GOBSMACKED Part V

Declan walked Boris and Annabelle out. He hugged Annabelle, and shook hands with Boris. "I will check on you tomorrow, Lovey. And if you need ANYTHING. . .call me!"

"I will, Declan. And thank you for everything! Good night!"

Boris helped Annabelle down the stone steps, and just as they reached the bottom, the black Porsche pulled up. Boris handed Annabelle into the car, and then walked over to give some last minute directions to his bodyguards. As she waited in the Porsche for Boris, her Jeep pulled up, with Asher at the wheel. Boris spoke to Asher, then he walked back over to the Porsche, and slid into the back seat beside Annabelle. The Porsche pulled out, followed by Annabelle's Jeep.

"You know. . .Asher looks like a Boy Scout!"

Not sure where this conversation was going, Boris gave Annabelle a wary look. "Does he?"

Annabelle nodded, and smiled at Boris. "He does! But. . .I suspect. . .he's something much more ferocious than a Boy Scout."

A noncommittal "Hmmm" was the only answer Annabelle got.

"Israeli Mossad?"

Surprised, Boris opened his mouth, but closed it again without responding.

Annabelle could read the unspoken question on his face. "One does hear rumors!"

"Well. . .suffice it to say that Asher is very highly trained, as are all my bodyguards. You will be safe with me, Annabelle."

"Good to know, mein herr. And I will let you keep your secrets tonight. But. . ."

"But. . .what?"

"But. . .it might be fun to try and pry some of those secrets out of you. . .some day!"

"Hrmph! And. . .how do you propose to do that?"

Smiling, Annabelle held her hands up in front of her and tapped her fingertips together. "Why. . .with my womanly wiles, of course!"

"Well. . .you could try!" Boris was trying very hard not to smile. . .and failing miserably. "Your mood seems to have lightened considerably, Annabelle!"

Annabelle chuckled. "I'm blaming that on the pain medication that Hank gave me!"

"Well. . .it is good to see you smiling, Annabelle!"

"Hmmm. . .it feels good to be smiling! But. . .on a more serious matter. . .Boris, I have to apologize for everything that happened this evening."

"Annabelle. . .I told you earlier that you did nothing for which you need to apologize!"

"Oh, but I do." Annabelle was wringing her hands, trying to compose herself. "I come with baggage, Boris: dirty, messy, ugly baggage. And unfortunately, my baggage got dumped in your lap this evening. You didn't deserve that." Annabelle paused, waiting for Boris to say something. . .anything. . .but he was silent. She was afraid to look at Boris. She didn't want to see disappointment – or something worse – on his face, so she took a couple of deep breaths and looked out the window. "I should have let Declan tell you the truth." She said it more to herself than to Boris.

But Boris heard her speak. "What was that, Annabelle?"

Bloody hell! "Oh. . .it was nothing. I was just. . .thinking out loud." After a few more moments of silence, she took another deep breath and continued, albeit in another direction. "I AM glad that you were there to rescue me. I don't want to think what might have happened if you hadn't shown up when you did, and for that, I thank you."

"Ich bin zu Ihren Diensten, meine Dame!"

Annabelle just couldn't help herself; she smiled at Boris, and put her hand on his arm. "What does that mean?"

Boris returned the smile. "It means 'I am at your service, my lady!' And I am glad that I was able to be there when you needed me."

"Boris. . .how did you know where to find me?"

"Well. . .when I finished with Muriel, I came looking for you. The bartender told me about the incident with Parks. He also told me he saw Parks following you out of the bar."

"Oh, God. . .I didn't realize."

"I was concerned that Parks had followed you, so I found Declan and apprised him of the situation. He is the one who suggested that I look on the side patio; he knows it's a favorite place of yours."

"Well, again, I want to thank you. I don't think I've ever had a knight in shining armor riding to my rescue!"

"Ah, well. . .I like to think that rescuing damsels in distress is one of my fortes. And, Annabelle?"

"Yes?"

"We all come with baggage. . .but I think that is a discussion for another day." He looked over at Annabelle, expecting a response, but saw her stifling a yawn instead. "Annabelle. . .you must be exhausted. Why don't you just rest now; you will be home soon."

"Hmmm. . .I am exhausted!" She put her head back against the soft leather seat. "Maybe I'll just rest my eyes."

Boris didn't want to sit and stare at Annabelle, so he looked out the window instead. After a few minutes, her breathing leveled out, and he knew she had drifted off to sleep. He leaned back in his seat. . .listened to her steady breathing. . .and thought about her emerald green eyes.

"Annabelle. Annabelle." Boris gently touched her hand. "Wake up, Annabelle. You are home!"

Startled, Annabelle jerked herself awake. "Bloody hell! I was just going to rest my eyes; I guess I fell asleep!"

Boris smiled. "Ja, you did!"

Annabelle's Jeep pulled down the driveway and stopped in front of the garage door; the Porsche pulled in beside the Jeep.

"Annabelle, what is your alarm code?" She told Boris the code, and he opened the door to get out. "Stay here, Annabelle."

Boris walked over to her Jeep and gave Asher the alarm code. As he was walking back over to the Porsche, Annabelle saw Asher pull her Jeep into the garage and turn off the alarm.

Boris helped Annabelle out of the Porsche, and then helped her up the steps to her front porch. She opened her purse to pull out her keys, but she was so tired, her purse slipped out of her hands. Boris saw tears starting to glisten in her eyes, and he bent down and picked up her purse. "Annabelle, where do you keep your keys?"

"In the inside zipper pocket; it's the key ring with the black sheep."

Boris found the key ring and held it up. "Which key?" Annabelle pointed out the key, and Boris stepped forward and unlocked her door. He saw Annabelle smiling at him, and decided to beat her to the punch. "I know; I have been told that I am old-fashioned! That is what you were going to say, is it not?"

Still smiling, Annabelle shook her head. "No. . .I think you're a gentleman! That was very sweet. . .thank you. And once again. . .I am in your debt."

Boris handed her purse and keys back to her, then put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her gently on top of her head. "Good night, Annabelle. Sweet dreams!" Then he turned and started down the steps.

"Boris!"

Boris stopped, and turned back towards Annabelle. "Yes, Annabelle?"

"Boris. . .I hope we meet again one day."

"Good night, Annabelle. Lock your door. . .and set your alarm!" He waited on the steps until he heard the deadbolt click, and heard the faint beeps from the alarm. Then he headed back to the Porsche.

"Gottverdammt!"

Boris rolled over and looked at the clock on his nightstand. 4:03AM. He had been tossing and turning for hours. . .but he was just too wired to fall asleep. The events of the evening were running on a continuous loop in his brain, and every time he closed his eyes. . .all he could see were those damn emerald green eyes!

Boris rolled over again and punched his pillow several times. He debated getting up and pouring himself a Scotch. "You are not a randy teenager, Boris!" He spoke the words out loud, trying to convince himself. "She's not even your type!" And Boris definitely had a type. He liked his women tall, and leggy, and blonde. Annabelle wasn't tall, she wasn't leggy, and she wasn't blonde. But she had those damn emerald green eyes.

4:27AM. Boris groaned in frustration. He couldn't remember the last time a woman had this effect on him. He should be making a list of all the reasons why Annabelle was all wrong for him. Instead. . .he just kept thinking about those damn emerald green eyes. . .looking up at him while he made love to her.

4:52AM. Boris sighed in resignation. He was officially giving up on sleep tonight, or rather, this morning. So, he started planning his day. First things first; he'd get up and go for a run. He should be able to round up one or two of his bodyguards to run with him. After that, a shower and breakfast. Then, he was going to see Declan. He needed some answers. 'I should have let Declan tell you the truth.' She said it. . .he heard her say it.

Damn those emerald green eyes.