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this man is going to annihilate
you.”
    “Is
that one of your zombie words?”
    She
finished her martini and cocked her head at me.   “Maybe.   But when he gets his hands on you and
you both decide the moment is right?   That’s what’s going to happen.   You’re going to feel annihilated, but in the best sense.   He’s going to rid you of your virginity,
and destroy you in bed.   Those are
the two definitions of ‘annihilate’:   ‘rid’ and ‘destroy.’   Just
you wait and see.”

 
 
 
 
    CHAPTER FIVE

 
    The
next morning at six, my cell rang.   I’d left it on my bedside table in case Alex called during the night,
which he hadn’t.   I reached for it,
and saw his name on the screen when I answered.
    “Mr.
Wenn,” I said.
    “Ms.
Kent.”
    “How
are you this morning?”
    “Despite
getting no sleep?    Surprisingly good.”
    “What
kept you from sleep?” I asked.
    “What
do you think?   Did you sleep?”
    “There
might have been some tossing and turning.”
    “Just
the tossing and turning?”
    “What
are you implying?”
    “That
you did something to give yourself relief.”
    “What
if I did?” I said.
    “Did
you?”
    “No.”
    “Would
you judge me if I did?”
    “I
thought this was about holding back,” I said.
    “It
is.   I did nothing to myself last
night, though I sure as hell wanted to.   I was hard for a good hour.”
    I
blushed at the thought.   “It was
your choice.”
    “It
was the right choice.   By the way,
that was an interesting photo you took of yourself last night.   And an unexpected one.”
    “I
could say the same.”
    “Do
you ever take a bad photograph?”
    “I’ve
taken my share of them.”
    “I
doubt that,” I said. “I think I looked at you for most of the night.”
    “I hope your battery held out.”
    “Miraculously,
it did.”
    “Look,”
he said.   “I know you have to work
tonight, but it’s still early and my first meeting isn’t until nine.   Are you up for breakfast?”
    It
would take me forty-five minutes to get ready.   “I’d love to have breakfast with
you.   Where should I meet you?”
    “At
my place.   I’m cooking.”
    “You
cook?”
    “I
do.”
    What
doesn’t he do?  
    “When
should I send a car for you?”
    “At
seven?”
    “That’ll
only give us a couple of hours....”
    “But
we’ll have tonight, after I get out of work.”
    “I
have an event tonight,” he said.   “It’s a big one, so I’ll probably be too late to pick you up.   But a car will be waiting for you to
make sure you get home safely.   I
apologize.”
    “There’s
no need to apologize.   You need to
tend to your business, Alex.”
    He
sounded frustrated when he said, “I also need to see you more than just a
couple of hours a day, Jennifer.”
    I
wasn’t about to engage him now.   He
worked days and evenings, and I worked evenings.   What did he expect?   I had two days off a week, with an
additional day off to try out new restaurants for Stephen.   Somehow, if he wanted to see more of me,
Alex would have to adjust his schedule, if that was even possible, which it
should be since he owned Wenn.   But
I knew better.   That wouldn’t be so
easy for him to do.   The board at
Wenn expected a lot from him, including attending as many events as possible.   Getting away so we could see each other
was going to be an issue.   And
how is that going to affect our relationship?  
    “We’re
wasting time,” I said.   “Let me take
a shower.   Send the car sooner than
later.   I’ll be ready before you
know it.”

 
 
    *   *   *

 
 
    When
I arrived at Wenn ten minutes before seven, the driver told me to go to Mr.
Wenn’s private elevator.   “Someone
will be waiting there for you.   They’ll see to it that you have access, Ms. Kent.”
    “Thank
you,” I said.
    I
went inside, and was greeted by the security guards at the front desk, all of
whom addressed me by name, which felt bizarre to me.