Read Obession by Design for Free Online

it in a
shop in CentralEast .”
    “I
see. I thought perhaps you’d salvaged it from your belongings.”
    Her
entire aura changed, just like that. So she was still grieving. He could
totally understand that, and it meant he’d need to work extra hard to get past
those barriers. Emmett didn’t mind. It was the chase he loved.
    “There
was nothing to salvage. I only saved what I wore that day.”
    He
lifted the top off the serving dish with the shrimp scampi and wild rice, then
filled a plate and passed it to her. “If you can’t talk about it, I
understand.”
    She
tasted the food. “This is amazing. Thank you.”
    He
waited, savoring his own dinner slowly so he could study her face and body
language.
    “I
haven’t talked about that day in a long time.”
    “ Liane , I’m here to listen.”
    She
met his gaze. Her own was less wary now, but curious. “Why do you care so
much?”
    “Because
you’re a human being who has suffered in the same way we all did.”
    “What
about you? Did you leave family behind or lose anyone in a storm?” She wasn’t
asking to challenge him. He could hear that in her voice. She was asking to
avoid having to tell him her own story.
    He
grinned. “I asked you about your past life first.”
    That
did it. The smile that had played close to her mouth earlier slipped through.
“Fair enough, but it’s not a pretty story.”
    Emmett’s
heart went out to this beautiful girl with the big green eyes. He couldn’t imagine
having gotten a girlfriend pregnant at such a young age. Then again, perhaps
Keith hadn’t been unhappy about it? But surely they both had wanted to finish
their degrees and knew it would be a challenge with a baby. Maybe she’d talk
about that, too.
    He
reached across the table and covered her free hand. Her skin was warm, and he
loved the tiny jolt that touching it sent up his arm. He could only imagine the
heaven it would be once they were skin to skin. “Pretty story or not, you look
like you need to get the rest of it out.” She’d told him only the surface
details. He realized that now.
    She
put down her fork and sighed out loud. “It’s not usual for me to trust someone
this quickly.”
    “It’s
not usual for me, either, but there’s something about you that tells me I can
put my faith in you. I have very good instincts about people, Liane . I know we just met, but I assure you I will not
betray any trust you place in me.”
    He
watched the emotions cross her face, from fear all the way through to
acceptance, and then he waited again. He wanted this woman. All of her. And that included
whatever was in her past.
    ****
    Liane wasn’t sure why this felt so
right, but she was certain of two things. She’d held all this in long enough,
and she was desperate for someone to talk to. Why shouldn’t that person be
Emmett? He was handsome, charming, and he had no reason to hurt her. She wasn’t
worried about her job. She knew she was good at what she did and he would be
pleased with what she’d come up with so far.
    She
wasn’t really worried about anything. She’d lived her life for the past six
years in hiding. Hiding from friends, coworkers, and anything
even resembling a relationship. She could do no more for her father and
grandmother than she’d already done, and there was no one left to find or care
for. Wasn’t it time she took care of herself for a change? Her own needs had
taken a backseat since that fateful day, and she was ready to pay attention to
them again.
    Liane drained her wine glass, and
Emmett refilled it for her. Then she attacked her dinner, not because she was
that hungry, but because he’d gone to all this trouble and she wasn’t going to
waste the food. She could talk and eat at the same time. “You know about my
marriage and daughter. I was at school the day of the storm, and Keith was at
the pediatrician’s office with Molly for a check-up.”
    “How
old were you when you got married?”
    “I
was twenty-one, and so was