The Life of Anna, Part 5: Emerged (24 page)

Slowly one hand went up her back and then
pulled at her zipper, loosening the dress until it fell from her
shoulders and was trapped at her elbows. His fingers trailed down
her neck to her exposed breasts, taking one in his hand and
squeezing gently. Anna moaned against his mouth.

He released her hands and her dress fell to
the floor as she straightened her arms. He helped her step out of
it and then removed her shoes and thong. Then he stood and picked
her up as if she weighed nothing and placed her gently on the bed.
He didn’t hold her long enough to feel anything except smooth
skin.

The mattress sank beneath the additional
weight next to her, and something cool touched her nose. She
inhaled and smelled roses and smiled. He dragged the rose across
her cheeks and nose and lips. He trailed it down her neck and
between her breasts, and then sideways over one nipple and then the
next. The rose was cool but it left trails of fire behind. Anna
wiggled and giggled as he moved it gently across her skin. He moved
it down her belly and thighs and then back up and brushed her
aching mound, making her gasp for breath. He went slowly up her
arms and over each finger, down to her feet. He made her giggle as
he trailed it on the bottom of her feet. She thought she might have
even heard him chuckle softly, which made her tingle all over, even
more than from his activities with the rose.

He stood and walked away, returning a minute
later and lying down beside her. It was a good thing the mattresses
were high quality or she would have been rolling over to meet him.
Not that that would have been a bad thing....

Something cool and hard touched her bottom
lip. Instinctively she opened her mouth slightly and he pushed the
object into her mouth. Her tongue darted out and
tasted...chocolate? She licked at it and smiled. It was really good
chocolate. She took a few more licks and then he pressed it against
her bottom teeth. She took it to mean he wanted her to bite and
slowly brought her teeth together, in case she was wrong.

She bit through the crisp chocolate and into
a cool, soft center. It was sweet and juicy. He pulled it away and
let her chew and swallow. “Chocolate covered strawberries?”

He stroked her cheek and she grinned.
“Yummy.”

He gave a breathy chuckle and pulled her to a
sitting position. The strawberry was put to her mouth again and he
made her take a big bite, making her giggle when it dripped down
her chin and to her breasts. He kissed where the juice was on her
chin and licked the remaining juice off her breasts.

“Oh!” Anna sighed.

He put a new one to her lips and she opened
her mouth. He pushed it in and she bit, juices dribbling to her
breasts again. “You’re doing this on purpose,” she said with a soft
giggle. He gave a soft chuckle again and stroked her cheek.

Something cold touched her nipple and she
jumped. He spun it around her nipple and then took her nipple into
his mouth.

“Was that a strawberry?” she whispered with a
moan as he sucked at her nipple.

Cheek stroke.

Slowly he fed her several more strawberries,
each one juicy enough to require his tongue to clean up the juices.
After the strawberries stopped coming, he got up from the bed and
Anna listened as fabric rustled and foil ripped.

“You don’t have to use one of those, you
know,” she said softly, referring to the condom.

He tapped her nose and lay down on the bed,
taking her hands in his and putting them above her head.

She was wet and ready for him when he slowly
slid inside her. It stung a little, as it had the week before, but
turned quickly to pleasure as he gently moved inside her.

“Oh, God!” she cried, pressing her head back
against the pillow and feeling the stirrings of an orgasm deep
inside.

His hard chest pressed against hers as he
kissed her and increased his movements. She rocked her hips against
his and panted as the fire built inside, exploding moments later.
She screamed against his mouth until he pulled his mouth away to
breath heavily as he came silently, squeezing her wrists. His hips
jerked against hers as she returned to earth, squeezing against his
girth inside her. God he felt incredible!

He kissed her and then fell heavily onto the
bed next to her, breathing hard.

She wondered again why he kept himself hidden
but couldn’t think of a way to ask it in such a way he could answer
with a yes or no.

“You like the ballet?”

She felt him move a little closer and he
stroked her cheek.

“Will you come to a performance this
season?”

Cheek stroke.

Anna hesitated. “So you’ll be in public
then?”

Cheek stroke.

“Will I get to see you?”

Cheek stroke.

“Will all this end? I mean, our meetings and
stuff, once you...present yourself to the public.”

Pause. Cheek stroke.

“Oh.” She gave him a smile, hiding the
disappointment. “Then I’ll just have to make sure I enjoy it while
I have you to myself.” She paused. “Do you want to see me
again?”

He cupped the back of her head and kissed her
deeply. If she’d been standing, he would have had to catch her.
When he pulled away, he stroked her cheek one last time and then
got up from the bed. Fabric rustled and the mattress moved. He
kissed her gently on the lips and placed what she assumed was the
stem of a rose in her hand.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Moments later, the door opened and closed.
She sat up and took off the blindfold. In her hand was a pink rose.
On the nightstand was a single red rose that looked a little
crushed, next to a plate of strawberry stems.

Anna yawned and looked at the clock. She’d
arrived almost two hours ago. She turned out the lights and went to
sleep with a smile on her face.

Anna woke late the next morning. She smiled,
remembering the previous night, though the knowledge that all this
would end soon saddened her. But at least she knew it
would
end and could prepare for it.

She showered, dressed and ate lunch before
allowing the car to take her to the library, her mind full the
entire time with thoughts of Mr. J.

She saw Max at the information desk and went
to say hi.

“Did you enjoy the roses last week?” he asked
with a grin.

“You knew?” she exclaimed.

“Of course. I wouldn’t let just anyone throw
flowers around my library.”

Anna laughed. “Well, good thing because it
would be difficult to walk around here if there were roses all over
the place.”

“Yes, but it would smell good.”

Anna nodded in agreement.

“Have you found today's roses yet?”

She shook her head.

He grinned and winked at her. “Then go. Enjoy
yourself.”

The roses were placed in much the same manner
as they were the previous week, but this time leading to The
Phantom of the Opera, a biography of Marius Petipa, and a book on
the Paris Opera Ballet. Anna noticed a French theme and she
practically hit herself when she remembered the French restaurant
and hotel. Her heart warmed when she realized how much thought he
had put into her evening and felt the delight building up in her as
she wondered what he would do next time.

Tom called her on Tuesday to let her know
that the Summer Gathering was in a week and a half. The same
weekend that the Company was going out of town.

“You need to stay in the apartment while
Devin is so close, Anna. Do you understand? You can’t go out, not
even on your terrace.”

“But I have....” She sighed. “I have
something I do on the weekends.”

“I’m sorry, Anna. I won’t let you put
yourself in danger. If I have to have someone stay with you to make
sure you don't leave, I will.”

“All right, fine. I’ll stay inside.” No
matter how badly she wanted to see Mr. J., she didn’t want Devin to
find her.

“He’ll be arriving in DC next Thursday and
leaving the following Thursday. He might even be coming here to the
city. You must stay inside until I call you and tell you he’s
gone.”

“I’ll miss rehearsals.”

“I will talk to Vincent, Anna. My power to
protect you is growing weak. I need you to please do as I ask.” The
urgency in his voice made her realize how serious he was.

“I will stay inside until you say it’s all
right to leave. I promise, Tom.”

“Thank you, Anna.”

“Is he...getting weaker?”

“Yes. And he’s not happy about it. I have a
feeling this will not be a pleasant weekend.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’d rather this be an unpleasant
weekend for me than for you.” He sighed. “Thank you for
understanding, Anna. You doing this will take a load off of my
mind.”

Saturday night, she, Aaron and Cameron went
out for Moroccan food, a theater showing of the movie “Casablanca,”
and then Anna was taken to the Hotel Casablanca, all courtesy of
her mystery man. Anna was sure to tell Mr. J. how much she enjoyed
the themes he picked out, and he seemed to appreciate her thanks.
After a wonderful evening of lovemaking and a peaceful night’s
sleep, she visited the library and followed Mr. J.’s roses to a
travel book on Morocco and two other biography-type books about the
country. Anna couldn’t wait to get home and read them.

She had told Simon when he called to make the
arrangements for the weekend that she wasn’t allowed to leave the
apartment the following weekend. Simon said Mr. J. would be
disappointed, but would understand. But when Anna looked at the
calendar for the following weekend, she realized it was Alex’s
birthday. If she didn’t go to see Mr. J., it would be two weekends
of not being with him. Would he lose interest if she didn’t go?
Would he think she had lost interest? But she didn’t think she
could bring herself to go have sex with someone on Alex’s birthday.
She’d rather stay home alone and think about him.

Sunday afternoon she gathered up the courage
to call Simon.

“Hello, Katrina. How are you?”

“Bored,” she laughed. “Being stuck in here
kinda sucks.”

Simon laughed. “Is that why you called
me?”

“No, although it is nice to talk to somebody.
I...needed to tell you that I’m not available to go out next
Saturday.”

“Oh?” He sounded wary. “May I ask why?”

Anna hesitated. She had made up her mind, but
now was having doubts. “I was married when I was twenty and my
husband died just a few months into our marriage.” She paused.
“Saturday would have been his thirty-third birthday and...I don't
think I’d be good company that night. I’m sorry,” she added
quickly.

“I see.” There was a long pause and Anna
started feeling a little queasy. “Have you eaten dinner?”

“What?”

“I asked if you had eaten dinner.”

“No.” What a strange question.

“Good. Don’t. I’ll talk to you soon.” He
ended the call and Anna frowned. What was that about?

She found out half an hour later when there
was a knock on the door. The doorman stood there with two paper
bags that smelled amazing and a bunch of pink roses. A grin spread
across her face as she took the roses and the bags. “Thank
you.”

She put the bags on the kitchen table and
pulled out an Italian dinner, complete with breadsticks and salad.
In the second bag was a box of chocolate covered strawberries with
a note that read, “Think of me when you eat these.” Like she could
think of anything else when she was eating chocolate covered
strawberries. There were also two DVDs: Pride and Prejudice and An
Affair to Remember. Anna’s heart beat when she saw the second
movie. Was he trying to tell her something? Was he engaged as well?
Is that why he had to keep things hidden?

No, she told herself. It was just a classic
romantic movie. They’d only been together for physical enjoyment,
right? Although he treated her romantically, he barely knew her.
Some guys were just romantic-types.

“Don’t over-think it, Anna,” she told herself
and went to put Pride and Prejudice in the DVD player while she
ate.

Aaron and the rest of the company returned
home on Monday afternoon.

“Where’d all this come from?” he asked,
pointing to the empty containers from the previous night.

“Mr. J. sent them over.”

He grinned at her. “I think someone likes
you.”

Anna rolled her eyes. “We’ve spent three
nights together. And he’s never spoken to me.”

“Maybe not with words, but he certainly has
with his actions.”

“I’ve been told he is a very good man.” She
shrugged. “Maybe he treats all his lovers like this.”

“He has multiple lovers?”

She shrugged again. “I wouldn’t be surprised.
He’s very...virile.” She blushed.

“Is that code for ‘has a big schlong’?”

Anna laughed. “Maybe. But I can’t imagine him
being happy with sex just once a week.”

“I dunno, Anna. You
are
that
good.”

“But he doesn’t let me do anything. He does
it all. I’m not allowed to touch him.” She realized what he had
said. “Thanks.”

“Well, then. I’d just go with it. Does it
matter if he fucks other women?” Aaron threw away the empty
containers and rooted through the fridge.

The thought of him being with someone else
made her cringe, but it wasn’t like she had a right to demand
anything else. “It shouldn’t.”

“Yeah, you’re right. It shouldn’t. You’re
gonna marry Bastard-Kurt eventually. I say just enjoy your time
with Mr. J. so you have happy memories of your time in New York.”
He raised his eyebrows. “
Those
Kurt can’t take away from
you.”

“I wish he wasn’t such an ass. Kurt, I
mean.”

“Yeah, I figured. Is he coming out for the
Gala?”

Anna shrugged. “I haven’t talked to him since
he yelled at me.”