09
CPOV
Ana is so beautiful. She was all I could think about for this past couple of days. I don't know what's gotten into me. She's all I think about.
We are in my bed and she's on top, riding me. Holy fuck, she is hot. I could stare at her all day. Just as soon as we are both about to come, I hear someone yell, "Christian, darling!" Before I realize it, Elena has walked into my bedroom.
"Fuck, Elena! Get out of here!" Ana and I scramble in the bed. I cover her up and scramble to put on my pants. "Ana, I'm sorry. I'll go get rid of her." I kiss her on the cheek and go out to the great room to find Elena.
"Christian, I'm sorry. I heard you in your bedroom and since you don't have women in there I assumed you were alone."
"Well, I wasn't. Why did you just come over?"
"I didn't think it would be a big deal."
"It is. What do you want?" Just as Elena is about to start talking she looks past me and clears her throat. I look behind me and see Ana dressed walking out to me.
"Um, Christian… I think I'm going to get going." Fuck!
"No, Ana. Please. She's about to leave." Ana starts walking towards the elevator. I go after her and catch up with her in the foyer.
"Christian, it's fine. I should go. Obviously whatever is wrong is important."
"But where will you go? You can't get into your apartment."
"There's an apartment above the coffee shop. I can stay there."
"Ana, please…"
"No, Christian. It's fine. Go deal with… your friend. I'll talk to you later." Against my pleas, she gets into the elevator and leaves. What the fuck just happened? The whole night was going so well.
I stomp back into the great room. "Elena, now that you ruined my evening, what is so damn important that you couldn't call or wait until tomorrow?"
"I need your help." I roll my eyes at her. "It's Linc. He's threatening to release information about me to the media."
"Linc? Why now?"
"He found out about Isaac."
"Fuck, Elena. Why would he care about Isaac?"
"Isaac works at Lincoln Timber and Linc thinks I sent him there as a spy."
"Jesus Christ, Elena. How fucking stupid can you be? Out of all the subs, you could pick, you pick the one who works for your bitter ex-husband?"
"I didn't know that's where Isaac works."
"So, why do you need my help?"
"I think Isaac and Linc may have set me up. I need your guy who runs all your background checks."
"Isn't it a little late for that? I will have him call you. Now you need to leave and in the future don't come over unannounced again."
"Is she a sub?"
"That's none of your business what or who she is, especially since you ruined my night."
She puts her hands up in defense. "Sorry. I'll be on my way" She walks past me into the foyer and leaves in the elevator.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck! The night with Ana was going so well and it is now in shambles. I don't even know if she'll talk to me. And how do I explain who Elena is to her?
I have to go find Ana and fix things.
APOV
That was absolutely mortifying. We were walked in on in the throes of passion. And who was that woman? His mother? He didn't act like she was his mother.
Shit. I left my overnight bag there. I'm not going back to get it, that's for sure. I am so glad Shawn owns the whole building the coffee shop is in. He keeps one of the apartments available for friends or family. I must be walking quickly, because I got there faster than I thought, find the spare key in its hiding spot and make my way up to the apartment.
I walk in and just drop down on the sofa. Since I can't make myself disappear, I just need to wallow in my sorrows. I get up and check to see if there is anything in the fridge since I am so thirsty and am relieved to see it stocked with beer. I'll pay him back for what I drink. I sit back on the sofa and bury my face in my hands. What just happened?
I thought Christian was just a normal guy and tonight I find out he's some type of bazillionaire that lives in a palace and then some woman walks in on us. Who just walks into someone else's house and goes into their bedroom? I don't know - maybe this is a message that we just won't work out. Maybe it was just a fun fantasy but nothing more.
The door buzzer frantically buzzes and I know it can only be one person. It's Christian. I don't know how to feel about this but I go to the buzzer, "Hello?"
"Ana, please, can I come up? I need to talk to you." It's not like I can hide in here. So, against my instincts, I buzz him up. A minute later I hear a timid knock on the door. I take a big swig of beer and open the door. "Ana, I'm sorry about that. I don't know what to say." He stops talking for a second as if he realizes where he is suddenly.
"Would you like a beer?"
"No, thanks. I drove here."
"Suit yourself." I go sit on the sofa. If I am going to have an uncomfortable conversation I might as well be physically comfortable. Right?
"She normally doesn't come over unannounced and she normally doesn't go right into my bedroom."
"Christian, who is she?"
"Elena. She's a friend and a business partner."
"She seemed awfully familiar for just a business partner." I know there is more to this than what he is saying. If he's not honest with me, then this whole thing is done.
"Um, we had a relationship a few years ago."
"Relationship? A sexual relationship?" He just nods. "How old is she?"
"She's older."
"How old were you when you were in the relationship?" I see his face change and contort. I have a feeling this wasn't a positive relationship.
"It started when I was 15 and ended when I was 21."
"Fifteen?! You were just a kid!"
"It's complicated, Ana."
"Well, considering I have nowhere to go and none of my things, I've got time."
"You're going to hate me when I tell you."
"Christian, right now if you don't tell me everything and the truth we'll be over anyway. So you might as well take the risk."
He takes a deep breath and I realize this isn't going to be something positive at all. "She seduced me when I was fifteen. I lost my virginity to her and I was in an arrangement with her until I was twenty-one."
"Arrangement? What does that mean."
"She is into BDSM - I was her submissive."
"BDSM, like fuzzy handcuffs and whips and stuff?"
"Well, not exactly but yes."
"So are you still into the whole BDSM stuff?" He looks down and grows quiet. "I take that to mean yes. So, were you just testing me out or something? Seeing if I would be good at that or something?"
"No. It doesn't work like that. Normally I contract with the women to be my submissives. It's much like a business agreement."
"A business agreement? Christian, you are not making me feel any better here. I knew I moved too quickly with you. Ugh… Look, I like you but I am not into that. You're going to have to find someone else." Suddenly, I am sad at the prospect of not seeing him again.
"No, Ana. I like you, really like you. I never thought of you as a potential submissive. There was something about you when I met you in the coffee shop that day. I couldn't stop thinking about you. All I wanted to do was see you."
"Do you ever have any normal relationships?"
"You're my first."
"First?" Fuck, it just gets better and better. Why do I attract the freaks and weirdos?
"Please, Ana. I'm out of my league here. I don't know what I should be doing or need to be doing. I'm flying by the seat of my pants. All I know is I want to spend every waking minute with you."
"Do you have one now?"
"One what?" Seriously, he doesn't know?
"A submissive."
"God, no! Ana, it's just you and only you."
Forget soap opera, we're on telenovela territory here. I slump in the sofa and don't know what else to do. I finish my beer and get up to go to the fridge for another one. "You sure you don't want a beer?"
"I'm sure. I brought your things, they are in my car. Can I bring them up to you?"
"Um, sure."
"Can I come back in and visit with you after I bring your bag in?"
"I honestly don't know what I should do in this situation, so I guess so." He gives me that sweet smile and it melts me a little bit. For someone so seemingly put together, he sure is fucked up. He has scars on his chest, won't allow anyone to touch him and he was in a BDSM relationship with a much older woman when he was fifteen. You can't make this shit up.
He comes back up with the bag and hands it to me. "Can I stay here?"
"Christian, having all this happen tonight has kind of put a damper on my libido."
"No, no sex. I just want to be here with you."
"OK. But no funny stuff. Just two friends hanging out."
He looks sad at what I said but then nods his head. We spend the night sitting with each other watching terrible horror movies, talking, and drinking beer. Since it's a small studio apartment there isn't a separate bedroom so I get the futon ready for sleep. At some point, we both fall asleep.
