A Virgin for the Wolf (2 page)

She tried not to berate herself over what had
happened. It had been done for a reason, a chance to make a better
life for her and Thomas; if she had been careful with the money she
would have been able to save enough for a college fund for him.

Tomorrow she would simply have to go back to
Scottie's and ask for her old job back, they had been sorry to see
her go so hopefully she might be able to pick up some shifts. Maybe
that was where she belonged anyway. Perhaps the only thing she
would ever be good at was being a waitress.

Wiping her eyes she went to the small kitchen and
began to prepare dinner. Thomas would be back soon, and he was
always hungry when he came home. They could sit down and he could
tell her all about his day, and tomorrow she would start to pick
the pieces up again, certainly she'd had enough practice at
that.

Pulling pans out of the cupboard, and heating the
oven she set to work on dinner. Nothing fancy, money didn’t stretch
far, but at least they would not go to bed hungry. Ellie had done
that a few times in the past too, not that it had ever made her
shift a few pounds, which seemed impossible.

She smiled, at least if she got her job back at
Scottie's they would eat well, the owner knew her situation and was
always generous with the leftovers. No, she could make things work,
a second job, perhaps at the grocery store, would make life
easier.

The door opened and Thomas came in. “Hey, Ellie,
something smells good.”

“Hi, Tom. Get washed up and we can sit and eat. Had a
good day?” she asked.

“Yeah, how about you? The new job still going great?”
His voice got closer, and then he was in front of her and she knew
she would have to tell him her news.

“No. I got fired, they found out I didn’t actually
pass my exams.” She stopped what she was doing and looked at
him.

“Really, I thought you said it was going well?” He
opened the fridge and took out a soda.

“It was, and then the boss himself, Mr Greystone,
came back.” She could picture him vividly, too vividly, the things
she wanted him to do to her, the places she wanted him to touch.
Clearing her throat she tried to concentrate on Tom.

“How bad was it?” Tom came and put his arm around
her, she leaned on his shoulder, goodness he was growing into a
young man, trouble was he constantly needed new clothes as he grew
out of everything so fast.

“Could have been worse, but it’s done with now.”
Although the thought of never seeing Nathaniel Greystone did not
sit well with her emotions. Maybe she should have listened to his
offer of an arrangement; it was probably the only way she would
ever know what it was like to be with a man. Wow, she sounded
desperate.

“I know, but you were best in your class, it’s not
fair that that counts for nothing, I bet you would have got the
highest mark out of your whole class if you had sat the exam.”

The hugged him. “Thanks, Tom, but the fact that I
didn’t sit the exam means I wasted two years of my life.”

“Look, I’ll ask around see if there is any work I can
do, to help out here while you get straight.”

“No, Tom. The best thing you can do is study, get
good grades, perhaps you might get a scholarship, your head teacher
thinks it is a real possibility.” Tom being successful and happy
would make up for all the sacrifices she had made.

“I feel bad though, you having to work so hard.”

“It'll be worth it when you become a successful and
then you can buy me a nice house, with a garden.”

“You're on,” he said giving her a big squeeze. “Right
I’ll get changed and wash my hands, I am starving.”

He left the kitchen, walking to his bedroom when
there was a knock at the front door. “Can you get that?” Ellie
called. “It will probably be for you anyway.”

“Sure,” he answered.

Ellie went back to preparing dinner, wondering if she
would have to make it go three ways, Tom always had friends around.
It was something she encouraged, because it was something her
mother had never liked her to do.

“Ellie,” Tom said, poking his head back around the
door. “It’s for you.”

“Who is it?” she mouthed. No one ever came to see
her, unless she owed them money.

Tom shrugged. Wiping her hands on a cloth she went
out to see who it was, shocked to find Nat Greystone standing in
her shabby apartment.

Tom stood looking at Nat, she could tell by his
expression he was intrigued as to why a man like this was coming to
see his plump sister, men basically ignored her, she was invisible
to the opposite sex unless she was bringing them their order.

“Mr Greystone,” she said giving Tom a look that said
make yourself invisible. “I believe our business was concluded at
your office.”

“I am afraid I don’t see it that way, Miss Carter,”
Nat said smoothly.

Ellie felt the colour drain from her face; he was
going to press charges. Could you be charged with falsifying your
CV? She wasn’t sure, but if a rich and powerful man such as
Nathaniel Greystone wanted it, she thought he would probably be
able to persuade the right person it was in the public
interest.

Tom saw her face too, and sprang to her defence, much
to Ellie’s horror. “My sister was just trying to make things better
for us.”

“Sister, ah, now it makes a bit more sense,” Nat said
looking at Ellie. “Where are your parents?”

“That is none of your business.” Ellie moved to the
door. “Please leave, Mr Greystone. I’m sure the police have better
things to do than deal with any charges you might want to
press.”

“You made it my business when you falsified
information on your application, so I’m not going anywhere until
you have heard me out.” Nat went over to the sofa and sat down.
“Don’t worry; I am not interested in involving the police, as long
as you do as I ask. Now please sit down, Miss Carter, and I’m sure
your brother has somewhere he could go to give us some
privacy.”

Ellie thought back to what Nat Greystone had implied
in his office, and despite her earlier thoughts, she had no real
intention of being persuaded to do him any personal favours. “This
is not a good time, we were about to eat.”

Nat crossed his legs, leaning back and making himself
comfortable. “Please don’t let me stop you, I will be quite happy
to wait.”

Ellie looked at Tom who stood with his fists
clenched; angry at the way Nathaniel Greystone was talking to them,
or particularly his sister, who he always felt was his duty to
defend. “Come on Tom, let’s eat.”

Tom looked at her as though she was crazy, but she
nodded towards the kitchen, and so he headed towards the door.
Ellie followed and once she had quickly finished preparing the food
they sat down at the small table, and ate in silence.

Unable to bear the atmosphere, Ellie tried to think
of something to say. “Do you have homework?”

Tom looked at her oddly. “Homework?”

“Yes, do you have homework to do tonight?”

He thought for a moment. “No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I only have math and that is not due for two
days.”

Ellie would normally have pressed him to finish it
tonight, but she thought it would be better if he was out of
earshot of whatever it was Nathaniel Greystone wanted to say to
her. “If I have enough money in my purse do you want to ring Jimmy
and see if he can go to the movies with you tonight?”

Ellie knew that the movies were such a rare treat
that he would go without any more persuasion.

“Can I go and see that new action movie? It has some
great car chases.” Tom already sounded excited.

“Sure,” she said rolling her eyes at him.

He laughed. “If you weren’t so boring you never know
you might enjoy it.”

“Boring. Wow, thanks.” She laughed too, forgetting
for one moment there was a very powerful man sitting in the other
room looking to take control of some part of her.

“Well, you are.” He finished shoving his dinner into
his mouth and grabbed her bag. Handing it over, he waited patiently
while she counted out the last remaining cash. “Thanks, Sis.” He
kissed her on the cheek and was reaching for his coat and heading
out the door. With phone in hand he was so busy texting Jimmy he
almost forgot to scowl at Nat who was still sat on the shabby sofa,
having listened to the exchange in the kitchen, smiling to
himself.

As the front door banged behind Tom he waited for
Ellie to come back out, after exactly one minute he thought he had
waited long enough and headed to the small kitchen to find her.

She jumped when he entered, she had been putting the
dishes in the sink, having scraped her dinner into the bin, she had
lost her appetite. The plates clattered into the sink, luckily they
did not smash. Wiping her hands on the dish towel she turned to
face her ex boss, unsure of what he expected of her.

He stopped a respectable distance away from her, but
still much too close for her liking. Ellie tried to concentrate,
and keep her wits about her, but the close proximity of him in her
small kitchen made her body react in ways she had never experienced
before.

“Shall we get this over with, Mr Greystone?” she
asked, her voice a little shaky.

“Nat, please.” He watched her face, taking in the
fierce light in her eyes; she was more beautiful every time he saw
her, the need to have her surrender to him deepened.

“I think I would rather like to keep this formal Mr
Greystone.”

Nat smiled, enjoying her defiant nature, a good trait
to pass onto their children. “As you wish, Miss Carter, although I
have no intention of letting our relationship remain formal.”

“Unless you plan to force yourself on me, that is
exactly how things are going to stay,” she said, crossing her arms
across her chest to form a barrier between him and her body which
was refusing to go along with denying this man anything he
wanted.

His voice became serious. “I will never force you to
do something you do not want to do. But I can’t let you simply walk
out of my life; do you know how long I’ve waited to find you?”

“OK, this is where you start sounding crazy. You
might believe in soul mates, and all that rubbish, but I don’t,”
Ellie said, squaring her shoulders, this had gone on long enough,
he might be mega rich, but he was also delusional.

“I know it’s not easy for you to understand, but
where I come from we have one true mate, and we mate for life. You
are my true mate, and I refuse to believe you cannot feel something
too.”

“Where I come from two people meet and then go out on
a date first, and then get to know each other before they go
further. I do not believe in love at first sight.”

“Really? So you are saying I don’t have any effect on
you whatsoever?” He stopped and looked at her closely.
“Truthfully?”

She hesitated, unsure what to say. The last thing she
wanted to do was give him any encouragement. They were alone in her
apartment; if he did decide to force himself on her there was no
one to help. Yet he seemed genuine in what he said, she was
confused.

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to
you, but then you are a good looking guy. What that does not mean
is that I am willing to jump into bed with you.”

“You think I’m good looking, that's a start.”

There was that hint of humour again; she could not
understand how he could take this all so lightly. Yet to a wealthy
man like Nathaniel Greystone life probably was a game with hardly
any worries.

“Any woman would be lying if they said you weren’t,
that does not mean I am attracted to you.”

He took a step closer, relieved she didn’t move away.
“Your body tells me you find me very attractive, the first time you
saw me your pupils dilated and your pulse quickened.”

“I was scared.”

“You should be.” He moved closer, she looked up at
him, this time mesmerised by him. He lifted his hand and cupped her
cheek, stroking it gently with his thumb. Her body responded,
leaning in towards him, wanting him.

He lowered his head and kissed her on the lips, the
connection between them electrifying. She yielded to him, opening
her mouth to allow him to brush his tongue against hers. Ellie had
to grab holding of him to stop herself collapsing, the intensity
was too great.

He deepened the kiss, willing her to realise the bond
that was between them, he wanted her right now, on the table of
this small kitchen. He turned her around and lifted her up so she
sat on it, then pushed her legs apart.

She gasped when he pushed the fabric of her panties
aside and his finger stroked her clit. No man had ever done this to
her, it felt so right, if she could simply relax and let him do as
he pleased.

The first feel of his finger sliding inside her,
brought her to her senses. “I can’t.”

It seemed as though he hadn't heard her, his hands
becoming more insistent, as were his lips which had moved to nip
her breast through her clothes.

“Please, Nat,” she said louder.

He pulled back; she looked into his face, shocked to
see a faint red glow in his eyes. “You can’t say you don’t want
this too.”

“It’s not that. I...Just not like this.” She buried
her head in his chest, hiding her face.

“Hey,” he said gently, lifting her chin. “You can
tell me anything.”

“It’s stupid, I know, but I always thought my first
time would be a little more romantic.”

He stilled, his whole body tensed. “You mean you are
a virgin?”

She blushed and tried to pull away from his grip.
“I’m sorry I’m not more experienced. I understand that would put
you off me.”

He held her face between his hands and kissed her
gently on the lips. “I am not disappointed, only surprised; there
are very few women of your age that are still innocent these
days.”