For all eyes to see – Chapter 11
"So. Tell me everything." Mia starts the second we're seated around our table. "How did you guys meet?" Her eyes are sparkling and there's a huge smile plastered on her face as she looks between me and Anastasia.
"Umm..." Anastasia starts, her eyes flickering between the table and me.
"That's none of your business." I bark the dismissing words out at the same time as Anastasia tells her we met at the café where she works. Well, I guess that's not a complete lie.
Mia shoots a glare my way. "So, Anastasia…" She emphasizes the name so that there's no mistake which way she's directing her next question. Of all the people I know, I had to choose the nosiest one. Great idea. Really, really great. "…How long have you been dating my brother?"
"This is actually our first date." A shy smile plays on her lips and I reach under the table, taking her hand into mine. I don't know why I do it; I guess I just want to touch any part of her. I feel her looking at me, but I direct my attention towards Mia.
"Please," Anastasia says, now also looking towards my sister. "Call me Ana."
"Ana. I like that." Mia smiles. "You know, Christian never introduced any of his dates to anyone before." If I didn't know better, I would say my sister's smile is a smug one. "I guess that must mean you're special to him."
"Well…uhm…" Ana stutters. "I…I don't…we don't… we haven't…."
"Mia." I interrupt and am rewarded with a relieved sigh from Ana. "Why don't you tell us about France?" Mia looks irritated at the requested change of focus. Well, though luck – I invited you to entertain the fucker, not to put Ana or myself through the third degree.
I turn to Ethan with an amiable smile. "Mia just got back from France." I explain and resist the childish urge to stick my tongue out towards my little sister as the fucker turns to her wanting to hear all about France.
There's something about Anastasia's presence that makes me feel light and playful. I don't understand it or recognize it – but I like it.
As Mia starts telling about her adventures in France to the fucker and Ana; both of whom are listening eagerly, I feel as if I'm floating out of my body. This entire situation feels so unreal. Who is this man that has invited a stripper and her friend to a double-date with his sister? It certainly isn't me.
I always think things through before making decisions. I think about possible outcomes and I weigh pros and cons. I have a talent for predicting the outcomes of my decisions; I have thousands of people depending on that talent every single fucking day when I sit behind my desk at GEH.
It baffles me that the cons that will without a doubt follow with inviting my sister to a double-date didn't appear to me until it was too late. I will never hear the end of this. I predict that for the coming year – no, hell, make that the coming five years – I will hear Anastasia's name mentioned each and every time I talk to a member of my family. It baffles me even more that that thought doesn't disturb me as much as I had expected it to.
With the encouragement of more than a few angry glares sent across the table, Mia eases up on her interrogation and to my great surprise I find that I'm not having a horrible time. I even laugh at a couple of the fucker's jokes and stories without making any effort. And even more so, I enjoy hearing Ana laugh at them.
Her laugh is the most beautiful sound I've ever heard, closely followed by the giggle I heard from her lips at the café, and my lips are drawn into a smile each time I hear it. What the fuck is she doing to me?
I've never really been on a date before, let alone a double-date, but I'm guessing it's a good sign that the four of us forms into separate couples on the side of the street once we're done with dinner and exit the restaurant.
Ever since the dessert, I've been thinking about how to manage to get Ana to myself to convince her to continue this evening with me alone – preferably naked.
I drove the fucker here and I guess that means I should drive him home as well, but I don't want to take the risk of his place being closer to mine and Anastasia insisting I take her home first. I'm guessing that will largely diminish my chances of getting my way with her tonight.
On the other hand, I'm guessing my mother is impatiently awaiting Mia's return to hear every little detail about my date tonight. I have to repress a smirk. If I let Mia drive him home he'll probably think he stands a chance with her. But Mia would never let mom down like that.
"I had a great time tonight." Ana's voice rips me away from my thoughts. She's smiling that wonderful smile and I feel warm inside.
"Me too, actually."
She giggles. "I'm glad."
I take a step closer to her. "Let Mia take Ethan home." I mumble as I softly caress her cheek, placing a stray hair behind her ear. The gesture is so unlike anything I've ever done, but it seems to come so naturally with her. I don't even think around her – I just act.
I need to get her alone. I need to take back control. I need to have her naked and squirming beneath me, begging for me to take her. Right at this moment I don't care whether it happens in her bed between her pink, flower-patterned sheets or in my playroom with her cuffed and restrained to the cross, or the bed, or the grid in the ceiling. Of course I would prefer the latter but I would also jump at the chance of the former. I just want her so bad.
"That would be kind of unnecessary as we're going to the same place." Her soft voice is like music to my ears. I could just listen to her talk all day long. That's a new one – I've never been interested in what a sub has to say before. At least not outside the playroom.
"I'm sure Mia wouldn't…" I cut myself off as the meaning of her words register in my brain. Oh, hell no! "What's that supposed to mean?" My voice has turned to ice and a frown forms on her forehead at the sound of it.
"Ethan is staying with me and Kate until he's found his own place to live." She explains as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Kate, your roommate that doesn't get back until tomorrow?" If my voice gets any chillier, we'll probably freeze to death in an instant. She's delusional if she thinks I'll ever leave her alone with the fucker.
"Yes." She states with a finality in her voice I don't like. We're not done discussing this matter.
I hear myself growl something incoherent as I grab her by the arm and drag her along with me further away from Mia and the fucker. She limps along without too much of a resistance and I stop once we're out of hearing-distance from anyone.
"I'm not leaving you alone with him." This is my Dominant voice and I expect nothing less than utter obedience.
"Ethan?" She sighs, exasperated. "We've been friends since we were kids."
"So?" I really don't see how that would make things better.
"So he's like a brother to me." She emphasizes the word 'brother' as if that would make a difference. He isn't her brother; therefore I don't see how it's supposed to make a difference.
"Besides," She continues. "Wasn't it just a couple of hours ago that we established that I hardly know you and you can't dictate how or with whom I spend my time?" She tilts her head and tries on a little smile. Oh, I'm not falling for that.
"I might not be experienced in the dating-area…" I can't help the threatening tone in my lowered voice. I don't know where it came from. "…but I doubt it's considered good dating manners to spend the night with another man after I take you out on a date."
With a smacking sound, Anastasia's hand lands across my cheek. I did not see that coming. I stand staring at her in shock only to find her staring back at me with the very same expression of shock written all over her face.
"I'm sorry." She clasps her hand over her mouth and gasps.
"It's okay." I force my lips into a smile. "It isn't the first time I've been slapped." Or worse…
"It's just…" She shakes her head. "We were having such a great time and then you had to go ruin it all."
I sigh. I don't know what to say. I'm afraid that if I open my mouth I will ruin what little chance I still might have with her.
She shakes her head slowly from side to side. "Would you please take me home now?"
No. "Ana, please." I reach my hand out towards her and she looks down at it as I place it on top of hers which is resting on the handle of her crutch. I hear her inhale a deep breath and brace myself for what's to come. I've fucked it all up.
All I had to do was play gentleman for a night and take her out on a date and everything I wanted would have been within reach. If she hadn't slapped me already, I would have punched myself in the face.
"Ethan isn't spending the night with me; he's spending the night in the apartment I share with his sister, sleeping on the couch. There isn't nor will there ever be anything other than friendship between us."
The fucker is Kavanagh's brother? That kind of gives him a valid reason for being in the apartment in the first place, I have to admit that. But still…I don't like it.
"Now, will you please take us home?" She demands and I sigh. This is not how it was supposed to happen.
The drive home was a quiet one and I think everyone lets out a sigh of relief as I pull the car up outside Ana's apartment building. The fucker tried to start a conversation a couple of times, but no one really picked on his tries and eventually he gave up. I, on the other hand, might have the lost the battle – but I'm not giving up on the war.
I will do whatever it takes to get back into Ana's good graces and repair whatever damage I've caused tonight. I have to if I'm to ever get her into my playroom.
"What are you doing?" Anastasia stops her movements to free herself from the seat-belt and her gaze travels to the lock of my seat-belt, which just unlocked.
"I'll walk you to your door of course. Don't gentlemen do that?" I try to smile. I'm in no mood for making jokes, but I need to make her smile again.
I feel like I've won the lottery when she smiles back. "I haven't met that many, but I guess they do."
"I'll wait for you inside." The fucker says as he gets out of the car and I think I see him rolling his eyes. I don't really care though as long as he leaves us alone.
I get out of the car and hurry around it to assist Ana in getting out as well.
"Thank you." She's still smiling and that warm feeling inside is back in full force, heating up my entire body.
But the entrance is too close; it only takes a few steps until we're standing in front of it. Ana looks down at her feet, her confident demeanor completely vanished.
"I had a good time tonight." She repeats the words she said outside restaurant to break the silence. "Until…you know…." She shrugs.
I reach my hand out and place a finger under her chin, urging her to look up and meet my eyes. This is the one part of dating I'm pretty sure I'll actually be good at.
I lean in closer to give her a hint to what I'm about to do; raise the anticipation. "I've heard that it's protocol to end a date with a kiss." I whisper and hear her breathing pick up speed.
"Yes, I think it is." She breathes out.
Slowly I move closer and wait until our lips are almost touching before I pull back slightly. "Unless you feel I forfeited that benefit earlier outside the restaurant." I do my very best to try and sound honestly regretful. But I know she will want me to kiss her. She will beg me to.
"No." She whispers and then it all happens very fast. She places a hand on the back of my neck and pulls me towards her as she crashes her lips against mine. I think I see stars flying behind my eyelids as I wrap my arms around her and pull her body closer when I kiss her back with a hunger and a frenzy unlike the kinds of anything I've ever felt before.
