by Leela Ash
She stood up assertively and grabbed the bag of groceries from beside Luke so that he wouldn’t be able to resist. “Nope. Not walking. Come on, I’m going to drive you home.”
Luke let out a low chuckle and shook his head in amusement. She couldn’t help but smile privately as she led the way to her car. It was kind of funny to be able to put a guy like Luke in the more submissive role. But she knew that if he didn’t absolutely want to go with her, he wouldn’t. It was nice that he wanted to.
When they reached the car, Ella quickly put the groceries in the trunk and unlocked the door so that Luke could get inside. When she finally got behind the wheel and closed the door, she became overwhelmed by the masculine scent of him.
“I’m not the only one who smells good,” she murmured.
She could feel Luke turn to her, his eyes wide with surprise, but she kept her eyes carefully glued to the road, unwilling to take the chance of embarrassing herself with eye contact. Yes, she was a hot-blooded woman and he was a hot-blooded man and their attraction was undeniable. That didn’t mean that it had to mean something. They were both going through a lot and that meant that they were probably both just looking for something to take some of the edge off. Why not each other? They were both consenting adults, weren’t they? There had to be something mutual there, and if there wasn’t, then there was no reason to be troubled by it.
“So, where do you live?” Ella finally asked, glancing to her passenger.
“I live on the outskirts. Near the old pine forest.”
Ella gaped at him. “You were going to walk all that way?”
Luke shrugged a single shoulder. “Gotta stay in shape somehow.”
“You do realize that’s ridiculous, don’t you? What if it started to rain? Even the best of the best paper bags don’t hold up very well in water. They tear like…well…wet paper.”
She laughed quietly, and Luke smiled. “Yes, you’re right. Thanks for the ride.”
Ella nodded, and they spent the majority of the ride in a comfortable silence, each seeming to be lost in their own thoughts. Finally, near Luke’s house, he instructed her on how to get there. Her heart fluttered nervously as she went down winding, unfamiliar roads littered with foliage of all kinds. She had never been somewhere like this before, but somehow, it suited him immensely. Wild. Distant. Somehow beautiful.
She tried to force the thoughts away and pulled up to his house, putting the car in park and turning to face him slightly. “Welcome home,” she murmured softly. “I’ll go pop the trunk for you.”
She turned the car off and took the key out, rounding her car to get to the trunk. She could hear the passenger’s side door slam shut as Luke made his way out of the car, and their eyes met from over the roof of the car suddenly. The electricity between them crackled and Ella’s heart began to thud wildly. She absently retrieved the bag of groceries from the trunk of the car as Luke rounded the vehicle to meet her.
He stood close to her, taking them from her and looking down, unmoving, simply relishing in the electrifying attraction between them. In that moment, Ella wanted nothing more than to feel his arms around her. To touch his face or feel his skin against her skin. She wanted this man. More than anything. And the fire within her urging her forward was impossible to ignore. She had to have him. It was crucial. And she wanted to have him now.
10.
Luke had been doing his best to behave. He really had. He had wanted to hold himself back. Be strong and courageous in the face of his own desires. He knew they would not lead to anything good. He knew he couldn’t mar this sweet woman’s name and make her life impossible in this town. If she was claimed by him, the others would get a sense of it. They would think of her as marked and probably treat her poorly just to try and hurt him. If they thought that he had any investment in her at all, they could use it against him. It was sick.
But when her eyes met his and the fire erupted in his body, the wolf had had enough. There was no helping him at this point. The woman wanted him. Wanted him. Wanted to experience all that he wanted to experience with her. How could he refuse her that? How could he refuse it for himself? The wolf within him wasn’t having his refusal anymore. There was nothing left between them but acting upon raw desire. And there was nothing more that he could do about it.
He sat the groceries on the roof of the car and acted quickly, gripping Ella’s shoulders tightly in his hands and kissing her passionately. Her body became suddenly alive with sensations, energies he had never felt before, and was sure that he never would again. Not from any woman but this woman. How had he been holding himself back for so long? God, he had wanted her. Her lips tasted so fucking good.
He growled as he tried to fight off the primal impulses of the wolf, his body enrapt with the overwhelming need to show this woman tenderness and primal, raw desire all at the same time. He wasn’t sure which would win out, and soon found that he could muster them both. He lifted Ella from the ground and sat her heavily on the trunk of the car. She let out a little cry of surprise when she witnessed his strength.
He liked the way she was in awe of his manhood and devoured her mouth with hot, urgent kisses. She responded in kind, her legs finding their way around his waist. He moaned against her as he caught the first glimpse of her middle, warm and wanting against his groin. He was rock hard at this point, his member throbbing with the repressed desires he had been trying to keep buried beneath the surface. What was it about this woman that made him want her so much? He hadn’t felt this way in years. Maybe he never had felt this way. Maybe it was her. Maybe they were fated. Had the wolf staked its claim?
No, it couldn’t be. He would give her what she wanted and be done with it. Satiate her longing, gratify himself, and give the wolf a taste of the primal lust it had been pestering him with since the moment he had heard her voice. He was shocked he had held out this long. And the waiting seemed only to make every moment they touched that much sweeter.
Another growl escaped his lips when Ella bucked against him, her body tense and sensitive to his touch. She had been waiting too, he could tell. She had wanted him quite possibly the same way he had wanted her. And now they would indulge.
A sharp cry of pleasure erupted from Ella as Luke’s mouth found the nape of her neck. The wolf was in control now, and her body seemed to sense it and submit to its authority. She moaned deeply as he pressed the firmness of his cock against her, massaging the most sensitive area of her body with sinuous strokes. She shuddered beneath him and he bared his teeth, tearing her clothing off in a flourish.
Her bare breasts were exposed now in the wind, their perfect nipples hard against the crisp night air. He found one with his mouth and sucked it, its sweetness filling his mouth and stoking an urgent fire deep within him.
She writhed beneath his touch, her body electrified as he set to work in pleasing her. He nearly went crazy when the heat of her exposed middle found him, and he fumbled quickly to unleash himself, so she might be able to feel him too.
When their sexes made contact, both Luke and Ella let out deep moans of gratification. She moved herself gently against him, a sensual tease that made him yearn to tear inside of her and show her all that he had been holding back.
But she wasn’t ready for that rawness of his energy yet, was she? The girl was a human, and the wolf was savage. No, he would take his time, treasure her, show her how much he cared for her….
Just as soon as he found this resolve, it was stripped away. Ella’s legs tightened around him and pulled him closer against her, nearly submerging him in her heat. She was begging him silently to penetrate her. To show him just what kind of man he really was. He was done holding back now. She was going to get exactly what she wanted.
Sharp cries of rapture swelled into the night sky as Luke slipped himself inside Ella with a firm thrust. Their bodies were shocked into awareness of each other and he gasped as the indescribable pleasure of her body flooded him. Never in his life had he felt something like this, a
nd she moaned hotly against his chest as he began to unleash his power on her in earnest.
Their bodies were in sync as he moved, riding swell after endless swell of pleasure until Ella’s breath hitched in her chest and he knew that she was reaching her peak.
The wolf within him was encouraged by this, and her eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of it peeking out at her. Shit. She had seen. But it was too late now. They were climbing…climbing….
And with a sudden contraction around his member, Ella powerfully reached her peak. She moaned deeply, and Luke hissed in pleasure, his body on fire as the incredible energy of her orgasm encouraged him to unleashed in a flurry of desire unlike anything he had ever experienced before.
He let out a deep growl as he emptied himself fully inside of her, his body tense with the power of his need. They climaxed together simultaneously, their bodies engaging in a beautiful rhythm that nearly made him believe that no matter what happened, they would be together, and things would be okay. He didn’t have to be alone again.
But that was silly, and as soon as he began to gain control of his faculties again, he pushed himself away from her, realizing suddenly, what he had done. He had nearly claimed her. He had taken her right there and then and if the other wolf shifters caught sight of that, then there might be no end to the hell they gave her. He had to end this.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, tucking himself away and grabbing his groceries from the roof of her car. “I didn’t mean for that to happen. It won’t happen again.”
And with that, he walked inside, steeling himself against the pain he felt in doing so and not daring to look back.
11.
“What do you mean it isn’t enough?” Ella asked, her voice dangerously close to cracking. She was doing her best to maintain her composure. Michael was right there, and she hadn’t exactly been having the best week. Things between herself and Luke had grown ice cold since they had slept together. And on top of it, she was having some really bizarre stomach pains. If that guy gave her an STD, she was going to seriously kick his ass.
“It simply won’t do. We are going to need to up your payments. The loan must be the priority, as you well know. It is very important that we are able to keep you in the green with your payments. Right now, you are in the red.”
“But I have made my payment!” Ella exclaimed. She grimaced when Mikey’s eyes shot to her in fear and concern. She lowered her voice. “We spoke about this in person and over the phone very recently. I have made the payment it was agreed upon for me to make. I managed it. I did what I could do, and it was enough according to the terms of our agreement. Why are you doing this?”
“Because I am afraid I must, young lady,” Mr. Grier stated plainly. “What other option could there possibly be? This is business. I thought you understood that. If you didn’t, then perhaps it was a mistake to allow you the loan.”
Ella felt a swelling of panic surge through her chest and she shook her head urgently. “No, no, you did fine in believing that I could do this. And I can. I just don’t see how the terms can keep changing so drastically despite my best efforts to keep up with what we have discussed.”
“My job, dear child, is to review the books and see to it that nothing is neglected. It is so much more than seeing to it that your sweet little dreams come true. I have to make sure that, at the end of the day, the investments we have made are solid. And upon reviewing some of these details, it has come to my attention that you have bitten off far more than you can chew here. And we must keep your head above water or we are simply going to have to repossess the land and the remainder of the money from the loan. Is that understood?”
Ella stood numbly in the kitchen, scarcely able to believe what she was hearing. “I really can’t believe this.”
“It is really nothing personal, dear. As I mentioned before, this is about what is best for all of us here. Now, how do you find it fair that a poor investment was made on your behalf and I am getting my head bitten off for making a move to correct it? You claimed to be fit to repay the loan and now I am calling you out on that. How could you possibly believe that I am in the wrong when the terms of the loan are right in front of me in black and white. You did read the fine print, didn’t you, Miss. Smith?”
Ella froze and looked down at the ground sheepishly. To be honest, the terms that had been outlined in the fine print had eluded her. She had considered taking the whole contract to a lawyer to get feedback on it, but the consultation would have cost valuable money that she simply could not afford. She had chosen to trust that everything would turn out okay. She had not had any idea just how wrong she was.
“Mr. Grier. There has to be something that I can do to change this. I really can’t afford to be stuck like this with extra payments. I will be using the loan money to pay the loan! What about my land payments? And the maintenance costs? There are many things I am trying to juggle here and that was the whole purpose of the loan in the first place. If I could have afforded to do all of this alone, I would have a long time ago!”
“Miss Smith, I fail to see how this is my issue. Your concerns are valid, as I am sure you are struggling to make ends meet as it is and realizing that you have taken on a loan far greater than anything you could realistically handle must be quite shocking for you. But I can assure you that nothing you are going to say to me will change the situation, or my mind, for that matter. It is your responsibility to ensure us that you are making your best efforts to absolve your debt, and if I doubt that in any capacity, then you will fall into trouble.
“Your money will run out and the bank will simply do what it is designed to do. There are rules in place, you know. A system. You have to play by the rules of the system, and those who do not abide will end up stuck. That is just the way it is. A sad and simple fact. And I am sorry if you don’t like it, but this is the finality of the situation. Rules are rules. I can’t help you any more than I already have, and frankly, I think it is rather kind of me to alert you to the issue before anything surprising happens and you find yourself out on the street with a young child.”
Ella listened numbly as Mr. Grier lectured her. How could this be happening? She had thought that she had been so careful. Another pang of pain surged through her stomach and she winced, sitting down heavily at the kitchen table. Michael had lost interest in the conversation since Mr. Grier had begun his rant and was playing with his blocks at his highchair. She sighed and looked away, ashamed of herself beyond measure that she was not fulfilling her role as her son’s caregiver to the best of her abilities. She was failing. She was a huge failure and would never be a provider for him. All of this was a mistake. She should never have believed that she could do this. Especially not without help.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Ella said weakly.
“Very well,” Mr. Grier said. His voice seemed to have taken on a pleased and self-righteous tone and it sorely tempted her to hang up on him. But she didn’t need to be making any enemies at the bank. It was far too important that she and her son remain as stable as possible and not cause any more issues than could be helped. She had to manage to provide for him some stability. Some care. He was entitled to a comfortable and stable life. That was all there was to it.
“Have a good evening, Mr. Grier,” Ella forced herself to say. She wanted to throw the phone across the room, but that wouldn’t have set a very good example for her son. She could almost hear him coming up to scold her in the same way she so often scolded him. ‘No throwing!’
“You as well, Miss Smith. Get in touch with us by the end of the week to work out your second payment.”
Ella did her best not to sigh in frustration and gave a silent nod instead, gritting her teeth hard as she did so. This was her situation now and she was simply going to have to bear it on her own.
“Of course,” she murmured, hoping her rage wouldn’t come out quaking in her voice.
She hung up then, certain that she would not be able to handle another second of
this pompous little man. It was shocking how someone she had begun to feel a fondness for, a kindness, maybe even a comradery with, had so quickly turned into a snake in the grass eager to bite her ankle.
But she supposed that was always the way things were with money. She just simply hadn’t expected this vile, self-serving attitude in a town that seemed so quaint and perfect in its ways.
She sighed, checking her watch. Luke had been scheduled to come by and do some work on the roof. She would just have to make sure she and Michael were scarce before he came by. Then again, he could have been there already. The man was like a phantom. He walked everywhere he went, just about. Carried his tools, carried his groceries, silent and dark as a shadow.
Why had he slept with her that way only to take it right back? Hadn’t he felt the connection that they had seemed to share? Had it all just been carnal sexual deviance for him and nothing even remotely significant? What the hell was going on with him? And, of course, she already knew that he could never be someone she had a relationship with. She wasn’t ready. Her son wasn’t ready. There was so much wrong with all of this. So why was it that she was so hurt by his dismissal? Maybe he was just trying to consider her feelings.
But if he had been trying to consider her feelings, why hadn’t he even asked her what they were? What it had meant to her? Why not give her the opportunity to decide that this wasn’t what she wanted and let him walk away knowing that he was doing what was mutually beneficial.
Because if she was being honest, what would she be to him but a drag? She was a single mom. Her son was her life. What kind of time would she have to devote to a relationship with a handyman? A handyman who didn’t even want a relationship, apparently. He had dismissed her coldly and left her drive home feeling remarkably lonely.
