Page 246 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 2

“I have no wish to do this, Katrina. But you must realize how serious Mr. J. is about staying hidden.”

“Okay...” Maybe this was a bad idea. “You know who my fiancé is?”

“You are well known in the city. Information is easily discoverable.”

“Oh.” She stared at the floor.

“Katrina,” he said in a gentle voice. “I will not call him. I only said that so you understand the seriousness of Mr. J’s needs. My employer desires to stay as hidden as much as you desire to keep this from your fiancé.”

“Okay.” She swallowed and gave a shaky nod.

“He will not speak to you. You will not touch him unless he initiates it. You may speak to him, but his silence limits the types of questions is able to answer. ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ questions are best.” Simon grinned. “If the answer is no, he will tap your nose. No, nose? Get it?”

Anna giggled. At least the man seemed to have a sense of humor.

“If he strokes your cheek, it means ‘yes.’”

“Okay.”

“He will not hurt you. If you don’t like something he’s doing, tell him and he will stop. He wants this to be a mutually enjoyable experience.”

“Okay.”

“When you two are... done, you may stay the rest of the night in the room and leave whenever you are ready in the morning. There is a change of clothing in the bathroom for you, and a car will be available to take you home. Just speak to the front desk.”

“How will I know when we’re done?” She gave a nervous shrug at Simon’s arched brow. “I mean... sometimes men like to do things multiple times.”

Simon chuckled. “He will hand you something before he leaves. After he hands you the item and you hear the door close, you may remove your blindfold and do whatever you wish for the remainder of the night. However...” He turned serious again. “... if you attempt to follow him, I will, again, be forced to contact your fiancé.”

Anna nodded.

“I will be in touch within a few days to see how you enjoyed yourself. As I said at the club, if the two of you enjoy each other’s company, we can arrange more evenings like this one.”

Anna sucked in a shaky breath. “Okay.”

Simon held up the blindfold. “Are you ready?”

Anna nodded and bit her lip. What on earth was she doing?

Simon walked around behind her and tied the soft fabric across her eyes. “Can you see anything?”

“No,” she answered, barely above a whisper.

She heard Simon knock on the door and her heart pounded as the door opened. Silence hung heavily around her and she began to tremble as she felt the stranger’s heavy gaze travel down her body. Then, a large, warm hand enveloped hers, and she was gently pulled into the room, the door closing behind her with a soft click.

Chapter 126

Mr. J led her slowly across the room. Not being able to see made her rely on her other senses. She caught the scent of something fresh and sweet. Roses, perhaps? Yes, definitely roses. And something else... Vanilla. Mr. J’s steady breathing was high above her head, as if he were quite tall. Her heart quickened and she smiled. She did like tall men.

He stopped and put his hands on her upper arms and squeezed gently, as if to say ‘stay.’ Then she felt the gentle scratch of a beard as he kissed her cheek. Shivers ran down her arms at that simple touch and she swallowed hard.

A soft, muffled swoosh reached her ears and his breathing lowered to the level of her face. He took her hands again, pulling her close enough to feel his body heat. He took hold of her ankle and she shifted her weight so he could slide the strappy sandal off, and then he did the same with her other foot.

“Thank you,” she said softly. She felt much steadier on bare feet while blindfolded.

Did she just hear him smile?

His fingers touched her cheek and trailed gently down her neck and along the deep neckline of her shirt. Goosebumps erupted in the wake of his touch. Fabric slid against fabric, and then cool air reached her nipples, making her shiver.

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