Continue with Buried Obsession, book 1 of the Dark Obsession series, here!

I have my own inheritance, and I can do what I want.

He rose and dressed quickly, still in the darkness until he stepped into the hall. He was in a rush to find the next toy, and he didn’t see his brother approaching. He knocked into his brother and took a step back as the breath whooshed from him for a moment. He glared at his brother, looking into the distorted mirror that reflected all that he should’ve been, but wasn’t. Like always, he longed to break the mirror, but couldn’t. His brother ran the business, controlled the bulk of the estate, and knew his darkest secrets, so he couldn’t afford to destroy him. Yet.

“You all right?” his brother sounded concerned and wore a frown.

He wasn’t buying it. He knew it was an act. Summoning some of his acting talent, he put on a careless smile. “Just fine, brother.”

“Are you sure? You’re pale and sweating.”

“I just need…” Blood. “Coffee.”

For a second, his brother seemed poised to keep him from going down the landing and leaving, but then he stepped aside with a sigh. “Be careful.”

“Sure.” He didn’t bother to hide his smirk as he moved past. He was almost to the edge of the landing when his brother calling his name made him still. He thought about ignoring him, but relented when his brother said his name again. “Yeah?”

“Did you take your meds?”

He squeezed his fists tight enough to feel the sting of his nails. “I sure did, thanks for asking.” Stop trying to control me!

“Good. That’s good. We both know what happens when you don’t.” There was a hint of threat in his brother’s words.

He just nodded before rushing down the stairs and out of the house. He retrieved his Ferrari and drove like the demons he didn’t believe in were hounding him every step of the way.

No, not hounding. Just encouraging. They were hungry for bloodshed too.

The coffee shop wasn’t too busy, which suited him when he wasn’t hunting. Tonight, when he wanted soft and willing flesh to mold and break, it was disappointing. There were no prospects, except…

“Here’s your coffee,” said the new barista as she placed it before him. She didn’t even glance at him.

She was petite and Asian, though he couldn’t guess which nationality. She reminded him so much of his Japanese pet that he reached for her and almost grabbed a handful of her blue-black hair before common sense reasserted itself. She was back behind the coffee bar a moment later.

That gave him time to regain control and think of a strategy. He glanced around, finding no one else at the few stools arranged in front of the coffee bar. Scooping up his cup and saucer, he moved there from the red couch on which he’d lounged.

She moved closer to him, wearing only a polite smile, but he could imagine how she would grimace with pain. “Is there something wrong with your coffee, sir?”

He shook his head. “No. I’m just looking for conversation.”

Her body language radiated reluctance. “I can’t really take the time to talk.”

He looked around in a dramatic way. “Why? It’s dead in here.”

“Um, company policy.”

He was angry for a moment, squeezing the coffee cup so tightly in his hand that it shattered a second later. Hot liquid spilled over his hand, and he cursed at the distraction.

“Oh, my gosh. Are you all right?” She was feigning concern now as she rushed to the sink before returning with a cold cloth. “I’m so sorry, sir. I guess the cup was defective.”

“Yeah, defective.” He took the cloth and pressed it against the burn, though the pain was actually blissful in its own way. Sometimes, when he couldn’t immediately inflict pain, being on the receiving end could temporarily soothe him.

“Do you need some burn cream or something? I think there’s a first-aid kit…” she trailed off with a wave of her hand toward a white box on the wall behind the bar.

“No, it’s okay.” He handed back the cold cloth and flexed the hand. “Just fine.”

She still looked concerned. “Maybe I should call my manager?”

He waved a hand. “Don’t bother. I don’t want you to get in trouble.” He leaned closer, pitching his voice to a whisper, “You know what would make me feel better?”

“New coffee and a scone on the house?” Her tone sounded wary.

He laughed. “Sure, but I was thinking more along the lines of your phone number. I’d like to take you out sometime.”

Her expression closed. “That’s so sweet of you, but I just broke up with someone, and I’m not really ready to be with anyone else yet.”

His gaze dropped to her small breasts for a moment, but then darted to her nametag. “I’m sorry to hear that, Keiko. Any man who’d leave you is a fool.” He reached into his pocket to pull out a bill to place on the counter as a tip. “Don’t worry about the coffee and scone. I’m done here.” He flashed a charming grin. “Have a good night.”

She looked relieved as she said, “Good night,” and watched him leave.

He walked out the door and around the block before stopping in the alleyway for the store. He laughed to himself as he imagined Keiko currently inside the store trying to dismiss her instinctive fearful reaction. She was like a timid bunny, but too civilized to listen to the instincts warning her to run. He loved that about them. They were all so clueless, and it was usually self-inflicted.

He had to wait for two hours, but the pain in his head had faded, and he was caught up in the fantasies of what he’d do to Keiko. He was so immersed that he almost missed it when she walked by. He blinked and gave her a few moments before emerging from the alleyway to follow her.

She lived near the coffee shop, so it was a quick walk. He waited until she let herself in before slipping closer. The side window provided the perfect view of the mailboxes in her lobby, and he saw 118 clearly before she unlocked and opened it.

He walked on then, grinning and whistling to himself. “I have plans tomorrow night.”

It was bright and early in the morning. The air was warm, filled with the sounds of cars and people moving around the streets. Camila was stuck in a bit of traffic on her way to Central Park. She sat in the back of the taxi with the window down, looking outside at the passing life. Internally, she was trying to calm herself down.

You’ve done this plenty of times before, Camila, she told herself. This is your job.

She was going to meet a man for an interview. And not just any man, but one of the most rich, influential, and handsome men in New York. Camila knew it was for her job, but just seeing a picture of the man had her heart pumping, and hearing she’d get to meet him in real life had left her dazed for weeks.

Good thing she took her work seriously, or she wouldn’t be prepared for this at all.

Camila wasn’t actually a reporter, she was a photographer. She worked for a blog, a “Humans of New York” style photoblog, that didn’t have a great many resources that they could afford to hire both photographers and reporters separately. But it still earned her quite a bit, and the blog was pretty popular, or they couldn’t have managed to get ahold of a man like Samuel Kane for an interview, one of the billionaires that lived in New York City.

“Ma’am, we’re here.”

The cab driver speaking brought her out of her reverie, and she focused her eyes outside. Sure enough, he’d let her out just at the edge of the park, and she riffled through her purse to pull out some bills. She checked the meter, then gave the man his money.

“Thank you,” she said, holding her jacket, purse and camera in her arms as she stepped out of the cab and onto the sidewalk. She looked around and took in a deep breath, then let it out in a heavy sigh. “Now, to find the man I need.”

Central Park was a pretty large area. Camila had been surprised when she heard it was where she’d be having the interview, instead of one of his many offices, or even his main office. Then she was told it was his idea to have the interview somewhere outside, and it made her curious of this man. She had stared at pictures of him long enough she was pretty sure she could find him easily in the crowd, and there was an agreed spot for them to meet. She’d been to Central Park before, so she knew exactly where to go.

Because this was for work, Camila had made an effort to dress up. Usually, she was in t-shirts or flannel shirts, and thick, khaki shorts or pants with boots, pretty much anything she could go on a hike in, but today, she was wearing a short, peach dress that fit her small but curvy frame well. The dress had short sleeves and a modest neck cut, falling to her knees, and she carried a long, beige trench coat in case she felt cold. Her blonde hair, which she usually wore up in a ponytail or a bun, was left down today, and it floated around in the breeze, tickling her face and neck.

Camila was aiming to make a good impression. All for the sake of her job, of course.

The only concession she didn’t make, was her camera. It was pretty big and bulky, with a huge lens to go with it, but of all the things she owned, it was her prized possession. She’d had the camera for three years already and she’d gone with it to all sorts of important adventures and job tasks, it took the best pictures, not to mention it had cost quite a pretty penny so she took its maintenance seriously.

As she walked around, to get rid of some of her nervous energy, she brought the camera’s strap around her neck, then framed the camera with her hands. This was where she was most comfortable, looking at the world behind her camera, and she snapped a few shots of random things as she went to the appointed meeting place. She couldn’t use them for work, but she did have her own portfolio where she kept her own private pictures. When she was really tight for money, she’d usually look for sites to sell the photos, and it had been a surprise how well they really sold. Then again, she’d come a long way from being a rookie photographer.

As she got closer to the meeting point, she lowered her camera and looked around for Kane. They were meeting close to a big fountain, in an area covered in grass and trees, it was fall so the ground was also littered with leaves in burnt fall colors. There were several benches spaced around so they would have plenty of privacy. The place was pretty quiet and tranquil, and even though it was a weekend, there weren’t so many people moving around that it would be disruptive to their interview. Which was good, because Camila liked to use a tape recorder instead of writing things down like some people still did. Then, she would listen to the recording afterwards and add her own comments before typing out an article.

Where is he? Or am I early?

Camila checked her wristwatch to confirm that she was pretty much on time. She was actually a minute early, but she didn’t know if the man she was meeting would be punctual or not.

Then, she saw him. And, she was surprised.

Wow.

Kane hadn’t seen her yet, but he was walking toward a bench just in front of her. She slowed her steps as her mind blanked out a little bit.

For one, he was dressed casually in a long-sleeved t-shirt, dark slacks and casual shoes, and a scarf wrapped around his neck. The t-shirt was the perfect fit for his muscular frame, the straight slacks emphasizing just how long his legs were. Camila was pretty short herself, and she was sure if she stood right next to him, she’d probably come up to his shoulder or chest. Because of her height, she’d met plenty of tall people so she wasn’t conscious of her height, but this was different. New York was pretty vast, but she’d never seen someone so tall this close to her before.

Her hands rose instinctively, and she took a picture of him without thinking twice about it. The sound of the camera’s click caught his attention. He blinked, and shifted his focus to her, their eyes meeting. Camila felt her breath catch in her throat.

Hot…damn.

Samuel Kane had trimmed, jet black hair, tanned skin and green eyes, but just stating his characteristics that way made him sound like a lot of other people in the country. She had known all of this from his picture already, but he was really attractive, and the intensity in those green eyes of his had her heart pounding and her insides tightening. She felt like she could just swoon from him looking at her, but of course she didn’t, because she was a professional.

“Um,” she started, trying to get her cool back. “Sorry for taking your picture so suddenly. I’m Camila Blake, you’re Samuel Kane? I came here to meet you for the interview.”

His eyes widened a little and she thought she saw some recognition in them. Then, his eyes darkened as he pressed his lips flat together and looked away. Camila bit down on her lip, worried for a moment. If she didn’t know any better, she would have said he looked embarrassed, but this was Samuel Kane. He was probably annoyed with her, and that didn’t bode well for the interview if she’d already pissed him off.

“Sorry,” she said quickly. “I shouldn’t have sprung that on you, but I do need some photos.”

He arched an eyebrow, eyes meeting hers once more. “I am aware you would need photos for your photoblog, Camila Blake, but at the very least, I like to think I deserve a warning?”

“You do. And I promise I’ll warn you before taking any more pictures.” She even let go of her camera and let it dangle around her neck. She gestured at the bench with a hand and did her best to give a natural smile. “May we sit so we can go ahead with the interview? Unless you’d prefer to do this standing?”

He didn’t say another word, but he did move to the bench and sat down at one end of it. He crossed one leg over the other and looked forward. Camila didn’t know if she was being ignored, but she took it as her cue to stare at his face all she wanted.

Damn, he’s really good looking. Then the rumors about him…could they be true? I would believe them, with looks like that, not to mention his wealth, women probably throw themselves at him left and right.

“Miss Blake?”

Camila startled a bit, surprised to find his eyes staring at her.

“Ah,” she murmured, moving too quickly sit beside him. “Sorry about that.”

Her face was warm, and she just knew she was blushing. She wanted to leave him with a lasting impression, call it her pride as a woman or whatever, but she didn’t want his impression to be of someone so clumsy. She folded her coat over her lap, then pulled her tape recorder out.

“I like to record my interviews,” she said, looking up at him. “Because my memory isn’t so good that I could follow it all, and I may not be able to write everything down, either. I hope you don’t mind.”

“By all means, whatever makes you most comfortable,” Kane said.

Even his voice is attractive, and especially this close, she thought.

“Okay, then,” she said out loud, starting the recorder and placing it down between them. “Mr. Kane, may I please have your story? There are quite a few people interested in who Samuel Kane the man, and not the business mogul, really is.”

His lips pursed as his eyes narrowed on her. “Well, to tell you the truth, there’s not much interesting about Samuel Kane the man.”

“A lot of people would disagree with you,” she said with a smile. “I can’t give you an exact number, but I can assure you that won’t be a problem. Please only speak of whatever you’re comfortable with, no need to divulge any family secrets, but a bit about your background, maybe?”

His reluctance was almost palpable. Camila could see just how badly this man didn’t want to talk about himself, and it made her wonder why he even agreed to this interview in the first place. Maybe because it was for a photoblog, so he wasn’t expecting any prying questions? Not that Camila had any. Or did he expect questions regarding his business life only? That wasn’t really what their blog was about, though, so he should have done some research.

Kane was tight-lipped, and it took a bit of coaxing, before he finally opened his mouth and said what she was looking for.

“There really isn’t that much,” he started. “I’m assuming you’ve done some research on me, but other than business, I don’t let details of my life outside the office leak out into the media. I’m not sure what you would like…”

“Anything,” Camila said quickly. He looked so uncomfortable, like he would change his mind if she didn’t strike while the iron was hot, so she was eager to get something from him. Even something small would be more than anyone else had managed to get. “Maybe your family background, or even where you went to school. What you did before you ventured into business and such.”

“Ah,” he nodded. “Well. Family background, huh… I won’t mention what school I went to, but I can start by saying that I enlisted a couple years after high school. Uh, I did go to college within that time, but I had to cut my studies short, in the end.”

“You were in the army?” she said, surprised.

“Yes, I was. For a number of years. Of course, I can’t give you details on what happened while I served in the army. On the family side…my parents weren’t entirely happy with my enlistment, but they went along with whatever I wanted to do. Sadly, they passed away several years ago, and I had two siblings to look after, so I came back. A younger brother and sister.”

“They must have been devastated,” she murmured. “As I’m sure you were, too.”

“It was a hard time for all of us…”

Camila watched him in rapt attention as he spoke a little more about his family situation, and his time in the army. Even though she reacted to the words he said in all the appropriate ways, speaking up where needed, she wasn’t listening, at least not entirely. She was only taking in his words on the surface, but her mind was completely different.

So glad I chose to go with the tape recorder! If I’d trusted my mind, or tried written notes, I would have tanked this interview…

Camila knew she should act more professional, but she couldn’t help it. Maybe because she’d spent so long staring at his picture, that seeing him in real life made her even more fixated on this man. Samuel Kane was too attractive for his own good, or hers, and if this hadn’t been an official meeting, she might have even tried…flirting a little bit.

It had been a while since Camila tried flirting with anybody.

Still, her body unconsciously gave her away. She would tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear, her fingers lingering at her throat. She would cross her legs one way, then the other, causing her dress and the coat on her lap to raise up a bit and flash some thigh. Even when she noticed she kept doing it, she didn’t stop, her heart beating nervously the entire time.

Only, it ended in disappointment for her, because while he kept his eyes on hers as he talked, occasionally looking away or getting lost in thought, he didn’t once look at the rest of her. Camila sighed as she picked up her camera, once she was out of questions for him and Kane had run out of things to say.

“Now that the spoken part of it is over, may I please take a few photos?”

“How do you want me?” he asked.

Camila froze for a second, all sorts of thoughts going through her mind, before she metaphorically shook them all off.

“Um, just act natural. You can look at me, or look at the camera. Even away is good.”

Kane leaned back on the bench, throwing his arm on the back of it. With his legs crossed, and him looking right at her with his other arm folded in his lap, he looked delectably relaxed. Camila sighed as she took several shots, even as her heart skipped a few beats.

“Okay, now if you could please…” she continued to direct, asking him to shift in different poses so she could get several angle shots, each one practically stabbing her in the chest because it was so perfect.

Anyway, what was I expecting? That someone like that would be anything but disinterested in me?

Camila knew she was somewhat attractive. She didn’t turn many heads, but she’d been told plenty of times by men that she cleaned up pretty well when she paid attention to her looks. Still, it was probably too fantastical to expect Samuel Kane to look twice at her with anything resembling attraction, or even the slightest interest.

“Thank you, Mr. Kane, I think I have enough,” she said after a few minutes. She looked at the camera’s screen, scrolling through some of the photos. They all looked pretty much perfect, and she couldn’t wait to get back to her computer so she could look at them all properly. “I’d like to thank you for cooperating with me on this interview. I hope I didn’t inconvenience you with the time, or make you uncomfortable with any of the questions.”

“It’s all completely fine,” he said reassuringly. “I have no prior engagements for today, and as for the questions, I can only hope I gave you something useful?”

“Very useful, thank you.”

She shot him a smile, then let go of her camera, as she moved closer to the bench once more to pick up her coat and her purse.

“Well, I guess this is it. I need to go back and write the article. Someone will be in contact with you before it’s published so you and your people can take a look at the content, and nothing will be going up on the blog without your express approval.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Kane said, standing up. “Though, I would really appreciate it if you would call me Samuel, Miss Blake. I’m afraid, even after all this time, hearing Mr. Kane reminds me too much of my late father.”

“Oh,” she breathed out. “I’m sorry. Samuel.”

“No worries. The loss of my parents is something I can’t escape, after all.”

Camila stood with her things in her arms, feeling a little awkward as she thought of how to back out of this. Just say goodbye and leave? Or would that be rude? This wasn’t the first interview she’d ever done, and usually she knew what she was doing, but she didn’t get to meet men this attractive so easily, either.

“U-uh,” she floundered for something to say, only to pause when Kane…uh, Samuel held his hand out to her. Guessing he wanted a handshake, she slid her hand into his. His larger, warm palm enveloping hers made her breath catch in her throat for a sec, and that was when she knew she just had to leave before she gave herself away.

Before she could say anything, though, Samuel did, and it left her surprised.

“Would you like to have coffee with me?”

Camila blinked up at him. “… What?”

It wasn’t the most eloquent, but it was the best she could manage.

Samuel cleared his throat as he dropped her hand, then put both of his into his pants pocket. His expression was still flat as he watched her, but she thought he’d softened a bit from when she first saw him a little over an hour ago.

“You don’t need to say anything right now,” Samuel said. “Would you give me your phone number? I’ll text you so you have mine, and you can let me know later. I have a good memory, so just read it to me?”

Camila found herself nodding, and she read her number out to him. Samuel looked serious, and when she said the last number, he nodded his head once. She assumed he’d gotten it. He said goodbye, then turned around and walked away.

For the longest time, Camila could only watch his back until he disappeared. And when he was out of her sight, she sat back down on the bench, feeling dazed.

Did… that really just happen?

Camila wasn’t sure how long she stayed at the park, before she felt more herself and got up to leave. By the time she managed to get a cab to head back home, though, she felt hungry.

At least I don’t have to go to the office, she thought with a sigh.

The photoblog actually did have an office where they handled everything, since it wasn’t just something casual. It was a pretty small office, but the blog had about ten people working for it, so it wasn’t as if they needed much space. It was also pretty relaxed, in that the employees didn’t have to show up at the office and stay there all day, as long as you had a project to do, you headed out, aside from the few people who were responsible for putting up the articles and photos on the blog.

On the ride, she remembered to text in that the interview had gone without a hitch. Because it was someone so high profile, everyone had been worried about how it would go. Not to mention, some of her coworkers had been envious of her getting this project, and Camila felt pretty lucky herself, since it practically just fell in her lap. With the message sent, she looked outside. She figured she might as well buy some groceries on her way back, because there wasn’t much left at home.

“Right here, please,” she said to the driver, a block away from her apartment building.

She made the payment and jumped out of the car, then walked into the store and made a quick purchase. She wouldn’t be getting paid for another week or so, so she managed on a small budget, and walked out a few minutes later.

It was the middle of the day so the sidewalk wasn’t as crowded as it usually was, since she was out early in the morning and back late in the evening on most days. The day was surprisingly still warm, even with the breeze, and she took a leisurely walk, her thoughts swirling around her mind the whole way.

Her thoughts were, of course, on Samuel Kane. No…it was just Samuel now, though it felt odd to be on first name basis with someone so out of her league.

Let’s see, she mused internally. The info I gathered on him online…

Like any other high profile person in New York, there was a lot of information about Samuel going around on the news, in the papers, and online. Most of the research she and the guys at the office had done had mostly been what they could find online, and most of it was gossip. Like how there was a lot of gossip around that Samuel Kane was this notorious rake that preyed on women and had more exes than you could count on one hand. This little bit of info had given Camila some apprehension, but now, she was wondering if it was really true.

The man that I met…a notorious rake?

When she thought about it now, he definitely carried himself like an ex-soldier. Even when they sat down, besides when she had him posing for photos, he’d kept his spine straight and his posture was very formal. Even the way he spoke, and his voice wasn’t quite expressionless, though it was more like you couldn’t tell what he felt from just looking at his face and hearing his voice. He was someone hard to read.

He definitely did not look, or act, like any of the playboys she’d ever heard of before, though at thirty-six years old, calling him a playboy was a bit much. And now she was wondering if there must have been some misunderstanding in all that info she managed to find before, and the bit that she was given.

I’ll need to look into it again, she thought decisively.

Camila looked up to realize she was already at her building, and she could have passed it if she hadn’t paid enough attention. She readjusted the bag of groceries in her arms and headed up the steps. Her apartment was on the third floor, which made going up and down a serious annoyance, but it was a nice apartment, spacious, a little old, but she was happy to have the space to herself.

Well, for herself and her mom.

“I’m home,” she called out as she walked inside, knocking lightly on the door to alert her mom.

There was no sound, but that probably just meant her mom was asleep, busy in her room, or out. She didn’t go out often, though, so probably locked up in her bedroom. Camila debated going to check on her for a moment, then sighed and headed to her bedroom instead. The apartment was just comfortable enough for two people, with a mid-sized living room and kitchen, they had separate bedrooms, but had to share a bathroom, and another small room where they did their laundry.

They both had enough privacy to themselves that Camila didn’t feel awkward at all about living with her mom at twenty three. Their relationship was also okay and they knew to respect each other’s boundaries, so she actually enjoyed having someone else around.

With her mom occupied, she headed back to her bedroom and let herself in, then locked the door. When she worked, she didn’t like to be disturbed by anyone or anything, and locking herself up in her room was her way of closing the rest of the world out to get the work done. She put her coat away, moved to her desk, set down the camera and her purse, and then sat down. She pulled up the lid of her laptop and turned it on, then picked up her camera as she waited for it to log her on.

She’d scrolled through the pictures on her camera, all the ones of Samuel, and the random ones she’d taken of the park, too. They were all good pictures. Of course, the ones of Samuel, she couldn’t do anything with them if they weren’t going on the blog besides saving them on her computer.

But… I kinda don’t feel like sharing this with anyone, she thought to herself with a small smile.

Once her computer came on, she shut off her camera and pulled out the memory stick, then connected that to her computer and opened the images to save them in her drive.

Now, all I need to do is work on that damn article, and send it in with the photos. Other people can worry about the design and positioning…

But, she still had time to do the article. Besides, she’d have to listen to the recording of the interview and make a bunch of notes, then create the article from that. It wasn’t like what she wrote would be the final draft, anyway, and she didn’t need to bother about it beyond that point.

Right then, there was something that was on her mind more than just this. After a short hesitation, she minimized all the windows she already had open, and pulled up her browser. She could sort the photos later.

“Okay,” she mused out loud, rubbing her hands together as a new tab opened on the browser. “What to look for, exactly…”

Finding information on the internet was a simple thing, but sometimes, what you found in the end could depend on the wording you used in your search. Sometimes, information wasn’t that hard to find, but considering all the posts she knew must exist that included Samuel Kane in the content, she couldn’t just look for something general.

After a short hesitation, she made searches on his family and background. To try and understand someone, you had to know where they came from first, after all. But, his words from earlier were totally true, there was barely all that much about him that she could find online with those searches.

“There has got to be something,” she muttered. “Unless he’s somehow paying people to keep his news out of the papers or whatever, someone would have posted some stray piece of news. I just need… to find…”

Feeling like she needed to sort out all the info she was getting somehow, she pulled open one of the drawers on her desk and picked a notebook and pen from it. It was where she wrote down all her notes, and she had several such filled notebooks in a different drawer so she wouldn’t get confused. She went through a bunch of searches, noting a few things down here and there, because it was more useful than using bookmarks when she probably wouldn’t be looking into this again. He’d invited her out for coffee, but that wasn’t any guarantee that anything would happen between them, either, and she couldn’t use work as an excuse to stalk him online.

There is definitely something weird here, she thought after a while, leaning back into her chair.

It was all over the place, only she’d managed to find some in more detail. She couldn’t even call it a discovery since rumors were all over the place, but now there was evidence and true statements summing up that Samuel was a somewhat infamous, womanizing billionaire. Still, even with the comments, most of them verified, Camila wasn’t buying it.

“Absolutely impossible,” she murmured out loud.

She couldn’t dispute the billionaire part, even though he’d been dressed pretty modestly when they met. But, it wasn’t as if she could tell the cost of clothes at a single glance. And he definitely had the looks, but he didn’t seem to have the charm for this kind of reputation.

When he asked me out for coffee I couldn’t even tell if he was interested, or if he just wanted someone to sit down with him and drink coffee. A guy like that could really be a womanizer?

Camila sighed and dropped the matter for the moment. She might as well start up on work then figure everything else out later. They hadn’t agreed on when the coffee date would be, so she at least had time to determine whether or not she should be wary of this guy.

“Camila! I have lunch ready, come out, okay? You can go on with work after!”

At the mention of lunch, she perked up, and her stomach growled, and she remembered that she was hungry. Also, that she’d skipped breakfast that morning because she felt too nervous to eat anything.

“I’m coming,” she called out, closing down everything on her computer, then shutting it down.

Some time to think things over might be good for her, not to mention having some advice from her mom might be good. She closed her computer lid and got up to leave her room.

Once she got the door open, she could smell the food her mom must have cooked at some point. How long had she spent in her room? And how focused had she been to miss her mom moving around and cooking.

“What’s for lunch?” she said happily, walking into the kitchen, where her mom already had plates set on the small dining table to one side of the room.

“It’s just simple pasta with homemade sauce and a side of fried minced beef.”

“One of my favorites then.”

She helped finish setting up the table, then sat down. Her mom waited for Camila to serve first, then served herself. Camila took a few bites of the food, but she was too distracted and ended up poking at the food with her fork. She was thinking about Samuel Kane, and how to bring up the topic with her mother.

“What is it?” her mom asked, making her look up. “You have this look on your face like you’re a million miles away. Is it something to do with work?”

Camila figured it was the best time as any to launch into the subject, and she put her fork down and met her mom’s eyes.

“It is to do with work, sort of.” She stopped herself before saying it might be more personal in the future.

“Shoot,” her mom said, taking a bite of her food as she gave Camila some attention.

“I went out this morning to do an interview of this man. I’m not sure if you’ve heard of him since you don’t listen to sensationalized news, but he’s someone pretty high up, really rich. I read a bit of info on him online, and it painted a picture completely different from the man I met. And I’m supposed to meet up with him again in the next week or so, but I don’t know what kind of man he is, so I’m wondering if I should listen to all the news out there, or try to find out for myself.”

She bit her lip when she felt she had said more than enough, only giving her mom the details she needed to understand the situation, but making it all sound about work. She waited eagerly for her mom’s opinion, though she didn’t seem all that concerned herself, finishing the bite of food in her mouth, then facing Camila with a serious expression.

“If you want my advice? Avoid him.”

Camila blinked. “What?”

“You heard me,” her mom said. “Avoid him. Rich philanderers never bring anything good to people like you or me, not when it’s quite so personalized. One interview should be enough for what you need, yes? Then why set up another one? Your part of the job is done, so that should be the end of it.”

With that, she went back to eating calmly. It took Camila a while before she could do the same, and the two of them ate in complete silence.

Camila didn’t look down on her mom’s word of advice. She had to agree on it herself, but her mom didn’t have the facts that she did, either. Also, her mom was overprotective, and could sometimes be a bit controlling, especially since they got reunited, so she would take the words with a grain of salt.

In the end, when she ended up back in her room, she still hadn’t made up her mind. Just then, her phone which she’d left on her desk, vibrated. It cut off quickly and didn’t resume, so she guessed it was a text message and picked it up to read.

It was from Samuel. Even though he’d said he would, she was still surprised he actually went through with it. The text was pretty simple, asking her to let him know about that coffee. Camila thought for a moment, then sent a quick text back that she was agreeing. His reply came quickly.

My place?

Camila widened her eyes, surprised once more. Samuel was inviting her for coffee…at his private home? As far as she knew, he definitely lived in his family home with his younger siblings. They barely knew each other, and it was okay with him? Then again, if they went out into the city, he might be recognized by someone, and if any pictures leaked out, it could lead to a scandal.

She hesitated again, but sent back her reply.

All right. Let me know when?

She set the phone down, and with a heavy sigh fell into her chair, resting her head on her desk.

“What exactly am I doing?” she murmured to herself, because she wasn’t sure she knew just what she was undertaking, getting further involved with a man like Samuel Kane.

Camila left her house a bit early on the day she was supposed to go to Samuel’s place to meet him for coffee. She still didn’t have any directions, but she knew where his family house was, so she figured if she could get a taxi to send her there, she could call him while she was outside and wait for him to get her. Only, things didn’t go the way she expected.

When she made it out of her apartment building, it was to find a black Mercedes parked on the curb with a man standing beside it. It was a surprise, but she’d been prepared to pay it no attention, until the driver asked if she was the guest Samuel Kane sent him to pick up. Samuel actually sent a driver for her.

It made her feel a little giddy. No guy had ever done that for her before, and maybe it made her easy, but she already felt dazzled.

The back door was opened for her and she slipped inside. There was a partition behind the seats in the front, and it was up, so once the driver got in the car and it started to move, it was as if she was completely alone. It was a new experience for her, and she turned down the window to have a clearer view outside, since the windows were tinted dark. People-watching, or just looking outside at passing scenery while she was in a car, was a hobby of hers. With everyone having cell phones, mp3s and access to the internet these days, it was more common to find people engrossed in their devices instead of watching the world pass them by, but Camila wasn’t like that.

She only felt sad that she had to leave her camera today, since it was more something casual than an official meeting. She didn’t want to think of it as a date, since Samuel didn’t outright say it was a date, and she didn’t want to get ahead of herself only to be disappointed later.

Maybe Mom had it right and I should have stayed away. It would be bad if I got the wrong idea and embarrassed myself.

Camila had dressed nice again, and now that she was in the car on the way to his place, she regretted wearing the peach colored dress to the interview, since it was one of her better dresses. She got lucky and managed to find something in the back of her closet, a simple, black dress with a modest neckline that was fitted around the top and flared out from the waist, reaching to just below her knees. Paired with silver, strappy sandals, some silver jewelry and a gold clutch she had, she thought she looked okay. She’d also tried something with her hair, putting it up in a loose ponytail, letting a few wisps come out of the hold to frame her face. She thought the style suited the dress and jewelry well, but it had taken her about an hour to get ready this morning.

She sighed to herself and leaned back in the seat. She really was taking this too seriously, but it was hard not to. Even without any deeper meaning, getting any sort of invitation from Samuel was something amazing.

The car headed toward the outskirts of the city, to roads that led away from the large skyscrapers. Buildings got scarce, then placed further apart, and bigger. This must be the rumored area where the upper crust lived. Camila had wondered if they’d go all the way to the Hamptons, but it was in the wrong direction. Still, she got to see so much more lush green than she’d ever expected to within this short distance from the city.

After a while, the car slowed, then turned down a smaller road. Camila only got a look from the side before the car completely turned onto the road and she couldn’t see anything ahead, but it led to a pair of large gates. It took a minute for the car to arrive at the gates, and there was a short stop, just a few seconds, then the car was moving again, even slower, and the gates closed behind the car. Camila fisted her hands in her dress and bit her lip.

She was at Samuel Kane’s main house. The place he must have lived in with his parents before they passed away, where he was probably raised. As far as she knew the Kane siblings still owned the original house, and…she actually got to be here?

Could she…possibly be the only one?

Don’t get ahead of yourself, she reminded herself. Getting all worked up by herself would lead her nowhere, anyway.

The car came to a stop, and Camila straightened out her back. She wasn’t sure what to do for a moment, open the door for herself, or wait for the driver to do it? Was he even planning on opening it for her? As she dithered, the door was pulled open, and she scrambled to step out. She stumbled a little when her feet touched the ground, and felt her face warm, but thankfully managed to right herself quickly, and could only hope not too many people saw.

“Thank you,” she murmured toward the driver, who just gave a slight nod and got back into the car.

Camila took a deep breath, then let it out slowly, and faced forward. The Kane house was, of course, impressive. It was large, a sprawling mansion with about three floors, though that didn’t account for if there was attic space in the building, and she was thinking there could be with the space between the third floor windows and the roof. She stepped forward carefully and made her way up the front marble steps.

She came to a stop at the front door, but before she could wonder whether to knock or find something that looked like a bell to ring, the door was opened. Two men, one on each side, were holding the double doors open, and another stood right in the middle of the open doors. He bowed slightly, turned to the side, and gestured her inside with a gloved hand. All three men were in white shirts, with black slacks, vest, tie and shoes. She imagined they were workers in the house, and they were all dressed in uniform, too.

“Madam,” the man that gestured her inside said. “Mr. Kane has been waiting for you, so if you would please come this way?”

Camila dazedly followed after the man to the direction he led. The foyer was wide, and connected to the rest of the house through archways. She was led through the middle one, then to the right. They stopped at what looked like a parlor, with several seats arranged around the wide room, clustered around small, glass topped coffee tables. There was a chandelier above, and large windows with the curtains pulled back that let in a lot of bright light into the room. The place was tastefully decorated with paintings and other art pieces, a few lamps and flower arrangements.

It was like a scene straight out of a movie, or one of those books about royalty or…just anything out of her league that she couldn’t imagine she would ever get to see in real life.

“Mr. Kane will be right with you, Madam,” the servant that brought her there said.

Camila barely heard, or noticed that the man had left already. She was looking around the room with fascination, interested particularly in the art pieces around the room. Her eyes fell on one particular painting, tastefully done, and she wondered if she knew the painter. She’d been an art major in college, after all, even though her focus was mainly on photography, she still got to learn plenty about all forms of art.

“You’re here.”

The voice came from behind her, and it was the same as before, low and deep, and even from a distance away, it made her insides tighten and her heart flutter. Slowly, Camila turned around, and she saw him. Samuel Kane, in all his glory, descending a spiral staircase as if he was some sort of prince, with one hand on the railing.

Something is different, she thought, even before she saw him. His voice sounded a lot livelier than their first meeting, too, but seeing how he looked was an even bigger surprise.

She didn’t have anything against the look he’d had on when they met last time. It was modest, but chic, though still, nothing that popped out too much. The man in front of her might as well have been a different person.

Since he was above her coming down, she eyed him from his feet, and the blue sneakers he was wearing were particularly eye-catching. His long legs were encased in dark jeans that were loose around the calves, but tight around his thighs, and she even noted a few artificial rips. The only thing recognizable on him was the white t-shirt, and over it he had a black blazer, with a blue scarf hung loosely around his neck, along with a few silver and gold chains. On one wrist, he had several leather and silver bands, and on the other wrist he had a gold watch, not to mention the silver and gold rings on his fingers.

The biggest shocker for her, still, was seeing him smiling. It was as if he’d turned from the reserved ex-soldier she’d met to a peacock, and she could feel her eyes widening and jaw dropping in her surprise.

“I trust your drive here was uneventful?” he said, arching an eyebrow, a corner of his mouth raising a bit higher, and she could feel her heart skip a beat. “You’re a bit earlier than I expected, there was hardly enough time to finish preparing, but I can’t say I’m disappointed.”

After a few seconds, she found her voice.

“H-hi,” she stuttered, her face warming up even more. “Uh, the drive was…nice. Thank you for sending a car to me, but I could have found the place fine if you’d left me with directions…”

“But where’s the point in that?” Samuel said, an eyebrow jumping up, his look turning a little flirtatious. “I like to spoil the women I like, and I wouldn’t have invited you here if I didn’t like you.”

He’d already reached the bottom of the steps, and Camila could only watch as he walked even closer to her. He was so much more friendly and charming, compared to before, that she didn’t know what to do with herself. So she just stood there dumbly, watching him get ever closer, with her hands holding onto her clutch purse in front of her and her heart beating so fast in her chest, she thought it wanted to escape.

“You look absolutely amazing,” Samuel said, his voice dropping down an octave.

As if she wasn’t already taken in before, she really thought she would swoon with that low tenor in his voice. She wondered what it would feel like, to have him call her name like that, and felt her breath hitch in her throat. Even if he was just playing with her, she didn’t think she would refuse him, and she wondered if that was the secret behind the rumors, how he could be known as a womanizer and still be so popular with women.

His eyes intent on hers, he raised a hand slowly toward her, and her eyes shifted from his face to that hand. It was coming ever closer, and the closer it moved, the faster and harder her heart beat, and her breath even started coming short. Her eyelids fluttered as that hand got closer to her face. She thought he would cup her cheek, and a slight tremor went through her body at the thought of that wide, warm palm touching her skin.

Before it could happen, though, they were interrupted.

“You better not be doing what it is I think you’re doing.”

Continue reading Buried Obsession, book 1 of the Dark Obsession series, here!