An Act of Obsession (Acts of Honor Book 3)

by K. C. Lynn

  “Because I love you, and I always want to kiss you.”

  Silence fills the air, his warm breath whispering across my lips.

  I wait for him to speak but he doesn’t. Instead, he sweeps up my dangling legs and cradles me in his arms. “Keep your eyes closed,” he murmurs.

  I follow the order, hearing the truck door slam and horn beep with the alarm as he locks it up. He takes a few steps before I hear him fiddle with a locked door. The sound of metal hits the ground. “Shit!”

  I let out a squawk and cling to his neck as he bends down to reach for what I’m assuming are his keys.

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to walk?” I ask. “I can still keep my eyes closed and you can lead me.”

  “No, I got you.”

  He always does.

  Eventually, he manages to unlock the door and walks us in, the sound of his dress shoes clicking on the floor.

  “I’m putting you on your feet now,” he whispers in my ear, sending a shiver to skitter down my spine. “But keep your eyes closed.”

  “I’m dying here, Kolan.”

  He chuckles quietly against my neck, right before his lips leave a soft kiss. “Just a few more seconds. I promise.” I hear him walk away then the sound of a light switch being flicked on, the darkness behind my eyes becoming just a little brighter. “Okay, you can look now.”

  Opening my eyes, the first thing I notice is the soft mood lighting. Then, it’s the pink rose petals that are scattered all over the wooden floor. And then the floor to ceiling mirrors and dance bar that wraps around the studio.

  I look at Kolan, my smile so big my cheeks ache, even though I still have no idea what’s happening. “What is this place?”

  “It’s yours.”

  My smile slips, heart pounding double-time in my chest and echoing in my ears. “Huh?” I say, thinking I misheard him.

  Now it’s his turn to smile. “It’s yours, Soph. I bought it for you.”

  I begin to wonder if I fell asleep in the truck and I’m dreaming.

  “But…for what? Why?” I ask numbly, my mind having a hard time comprehending what’s happening.

  He shrugs. “Whatever you want to use it for. If you want it all to yourself for your own personal dance space then do that. If you want to open it to the public and instruct then go for it. It’s yours to do whatever you want with.”

  I stare at him, rendered speechless. My eyes begin to blur as I look around the studio again, paying more attention. “Kolan…” I shake my head, warm tears beginning to trickle down my cheeks. “I can’t accept this.”

  “The hell you can’t.” He walks up to me, taking my wet face between his hands. “I don’t want you to give up your dreams for me, Soph.”

  “I haven’t…” I begin to argue but he doesn’t let me finish.

  “Yes, you have and we both know it. You could have gone and done something out of this world with your talent, but you stayed here…with me.”

  “That’s not settling. All I care about is being with you. I can dance anywhere.” I’ve been looking into studios over the last few months but haven’t found anything that was a good fit for me yet.

  “Now you can do it here,” he says. “I want to do this for you, Soph. Take it, otherwise I’m stuck with a fucking dance studio and we both know I won’t get any use out of it.”

  I release a constricted breath that tumbles into a sob, my heart exploding with emotion. “I can never repay you for this.”

  “I don’t want you to. Seeing you smile and dance is all the payment I need.” Leaning down, he presses his warm lips to mine. “Say you’ll accept it.”

  “I will,” I whisper, my breath hitching. “I’ll cherish it for the rest of my life.”

  He gives me a smile of triumph. “Good.”

  Stepping back, he begins showing me all the ins and outs of the space, but I stay where I am, rooted to my spot. “These are for your lights and speakers,” he explains, showing me all the different switches, but my focus remains only on him.

  Finally clueing in to the heavy silence, he looks back at me. “You’re not listening to anything I’m saying right now, are you?”

  Smiling, my heels click on the floor as I approach him. Grabbing the lapels of his suit jacket, I pull him to the center of the dance floor. “Give me your phone.”

  “What?”

  “Your phone, Slade, hand it over,” I order, putting out my hand.

  Quirking a brow at me, he reaches in his pocket and drops it in my palm. I open his music app and do a quick search before downloading the song I’m looking for. When Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love” pours from the small device, I keep hold of it and wrap my arms around his neck, my heels blessing me with a little more height to match him.

  “Dance with me, Kolan. It soothes the soul.”

  His warm chocolate brown eyes never leave mine as he locks his arms around my waist and pulls me in flush against him. His erection nudges my stomach, fingers brushing the curve of my bottom. I patiently wait for him to lead, knowing it’s important to him.

  He does so, his steps less stiff than they used to be as he sets our pace.

  “You’re getting good at this, Slade. You better be careful or I may recruit you to help me instruct,” I tease.

  His grunt has me chuckling. “Is that what you’re going to do with this place? Teach?”

  “Yeah. I think I will,” I say with a smile. “It’s always been a dream of mine.”

  “Well, I know everyone is hoping you will offer lessons for their kids. They want to be your first students.”

  Surprise surges through me. “The whole group knows about this place?”

  “Yeah, thanks to Kate and her big mouth.”

  I quickly recall her comment to me earlier tonight and shake my head.

  I should have known something was up.

  “I would love to have youth programs. Maybe I can even offer classes for underprivileged kids like you guys have at the gym.” He nods and is about to say something but I talk over him. “Oh, and maybe I could reach out to those guys you sent to nationals. I’ll bet they would want to be involved with it.”

  He nods again.

  “And maybe we can…” My words trail off when I realize I’m rambling. “Sorry, I’m getting ahead of myself,” I apologize sheepishly.

  He graces me with a sexy smirk. “Don’t be sorry, Soph. This is why I bought it for you. So you can live your passion every day.”

  Warmth invades my soul with how much this man loves me. I didn’t even know it was possible for someone to love me as much as he does.

  “Loving you is my passion,” I tell him. “You will always be my first choice.”

  He stares down at me, his expression somber. “Marry me.”

  Our dance comes to a stop as I still in his arms, my heart stalling in my chest. “What?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

  “Marry me,” he says again, strong and sure.

  I gape at him, my breath lodged in my throat along with my words.

  Doubt flickers in his eyes as he mistakes my silence for something else. “Why are you thinking so hard about this?”

  A laugh bursts out of me but it cracks as emotion takes hold of me again. “I’m not thinking about it. I just…” I shake my head. “Is this real life?”

  “It’s as real as it’s ever going to get. I don’t have a ring because I’ve spent the last few months looking for one but none of them were good enough for you. I’ll take you to choose your own.”

  “I don’t need one.”

  “Yes, you do. Everyone needs to look down at your hand and know you belong to me.”

  I continue to stare at him, unable to find words sufficient enough for what I’m feeling right now.

  He lifts me up, my feet dangling off the ground as he brings me eye level. “Tell me what I want to hear, Sophie.”

  I smile, his bossiness making me love him that much more. “I will marry you, Kolan, on
one condition.”

  He quirks an amused brow. “What’s that?”

  “That you dance with me—every day—for the rest of my life.”

  I watch his eyes narrow as he thinks about it. “Can it be horizontal dancing, without clothes on?”

  Another laugh tumbles out of me before settling into the happiest smile I’ve ever had. “Yes, it can.”

  I’m graced with another sexy smirk. “Then it’s a deal, baby.” His mouth descends upon mine; sealing his words with a kiss that steals my breath and makes all my dreams come true.

  Soon we’re shredding our clothes and making love in a place that used to be my sanctuary…until he came along. Now that place is in his arms and his heart…forever.

  THE END

  Well, the end of book three, Kolan and Sophie’s story, but not the end of this series. There’s much more to come. Make sure to check out my website www.authorkclynn.com for what’s coming next.

  Acknowledgements

  I’m blessed to have so many amazing people who love and support me in this beautiful journey I’m on. Most of them have been with me from the very beginning. They’ve had my back, believed in me, and wouldn’t let me give up when times were daunting.

  To everyone who has been a part of this amazing journey with me—family, my beautiful editor, betas, friends, my author groups, bloggers, and readers around the world. You know who you are. Thank you. I love and cherish every single one of you.

  I need to send out an extra shout-out though to my betas for this book. You all know the struggles I had with this story, but you believed in me and helped me through it when I wasn’t sure I could. Keshia, Kimmie, Sian, Alycia, Kayla, Natasha, Auntie Cindy, Amy, Kelsey, Andrea, and last but not least, Mom. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for helping me pull through this, your support means everything to me.

  About the Author

  K.C. Lynn is a small town girl living in Western Canada. She grew up in a family of four children—two sisters and a brother. Her mother was the lady who baked homemade goods for everyone on the street and her father was a respected man who worked in the RCMP. He’s since retired and now works for the criminal justice system. This being one of the things that inspires K.C. to write romantic suspense about the trials and triumphs of our heroes.

  K.C. married her high school sweetheart and they started a big family of their own—two adorable girls and a set of handsome twin boys. They still reside in the same small town but K.C.’s heart has always longed for the south, where everyone says ‘y’all’ and eats biscuits and gravy for breakfast.

  It was her love for romance books that gave K.C. the courage to sit down and write her own novel. It was then a beautiful world opened up and she found what she was meant to do…write.

  When K.C.’s not spending time with her beautiful family she can be found in her writing cave, living in the fabulous minds of her characters and their stories.

  Continue reading for a sneak peek of The Officer’s Promise (Brothers in Blue #1) by author K. Langston, featuring the Cunningham brothers as mentioned in An Act of Obsession.

  “What’ll it be today, boys?” Devina asked, leaning across the counter with a sweet smile.

  “Hey, sis. The usual,” Felix replied.

  My partner, Felix, and I came to the West Side Deli for lunch almost every day. His sister, Devina, and her husband, Romeo—yes, that was his real name—owned the place. It was one of the most popular delis in New York, even being featured on one of those food network shows. And for good damn reason.

  They were the best.

  “You got it. Go ahead and grab your drinks and I’ll bring it over when it’s ready,” she said, handing us each a large paper cup.

  I made my drink and found a seat at one of the booths, propping one arm up across the back.

  Waiting.

  The bell rang and my eyes automatically shifted to the door.

  Second week in a row.

  The first time I laid eyes on her, I’d wanted to approach her. She was not only beautiful, but there was also something about her that tugged at my gut. I couldn’t explain it. A familiarity of sorts. But I hadn’t been able to place it. Or see her eyes. And the large diamond ring on her left hand had kept me at a distance.

  She was perfect. Petite, with blonde hair and a killer pair of legs. I’d thought of at least a dozen ways I wanted to worship each one over the last week, as well as the rest of her. But what I was really dying to see were her eyes. Each time she came in, she’d kept them shielded with an oversized pair of sunglasses.

  I shifted in my seat, the hard-on between my legs letting me know he was just as intrigued as the organ beating with vigor in my chest.

  She’s married, dickhead, stop dreaming.

  Felix slid into the booth across from me, drink in hand, tossing the balled up paper from the straw at my forehead.

  I picked it up as it landed in front of me, rolling it around between my fingers. “What the hell, man?”

  “She’s married, dude, stop staring.”

  “It’s not a crime to look.”

  He shrugged, taking a sip of his drink. “Why bother looking at the menu when you can’t even have a taste?”

  Thanks for reminding me, asshole.

  Felix and I graduated from the academy together and had been partners for nearly four years now. If I were to call anyone my best friend, it would be Stoddard. He was nothing if not straightforward and blunt. I appreciated it.

  Most of the time.

  “Holly still wants to fix you up with her friend, Adrianna. Just say the word, bro, and it’s a done deal.”

  “Nah…I’m good.”

  “Why the fuck not? She’s hot, single, and has ass for days.”

  I raised a brow, curious why he’s checking out another woman’s ass when he has a beautiful wife at home who caters to his every need.

  “What? It’s not a crime to look, right?” He smirked, tossing my own words back at me.

  “And if it doesn’t work out? Holly will be all up in my shit. No, thanks. I love your wife. She feeds me home-cooked meals. I’d like to keep it that way.”

  “Well, eventually, you need to find a woman of your own to cook for you. Then you can quit trying to steal mine.”

  “It wouldn’t be hard, asshole. She likes me better anyway,” I joked.

  He threw up his middle finger just as Devina placed our tray on the table between us. “I added extra mayo for you, Ry,” she said with a wink before walking away.

  Picking up my sandwich, my eyes once again drifted to the mysterious blonde. She was only a few feet away, standing off in a corner waiting for her order, but it was as if I was attuned to her every move. The way her arms were folded across her chest, the defensive stance, it screamed do not approach. She was doing her best to appear invisible.

  But she was all I could see.

  The tiny white ticket slipped from her fingers, and as she bent down to retrieve it, that’s when I saw what she’d been hiding. The designer shades slid down her small nose, revealing the fading bruise around her right eye.

  I dropped my sandwich, shoving from the plastic seat, my pulse thrumming with suspicion.

  “Excuse me, ma’am. Are you all right?”

  My hand had a mind of its own, reaching out for her elbow, but she flinched away from my touch before I could make contact.

  The rejection was a blow to my chest.

  I held both hands up, letting her know I meant no harm.

  “I’m fine,” she said, standing up straighter, ensuring her sunglasses were still in place.

  Fuck, why did she look so familiar?

  I extended my hand, unable to deny my need to touch her. “My name is Ryker. Yours?”

  Her mouth parted on a gasp, and standing this close, I could make out the faint shape of her big round eyes underneath her glasses and knew they were a breathtaking color of blue.

  No fucking way.

  “Oh my God, Ryker Cunningham?”
<
br />   My hand fell to my side as confusion swept through, along with a landslide of other emotions.

  “MaryAnn Glover. Do you remember me?”

  Remember?

  How the hell could I ever forget?

  She was the first girl I ever kissed.

  The first girl I ever loved.

  It killed me when she had to move away after her parents died in 9/11. They both worked in the Twin Towers, and her only living relative was her grandmother who lived in Oklahoma. After she left, I never heard from her again.

  Memories began assaulting my mind one after the other, reminding me of the pain, the heartbreak that came from losing her. Something I thought I’d gotten over a long time ago. But I realized now I’d been fooling myself.

  There was no getting over her.

  My chest constricted with pain and a deep sense of longing, as I leaned down to pull her in for a hug. She wrapped her tiny arms around my neck, squeezing me tight.

  I never wanted to let go.

  I wanted to hold her hostage, demand answers. Why didn’t she keep her promise? Why did she return all of my letters, unopened? Why wouldn’t she talk to me?

  But none of those answers mattered.

  The only question I was worried about finding the answer to was how she got that black eye.

  “I guess I should’ve known you’d become a cop. That’s all you talked about when we were kids,” she said in her small sweet voice with the slightest hint of a southern accent she must have picked up while living in Oklahoma. “And I suppose it’s a good excuse to eat doughnuts every day.”

  I held her gaze. “I don’t eat doughnuts anymore.”

  She shifted on her feet, my comment making her uncomfortable, but it was the truth. They didn’t taste the same without her. Nothing was the same after she left. Nothing ever looked the same.

  Hell, the sun didn’t even shine the same.

  “Ryker, I’m so sorry. I never meant to—”

  “How’d you get the black eye?” I asked, interrupting her. That was my main concern.

  The rest could wait.

  She lifted her hand to ensure her glasses were still in place. “Oh, um, I accidentally ran into a door. I’m such a klutz.” She laughed but it was broken, and I could tell right away she was lying.