Guarding His Obsession (6 page)

I
hear
Pink make the call as I take Zoey’s face in my hands and gently kiss her lips. She opens for me, and I slip my tongue inside. As I taste her sweet warmth, I want to deepen the kiss and take her to the ground, but I hear a throat clearing and I remember we aren’t alone.

“They’ll be here in three minutes,” Pink says as I pull back from Zoey’s lips.

She’s smiling so big that I can’t help but match it. Leaning down, I give her one more quick kiss before I turn, going to the bedroom and pulling on some boots. Once I’m dressed, I head back out to the kitchen to see Zoey and Elle sitting at the counter and Pink standing on the other side, staring directly at Elle, nearly burning a hole into her.

“Everything okay?” He looks up at me, shaking off the trance, and pushes away from the counter.

I hear a knock and check the security camera next to the door, seeing two of our men outside.

Nodding to Pink, I lean over and kiss Zoey on the forehead one last time. I can’t seem to keep my hands off her, and even now, knowing she won’t be in my sight makes me itchy to hurry this up and get back to her. It’s a feeling I’m not used to, having always liked being alone.

Pink passes by me with a wicked look on his face. He walks over to where Elle is sitting, and before she can protest, he scoops her up out of her stool, dips her back dramatically like something from an old movie, and plants a kiss right on her lips.

I bite my lip to hold in the laugh, and I look at Zoey who is doing the same.

After a moment, he breaks the kiss, sets her back down on the stool, and walks away.

“Asshole,” Elle mumbles as she touches her lips, and her cheeks turn bright red.

“As much as you keep mentioning your ass,
Prinzessin
, I can see that’s going to need attention first,” Pink says, not looking back as he walks out the door.

I look over to see Elle’s mouth drop open and her cheeks burn even brighter, so I leave her and a laughing Zoey alone in the apartment. When we get outside, I talk to my guys posted outside as a precaution, then Pink and I head to my truck.

“You sure you want to keep digging that grave?” I ask, looking over as Pink gets in the truck.

“As long as I end up buried inside her, I’m good.”

He doesn’t smile as he says it. The look on his face is serious. I just shake my head and start the truck, pulling out of the parking garage. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Pink go at a woman like that before. He tends to be the one pushing them away. When I go over to his family’s house for the holidays, his sisters’ friends swarm him, and he’s always, always trying to dodge them. It’s new to watch him chasing one. Well, maybe
chasing
isn't the right word. It’s more like he’s
planted
himself.

“So you’re engaged?” His question doesn’t contain a trace of mockery. It comes out as an honest question, and I give him an honest answer.

“Yes.”

There’s not a second of hesitation in my answer. And not a single trace of doubt.

“Just like that?” he asks, and I hear the other questions that come along with that one.

“Yes,” I answer, not ready to go into it with him. There’s only one person I want to discuss this with and that’s Zoey. It’s nobody’s business but hers and mine. She took me off guard so easily. She just threw getting married out there, and I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

I’m taking what she’s giving me. Was it quick? Fuck yeah, but I don't care. We’ll have the rest of our lives to sink into each other, and I just fucking know, gut instinct, that she’s meant to be mine. And that instinct has kept me alive and has yet to steer me wrong. There’s just something about her that fits me.

“Alright.” Pink takes the hint, and I can hear a little understanding in his voice as he pulls out his phone. “So what’s the next move?”

“We head back to her apartment and talk to the security desk there. I didn’t want to mention this in front of them, but my request for digital copies of their security feed was denied.”

“Why? Didn’t you explain the situation?”

I growl a little bit and think about the email I sent earlier requesting it. The email I got in response was a firm
no
. I thought a personal visit might help convince them.

When we pull up outside of Zoey’s building, Pink and I jump out of the truck and go inside. The guard I spoke to earlier today is gone, and someone new is in his place.

The guy sitting behind the counter stands up as we approach. He’s about our age—late twenties, early thirties—tall with dark hair and dark eyes. No tattoos or piercings. His name tag reads “Ben.” I clock all of this before I get to him. At the same time, I check for exit doors and access points around me, points of entry were someone to sneak up on me. I’ll always do this when I walk in a room. Always check my surroundings and make sure I know exactly what’s coming from what direction. When I reach the desk, I see Pink lean on it and survey the room the same way I did. A product of years of training.

“Hi. I’m Drake Hart, and this is my partner, Daniel Pinkoski.” I nod towards Pink. The security guard takes a step back, his eyes darting between us. “We’re here with Hart Security about a disturbance in one of the homes in your building. I spoke with Orlando here at the front desk earlier this morning about obtaining some footage.”

“Orlando isn’t here,” he says, confirming what I already know. Orlando doesn’t get in for a few more hours.

“That’s fine. I’m sure you can help, Ben. I can tell you take your job seriously, and I’m also sure you wouldn’t want Miss Zoey Barber to come to any harm.”

He puffs out his chest a little, reversing his retreat. Bingo. I’d had a feeling this approach might work after I read the file I pulled on him. Ben here has tried to get into the police force twice. Denied twice, both times for a bad knee.

On paper he looks like a stand-up guy and might have made an okay cop.

“Orlando didn’t say anything about you stopping by.” He leans down, clicking on his computer a few times like he’s looking for a note. I’m sure Orlando didn’t tell him we’d be stopping by because he’d told us he wouldn’t be handing over any tapes. Some bullshit about protecting his other tenants. That I’d need a warrant if I wanted them.

From the looks of how Orlando’s running shit around here, he doesn’t give a fuck about protecting his tenants. More likely he’s covering his own ass because if those tapes got out, they’d show he let someone in he shouldn’t have, and it’d be his ass on the line.

“I don’t see anything, but I can easily get you some tapes if you’d like. Anything to help keep our Zoey safe. She’s such a sweet girl. Strange but sweet.”

I feel Pink’s hand come down on my shoulder just before I can open my mouth.

“That’d be real helpful if you don’t mind,” he says, rattling off the date and times we need. He knew I was about to lay into Ben. Which would have fucked everything up. I take a deep breath and look over at Pink, who levels me with a look that I know means
get it the fuck together
.

Maybe Zoey is strange, but she’s no stranger than me. Hell, what he thinks is strange about her is what I can’t seem to get enough of. Everything that comes out her mouth just seems to do it for me. How someone hasn’t snatched her up before now, I have no fucking idea. I have to believe what she is saying about only ever having feelings for me, because she came on so strong. If she’d done that with someone else, I can’t imagine them resisting planting a ring on her finger.

“I need a ring.” The words pop right out of my mouth in Zoey fashion, making Pink shake his head. The security guard continues to click away on his keyboard.

A ring on her finger sounds real nice. I can already picture her running her hands all over my body as she wears it. The thought has my cock coming to life.

“That’s strange,” Ben says, pulling me from the thoughts I shouldn’t be having right now. I’m once again losing myself in a Zoey fog and not making sure I’m getting shit done, keeping her safe.

“What?” The word comes out a little harder then I mean it to. I’m still agitated with him, even though he’s getting me what I want.

“They’re gone. There’s nothing on here. In fact, I can’t seem to find any tapes prior to my shift today.” He keeps clicking away like he might find it, but I know he won’t.

“I smell shit,” I tell Pink, who just nods his head.

I turn, heading out the door, not bothering to try and get more from Ben. He’s got nothing. I pull out my phone and dial my office.

“Hart Security,” Sherrie, Pink’s youngest sister, answers the phone.

“I need a crew over at Zoey’s apartment. I want prints done.”

“On the door?” she questions, and I hear her typing away on her computer.

“Everywhere.”

“
I
want
to tell you you’re crazy, but…” Elle shrugs as she slides off the bar stool and heads for the coffee pot. “But I like how you two look together. It’s different.”

Different. A word I’ve been hearing my whole life.

“I really like him.” I fiddle with the edges of the paper sitting on the counter, needing to do something with my hands. My sister's opinion means a lot to me. It’s always been her and me, and while she might me bossy with me, I know I need it. She pulls me back and keeps me on track. If I didn’t have her, I’d probably just live in a mess of chaos.

“I’ve never felt like this. I can’t even seem to understand it.” Not that I’ve really tried. My mind seems to be solely focused on Drake.

“Is that driving you crazy?” After she looks in a few cabinets, she finds a mug and makes herself a cup. She doesn't offer me one, knowing I can’t stand the stuff unless it’s one of those fancy ones loaded with whipped cream and chocolate. Elle just drinks hers straight black.

“No.”

“Well, there you go.” She smiles over her coffee cup before taking a sip.

It hasn't been driving me crazy, oddly enough. I like for things to have reason to them. With this, I just seem to be trying to snatch it up and keep it without caring about why. I was so freaking happy when he seemed to be on board with the idea of getting married. I was scared when he didn't answer me quickly at first when we were lying in bed before Elle and Pink showed up.

Or maybe he just said that so as not to embarrass me. A little bit of that sinking feeling comes back.

“He’s handsome. Like those rough, buff guys women always go crazy for on TV.”

“And?” She sets her coffee down, resting her elbows on the counter, and studies me like she doesn’t understand what I’m getting at.

I just shrug. I’ve never once really thought about what I looked like, despite having a sister who was once a model. Now I care. I want us to fit.

“You two fit, Zoey,” she says, like she’s reading my mind, something I often think she can do. “That’s why I’m not all up in your business about it. I like how he is with you. How you are with him. I’ve never see you like this. You seem happy.”

“I thought all guys were pig-headed assholes?” I remind her of the words I’m pretty sure I heard her mutter less than a week ago.

“Most are. They just want in your pants.”

“I hope so because I really want Drake in my pants,” I say dreamily, and Elle spits out a mouthful of coffee, making me jump.

She wipes up her mess and shakes her head. “I meant that’s all some men want, and I can’t believe that just came out of your mouth. I’m liking Drake more and more by the second.”

I narrow my eyes at her, making her laugh more.

“Simmer down, Zoey. I didn’t mean it like that. The man clearly only has eyes for you. Trust me. I know by the way his eyes follow you that he can’t seem to let you out of his reach. It’s sweet. Plus, I’m not even sure he knows I have a vagina.”

“Pink knows you have a vagina.”

My words make her narrow her eyes on me now. I still can’t believe all the things she’s let him get away with. No one gives the brush off better than Elle.

“Well, he’s not getting anywhere near my vagina.”

“I don't know how you do it. I haven't even had sex and I think I’m already addicted to it. I’m not sure what will happen once I get it. I don’t know how you go so long without it having done it before. You actually know how good it is. I was just in the dark, but now I know it’s going to be awesome.”

Elle silently finishes cleaning up. I can feel the tension in the air grow a little.

“You’ve had sex, right? I just thought…” I trail off, trying to think back. She’s never had a serious boyfriend, but she has dated before. Or used to date, anyways. I just never asked her about sex because, well, I never really thought much about it before now.

“Elle?” I push.

“No, I haven’t had sex,” she finally snaps. I can feel my eyes widen. Okay then. Didn’t see that one coming.

“Like I said, men are assholes who only want in your pants, and then they move on to the next. They only like me because I’m pretty and want to say they banged me. Or they think they can buy me.”

“Does Pink make you feel that way, too?” I ask, suddenly feeling bad. I’d never thought about it like that. It reminds me a little of what Drake said about me just wanting him for sex, which isn’t true.

“He just makes me feel frustrated,” she growls. Actually growls in a voice I’ve never heard her use before. It makes me giggle a little. Her eyes snap to me. It’s the look she gives me when I’m saying something I shouldn’t be.

“Sexually frustrated?”

“I’m going to punch you.”

“What?” I throw my hands up, and she flings the towel she used to clean the mess at me. I catch it midair before tossing it back at her.

“I’m just wondering. You let him touch and kiss on you after you yell at him. It’s confusing.” I’ve never seen a man handle Elle like Pink does. It’s actually really intriguing. He seems to know how to work her. Even I can’t do that and I’ve known her my whole life.

She lets out a heavy sigh as she makes her way back to her stool.

“No, I don’t feel like he just wants in my pants. Normally, when you call a guy on it they move on, but you never know. I’m jaded. He just keeps getting all in my space and kissing me like he can do it whenever he wants. It’s annoying and—”

“Hot,” I finish for her, making her roll her eyes, but I see the side of her mouth quirk up a little, like she’s remembering him
annoying
her.

“I like him,” she finally admits. “And I hate that I like him, and I hate that he seems to know I like him.” She looks so frustrated at her own admission.

I giggle once again at the circle she seems to be going in.

“You should just give in and not question it, like me. My logic is undeniable,” I tell her, giving her one of my favorite movie lines. I use it on her when she tries to argue a point against me. “We could do a double wedding!”

I jump up from my chair like I just came up with the best idea ever. Because I did.

“I can’t even with you,” she says, finally cracking a smile and laughing.

“Hey, if all he wants is in your pants, then you’ll know where you stand when you say you’re getting married. It’s perfect.” I nod my head. Damn, I might be good at the whole relationship thing after all. I could Oprah this and just start handing out marriages.

I start jumping around and chanting, “
You
get a wedding.
You
get a wedding.” Elle just laughs harder.

When the door opens, I spin to see Drake and Pink are back.

“We’re all getting married!” I tell them before launching myself at Drake.