Always For You (Books 1-3) (12 page)

She
was so much more proper than me, I just found it odd that she liked
me, that she liked what I wore. Her mom was a therapist she told me,
and earned a fair amount of money. She was at college, studying
marketing or something. To think, me at dinner with a clever,
wealthy, college girl.
Fucking
crazy.

By the time I'd told Brad it was late
August, and we'd been seeing a lot more of each other. I didn't know
when to make the move, when to swap into my natural role. She must
have thought I was nervous or something, shy to kiss her. In the end
it was her who had to make the move, moving in to kiss me after our
third date. I felt like a total pussy, having this innocent little
college girl make the first move.

By the forth date I learned that she
wasn't that innocent after all. I guess there was a reason she liked
guys like me. We weren't exactly the shy and retiring type, and she
knew it. She'd told me her mom was away with her new partner for the
weekend so I went round hers. She had a massive country house, way
too big for just two people. After going there I never wanted to take
her to my flat, it was a real piece of shit by comparison.

She
was much kinkier than I thought she'd be, disappearing as we watched
a movie and then walking back out a few minutes later in some sexy
lingerie. I felt a switch go in my head when I saw her, turning my
primal urges back on.
Hell
yes, this is my territory now.

I had some of the best sex of my life
that night. I think it helped that I actually liked her as well, it
made everything more intense. From that point on it was all go, red
lights everywhere. Back of the cinema, check. Club toilets, sure.
Hell, we even got it on in a quiet section of her college library.
There weren't many people around as college hadn't started yet, but
it was still awesome.

“
So,
this is real is it?” asked Brad back in the bar, sitting down with
a fresh bottle of whiskey.

“
Yeah,”
I said, genuinely, “I think it is.”

August
30
^th
2013

Grace

I want you for tonight. You're just
what I'm looking for.

I woke with the words repeating in my
head, a nightmare that I was still recovering from. Those cold eyes,
that emotionless voice, that callous look on his face as he walked
away from me, leaving me there to die.

It had been a few nights since I'd seen
him again, looking at me with a sly smile. I didn't know whether he'd
recognized me, or whether he was just smiling at his protege's new
girlfriend. Whatever the case, I wasn't going to bring it up with
Chase, I didn't want to go down that road.

What would I tell him anyway? That the
father figure of a boss that he held in such high esteem was someone
who bought women, was happy to leave them to die? That his girlfriend
had almost been one of those women, sold for her body? Neither were
things I wanted to think about or talk about. Best forgotten.

It wasn't as easy at that though. A
couple of nights later he called me, his voice excited.

“
Grace,
I've got some good news.”

“
Oh
yeah? Shoot.”

“
It's
John, remember my boss from the other night. He told me today he was
upset he didn't get to meet you properly, that it was a shame we had
to leave.”

My pulse was rising. “OK...”

“
Well,
he wants to go for dinner, just the three of us. Seriously, do you
have any idea how busy his schedule is? He NEVER goes out for dinner
with any of my colleagues and their girlfriends. I know I've known
him for a long time, but it's still pretty big. I think it means he
might trust me for this promotion I'm going for. Isn't that great?!”

“
Um,
yeah Chase, that's so awesome.” I was trying to feign some energy
in my voice, some enthusiasm, but it wasn't coming.

“
Look,
are you free tomorrow evening?”

I took a breath, trying to think of an
excuse. I'd never been a good liar. “Um – well I kinda have this
thing on with erm – with Katie.”

He cut me off. “Come on, you live
with Katie. Please, this is so important to me, to my career
potentially. Can't you rearrange whatever it is for another night.
John won't have another slot free, no way.”

Shit.
I had to support him. After everything he'd done to help me, I had to
be there to help. “OK, I guess I can swap things around with
Katie.”

“
Oh
Grace, that is awesome! You have no idea what this means to me!”

“
Any
time,” I said.
Any
time.
How about no time, never, it was the last fucking thing I wanted to
do.

The next night I was a bag of nerves. I
would have to sit there, at the table, across from this vile excuse
for a human being. I didn't give a shit what he'd achieved in his
professional life. I didn't give a shit how much money he had. I
didn't give a shit if he'd been a great mentor, a great father figure
to Chase. To me he was the man who tried to buy me for sex, the man
who left me in a cold, dark ally, fighting for my life.

I barely noticed the opulent
surroundings of the restaurant when we entered, nor had a listened to
much of what Chase had told me as we drove there. A few things sunk
in. The fact that John had been a close friend of his dads, albeit a
fair bit younger. The fact that he'd stepped in when his dad had
died, helping to support the family financially through difficult
times. The fact that he took Chase under his wing, supporting him
through college and into his career as his own business began to
flourish. To anyone else he'd sound like the toast of the town, a
wonderful man. To me, he was something else entirely.

As we approached I saw him, sat there
at the table, his legs crossed, sipping casually on a glass of
champagne. He stood as he saw us, Chase moving in to shake his hand
enthusiastically. “And this is Grace, I assume,” he said, his
eyes fixed on me.”

“
Yes
it is,” said Chase buoyantly. “Grace, I'd like to introduce you
to John Avery, trader extraordinaire and, as I've told you, a close
friend of the family.”

“
Oh
Chase, please. Well, actually, no you are quite right.”
God
he was arrogant.
“OK,
let's get some champagne. Chase, I don't suppose you fancy a tipple?
Surely it won't send you flying over the edge again?”

I
looked over at Chase, my eyes shouting 'no'. “I suppose so, one
glass won't hurt.”
He
was so keen to impress this evening.

“
Excellent
my lad.” He snapped his fingers over his head, not deigning to make
eye contact with the waitress as she approached. “Cristal, please,”
he said. “Three glasses.”

He turned to me. “So, Grace, what is
it that you do?” There seemed to be nothing in his eyes that
suggested he remembered me. “Nothing seedy I hope. We don't want
Chase here led back down that path.” He laughed unpleasantly.

“
I'm
at college, studying law.”

“
Oh
lawyers, don't you just love lawyers,” he said sarcastically,
smiling towards Chase. Chase chuckled back, clearly used to his ways.
To me he was more snide than charming, coming across as superior and
arrogant.

“
Anything
on the side, you know, to fund your luxuries? A bar job perhaps.”
His words carried a heavy weight, a knowing look in his eye.
Did
he know, did he remember?

“
I
used to work in a bar, yes. A clothes shop now.”

“
Well
good for you. Any college student should also have a job on the side,
teach them the value of paid work. That's what I always taught Chase,
and look how he's turning out. A fine upstanding gentleman.” I
agreed on that, at least.

He went on for a while, boring the life
out of me. At least he was becoming humanized in my eyes. I was
starting to see him as the prick that he was, rather than this evil
presence in my nightmares. He was a colossal ass, pompous and
overbearing. He spoke with such condescension that I was amazed Chase
couldn't see it. Maybe he wouldn't see it.

Before the main courses came out Chase
stood up and absented himself to the bathroom, leaving me alone with
John for the first time. He looked after Chase as he walked away, a
contemptuous smile appearing on his face as he turned back to me.

“
I
remember you,” he said suddenly, his voice turning darker, more
cold. Gone was his imperious tone, a far more menacing inflection
left in his words.

I looked at him, my breath caught
short. He face was stiffening, his eyes falling deeper into their
sockets. “I remember what you are,” he hissed once more, his
voice no more than a vicious whisper. “I don't forget a face like
that, even when it's lost of it's life. I wanted you Grace, I wanted
your shadow.”

I sat there glued to my seat, my heart
racing. I tried to reply but he cut me off.

“
It's
that shadow I want Grace. You collapsed before I had my prize. I
always like to dot the i's and cross the t's and I always – always
– get what I want.”

“
You're
not having me,” my voice escaped suddenly.

He sat back in his chair. “You sure
about that?”

“
I'm
not a...” I could hardly bring myself to say it. “I'm not a
prostitute. I never was.”

His smile widened further. “I know. I
don't fuck prostitutes. I only fuck lost souls like you.”

He was sickening me, worse than I ever
thought he'd be. “What if I tell Chase. Tell him about this?”

“
You
won't do that.”

“
Why
not?” I said, my voice getting louder.

“
Because
if you do, you'll lose him. If you do, I'll fire him, destroy his
reputation, his career.”

I couldn't believe what I was hearing,
what he was saying. Chase was almost a son to him, someone he'd
helped for years get to where he was. “You'd never do that.”

“
You
have no idea what I'd do.” The sound of his voice was convincing.
He was so callous, so void of emotion, his words falling dead as they
crossed the table to my ears.

“
If
you don't give me what I want, you'll ruin Chase's life. Can you
really do that to dear old Chase whose supported you through all of
this, who you love. Yes, I can see it in your eyes. You love him, and
he loves you. All you need to do is submit to me for one night, and
all of this will be over.”

He
smiled, enjoying the game, enjoying playing with his prey.
How
could he ask this of me? How could he do this to Chase. Was he
bluffing, bluffing to get his prize?

“
And
I'll tell Chase all about our little run-in at
Room
Z
.
How you were a prize whore there, how you went off with clients every
night, drugged out of your mind. How would he feel about you after
that?”

I shook my head. “But that's not
true. I never -”

“
Oh
I know that Grace. But who will he believe? His boss, his mentor? Or
a girl who spent several months of her life high on cocaine, off her
head?”

I knew he'd believe John. He'd been
there himself, been through it all. He had told me himself how many
nights he'd lost, how many times he'd woken up not knowing what had
happened. He'd never believe me if John swore by it.

“
Why
the hell do you care anyway. Why me?” I was trying to keep my voice
down, but was exasperated, confused.

“
Like
I said Grace, I always get what I want. I'd seen you in the club
before. I wanted you. But then, poof, you got away, disappeared. I
never got to finish what we started.”

I saw him turn his head: Chase was
walking briskly back across the room to the table. He leaned in.
“Think about it Grace. I'll be in touch.”

As he gently leaned back in his seat
Chase reappeared at the table. “You two getting along well I see?”
he said, a beaming smile on his face. I blinked quickly, trying to
dry my watering eyes, planting a fake smile onto my face.

“
Well
you took a bloody long time, your prawn starter not go down well?”
John's voice changed back suddenly, all pompous and full of energy.

“
Oh
no, nothing like that. I just ran into an old friend, had a quick
chat. Food not here yet?” He looked around.

“
Good
point,” bleated John loudly, raising his nose and scouring the room
for our waitress. He clicked his finger once again and started
barking orders at the waitress to go check on our dinner.

I sat there in my chair, still trying
to come to terms with what had just happened. I'd lost my appetite as
the meals arrived, trying my best to put on a brace face, trying my
best to appear normal. “Everything OK?” Chase whispered in my
ear, noticing the change in me.