Chapter 4

Judy’s POV

“Mr. Landry,” the receptionist said, quickly standing to her feet. She suddenly seemed disheveled, and I wanted to smirk with satisfaction, but I kept it held in.

“I asked you a question, Laura,” he said, narrowing his eyes at her. “What gives you the right to send away guests? You know the protocol. You are to call my office, and I am the one who decides whether or not I will see them or not. Not you.”

She swallowed and glanced at the ground as if staring directly at him physically hurt her.

“Come with me.”

It took me a second to realize he was speaking to me, but when I saw the receptionist glaring at me and Gavin’s retreating back, I nearly stumbled over my feet to catch up to him. He walked through a luxurious waiting room until we reached a glass elevator.

It was very high-tech with a touch screen attached to it. He brought up a keypad and typed in some sequence before pressing the floor number.

He stood so close to me that the elevator felt almost cramped, despite it being a wide space. I could smell his incredible minty scent, mixed in with his aftershave and my heart skipped a beat.

He didn’t bother looking at me though and I was starting to doubt this plan would work. Maybe he didn’t like me as much as I thought he did. I felt awkward knowing that under this coat was nothing but lingerie.

The elevator came to a halt and the doors opened. It was an extremely large space with marble flooring and granite walls.

“Where exactly is your office?” I asked, staring around the gorgeous area.

He glanced at me; his face kept indifferent.

“This is my office.”

My eyes grew large at his words. He continued walking until he rounded the corner and sure enough, there was his desk right in front of large windows that overlooked the human city. It was gorgeous and my stomach twisted with nerves.

He didn’t bother sitting on his desk chair. Instead, he turned to face me, leaning against his desk and folding his arms across his chest. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I took him in. He wore a white dress shirt with sleeves rolled up halfway, showing off his incredible muscles and his dark dress pants hugged his waist perfectly, showcasing his incredible form.

My wolf purred with satisfaction, and I found myself staring at him for way longer than I intended to.

He cleared his throat, making me nearly jump out of my skin as my gaze shot upward and met his. He was smirking at me, as if to say, “Caught you.”

My cheeks burned from the embarrassment I felt.

“So, what did you come here for?” He asked, breaking the tension between us.

Oh. Right. The reason I’m here.

“I have a problem, and I need your help,” I said in a rush.

He raised his right brow.

“What kind of problem?”

I cleared my throat before continuing.

“My father was arrested the other night,” I blurted. “His business went bankrupt, and he owes a lot of money. Roughly 5 million dollars.”

He was silent as he stared at me; I realized he was waiting for me to continue. Probably wanted to know how I needed his help.

“I was hoping you’d be able to help him and maybe pay the debt for my father so he could get out of prison?” I asked, biting my lip.

He was quiet for another moment, processing my request before he ran his hands over his face.

“And what would I get in return for helping your family?” He asked.

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

Confidence: I needed confidence.

I held my head up high and looked him right in the eyes. It was known as a challenge to look an Alpha directly in the eyes, even worse so looking a Lycan directly in the eyes. But Gavin wasn’t as angry as I thought he would be, instead, he looked intrigued.

“Well,” I began, I dropped my voice low as I stepped closer to him. “At the party the other day, we obviously had a connection…” I felt my cheeks growing hot as I spoke those words. “And I thought maybe…”

I took a deep breath and undid my coat, revealing a portion of my lingerie, but not all of it. Not yet at least. His eyes darkened as he gazed over my body, and I nearly melted under his scrutiny.

I suddenly had a surge of confidence, and I reached my hand out to touch his arm.

“I thought maybe I could do some favors for you in return,” I said in a sultry voice. “I’m a college student and very clean. I haven’t had sex before, but I’m on birth control, so you don’t need to worry about anything.”

His breathing grew heavy as he straightened his posture, closing the small gap between us. His nearness was intoxicating, and my heart started to race against my chest. His scent enveloped me, and I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this delirious.

He reached his hand up and I felt his fingers glide down my cheek, sending a wave of warmth throughout my whole body. We were so close together that I thought I was going to pass out from the heat that consumed me.

His eyes were dark like they were the night in the VIP suite.

He swallowed hard and I watched his Adam’s apple move slightly. I closed my eyes, preparing for him to kiss me. I could feel his breath on my lips and just as I leaned in close to him, getting ready for his embrace, it never came.

Instead, I felt him adjusting my coat, covering my body.

My eyes flew open, and I looked at his stern expression.

“Do you really think I need to pay a woman for sex?” He asked, breaking the silence. “You said it yourself that I have many options.”

My cheeks flushed immediately.

“I just thought—”

“You thought you could use your body to pay for my help,” he said, interrupting me. “You are still young, Miss Montague. You will regret taking such shortcuts in the future.”

How did he know my name? I hadn’t told him. Had he looked into me? My heart skipped a beat at the thought, but his words were slowly crushing me.

He didn’t want me.

I lowered my gaze, hating how hot my face was getting. I knew he could see just how embarrassed I was.

When he spoke next, he softened his voice and spoke with compassion.

“Look, I have a daughter,” he told me. “I would never teach her to use her body as a transaction. I want more for her and her future, and I expect better from her.”

He reached his hand and caressed the nape of my neck with his fingertips; my breath hitched as I gazed into his eyes.

“I expected better from you,” he added; my heart fell into my stomach and disappointment consumed me.

He was right. I was better than this.

I nodded my head and opened my mouth to speak, but I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see a couple of security guards standing nearby and I whipped around to look at Gavin with wide eyes.

“I’m afraid my time is up, and my patience has run out,” Gavin said, looking at me briefly before glancing at the security guards. “Escort Miss Montague out of the building, please.”

“Yes sir,” they both said.

They stood on each side of me, and I stared at Gavin with shock. I didn’t fight or argue with the security guards as they told me to come with them.

“Thank you for your time,” I managed to say before I turned and left the office. I wanted to cry because of the shame, but I knew more importantly I needed a new job.

….

“I’m so excited we get to work together,” Nan said with a wide smile. “And you look great in that uniform.”

I looked down at my uniform. I felt ridiculous in this thing; it was a short skirt and a crop top that showed way too much cleavage. I felt like I was on display.

Especially at night when this place pretty much turned into a club. These men are wealthy and would tip generously. It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up when I was struggling for money.

“That’s what friends are for,” she said, nudging my arm with hers.

She looked behind me and sighed.

“Looks like we are getting a group of guys. Good luck,” she said.

I sighed and turned to greet the customers but then I froze when I saw who was amongst them.

Ethan.