Chapter 31: Chapter 31
He responded that Anna was doing well. "She is standing right here next to me. This is Agent Jerome speaking with Beatrice.
"What's the matter?" Beatrice demanded. "Are you sure Anna is safe?"
"It's all good, she's safe." Because he was about to say some critical things to Anna's sister, he chose to avoid looking at Anna. "The worry here is your safety, and I'm not going to sugarcoat these remarks in any way. The person who is looking for your sister has murder in mind. He won't stop at anyone to acquire what he wants, but he does have a preference for attractive ladies as prey. He will complete his assignments. Most likely, it already has. He is aware of how significant you are in Anna's life. If he gets his hands on you, you should expect him to be violent because he takes pleasure in causing pain. He'll relish your misery. Maintain your current position.
Silence. "I have no idea what to do," she said. My father often claims that—"
It's not like we're dealing with your typical type of crook here. Believe me, way worse. Does your grandfather want the loss of his two children to weigh heavily on his conscience?
More silence. "What's up with Anna?"
For the first time since the call had begun, Jerome cast a peek in Anna's direction. Her legs were pulled up to her chest, and she was holding the sheet tightly in her palm. Anxiety was written all over her face.
"She is quite concerned about you. If you leave, I'll have to bind her up in order to keep her here, so please don't." He gave her a sly wink, and Anna's eyes grew wide.
"I am well aware of who you are. She related it to me. You're the gentleman I recognized from the pub.
He didn't like that statement. "Beatrice, do not move from your current location."
There was a brief pause. "I'm going to get a lot of flak for this, but I'm going to stick around anyhow. Can I talk to Anna?"
“Yes.” Despite this, he dithered for a moment before finally handing the phone to Anna.
After a brief conversation, Anna hung up the phone with her sister. "Thank you," was the response she gave. "I can't thank you enough for everything."
He took the covering away from her and then embraced her as he held her in his arms. "Please thank me in the shower I never got around to finishing. After that, I am very certain that I will feel the need to make love to you once more."
He grabbed her in his arms. As he stood there with her in his arms and carried her to the restroom, a tense mental image of what he intended to do to her once he was finally able to get her inside was playing in his head.
AFTER SEVERAL HOURS, Anna awoke while she was resting on her stomach. Because they had been sleeping through the night, the room was pitch black. She gave a sly grin to herself. The hand of Jerome was resting on her exposed butt. Certainly an example of a butt guy.
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She let out a soft sigh as she reflected on the many enjoyable hours of sexual activity that they had spent together. Lovemaking. His word, not hers. What had transpired between them, on the other hand, had been significantly more satisfying and potent than any other sexual encounter she had had before he came into her life. Indeed, lovemaking. She had nothing except sexual encounters with her former partner. This… This experience I had with Jerome was about more than just the simple pleasures the body can provide. Because of this, she found herself in a state of mind in which the rest of the world began to disappear into a place that she shared with only one other person—with Jerome.
Her thoughts immediately went to his statements about having trust. She did had faith in him. The things that he had done to her sister really astounded her. He'd come through for her, safeguarded Beatrice, and helped her out in this way thanks to him. Yes. She put her faith in him. Mostly. sacrificing her own life. But what about her emotions? That notion took her right back to all of her worries.
He frightened her. No. The way in which she responded to him gave her chills. When he reached inside of her, he was able to see all that she would normally conceal from someone. She avoided getting wounded at all costs. If you let him get too close, it will just make it more difficult for you to say goodbye. Even if he wasn't the proper guy for her, he made her feel amazing. The questions that he forced her to ask herself were challenging, but they were also oddly important.
She had discovered a new kind of solace while being held by Jerome here in these arms. But despite this, she felt an overwhelming urge to flee from the feeling she was having and to drive him away. Soon, he'd be gone, and then everything would be over. Back to her life, where she was once again by herself.
It was almost as if he could read her mind when he grabbed her and pulled her into his arms, bringing her against his chest so that she was protected from the storm.
SILENCE FELL BETWEEN As Anna and Jerome prepared to depart the hotel room that they'd been using as a "safe zone" for the past two weeks, they discussed their plans. The storm had long since subsided, and the level of danger had decreased, but the hotel continued to serve as a safe haven. The fact that she knew Jack was the source of the leak made it possible for dialogue to take place between her and her supervisor. During this time, she and Jerome did not converse with one another while they were packing the little belongings they had to take with them. Even though there was a lot to discuss, they didn't bring it up at all.
The night before, they'd engaged in sexual activity. It had been done in an ardent, genuine, and flawless manner. In all of her years, she had never before had the same level of connection with another individual. It was energizing, exhilarating, and terrifying all rolled into one. She had honestly regarded herself as someone who would spend the rest of her life alone, and it's possible that when she met Jerome, she saw something similar in him. What did it look like when two loner types got together?
She was clueless about it. Perhaps she should have gone home to check with her family and see whether what she was hearing was true. But there was no getting around the fact that the prospect of leaving this room and not feeling like this ever again tore a hole in her stomach.
It was the first time in her life that she had the sensation that she belonged with a man. A man who, only a few weeks before, she would have said represented everything she did not want in her life. It was crazy, to be sure, but she could no longer avoid confronting her emotions. She had reached the conclusion that living her life in order to prove that she was something that she was not was not really living at all.
In point of fact, she had been doing a lot of introspection over the preceding several weeks; yet, the moment of epiphany had not occurred until the night before, when she was staring at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep. She'd been living a lie her whole life, pretending to be someone else in order to prove something to herself and to the people she knew. She'd spent her entire life trying to be someone she wasn't. She was forced to make some adjustments. That meant that she had to return home, secure Pedro's conviction, and then figure out where that left her. What she didn't know was how Jerome fit into the changes that were taking place.
As soon as she was finished, Anna plopped down on the bed to rest. Although she was dressed in a blouse, jeans, and sneakers at the moment, she would soon be back in business clothes. Today, she had woken up next to Jerome; tomorrow, they would play prosecutor and FBI agent, claiming to be strangers, and behaving appropriately for the jury. Today, she had woken up close to Jerome. This marked the conclusion of the journey. Their universes were about to diverge, possibly for all time.
After purchasing a leather bag from the hotel boutique, Jerome finished zipping it up and then placed it by the door. “Ready?”
The reality was that she wasn't even sure whether she was ready for this, but she had no choice but to go through with it. She was able to give him a slight nod, and as she did so, her eyes made a rapid tour over his physique, pausing for a moment on his toned thighs that were hidden by the tight trousers he was wearing. The man was as desirable as denim caviar. He gave it a seductive air. But suddenly, she found everything about him to be sexually alluring.
She took a deep breath as she became aware that there was something she owed him—a confession of sorts. Because of her need to appear to be someone or something that she was not, she blamed him for things that he had nothing to do with causing.