Uncovering Annabelle by N. J. Walters Page B

power as a woman and then choose him.
    The silence between them had lasted several
minutes. It was not a comfortable silence. The very air around them
almost crackled with the growing tension. Mike decided that the
first step in his plan would be to make her at ease around him once
again. So he would agree to her terms, let her have control of the
situation, let her take the lead. He didn’t mind. He was confident
now that he would eventually get what he wanted—Annabelle,
forever.
    “If that’s the way you want it, then that’s
the way we’ll play it.” As a reward for his agreement, she gave him
a shy smile, full of promise. Her lips tilted up at the corners
until the smile lit her face with a beauty that almost took his
breath away. When she nodded, he felt compelled to add, “For
now.”
    Annabelle didn’t seem to take exception at
this addition. He could tell that she was feeling more confident
and in control of the situation. Now that all the terms had been
settled to her satisfaction, she looked happy.
    Anticipation swelled inside him. Life was
looking very promising for the days and weeks ahead. He intended to
fulfill every fantasy she’d ever had and, hopefully, satisfy a few
of his own in the process. His entire body clenched in anticipation
as he watched her relax even more.
    Once she was comfortable with the idea of
them as a couple, he’d renegotiate the terms, preferably in bed.
He’d wait until he had her mindless with pleasure and then lay out
a few demands of his own. He was looking forward to the
challenge.
    Annabelle began to chat about work. It was
only then that he understood just how uptight she’d been during
dinner. Now that she was totally relaxed, he was seeing a different
side of Annabelle, and this woman was even more entrancing. She
entertained him with a story about her catching two young
twelve-year-old boys ogling naked women in a book on women’s
health.
    “They turned so red when I asked if I could
help them with their research.” She grinned and gave a small laugh.
The candlelight reflected off the wire rims of her glasses. “They
ran off when I tried to give them a book specifically geared toward
questions young boys have about their sexuality.” Her eyes sparkled
with humor as she continued. “Honestly, I was just trying to help
them become better informed.” She paused for a breath. “They were
so cute.”
    Mike laughed at her story. It was easy to
picture the boys sneaking down a library aisle and getting the
courage to open the book to take a peek. With parental controls on
computers, it was one of the few ways to check out a naked woman
without anyone knowing . . . provided you didn’t get
caught.
    Having once been a twelve-year-old himself,
he understood their fascination on that very subject and
sympathized as well. What Annabelle didn’t seem to understand was
that it was something a man never seemed to outgrow. And his own
body was making him very aware of the consequences of thinking
about such things.
    It was time to leave. Mike raised his hand
and signaled the waiter.
    When the bill was presented, he paid and
escorted Annabelle from the restaurant. He nodded at a few people
he knew, but Annabelle kept her head down and went straight for the
exit. He didn’t know if she was purposely trying to hide or if she
was simply in a hurry to get to the next portion of their evening.
Either way, he didn’t stop to speak to anyone. He was just as
anxious to leave as she was.
    The silence continued as Mike guided her
across the parking lot. He rested his palm just above her behind,
being sure to keep things respectable while they were in public.
Instead of leaving it in one spot, he rubbed small circles on her
lower back as they walked. She leaned into his hand instead of
pulling away. Taking advantage of her slight encouragement, he slid
his hand around her side and gave her a quick squeeze as they
reached the vehicle.
    Mike settled her into the passenger seat