by C. M. Steele
Graham
Obsessed Alpha
C.M. Steele
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Epilogue
Copyrighted © 2019
All Rights Reserved
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Cover design: C.M. Steele
Cover Image: Deposit Photos
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What’s the worst possible thing for someone who gets seasick? To get stuck on a cruise.
What if he willingly put himself there? Crazy, but that’s just what Graham Hamilton did.
Why? Because the cruise was a singles’ only vacation and the woman he’s obsessed with just climbed aboard.
Can he claim her before someone else does?
This is a quick adventure of love, lust, and obsession at first sight.
Chapter One
Graham
I brush my hands on my slacks, wiping the sweat off them before my potential buyer arrives to inspect the ship. Owning a cruise line was never in the cards for me, and I’m eager to unload it onto the first interested party. I’m one of the many people who get seasick, but this baby belonged to my father.
His ridiculous idea of putting his retirement and my inheritance into a cruise tours business made no sense to me. I blame it on his widow who talked him into writing her into his will and buying outrageous things. She made out very well and took off as fast as she appeared. I didn’t like or trust that harpy for shit. It makes me wonder if he didn’t just die from a heart attack, but I didn’t care to look too deep.
Luckily, I never needed his money, having made my own fortune by thirty without his assistance. Owning a multi-million-dollar tech firm took a lot of my time to keep successful, but I loved it. However, his untimely death left me with the sudden need to handle the sale of the cruise line while still operating my business. For the next two weeks, I’ll be working remotely as I get everything settled. Rearranging my schedule to accommodate this wasn’t ideal, but it had to be done.
I wait on the pier next to the gangway that leads to my cruise liner, scrolling through my emails on my phone. A text pops up from the buyer, alerting me that he’s on his way. I nod and respond. Tucking my phone into my pocket, I look up, and he’s already headed toward me. I Googled the man after receiving an email from him expressing interest in purchasing the cruise ship. “Hello, Mr. Christakos. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet me personally. I’m not interested in what others say about the properties I buy. I prefer to inspect them myself.” He’s more like me than I expected. Even his physique resembles mine.
“Not a problem at all. Are you ready for the tour?” I ask as we shake hands. I choke on the words, remembering how much I hate being on the ocean. My stomach lurches, but the pill I popped seems to be doing its job, and it settles back down.
He pulls his hand back, cocking one brow up at me. “Absolutely, although you look a little green around the gills. Are you well?” The suspicious look on his face makes me laugh. Some of his dealings aren’t clear cut and clean like mine, so I suppose it would make the guy nervous. He’s got nothing to worry about when it comes to me. I don’t know anything about him that a simple search revealed. His business is none of mine.
“I’m not a fan of ships of any kind,” I confess, making him relax a little. I hadn’t expected to look as shitty as I felt, but I laugh it off.
“Understand that. It explains why you’re so quick to sell it. At first, I thought it had some leaks, but seeing as you’re heading out on a cruise, I guessed wrong. So, your seasickness works in my favor.” It’s his turn to chuckle. Several people, particularly women, stare at us, smiling with arched brows.
I ignore the audience of curious onlookers and say, “Hey, I’m willing to part with it at a discount.” A steep discount if it saves me the trouble of managing two companies at once. I already work more hours than I should.
He rubs his hands together like a money-hungry shark. “Show me the way.” A crew member holds open the ropes for us to board, closing it behind us as I lead the way onto the ship. “So if you’re queasy on ships why buy one?”
“I didn’t. My father did. He was Graham Hamilton II, and I’m the third. He recently passed away, and I inherited it,” I explain as I walk past the deck chairs and lead him into the three-story atrium. I figure it’s best to start the tour off with one of the best features of the ship. It towers high and holds everything passengers could want in it except an actual clothing store. It has a gift shop with a bunch of random essentials people tend to forget along with some souvenirs with the cruise logo on it.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Thanks. It’s okay.” He can sense that I’d rather leave it there. Not wanting to make him feel like he brought up a sore subject, I add, “So let’s get this over with. I took some nausea meds, but there’s no guarantee how long it lasts or how effective they are.”
“Say no more. I like my suit.” He claps my back with a laugh. I lead the way around the ship on a grand tour, hoping to entice him as quickly as possible. He makes some notes on his phone and roams through the cabins and along the corridors, taking in all the little things that seemed innocuous to me. The ship is preparing to depart in the next hour, so the passengers are about to board. As we finish the examination, he and I pull off to the side.
As passengers are let on, Mr. Christakos receives a message. His expression shifts as he reads it to an angry and frantic disposition, snarling something to himself before tucking the phone in his pocket. “I’ve got to go. We can discuss the sale tomorrow. This can’t wait another moment. Damn it. I’m interested, very interested.” He shakes my hand quickly and not giving me another minute of his time, rushed past a line of passengers.
“Mr. Hamilton, can I have a word with you?” Phillipe Montenegro, the cruise director, asks as I watch the money run away from the dock. Shit, I hope Christakos is serious. I don’t have any other buyers lined up at the moment.
I return my attention to my director. “Is there a problem?”
“No, we just want to assure you that we’re doing our best to make the liner as amazing as it has always been. We’re sorry that you’re selling it. Your father was a great man, and we’re sorry that he
’s gone.” Maybe to them, he was. To me, he wasn’t kind or caring. He taught me how to be a great businessman, and how not to be a good husband or father.
He left my mother at fifty to start all over and moving on to some bimbo younger than me. He’d been having affairs for years, but this last one conned him into leaving my mother. I hate how he could do that, but he paid for it less than a year later. They married two weeks before his death. My mother had spent a lifetime with the man only for her to be banned from the funeral. I refused to attend on principle, but we arrived after everyone left. My mother didn’t say a word. She spat on his grave and walked away, and I don’t blame her.
“There’s also a room onboard for your use. If you wish to attend the cruise as well.”
“Thank you, but I’ll be going home. Phillipe, I believe that the buyer I have lined up has your best interest at heart, and he seemed quite pleased with the ship itself.” I’m about to say something when the ship rocks a little. “I’m not a sea lover. Excuse me.” I shake his hand and hurry down the ramp, trying to get away from the ship before I get sick.
I’m almost down the gangway when I collide with the tiniest little beauty I’ve ever seen. I barely catch her before her ass hits the ground. She only comes up to the middle of my chest. Her long brown hair is tied up in a loose braid and touches the edge of my hand. Her gaze meets mine, and we both release an audible gasp. She’s perfection with the greenish-brown eyes that sparkle in the sunlight.
My gaze dips lower to her parted lips, aching to feel them on mine. Continuing my examination of her barely covered body, I only get harder. She’s wearing a Beatles T-shirt that cuts off at the waist and a pair of tight little black shorts that hug her ass so damn snugly. My cock weeps with need as I admire the sexy creature pressed firmly against me. Lips parched, dick stiffer than ever, and hands feeling every inch of her slender waist, I crave her. A low rumble comes from deep within my chest, and she starts in my arms. With a gentle tug, she pushes out of my hold.
“I’m sorry, Miss,” I mutter, taking her hand in mine and looking for the right thing to say, but I have nothing since my other head borrowed my brainpower. Just the feel of her tiny hand in mine, has my body running into overdrive. It takes everything in me not to carry her away from here. Instead, I let go of her. The loss is immediate. What the hell is happening to me?
“That’s okay. I wasn’t looking. I’m running late. Excuse me,” she stammers out, dashing right past me with her suitcases and boarding pass out. Jealousy wars inside of me when I remember that this is a singles’ cruise. Shit. She’s going on there to meet some guy, and there’s a bunch of those young bastards aboard.
I watch until she disappears out of sight, then I walk to my Lincoln MKZ. I’m about to climb in when I’m struck by the need to make her mine before it’s too late. I double-check my car is locked and then turn back around toward the ship with my meds, wallet, and phone in my pocket. I can’t let her spend a week with nothing but available men. “I have to do something.”
Chapter Two
Gia
I hand over my ticket, barely hearing their greeting and directions. “Who was that?” I whisper to myself, wishing he’s going to be on the cruise, but he darted in the wrong direction. At least six-five and built from top to bottom. His dark hair, light brown eyes, and strong chin screamed pure sex. Damn, my body loved being held by his so much I had to push my way out of his grasp. The first time on a singles cruise and I’m ready to hump the first guy I see. Shaking off the attraction, I make my way toward the cabins.
There are people everywhere. I already hate this trip. It’s not so much the people, but the purpose of the cruise. Finding someone to be that one special someone isn’t easy. That’s why I’m twenty-one and single.
It was a gift from my aunt before she died. She used the last of her money to buy me a ticket to find a man. She was a bit old fashion. Aunt Bee, a fitting name, ordered me to find a man who would care for me and fill me with babies. It’s her dying wish and the only reason I’m here, but I can’t stop thinking about the guy who stormed away from the ship. Visions of him filling me with babies make the summer heat ten times hotter.
Did he forget his boarding pass? Or did he have a change of heart? Either way, I wish he’d come back. I shouldn’t have walked away. I’m a freaking chicken. The first guy to ever light up my body and I run as fast as I can only to be surrounded by a bunch of eager single men.
My hand still tingles from his touch like it’s been marked by him. I continue on down the passageway to my room. Knowing that I don’t like the ocean and wanting me to be comfortable, my aunt paid for one of the best suites on the ship. I don’t hate the ocean per se or even get seasick; I’m just indifferent to it. Tack on the added pressure of meeting a man, I needed this room.
I’m almost to my door when a man approaches from the opposite direction. He turns on his thousand-watt smile and introduces himself. “Hello, I’m Dex.” I take in his appearance. He’s a tall, athletic guy with blond hair and a bronze tan. It looked like he spent a considerable amount of time in the sun.
He takes my hand and tries to raise it to his lips for a kiss, but I pull it back. I can’t let the memory of the other guy go as a sense of betrayal strikes me. How could I let someone else touch me? I’m losing it. “I’m Gia,” I say, attempting to remember meeting guys is the whole purpose of the cruise.
“Great to meet you. I can’t believe someone as hot as you is on the ship.” He doesn’t waste a second tossing a bogus ass line on me.
“Um…thanks.” I don’t get out much, so I don’t really know how to respond. I just want to get to my room and get myself together before all the talking begins.
“Excuse me. I need to get settled in. I’m a late arrival.”
“Sorry. I’ll see you later beautiful.” He winks and walks away, stealing a glance back at me. I smile, wondering how bad this is going to get. Another two doors down, I find my suite number and press my key card to the door. It opens, and I drag my suitcases inside, stumbling a little. I step into the room, but the door doesn’t close behind me.
I turn around thinking he followed me in, instantly putting my guard up. Instead, it’s the man who left the ship. “What are you doing in here?” I gasp out, both shocked and pleasantly surprised to see him again.
“Refusing to let someone else steal you away.” I look him up and down while I try to understand this feeling of warmth coming over me. It’s insane how attracted I am to him. It’s not normal.
He leans against the door frame with his arms crossed, biting on the side of his bottom lip—looking like trouble, sexy trouble. His suit jacket tightens over his arms, displaying the muscles I felt coil around me earlier. My pussy clenches and my brain turns to mush. He’s not playing fair with all his sex appeal, and that shit is too unsettling. “Did you forget your boarding pass or something? I didn’t expect to see you again.”
“I didn’t forget anything but you. Come with me,” he demands.
“No. I don’t know you.” I cross my arms, attempting to look stern and hiding my hardened nipples. We stare at each other, and I can feel the heat passing between us. With my hauteur, I insist, “I need to unpack. Please go.”
His expression stiffens, and with a huff, he says, “We can get to know each other off the boat.” The suggestion is tempting because I’m not into the whole cruise thing. I might be sexually attracted to him, but I’m not insane.
I shake my head because I’m actually doing my best to fight off the need to throw myself into his arms. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” My voice is so weak that I doubt he believes me.
“Are you going to force me to stay on this cruise?” he asks like he didn’t plan on staying aboard the cruise. Did he think I would just do what he wanted? Okay, he’s not too far off, but that makes me annoyed.
Giving him my best glare, I inform him, “I’m not forcing you to do anything.”
“That you are,” he sighs. He
pushes himself off the door frame and adds, “I’ll be back. Don’t fall in love with any of these playboys before we meet again.” He walks away, and so does a part of me as the door automatically shuts.
“Don’t worry, handsome. I won’t be falling for anyone when I can’t get you out of my mind,” I whisper to my empty room.
I drop back and sit on the bed with a huff. “What is wrong with me? I don’t even know the man.” He didn’t even tell me his name, and I was so tempted to take his offer. I wonder where he would like to take me.
The sound of the intercom takes me out of my thoughts and back to reality.
This is your Cruise Director speaking. We will be setting sail. Thank you, and we hope you enjoy your stay with Hamilton Cruise lines. Our first port of call is the Caribbean island of Isla Nubia.
I feel the gentle movements of the ship leaving the dock. “Oh, heaven, help me. What have I gotten myself into?” Needing to clear my mind, I unpack my suitcase, setting up everything in their fancy cabin closet and dresser. It’s elegant in here, and I should enjoy every moment of it, and yet, my soul craves to forget everything else but the demanding, handsome stranger. I pour myself a glass of water and sit down to think. I’m at a crossroads in my life, and I should just take it one day at a time and breathe, but I want to do it while in his arms.
Chapter Three
Graham
I leave her room reluctantly. It takes me some time before I push off the wall and walk down to speak with Phillipe in his office. He stands up and shakes my hand. “Ah Mr. Hamilton, I’m surprised to see you on the ship. I’m about to make the announcement about our departure. Will you be joining us?”
“I am. Can you please escort me to my room?” I ask. As much as I don’t want to be on this ship, there’s no way I’m going to give her a chance to fall in love with anyone else. I’m determined as a motherfucker to make her mine, and I can tell that she’s interested as well.
