Possessed by a Stranger

by Jeny Stone

  “Damn it Hannah, men would kill to be with a woman like you. I’m not sharing you with anyone.”

  God, he was thick headed. “Forget about other men. It’s what you think about me that’s the issue. I can’t talk about this right now.”

  She walked out of the room with tears streaming down her cheeks. She was wasting her breath on that clueless man. He might think he had the ability to see when a woman wasn’t in love with him, but he was blind to seeing the love in her.

  Garret caught her at the top of the stairs trapping her in his arms. He wouldn’t allow her to walk away, not now, not ever.

  “I should have called last weekend to tell you I was tied up with business. I saw it in your eyes. That made me think you might have done something to punish me. After all, that’s how we started out.”

  That sounded so much better in his head especially when “I’m sorry” would have sufficed. His feelings were private not to be shared. His one attempt to express them with words made matters worse. She repeatedly slammed her small fists into his chest. Her anger derived from the pain he had caused. He had to fix this.

  “You don’t know me at all, do you? I didn’t sleep with you to punish Jay. Hell, he doesn’t even know for sure what happened. We had an instant chemistry … at least I did. I had never felt like that before and I wanted … or needed … to experience those feelings. I’ve never had those feelings for anyone but you … Why don’t you know that?”

  “Okay, now I really feel like an ass.”

  He wanted to calm her to relieve her of any doubts. He wasn’t letting her out of his arms until he thought of a way to fix this mess. Her attempts to get free were useless. They fortified his determination.

  Flames from her anger and pain shot out of her mouth. “That’s because you are an ass. And that’s all I am to you. A piece of ass. You made me feel like a whore. That’s all I am. Your weekend whore …”

  Her words burnt through him. He grabbed her upper arms and shook her. “Stop it. Stop right now. No, I don’t think you’re a whore and I don’t like hearing you say that. I won’t stand for anyone saying bad things about you … not even you.”

  Oh God, now he scared her. He took a deep breath to calm himself. He touched his forehead to hers. For the first time in his life he spoke from his heart. “You are my sanity. The place I leave everything else behind. You keep me grounded. Hannah, I don’t want to lose that. I can’t lose you.”

  He sat on the top step pulling her onto his lap. He held her as she cried into his chest. His chest tightened against the dull thud of his heartbeat. Every tear she shed seemed to shrink his chest crushing his heart.

  When her wails turned to sobs he continued. He held her head to his chest not wanting her to see the pain this memory would hold in his heart.

  “Hannah, I have trust issues with good reason. I was in love once. We had been together for three years and she was the one I was going to spend the rest of my life with. I was in the service with six months left before my discharge. I came home on leave to ask her to marry me. Only to find she just married someone else two weeks before. He was my friend and we joined the service together. When he was wounded and returned home I had asked her to keep in contact with him. She had plenty of contact with him. She didn’t know how to break the news to me. She was pregnant with his child. She didn’t have to say anything because the moment I saw her I knew the love was gone. The rest of that mess was just icing on the cake.”

  She heard the pain in his voice and she knew it was still fresh in his heart. She always wondered about the woman that had broken his heart. Now, after hearing he had been in love ONCE she had heard enough. The once was in his past with another woman, not now with her. Some stupid bitch, she had never met and probably never would meet, had ruined her life. Hannah was the unlucky woman that had to live with that woman’s consequences. The past couldn’t be changed but the painful subject could.

  “What did you do with the ring? I assume you had a ring. You’re always prepared.”

  “I gave it to a buddy that was saving up to buy a ring. What in the hell kind of question was that?” He had poured out his heart to her and she wanted to know about a fucking ring.

  “I just wondered if you believed in bad karma. That ring might be jinxed. Is your buddy still married?” It wasn’t the ring that was jinxed it was her. The bad karma from his heart break had engulfed her. His only love had moved on leaving Hannah with all the pain.

  “I don’t know. I’m trying to explain why I jumped to the wrong conclusion and you’re more concerned with the frigging ring.” This change in her attitude wasn’t about the ring. He wasn’t certain it was about last weekend either. It stemmed from something deep inside her.

  She raised her head from his chest. “Okay, I’m sorry. It’s the first thing that popped into my head. So, she’s the one who ripped out your heart. Do you want me to kick her ass? What’s her name?”

  She wasn’t joking about kicking her ass. She would love to kick her ass and his. Here she sat on his lap filled with enough love to heal his broken heart and he refused to see something staring in his face. Or he had seen her love and wasn’t able to return it but wasn’t ready to give up the convenient sex filled weekends.

  “Lorraine and no, that won’t be necessary. If you ever decide to start a fight, please make sure I’m there to finish it. Right now, I want you to tell me about your parents. I showed you mine. Now it’s your turn.”

  Oh great, was this a test to find out how much pain she could endure? “I don’t like to talk about my parents.”

  He shook his head with determination in his eyes. She reluctantly continued using the short, sweet and to the point version. “They were who they were but they were still my parents. They had limited space in their hearts. Each other, money and a really good time didn’t leave any room for me.”

  She refused to look at him concentrating on her hands. “Keep going.” He caressed her back for comfort.

  “My parents worked hard. They played hard. They ignored me with ease. They were the typical middle class couple working toward a better life, a life full of fun, parties, vacations and keeping up with the Joneses. My untimely conception was an accident. Kids weren’t in their plans. Grammy lived with us and took care of me until she died when I was six. After that, I was just excess baggage. They provided a home and the necessities, nothing more. I was left to fend for myself, which I did.”

  Her voice was constrained telling her life story without any show of emotion. A lonely little girl sat on his lap. The pain in her eyes ran deeper into her soul. No, you couldn’t change the past but he wondered what consequences her childhood produced. Abandoned by the people that should have loved her unconditionally had to cause some lasting effects. Did she think he deserted her last weekend? Of course she had.

  “Are you looking for the perfect family with a white picket fence and two point five kids?”

  He got what he wanted, a look into her childhood. He would never understand, no one would. She wouldn’t tolerate him pretending to care about something so personal.

  “Don’t psychobabble me. I can’t relive my childhood with a family of my own. It was what it was and it’s over. There’s no such thing as a perfect family. I’ve already went down that road with Jay. That was a total disaster and I don’t plan on making that mistake again. I have an iron fence and a cottage where I belong. No one can take that from me.”

  Her warning glare slammed the door on the subject. She shut him out of that part of her life. He wondered if he had asked about her past before last weekend if the results would have been the same. He had a sick feeling the answer was no. He had destroyed her trust in him, if she ever had any to begin with. With that much pain just below her surface, she might not have the ability to trust anyone. Why hadn’t he noticed it before now? He gathered her in his arms, stood, and then carried her to the bed. He laid her on the bed then joined her. He held her in his arms snuggled into his chest for hours.<
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  Hannah resigned herself to the predicament she willing created. She had jumped into his bed with her eyes wide open. She had eagerly continued with the weekends. She had lost all rights to change what they had in midstream. It would be detrimental to confess her love so why do something so stupid? She wasn’t a person that would ever be loved and it was time she gave up trying. Her own parents hadn’t loved her and they should have out of the obligation of giving her life, if for no other reason. She had comforted herself as a child with convincing herself the love she felt for them was enough. Her love for Garret would comfort her now. It was enough. It had to be.

  “What happened to the pizza you promised?”

  Everything after that question went back to normal as if nothing happened. Her smile, her laugh, the bounce in her step was all the same as before. She joined him in the shower eagerly relieving him of two weeks’ worth of tension. He ordered the pizza and after it arrived they ate it in bed. Hannah teased him playfully and made love to him with the same passion. The pain disappeared from her eyes replaced by the sparkle he loved to see every time she looked at him. It was all exactly like it was before. But deep in his heart he knew different. He had hurt her in ways he couldn’t comprehend, ways she wasn’t willing to share.

  Saturday morning Hannah sat on the bed watching Garret hang the portrait back in place. He bounced the bed walking across the head of the mattress to mark his territory. If he thought the portrait protected his current sex partner from being promiscuous, so be it. She would let him have his peace of mind. Convincing him the portrait was unnecessary was useless, so she hadn’t bothered to try. Of course, she loved the painting, so he was doing her a favor.

  He missed the hook and the portrait fell behind the bed. When he pulled it out from behind the bed, cursing under his breath, the paper backing ripped. Old previously opened envelopes spilled on the floor. Hannah squealed as she rushed to pick one off the floor. Her hands trembled as she saw the envelope was addressed to Miss Louise Abernathy. Her heart beat wildly as she carefully removed one of the envelope’s contents then unfolded the aged paper. She whipped around to face Garret.

  “These are her love letters from Grant.” She slipped under her bed to retrieve all the papers scattered on the floor.

  Garret bounced off the bed with the portrait in his hands. He was thankful it wasn’t damaged except for the paper on the back. “Get out from under there. I’ll move the bed out from the wall.” He laughed as she squirmed under the bed with only her legs showing. “If you’re stuck I’m leaving you there.” He grabbed her ankles and with one tug pulled her out.

  She rolled onto her back as soon as her head cleared the bed. “I think I got them all. Are there more in the back of the painting?”

  He hooked his hands under her arms lifting her to her feet. “Looks like it. Do you want me to rip off the paper?” The stupidity of his question became evident as she ripped the paper off the back of the painting. She was so excited she wiggled when she moved.

  “There’s a poem on the back of the canvas. I can’t wait to read these.”

  She threw the letters over the bed picking up one at a time. “I’ll go get us something to drink and some snacks. You can finish doing whatever in the hell you’re doing. Then we can read the letters together.” He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

  “I’m organizing them by dates. We can start at the beginning.” She swiveled around to thank him properly with a kiss.

  They spent hours propped on pillows reading the love letters in bed. They shared specific passages and Grants memories of Louise. Some of Grant’s letters detailed his favorite sexual encounter. Garret read all the ones he found out loud.

  A chuckle emerged from Garret. “We’re doing this one.” He smiled devilish at Hannah.

  “What? Let me see.” She reached for the letter which he moved out of her reach. His eyes sparkled with wanting her. She loved that sparkle.

  “Oh no, I’m not showing you this one. You can read it later to see if I got it right.” He teasingly waved the letter.

  They wrestled for possession of the letter until Garret rolled out of the bed. She knelt on the bed to grab for the letter. He encircled her waist with his hands and tossed her over his shoulder. With his arms holding her kicking legs he bent to fit through the bedroom door.

  Laughing Hannah squealed. “What are you doing?”

  Garret smacked her rear. “All this is in the letter. You might want to take notes.”

  “Did you pick this one just so you could spank my ass?” She bounced against his shoulder as he bounded down the stairs.

  In the kitchen he sat her on the table. He planted his hands on the table beside her to look in her eyes. “Grant had to hurry in case Louise’s family returned. I don’t.”

  “I like the sound of that. What exactly is my roll?” His playful mood aroused her. The sex was exceptionally gratifying when he played.

  “Get out of that robe.” He commanded.

  With a seat cushion from one of the chairs separating her and the edge of the table he positioned her face down on the table. He spread her legs, running his hand over her hips between her legs. The sight of her ivory smooth ass and his fingers slipping inside her pulled his balls tight. The best was yet to come and if he had his way come and come again.

  Her shoulders rolled like they did when she was getting excited. He worked his fingers harder pressing on her inner walls wanting a deep moan. Her back arched when she moaned. He swirled his fingers out of her using her juices to lubricate her sensitive spot. Oh yea, there was the moan he had been waiting on. He took her right hand and placed it on her feminine mound. He guided her fingers with his swirling over her nub.

  “Come for me.” He demanded in a low rasping voice.

  He twirled his fingers into her moist depths. Damn, she was so hot squirming on the table, touching herself. He pinched the base of his dick to stop himself from exploding when he felt her tightened spasmodically on his fingers. She shook the table gasping for air. Her arm relaxed falling beside her. He ran his hands up her sides as he leaned to kiss her neck. He knew how much she loved him to nuzzle her neck.

  He whispered in her ear. “We aren’t done yet. Do it again.”

  He pressed on her back as he slipped inside her. He stood and held her hips as he pushed deep inside her wet tunnel. He waited for her tell-tale muscle roll feeling the movement of her fingers at their union. He leaned back to see himself hidden inside her. He pulled back just to see his dick disappear as he thrust hard into her again. Her back arched with the sexy roll. He pressed down on her ass with one hand slipping his thumb in her back door. He guided his dick with his other hand twirling it in and out. She was gasping uncontrollably. He thrust his hips forward consumed by the beginning of an orgasmic eruption. He moved faster, harder with a groan of pleasure gurgling in his throat.

  “Oh Garret …” She screamed.

  He thrust hard exploding with an orgasm. Her inner wall constricted around him draining every last drop. He fell on top of her kissing her neck as he basked in the glow of complete fulfillment. She gave him whatever he asked of her, willingly, with an eagerness to please. She was perfect in every way possible. His conviction to remain uninvolved was crumbling around him.

  “I have a confession. This wasn’t in the letter.” She shook with laughter beneath him.

  “Well it should have been. She would have chained him here if he was as creative as you.”

  Later, Garret drove up the lane to visit Pops. While he was gone Hannah prepared dinner. He would be depressed when he returned. Lately all his visits with Pops reminded him how soon they would end. They never discussed the subject; they didn’t have to talk about it to know. She knew one thing for sure. She would be there to comfort him when he needed her. She didn’t have a choice, she loved him.

  After he returned to the cottage they ate dinner. She knew not to push for conversation. He needed time to be alone with his thoughts. They dec
ided to watch a movie on television he had missed every other time it was shown. Cuddled together in bed they watched the movie. Garret fell asleep before the movie was over. She decided to read more of Grants love letters to her great Grammy. Louise was one lucky woman even though she lost Grant. Grant loved her. Maybe, too much or he wouldn’t have left but he loved her never less.

  Reaching across the bed Garret felt blindly for her soft warm body. He cracked his eyelids to find her sitting in the bed reading those damn letters. She had a pin-light focused on the paper on her bent knees.

  “Are you still reading?” Not only was she reading she was crying. She smiled at him with the saddest smile he had ever seen.

  “Grant was coming home to her.” She wiped her eyes with tear soaked tissues in her hand.

  He sat in the bed wrapping his arm over her shoulder. “Baby, you are crying over something that happened a hundred years ago.” She snuggled against him.

  “It’s still a heart breaking story. If Grant hadn’t died … we might be related.”

  “That’s not at all funny. But, we should be far enough removed to be legal.” He started doing the family linage in his head then said fuck it. It was the middle of the night and he wanted her.

  “You are a very bad man. The good news is … we have proof … there wasn’t a treasure. Listen … ‘My claim has proved its worthlessness, playing me for a fool, teasing me with golden dreams. My heart belongs with you and my poor tired body will follow it home. I will finish the week to quench any regrets with one more blast. I pray your arms are there to embrace me’.”

  She wondered if he understood the consequences of her find. They knew the answer to a question his grandfather spent years trying to find. The decision to inform Pops would fall on Garrets shoulders.

  “I found my treasure. Now, embrace me hard.” She set aside the letter and fell lovingly into his arms.

  They ate breakfast in silence. Garret had a distant look in his eyes. She knew he was wrestling with a hard decision that only he could make. They knew the answer his grandfather spent years trying to find.