Mistaken Curves

by Harmony Raines

  Opening her bag she looked for her keys, and found a brown envelope that she didn’t recognise. Pulling it out she looked at who it was addressed to; it simply had Caroline Sampson written on it. She carefully opened the envelope, worried what it might be. It could only have come from Jack; he was the only one who had access to her luggage.

  She pulled out a thick wad of paper. Recognising what it was immediately, he had given her the deeds to the land. Clipped to it was a handwritten note, it simply said,

  To My Dearest Caroline,

  This is for you. A wedding present, if you like.

  Come back to me when you can.

  Yours forever,

  Jack

  She sat down heavily on the wet ground, not caring when she felt the damp against her skin. Putting her head between her legs she tried to stop herself throwing up. Why would he have done this? She had given him no money, who would pay for it? More importantly she feared he would be severely dealt with, just as he said Donny had been.

  Reaching into her pocket she drew out her phone, the number of his office was on it, she would get them to put her through to him, and tell him to take it back.

  “Hello, Jack Greystone please,” she asked the efficient voice on the other end.

  “I’m sorry, he’s unavailable.”

  “Could you tell him Caroline Sampson phoned?”

  “Caroline Sampson, oh yes, I have a message from Mr Greystone for you.”

  “A message,” she repeated, sounding like a stupid child.

  “Yes, he thought you would call. The message is, and I quote, “Take it, it’s yours. I’ll be watching over you. Come back to me when you can”. Silence followed, and then the efficient voice spoke again. “Miss Sampson.”

  “Yes,” Caroline said through choked tears.

  “He has left the office on business, don’t worry about him, he can take care of himself.”

  “Do you know what he’s done?”

  “I have an idea.”

  “Is he in trouble?” Caroline thought of Donny.

  “A little I think. He’s gone to explain himself directly to Mr Greystone.”

  “That sounds bad.”

  “Like I said, he can take care of himself. Now I have work to do. Goodbye Miss Sampson.”

  “Thank you, Miss Riley.” The line went dead and she dragged herself to her feet, wiping the dirt off her clothes.

  With a deep breath she went inside the house, and found her father sitting in his chair in front of the TV, exactly where she had left him.

  “Hi Dad.” She went and placed a kiss on his head.

  “Hi Sweety,” her father said, looking at her through vacant eyes.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Like something’s missing.”

  “Well, nothing is missing now. I have the deeds here.”

  “Deeds?” he asked.

  A chill went through her body. He was getting worse; his memory was fading, just like the rest of him. Maybe it had all been for nothing.

  “Yes, Dad. The deeds to the plot, remember?”

  “Plot. Plot. Oh yes, I lost them, did you find them?”

  “Yes, Dad. I found them, and I’m going to keep them safe for you now. OK?”

  “In case I lose them again?”

  “Yes Dad.” In a way she was thankful that he couldn’t remember what had really happened. It was better if Kim’s part in all this was forgotten. Yet it also meant she would have to watch everything like a hawk, after all if her father couldn’t remember there was every chance he would hand them over to Kim again, and the whole thing would be on repeat.

  Caroline went and put the kettle on, her dad went back to watching the TV, and when she was sure he was preoccupied she hid the deeds where no one would ever find them. Somehow she got through the evening, and when her dad was safely in his bed she went to hers and collapsed in exhaustion.

  That night she didn’t dream, it was about a week later that they started. She came home from work and felt as though she was being watched, but it didn’t frighten her, it comforted her. Someone was watching over her, making her feel safe, that night when she went to bed she felt at peace. That was when the dreams started.

  At first she would wake up feeling aroused, as though someone had made love to her in the night. Slowly the dreams became more vivid, and she remembered more and more of them. It didn’t take long for these dreams to become a refuge from her life. As her father’s health disintegrated in front of her eyes, it was the night time she looked forward to.

  She was searching for something, her dreams always started this way, she never knew what it was, but something was missing. Caroline knocked on doors that no one ever answered until she came to the edge of town and the great forest that stood there.

  The path disappeared into the trees and she felt compelled to carry on along it. Eyes followed her, and something drew closer with each step she took. Then a movement caught her eye, in the trees, watching and waiting until she was deep enough into the trees.

  The dark of the forest enclosed around her, she should run back to the light, but she couldn’t, she had to stay here. A sound off to her right made her turn, but she couldn’t see a thing. Turning back she screamed at the sight of the big black wolf blocking the path. It looked at her with an insatiable hunger she had never seen, licking its lips as though tasting her flesh.

  Turning she tried to run, but the huge creature sprang at her and knocked her to the ground. She turned, trying to beat it off, only to find it wasn’t a wolf pinning her down. It was a man, naked in the dim light, but he was familiar to her, and glimpsing his face she relaxed. Jack Greystone had found her, her mate was here with her, and he was going to please her as only he could.

  No words were needed as his lips found hers, his kiss filled with passion and a deep need to be with her. His hands tore at her clothes until she was naked under him, and then they turned to stroking her flesh until a heat spread through her body.

  In her dreams she didn’t care that her body was too round or her breasts were too voluptuous. Nothing mattered except him, and the way he wanted her. His mouth kissed and nipped her neck, the wolf in him barely contained. In return she stroked his body, touching him in a way she never could in real life. Here she was brave, and his equal in everything.

  Jack's hands covered her body, teasing her, arousing her, and she responded, not caring that they were in the middle of a forest where someone could be watching, after all this was a dream. A powerful, sensual dream, but not based in reality at all. How could it be when Jack had turned from a wolf to a man? That was something of nightmares, not dreams filled with pleasure.

  Her need for him was so intense she pushed him from her, and straddled him where he lay with his back on the forest floor. Her hand stroked his cock, making him harder, the first of his pre come emerging as a small droplet.

  Pumping her hand up and down faster she felt him raise his hips, thrusting into her hand. This was her cue; she raised herself up onto her knees and guided herself down on his cock which she still held firmly.

  Inch by inch she lowered herself down on him, the head of his cock pushing past her outer lips and then inside her, filling her, stretching her with its length and girth. She closed her eyes and relished the feel of him, sinking lower and lower down until she was completely impaled on him.

  Jack's hands gripped her hips, and moved her, controlling her. His hips thrusting up to push as deep as he could inside her slick wet sex. She lifted her herself again, allowing him to slide nearly out of her, and then sank down, to be met by his thrusts.

  Guided by him she circled her hips, his thick staff stretching her inner walls. It was incredible; the friction between their bodies creating sensations that drew her closer and closer to the edge of her orgasm.

  His hands left her hips and he used the palm of his right hand to brush her nipple as she moved. The other hand slid between her legs and his thumb brushed her clit, sending her crashing into the
wave of pleasure that covered her.

  She cried out, her body rocked by the tremors of her orgasm, and filled with wild abandonment. This was a dream, she could be who she wanted to be, let herself go to enjoy sex with no regrets, and no emotional attachments. But this part was in some ways a lie, each time she met Jack like this in her dreams she felt closer to him, more wrapped up in his need for her. More like his mate.

  She opened her eyes and looked down at Jack, his face contorted in agonising pleasure. His seed spurting into her in a thick stream, filling her sex with warmth. Her sex contracted, drawing his seed deep inside her, and spurring him on with its contractions. It was Jack's turn to cry out, wild animal sounds that filled the forest around them.

  Caroline was about to tell him how much she loved him when she woke up. The usual feeling of arousal held her tightly, she wanted release, but Jack wasn’t really here. Nothing else gave her the same feeling of pleasure, she knew because she had tried.

  Her return home had left her craving sex with Jack, she had tried using her own hands and fingers to gain some relief, but it didn’t work. Every day she had to fight the urge to go back to him, but her father was not getting any better, and so it was impossible.

  The urge was so bad that often she wondered if she could get Kim to come and stay, but it was the stupidest idea she had ever had, not that she had any contact with her sister. Ever since she had returned it was as though Kim had disappeared, and Jack's words haunted her. Did he have something to do with the disappearance of her sister?

  And so she stayed, going through the motions of her life, work, shopping and then coming home and feeding her dad. A man who had become like an empty shell, it left her feeling lonely and hopeless.

  A noise from the other room caught her attention. That was what had woken her, it sounded like her dad calling. Getting up she grabbed her robe and went out of her room and into his, switching the lamp on. In the dim light she could see her dad lying in bed. He didn’t look good; his face was pale and pulled down to one side.

  “Dad, are you OK?” she went to his bedside and knelt down.

  Her dad looked at her, mumbling something she couldn’t make out. Without a moments hesitation she ran for her phone and called an ambulance.

  The next few hours passed by in a blur, the ambulance came and they took him to hospital, Caroline riding on the back with him, holding his hand that was limp and useless. Then they were taken straight to a cubicle where a doctor came and examined her father.

  It was a stroke, she had known immediately, not needing the doctors to confirm it. He was taken to a high dependency ward, and there his treatment started. The doctors talked of catching it early, a good chance of recovery, she could not remember it all, she was numb inside. Her dad was leaving her, she knew it, could see it in his one seeing eye, almost pleading to be let go. But she couldn’t he was all she had.

  Exhausted she finally got home late the next morning. Unable to eat she got in the shower and then collapsed into bed, falling into a dreamless sleep. When she woke a few hours later she immediately phoned the hospital, relieved to hear he was responding to treatment.

  Allowing herself an hour to eat and sort her dad's things out to take back to the hospital she then drove back to see him.

  “Hi, dad.” she said when she was sat by his bedside. She had leaned forward so she spoke into his ear, hoping he would hear her.

  His eyes opened and he smiled a crooked smile at her. He looked so tired, and her heart ached with sadness. As he slipped away she felt an intense loss, he had been everything to her for so long. She would be alone now, her family gone, it had only been because of her father she had run around after Kim, now that link could be severed. Permanently.

  ***

  Kim didn’t even turn up for the funeral, not that Caroline knew how to contact her anyway. It was as though she had disappeared off the face of the earth. Caroline was glad; she did not have the energy to deal with any drama her sister might bring with her.

  Afterwards, back at her dad's house she retrieved the deeds to the land. She was going to take them back to Jack. It would prevent her sister getting her hands on the land again.

  Come back to me he had told her, she just hoped she hadn't left it too long to return.

  Chapter Four

  Caroline had taken a couple of weeks to sort out her father’s estate. There hadn’t been much, and what there was had to be split between her and Kim. Not that Kim showed her face even now when there was money involved. After taking advice from the family lawyer she had placed it all in an account, and left her own details with the lawyer.

  There was nothing more she could do, except hire a private detective to find Kim, and there was no way she would do that. If Kim stayed lost for ever Caroline wouldn’t mind. As far as she was concerned her family was gone, for ever.

  She now wanted to start a new life with Jack, if he was still waiting for her. The thought of him gave her a sense of expectation, but also dread. What if she got there and he had moved on?

  All this talk of mates now seemed so ridiculous. The time they had spent apart had eroded her confidence in him. How could he want a woman like her when he was such an eligible bachelor?

  She had to trust in him, and the first thing she did was call Miss Riley to find out if he was in town.

  “Hello? Miss Riley?” Caroline knew she sounded breathless, but couldn’t control her excitement at finally being able to go back to Jack.

  “Yes, who is this?” Her efficient voice was somehow reassuring.

  “It’s Caroline Sampson. I wanted to know if Mr Greystone is there.”

  “Ahh, Miss Sampson. I hope you are well. Mr Greystone is away from the office, he will be back by Friday I believe.”

  “Friday. Thank you, Miss Riley. Is that definite? I would like to see him and wouldn’t like to make the trip if he was out of town.”

  “I can make an appointment for you, if you wish.”

  “No, that won’t be necessary. In fact I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell him you had spoken to me.”

  “Oh,” Miss Riley said, suspicion in her voice.

  “I would like to surprise him, that’s all.”

  “I see. Well it’s not usual for me to keep things from him, Miss Sampson.”

  “I realise that, but it’s really important to me that my coming is a surprise.”

  “Very well. Please don't make me regret it.”

  “I promise.”

  The whole thing seemed crazy now she was sat on a plane going to meet a man who wasn’t expecting her. What if she got there and he was with another woman? He wouldn’t do that, she was his mate, right? Caroline took a deep breath and hoped she wouldn’t need a sick bag on the plane.

  The flight seemed endless, and when they touched down her luggage was the last off the plane. By the time she was leaving the airport and heading for a taxi her nerves were so on edge she couldn’t give coherent directions to the driver.

  “Come on, get a grip,” she told herself.

  Picturing Jack, seeing him smile at her when he saw her, she tried to calm herself. It worked for long enough for her to get the taxi driver heading in the right direction, and then she collapsed onto the back seat and felt sick again.

  It was late evening and she hoped that if she found his house he would be there. Maybe an appointment at his office would have been more sensible. Yet part of her wanted this to be a romantic reunion, not a business meeting.

  Luckily her directions were almost right, only one wrong turn before they pulled up outside the electric gates of Jack Greystone’s property. It was only when she got out of the taxi and paid the driver before watching him disappear down the road, that she realised how stupid this whole thing was. If he wasn’t here she would have had a fruitless journey, with no way to get back into town. The chances of a taxi driving past on this remote road were pretty slim.

  There was nothing for it, she would have to see if he was in, and if not then
decide whether to wait or walk back to town. She hoped fate was smiling on her and Jack would be home alone waiting for his mate to return. But after the months she had been away there seemed only a slim chance he wouldn’t have moved on with his life.

  With nothing to lose she pressed the button that buzzed the house, and waited. Nothing. Either no one was in or they didn’t hear her. She waited a few minutes and then pressed it again. Still nothing.

  Looking up at the gates she knew she wouldn’t be able to climb them, not in a million years, nor the high wall that surrounded the house. Disappointment crowded in on her, and she sat down on the curb stone, contemplating her next move. It was while she was sat there that she felt the familiar feeling of being watched. It was right out of her dream, the one with the wolf.

  She laughed at her overactive imagination, but the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Something was watching her from the trees on the other side of the gate. Standing up slowly she decided to start walking away, after all the gates that were keeping her out would also keep a wild creature in.

  But a wolf? She had never heard of one in this area, perhaps it was a guard dog instead. What ever it was she really didn’t want to meet it.

  She walked quickly away, not wanting to run in panic. That was until she turned and saw the eyes of a big beast moving quickly towards the gate. Dumping her bags she ran as fast as she could, but not fast enough. Just as in her dream it caught her, but this time she knew it couldn’t be Jack; men didn’t change into wolves in the real world.

  She opened her mouth to scream, but a hand clamped over it and despite her struggles she was wrestled to the ground.

  “Hey, shhh. It’s OK, it’s me.”

  She turned in his arms, unbelievably it was Jack. At that moment she did something she hadn’t done since she had hit her head in the playground when she was six years old. She passed out.

  When she came around she was in his bed. For a moment she thought that this was a dream too, that her longing for him had made her conjure up the place she wanted to be more than anything else. Then she looked around and he was there, his face full of concern.