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.”
“Are you sure?” Now she had kissed him and been touched by him she knew, however crazy it seemed, that there was something between them and she would regret it for the rest of her life if she didn’t at least try to understand what the connection was between them.
“I told you, you are my mate. If anything it pleases me more that I will be your first, and only, mate,” he said, his voice full of raw emotion.
He pulled her close, still s
tanding between her thighs and she felt the length of his cock press against her. Nat was not lying; he wanted her, his arousal evident by his stiff length.
“I want you, Ellie, right now, more than you can ever imagine. But your first time should be special; I want to take my time with you. That is not going to happen tonight, with your brother coming home, so I will try to control myself until tomorrow. Will you have dinner with me, and stay the night afterwards?”
Disappointment and loss swept over her, she didn’t want him to leave, what if he came to his senses overnight and no longer wanted her? Then the practical side of Ellie kicked in, wasn’t this a good thing? At least if he changed his mind it would spare her the heartache she had shied away from all her life.
For Ellie, romance and relationships were an unknown land she had never set foot on. At least if he backed out she would not end up pregnant, and alone like her mother had. Yes, this was the safer way, let him go, after all the whole thing was crazy, and now she felt stupid for going along with the whole thing, no doubt this was a billionaires idea of entertainment, seduce a poor woman with tales of everlasting love, and then dump her.
Yet when she looked at him, and felt his body against hers, there was nothing that seemed further from the truth. He looked as though he wanted her, and she felt his need as though it was a tangible object, and when she looked inside her heart he was all she wanted. But it couldn’t be real, her head screamed, this kind of thing doesn’t happen to girls like her.
His arms were still wrapped around her, she wanted to stay like this for ever, but Tom could be back soon, and she wanted to have some space to think the whole thing over. She pulled away from him; it made her feel as though she was tearing a part of herself in the process.
His arms momentarily held her in place, and then slowly he relinquished his hold and she slipped away.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, will you come into the office in the morning?” he asked, moving towards the door.
“I thought I was fired.”
“Those were your words, not mine.”
“So I still have a job?”
“For as long as you want it.”
“If I sleep with you?”
He turned and looked at her sharply. “No, there is no condition attached to the contract. Mrs Pierce will get you to sign it first thing in the morning, I already have. I have included insurance for any of your dependants too.”
“Why would you be so generous?” Ellie asked, she was not used to people going out of their way to help her.
“Because you are my mate Ellie. I said I would not force myself on you, instead I hope that our relationship will move along rather quickly, and you won't need the job. In the meantime though I want to make sure you are well provided for.”
“It means that much to you?”
He came towards her, his face close to hers. He kissed her on the lips, the now familiar feeling of electricity passing between them. He did not touch her in any other way, it was as though if he did he would not be able to control himself and she would lose her virginity tonight after all.
“You mean that much to me Ellie, and in some ways I am being selfish, if things had gone differently tonight then you may already have had my child growing inside you, at least this way he would have some security.”
She took a step back as though he had struck her. “This is for real, isn't it? You are not playing with me? I mean a child is such a huge thing, something in fact I have never wanted.”
“You do not want children?” This was a surprise to Nat; he had been brought up knowing it was his duty to have children to strengthen his bloodline. That was not to say he had ever considered conceiving a child with anyone other than his true mate, which would be unacceptable.
“No. I have seen first hand what happens when children are conceived with no thought for their future.”
“Is that what happened to your mother?” he asked quietly.
“Yes, she was not very good at saying no to men. Nature takes its course and before you know it you are having a baby, with no thought as to how you are going to manage.”
“She chose to keep you, and your brother, so she must have loved you.”
“Yes, and in that I feel very fortunate, at least I am not alone, I have Tom.”
“And now you have me, and an extended family that will always be there for you.”
His words seemed strange to Ellie who had spent her whole life looking after herself and her brother, there were many times when she had taken care of her mother too. To be offered the chance to be part of a family, a large family was both exciting, and daunting. It was not something she had ever expected, her and Tom had become self sufficient and self reliant, giving it up was going to take some getting used.
She looked at Nat and saw how earnest he was, and questioned if she actually had the courage to do this. It was mad, and even though she had inexplicable feelings, and trust for this man, it would take time for Tom to get used to the idea of her being with a man. Especially when Nat obviously expected things to move so quickly.
Nat could read her troubled expression. He lifted her chin, and looked into her eyes, the depth of her soul open to him, his mate. “We will make this work.”
“What about Tom? How is he supposed to understand all this?”
“One step at a time, one step at a time.” He kissed the top of her head, and then moved away from her, while he still had the strength. He paused at the door, suddenly unsure. “I will see you tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“Shall I pick you up in the morning?”
“No, I’ll go and draw some money out and catch the bus as usual, I don’t want people gossiping about us.”
“You gave Tom the last of your money?” He remembered the overheard conversation.
“It’s OK, I’ll be at work on time.”
He reached into his pocket and took out his wallet, removing a crisp note and passing it to her. “Here.”
“No, I can’t take your money.” She had never taken charity from anyone.
“Yes, you can, what is mine is now yours, a life long commitment that is what I am offering you, starting from now.” He placed the money on the table. “Look at it as my treat for Tom, because he did me a favour by going out. Is that OK?”
“I guess,” she said. “Yes, that I can live with.”
He smiled, and her body melted, she wanted him to stay, to make love to her now. She gripped the back of the sofa, willing herself not to move because she knew it would only take the slightest encouragement from her and he would lose control, his need for her was so great she could almost feeling him pulling her towards him.
“Goodnight, Miss Carter,” he said.
“Goodnight Nat,” she answered, and then added, “And Nat, I think under the circumstances you can call me Ellie.”
“Goodnight, Ellie,” he said, emphasising her name. He left her then, but she was sure she could hear him laughing quietly to himself as he walked down the hallway outside. Ellie found she liked that sound, she liked it a lot.
***
Chapter Three
Tom returned home, full of the excitement having watched a great movie, something that had only ever been a special treat for him, usually on birthdays. It was only after he had given her a blow by blow account did he seem to remember why he had been allowed to go.
“So how did it go with the big boss? You look happy so I guess he’s not going to cause us any trouble.”
“It depends on what you mean by trouble,” said Ellie, realising it would be unfair not to tell Tom at least some of the truth, she ploughed on. “He wants to take me to dinner tomorrow night. Will that be alright with you?”
Tom looked concerned. “Is he pressuring you into something?”
Ellie smiled at Tom to reassure him, and then felt a little sad, did he think that was the only reason anyone would want to go out with her? “No, Tom, he’s not. He is a nice guy, really.”
“I do
n’t understand, he fired you this afternoon, and now he wants to take you to dinner.”
“That’s not quite what happened, it seemed I jumped the gun, he didn’t fire me. I just assumed he did. Guilty conscience I guess. He came by tonight to tell me they would be offering me a full time position, if I wanted it.”
“You're sure everything is OK?” Tom still sounded suspicious.
“Yes, I am sure everything is going to work out.” More like she hoped it would, she still didn’t know how she was going to break the news to Tom that Nathaniel Greystone, billionaire, thought she was his mate for life.
Tom, however, was still young enough to be able to be reassured and happy without much persuasion. He got up and planted a big kiss on her cheek. “You go and have fun. I can’t remember you ever going on a date, so I guess it is about time. I can go and sleep at Jimmy's, so there's no need for you to be home by twelve Cinderella.”
She laughed, “Thanks, Tom. Now let’s go to bed, it’s been quite a day.”
***
“If you could sign here, and here, Miss Carter, we can get you back to work.” Mrs Pierce stood watching Ellie while she signed the contract.
Ellie had spent some time going over it, making sure it was all Nat had said it was. Part of her had been convinced the job and Nat’s promises were not real. It had been a struggle to even come in this morning, convinced the whole thing was a hoax and she was going to get into trouble. Yet she could not deny the emotions that seemed to pass between them, so she had forced herself to get into work on time.
Then when Mrs Pierce had appeared with the contract and asked her to come to her office and sign it she had wondered if there was a hidden clause in it so that when she signed it she would belong to Nat in some way.
There wasn’t, in some ways Ellie was disappointed, she would not have minded belonging to Nathaniel Greystone, heart and soul. In fact, she was sure she already did, last night she had dreamed of him, a strange dream where a wolf had approached her, and she had tried to run, but it had pursued her until there was no air left in her lungs and she could run no more. At the moment he had run her down, and she was at his mercy she had woken up. Strangely the feeling left over from the dream was one of desire, not fear, the same emotions she now felt for Nat, although she still felt she shouldn't, he was too far out of her league.
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