Chapter 18: Chapter 18

She argued that he was only a child at the time. "One that you almost frightened the living hell out of."

"You've been in the system long enough to have an understanding of the capabilities of criminals. Pedro is not superior to anyone or anything. He is willing to resort to any means necessary. Even if you have to pay a child to identify you, do it.

"Pedro was not with that child at any point."

They were interrupted by the passage of a woman who sported dark hair and glasses. Jerome watched her with wary eyes as he warily appraised the situation with an expression on his face. Did he have information that she didn't have? As the flavor of terror deepened in her mouth, tension began to spread through her entire body.

While Anna did so, Jerome was observing the woman. And then witnessed the return of his attention to her. They stared each other down. She frantically examined his face, hoping to find some indication of what was going to happen next. Because of what she discovered, her terror quickly transformed into a raging fury.

He was playing with her mind in an attempt to demonstrate his argument. "Don't act in such manner." She gave him an icy stare. "I dislike silly brain games."

He got a little closer to me before saying, "I can promise you that this is not a game." Pedro always seems to leave a trail of dead bodies behind him. A few seconds passed, and the atmosphere shifted in an indefinable manner, yet it remained tense and agitated. And then, quite suddenly, Jerome's demeanor mellowed, quite similarly to how it had done in the hotel room. I don't want you to join the ranks of those people.

She gave him a suspicious glance while feeling a sudden dryness in her throat. Were those eyes of his showing tenderness? Worry? Certainly not. And why did the thought of such things make her feel all warm and fuzzy inside? They'd engaged in sexual activity. The simmering sexual tension between them indicated that they desired to have sex once more. It was completely meaningless. Or did it? She sensed something more than simple attraction as she gazed into the depths of Jerome's eyes; it was a hazy sense of shared experiences that belied the superficial differences between them. Something that terrified her just as much as it did Pedro, but in a different way than he did.

Anna was forced to acknowledge that Jerome had presented a compelling argument once her emotional issues were answered. Because of this, she was unable to use selective caution. It was necessary for her to begin thinking with the same kind of ultraconservative frame of mind that she utilized while she was in the courtroom.

"You are absolutely correct," she conceded. "I'll be more careful."

The expression of surprise that appeared on his face was momentarily replaced by a short nod that he offered to her. “Good. Let's wrap up our shopping, and then we'll leave this place. After that, he turned his back on her, but not before Anna had noticed the bewilderment in his eyes.

At least she wasn't the only one going through such intense feelings at the time. It appeared that Jerome did not know what he thought about her any more than she did about what he thought about her. As they were on the run from Pedro, they were forced to stay together for the time being. She was certain that they could evade Pedro and it was something that gave her hope. However, she had her doubts about whether or not the two of them could successfully flee whatever was going on between them.

Anna felt Jerome's hand on her arm as they made their way back to the car. It was a kind and protecting touch. She valued it more than the fire that he ignited within her. Anna was grateful for his presence, his strength, and the fact that he was prepared to put his life in danger to save her. Because they were in this together, it was necessary for her to behave in this manner.

After everyone was situated, Jerome closed and locked the doors. The room was filled with silence, and the tension created by the words that were not exchanged between them was palpable. Anna assumed the role of leader. "I don't want this to really be happening, I think. Intermittent denial."

It would appear that you do not have a problem with that when it comes to your sister. There was no question involved.

Taking care of her sister had been a top responsibility for as long as she could remember. Both of them had been subjected to a lot of pressure from their parents. He had no notion how much truth was contained in those words, or perhaps he did know how much truth there was. Reading people allowed the man to stay hidden and survive.

She laughed despite her anxiety about how easy he could see right through her and perceive things that nobody else did. "I know. It's beyond reason. I put the blame on the requirement for both food and rest."

Almost immediately, he started the vehicle's motor. "I can make that right."

She wasn't prepared to wrap up this discussion just yet. Not yet. Her hand went back to his arm, which caused his attention to be drawn back to her. She found that the attention she was receiving caused her to lose her breath since it was so intense. He became completely and absolutely still.

She managed to coax herself out of her reluctance and spoke. "I am grateful to you for everything you've done to assist me. for everything you're doing to ensure the safety of my loved ones and I."

Then there was a silence that was heavy and potent. At last, he asked, "Do you realize how much I appreciate it when you thank me?"

Why did you have the impression that this was a trick question? "By putting Pedro behind bars?"

"In the same way." Then he moved, drawing her closer with those powerful arms, enveloping her in his embrace as his strong, exquisite mouth leaned over hers. That possessive and passionate tongue caressing hers as it glided back and forth. One of his hands moved to the side of her face, and his fingers become tangled up in the wild mess that was her hair. Anna came to the conclusion that cooperating with Jerome, as she had just done, resulted in certain advantages. However, despite the fact that he might be detrimental to her in some ways, in many other respects he was positively wonderful. And at this moment, with everything that was going on and everything that they had to face, she wasn't sure that she had it in her to deny herself this man. She yearned to smooch him, to feel his warmth, and to put her faith in him. She didn't give a damn about the future since for all she knew, she might not even have one.

As they continued to kiss, time passed, and during those seductive seconds, his mouth coaxed her into giving in to him. And damn, the feeling of surrendering was unlike any other sweetness, a joy she had never had before. When he finally tore his mouth away from hers, he fixed her with a fiery gaze and leveled her.

He stated that there were one hundred different reasons why we shouldn't be doing what we were doing.

She concurred, "At least that many," in a voice that was just barely audible.

"You have an unhealthy need for control."

"So are you."

"We can't both be the boss of this operation."

That made her laugh, and her thoughts immediately went to the cave and to their power struggle there. "I had a lot of joy attempting it for the very first time."

He gave off the impression of smiling just a little bit. "Which leads me to my point," the speaker continued. It appeared as though he couldn't resist having one more taste or one more touch, as his mouth came close to touching hers. We would be better off not discussing what took place in that cave anywhere outside of that cave.

“Right.” She clenched her legs together as those recollections sent a dull anguish right to the center of her being. "You're doing better."

Despite their insistence that they should struggle against one another, neither of them withdrew from the other's grip. The moment their lips touched, energy shot around them and through them. They paused for a moment before moving on.

However, he stated that "the truth is" that he had "too many other fires to put out in order to battle this one." I have my eyes on you, Anna. What are your thoughts on the matter?"

Wet. She felt wet. Also prepared. It seemed as though both their minds and bodies were heading in the same direction toward fulfillment. "I believe... that it is time for me to check back into the hotel."

He resisted the need to let go of her but couldn't hide the look of satisfaction that flashed across his face as he gave her lips one more caress. He changed gears and turned on the radio before continuing driving.

It would appear like Hurricane Ed will make a direct path for the Gulf of Mexico, and current forecasts have Texas directly in its path.

Anna understood why Jerome was muttering an expletive beneath his breath. It seemed as though passion wasn't the only rough sea they had to sail over between them. Even Mother Nature appeared to be on Pedro's side, as she took away their secure location. Because there was now no way for them to conceal themselves on Jerome's yacht, which was their final target, while it was being battered by a hurricane.

Anna couldn't help but think about how severe this storm might end up being by the time it was through.

Jerome managed to rein in some of his more base tendencies after he got back to the hotel, at least for a little while. He needed to take care of important matters, such as taking a shower so that he wouldn't stink to high heaven, so he could get things done. First and foremost, there were calls to be made and preparations to organize, such as determining when to head back to Austin and how to do so in a secure manner. The most effective measures to take to guarantee that Pedro will not be released from custody. It's not like any of that caused him to forget about that lengthy, passionate kiss they shared in the car. How could he possibly? Despite the fact that there was a room-service cart in front of them, Anna was sitting on the bed next to him, and it is common knowledge that beds are inherently provocative. And the fact that she was wearing shorts made it easier for him to ogle her long, alluring legs.

He gave a miserable expression as he looked down at his tropic shorts. When he appeared wearing them, she'd received quite the chuckle; in fact, it had gotten to the point where he had the impression that something was amiss. When he pointed this out, she acknowledged that she had purchased them in order to mock him. Her amusement had been, well, humorous. He didn't get amused. But after that, nothing about the way he felt about Anna could be considered normal.

He couldn't do without her any longer.

While on the phone with her father, her sister, and now her boss, Anna had still found time to finish her strawberry waffle. Somehow, she did it. Approximately at the same time as she concluded the chat, Jerome finished up a biscuit that was laden with butter and honey.

"That sounded encouraging," he commented before licking a drop of honey off his thumb, with sensual visions of licking honey off Anna's body sending his pulse racing. "That sounded encouraging," he said. "That sounded encouraging."

She carelessly threw the cell phone on the bed, oblivious to the fact that she had just made him extremely hot without exerting any effort, which paradoxically made him even hotter. "It was," she affirmed in agreement. "Dean not only agreed that I should continue working on the case, but he also pledged to do everything in his power to see that it did. The fact that he is making a personal phone call to the judge with the assurance that he will take over if I am unable to attend the trial is, of course, extremely unusual. It will make it very clear to the judge how significant Dean views my role in this proceeding to be. But it also means that his wife's cancer treatments will be delayed by two weeks as a result of this.