Page 32 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 1

Alex narrowed his eyes. “The Manor? She was at the Manor?”

“Ja, Alex. Of course. Why? Do you know her?”

Alex looked back at Anna, his eyes inscrutable, and frowned. “Nein.” He turned away and sat down again.

Pain stabbed her heart and she fought the urge to rub her chest. Anna, they were dreams. Of course he doesn’t know you. She stared at the floor and twisted her fingers together. The nerves in the backs of her hands tingled terribly.

“She is coming with us tonight.” Kurt leaned down and kissed her cheek.

Alex jumped back to his feet and growled something in German. Kurt rolled his eyes and shook his head.

Anna backed away, staring at the two brothers as they snapped and growled at each other in their harsh native language. German no longer sounded soothing and sexy, but terrible and frightening. Alex narrowed his eyes and jabbed a finger at his brother.

A low chuckle from behind made her spin around. The two men who had been sitting on the couch had leaned forward and were grinning at Kurt and Alex.

The man with the lighter brown hair nodded at her, curiosity in his eyes. “Hello, Anna. I’m Seth. This is Tony.” Seth, who sounded surprisingly American, stood and pulled her onto the couch next to him.

She knew better than to resist his touch and sat down, but glanced over her shoulders at the brothers. Seth laughed. “Don’t worry about them. They argue all the time. You get used to it.”

Seth smiled when she looked back at him. His chocolate-brown puppy-dog eyes and boyish aura—especially his smile—made him look kind, despite being as tall as Kurt and as muscular as Alex. He could break her in half with a flick of his finger.

Tony was a few inches shorter than Seth, but his shoulders were about six inches wider. His closely shaved black hair and dark eyes made him look Italian. The mischievous glint in his eyes reminded her of Kurt.

Anna studied Seth’s eyes and found nothing but kindness in them. Her gaze flickered over to Tony, in whom she felt the same kindness. Her brows furrowed, feeling very confused. All these men—Wilhelm, Kurt, Alex, Seth, Tony—they were... Anna didn’t know how to process what she felt from them. They were kind. Genuinely kind, from deep inside. They had no desire to hurt or humiliate her. Yes, they were attracted to her, but there was restraint. They...

Anna tilted her head as she opened her heart to read Seth. He was curious about her, but he respected her as a person. He would never push her to do something she didn’t want to do.

Anna leaned away and looked back at the arguing brothers, then back at Seth. I don’t understand...

Seth put his hand on hers. “Are you okay?”

“I...” She shook her head. How was all this possible? How was it possible to be surrounded by men who didn’t want to hurt her? Her mind spun. My purpose in life...

She swallowed. The room spun around her and she closed her eyes. Everything Master Jack had told her about men warred against what she was surrounded with at that moment. Warred against how Devin had been with her since arriving at the Manor. Warred against the kindness Kurt and his father had shown her.

Suddenly strong arms wrapped around her, and she opened her eyes. Seth was watching her, concern evident on his face. She looked up to see Kurt holding her and Alex standing above them, watching her with even more concern than Seth showed.

“Engel? What happened?” Kurt hugged her to him. “Are you alright?”

“I’m sorry. I was just... overwhelmed for a moment.” Her heart lightened, and she looked up at him and smiled. Yes, her purpose in life was to please men, but that didn’t mean that all the men wanted to hurt her. Devin loved her. The men at the Gathering hadn’t hurt her. Kurt cared for her. And these other men he was with were oh-so-kind.

This new life was good. “I’m okay.”

She sensed Alex’s intense gaze on her and she glanced up at him. His arms were crossed over his broad chest, chin high, eyes cool. He and his father were so much alike! They both wore a heavy aura of authority, their mere presence demanding respect from everyone around them.

He looked at Kurt and gave a tight smile. “You should go get ready for tonight.”

Chapter 14

Anna followed Kurt down the hall, past the staircase, to a large bedroom. A king-size bed with a navy-blue duvet dominated the room. Tall windows allowed in golden light from the setting sun. A dark wooden wardrobe stood partially open next to the fireplace, revealing her new clothing hanging inside.

Kurt kissed the back of her neck as he pushed the bedroom door closed with his foot. “I am going to make love to you in that bed tonight.” He slid his hands around to her stomach and up to cup her breasts and caress them. “It was a very big, lonely bed last night. I am glad it will not be so tonight.”

She smiled and leaned her head back onto his shoulder, sighing as he played with her breasts. I am happy to please Kurt. He nipped the side of her neck and she inhaled sharply. She pressed her hips back against his and he groaned. Turning around, she kissed him and slid her hands down his chest to his cock, stroking him over his shorts. He muttered something in German.

“May I please you, my lord?” She pressed her hand hard against him.

“Mein Gott. You are a very tempting woman.” He kissed her and pushed her backward, edging her toward the bed. The backs of her knees hit the mattress, and she fell back with Kurt on top of her.

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