by Sandi Lynn
“Your tequila with a splash of lime.” The flight attendant smiled as she handed me my drink.
“Thank you.”
“And your vodka cranberry, light on the cranberry.” Her grin widened as she handed him his drink with a napkin tucked underneath it.
“Thank you.” He flirtatiously smiled back.
Rolling my eyes, I brought my glass to my lips. When he set his napkin down, I noticed she had written her phone number on it with a note that read:
“I’ll be in New York for a couple of days. Call me.”
I sighed as I set my drink down on it.
“Oh. I’m sorry.” I picked it back up. “I would hate for the ink to smear.”
He let out a chuckle. Damn it. Even that was hot.
“No worries. And if it did, I wouldn’t care.”
“She’s cute. You wouldn’t want to hit it at least once?” I arched my brow.
“She’s cute. But she’s not my type.”
“And what exactly is your type?” I smirked.
“Brunettes with long wavy hair and,” he reached over and pulled my glasses from my face, “rich brown eyes.”
I stared at him through his Ray-Bans, speechless and gasping for air. Grabbing my glasses from his hand, I slipped them back on.
Chapter 2
Gabriel
The moment I stepped onto the plane and saw the incredibly beautiful woman sitting in the window seat next to mine, my cock started to rise. Long brunette hair with a hint of wave through it, full sensuous lips, high cheekbones, and a pair of black Chanel sunglasses that framed her face to perfection. Normally, I would ask the person occupying the window seat to switch with me, but something told me that this beauty wouldn’t give it up. It was the way she composed herself in her seat. She radiated confidence and the fact that she kept her sunglasses on indicated she didn’t want to be messed with. As I was putting my carry-on in the overhead compartment, the scent of jasmine and rose overtook my senses. Fresh, seductive, and warm. She had attitude. I liked it. Telling me I should have booked my flight sooner made me laugh inside. She didn’t fumble with her words like most women did in my presence. She was poised and carefully spoken.
“What’s your name?” I asked as she took her sunglasses from my hand and put them back on.
“First names only.” The corners of her mouth curved up into a small smile. “Hannah.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Hannah. I’m Gabriel.”
“Nice to meet you, Gabe.” She cocked her head as she extended her hand.
“Not Gabe. Gabriel. I don’t do nicknames.” I placed my hand in hers.
“Okay. Now that we’ve established you don’t do nicknames, what do you do?” I noticed her brow arch from underneath her glasses.
“I’m in corporate business. And you?”
“I’m an entrepreneur.”
“For what type of business?” I asked, for I was intrigued.
“Handbags, jewelry, shoes. Anything that makes a girl feel pretty.” She smiled.
Her smile. Illuminating. Radiant. A one-of-a-kind smile. The kind of smile that would turn even the shittiest of days around. My cock was behaving badly and she would be the perfect woman to punish it.
“Is your business in New York?” I asked.
“No. I’m just visiting a friend for a couple of days.”
“I see. Are you going to keep your sunglasses on the whole flight?” I asked.
“Are you? Or are you afraid that you will lose your power over me and expose your emotional vulnerability?” A smirk crossed her lips.
“I’m sorry?” I shook my head. “What?”
“People who wear sunglasses inside places do it so they can intimidate people. With that intimidation, comes power. And that power is a mask for the emotional vulnerability that you possess. Or it could just simply mean that you want to create an aura of mystery about yourself, leaving people to guess what’s hiding beneath those glasses.”
Shit. What the fuck?
“So which is it, Gabriel? Emotional vulnerability or mystery?”
“I could ask you the same thing, Hannah,” I replied with an arch in my brow.
She let out a light laugh. “I’m wearing them because I’m tired and the darkness of the shades will help me sleep.
“Then by all means, get some rest. I will wake you when we land.”
“Thank you. You still haven’t answered my question.”
I sighed as I stared at her.
“And I’m not going to.”
“I’m going to go with emotional vulnerability.” She reclined her seat and turned her head towards the window.
Did she even realize to whom she was speaking? Something told me that this one was out of control with her mouth. But yet, I found her irresistible. As she slept, I stared at her. My eyes raked over the gray cardigan she was wearing with the black tank top underneath and tight black pants. I needed to see her standing up. My mind only imagined what was hiding under those layers of clothes. Her face was beautiful and I would bet my life that her body was just as sexy. Once again, my cock started to rise just thinking about me fucking her from behind, gripping her ass as tight as I could while I pounded in and out of her, listening to the screams of her ecstasy as my cock satisfied her every need.
I hadn’t had great sex in a while. Greta, my newly ex-girlfriend, had become unbelievably irritating, always whining and bitching at me for something. She’d bitch when I had to work late and then tell her mom and sister what a horrible boyfriend I was because I didn’t spend enough time with her. We’d been dating for six months, and for me, it was six months too long. Withholding sex was her form of punishment for me. Did I care? Not really. We’d been broken up for twenty-four hours and it had been the best twenty-four hours of my life. I had no choice but to dump her when I was in Seattle. I couldn’t take her calling me every half hour and then blow up my phone with ridiculous text messages asking me who I was sleeping with because I didn’t answer. I’d never cheated on her. I didn’t do shit like that. It wasn’t who I was. Even though I was a rich powerful man, I still respected my relationships with women. It was her own insecurities that led her to think I was sleeping around with every woman in the world. Ha. I wished.
When I wasn’t in a relationship, which I found I was better off not being in one, I’d have a lot of sex with different women. One-night stands mainly. Women I met at business conferences, bars, restaurants, business trips. All casual, no strings, and absolutely perfect. I got my needs fulfilled without all the bullshit drama. I made a vow that once I got rid of Greta and she was out of my life, I would stay single for a long time. Even if the right woman appeared right in front of me, it didn’t matter. I was tired of all the harping. It exhausted me and work did that enough. Running a multi-billion-dollar hotel and resort chain wasn’t easy. There was too much competition out there and I needed to keep on top of my game if I wanted to remain the best.
I was the CEO of Quinn Hotels. Our chain was right up there with Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, and Mandarin Oriental. Last year, Forbes placed Quinn Hotels, also known as “Q,” number four on their list of the ten best hotels chains in the world. I inherited the company when my father passed away a couple of years ago. He inherited it from his father, my grandfather, who started the luxurious hotel chain back in 1929 and quickly became a huge competitor for Hilton Hotels.
My work was my life and the women I dated needed to understand that. Greta swore she did. Which I believed for the first month of our relationship. Then the arguing started and all the crying. That woman cried a river more than anyone I’d ever known. She stressed me out more than she made me happy. Why didn’t I dump her sooner? I had a lot going on in my life and having to break up with her seemed to be more trouble than what it was worth at the time. Piss poor excuse, I know. But I was in the middle of opening a new hotel. We ran into loads of problems and I didn’t want to deal with her.
Chapter 3
Kate
&nb
sp; The bumpiness of the plane landing jolted me out of my seat.
“What the hell? Doesn’t this pilot know how to land a plane?”
Gabriel chuckled. “It wasn’t that bad.”
“Says you. You weren’t in the middle of a dream on the beach, soaking up the sun and being served fruity drinks with cute little umbrellas by an incredibly sexy guy.”
“No. I wasn’t. And I’d be overly concerned if I was.” He smirked.
His smirk made me tighten my legs. I didn’t mention that the incredibly sexy guy serving me drinks on the beach was him. I’d just met him and he was already invading my dreams. My eyes couldn’t stop diverting themselves to his shiny watch. The plane finally came to a stop and the captain spoke over the speaker.
“There will be a thirty-minute delay in retrieving your luggage from baggage claim. It appears that some of the carousels are not working at the moment and there’s a backup of luggage from other flights that will be put through first.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I sighed as I stood up from my seat.
“Do you have somewhere to be?” Gabriel asked.
“Of course. Don’t you?” I cocked my head at him as we exited the plane.
“Yes, but it’s only thirty minutes,” he replied. “How about we get a drink while we wait?”
“I think a drink would be fine since I’m not going anywhere any time soon.” I smiled.
I needed that watch.
We entered the Delta Sky Lounge, ordered our drinks, and took a seat on a bright red couch. When Gabriel removed his glasses, I felt the air in my lungs constrict. A rich chocolate brown. Seductive. The kind of eyes that could burn a hole through your very soul.
“So, what do you do in the corporate world?” I asked.
“A lot of shit that makes my head go crazy.” He grinned. “Where is your store located?”
“Cyber World.”
“Ah, you’re an online retailer?” His brow arched.
“Yes.” I smiled.
“What’s the name?” he asked.
“Why do you want to know?”
“Why not?”
“So you can stalk me?” I gave him a sly smile.
Our eyes were fixated on each other’s and the sexual chemistry between us was on fire. He wanted to fuck me as badly as I wanted his watch.
“I wouldn’t stalk you. I’m just curious.” He brought his hand up to my cheek.
“I’m sure you have someone waiting at home for you,” I spoke.
“I don’t.”
“Someone as sexy as you is single?”
“Yes.” His hand ran down my cheek.
I gulped at the fierce vibrating down below.
“How about you?” he asked as he placed his hand between my legs.
“No. I don’t have anyone.”
“Someone as beautiful as you is single?”
“That’s right.” I smiled.
He took his thumb and ran it across my lips. As a reaction, I took it in my mouth.
“Fuck, Hannah. I think we need to go into the bathroom.”
“Lead the way.” I smiled.
He grabbed hold of my hand and led me down the small hallway where the bathroom was. As soon as we were both inside, he shut the door and locked it. Suddenly, his hands grabbed the sides of my face and his mouth smashed into mine without warning. I stumbled back as he held on to me with one arm wrapped around my waist. Our lips tangled and our tongues greeted each other. This was what you called an unexpected heated moment. Sliding his suitcoat off his shoulders, I quickly unbuttoned his crisp white shirt as his hands slid off my cardigan and then dipped down the front of my shirt, groping my breasts as subtle moans escaped him. He broke our kiss and took down his pants. Thank god he was so blessed in the goods department. Thick, long, hard, and beautiful. I was going to have an orgasm just looking at it.
“Like what you see?” He smirked.
“Definitely.” I licked my lips.
He placed his hands on my hips and turned me around before pulling down my pants and pressing his hard cock against me.
“I want you to watch me fuck you in the mirror,” he seductively spoke as he dipped his finger inside me.
I threw my head back in desire as he explored my insides.
“You’re so wet. Are you ready for me?” he asked as he ripped a condom package open and rolled it over his cock.
“Yes,” I spoke breathlessly as my body prepared itself for his entrance.
He thrust inside me. Hard. Deep. The feel of him was intoxicating and I was getting drunk with each stroke. His grip on my hips tightened as he pounded into me, making me voice the pleasure I felt. I looked at him through the mirror and our eyes met.
“Don’t look away when you come,” he spoke.
My body was pushed to the limits and the minute he reached his hand over and placed it on top of my clit, an orgasm rushed through me.
“That’s it. God, that’s it,” he panted.
One last hard thrust and he halted while deep moans escaped him as he came.
I reached my hand around and placed it on the back of his head as his lips pressed against my shoulder. He pulled out, removed the condom, and tossed it in the trashcan. He bent down, pulled up my pants, and then groped my breasts one last time. I picked up my cardigan, slipped it on, and took hold of his wrist before he put on his suitcoat. He looked at me as I brought my other hand up to his cheek.
“Thank you.” I smiled as my lips tenderly met his.
“You’re welcome.”
I let go of his wrist and slipped his watch into the pocket of my cardigan. Now I needed to make a quick exit before he noticed it was gone. We walked out of the bathroom together and out of the lounge.
“It was nice to meet you, Gabriel.” I smiled as I walked the opposite way.
“Baggage claim is this way?” He pointed.
“I have a quick phone call to make first. Thanks again.” I bit down on my bottom lip.
“The pleasure was all mine, Hannah.” He winked.
I knew JFK like the back of my hand since I traveled so much and went another way to get to baggage claim. When I got there, I hid around the corner and waited for him to retrieve his luggage. Once he did and began to walk away, I swallowed hard as I silently whispered, “Goodbye, Gabriel.” After he walked out the door of the airport, I grabbed my bags and headed the opposite way, where I hailed a cab and went home.
Chapter 4
Gabriel
My bag was coming around the carousel when I arrived. I felt a little off by what had happened and I didn’t want to walk away. She was incredible and I needed to know more about her. But she did say she was only in New York for a couple of days. It was time I put Hannah out of my mind because I’d never see her again.
“Good evening, Carl,” I spoke as I climbed into the back of my limo.
“Good evening, sir. How was Seattle?”
“Rainy.” I smiled. “But productive.”
“Home, sir?” he asked.
“Yes.”
I turned my wrist to look at the time on my watch and it wasn’t there.
“What the hell?” I loudly spoke.
“Is something wrong, Mr. Quinn?”
I never took my watch off. I distinctly remembered it being on my wrist while I was fucking her.
“That bitch stole my watch!”
“Excuse me, sir?” Carl spoke.
“Nothing.” I climbed out of the car. “I’ll be right back. I have to look for someone.”
I raced back to baggage claim and looked around for Hannah. Looking at the carousel where our luggage had come from, it was empty. I stepped outside and looked around. Nothing. She wasn’t anywhere to be found. I climbed back in the limo and told Carl to take me home.
I was enraged. A thirty-thousand-dollar watch gone. Taken by a woman I met on an airplane and fucked in the sky lounge at JFK airport. How stupid could I be? Fuck! I pulled my ringing phone from pocket and saw it was
Greta calling. What the hell did she want? I wasn’t in any mood to deal with her, so I sent her to voicemail.
Carl pulled up to my building at 178 East 94th Street, a townhome I had purchased three years ago when it went into foreclosure. My family and friends were shocked when I purchased it because they always believed I was a high-rise penthouse type of man. The thing I liked most was the homey feel it had. It was a place I felt would be right to have a family someday in the distant future. Or at least that was what I saw three years ago. Since then, my views on family and marriage had drastically changed thanks to the crazy women I’d dated.
As soon as I stepped through the front door, Grace, my housekeeper, greeted me.
“Welcome home, Gabriel,” she spoke as she took my suitcase from me.
“Thanks, Grace. How’s everything going?”
“Well, your ex-girlfriend stopped by earlier and cried her eyes out to me, mumbling something about what an asshole you are and how you broke up with her over the phone.”
I rolled my eyes. “Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be. The only thing I heard was you breaking up with her.” She smiled. “Don’t get me wrong; she was an okay girl, but she sure whined and cried a lot.”
“I know.” I sighed.
“I’m going to take your suitcase upstairs and then head home. There’s dinner warming in the oven if you’re hungry.”
“Thanks, Grace. I appreciate it.”
“No problem. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I took the bottle of bourbon and a glass and went up and took a seat on the terrace. Pulling out my phone, I called my little brother, Caleb.
“Hey, big brother, how was Seattle?” he answered.
“It was good. What are you doing?”
“Packing. I leave for Los Angeles tomorrow.”
“Ah. That’s right. Do you have time to stop by for a drink?”
“Sure. Give me about an hour and I’ll be over.”