Anna moved closer, wondering why he appeared so shocked. She didn't get the chance to move any closer because Sullivan held his hand out to grab her shoulder, holding her at arms length.
He lifted the cup off his lips and licked at his lower lips. His usually amber colored eyes were now a dark shade glinting with the slightest specks of red in them as the moon shifted and streamed in through the open gap in the window.
"Anna…" he whispered and she glanced at the hand on her shoulder, the coldness of it was bone chilling as she was wearing a spaghetti strapped night dress.
She shivered and stepped back from his touch. "Why is your hand so cold?" She rubbed the skin he had touched and Sullivan placed the cup on the shelf above his head. A place where she couldn't reach. "Why are you hiding that? Are you drinking something good and you don't want to share?"
She tried to move forward again but he placed his hands around her waist to stop her, the feel of his hand against the silk of her night dress smooth as it glided further down a bit resting just above her hip bone.
Her heart skipped a beat, the fluttering in her chest making her acutely aware of how close they were. How his scent was invading her space and making her thoughts muddy.
"It's alcohol." He said, taking a step closer to the window as he let his hands leave her hip. They both glanced down at the action, their eyes meeting to feel words that could be heard without being spoken.
"Oh…okay." She looked around the dark library wondering why he had been in the dark drinking. Was it so she wouldn't feel left out given that she was recovering and couldn't take it? It made her feel guilty. Making a man hide around in his own home.
"Do you need something?" He casually asked, placing his hands in his pocket.
She showed him the black card in her hand as he pushed the window open more to give the room some light. Anna saw him clearly now, black turtle neck outlining the wideness of his shoulders, broad chest, rippled muscles on his arms and pants that covered his long legs.
She let her eyes trail down across his legs imagining the chord of hard muscles that made the flesh. Sullivan has always been clothed. He has never been caught shirtless in public before. Not one single image.
And it made her start to wonder what he looked like without those clothes. When he is raw and as naked as the day he was born. If he had tattoos, if his cock was lined with such veins as the obvious one in his arms. If his cock was half as thick as the size of his…
"Anna?" He called when she remained quiet.
Anna blushed, realizing her dirty train of thoughts. What happened to the boundaries she talked about yesterday?
"Yes….I…what about this?"
"A black card?"
"Yes. Why are you giving it to me?"
He tilts his head a bit, trying to read her expression. "Why not?"
"Mr Sullivan…" how was she to explain that this makes her feel uncomfortable? She might ask him to buy her snacks and live in his house but it didn't mean she had no sense of self. How can she live off him without shame? "...I can't take this."
"Why?" He still sounded confused.
"I can't spend your money like this." She said.
"I don't see why you can't." He argued.
"Because…well you are already helping me enough by letting me stay here and I can't…"
"Do you have any money Anna?" She pouts and half glared at him. "Exactly and you and I both know you won't take from your mother." That much he was very right about.
She had too much dignity to do that even if her mothers family was extremely well to do on their own.
"But I still can't…"
"Shhh…" he placed his index finger to his lips taking her back to the first night they had met as he leaned closer to her, his eyes on the same level as hers. "I have more than enough anyways." He shrugged like it wasn't a big deal. "And who else will spend it if not you Anna?"
Butterflies. Warm fluttering butterflies in her stomach.
God! He really knew how to say things that tugged at heartstrings. She kept quiet for some seconds, giving her heart the time to adjust to the erratic beating of it while Sullivan smiled as his gaze moved to the veins on her neck, the one that was pumping blood faster than normal.
"Don't regret it later." She finally said and he breathed her in, the scent that was entirely hers. The one he could pick apart in a crowd. "I spend a lot."
He patted her head. "I know."
Anna left the study letting the man have his alcohol moment while she went back to bed dosing off minutes after laying in.
The following morning, she woke up early, ate and asked Sullivan if he could drop her off at the Foundation.
The man sighed, rubbing his temples as she sat next to him in the car while he parked outside the foundation. He couldn't convince her to not volunteer. She wasn't that type of woman and he wasn't a man that would retain her from work. But he was the type of man who would refrain her from working here.
Soon enough.
"Be careful." He told her.
Anna stuck her tongue out at him. "Your dislike for people in general is just extending to the poor man." She left the car and waved at him, watching as everyone stared at them.
His car was specially numbered so anyone could definitely tell it apart. She was yet to go online but she was sure there would be gossip about them soon.
The work was more stressful than the day before and they had to be divided into teams to make it easier. She made quick coffee for some of the shelter people and when it was time to switch with the other team, she sat on the couch at the staff lounge and ate her sandwich.
"Anna right…?" A young lady approached her, gesturing to the empty seat next to her.
"You can take it." She watched the lady smile as she sank next to her. She had seen this lady around. Yesterday and today as well.
She was one of the girls who stood out. She had perfect dentition that reminded Anna of Sullivan with a glow in her eyes when she smiled.
"It's rough today isn't it?" The lady asked. "I am Zara." She extended her hand and Anna took it.
Her hand was cold. "Anna."
"I know."
Anna smiled. "Am I famous for being the one who fell from glory?" She joked.
"No. It's Vice Chairman Sullivan actually." She turned her body to Anna and whispered. "Some of the staff are saying you are carrying his child."
Anna gasped and touched her belly. "I had no idea." Both ladies laughed. "But really?"
"It's the best they could come up with for you being seen fraternizing with the devil."
Anna laughed at Sullivan's nickname. If only he smiled once in public, they would know just how lovely he is. "What do you do apart from volunteering?" She asked.
It was easier to converse with her because she could feel that the lady was carefree and had no friends with what she said. From her words, Anna found she was introverted, a financial analyst, and very single.
"Now you tell me…" she dragged her leg onto the couch and Anna did the same, both ladies staring at each other like close friends. "Who is Sullivan to you?"
She cocked her to the side for some seconds before saying. "My sugar daddy?" The girl laughed out loud and slapped her hand against her thigh, eliciting a laugh from Anna as well. "But without the sugar." She said in between her laughter.
Zara raised a brow. "Girllll…."