Page 3 of Obsessive Love (The King #1)

Chapter Two

Sophia

I stare into the dark abyss outside my window, searching the tree line of the property. There's no movement, no strange shadows, nothing out of the ordinary. Everything seems to be perfectly normal. I shake my head, clearing the suspicious and paranoid thoughts from my mind.

Earlier when we were travelling home, I could've sworn there was a car following us. I kept watching out of the back window whenever we took a turn or switched lanes, and every time, the car was still following along behind. My cousin and bodyguard, Jaylen, didn't seem suspicious of anything so I didn't mention it. I just assumed I was being paranoid.

Then, a few hours ago, Jess and I were sitting outside in my parent's garden, enjoying a few drinks together before going out tonight and I got the sense of being watched, so I dragged Jess inside with the excuse of being eager to jump in the shower and get ready.

I walk away from the window and flop down on my bed, staring up at the ceiling and listening to the tune Jess is humming behind the closed bathroom door. Closing my eyes, I think about the past year and revel in the fact that my father allowed me a portion of freedom most other women in a family like mine aren't usually allowed to have.

"Are you still moping around?" Jess asks, walking out of the bathroom and sitting beside me on the bed. I nod my head and sigh before lifting myself into a sitting position. "Soph, you should be happy. You're getting married in like five days."

"You say that like it's a good thing. If it was up to me, I'd be in Paris right now, living it up with all of our friends and celebrating that we've all finished university. Instead, I'm here, in shitty London, preparing to marry a man that I don't even know because my father says it'll be beneficial to our family. Don't chastise me, Jess. We both know you'd be beside yourself if this was happening to you."

She frowns and watches me storm past her and walk into my dressing room.

"I'm sorry, Soph. I know you don't want to be here, and I do understand it, but I also think that you should at least be a little bit happy and intrigued by it all. You're going to be marrying Jericho Rossi. He's rumoured to be really good looking and we both know he'll have the means to give you a good life."

"It's not right though, Jess. My father told me that he'd never let this fucked up lifestyle ruin my dreams. He told me I'd be able to do what I wanted in life and he wouldn't dictate anything involving me. He's agreeing to this marriage and going against everything he told me. It's the ultimate betrayal."

"You're so dramatic," she huffs, staring at me with judgement evident in her gaze.

"Don't look at me like that. You have no right to judge me. I never judge you for your thoughts, feelings or actions, even if I don't agree with them, so don't you start judging me."

I snatch a red dress off a hanger and turn to face her as I step into it, sliding it up my body.

"Girl, it's tough love. Besides, there's nothing you could judge me for, that's why. Everything I do is validated," she scoffs, standing up and coming over to me to help zip up the back of my dress.

"Oh, so are we going to forget about the fact that you've been fucking our professor for the last few months? Our married professor."

Jess gasps at the same time her brother, Jaylen, walks into the room and glances at his sister with a look of disgust.

"Okay, I really didn't need to know that, and I hope it wasn't Mr Cork because that would be all types of wrong." He shakes his head and tears his eyes away from Jess, focusing on me. "Are you ready? Your dad's talking my ear off downstairs about keeping you safe and shit as if that hasn't been my job for the past six years. I'm bored and I want to go."

I snicker at his grumpy tone and pick a pair of black heels from the shelf in my wardrobe, slipping them on.

"Yeah, I'm ready. You need to chill out and relax tonight, have some fun and take a break from your bodyguard duties," I tell him, linking my arm with Jessica's. "You probably won't be allowed to once I'm married, considering you're being shipped off with me and we'll be locked away in some rich man's castle."

He gives me an incredulous look and rolls his eyes as he passes us to open my bedroom door.

"You're so dramatic, Soph. He's not evil, and he's not going to lock you away. We're also not being shipped off. His house is only a thirty-minute drive from here."

"I'm uprooting my whole life and giving up on all of my future plans, Jaylen. I think I'm allowed to be a little dramatic right now," I grumble, storming past him and dragging Jess along with me.

"Okay, we need to get you a drink as soon as possible. I need my carefree Sophia back," she says, tripping over her feet as we hurry down the stairs.

Jaylen drags me and Jess past the long line of waiting party-goers and walks straight up to the bouncers standing at the entrance. He nods at them both and they move to the side to grant us access.

Jess and I glance at each other in shock before hurrying after him into the busy club. I wince slightly as the pounding music enters my ears and flashing lights assault my vision, taking a moment to adjust to my surroundings. Jess clutches tightly onto my arm and shouts her brother's name as he begins to walk away from us.

I glance around at all the bodies cramped together on the dancefloor, people grinding against one another, others jumping around to the beat of the music. A slow smile spreads across my face and I turn to Jess.

"Let's go get a drink and then join in!" I shout. She looks at me, a little apprehensively, but she nods her head and follows along as we push our way through the crowd of people, heading in the direction that Jaylen went, assuming he's at the bar.

We break through the crowd and I immediately spot Jaylen, leaning against the bar, amongst the other patrons. He's not hard to spot, seeing as he's dressed in a polished black suit whilst everyone else is in casual attire. His platinum blonde hair makes him stand out as well and his cocky but charming smile has multiple pairs of eyes turning his way.

I drag Jess behind me as we scoot around the people at the bar who are trying to gain the barmaid's attention. Heat licks up my spine and the hairs on the back of my neck raise as we get closer to Jaylen. I pause midstride and turn around, scanning my eyes across the club, searching the sea of people.

I can feel somebody watching me.

"Sophia!" I jump, swinging my head back around, and see Jaylen staring at me with a puzzled look. He tilts his head towards the bar, signalling for Jess and me to come over. I take one last look over my shoulder, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone's eyes on me, but when I see no one, I huff and continue on my way.

"You okay?" Jess asks, shouting in my ear. I nod my head and plaster a smile onto my face.

"What can I get you two girlies to drink?" Jaylen asks, looping his arms around our shoulders and pulling us into his sides.

"I'll just get a double rum and coke to start with, we can move onto the heavier stuff throughout the night," I say, inconspicuously looking around the club again, trying to find the owner of the eyes that I can feel burning into my back.

Jaylen effortlessly flags down the barmaid and orders three rum and cokes before unwinding his arms from around us and leaning his back against the wooden bar top. His eyes survey the area and then they hone in on me. I raise a brow in question and he smirks.

"What sort of trouble are you looking to get into tonight?"

My cheeks heat and I look away from him, glancing at Jess to find her ogling a man at the end of the bar.

"I just want to have some fun, Jay. I'm not going to cause any trouble. I just—" My words fail me as my eyes connect with a pair of blazing green ones. I stare at the man who's sat comfortably in a dark booth on the other side of the club, my jaw slack and my eyes wide as I take in his appearance.

His eyes slowly leave mine as his gaze travels down my body and I take advantage of his distraction to do the same. His dark hair is slicked back with a few array strands across his forehead. He's dressed in a black suit, with a grey shirt underneath that's unbuttoned at the top as if he's come here to relax after a busy and stressful day at work.

My eyes get stuck on the small tattoo peeking out the top of the neckline of his shirt. I have no idea what it is, but I'm definitely intrigued to find out.

Someone nudges me, breaking the trance I was in. I quickly glance up at the man's face and see him watching me again, this time with a smirk settled on his face. He tips his head, lifts his drink from the table and then takes a sip, licking his full, pillowy lips afterwards.

My body warms and tingles travel across my skin as I realise I was caught blatantly checking him out. I quickly look away, focusing on Jaylen who's now staring at me with a quizzical look in his eye. I look past him and my brows furrow when I don't see Jess.

"Where'd Jess go?" I shout, taking one of the glasses from his tatted hand and immediately gulping down the contents in hopes of cooling my burning skin. His lips quirk and he looks over his shoulder, staring in the direction I was only moments ago.

"She left a few minutes ago to go hit on some guy across the bar. You would've known that if you weren't too busy eye-fucking that Spaniard over there."

I choke on my own spit and pat my chest as I recover from yet again being caught staring at that man. Jaylen chuckles beside me and takes the empty glass from my hand, placing it on the bar and asking the loitering barmaid for another one.

"How'd you know he's Spanish?" I ask, propping my hip against the bar and peeking past Jaylen's bulky arm to see the mysterious man still staring at me. Jaylen moves, blocking my view and when I glance up at him, he's staring down at me with raised brows.

"I didn't. I was just guessing because of the dark features and the tanned skin. Why are you so interested?"

My mouth opens and closes, but no reply comes out because I have no idea what to say. Jaylen shakes his head and mutters something about trouble whilst I stand beside him, flustered and confused.

"I think I'm gonna go to the bathroom. If Jess comes back, tell her to wait for me so we can dance," I tell him before grabbing my new drink from the bar top and striding away as I gulp it down.