Page 200 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 1

Chapter 90

As the sun rose, Anna curled against Alex, her hand resting on his chest, inhaling his scent, enjoying his body pressed against hers and memorizing it so she didn’t forget it while he was gone. He’d spent hours making love to her the night before and she knew she’d been right in knowing his feelings toward her. She wasn’t just his slave. She never had been.

Alex stirred beside her and kissed her forehead. He glanced at his watch, groaned, and muttered something in German.

“What?”

He smiled. “I said I don’t want to get up.”

Anna closed her eyes and snuggled closer. “Then don’t.”

He hugged her close and pressed her head to his chest. “I would give anything to stay here with you, Schatzi.” He kissed her once more and then sat up. “But I must go.”

She nodded and watched as he walked across the room to the bathroom, blinking and swallowing back her emotions.

She wrapped her robe around herself, and once Alex was dressed, followed him to the door. He cupped her cheek and gazed deeply into her eyes. “I will be here for your performance next month.”

She nodded, afraid to speak for fear she’d start sobbing. Tears escaped anyway and streamed down her cheeks.

He pressed his lips together. “I’m so sorry, Anna. I wish...” He sighed. “I must go.”

She nodded again. “I know,” she choked out and forced a smile.

“I will see you soon.” He kissed her once more and opened the door, giving her one last affectionate smile before leaving.

She fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands, letting the tears fall freely. At least she knew she hadn’t been wrong about him.

Two hours later, she walked into class with a heavy heart, mentally counting down the days until Alex returned.

“Hey, Anna.” Olivia hurried over to her, an excited look on her face. “Did you see the casting list for the end of summer performances?”

Anna shook her head. “No. I didn’t know they were being posted.”

Olivia grinned and pulled her out into the hallway. They stopped in front of the bulletin board. Anna looked up.

First Act Of Giselle

Giselle: Anna Perkins

Duke Albrecht: Nate Devereaux

Giselle? The notice lifted her spirits a little. Intense rehearsals for her favorite ballet would undoubtedly provide a welcome distraction from the pain of Alex’s departure. She smiled at her friend. “I can hardly believe it.”

The next few days were a blur. Between regular classes in the morning and hours of intense rehearsals in the afternoon—and sometimes into the evening—Anna had little time to miss Alex and fell into bed every night, exhausted.

But her sleep was fitful. Thursday night came, and she realized she hadn’t had sex since Sunday. She’d never gone that long without sex before.

She tossed and turned, trying to ignore her swollen clit. God, she needed someone to touch her. She wished she were allowed to touch herself, but she knew better. She would get into so much trouble if she did. Devin would know. He knew everything, even though she didn’t know how.

When morning came, Anna had only managed to sleep for an hour or two. She packed her bag so she could go directly to the Manor after rehearsals finished and headed to the studio.

Nate greeted her and then frowned. “What’s wrong?” Their friendship had grown from spending so much time together.

Anna gave a small shrug. “I didn’t sleep well.”

“Did something happen?” He studied her face intently.

She shook her head. “Just . . . stuff.”

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