Chapter 19
Third Person
“Mr. Von Doren, stop, please,” Annika pleaded, regaining control of herself after being swept up in the riptide of Leon’s desire. She was wholly unprepared for the kiss, which turned out to be more of a make-out session, and Annika had to admit it was indeed pleasant since her body reacted in ways she hadn’t anticipated. Despite that, as diligent as ever, her rational mind prevailed over her sudden urges, and the fact that Annika remained bound by her nuptials was a wet blanket over their heated moment.
Leon, however, was in a state of euphoria from Annika’s reciprocation that felt like rainfall to a parched, barren wasteland. He rested his forehead against hers as they both struggled to follow the rhythm of their hearts. After Leon and Annika returned to a state of equilibrium, he refused to be kept at arm’s length. His gargantuan hands lingered on her hips while Annika rested her hands on his enormous pectoral muscles.
“I’m sorry, I just couldn’t stop myself,” Leon apologized.
“Why did you kiss me?” she couldn’t help but question his motive for doing so and also feeling slightly exasperated at his sudden public display of affection.
“Isn’t it obvious?” he retorted, staring intently into her beautiful brown eyes as though he were trying to convey what was in his heart of hearts. “Annika, I have feelings for you.”
“Mr. … Ugh, I mean Leon, I’m still married. What if someone saw us just now?”
“So what if they did? It was a harmless kiss. It’s not like we’re sleeping together, and besides, you’re legally separated now, are you not?”
“Be that as it may, I’m not divorced yet. As two individuals embroiled in controversy against our will, we can’t afford to take unnecessary risks,” Annika warned. But somehow, her initial assertive tone withered in front of Leon, and she could not suppress the hint of remorse that betrayed her declaration of unease. She managed to pull away from him completely this time, and Leon couldn’t help but feel dejected as he watched Annika hastily patch up the walls he had just broken down. Annika was doing everything in her power to resist the tangible signs of their attraction. Leon had never met a woman as tenacious as her, which only fanned the flames of his burning desire to have her.
Still, Leon knew it wasn’t wise to push Annika to her limits after recovering from her silent treatment less than an hour ago. “I’m flattered that you’re attracted to me, truly, but it’s imperative we keep this strictly professional,” she uttered with difficulty, attempting to restore the line they had crossed between doctor and patient. Annika was no longer in denial that she too had developed feelings for Leon, but with her current state of affairs, being with a man, regardless of who it was, was the last thing on her mind.
“I understand. I’ll try to restrain myself for the time being,” Leon replied.
“Time being?” she repeated, blinking several times as she met his gaze. She was caught off guard by his smoldering eyes and inexplicable expression as he stared at her, and Annika was unaware of the underlying intentions behind those eyes. In Leon’s mind, his gaze was reserved for when a man admires the woman of his dreams, and it was too bad that Annika didn’t know this yet.
“Annika, I’m not going to give up. When this is all over, I want to be with you.” Annika gaped at him, at a loss for words at his brazenness. Leon blatantly admitted he wanted to be in a relationship with her as soon as their revenge plot fiasco was over. Annika was still wrestling with this unexpected development as she tripped over her words, trying to respond.
“Leon, I … I …”
“Don’t say anything yet because I know you’ll say no if you answer me right now. Let’s get through this bullshit, and then we can revisit this conversation later. I don’t expect anything from you, but I also want to let you know where I stand with you. I also need you to know that nothing will happen to you because those thugs Sadie hired would be six feet under before they could lay a finger on you.”
“How can you be so confident?”
“Because I’m going to hire bodyguards to watch over you. They’ll be in plain clothes, so you won’t be able to tell who they are, and neither will Sadie or her men.”
“I can’t ask you to do that for me.”
“You’re not; I’m offering and won’t take no for an answer. Unless, of course, you would rather tell your family everything right away and have them hire their own protection for the remainder of our plans?” Leon shot back and raised an eyebrow in a defiant manner that made Annika’s face plummet.
“Oh God, no! Fine, I’ll accept your help. You didn’t have to threaten me with my family,” she scowled. Leon couldn’t help but chuckle at her. Seeing her annoyed facial expression at his subtle threat to tell her family about everything going on had him thinking how adorable she really could be when she was irritated.
“I didn’t threaten you, Annika. It was merely another suggestion to find a solution to our current predicament.”
“Whatever, it’s getting late. I’m going home.” Annika rushed off and didn’t even wave goodbye to Leon, still agitated over his suggestion that she tell her family everything for the sake of persuading her to consent to his help. Although she felt somewhat aggrieved about his methods to ensure compliance on her end, Annika couldn’t contain the subtle smile that formed on her lips upon entering her car. The last time she felt the comfort of someone else’s protection seemed like a lifetime ago.