****3rd POV****
The feel of his firm biceps on either side of her body creates conflicting feelings inside Annie's heart. She knows it's wrong to be in the arms of her stepdad, who is also dating her sister, but she can't muster the courage to move away from him. It feels so safe being held like this.
His body and general appearance make her doubt whether he's really in his forties. To her, Jack is still in his late thirties and too attractive to be single.
"Can I leave now?" She asks after failing to free her hands. The pair on hers is as strong as she expected. With his perfect physique, taking down an opponent must be a piece of cake, so she thinks.
"What's the rush?"
He loosens his hold, moving his hands away from hers before winding them around her upper abdomen.
A storm of shock sweeps through Annie's chest while her shaking eyes lower to the hands.
So possessive.
So charming.
So daring.
'Good God, I now see why I fell for him. I can see why any woman would.' Annie's conscious says dreamily.
Jack pulls her backward, fighting his demons with all his might so as not to fall into temptation.
"Annie?"
"Yes?!" She answers timidly.
"Tell me, if you had the chance to change the world, what would you do?"
"Change the world? For the better, or the worst?"
Jack sighs, his mental state feeling drained. "It's a step into the unknown. But it will impact the entire world."
Annie's head drops, her thoughts running wild to come up with a satisfying answer to her best-thinking
A chance to change the world? An unknown change.
Isn't life all about risks?
The what-ifs are meant to guide one into either success...or regrets.
"I would take it," she answers firmly. "I would take the risk and strive to make a positive impact. And if it goes wrong, I would still make sure I don't regret not taking the chance."
Her words carry a heavy tone. One that assures Jack that even though her memory is momentarily gone, she is still the same brave and resilient girl he has always known. The girl who was not afraid of facing formidable foes head-on and reclaiming her birthright.
A brave, honest, sexy, determined queen.
The only one who can match his lifestyle. Call it destiny or coincidence, but her mother dying and leaving her in his care had been the craziest thing to happen to him. One he had never regretted.
"Mm..."
Jack retreats his hands, releasing the rigid female who is trying her best to stomach all the tension. "Go and sleep, Annie. Don't overthink about anything," he assures patting her head lovingly.
Annie swirls around to face him, torn apart by the warmth spreading from her heart at the simple head pat. Her brain screams the male in front of her is all shades of red, yet her heart whispers he's as green as it can get.
"What is it?" Jack asks noticing the unsteadiness in her brown eyes which appear to be black due to the lack of proper light.
Her gaze falls on his chest as she searches for the right thing to ask without putting them in an awkward situation.
"We...what..."
He reaches out to lift her head by her chin. The tension in her eyes is as clear as the moonlight, conveying her unsaid thoughts.
Her lips wait for his without being aware of how inviting they look. Her skin aches for his touch without even knowing it. And her body begs for his despite not having any memory of the past.
"Whatever you want to ask, let it out. I may not have been the best person around you, but I always tried to be there for you."
His statement...it leaves a trail of lovely caresses in her ears. It sounds genuine, just like the look he had in his eyes when she first woke up. His words and his actions had been making her feel conflicted about what to think of him.
Is he a pervert?
Is he a loving man?
Is he a predator who preys on his own family?
"I... Have a lovely night," she darts before jumping away from Jack's touch and fleeing the room.
Jack is left stranded, his hand grasping the air in place of Annie's chin, his eyes fixed on the door that has aided her in her escape.
He snorts, feeling amused by her swift getaway.
"Naughty little devil."
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Breakfast.
Normal families would be chatting about the night they had experienced and the day they look forward to, but, not at this table.
Annie and Jack sit on the left side while Paul and Pattie sit on the other side, all lost in the grave silence arresting the air between them.
Annie's eyes secretly move around the three of them in hopes of understanding the dynamics behind all of them. But the cold shields blocking her mental evaluation only make things difficult for her to understand.
The only certain thing is the fact that the three of them have a lovely triangle which might suck her in.
A chilly string instantly winds around her heart to that thought. She does not need any entanglements. Her only focus is to recover her memories so that she may make a final decision to leave the godforsaken mansion and follow the wind to whichever path it will lead her.
"Ahem!" Annie clears the air hoping to dilute some of the awkward tension pounding on her head.
Her smiling face is offered to Paul and Pattie, "What will you call him, or her? I read that naming a child is the most-"
"None of your business, dear sister," Pattie interiors rudely, giving her the exaggerated fake grin.
"We...we haven't decided yet," Paul comes to defend her against Pattie and takes the chance to annoy Jack. "But I was thinking of the name, Jackson is it's a boy, and..." Paul's eyes bounce from Annie and onto a fuming Jack, then back on her, "...Annie is it's a girl."
"Wow! That's... that's, sweet." Annie smiles guiltily. Seeing the excitement and hope in Paul's eyes while talking about 'his' child makes Annie feel villainous for not telling him about what she saw.
She glances to the side and catches the bitter glare in Jack's eyes which is glued on the second male.
Taking up the role of being the unifier, she kicks his foot using hers, not caring whether she ruins his shiny black shoes that match the black suit he wears.
Jack's glare is averted to her, questioning her for what she has just done. But Annie only smiles back sillily before stomping on his foot again, warning him to behave.
"Those are lovely names, but, I think the name Jack is...outdated."
Her statement knocks everyone by surprise. Pattie spits out the juice from her mouth in a fine splash, spattering it on Annie's face and food between them.
"Out...dated?" Jack repeats, his eyes narrowing on Annie, his jaw growing firm to the anger burning his face.
Paul's stifled laugh makes its way into Jack's ears, adding fuel the the flames. He slaps his fork on the table noisily before getting off his seat.
"Jack?" Annie calls after him, but he coldly ignores her and leaves the dining. "Shit!" She curses under her breath, her eyes staring at the door as if Jack will lower his ego and anger and come back.
"Here." Paul hands her some napkins. "Your face."
"Thanks," Annie whispers receiving them before she gazes at the oddly silent blonde sitting next to Paul. She smiles mischievously at her and rises, showing off the beautiful blue gown she has on that outlines her curves. Her breasts remain unbound, her erect nipples loving the friction against the fabric.
Letting her know she doesn't care about what she intends to do, Annie rolls her eyes and begins wiping off the spit-filled juice splash from her face.
'Should I go apologize to him?'
'Maybe. But he deserves it for messing with Paul's girlfriend.'
YOU ARE READING
His To Save
Romance(((Book 2 of His Series))) Five years since Annie embarked on a self discovery and vengeance journey. She has grown, a lot, and is ready to take on the world. And the world is hers to take, as long she does not lose herself in the process. B...
