Possess Me: A Billionaire Romance (Intensity Book 1)

by TN King

  He caught her just before she face-planted into the cement, pulling her back up from the ground and securing her with his arms. “Whoa there!” he exclaimed, hand pushing into the small of her back to steady her.

  Ellie gasped loudly as his hard body met with her soft one, a collision that put him much too close for her to function or think properly.

  He pulled her closer to his chest, grey gaze staring into her startled gaze for only a moment before he lowered his head. His lips were warm, pressing into her own for a long, hard second. “Damnit Ellie,” he cursed against her lips, a low whisper before he kissed her slightly more softly. “You need to be more careful, love,” he muttered, lips only a breadth from hers.

  She shook, her whole body trembling just from the heat of him alone, even just the brush of his lips. And the way he looked at her with those steel colored eyes, the tone of his voice as he spoke, and the way that he had begun calling her love more and more… her head spun, heart thumping hard within her breast. “M-my dress,” she stuttered out, her voice catching against the backs of her lips. “I’m sorry,” she breathed out, her fingers tightening against the front of his chest. “I was just so afraid that I would ruin it.”

  His gaze froze on her mouth as she spoke, watching the opening and closing of her lips hungrily. “The driver already has it and put it in the front seat, sweetness,” he answered distractedly, his lips pushing just that much closer to her own, breath washing over hers.

  Sweetness…She blinked, hard and fast, trying to clear her head of the sudden swarm of need that overtook it. Heaven help me. She pulled away ‒ the hardest thing she thought she would ever have to do, pulling back and putting some small distance between their two bodies. Distance that was much needed, certainly, if she intended to keep herself on an even keel. “O-oh,” she stuttered again. “O-okay. Good. I’m glad,” she continued, adjusting her blouse in place.

  His gaze shifted, blinking again, and seemingly snapping himself out of whatever mood he’d been in to smile at her. He adjusted himself, opening the limo door and bowing dramatically for her, arm sweeping in the opening of the door and grinning slowly. “Your carriage awaits, my lady.”

  For a moment, all she could do was stare, her throat working slowly. The Greek god in an expensive, and probably hand tailored suit, bowing in front of his limo for her to get inside? It didn’t seem real, it didn’t seem grounded in any sort of reality at all. Pinch yourself, Ellie. She cleared her throat and still didn’t move. Hand twitching as if to actually pinch herself before it stayed, resting against her arm.

  He stared at her, form stilled even if his eyebrows were lifting on his face, question clear in them. “Are you okay?” He asked, his tone more subdued, and worry clear in them.

  She wasn’t. No, she really wasn’t. What had she been thinking? To get into a limo, then on a jet, then to a five star hotel in New York, then to an actual ball? Suddenly, it all hit her at once, falling down around her shoulders like a ton of bricks. Sudden and hard. She wasn’t prepared for any of this, she didn’t know how to be even.

  “Maybe that stumble shook you up a bit?” he asked, concern clear on his features now. Obviously, he thought that might actually be the case, his form straightening completely and all hints of levity gone from his form.

  Ellie swallowed heavily, her hand against her arm tightening. She was fighting the urge to turn and run away ‒ screaming her head off the whole time. It was so much to take in, everything about him. She paused, hesitating on the edge of going one way or another, her form ramrod straight in place.

  Without asking again he took her arm, closing his fingers gently around it and propelling her into the car, helping her bend. It made it easier, his making the decision for her, just like it always did. He was careful, nudging her over so that he could fold his form in beside her, a gentle smile curving his lips.

  It was only when his hip touched hers, however, that she realized she needed to scoot over even further. She giggled nervously, shifting her hips in order to do so. Well, at least she had control over her body again! It was a small measure of comfort. She had been in the midst of a pure, honest panic attack just then, her senses slipping away from her so entirely. She couldn’t afford to let that happen, not with how bad that it could get when they fully gripped her.

  Ellie took a deep breath, her body shifting again as she stared out of the window, just as the care began to move. The buildings and street signs moved so slowly it took her a moment to register, the car slowly gaining speed and the objects beginning to blur as they passed. She was in a limo… with Morgan Hunt… again.

  “Ellie?” Morgan prompted, his hand on her thigh as if to draw her back to the world of the living.

  Which she supposed he had to do, with how hard she had spaced there for a moment. She turned slowly, her eyes blinking largely to bring him into focus. “Yes?” She asked, her voice trembling despite her best intention at masking it. She didn’t want to show him how close to the edge she really was.

  He looked at her carefully, grasping her hand in the both of his and pulling her more softly to him. “What is it?” He softly questioned, his eyes worried. “You look like you were getting on the death roller coaster there for a minute,” he explained, head tilted in confusion.

  She tried to smile, to ease his worry and fear. She didn’t want him to be freaking out over her, but her smile failed, falling off of her face and her eyes running over his features carefully. Honesty, she had asked for it, she supposed it was only fair that she give it as well. “I don’t know if I can do this?” she said hesitantly, her voice breaking over the words as she leaned slightly back, afraid that such honesty would upset him.

  His smile faded slowly, worry intensifying on his features as he sat forward, leaning in towards her. “What?” He sounded even more confused than he had before, whole body tensing with her words.

  She shook her head, unable to find the words to give him. She had a great vocabulary, at least for a waitress. Yet, none of it helped her at all, her mouth opening, and nothing at all coming out.

  “Was it something I did?” he asked in almost a whisper while still holding her hand, fingers dancing over hers as if he were considering letting go of her hand entirely.

  She sucked in another large breath, gazing at him as if she could replicate that emotion on her own face. He was staring at her so concerned, his hand holding hers so tenderly… it took her a moment to read all of that emotion in place, her eyes widening slightly. He thinks I’m backing out of the whole thing! Shit! She fought to control her fear, to reign in her terror and her reactions to all of it. She was scared of failing, afraid of hurting herself and him both. She had never been good at determining her own steps, at deciding what to do. She always floundered when it came to emotion. Doing anything that brave, anything that took her out of her comfort zone was damned near impossible. Except, she realized, for that day when she had returned his phone. Then she had conquered her fear.

  “I-I’m sorry,” she worked out of her tight throat, her fingers slowly closing back around his in turn. “It was just a moment, okay? I’m fine now, Morgan.” She assured, her heartbeat quaking within her chest. She had just had a panic attack, it happened sometimes…he made her feel stronger though, made her feel…braver.

  Morgan, though, didn’t look convinced. His eyes ran over her features slowly, as if trying to read her emotions. His body inclined towards her, head dipping to better capture her gaze. “You will let me know if there is anything bothering you? Anything I can do to…” His words were fraught with worry ‒ with that same careful desire to please her that had first hit her ‒ and she couldn’t help it.

  She leaned forward, cutting off his words with a kiss to his lips. Her lips soft against his, pushing as much emotion as she could into them. This man here was gorgeous, kind, and sweet. He’d become so concerned so fast, his whole body language shifting to try and put her at ease. Her lips parted, pulling his lower lip between her own and runni
ng her tongue along the curve of it.

  Morgan shifted, his free hand tightening into a fist against the top of her thigh as he leaned in towards her, allowing her to direct the kiss. Not that it, at all, stopped him from taking what she gave him. His lips were slow back against hers, matching the pace that she set.

  Ellie moaned, low in the back of her throat, his flavor burning against the edge of her tongue… setting her whole mouth of fire. He tasted like a salty sweet, warm confectionary thing, bursting upon her lips and melting into her mouth. She couldn’t help lifting her arms, wrapping them about him to pull him all the closer. It was glorious, kissing a man like this with all of her might. Like she had wanted to from the moment she had first seen him. All energy and reaction. Her fingers wrapped up in the tendrils of his hair at the base of his neck, lifting herself off of her seat and into him. His tongue began to circle back, moving hard against her, and his growl vibrated all the way through her lips.

  Oh! Her eyes popped open to meet the molten steel staring back at her, his heated gaze burning through her. Here she was revving him up when she had made him promise not to seduce her—yet there she was, doing the same thing, this very minute. She couldn’t just kiss him without it escalating, they both knew this. What they had between them was too electric. She pulled her mouth from his slowly, breathing out against his with a short pant. “I- I’m sorry,” she whispered, pulling away from him entirely and scooting back in the seat.

  She hadn’t thought about it, honestly, she had just reacted. Responded with her basest nature.

  His expression looked intense, lines hard within her features, almost like he was angry… but not. Every shift of her gaze brought his eyes with her, every slight movement catching his attention and holding it.

  At least that was how it looked to her from where she sat.

  He took a deep breath, steadying himself, as he looked her over again, the hunger slowly leaching from her expression. “Why are you sorry?” he asked, unfurling his fists slowly as he relaxed back into the seat.

  Ellie shrugged, her shoulders shifting defensively. “I shouldn’t have kissed you like that,” she admitted apologetically, her teeth pulling at her bottom lip. “...It might be misleading.” Might make it seem like she was asking for more than either of them were ready to give yet. She didn’t want to screw this up any more than she wanted him to.

  He blinked, looking stunned for a handful of moments before a chuckle escaped. And then another… and another, until he was full blown laughing, his head falling back against the seat rest.

  It was sudden and unexpected, her body jumping slightly in place. She hadn’t been expecting or prepared for the laughter, eyes jumping back to his face. Her body froze, wide eyes lifting up to his features and freezing in place. “W-what is so funny?” she asked him, all of her confusion leaking into her tone.

  He shifted, laughter dying down slowly as he wiped at his eyes with the back of his wrist. “Honestly—it did lead me to… well, I did see visions of the night you—that we…” he trailed off, his laughter turned back to frustration. “Damnit Ellie,” he cursed, his fist hitting the top of his thigh angrily. “Listen, I think we both just need to relax, okay?” he urged, slowly running one hand along her leg. In comfort rather than sexual tension. “We’re both too wound up,” he admitted, lifting both of his brows at her expressively.

  She nodded in agreement, her breath stuttering out in a surprised half- laugh. Hell yes, they were! She was already all wound up and wet, and that was just from them kissing. Her lips shifted, grinning at him for his words, for having summed it up so easily. “I’ll be calm now,” she said solemnly, pulling herself into her own seat. “I promise,” she assured, every line of her body held into her own. She couldn’t fly back into him like that, she couldn’t just throw everything they were working for away solely for the purpose of getting what she wanted in the moment.

  He smiled back at her, eyes gentling and his hand lifting as if to go to her face.

  “Sir?” A voice sounded in the limo, startling her. It took her a moment to realize that it had come over the speaker system behind her, sounding throughout the car.

  She flinched, her head turning to survey the seat behind her as if she could make sense of it.

  Morgan watched her amusedly for a moment, turning his head to talk to the speaker, “Yes, Frank?” Morgan replied, his amusement buried as he spoke to his driver.

  “We are now at the tarmac sir,” Frank answered Morgan, the car slowing.

  “Okay,” Morgan responded shortly, looking over at Ellie and lifting a single, solitary brow.

  “Tarmac?” she asked in response, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion, though the word sounded vaguely familiar. Her mind shifted, trying to make sense of the word, she felt like she should have known what it was.

  Nodding, Morgan replied his lips shifting again, “Yes the jet, remember?” he asked, gesturing out the window as if that explained everything.

  Her eyes widened, comprehension slowly setting in. Oh, god. The jet. She’d forgotten, amongst everything else happening, about that. About the jet. She could feel the second panic attack of the night fast approaching, settling in under her skin and making her breath come all the faster. Oh, shit. What do I do?

  Morgan stared at her, both eyebrows lifted and the confusion on his features clear, that worry slowly filtering back in again as well. “What do you mean? You just get on it with me,” he said slowly, by way of explanation.

  Again, she blinked, taking too long of a second before she realized what he was answering. Oh, fuck, had she said that out loud? She must have… She certainly hadn’t meant to. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and leaning her head back. She just had to count to fifty… slowly. Just like her daddy had taught her to do. One, two, three—

  “Ellie?” Morgan called, his concern still evident in every syllable of her name.

  She flinched, blinking her eyes open slowly. “Yes, Morgan?” she answered, pushing as much simulated calm into her voice as she could manage. Calm. Collected. Four, five, six, seven—

  “Are you feeling ill?” he asked hesitantly.

  She shook her head, sighing slowly and allowing her body to continue trying to relax without the counting. “No,” she admitted, “nothing like that at all. It’s just the excitement, you know?” she asked, looking at the door to the car and then out of the window at the tarmac again. “I mean… flying is always nerve wracking, isn’t it? Right?” Her words were coming too fast, syllables flying past her lips faster than she was able to contend.

  His eyes poured over her face, eyebrows twisting before comprehension dawned within his grey eyes. “You’ve never flown, have you?” he asked suddenly, his hand lifting to her chin to keep her gaze from skittering away from his once more.

  Oh, there! It was out. Now, play this off. She couldn’t deny it, exactly, but maybe she could manage to skirt around the truth or… oh, she had always been really bad at lying. It had always felt foreign and otherworldly. Her father had always said that lies led to cheating, and that cheating led to stealing and…

  Morgan cut off her train of thought, grasping both of her hands in his and staring firmly into her eyes, forcing her to focus on his steel gaze. “I promise I will be right there with you the whole time sweetness, and it will be okay.” He didn’t break her gaze once, assuring her with both his words and facial expression.

  She stared into his steady gaze, matching her breathing to his unconsciously. She hated panic attacks, and had gotten so much better at controlling them over the years. But besides her father, there was no one else who’d ever been equipped to deal with them from her. Get a grip, Ellie. This man has seen two panic attacks within ten minutes out of you! What kind of crazy do you think he sees in you? You’re not trying to scare him off here! Remember? She nodded with his words, watching the grey in his iris’ swirl. She calmed herself as best she could. “Okay.”

  His eyes lightened, smile opening his lips fully
as he beamed at her. As if he were proud, as ridiculous as that sounded. His thumb was soft against the back of her hand, reminding her that he was still holding it, even as the door opened to reveal the driver. He was, in the way she assumed was his job, ushering them out. Morgan nodded at him in thanks, tugging her across the seat as he himself slid out of the limo. He helped her out of the vehicle even, a steady hand against the small of her back the whole time.

  I will do this.

  Especially, with him helping. He led her across the tarmac, and in allowing him to lead her, she realized she was giving everything over to him. Letting go and allowing it to happen. Just like she had on her trip to the falls with her dad. It was what worked best for her, really. And he did it without so much as blinking an eye, taking control and helping her over her fear.

  Her breath caught as they reached the little set of stairs, but before panic could set in Morgan was leading her up them, the pressure at the small of her back increasing incrementally with each step. He carefully steered her past them and into the jet itself, only stopping just inside of it for her to get her bearings once more.

  Not that it was so easy to do once inside. Wow! It looked much larger inside than she’d anticipated, less like the pictures of planes she saw, and more like a resort lounge. There was a bar over on one side, apparently fully equipped and functioning, lounging couches, chairs, it even seemed like there was a large, flat screen TV mounted to one wall. It didn’t look like the inside of a plane at all. At least, not what she’d expected.

  And that smell! She inhaled more strongly, her stomach rumbling. Was that food? Whatever it was smelled delicious, an array of scents she couldn’t even name, but that tickled her taste buds delightedly.