Page 66 of Dual

My stomach drops. What the fuck else don't I know? "What is it?" I ask tensely.

"I'm not seeing Dr. Ezra anymore."

I step closer, confused. "Since when?"

"About a month ago." She meets my eyes steadily. "I wanted to try something different. Hypnotherapy. To aggressively integrate."

The word hits me like a shock of cold water.Integrate. We'd discussed it with Dr. Ezra—integration—the possibility of bringing Anna and Mads together into one cohesive personality. But he'd always cautioned patience and warned against rushing the process.

"Anna—"

"It's fine!" she interrupts, stepping into me and wrapping her arms around my waist. "It worked." A shy smile curves her lips as she adds, "I've been all myself since three weeks ago. Mads getting into the fender bender was actually the last straw."

"But—" My mind races, cataloging the past month. The night she pulled me into the shower without warning. The morning I found her in my home office, bent over my desk, skirt flipped up, waiting for me.

Jesus Christ, that wasAnna?

It's been Anna the whole time. My stomach drops out for the second time in as many minutes.

"I pretended to be her," she admits, cheeks flushing.

"But I wasn't gentle with you." I cradle her face in my hands, searching her eyes. "Are youokay? Why on Earth would you pretend?"

"She pretended to be me often enough." Anna's voice comes out angry, fingers curling around my wrists, holding me there.

Is she angry at Mads... or me? I thought I could always tell them apart. But, wait, if she's integrated now... She continues before I can think it through anymore. "Plus, I didn't want you to. I wanted you to be yourself." Her eyes darken. "You can be, you know."

She rises on her tiptoes and kisses me impulsively. Heat flares instantly in my groin, my cock hardening despite the worry still churning in my gut.

I pull back, struggling to focus. "Anna. We need to talk about this. Was it even safe what you did? If hypnotherapy was an option, wouldn't Dr. Ezra have suggested it?"

She just waves a hand dismissively, then her eyes darken with a familiar hunger. One that's been Anna's the whole time. Well,allof her, if what she's saying is true, and sheisactually integrated now. Her hand drops, finding my hardening length through my slacks and squeezing firmly.

"Jesus," I hiss, my hips jerking forward of their own accord.

Is she trying to distract me? Or is this just what Anna would be like with the Mads part of her woven back into her primary personality?

The thought moves my hips instinctively closer, grinding against where she's holding me. I watch her closely, but her eyes grow brighter if anything.

"I'm right here, baby." Her lips curl up with wickedness as she adds, "Now bring me pain and bring me pleasure."

My chest clenches.

I should make her slow down. We should talk more, discuss this rationally?—

She throws her arms around my neck, and when she kisses me, she uses her teeth.

She's here and she wants me.

And if I'm here with her, it means I'm not in the past?—

I grab her ass and squeeze hard. I always am at my best when I communicate through fucking.

She untucks my work shirt with scrabbling, needy fingers, then drags her fingernails down my back.

Words are overrated.

My hands drop to undo my belt as if they've got a mind of their own, and then I'm flipping her so her ass is on the counter and the next second, I'm balls deep inside her.