Authors: Elizabeth Hendricks
Claimed
CLAIMED
Elizabeth Hendricks
Copyrighted © 2016
Elizabeth Hendricks Copyrighted © 2016
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
“You are one step away from dying,” he said, giving me grimace.
“Everyone is one step away from dying. What am I supposed to do? Just drop all my obligations and relax on a tiny beach?” I argued with the doctor.
“That could work. Your stress levels are high, and this minor heart attack is only the beginning to bigger problems if you don’t take it easy.” He intertwined his fingers and gave me a penetrative stare.
What was I doing wrong in my life? “I live my life easy, doc. I work, go home, eat healthy, and I exercise daily.”
“You work ninety hours a week. What kind of life is that?”
“It’s not that much, but I just fired my right hand man for the past decade for embezzlement, so it’s not like I have a million fucks to depend on.” Thinking about it, I did work ninety-three hours last week.
“Just take a vacation or the next time that chest pain rolls around it’ll be your last.”
“It was that serious?” The reality of the truth hit me hard.
“No, it wasn’t, but it could have been. Don’t let your young age and physical condition fool you.”
“Fine, I’ll take a short trip.” It wasn’t something I wanted to do, but what the fuck could I do? I was stuck in a terrible situation. I just turned thirty and was still working on making a name for myself after my best friend decided to rob me blind. My company wasn’t going under or anything. In fact, despite the setback, we were still a top one hundred business, but I wanted to have control of the company at all times. My trust in people disappeared that day.
My first stop after leaving the ER at County General was my mother’s. I needed to see her and make sure she was managing. I wasn’t going to tell her I was at the hospital. No one was going to know about that, but I needed to see her. It would force me to make some changes. I couldn’t do this to her after the heartache she suffered when my dad died.
Knocking on her door, she opened it with a bright but wary smile on her face. “My baby!” she squealed, rushing into my arms.
“Mom, I’m a grown man now,” I reminded her, but I still squeezed her tight.
“You’ll always be my baby, so get over it. Come in and then you can tell me why you’re not at work like you’d normally be.”
We immediately went to the kitchen and she started with a cup of coffee. “I’ll pass on the coffee. I’ve had enough today. The reason I stopped by is because I’m going to be taking a trip and will be leaving in two days.”
“A vacation? You haven’t been on vacation since before your father died. You’ve worked yourself to the bone. Not that I don’t want you to take some time off. I’m just curious.”
“I’m a bit stressed out, and, well, I don’t want to be dad.”
“I can agree with you on that one. I can’t lose you, too. Besides, you need to find a girl to give me some grandbabies. And not some whore that’s after your money.”
“Mom, I don’t think I’ve been on a date since dad died three years ago.”
“Well, then don’t be falling for the first piece of ass you see,” she warned.
“Mom,” I cried out shocked and disgust.
“Please, boy. I’m old, but how do you think you got here?” There were just some visions you just didn’t need in your head, and your parents doing it had to be at the top of the list.
I managed to save all my pennies for this trip. At twenty, I didn’t have much in the way of savings or a real great job at the moment, but I needed to get away. My family was driving me insane. My parents were busy cleaning up my sister’s latest mess, which forced them to stop helping me with my college degree. With one year left, I decided to take a long break and take a trip to Europe. First stop was Spain.
“Danielle, please be safe, sweetheart,” my dad said, dropping me off at O’Hare Airport. My flight out of Chicago was scheduled for two o’clock, but a storm had rolled in.
“I will, Dad. Although, I don’t know when we’ll be leaving. Thanks for letting me borrow your suitcase.”
“I’m sorry Leo dumped flour in yours.”
“Well, if Amber ever watched him it wouldn’t happen. Please keep him out of my room until I get back. My apartment should be ready by the time I get back.” My dad hugged me tight like it was the last time I was going to see him. “Dad, I’m going to be fine.”
“I know. I’m just worried about me. You’re the only one with sense in the house. What am I going to do with those two and the little troublemaker without my backup?”
“You’ll manage, and I’ll be back in three weeks.”
“Promise?”
“Of course. That’s when your Xanax runs out,” I teased.
“Get going before I slip Leo into your luggage.” I gave him one more hug and took the almost empty, jumbo suitcase by the handle and dragged it into the TSA baggage check.
We waited on the tarmac for over an hour before our flight was cleared to leave. It wasn’t as bad as I expected it to be. The plane was crowded and I was beat, so I closed my eyes and waited for my nine-hour flight to land in Madrid. Once we finally took off, I couldn’t fall asleep so I popped open my tablet and started reading. Four hours later into my third book I finally fell asleep. By the time I woke up, it was time to buckle up for landing. I turned on my pretty Kindle Paperwhite and it was still at full battery. If I played it right, I might not have to charge it over my trip.
I waited until everyone was almost off when I got up from my seat. That was when I saw the devil in a suit. He looked up from fixing his tie as I approached. His bright icy blue eyes locked onto mine. His jaw tightened and I could see his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed hard. I dropped my head halfway because I couldn’t stare at the
chiseled man dressed like sin. His dark brown hair had that tousled, fingers ran-through look.
“Excuse me,” I said, just above a whisper. Looking at him through my lashes, I waited for him to move, but he didn’t budge. “Excuse me,” I said a little louder with my head still bowed.
He reached for my chin with his fingers and I stepped back. “How about you look me in the eyes and say it, beautiful?” Instantly I was pissed. How dare he intentionally stop me and flirt? They talked about European men, but, damn, I couldn’t even get off the plane without someone hitting on me.
I lifted my eyes to his sharp blues and snarled in the snottiest tone I could manage. “How about you just get out of my way? I’m not in the mood.” I really wasn’t. He was the last type of man I should fall for. That was my sister’s problem; now she’s a single mother and living with my parents.
“Have dinner with me, beautiful,” he demanded with a panty melting smile, which made me even more pissed. I hated that I had a tinge of jealousy run up my spine when I pictured him trying this out on any available woman.
“No. Please move out of the way,” I ordered, trying to move around him, but the man took up the whole aisle with his large, well-built frame.
I heard a woman’s heels approach from behind him, but with his massive frame blocking the way I couldn’t see her until he turned. “Señor Alexander, your driver is waiting for you,” the smiling stewardess informed him. Wow. Preferential treatment.
“Yes, I’m on my way. He will have to be patient.” He turned back to me dismissing the woman fawning over him. “Why won’t you have dinner with me?”
“Because I don’t know you and I can tell right off the bat that you want one thing. Something I wouldn’t give you no matter how hard you tried.” Part of me felt like I was lying my ass off, but a girl had to have some will power when faced with a man like him.
“Ha. Wow. You give yourself too much credit.” I gasped at his insult. Did he think insulting me would work like reverse psychology? “If you think you can resist me, you will need more than that stern scowl on that lovely face.” He grabbed my hand and his carry-on and tugged me along through the plane and out of the terminal.
I broke free from his tight hold on my hand and pushed away. Going in between the other travelers and doing some circles around a couple of terminals, I finally got through to the luggage claim area trying to avoid him getting too close. Too bad he was going to go to the same location. I didn’t want him to follow me because I didn’t want to be a fool for a man with charm and looks and in this case, clearly wealth. Secretly, I loved the feel of his strong hand holding mine.
I got to where my luggage should be but it wasn’t there. I looked around the carousal and it wasn’t there. Then I saw him standing to the side with his driver and my father’s luggage.
“Danielle Alexander,” he said my first name with his last one like he was implying marriage. I laughed because this motherfucker was rich but off his rocker. “It’s got a wonderful ring to it.”
“Give me my suitcase and leave me alone,” I said, tapping my shoe on the floor. I wasn’t scared that he’d harm me but that he’d manage to charm my panties off. He had a devil-may-care look about him, even in a suit. His eyes were full of something similar to pure sin, and I didn’t think I could resist.
“I’ll give you your luggage, but leaving you alone isn’t something I want to do,” he admitted.
“Why don’t you find a Spanish beauty and let me enjoy my vacation,” I remarked, hoping that he’d move along. I was already caving to the intense desire shooting straight down to my pussy.
“Who says I can’t make it memorable for us?”
“Do you hear yourself? You saw me for like three seconds, and now you’re acting like I’m yours.” He was going to break my willpower. He’d be the first man to manage that feat, and he was doing it with ease.
He shrugged and tilted his handsome head. “I just asked you to dinner, and you kept refusing me. What if I never see you again? We would never see where this would go.”
“I’ve no intention of going anywhere with you. I’m not looking for Mr. Casanova.”
“Well, I assure you I’m not him. If you’re unwilling to dine with me tonight, please tell me where you are staying so that I can make sure my driver takes you there safely.”
“So you expect me to just jump in the car with you?” I asked.
“No, I expect you to go with him. And he will not even look at you or I’ll fire him, and I’ll catch a cab to my hotel.”
“Fine. If you want to do that, I could save money on a cab,” I agreed, trying to get away from him before he touched me again.
“Maybe tomorrow you’ll change mind and let me take you around the town.”
“We’ll see, Mr. Alexander,” I said sternly but with little conviction in my voice.
“It’s Jaxon,” his voice dropped to a gravelly tone.
“Jaxon,” I said with a short nod, hiding the internal pleasure I felt at the sound. He opened the back door, and I climbed in.
“I can’t wait to see you tomorrow. Have a great night, Danielle.” He grabbed my hand and gave it a soft kiss, which should have been no big deal, but it was like a stamp of ownership; it felt like he stamped
claimed
on my skin, branding me with his mark. After he closed the door, I rubbed the back of my palm, the feeling of the kiss lingering on my hand. Why would someone do this to me? Falling for a stranger wasn’t something that I needed.
I gave the driver the address to my hotel, and he took me to this rinky-dinky hotel that looked nothing like the online brochure. I closed my eyes and shook my head. There was no way I could stay here; I was safer in the American devil’s clutches. I waited for the man to open the door, but he waited. Then I heard him on the phone.
He lowered the divide. “Señorita Kyle, Señor Alexander wishes to speak with you.” He handed me the cell phone.
“Hello?”
“Danielle, I can’t let you stay there. Before you harp on me, the driver doesn’t think you should be there either. That’s why he called me. As a local, he said the place is where the prostitutes and drug users go. So listen, there’s room at my hotel. He’ll bring you here.”
“I don’t have money for a nice hotel.”
“I didn’t say you’d pay for it.”
“There’s no way I’d let you pay for it.”
“Listen, I’m supposed to be relaxing on vacation. This isn’t helping me destress.”
“Fine, but I’ll have to find a way to pay you back and not in a dirty way.”
“All I want is your company; trust me, I didn’t come here looking to meet anyone. Well, I guess that’s a lie. My mother did tell me to find a good wife,” I said with a chuckle, but it was the truth and the moment I looked up at her on the plane I knew I was done for. Something in me begged to know her. I didn’t know if it was love or what, but I felt an instant chemistry. Even her biting resistance charmed my heart. What the fuck was wrong with me? Did my heart glitch that day with the heart attack?