes outside. Sure enough, he’d let her out just at the edge of the park, and she riffled through her purse to pull out some bills. She checked the meter, then gave the man his money.
“Thank you,” she said, holding her jacket, purse and camera in her arms as she stepped out of the cab and onto the sidewalk. She looked around and took in a deep breath, then let it out in a heavy sigh. “Now, to find the man I need.”
Central Park was a pretty large area. Camila had been surprised when she heard it was where she’d be having the interview, instead of one of his many offices, or even his main office. Then she was told it was his idea to have the interview somewhere outside, and it made her curious of this man. She had stared at pictures of him long enough she was pretty sure she could find him easily in the crowd, and there was an agreed spot for them to meet. She’d been to Central Park before, so she knew exactly where to go.
Because this was for work, Camila had made an effort to dress up. Usually, she was in t-shirts or flannel shirts, and thick, khaki shorts or pants with boots, pretty much anything she could go on a hike in, but today, she was wearing a short, peach dress that fit her small but curvy frame well. The dress had short sleeves and a modest neck cut, falling to her knees, and she carried a long, beige trench coat in case she felt cold. Her blonde hair, which she usually wore up in a ponytail or a bun, was left down today, and it floated around in the breeze, tickling her face and neck.
Camila was aiming to make a good impression. All for the sake of her job, of course.
The only concession she didn’t make, was her camera. It was pretty big and bulky, with a huge lens to go with it, but of all the things she owned, it was her prized possession. She’d had the camera for three years already and she’d gone with it to all sorts of important adventures and job tasks, it took the best pictures, not to mention it had cost quite a pretty penny so she took its maintenance seriously.
As she walked around, to get rid of some of her nervous energy, she brought the camera’s strap around her neck, then framed the camera with her hands. This was where she was most comfortable, looking at the world behind her camera, and she snapped a few shots of random things as she went to the appointed meeting place. She couldn’t use them for work, but she did have her own portfolio where she kept her own private pictures. When she was really tight for money, she’d usually look for sites to sell the photos, and it had been a surprise how well they really sold. Then again, she’d come a long way from being a rookie photographer.
As she got closer to the meeting point, she lowered her camera and looked around for Kane. They were meeting close to a big fountain, in an area covered in grass and trees, it was fall so the ground was also littered with leaves in burnt fall colors. There were several benches spaced around so they would have plenty of privacy. The place was pretty quiet and tranquil, and even though it was a weekend, there weren’t so many people moving around that it would be disruptive to their interview. Which was good, because Camila liked to use a tape recorder instead of writing things down like some people still did. Then, she would listen to the recording afterwards and add her own comments before typing out an article.
Where is he? Or am I early?
Camila checked her wristwatch to confirm that she was pretty much on time. She was actually a minute early, but she didn’t know if the man she was meeting would be punctual or not.
Then, she saw him. And, she was surprised.
Wow.
Kane hadn't seen her yet, but he was walking toward a bench just in front of her. She slowed her steps as her mind blanked out a little bit.
For one, he was dressed casually in a long-sleeved t-shirt, dark slacks and casual shoes, and a scarf wrapped around his neck. The t-shirt was the perfect fit for his muscular frame, the straight slacks emphasizing just how long his legs were. Camila was pretty short herself, and she was sure if she stood right next to him, she’d probably come up to his shoulder or chest. Because of her height, she’d met plenty of tall people so she wasn’t conscious of her height, but this was different. New York was pretty vast, but she’d never seen someone so tall this close to her before.
Her hands rose instinctively, and she took a picture of him without thinking twice about it. The sound of the camera’s click caught his attention. He blinked, and shifted his focus to her, their eyes meeting. Camila felt her breath catch in her throat.
Hot…damn.
Samuel Kane had trimmed, jet black hair, tanned skin and green eyes, but just stating his characteristics that way made him sound like a lot of other people in the country. She had known all of this from his picture already, but he was really attractive, and the intensity in those green eyes of his had her heart pounding and her insides tightening. She felt like she could just swoon from him looking at her, but of course she didn’t, because she was a professional.
“Um,” she started, trying to get her cool back. “Sorry for taking your picture so suddenly. I’m Camila Blake, you’re Samuel Kane? I came here to meet you for the interview.”
His eyes widened a little and she thought she saw some recognition in them. Then, his eyes darkened as he pressed his lips flat together and looked away. Camila bit down on her lip, worried for a moment. If she didn’t know any better, she would have said he looked embarrassed, but this was Samuel Kane. He was probably annoyed with her, and that didn’t bode well for the interview if she’d already pissed him off.
“Sorry,” she said quickly. “I shouldn’t have sprung that on you, but I do need some photos.”
He arched an eyebrow, eyes meeting hers once more. “I am aware you would need photos for your photoblog, Camila Blake, but at the very least, I like to think I deserve a warning?”
“You do. And I promise I’ll warn you before taking any more pictures.” She even let go of her camera and let it dangle around her neck. She gestured at the bench with a hand and did her best to give a natural smile. “May we sit so we can go ahead with the interview? Unless you’d prefer to do this standing?”
He didn’t say another word, but he did move to the bench and sat down at one end of it. He crossed one leg over the other and looked forward. Camila didn’t know if she was being ignored, but she took it as her cue to stare at his face all she wanted.
Damn, he’s really good looking. Then the rumors about him…could they be true? I would believe them, with looks like that, not to mention his wealth, women probably throw themselves at him left and right.
“Miss Blake?”
Camila startled a bit, surprised to find his eyes staring at her.
“Ah,” she murmured, moving too quickly sit beside him. “Sorry about that.”
Her face was warm, and she just knew she was blushing. She wanted to leave him with a lasting impression, call it her pride as a woman or whatever, but she didn’t want his impression to be
of someone so clumsy. She folded her coat over her lap, then pulled her tape recorder out.
“I like to record my interviews,” she said, looking up at him. “Because my memory isn’t so good that I could follow it all, and I may not be able to write everything down, either. I hope you don’t mind.”
“By all means, whatever makes you most comfortable,” Kane said.
Even his voice is attractive, and especially this close, she thought.
“Okay, then,” she said out loud, starting the recorder and placing it down between them. “Mr. Kane, may I please have your story? There are quite a few people interested in who Samuel Kane the man, and not the business mogul, really is.”
His lips pursed as his eyes narrowed on her. “Well, to tell you the truth, there’s not much interesting about Samuel Kane the man.”
“A lot of people would disagree with you,” she said with a smile. “I can’t give you an exact number, but I can assure you that won’t be a problem. Please only speak of whatever you’re comfortable with, no need to divulge any family secrets, but a bit about your background, maybe?”
His reluctance was almost palpable. Camila could see just how badly this man didn’t want to talk about himself, and it made her wonder why he even agreed to this interview in the first place. Maybe because it was for a photoblog, so he wasn’t expecting any prying questions? Not that Camila had any. Or did he expect questions regarding his business life only? That wasn’t really what their blog was about, though, so he should have done some research.
Beautiful Obsession: A Dark Captive Romance (Dark Obsession Prequel) Page 1