Chapter 125

Anna spent the next fifteen minutes staring at her drink and wondering if she’d made the right choice. She’d half-talked herself out of going by the end of the wait and if Cameron hadn’t been there, she would have chickened out. But Simon had promised discretion—something she needed to protect herself.

If something happened to her... Well, she’d been through worse. If she wound up dead... again, she’d been through worse. If it was terrible sex, she had her vibrator at home. She couldn’t possibly be any worse off than she was right now. And she could smile at the fact that the “mystery European” had chosen her, without her even trying to seduce him.

When the time came to leave, Cameron practically shoved her out of her seat, his face beaming with the widest smile she’d ever seen. “Aaron will be so pleased!” He clapped his hands. “Enjoy yourself, darling.”

She gave him the dirtiest look she could muster before making her way through the club and outside, her ears ringing in the quiet evening. She paused at the top of the stairs and a man in a black suit and tie approached her. “Miss Katrina?”

Anna nodded.

The man smiled and motioned to a limousine behind him. “If you are ready...”

Anna slipped into the back of the long vehicle, nerves churning a million miles an hour. The limo pulled into the street and Anna pushed the button to lower the partition between the front and back of the car. “Where are you taking me?”

“The Library Hotel, Miss.”

“There’s a Library Hotel?”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Is it . . . part of the library?”

“No, Miss. It’s a block away from the library. The hotel’s theme is the library. The floors and rooms are decorated based on the Dewey Decimal System.”

“Wow.” She thought for a moment. “Do you know why he picked this particular place?”

“No, Miss.”

Anna stared out the window. A psychopath wouldn’t choose a library-themed hotel, would he? He had to be cultured to even consider a place like that... right? Anna couldn’t imagine a more romantic rendezvous, even if he hadn’t planned it that way. She resolved to just enjoy herself. The old Kurt might have done something like this, but not anymore. She still hadn’t heard from him, and that stung.

Not long later, the limo pulled up in front of a tall, narrow building. Stained-glass windows surrounded the gothic marble archway at the entrance. When she walked inside, she felt like she had, indeed, walked into a library. Dark wood paneling covered the walls, and shelves of books surrounded her.

She crossed her arms over her chest after a few men flashed seductive smiles at her, remembering what little she was wearing. She looked like a prostitute. And she would have to go home like this tomorrow. Oh, this was not a good idea. She turned to leave, but Simon appeared at her arm.

“Miss Katrina. I’m so glad you came. Right this way.”

Anna flushed, but allowed Simon to guide her to the bank of elevators. She couldn’t help but stare at the foyer of the hotel. “It’s beautiful.” She glanced sideways at him. “How did... he ... choose this place?”

Simon grinned. “He had a feeling you might like something... unusual.” He pushed the call button for the elevator.

“Does he have a name?”

“All people have names,” Simon answered with a smile as they stepped into the wood-paneled elevator. “You may call him Mr. J.” He pushed the button for the eighth floor.

“Mr. J?”

“Anonymity, Katrina.”

“Oh. Right.” Mr. J? What did the J stand for? Jones? Johnson? Jerk? Anna smiled at the last one. “Have you worked for him long?”

“I have known him for more than half my life.”

“Is he a good man?”

Simon smiled. “One of the best I have ever known.”

Tears burned her eyes and she looked away, doing her best to wipe them away subtly. People had referred to Alex as that many times. Oh, how she missed him!

The elevator doors slid open silently, and she followed Simon down the hall. “Eighth floor... eight hundred,” Anna murmured to herself. “Literature.”

“Smart girl.” He stopped at the end of the hallway.

“Mystery.” Anna read the plaque next to the door and grinned. “I love it.”

“He will be pleased to know you approve.” Simon produced a black silk scrap of fabric from his pocket. “You will wear this the entire time you are with him. If you take it off, I will be forced to contact your fiancé and tell him of your escapades.”

Anna gasped.

“I have no wish to do this, Katrina. But you must realize how serious Mr. J. is about staying hidden.”

“Okay...” Maybe this was a bad idea. “You know who my fiancé is?”

“You are well known in the city. Information is easily discoverable.”

“Oh.” She stared at the floor.

“Katrina,” he said in a gentle voice. “I will not call him. I only said that so you understand the seriousness of Mr. J’s needs. My employer desires to stay as hidden as much as you desire to keep this from your fiancé.”

“Okay.” She swallowed and gave a shaky nod.

“He will not speak to you. You will not touch him unless he initiates it. You may speak to him, but his silence limits the types of questions is able to answer. ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ questions are best.” Simon grinned. “If the answer is no, he will tap your nose. No, nose? Get it?”

Anna giggled. At least the man seemed to have a sense of humor.

“If he strokes your cheek, it means ‘yes.’”

“Okay.”

“He will not hurt you. If you don’t like something he’s doing, tell him and he will stop. He wants this to be a mutually enjoyable experience.”

“Okay.”

“When you two are... done, you may stay the rest of the night in the room and leave whenever you are ready in the morning. There is a change of clothing in the bathroom for you, and a car will be available to take you home. Just speak to the front desk.”

“How will I know when we’re done?” She gave a nervous shrug at Simon’s arched brow. “I mean... sometimes men like to do things multiple times.”

Simon chuckled. “He will hand you something before he leaves. After he hands you the item and you hear the door close, you may remove your blindfold and do whatever you wish for the remainder of the night. However...” He turned serious again. “... if you attempt to follow him, I will, again, be forced to contact your fiancé.”

Anna nodded.

“I will be in touch within a few days to see how you enjoyed yourself. As I said at the club, if the two of you enjoy each other’s company, we can arrange more evenings like this one.”

Anna sucked in a shaky breath. “Okay.”

Simon held up the blindfold. “Are you ready?”

Anna nodded and bit her lip. What on earth was she doing?

Simon walked around behind her and tied the soft fabric across her eyes. “Can you see anything?”

“No,” she answered, barely above a whisper.

She heard Simon knock on the door and her heart pounded as the door opened. Silence hung heavily around her and she began to tremble as she felt the stranger’s heavy gaze travel down her body. Then, a large, warm hand enveloped hers, and she was gently pulled into the room, the door closing behind her with a soft click.