Possessed by a Stranger (6 page)

His rapid heartbeat pounded beneath her
cheek. Hannah trembled from delirious exhaustion. Tilting her head
she gazed into his smiling face. She teased his lips with nibbles
as she laid on him smoothing her hand over his taut jaw line. His
gleaming eyes assured her of her accomplishment. Their breaths
slowed. He rolled them both, maintaining a firm grip.

“There’s a whole lot of wicked behind that
angelic face. I may never get enough of you.” He whispered
hoarsely.

“Does that mean you weren’t disappointed?”
She teased knowing the answer.

He chuckled. “There’s that wicked I was
talking about. You know damn well I wasn’t disappointed. Although I
have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised.”

Inside the possessive comfort of his arms,
she snuggled contently. She felt peaceful and secure lying naked in
the arms of the nameless stranger. Smiling inwardly, she thought
about the irony of the situation. She withheld her virginity from a
man she had known most her life then freely gave it to the first
man she met as an unattached woman. She was one sick puppy and this
gorgeous man was the disease. If he was fatal at least she would
die with a smile on her face. What more could she ask? She drifted
into sleep, by the deep even breaths, raising and lowering his
chest.

Hours later, Hannah’s eyes flew open with a
jolt of consciousness. She glanced over at the man sleeping soundly
beside her. He was a beautiful sight with the bed sheet gathered
below his waist line. Good God, her body sparked from the sight of
him or the memory of what he had done to it. Having breakfast in
bed sounded arousing but she had to be home to receive the
overnight delivery.

Avoidance of any complications like an
exchange of names would benefit from a speedy exit. Common sense
told her he was in town on a short-term basis. Long enough to
require the added space of the penthouse but not long enough to
rent an apartment or townhouse. She was a memory that would soon
disappear when he returned to whatever life he was temporarily
separated.

As softly as she could redistribute her
weight without shaking the bed, she slid out of bed. Her hand
grasped the bundle of material crumbled on the floor. She picked up
her purse and sandals on her way to the door. She, quietly as
possible, cracked open the French door to squeeze through. Now in
the main room, she buttoned her dress over her spent but happily
awakened body. She slid her feet in her sandals as she searched her
purse for something to tie up her hair. After being wet and no
conditioner, her hair revolted with kinky and wild. Shit, had he
seen her looking like the bride of Frankenstein? No, her hair was
still wet from the shower and was damp even now. Luckily, the
seventy-inch T.V. screen on the wall made a perfect mirror. Using a
covered elastic band, her hair was somewhat contained into a
wadded-over ponytail.

Now, she must face the elevator, as her next
obstacle to a clean get away. She hoped it worked with a push of a
button. She stepped inside the elevator. Crap, there was only ‘P’
and ‘lock’ as buttons. She stuck her head out to look around. Oh
yea, on the wall directly beside the elevator door was a down
button, which she pushed. She pushed the lock button, assuming
since it was locked, another push should reverse the lock. It
worked.

The lobby was thankfully empty as she walked
with self-assurance out the door. In less than five minutes, she
was in a cab headed for her apartment. The sun peeked behind the
curvature of the earth. With a new day on the horizon, Hannah,
purged of her stagnated past, felt invigorated. She was now ready
to begin her new life.

CHAPTER THREE

Garret Presley rolled over in his bed and
reached for the sex kitten, turned wildcat, he enjoyed most of the
night. Shit, surely, she hadn’t left. She sure as hell wasn’t in
his bed where she belonged. He threw his feet onto the floor. It
took him a few minutes to clear his head. Damn, he felt drained.
There was no way last night had been an erotic dream, although he
had had some doozies. He reached behind him and flipped down the
bedclothes. Nope, she definitely was real with the small red smears
on the white sheets offered as proof.

He threw open both French doors with a hard
push to check the sitting room. His necessity for the bathroom was
on hold until, his anticipating a good morning dick, got over its
disappointment. The closed elevator door confirmed she was gone.
Damn, he should have key locked the elevator since he hadn’t
bothered to ask her to stay. That might be perceived as a little
perverted, even for him. She was petite and easily, or willingly,
restricted so his handcuffs hadn’t been necessary, at least this
time. He used women to satisfy his insatiable libido. Restricting
their touch kept him in emotionless control. Not that he didn’t
enjoy their touch, much to the contrary. If anything, he enjoyed it
too much. He wanted intense physical satisfaction not a
relationship. After all, it was just sex.

“Well Sexy Lady, I guess I’m going to have to
put forth some effort to find you. I’m not done with you yet…”
Garret walked over to the wall of glass and pushed the button that
opened the drapes. The sun spilled its brightness over the rooftops
below him. Somewhere in the city, he now overlooked, was his
gorgeous nymph. “I’m looking forward to finding out how much fight
you’ve got behind your sweet exterior.”

Finding her seemed odd, out of character,
something he normally wouldn’t consider. Oh yeah, he hunted with
the best of them. But he never hunted for a repeat. It hadn’t ever,
nor should it be necessary. Women hunted him, making his privacy
expensive to maintain and security a necessary evil. Those women
wanted monetary gain, expensive trinkets, and the status of the
Presley name. All things he wasn’t willing to give. Not that he
couldn’t easily afford a diamond or two, a car, a house or whatever
else they desired. Garret wouldn’t pay for sex in any way shape or
form. He had accommodated the convenience of a good sexual partner
with a hotel room and even an apartment. Those arrangements
diminished his desires and were all-short lived.

His wants were simple. He wanted a woman to
want him for himself and nothing more.

His mystery lady’s wants were still a
mystery. She had offered him a gift with no apparent reason other
than he accept, which of course, he had. He had to find her to
solve the mystery. Well, that and the fact his dick stood at
attention at the mere thought of her. Her angelic face framed by
all those curls, her dreamy blue eyes and her sleek toned figure
had surpassed all his expectations. Hell yes, he would look for
that sweet piece of ass.

After he placed his usual breakfast order,
Garret showered and dressed for another hectic day. The last
company to be swallowed into the bowels of the Presley Corporation
would be consumed by the end of next week. He had a knack for
finding the weakness that would topple desirable companies into
bankruptcy. Using his discovered ace in the hole he negotiated the
company’s ultimate demise. Although, seemingly heartless the
company in question benefited from becoming part of the Presley
Corporation. The combination of companies joined together provided
increased revenues for all involved The Corporation was a
well-oiled machine with one company feeding another. This
particular company was the last notch in his belt before he took
over as CEO of the Presley Foundation. After securing the success
of the Presley Corporation his responsibilities shifted to the
Presley Foundation. The charitable foundation was floundering and
needed his immediate attention. From predator to philanthropist,
not much of a difference as far as he was concerned. Where the
money was funneled after he pried it away from the tight fisted
hands of the upper class was the only discernible distinction. Oh,
his family was as tight fisted as the others. They were just more
accomplished at taking then giving.

His problematic townhouse renovation had
become a festering thorn in his side. What started out as a tax
dodge turned into a ball breaker. The emasculating task of choosing
frigging fixtures or drapes wasn’t now or would ever be, part of
his repertoire. That’s why he paid those incompetent people top
dollar so they would make the decisions. He only wanted the end
results. He voiced his opinions on the subject with conviction. Yet
they continued to annoy him with questions. End frigging results…
How fucking hard was that to understand?

The final and most worrisome boulder that
weighed on his shoulders was his grandfather’s failing health.
Turning back the sands of times was beyond Garret’s abilities. He
promised Pops a fulfillment of a dream to take with him to his
eternal sleep. His ninety-two year old grandfather would leave this
world in peace. Garret had made a promise he intended to keep, at
any cost.

Garret held his family dear to his heart with
Pops at the top of the list. Most of his happier memories revolved
around that old man. When his grandfather finally gave up and left
this life, he would take a large chunk of Garret’s heart with him.
With that knowledge weighing heavily on his heart, Garret knew he
would fulfill his grandfather’s last request.

Garret showered and dressed. His breakfast
order sat on a cart in the open elevator when he returned to the
main room. He wheeled the cart closer to the end recliner of the
sectional and poured a cup of much needed coffee. He hadn’t slept
much last night. With half a cup of caffeine flowing through his
veins, he refilled the cup and sat down to enjoy his breakfast of
two poached eggs, one slice of wheat toast, and a medley of fruit.
He flipped on the T.V. to scan through the news channels and stay
up to date on current events, especially the ones that affected
him. Stocks that were up could give to the foundation. Their
corporation could buy companies with stocks that were down. A
simple equation worked to his advantage.

He hoped the nourishment would curb his
murderous inclination before he spoke to his procurement
specialist. Ted Jones topped his hit list yesterday evening. Garret
discovered he had lost out on the bid, that he instructed Ted to
spare no expense to procure. Lucky for Ted, Garret was distracted
during his trip to Ted’s office by a dick hardening vision of a
free spirit dancing down the street. Damn, that woman looked good.
She should have stayed.

Since she inadvertently saved his life, Ted
should locate her. If he wanted to redeem himself, for his latest
blunder and stay in Garret’s employment. Even if he managed to find
her, that still wouldn’t get him off the hook. When Garret Presley
said procure, he meant procure at all cost. Ted had failed.

“My townhouse within the hour” was sent via
text to Ted. Garret had to check on the renovations of his
townhouse anyway, so he might as well kill two birds with one
stone. With the frustrations of three setbacks that had to be dealt
with before work, his brewing foul mood wasn’t likely to diminish.
Garret knew from experience, it was imperative that he handled the
problems first, and then lock himself away in his office to cool
his uncontrollable temper. When his temper exploded, people got
hurt. There were times when the world seemed determine to piss him
off. Today felt like one of those times with the day barely
started. She should have stayed.

Garret was aware the ferocity of his temper
was unparalleled in the business world. The survivors of his wrath
memorized his modus operandi. When Garret Presley asked for
something, you gave. Otherwise it would be taken from you, one way
or another. He always took more, much more, than his original
request implied. Garret wasn’t a man with which you wanted to be on
bad terms and he liked it that way.

Preparing to leave Garret grabbed his suit
jacket slinging it over his shoulder using two fingers as a hanger.
He stepped into the elevator and slapped the lock button. As the
elevator doors closed he slipped into the jacket. Checking to
insure he had everything needed for the day, a disturbing thought
occurred to him. He hadn’t checked his billfold’s contents, a habit
he developed after having any overnight guest. Shit, that nymph
could have robbed him blind and went on a spending spree while he
ate breakfast from his oversight. He found everything untouched and
accounted for, which made him suspicious of her motives. Even with
women stalking him to end up in his bed, last night was an anomaly
in his sexual conquests. Virgins don’t just fall out of the sky
into his bed. She had to have motive. Fate or coincidences were
words of suspicion in his vocabulary as they usually camouflaged a
premeditated act.

Paranoia joined hand-in-hand with his temper
when it flared. His extreme distrust saved him a fortune over the
years in the cutthroat business world. There was nothing given away
free and the stated price usually had strings attached. He
questioned last night’s events. The chance sighting, her immediate
attraction to him, and her willingness to leave with a stranger;
those things were normal for him. Filtering in her innocence, her
wild abandonment in bed, and her disappearance and he knew she had
to have a motive or agenda. Whatever it was, she was damn
accomplished at perpetrating her scheme. Shit, he should have seen
past her desirability. When she contacted him, and he knew she
would, she would pay dearly for what she wanted. She should have
stayed and saved him the aggravation waiting to hear from her.

The town car pulled up as he walked out the
door. Jeff appreciated his generous salary and went to extremes to
anticipate Garret’s busy schedule. Jeff had earned Garret’s
respect, which wasn’t an easy task. Jeff honestly admitted his
loyalty had a price although he didn’t hesitate to sign a
non-disclosure contract. The contract guaranteed Jeff’s lips would
stay shut but Jeff left no doubt that any offer higher than his
salary and he would jump ship. Garret eliminated that possibility
with his weapon of choice, money.