along the outskirts of the room now.
He guided me to a cluster of plush easy chairs and a loveseat. As we approached, I saw a group of men lounging comfortably and talking. We stopped at the edge of the circle and I had a second to get my bearings. An older blond man with a mustache, probably in his late forties, sat directly across from where I stood.
“Gentlemen,” Devin said, “I’d like to introduce you to Anna.”
Devin put his arm around me, squeezing my upper arm slightly harder than was warranted and I winced. I took it as a warning to behave.
“Don’t stand there like an idiot,” Devin hissed in my ear after a moment. “Go greet Wilhelm.” He pushed me towards the older man.
I stumbled slightly and then, trembling, I took two steps forward and dropped to my knees in a low bow. Nothing happened at first, but then I felt a gentle hand on the back of my head. It circled around under my chin and pulled up slightly. I looked up into a handsome, angular face with pair of sympathetic blue eyes. Something about them seemed familiar.
His eyes exuded a warmth that came from deep within him. “It is wonderful to meet you, Anna.” He spoke softly, voice deep and accent thick. German . His vowels were pure and he pronounced wonderful as “voonderful.” My name was “ahnna.” I’d never met a foreigner before. It was very...exotic.
Devin cleared his throat behind me. I could feel his impatience.
“G-good evening, my lord.” I brought my hands together and tried to bow my head, but his hand prevented me. Wilhelm held my chin in place, studying my face. He leaned forward until I could hear him breathing. I stared at his lower face, not moving. The corners of his mouth turned up in a slight smile.
“Look at me,” he commanded softly, caressing my cheek with his thumb. I looked up to meet his gaze once more and he stared intently into my eyes as if to read my mind. “So pretty,” he said at last. He released my chin and sat back in his chair.
I returned my gaze to the floor and smiled ever so slightly. Why did the pleasure of a stranger fill me with such warmth? I liked that he called me pretty.
I heard Devin move and sit in an empty chair behind me. “I noticed Kurt take an interest and thought he might enjoy some time with her.”
“Perhaps,” Wilhelm said slowly. I saw his arm move and imagined him stroking his chin as he spoke. “Kurt?”
“ Ja, Vati?” came an accented voice behind me and to my right. I’d never imagined German to be a sexy language.
“Do you want her?” Wilhelm asked.
There was a pause. “ Ich? ” Did Kurt know how to speak English?
“English please, Kurt. It’s rude to speak German here.” His rebuke was benign.
“Sorry, Vati . I wasn’t thinking.” Kurt’s accent was as thick as his father’s but his voice wasn’t quite as deep. Still, it was a nice voice. “I’d love to,” came the response.
My heart pounded in my chest. What would he want from me? Would he hurt me? Was he as handsome as his father was? Where did that come from, Anna? Why does it matter if he’s handsome or not?
Wilhelm stood and held out his hand to me, and I allowed him to help me to my feet. He led me to the seat next to where Devin had settled himself.
I glanced at Devin as I walked by. His eyes were firm and he raised his eyebrows at me, repeating the unspoken warning from before.
I looked back at the ground and a moment later, a pair of long legs clothed in black linen pants appeared in front of me. His sandals were similar to the ones Ian wore.
“Anna, this is my son, Kurt.”
“Greetings, my lord.” I pressed my shaking hands together in the proper greeting. I didn’t look up at his face.
“ Hallo , Anna. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” His voice was sexy and smoldering and made my legs tremble. He took my hand and pulled me into his lap so I was sitting sideways, facing Devin.
Kurt stroked my cheek and jaw and I glanced up at him. He sucked in a
He guided me to a cluster of plush easy chairs and a loveseat. As we approached, I saw a group of men lounging comfortably and talking. We stopped at the edge of the circle and I had a second to get my bearings. An older blond man with a mustache, probably in his late forties, sat directly across from where I stood.
“Gentlemen,” Devin said, “I’d like to introduce you to Anna.”
Devin put his arm around me, squeezing my upper arm slightly harder than was warranted and I winced. I took it as a warning to behave.
“Don’t stand there like an idiot,” Devin hissed in my ear after a moment. “Go greet Wilhelm.” He pushed me towards the older man.
I stumbled slightly and then, trembling, I took two steps forward and dropped to my knees in a low bow. Nothing happened at first, but then I felt a gentle hand on the back of my head. It circled around under my chin and pulled up slightly. I looked up into a handsome, angular face with pair of sympathetic blue eyes. Something about them seemed familiar.
His eyes exuded a warmth that came from deep within him. “It is wonderful to meet you, Anna.” He spoke softly, voice deep and accent thick. German . His vowels were pure and he pronounced wonderful as “voonderful.” My name was “ahnna.” I’d never met a foreigner before. It was very...exotic.
Devin cleared his throat behind me. I could feel his impatience.
“G-good evening, my lord.” I brought my hands together and tried to bow my head, but his hand prevented me. Wilhelm held my chin in place, studying my face. He leaned forward until I could hear him breathing. I stared at his lower face, not moving. The corners of his mouth turned up in a slight smile.
“Look at me,” he commanded softly, caressing my cheek with his thumb. I looked up to meet his gaze once more and he stared intently into my eyes as if to read my mind. “So pretty,” he said at last. He released my chin and sat back in his chair.
I returned my gaze to the floor and smiled ever so slightly. Why did the pleasure of a stranger fill me with such warmth? I liked that he called me pretty.
I heard Devin move and sit in an empty chair behind me. “I noticed Kurt take an interest and thought he might enjoy some time with her.”
“Perhaps,” Wilhelm said slowly. I saw his arm move and imagined him stroking his chin as he spoke. “Kurt?”
“ Ja, Vati?” came an accented voice behind me and to my right. I’d never imagined German to be a sexy language.
“Do you want her?” Wilhelm asked.
There was a pause. “ Ich? ” Did Kurt know how to speak English?
“English please, Kurt. It’s rude to speak German here.” His rebuke was benign.
“Sorry, Vati . I wasn’t thinking.” Kurt’s accent was as thick as his father’s but his voice wasn’t quite as deep. Still, it was a nice voice. “I’d love to,” came the response.
My heart pounded in my chest. What would he want from me? Would he hurt me? Was he as handsome as his father was? Where did that come from, Anna? Why does it matter if he’s handsome or not?
Wilhelm stood and held out his hand to me, and I allowed him to help me to my feet. He led me to the seat next to where Devin had settled himself.
I glanced at Devin as I walked by. His eyes were firm and he raised his eyebrows at me, repeating the unspoken warning from before.
I looked back at the ground and a moment later, a pair of long legs clothed in black linen pants appeared in front of me. His sandals were similar to the ones Ian wore.
“Anna, this is my son, Kurt.”
“Greetings, my lord.” I pressed my shaking hands together in the proper greeting. I didn’t look up at his face.
“ Hallo , Anna. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” His voice was sexy and smoldering and made my legs tremble. He took my hand and pulled me into his lap so I was sitting sideways, facing Devin.
Kurt stroked my cheek and jaw and I glanced up at him. He sucked in a
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