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Lying on the bed, Christian thought about the phone call that just ended. Elena told him she had gotten the money from her husband without complications, and that she was going to give it to him tomorrow in that hotel room she asked him to rent. With that arrangement, he would be able to start his own Company without much trouble. Of course, it came with a price, but he wasn't surprised with Elena's "offer of support" in exchange for something she wanted from him, something he had already done so many times.

He ended his sub-dom relationship with Elena six months ago, telling her he didn't want to be her submissive anymore, but he will have to do it again. One more Scene, a long one, was her request. He didn't feel bad about the whole deal even though he knew she was taking advantage of his vulnerable situation. He thought about this money as a loan and he was okay with giving her some hours of something he enjoyed. Actually he needed it, he'd been deprived of his sexual relief for six whole months, way too many months, and without money it was impossible for him to go to a private 'Club'.

To get in the right mood with Elena was a challenge, he was sick and tired of her routines, also wanted to try new things. Nevertheless, it shouldn't be a problem since he hadn't been with a woman for quite some time. He tried to picture Elena in her basement and suddenly a brunette-witch assaulted his thoughts diffusing Elena's image. Ana, a name he was still reluctant to relate to her, was there smiling her unique smile, making Christian smile too. Surprised, he noticed he was aroused by the memory, which wasn't exactly helpful since he needed to be prepared for Elena.

His hand descended unconsciously, the goal, to get some relief. He was already picturing blue-eyes riding him, kissing him sweetly, touching him with her soft and warm hands, but he resisted the urge, he needed all he had for tomorrow's Scene. What also stopped him was an overwhelming confusion, everything was out of place inside his head. Why was he thinking about vanilla sex? Why on earth was he fantasizing about someone touching him?

Because his body craved her touch? Because everything about her was special?

A knock at the door interrupted his struggle, he looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand, 11:59 p.m., almost the witches' hour. A hope made him smile but he shook the thought out of his head, it was presumably Elena wanting to take advantage of the night. Well, the sooner, the better.

Taking a deep breath, he walked to the door wearing just his boxers, no need for formalities.

Christian opened the door and froze, the most unexpected vision was in front of him. Earlier he thought he would be happy to see Ana again but he wasn't, everything was wrong, she was showing up at his door soaking wet, bruised, and covered in glitter. Shocked and unable to move, he opened the door completely to let her in, a chill going through his spine, a painful thought chastising him: someone had hurt her and he wasn't there to protect her.

She didn't move either, looking down to the floor, probably ashamed of her appearance.

"Ana, come with me please."

Grabbing her hand, he made her walk inside and sit on a couch placed next to the door. He closed it and sat next to her respecting the personal space, he knew how important it was after suffering a trauma.

"Are you okay?"

Nothing, she was in shock, still looking down. He needed to see her beautiful sky-blue lagoons to be sure she was fine.

"I know something bad just happened to you, but now you are safe. I'm here for my light witch."

After a few seconds she lifted her head, rewarding him with a weak smile. "Light witch?"

He gulped as he found himself trapped in her azure gaze, a gaze now filled with disquiet and embarrassment. Shaking his head he focuses on the task at hand, to bring her back.

"No, MY light witch."

The smile widened a little, encouraging him to insist. "Please, tell me what happened."

She looked down to answer. "Jose got drunk and tried to kiss me again, while getting away from him I slipped and fell in the pool. I'm sorry if I'm ruining your room, all I had in my mind was… 312."

In the pool? She fell in the pool? He pulled his hair as hard as he could trying to calm down but it was impossible, the certainty that she could have died was tormenting him too much. Standing up he paced the floor nervously, that moron needed to suffer, Christian started to imagine all the ways he would torture the asshole.

Without any warning she stood in front of him blocking his way, they stared at each other for a while until she took his face between her hands.

"I'm fine, I'm here, and I need your bathroom."

"You need a doctor!"

"Why?" Her hands leaving his face made him feel hot and cold at the same time. Why?

"Your bruises, we need to go to the hospital." What the hell was he doing thinking about that moron when she was so hurt? That would wait until she was safe, then that asshole will be the one in the hospital.

She observed her arms surprised. "No, must be something from the walls, I was grazing them on my way down."

Stroking one of the "bruises" he confirmed it, he also confirmed the softness of her skin. Under the dirt, she had something pale and deliciously delicate that he wanted to caress relentlessly.

"I really need your bathroom, I'm soaking wet."

But Christian was paralyzed again, his gaze fixed on her body now exposed through a semi-transparent wet blouse. He knew it was wrong but couldn't move his eyes from her, feeling like a teenager that had never seen a naked woman that close.

"Really, grey-eyes? HEY, stop!"

Christian looked up pissed at himself, she was just assaulted by an asshole and there was another one gawking at her disrespectfully. A whisper was all he could manage, "I'm sorry, of course you can use it… there." He pointed with his nose to the bathroom's door and turned around so she wouldn't notice how much his body wanted her. It was strange, so many years learning about self-control and body-discipline with Elena, and this girl was deleting every single lesson from his mind in just one night.

His body was rebelling and taking its own decisions no matter what the brain ordered, as when he was a horny teenager full of disoriented hormones. Before Elena, there were a few girls from high-school awakening his virility, but that was very superficial and volatile, hormonal, easily solved by his own hands. This was different, her soft touch eased the old pain in him, there was no way his hands could substitute that.

He wanted her, that was for sure, he was even fantasizing about having her on top of him a few minutes ago for Christ's sake, but she didn't need that shit from him right now, so he went for his pants and turned on the TV looking for the most boring program of the night. There were a couple of pornos that he quickly changed, Christian had already a porno running in his head, one that he was trying to erase.

Must be the six months without sex, that was the only sound explanation he could find for what was happening to him.

After half an hour he was preoccupied, what the hell was she doing in there? He knocked at the door hoping she was fine, after all she fell in the pool, maybe hit her head.

"Ana, is everything alright?"

"Yes, but I have nothing to wear, I can't get out naked."

Shit, the porno again. His mind was misbehaving as much as his body.

He remembered the shirt he had brought with him, it was the only thing he took since he wouldn't need clothes for his stay at the hotel.

"I have something… might be useful."

The door was opened just enough for her arm to reach out. He passed her the shirt trying not to think of the naked body attached to that feminine arm. Closing his eyes he gathered some self-control that quickly evaporated when he saw her standing there, wearing just his shirt and an enigmatic smile. Christian's world stopped moving and rotating around the Sun, to do it around Ana. Her wild brown hair, finally free, was the perfect frame for the depth of her eyes, the eyes she lowered in embarrassment.

"Stop, please."

"I'm sorry, the glitter makes you look so special." She clearly failed at the task of removing it.

"Like a light witch?" The playful girl was back and that made him feel better about the whole mess she just went through. "They made it rain, that thing is very sticky."

He smiled imagining her trying to get rid of the glitter.

"You know, you look great without your makeup, I mean… your mask."

"Do I?" Filled with self-satisfaction he smiled his devilish sexy smile, the one that had never failed before. Finally she was able to admire his charming.

"Ugh!"

What the hell?

Both of them were frowning and he couldn't avoid the question. "What?"

"Faking again, it doesn't suit you."

And she had done it again. Rude witch, he was sulking like the teenager he was being tonight.

"Yes it does, it always works."

"What for?"

He answered with a growl. Wasn't she the witch? Then she could ask to her magic mirror.

He went to the bed and sat down leaning against the pillows, with a movement he invited her to join him. "Are you tired?"

She sat next to him, covering her legs with the bed sheets.

Good. He was over the whole hormonal mess that assaulted him before, didn't need more of that shit. Some self-control was finally coming back.

"Yes, but I won't sleep, not after what happened. I could watch TV in silence while you sleep."

"I don't sleep, I already told you." He gave her the control of the TV.

"Then you choose." The control was back to him.

"But you are my guest."

"I'm not your guest, I just showed up."

"I told you to come here."

"Actually, you told me to call."

Now they were kids, this woman provoked strange psychological regressions. He pinched the bridge of his nose irritated. "Just accept the damned thing."

"Hey, what is your problem? I'm being nice."

She crossed her arms over her chest frowning. It was a cute gesture that made him smile inward. "And now I don't want to watch TV."

Yep, two fucking kids. Christian closed his eyes, leaning his head on the headboard. "Fine, whatever."

"Let's talk instead."

"What?" He opened his eyes alarmed, to talk with the witch wasn't a good idea, she will keep seeing things.

"Why are you staying in this hotel?"

Fuck. "Because I can. You?"

"Mm, you don't like to talk."

He sent another growl closing his eyes again. This would be a long night.

The silent sound of her eyes rolling made him open his.

"Okay, I'll start. We were celebrating our graduation."

That picked his interest, she was talking about herself. "Those morons were graduating in something?"

"Hey, they are my friends." A well-deserved snort was what she got from him.

"Friends? None of them helped you before."

"Because I didn't ask for it." She was glaring at him, obviously mad at Christian's remark.

"You asked me, and for all you know I could be a serial killer hiding in this hotel room. Still, you chose the potential serial killer over your 'friends'."

She smiled sweetly at him, and he saw the sign of DANGER inside his head. The holy trinity was his new kryptonite: the depth of her gaze, the sweetness in her smile, and the tender touch of her hands. As long as the three of them weren't combined in one, Christian was safe.

"I trust in you, I can't explain why but I do."

"Good, because you are not safe with those idiots. You could have died. Fortunately for you, you weren't drunk."

"Now you are exaggerating."

Christian straightened his back, sending her a withering look. "You fell in the pool for God's sake! Of course you could have died."

Her wide-open eyes startled him, he knew what it meant. To make it worse, she reached and grabbed one of his hands. Shit, two of three. One smile and he wouldn't respond for his acts.

"Who died?"

The fact that she clearly saw it, startled Christian even more, the witch was using all her potential to see maybe too much.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Please, you need to do it."

"I don't. And what do you care anyway? You don't even know my name." Turning his head he stared at the off TV, shooing away some awful images from his past that were threatening to come back.

The girl then started shaking his hand as if she were greeting him. "Anastasia Steele."

Anastasia!

"Wasn't it Ana?"

"My friends prefer Ana, I prefer Anastasia."

Of course she did, that was such a perfect name, a unique name for a unique magical creature. He felt the need to let it roll through his tongue. "Anastasia… Christian Grey."

"Christian." She smiled sweetly and that was it, the holy trinity blinded him, all he could see was her, all he could feel was her sweet softness. As if they were two opposite sides of a magneto, both his hands felt irremediable attracted to her face, his gaze on her lips wanting to kiss them. Her pale and soft skin blushed under his touch. He couldn't stop caressing her, this skin was so different from Elena's, her silky hair was also especial, it was like… hers.

He withdrew his hands scared at the memory that invaded his mind, his death mother, but Anastasia's eyes calmed him down. She took his hand again.

"You need to talk about it."

"And you need to respect my wish."

The sudden silence was welcomed by Christian but not by the girl, she had more questions for him.

"What about a girlfriend… or boyfriend?"

"I'm not gay, Anastasia." She blushed again and Christian's lips twitched to hide his smile. "And no, there aren't any, don't have time for that."

"What keeps you so busy?"

"I've been studying, I have a plan in mind, it's perfect."

"Oh, how exciting!" He smiled at her sincere expression. "When are you putting it in practice?"

"Maybe tomorrow, it's already Sunday." He pointed to the alarm-clock, it was almost one o'clock.

"I'm starting a new life tomorrow as well."

Is she leaving? The possibility of her permanent absence alarmed him, he already needed her.

"I got a new job, my dream job."

"Here?"

Her smirk was unsettling.

"Someone is afraid of losing his new friend."

Feeling playful he rolled his eyes at the conceited witch. Elena had never allowed that, he would get a punishment for being disrespectful. He had to admit that to be himself with the woman he felt attracted to, felt good, triggered the nice warm sensation inside his chest he was learning to enjoy.

"Answer!" His adamant tone didn't intimidate her.

"Wow, you are kind of domineering."

Oh baby, if only you knew. He raised his eyebrows demanding the answer, he needed to know.

"Here, Christian, here."

A wide smile greeted the news and she gasped in surprise, her breath caught in her throat as she contemplated him. "You have such a beautiful smile." Then she smirked. "You are terribly good looking, how come you don't have a girlfriend?"

"My tastes are very singular."

Actually, he wanted to work on that, all he knew was Elena and submission. His haphephobia was very restricting but he had a couple of things in mind, one of them was to become a dominant, that could work for him. The other one was to have Anastasia for at least one night and see how it goes, he could ask her not to touch him on the chest.

Well, this last option was kind of new. Sex was a permanent impulse around her, he really wanted the witch in a way he still couldn't understand. So many things he couldn't understand about himself while being with her. Nevertheless, he had the suspicion it would be good, he knew it would be good because in just a few hours she had given him some of the sensations he had craved for since puberty started and ruined his life.

"How singular?"

"Do you really want to know?" He challenged her.

"Yes."

"I have been with just one woman in my life, and sex with her was… well, very particular."

"Just tell me, Christian, I won't run for the hills, my sexual preferences are unusual too."

"Unusual?" Most of his thoughts about her were sexual, but to imagine her having sex with other men was too much for Christian.

"Yes."

"What do you mean?"

"You first."

It was like taking off a Band-Aid, mostly because he was curious about her.

"I was a submissive."

He didn't expect her to understand at first. To explain BDSM would be a difficult one, he had never had to do that before.

"No way, there isn't a submissive bone in your body." She didn't even hesitate, it just exploded out of her mouth letting him in shock. "I AM a submissive, you look more like a dominant to me."

Christian couldn't articulate, his jaw was rigid, his lips tightly compressed. What were the odds, what were the fucking odds.

"But well, I guess that's not something necessarily visible, I might be wrong, Christian."

Analyzing him she demanded more information, somehow they had ended up talking about him. "How old are you? Not older than me for sure."

"Twenty-two."

"Me too! When did you start? I started two years ago, a boyfriend, but he was abusive so I ended it. Now I just have eventual partners when I feel in the mood."

He frowned, clenching his teeth and tightening his fists. "No, that's not right, you could get yourself trapped in a dangerous situation by doing that."

Unfortunately for Christian, the girl wasn't very submissive out of the Scene so she just squeezed his hand.

"I'm always careful, I take my time to choose."

"What about me? Would you choose me?"

"What?"

Yes, what about him? With his game exposed he needed to know immediately.

They stared at each other for a bit, not saying a word. Her brow furrowed with incomprehension. "You said you are a submissive." Christian shook his head knowing she was right, she didn't have enough information… not yet.

"Was. I ended up that relationship six months ago because I didn't feel comfortable in it. I'd like to try being the dominant and… I'd like to try other variants of sex."

He wanted her the way he imagined a few minutes before she showed up. Elena always referred to vanilla in a contemptuous way, but to watch the witch pleasuring him while pleasuring herself, freely, was a very appealing desire.

"Me too, I've heard about other styles. What have you done since then?"

"Nothing."

The playful smile on her face triggered the DANGER sign again.

"How much time were you her submissive?"

"Seven years."

She stood up abruptly, coughing violently, choking with her own saliva. With three quick movements Christian was next to her patting her back. "Anastasia, breath!"

That very second he saw her hand going to his chest, looking for support while she was trying to recover. He grabbed it harshly shaking a 'no' with his head. The hurt look that contorted her face made him feel bad.

"That's a hard limit for me, I'm sorry."

Sitting in the bed she composed herself. "Why?"

"Haphephobia."

"Haphewhat? I haven't heard of it in any Club."

Smiling, he sat next to her. He loved the surprised look on the witch's face, she didn't have all the answers in her magic ball.

"Because it's not BDSM related, it's a psychological condition, a phobia to be touched."

"But I've touched you."

"Just my chest and back are affected by the condition."

She shook her head with sadness in her eyes.

"The hugging zone."

He knew what she was talking about, he had grown up avoiding the hugs of his family but craving them at the same time.

"Until where?" She was pointing to his chest.

Confused, Christian painted an imaginary line, demarcating the damaged zone.

Nodding, she contemplated him. "I could do it." The conversation was now heading the direction he wanted. "But I'm not sure, I don't know if 'we' could work, we have just been subs." Nope, they weren't even close. "Let's do it, but we need to learn how to walk before we run, Christian." The most confusing creature in the whole fucking planet.

Remembering Elena, he answered to her acceptance with an annoyed gesture. "I have a pending thing in the morning. After that, I'd really like to explore… with you."

He went back to his position, leaning on the headboard. "Come here, if we are doing this my body needs to get used to yours."

She blushed furiously but accepted his hand. With a soft pull he sat her between his legs, her back against his chest, her head resting on his shoulder, her scent filling his nostrils. There wasn't a holy trinity anymore, her scent was something else he would worship.

"I'm happy we are doing this, Anastasia."

He was finally caressing her soft skin the way he wanted, but exercising the self-control the situation demanded. Elena was still coming in a few hours, after nine she said.

"I know... You say I'm a witch, is that because you think I put a spell on you?"

Damn, she certainly did.

"Mhm."

Transparent, that's how he felt in front of her 'perceptive' faculties. Christian wondered if that was good for a Scene, maybe no, maybe yes, he would know soon. The way he felt, probably tomorrow. Now he wasn't so sure about his performance with Elena, he wanted this delicious brunette way too much, he wanted to try those 'new-things' way too much. He was anxious to be in charge of her pleasure, reading her to figure out what she wanted even before she knew, and then give it to her.

So many things in his head, he wasn't good at waiting, at postponing, but her scent calmed him gradually, hypnotizing all his senses one by one until he drifted into a peaceful sleep.