Anna bid Karlie farewell and went upstairs to shower away the chlorine smell. She stepped into the giant stall and allowed the rain-like shower head wash all her worries away. The hot water felt amazing and Anna found herself standing under the spray much longer than she normally did. It wasn’t until the water started to run cold that she realized it was time to get out. When she dressed, Anna bounded down the stairs and entered the kitchen to find Joyce flipping through a book.
“Anna, how was your swim?” she asked, straightening.
“Cold, but not too bad once we got used to the chill.”
Joyce smiled. “Very good.”
Anna glanced at the clock on the wall and noticed that it was six o’clock. Ben’s game was at two and she knew he’d be home soon.
“What would you like for dinner this evening? I can make a rack of lamb or chicken cordon bleu.”
Anna hesitated before responding.
“What is it? I can always figure something else out if neither of those dishes is to your liking.” Joyce placed her hands on the counter.
“Actually, Joyce, if you don’t mind, I would love to cook for Ben tonight.”
Joyce smiled a wide smile. “As you wish, my dear. Is there anything you would like me to prep?”
Anna shook her head. “I don’t know what my plan is yet. Lamb and chicken are the meats in the fridge right now?”
Joyce nodded her head once.
“Perfect. I’ll figure something out.”
“Of course, Anna. If you should need me, just press the button on the intercom next to my name. I’ll be in my rooms.”
Anna assumed Joyce lived in the house somewhere and was happy to discover that she was right. . She just wondered what she meant when she said “rooms” instead of “room”.
The housekeeper left the kitchen and Anna was all alone. She opened the fridge and freezer and blew a heavy breath out. She closed the doors and peered into the pantry. Anna was happy to find a couple jars of cherry preserve and decided to make a rack of lamb with a cherry glaze. Joyce had the kitchen labeled nicely making it easy for her to navigate.
Anna googled a recipe for what she wanted to make and found something simple enough. She mixed all the herbs and rubbed them all over the lamb. Once the frying pan on the stove was hot enough, she began to sear the meat. Anna pulled a bottle of wine from the fridge and poured herself a glass. She received a text from Ben saying that he had to shower before heading out, making her realize how much she missed him.
She became so wrapped up in her thoughts about Ben and the way the cool wine trickled down her throat, she didn’t realize that she was burning dinner. Anna hurried to the stove and flipped the lamb over, finding that it was almost black.
“Crap,” she muttered to herself as she tried to scrape some of the charred meat. She gave up on the matter and watched the meat carefully so the other side didn’t burn as well. When it finished cooking, she removed the lamb and tossed all the ingredients for the glaze in the same pan hoping it would mask the burnt taste. Once the sauce thickened, she replaced the lamb and allowed it to simmer in the glaze and then turned on the rice cooker.
While the rice cooked and the lamb simmered, Anna went into the formal dining area and lit the candles on the table and around the room. They illuminated the surrounding area in a light glow, creating the romantic atmosphere she was looking for. She went back into the kitchen to check on the meat and was satisfied to see that it was ready. She turned the burner off and replaced the lid hoping it would stay warm enough until Ben got home.
“Wine,” she said aloud. “We need wine.” Anna hurried to the fridge and pulled out a cold bottle. When she popped the cork, she poured herself a glass and inhaled the delicious scent that filled the air. Just as she sat down at one of the bar stools to enjoy her glass of wine, her phone vibrated. The text was from Ben.
Phew! I’m beat. Heading home. Can’t wait to see you.
She wasn’t sure which field he played at today but knew she had at least thirty minutes before he was home. Anna opened cabinet after cabinet to find plates for dinner and came across domes to keep the food warm. She finally found plates just as the rice beeped, and she walked to rice maker and pulled the plug.
Anna carefully piled the rice on each plate and placed the rack of lamb on top. She scooped up the remaining glaze from the pan and drizzled it over the meat. She placed each plate on the table and set the steel dome over them and then sat, wine in hand, and waited. It wasn’t long when she heard the heavy footsteps of a man padding across the stone kitchen floor.
“Anna?” she heard him call. He walked into the dimly lit room, shock on his face.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“Surprise!” Anna exclaimed, raising her hands in the air. “I made you dinner.”
“Wow. This is a really nice surprise.”
In her excitement, Anna jumped up and pulled out Ben’s chair. “Sit, sit, sit.”
He chuckled. “Yes ma’am.”
Ben did as he was told and when he settled himself, Anna lifted the dome and said, “Ta da!”
“You made this?” Ben asked, sounding shocked.
“Of course I did. Why would I say that I made you dinner if I hadn’t actually made you dinner?”
He smiled again and peered up at Anna. The look in his eyes caused her heart to beat rapidly in her chest. “I don’t know why I said that. It looks and smells amazing.”
Ben leaned forward and took a deep breath of the steam coming from the plate. “Mmmmm. Are you planning to join me or are you going to stand over me and watch?”
Anna let out a small laugh. “Sorry, I didn’t even know I was lingering. Wine?”
“Yes, please.”
Anna walked at a fast pace to the kitchen and grabbed the bottle of wine she left on the counter. She returned to the dining room and poured a glass for Ben before taking her own seat.
“What do you think?”
Ben took his first bite and rolled his eyes in the back of his head. “The best rack of lamb I’ve ever had.”
Satisfied with his answer, Anna shoved a forkful into her mouth and instantly knew he was lying. The meat was overcooked and the glaze had somehow turned out to be tart instead of sweet. She discovered that adding rice to each bite made it a little easier to swallow. Anna was a little disappointed in herself. There were many dishes she could have created that would have been easier to make with success, but she had to choose this one. She watched Ben scarf his entire plate down in silence and wondered if he really did enjoy it. Next time, she thought, I’ll stick to what I know.
* * *
Ben was pleasantly surprised to find Anna standing in the dining room, beaming with pride. She had made him dinner. It was something no woman other than his mom and housekeeper had done for him. Then again, no woman had been awarded the opportunity since none of them ever came home with him.
But Anna was not like the other woman. She was incredible and never ceased to amaze him. Ben watched as she waited on him by pulling out his chair, lifting the dome off his plate and hurrying to the kitchen to grab him some wine, all with a prideful smile on her face. She was just as excited about making him dinner as he was. He found that he liked it, a lot.
Coming home to Anna had become the highlight of his days lately. She was a sweet distraction for the days he played crappy and a breath of fresh air at the end of the day. Never did he have to give her a play-by-play of his game like other women he attempted to date. For once, he didn’t attract a fan, but a woman who was genuinely interested in him and not his profession.
Ben loved her. He really loved her. Life would never be the same again because this beautiful woman stumbled into it. As she watched him take the first bite of the meal she happily prepared, he rolled his eyes to the back of his head and prayed she couldn’t see how revolting he thought it was. It was dry, burned and sour. He ate it as quick as possible so that he could wash the taste away with wine.
Thank goodness for Joyce, he thought, because if all her cooking is this way, I’ll starve to death.
“Sheesh, someone was hungry!” Anna assumed.
Ben laughed lightly and downed the entire glass of wine.
“And thirsty.” She held up the bottle of wine. “More?”
He nodded. “How was your day off today?”
Anna brightened. “It was amazing. I’m so happy you suggested it.”
“I’m glad. What did you do?”
“Karlie came over and helped me rummage through your things.”
Ben choked on the liquid that lingered in his mouth. “Is that right?”
“I’m kidding, Ben. We didn’t actually snoop through your private stuff. We just explored the whole house and floated the river.”
He listened to her recap her day with Karlie in animated detail, loving her enthusiasm. A spark lit in her eyes when she talked about her best friend making Ben both pleased and jealous. She talked about the people she loved most with such passion. He just hoped that it was the same when she spoke of him.
“Have I told you today how beautiful you are?” he asked her when she paused. She gave him a weary look and he laughed.
“Is there something you want?”
Ben pushed his chair back from the table and motioned for her to sit with him. She obliged and sat on his lap. He kissed her shoulder and ran his hand up her side until he reached her chin where he gently pushed her face to his. Ben’s plan was to seduce her with tender kisses, but it seemed she had other plans.
He noticed the hunger in her eyes before she balled her fists in his shirt pulling him close to her and kissed him until they were both out of breath. Her need to touch him matched his own and before they realized it, they were pawing at each other’s clothes.
“Anna,” Ben said breathlessly. “Shall we take this upstairs?”
She gave him a devilish grin. “Why? You afraid Joyce will stumble upon our naked bodies?”
It was the one person he hadn’t actually thought of. “I wasn’t before, but I am now.”
Anna snorted and hopped off his knee. “Last one there has to do dishes!”
Before he could react to her playful statement, Anna took off running. She disappeared around the corner and he decided to go after her. Wanting to give her plenty of time to win, Ben took his time walking up the stairs. He found her on the bed in nothing but her bra and panties; a sight he would burn into his memory for the rest of his life.
Anna sat against the pillows with a seductive look on her face, causing him to stop in his tracks. She crooked her finger, motioning him towards her, and Ben pulled off his shirt. He was hard the second she ran from the dining room and even more so right now.
He crawled on top of her and whispered into her ear. “I need you, Anna. Right now.”
“Then what are you waiting for?” she replied.
Not needing more of an invitation, Ben undressed the rest of the way and thrust into Anna. The sensation was more than he can handle and he lost himself in a matter of minutes. It wasn’t like him to finish as quick as he did, but Anna did something to him. He wasn’t sure if it was her wit, her humor, or her ability to love freely, but she had him wrapped around her finger.
As the two of them lay in each other’s arms, the madman who stalked one of them popped into his mind. The love he had for Anna was so great, he wouldn’t be able to live if something happened to her. He kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair and continued to think of ways to keep her safe before Anna interrupted his thoughts.
“I forgot to tell you that the dealership called today. My car is ready. You mind dropping me off in the morning on your way to the field?”
“Not at all.” Ben thought on that for a while. He did, in fact, mind. Whoever this person was that harassed them obviously knew Anna’s car. What’s preventing them from attacking her vehicle while she was still inside it? He knew it was a battle he would lose if he asked her to continue using his car instead of hers. He just didn’t know how to express his worry and concern without revealing his feelings to her. His feelings were something he wasn’t ready to disclose yet. The last thing he wanted was to be rejected—he had too much pride for that.
As he listened to the soft snores of the naked beauty lying on his chest, he wondered if he should swallow his pride and just tell her all that he felt. He eventually drifted off to sleep, except visions of Anna lying in a pool of her own blood kept him from entering that much needed deep sleep, making him wonder if he would be able to protect her from whatever evil that followed them. He vowed to make it his life’s goal to do what he could to keep her from harm’s way, whatever the cost.