by Kylie Parker
“You can keep the money…” One more, soft whisper escaped him, as he bent his head towards her. His eyes scanned her beautiful face. He couldn’t resist the temptation anymore. Jimmy pressed his lips against her mouth. Anna was stunned to stillness. He used his fingers to caress her neck. She would not fight him. In fact, just a few seconds later, Anna returned the kiss. With her hot breath on his skin, Jimmy cupped her face in both of his hands, as she ran her fingers through his hair. Her move sent his pulse rising.
“I just wanted to kiss you.” He whispered in her mouth, before slowly leaning back. “Goodnight…” Jimmy’s tender kiss had left Anna breathless. Unable to utter a word, she opened her eyes, as he hurriedly left the room. Jimmy strode out of it, with a faint smile on his face, but his heart was still racing. If anything, he got her curious. It wasn’t every day that a customer paid $500 for a single kiss. For the first time in his life though, Jimmy wasn’t worried about money. It could have cost him ten times that, but he would still pay it. Anna was not a typical school teacher and he loved that. Jimmy Holden discovered that he was attracted to her. Anna’s attitude was unusual. She was a lot more than he first thought.
“I think I’m going to like Highland Park. Who would have thought that the Czech sensation is Andy’s sister? I sure wouldn’t. I want to see her again. I’m saying ‘goodbye’ to those two hoodlums and I’m staying right here. Damn it, Andy. Did you have to be such a degenerate gambler? And I’m sure she’s hiding something. She wouldn’t say why she does this and she sure as hell looks like she’s been doing it for a while. She wouldn’t be so expensive if she was just a rookie.”
Chapter Five
Jimmy kept his mouth shut about Anna that night and the following day. There was no way that he would discuss something so delicate with his partners. At the same time, he kept asking himself the same two questions: Just how much money Andy owed and who he owed it to.
Martin and Nicolas were soon on their way to San Antonio. It wasn’t a tearful goodbye by any means. Jimmy wished he didn’t have to see them anytime soon. Despite their annoying attitude, they were loyal to him and he knew that they would come to his aid whenever he needed them, but he didn’t need help to conquer Anna, or so he thought. The fundraiser would be a good chance for him to see her again. More importantly, Andy would not be there. He had not known him for long, but he had a feeling that Anna’s brother would not like it if he saw him flirting with her. Jimmy dressed up and went to the fundraiser that night, in eager anticipation of seeing Anna again. Of course, such a public place was not suitable for courtship, but he wanted to be close to her nonetheless.
The massive front lawn next to the equally large school yard was full of people and especially, children. Dozens of banners and flags of almost every color imaginable decorated the aging building, while a small podium with a microphone was placed at the end of the stone pathway. Parents and grandparents were in a quite festive mood, talking to each other and laughing out loud at times. Jimmy scanned the place. He was the only one who had gone there alone. Anna was chatting with a few other women next to that podium. He chose not to bother her for the time being. Jimmy turned his back to her and preferred to gaze at the road on his right.
A few minutes after his arrival, a massive, black SUV showed up. Its driver parked it on the left side of the road and stepped out of it. He was really tall, taller than Jimmy himself, but rather scrawny. The man in question had a dark-brown suit on. He folded his arms across his chest, as he leaned his back on the right side of his car, assuming a lazy posture. Jimmy had seen enough cops in his life. He could make no mistake. However, much to his surprise, he was not there for him. He had fixed his gaze on someone in the yard. Jimmy turned his head to the left. For some reason, Anna was staring at him. Before he could do anything, she began to walk towards him, fast.
“Good evening.” She said with a grin. “Am I talking to the refined gentleman or the guy from last night?”
“Hey, Anna.” He returned the smile. “Like I said, I’m anything but refined. Who’s the cop?”
“How do you know he’s a cop?” Anna got curious.
“Macho SUV, cheap suit.” Jimmy laughed. “It’s not that hard to tell. Do you know him?” He asked, sipping some wine.
“I have a restraining order against him.” She confessed. Jimmy’s surprise was so big that wine came out of his nose.
“Jesus!” He exclaimed. “A restraining order against a cop? What did he do? Shoot you?”
“It’s a long story. Anyway, I need to ask you a favor.” She spoke in a small, hesitant voice.
“What is it?”
“Can you pretend to be my date?” Anna requested. “I just want him to see that I’ve moved on. Maybe he’ll get it through his thick skull that we’re over.”
“On one condition.” Jimmy brought his index closer to his face.
“What’s that?”
“That you’ll tell me why you got that restraining order against him.” He added.
“Ok.” She nodded.
“Walk with me.” He urged. The look in Anna’s eyes changed. She did not seem worried anymore and would not risk another glance at the cop. Jimmy did not like the idea of having to talk to a bunch of strangers. He was only interested in Anna. He did not like the noise that the children made either, but adults can be very nosy.
Anna completely ignored the several groups of people who were gathered close to the entrance on the left, much to his pleasure. The two of them entered the school building and went to the right. Heading towards the last room straight across from them, Jimmy felt his pulse rising once again. He didn’t know what Anna had in mind, but he wouldn’t ask. A desk was in the upper left corner of the room.
“Thanks a lot for tonight.” Anna said in her sweet voice.
“You still haven’t answered my question.” Jimmy complained. “What happened between you two?”
“Well, first of all, he’s not just a cop. He’s an FBI agent.” Anna stated, but Jimmy was not impressed.
“Whatever...” He mumbled.
“I’m sorry. I don’t want to talk about it. It still hurts.” All of a sudden, her voice got thick with emotion. “You can go if you like. You must think I used you.”
“Nah, forget about it.” Jimmy did think that she used him, but he did not want to force the issue. After all, he was all alone with her again, far from indiscreet eyes. Anna shut the door behind her. She then looked up at him, with a toothy smile on her face. Jimmy tried to verbalize, but she didn’t give him the chance. In a split second, her hands were on his broad chest. This time, it was Anna that kissed him. It was a brief, but demanding kiss.
“What was that?” He wondered.
“Payment.” She winked at him, leaning back. “This one’s free.”
“Last night was…”
“Strange.” Anna finished his sentence. “I mean, there you were, prying into my life, laughing at me. Next thing I knew, you kissed me. Why?”
“Do you want me to spill it out for you?” He teased her.
“Who are you, Mr. Holden?” She wouldn’t let up. “Andy said that you were here because you wanted to buy land, but you never did. What do you do? Are you a realtor? An investor, maybe?”
“I work in real estate.” Jimmy claimed. “I like Highland Park.”
“Which part?” Her persistence frustrated him, but Jimmy had the right answer.
“I’m looking at it.” He said with a smile. Things were going better and better for Jimmy, but their moment did not last. A loud, banging noise rocked Anna’s office. Before Jimmy knew it, he was lying on the floor, face down. Someone had kicked down the door. Anna’s stomach chilled with fear.
“What the hell are you doing here, you little slut?” Jimmy heard a deep, male voice.
“Ben!” Anna cried, as Jimmy looked up at the man, over his left shoulder. It was the cop he had seen earlier. He was furious, clenching his fists, glaring down at a terrified Anna, breathing heavily. Jimmy wip
ed the small amount of blood on the edge of his mouth.
“You’ve just made a big mistake…” He grumbled, putting his hands on the floor to support his weight. Jimmy bounced back up, flipped around and faced him.
“You get the hell out of here, Mr. This is none of your business.” Ben urged, turning his gaze on Jimmy.
“The blood on my mouth says it is.” He disagreed, as he eyes lit with rage, right before grabbing the cop by the collar of his shirt. Jimmy spun him around once and threw him at the library that lay on the left. Ben’s body shattered the glass. Several big shards of glass landed next to him. Two, smaller ones pierced the skin of his forehead and his left cheek. Jimmy was too upset to stop. Just when he started towards the battered cop though, Anna’s voice forced him to stop.
“Jimmy, please don’t!” She begged. “I think he got his lesson!”
“I’m going to sue your ass for assault.” Jimmy threatened him. “The lady’s my witness. You’re going down, motherfucker.”
He stormed out of Anna’s office, wishing that he didn’t need to do that. Regardless of his past with Anna, Ben was still a federal agent. However, he felt the urgency to protect her and himself from him and he would not sit back and watch him abuse her like that. On his way out of the building, he came across several people who had heard the commotion. Jimmy needed some fresh air. Only the children were there when he got outside. He leaned his back against the wall on the right, licking the small wound on his lips.
“Son of a bitch…” He said to himself, trying to catch his breath, with adrenaline rushing through his veins.
“You didn’t have to do that.” Anna said, joining him.
“Are you serious?” His voice got high-pitched. “That son of a bitch just destroyed your door and called you a slut, for God’s sake! What about that restraining order? Isn’t it valid here?”
“Yeah, he did, but you could have killed him.” Jimmy did not appreciate her reprimanding tone.
“I don’t care!” He yelled. “I’m done here, Anna. You take care.”
“Well, I’m not.” She claimed. “You can go if you want. No one’s stopping you. I just think I owe you an explanation.”
“I’m all ears.” He croaked, folding his arms across his chest.
“I’m free tomorrow night. Come pick me up at nine. This is clearly not the place to talk about it. We’re both really upset.” Anna commented.
“Really? You think?” He got ironic.
“Please don’t be mad at me. I thought he’d leave once he saw you with me.” She explained.
“He’s the Federal Government, Anna. He can do anything he wants.” Jimmy complained.
“What about that date, Mr. Holden?” Anna made her voice sound sweeter, as a smile lit up her beautiful face.
“Alright.” Jimmy said with a nod. “Nine o’clock it is. Goodnight.”
Chapter Six
Unfortunately for Jimmy, he had found even more reasons to stay up all night. The incident with Anna’s ex-boyfriend and the fact that he had lied to her worried him. Still, in his confusion, he had also found a reason to be happy: She had asked him out. Jimmy first believed that he should get rid of the FBI agent, but deep down, he knew that Anna would suspect him. Ben Thomson was an outsider. No one in Highland Park had a motive to kill him. Therefore, he rejected that thought and decided to handle the matter a lot more carefully.
His lie would complicate things but Anna hadn’t been honest with him, either. She would not discuss her issue with Ben. Noticing her pain, he would not insist, but in Jimmy’s opinion, it was time for her to finally tell him the truth. He had done some good things for her, although they hardly knew each other and coming clean would be a much more preferable way of thanking him. The thing that Jimmy dreaded the most however, was the truth about what he did. The night of the robbery was still spinning in his mind. Certainly, he would like to have met her under different circumstances, like in a nightclub. Nevertheless, Jimmy had no regret over the heist, neither did he feel guilty for threatening her with an assault rifle. In his mind, he had done nothing wrong. Anyone could be in Anna’s place. The fact that she was there instead of Andy was a mere coincidence.
The moonlight reflected in his blue eyes, as she opened her front door that night. Anna had a pink towel wrapped around her head and she had her bathrobe on. Jimmy welcomed the sight, but before he could speak, she opened her eyes wide, turned around and sprinted across the narrow corridor.
“Not yet, not yet, not yet!” She said. Poor Jimmy didn’t even have the chance to hand over the lilies he had bought her.
“Women…” He hummed, walking to the left, towards the porch. It was a warm, early autumn night in Highland Park. The few town lights allowed him to gaze at the hundreds of stars in the clear sky. Born and raised in the city of San Antonio, he could see less than half of those stars. Incredibly, Jimmy had forgotten the last time he had looked up in the sky during the night. He puts his hands in the pockets of jeans and would not sit down.
“Who knows how much time she needs to get ready? This’d better not take long, Anna. That’s just wishful thinking, Jimmy. She could be an hour or even more.”
“I’m Silvia. I’m from Prague.” Anna spoke in a husky voice. Her introduction in a fake accent sent chills down his spine. Jimmy opened his mouth wide, as he looked down at her, over his left shoulder. There she was, under the doorframe, with her hands on her waist, striking a pose. But Anna was not in her underwear like the other night. She had a red, mini dress on and had tightened her lips, trying very hard not to laugh. However, the shock in his expression was too much for her. Anna burst into laughter. Despite his frustration, Jimmy could not help but smile himself. Besides, he found himself enjoying the sound of her laughter. It was sweet and feminine, not loud and squeaky.
“You should have seen your face.” Anna chuckled, covering her mouth with her hand.
“That good, huh?” Jimmy said with a grin.
“I should have brought my camera.” She wouldn’t let up.
“Where to?” He asked.
“Let’s see.” She murmured, getting serious. “It’s a Sunday night. Lakeside Park will be pretty crowded. I don’t locals to see us together, before we talk to Andy and I really don’t feel like going to Dallas. I’d rather we stayed here. Have a seat.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Jimmy said. “You look great tonight.”
“You look pretty good yourself. Did you mean what you said last night?” She said in a low tone.
“Listen up, Anna.” Jimmy’s face hardened. “I’ve been around a lot. I’ve met a lot of people. I don’t stay in one place much. More often or not, it’s not the place that bores me. It’s the people. Most of them just… repeat the same old stories and think they’re God’s greatest gift. They say all kinds of crap, trying to make other people to like them. But I’m not like that. What you see is what you get.”
“A simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ would have sufficed.” Anna smiled. “What about my town?”
“I like it. It’s small, simple… People gossip a lot, but I guess that’s everywhere.” Jimmy said, as Anna crossed her long, lean legs.
“I’m glad you like it. I missed it, really. Chicago’s just too big. All that noise just… drives you crazy sometimes.” Anna commented.
“I’m a San Antonio native, Anna.” Jimmy confessed, slightly leaning towards her. “Trust me. I know the feeling.”
“Are you really going to sue Ben?” She interjected a question, taking him by surprise. Jimmy averted his gaze from her, pondering response.
“I would…” He faltered. “I would really love to see that prick behind bars. But you’d have to tell your story to the cops and I don’t know if you want to.”
“Thanks a lot for looking out for me. You know, when my brother told me about you, I thought you were some… cocky, self-centered guy. But you’re not. You’re pretty thoughtful. And, judging by what I saw earlier, you’re romantic.” Anna sighed.
&nb
sp; “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Jimmy laughed. Once again, he had lied to her.
“Yes, you do.” She insisted. “I’m going to ask you again. Why did you kiss me the other night? Is that what you had in mind when you paid for a private dance?”
“No. I did want to see you dance. You look amazing. But, I had to know why you’re doing this. It just felt like the right thing to do.” He confessed.
“To be honest with you, I was about to scream.” She admitted. “I thought you wouldn’t stop.”
“I didn’t want to.” Jimmy added, bringing a smile to Anna’s face.
“Well…” She chirped, uncrossing her legs. Anna rose from her seat, maintaining eye contact with him. Then, she put her right hand on the white, plastic table and pushed it to the right. “I still haven’t thanked you for what you did for me last night.” One leg at a time, she brought her knees up next to his hips and sat in his lap. Anna bent her head towards his face, wrapping her arms around his neck. “You showed some balls out there, Mr. Holden.” She whispered. Jimmy thought he was dreaming. Yet, the feel of her body on his skin was real. With the soft skin of her forearms on either side of his neck, he closed his eyes, as Anna angled her lips. The sensation of her mouth on his sent shockwaves surging through his body. Her gentle caress on his shoulders gave him the chills. Jimmy put his hands on either side of her waist, as their kiss grew in intensity. Her dress was in the way, but even so, he enjoyed the feeling. Jimmy let her scent flow through him. Anna’s fingertips grazed his hairline.
“I didn’t want you to stop, either.” She whispered in his mouth, driving his senses wild. Jimmy could no longer stay on the porch. He had to have her. However, her kiss felt so good that he didn’t want it to end just yet. Anna’s right hand slid down his chest, as he caressed her back. She squeezed his rock hard abs, but what she did next turned him on the most. Anna cupped the bulge of his crotch.