*Anna*The world seems different as I walk out of the bedroom door. Grant is still getting dressed. I decided to hurry and dart out as fast as I could before he changes his mind about coming with me. That was a close one. I guess it’s time I started volunteering at a soup kitchen in case he actually does try to come with me one of these days.I’m not really paying attention when I walk down the hallway toward the front door. I’ve let my driver know that I’ll be coming in to do a bit of work today, and I’m thinking about making sure I’m not late to meet him when I realize Hattie is standing directly in front of me.I come to a stop and look up at her. “There you are,” she says, that evil smile taking over her face. “I need you to get my laundry caught up today. The other maids have been slacking, and since you’ll be here all day today, you can do it.”Arching an eyebrow, I look into her eyes. Is she joking? Does she really think I’m going to spend the weekend doing her laundry?She see
*Grant*Anna falls asleep before I do. I hold her close, savoring the feel of her, and breathe in the sweet floral scent of her hair.I’ve finally done what I should’ve done on our wedding night, almost a year ago. For that matter, maybe I should’ve done it before then. It’s not as if I’ve only had feelings for Anna since we got married.No, I’ve been in love with her probably as long as she’s been in love with me. I just never knew how to say it, how to address it, since my family always thought she was beneath me. I am so ashamed of myself for ever letting anyone else’s opinion make any difference to me. I will never let that happen again.I close my eyes and reach for sleep, but it’s difficult. This changes everything. From now on, I will treat Anna the way a husband is meant to treat his wife. I won’t let anyone put her down again–not even Grandmother Trudy–even if it costs me my chance at becoming the CEO. Anna doesn’t need to be paying a maid to clean my family home anymore. She
*Anna*The driver knocks on our door–loudly–and Grant and I pull away from one another, eyes wide, panting. His hair is mussed, and his suit is wrinkled. I’m sure I look a mess as well. We both begin to laugh, and I have to cover my mouth to keep from sounding as ridiculous as we probably look.We made out all the way home and didn’t even realize the car had stopped.Grant opens the door and offers me his hand. He tries to sound dignified as he thanks the driver, but we are both still giggling as we run, hand-in-hand, to the house. We don’t even stop to take our shoes off. Instead, we shoot right into our bedroom where Grant locks the door, and then he’s kissing me again.Nervous jitters shoot up my spine. I’ve never done this before. I think he probably has, but I don’t know for sure. I don’t know if it makes me feel more confident if he knows what he’s doing, or if the jealous rage that threatens to consume me when I think of anyone else touching my husband is worse than neither of
*Anna*At first, I am confused. Grant kissed me once before, at our wedding, but that was a quick peck, nothing like this. When I realize what he is doing, that he is not only pressing his lips to mine but using his tongue to attempt to pry my mouth open, I can’t help but gasp in shock–which means my mouth is open, and then his tongue begins to tangle with mine, and I forget all about what made me so upset and angry in the first place that I darted out of the charity event.Grant kisses me for so long that when he finally pulls away, my lungs are burning. He keeps his hands on both sides of my face and stares into my eyes. My heart hammers against my rib cage like a prisoner begging to get out, and I can hear the blood whooshing in my ears.After a few seconds, his expression shifts from what I could only describe as bliss to something more like horror. God, if he says that was a mistake, I might launch myself into oncoming traffic.“Are you… mad about that?” he asks me sheepishly. “S
*Grant*“Anna!” I call after my wife as she exits the building. She’s faster than I expected, especially in those shoes, and I find myself scurrying after her, bumping into people as I go. “Excuse me, excuse me,” I say as I rush after her, but then someone steps directly in my path, and every time I move, so does she.“Where are you going, Grant, baby?” Barbara purrs.“Barbara, move,” I say, trying to get around her. “Now’s not a good time.”“What? You don’t want to dance? It seems like we already are. I promise you, I’m a better dancer than that nasty wife of yours.” She smiles, showing off her perfectly straight white teeth–and if she wasn’t a woman, I’d punch her and break every single one of them.Taking her firmly by the shoulders, I move her aside. “Don’t you ever call my wife a name again!” I tell her as I rush after Anna.It seems like it takes forever for me to reach the door, whereas she was through it in an instant. I step outside, and a crisp evening breeze washes over m
*Anna*“Anna?” Grant says with concern dripping from his voice. “Are you okay?”I manage a nod, but I don’t feel okay, not after what I just heard. Those bitches were actually trying to convince me that I was flirting with my own husband behind my back!“Are Hattie and Grandmother Trudy in there?” he asks, looking over my shoulder toward the bathroom.“They are. And they were trying to convince me that you were flirting with another woman.” I shake my head, annoyed.Grant takes my arm and leads me away from the bathroom, probably in case they come out. “How stupid is that? I definitely wasn’t flirting with Barbara, even though she wouldn’t leave me the hell alone.”“Barbara?” I ask. Of course, I had seen that hussy over by him while I was on the stage giving my speech, but that’s not at all who I was talking about.He turns and looks at me, eyebrows raised. “Yes. Isn’t that who they were talking about?”“No,” I tell him. “They said that you and Ms. Savage from Savage Enterprises were