21. Anna
ANNA
After Archer and Vince had come back up to the room and told everyone about the mystery man smoking by the front doors—along with what he’d told Vince — Agent Coleman , Captain Kerrigan , Axel , and Sara had decided to use that information to our benefit.
The mission was simple. We would wait until Creepy Front Desk Man —that was what I was calling him—showed up on the hotel property again, and we would intercept. Two LVPD officers posing as bellhops would alert our crew when he arrived.
Originally, the plan was to send Archer down alone to bait him, but I fought that plan hard.
“He’s not going alone,” I argued back. “ I’ll go with him. Besides , the hit is on both of us anyway. It would make it more enticing if we are both there.”
The word no was bellowed out from nearly everyone in the room.
“Anna, that’s exactly why it’s safer to separate you,” Sara pointed out.
“You are not coming with me and putting yourself in more danger,” Archer shot back.
“Anna, if the point is to get you both, then putting you both together just allows them to accomplish that goal much faster,” Kerrigan said.
I knew what he was saying, and I agreed with his logic, but it didn’t mean I had to like it.
“Fine,” I said. “ I’ll agree not to be right by his side, but I’m not sitting on the bench for this.”
“What I don’t understand is why he would warn us,” Vince interrupted.
“What are you thinking?” Coleman asked.
“If he intended was to kill just Archer , he had his chance,” Vince explained. “ The moment I walked away from him, he could have taken the shot and left. At first, I thought he decided to wait since Anna wasn’t there and he wanted to make sure he got both of you.”
That made sense because if Archer was shot, the feds would immediately stick me in a safe house, seeing that the danger had escalated, thus losing their opportunity to get to me.
“But then he added in a verbal warning,” Vince tacked on. “ That’s the part that makes no sense to me. You don’t warn your target away if you intended to kill him.”
“Where’s your head on this?” Archer asked.
“That he’s either so confident in his skills that he isn’t concerned about sending us a heads-up warning,” Vince remarked, “or maybe it’s a diversion. I don’t know, but…something’s off.”
“I agree,” Axel said.
“Did you have any luck finding out who he is?” I asked Sara . She and Coleman had looked at the hotel cameras, trying to get a clear shot of him, but he was wearing one of those hats that blurred your face from security cameras.
“Not yet, but they’re trying to get in touch with our man who was undercover in their organization to see if he knows, based on the description Vince and Archer gave us,” Coleman shared.
“My two cents,” Kerrigan offered, “ I say we put them both out there but separated. Make them realize both are there but impossible to get them together, forcing them to choose. That will go against any plan they have, forcing them to improvise and, hopefully, make a mistake that we can take advantage of.”
It was a good plan. I wasn’t thrilled with it, and I could tell Archer wasn’t either, but we both knew deep down it was likely the easiest way to get them to make a mistake.
We spent the next few hours working out the logistics and got all the wheels in motion.
* * *
We were alone in our hotel room. We’d had food delivered to the room for all of us while we planned things out, ands then everyone left. The silence was deafening as Archer and I sat here relaxing.
We were sitting in the main area with each of us on a lounge chair near the small desk. I was going over some of the files Sara had sent me on the Pagano Family members so I knew who to look for. Archer was going back and forth on a phone call with Vince and Axel on logistics.
My adrenaline was running high to get this particular mission over and done with so we could head back to Atlanta and have things go back to normal.
“You okay?” Archer asked from beside me, his nearness not helping to soothe my nerves.
In most instances, honesty was the best policy, so I went with that.
“No, I’m stressed.”
“I can think of a good way to work that stress out,” Archer said, and his sly smile told me everything I needed to know about where his mind was.
He reached over and began to run his thumb over mine. I knew what he was trying to do, but his touch was the last thing I needed right now. I pulled my hand away, closed my laptop, and stood.
I walked over to the desk and set my laptop down. I would grab some workout clothes and maybe head to the gym. I turned to head back to my suitcase, but Archer was there, standing right in front of me.
God, he was so gorgeous—like truly stunning.
His hands were on his hips, elbows stuck out at his sides.
He looked so powerful and strong in that moment, and I hated to admit that there was a part of me that just wanted to be embraced by those arms, wrapped up in a hug.
Instead , I looked down at my feet, closed my eyes, and took in a deep breath.
Unfortunately, that was my mistake, because it gave Archer the opportunity he was looking for. The next moment, I was scooped up in a hug—his big arms wrapped around me, my head buried in his chest. It felt wonderful.
I told myself I would only allow myself to enjoy it for a few seconds and then go work out, but he started stroking one of his hands up and down my back, and my few seconds became a rough estimate. But then that hand moved around and tilted my head up to look at him.
“Ace.” Archer’s soft, provocative voice only added to his magnetic charm.
He began lowering his face, and I knew he was planning to kiss me, doing it slow enough to allow me to back away, but I couldn’t. My body was frozen—half in excitement, the other half in pure curiosity.
His lips touched mine, and bliss and comfort rolled through my body. His touch alone brought a contentment in me I hadn’t known in a long time, and my body craved more.
He deepened the kiss, running his hand through my hair and pulling me into him as he devoured my mouth.
That kiss was full of heat but also a promise—a promise of what was to come.
He pulled his lips away, but just barely as they were right next to mine when he spoke in a soft, sultry tone. “ Let me help you relax.”
I wanted that, I really did, but I couldn’t let him dominate in this area of my life anymore. Emotionally , I couldn’t handle it.
“No,” I responded. “ I need control right now, and while sex with you was good, things would get heated, and you would always take over. I can’t do that right now. My mindset right now requires control and focus. I’m going to go work out—same rush, more control, less complication.”
“You want control?” Archer asked. “ It’s all yours.”
I’d been with other men. It wasn’t like I had become a born-again virgin after my divorce.
But no one had ever measured up to Archer , and I hated it.
But there was one thing in our short marriage I had never worked up the nerve to do.
I was still fairly new at relationships then, or even being with men in general, and I hated to say it, but I didn’t have much confidence in my oral skills.
And even though we’d jumped straight into marriage, I hadn’t really built up my confidence with him in terms of sexual prowess.
“Your emotions are running high right now, so if you need to be in control, take it.” Archer stared at me as if he meant what he said but was treading carefully.
I didn’t want him thinking this was about my emotions—even though it absolutely was. So , I did what I do best when I felt backed into a corner— I put on my boss lady power front. Maybe he was right, and it would be good for both of us to just have this moment and move on.
“If we do this, it’s just for stress relief and only one time,” I informed him, because I knew if I let him take over, my emotions would get the better of me.
I wasn’t sure if he would call my bluff or allow me this reprieve, so I looked up at him with lust and hoped that he would let me have this moment of distraction.
He didn’t say anything back, but he stepped back slightly. He moved his hands out in a gesture meant to say “have at it,” so I took that as my cue to continue.
I grabbed the waistband of his pants, seeing how far he would let me take this. I unbuckled and then unzipped his pants, lowering them down to his ankles. I paused, staring at him, seeing no sign of impatience or a need for control—just lust.
I moved my hands to his boxer briefs and pulled them down, freeing him. I’d seen his dick before, but my memory didn’t do it justice.
I wrapped my hand around him and began to stroke up and down. I put my other hand on his hip and then looked up at him.
His jaw was clenched tight, but there was so much desire and need written on his face.
“You going to interrupt and take over?” I asked, needing to know before I took this further.
“You’re in the driver’s seat, Ace .”
That was what I needed to hear. I dropped to my knees in front of him and looked back up at him. The power he was giving me right now felt invigorating.
I licked my lips and then slid him into my mouth.
He was thick, and I felt my jaw stretch, but I heard him groan softly, so I knew it felt good to him.
I felt empowered that I could make him feel that way.
I kept moving my mouth up and down in tandem with my hand.
I cupped his balls and caressed them with my other hand, tugging slightly.
“God, Ace .” His voice was low, and that seductive tone wrapped around me, fueling my need to keep going.
“Your mouth feels good,” he said in a strained groan laced with pleasure. “ So damn hot and wet.”
Archer was making so many noises, pleasurable ones, that it gave me confidence to try new things. His pleasure was driving up my lust as well, and I could feel myself getting wet between my legs.
To ease my growing need, I moved my legs back and forth, trying to give myself just a little bit of the friction that I so craved, while continuing to take him in my mouth.
“Ace, please don’t,” he said, causing me to stop and look up.
“Did I do something wrong?” I may have been in control, but I didn’t want to do anything he didn’t enjoy—that took all the fun out of it.
“No, but I can’t have the next time you orgasm around me to be from yourself,” he replied, breathing heavily.
He had seen me moving my legs, feeding the burning ache between them.
“I want that to be me. I need that to be me. Please ,” he said, and it was his begging at the end that did it for me.
“Fine, but I get to be on top,” I told him, needing to maintain that semblance of power even though I was about to give myself over to him.
In the next moment, I lifted myself to a standing position.
“I think you might have too many clothes on,” he said lasciviously as he moved backward to the bed and I followed.
Once we got there though, I flipped the tables and nudged him to lie on his back in the bed
Wanting—no, needing—to do it myself, I lifted my shirt off over my head and then slid my shorts off. I stood there staring at him in just my bra and underwear.
“God, Ace , I’ve dreamt about this very scenario for years .”
That comment did it for me. Even though I was trying to keep my emotions out of this, knowing he thought about this made me feel wanted. Powerful .
“I’m all yours,” he said, scooting himself back, supporting himself on his elbows, letting me make the first move.
I unclasped my bra and let it fall to the ground then walked up to him. He spread his legs, letting me walk up to him.
“Kiss me, Archer ,” I demanded as I crawled on top of him.
Not one to waste that small opportunity I was giving him, he grabbed my face and pulled me in for a hard kiss. His tongue slid in as he worked my mouth as though he was putting every level of effort into the kiss.
His hands started to roam all over my body before stopping at my waistband. He ran his fingers over the outside of my underwear, and I knew he could likely feel how wet they were.
“Archer,” I said against his lips, though my voice came across hoarse.
“God, I missed hearing you moan my name more than anything.”
That comment hit me hard. I needed this man—now.
“Archer, I need you inside me,” I practically begged him as his fingers slid inside me.
Oh God , that felt good.
He looked up at me. “ Are you sure?”
What did he ask?
Oh right. “ Yes . Now ,” I urged.
“Grab my pants. I need a condom,” he said, though I could hear the strain in his voice.
His fingers slipped out and I immediately wanted them back, so I moved quickly to grab his pants on the floor. Not sure where the condom was and needing to hurry, I threw his pants at him.
He chuckled at my urgency, but I didn’t care. He reached in and grabbed a condom, putting it on in record time.
Now fully naked and sheathed in front of me, he put his hands around my face and kissed me. He lifted to a sitting position on the side of the bed.
“Let me help you out of this very restrictive underwear,” Archer said with a smile.
With both hands at my hips, he slowly peeled my underwear off and then stared at me as if he couldn’t believe this was real.
“Come here.” He took my hand and then shifted to sit with his back against the headboard. “ You’re in control here, Ace ,” he said, pulling me onto the bed with him.
I liked that. I liked that he was giving this to me. But with that power came responsibility. I needed to be careful not to get more emotionally involved than I could handle.
I moved to straddle him, hovering just above him. As much as I hated to admit it, I wanted this. I craved this. In this moment, there was nothing I needed more.
I lowered myself down on top of him slowly and took him inside me. My breath hitched as a fullness I had not felt in a long time consumed me.
“Damn, Ace . You feel just as good as I remember. Perfection .”
Did he just say that?
I looked down at his body beneath me, and my eyes focused on the ace of hearts over his chest. He’d permanently inked himself because of me.
Delight and gratitude flowed through me as I looked at that tattoo.
It made me feel powerful and formidable that this man would eternally mark his skin because of me.
I moved slowly up and down, allowing myself to adjust to him and just enjoying the moment. Since this was only going to happen once, I wanted to savor it. Remember how good it felt.
One time. That was it. If I kept repeating it enough times, maybe I would actually believe it.