Page 135 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 2

She looked up and was filled with all his love. “I love you,” she whispered as the room faded.

Anna opened her eyes and rolled onto her back. Rehearsals had finished early, but she was still tired. She’d fallen asleep waiting for Kaveh to arrive.

She stared at the ceiling and thought about Alex. It was true she was more at peace with his death, but she still missed him terribly. Would the ache ever go away? Part of her wanted it to. Another part of her was afraid of not feeling the loss anymore. She didn’t want to lose him totally. Dreaming of him didn’t bother her like it used to. It was like returning to a favorite book, only better.

She allowed herself the luxury of losing herself in thoughts of her beloved Alex for a few minutes. Her memories of him. She twisted her wedding band around her finger. She didn’t know why Devin allowed her to wear it, but she was thankful he hadn’t asked her to remove it. Maybe it really was “better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” Maybe.

Chapter 76

Later that evening, when she heard Devin’s footsteps on the stairs, she hurried to his bedroom, undressed, and positioned herself at the foot of his bed. He walked in a few minutes later. “Hello, Baby. What a good girl you are.”

Anna smiled but kept her head down, thankful he was pleased but not wanting to upset him by reacting. He disappeared into the closet and returned a few minutes later, having changed into jeans and a polo shirt.

He stepped in front of her. “You know what to do.” His voice was surprisingly gentle.

She rose on her knees to unzip his jeans and sucked his cock with enthusiasm. Even though her body ached from “playing” with Kaveh, she ignored it and did everything she could to ensure he enjoyed himself. His hand rested on her head, but, surprisingly, he let her control her movements. With even more gratitude, she swallowed him eagerly when he came in her mouth, then licked him clean.

“Good girl.” He petted her hair. “Get dressed and we’ll go have dinner.”

While they ate, Devin asked how her day was. Her hand froze halfway to her mouth and she stared at the bite of chicken. Had she forgotten to do something? Why did he want to know about her day? She finally choked out an answer. “Good. I got home a little early.”

He smiled at her. “Next time, if you’re done early, call me. I may have you come visit me at work.”

She swallowed. “Should I have done that today?”

“There’s no reason you would have thought about it. I hadn’t said anything to you about it. I didn’t realize your rehearsals were shorter sometimes.”

“Justin had to rehearse first act. Nutcracker rehearsals tend to be shorter than others. At least for the second act.”

Devin nodded. “That makes sense.”

He would have seen enough performances of The Nutcracker to understand what she was talking about. Ballet was one of the things that the respectable people did in the city to be seen. It harkened back to before the technology era. Opera, Ballet, Symphony. They were all important aspects of the city’s culture. And good places to do business.

Anna bit her lip, wondering if she should ask about his day since he’d asked about hers. Surely it would be polite... right? “Did your office get fixed?”

He smiled and nodded approvingly. “It will be tomorrow. The window was being fixed today and they delivered the new desk this afternoon. I was working out of an extra office today.” He scrunched his face. “Makes me appreciate my own space. The windows are small and I have no view.”

She studied him for a while. He didn’t seem upset about the situation and assumed Wilhelm was still safe from Devin’s revenge. “I’ve been having lunch with Jenna every day. Is that alright?”

Devin looked up. “Of course. As long as I don’t ask you to come down and see me, or have some other task for you.”

She sighed in relief. “Thank you, Devin.”

“Has your partner—Justin, right? Has he been treating you well?”

“Yes. He . . . He doesn’t seem interested in me. It’s . . . unusual.”

Devin chuckled. “Is he gay?”

“I don’t think so. I’ve seen him with women.”

“Maybe he’s just a smart man. He’s a good dancer?”

“Oh, yes. Very much so.”

“Good. I wouldn’t want you dancing with someone unworthy.”

They ate quietly for a while. In some ways, Anna felt more relaxed with him since she’d moved in a week ago. But she kept glancing up at him, wondering if he would change back to the cruel Devin again.

---