Emma’s POV
One month later
"Emma, wait!" My landlord Tara's sharp voice pierces my ears, which makes me cringe.
My eyes scan my surroundings nervously, hoping she doesn't notice me. The rent is one month late. Holding my bag to cover my face, I try to hide behind a big vase, but I fail when she hisses with so much anger that I wince at her intensity.
"Emma!" She reaches me in an instant, I nervously grip my sweater tightly while her eyes keep shooting daggers.
"I need your rent, you promised me to give it last night." Her breathing is hard and she looks ready to kick my butt.
She has dark eyes and short shoulder-length dark hair that frames her face nicely, and the high neck short black dress shows off her long legs. She is a real beauty, but no one dares have the nerve not to give her rent.
"Hi, it's nice to see you, Tara." I greet her, pretending as though I hadn't tried to escape from her earlier. My attic room's rent is 1000 dollars per month, but I cost a lot on buying a bed, chairs and books.
"I will receive my salary today, I just need a little time." My stomach clenches tight as I explain to her.
I used to witness her slapping four men's faces and breaking all of their ribs just because they didn't give the rent money on time. They begged her for mercy and gave her all the money they had, and never return.
"Tonight, until midnight, 12 pm, understand?" She screams in my face and gives me a threatening look.
I have to admit that I live on a budget, Nevermore doesn’t provide student residence, and the rent money is extremely higher than in any other place. After paying my rent and furniture, I’m very poor.
"Okay, before midnight," I swallow hard and nod my head.
Tara is a nice landlord, she gave me the best deal to rent an attic room. Sure, this place is cold like ice, but it's cheap.
And working in a small coffee shop with no tips means a cold meals and going hungry. The boss doesn't provide me with a free meal and I have no place to cook food in my little attic room. So I have to buy the cheapest food to feed my hungry stomach.
"Emma, I gave you free water and electricity, and a cheap place. You owe me two thousand, two months rent money, last month and this month." Her jaw seems to tighten when she says that, a muscle there twitching slightly
“Okay. I will give it to you tonight.” I promise.
She spats before leaving.
Hell!
Tara's request is killing me, I might be penniless tomorrow, drinking free icy water and searching garbage to survive.
No one is caring about an anonymous girl. But I will worry about that later.
I’m on nights, and it’s half past five. I need to hurry up and get to the coffee shop in fifteen minutes, or I'll be late and the manager definitely would deduct my money.
I know a better route, it will save me a lot of time. So I run as fast as I can and just arrive with eight minutes to get there. On a different sort of day, I can tell you all the things that have happened to me on this route:
Where two love birds dated each other; where Tara taught her son how to ride a bike without stabilizers; where supermarket people threw away their not fresh vegetables, food, and fruits.
The coffee shop is small, but it’s the only coffee shop in Nevermore. The college only accepts forty students every year, and most of the students are rich, some of them are billionaires, and some are millionaires.
“That you, Emma?” The manager Roberta asks.
“Yup.” I hang my hoodie and sweater on the pet and give her a hug.
She reaches out a hand a feels my forehead as if her hand has an X-ray thing that can test everything since I work here.
“You must feel cold, want a cup of tea?”
I nod my head with a big smile.
She walks into the room, fires up the huge tea urn on the table, brings in the crates of mild and bread from the refrigerator, and chats with me because there is no guest there.
Roberta likes me, she’s warm-hearted by nature and says having me there keeps the place colorful. She offers me a nice salary, 1500 dollars every month.
Everything in this shit place is more expensive, and you’re good at chatting with customers. She explains to me.
And I like customers. Especially, I liked an old lady, who only drinks cappuccino from Monday to Tuesday and sit reading newspapers and drinking her way through one cup of coffee. I always chat with her, she’s always alone, I suspect it might be the only conversation she gets all day.
Even the annoying customers, like the yellow-haired man with tattoos who always shouts loudly at least once a week, don’t trouble me.
Roberta watches me chewing bread, she gently touches my hair and says, “Emma, your landlord Tara came this morning and told me your rent problem.”
I wipe my hand on the apron with my mouth hanging open. “I’m sorry, Roberta. It’s my issue, I’ll deal with it.”
Then she hands me the envelope, and says, “I know you’re a new one here, but I want to look after you. There’s three months’ money in there. And it means you have to stay here even at Christmas.”
“Thanks for that, Roberta!” I wipe my tears and take a big bite to eat all the food. Then fill a glass of water and drink it.
I need to work harder, I think to myself.
At this time, a cluster of chattering students enter, I smile and serve them some coffee, then prepare to clean other tables.
The door whips back noisily on its hinges and two stronger hunks enter, talking into earpieces while checking the windows and all the doors.
"Who are these people?" I ask my manager.
"I have no idea. Forty years of working in this small coffee shop, this is my first time to see such militaristic security detail."
"This lever security may tell us that some tremendously important is about to arrive. Maybe a president?" She laughs loudly.
But then a six-foot-three-inch height man walks strode in and we both stop our silly laughing, my happiness dies as I feel an actual brief pain in my chest.
As I see that gorgeous green eyes and long black hair so bright against his skin, my smile freezes, and my breath catches in my throat. Desperately I bite my lower lips as I stare at him.
I know his face, I know who he is.
He is Austin, Jordy’s younger brother, and one of my husbands.
My whole body trembles, I want to run and find a place to hide forever.
I shouldn't run away, at least, can't run, I remind myself doggedly, ignoring the craven desire to flee.
Then his eyes land on me, his gaze is assessing me now, as though he is looking deeper. Beneath my clothes, the thought of which makes me feel hot all over, down beneath my skin.
My body starts to burn everywhere his gaze makes contact.
Austin’s POV
"Hi, I'm Roberta, the manager of this coffee shop, it's my honor to serve you." The manager wears a smile on her face.
Taking a step back I frown. My gaze immediately lands on a slim girl and gets lost in her unique smell.
That smell.
That delicious smell of captures my senses, like walking in a rainbow paradise.
My heart starts to slam into my chest.
It is my first time smelling anything so delicious, and the feeling of it brings shivers to my body.
Her face turns around from the window to face me, I stand up and walk towards her, standing close enough to touch her skin.
She's so small, I can use one hand to lift her body up. She nervously lifts her head up but still can't see any part of me above chest level.
"What's your name?" I grab her arm and ask.
She clutches at her shirt tightly as though she is nervous and afraid of something or somebody.
She is the most stunning girl I ever have met in my life, never have I seen someone look at me with such purity.
"What's that got to do with you?" She clears her throat, reaching up and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear to avoid my eye contact.
I crave her scent, it swirls around me and makes me want to adore her.
"Answer me," I ground out impatiently as my hands grab her tighter.
"I don't owe you my answer... I don't serve you." She says with a kind of provocation that makes me feel she's unwelcome.
She glowers up at me, her creamy skin flushed by anger, blue eyes luminescent with rage because of me.
She is gorgeous, like an angel.
She smiles at me and I feel my nerve break down. Years of loneliness finally break down my defenses.
"Tell me!" I snap, I am losing my mind. Finally, the madness that I have held for so long had taken hold.
"I'm a billionaire, Mrs. Beauty. A man with a great deal of power, a limitless supply of resources - that, I should think, is obvious." I pause, looking at her.
"So, you will answer me," I rake back at her in a confident tone, watching as she steps back and tries to escape.
Strawberry blonde curls slide around her shoulders, her hair falling around her perfect face. Urgently, I want to kiss her rosy lips.
Allowing myself to imagine the hot, wet tightness of her and the pulse at my groin reacting with unbridled enthusiasm.
I remind myself that she is mine, no need to scare her.
Touching her cheek, I drop a kiss on her before whispering in her ear, “I intend to give you my world. Marriage, children, that is what I expect.”
I won’t talk about her to my brother Jordy, I think. After the car accident, we lost our mom, and our mate, Jordy becomes an extremely conservative idealist. There are a few things I am bound by.
The most important thing is - we will share one girl and will marry her as our mate.
But this time, I don't want to share this girl with Jordy.
Emma’s POVThinking about the next two months’ rent, food and transport fees, I need more money.With little professional experience and a bad economy, three months' salary is not enough to support me have a normal life.Suddenly my phone rings."Hello?""Emma? Where are you?" Roberta asks me.“Home. I prepare to go to our coffee shop five hours later.”"Okay..uh... there's a problem." She pauses. Oh, I know. Every time she feels pity about doing something, she always uses this tone.I hold my breath, waiting for the bad news."Uh... My brother and I had a little accident, he broke his neck and we're at Vegas' hospital.""What? Where are you? I'll drive my car and be there as fast as I can. Or do you want me to open the coffee shop alone?""Whoa, hold on! It's no biggy, I'm fine, just need to take care of my brother tonight.""And...Emma, my brother and I need you to do something very important. We need your help. He owns a club, and every night he needs to go to the club. But he’s in
Emma’s POV"Sorry, I think I wander into the wrong area, this is for VIP customers only," I shout in panic.Instantly I want to run away as my eyes land on him which is way more possessive in person than in front of the stage.My guess is right, that man is Jordy.Only his body moves quickly, cutting off my exit, my wrists are captured by him and can't move an inch. I struggle against his hold and try to grab onto something, rather than stand here helpless."No, baby. I’m waiting for you. I've never seen you here, when did you move to our city?" His finger rubs back and forth on my lips."One...week ago... I was struggling to make ends meet in my hometown, and I'm just a new one here, it's my first day." I lie to him.The next second, Jordy easily pulls me to my feet and I lose my footing, tipping forward and my palm pressing against his rock-hard chest.He is still so hot. I can feel his heartbeat beneath my hands, and it beats faster and faster.“Tell me your name, you smell familia
Emma’s POVI drive home at the midnight, checking the time on my phone... one forty am. I look seeing I have five misses called and one text massage all from Roberta. The last one she sends only one minute ago.I start to read it.Emma, James told me what happened, I'm sorry for that. James shouldn't persuade you to dance like a stripper. I sign and open my envelope, I earn 10,000 dollars in fifteen minutes, and I want to scream, drink beers and celebrate. For the next month, I have enough money to support my normal life.Stopping the car around the coffee shop, I open my car window and look at the sky blankly, wanting to make myself a cup of coffee.Suddenly, I hear several men's voices, I notice some drunk guys hoovering around the shop. Their bodies reek of alcohol, and dirt stains on their jeans and hoodie. Their hair is a big mess.It's a small and silent street, and there's no one around me except them."Hey, chick!" One of the guys finds me, "are you looking for some fun?"Ton
Emma's POVI wake up to the feeling of a strong scent, my eyes open and go around in shock.Austin's sleeping face next to me.I relax a little and allow myself to enjoy looking at him.He's gorgeous like an angel when he's sleeping. Thank god, that his eyes are not open and not concentrate on me, so I can enjoy this moment.I have the sudden urge to run my hands up his smooth jaw and touch it.I lift my hand towards his face, running up his jaw slowly and back behind his neck. I caress his black silky hair at the nape of his neck, and breath his scent deeply.His scent smell like vanilla cinnamon, like homemade cookies, or boy-next-door. My fingers touch his long eyelashes rose to reveal his eyes underneath.Then my head presses against his chest and the sensation of his strong chest molding itself against my ear is irresistible.My eyes are closed."Morning, Emma! Are you satisfied with my body?" His eyebrows frown as he grabs my hand, I can hear happiness in his tone.I open my eye
Emma’s POVFinding out about Austin's condoms shocked me and distressed my heart, I tell myself that he will betray me even if I have a crush on him.I keep on living a normal life and try my best not to think about him. Because my heart hurts so much every time I miss him.Today the fuggy bacon-scented warmth of the coffee shop, the busts of cool air as the door opens and closed. The low murmur of conversation, trading jokes or comments over the mugs of steaming coffee.After the lunchtime rush has ended, and with the coffee shop empty, I wipe my hands on the apron, come out from behind the plate and turn the CLOSED sign to face the street."Roberta, may I ask you a question?" I have to ask, praying to get some truth I want to need."Yes?" She asks, twisting a coffee towel between her hand and looking a bit more uncomfortable than I have ever seen her.I lean over, saying in a low voice, "um... I hear Austin is looking for his second chance mate, what happened about the first one?"A
Emma’s POV"Okay, that will be all for today. No homework and papers. Have a nice weekend." The professor dismisses us all, and we gather our computers and book to leave.It's my first day in Nevermore, and luckily my classmates and professors are very nice.I watch my phone and ready to go to see Roberta after the long day.I rush outside and turn the corner onto the street, and see many luxurious cars outside, which means this place is heaven for rich students, except me."Emma, what are you doing here?" Someone grabs my shoulder and forces me to stop walking.I turn my head and notice Barbara and her friends staring at me. She seems shocked for a short moment but quickly changes her expression."I'm a student."She wears a sarcastic smile, "student? Nevermore is not a suitable place for homeless waitress like you."“What do you intend to do?”She looks so mean that a momentary pang of anger pierced my tough hide."Drop out and leave Nevermore, and stop being a whore," she suggests
Jordy's POVI don't know why I go back to this strip club every night and keep on searching for that secret girl.Something about that stripper's scent bothers me, I want to see her again. To wove into her hair and kiss her not just once, but many times.I have a strange crush on her like she’s my mate, and no werewolf can resist the mate bond.My eyes search around and find a girl sitting on the ground, she looks like that mysterious girl. Does she twist her leg?Worry pass through my heart, I just step forward wanting to check. But the next second, as I grab her shoulder and look at her, this girl turns her head at me and smiles. "Mr. Antonakos?"Wrong girl."Sorry," I turn around stiffly and walk towards the sofa, with this stripper shouting behind me, "I have a special dance tonight, please come and have fun with me!"I ignore her invitation and grab a bottle of icy water from the table and drink it all.The fake image of her face smiling at others makes my head pain, and this del
Emma’s POVHow did I get myself into this situation?I ask myself with angry self-loathing. When Jordy lifts me out of the chair at the car, I do my best to kick up a major fuss but he doesn't care what anybody thought.Now I sit in his car, have no idea where Jordy drives and don't know how to get home again."I want a taxi home," I informed him doggedly. "Right now...""I think you are dying to tell me about your fake name and fake past." He shoots me a polite sentence that I immediately stop shouting."The waitress... really? Last time I saw you, you were a stripper." He teases from the shadows in the car."None of your business," I warn him quietly."I don't have time to talk about your fake past and I won't make time for it either," he says grimly, "You’re a liar and a cheat—""Of course, I'm going to say stuff like that, lie to a stripper club's customer." I shoot back at him."You lied to me and cheated on me, and you never once thought about consequences, did you?" He grits hi