Obsession

I came apart. Hunter quickly followed, his hips pumping furiously until he stilled, pressed against me, inside me.

Hunter rested his forehead against mine, and I could feel his heart pounding just as fast. His body jerked and he groaned. “That was…yeah, that…”

“Agreed.”

He pulled out and rolled onto his side, pulling me into his arms as he pressed a kiss to my cheek and then my lips. And well, that led to other things equally amazing.

Later, much, much later, I stood in front of the window overlooking a patio below.

Hunter and I had only been able to ignore the lure of food for so long and, after eating a hefty dinner, both of us had fallen asleep the moment we hit the bed for a second time.

But I hadn’t stayed asleep for very long.

So much was running through my head. My future was one big fat unknown, but with Hunter by my side, I knew we’d make it. Things might not be orthodox or how I pictured spending my life, but I was alive and I was with someone I loved. However, I did know that things wouldn’t be easy.

I pulled the sheet around me as a shiver raced down my spine.

Mel’s death had been avenged and the knowledge she had unwittingly gained would be passed on, but I had a feeling it wouldn’t be enough. In the end, everything would change even more so than it had already.

Out there, there was a secret government organization working with and against two alien races that not only had infiltrated mankind, but also had become an intricate part of society. There was a whole alien race potentially planning to make war and the good guys…

There was a whisper of movement and then I felt Hunter’s arms wrap around me from behind.

Well, the good guys really weren’t typical. They really weren’t the good guys at all, but if I discovered anything, there was no such thing as white and black. There was a lot of gray in the middle.

“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked.

I leaned back, closing my eyes. “I didn’t mean to wake you. I know you have to be exhausted.”

“It’s fine.” He lowered his head, pressing his cheek against mine. His breath teased the corner of my lips. “Are you okay?”

The question was rather large, all things considered. My life was forever altered and would never, ever be the same. Maybe one day I could go back to a job like I had before. Maybe a million aliens would descend on Earth tomorrow. But right now? I had to live in the right now.

Hunter pressed his lips to my temple. And right now wasn’t so bad. I turned in his arms, loving how they immediately tightened around me, fitting me to his chest. I tipped my head back and smiled. “I’m okay.”

His eyes were a deeper blue as they locked on to mine. “I know.”

“Then why did you ask?”

“Figured it was the human thing to do,” he replied.

I grinned. “You’re getting better at that kind of stuff.”

Hunter laughed deeply. “No I’m not. But that’s fine. You like me like this.”

Yeah, I did. He was still like the damn panther. If anyone got too close, he’d rip them apart—anyone but me. Emotion clogged my throat as I stared up at him. My gaze memorized every inch of face, and I rose onto the tips of my toes. He met me halfway, sweeping his lips over mine. His lips and embrace were cool, but all I felt was a wealth of warmth.

So right now would do just fine.

Acknowledgments

Writing acknowledgements is never an easy thing to do. Nine out of ten times you end up forgetting someone and that can be a tad bit awkward. And I always end up forgetting someone. First off, I want to thank my agent, Kevan Lyon, for putting up with my crazy on a regular basis, and then Karen Grove, editor extraordinaire, for jumping in on the project. Thank you to Stacey Morgan for reading Obsession and providing much-needed feedback on how to out-snark other characters. A big thank-

you to the team at Entangled for bringing the book to life, and to all the readers of the Lux Series who wanted to see this world brought into the adult playground. Hope you enjoyed!

About the Author

#1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true.

When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories…which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance.

She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Publishing, Disney/Hyperion, and Harlequin Teen.

She also writes Adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn and is published by Entangled Publishing and HarperCollins.

Other books by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Lux Series:

Obsidian: A Lux Novel, Book One

Onyx: A Lux Novel, Book Two

Opal: A Lux Novel, Book Three

The Covenant Series:

Half-Blood

Pure

Deity

Apollyon

Single Titles:

Cursed

Other books by J. Lynn (pen name for Jennifer L. Armentrout):

Tempting the Best Man

Tempting the Player

Wait for You