Read Online Red Hot Obsessions by Blair Babylon - Free Book Online Page A

movement. I'm afraid he'll touch me again, accidentally or otherwise, and every time his skin brushes against mine, I remember the way I longed for that very contact last night, how I imagined his hands on me instead of my own. My knuckles are white around my fork. I'm going to go insane unless I can trick myself into thinking about something else.
    Think about the Arts & Hearts dinner, I tell myself. Remember how aloof and disinterested he was? He never cared about your work. He didn’t even bother to pretend.
    The rage gets me through a few more bites of food, and when that memory starts to fade, I think about my dad—about the sadness and the fatigue that seem a permanent part of him now. His whole life is in the Center. He's sacrificed so much over the years—the great salary, the cushy lifestyle, even his marriage to my mom—all so he could bring arts and hope to a struggling community. And now it's all about to slip away from him. Because of Calder.
    “You seem a little preoccupied this morning,” Calder says. “Aren't you enjoying your food?”
    “No, it's great,” I say quickly. “Martin outdid himself.” I push at a piece of syrup-drenched crust with my fork. “I'm just not a morning person, that's all.”
    He seems to accept the explanation.
    “Are you certain you slept well?” he says, looking at me a little too intently.
    I squirm in my seat. Does he know?
    Please, dear God, no.
    “I was going to suggest that since we're stuck here together, I might give you that tour after all. We'll have to skip the maze in this weather, but if you like, I can show you a couple of those secret passages.”
    I nearly choke.
    “I don't want to trouble you,” I say, coughing. “I'm sure you have work to do. You don't have to entertain me just because I'm stuck here.”
    “It's no trouble at all. I've got some things to take care of later, but there's plenty of time for me to show you around before then. At the very least, I'll point out a few places you might entertain yourself while you’re here. The house has a number of surprises.”
    There's no graceful way out of this. The last thing I want is to end up in one of those dark, hidden corridors again, especially with Calder, but I'm still too flustered to come up with a good excuse on the fly.
    “I need to make a few calls myself,” I say.
    “A short tour, then. And it's still early. You'll have plenty of time to make your calls first.”
    I have no other arguments, so I just nod. “A short tour.”
    He smiles at me, but it’s not one of his usual disarming, charming smiles. This one is wicked, hungry. There’s a dark gleam in his eye.
    “Trust me,” he says, his gaze never leaving mine. “I'll make sure you enjoy it.”
    That's exactly what I'm afraid of.

CHAPTER SIX
    When I get back to my room, I pull out my phone. The calls were an excuse, but it's probably still a good idea to let my dad know I'll be delayed longer than I expected. I hate leaving him alone back at the Center, but there’s nothing I can do. I'm stuck here, whether I like it or not.
    Dad's flustered when I get him on the line. He sounds even worse than he did last night.
    “What's going on?” I say.
    He sighs. “Ella quit this morning. She felt really bad about it, you could see, but she found a position at an office downtown. Not that I blame her. Her last paycheck bounced. We were going to have to let her go soon anyway, and she was smart enough to see that.”
    I don't blame her either. Ella's stuck with us through a lot, but she has to make a living, just like everyone else. Still, now there's even more work on my dad's shoulders.
    “I hate to leave you swamped,” I say. “I promise I'll be home as soon as I can. As soon as the road's clear, I'll be back. I'll stay at the Center all night if I have to.”
    “Don't stress about it. I can handle it for now. You just worry about winning over those prospects. That's more important right now anyway.”
    Guilt twists my