Chapter Four

Christian's POV

Gay?

Did she just ask me if I was fucking gay? Well, honey, you're not the first person to think it, but you are the first one to ask it to my face. What a brave little girl you are! I look her over with a sly smile.

"Would it matter to you if I was?" I asked .

"Actually, it would be a relief to me if you were." She honestly said, but then her eyes narrowed. "But, I wonder if you are gay. I haven't figured you out completely, but there is something different about you."

"And, what pray tell," I say doing my best "Rhett Butler" impersonation, "gives you the idea that I'm not gay or as you say there is something different about me?"

She cocked her head sideways giving herself a flirty coquettish air. "When I was stretched out on the chaise lounge, you got a hard-on. Gay men don't get hard-ons when with a woman unless they are bi. Could it be that you are bi-sexual?"

"No, Anastasia, I am not gay or bi-sexual. I am one hundred percent heterosexual and enjoy the charms of women." It took all my strength to keep my feet rooted to the floor of the elevator. I so wanted to grab her and push her up against the elevator wall and kiss her hard. I wanted to rip off her panties and feel the heat and moisture between her thighs. I wanted to be buried balls deep inside her and find my release within her body. But, I stood motionless, not moving a muscle, in fear that I would lose control.

"Oh, that's too bad. I was so hoping that you would be gay. It would make life so much easier." She said as an afterthought. "Now, for the next few weeks I will have to fight gossip that I got this job because I am sleeping with you. You know how office gossip can be."

"Actually, no I don't." I said confused by her words. I don't mingle with the employees much. They are hired to do a job and I pay them a fair wage to do that job. I don't come down out of my ivory tower as my brother calls it to rub elbows with my employees.

"Every office not matter how friendly the atmosphere has gossips and shit-stirrers. It's a fact of life. If you were gay, then I wouldn't have to go through the gossip mill of being your play toy. Of course, when people learn about why I left SIP, I expect a lot of focus on my job performance. It's just inevitable."

This woman is amazing. She said she was had English and Business Degrees, but I think she has a psychology degree. She knows human natures and their pitfalls too well. "If anyone says one thing moderately rude about you or your performance they will have me to deal with. They will be out on their asses so fast they won't know what hit them!" I am raging mad! Then, I realize that I have lost control of my emotions. I, the master of control, had lost control. What is this woman doing to me? "I apologize for my outburst." I said with a strained voice. I can't frighten this woman. "I do not tolerate any kind of abuse."

She looked at me with a critical eye and I could read her mind. She was thinking that I wouldn't tolerate any kind of abuse from others, but my own abusive nature should be accepted. Fuck! She knew me to well! I will have to walk carefully with this woman if I want to get what I want from her which is…basically…I want to fuck her! I want her in my bed! Damn, where did that come from? I never take women to my bed. I tie their asses up in my playroom and fuck them senseless and if I am in the mind to…I let them have an orgasm. In my bed? Am I going crazy? Face it, Grey, you are mentally unstable. You like to beat your women before you fuck them. You like to cause pain to evoke your own pleasures. Just admit it, you are a fucked up son-of-bitch and you shouldn't even think of this fine woman. She is out of your league! Idiot!

Ana could see the inner turmoil that was playing on his face. She decided to give him his privacy to have his private conversation with himself. She wasn't lying when she said it would be easier if he was gay. He was a good looking man and even though she wasn't a supermodel, she knew she pretty enough. She had guys hitting on her when going out with friends. She had a few guys at SIP try to date her, but she turned them down because she believed in the old adage that one shouldn't dip their quill in the company ink! A little lesson she learned from her mother's experience. Her mother, Carla had an affair with her supervisor and ran off with him ruining her marriage to Raymond Steele and loosing custody of her daughter who was six years old at the time. After that affair sizzled out, Carla found herself without a husband, without her lover, without her daughter and without any employment. She moveed to Texas to find a job and husband number two, leaving Ana and not having any contact with her daughter for nearly two years. Ana didn't seem to care because by that time, Raymond had been transferred to Guam and they lived on that tropical island for those two years. When Ana turned eight years old Raymond was transferred to France where they lived for another two years until he was transferred for the last time to Italy. They lived there until she was fourteen and Raymond retired from a lifetime of military service.

The elevator dinged and the doors open bringing Christian and Ana from their inner thoughts. They were met out front of Escala by Taylor in a black Audi SUV. They quietly drove back to the GEH parking garage. Ana noticed that a parking place was already assigned to her with a plaque that read Ms. A. Steele. Taylor opened the door for her and gave her a small smile. She had to admit that she found this man very attractive. Maybe because he was a former Marine and she had a soft spot for Marines.

"Thank you, Mr. Grey, for showing me the apartment and giving me a chance to be a helpful asset to your company. I will give one hundred percent of my abilities to the service of GEH." She offered her hand. He took her offered hand and shook it but held it a little bit longer than what was proper. She only smiled at him then turned on her heel and went for her car.

Christian watched as she went to sporty little car that roared to life when she turned it over. Holy Batshit Robin, she drives a beast of American Heavy Metal cars. He knew that the Dodge Charger was a bad ass car that could hit high speeds in a manner of seconds. She could get killed in that thing! Pursuit cops drove this monster! What in the hell was she doing in it? She was too little to be able to handle that much power. He was about to run over and pull her out of the car when Taylor stopped him.

"She is more than qualified to drive it." Taylor said holding Christian's shoulder to restrain him. "She has gone through defensive driving courses here in the States and in Italy. Both were Military driving courses."

"She is just a little girl, Taylor." Christian stressed.

"No, sir that is a full grown woman." Taylor replied with some admiration for the young woman. "She may only be 22 years old, but she is more than accomplished."

The Charger growled angrily as Ana gunned it to merge into traffic. Christian still didn't feel good about her driving such a machine. He had to find a way to get her to agree to be driven to and from work. She had to be kept safe. "Taylor, I want a full report on her. I need to know everything about her from who was her first grade teacher to who was her last lover."

"Sir, she's not a Sub." Taylor warned.

"I fuckin' know that, but I am going to be working close to this woman and I need to know everything about her." He growled. "Just do it, Taylor."

"Yes, sir." Taylor said but it wasn't happy about digging into the life of someone he did admire.

Ana parked her car in front of the restaurant that her Father had chosen for their dinner date. She
wasn't surprised that it was an Italian restaurant. She gave her keys to the valet attendant and took the ticket from the man. She walked into the restaurant and gave her name to the Hostess and who she was looking for. The pretty redhead led Ana to a table where her beloved Father sat with a glass of bourbon in front of him.

"Hey, Daddy." Ana said as she leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Bourbon, already? Hard day?"

"The worst. We found a naked, murdered young female this morning. It's going to be a long week trying to figure out who she is and who killed her."

"Sexual assault?"

Before Ray Steele could answer the waiter arrived to take Ana's drink order. "A Rum Rollover, please."

"Would you care for appetizers?" The young man asked but was dismissed with a shake of their heads.

"We don't know yet." He finished off the drink. "I hate these damn cases. Maybe, I should find another line of work."

"I always thought you wanted to start a charter fishing business when you left the Marines." She stated. She knew why he never went after his dream. He took the job as a Detective so he could be home with her. He wanted his little girl to have a settled life in the quiet town that he had grown up in. He was done dragging her all over the world. "I took a job with GEH as Office Manager and PA for the CEO. It pays very well with a wonderful benefit package."

"What about publishing? I thought that was your greatest love and dream."

"It still is, but there is nothing available now in the publishing business and this girl needs to eat and pay the bills." She said with a laugh. "I will also be moving if I can get out of my lease."

"Thank God, I hate your apartment. There's no security."

"Oh, Daddy, you worry too much so I am happy to tell you that I am moving into one of the most secure apartment buildings in Seattle, Escala." She sat back when the waiter brought her drink. She thanked him and asked that they are given ten minutes to review the menus. "You will probably have to go through a background check before you're admitted in to see me."

"Good!" He said roughly. This case that he was working on was bothering him and he needed to know that his little girl was safe. He reached for the water that sat before him. The bourbon settled his nerves a bit, but he had to drive home and he would not drive drunk or buzzed. He was a one drink kind of guy. "So, who is the CEO?"

"Christian Grey." She said lightly.

"Oh, that young billionaire that thinks he owns everything and everyone." He snorted. "Don't let him get over you, babe."

"Don't worry, Daddy, I have already warned him." She laughed. "Remember, Dad, you are my father and greatest teacher. As Colonel Barker told you once, I am a female version of you and twice as deadly."

"Are you carrying?" He asked looking over her body.

"Of course, the Glock is in my purse, lock and loaded." She answered. "Dad, you taught me well. I have no qualms to pull my gun if I need to and I shoot to kill."

"Just keep alert and know your surroundings at all times." He had a feeling that the dead body that was found was going to end up being part of a serial killer case. Maybe this was a Green River Killer copycat. The victim had been found by a river and she was nude. "Just stay safe, darling."

"I will Daddy." She took a sip of her drink. She did love the blend of coconut rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, a shot of peach schnapps and a bit of grenadine for color. "So, are you dating anyone yet?"

"Nothing serious." He said. Ray was a man of few words and he didn't like to talk about his private life. "How about you?"

"I went out last week with a guy I met through some friends. It was a horrible date. He wanted to take me to some silent movie festival and it was so boring." She shrugged her shoulders. "I did meet someone today that I wouldn't mind getting to know."

"Nice kid?"

"He's no kid, Dad." She said with a smile. "He's an ex-Marine."