Page 5 of Psychotic Obsession

He continues by asking with a tilted head, "Are you hurt, Doctor?"

"I'm fine. And no one calls me that. It’s just Aria."

"Aria," he repeats, like he's testing the way my name sounds on his tongue, tasting each syllable.

I don’t know why, but he sounds intrigued. I also don’t know why I like his voice, or that he’s not a stuck up asshole like most of the people I’ve had to work with.

Then, he smiles. "Doctor sounds better."

I scowl at him.

His shirt pulls taut along his chest as he straightens, offering me his hand once again. It’s then I realize I'm gawking at him with my lips parted, nerves prickling in me.

Why am I nervous? Worse, why am I nervous at work?

"You're one of the assistants," I state the obvious. "You're working on the Ivy Dermot case too."

His dimples dent in deep as he grins again, and I nearly buckle at the knees. As he steps back, grabbing his bag and throwing it over his shoulder, his parting words reach my ears.

"I am, but a pretty little thing like you can call me Tobias."

Chapter 2

Aria

Apretty little thing like you.

Um, excuse me? I don't mind flirtatious advances, but not at work. It's unprofessional and...and... No. Just no. I'm certain my cheeks are still red from our unfortunate event that resulted in me crashing to the ground yesterday. Unless they’re beaming because of what he said? The way he looked at me? No, Tobias can go flirt with a broken lamp for all I care.

"Why are you growling at my boobs?"

My eyes lift up to Gabs’ face. I must've been in a daze, wondering why I'm so bothered by such a small incident. "Oh, sorry, Gabs. My head's a bit all over the place."

"Still hung up on Toby?"

"Tobias," I correct, rolling my eyes, hating that I'd told her what happened and dealing with her comments all morning. "And no. I'm thinking about what we're having for dinner later."

She clicks her tongue. "Sure. Then you won't mind if I invite both the assistants along tomorrow?"

"You wouldn't," I say.

She cocks a brow as if to sayI totally would.

And the scariest part? I believe her. She knows more than anyone how much I don’t like to mix my work life with my personal life, so asking the assistants to join is a rule I refuse to break. We’re going to a club because she wants to see the band playing, and I, against my own wishes, agreed to join her. Our day off usually consists of me sitting on the hotel bed with my laptop, so maybe a breather will help the nerves I feel about Ivy’s arrival.

But inviting them isn’t going to help me relax. The total opposite, actually.

"Don't you dare." I grit my teeth in a bid to show how angry I am without raising my voice, but it doesn't faze her. I'm not the slightest bit intimidating, not with my small height compared to her towering form. “You know I hate mixing work.”

She shrugs, her eyes going back to her computer. "You have a meeting in ten minutes with Blythe. Maybe Toby will trip you up again."

"Don't start," I say. "It was an accident." I sigh. “And for crying out loud, his name is Tobias.”

She snorts. My best friend may be professional around others, but when it's just us, her fun, playful side comes out. I think that's why we fit so well together. She calls me the grump, whereas she is the life and soul of every party we attend. She vowed to make me as wild as her one day.

I think I’ve done well with letting her have all the wild.

Gabs seems to find my unlucky topple over Tobias hilarious. My first mistake was telling her, though my second and most important was becoming her friend in the first place.