Infatuation

by Anise Storm

  Thaddeus shut the door, then returned to his desk. He opened the top drawer to pull out a small flask of whiskey. With a quick glance over at the clock on the wall, he noticed that it was only nine-thirty in the morning. It’s eleven o’clock somewhere, he thought as he removed the cap and took a large swallow of the alcohol. It was time to go to Manhattan. A change of scenery might be just what he needed. He took another few swigs, before hitting the speaker button on his phone.

  “Can I help you with something, Mr. Remington?” Barbara asked. Even her voice was so different. Where Hannah’s voice had a smoky seductiveness to it, this woman’s sounded dull and disinterested.

  “Get together all the information on the Breckenridge account and send it securely to my email. I’ll work on finalizing the proposal while on the flight. In the meantime, I also need you to clear my calendar and set up an appointment with Andrew. I’ll be flying to New York in a few hours’ time.”

  She assured him she would have everything done and he hung up the phone. Once he had everything running smoothly at Remington Industries again, Thaddeus would revisit the idea of returning to London to find his girl. Until then, he would make sure that his company remained his priority.

  Chapter Three

  Autumn was fading into winter in London, and Hannah pulled her overcoat tighter against her as she tried to ward off the brisk breeze that blew in gusts around her. She handed the taxi driver a few bills, then looked up at the massive skyscraper situated within a private marina in the Chelsea Harbor. She was still in awe that she even stayed somewhere so extravagant. Finley always did enjoy the finer things in life, though, and nothing in their neighborhood was more luxurious than his penthouse, which took up the top three floors of the tall building.

  She tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear and made her way inside, immediately greeting David, the doorman, who smiled at her. “Hello, Mr. Porter. How’re you doing this afternoon?”

  The man’s British accent was strong as he responded to her and it was something that Hannah would never tire of listening to. “I’m doing well, miss. Mr. Wetherall’s dry cleaning has arrived. Would you like me to have someone bring it upstairs for him?”

  “I can take it with me on my way,” she said, as she flashed him a small smile. Hannah loved doing things for Finley, even if it was something as small as delivering his dry cleaning. After all, it’s the least that I can do, she thought, as the man went to fetch the clothing for her. He returned a few minutes later with a garment bag that she immediately draped over her arm. “Thank you, sir. Have a good evening.”

  David tipped his hat to her then turned his attention to another resident entering through the front door. Hannah moved the dry cleaning from one arm to the other and made her way over to the elevator. She hit the call button and seconds later, the doors opened and she hurried inside. As they shut, her phone rang. Had she kept the same phone number from Atlanta, she would have checked first to see who was calling. But since no one but Finley or the employers that she had recently applied to knew this number, she quickly pressed the talk button.

  “Baby girl, are you okay? Your breathing sounds a little erratic,” Finley asked, as soon as she got out her nearly breathless ‘Hello’.

  “I’d just gotten into the elevator and your call startled me. I have your dry cleaning. Where would you like me to put it?” she inquired, while pressing the key for the twentieth floor. The car began to quickly ascend and she couldn’t make out his response through the static. “Hold on just a minute, please,” she said and waited as the elevator came to a stop. Once she was out in the hallway, she continued, “I couldn’t hear you. Can you repeat that?”

  Finley chuckled and the low sound of it rumbled through her chest. “You can set it in my room, and I’ll put it away when I get home, which brings me to the main reason for my call.”

  Hannah already knew what he was going to say. It would be something along the lines of an apology for having to work late. After all, this was the third night this week that he’d cancelled their dinner plans. “Yes?”

  “I’ve been slammed with work at the office all week, Hannah, and I have a late night conference call with some clients in the United States. I promise that I’ll make this…” He paused and barked off a few orders to someone in the background before continuing, “I’m not being a very good host, and, for that, I apologize. I’m going to block out some time this weekend for the two of us to hang out together. I’m sure that Gina has left something for you to eat for dinner.”

  Hannah rolled her eyes at the mention of the housekeeper. The woman was in her early forties and fawned over Finley, who was completely oblivious to her deliberate attempts at seduction. Gina had spent the first week either glaring at her or trying to cut her with her venomous tongue. It was only when Finley noticed the tension between them that she began keeping her displeasure about Hannah’s presence to herself. Now the two coexisted purely due to the fact that they kept their distance from one another. “Don’t worry about me, Fin. I’ll be okay.”

  She heard his audible sigh of relief. “Thanks for being so understanding, baby girl. I’ll see you later.”

  “Good night,” she said, moments before hearing the dial tone. Hanging up her phone, Hannah opened her small clutch and fished around for the keys, finally finding them at the bottom.

  ‘I’ve never understood why women have to carry so much junk around with them. Men simply need a wallet.’ Hannah cringed at the memory of Thaddeus uttering those very words. As much as she tried to forget about him, the truth was he was so deeply ingrained in her memory that she seriously wondered whether she would ever be able to fully rid herself of thoughts of him.

  Hannah was still as awestruck with Finley’s place now as she had been her first day back in London. The outside had nothing on the interior of his penthouse, though. Floor-to-ceiling windows in the foyer stretched all three stories and flooded the space with an abundance of natural light. Farther into the penthouse, larger windows wrapped around three quarters of the great room, providing a two-hundred-and-seventy-degree view of the River Thames and London.

  It was definitely a place befitting a king and, as her mind wandered, Hannah thought about the room on the second floor. It stood out, not only because it was protected by a big lock, but also it had a different type of door than the other rooms throughout the penthouse. The stacked-stone barrier reminded her of something one would see in a medieval dungeon. When she’d mentioned that to Finley, he’d gotten irritated.

  ‘That floor is off limits, baby girl. You have free rein of the first and third floors but not the second,’ he’d told her. She never argued with him, thankful enough for the hospitality that she didn’t think of prying further, even though her curiosity was nearly killing her. In fact, it seemed odd that he’d even told her to bring his dry cleaning to his bedroom, since it was on the same floor.

  Chalking it up to a mental error on his part, she was determined to do what he’d asked her to do anyway. Bypassing the separate elevator that would take her to any of the internal floors, she took the steps, even though her feet were killing her. Men loved to see women in stilettos, but they weren’t practical when she’d been on her feet all day, trying to find gainful employment.

  His room was at the top of the rounded staircase and she stepped inside, her eyes widening at the sight that greeted her. There was a colossal four-poster bed in the center of the room, and if she didn’t know any better, Hannah would have sworn that the metal clips nailed into the upholstered headboard could easily hold rope or the chain between a pair of metal cuffs.

  “Get a grip, Hannah,” she voiced aloud. “Not everyone is into the kinky type of sex that you are.”

  After laying the garment bag across the bed, she couldn’t resist checking out the rest of his room. Hannah noticed the various pieces of heavy furniture that matched his bed, then saw what had to be the master closet and bathroom. She was about to go look at both spaces, but changed h
er mind at the last minute and immediately exited. While she resisted temptation in his bedroom, she wasn’t quite as successful with the other room just down the hall.

  “What are you hiding back here, Finley?” She asked the question, but she knew the odds of ever receiving an actual answer from him was slim to none. Still, she ran her hand over the stone, and that was when she noticed the small keypad off to the side. “I never noticed that before. I bet I wouldn’t even need a key to get in here. More than likely the code itself is all I’d have to have.”

  Not that she actually planned to try to get the code or anything. Hannah groaned as her own imagination began running wild. She had no idea what he could be hiding in there, but, whatever it was, Finley didn’t intend to share it with her.

  It’s for the best. She tried to convince herself. Fin would be upset enough with her that she’d lingered on this floor for as long as she had. The quickest way to wear out her welcome was to stick her nose in her host’s business. Finley was a friend and his trust was something she intended to keep.

  * * * *

  Hannah was able to find a container of chicken salad in the refrigerator and, after making a small sandwich, she ate then cleaned up her plate. It would be hours before Finley got home, if tonight was anything like the previous three nights. It was at times like this that she realized how large and empty his penthouse was. Its wide-open expansiveness only compounded the fact that she was all alone. With nothing else to do, Hannah remembered the Jacuzzi that was on the rooftop deck.

  Because the sun had now set, the temperatures outside would be even cooler than they had been when she’d arrived home, but the warm water would surely make her forget all about it. She made a quick stop in her room to change and after opening the drawer, she pulled out the swimsuit she’d brought with her from Atlanta. Hannah held it until she remembered that Finley wouldn’t be home for hours. The rooftop patio was private, so there would be no one to see her if she soaked naked in the water. Finally deciding that was what she was going to do, Hannah tossed the bikini back into the drawer and grabbed her thick bathrobe.

  A few minutes later, she made it upstairs to the roof. The stunning nighttime view was a thing of beauty. There was something magical about city skylines at night, especially London’s. Amid the historic stone architecture, glass high-rises dotted the landscape. The lights from the buildings twinkled much like stars, shimmering off the glass and steel enclosures around them. It would be the perfect backdrop for a relaxing soak. Because of the chill in the air, Hannah waited until she was about to get into the water before dropping the terrycloth robe she wore outside.

  “Ahhh,” she moaned blissfully as she stepped into the tub and felt the heat from the water rapidly seeping into her skin. A few seconds later, she submerged most of her body beneath the surface, then leaned back against the edge of the Jacuzzi. “Damn, this feels good. It’s exactly what I needed,” she said to no one.

  Closing her eyes, she could already feel the weight of the world melting off her tired bones. Being unemployed for the first time in her adult life was very stressful. Hannah had sent in résumés to over a dozen places and received various ‘thanks but no thanks’ responses, if they’d even bothered to send one to begin with. She’d known that it would be a struggle to find employment when potential companies saw the gap in her work history, though, because she hadn’t listed her time at Remington Industries. Hannah had no choice if she expected to keep her whereabouts a secret. If Thaddeus knew where she was, he might try to persuade her to return to Atlanta. She was so weak where he was concerned that she had to recognize the very real possibility that he would be successful in that, assuming he even made the attempt.

  A sigh escaped her lips and she slipped deeper beneath the bubbles, making sure to dip her head completely under before assuming her earlier position against the padded headrest. A number of things had kept her wound up tight over the past few weeks, but the longer she lay in the hot tub, the less important they seemed. Hannah was so absorbed in her own thoughts she didn’t even hear Finley step out onto the rooftop terrace. It wasn’t until she heard the gravelly sound of his voice that she realized she was no longer alone.

  “I was wondering where you were, baby girl. When I didn’t find you in the flat, I knew you had to be out here.” His baritone voice was deep, relaxed with the hint of a rasp to it, especially when he enunciated certain words. “It is a great night to have a nice, long soak in the tub. Care if I join you?”

  “Of course not,” she answered softly. “This is your place, after all.”

  “Our place for the time being, Hannah,” Finley corrected her. Hannah’s eyes widened as he began removing his own clothes. His shoes and socks were the first items to go, followed by his pants and shirt.

  Hannah tried not to stare, but it was inevitable. Her gaze traveled over the bronzed and sinewy muscles in his chest up to his broad shoulders, then higher. Finley stood there unabashed and confident, as evidenced by the wide smirk he sported. A flash of movement caught her attention and she watched his hands as they rested above the waistband of his boxer shorts. He seemed to be debating on whether to remove them or not, then finally he let his hands drop to his sides and made his way over to the wide steps.

  “I’m not really dressed for the hot tub tonight, but it doesn’t look like that will be a problem,” he remarked, as he took his seat beside her. Hannah was about to ask him to elaborate when she suddenly remembered that she wasn’t wearing anything at all. Her hands flew to her chest and he chuckled softly. “I was enjoying the view, baby girl.”

  “I’m sorry,” she began to apologize. “I didn’t think that you would be home for hours. If I’d thought you would, then”—Hannah shivered—“I would’ve worn some clothes in here.”

  Even though a few years had elapsed since they’d last spent this much time together, Finley was every bit the imposing presence now that he had been back then. It was probably for the best that her immature crush on him had passed, or else being with him like this would be very awkward. Tucking a few wet strands of hair behind her ear, she leaned back and closed her eyes.

  Chapter Four

  While Finley sensed her nervousness, it thrilled him to no end that she considered his flat her home. For the past two years, he’d dreamed of bringing her back here and settling down. Years ago he’d known that she’d looked at him as more than a friend. He’d had the perfect opportunity to make her his at that time, but the knowledge that it would push her away when she found out the truth about him was what had caused him pause. Now she looked at him in a strictly platonic way for the most part, which disappointed him. Her change in demeanor toward him wasn’t a deterrent, but rather more of a challenge, and Finley was always up for that.

  “I, for one, am glad that you didn’t. As I mentioned previously, I’m enjoying the view.” He winked at her, seeing the small blush spread across her cheeks. Fuck! She is so beautiful and innocent.

  Since she was naked, there was no reason why he needed to wear any clothes himself. Standing up, Finley quickly removed his boxers and was about to sit back down when her eyes were drawn to the erect cock that bobbed against his abdomen as he moved back over to where she sat.

  “W-what are you doing?” she stammered, and the question caused him to grin.

  “I’m making myself comfortable, just as you were doing before I arrived. It’s okay, baby girl. I’ll keep my hands to myself, unless you beg me nicely to do otherwise.” The mention of the word ‘beg’ caused her to blink and, if Finley didn’t know any better, he could have sworn that it wasn’t from disbelief but arousal.

  “I…ahh…” Hannah closed her mouth and lowered her lashes.

  If only she knew what that submissive type of response did to a Dominant. Finley had fantasized for years about bending her over and spanking her perfect ass. He’d even imagined each unique shade those cheeks would become, depending on what implement he chose to use on her, and he’d imagined a number of them—e
verything from a flogger to a cane and even a single-tail whip. Would her body bow with each strike? Would she beg me to stop—or better yet, to continue?

  It didn’t matter, because in the years he’d known her, Finley had barely crossed first base with this particular woman. Looking over at her now, thoughts about stealing second and possibly third crossed his mind. If he made it that far, then he knew that he could take it the rest of the way home.

  “Is there something wrong, Fin?” Her sweet voice cut through his thoughts and he shook his fantastical expression away.

  His eyes never left her, although he forced them to rise from the tops of her breasts that were visible just beneath the surface of the water to her beautiful face. It was then that Hannah shivered, the slight movement enough to shake rivulets of water from her scalp and he watched one drop as it slid down her face and dribbled off of her pert chin. Fuck! Finley could easily picture that water being sweat, dampening her skin as he worked over every inch of her body with his hands and mouth.

  She shivered again as the cool breeze picked up, gusting around them. He’d barely felt it because the visions of Hannah had a fire rapidly building in his groin. It would be so easy to slide a little closer and kiss her again. Memories of kissing her in Atlanta flooded his mind. He’d thought about her often after he let her go that morning. Doubt had clouded his mind on whether he would ever see her again, but he’d been wrong because here she was, mere inches from him.

  “We’ve danced around the subject of what brought you back here to London, yet I still have so many questions, baby girl. I know you were escaping from someone, but why me? Why here and why now?”

  He could have sworn that something akin to pain flashed in those brown depths. Finley wanted to tear the person who had hurt her apart, limb by limb. Hannah closed her eyes and she let out a sigh, but she remained silent. While promising her a safe haven, he’d never professed to be a boy scout. In fact, he was the furthest bloody thing from one. Reading her body language, it was obvious that she intended for her silence to be the end of this conversation. He wouldn’t continue to pry because he did want Hannah to feel safe. He also wouldn’t waste this opportunity to sink deeper in her thoughts.