Free Possessed by a Stranger by Jeny Stone Page B

the painting she obtained being one of four, she might think
he was in possession of the other three. The legend surrounding the
four paintings foretold of a treasure. Surely, she wasn’t one of
those lunatics searching for lost gold.
    She floundered in confusion. None of this
made a lick of sense. Warning signs flashed in her mind. His stern
angry demeanor glued her to the chair with her apprehension of
saying or doing something to make matters worse. Nevertheless, the
reason for the danger remained hidden lurking behind the grayish
blue windows that held her gaze. She had two choices. She could
trust the danger signs and leave now or stay and face the impending
wreckage. Hell yes, there was going to be wreckage one way or
another. “Then exactly why am I here if it’s not business
related?”
    “This meeting is strictly business. I would
handle this situation exactly the same no matter who was sitting in
that chair. Remember the investment I missed out on the night we
met. It was a painting. You’re here to tell me how you are fixing
bids. Then, you will give me the painting you stole from me. I
warned you then someone would regret taking what I wanted. Odd that
it turned out to be you.” Ice coated his sternly spoken words.
    Oh, so this meeting wasn’t personal. That was
a relief. This was a business meeting. She refused to back down
with her integrity on the line. With the same professionalism that
helped to build her reputation, Hannah replied calmly. “To begin
with Mr. Garret, I don’t steal or fix anything. And I resent your
implication that I do. I work hard to get what I want and I don’t
leave it to chance or some lackey to do my job for me. I win bids
because I research the value of the merchandise and I outthink my
opponents. If you have a problem with losing a particular bid, then
I suggest you contact the web site and lodge a complaint. It is
bonded and insured against fraud.”
    Strong men had cracked under the icy glare of
his ruthless demeanor. They knew his reputation, she obviously, did
not. She remained calm on the outside. The fire burning behind her
crystal blue eyes caught his attentive assessment. He planned to
coax her temper to the surface. Heated words usually produced more
information than well thought out calmly told lies.
    “Let’s cut through the bull so we can move on
to more personal matters. You have the painting. I want the
painting. I’ll give you twenty percent over your buying price.” He
watched her rapidly blink the surprise from her eyes while
stretching her sleek tasty neck.
    “Most of what I purchase is for a client and
by request. If you’re interested in something specific, make a list
and price range. For a ten percent finder’s fee, I will make every
effort to locate the items.”
    Not everything could be bought and it was
high time Mr. Garret was taught that fact of life. If he wanted the
painting enough to track it down after the fact, he should have bid
higher. Not that it would have helped win the bid. That painting
belonged with her. She would have won at all cost.
    “I want that painting.” He demanded slamming
his palm on the table.
    She twitched, narrowing her eyes for a brief
second. The loud smack shook her confidence. Suddenly, his powerful
strength that she had found so appealing wasn’t. She stood her
ground, feeling a responsibility to protect a piece of her family
legacy. Not to mention, she spent three years of her life tracking
down that painting. Now, he thought he could buy it just because he
carried a wad of cash.
    “If I’m thinking of the same painting, I’ve
heard that painting has made its way back to family and is no
longer on the market. What’s your interest?” The legend attached to
all four paintings made them a hot commodity. Her handsome stranger
hadn’t seemed like the fortune hunting type. He might want it for
the novelty of being a piece of a treasure map. You never know
about people. Sometimes first impressions were