The Life of Anna, Part 2: Entwined (21 page)

He walked around the bed and went out the door. Anna pulled the blankets up and snuggled deeper into the bed to await his return.

Aaron returned a few minutes later, turned the lights off and slipped back into bed with Anna, shoving his trunks off before doing so. His body was cold in the warm cocoon she'd made herself in the bed, but she didn't mind. She curled up next to him and he wrapped his arms around her.

“Is she okay?”

Aaron chuckled. “Oh, yeah. Bryce and Levi are taking good care of her.” Levi was one of the other principal dancers.

Anna nodded, suddenly tired. She snuggled her head against Aaron's shoulder and fell asleep as he stroked her hair.

Devin’s home office phone rang as he was researching ways to get rid of Alex. “Hello, Jack.”

“My girls are gone.”

“What?” What the hell was he talking about?

“My girls, the twins. They’re gone.”

“What the fuck did you do with them?”

“I didn’t do anything,” Jack growled. “I went out for a few hours earlier today. When I came home, they were gone.”

Devin leaned back in his chair and contemplated the situation. How the hell could he have lost his girls?

Fuck
. Devin had been looking forward to those twins in the Red Room. “Any idea who might have taken them?” Who would dare steal slaves? Even Alex wasn’t ballsy enough to steal from an Elder. Was he? No. He played by the rules. Both he and his father.

Jack hesitated. “It looks like they managed to free themselves.”

Devin swallowed down a flash of anger.
Fucking idiot
.

“Maybe you should try locking the doors to the basement, Jack.”

“So this is fucking my fault?”

“I give you the privilege of training them. They’re your responsibility.”

“Fuck you, Devin. I’ve trained your girls for years. I’ve never lost one.”

“This better be the only time, Jack.” Devin’s voice was full of warning. “I can’t have those girls loose in the city. You better find them.”

*****

Alex’s phone rang in the middle of the night. He groaned as he reached for the glowing annoyance, but woke immediately when he saw his father calling. Had something happened to Kurt’s baby?

“Hello, Vati. Is everything all right?”

“I just had two young American girls show up at my Schloss.”

Alex’s heart sank at his father’s tone. He could practically feel the anger radiating through the phone. “Vati, they were being tortured. Jack was—”

“It doesn’t matter, Alex,” Vati shouted and Alex winced. “You don’t interfere with another Elder’s Schloss.”

“They were at Jack’s house, not the Schloss.”

“By Devin’s order, I’m sure,” Vati growled. “But, again, it doesn’t matter. They are Devin’s property. You had no right to take them and bring them here. If Devin finds out, I will be in an immense amount of trouble.”

“You? I’m the one who did it.”

“And I am your Elder!” Vati paused. “You performed this act using your men, correct?”

“Of course.” What did that have to do with anything?

“That places your misdeeds in the category of your secondary duties in the Brotherhood, Alex.”

Alex’s stomach churned.

“If you had done it yourself, I might have been able to persuade the others that it was an Elder-Son misbehaving. But as it stands, I cannot do that.”

“Please don’t punish my men, Vati. They only did as ordered.”

“If that is what you wish.”

“Yes, Vati.”

There was another pause. “You need to come home and face judgment.”

Alex took in a shaky breath. “Will I be killed?”

“It’s not up to me. Disobedience is severe, Alex. You know this.”

What would happen to Anna if he were executed? “Vati, please...I was trying to save them,” he whispered, tears coming to his eyes. “I looked at them and all I could see was Anna in the same place.”

Vati sighed. “I know, Alex,” he acknowledged in a softer voice. “What you did was admirable, son. I doubt the others will call for your execution. If you had killed Jack or Devin, it would have been different.”

Relief spread through Alex’s body like a cool breeze. “Thank you, Vati.”

“You still need to come home. Immediately.”

“What about Anna?”

“Did Aaron ask her out?”

“Yes.”

“Then trust your friend to take care of her.”

“Yes, Vati.” The call ended and Alex stared at the ceiling in the darkness. He knew he’d done wrong, but to have done nothing would have been worse than the punishment to come.

Aaron woke with the smell of jasmine in his nose and a soft body in his arms. He smiled, remembering Anna had stayed the night with him. How could he have been so lucky to catch Anna's attention? Especially after learning how special she really was.

He took a lock of her silky hair between his fingers, and she moved and moaned softly as she cuddled closer in his arms. Her arm lay across his chest and he ran his hand over the soft skin on the back of her hand.

He was in danger of losing his heart to her, and understood Alex's desire to take her and hide her away, but Alex had said that would be dangerous to her, though Aaron didn't know why.

She lifted her head and looked around, her sleepy gaze finally landing on his face.

He brushed her hair back away from her face. “Hi,” he said softly, with a tender smile.

She smiled shyly back at him. “Hi.” She tentatively reached up and stroked his cheek, smiling as she did so. She traced his cheekbone forward from his ear and down to his lips. Her index finger traced across his bottom lip, then down his chin and neck and across his chest.

He shuddered as her touch gave him a thrill. He felt the blood rush down to his already hard cock, making it ache. The thought of her mouth on him last night made his cock jump.

Aaron watched her intently as she familiarized herself with his body. When her fingers moved sideways to his nipple he hissed as she traced around the dark pink skin, causing the nub to harden instantly. Her eyes were almost wide with innocence as she moved her fingers, even though he suspected she'd been with many, many men and knew men's bodies probably better than most of the men knew themselves.

He didn't want to contemplate any sort of number. Innocence and seduction in the same body. No wonder a man like Devin would want someone like her.

She looked at peace and he didn't want to bring up the previous night's conversation, though he wanted to make sure she was okay. Then again, how could she be okay learning all that she had? He was glad he'd been there when she found out.

He thought back to the previous night. Why had she tensed when Alex walked into the room? He'd never known a woman to be tense around Alex, unless she was getting ready to orgasm or Alex was playing with her and intentionally causing the sexual tension. Alex was the type of guy women loved.

He was also the best guy he'd ever known. All those things that made a man a man, that was the essence of Alex. Strong physically and mentally, tall, well-built, handsome, disciplined, smart, protective as hell of those he loved, and sometimes even those he didn't love. He was a perfect gentleman...most of the time. He was considerate, an excellent lover, and a friggin' duke. God, sometimes he felt so inferior next to his friend. But Alex wasn't arrogant. At least not now; he freely admitted to being so when he was younger.

Women could be nervous around him, but Anna was almost afraid of him. Maybe he'd lost his temper in front of her? That was Alex's one weakness...okay, he probably had others, but it was hard to see them. His anger was certainly something to behold. No one wanted to be around him when he was out-of-control angry. Aaron had only seen it once and never wanted to see it again.

Only Seth and Tony dared to be near him when he was that angry. They could take what Alex dished out. The three of them had been to hell and back together, along with a couple of other guys Aaron had met several times. Aaron called them the “Band of Brothers.” Alex had told him it was amusing, though appropriate.

*****

Aaron wasn't paying attention to what she was doing to him, making Anna wonder what could possibly keep him from reacting to her touch. She leaned forward and bit the nipple that she'd been tracing around and he jumped, then laughed.

She looked up into his eyes adoringly as she caught her breath. She felt so...she didn't know the words to express how she felt. Cherished? Adored?

“What would you like to do today?” Aaron asked softly. He ran his fingers up her belly and around her breasts.

“Don’t you have class?” Anna asked, sighing as he glided his fingers over her taut nipples.

“Nope, have the week off. I'm glad. I need the break.” He grinned. “So, you didn't answer my question. What shall we do today?”

Anna's eyes widened. “I don't know. What's there to do?”

“Lots of things. We could go to the park. We could see a movie....”

“A movie?” Anna repeated. She hadn't been to a movie in years.

“You wanna go see a movie?” he asked with amusement in his eyes.

She nodded eagerly.

He laughed. “Well, that was easy. ‘Course the movies don't start until later. We could do lunch, then go see a movie. Maybe wander around one of the parks or something? Or just hang out.” He stroked her cheek. “I just want to be with you,” he said softly.

Anna felt like her heart was going to burst from happiness. She heard the sincerity in his voice. She allowed herself to read him briefly, then stopped. She liked not “pleasing” but just “being.” Though she wanted to make him happy because he made her happy. She felt so free. It was wonderful.

*****

Aaron walked out of his bathroom as he pulled his shirt over his head. Anna sat on his bed in the pink dress she'd worn last night. Sexy pink dress with that skimpy little bikini underneath....

He looked closer at the dress as he walked to her. “Are you wearing anything under that dress?”

Anna shrugged. “No.” Her eyes widened. “Should I?”

He pulled her to her feet and slid his hands around her hips, cupping her ass and kissing her neck. “Mmm. Not if you don't want to. I think it’s sexy.” He pulled her dress up and caressed her bare ass, feeling himself growing hard again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him.

He groaned and pulled away. “If I start kissing you again, we'll never leave the room.” He pushed her dress back down.

“Is that a bad thing?” she asked.

Aaron grinned. “Well, on one level, no. But I don't want you to think I just want you for your body.”

“What's wrong with my body?” she asked, giggling.

He looked her up and down and his mouth widened into a seductive smile. “Absolutely nothing. I'm looking forward to seeing it again later. But I am actually hungry and really looking forward to taking you to a movie.”

She smiled up at him as if she thought the world of him, which warmed his heart.

“I want to drive you to the movies and stuff,” he said. He might be considered old fashioned, but he didn't care. “Where'd you park?”

“On the street. I think about a block down.”

“Hmm. I should’ve had you move it. My neighbors can get a little persnickety about my friends’ cars. Next time you can park in the garage.”

“I have an extra spot at my apartment you can park your car in, too.”

“How about we each drive our cars to your apartment and then I can drive from there?”

She nodded. “Okay. Do you know where I live?”

He shook his head.

“The Sapphire. On Mission Street.”

Aaron stared at her. “You live in the Sapphire?” He hadn't really thought about where she lived. He wasn't even sure if she had a job. That was a pretty swanky apartment building; several thousand a month for a studio. He shook his head, wondering how she afforded it. Then he wondered if he really wanted to know. “Okay, well. My garage is in the back so I’ll meet you and follow you to your place. What color is your car?”

“A sparkly white.”

They went downstairs and he walked her to the door. She pointed in the direction her car was parked and he told her he'd be there in a few minutes.

He went to the garage and pulled his yellow Nissan Xterra out of the garage and pulled around front looking for a “sparkly white” car. The only car he saw was a really nice Mercedes and he didn't think that could possibly...no, that was Anna in the driver's seat?
Holy shit
.
How is she affording all this stuff?

He pulled up next to her and rolled the window down. “Hey. Nice car.”

She blushed and smiled. “Thanks.” She pushed a button on the dash. “I have to use the GPS to get around. Otherwise, I get lost.”