*****
Anna woke to the sound of a deep groan and a hot, hard body behind her.
Alex.
Last night had really happened. She smiled before she opened her eyes. His arms around her felt heavenly. She pressed her hips back slightly against his erection and he groaned again. She giggled softly and he stiffened.
He turned her onto her back and looked at her with mock disapproval.
“How long have you been awake?” His raspy voice made his accent stronger. The sound stirred dormant coals deep inside her belly.
“Just a few minutes,” she answered innocently.
She traced the inner lines of his pectoral muscles and his nipples tightened. She scooted down before he realized what she was doing and flicked her tongue against the hard nub, eliciting another groan.
He hissed as she took it between her teeth and bit gently, then pressed the flat of her tongue against it. He mumbled something in German and rolled on top of her, pressing his cock against her thigh. He looked at her adoringly before he leaned down and caressed her lips with his.
He cupped her head and pressed his lips against hers. His tongue invaded her mouth and she moaned against him. She was in heaven again, his kisses, his touch, his affection. He trailed sweet kisses down her neck to her breasts and kissed the pierced nipple before sucking it into his mouth and making her feel amazing things down in her belly.
And her heart. Every touch made her feel that he wasn't just touching her skin, but touching her heart. She never wanted it to end.
He caressed the side of her breast as he swirled his tongue around her hardened nipple. She grasped his arms and arched her back, moaning loudly.
“Alex,” she sighed. She wanted him inside her desperately.
He looked up into her eyes and seemed to understand her need. He nudged her thighs apart and positioned himself against her entrance. She bit her lip, nervous that it would hurt.
“I will always go as slow as I need to, Schatzi,” he whispered. He slowly pressed against her and slid into her silken folds.
Anna moaned as he filled her unlike any other man could. She stretched around him, but it didn't sting like it had last night.
“More,” she gasped when he stopped.
He chuckled softly and nuzzled her neck as he moved forward. She wrapped her legs around his hips, impatient for his fullness deep inside her.
“Am I going too slow?” he asked.
She nodded, breathing heavily. “Yes. Too slow.”
“I don't want to hurt you, Liebe.” But he increased his speed slightly.
She pulled him deeper with her legs and he grinned and thrust forward suddenly. She gasped, eyes widening as he hit something deep inside her.
“Are you all right?”
“I liked that,” she said breathlessly.
“Really?” he looked surprised.
She nodded, eyes sparkling.
He grinned and pulled back slightly, then thrust forward again.
“Oh!” she exclaimed.
*****
Alex could hardly believe that Anna enjoyed his powerful thrusts. He could rarely indulge in such things unless he didn't care about the comfort of his partner. But she really did. Her eyes were closed, lips parted, cheeks flushed, and she moaned in pleasure with every thrust. God, she really was the woman of his dreams, able to take him fully and completely.
She stiffened suddenly, mouth in an 'o', and he almost froze, concerned that he'd hurt her, when her back arched and she cried out his name. She clenched around him so tightly he came unexpectedly and lost himself in the pleasure, vaguely hearing her screams of pleasure through the pounding of his own heart in his ears.
He rolled onto his back, pulling Anna on top of him. He brushed her hair away from her face and gazed into her sparkling eyes.
“You really enjoyed that? Tell me the truth,” he commanded. He wanted to know the truth.
She blinked. “Yes, Alex. I really did. Is that bad?” She looked confused. She knew he'd issued a command.
Now he felt bad. “No. I didn't want you to say yes if you didn't mean it.”
She bit her lip and contemplated his words, then nodded. “I really did,” she said softly.
“I know.” He beamed at her. “You are the first woman I've been able to...indulge in with strong movements like that.”
At least the first who’d enjoyed it. He was certain he was forceful like that in his rages after a mission, but he intentionally went to see Devin's Red Girls immediately after returning so he didn't worry about hurting someone who didn't want to be hurt.
Maybe if Anna could fully take him...maybe he didn't have to go to the Manor anymore. But did he want to risk it?
Anna sat up and frowned. “I have to get ready.”
And he had things to do today too. “Well, while you get ready, I will go get us some breakfast.” He watched Anna's bare ass sway as she walked to the bathroom. “Down boy,” he told his stirring cock and then rolled his eyes at himself.
*****
Anna stood in the shower, dazed. She wasn't afraid of Alex anymore. He really was everything that other people said he was. And what a lover! She could easily imagine spending every night with him in the near future. He could become a sweet addiction.
As she pulled her hair up into a bun, she bit her lip nervously. But did he want the same thing? No, she was sure he felt the same way. She could sense it in him.
She heard the apartment door unlock and open as she was dressing and looked up a moment later to see Alex looking at her tenderly. She smiled shyly at him.
“I got lots of food,” he grinned, holding up a large paper bag. “I'll go set it up in the kitchen.”
Anna got a delicious whiff of something as he left the room. She finished dressing quickly, acknowledging the growling of her stomach.
Breakfast was delicious and she ate quickly. She had ignored how hungry she was and she probably ate too much, but at the moment she didn’t care.
Alex didn't say much, but just looked at her with a tender, but sad expression. Something was wrong. Had she misread his feelings for her?
She looked at him nervously. “Alex, is something wrong? Did I upset you?”
Alex sighed sadly. “I can't hide anything from you, can I?”
Anna's heart dropped and she put her fork down on the table. What had she done to upset him? She looked at him expectantly, bracing herself for rejection once more.
“Anna...,” he began reluctantly. “I...I have to go out of town tomorrow.”
She blinked, confused. “You're not angry at me?”
He looked shocked. “Why would you think that? Nein, absolutely not. I am about as far from angry as I could possibly be.” He took her hand and kissed her palm. “I hate that I have to leave you, Schatzi,” he said sadly.
Anna was torn. She was very relieved that he wasn't angry at her. But he was leaving. Tomorrow.
“Where are you going?”
He frowned. “I can't tell you that, Schatzi.”
She felt chided. “Oh.” She shouldn't have asked. She would have to remember that in the future. “Can I ask when you'll be back?”
“You can ask me anything you want, Liebe. Unfortunately, I don't know when I'll be back. Sometime next week, I hope.”
“You don't know?” Weren't trips normally planned before one left? “What are you going to do when you're...wherever you're going?”
“Business,” he answered vaguely.
“Oh.”
Another impertinent question? She stared at her plate, uncertain of what to say.
*****
Alex watched her face fall at his incomplete answers. He had hurt her.
“Schatzi, it's not that I don't want to tell you. I just can't right now. Someday I'll be able to tell you.”
He didn't want to frighten her by telling her he was a highly trained killer. He needed to think about the best way to tell her. And not be leaving the next day for who knew how long.
She looked up at him doubtfully for a moment, then her gaze intensified. Was she reading him? Her face softened after a moment and she smiled uncertainly. “Okay.”
“But I still want to take you out tonight,” he assured her.
Her smile brightened. “I’d like that.”
They finished eating breakfast in a lighter mood. He was relieved that she knew he was leaving and she wasn’t overly upset. Maybe it was just because she thought he was angry at her when he wasn’t, but he’d take her cheerful mood any way he could get it.
All too soon it was time for them to part ways. Anna needed to get to the studio and he needed to get home. He would get ribbed by his men for staying out all night, but it was worth it. He hadn’t planned on it. He’d planned to get home not too late and get working. But being with Anna was much sweeter than his empty bed at home.
They took the elevator down to the garage where he’d parked his car next to hers.
“What time will you finish tonight?” he asked as he pulled her close to kiss her goodbye.
“About five,” she said, looking up at him with a smile.
“If I pick you up at six-thirty, will that give you enough time to get ready?”
She nodded. “I think so.”
He leaned down and kissed her. “The hours will drag by until I have you in my arms again.”
Her face glowed as she gazed up at him. “I can’t wait,” she said with bright eyes.
He opened her car door for her and she tossed in her bag before getting into the tiny white car. Well, tiny for him. He preferred the meatier SLS that he drove. But this suited her. He closed her door and she opened the window.
He kissed her through the opened window. “I will see you tonight.”
She grinned, then turned the ignition.
He watched as she drove away, then got into his car and put the convertible top down. He turned the radio on a little louder than normal and sang all the way home.
CHAPTER FIFTY
There were several cars parked outside Alex’s house when he pulled up. He walked into the house and was greeted by a variety of amused expressions and vulgar comments from his hand-picked special ops team.
“Where have you been all night, my cousin?” came the bold question from a man that looked remarkably like Alex himself.
Alex stood in the doorway and grinned stupidly at his cousin, Erich. Erich and the other men in the room burst into laughter.
“You finally let yourself have her?” Seth asked from the couch. “I don’t know how you held out so long, man.”
Alex frowned at his friend. “It’s not like that, and you know it.”
It irked him a little that Seth had been with Anna several times before he did. But the cold reality was that a lot of men had been with her before he had. He hoped, somehow, there wouldn’t be too many after him.
Seth laughed. “I know. But I still admire your willpower. What changed?”
Alex dropped his large body on the couch, which creaked in protest. “She did. She wanted me.”
“I didn’t realize women wanting you had become a problem,” Jason, one of his weapons guys, commented. “Is this a recent development? Because if you’re having problems, there’s no hope for the rest of us.” He laughed.
Alex growled, but wasn’t especially upset. “No. She’s...special.” Only Sebastian knew everything about Anna. Seth and Tony knew a lot of it. Speaking of.... “Where’s Sebastian?”
Erich shrugged. “I talked to him yesterday before I left. He said he’d be here, but had something to do first.”
“Let me go shower and then we can get started.” Alex stood.
“We already did,” Erich laughed. “We’ll fill you in when you get back.”
Alex rolled his eyes and left the room. He trusted his men implicitly and knew they were capable of starting without him. But he felt like he had been irresponsible by staying out all night. But only to them. Had he left Anna, it would have been equally irresponsible, and more difficult to make right.
No, he did the right thing. For once.
*****
Anna arrived at the studio practically floating. She almost didn’t notice Jenna standing near the door talking to some girls she didn’t know.
“Jenna,” Anna said, walking up to her with a nervous smile.
Jenna frowned and turned her back on Anna.
Tears stung Anna’s eyes as she slowly walked away. Not that she could blame Jenna for being angry. But it still hurt. Her one friend who had been loyal to her all these years, and Anna had betrayed her. She felt like a horrible person. Anna walked up the stairs more sober than she’d entered the studio, though thoughts of Alex inevitably returned and cheered her.
The day went surprisingly quickly, and before she knew it, she was driving home to get ready for her dinner with Alex. Once again, she was plagued by the question of whether it was a date, but at least this time she knew how Alex felt about her.
For tonight she chose a strapless lavender chiffon dress that fell to her knees, with a dark purple ribbon around her waist.
At six-thirty there was a knock on the door and she hurried to answer it. Alex stood in the doorway holding a single pink rose. He wore a blue-gray suit and black shirt, but no tie. He looked very fashionable.
She beamed when she saw him.
“Hello, Anna,” he said, stepping into the apartment and leaning down to kiss her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. She was so happy to see him.
He cupped her cheek and looked at her tenderly. He looked like he wanted to say something, but didn’t speak. He handed her the rose and she smelled it.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
“I’m going to wait right here,” Alex said. “Following you into the kitchen last night is what got us in trouble.”
Anna giggled and put the rose in the vase with the others. Her whole dining area smelled like a rose garden.
Alex held out his hand and they made their way down to the garage hand in hand.
*****
Alex had not gotten everything done that he needed to today. And by going out, he was dragging Seth and Tony away from planning as well. But keeping his word to Anna was important. The others seemed to understand. Especially since Sebastian had backed him. They respected Sebastian’s word as much as they respected Alex’s, though Sebastian never usurped his authority. Alex appreciated that about his friend.
Even though he knew he was doing the right thing, and he enjoyed every second of his time with Anna, he felt ill at ease. He didn’t like feeling unprepared this late in the planning stage. But he trusted his men, and he was determined to enjoy his time with Anna. Especially since if he wasn’t fully engaged with her, she would know and be hurt. So he pushed the thoughts aside as he drove through the streets of San Francisco to the restaurant.
“So, how are the intensives going?” he asked after they were seated a short time later.
Anna’s face glowed with happiness. “Wonderful. Isaak is putting me in the advanced classes starting on Wednesday.”
“That’s wonderful, Anna. I’m so proud of you.”
She beamed at his words. It was refreshing to be with a woman that could be made so happy by something as simple as a compliment.
Anna chatted happily about the previous week’s dance classes while they waited for their first course of the tasting menu offered by the French restaurant. He gazed into her sparkling eyes and found himself falling even harder for her than he already had. He made a mental note to put the school’s performance on his calendar. He wouldn’t miss it for the world.
He told her about growing up in Germany as a duke’s son. She asked intelligent questions and seemed very interested in his story. He asked her about her parents and she told him about growing up as the daughter of famous dancers.
It amazed him that, after all she’d gone through, she could still be so sweet and almost innocent. The only explanation for that would be
the Immortal part of her. As happy as the Dirne were in his father’s Schloss, they did not have innocence or naiveté like Anna did.
Dinner went far too quickly and too soon he was paying the bill and driving her back to her apartment. He was torn as to whether or not he should stay the night with her. Oh, how he wanted to make love to her, but he had to leave very early in the morning and had things he really needed to do before he left.
They walked back to her apartment and went inside. She looked at him expectantly. He sighed and took her hand, leading her to the couch. He kissed her and held her close.
“Schatzi, I can’t stay tonight.”
She searched his eyes for an explanation. “Why? You want to.”
He smiled and smoothed her hair back from her face. “More than anything. But, I must leave very early in the morning and I have things to finish before I leave.”
*****
Anna searched Alex’s eyes once more. He was sincere and not just blowing her off.
She nodded. “I understand.” She cupped his cheek. “I wish you didn’t have to go.” Being with him, talking with him tonight had been wonderful. She wished the evening didn’t have to end so quickly.
He took her hand in his and kissed her palm. “I wish I didn’t have to go either,” he said softly. “Thank you for understanding.”
She wished he wasn’t so reluctant to tell him what he was doing. Maybe it was so boring he would think her uninterested. She had learned that he had studied politics, business and international studies at the university. She didn’t know what someone would do with such learning, but maybe it wasn’t very interesting.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked.
She giggled. “I was wondering if what you were going out of town to do was so boring that you thought I wouldn’t be interested.”
Alex burst out into laughter. “Oh, Schatzi, if that were it, I would tell you. But, I simply can’t tell you right now. But someday.”
She curled up next to him and lay her head on his chest and they sat together in a comfortable silence for a long time. Every once in a while he would stroke her arm or kiss the top of her head. She was drifting off to sleep when he stirred.
The Life of Anna, Part 2: Entwined Page 33
