Oops! An extra update. I just couldn't resist.

Nia Sharma As Ansela (Annie) Mckade. (Pic above).

Wet yellow leaves clung to the rain-slick road. Ansela Mckade took the curves with confidence,her vintage Koenigsegg Agera hugging the pavement despite the windswept June day. Dust had fallen she switched her headlights on,drumming her fingers on the steering wheel in the rhythm to the R 'n' B oldie blasting from her Bose speakers.

Even though it was a last minute decision,Ansela was glad that she decided to travel to Washington after all. Her mother wasn't too keen about the fact that she was travelling away from home for weeks,because of what happened to William,her older brother, and his wife, Ella. What they planned as a vacation in Maldives to bring them,Will and Ella, together almost cost Ella her life and William his family. There was also Kaden,her other older brother, who almost lost Cassie,his wife to a maniac who wanted to avenge his sister's death.

Her family went through a lot over the last ten years,but Annie was tired of playing it safe. If she stayed on more day in Philly and listen to her mother's rant about proud wives of business socialites or her father's grumbles about how lazy she was, Annie was definitely going to loose it.

Alejandra Mendoza, a close friend of the family, had recommended West Mercer Island as a perfect spot for rest and respite. What really got Annie was the beach front house Lea owned. She could already feel the ocean breeze in her hair. There was also the Lake Washington.

Pulling away from the I-90 onto the road leading onto the Island, Annie pressed her foot on the gas the same time she reached over and pressed a button,which made the top of the car slide open and fold to the back. Her tires squealed as they spun slightly, seeking a connection with the rural highway. Annie eased off the gas as the sun began to sink low in the sky. Lake Washington glistened like an orange sea of fire.

It was breathtaking.

Annie craned her neck to get a better view of the rippling waves. A smile tugged on her lips and she closed her eyes briefly,savouring the cool air. Then she opened her eyes and settled back into her seat. At that instant,the glare of oncoming headlights blinded her as a car rounded the upcoming curve uncomfortably close to her lane. Annie tensed,gripping the wheel and tried to wrestle her vehicle into submission. But just when she thought she had control, her tires skidded on the wet road. Annie screamed as she spun past the white Maybach Laundalet, it's white-faced driver momentarily visible,before her car slid off the road and smashed into a telephone pole.

She heard the other car skid into a stop,then the sound of car doors opening and closing. Air bags deployed into the crumpled car. Annie reached for the door knob and pushed it open. She staggered to her feet,wiping ineffectually at a trickle of blood on her cheek. She felt a dull throb of pain in her right cheekbone.

Her knees gave out the same time arms went around her waist to hold her up.

"Steady," said a man's voice.

The ground was the closest surface,unfortunately. She went down gracefully like butter melting on a hot day. The man's arms remained around her but the gravel slope beneath their feet was uneven.

Crouching beside her,he pushed her hair away from her face. "Are you okay?"

Annie's teeth chattered sporadically. "You nearly killed me."

"Me?" His brows shot up. "Lady,you crossed the centre line. And my driver saw you when it was too late."

She lifted her chin stubbornly. "I'm a very safe driver."

Glancing over his shoulder, he cursed. "Not from where I am."

Annie shivered hard, and rubbed her palms up and down her arms to ward off the chilly air.

"Your car is toast." He said. "The nearest ambulance service is forty minutes away at least. It will save time if we meet them in the next valley."

"Says the big bad wolf."

"Excuse me?"

She managed a smile,though her lips were starting to turn blue. "I'm getting wet."

* * *

"Good afternoon,Mr Phim."

Jovon looked up from his phone,the e-mail he was replying to long forgotten,and his eyes met with those of Marek Vandekmp's newest secretary. She smiled,her cheeks so pretty and pink in the warmth of the reception; her large doe-like eyes wide and inviting. The black pencil skirt she wore accentuated her slim hips and the pumps she wore gave her a height advantage. Even if he was interested in a relationship,which he was not, he wouldn't even touch her with a ten foot pole.

"Good afternoon..." He glanced at her name tag. "Stacy."

Her cheeks turned a brighter shade of pink. "Mr Vandekmp is ready to have you now."

Jovon nodded at her as he got up from the leather-chair he was sitting on and made his way down the hall to his left.

"You don't need to knock," Stacy called out from behind him. "Just go right in."

Jovon pushed the door open and stepped into the room. A tall muscular man sat behind the large oak desk,his back to the floor-to-ceiling window,which showed off the gray sky. A sixteen inches bookshelves lined each of the white walls and were stacked with old-edition hardcover books.

The man,who wear an impeccable suit, lifted his head from the file he was browsing through when he heard the door open. Gray eyes met his own. Dr. Vandekmp rose and smiled motioning Jovon forward and offering him a seat. Jovon walked towards the desk to shook hands with him before settling on the chair he was offered.

"Jovon,what a pleasure to see you again." He sat in his chair with a small smile on his face. "How are you?"

"I wouldn't be here if I was fine,would I?" His words were laced with animosity.

The smile on Dr. Vandekmp's face broadened. "What can I help you with,Jovon?"

He sighed. "The Nightmares are getting worse each passing day. I can't close my eyes without having a nightmare each time."

"And how have you been able to let out the stress of it?"

"I run."

The smile dissolved into a frown. "I told you to break the cycle already. Besides,I specifically told you to go out and mix in with the crowd."

"How do you expect me to do that when each time I see a smoke or hear a siren,I go into shock and get panic attacks? " He growled. "Just this morning when I went out for a run,I imagined seeing smoke in the Aubrey Davis park. And I hate people staring at me like I was some pitiful retard."

Dr. Vandekmp steepled his fingers in front of his mouth and regarded him with an unreadable look in his eyes.

"Do you want the nightmares to stop?"

"Yes."

"Then you're going to have to do what I ask you to. And by that,I mean you have to go out-" He held up a finger when Jovon started to speak. "-To restaurants, the mall,your office or the beach. Anywhere but your house. You can even spend the night away from your home."

Jovon gritted his teeth,but he nodded nevertheless.

"Starting from today." Dr. Vandekmp reached for a pen and jotted something down. "I recommend this place." He passed him the slip of paper. "You should go out,today I mean."

"Fine." He checked his wrist watch. "I have a conference call in three hours."

"Can you meet them in person?"

"It can be arranged." Pushing his chair back,Jovon got to his feet and shook hands with Dr. Vandekmp who also got up.

"Let me know if the nightmares are still consistent in two weeks after you've done all what I ask."

Jovon walked out of the office and didn't bother acknowledging Stacy who batted her eyes at him as he walked past her desk. As he exited the building,Jovon withdrew his phone from his pocket the same time his driver, Cyson Jackson, bring the car to a stop in front of the building.

Jovon waited until Cyson got down to open the car,before jogging down the steps and getting into the car. Connecting his phone to the car's screen,he dialled his PA's number. Cyson got into the car,turned the ignition on,and pulled out onto the main road.

"Where are we going,sir?"

Jovon met his eyes in the rearview mirror. "SeaTac. I'm heading to Portland."

"Yes sir."

"Good afternoon sir." Aaron Phillips, his PA,said immediately his face swam into view.

Jovon stared at the screen,his gaze turning to ice. "Reschedule all the conference call I have today tomorrow except the one with Wang Lee shin. Book a reservation for eight pm at the Heathman and call Carter to have the jet ready for a flight to Portland."

"Right sir." A pause. "Table for how many people?"

"Two. E-mail the Grey Holdings inc. Business proposal to me. I want to have a look at it myself."

"Of course, sir. Would that be all,sir?"

"Meet me at SeaTac in-" he glanced at his Patek Phillipe wristwatch. "Eighty-eight minutes."

"Yes,sir."

Jovon disconnected the call as Cyson rounded a curve. The car tires spun slightly on the wet road. The glare of the oncoming headlights blinded him as a car, a Koenigsegg Agera, he recognised it immediately, shifted into his lane.

He tensed as Cyson gripped the week and managed to shift onto the other lane,but it was too late. The other car wasn't so lucky.

Jovon watched as the expensive shiny sports car slid off the road and smashed into a telephone pole.

"Stop the car!" He snapped at Cyson.

He eased to a halt on the narrow shoulder and Jovon bounded out of the car,his heart pounding in his chest as he dialled 911.

By the time he hung up and reached the car,the driver was already opening her door. Air bags had deployed in the crumpled vehicle. The front of the car was smashed beyond recognition.

The woman staggered to her feet,wiping at a trickle of blood on her cheek. Even in the waning light of the day,he could see a reddish mark on her cheekbone.

He grabbed for her as her knees gave out. "Steady." He said.

She went down gracefully,and his arms remained around her,but the gravel slope was uneven beneath under their feet. It was all he could do to keep both of them from sliding down the embarkment.

Crouching beside her,he pushed her hair from her face. "Are you okay?"

Her teeth were chattering. "You nearly killed me."

"Me?" His brows shot up in sync with his temper. "Lady,you crossed the centre line."

Her chin lifted slightly. "I'm a very safe driver. "

Glancing over his shoulder, he cursed. "Not from where I am."

She shivered hard and he realised with chagrin that this wasn't the place for such conversation. "Your car is toast," he said. "The nearest ambulance service is forty-five minutes away at least. It will save time if we meet them in the next valley. I'll take you."

"Says the big bad wolf."

"Excuse me?"

She managed a smile,her lips a bright blue. "I'm getting wet." She wrinkled her nose.

He'd been so caught up in worrying about her that he hadn't noticed the rain. They were only half a mike from his home,and his live-in cook cousin could help,but he was currently out of town.

Grinding his teeth in frustration, Jovon glanced at his watch. He was going to be late for his meeting with powerful, important investor in Portland in less than two hours, but he couldn't possible walk away from a woman who might be seriously injured.

"Let me carry you to my car. You may be hurt badly than you realize." Even as he said the word he winced inwardly- saint Jovon to the rescue. He wasn't a saint- hardly- but his perspective of life changed after he barely survived the fire incident.

She stood up,wavering only slightly. "That's very kind of you. But weren't you headed somewhere?"

Shrugging, he rose to his feet as well. "I can reschedule."

And potentially loose fifty-seven million dollars. He'd been coaxing these particular venture capitalists into trusting him for almost a year. So the moment was likely lost. But money was money,and he'd seen enough accidents to realize that injuries were not to be taken lightly.

If he could meet up with the paramedics quickly enough,he might still be able to make it to his appointment. The lady trusted him enough not to talk to him,so presumably she trusted him not to be a killer. He scooped her into his arms,before he could think better of it,and carried her towards his car. Her token protest was feeble. The tremors that shook her slender body were undoubtedly a delayed reaction to the crash.

She might have died.

His arms tightened around her,his breath hitching as,for a split second, he imagined what could have happened. Thank God she survived the impact or he'd have more guilt to deal with. Her wet hair and clothing smelled of roses,an old-fashioned scent that suited her somehow.

Once,he stumbled slightly, and her hand gripped a fistful of his shirt,her fingernails digging into his skin. For a second he flashed on an entirely inappropriate scenario that involved him and her. Naked. In his bed.

He shook his head.

Weird. Too weird.

Cyson hurried to open the door,his gaze on the woman as if searching for a visible damage. Jovon narrowed his eyes at him as he deposited her gently into the passenger seat and jogged back to retrieve her purse. When he slid in beside her and looked at her,she grimaced.

"I'm not going to keel over,I promise. The air bags did their job."

"Maybe so,but you look like hell."

Her jaw dropped. "Well, it just goes to show..."

"What do you mean?" He asked the same time Cyson eased the car out onto the road.

"To think that a handsome man like you would have sweet words for women. But if that's your slick line then I'm afraid you won't be getting laid anytime soon."

He peered out the window. It was completely dark now. The car was silent except for the swish of the wipers.

The lady ignored him,her body nestled into the soft leather seat. Though she tried to appear relaxed,her arms were wrapped tightly around her waist.

She sighed deeply. "I hate inconveniencing you. You could drop me at home. "

"Where do you stay?"

"4739 forest Ave."

"You're my neighbour." He turned to stare at her. "Is there anyone at home?"

"Not at the moment. I'm staying alone for the next two weeks at least." She paused and winced when the car hit a bump. "I'm sure I'm fine. I've been through worse,believe me." The muttered the words under her breath.

Jovon wanted to ask what she'd been through but then that would mean that he was prying deeper into her life and the last thing he wanted was her thinking they were already friends.

"Don't be ridiculous." He frowned at her.

Her muttered retort was lost in the squeal of breaks when Cyson stopped all of a sudden.

"What the hell?!" He growled at his driver who turned white at the sight of a rabbit.

The animal froze,peering at the windshield,before bounding off into the bushes.

Cyson muttered an apology as he covered the ground distance to the main road, and up over the small gap that led to a more populated area to the west.

Jovon clasped his hands together refusing to admit ,even to himself, that he was rattled. "Not long now."

"And yet you said it was my fault."

"Well, Cyson didn't switch to the wrong lane,did he?"

Maybe he was imagining it,but he was picking mixed vibes from his damsel in distress. Hostility, perhaps... As if she blamed him for the accident. Jovon was disconcerted. He was accustomed,even if he hated it with every fibre in his body, to women batting eyelashes at him,and tucking their phone number into his pockets or Aaron's, asking him to give it to his boss. Jovon was not accustomed to women looking down their noses at him.

With one last call to 911, he flagged down the approaching ambulance as Cyson pulled of the road. The car jerked to a stop. Before he could offer his assistance, mystery lady was out of the car and heading towards the man and woman in uniform.

Damn her stubborn hide.

He went after her. If the professionals decided she needed to go to the hospital,Jovon was off the hook.

"Do you think it's serious?" He asked the medic at the back of the vehicle.

She gave him a look reserves for clueless families. "We'll know in a bit."

The man inside bent over the patient, checking vitals. He began asking a string of questions. But one snagged Jovon's attention. Name?

She bit her lower lip and her gaze flickered to him briefly.

"Name?" The man asked again,a bit more forceful.

"Annie Mckade."

While the medical exam continued. Jovon analysed the puzzle. Annie's looks were exceptional. Shoulder length light brown hair, dark eyes,tanned skin,a slim figure. The cream Angora sweater she wore along with the brown corduroy bumper shorts and Miu Miu velvet block-heel-over -the-knee boots she wore showed off that she came from money. She was one of those spoilt and flashy brats.

She wasn't his type,not at all. Yet,for some reason he couldn't name,he was intrigued.

Aaaand there's the long chapter. A bonus one because I couldn't resist.

Also,let me know what you think about this chapter, your comment helps.

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