Page 36 of Condemned By Secrets

Anna didn’t trust her voice, so she nodded. Luther’s touch didn’t even penetrate the scattered jumble of her thoughts. She tried to understand how this would affect her work. Would Richard get fired? How soon could the county hire someone to take his place?

Anna’s nose scrunched up and her forehead wrinkled. What about all the projects he’d been doing for the society? Would they get lost in the shuffle?

What am I going to tell the ladies?

At that, her heart lodged itself in her throat. Especially Dorothy, who had a soft spot for him.Fudge!This was a mess. Groaning, Anna grabbed her head, bunching up the hair on either side of her face.

While all of that jumbled around in her skull, she hadn’t thought to ask the most important question. When it smacked her between the eyes, she gasped and dropped her hands, her previous worries stuttering to a halt.

“Why? Why is he doing this?” With her eyes, Anna implored Luther to tell her the answer, to help her make sense of this unbelievable situation.

Luther gripped her shoulders and when she looked into his eyes the fear seizing her lungs loosened and she breathed easier. She wasn’t alone in this. “It doesn’t matter why, Anna. What matters is we put a stop to it.” His voice softened and he cupped her cheek. “I won’t let him hurt you.”

Anna searched Luther’s face. Could she trust him? After she’d missed the signs with Richard, she wasn’t sure she trusted herself. It was apparent her judgment needed some work.

Shaking out of Luther’s hold, Anna stepped away from him. She shivered at the loss of warmth and pulled the robe tighter around her. “Thank you for letting me know.”

“Of course. Anna . . .”

She tensed, afraid of what he might say and how she might respond.

When she continued to avoid looking at him, she heard Luther sigh. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Anna nodded then opened the door to her room. “Goodnight.”

Luther lingered, but she couldn’t read his expression through the tears swimming in her eyes. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear them but that only caused one of them to spill over.

He wiped the moisture away with his thumb, making the drops fall even faster. “Anna, I—” He cursed and pulled her into his arms.

In his embrace, her control splintered. Her emotions broke through the dam she used to contain them and threatened to overwhelm her. She was shaky and light-headed, even though her pulse raced and her skin heated. Her body was as confused as her brain and didn’t know how to react as she cried her eyes out in Luther’s arms.

He was stroking her back in soothing circles and it felt too good. She wanted to trust him, to ignore the possibility she could be wrong, but she didn’t think she was strong enough to face the consequences if she wasn’t. The tears had stopped, and it was time to let him go. A heaviness settled in her stomach at the thought.

Luther pulled back first and tilted her chin up. His eyes were liquid smoke as he asked. “Do you want me to stay?”

Her heart screamed yes, but Anna didn’t trust it. Her mind insisted on thrusting images of Dan’s betrayal at her and she couldn’t go through that again.

Luther must have seen the answer on her face because his eyes shuttered, the fire in them extinguished. “Goodnight, Anna.”

She couldn’t speak, so she merely watched him walk away. A part of her screamed to stop him, but Anna ignored it and closed the door.

CHAPTER 15

Anna was naked on his bed, her arms handcuffed to the bedpost. Luther’s cock pulsed as he grinned down at her supple frame. Her curves were subtle, but there was no denying her body’s femininity. She shifted, the motion making her small firm breasts bounce, and Luther stared, mesmerized. His eyes soaked up her beauty. Her long brown hair was tangled around her shoulders, and her caramel eyes glowed up at him as he memorized every dip and rise. He couldn’t believe he finally had her right where he wanted her.

“I want to touch you,” she pouted, her luscious strawberry lip poking out as she struggled against the cuffs.

Luther chuckled. “You’ll get your turn.” Bending down, he nipped her pouty lip before sucking it into his mouth. She sighed, and her sweet candy flavor flooded his senses. He was going to taste every inch of her, lick every curve, but first, he had something else in mind.

Releasing Anna’s mouth, Luther grabbed the bag of Skittles off his nightstand. He poured out a handful, then, grinning, he started to place them all over her body.

“That tickles.” She squirmed and a few fell off.

“Don’t move, Shortcake.”

“But—”

Still smiling, he made his voice stern as he said, “It’s against the law.”

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