Finally,she was allowed to sit up. "Thank you," she said quietly. "I'm feeling much better now."

The ambulance driver began putting away all the equipment, addressing Jovon over Annie's head. "She told me you were the good Samaritan who stopped to help her. Can you drive her home? She's gonna be okay. Lots of bumps and bruises, though. Make sure she's not alone tonight in case anything crops up that we missed. She should see her doctor for a follow-up visit tomorrow."

Jovon groaned inwardly. Even if he dashed back home and took the chopper,he'd never make it now. "Sure," he said,with a smile that felt like a grimace. "I'd be glad to." In the boardroom,he had no trouble acting like a bastard. Not so much in real life.

He watched Annie deal with the necessary evil of insurance info. Then he shepherded her to the car,his arm around her narrow waist. Her bone structure was slender,though she was fairly tall,she fit against his shoulder as if she had been creates for that spot. In the flashing lights from the ambulance, he could see that she was dangerously near the point of exhaustion.

How in God's name could he simply drop her off at a deserted house in her condition? "Is there anyone you can call to stay with you tonight?"

"No. But I'll be fine." She turned her head away from him.

He tucked her into the car and kicked the heat on full blast. If his big body was chilled,then she must be freezing. Consigning his last hope of making the business meeting to hell,he sighed.

"I'm taking you to my house. I have enough guest room. And no one would bother you,but you'll have help close by if you need it. I'll call a tow truck in the morning and we'll see about your car."

She half turned to face him,her body visibly shaking. "Take me home."

* * *

Annie was wise enough to know that you just don't follow a stranger to his home,and considering everything she went through,almost loosing her life in the process,she knew better.

Out of habit,she touched her index finger to the scar close to her hairline.

But why do I trust this man?

Annie jerked herself out of that thought,glad of the darkness that his her turbulent emotions. She straightened in her seat. "It's really okay to take me to my house. I promise to call someone if I start to feel worse."

It was the presence of this handsome stranger in the car,not her accident,was responsible for the rapid pace of her heartbeat. He was a big man,broad through the shoulders and tall. The scent of his aftershave made her think of thick fir-tree,forest and lumberjack in flannel shirts, though the comparison was ludicrous.

Despite the fact that her wits had been particularly addled after the accident,she'd still been aware of his sartorial perfection,though he was a tad rumpled and sported a five-o'clock shadow. Thick black hair with the sheen of a raven's wings. And a honed body that exuded strength and confidence. Great face with soulful eyes and the kind of mouth that made a woman dream about being taken against her will.

He shot her a glance as his driver, once again turned onto the road that led up to the entrance of his estate. "I'm not arguing about this,miss Mckade."

Did his gaze linger on her chest? Or was that just her imagination? Surely not. She might be all tingly with perfect natural feminine longing for a man,who exuded an earthy sex appeal,but to think he had any interest in her was ridiculous.

Beneath his fine exterior, Annie could sense his distress. As if he was fighting an internal battle; a battle between chivalry and good sense.

She shifted restlessly. Already her battered body bloomed with myriad aches and throbs. The paramedics had recommended an antiinflammatory, but she had some ibuprofen in her purse. She had nothing with which to wash them down. Suddenly, the idea of staying alone over night was less appealing.

At the guard house,Cyson sketched a wave and waited for the huge mechanized gate to retract. Soon,they were heading up the winding drive that served to isolate the house from intruders.

She sighed deeply. "I'm not sure this is a good idea. I don't want to intrude on your family."

"I live alone." He said tightly as he loosened his tie.

Judging by his gruff tone,Annie knew that she'd struck a nerve,so she bit her tongue to keep from talking. Cyson pulled up in front of a giant four-story mansion. There were dozens of windows and actual gables. The grounds were manicured and endless. The car looked like a toy that had been left out by a careless child. Sure,she'd known that the rich were different and that he was rich, if his car was any indication,but until this moment,she'd never realized exactly how rich. She had a bad feeling they were talking about billions.

Annie got down from the car and waited for Jovon,who joined her after firing instructions to Cyson. They walked into the house and onto a marble floor and Annie resisted the impulse to step out of her shoes. The foyer was large and oval,with a baby grand piano by the staircase. Right. Because every decent foyer should have a room for piano. There were incredible pieces of furniture that were probably antiques and paintings that both looked and important.

"Take it all in?" Jovon asked a she took in the open admiration on her face.

Her eyes met his. "Not yet. Do you give tours on alternative Fridays?"

Jovon bit back a smile. "No. I'm a man of privacy."

There was something about his expression. Something almost...wary.

"Am I reacting wrong?" She asked. "Should I act as if I'm not impressed and a tad intimidated?"

"It's just a house."

Annie laughed. "It's a really big house and you live here by yourself. That's a little strange."

"I grew up here. It's big and expensive to keep up,but it's been in my family for three generations and now it's my responsibility."

She looked around at the massive chandelier and the fresh flowers,Midnight blue torenia, her favourite.

"It's like a really great hotel. Show me the fluffy robe and the room service menu and I'll move in."

"We don't have room service." His lips twitched.

She sighed,feeling tired as the minutes ticked by. "Then forget it. Room service is a deal breaker for me."

Before she could protest,he scooped her up and set for the stairs that led to the second floor.

He paused before a half opened doorway. "This is my room. There's an adjoining suite with a door you can lock. But if you need assistance during the night. You can knock or call me and I'll get you anything you need."

How about you,Mr handsome stranger? In the buff. Sliding on top of me and...

Her breath caught in her throat. She was suffering the effects of a long dry spell in the sex department. That was why she wanted to bubble his throat despite the fact that she felt as if she'd been run over by the proverbial truck. Proximity and deprivation. Simple explanations for the electric connection she felt to a man who was in no way an appropriate object of her fantasies. Not at all healthy or practical to imagine him...and her...together...oh,lord. Her thighs clenched and her nipples tightened. She prayed he didn't notice.

His bed sat on a platform with three steps,it's theme dark and boring. Double French doors leading to a balcony that overlooked the lake,stood to the right side of the bed. Another sliding glass,leading to what looked like the bathroom,stood to left side of the room. Lights hung from the ceiling on both side of the bed,dropping so low that it almost touched the nightstand. It was like something out of a fairytale. But a pair of jeans hung haphazardly over the back of an armchair,and a paperback crime novel lay upside down on the cream coloured nightstand,which was connected to the bed.

"I'm sure,I'll be fine." She croaked.

Without acknowledging her comment,he took her,still in his arms,through the doorway into a room as large as his,but was decorated with more feminine tones. Ever so gently, he set her on her feet.

"Bathroom's through there. I'll see if I can round you up on some clean clothes,and I'll call Marek to see what medicine you can take."

Before she could catch her breath,he was gone.

She hobbled into the luxurious bathroom and stared in the mirror. She looked ghastly. Stripping out of her rain-damp clothes,she adjusted the water and stepped into the shower. The hot pelting spray hurt in a good way,the steamy warmth penetrating her bones. Already,bruise were showing up on her skin. She should have stayed at the Hotel Max,overnight and drive out in the morning.

Knowing she didn't have the strength or the will to blow dry her hair,and since she'd shampooed it the night before,she was careful to keep it from getting wet. As she stepped out of the shower and was drying off,a knock on the door startled her so much that she dropped her towel.

"Don't come in." She cried,scrambling to cover her indecent bits.

A chuckle was her only answer. The door eased open a scant foot. One long-fingered,tanned hand reached in holding soft, clean clothes. The items landed on the counter with a muted plop,and the hand withdrew. Annie scurried forward and locked the knob with enough force that she was pretty sure she heard him laugh again.

The clothes included a set of lounging PJ's... The kind you see in the Prada catalog,the only kind rich men owned and wore.

The fabric was incredibly soft and warm,though not thick. Some sort of cashmere blend. The cinnamon shade flattered her hair and added a snippet of colour to her washed complexion.

She put on a silk panties,that she wondered who the owner was,then slipped into the top and pants. He didn't add a bra. The new undies made her aware of the place between her thighs that throbbed as insistently as her injuries. And her breasts rubbed sensuously against the velvet-like fabric.

When she exited the bathroom,barefooted,she came up short. He was standing by the fireplace where a fire crackled with blissful heat. He had dragged a small table near the hearth,and it was set with an array of dishes. Her stomach growled audibly.

He held out a hand. "Come eat. And Marek said you can double the usual dose of pain meds."

Shyness engulfed her. She had to force herself to approach him. "That will be fine. Don't worry about me."

He held out her chair,his arm brushing her shoulder as she sat down. "I can't seem to help it." He said wryly.

The rug was soft as a cloud. She curled her toes into it and took a deep breath. "I know you didn't cause my accident," She said,looking up at him through downcast lashes. "You caught me unawares. I'm sorry."

He sat down as well,and poured each of them a cup of tea. The juxtaposition of his big,manly hands against the wafer thin China teapot was incongruous and alarming. How could she keep him at arm's length if he didn't remain in the box she had labeled "spoiled rich philanderer."

She didn't want to like him. Not At all.

He took her lack of enthusiasm the wrong way. "It's herbal tea," he said. "No caffeine. But I can get you coffee if you'd rather have it."

Picking up the lovely ivory cup scattered with blue forget-me-nots,she shook her head. "I prefer the tea. Thank you."

He had fixed a tray of sandwiches as well-tiny,slightly ragged square
of white bread with the crust removed. Peanut butter and honey.

"Thank you."

He waved a hand. "You need to eat something so the medicine won't upset your stomach. "

Too late. The accident, this intimate tête- à-tête, his unexpectedly domesticity... all of it had her in turmoil.

Mute and uncomfortable, she picked up a piece of sandwich, chewed and swallowed. Despite his calm exterior,Annie could sense anger,perhaps it was directed towards her for intruding his privacy. But it wasn't as if she begged to be here.

He insisted.

"You never did tell me your name " She said slowly, eyeing him over the rim of her teacup.

He wolfed down five mini-sandwiches,to her own two,and drained four cups to tea. For some reason,she was infinitely fascinated by the way his threat worked as he swallowed. Everything about him was intensely virile,dangerously sexual.

When a woman became aroused by watching a man eat peanut butter and honey sandwich,she was in trouble. Big trouble.

He sat back in his chair and drummed his fingers on the arms. "Jovon Phim."

"Does it have a meaning? Your name,I mean."

He handed her some tablets. "These are nonprescription, but Marek says they'll be the best thing for muscles aches. Take them now so you'll be comfortable in bed."

Their fingers brushed as the medicine changed hands. The word 'bed' hung in the air between them. She clenched her fist. "Thank you."

He covered her hand with his own. "It means Majestic. "

Annie jerked away and swallowed her pills, almost choking because of the knowledge that he had touched her. It meant nothing... She was the one freaking out,not Jovon. He was merely being a gentleman.

"It's nice." She grinned at him. "And I can't help but wonder someone so well off as you are still single. Is it that you don't want to get married? Or are you the proverbial player?"

His hazel eyes hardened instantly and his body became rigid. It was a wonder smoke wasn't coming our of his ears. He jerked to his feet,his narrowed eyes still on hers.

It took every fibre in her being not to shrink back into her chair and cower.

"My private life is none of your business. Go to sleep. The earlier you do,the earlier you're leaving." Then he turned on his expensive shoes and stalked out of the room.

Annie cursed her wrong approach to finding out what he was hiding. He was stubborn and quick tempered.

But that wouldn't stop her from finding out the truth.

____________________________________

Pic of Jovon's room above.

This is the normal update,the two chapters before this one were bonus.

I hope you enjoyed it?

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Till I update next,you never know when, till then...