Page 36 of Going Deep (Odyssey #3)

Grant looked blank for a moment, then understanding—and amusement—flashed in his eyes. “ I take it this isn’t the first time you rang the bell tonight.”

Michael shook his head. “ Slammed the door in my face.”

Grant let out a bark of laughter. “ She said you were Jehovah’s Witnesses .”

“I called a couple of times, too,” Michael informed him. “ Your number. She hung up on me.”

Grant’s eyes began to gleam. “ Did she, now?”

There was no doubt a punishment in Anna’s future, but Michael didn’t care. “ Do you know where she is?”

Grant didn’t pretend to not to know who Michael was talking about. “ It's about time you got your head out of your ass. You’ve been to her place already?”

Michael nodded. “ She’s not there, and not answering her phone.”

“Anna probably knows where she is. You want to ask her?”

“Can you keep her from gutting me with her chef’s knife?”

Grant stepped back. “ Probably not, but I’ll tell her if she makes you bleed, then I get to make her bleed. That ought to take care of it.”

Michael’s lips twitched with reluctant humor. Considering Anna’s aversion to any kind of blood play, that just might work.

Henry led the way back down the hall, tail wagging. Music filled the air, so Anna was probably in the kitchen. She liked music when she cooked. Or baked, Michael realized after sniffing the air. Sugar and vanilla filled his nostrils.

Grant walked into the kitchen, where Henrry had already posted himself by the counter. “ Hey , babe, look who stopped by?”

In any other mood, the look on Anna’s face would have made Michael laugh. Anger , shock, annoyance, and guilt all flickered over her pretty face before she schooled her features to a careful blankness.

“How lovely,” she said, sounding like she’d swallowed a live goldfish, and turned her back to pull a cookie sheet full of snickerdoodles out of the wall oven. Henry followed the action with his big brown eyes.

Grant grinned at her back. “ Sweetheart , aren’t you going to offer Michael a cookie?”

The look on her face said she’d rather offer him a mickey. “ Oh , of course,” she said, her voice cloyingly—and unconvincingly—sweet. She set the cookie sheet on the counter with a bang. “ But these are too hot. I wouldn’t want Michael to burn himself.”

Bullshit. You’d like to pour hot oil over my head.

“They’ll cool off.” So saying, Grant reached for a snickerdoodle, then blinked in shock as Anna twisted her wrist and sent every last cookie sailing to the floor.

“Oh, how clumsy of me.”

Grant glared at his wife while Henry helped himself to the spoils. “ You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

Michael saw the first flicker of unease in Anna’s eyes. Of course, she had, but the D /s relationship she shared with her husband didn’t allow for lying.

She straightened her shoulders. “ I certainly did. I don’t want to give him a cookie.”

Blank shock showed on Grant’s face an instant before it went stern. “ You’re being deliberately rude, Anna .”

“Would you prefer I lie?” she shot back, and slapping her oven mitt onto the counter, matched her husband glare for glare. “ You brought Michael into our home knowing I’m angry with him.”

Michael had to admire her for it. The girl had guts, but he figured he’d better ask what he needed to ask before the argument brewing between husband and wife took over. “ Anna , I know you’re upset with me. You have every right to be.”

Anna shot him a ‘get-real-asshole’ look, and he had to smother the laugh. Obviously she recognized the tactic—confuse the enemy by identifying with them. Doms often used it to great effect when trying to pry information from a submissive, but it didn’t look like it was going to work on her.

He shifted gears. “ I need to talk to Ginger , and she’s not at home or answering her phone. Can you tell me where to find her?”

The hostility in Anna’s eyes didn’t fade one iota. “ No .”

“Anna,” Grant warned. “ Truth .”

If looks could kill, Grant would be bleeding out. “ Fine . I can tell you where to find her, but I won’t. ”

“Why not, pet?” Michael asked softly, deliberately using the common Dom -to-submissive endearment in the hopes of putting her in a sharing frame of mind.

“Because you dumped her, and you were a complete dickhead about it. She cried .”

Michael’s chest went tight at her words. “ I was, and I’m sorry for it. I need to tell her that.”

“Send her an email,” she snapped.

Grant was glaring at his wife with narrowed eyes. “ Woman , you are way out of line.”

“I don’t care,” she shot back. “ Ginger is my friend, and my loyalty is to her. Bottoms before bosses.”

Grant threw up his hands. “ What the hell does that mean?”

“It means I’m not telling him shit .”

Michael shook his head. “ You’re right, Anna . I shouldn’t ask you to betray a friend. I’m sorry.”

She sniffed and crossed her arms over her chest, but he saw her relax minutely at his apology. He was careful to keep his expression contrite. “ Can you at least tell me if she’s all right?”

“She’s fine.” Anna’s voice had lost a little of its bite. “ Physically .”

He didn’t bother to hide the wince. She’d scored a direct hit, and she deserved to know it. “ Will you pass a message to her the next time you see her?”

Anna stiffened, her gaze shifting to focus on a spot over his shoulder. That was interesting. She hadn’t avoided eye contact at all since he’d walked in, but now she was showing classic signs of avoidance and evasion.

“Anna?” he prompted.

“Fine.” Her gaze shifted back to his. “ What’s the message?”

He hesitated a moment; something more was going on, and he wanted to press for answers, but his instincts told him to go lightly. “ Tell her I’m sorry, and I was wrong. I want to talk to her, if she’ll call me. Will you tell her that?”

Anna frowned slightly, her brown eyes searching his face. “ Are you really sorry?”

“Yes.” Michael stared back at her, hoping she’d read his sincerity in his expression. “ I am.”

Anna stared at him, and he could see the conflict in her eyes. She was still mad, still didn’t want to give him anything, but his obvious remorse was starting to appeal to her romantic heart. “ You were an asshole. And a jerk. And unnecessarily cruel.”

He flinched, but he nodded. “ I was.”

She nodded. “ Okay . When I talk to her, I’ll pass it on.”

He started to thank her, then stopped. When I talk to her. Not when I see her. It could have been a simple slip of language, but from the way Anna had stiffened, he didn’t think so.

“When will you see her next?” he asked, his voice deliberately casual.

Anna shrugged, the motion jerky and stiff. “ We don’t have any concrete plans.”

“Anna.” Grant waited until she turned to him. “ Do you know where Ginger is tonight?”

Her eyes narrowed and her mouth pinched. When she spoke, her voice was tight with resentment. “ Yes .”

“Where?”

“I hate you for this,” she hissed.

Grant didn’t budge. “ Tell me, Anna .”

“Ohio,” she all but growled. “ She’s in Ohio .”

Michael stared in shock. She’d left town? “ Why ?”

“Why do you think?” She glared at her husband. “ I’m not saying anymore. No matter what.”

Michael shook his head in disbelief. She’d gone back to Ohio . Why ? She was so happy in Chicago , so thrilled with the city and her friends, and with her new job, she didn’t have to go back. So why had she?

His heart sank. Because of him?

Anna’s face was livid with fury, her anger at having been forced to give up Ginger’s location overriding any sympathy he might have been building. But he had to try.

“Anna. Does she hate me?”

Anna blinked, as though the question surprised her. And to his surprise, her gaze softened slightly. “ No . At least, I don’t think so. She should,” she added pointedly, “but no.”

The sense of relief was almost staggering.

“Thank you, Anna .” He took his life into his hands and leaned over to kiss her. “ Thank you.”

With a nod at Grant , he turned and headed for the door. His mind was racing as fumbled out his phone to call for another rideshare. He needed to get home, get his car. How long would it take to drive to Ohio ?

In the house, Anna glared at Grant . “ I can’t believe you did that.”

Grant glared back. “ I can’t believe you think I’d fall for that.”

Anna’s eyes went round with shock. “ What ?”

He grinned, the lightning change catching her by surprise. “ Come off it, love. You’d let me stick needles in you before you’d betray a friend. You wanted him to know she was in Ohio .”

She sniffed and turned to the refrigerator. She pulled her bowl of snickerdoodle batter out. “ I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Her lofty tone ended in a squeal when he grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around. “ Don’t bullshit me, love.”

“Jeez.” She frowned at him. “ Fine . Yes , I wanted him to know she was in Ohio .”

“You think he’ll go after her?”

“I think he’s on his way already.” She frowned slightly. “ I just hope she’s not too pissed at me.”

He shook his head. “ Honey , if she was angry enough to move back to Ohio to get away from him, I don’t think this will work.”

“Oh, she’s pissed. And hurt. And she deserves to see him grovel. But she didn’t move back to Ohio .” She sent him a sunny smile. “ She just went back to say goodbye to her family and get all her stuff. She’ll be back next week.”

He stared at her for a full five seconds before roaring with laughter. “ You … God , woman. That was some sneaky, sneaky shit.”

“I know.” Her smile was decidedly smug. “ Dom level sneaky.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “ I wouldn’t go that far. But speaking of…” He hooked a hand in her belt. “ I think I owe you a punishment for dropping my cookies on the floor.”

Her mouth quirked. “ Your cookies?”

“My cookies,” he repeated and yanked her against him. Hard . “ I think a good start would be you stripping down before you bake the rest of them.”

“A start?” she sputtered.

“Oh, yeah.” He grinned. “ Then I’ll turn your ass red. How red depends on how good the cookies are.”

“My cookies,” she said archly, trying not to laugh, “are excellent.”

He lowered his head to brush his mouth against hers. “ Then I’ll have to turn it very, very red.” His grin was wicked. “ Won’t I ?”