Possessing Elissa Read online

  How could anyone lie so convincingly?

  Letter to Reader

  Books by Donna Sterling

  Title Page

  ACKNOWLEDGMENT

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Epilogue

  Copyright

  How could anyone lie so convincingly?

  Jesse almost had Elissa believing he had come straight from some grueling mission that he wasn’t yet ready to discuss. “I’m sure you had a hell of a time, Captain Garrett.” The last two words sounded like a curse.

  “Call me Jesse.” It was an order, not a request. At her startled glance, he uttered, “I’ve waited a long time to hear you say it, Elissa.”

  The subdued passion behind the words rattled her. Inexplicably, she felt like crying. She drew in a breath, fortifying herself against the drugging effect of his nearness and the unmistakable message in his bold, heated stare. He wanted her. Here and now. And though he hadn’t made a move to touch her, she felt his touch and thrilled to it.

  When she finally found her voice, it shook. “Did you bring the waiver of parental status that I sent you?”

  “No, ma’am, I did not. What makes you think I’d ever give up my son?” Although his expression hadn’t changed, he suddenly looked dangerous. Intimidating. Every inch the battle-hardened commando. “Take me to him.”

  “He’s not here,” she lied. “He’s with my parents. Now do me a favor, Captain Garrett, and get the hell out of my house.”

  Jesse glowered at her for one insolent moment. Then in a voice as soft as gunpowder, he promised, “I’ll go, but I’ll be back, Elissa. Never doubt it.”

  Dear Reader,

  Did you ever notice that a truly strong man somehow makes those around him believe he’s indestructible, that no power on earth can stop him from getting what he wants?

  An illusion, of course, and one that makes the woman who’s falling in love with him wonder what lies behind that tough facade. She’ll look for his vulnerabilities—surely he has some! She’ll arm herself with each one, use them if she must. And all the while, she’ll hope to find a particular weakness, one that makes him vulnerable only to her.

  Because sometimes in a moment of need, a man’s greatest weakness can turn out to be his greatest strength.

  I hope you’ll enjoy Elissa’s quest as she probes beneath the tough exterior of Captain Jesse Garrett...to find the surprise awaiting her there....

  Happy Reading!

  Donna Sterling

  Books by Donna Sterling

  HARLEQUIN TEMPTATION

  586—SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW

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  POSSESSING ELISSA

  Donna Sterling

  TORONTO • NEW YORK • LONDON

  AMSTERDAM • PARIS • SYDNEY • HAMBURG

  STOCKHOLM • ATHENS • TOKYO • MILAN

  MADRID • WARSAW • BUDAPEST • AUCKLAND

  ACKNOWLEDGMENT

  My heartfelt thanks...

  To Kosmar, whose music inspired the creation of Jesse,

  To my critique group—Melissa Beck, Marge Gargosh,

  Susan Goggins and Carina Rock—for their advice and support.

  To my family, for the love that sustains me, and to

  Susan Sheppard, whose open mind and warm enthusiasm set my

  soul free. This book wouldn’t have happened without you.

  1

  THE DAMNED CONDOM had busted. That bothersome little detail flashed with neon clarity through Jesse’s memory as he reread the letter for the umpteenth time in two days.

  Dear Captain Garrett,

  Hope this letter finds you safe and well. You might not like the news I have to share. I’m pregnant, and the baby is unquestionably yours. Don’t worry—I won’t complicate your life. I’m perfectly able to raise this child on my own. He’s due in July. Let me know your thoughts.

  Sincerely,

  Elissa Sinclair

  Belted into the seat of the homeward-bound army transport as it lifted off from the small airstrip, Jesse Garrett stared at the linen stationery until the handwriting blurred before his eyes. In the two days since he’d collected his back mail, the shock of this letter’s news had somewhat worn off. He was able now to concentrate on the woman who had written the brief, impersonal note.

  She hadn’t been brief or impersonal the night they’d met. And she hadn’t called him “Captain Garrett.”

  Of all the details he’d forgotten about her, Jesse remembered the heat that had gunned through his veins when she’d whispered his name. And he remembered her mouth. Smooth, sweet and incredibly arousing. And the provocative feel of her in his arms, writhing beneath him in bed... These were his memories of Elissa Sinclair; dreamlike impressions that had stayed with him, warming him, stirring him, night after night throughout the entire hellish year.

  Get real, Garrett. She couldn’t possibly have been as good as all that. It had been his last night of leave, and if his gut instinct about this covert mission had proved correct, it would have been his last night on this earth with a woman. Imminent death, mused Jesse, has a surefire way of intensifying one’s appreciation of pleasure.

  Striving to remember more about her, Jesse retrieved a second letter from his coat pocket—the last letter she had sent him, dated months after the first.

  Dear Captain Garrett,

  Enclosed is a birth certificate for Cody Sinclair, born on July 8. Please note your name appears as “father.” If you care to claim paternal responsibility, advise me immediately. If not, complete and notarize the enclosed legal document.

  Once your waiver has been received, you will never again be connected with this matter. Contact me at the above address.

  Elissa Sinclair

  Jesse shoved both letters into the inner pocket of his military overcoat. He supposed if he had answered the first letter, the second might have been friendlier. But he hadn’t read either until two days ago. And it was already October.

  Which made his son three months old.

  His son. Jesse had little doubt that the baby was his. Why would Elissa lie? She was asking absolutely nothing from him; in fact, she seemed anxious to cut him out of the picture altogether. The timing was precisely right, the condom had broken, and his cousin Dean had raised hell all the way to the airport the next morning for “playing fast and loose with a woman like Elissa,” one of Dean’s closest friends since his freshman year in college. “Damn you, Jesse, she’s not the kind of woman you’re used to.”

  He’d been right about that. Jesse had known she was different within moments of meeting her. Classier. Softer. Infinitely beyond his reach. And he had wanted her more than anything he’d ever wanted in his life.

  Guilt rumbled through him. Had he deliberately seduced her? He didn’t remember it that way, but now he wasn’t sure. How had the pregnancy affected her life? She was some kind of schoolteacher, wasn’t she? In a small southern town. Jesse winced. Single and pregnant couldn’t have been easy. Was she resentful? Would she take it out on the child?

  At the thought, an unfamiliar pang clutched at Jesse. Would the boy be loved?

  Cody. His name was Cody.

/>   Jesse tightened his fists as an odd protectiveness washed through him. Elissa obviously expected him to sign a few forms, then be on his way. Before he’d left the base today, he had signed a few forms, all right. But not the ones she’d sent him. He had wanted to start the legal ball rolling so there’d be no doubt about his intentions.

  Staring through the thick, smudged window, Jesse watched as the hazy green expanse of forest below gave way to the gray shadows of mountains. The men around him talked, laughed and lied about what awaited them stateside.

  A sudden vibration shuddered through the aircraft. Jesse, like the others, ignored it. The vibration worsened; the engine spluttered. Conversations died. Jesse cursed with impatience. Not another delay. With his luck, they’d have to land in the middle of godforsaken nowhere.

  It wasn’t until the pilot’s panicked voice crackled over the intercom that Jesse’s premonition of death returned, no longer just the vague intuition riding heavy in his gut, but a looming, rational possibility.

  Not now. His silent pronouncement was a fierce resolution, uncompromising and absolute. I won’t die now.

  The engine cut off; the pilot cursed. The nose angled down into a dive. Panic broke out among the men. Jesse refused to give in to it. He had to get back to Georgia to meet his son. To make sure he had a better start in life than he himself had had. To change his name to Cody Garrett.

  And to douse with cold reality the memories of Elissa that made him want so damned badly to get back to her. He wouldn’t rest until he had done at least that much.

  Nothing, but nothing, would stop him.

  TIFTOEING IN HER fuzzy purple slipper-socks past the sleeping children, Elissa gently laid the newborn down into the crib and covered her with a silky baby blanket

  Barely daring to breathe, Elissa then glanced into the corner crib where her own son dozed, his diapered rump high in the air, his chubby legs tucked beneath him. She removed the pacifier from his bow-shaped little mouth, brushed a kiss against his milk-scented cheek and tiptoed out of the room.

  Nap time. At last, an hour or two of peace.

  If she worked quickly, she could have her kitchen cleaned before the kids woke up. Savoring the time she’d have to herself, she clicked on her radio, turned the volume down low and found a station playing soft jazz blues. She bent over a bouquet of roses from Dean, indulged in a whiff of their fragrance, then set about her cleaning chores.

  It had been one hectic morning, she reflected, moving her hips to the beat as she mopped up soup. Nin-emonth-old Jennifer, in a teething frenzy, had gnawed on everything...including Joshua’s finger, which he’d obligingly stuck in her mouth. Cody had been whiny except while in his swing, which required cranking every five minutes. Heather, recently introduced to the potty concept, spent the morning racing to her potty-chair, whether she needed to or not.

  Five children, mused Elissa as she tossed baby-food jars into her recycling bin, were harder to handle than she’d expected. Then again, she was managing to keep them all safe, dry, well fed and reasonably happy.

  And she did so need the money.

  She applied her soapy dishrag to the cookie mush and thought back to her days of lucrative paychecks, panty hose, lacquered nails and reasonable schedules. She couldn’t help a certain wistfulness. Seven years of college, five years of professional experience, and where was she now? Chiseling a dried Noodle-O off a high-chair leg.

  Every career had its challenges.

  Resolutely she concentrated on the bright side. Her life plan had changed—drastically, yes, but not necessarily for the worse. She couldn’t imagine living now without Cody. He was her joy, her sunshine, her happiness.

  The ringing of the telephone startled her. She dropped her dishrag into the sink, dried her hands on the apron that covered her faded jeans and hurried to the phone.

  “Elissa, is this a good time to talk?”

  She sank down onto a kitchen chair and blew her dark, wayward bangs off her forehead, happy to hear another adult voice. “It’s fine, Mom. They’re all out for the count.”

  “So, have you made up your mind about Dean yet?”

  Elissa squeezed her eyes shut. She’d known this was coming. “No, I told you I wanted to think about it. Marriage is a big step.”

  “But you’ve known him since your freshman year in college, Elissa, arid he’s been so good to you through this entire ordeal.” Better than you deserve. Her mother hadn’t actually said it, but Elissa heard the implication.

  “Yes, Dean’s a good friend, but we’ve never actually been more than that. I think he sees himself as my knight in shining armor. It’s sweet of him, but I’m not sure if I—”

  “Elissa, honey, your son’s already three months old, and you’re still single. How do you think he’ll feel when he’s old enough to understand his...you know... status?”

  She stiffened, her hackles raised. “What exactly do you mean by status?” Politically incorrect words like illegitimate —and worse—hovered somewhere on the line between them, mercifully unspoken, but nonetheless hurtful.

  “Oh, Elissa, you know as well as I do that a husband like Dean would mean security for you and Cody. Why, health care alone costs a fortune these days. Believe me, honey, you could use a knight in shining armor right now.”

  “I wouldn’t marry anyone just for financial security.” But she had to admit to herself that the small profit she made from her home day-care business was barely enough for rent, food and diapers. A hard-working, responsible partner would make their lives much easier.

  “If you won’t do it for financial reasons, then what about social? Once you’re married, even this community will forgive and forget your...er...”

  “Fall from grace?”

  “I wasn’t going to say that. But you know what I mean. Why, I’ll even bet the school would rehire you.”

  “I wouldn’t go back, Mom, even if they asked.” The ludicrous relief on the faces of the administrators when she’d handed in her resignation had been almost laughable—if it hadn’t cut so deeply. She hadn’t been fired for her pregnancy; that was forbidden by law. But the disapproval of her co-workers—and the fact that the community would have questioned her influence over its impressionable teens—was enough for her to withdraw from her hard-earned position. Why submit herself or her child to public censure?

  And then there was the real reason she’d quit her career as a high school counselor. She didn’t deserve it. The position required impeccable judgment and clear-cut vision. She simply didn’t qualify anymore.

  “Elissa, you could hardly blame the school or the community for disapproving of an unmarried high school counselor who gets herself knocked up.”

  “Mother!”

  “And in this town, everyone knows you weren’t even dating anyone seriously. How could they trust you to properly guide troubled teens if you yourself—”

  “I know, Mom, I know. Let’s just brand a scarlet A on my forehead and talk about something else, shall we?”

  “Honey, you’re a mother now, and it’s time for you to wake up and smell the orange blossoms. Cody needs a father.”

  Ah, there was the argument she couldn’t quite refute. She wanted her son to be raised with a father’s love. And Dean would make a wonderful father—gentle, scholarly, loyal. And even though they had never been more than friends, Elissa knew that he wanted to be. She’d been the one keeping their relationship platonic.

  “I know Dean cares about me, and I care about him. But...” Elissa paused, trying to find words to explain her hesitation. But the explanation was not one she could share with her mother. Or with anyone else, for that matter.

  The fact was, she didn’t feel especially attracted to Dean. Not in the way she had been attracted to...

  She quickly squelched the thought She refused to waste her time thinking about Jesse Garrett. Their one mad night together had resulted in too much hurt, too much shame. She couldn’t understand what had come over her!

 
Captain Jesse Garrett of the U.S. Army Rangers—Dean’s cousin—had unexpectedly dropped in for a visit on his way from Savannah to Atlanta. His last night of leave, he’d said, before shipping out for overseas duty. She hadn’t met him before that night.

  When his dark, restless eyes had sought hers—and held them entranced—her world had somehow stood still. She’d never forget the feeling; as if she’d plugged herself into some kind of spiritual light socket.

  Spiritual? she thought derisively. You mean sexual, don’t you? How could she have thrown away all her morals and common sense just for the sake of attraction? Powerful, mesmerizing, intensely sexual attraction though it was...

  She shivered at the mere memory of it. No, she wouldn’t think about Jesse Garrett with his hard, muscular body and his heart-stopping stare. Or the way his kisses had incited a frenzy within her.

  She took a deep breath and purged her mind of the disturbing memories. Dean was the kind of man she needed. The kind of man her son needed.

  “Don’t worry, Mom,” she said at last, cutting into a lengthy monologue on the virtues of any man willing to adopt a baby that wasn’t his. Elissa leaned her head against the kitchen wall. “I haven’t said I wouldn’t marry Dean.”

  She had barely said goodbye and hung up the phone when a sound near the front door caught her attention. Not a knock, precisely. More like...footsteps.

  In her living room. Her heart contracted. She switched off her radio to listen. Someone was walking across her living room floor! But she had locked the door. Hadn’t she?