by LM Terry
Dylan places his arm around my waist and ushers me inside. We stop at the desk and he checks in under a name that is not his. This would normally set off alarm bells but, he is taking every precaution to keep me safe. Oliver may have found out we are together. I don’t know how, but I doubt nothing with him.
We walk by the restaurant. He steps inside the doorway and points over to the long bar towards the back of the facility. “I will wait for you there. At what time Anna?”
“Six, sir.” He tightens his grip around my waist. He loves it when I call him that. I like it too which is slightly confusing. It made me angry when I heard the girls at Oliver’s having to say it to the men in charge there. I guess the difference is that I want to do it, no one forces me too. I love his reaction to the word. His eyes darken and his nostrils flare. It makes me instantly warm.
“Good girl.” He kisses my temple and ushers us to the elevator.
We get to our room and I spot my bag sitting on the end of the bed. I search around for Dylan’s. “Are you not staying here with me?” My anxiety spikes to new levels at the thought of sleeping here alone.
He pulls me into a hug and runs his hand down my hair, soothing me. “I told you to trust me Anna. I’m just leaving for a few hours. You will sleep beside me tonight. We aren’t staying here though, this is a temporary stop for you to freshen up and change. I’m taking you on a real date.”
I pull back and look up at him. “A what?”
“A date silly.” He thumps me lightly on the nose. “We started this relationship off with me shoving you in a trunk. I think the least I can do is be gentlemanly enough to take you on a date. Unless you don’t want to?”
“I, I…yes, yes I would like to go out with you.” Dylan surprises me, he is not the man I thought he was when he shoved me into the trunk. I guess that is what he is trying to show me. He wants me to understand him. He is hard, he is gentle, I enjoy both.
A knock interrupts the moment. Dylan peers through the peephole. He smiles before he swings the door open wide. “Anthony!” he bellows, giving the guy a bear hug, the same ease of interaction he has with Liam.
The man glances over his shoulder at me and winks. “So, this is Anna Velasquez.” He pulls away from Dylan turning to face me. He wraps me in his arms and picks me up off my feet and then sets me back down. “I haven’t seen you since you were nay high.” He puts his hand out to show me how tall I was the last time he saw me. “You look good for being dead.” He laughs.
Dylan senses my discomfort and comes to stand beside me. “Jesus Anthony, give her a minute to get to know you.
“Ah, Anna and I will be best friends I can tell. Now, she and I have places to be, so if you don’t mind.” He grabs my hand and pulls me away from Dylan to head out the door. I glance back hesitantly at Dylan, he shrugs his shoulders and gives me a nod of encouragement, laughing lightly at his friend’s brashness.
When we enter the elevator, he takes it down a notch. “Sorry, I come off a little high-strung. I knew Dylan would never let us leave if I didn’t get the ball rolling.”
I slide to the corner and wonder what the hell is going on. Does Dylan truly trust this guy? He is older than him by at least ten years. He is not as tall as Dylan more Liam’s height. He is physically fit with short hair and wearing what looks like an expensive business suit. He is dangerously good looking. Anthony gets what he wants there is no doubt in my mind.
He eyes me. “So, I’ve made you leery of me. I’m sorry, I come off a bit strong. I’ll try to tone myself down until you get used to me.” He winks at me again.
I take a couple of deep breaths. If Dylan trusts this man then so can I. When the elevator stops he steps out to look around before he reaches in for me. Yes, I can tell that he is of the same breed as Dylan and Liam. He is taking this job seriously even if it doesn’t seem so.
“Do you like to shop?” Anthony asks.
“No, not really. Where exactly does Dylan have you taking me?”
“Shopping and spa time. I may even get one of those massages while we are there.” He pauses and moves his head from side to side as if checking his level of stiffness.
When we walk out he opens the door to a small black, race car looking vehicle parked right outside. I know nothing about cars but this one looks fast. Fast like him. I hesitantly slide into the passenger seat and watch as he rounds getting in beside me.
I freeze, I haven’t been alone with anyone besides Dylan and Liam. I stare at the hotel thinking I should just get out and tell Dylan that this will not work and that I want to go back to the cabin. Anthony leans over me and reaches for my seat belt. I try to push myself back as far as possible, uncomfortable with him being in my space.
“Sorry, Anna. You are frightened, there is no need to be. We will knock off Dylan’s list and I’ll have you back here in no time. Besides, I wasn’t lying, we are going to best of friends,” he says as he clicks my seatbelt, securely locking me into place.
He gives me a smile as his foot pushes down on the accelerator forcing my head into the seat. We speed away, the hotel quickly disappears behind us. My nervousness is full force at how fast we are traveling through the busy San Diego streets. He seems unaffected by it all, this is just the normal pace of his life.
He shifts gears and weaves in and out of traffic. He knows what he is doing. He is confident in his abilities as a driver. An uncomfortable silence has crept into the vehicle. I can tell he feels bad about my obvious discomfort at the situation. He is a friend of Dylan’s, so I should try to at least let him know I will not jump out of his car. He nonchalantly locked the door after he saw my hand grip the frame.
“So, Anthony, Dylan told me you worked security with him. Are you sure you are not really a NASCAR driver?” I tease.
He laughs and glances over at me. The tension eases from his face. “No, but I can’t lie, when I was a kid it was what I wanted to be when I grew up.”
“Well, I think you would be fantastic at it.” I grip the door again as he turns a corner sharply.
He pulls up in front of a high-end clothing store. “First stop.”
I peek up at the expensive-looking glass front. “Ugh, I’m not much of a shopper. Is there a shopping mall nearby?”
He looks at me and reaches out to brush a runaway lock of hair behind my ear. “Don’t worry. We are only in need of a few things and I can help you out there. I have good taste.”
He opens my door for me. The minute we are inside a tall leggy woman strolls over. “You must be Anna.” She shakes my hand with her delicate cold one. “Mr. Lorenz called, we have been expecting you.” She turns to head deeper into the store.
Anthony stops her. “I think we will be okay on our own. Just point us in the direction of your cocktail dresses and a dressing room. We’ll let you know if we need any assistance.”
She stares at him with her mouth open. “Mr. Lorenz made specific instructions…”
Anthony cuts her off with a wave of his hand. “We can go somewhere else.” He turns to leave, but she rushes forward and grabs his arm.
“I apologize, I was just trying to follow the directions from Mr. Lorenz. The dresses are over there.” She points to an area near the rear of the store. “A private dressing room is ready for her in the far back corner. I will leave you to shop. Please let me know if you need anything.” She takes a step backward before retreating to the counter.
Anthony seizes my hand and drags me behind him. We reach the dresses. He sifts through the racks pulling several out, tossing them over his shoulder. He obviously knows what he likes. There is no hesitation in his movements.
After he finishes with his selections, he heads to the dressing room to hang them on a hook. He steps out and ushers me inside closing the door behind me. “I want to see all of them on you Anna. I will be right outside waiting.”
What the heck is it with the men in my life, oh so damn bossy. I smile as I look over the dresses he selected for me to try on. My smile turns int
o a frown. All of these are very, well very not me. What is me? I don’t know but I am sure that all of these will look horrendous on me.
“Snap, snap Anna. We have places to be,” he scolds from outside the dressing room.
I grab the first one, a simple black spaghetti strapped number. I pull it on over my head slipping down into it. I gaze in the mirror. It fits me perfectly. How the hell did he pick out the correct size. I guess it doesn’t look terrible on me, I turn back and forth looking at my reflection.
I hesitantly step out of the dressing room. Anthony is leisurely sitting on a white loveseat across from me. He runs his eyes up and down over me and makes a spin motion with his finger prompting me to turn around for him. He nods simply saying, “next”.
Dress after dress we repeat the process until I come to a blue one that matches my eyes perfectly. It is an off the shoulders, with short little sleeves and an open back. I slip it on, the fabric clings close to me. It is form fitting and hugs my curves in all the right places. I turn to look over my shoulder blushing at the erotic woman in front of me. The back stops just above my tailbone. It is sexy with my hair trailing down, when I shift it furnishes a glimpse of my tanned skin.
I open the door a crack and decide at the last moment not to show him this one. He rushes forward gripping the side of the frame to stop me. “I want to see them all Anna.” He pulls it wide open, his gaze runs down my length, I hear the sharp intake of his breath.
I drop my eyes to the floor, this is what I have tried to avoid my whole life. This is not blending in. This will make me stand out in a crowd. “Perrrfect,” he breathes out, stressing the center of the word.
I don’t want this dress. It looks amazing on me, but I don’t want it. It will draw too much attention. “I think I’ll just go with the first one, the black one,” I blurt.
“Absolutely not, this is the one. Dylan will be beside himself when he sees you in this,” he says.
I think about it for a moment. I do like to make Dylan happy. I twist and peak in the mirror my eyes meeting Anthony’s. “Are you sure it’s not too much?”
“Too much what?” He smiles coyly at me.
“Too much, oh I don’t know. Too much me?” I answer exasperated, struggling to find the right words.
“No. It is perfect, there is no such a thing as too much you. Why would you say that?”
“I don’t like to draw attention to myself,” I mumble.
“You are beautiful Anna, you have been hidden too long. It is time to let people see you. This is you, it is stunning. I am going to wait around the bar just to watch my friend’s reaction when he spots you.”
“If you don’t think it’s too much.” I peek up at him shyly, he nods back and forth. “Okay.” I study the mirror and nod to myself. I can do this. Dylan put considerable effort in this trip. I want to look nice for him.
“Get changed, I will pick out shoes and a few other things while you do that. What are you about a size seven shoe?” I nod, he runs his eyes up and down me once more in quick assessment before he closes the door.
After we leave the clothing store our next stop is a day spa. Anthony informs me that Dylan has scheduled me to get a massage, nail, hair and makeup all done today. He kissed me on the cheek and told me he was going to indulge himself. Then he left me to the ladies of the spa for them to work their magic.
Everything about it was amazing and slightly uncomfortable at the same time. Everyone was so nice they made slow gentle movements making me wonder if Dylan told them to treat me with such delicacy. But, I am not accustomed to so much human touch and by the end of my time I was feeling exhausted.
Anthony finds me as the hairdresser finishes drying my hair. The products he used smell amazing. When the stylist turns me to investigate my reflection, I almost don’t recognize the girl staring back at me. My eyes meet Anthony’s in the mirror, he gives me a huge smile. I told the girls I do not wear makeup. They told me they would go light, and they did. It is a very natural look.
I see the resemblance to my mother. I wipe tears away embarrassed by my onset of emotion and not wanting to smear everyone’s hard work.
The hair stylist politely leaves the room as Anthony swivels my chair turning me to face him. I swipe at a stray tear. “Let’s get you back to Dylan, I think you could use some familiarity about now.” The kindness in his voice tugs at me.
When we get to my room Anthony hangs the dress up and sets the other bags on the bed for me. He sits down beside them. “I could stay if you would like, maybe you would be more comfortable leaving the room after you are ready with someone to accompany you?”
Dylan, Liam and Anthony are all perceptive. They seem to know what I need before I do. “Thank you Anthony. Really, thank you for everything but I think I can do this myself.”
He stands and gives me a quick peck on the cheek. He checks his watch before walking out. “It is five thirty Anna.” He gives me a knowing wink and leaves me to stand in the room alone.
Shit, it is five thirty where did the day go. I rush around dumping out the bags. I stare at the skimpy little black lace strapless bra and panties that fall out. I smile, thankful that Anthony didn’t make me pick these items out for myself. He definitely has good taste though.
After I finish dressing, I slip into a pair of stiletto heels. I pause in front of the mirror to study my reflection, holy cow. I almost appear sophisticated. My hair spills across my back. This must be a dream. I am in San Diego, in the most amazing dress, about to meet Dylan.
I glance at the clock on the end stand. Five fifty-five, shit, no time, or… I smile wickedly at myself in the mirror. Maybe Anna Velasquez arrives when she damn well feels like it.
∞∞∞
Dylan
It is a quarter after six and Anna still hasn’t come down to the bar. I search around again and find Anthony tucked in a booth off to the side. He gives me a little nod, he has a smirk on his face. I walk over to him.
“Is your girl making you wait?” He smiles as I approach.
“Fuck you, what time did you take her back to the room?”
“Five thirty and all she had to do was get dressed. Are you sure she isn’t making you wait?” he says casually, not concerned about her well-being in the slightest.
My voice rises slightly. “She wouldn’t purposely make me wait.” As the words leave my mouth, I wonder if what Anthony said could be true. I smile back at him. “You must know something I don’t.”
He holds up both of his hands. “No, no I don’t. I did my job, took her shopping and to the spa. I have no inkling what could be holding her up.” Then I see him look past my shoulder and his shit eating grin gets wider. He picks up his drink and swirls the brown liquid handing it to me. “Here I think you may need this.”
I don’t accept it and turn around slowly. “Fuck”. Anna is standing at the bar, with her back to us. I leave Anthony chuckling in the background. As I approach her, she pivots to scan the room looking for me. She finds her target. She swallows hard, the movement ripples down her neck.
I stop a few steps in front of her, drinking her in with my eyes. I don’t think I have ever seen anything as beautiful. She was late on purpose. Naughty, naughty Anna. I reach out and grab her by the throat, pulling her close. Her eyes dilate, a fire ignites in them with my forceful touch. “What time is it Anna?”
Her tongue darts out to lick her top lip. She shudders against me. “I’m sorry sir, I had trouble with my dress.” She reaches up and removes my hand from her neck turning around wiggling her tight little ass. She forces my eyes to drop to a zipper running up the dress to her tailbone. “Could you help me?”
I grab her waist and draw her back into me, zipping it. I whisper into her ear, “We will not make it to dinner, if you keep playing this game.”
She faces me with wide innocent eyes that tug me into the blue depths drowning me. “What game, sir?” she says as she runs that delightful little tongue over her teeth.
I laugh
. “Anna, Anna, Anna, you will not win.”
“Won’t I?” She turns away from me and stalks out of the bar. I follow like a dog on her heals, hearing Anthony roar at the scene we enacted for him. I don’t care, I am caught up in Anna, I need to see what she will do next.
She makes her way into a stairwell. I lean my back up against the door as she backs up into the corner. Sliding into the shadow of the stairs, she gracefully slips into a kneel. The blue material of her dress climbs up her thighs as she glides into position. She parts her legs ever so slightly. A pair of black lace panties peak out at me.
I groan as I stalk over to her. She reaches up to unbuckle my pants, dragging the zipper down. My dick has been hard since the moment I laid eyes on her. I usually like to be in complete control but something about Anna makes me want to give in to her. She is controlling the situation while still being submissive. I don’t think I have ever been so fucking turned on.
She reaches in and pulls my raging hard on out gently gliding her hands over me. Her little tongue darts out giving her bottom lip attention, attention that my dick is begging for. She hears its silent plea, focusing her eyes on mine, she ever so lightly runs her tongue down my length making me hiss in a breath. I place my palms on the wall above her to brace myself. Anna always seems to amaze me, anyone could walk in at any moment. Confidence and trust are written on her face, she knows I will keep her safe, hidden behind me in the shadows. I love that she trusts me, I will never let her go, never.
She sucks me into her mouth until I feel the back of her throat, her hand wraps around the base of me and grips tightly. It will not take much. Seeing her in the bar with hair spilling down to her ass, her bare spine begging my hands to run down it. Ah fuck. Then the confident display of initiating this scene. Shit, she is so perfect for me.
She goes a little farther each time drawing me into her mouth. Her confidence builds with each stroke and flick of her tongue, my moans giving her encouragement along the way. Then she stops and pointedly locks her hands behind her back. She stares up at me with those beautiful blue eyes, so much trust. She is offering me what I need, allowing me to take charge, submitting fully.
