Page 90 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 1

“Then you take the jet, Kurt,” Vati said. “You need to get home faster. I will fly out in the morning.”

Kurt nodded. “I’m going to go pack.”

Chapter 36

Anna gazed out the passenger window of Devin’s Aston Martin, watching the elegant houses zoom by as they headed to Alex’s house. A small, white canvas bag sat at her feet containing some toiletries, a change of clothing, and two books from her bedroom in the Manor. She wore the same jeans and t-shirt she’d worn when Jack had taken her to the Manor less than two weeks ago.

Though Anna had spent all her life in San Francisco, she’d never been in the richest parts of town before last week. Jack had a nice house well south of Golden Gate Park. When her parents had been alive, they’d had a small apartment in Russian Hill, near where her mother had grown up. Alex’s neighborhood was a whole other world to her.

She winced as she shifted in her seat, her thighs pressing against the fresh piercings Alex had given her. And Devin had been rough on her that afternoon. Mixing pain and pleasure confused her mind and body, and she didn’t understand why she came so hard from it.

Devin broke the silence that had fallen over the car since they’d left the Manor. His voice was gentle. “There’s a banquet on Wednesday night I’d like you to attend with me. The bank is sponsoring it and I’m the emcee for the evening.”

“Yes, Devin,” she said in a soft voice. “What time?”

“I’ll text you all the information. You’ll need a cocktail dress. Do you need help getting one?”

Anna bit her lip. Her only shopping experience had been with Kurt and Wilhelm, but she didn’t want to bother them about something she needed for an event with Devin. “Could I ask Jenna to help me?”

“Luke’s daughter?” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “Yes, that would be fine.”

“Thank you.”

Anna twisted her fingers in her lap and bit her lip as she stared at the passing houses. She was still confused about how Devin felt about her. He’d been a completely different person during the ritual. He’d been angry this morning, but had said what happened wasn’t her fault. Then, after Alex had left, he’d been harsh. She wished it were nighttime so she could sleep and heal. But no, it was mid-afternoon and surely Alex would have sex with her tonight. She winced at the thought.

Devin reached over and put his hand on her thigh, stroking it gently until he parked in front of Alex’s house. Eager to escape him, she reached for the door handle as soon as the car stopped.

“Anna, wait.”

She froze, her eyes fixated on the perfectly manicured grassy lawn for a brief moment, trying to compose her face into a neutral expression before she finally turned back to Devin.

His eyes held a certain sadness, a flicker of regret that she couldn’t ignore. “I’m sorry for what happened this weekend. I’m trying to get my mind wrapped around everything.” He paused. “I hurt you, didn’t I? This afternoon?”

Anna nodded, unable to lie.

“I’m sorry for that.” He smiled. “I promise I will get my head on straight before Wednesday.”

Anna studied him. He seemed sincere. She knew he liked to be in control and dealing with disappointments wasn’t easy. She gave him a timid smile. “Yes, Devin.”

He stroked her cheek and leaned forward to kiss her deeply. “I love you, Baby.”

“You do?”

His face softened as he nodded. “I always have. I’m still trying to process what happened. I’m sorry for hurting you.”

Anna smiled as her heart lightened. Maybe she hadn’t been as foolish as she thought. “I love you too, Devin.”

“Get settled into your apartment and spend time with your old friends.” He caressed her cheek again. “Be young. Just be careful. I’d be devastated if anything happened to you.”

Anna thought for a moment. “Aaron invited me to a party tomorrow night. May I go?”

“Who’s Aaron?”

“A dancer. I danced with him in my last performance before...” The thought of the troubled times she’d had with Jack was something she desperately wanted to avoid.

Devin smiled. “You don’t need to ask permission to go places. I’ll talk to Alex about getting a calendar set up so you know when we need you. Aside from that, do as you wish.”

“Really?”

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