Anna

I lay half-exhausted on my stomach. Ethan was in the bathroom, disposing of the second condom of the evening. Jesus. I’d never wanted a man physically in the way I wanted him. Of course I’d desired men before, but not like this. I wanted to give him everything.

“You are wearing a very sexy look, Miss Anna,” he said as he came from the bathroom. I opened my eyes.

“I’m sure I look thoroughly disheveled.”

“You do. You wear it well. I like that I caused it.”

I grinned.

“Let’s get you some dinner.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“You have to eat. Do you want to stay in and order room service?”

“You want to go out?” I turned and sat up on my elbows.

“You wanna go out?” he asked.

“I asked you first.”

He sighed.

“I don’t mind. You choose,” I said.

“I don’t want to share you with anyone tonight.”

My stomach flipped over once, then twice, and I grinned. “Well, my body is yours, so I guess we’re staying in.”

After finally negotiating with Ethan that I was allowed to wear a robe while we ate, room service knocked at the door and I quickly went to the bathroom to try and stem the tide of mascara that was trying to escape from my eyelashes down my face. He was right, I did look disheveled. I took a hairbrush from my bag and tried to improve the situation.

“Anna,” he called.

I splashed some water on my face and then wandered into the living space. Wow. He’d turned the lights down and there were just a few candles flickering on the dining table. The lights of the city illuminated our feast. There was music playing. I bet he’d wooed a few women in this suite like this. I sighed, but couldn’t help but grin at him as I took my place kitty corner to him so we were both facing the view of the park.

Ethan had ordered for us both, so it was a surprise when he unveiled risotto and poured some crisp cool white wine into our glasses. He sat back and looked at me and patted my legs, and then lifted them up so they were resting on his lap, being soothed by his hands.

“A girl could get used to this.” Shit, I hadn’t meant to say that aloud.

He grinned at me.

“Sorry. I just meant that I feel very spoiled, and it’s lovely. Thank you.”

He nodded. “You deserve it. You did bring me a great gift this evening.”

“You seemed to have fun with it,” I replied, trying to be nonchalant.

“I did. You as well, I hope.”

“Always. You …” I shook my head.

“What?” he asked.

“It’s just you seem to know exactly what my body needs and wants. No one has, ever… Not like you.” I wished I could have sewn up my mouth right then. Shut up, Anna.

He smiled at me and then focused on his plate, stroking my legs in his lap as he ate his risotto. I stirred mine.

“I’m supposed to go to the Hamptons this weekend with Andrew and Mandy.”

And there it was: his excuse to get out of Dodge. I’d said too much. Fuck, Anna. No complications, remember?

“Cool.” I continued to stare at my food.

“Will you come with me?” he asked, and my stomach twisted and spun.

I looked at him sideways to see if maybe I’d heard him wrong.

“We could get out of the city and spend the weekend together before you go back to London.”

I wanted to say yes. I really wanted to say yes, but I could feel myself opening up to him. I could feel my guard coming down, and he was peering across the threshold, about to step inside. In normal circumstances between two normal people, that might have been a good thing, but we were supposed to be just having fun. I was getting over someone else. He wasn’t meant to be the guy that got to know me, that took me away for weekends, that gave me more orgasms in the past three days than I’d ever had in my life. He was meant to be uncomplicated fun. This felt like it was verging on complicated.

“Jesus, I can see the cogs in your brain working at a million miles an hour. What are you thinking? No bullshit.”

“I’m thinking I don’t know you.”

“I’ll tell you anything you want to know, but you’ll have to tell me some stuff first.”

I pursed my lips at him. “Go on,” I said.

“First, you tell me your name.”

I nodded. “And?”

“And then second, you come to the Hamptons this weekend.”

“Anything else?”

“You tell me about what or who you’re escaping.”

“What do you mean?”

“The guy. The guy before New York.”

I started to remove my legs from his lap, but he dropped his fork to his plate and held them where they were.

“I’m not sure I want to know you that badly,” I said under my breath.

“The construction thing is bullshit, I have an older sister, I work too hard, I’ve slept with too many women and mushrooms are my favorite food.”

 

“So now, you have to tell me,” he said.

“My name?” I asked staring at my plate. I took a deep breath. “Anna. No bullshit.”

“But I chose your name.” He sounded confused. I stayed silent, playing with my risotto. “I chose your real name?” I could tell he was looking at me, but I couldn’t bring myself to look up.

“Like you knew me before you met me,” I said so quietly I almost couldn’t hear myself.

“I think I did,” he said.