He sat there watching her push her food around on her plate. Part of him was enjoying her discomfort. He knew she was hungry but was putting off dessert as long as she could while she tried to come to a decision. It was only an illusion anyway, allowing her to think she had a choice. She was coming with him no matter what and if she honestly thought he'd let her go after a year he was giving her too much credit for intelligence. He did want her to make the choice, it would make things easier on the front end, especially since he had a business dinner in three days and wanted to be able to take her.

"So?" He said finally.

"I ain't through eating yet.". She said and he laughed.

"I'm ready for dessert." He signaled the waiter and she quickly finished off her food. He didn't laugh, something about her being that hungry bothered him.

She took a big gulp of her tea and he could smell that she was nervous, but resolved. He hid his grin.

"Ah don't like it." She started. "But Ah can't keep living like this and who knows how long the Cure really works. Ah've got some rules of my own.". He bit back a growl, she didn't make the rules. He waited to see what they were.

"Ah'm on birth control, so the no protection thing ain't that big a deal breaker." She started. He'd fix that later but for now he nodded. "Ah'll have ta let Logan know Ah'm okay, Ah don't know who your brother is so that part won't be a big deal Ah guess.". He growled a little but let her continue, he'd see to her education on that matter later too. "As to the acting like your girlfriend, that's not gonna be easy, but Ah'll try."

"Try is good, but if you agree to this its for one year, no matter what.". He growled.

"Fine, one year as your girlfriend in exchange for learnin ta control my powers." She thrust her hand across the table as if a handshake meant something to him. He grinned, and it widened as she flinched at the sight of his fangs and took her tiny hand in his.

"Deal." He shook her hand. "Cheesecake?"

"No, thank you, Ah'm stuffed." He smiled and pulled a wallet out of his pocket and dropped a one hundred dollar bill on the table.

"Lets go." He stood and held a hand out to her. She took it, and stood up. He put a hand on her back as she picked up her coat and guided her toward the door. The same hostess smiled at them again as they walked out to the SUV.

He opened the door again, and she climbed into the passenger seat. He walked around and opened the driver's side. He was still grinning, he hadn't expected her to just agree, and was actually pleased he'd listened to his rational side and tried reason and persuasion over force this time. He certainly knew she'd be a hit at the party this weekend, and he knew one lady that would just adore her.

She looked at him as he got started the car. "So where're we goin?"

"I've got a penthouse in New York, and a dinner engagement this weekend I'd like us to go to." He said.

"Dinner engagement?"

"Its formal."

"Ah don't have anything formal in mah bag." Her accent was stronger when she was nervous but that just turned him on more.

"You've got a wardrobe at the penthouse, you won't need that bag for at least a year."

"At least?"

"You may not want to leave?" He laughed. He knew she wouldn't, he had the whole thing planned. She was quiet until they hit New York.

"What kind of thing is this dinner engagement?" She asked and he could smell her nerves.

"It's a charity thing. Wilson Fisk, Tony Stark, Jonah Jamison, Matt Murdock, and quite a few other wealthy individuals will be there. I'm trying to get the Daily Bugle and Stark Industries as clients for some of my investment packages at Creed Enterprises. I am gonna need you to schmooze Pepper, Tony's assistant. He won't make any decisions without her, and she doesn't like me much, so if you can get her to like you, she might be a little easier on me and the 401(k) plan I'm trying to sell to Stark." He maneuvered the SUV into a long term parking garage. She'd started out confused but was no just curious. That was a good thing. She needed to understand that there was more to him than just what the geeks had told her. He waited for her to get out and then opened the back passenger door and grabbed her bag.

"So the whole 'mutants ruling the world' thing is just a hobby?" She asked. He laughed. She was going to be exactly what he needed to get his long term goals into place.

"Yes, I've got five major talents, three of which are my mutation, the outer characteristics..." He held the elevator door open for her and she walked in front of him. He took a deep breath, her scent was still intoxicating, still the only thing that could send him into a surge of lust from over a mile away. " the inner stuff, the senses, my healing factor which is actually a second mutation, not related to the first two, I am a wiz at math, have been since I can remember. I started Creed Enterprises to just have an outlet for it, I make more money with that than I do the 'mutants ruling the world' thing."

He punched a button and the elevator started moving. She was putting off a little fear and he knew he was the cause. Her fear just made his reaction to her stronger, couldn't this elevator move any faster. If they didn't get into the penthouse soon he was going to take her here against a wall.

"So what's the fifth?"

"Fifth?' He wanted to slap himself for stuttering over the word.

"You said you have five talents."

"Oh...number five is I can touch you." He looked over at her and gave her a grin. She didn't flinch but the scent of her fear increased. MOVE! He mentally roared at the elevator. She was exhausted, hadn't slept in three days and she needed a bath before he'd be able to keep things within his plan and forcing her in the elevator wasn't part of his plan.

"Oh."

He closed his eyes, but that didn't help his other senses, He could hear the rustle of her hair as she moved, smell her fear, curiosity, resolution, and pain. That last one bothered him a bit. Fear and pain usually sent him into a full mating frenzie, but this was different.

"You okay, Kid?"

"My feet hurt, my back hurts, Ah'm not hungry anymore and Ah guess all the other crap is starting to hurt." He just nodded.

"I'll run you a hot bath when we get to the penthouse." He hated sounding solicitous but she needed it.

"Thank you." Finally the elevator let out a shrill ding, someday he was going to rip that thing out, but the people in the offices below didn't seem to mind it, and he liked to keep his employees happy.

The door opened onto a hallway with a single door at the end. He walked to the door and she followed. Somehow eating something made her look even more tired and bedraggled than she had in the Cure line.

He pulled out his keys and opened the door. He didn't even glance around, but heard her gasp as she entered the room. He dropped his keys on the table next to the door and headed toward a hallway that led deeper into the penthouse. He opened one door and dropped her bag on the thick carpet of the bedroom, then shut it again. He could hear her moving around, almost afraid to touch anything as he started the water in the huge tub. He put some unscented bath gel and shampoo next to the tub and turned on the timer for the whirlpool jets. They had automatic sensors and wouldn't come on until completely covered with water. He knew the tub took at least twenty minutes to fill so he had time for any other questions she might have.