Page 131 of Shadows of Obsession

Without a second thought, I rose from my chair, my arms finding their way around his neck as I pulled him into a tight embrace. The warmth of his body seeped into mine immediately, solid and real and grounding. The steady beat of his heart was a soothing rhythm against my cheek as I nestled into the crook of his neck, breathing in his scent of cedar and soap, my favorite.

"I couldn't have done it without you," I murmured against his skin, meaning every word. "The barn, the repairs, the heavy lifting. Literally all the heavy lifting. You made this possible."

His arms tightened around me, one hand cradling the back of my head. "You would have found a way," he said quietly. "You're stronger than you think, Anna. Always have been." I considered his words. Maybe strength didn't have to mean doing everything alone; maybe it could mean knowing when to accept help, when to lean on people who loved you.

Jaxon's eyes suddenly sparkled with mischief as he pulled back slightly, his hands sliding down to grip my hips. Before I could ask what he was thinking, he effortlessly lifted me into his arms.

I gasped, my legs instinctively wrapping around his waist as I clutched his shoulders for balance. "Jax! What are you—"

"Celebrating," he said simply, his voice dropping to that low, husky tone that never failed to make heat pool in my belly.

The thin fabric of my sundress, a light cotton number I'd thrown on that morning, did nothing to shield me from the heat of his body. I could feel every hard plane of muscle, every ounce of strength in his hands as they held me effortlessly.

"So," he drawled, raising an eyebrow, that crooked smile playing at his lips, "Connor's place or ours tonight?"

Ever since we'd christened his new mattress, a memory that still made me blush, we'd been inseparable, spending every night together in a blissful tangle of sheets and limbs. We alternated between the comfort of Connor's house and the intimate sanctuary of Jaxon's cabin, each space holding its own unique charm.

But despite the undeniable pleasure of our nights at Jaxon's place, the first night had been hard. My mind had been haunted by ghosts. Memories of being tied up, Isaac's cold voice, the gunshot that had echoed through that space. Even with Jaxon's comforting presence andthe delicious exhaustion that had followed our lovemaking, the memories had crept in, stealing my rest and leaving me shaken.

The second night, we'd sought solace at Connor's. The familiar surroundings had lulled me into a dreamless slumber, safely cocooned in Jaxon's protective embrace.

Last night, we'd tried the cabin again. It had been better. Not perfect, but better. The memories were fading, slowly replaced by new ones. Good ones.

I pursed my lips, a look of distaste crossing my features as I recalled something I'd overheard earlier. "Let's go to the cabin tonight," I decided, wrinkling my nose. "I'm pretty sure I heard Connor talking to Morgan, and she's coming over here."

The thought of Morgan strutting around Connor's house as if she had any right to be there after how she treated him left a bitter taste in my mouth. Deep down, I hoped that, upon Connor's return from the show, he and Harper might finally acknowledge the undeniable chemistry simmering between them.

But Harper, for reasons I couldn't quite fathom, seemed determined to keep her distance. That left Connor vulnerable to Morgan's manipulation. Her pretty lies, her false apologies. He deserved so much better than her.

Jaxon chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest and sending delicious vibrations through my body where we touched. "Our place it is, then," he agreed, his lips brushing against the sensitive skin of my neck in a teasing caress that made me shiver. "Can't say I'm disappointed at the prospect of having you all to myself tonight." A strong wave of desire hit me.God, the things this man does to me.

I shivered, my fingers threading through the silky strands of his hair as I tilted my head to the side, granting him better access to the column of my throat. "Mmm, I like the sound of that," I murmured, my voice breathier than intended, already affected by his proximity.

His mouth moved lower, finding that spot where my neck met my shoulder. The spot that always made me gasp. My eyes fluttered closed as pleasure sparked through me, warm, liquid, perfect.

With a final, lingering kiss to my pulse point, one that promised more to come later, Jaxon reluctantly set me back on my feet. Mylegs felt distinctly unsteady, and his hands slid down my arms to lace his fingers with mine, steadying me.

"Let's grab a few things from your room and head out," he suggested, his eyes darkening with a promise that made my stomach flip. "I have a feeling we're in for a long, memorable night." My whole body responded eager and silent.Yes. Please.

I grinned, my heart fluttering with anticipation as I allowed Jaxon to lead me out of the office and toward the stairs. As we moved through the house, the fading light of the setting sun cast long shadows across the hardwood floors, painting everything in shades of gold and amber. I couldn't help but marvel at the twists and turns my life had taken.

Just a few short months ago, I had arrived at this ranch a broken shell of a woman, my spirit shattered by Daniel's cruelty. I had been running, hiding, barely surviving. I had nightmares every night, jumped at every sound, couldn't look at my own reflection without seeing the bruises and fear.

But now, with Jaxon by my side, I felt stronger, more alive than I had ever believed possible.

Daniel

Ding.

The sound pierced the silence of the dingy motel room in Nevada like a gunshot, cutting through the white noise of the struggling air conditioner and the muffled sounds of the highway beyond the thin walls.

Daniel's head snapped up from where he had been staring blankly at the television, watching some mindless reality show he hadn't actually been following. The moment the notification chime reached his ears, he lunged across the room, his heart pounding so hard he could feel it in his throat as he wrenched open the laptop on the scarred particleboard table. Finally.Finally. Finally.

His fingers flew across the keyboard, navigating the labyrinth of illegal tracking programs with the practiced ease of someone who had spent countless hours staring at these same screens, waiting, watching, obsessing. The room's fluorescent light flickered overhead, casting sickly yellow shadows across his unshaven face as he hunted for the source of the notification.

When he found it, he froze.

Shell-shocked, Daniel sat back in the creaking chair, his hand absently wiping across his mouth, a nervous habit he had developed over weeks of fruitless searching. He stared at the screen in disbelief, his eyes tracking over the information again and again, convincing himself it was real.It's real. I found her.