A/N- Thanks for all your reviews, favourites and a lovely PM I received last week. The support for this story is amazing, thank you so much.
This chapter comes with a huge M rating, or warning if you don't like that kind of thing.
Disclaimer- Nothing belongs to me...
'Nice place,' John remarked as they reached the lift of Anna's building. Once the doors were opened, John followed Anna into the lift. 'Mind you, being in any place with you makes it nice.'
'You smooth operator,' Anna stroked his forearm as the doors closed. 'I still can't believe you flew all this way.'
'I just had to see you. It was killing me how things were left. I just needed to find out, once and for all.'
'Well, I am so happy you came,' Anna leant up on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on John's cheek, causing him to smile.
After their discussion in the café, Anna had invited John back to the apartment she shared with Milo for dinner. Seeing him had completely taken her breath away. No man had ever made such a grand gesture, and if she hadn't convinced herself already, Anna knew in the moment she saw John standing in the lobby that she was in love with him.
John would be lying if he said he wasn't a little upset Anna hadn't agreed to come home with him. Of course, she owed him nothing. She was beginning to carve a new life out here in America for herself and her son. And John could live with a long distance relationship, he meant it when he said to have her in any capacity was enough, better than not having her at all. For now.
The doors of the lift opened and Anna left it first, John following closely behind. He was looking forward to seeing Milo, not only missing Anna but the little chap as well. On the occasions they had spent together, John had enjoyed getting to know Milo. He was certainly a character and John had grown very fond of him.
As Anna put the key in the lock and the door opened, she turned to look at John over her shoulder. 'I love you.'
'I love you too.'
'Mummy!' Milo was the next thing John heard, as well as his footsteps bounding down the hallway. Anna laughed as she picked up her son in her arms. Then, John
closed the door, the noise making Milo look up. 'John.'
'Hello mate,' John said, ruffling the little boy's hair as Anna put him back down. John noticed Milo was looking behind him, obviously looking for a certain someone. His next words confirmed John's suspicions. 'Is Madison not here?'
John began to speak as he knelt down to talk to Milo on his level. 'No mate, you see the thing is…'
'Hello Anna.' The sound of the nanny appearing at the kitchen door made John stop in his tracks. Looking up to Anna he smiled awkwardly before rising to his feet once more.
'Milo, why don't you show John through to the other room, just whilst I say goodbye to Nancy.'
'Alright,' Milo agreed before taking John by the hand. With a quick glance to the boy's mother, John followed Milo into the living room.
'Where is Maddie?' Milo asked as he sat on the floor beside his pile of toys which he had obviously been very busy with today.
'She's back in England,' John sat on the edge of the chair behind Milo, surveying his surroundings. Anna's company had obviously been very generous, going by the grandeur of her apartment and the fact they would be willing to do anything for her. She must have been amazing at her job.
'Did you come to see my Mummy?'
'I did,' John nodded before joining Milo on the floor. 'And I was hoping to see you, of course.'
Anna appeared at the door then, leaning on the door frame as she watched her son and the man she loved conversing so naturally it was like they were all back in Yorkshire. She hadn't realised how much she had missed John until he was back at her side, and it surprised her somewhat. She had sleepless nights about it, but now seeing him with her son, it brought home how it was not only her life that had been changed dramatically, it was Milo's too.
'Are you staying for long?'
John shook his head. 'I go home tomorrow. But maybe I could bring Maddie along the next time I come here.'
'We'll be visiting Nan and Granddad in a couple of weeks,' Anna announced, making her presence known. She sat in the armchair behind John. 'I'm sure we'll see John and Madison again then.'
'That would be nice,' John smiled at her over his shoulder, the two of them making eye contact causing John's heart to beat that little bit quicker.
'Is take away pizza alright for dinner?'
'Sounds great,' John agreed with a nod.
'Can I have some pizza?' Milo asked, 'before I go to bed?'
'Well, firstly it is your bed time in about twenty minutes so that doesn't give us much time, and secondly Nancy tells me you ate all of your sandwich at lunch time and just had a big plate of pasta for dinner.'
'But mum,' Milo began to protest.
'But nothing, Milo Smith,' Anna interrupted him, her tongue firmly in her cheek. 'Now it's lovely to see John and I don't want this turning into an argument.'
'Come on, Milo. Shall I help you tidy your toys?' John suggested, reaching for the empty toy box beside him.
'That would be really helpful, thank you John. I'll just go and start running his bath.'
As she walked away, smiling at the happy interchange that had begun as John and Milo discussed the superhero figures they were putting in the box, Anna wanted to cry at the domesticity of it all. Why couldn't this man have entered her life months earlier?
John sat on the sofa as he waited for Anna to put Milo to bed. They had shared their dinner with the boy in the end, arguing against his protests deemed not worth damaging the harmony that had existed between the three of them. How he wished Madison could be here with them. Looking to his watch and mentally working out the time difference, he realised Cora would have put Maddie to bed by now.
Remembering he had set his phone to working abroad, John searched for Cora's name in his contact list and hit the call button. After a few rings, Cora answered although she sounded like she was talking to him from within a massive cave.
'John, we've been waiting to hear from you,' she said, sounding tinny yet the relieved tone to her voice was shining through. 'Are you alright?'
'I am fine, is Maddie okay? I'm missing her all of a sudden.'
'Of course you are. She's absolutely fine. Robert read her a story and put her to bed after tea.'
'Great, I knew she'd be fine. But being so far away from her, you do worry.'
John felt some empathy for Ryan suddenly. But those thoughts quickly vanished. He was going home to his daughter, and if the younger man had made better decisions in the past, he wouldn't have found himself in such a position.
'Look John, I was just off to bed so I'll pass you over to Robert.'
'Great.' His voice wasn't filled with enthusiasm but John supposed it was probably best he told his harshest critic about the plans he had made with Anna. If he told Cora, it would only result in Robert calling him back to tell him what an idiotic decision he had made.
'John, what's going on?'
'Hi Rob,' John replied. 'How's things?'
'Who cares?' Robert dismissed his question. 'I want to know if you found Anna and what she said.'
Exhaling a deep breath, John began to explain the situation. 'I met her, we kissed and she told me that she loved me.'
'Hallelujah,' Robert said, John able to sense the relief in his voice. 'So when are you both coming home?'
'We're not.'
'Right,' Robert said sceptically before adding. 'Look John, me and Cora love your daughter but her staying here was only a temporary arrangement.'
'Anna's not coming back with me,' John explained, running a hand through his hair, saying those words aloud paining him more than he expected. 'She wants to give the long distance thing a try.'
Silence. John knew what was coming. As he opened his mouth to speak some more, Robert beat him to it.
'It's better than not being together, I suppose.'
Whatever John had expected Robert to say, those words weren't it. 'Really?'
'Yeah, you said yourself you didn't expect her to give up everything to come back to blighty. But what about when you realise you want to propose? Or that you want to live together? What then?'
Ah, there was the practical Robert John knew and loved. 'Well, I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. We are a long way off that yet.'
'Of course you are,' Robert said none too convincingly. 'So I suppose you want me to explain everything to the kid.'
'I'd like you to be sympathetic when explaining the situation to my daughter, yes,' John agreed before realising something. 'Actually, it's probably best coming from me.'
'Probably,' Robert replied.
'Thanks mate, for having Madison for me.' John heard a door click behind him, before footsteps indicating Anna was on her way to join him. 'I better go, Anna's just finished putting Milo to bed.'
'Alright mate, text me with the times of flights and stuff and I'll come and pick you up from the airport.'
'You don't have to do that.'
'I want to,' Robert insisted. 'See you soon.'
'Phoning home?' Anna asked as she sat beside John on the sofa. He cleared his throat as he noticed she had changed into her nightdress and her dressing gown, her legs uncovered making it difficult to keep his thoughts entirely proper.
'Yeah. Everyone's fine,' John said as he put his phone on the coffee table in front of them.
'Milo went out like a light,' Anna said breathlessly, edging a little closer to John on the sofa, so their forearms were touching.
The tension between them was crackling, now they realised they were completely alone. John shifted uncomfortably in his seat, knowing if he turned to look at Anna he would be lost. The energy that had always existed between them showed no signs of waning, and now they had been apart for a few weeks it had reached fever pitch. In the end, John could stand it no longer and slowly turned his head to be met with the desire in Anna's eyes.
Taking him completely by surprise, Anna straddled John's lap and met his lips with her own, the kiss deepening almost as soon as it had started. John struggled to keep up, his hands resting on the skin of Anna's thighs as hers seemed to move here, there and everywhere, like she couldn't get enough of him. He felt the evidence of his desire slowly becoming even more unmistakable, wondering if this woman had any idea what she did to him.
'Someone's missed me, I see,' Anna murmured, grinding down on to his ever increasing arousal. 'Hard already.'
'Only for you,' John replied breathlessly. 'Only you can make me feel this way.'
'Nice answer, Mr Bates.'
Placing both her hands on either side of his face, Anna resumed their kiss once more, John having now bunched her nightdress up to her hips and soon realising, the nightdress was the only thing she was wearing.
'You naughty girl,' John growled, squeezing her bottom gently.
'Stay with me, tonight. Please.'
She was almost begging and John knew he couldn't refuse her. He had reservations at a hotel had things not turned out how he had hoped, but spending the night with Anna was worth losing the money he had spent, it being too late to cancel the room now.
'Alright,' John gasped, brushing his lips roughly against hers before trailing them down her neck and around her collarbone which had been revealed to him, Anna having shrugged off her robe.
'God, I want you so much,' Anna was saying as she tilted her head back, her eyes screwed shut, clinging on to John's shoulders as he placed warm kiss after warm kiss on her skin.
'Take me to bed, then.'
Anna stood up and took John's hand, leading him away from the living room and down the hall to her bedroom. Both their breathing was haggard as they made the journey, both in desire and anticipation as to what was to come. Once in her room, John had barely shut the door before Anna was flush against him, he lifting her to wrap her legs around his waist. He walked them to the bed, all the time their lips never parting before John gently lay her down. He took off his shirt before joining her on the bed, half covering his body with hers.
'I've missed this,' Anna said, placing her hand on the hair of his chest. 'I've missed you. How I ever thought I could survive without ever being with you like this again, I don't know.'
'I love you, sweetheart,' John whispered, resting his forehead against hers and closing his eyes.
His words seemed to ignite what had been sparking between them, and it wasn't too long before clothes were discarded and both were lying naked on the bed, John writhing between Anna's thighs, tongues tangling and hands roaming everywhere, both aching to become reacquainted with the each other. Gathering her thoughts for a brief moment, Anna did have one request of John.
'Can I go on top?'
It was a bold remark, but one that Anna didn't feel in the least bit ashamed to make. Not with John. He nodded wordlessly, moving from her to settle his back against the sheets. In their months before Anna left, they had made love in this way on several occasions, John completely at Anna's mercy as she moved above him. It was in those moments, as he watched her unabashedly take her pleasure from him that John understood how it felt to be completely and utterly at one with another person. To feel no shame in sharing in the most sweetest of acts. He had never felt like that about anyone before and he soon realised he never would again.
She was straddling him, her centre coming in contact with his arousal causing John to release a low moan. John ran his fingers through Anna's long golden hair as she kissed his chest, before lifting her head and pressing a kiss to his lips. She smirked, a sight that caused a flutter in John's stomach before she moved down his body to settle herself on his thighs. John swallowed hard as Anna took his rigid length in her hands, moving her hand up and down once, then twice. He knew, such was the effect Anna had on him that if he jerked his hips to meet her movements he would be undone and John didn't want that.
'Easy,' he advised softly, reaching out for her hand and removing it from himself. 'I'll be finished before we've even begun.'
'Well, we don't want that, Mr Bates,' Anna said with just the right lilt to her tone to cause John to pulse without Anna even having to touch him.
He was sitting up in the next moment, Anna manoeuvring forward to meet him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his hands on her bottom and lifting her closer to his middle.
'Join us,' he pleaded with a whisper.
Resting her hands on his shoulders, Anna leant up a little before grinding down slowly and taking John as far as he would go. Mutual groans filled the air, both remained still as they adjusted to being joined once again. Anna felt as tight and hot around him as ever, especially in this position, and it was all John could do to regain his composure, the pleasure coursing through his veins threatening to overwhelm him.
'Oh my…oh,' Anna finally murmured, unable to finish her sentence such was the intensity she was feeling. John chuckled gently at her words, finally able to press his lips against hers, confident he could control himself to bring her pleasure without finding his first.
'Move,' he requested softly, 'please.'
Anna began to grind her hips down against John's as he found her nipple and took it into his mouth, sucking gently. That resulted in Anna clawing at his scalp in response as she continued to move against him. John's hands remained tightly on Anna's hips, guiding her down onto him as he carefully thrust upwards.
'I'm close, John,' Anna whimpered as he released her breast from his mouth, lifting his head to crush his lips against hers. In the next moment, he rested his forehead against Anna's and looked in her eyes.
'Good. We have all night, I want to make love to you several times this evening, if that is what you want.'
'Yes,' she breathed, arching her head back and allowing a groan to leave her lips.
'This won't take very long,' John continued to whisper as Anna's movements became more erratic. 'Once you've come I am going to lay you against the bed and take you.'
'God John,' Anna was almost squealing at the candidness to his words, feeling her climax edging ever nearer at the sound of them. 'Please.'
With one more grind of her hips, she was undone, collapsing against John, her hot breath and moans of appreciation in his ear stilling his movements, even though he was still achingly hard within her. Allowing her a few moments to come down from her high, John suckled the skin of her shoulder gently, then her neck before pushing her back lightly upon the bed, ending their connection. Anna grasped her hands around the bed frame behind her before John moved between her legs, meeting her gaze then burying himself within her once more. He took hold of her bottom, lifting her from the bed as he moved inside her, all the while holding her gaze.
'You feel wonderful, Anna.'
'I've missed you.'
He moved over her then, placing his hands over hers on the bed frame. 'I'm yours now. You never have to miss me again if you don't want to.'
'Oh God.' She could feel her pleasure building again as he drove into her, each stroke pushing her closer and closer to the edge.
'I can't hold on much longer, Anna.'
'Let it come, John,' Anna encouraged, moving her hands to the small of his back, pushing his hips more firmly into hers. He was crying out in the next moment, Anna following suit letting John now she had found her pleasure once again. As their movements ceased, John remained in position, Anna wrapping her arms around his shoulders. The aftermath of release soon turned into the afterglow of two people in love sharing in the most beautiful of acts, John using his strength to lift his upper body above Anna, looking into her eyes.
'That wasn't the first time we have done that knowing I was in love with you, but it was the first time knowing you love me back. It felt incredible.'
'It did,' Anna agreed with a nod of the head, placing her hand on his cheek. 'I have never made love to you not loving you, by the way. I knew I loved you from that first time.'
'You did?' John asked, settling a little more of his weight upon Anna. 'Me too.'
'It seems we should make a promise to be more open with each other in the future.'
'Perhaps,' John replied, 'but lets not dwell on the past. Lets look to the future. Together.'
'What a wonderful idea.'
'But first,' John moved from Anna then, lying on his back before pulling her towards him. 'I have a promise I made a few moments ago that I intend to keep.'
Moving gratefully into his arms, Anna wrapped a leg over John's hip. 'And what might that be, Mr Bates?'
'Well,' John exhaled, placing a hand under Anna's knee. 'I promised to make love you several times this evening. If that was agreeable?'
'It certainly is,' Anna whispered against his lips before kissing him soundly.
It wasn't long before John was moving Anna onto her back, hovering over her with a desire in his eyes only she could make him feel. As he moved down her body, leaving kiss after kiss upon her skin, Anna began to realise she had never been loved liked this in her life, this was the man she had been waiting for. John was the man she had been dreaming of. He was the one.
'Why are you taking me to nursery and not Aunty Cora?' Madison asked as Robert joined her in the car.
'Because you can't drive and it's too far for you to walk,' Robert replied, smirking at her in the rear view mirror. 'And Aunty Cora is waiting for a parcel to be delivered.'
'Will Daddy be home tonight?'
'He will be. He called last night when you were in bed.'
Silence fell then as Robert turned the ignition of the car on then and began to move out of the driveway. He had agreed with John not to mention anything, but if she asked, he certainly wouldn't shy away from the subject.
'Are Milo and Anna coming with him?'
Robert wondered if she were a mind reader as he looked up to eye the little girl in his rear view mirror. 'No.'
'So Anna isn't Daddy's girlfriend again?'
'Not exactly,' Robert cocked his head to the side, braking as the car approached a roundabout. 'Daddy really wanted to tell you himself.'
'Are we moving to America?'
'God no,' Robert answered with a chuckle. 'There is about as much chance of hell freezing over than there is of your Daddy moving to America.'
'What?' Madison's face was the epitome of confusion, Robert briefly glancing over his shoulder at her.
Sighing Robert decided to try and explain what had happened. 'Anna has decided to be Daddy's girlfriend again, but will stay in America with Milo, and you guys will visit each other, I guess.'
'But how can she be his girlfriend if she lives so far away?'
Nail. Head. Hit. The man in the front of the car was wondering if his passenger was actually only four years old. 'I would guess you would need to ask Daddy that. Now, are we playing Peppa Pig on the computer when you come back for tea tonight? '
'Milo Smith, will you go and brush your teeth and have a wash please,' Anna asked her son, regarding the scene of him and John reading a comic together with a raised eyebrow.
'Sorry, my fault,' John raised his hands as Milo ran to the bathroom. 'I asked him to show me.'
Anna moved to the window to see a yellow cab waiting beside the entrance to her building. 'Looks like your cab is here.' She turned to look at John who was putting on his shoes. 'I do wish you'd let me drive you to the airport.'
'We've discussed this,' John began as he stood up. 'You have to get to work, and I won't be responsible for you being late. Plus Nancy will be here soon.'
'I just don't want to say goodbye yet.'
John felt himself physically ache for her as she uttered the words, a whimper in her voice. Last night had been incredible. Neither had got a wink of sleep, being together deemed more important. John had kept to his promise of making love to Anna, at last count they had come together four times, as well as bringing pleasure to each other in other ways.
But this was what they had signed up for. A long distance relationship. And this is what they would have to deal with. Difficult goodbyes, pining for each other, frustration at not being able to be together. It was something they would have to overcome, but John was determined they would do. They were worth it.
'Now, I'll call you when I get home,' John promised, picking up his bag before leading Anna by the hand to her front door.
'Make sure you do, Mr Bates.'
John dropped his bag and wrapped his arms around Anna's waist, pulling her closer to him. Looking beyond her to make sure Milo wasn't about to make an appearance, John kissed Anna soundly, showing no indication of losing the desire he had been feeling only hours beforehand.
'It's lucky we have places to be or I'll be dragging you back to that bedroom, John.'
'And I'd be a willing participant,' John replied with a wink that made Anna's knees weaken. 'I love you.'
'I love you, too.'
Just as their lips were about to meet for the millionth time, Milo came bounding out of the bathroom. 'Are you going now, John?'
'Afraid so, buddy,' John replied, releasing his hold on Anna.
He disappeared into the living room then, Anna and John sharing a confused look before the little boy returned with a piece of paper. 'Can you give this to Maddie, please?'
'Of course I can,' John smiled, kneeling down to speak to him. He saw a drawing on the paper. 'Tell me about what you've drawn, mate.'
'It's me and Maddie,' he began, pointing to the picture as he spoke. 'And we are feeding the pigs on your farm.'
'She'll really like that, Milo,' John said with all the sincerity he could muster. He was taken aback as Milo threw his arms around John's neck, John unable to do anything but pull the boy tighter to him. 'We'll see you really soon.'
The sound of the doorbell made John release his hold on Milo. Anna opened the door to reveal Nancy standing there, ready for her day with the little boy.
'Good morning all,' she said cheerily, stepping over the threshold.
'Are we still making gingerbreads today?' Milo asked excitedly, the scene warming Anna's heart after the difficulties of the past few weeks.
'You bet,' Nancy replied, looking at John before turning her attentions to Anna. 'I'll take him through to the playroom, shall I?'
'Would you?' Anna asked gratefully.
'Sure,' Nancy nodded, placing a hand on Milo's shoulder. 'Lets go, shall we?'
'Bye John,' Milo called over as he and Nancy walked away.
'Bye Milo,' John called back, waving as he did so. Stepping out into the hall, John turned back to see Anna, her eyes brimming with tears. 'Hey, come on.'
'I'm so sorry things can't be different.'
'I'm not,' John shook his head, pulling Anna towards him. 'You are living your dream over here and that fills me with so much joy but more than that Anna, you are living your dream all the while being in love with me at the same time. And that is the sweetest feeling in the whole world.'
She had no words, instead falling into his embrace and clutching on to him as tightly as she could. He was hers, her man and Anna meant what she had said in the café yesterday, She could live with being thousands of miles away from John, so long as she knew he was somewhere in the world loving her.
It would have to suffice. For now.
A/N 2- I wonder what will happen next. Ryan's been very quiet...
