There was absolutely no way I wanted to try that again. Ana was a force to be reckoned with and I wasn’t interested in testing out her skills any longer.
“Do you need some ice?” she said with a smile.
“You’re not even sorry. Not even a little bit?” I joked.
“Well, you wanted me to try and hurt you. You just didn’t think I would use a different maneuver. You’ve got to be prepared for everything.”
“You could probably just stay here while I’m gone. I think you’ll be pretty damn safe.”
At least the thrust to my member had stopped the throbbing desire for Ana. Instead, I was left with a whole different kind of throbbing.
/> “Your phone is ringing,” Ana said as she jumped up to get it for me.
I hadn’t even heart it ring at all. My ears were buzzing and my pulse throbbing in my eardrums from the pain the rest of my body was going through.
“Hello,” I answered as I tried to hold back the pain.
“I tried messaging over your pre-trip packet, but they said they couldn’t find you. I don’t feel comfortable with a digital connection. Can I send it to your brother’s house?” my boss said on the other end of the phone.
“Yes, that will be fine. I’ll go over there and grab it shortly.”
“Please take a look at the blueprints and the streets. It’s going to be essential that you know those like the back of your hand. Most of the mission will need to be completed at night.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“I’ll meet you in D.C. before you all take off. See you then.”
“Okay, Sir. Thank you, Mr. Blankenship.”
When I got off the phone, I did my best to stand up and walk off the remaining pain that was going on. I had to give it to Ana; she certainly had caught me off guard. It was a great lesson for me. I hadn’t been out on a job in a few months, I needed to remember that anything could happen at any time.
“I’ve got to run over to Chase’s house; do you want to come?”
“No, I’m going to take a shower and get dinner started. How long do you think you’ll be?”
We were starting to sound like an old married couple, but the logistics of our day-to-day life were necessary to discuss. I hadn’t really left Ana home by herself very much. And as the night was coming, I felt awkward with her being home when it was dark. But at least I knew she could fight off her attackers if anyone happened to show up.
The truth of the matter was, no one ever showed up unless they were family. Even the mailman dropped the mail off at the main road. It was much too difficult for him to get his car down the dirt road that led to my house.
“I’ll be back in a couple of hours. Don’t go killing any hikers that might wonder by,” I joked as I climbed into my Jeep to head out to my brother’s house.
“Pretty soon you’ll have to start calling me The Black Widow,” Ana teased. “Because I’m going to be killing everyone around me.”
As I drove away, I couldn’t help but laugh. Ana certainly had her confidence back. I wasn’t sure what her normal personality was before the incident with Stephano, but I thought it might have been pretty similar to what it was like at that moment. She seemed carefree and confident. Nothing like the woman I had seen over the last few weeks. It was inspiring to see her doing so much better and feeling capable again. I really couldn’t wait to see what she would do next with her life.
Although I had to go on one last business trip, I was confident that when I got back, Ana and I would be able to keep in touch. Even if she decided to move away or go back home, Ana was the kind of woman I wanted around me. And I wasn’t even thinking about sex. Ana and I got along great, she laughed at my jokes, and I laughed at hers. She was fun to talk to and let me sit in quiet when I didn’t feel like talking.
When I got back from the Syria trip, I would certainly be interested in seeing if Ana wanted to take things further. It had to be up to her though; I wasn’t going to lead her into anything and I wasn’t going to take advantage of her. I respected Ana as a person and as a woman who had overcome a huge trauma. Nothing would get in my way of making sure her best interests were always served.
Of course, all my plans hinged on me getting this job completed and not dying. Dying would definitely ruin any plan I had for being with Ana. But I wasn’t going to take any chances on this trip. I planned to prepare as much as possible and ensure I would be able to rescue the workers and their families with the help of my team.
Chapter Eleven
ANA
I felt it when Nate pressed up against me, and for that brief moment I wanted him. I wanted to lean over and kiss him, but after the disaster that had happened when I first arrived, I wasn’t about to put myself out there and kiss him again. We had established a friendship, and I was all right with sticking to that.
As I hopped into the shower, I couldn’t help but wish he would join me. Just surprise me and jump in there with me. To see his body naked and erect, standing there just waiting for me to rub soap all over him…that would be a great surprise. My fantasy was very vivid and I would have been delighted if it had come true.