Possessed by a Stranger (21 page)

“Well, I was kind of depending on you to
guide me through this. We sort of jumped into this somewhere in the
middle … at least for me. I missed all the things that would give
me a clue as to where this was leading. Like meeting, getting to
know each other, dating … all the things people do before hopping
into bed.”

She was right. Maybe that was why he wasn’t
sure what they had. Being with her was easy, comfortable and free
of the usual tension when searching for a connection. Their
connection had come fast and furious but felt natural.

“I know … We can still do all those things.
Maybe that’s what we’re doing now with the added benefit of having
sex.” She giggled softly resting on his chest. “What’s so funny?”
He asked finding her amusement out of sync with the seriousness of
the conversation.

“I’ve never really dated. Jay and I were
always together and we made plans to do things. He didn’t ask me to
go anywhere. We just discussed options on how we would spend our
weekends. I didn’t realize that before now. In retrospect it seems
weird.”

Jay was a friend and they planned events the
same way she planned things with the girls. No wonder she felt like
a teenager waiting for Garret to appear and dressing for him. She
hadn’t had the dating experience, ever.

“Hannah, would you do me the honor of
accompanying me this evening to a concert in the park? It’s not
much of a concert. Some local guitar playing, banjo strumming
people perform in the city park every Saturday night.”

That request may be the sweetest thing she
had ever heard. Oh shit, it touched her heart and there wasn’t a
damn thing she could do to protect it.

“I would love that. What time should I expect
you?”

“You can expect me after I see Pops, but
we’ll leave here about six. I might want an added benefit before we
go. Everyone brings food and they set up a big buffet. I’ll stop by
the grocery store and find something.”

“I’ll make something to bring. I actually
have food in the house… remember?” She slid on top of him never
wanting him more than she did now.

CHAPTER NINE

Behind the wheel of his car Garret drove to
Hannah’s cottage the same as the last four Fridays. He easily fell
into a routine. Friday nights with Hannah, visiting Pop’s on
Saturdays, then back to Hannah for another night before he said
goodbye to Pops and returned to the city on Sunday.

Each work week drug by slower than the last.
Garret crammed everything into the beginning of the week so he
could leave early on Fridays. As CEO he could do as he damn well
pleased with donations at an all-time high. The foundation was
under the scrutiny of his trained eyes and tightly pressed thumb.
No funds moved without his signature insuring they were allotted
correctly. In a month or two his work load would substantially
increase with next year’s budget due in January. Meetings would
fill his days with charity events cutting into his weekends.
Corporations, businesses, and wealthy patrons needed to unload
money for tax deductions. He would be there to gladly offer a
helping hand.

Work was, as always, his first priority but
weekends with Hannah had become a close second, maybe too close. It
was harder to leave her each Sunday. Friday’s he packed his car in
the morning and left work to go straight to the cottage. The moment
he saw her bright smile waiting to greet him he relaxed. Tension
that he hadn’t realized held his muscles in a tight grip,
dissipated as soon as he tasted her lips. It was her, not just the
fantastic sex that pulled him to the cottage every weekend. As long
as he was aware of the situation, he wouldn’t get hooked. Work
would set the stage for some distance sooner than he cared to think
about. Until then, with an exit strategy firmly in place, he would
continue to enjoy the full benefits of the weekends, postponing the
inevitable for as long as possible.

Parking in his normal spot in front of her
cottage he saw Hannah walking out her gate. A welcoming smile was
painted on the lips he rushed here to taste. She met him at the
curb to eagerly fall into his arms. His tedious work week lifted
from his shoulders as their lips melted into a kiss.

This moment was Hannah’s favorite time in
their weekends together. The moment the weekend started. His first
kiss held all the promises of the two wonderful nights they would
spend in each other’s arms. It also relieved her of the worry he
might not appear. That day would come soon enough. She had learned
more about him every weekend. He had a fun side to him that he
tried to hide but it escaped more often than not, with her. The
more she delved into his many layers the more vulnerable her heart
became. She was willing to do whatever she could to postpone his
inevitable departure.

“You have perfect timing. I came out here
looking for a big strong man to help carry in groceries. Have you
seen one?”

“I always have perfect timing. Did you plan
your shopping trip to make me work for my dinner?” With his
overnight bag in one hand he grabbed several bags of groceries in
his free hand.

She loaded her hands with as many bags as she
could carry. “I would like to say yes but I’m not that devious. I
just got back from the city. I had a huge delivery today. Listening
to the radio I heard about a cold front coming through tomorrow
evening so I thought I should get prepared.”

That explained her dirty t-shirt and the dust
balls in her hair. “I’ll bring in the groceries and you can put
them away. We can call and order a pizza for dinner.” He sat his
overnight bag on the stoop to open the door. He waited for her to
enter first.

“Dinners ready. I put a roast in the crock
pot this morning before I left.” She led the way to the
kitchen.

From the look of her she had a hard day but
she took the time to prepare him dinner. He was touched by her
thoughtfulness. She went out of her way to please him. He unloaded
the groceries on the counter before turning to face her.

“I’m curious. First let me say how adorable
you look … but have you looked in a mirror?” She looked at him
questionably. He pulled on her t-shirt. When she looked down, her
head fell forward as she shook it in disbelief.

“Good grief, I’m filthy and I went to the
grocery store like this. This is your fault. I was rushing to get
here before you. Now, I’m not only the bossy new lady in town, I’m
little miss pig pen.”

“I bet no one noticed your shirt or the dust
balls in your hair. If they did, they wouldn’t care since you would
still be the prettiest customer in the store.” He picked a dust
ball out of her curls tauntingly holding it in front of her face.
“I’ll help wash your hair after we get the groceries done. I
thought you had men to do the physical labor?”

If those men weren’t pulling their weight
maybe it was time he had a talk with them. She shouldn’t have to
lift a finger. No, it was her business and she was capable of
handling it on her own. He would have to think on this one.

“I do but I’m a hands on kind of gal. I
thought you noticed that about me.” She snuggled into his chest
raising her head toward his face.

“Get the groceries put away. You can remind
me how hands on you are in the shower.” Her inviting smile, her
twinkling eyes were the reason he rushed here every Friday. If she
kept this up the groceries would stay in her car.

“And what will I be doing while you wash my
hair?” Her hand slid suggestively over his crouch. There was that
hungry look she loved to see. He hardened beneath her touch the way
he always did.

Her insinuation cemented the need to shower
first before anything else. He removed her hand and headed out of
the kitchen. “Start the water. I’ll get the rest of the groceries
in one load. We’ll put them away after.”

Garret strapped the bag handles down both
arms. This was a one tripper or die trying. He slammed her trunk
closed. Hannah stood in the doorway and waited until he walked
inside to shut the front door. She smiled provocatively and winked
before running off laughing to the downstairs bathroom. She knew
what she was doing to him as sure as he knew what she was about to
do to him. Damn, that woman was hot as hell and he may never get
enough of her. He dumped the groceries on the table untangling the
bag’s straps from his arms. Following the trail of Hannah’s
discarded clothing he shucked his off in pursuit of her awaiting
him in the shower.

*****

The rain pounded on the slate roof. Alone in
bed the inviting smells of coffee and bacon filled his nostrils and
awakened his stomach. His early riser had already left the bed to
start breakfast. The stormy day was the perfect backdrop for a day
of sex, sleep, and more sex. The eighty degree temperature would
steadily drop throughout the day and by night fall he would light
the fireplace with the first fire since she restored the cottage.
He had stacked the wood in the fireplace last night in preparation.
Making love by an open fire was high on his list of favorite
places.

He found Hannah standing at the back door
watching the storm. He slipped up behind her wrapping his arms
around her waist. “We’ll have a fire tonight. I missed my wake-up
call.”

She swiveled in his arms to claim her good
morning kiss. The soft touch of his lips covering hers always set
her head spinning. “We have about two hours of warm rain left
before the cold front moves in. It would be a shame to waste it.
You can have your wake-up call in the rain. I have an air mattress
already outside.”

The idea came to her after remembering she
hadn’t brought the air mattress back inside. She had cleaned it
leaving it in the sun to dry before packing it away. Watching the
rain pelt the ground, the lightening flash across the dark sky, she
felt a wave of sadness. The storm matched the turmoil in her mind.
She had come to the solemn conclusion she wouldn’t ever be ready to
lose him. His leaving was beyond her control. She wanted as many
memories as possible to sustain her when he broke her heart. Oh
yes, without a doubt, he possessed her heart as vehemently as he
possessed her body. She planned on making this storm especially
memorable.

She must have lost her mind if she thought he
would go outside in this storm, his ass being struck by lightning
wasn’t on his agenda. “As much as I like having sex outside,
there’s no way you’re getting me out in this storm.”

Holding his head in her hands she pouted her
lower lip, rubbing his cheeks with her thumbs. “Please, I’ve never
had sex outside or in the rain. It’s two things in one.”

Please and sex in the same sentence raised
her chances of winning this debate. He looked outside at the raging
storm then back at her angelic face. “What are you going to do to
entice me?” She smiled stepping out of his arms. She knew she was
going to win. He couldn’t deny her anything.

Seeing the spark of interest in his eyes, she
was going to win this debate. “You can observe or participate.”
Observing always led to participation with Garret.

She dropped her robe off her shoulders. Much
to his surprise, she opened the back door then ran naked into the
storm. Her outside with him inside wasn’t what he had in mind when
he suggested an enticement. She was about to lose on this one,
although, she looked sexy as hell dancing naked in the rain. He
stepped out the door and watched with a stiffening interest through
the blanket of water separating them. She stopped at the bottom of
the mattress turning her head sideways to smile his way. She
crooked her finger to invite him to join her.

“You’re nuts if you think I’m coming out in
this.” He yelled over the pounding noise of the rain.

She dropped to her knees on the mattress. She
stretched her arms across the water pooling on the top surface then
slid back. Her seductive cat like crawl to the center of the
mattress had him stripping off his shorts. The water pouring over
her seductive body heated his desires. There wasn’t any doubt left
he was going out in this frigging storm.

He waited to see what enticement she thought
would make him want to get struck by lightning. She fell on her
side stretching her arms over her head before rolling onto her
back. She arched her back. Oh shit, she had to arch her back. He
stepped off the back stoop into the torrential down pour. Her hands
massaged her breast as she raised her knee to a bent position
blocking his view. Damn, he was sure she did that on purpose. This
was getting hot as hell so he waited. Her hands moved sensually
down her middle. One hand disappeared between her legs while the
other returned to her breast. He walked through the flooded yard to
the bottom of the mattress with every fiber of his being wanting
her.

Garret stood at the foot of the mattress. She
had most assuredly succeeded in raising his attention. He smiled
his ready, willing, and horny as hell smile.

“Are you ready to participate?” She teased
seeing the intensity in his eyes.

“Don’t I look ready? But first I’m an
observer. That’s what got me out here … so you finish what you
started.” Dropping to his knees he pushed her leg to the side for a
better view.

The torrent of rain splashed upwards pelting
her skin with gumball sized drops. He ached to be inside her. The
erotic scene drove him crazy with lust boiling his blood. The rain
pouring over him, the lightening flashing across the turbulent sky,
and the gorgeous woman lying in a puddle of rainwater satisfying
herself for his enjoyment caused the most spectacular hard-on of
his life.

Every throbbing beat of his
heart was felt in his overly engorged dick. He caressed her open
thighs coaxing her to continue. She moaned with the roll of thunder
as her body quaked shaking the air mattress. An unadulterated need
to have her ravaged his thoughts, transporting him to an
animalistic stage of pure lust. Waves washed over the sides of the
mattress
as she pushed him on his
back.