by Wood, Vivian
He stopped, bringing her hand to his lips for a brief kiss.
“I’ll leave you here. Your bags will be in your sitting room briefly,” he said.
“I- I don’t quite know how to thank you,” Aurelia said, her scent and that soft accent acting like a punch in the gut.
“You’ll think of something,” Lucas teased, shaking his head. “Get some rest. Come find me when you’re ready.”
And with that, he left her at her door. It was so hard to walk away without claiming so much as a kiss, but Lucas had been in the business world long enough to know when it was important to bide his time. He wanted Aurelia, but more than that, he wanted her to come to him. Now he just had to be patient… maybe go for a run, or do some laps in the pool. As if that would cool his ardor for Aurelia.
Lucas chuckled at himself as he headed downstairs.
3
Chapter 3
Aurelia was straight up astounded. When Lucas had left her at the door of her new bedroom, she’d opened the door and nearly lost her mind. The room was stunning, the bottom half of the walls lined in cream wainscoting printed with white tree branches, the top half covered in a delicate pastel cherry blossom print. The floors were different from the rest of the house, a lightly polished oak. A massive white four poster bed dominated the middle of the room, hung with gauzy white and pastel curtains. A matching vanity and armoire stood to one side of the room, a beautiful oak desk took up the middle wall, and the remaining wall was practically all windows, carefully bedecked with gauzy white curtains.
For a solid minute, Aurelia just stood in the doorway with her mouth hanging open. If she’d make a collage of her perfect room, cut out of hundreds of home design magazines, it could never have been as perfectly suited to her taste as this room.
She walked in and closed both the door and her mouth, admiring the details. A typewriter on the desk, with a fresh piece of paper ready for her words. Orchids and cherry blossoms on the vanity. A cream chaise lounge by the window. A bedside table with several bottles of water chilling in a silver champagne bucket; when she got closer, she realized it was her favorite obscure brand.
Flinging open the armoire, she saw that it was filled with every manner of clothing. The vanity had a few makeup products that she favored, her favorite perfume…
She froze. Examining the vanity more closely, she plucked a faded index card from the mirror’s edge. She didn’t have to read the text, she knew what it said.
“You’re gorgeous, gorgeous!” was scrawled in her own loopy adolescent handwriting.
Where in the hell had Lucas gotten something from the bedroom she’d had at her favorite foster home over ten years ago?
Carefully replacing the card, Aurelia backed away and made for the bed. Climbing up onto the top, she flopped down face-first.
A dozen, or maybe a million, separate emotions flooded through her mind. Tension, relief, fear, exhaustion, gratitude, bewilderment… everything swirled in her mind, making her dizzy. Squeezing her eyes closed, she dragged in a huge breath.
No, there was no preventing it. The tears rushed up, and suddenly she was sniffling. Then hiccuping. Then she was sobbing outright, gasping for breath, taken hostage by her homesick heart.
The card had been too much. Aurelia cried and cried, pouring out every last drop of resistance and anger and fear and anxiety along with her salty-sweet tears. Sometime between the tears slowing, and her realization that someone had done all this just for her…
Aurelia fell fast asleep.
4
Chapter 4
A full twelve hours later, Aurelia finally emerged from her room. She’d explored the rest of her suite, finding a delightful sitting room complete with tea service and bell pull, although she wasn’t sure whether there were servants of not. Then she’d found the pristine white-tiled bathroom, dominated by an immense claw foot tub. All her favorite bath products, things she’d never been able to get in India or even in New Zealand, were at her fingertips.
She’d taken a full bubble bath, pampered every inch of her skin and hair, painted her toes…
And then she’d dug into her new wardrobe. She didn’t think she could handle exploring everything just now, so she’d grabbed the first thing at hand… actually, the first thing had been a stunning Christian Siriano cocktail dress, so she’d put it back. The second thing she’d grabbed was a pale peach maxi dress, halter-style and neatly tapered at the waist before falling in a graceful pool at her feet. The linen was so soft, she actually sighed as she slid it on over her head.
She’d let her long hair dry naturally, and forewent perfume or makeup. It felt nice to be so natural and relaxed, so she left her shoes off as well. The men had been barefoot when she’d seen them, and she liked that. It lacked pretension.
Walking over to the desk, Aurelia picked up the neat sheaf of printed pages that lay waiting. She pushed back the chair and sat down, scanning the first page of her contract.
She wasn’t sure what she’d expected, exactly. Lucas was a businessman, so maybe a detailed breakdown of what she would owe him: frequency of sexual congress, absolute obedience, keeping her appearance up at all times.
Instead, it was a simple affair. The contract listed their names, and the location of the compound. It stated that Aurelia would provide companionship for a period of one year, and in return Lucas would alleviate her legal issues, provide her a generous stipend for the duration of their contract, and leave her with at least $250,000 in funds at the end of their time together. Aurelia had to look at the figure for a long time, trying to absorb it. $250,000 was a huge amount of money, in her book.
At the bottom of the page were two lines for signatures and dates. The top line was already signed with Lucas’s elegant scrawl.
Frowning, Aurelia flipped to the second page. It was blank.
“That’s it?” she wondered aloud.
She picked up a beautiful fountain pen that had been left for her to use just on this occasion, and sighed. There was no point in waiting, was there?
She uncapped the pen and signed the contract. A knot of anxiety formed in her stomach, but she pushed it down. Dropping the pen without ceremony, she pushed back from the desk and rose to her feet. It was time to face Lucas, begin to provide the companionship that had bought her livelihood.
Aurelia headed downstairs, carefully picking up the hem of her dress as she walked. It was slightly too long, and that imperfection somehow made her feel less overwhelmed by Lucas’s hospitality.
When she hit the bottom of the stairs, she caught a snatch of conversation.
“-don’t even know if she’s alive, at this point,” Ben was saying.
“I’d say she’s just fine,” Lucas said, turning to find her in the doorway. She hadn’t made any noise, yet he’d divined her presence.
The man Lucas had introduced as Walker stood as if to back away and give her space to approach, but she waved him down.
“I’m fine. Stay put,” she said, drawing near the couches where the men sprawled.
“I trust you slept well?” Lucas asked. “I see you found the clothes I brought in for you.”
Aurelia blushed, running her hands down the front of her dress.
“Yes, I did. Thank you.”
“You look really nice,” Ben blurted out, turning his own shade of red. He crammed a hand through his hair, awkward.
“Thank you,” she replied, giving him a warm smile. Ben was adorable, leaner and less uptight than the other two. His wrinkled jeans and band tee, the dark brown hair that spilled over his forehead, his shy smile… oh, yeah. He had a hot geek thing going on, for sure.
“Nice,” Walker snapped.
Walker was giving Ben a serious scowl. Walker was huge, the biggest of the three. Chestnut hair clipped close to the scalp, deep brown eyes that held no little bit of anger. He swaggered when he moved, and he was intimidating to the max, but Aurelia sensed something deeply wounded inside him. The man was hurting, and neither of his f
riends seemed to acknowledge it.
“Guys?” Lucas said, prompting them.
“Food?” Walker asked without preamble.
“God, yes,” Aurelia admitted. “I could have slept for another whole day, but I woke up ravenous.”
“Grilled chicken, asparagus, butternut squash,” Walker said. He was obviously a man who didn’t waste words.
“That sounds amazing,” Aurelia said.
Walker went into the state-of-the-art kitchen and started making her a plate. Aurelia started towards him, but Lucas shook his head.
“Join us,” he suggested. “Just tell Ben what you’d like to drink.”
“We’ve got fresh juices, your fancy bottled water, beer, soft drinks…” Ben offered.
“I’d love some juice. Do you have apple?” she asked.
“Totally, and it’s sooooo good,” Ben said, his simple enthusiasm infectious. Aurelia grinned at him, unable to help herself. She didn’t miss the glare Lucas shot at his friend, but she ignored it.
In a couple of minutes she was seated with a tray of food, a huge icy glass of apple juice, and three hunky men staring her down as she ate. She looked around at them, biting her lip as she picked up her fork.
“Um… do you think we could turn on the TV or something?” she asked, hesitant.
Ben laughed, and Lucas nodded. The remote was found, and soon a rerun of The Daily Show was on the den’s huge projection screen. Walker’s attention went to the show, and Lucas and Ben make an effort to hold a conversation with one another so that she could relax a little.
Aurelia ate with relish, enjoying the fare very much.
“Did you guys cook this?” she asked. “It’s awesome.”
“Ben,” Lucas said, shrugging. “He’s a great chef.”
Ben blushed again, ducking his head.
“I like eating, and I like watching people eat what I make. It’s satisfying,” he said.
“Well it’s great, thanks. I wish I could eat more, but I’m afraid I’ll burst and ruin this beautiful dress,” she teased.
Ben looked thrilled, and Aurelia smiled to herself. At least she’d won one of them over. He whisked away her tray, leaving the juice on the coffee table.
While Ben was preoccupied and Walker was staring at the TV, Aurelia cocked her head at Lucas.
“Do you want to show me the back porch?” she suggested, tilting her head at the sliding glass doors.
Lucas gave her a mega-watt grin, standing and offering her a hand. When she slid her hand into his, a burst of warmth spread from the contact just as it had the first time they’d touched.
She could feel his gaze as he escorted her outside, but she kept her eyes down as she walked. She needed a moment to gather her thoughts, piece her words together. Words were all she had to offer him, just now.
Sweeping her gaze up, she walked out to the cedar railing and took in the view. The forest was all around them, lush and verdant and beckoning to her wolf. The land sloped away from one side of the house, dropping dramatically to showcase the breathtaking mountains.
“We’re in the Blue Ridge Parkway,” Lucas said, propping an elbow on the railing next to her and giving her a considering gaze. Taking her measure, maybe waiting to see if she’d run.
Aurelia wasn’t planning to run, not from a place like this. Even if she’d wanted to, she had nowhere to go.
“It’s beautiful,” she commented, keeping her eyes trained on the view. She wasn’t quite ready to look at Lucas, the man who’d made all this happen for her. Who’d saved her from a terrible fate, and dropped her in every woman’s fantasy.
“I thought it was an appropriate backdrop for a beautiful woman,” he said.
Biting her lip, Aurelia allowed herself to turn and take Lucas in. Tall, muscular without the bulk, deeply tanned skin that spoke of how much time he spent outside. He had gorgeous curly blond hair with a handsome light streak in front, silver eyes, and very lickable lips. His smile, growing under her appraisal, was devilish and made her heart flutter a little.
“I’m going to kiss you,” he warned, moving closer.
Aurelia froze, lips parting as she frantically wondered how she should respond. An instant later, it didn’t matter. A burst of warmth shattered her reticence, sensation flooding her body as he closed in and cupped her jaw in his big hand. Using his thumb to angle her just so, Lucas leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. Another brush, and she released a soft sound.
Lucas dropped his hands to her waist, pulling her flush against his hard body.
“Kiss me,” he coaxed.
Staring up at him, she made a decision. Reaching up, she slid her palms across his shoulders to rest at his neck. Tilting her head back, she offered up her mouth.
His hands squeezed her hips, and his mouth found hers once again. This time his kiss was firmer, more insistent. Her wolf could sense his wolf, feel the need for dominance that he was holding tightly in check. She shivered, anticipation a living thing inside her.
Lucas was so warm and hard against her body, his kiss growing more insistent. He nipped and licked, coaxing her mouth open and causing sudden flutter of heat low in her body, a flicker of flame that she hadn’t expected. His hands gripped her hips, then slid down to cup her ass.
He lifted her off her feet and backed her up against the rough cedar railing, moving her as though she were weightless. Her eyelids drifted down, and she sighed into his kiss. His body shifted against hers, and his touch grew less tentative. He released her mouth, pulling back and running his eyes over her body, her breasts straining against the neckline of her dress.
Lucas raised his hand to brush her breast, and her breath hitched. He didn’t pause to cup her breast or tease her suddenly sensitive nipples, and she gave a short growl. Still, he ran his hand up over her collarbone and caressed her neck. She let her head fall back, savoring his touch. His fingertips trailed up her nape, making her shiver, and he thrust his fingers into the heavy curtain of her hair.
He spread his legs and wrapped his free arm around her neck, caging her with his body. Dominating, giving his wolf rein.
“Look at me,” Lucas ordered. Aurelia looked up at him, lips parted on a sigh.
Lucas looked into her eyes for a long moment, searching for something. A wicked smile curved his lips suddenly, and his fingers tightened in her hair. Not enough to hurt, but enough that when he tugged she had to bend backward into the railing. He bowed her body, turning her head to expose her throat.
Growling, he leaned in and pressed his nose to her neck. Inhaling, he groaned.
“Good girl,” he whispered.
Aurelia’s was floored. Here she was with a strange wolf, albeit a fiercely handsome one, and she was letting him set the pace on day one. She felt a flash of anxiety, but in the same moment realized that she was already growing embarrassingly wet. She tried to straighten, to pull away from his tight hold on her body.
“Aurelia,” Lucas said, tugging at her hair again. Harder this time, enough to make her gasp out loud. His arm that encircled her body squeezed hard, reminding her of his total control.
“Lucas, I can’t-“ she began, but he shook his head.
“You’re going to have to learn to trust me,” he said, his demeanor placid. As if he wasn’t turned on, as if his erection wasn’t grinding into her belly even as he spoke.
“Trust,” she said, the word coming out as a hiss. She trusted no one.
“Yes, trust,” he said. “When you sign that contract, you will be mine. Mine to protect, mine to care for. Mine to fuck.”
He ground against her on his last word, reinforcing.
Hot lines of need raced through her veins, and her wolf was frantically trying to rise and complete the coupling. The harder he tugged, the more the flames of desire grew within her.
“Stop thinking,” Lucas said, his tone gentle. “It’s all but signed, now. Submit to me, like I know you want to do.”
Biting her lip, Aurelia found the strength to strugg
le in his grip.
Pulling his fingers from her hair, Lucas dropped his hand to her thigh and began rucking up her dress. She struggled harder, but his fingertips found bare skin in mere moments.
Ignoring her mewls of protest, he traced a path up the taut top of her thigh until it met her hip. He cupped her hip briefly, giving a gentle squeeze.
“You’re so perfect here,” he said. His words were uttered as though a curse, and there was no hiding his genuine approval.
“Not too thin, not too thick,” he said, sliding his hand over the curve of her hip.
“Let me go!” Aurelia insisted, only now raising her arms to push him away.
He tutted, shaking his head. He leaned close again, his mouth resting against her ear. His fingers found the filmy white lace of her panties, the ones she’d selected from her new wardrobe.
Thinking about how he’d picked them out, wanting to see her wear them, wanting to strip them from her body…
Aurelia’s heart raced, her breasts throbbed, and the brush of his fingertips against her mons scalded her.
“So warm,” he whispered, his breath tickling the sensitive shell of her ear.
Her breath caught, and held. Those fingers brushed downward once, twice. It was all she could do not to press into his touch.
His touch slid underneath the thin barrier of her panties, finding and parting silky curls.
“Oh,” she said, the word a gush of breath.
“Ah,” he said, that wicked grin growing on his lips once more. “I knew it. I knew you’d be wet for me, ready for me to pull you to the ground and fuck you.”
She knew she should fight, or at least feel shame. Before she could consider either, his fingers traced a slick line down her sensitive folds, invading. In a flash, she was reduced to pure need. Her mouth was open, her head fallen to rest on his chest, and she was panting. She hadn’t been touched like this in almost three years.
