Page 70 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 1

She struggled against him and he loosened his vise-like grip, allowing her to turn onto her stomach. Her eyes widened when she saw his face, and her lips parted as she sucked in a sharp breath. “Wha—‍” She clamped her lips together and dropped her gaze to the bed. “Good morning, my lord.”

Clearly, she hadn’t been expecting him, and who could blame her? He’d deliberately kept his distance from her to prevent Devin from discovering that Alex and his father knew about her. It had been sheer torture watching his brother with her. “How are you feeling?”

She chewed her lip for a moment, blinked several times, then gave a small nod, still staring at the bed. “All healed.” She sat up on her hip and smiled seductively. “How may I please you, my lord?” She reached out and trailed her fingers down his chest to his stomach. His muscles rippled under her touch and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her perfect breasts with their rosy nipples that were inches away from his face.

He leaned forward, intending to take one of those nipples into his mouth, when the piercing caught his attention and his body instantly cooled. She was not just another Manor slave. Yes, technically, she was his slave, but he didn’t want to treat her as such. How would she ever learn to love him if he treated her that way?

The last question cooled his blood even more. No. If he treated her like a slave, then she would believe that’s what she would always be. And if Alex had any say in it, she would be free someday. The memory of his past failure haunted him, driving him to ensure that he didn’t let her down again.

Last night had been a step in the right direction.

Alex needed to prove to her he was different from Devin, and that meant not using her for sex. He was twenty-eight years old. He could control himself around her.

Glancing up, he saw her eyes fixed on him, her hand hesitating inches away from his navel. Her eyes glinted with her seductive magic as she slid her fingers lower to the waistband of his underwear. He grabbed her wrist firmly, holding it in place, but not squeezing. He didn’t want to hurt her.

She stared at his hand, brows furrowed over blinking eyes. Had a man ever stopped her before? Why would anyone stop her?

Dragging her gaze up to meet his, she gave him a timid smile. “Please, my lord, let me?—‍”

He growled. “No.” He released her hand and she snapped her hand back to her stomach and ran her thumb against the side of her forefinger.

“I-I’m sorry, my lord.” She blinked and stared at his chest, then backed away, her shoulders rounding in on themselves as she hung her head.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry I angered you, my lord,” she whispered, wincing and pulling away another inch.

“Why are you wincing?” He tilted his head as understanding dawned. “I will not hit you.”

“But you’re angry with me.”

“Anger is no justification for abuse.” What kind of sick world had she grown up in to think such a thing? “And I’m not angry with you.”

“I know you’re angry.” Her voice was a barely audible whisper as she stared at his chest. “I can feel it.”

He watched her bite her lip for a long moment. She could feel his emotions? He needed to be careful around her. More motivation to control his temper better. With a gentle hand, he caressed her cheek and spoke in a soft voice. “Look at me.” Instantly, her gaze flicked up to meet his. “Yes, Anna, I’m angry. But not at you.”

“What’s the difference?” She clapped her hand over her mouth and tears filled her eyes. “Oh, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have said that!” She squeezed her eyes shut and winced again.

His heart lurched at her words, and he brushed the backs of his fingers down the side of her face. “You don’t need to fear me. I will never hurt you.”

“It’s okay if you want to.” She gave a small shrug. “I heal with sleep.”

It’s okay if you want to... A wave of nausea flooded his body. What the hell? “Why would I want to hurt you? Why would anyone want to hurt you?”

“Men seem to like it.”

He clenched his jaw. “Did Kurt hurt you?” He would kill his little brother if he had.

She looked up at him, eyes wide. “Oh no! Not in the slightest.” She shook her head. “He actually—‍” A smile played at her lips. “He’s the kindest man I ever met. And your father, too,” she added quickly.

Alex arched his brow in amusement. He could think of many words to describe his brother: fickle, unreliable, erratic... but kind? Well, he supposed in his brother’s own way, he was. He certainly wasn’t mean or cruel. He smiled. “And what about me?”

Anna’s eyes widened, and she chewed on her lip. “I . . . I . . . don’t know.”

“Do you think me unkind?”

She shook her head. “You . . . yell a lot . . .”

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