Page 267 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 1

She didn’t move, instead studying his face, trying to discern any clue of what was going on. He was acting cold and distant. “Ian, what’s wrong?”

He blinked, his brows furrowed, and his mouth moved a moment before he managed to speak. “Don’t ask me that. Please.” He lifted his chin and shook his head, his expression hardening again. “Get ready as quickly as you can.”

Anna obeyed. As she dressed, she once more searched her memories of the past few days, trying to figure out what she’d done wrong. When she was ready, Ian led her out the back of the theater to a waiting black town car. He opened the back door for her and then got into the driver’s seat and drove away.

She stared out the window for several minutes, watching the buildings of downtown San Francisco pass by. “Where are we going?”

“The Manor.”

She’d suspected as much. “Am I to be punished?”

Ian pursed his lips and took a moment to answer. “No.”

She leaned forward and put her hand on his shoulder. “Please. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Don’t. Just... please be quiet and we’ll be there soon.”

His words brought absolutely no comfort and her stomach twisted and turned like the streets he drove on. She stared out the window and watched the buildings slowly melt away and trees appear. What had she done to anger Devin? He’d seemed to have lost interest in her the last month or so and had secretly been thankful for it. She usually knew what Devin was angry about, but this time, she honestly didn’t know.

The drive should have taken longer, but she would have sworn Ian had found a shortcut. Before she thought it possible, Ian had pulled onto the twisty road that led up to the Manor and a few minutes later, he’d stopped in front of the stately building that held so many terrible memories.

Ian opened her door and she got out. “Leave your bag. Someone will get it later.”

Anna’s shoes crunched on the gravel like gunshots as she followed Ian across the driveway and up the stairs to the arched entryway of Devin’s Manor. She removed her shoes and expected Ian to lead her up the stairs to her room or the dungeon. Instead, he led her down an unfamiliar hallway, through a wooden door with intricate carvings she didn’t have time to study, and into a huge, mostly empty room with deep red carpeting. A fireplace with a wooden mantel adorned the wall to her right, its fire dancing merrily in sharp contrast to Anna’s fear. The room was draped in shadows, save the center where a lamp hanging from the ceiling bathed Devin in golden light as he sat in a tall chair, his chin resting on steepled fingers.

Anna looked over her shoulder at Ian, and he nodded toward Devin. “Go greet him properly.”

Anna glanced down at her clothes—jeans and a sweater—and then at Devin. She’d never gone anywhere in the Manor, except to and from her room, wearing street clothes. She cautiously approached Devin. When she was only a few feet away from him, she gracefully sank to her knees and bowed low.

His tone was surprisingly gentle. “Good evening, Mistress. You may sit up. I hope you don’t mind my needing you tonight.”

She pressed her hands together and stared at his feet. “Whatever would please you, Master.”

“Come, Baby. Suck my cock and then we have some things to discuss.”

Anna crawled forward on her knees and untied Devin’s black linen pants. She took his cock into her mouth. He laced his fingers through her hair. “Good girl,” he murmured. “I love how you always suck my cock so well. So enthusiastically.”

Anna closed her eyes to hold back the hot tears that threatened to escape. She missed Ben so much she could almost feel him nearby. Where on earth could he be?

Devin came in her mouth with a low moan and Anna licked him clean, then returned to her knees and awaited his next instruction. She stared at the floor between his feet as she felt him staring at her. “You don’t seem happy. What’s wrong?”

She swallowed, not wanting to admit what was wrong, but she had no choice. He had asked. “I miss... someone.”

“Your boyfriend?”

“Yes.”

“Anna, you’ve been very distracted by him lately. I don’t like it.”

“I’ve performed my duties as always, Master.”

“You’re not as enthusiastic about pleasing the men I bring to you. And you’re never home, so if someone wants you, they can’t find you.”

“If they call, I always meet them.”

Devin slapped his hands on the arms of his chair. “That’s not the point, Anna. The point is that pleasing me is to be your primary objective. Not pleasing a boyfriend.” He paused. “You spend so much time with him, I’m beginning to suspect you’d rather be with him than me.”

Anna hesitated to respond. He’d punish her if she admitted the truth.

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