Stranded

by Chance Carter

  That was amazing. I can’t help smiling and squeezing her hands, looking down at her blushing away, I really can’t believe I don’t have anything to say. Just… just put the ring on and wing it. You always manage to come up with something!

  “Ella. When I first moved here I was hoping to live a quiet life, and when I bumped into you outside that flower shop, I started hoping that my life would be anything but. Meeting you like that, then you showing up to be Marnie’s nanny a week later, proved to me that there could be something between us. It was almost like the universe placed us together, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Not only do you make me feel better about my life, but you make me see everything through a different lens, through your eyes—your beautiful blue eyes—and I realize there is so much more to everything than I first thought, and I would be so honored to spend the rest of my life with you and our children.” I stutter at the end, and Ella giggles a little. Gosh, I bet she knows I only just now made that up. “And, I love you,” I add on the end, just to make sure.

  “Anything else, Mr. Abercrombie?” the priest asks, noticing that I had been rambling a bit.

  “Uh, no. That’s all, thank you. Please, carry on.”

  “Well then, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you, husband and wife,” he smiles at Ella and I, we look to each other and start laughing. I can’t help it, I’m just so happy.

  “You may now kiss the bride,” he says.

  Oh, believe me, I will, with pleasure.

  I lean down and kiss Ella on the lips, and our guests all cheer as I wrap her up in my arms. Marnie runs in to join in the moment.

  And now we can live happily ever after.

  The Baby Favor

  CHANCE CARTER

  Chapter 1

  Derek

  “A baby,” he growled, his wheezy cough interrupting him mid-sentence. “That’s the only thing that matters, son. A baby. An heir. If you don’t have a baby before I die, I’ll never forgive you.”

  Personally, having a kid wasn’t at the tippy top of my priority list. I mean, in order to have a baby, you first need a woman, and even that wasn’t at the top of my list.

  Not the type of woman I’d want to start a family with, at least.

  But my father was leaving me in no doubt. Starting a family was the only thing that would gain his approval.

  I didn’t understand it. My dad, with no less than four failed marriages under his belt, was disappointed in me because I hadn’t yet provided the family with an heir.

  I was only thirty-four, after all, and had plenty of time. I was too busy running the company he’d passed on to me to think about marriage and children.

  I looked at the letter from his doctors. It had been in my hands since opening it an hour ago.

  “Three months,” it said.

  That’s how long my father could expect to live.

  Lung cancer.

  He’d been battling it for two years. Who would have thought that a rich, clever, obstinate old man who knew how to get his way whatever the cost, would be dying because he refused to give up his smoking habit.

  It broke my heart.

  I’d just gotten back from visiting him for the weekend and my doorman handed me the note.

  “It is our professional opinion that your father will expire during the next three months.”

  I struggled to read the words through the tears in my eyes.

  We’d never been especially close. He was a tough son of a gun. He was never satisfied with anything, least of all me. I’d spent the last few years of my life trying to make amends for my mistakes, building up his company into a billion dollar empire in the few years I’d been CEO, but no matter what I did, it was never enough.

  “What use is an empire if it has no heir?” he’d wheezed into my face when I went to his room to say goodbye.

  “I’ve got years ahead of me to start a family,” I told him.

  “Gah,” he spat, waving his hand at me to show his disgust. “No heir, no inheritance.”

  I didn’t care about inheritance. Despite our wealth, money wasn’t the motivating factor in my life.

  “And no inheritance, and you won’t be carrying on our family name. I’ll disown you, son. Do you hear me? I’ll wipe the records clear of you. The family line will end with me and you won’t even be permitted to attend my funeral.”

  Now that hurt.

  Despite my seemingly carefree youth, my playboy ways, my lack of a wife or children, family was the most important thing in my life. The bonds of blood, the loyalty of family, that’s what I cared about. And he knew it.

  Things devolved quickly after that. He banned me from attending his funeral, he said he was cutting me out of the family, and he screamed at me to get out of his sight.

  His butler apologized as he escorted me from the room, but I got the distinct impression that if the old man asked him to, he and the other staff would ban me from the entire premises, would ban me from the funeral, and would see that every letter of my father’s will was carried out to a tee.

  “There’s nothing I can do to please that man,” I muttered to myself, placing my head in my hands and massaging my temples.

  I had to come up with a way to fix this.

  I’d regret it the rest of my life if my father died while being mad at me over this.

  Despite our rocky relationship, he was still my father—my old, dying father—and I was not ready to let him go. Not without bridging the gap between us first.

  But he was sort of putting me in an impossible position. I couldn’t just snap my fingers and provide him with the heir he so desperately wanted.

  I wasn’t dating anyone, and apart from flings and one night stands, I hadn’t been with a woman in years. I knew I could find a wife and start a family eventually, but in three months?

  Impossible.

  I went to bed exhausted. Fighting with my father always wore me out. During the night, I dreamt that I was driving toward the cemetery where all my family have been buried for generations. As I approached the big, brass gates, my father’s butler waved me over to the side of the road.

  “Sorry, sir. You can’t go any further.”

  “It’s my father’s funeral,” I protested.

  He shrugged and a police car appeared, escorting me away from the cemetery.

  * * *

  I woke up in a cold sweat and got out of bed. I had to fix this. I solved major problems for a living. I could solve this one.

  It was still before dawn but I put on the coffee machine and sat down at the counter in the kitchen with a pencil and pad of paper.

  “Find someone to have a baby with,” I wrote across the top.

  I stared at the words, sipping my americano, as the sun began to brighten the room.

  Then I wrote, “Find someone to pretend I’m having a baby with.”

  And that’s how it all began. It was going to be that simple.

  Or so I thought.

  At the time, I had zero clue that what I was about to embark on would turn my life upside down, bring me to the brink of chaos, and ultimately, change every aspect of my life, forever.

  I wasn’t entirely sure the idea was good, it definitely had a few risks, but I couldn’t think of any alternative. And I was too stubborn not to do something, a trait my dear father had passed on to me.

  I was going to have to fool my father.

  Not an easy task when he was known internationally for being one of the most cunning and astute negotiators in the business world.

  Even in his seventies, even sick, he was sharp as a tack. If I didn’t proceed cautiously, if I didn’t make sure every single detail was perfect, he’d see right through the entire thing.

  I would have to be extremely convincing.

  I thought about it a while, tapping my fingers on the counter and sipping my coffee. I thought about it while showering, shaving, and putting on my freshly pressed suit. I thought about it on the drive in to the office, and the ride up the ele
vator to the hundredth floor.

  And I thought about it right through my first meeting of the day.

  The office was where I spent most of my time. It was the one thing that I had inherited from my father that he wouldn’t be able to take away from me. After he retired, I stepped up as the head of Rittsman Enterprises, an investment firm that my grandfather created back in the early 1940’s. My grandfather, and my father after him, had brought the company unmatched success, and it was my turn to carry on the legacy.

  In many ways, I was only a figurehead. There was a whole committee of older men my father had put in place to run the day to day operations. My job was to attend meetings, show up for press conferences, charm shareholders, and look good for the cameras of the Business News Network.

  It was an important job, yes, but not one of much substance.

  But dedicating my life to Rittsman Enterprises was not enough for my father.

  Right on time, my secretary, an older woman named Janet, called.

  “Good morning, Mr. Rittsman,” she said. “How are you doing this morning?”

  “Good, Jan. What’s the news?”

  “Your meeting at ten has been cancelled. I think there’s a bug going around the office.”

  “It’s been cancelled?” I asked, “Really?”

  “Sorry, Derek,” Janet drawled. “I thought you’d be happy.”

  Normally, I would be. There wasn’t anything worse than trying to stay awake through a five-hour meeting in which the directors couldn’t even reach a consensus on what color our business cards should be. Being the head of an investment firm paid well, but it was dreadfully dull work.

  Today, however, I would have welcomed the distraction.

  The family business, I thought drearily. It’s the reason my father is so keen on ensuring an heir. He worked hard to build this business, and he’ll be damned if it’s handed off to a stranger one day.

  “I just don’t know what to do with all this free time, Jan.” I said, trying to sound cheerful.

  “Well, if you’re really looking for something to do,” I could hear her tapping her pen on her desk, “the manager who was supposed to be interviewing some potential interns walked out this morning, and I can’t find anyone who has time to deal with them. It’s not really that important of a job, especially for someone like you, but…”

  “Oh, fine, that’s fine. Send them up. It’ll be good to see some young blood. Thanks, Jan. Don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “You’re very welcome, Mr. Rittsman.”

  I tidied up my desk and took another sip of my coffee, trying not to think about my father.

  Some five minutes later, after a rap on the door, Jan let in the first candidate. I steeled myself for the task, turning my attention toward the girl in the doorway.

  And, no lie, this sexy little creature literally took my breath away.

  I had to gasp for air as my eyes gazed up and down her sensuous, seductive, deliciously curvy body.

  She had one of those asses I just wanted to bury my face in. Her breasts curved generously in her dress. I imagined lifting her up and throwing her on my desk. I wanted to push her back and dive in under her dress, rip off her panties with my teeth, and sink my tongue into her pussy.

  Fuck. I was getting hard and I adjusted my position in the chair to try and hide the fact I had a boner sticking up from my lap.

  She was young, about twenty. Her hair was pulled back in a braid, a few loose curls framing her face. There was a light blush on her cheeks, and her lips were full and pink. Her dark doe eyes were round and sweet, darting shyly from me to the floor. She was dressed in a simple black mini dress that hugged every curve in the most delicious manner.

  God, she looked irresistible.

  I was quiet for a second too long while I tried to get my act together, and attempted to form a coherent sentence. She just stood at my door, biting her lip, patiently waiting.

  “You… you’re here to interview for the interview… I mean, for the intern position, yes?”

  “Um, yes,” she said with a little giggle. “My name is Amelia Parker. Just Amy, if you like.” She looked at me nervously. “Sorry. It’s just that I wasn’t expecting to talk to you today, Mr. Rittsman.”

  I smiled warmly and stood up. Then I realized my erect penis was pressing against the front of my pants and grabbed a file from my desk and held it in front of me.

  “Hello, Amy. Nice to meet you. I’m Derek. Don’t worry, my role here is no more important than our interns’. Sometimes I like to participate in the hiring process, since, you never know, this could be the start of a long career here.”

  I led her over to the comfortable seating in my office, gesturing to an arm chair before sitting across from her. She looked wide-eyed around the room before looking back at me.

  “It’s really nice up here,” she said.

  “Thank you. It’s all a sign of how successful our company has become,” I shrugged. “Now, enough about me. Let’s hear about you.”

  She nodded quickly and scrambled to look through her green folder.

  “Here’s my resume,” she said, handing me a single piece of paper.

  I skimmed through it then placed it on the table.

  “You’re attending CBS? Impressive. For business, I assume? What are you planning on doing with your degree?”

  I was finding it hard to concentrate. The way she was sitting, ankles crossed, leaning forward, I had a generous view of her perfect round breasts. I found myself fantasizing about ripping that dress off her and sucking each of her nipples until she begged me to stop.

  My cock was in complete agreement, tingling with desire at the thought of sinking into her warm, wet pussy.

  “I’m not exactly sure yet,” she was saying. “I thought it seemed like a smart choice. That’s why I’m interested in interning here, to see if I’d be a good fit for this sort of work.”

  “Oh, I think you will be,” I said, trying to hide the lust in my voice.

  “Do you enjoy it?” she asked peering up at me through her thick eyelashes.

  I was taken by surprise with the question.

  “Uhh, yes. It’s a job. I’ve been very successful. People don’t usually go into this line of work because they enjoy it.”

  “That’s true, I suppose. Still, I would want to have something I like about the job, something to motivate me to get up every day, besides money.”

  “You do meet some very interesting people along the way, and make strong connections. It’s all about networking,” I said, not really listening to my own words.

  My mind was elsewhere, peeling that tight dress off of her. I felt my cock harden again, and throb in desire, and I adjusted myself in the chair, hoping she wouldn’t notice how completely horny she was making me.

  You’re being unprofessional, the rational part of my mind was saying, and I focused on behaving as I should. This young lady was here out of trust, and she deserved the same respect I’d give anyone else in my office.

  She was nodding and listening. Although she was quiet and humble, she spoke with a calm serenity that drew me in. I could tell how bright she was by how carefully she selected each word, how she examined the room around her, taking everything in.

  “I’d love to spend the summer interning here. It’s a beautiful building, and everyone’s been very friendly. I think I could learn a lot about the business.”

  And I feel like I could teach you a lot, I thought.

  About the business, I forced myself to think then.

  I resisted saying it aloud, and instead smiled.

  “I agree. And if everything works out, you can continue your internship into the school year. I don’t want to get too far into the future here—after all, there’s no day like today—but I can envision you working here for a long time. I think you could become a very valuable member of our team. We’re always searching for intelligent, interested people with entrepreneurial spirit, and I believe we’ve hit a go
ld mine with you.”

  Amy sat up straight.

  “Wow. I’m really flattered, sir.”

  “Please, call me Derek.”

  There was no doubt in my mind I was going to hire her. Regardless of my attraction to her, I truly did believe she would be a strong employee at the firm. She was smart, kind, and introspective—all things which, admittedly, turned me on.

  “Do you have any questions for me?” I asked, leaning back and covering my raging boner by interlacing my fingers together over it. I secretly hoped she had a hundred questions to ask me so she could stay a while longer.

  “No, I don’t think so,” she said.

  Damn.

  “Well, then I look forward to getting to know you this summer.”

  As she was rising from her chair, she stopped.

  “Wait,” she said. A cautious grin spread over her face. “Do you mean I have the job?”

  “Definitely. You are Rittsman Enterprise’s newest intern. If you want the position, that is.”

  A smile burst so suddenly and brightly onto her face it was infectious. I found myself smiling from ear to ear.

  “Oh, thank you, thank you, sir. I promise I won’t let you or the company down.”

  “Really, Derek is fine. And I know you won’t. I’m excited to see what you have to offer.”

  I stood up, adjusting my pants again in a vain attempt to hide my erection. She stood up too, and it looked as if she glanced down and noticed the enormous bulge in my pants. Her eyes widened and her cheeks reddened, but only for a moment.

  “I’ll have my secretary send you all the information you’ll need,” I said, clearing my throat. “Start date, where to go, who’ll be your manager, all that. We’ll get you settled in.”

  “Wow. I can’t wait.”

  That beautiful smile still hadn’t left her face.

  I shook her hand. Her skin was impossibly soft, and I couldn’t stop thinking about those hands, and her mouth, wrapped around my cock.