Her Beautiful Addiction

Theo’s gaze landed on the file sitting on his desk.

The bold red Confidential stamped across it was a playful jab from his security team.

He couldn’t help but smile. Zion was a constant thorn in his side, but also his best friend. He had a knack for driving Theo up the wall.

Leaning back in his leather chair, Theo laced his fingers together under his chin, resting his elbows on the armrests.

He knew he was being a jerk. He was about to pry into a woman’s private life, and he didn’t feel a shred of guilt.

Neva had been on his mind since he first saw her in the library.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, could have prepared him for the jolt he felt when she lifted her warm brown eyes and looked straight at him. His heart pounded and blood rushed to his cock.

He could still remember the taste of her soft, delicate lips in the darkness. The gentle touch of her tongue as he explored her mouth.

He remembered how incredible she felt against him, her arms wrapped around his neck.

He remembered the moan that escaped her lips, setting his blood on fire.

Sitting in his office, he felt his cock harden in his pants.

Theo cursed under his breath.

Six years.

Six damn years and she still affected him this much.

It was her eyes that got him. They were a beautiful chocolate brown that he found himself drawn to. They were warm and inviting.

He couldn’t remember ever meeting someone who wore their heart on their sleeve like she did.

But when he saw her the other day, clutching her side, he saw a flicker of fear in her eyes. A hint of vulnerability.

From that moment, he knew he had to erase that fear.

He had to wipe that haunted look from her eyes.

Why?

He’d asked himself that question over and over.

Turning his chair, he looked out the window. The sky was a fading pink and the sun was setting.

He’d never really forgotten her. The day after he kissed her at the party, he tried to find her at school, but she wasn’t there.

He searched for a week before giving up, assuming she went to a different school or moved away.

A year later, his family fell apart. He had to abandon his own pursuits to take over his father’s empire.

It was a raw deal, but that’s life, right?

He still couldn’t put into words what it was about Neva that made him want to pull her into his arms and hold her tight.

He wanted to erase the shadows in her eyes and then fuck her mouth and her pussy until she couldn’t see straight.

Damn, he’d probably scare her if she knew what was going through his mind.

Without giving himself a chance to second guess, he turned back to his desk and opened the file.

A younger Neva smiled back at him from a photograph.

There were reports stacked in the file, but all he could do was stare and wonder why he hadn’t tried harder to find her after that incredible kiss.

Did she think about him? Did she wonder who had kissed her so passionately when she found out it wasn’t her boyfriend? Was she still with him?

A scowl darkened his face. He flipped past the photograph and started reading.

She was born and raised in Minnesota. She and her sister, Kaitlyn, lost their mom to cancer and their dad didn’t last much longer.

At eight and six, they were sent to live with their grandparents, who were now also gone.

Theo swallowed hard. She’d lost everyone.

Neva had dated a guy named Heath through school and college. He was a pharmacist at a local drugstore.

A few weeks ago, Neva had a minor accident in their apartment and ended up in the hospital.

She’d cracked a couple of ribs and had severe internal bleeding. Theo frowned at the report. What kind of accident in an apartment could cause that much damage?

She had to quit her job at the bookstore, but Heath stayed at his job.

Theo turned the page and froze. It was a picture of the guy he saw with Neva all those years ago. He could vaguely recognize the face.

He glanced at the clock on the wall.

That’s why she was clutching her side the other day. Was she still in pain?

Suddenly anxious, he ran his fingers through his hair.

He continued reading the reports, flipping through the pages. His mind was spinning.

There was no evidence to suggest who was responsible for Neva’s accident. She reported it as a fall in the bathtub.

Theo frowned again. That didn’t seem likely.

He went back to the picture of her boyfriend.

He studied his features. The guy was a fucking jerk. Theo couldn’t put his finger on it, but something about him just didn’t sit right.

He went back to the reports. They’d broken up after the accident and Neva moved here. The diner job was her first since then.

Theo also read that she had a bachelor’s degree. He glanced at his phone thoughtfully. She was probably going to start looking for a job in her field soon.

He looked at the door, then back at his phone.

Neva had obviously had a tough life.

Pushing back from his desk, he stood and stretched his arms above his head.

He needed to see her.