The Life of Anna, Part 4: Ensnared Read Online Free PDF Page A

exclaimed with a grin. Anna
looked at him, confused. “I can buy you something!” He took her
hand and the three of them walked back to the hotel to get the car
Wilhelm had rented.
*****
    Anna stood in the shower, immersed in
rose-scented body wash, and sighed. She felt...happy. Genuinely
happy for the first time in forever. Maybe life didn’t suck as bad
as she thought it did.
    She liked being with Kurt. He was much calmer
than he had been before. He didn’t look at other women and seemed
completely devoted to making sure she was happy. Not that she
wanted him to revolve his life around her, but she did like the
attention. But what did that mean?
    Devin surely wouldn’t approve of her getting
involved with Kurt. But then again, maybe it wasn’t Devin’s call.
After all, she belonged to Wilhelm just as much as she belonged to
Devin.
    Things just...felt right with Kurt. They’d
always gotten along well. Maybe Alex hadn’t been her soul mate.
After all, she’d met Kurt first...as long as you didn’t count all
the dreams she’d had about Alex....
    No
. Alex was dead. And a monster
like Jack. Kurt was here. And alive. And the son of her Master. A
glimmer of hope for a relationship began to take hold.
    After dinner, Wilhelm, Kurt and Anna were
driven to the Opera House. Anna was having a fabulous evening with
the two of them. Wilhelm doted on her like a father would, and
beamed at her and Kurt together.
    They walked into the Opera House and found
the lobby crowded with patrons eager for the world premiere of a
new symphony. Once again, she was drawn to the statue of her
parents. Wilhelm spotted a couple he apparently knew and Kurt
walked over to the statue with her.
    He slipped his arm around her waist and
nuzzled her ear. “I am glad you are dancing again, Anna,” he said
in a soft voice.
    Anna sighed. “I’m not sure if I’m glad or
not. It’s frustrating when my body won’t do what it’s supposed
to.”
    “You will get there,” he said encouragingly.
His thumb rubbed against her ribs and she inhaled sharply,
surprised to find herself getting aroused. She smiled, remembering
him pushing her up against the wall the first time he took her out
and Alex getting angry at him.
    “Anna? Anna Perkins?”
    The unexpected voice from her past sent
shivers through her body. She turned reluctantly and smiled
politely at Zach. He stood with his arm around a blond pregnant
woman. The same woman that he’d been with the first night they’d
met.
    “Hello, Zach,” she said nervously.
    He looked her up and down and grinned. “You
look good, Anna,” he said in an innocent tone, though his eyes
betrayed his darker thoughts.
    “Kunze,” Kurt said in a low voice.
    “Excuse me?” Zach said, turning a bright
smile to Kurt.
    “Her last name is no longer Perkins. It is
Kunze.” Kurt’s hand tightened on her waist as if to keep her by his
side.
    “Ah, yes. I’d heard you’d gotten married,
but...I thought you were widowed?” Zach’s confusion as he looked at
Kurt was evident.
    “She was married to my brother, Mr...?”
    “Senator, actually. Senator Zach Vail.” Zach
extended his hand and Kurt shook it. “Brother, eh?” Zach grinned.
“Nothing like keeping it in the family.”
    Anna thought she heard a low growl come from
Kurt, but he said nothing.
    Zach turned back to Anna. “Devin said you
were doing better in the last few weeks. I’m glad to hear it.” He
looked at the woman. “Patty, do you remember Anna? She’s a friend
of Devin’s. Anna, this is my wife, Patty.” He patted her protruding
stomach and smiled. “And our little girl.”
    The woman smiled brightly at her. “Of course.
Anna. From the...CFO event, right? How are you?”
    “Fine, thank you,” Anna responded
quietly.
    “You are a friend of Devin’s?” Kurt
asked.
    “I wouldn’t be where I am today without him,”
Zach answered with that politician’s smile of his. “You know
him?”
    “I do,” Kurt said stiffly. “And that is