When she took a step towards the men, none of them moved. She had changed into dress pants and sensible boots, but she was still wearing heels. Man, would she like the dig one of them on the foot to get a reaction? She had never been treated this way before, and she planned to speak much later.
Apparently she had the green light to enter the house alone.she looked from one man to the other. "You mean I don't need him to hold my hand?"The tanned watchdog answered. He knows you are here.She didn't ask how, didn't want to know. She just wanted to get the whole thing over with.Without another word, Anna grabbed the doorknob. The hinges squeaked as she opened it, almost as if warning the occupant of the house."Hello? she yelled as she continued through a narrow door.No answer.Inside, she found herself in what appeared to be a living room. She quickly took in her surroundings, noting the sparse and rustic furnishings. A sofa, a chair and a table were the extension of the decoration. There were no photos, no trinkets that people collect and display all their lives. Any.Either no one really lived in the house, or the occupants generally cared little about life. Probably nobody lived here. After all, it was a kind of safe house.As she continued her inspection, her eyes drifted to a massive stone fireplace, the centerpiece of the room. A strange feeling made her stomach flutter. Her eyes wandered instinctively to a corner window.Then she saw him. The man called Sandro.she couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it before. It wasn't that the room was huge or the man was small. It kind of blended in or hid or something to make itself invisible. He was so still, so completely still, it was like he was part of the room. He had his back to her, but she knew with absolute certainty that he was 100% aware of her every move.He looked out the window and seemed to survey the view beyond the glass.Her stomach clenched as the emotion that had drawn her gaze seemed to intensify. A carnal awareness swept through her body, her skin heated, her heart beating like a drum in her chest.She knew him.No.That can't be.She swallowed hard and found it difficult to mentally process what her physical self was telling her. How could the stranger from the bar be here?But he was. She knew it with every fiber of her being. If he were here now, and he'd been at the bar too... A sick flutter ran through her stomach as possibilities tumbled through her mind. A combination of anger and shame began to stir in her stomach, and she pushed worthless feelings aside as premature. Maybe it wasn't him, the man from the bar. May be her mind was playing tricks on her. She looked at the man from behind and hoped it wasn't Jerome. She prayed that she hadn't been betrayed, trapped by someone using herwish as a weapon. The same thing that had destroyed her life before.Then, as if in answer to her silent question, he turned and gave her a glimpse of the real man.The realization came to her mind, confirming what her body senses already knew. That was the man from the bar.images from Friday night of him touching her played in her head. She saw it in his eyes too.The memories. Maybe a touch of guilt. The knowledge he had taken from her without being honest.He gave her a quick nod. "Hello Anna.The way he said her name with that sexy Spanish accent sent chills down her spine. And she hated him for having that effect on her. no She hated herself for allowing this stranger to deceive her. For being weak enough to be the victim of a man with an agenda."That's my name," she said, stiffening. "What's yours? Jerome? Sandro? Where do the lies begin and end?He leaned against the wall and crossed one boot foot over the other. The soft denim nestled against his muscular thighs, drawing her gaze and reminding her that she had touched him.being touched by him. Though he made no effort to close the distance between them on a physical level, his eyes seemed to touch her more deeply. Her fists clenched at her sides as she fought the urge to lunge at him and smack his face to make him pay for what he had taken from her: her control, her self-esteem.She took a deep breath and carefully hid her discomfort behind an unreadable mask reserved for the court trial. This man had only gotten to where he was with her because she had let him. He would not get pass her guard again."Well?" She demanded. He studied her for a few seconds, his eyes too questioning for Anna's comfort. She felt as if he knew her secrets and she wondered if he did. How much of her life had he researched before seducing her? "Jerome" she then said, confirming his name. At least one thing about that night had been true."Agent Jerome Sandro." He paused as if to give her time to digest his words. "I can give you the conviction you seek, Ms. Steve." A conviction and an orgasm, she thought bitterly.How perfectly efficient of you. And tortuous. He had been after something. What? Her eyes narrowed, suspicion replacing her anger.Agent Jack had given no indication that he knew she had met Agent Sandro before today. If she didn't know, then Sandro had acted on his own. Agent Jack trusted this man, which reinforced his credibility. Still...could one or both of them work for Pedro? Had she been seduced by an Enemy ? "You know what," Anna said, beginning to back away. "That was a bad idea." She turned and went to the door. She managed to take all three steps when she found herself twisting and being pressed against a long, hard body. Her breath caught in her throat, fear and excitement mingling and radiating through her limbs. Her hands pressed against his chest, her legs and hips aligned with his. "Let me go," she whispered hoarsely, wishing with all her might that she didn't love him yet, wondering why she did it when he had used her like this and knowing she couldn't believe what she said."Not until you listen to me," he replied in a low, dangerous voice. "I'm not an angel, but I'm not an enemy either. I had no choice but to check it out before introducing myself. I trust my gut, not a file with your name and stats in it. Until I knew I had an idea of who you are, I didn't want to introduce myself." This bothered her, and some of her fear vanished. "How exactly did it convince you that you could trust me?" An icy one Tone chilled his words. "What happened between us shouldn't have happened. I didn't intend to love you, nor did I intend for you to love me. I am sorry? I should be, but I'm not. My only regret is that I left before we finished what we started. But that moment was bound to come anyway.”Call him for his audacity, Anna told herself, and demand an apology. She has to do that. As she should be outraged, appalled. Instead, Anna savored his seductive affirmation of a shared secret and remembered the bliss of his hands caressing her skin, seducing her until it
“Oh my God,” Anna whispered. "I did everything Agent Jack told me to do." And Jack had followed her to make sure she was not pursued.Someone had betrayed him, not that Jerome found that surprising. So he had an escape plan drawn up. And even that he only partially shared with Agent Jack, whom he trusted as much as anyone else. The truth was, he didn't trust anyone completely. After all, he hadn't seen her in three years.If he took her into the forest, he could take her to safety. He turned to Anna and put his hands on her shoulders; he fixed her in a steady stare. “How they found us doesn't matter. What matters is our safety. And as you can see, I'm not taking any chances.I plan ahead. I can get us out of here. She seemed to weigh his words, then said, "I know how to shoot a gun." "Why am I not surprised?" he said, thinking there wasn't much to this woman.He bent down, pulled a Wesson 35 flashlight from a holster around his ankle, and handed it to her. "Six bullets, one in the cha
Jerome put his hand on her arm to lend his support. The air was suddenly filled with the terrifying rattling sound of a rattlesnake. He cautioned her in a tone that was hoarse and strained, "Don't move, sweetheart." "You must not move." She mumbled "Oh god" under her breath as a rush of adrenaline coursed through her body, prompting her to flee the terrifying situation. She managed to keep her mouth shut. "In what location is it?"However, he did not respond verbally to my question. Jerome was able to draw and shoot his gun with remarkable dexterity and quickness. Her muscles tensed up in preparation for the snake's possible strike, in the event that it was unsuccessful. Instead, she discovered that she was encircled by his powerful arms, and he was running his palm over the back of her head. "It's finished. It has expired." Anna gave him a quick blink as the words registered in her mind, and then she immediately turned to look at the proof. Jerome activated the flashlight he had give
"Damn. What the devil happened to them? Philip made a demand. Anna could make out his face even through the branches despite the distance between them. "Just chill out," the other man said. "They are now within striking distance thanks to the shot. If they have not yet passed away, we will see to it that they do so before they reach their destination."Relax?" The tone of Philip's speech was one of complete and utter disbelief. "My family, including my wife and my children, as well as everyone else that is important to me, has been put in danger.""Pedro is very good at getting what he wants, regardless of the cost. You ought to have accepted the money that he offered you and then gotten the heck out of there. I did." Anna had the impression that she had been struck in the stomach. To bend down that low was nothing unusual for someone like Pedro, but the length of his reach was absolutely alarming. She would have to go into hiding while the case was being tried if she wanted to continu
When we get farther into the cave, it will be completely dark in there. Just lean against the wall for a moment while I unlock the entrance to the secret refuge. There is illumination, food, and supplies available at that location. There is still some time before our appointment with Jack, so let's get started.Her complexion changed dramatically in an instant. "Are you suggesting that we go into that cave to hide?"His brows lowered in surprise. “Right. Below the surface, there is a cave that has been concealed. Even if they thoroughly investigate the cavern, they won't be able to find us."Well, that's..." There was a brief pause. "I guess I didn't say I'm claustrophobic?"When he finally succeeded in getting her into the cave, he kept her close enough to the opening so that she wouldn't be entirely enveloped in darkness. This allowed her some time to get used to the confinement of the space. HeHe pushed her up against the wall with his full weight. "Restrain yourself. I'll be there i
Anyway... he continued to have desire for her. He didn't just want her; he needed to have her in his life. Only this once, he vowed to himself, He would make it his business to ensure that she relished each and every second of it. The kind of failure that was brought on by one's own actions was the kind that Anna detested the most. Despite the fact that her life had a lot of order and control, she had always struggled with claustrophobia. In order to cope with it, she had studied several relaxation techniques. Even though she was under some light sedation, she was still able to fly without experiencing any anxiety. She had even been able to board a plane. She could do the same thing with this blasted cave, and it would be a sign of true development for her if she did it without using drugs.She thought to herself, "Easier said than done" as she continued to stare into the abyss into which Jerome had fallen and waited breathlessly for the light that he had promised. Her thoughts q
His attitude changed to one of seriousness, and he began to stroke her arms with his powerful hands. This caused her to get goose bumps and made her realize how chilly the tunnel was, despite the heat of Texas. "Would you mind if I checked on you in a moment?"No. Don't just walk away from me down here. Please don't suffocate us in this teeny space. Suddenly, the cave had the atmosphere of a crowded phone booth rather than a cozy little bedroom. She forced herself to swallow as she fought the temptation to scream for help and demand to be brought back up. "Yes," she lied, attempting to grin but ultimately failing to do so. "Everything is good now. I'm okay."He didn't appear to be convinced, and he moved away from her in an awkward manner. She repeated, in response to the lingering uncertainty in his gaze, "I'm OK," and she detested the fact that he evidently believed she required reassuranceHer voice got severe. "And please, stop staring at me like I'm a helpless little ki
She hurriedly sat down with her legs splayed out in front of her on the rocky ground, trying to avoid falling over. She was unable to move since she was drenched, and she did not want to ruin the mattress. She propped her head up on the wall behind her and looked up at the ceiling while she did so. Could it possibly give way? Should it, like the apartment floor had done so many years earlier, fall on top of her? No. This was not an effective method for calming down.Anna clenched her eyes tight and concentrated on a thought that she hoped would be calming. Birds. Flowers. Sunrises. Instead, a picture of Jerome's lovely ass in those dark jeans sprang into her head while she was thinking about him. Then there was the manner in which he had grabbed her as she had jumped, as well as that seductive slide down her tough body. She let her thoughts run wild as she imagined about taking off his damp shirt and inspecting those well-defined biceps and strong abs that she'd felt through his cloth