Chapter 132

Anna walked into the Hotel Elysee feeling more comfortable than she had the week before. For one, she was dressed properly. And this time, she kind of knew what to expect.

Simon met her in the lobby. “Have you enjoyed yourself so far tonight?”

Anna smiled. “Yes.” Her cheeks warmed, thinking about what was coming.

He chuckled and motioned to the elevators.

She followed Simon into an open elevator. “Is he sure he wouldn’t rather have one of the other women from tonight? I mean, there were a lot vying for his attention.”

He shook his head. “He was only watching one woman tonight.” Simon chuckled again. “In fact, he was getting quite irritated when he couldn’t see you.”

“Oh.”

Simon pushed a button and the doors slid closed. The elevator whooshed upward. “Same rules as last week. Do you remember?”

“Don’t take the blindfold off. Don’t touch him.” She bit her lip, remembering how she’d tried to touch him a few times. Hopefully he knew she wasn’t trying to be rebellious when she’d reached for him. “Yes, stroked cheek. No, tap on the nose.” She giggled. “If he kisses me, he wants me to shut up.”

Simon laughed. “I’m sure there are other reasons he kisses you.”

The elevator continued to move up the building, and Anna glanced at Simon’s reflection in the brass doors. “Do you... know what I am?”

His eyebrows twitched. “I know you are a beautiful woman that is in an unfortunate relationship.” He turned his head to look at her. “Anything else is irrelevant.”

Anna blinked several times. “But is... is it why he wants me back again tonight?”

“No. As I said, anything else is irrelevant.”

Anna shook her head. “I don’t understand. How could that not be a factor?”

“Mr. J is an unusual man.”

“Does he know my fiancé?”

“I won’t answer that, Katrina.”

Anna sighed. “Does he know who I belong to?”

A smile played at Simon’s lips. “Yes.”

The elevator stopped, and they walked out into a narrow hallway with paneled walls and blue carpet. He turned to look at her. “I assure you, he will not do anything to jeopardize your safety. He likes this arrangement and doesn’t want it to end yet.”

They walked down the hallway together. “Is he handsome?”

Simon smiled. “Does it matter?”

“I suppose not. The girls in the company have been speculating about him.”

“Oh? What do they say?”

“That he made a sizable donation to the ballet company.”

“Yes.”

“That he’s either British or Russian.”

He laughed.

“Is he?”

Simon shook his head. “You ask many questions.”

“I’m curious.”

“I’m not going to answer that one either.” He stopped at a door. “And we’re here.”

Anna looked at the nondescript wooden door with a mixture of nervousness and excitement.

Simon pulled out the blindfold. “If you would like, the car can take you to the library tomorrow so you don’t have to walk.”

“I like walking—wait, will there be more roses?”

Simon only smiled in response. He motioned for her to turn around and then tied the blindfold around her head, covering her eyes. “Can you see?”

“No.”

“Clothes for tomorrow are in the bathroom. Call for breakfast when you are up. Or lunch.” He knocked on the door and a moment later, the door opened.

The large hand enveloped hers again and gently tugged, pulling her into the room. It was a longer walk around several corners before he stopped her.

Anna’s heart beat hard in her chest. Thoughts flitted here and there about the evening, about their last time together, wondering what would happen tonight.

He pulled her forward a few more steps, and then she heard a faint squeak. She assumed he’d sat down on the bed in front of her, as he had last week.

When he didn’t touch her, she swallowed nervously. “Thank you for tonight,” she said softly. “It was a lot of fun. The food was delicious and...” She blushed. “I kinda liked dancing, knowing you were watching.”

He stroked her cheek and she took it to mean he liked it too.

“Did Simon tell you how much I enjoyed the rose trails at the library?”

Another touch on her cheek. “I’d had a really bad morning, and it cheered me up. Thank you.” She smiled. “And I really enjoyed the books as well.”

He took her hands in his, held them at the small of her back, and kissed her gently, slowly, as if wanting to explore every recess of her lips and mouth. Her head spun and it had nothing to do with the martinis at the bar. His lips alone were enough to make her dizzy.

Slowly, one hand went up her back and 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. She smiled and then gasped as 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 petals were cool but left trails of fire behind. Anna wiggled and giggled as he moved it across her skin. He moved it down her belly and thighs and then back up, brushing her aching mound and making her gasp for breath. He went slowly up her arms and over each finger, down to her feet. She giggled as he trailed it over the bottoms of her feet. He chuckled softly, which made her tingle all over, even more than from his movements with the rose.

He stood and walked away, returning a moment later and lying down beside her again. 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 and he pushed the smooth, hard object into her mouth. Her tongue darted out and tasted... chocolate? She licked at it and smiled. Really good chocolate. She took a few more licks and then he pressed it against her bottom teeth. Slowly, she brought her teeth together.

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 another 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 the juice off her chin and licked the remaining juice off her breasts.

Anna sighed.

He put another strawberry to her lips and she opened her mouth. He pushed it in and she bit, juices dribbling to her breasts again. “You’re doing that on purpose.” He chuckled 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 on 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. The condom.

“You don’t have to use one of those, you know.”

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 the discomfort quickly turned 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 breathe heavily as he came silently, squeezing her wrists. His hips jerked against hers as she returned to earth, squeezing against his girth inside of 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 so 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?”

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 forced 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’ve had to catch her. When he pulled away, he stroked her cheek one last time and then got up. 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 stretched and smiled, remembering her time with Mr. J, though the knowledge that it 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 getting in the car to go to the library. The entire time, her mind was full of thoughts of Mr. J.

She spotted Max at the information desk and hurried over to say hi.

He smiled warmly when he saw her. “Did you enjoy the roses last week?”

“You knew?”

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

Anna laughed. “I suppose that’s a good thing, because it would be very difficult to walk around here if there were roses all over the place.”

“Yes, but it would smell good.”

“Very true.”

“Have you found today’s roses yet?”

She shook her head, her body tingling with excitement.

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

The roses were placed in much the same manner as they had been the previous week, but this time the trail led to The Phantom of the Opera , a biography of Marius Petipa, a French ballet master and choreographer, and a book on the Paris Opera Ballet.

Anna gasped in delight as she held the books and thought back to the previous evening. He’d designed the entire evening around France, including a French restaurant and hotel. Her heart warmed, knowing he’d put so much thought into the evening he’d created for her. What would he come up with for the next adventure?