The Life of Anna, Part 2: Entwined (15 page)

“I'll take a drink,” Jenna said filling a red plastic cup with beer.

Aaron handed Anna a cup with ice water. “You hungry?”

“We had dinner at my apartment,” she said, shaking her head.

“My God, Anna.” A catty female voice came from behind them. “Can't Alex go anywhere without you showing up?”

Anna turned to see Kirsty with her hands on her narrow hips, giving her a dirty look. She wore a very skimpy gold bikini with a sheer black sarong tied around her hips.

“Aaron invited me,” Anna said softly. Why did Kirsty have to confront her here?

She raised her brow and looked at Aaron. “You certainly get around, don’t you?” She smirked, then turned and sauntered away, shaking her hips seductively as she walked.

Anna sighed. Couldn’t she go anywhere without Kirsty showing up? Jenna gave her a questioning look.

“She doesn't like me very much,” Anna said quietly.

“I hope the feeling's mutual,” Jenna muttered.

“She's never been very nice to me.”

Anna noticed Aaron watching Kirsty walk away and felt hurt, though she didn’t understand why. Why should she care if Aaron was looking at another woman? It wasn’t any of her business. Something bubbled up inside her, though, and it took her a moment to understand what it was. Jealousy? Kirsty walked in a way to make sure that all the guys watched her. And they did. She frowned, feeling irritated for the first time in a very long time.

Jenna giggled. “She's a bitch to everything female. She loves lording it over all the girls that she's with Alex and they're not. I honestly don't see why he's with her.” She glared at Aaron.

“What? I don't control what Alex does.” Aaron put his hands up in defense then shrugged. “She's hot and good in bed.”

Hot and good in bed? Anna had never imagined Alex could be so shallow. But then again, what did she know? She barely knew him.

Anna frowned at Aaron. “Did you share her too?” she asked, her irritation venting suddenly.

His eyes widened at her question and she could see the yes in his eyes. Hurt and angry, she spun around and walked away. Alex had said that he wanted her to act as she felt and not worry about what other people thought. So, that's what she was doing, though she chided herself with each step, knowing she had no right to feel as she did.

Jenna followed quickly behind down the stairs to the main yard. They dropped their bags near the deck and Anna looked at the people in the pool. Kirsty was in the pool in front of Alex, and from where Anna stood, it looked as if he held her against his chest. Anna pushed aside the twinge of irrational jealousy.

Alex said that he wanted Anna to flirt and have fun. Well, that is certainly something she knew how to do...at least the flirting part. These new emotions were disconcerting and made her want to do things she'd never done before. Like make someone jealous. Someone like Aaron or Alex.

“Hey, Jenna. Who's this?” Two guys in their mid-twenties walked up to the two girls. Both were tall and thin and walked gracefully, like dancers. One was blonde and the other had dark hair.

“Hi, guys,” Jenna said cheerfully, hugging them both. “Garrett, Bryce, this is my best friend Anna. Anna, this is Garrett Salinas and Bryce Wilkinson. They're Aaron's roommates.”

“Hello, Garrett. Hello, Bryce.” Anna greeted them with a smile.

“You going swimming?” Bryce asked.

“Of course,” Jenna said with a grin and began taking her shirt and shorts off. “Coming, Anna?” she asked, looking at Anna.

Anna hadn't been swimming since she was a child. She wasn't afraid of water, but didn't know if she could keep herself from drowning. She nodded and kicked her shoes off, putting them next to her bag. She pulled out her towel and put her cell phone on the top so she could hear it if it rang. She didn't want to be punished for missing a phone call from Devin.

Anna slowly pulled off her dress, meeting Garrett’s gray eyes with a soft smile. She held his gaze as she adjusted the green bandeau top of her bikini, but when her hands moved to the skimpy bottom she wore, Garrett’s gaze moved downwards.

“Man, I wish I was that confident,” Jenna mumbled.

Garrett and Bryce looked Anna up and down with appreciative glances. She'd never had any complaints about her body and never expected to. Talking made her shy. Being naked, or mostly naked in this case, was nothing to her.

Anna lifted her head and stood in a subtly seductive pose. She knew men. She knew how to handle men. She had a feeling she was treading in dangerous waters, but she was angry and frustrated and was bordering on not caring. She decided to make the most of her training and show Kirsty what she was really made of. She smiled at the thought of making Kirsty the jealous one.

She gave Garrett and Bryce her special smile and instantly felt their attraction.

Jenna watched her, wide-eyed.

Anna grinned at her. “Shall we?”

“What just happened to you?” Jenna murmured as they walked to the pool with Garrett and Bryce behind them. She could feel them watching her hips sway as she walked.

“What do you mean?” Anna whispered.

“You went from quiet, shy Anna to hot sexy Anna in the blink of an eye.” She glanced at Anna and grinned. “I like it.” She giggled. “I might take you into the bathroom later and take advantage of you.”

They looked at each other for a moment, then giggled as they walked to the edge of the pool. Both Garrett and Bryce were instantly at Anna's side as she stepped down into the water.

Jenna made introductions as people swam up to them. Anna was sure to be charming and flirtatious and did everything she knew to be desired, both to the guys and the girls.

Jenna giggled and whispered in Anna's ear to look at Kirsty. Anna did and could see the jealousy and rage written all over her face. They'd stolen away several of Kirsty's admirers. Anna smirked at Kirsty then turned back to the conversation nearby.

Seth and Tony came up a while later. Seth grabbed Anna around the waist and nuzzled her neck.

“Damn, you look hot, Anna,” Seth murmured, his breath tickling her ear. “I could eat you up.”

The thought of Seth's tongue on her pussy made her wet. She turned to whisper in his ear, her hand resting on his muscular shoulder. “Is that a promise?”

He gave her a seductive smile. “You bet.”

Anna giggled and almost missed the strange look on Aaron's face as he watched her. Apparently her attempt to make him jealous worked because he looked upset.

“Hey, anyone up for some volleyball?” Aaron asked the group, holding up the white ball she’d seen earlier.

Those in the pool divided up into groups. Anna and Jenna were on a team with Aaron, Garrett and Bryce and a few others. Alex and Kirsty were on the other team. Anna stood in the back between Aaron and Garrett, who had been very open with his flirting with her. She regularly glanced at him and smiled.

Anna looked at Aaron apologetically, “I'm not very good at this.” She'd played in middle school PE a few times, but never did very well.

“It's all right.” Aaron gave her an encouraging smile. “It's just about having fun. Hit the ball and enjoy yourself. Just try not to hit it in the neighbor's yard.”

The game started. The ball flew in Anna's direction quite a few times and she was proud of herself for managing to hit it a few times. At one point the ball was coming in high and Garrett picked her up out of the water so she could hit it. She hit it harder than she meant to, and it soared out of the water onto the other side of the yard.

She winced. “Sorry,” she called to the other team.

Alex laughed and pulled himself out of the water and went to look for it in the dark corner of the yard.

Garrett held Anna around the waist after he lowered her back into the water. “Are you having fun?” he whispered in her ear.

Her breath caught in her throat as she nodded. She turned around to face him and heard a phone start ringing. It took her a good ten seconds to realize that it was her phone ringing and that it was Devin's ring.

Her heart pounded in her chest and she pushed against Garrett. “Garrett, that's my phone. I have to go answer it,” she said quietly.

He held her tight and grinned. “It's just a phone, sweetie. They'll leave a message.”

Anna didn’t think he wasn't trying to be mean, just flirty. She struggled against him. “Please, you don't understand,” she implored softly. “I have to answer that. I promise I'll come right back.” She was running out of time and began to panic.

Someone yelled from the deck that there was a phone ringing. She struggled to turn around and yelled, “That's mine. I'm going!”

Garrett still wouldn't let her go. He leaned in and nuzzled her ear. “Let it go to voice mail,” he said in a husky voice.

“Garrett, please....” She gave him one last push and he let her go, frowning. She pushed her way through the resistant water to the side of the pool and lunged for her phone...just as it silenced and went to voice mail.

She sank onto her knees, staring at the “One Missed Call” notification on the screen. She covered her mouth to mask a sob and started shaking.
Devin is going to be so angry! I'm going to be punished!
She took a shaky breath in and reached out with a trembling finger to push the call back button when Alex knelt next to her.

“Anna, what's wrong?” he asked softly.

She turned the phone to show him the missed call message. “I missed a call from Devin,” she whispered. “I tried to get to it, but Garrett....”

“Is that why you were struggling against him?”

She brought the phone back into her lap and stared at it as she nodded. “Devin's going to punish me,” she whispered, terror replacing the shock and fear of missing the call.

“Punish you? For missing a call?” He sounded bewildered.

Anna looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “He said...,” she began, trying desperately not to cry and failing, “...that if I didn't answer his call at any time, he'd consider it disobedience.”

“Anna, that's ridiculous...,” Alex began and then stopped, studying her. “You're serious?”

She nodded again.

He clenched his jaw and took her phone out of her hands. “What are you doing?” she asked, panicking and reaching for it.

He stabbed at the screen. “Calling Devin to keep him from punishing you for something that wasn't your fault.”

Alex made the call and waited for Devin to answer. “...No, it's Alex...yes, she's right here.... I saw her trying to get to her phone, but she was prevented from doing so....”

Kirsty walked up to him and started to say something, but he put his hand up in the air to block her and turned and walked away to the other side of the yard.

Kirsty stared after him for a moment, then glared down at Anna. “You little bitch,” she said through clenched teeth. “You think you're something special to him, but you're not.”

Anna stood. “I could never hope to be something more than I am to him, which is very little,” she said humbly. “You're a very lucky woman, Kirsty.”

Kirsty's eyes narrowed. “Don't play games with me, you little cunt. I know you want him. I've seen the way you look at him.”

Anna tilted her head and looked at Kirsty curiously. “Every girl here wants him. Why come after me?”

She huffed, then looked at Alex a few yards away. “Who is he talking to?”

“Devin Andersen,” Anna answered softly.

“Devin Andersen? Why...?” Kirsty looked at Anna again, then looked at her neck and her stomach. A wicked smile crept across her face. “Nice belly ring,” she commented, giving her a knowing look. “What's it like, being a sex slave?”

Anna gasped and looked at her, horrified.
How could she know...?

“Wondering how I know?” Kirsty smirked and waved her hand in the air. “Please. I travel the world. Devin doesn't let his out, but others do. Other...whatever they're called, are more open with their slaves.” She laughed. “I must admit, you all are very well trained.” She took a step towards Anna, who took a step backwards. “I didn't think you were allowed to say no.” She raised her brow.

Anna's eyes widened in fear and she stopped, clenched her hands together and looked at the ground.

“Garrett's bedroom is on the second floor, the door immediately to the left at the top of the stairs,” Kirsty said in a low voice. “Go there and wait for me.”

Anna nodded obediently and did as she was told. Kirsty knew she was a slave. Anna couldn't say no. Her slave programming wouldn't let her. She had to serve women as well as men.

Alex looked around for Anna as he was finishing his conversation with Devin. “Devin, she must have gone to the bathroom. I'll have her call you as soon as I find her.”

Devin growled. “You better, or I might not remember what I said earlier.”

Alex frowned and disconnected the call. He'd spent the last ten minutes negotiating and threatening him if he punished Anna for something that wasn't her fault. Alex had seen her struggling against Garrett and was making his way over to rescue her when she got free. But the look on her face as she ran for her phone had confused him.