Chapter XX

Fifteen minutes after John had pounded Green, the ambulance arrived at the pub. The team had decided to say they had found Green in front of the pub, his nose already smashed. And with the drunken state Green had been in, the paramedics had no reason not to believe them.

''What was that all about?'' Thomas turned to Anna as the ambulance drove away.

''I have no idea.'' Anna shook her head. And it was the truth.

''Did you hear what Green said to him?''

''No, Thomas.''

''But…''

''I don't know, all right?!'' Anna faced him. ''I have no idea what happened. I wish I did, but I don't.'' She walked past him, back into the pub.

''Where is he?'' she asked Joe.

''He left,'' he replied, as he tried to help Charlie clean up the mess that John and Green had made.

''Where did he go?''

''I don't know. Home, I guess.''

''For god's sake.'' Anna picked up her purse and left.

xXx

Despite what Joe had said, Anna knew that John wouldn't have gone home. The only possible place John would go when he was that stressed was his office, to bury himself in work…and she was right. Entering the building, she made her way upstairs and as she was walking down the corridor, she could see the light coming from underneath his office door.

Stopping in front of the closed door, she took a deep breath and knocked. But there was no answer. So she knocked again. Still nothing. She knew he was inside, but perhaps he wanted to be alone. And then she remembered - when John was working, he liked to listen to his iPod. She took a deep breath and turned the door handle, hoping he wouldn't throw her out.

Walking in, her suspicions were confirmed - he was standing behind his desk, reviewing his work, white earbuds in his ears. Placing her purse on the couch near the door, she approached him slowly.

''Mr. Bates?'' she called, but he did not hear her. ''Mr. Bates?!'' she tried again a little louder, and that did the trick.

Looking up from his work, he removed the earbuds and smiled at her shakily. ''Miss Smith, what are you doing here?''

''I-…I just wanted to make sure you're all right,'' Anna explained softly, noticing that his eyes were red.

''I'm fine, thank you,'' he replied, even though he could feel his lip - and his entire head - throbbing.

''Would you like to talk about it?'' Anna ventured.

''Not really.'' John forced a smile. He knew he was pushing her away, but right now he just couldn't face discussing it. Green had pushed all his worst buttons, and he was exhausted - not just physically, but emotionally.

''By the way, he was asking me about some files?'' Anna said, changing the subject.

''What?''

''Green. He asked me to tell him where you keep your files.''

''That little…'' John hissed. ''I assume you didn't tell him?''

''What? I didn't even know what he was referring to!'' Did he really think so little of her? Anna thought. She had no idea which files Green wanted, but even if she did, Green was the last person she would ever give anything to. ''How can you even thi-...''

''Smith, I'm teasing,'' he chuckled, and Anna relaxed immediately. ''I knew he was going to try to get them at some point. That's why I made Thomas secure them the moment we came back from Rome. Green did the same thing once before, and I wasn't about to let him take them this time around.''

''What files did he want?''

''Files of all of my important clients. Wealthy clients.''

''He stole them before?!'' Anna's jaw dropped.

''Yes - well, not from me. I'm sure you know that we worked together a few years ago…?''

''I think Joe mentioned something about that.''

''Well, to make a long story short, he stole some files from our boss and…I reported him.''

''So what happened?''

''Green's father was a friend of our boss, so in the end they kept him and fired me.''

''What?!?''

''Yes. It was a long time ago…but I think after today I'm finally over it,'' he smiled. ''And believe me, I know you would never...''

''No, I wouldn't.'' Anna took a step closer to him. ''I could never steal from you.''

''I'm glad to hear it.'' He stared at her. She looks so lovely, he thought. Too lovely, in fact. ''Is there anything else I can do for you?'' he asked, after a few moments of silence.

''Ummm...'' Anna held his gaze and bit her lower lip. She desperately wanted to know what Green had whispered to him that had caused him to lose control this evening. But, as usual, he didn't seem like he was going to offer any explanation.

At last she walked closer to him, picked up one of the earbuds dangling on his chest, and looked up at him. ''May I?''

''Certainly.'' John could feel his heart start to race. She was so dangerously close.

''What? You've got to be kidding…'' Her head shot up as a familiar melody filled her ear.

''What?'' John chuckled at her surprise. ''He's good.''

''He's more than good, but I never imagined you as...''

''...as an Ed Sheeran fan?''

''Yes!'' Anna giggled and stepped even closer to him. John put the other earbud into his ear and then unexpectedly extended his hand toward hers.

''May I?'' he asked gently, and before she could reply, her palm found his. He spread his other palm on her lower back and slowly pulled her flat against his broad chest. Silently they swayed to the music, just enjoying the moment. It was the first time they'd been so close since that night in Anna's kitchen. He could feel every curve of her body against his. And it felt amazing. Comforting. He was so thankful that she wasn't judging him or, even worse, feeling afraid of him, especially after what had happened with Green.

They were still swaying together, lost in the music, when Anna suddenly heard it. It was barely a whisper, and at first she thought she was only imagining it, but she wasn't. He was singing!

'...when I saw you in that dress, looking beautiful…I don't deserve this, darling, you look perfect tonight...''

With his lips just a few inches from her ear and his warm breath on her skin, Anna knew this was it. Moving away from him very slightly, she looked up and saw the way he was staring at her. His lower lip was swollen, his knuckles bruised. He looked exhausted, but his eyes… despite his surprising altercation with Green, his eyes were so tender and so gentle that Anna simply could not hold back.

''Anna, don'-…" he began, before her soft, warm lips suddenly covered his. This was it, he thought. This was what he had been dreaming about for the past several months - her vanilla scent all around him, her body pressing into him, her lips on his…it was perfect. It was everything he'd ever dreamt about...and dreaded.

As Anna wrapped her arms around his neck and was about to deepen the kiss, John grabbed her hips and gently pushed her away from him. She opened her eyes in surprise.

''Anna...I'm sorry, I can'-… I just can't…'' he whispered.

''John…'' she pleaded, trying to hold back tears, but he had already removed the earbud from his ear, and walked past her and out of the room, without looking back.

By the time he reached his car, he felt on the verge of a panic attack. It was all too much for him. It had broken him to see the hurt in her eyes when he had pushed her away…but he couldn't handle her being so close.

His hands trembling, he unlocked the car and sat down behind the wheel. And he had only one destination in mind.


beta: ANNAMBATES! keep taking whatever it is you are taking x) haha xoxox