Okay, chapter 21. Long chapter and if I have to summarise it; It's a chaotic chapter, so you've been warned. Why? Because minds can do that. It isn't always thinking straight and can be all over the place. I went over this chapter numerous times but I haven't figured out a way to do it differently, so I hope it's clear what I tried to do here. If not, I could go over it again to give it another try or try to explain it a little better.

More at the end of this chapter.

So, the update;

21. Reading 'between' the lines

Christian POV

It was already late when we arrived at our hotel and everybody has split up to their own rooms to unpack and call it a night. I was surprised to find out that Jackson and Julian are staying in a different hotel then me, Mark and Ana.

Apparently, Jackson is only staying for the first two days in Paris to help dealing with the reorganizations and Julian is staying a full week but is using the other three days for house hunting and they have booked a hotel in the area that he and his fiancée want to live in the future. Jackson is traveling to Barcelona after his last meeting here and will fly back on our last day to travel back with us to Seattle. He's meeting up with an old co-worker to go through some case he's working on but he didn't say anything further about it.

Well, I can't say that I'm bothered with it. Nope. I'm glad that they aren't staying with us, but Ana did. She looked a little disappointed at him when he told us this and started to pout. Jackson said that he didn't want to make her bankrupt by staying in France. I'm not sure what that was all about but Ana thought it was funny. She said that he was going to regret it and to give it a second thought. If it had to do with Damian, then I could've understand it, but since he isn't here I have no idea what that was about. Bankruptcy? Ana? That woman has enough money to retire for the rest of her life if she sold her company's so I don't see that happening anytime soon.

But, whatever his reasons are, I'm actually glad that he won't be staying with us for this whole trip, because it gets annoying to hear them talk like that. They are more comfortable and familiar with each other then I like to see. It annoys me even more that it's all because of me being jealous on a gay man. It's stupid. I'm being stupid. I should be glad that Ana has good friends around her. That she has people as friends that she can trust and be herself with. But still, that should be me.

The three of us are all on the same floor in the hotel and my mouth nearly dropped open when we arrived here. I guess we are traveling in style here. It's funny, because after we arrived at the airport, Ana insisted that the three of us ate at McDonalds. I thought the food was nasty but Ana had no problem in shoving three burgers down. Where the hell does she keep her food? That woman can eat for three. Hell, she ate more than Mark and me combined.

She seemed to love the food, but I don't think I will ever understand why. I just thought that the food was soggy and greasy and tasted horrible. I wouldn't go back there again. Paris is known for his good food so why the fuck would you eat at a place like that? You have food stands everywhere that serve better food than that. Maybe I can change Ana's mind the next time she insists on eating there and convince her to eat somewhere else. That is, if we're eating together like that again. I hope so.

It's too bad that we're not alone. It would have been a lot nicer here if it was just the two of us, but I guess I shouldn't complain. Hell, I shouldn't even think like that! This is a business trip. Ana is my boss that asked me to be here, together with her and other coworkers. I have to keep the facts straight and focus on what's important; my job.

Fucking hell! How am I supposed to do that in a city like this? It's one of the most romantic cities in the world and sitting next to Ana in the car and watching her eyes twinkling with excitement when she was looking through the window isn't doing me any favors.

I was glad that Mark started talking because I forgot that he was there for a moment. Hell, I nearly did something really stupid because of that. Ana was pointing things out and I leaned over to see it through the window. Feeling her excitement, me leaning that close over her, smelling her, feeling the warmth of her body made me forget that this is a business trip and I nearly kissed her. How stupid can I be? Thank god that Mark said something so I could get back to reality. If that was a forebode for this trip, I'm going to be in big trouble. Fucking hell! I can't even imagine what would have happened if I actually did that. I would probably be fired on the spot. Nice going, Grey. Keep up the good work.

I throw my suitcase on the bed and walk over to the window. Paris by night. It's beautiful and I can't wait to see it by day. Tomorrow is full with meetings and a business lunch. The last meeting should end around six and then we could call it a day. Mark has said that we could eat at the hotel after that and go through the day. It will also give us time to prepare for the upcoming meetings the next day.

I look at my watch and see that it's almost eleven at night already. Let's get a shower and get ready for bed. It's going to be a long day tomorrow. We're supposed to meet at seven in the morning for breakfast to go through the final details for the first meeting. We are having breakfast in Ana's room, which is next to mine. Yeah, let's see how well I will sleep with the knowledge that she is sleeping in a bed on the other side of that wall.

I close my eyes while I'm picturing her lying in her bed. What will she wear? Will she have clothes on at all or does she sleep naked? At least I know that she will be sleeping alone. Thank god for that. Too bad that she doesn't have a weird fear for sleeping in hotels, just like she's scared of flying. That would have been convenient. She might need a hand than. She could use mine again, whichever way she wants. It's fine with me.

Fuck Ana! If only she knew how much she is screwing with my brain. Literally.

It just keeps popping up in my head, all those images of her no matter what. I take a deep breath and open my suitcase for my toiletries. Better get started on that shower, it's probably going to be a long one. It might set my mind straight for the rest of this trip.

ANA POV

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I'm running around my hotel room like a lunatic to get ready. I'm late and it's making me angry at myself. I slept through my alarm clock and Mark and Christian will be here any moment for breakfast. I'm halfway dressed, my hair looks like I'm copying Tina Turner and I have chaos written all over my face. Damn it! This is not how I planned this morning to be.

I run into the bathroom to give my hair a quick brush and see if I can make something from it. Thank god that I showered last night, because I wouldn't make it in time if I had to do that now. I ordered room service last night for our breakfast menu, so thankfully I can't screw that up anymore. At least I have something right this morning.

Christian and Mark will be here around seven and Jackson and Julian will join us later. They are staying on the other side of town, so I told them to eat breakfast there and meet us here somewhere between eight and nine. We have to arrive for our first meeting at ten, so there is enough time for them to catch up.

I look in the mirror and sigh. What the hell is wrong with me? I don't do late. I don't oversleep. Why didn't I hear that stupid alarm clock? Maybe I should ask the service here to give me a wakeup call every morning. I think it would be a lot safer for me on this trip.

I rub my face with my hands before I look back in the mirror. God, I'm so tired. I feel like I can sleep for a month. I'm just of my period, but I'm still feeling a little groggy and bloated. And I'm guessing that the jetlag isn't helping either. It's not only making me feel like crap, I'm looking like it too.

Last night when I arrived at my room, I had a plan to just take a quick shower and then going to sleep. It was a good plan if I had only followed it. When I got myself ready for a shower I changed my mind and took a bath instead. I told myself to only stay in it for thirty minutes, but thirty minutes turned into more than an hour. I really needed it to get relaxed and I blame Christian for that. How stupid of me to sit next to him on that flight and how more stupid of me to fall asleep against him. I should have gone up to the bedroom but I didn't want to leave my seat. So, I fell asleep in my seat and apparently I shifted against Christian. That was a little closer than I should have done. I was just really glad that nothing embarrassed had happened. I had one hell of a dream of that bedroom I should have used and I know that I intend to talk in my sleep. Boy, would that have been embarrassing…. How to explain that to a plane full of men? Even worse; how to talk my way out of that?

But that damn dream left me horny and even that greasy food from McDonalds didn't make it go away. So, a bath it was. A very long bath for some 'me' time and a restless night. If I approach it on a positive note, I probably slept three hours in total. I really hope that this isn't the way that it will be for the entire trip. I should be happy that it wasn't a nightmare but the end result of this isn't any better either.

I brush my hair back and tie it in a ponytail. That is the best I can do right now. It will just have to do. I use a little bit of mascara to make my face look more representative en descend and run towards the living area to get my lip gloss.

I look around to see where I put my handbag. Where the hell is it? I swear that I put it here last night. God Ana, get your head screwed back, will you?

I'm looking around frantically to find it and finally notice it next to the couch, stuffed away under a small table. Thank god!

I run over and grab it. I'm taking my lip gloss out when I hear a knock on the door. They're here already? Shit!

I stand up to open the door when I realize that I'm still only half dressed. I've got my skirt on, but I hadn't put my blouse on yet to make sure that it wouldn't get stains on it while getting ready. Shit! I can't open the door like this.

"Uhm, a minute please!" I yell to the closed door and run back to the bedroom to get my shirt on. While I'm buttoning my shirt I start to laugh. That would have been one hell of a start of the day. Me, opening the door only dressed in a skirt and bra. I wonder who would look more shocked; Mark or Christian? I could bet money on Christian, because Mark isn't shocked that easily, but I'm not sure. Mark hasn't ever seen me like that before, so I think that he will look pretty shocked himself if I did that.

Knowing Mark, I think that it would be his only reaction. He thinks of me more as a sister then anything so he wouldn't really care after that. He would probably just shake his head and start on his breakfast.

Christian on the other hand, I'm not sure. It would be fun to see his reaction. Maybe he would get a rouse out of it. That would be fun to see. Oh god Ana! Stop thinking like that and get back into business mode. Damn it! What am I? A teenager? Nope, I didn't thought of those things as a teenager, so I guess I'm worse than that.

I tuck my blouse in my skirt, grab my shoes and jacket and run back to the bathroom to have one last look in the mirror. Yep, this should do it. It's not as bad as I thought it would look like. My hair could have been better, but damn it! What the hell is wrong with me? Since when do I care so much about my looks? As long as it's appropriate, it's fine.

I shake my head and run to the door to let them in. It's time to function normal again. I take a deep breath and unlock the door.

When I open the door, I'm met with Christian, who is leaning casually against the opposite wall with his hands in his pockets and his briefcase on the floor next to him.

He looks up at me and starts to laugh. Yeah, beautiful laugh there, why don't you make things worse for me.

"Rough night?" he asks and I shake my head. I can't really tell him about my night now, can I?

"No. what gave you that impression?" I answer and try to sound innocent. Damn, I'm failing here.

He chuckles and stands up. "I have no idea."

"Good answer." I tell him and open the door further. "Come in."

He grabs his briefcase and walks in and I take a quick look into the hallway. No Mark? Where is he? I thought that I was late, guess I'm not the only one.

I close the door and lean forward to put my heels on. I'm sure that he will be here soon. For my sake; I really hope so. I stand back up and turn to find Christian in the middle of the room watching me. I look in his eyes and I notice something different about them. What is it? He isn't doing anything, but staring at me and it looks like he's holding his breath. In a reflex I do the same thing but I don't understand why. I start to feel naked under his gaze and I'm unsure of what to do. I don't even know what to say. I try to focus but before I can recognize the look in his eyes, he turns his head away and looks around the room. What was that? Did I miss something?

I look down to look at my clothes and frown. Everything looks fine. I don't see any stains or wrinkles in it. My blouse is loosely in my skirt and I don't have a ladder in my pantyhose either. What was it then? Should I ask?

"Uhm, did you have a good night? I ask him while standing here awkwardly and unsure of myself. Why am I feeling like this? Why am I feeling like a shy schoolgirl again? This is stupid.

"It was okay, a little restless." He answers after a moment and I nod. He turns his gaze back at me, but I can't read his face anymore. It's just… What is it? Stoic? Neutral?

"Yeah, same here." I smile softly at him. Why does this feel so uncomfortable? We have been alone in a room before. Yeah, but this one has a bed in it, Ana.

"So, have you decided about what you are going to do with your free time here?" I smile at him, wanting to get the weird tension from this room.

"I'm not sure yet. Have you figured it out?"

"No, but it's going to be warm this week so I was thinking to just take a walk like a tourist through town and see what comes on my way." I answer and he nods his head.

"Yeah, that sounds like a nice plan."He says and I snort out loud before I catch myself. Yeah, a plan. I have really proven that I'm good at making plans and sticking to it. Here's a plan; me telling you about my night in great details over a cup of coffee. I'm sure that would be more than what he bargained for when he showed up in front of my door for breakfast.

"What?" he asks me confused and shit! How am I supposed to explain this one? Nice going here. Real smooth Ana.

"Oh, uhm, it's nothing. Uhm, shall we get seated while we wait for Mark to arrive?" I ask him, hoping that he won't ask further and I point at the dining table.

Christian frowns at me but thank god! He doesn't ask me about it again. "Sure."

He walks towards the dinner table and I'm wondering what is going to happen next. I mean, are we just going to sit there uncomfortable in silence until Mark gets here? And where the hell is Mark? Why isn't he here yet? Fuck!

We could talk about the upcoming meetings, but that will just mean that we will have to start over when Mark joins us. That would be a waste of time. Damn it! What else?

Oh wait! I got it!

"I'll be right there."I tell Christian and walk off to my suitcase without waiting for a reply. I feel him watching me while I'm trying to find what I'm looking for. I know that I packed it but where did I put it?

After some rummaging I locate the envelope and grab it quickly. This should work. I go to the dinner table and sit down next to Christian, who's still watching my every move. God, it's making me nervous.

He looks a little confused at what I took from my suitcase but when I empty the envelope I see recognition going over his face.. Brochures of Paris. I wasn't sure about the places I wanted to visit so I brought different kind of brochures with me to have a look at and a map to make it easier. There is so much to see and do here and we only have two days for it. We have to work today and tomorrow, than we have Wednesday off, working on Tuesday and Friday we're off again before we fly back.

"Maybe this could help with the tour planning." I smile at him while I make an exaggerated wave with my hand over the table.

He laughs and shakes his head. "I think you just made it worse, but we could give it a try."

While I'm watching Christian going through all the brochures to pick on out I'm confident that I made the right decision. This way, we can talk about this and avoid sitting in silence.

God! Why the hell am I feeling this awkward? Everything was fine yesterday. Nothing happened. Nothing changed. Well, nothing different then all those other times. Then why am I feeling like I'm naked? Why is it an uncomfortable silence between us? When did that happen?

I see the brochure of the chateau Versailles and reach out to grab it, not realizing that Christian is doing the same thing. Instead of the folder, it's Christian's hand that I'm grabbing and I feel the warmth from it going through my body. My breath hitches and the images from my dreams and bath time yesterday fresh in my mind are making it almost unbearable. Fuck!

I know that I should let go, but he isn't pulling his hand away either. Shit Ana, let go. That shouldn't matter.

I look at our hands, mine holding his and his holding the brochure. I'm trying to contemplate how I should think. How I should feel. And how screwed I am. I shouldn't even think about it. I should be professional. I should be in control. I held his hand yesterday, but that was different. That was on the plane. Although, it made me glad that I was sitting next to him. At least I had an excuse. What is justifying this?

I look at his hand underneath mine and turn it around. It's his right hand and you can see all the lines in his palm clearly. I remember a model I ones worked with that was a firm believer in hand readings. She even read mine, but I didn't really believed in it, but she got my curiosity. I don't see how you can see someone's emotional future or personality in someone's hand. It sounded weird.

I don't remember everything that she told me, but I do know that there is a heart line, head line, fate line and life line. I trace his heart line while I'm trying to remember what she told me about reading them. His line is deep and it is broken at the beginning. Mine is broken to, al little further in the line than his. What did that mean? She did explain it. Maybe I should look it up? I'm sure that it can be found on the internet.

"Are you okay?" I hear Christian ask me but I'm still focusing on the lines in the palm of his hand. What was the fate line? I don't remember if it was the second or third.

"Ana?" he asks and puts a hand on my shoulder. I look up, straight in to his face and frown. I look in to his grey eyes. He's wearing the same color suit today. It's matching perfectly. I've seen his eyes clear and peaceful, but that's not what I'm seeing right now. They look a little clouded. Why is that? What is it about him? What is it that I can't put my finger on? It feels like I'm missing something, but I can't figure it out. I look into his eyes but I can't read them. There is a mixture of emotions in it but I can't place them all.

Most of all I see worry in it, but there is something else in them too. What is it? Care? No, that isn't it. Why would he? He shouldn't. If there is anything I learned in life is that I'm good at bringing the worst out of people. I think that my mom is living proof of that. And next to her there's Patrick, another perfect example of my fucking things up. At least, that is what he told me. I'm good at making people feel miserable. Christian shouldn't feel that way.

But still, what is his deal? Sometimes he seems like his age, careless and happy. I like it to see him like that. He has a beautiful smile and laugh. He should show that more often. There are a few small wrinkles near his eyes when he's laughing. It's when he is the most handsome, but I don't think that he knows that himself. It's a shame, because most of the times he's serious. It's like he's lost in his own world. It makes me curious about it. I can't stop wondering what it is that he's lost in. Whatever happened in his past, it did a real number on him. It's like he's holding the weight of the world in his eyes. I know that it's hidden in there, but I can't read it.

I used to think that I'm good at reading people. Hell, I build half my company up on that fact. Reading the eyes of the people that work for me or with me gives me half of the information that I need. You can see if they're lying, they're honest or holding things back. You can see almost everything in someone eyes. They're the windows of our souls, but also of our emotions. Even when you can't see straight in them, if they're covered by someone looking away or closing them, you can be able to read them. It's all about the details. Is someone looking away to the left? Is someone looking away to the right? Is someone looking down? It all has its own meaning. A meaning that can give you vital information.

So why can't I read his? Most of the information that I get from Christian are from words or his body language, but his eyes… Nothing. At least, not much. Not enough.

It's like my mind is playing tricks with me. Maybe I'm over thinking it. Yeah, that will be it. I'm probably looking for things that aren't in there. But what am I looking for? Why can't I figure it out?

I look at his jaw line and see a small stubble on it. He hasn't shaved this morning. It looks good on him. It looks sexy. It's tempting to just touch it. How rough will it feel in this state?

I lift my hand and lay it against his jaw line. It feels a lot softer than I expected. Maybe it's the color that makes it looks rougher than it is. I always thought that a little stubble looked sexy on a man. It's a lot sexier than a beard. I have nothing with that. I remember when Patrick let his beard grow. It was horrible and I hated it. Not that he cared much about that. I don't think that he cared about me at all, for that matter. He told me differently, but actions speak louder than words. At least, that's what they say. If that was him caring for me I don't want to know how things would've looked liked if he didn't cared. But that damn beard. How in the world could he have thought that it looked good? That I would like it?

Nope, that beard wasn't like this; a small stubble. I trace his jaw line with my hand while looking at the outline of his jaw. Does every line tell you something? Bone structure? Or are it just the hand lines? Maybe I should look in to that either. You never know what you'll learn, right?

I see his lips moving from the corner of my eyes. Seriously? That's distracting, stop it. I stop them from moving with my thumb while I'm still focusing on his stubble. There are no scars or imperfections on his cheek. I look at the other side, but there's nothing there either. Just a small stubble covering his jaw line and chin.

I feel his breathing on my thumb. I look at my finger and see that his lips are slightly parted underneath it. His breathing is erratic and warm against it. I frown while looking at his lips. He wa saying something, wasn't he? What was he saying?

Oh god! Oh god, no! I look up to his eyes, regarding me and I feel the shock going over my face. What the hell was I thinking? What the hell was I doing? What is wrong with me?

I feel the realization of what I was doing going through me and sit up quickly, removing my hands from his face and hand. I turn away from him, covering my face with my hands. Oh god, this is so embarrassing. What the hell. I feel my cheeks redden more and more with every second that passes. No escaping the burn here.

"Ana?"

"Ana, are you okay?" I hear Christian ask me, but I'm not sure how to answer that. If we're talking about me physically I'm fine. If we're talking about me mentally… Yeah, I'm starting to doubt that myself. Maybe I should ask him to clarify his question. He's probably thinking of me as a lunatic already, why not giving him more reasons.

I feel him taking my hands from my face and pushing them down. I bow my face a little deeper and shake my head. If the ground could only swallow me now.

"Ana?" I hear him ask again and I shake my head mindlessly. How can I talk my way out of this one? Is there a way?

He lifts my chin with his hand, turning my face and forces me to look at him. I look in his eyes and see confusion and worry in them. Great, just great. Off course he's worried. I would be too if I found out that my boss was a crazy idiot.

"Ana?" he repeats again and I know that I can't avoid this. I have to say something here, but what damn it!

"I…. I'm sorry…." I start, trying to find some words to say. "It's…." Fuck! What to say?

Looking in his eyes, I'm not only feeling embarrassed, but I'm also feeling guilty. He's worried and it's probably for all the wrong reasons. He must think that I'm having a mental breakdown here.

Maybe I should be honest. Who knows, we might just have a good laugh about it and move on. Yeah right. Keep dreaming.

A sexual harassment suit coming my way if he hasn't filed for one already. I can't blame him if he did. I can't believe I just did that. What was I thinking?

"Well…" Oh god Ana, say something. Anything.

"Are you okay?" he asks me softly and I frown. Is that it? Isn't he mad or something? Is that his only question? I see confusion written all over his face.

"I'm fine." I tell him hesitantly while looking at him. Am I?

I see that he's about to ask me something, but before he can get the words out we're both startled by a loud knock on the door.

We both sit up quickly and I let go of the breath I didn't even know I was holding. Fuck! This won't go away easily, is it?

There's another loud knock on the door and I realize that someone has to do something. I don't think that door is going to open itself. I stand up quickly, using this moment as some sort of quick getaway. Thank fuck for that!

I open the door and find Mark on the other side next to a man from room service.

"Good morning, sunshine." He smiles at me and I try smile back, trying to get my confusion gone from my face.

"Morning Mark."

"I'm sorry I'm late, I overslept. I found this man in the hallway so I'm just in time for breakfast to start." He says and I nod.

I feel Christian's eyes on me and right now, it's making me really uncomfortable with the knowledge of what I just did. How stupid can I get?

"Well, let's start then." I say and open the door entirely to let both men in. Mark looks me up and down on more time and I see a confused look on his face before he steps passed me to get in the room followed by room service.

I let the man bring his cart to the dinner table while I go for my purse to give him a tip. I walk to the other side of the room and I really hope that Mark is my out right now. I know that Christian is having questions but there's a small part of me that is hoping that he won't ask them. Maybe he won't because I'm his boss. IT's horrible to think that way, but it would be a lot better. I made a fool out of myself.

I hear Mark and Christian talking, but I'm still feeling his eyes on me. Damn it! It makes me aware of my every move and I take the money from my purse and give it to the man as quickly as I can. Leave. In that way, I can sit down quickly instead of standing on display in the middle of the room.

"Enjoy your breakfast." He tells me with a smile and I nod while I'm already walking off to the door.

"Thank you." I say and give him the tip. He leaves the room and I close the door slowly. Fuck! I have to go to that table and do what? Pretend it didn't happen? I almost give a loud snort at that thought. Yeah, that will make it all go away.

I take a deep breath and turn to face what's coming my way. Hopefully it won't be that bad. Maybe he won't say anything.

I walk to the table and sit down in the same chair I was sitting before, next to Christian. Mark and Christian are talking about the brochures and laughing away. I look at the table and the brochures spread out on top of it. Those fucking brochures.

It takes me a moment to realize that both men have gone silent and are both watching me right now. What?

I look up and see their confused looks.

"What is it?" I ask them and Mark raises an eyebrow.

"Are you okay?" Marks asks me and I nod.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Shall we eat?" I ask them and I see that Mark isn't done questioning me. Before he can say anything, Christian cuts him off.

"Sounds good to me. I'm starved. Besides, we have a lot to go over before we have to go for that meeting. Shall we start right away?" He says and he starts to collect all the brochures from the table to make room.

Mark is still looking at me questionable, but thank god that he isn't saying anything.

"Okay." He says hesitantly and stands up to get the food on the table. I turn my look towards Christian. He looks at me for a moment, regarding me.

"Thank you." I nearly whisper to him and he smiles softly back. Guess my ass is safe for now. Maybe he will forget what I did? God, this trip is going to end up in disaster.

CHRISTIAN POV

I stand under the shower while contemplating what the hell happened today. It was a long day and I'm supposed to meet Ana and Mark in the restaurant in thirty minutes for dinner and my mind has been racing the entire day, that I'm feeling more tired than usual.

I have tried to keep my focus on work, keep my head in those meetings but fuck. If someone is going to ask me questions about what was talked about; fuck do I know. I will have to look at the notes tonight or tomorrow morning, because I really have no fucking clue about the details.

There were people trying to suck up with Ana, Mark and me, making a fool out of themselves. Then there were people who were reacting dramatic because they got fired. Guess what, that was why we were here and they knew it. Don't do you job right, get tossed.

I shake my head. Don't do your job right. Like me, today. God, my head was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. I tried to stay in the presence, but my mind kept wondering off to this morning at Ana's hotel room. I keep going back to figure out what happened, but damn it. I don't know.

I don't know what happened when we were alone in her room. I know what happened when I saw her bending forward to put her heels on; a fine view over her ass. Yeah, that was embarrassing. All I saw was long legs and her ass in a tight skirt. That's one way to start the morning.

My mind was picturing all kind of things that I could do with that, but realizing that i can't think like that about my boss made me look away and trying to distract myself with the things around me. I have never focused that hard on a blue vase as I did then. It was an ugly vase that looked like an urn. I fitted in that hotel room but I can't understand why people would buy it. That damn urn. Well, it helped a little so maybe I should be one of those buyers.

But what the fuck happened? We were sitting at the dining table, going over brochures. At least, I was. Ana seemed to be in her own world. Then she grabbed my hand. Or the brochure, I'm not sure what she was going for. It must have been that brochure, but why didn't she let go of my hand? What was she thinking about? She was completely zoned out and didn't reacted to anything anymore. I must have called her at least ten times.

She touched my face and looked worried, but again, no reaction whatsoever. What was going on with her? I'm not going to complain about her touching my hand or face, but she freaked me out with her silence. She seemed miles away and when I asked her what she was thinking about, she just stopped me from talking. She just kept looking at me with a worried and confused look. What did I do? Was she worried about me? I checked my face in the bathroom after breakfast, but I couldn't see anything on it. Yeah, I've got a stubble, because I was late this morning but that was it. I had one before so it can't be that.

I thought I was going to get an answer from her, but that damn Mark had to show up. If he could have been five minutes later, or not show up at all… Damn it! Guess I will never know now.

Mark started to question Ana about her silence and just like him, I really wanted to know that answer, but I stopped him. It just didn't felt right. I mean, I want to know the answer, but not with Mark there. For some reason, I didn't want Ana to talk about it in front of him. I just wish that she would talk to me.

I feel the warm water cascading my body and close my eyes. I think back to Ana's hand on my face, her thumb on my lips and her other hand holding mine. Having her that close. It felt close. Her eyes watching me, not saying a word.

I feel my arousal and curse out loud. Fuck! I have been feeling like that all day and there's not much I can do about it. I open my eyes and turn the water into cold. That should help. At least for now. I'm going to have dinner with Ana and Mark, my guess is that she won't be wearing a potato bag. Yeah, like it matter. She will figure out how to make that look good.

I feel the cold water and hold my breath. This must be the hundred cold shower I have to take in the last weeks.

I turn the water off and step out the shower quickly to get a towel. I really need to figure out a different way to deal with it. Well, I know one way, but that's unlikely to happen. Maybe I will get used to this way of showering. I hope not. I hope it stops at some point.

I towel myself dry and walk out of the bathroom. I look at the clock to see I'm running late. Fuck! Not again. I get dressed as quickly as I can and grab my watch, phone and wallet. Time to go.

I walk out of my room and put my watch on while walking towards the elevator when I hear someone laugh. Yeah, I can recognize that laugh at any given time; it's Ana's. I walk around the corner to see Ana and Mark standing at the elevators. They are laughing about something and I'm curious to know what it is about.

I take a moment to look at Ana. She is wearing a blue evening dress and I don't need to see her eyes to know that it's the same deep blue. I see high heels but I can't see the front of it. Her hair is in a bun, making her look even taller. I know she isn't much shorter than me in high heels like that and I don't need to see her face either to know that she won't be wearing much make up.

I walk up to them and make my presence known with a small cough. Mark turns around immediately with a huge smile on his face. Ana; not so much. I see her freeze for a moment before she turns around and smiles at me. Her smile is different. I can't pinpoint what's different, but it is.

"Christian! I was almost scared that you fell asleep after this boring day."

"Almost, but a man has to eat." I smile at him and let my eyes wonder to Ana. What is different here? She is smiling, but she hasn't said a thing yet.

"So true. I'm starved. They have an amazing menu here." Mark tells me excitedly and I nod. I'm sure they do.

The elevator has arrived and we all get in. I let Ana go first and regret it immediately. I mean, I know that it's a matter of manners, but fuck! Why a dress that tight? Is there some mercy? Somewhere?

The elevator doors close and I'm regretting getting in with Ana. We're locked in a small box and it makes me feel Ana's presence even more. She's standing next to me and I can see her fidgeting her hands and looking down at the floor. I feel aware of her every movement and I can see her chest expanding every time she takes a breath. Fuck! This is not helping either. I feel my own breathing becoming more erratic and I hold my breath.

I look down and realize that I made a big mistake with that. I can see every movement from Ana and as if it's automatically I let my eyes wonder to her. She shouldn't wear a dress like that. It fits her perfectly and you can see every curve. She shouldn't wear that. She just shouldn't.

I close my eyes for a second thinking of some sort of distraction, but it doesn't matter. I feel her standing next to me and I already get the images. Fuck! how much longer in this elevator? I look up to the elevator display and see the number of the floors passing by. Counting! I can do that.

Mark is standing in the corner of the elevator, looking at the display also. He seems lost inside his own world. He has looked a little lost since we got on the plane. He said that he and his ex-wife were having problems, but for his sake I hope it isn't that bad. I haven't seen him like this before. He's usually the center of attention, always ready with the jokes, but for the last two days he's been really quiet. Is that why Ana is so worried? Is that what's on her mind?

The elevator arrives and the doors open. I step out first, not taking any changes. There are limits to what a man can take. I think I reached mine for today. I stop and turn to see Mark wit han arm around Ana's shoulder, whispering something. What the hell? Let go of her! Why is he holding her? Since when did they become that close?

I take a step back and hear Ana talking softly to him while she's holding his arm. "It will be okay."

"Yeah, it will." He nods and let's go of her.

Good. No touching there anymore. I clench my fist while I'm trying to take a hold of my own emotions Why the hell was he holding her? What was that for?

Mark looks up and looks worried at me. Guess I'm not covering it very well. Fuck!

"Are you okay?" he asks me concerned and I nod.

"Fine." I answer sharper than I wanted too. Fuck Grey, get your shit together!

"Shall we go? I think we are all tired and hungry." Ana cuts in and Mark and I both nod and mumble our approvals.

"Well, gentlemen. Lead the way, because this woman is ready to eat a cow." Ana laughs and I shake my head.

"Normally, I would consider that a joke, but with you…." I tell her and she giggles.

"I know, no manners and a big mouth. I shove down everything that is considered food somewhere in this world."

"Wait." Mark cuts in and we both watch as he takes his phone from his pockets and looks at his display. "I need to take this. Sorry. Why don't you to go ahead, I will be there soon." He tells us and without waiting for an answer, he walks away.

"So, I guess you're my escort for now." Ana smiles at me and takes my arm.

"I guess I am. This way my lady." That's better.

We walk in the dining room and I feel a lot of eyes on me. Taking a quick look around, it's safe to say that the majority of the people in here are taking a look at us. Yeah, keep looking fuckers.

"Steele." I hear Ana say to the hostess, but I'm not paying any attention to her. I could care less about the hostess.

"This way, please." The woman tells Ana and I feel her pulling my arm. I look down and see her small hand around my arm and she's squeezing her hand around it, like she could actually move me around. I start to laugh and look up in a pouting face from Ana.

"Is that supposed to make me move?" I ask her and she smiles.

"Well, it got your attention, didn't it? Now, come on big guy before I turn into a cannibal. "

We walk after the hostess and are led to a table in the corner with three chairs. It looks nice. Fancy and expensive but it has a warm touch to it. It looks tasteful.

I take the chair for Ana to sit down and take my own seat. I take another look around and see that there are several people in here who are still watching us.

"Would you like something to drink?" A waiter asks us while he looks at Ana. I see his eyes looking at her cleavage. What the fuck asshole! She's not alone here so fuck off!

"I would like a glass of Chardonnay, please." Ana answers him first, ignoring his stare and looking at me. Good.

"I'll have one too." I tell him while I glare at him. He doesn't respond to it and gives another look at Ana before he walks off. What the hell…

And now it's just Ana and me. There's a silence between us, but it doesn't feel as uncomfortable as it did this morning. Honestly, I doubt if it was really uncomfortable. I'm not sure anymore.

"So…. " Ana starts, cutting through the silence. "Have you seen the découverte that we will get served tonight?" she asks me while looking around the restaurant.

"No, I haven't." I tell her and frown. I hadn't looked in to any of that.

"Ohh, so you're going with the surprise." She smiles at me and I smile back,

"Yeah. I guess I am."

"Don't worry. It's really good. We're going to start with lobster."

"Sounds good." I answer while thinking back to the last time I had lobster. I'm not sure but I think that it was with Damian. He took me to some small seafood restaurant for my birthday. Yeah, that damn Damian that isn't here.

"You must eat at places like this a lot." I ask Ana and she shakes her head.

"Not really. I prefer home cooking meals at any given day." She answers while contemplating something. "I don't go out that much." She says and sounding distant as if she's gone in her own world again.

"Not what you expected, is it?" she smiles and I shake my head.

"A little, nut for a woman owning so many restaurants and hotels I thought that you would go out regularly."

"I know." She sighs and frowns. "To tell you the truth, I haven't been in half of the places that I own. Guess I'm more of a loner too, just don't tell anyone that."

"I won't." I tell her honestly, but it's hard to believe that she's a loner. I can't see her as one. She got plenty of friends to hang out with and she has her family too. I'm sure that they will take her to places. I know I would.

Before I can give it anymore thoughts I see Mark walking up to our table. He looks upset. Hell, it looks like he's crying. Is he crying? What the hell!

"Mark? What's wrong?" Ana asks him concerned as soon as he reaches our table.

"I'm sorry. I'm… I'm." he starts and I can see that he's at a loss for words.

"Sit down for a moment." Ana tells him and as soon as he sits down it's Ana leaning over and grabbing his hand.

It's clear that Mark is really upset here, but I can't help but feeling disturbed by the hand holding. Does she have to do that?

"Take a deep breath, Mark" Ana tells him gently and Mark shakes his head slowly and whips a tear away. What the hell happened?

I look up and see that dickhead waiter walking up behind Mark with our drinks. I glare at him and wave him off. He takes a few extra steps and looks over the three of us, before he gets the hint and leaves. Good boy. If he could only stay away…

I look at Ana's hand holding Mark's and I start to feel guilty. Mark is still trying to get himself under control enough to explain what's happening and all I can see right now is that. Ana holding his hand. What the hell is wrong with me? I shouldn't react like that, but it's frustrating to see her caressing his hand like that. Fuck! I'm a horrible person.

I take a deep breath and try to focus on Mark. There must be something horribly wrong because he was fine only minutes ago.

"Mark?" Ana asks him and he looks up at her, his eyes full with tears.

"My daughter…. She had an accident…. And she… she's….." he starts and has to stop for a moment. "She's in the hospital… in surgery." He finishes and I feel even more horrible about myself.

"Is she going to be alright?" Ana asks him softly and he shakes his head.

"I don't know. I need to go back. I need to be there. I…I… Oh God." He says and wipes away more tears.

"I'll take care of it, don't worry." Ana tells him and stands up to give him a hug.

I watch everything in front of me like I'm not even there. I don't know what to do right now. I don't even know what to say. Am I supposed to do the same as Ana? Fuck! I can't hug him. I can't.

"I will arrange everything, Mark. I will make the calls to get you back in the states as soon as possible, okay?" she says and Mark nods.

Ana stands up and turns to me. "I'll be right back."

"Yeah, okay." I answer a little disorientated and Ana grabs her clutch and walks away. No, don't leave.

I look at Mark. He's sitting slumped in his chair, his head bowed down and his eyes are closet. I know I need to say or do something here, but what? I feel a little lost right now and to say that it's uncomfortable would be an understatement. Fuck Grey, think! I can do this.

"Uhm…" I start while searching for words. Maybe I should copy what Ana did. I could try… Oh fuck, I'm out of my debts here. What to do?

I lean forward and put my hand on his arm. Mark looks up at me and I see the pain in his eyes.

"I'm sorry." I tell him softly and he gives a weak smile.

He sighs and nods his head. "Yeah."

"Uhm… Do you know what happened?" I ask him and he frowns.

"No. All I know is that she had an accident. She wouldn't tell me." He answers and the tears start to come again.

She? Who's she?

"You mean your ex-wife?" I ask him and he nods.

"She's having her birthday next month. She was planning a party for friends. Ana told her that she could use her garden for it, her mom's against it so….I have an apartment with only a balcony… So I was helping her and…. And we're supposed to go dress shopping next week." He starts, but can't finish it.

"I'm sure she will be okay."

He nods his head. "Thank you." And he looks up at me. "Guess you'll have to run the ship now." He smiles weakly and I smile softly back.

"Don't worry about work. Just take care of your daughter." I tell him and see Ana coming back to our table. Thank god!

"Everything is arranged. You can fly back tonight." She tells him while holding his shoulder. "There's a driver picking you up in thirty minutes to take you to the airport, okay?" sha sks and he nods.

"Yeah, I uhm… I better start packing then. I'm sorry, it's…."

"It's okay." Ana cuts him off. "Do you need help packing? Or help with anything else?" she asks him and I look at her face. I can see the concern for him written all over it and I know that she means it, but I can't help but feeling a little jealous about it. She's taking care of him. I know it's like it should be, but damn it. Fuck! I feel my temper rising although I'm not sure why. Is it about Ana caring? Is it for myself for feeling these things? God, how selfish can I be?

"No, I can manage. Thanks elf." He tells her while standing up and giving her a hug. He then turns to me and offers his hand.

"I will see you both next week." He sighs and without waiting for a reply, he walks off.

Ana and I both watch him walk off. His head bowed and his shoulders slumped. When he's out of sight I turn and look at Ana. She's looking just as lost.

I grab her shoulder and squeeze it a little. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's just… I hope she will be alright." She tells me and I look into her worried eyes.

"I'm sure she will."

Ana nods her head and takes a deep breath before sitting down. Just as Mark, she's sitting a little slumped in her chair and stares at the table cloth. Her facial expression etched with worry and she seems to be miles away.

I put my hand on her arm and she looks up at me. "We don't have to eat here if you don't want too." I tell her softly and she shakes her head.

"No, it's fine." She answers and I raise my eyebrow. That didn't sound fine.

Before I can say anything about it, she's already sitting up straighter and smiles softly. "Really, it's fine. It's just…. I can't imagine how he feels right now. His daughter is hurt and he's stuck on a different continent. There's nothing he can do but wait. It's horrible."

I nod and see that damn waiter walking up to our table with our drinks again. He gives me my wine and walks around the table to give Ana hers. He stands next to her and making no effort in hiding his intentions; he's staring at her cleavage while Ana tastes her wine. Is he fucking kidding me?

I clear my throat and glare at him. Fuck off!

He looks up at me and gives me a smug look. Fucking asshole! Who does he think he is?

"It's fine." I hear Ana say and she puts her glass on the table.

"And your third guest, will he arrive shortly?" he asks Ana, completely ignoring me.

"No, he won't. It will be just the two of us." I nearly growl at him. Take the fucking hint and fuck off.

"Very well. I will have someone taking the third plating away." He answers to Ana, still ignoring me.

When Ana doesn't respond, he finally walks off. I look at Ana and just like before she's staring at the table cloth and lost in her own world. What I would give to know about that world. To know what's going on in there.

Just like before, I put my hand on her arm and she looks up and smiles softly. "I'm sorry. I'm in the here and now again. I promise."

"It's okay."

"It's weird isn't it?"

"What is?"

"How fragile life really is. I mean, you never really think about it. It could all be over for you know it. I don't know. It makes you wonder. Rethink things."

"Yeah, I know." Life can change in a wink of the eye. I learned my lesson in that a long time ago. I just hope that Ana doesn't have too.

"I hope that everything turns out okay."

"Yeah, maybe it's not as bad as it sounded." I tell her while contemplating my own words. I really hope it's not that bad. Mark has been a great guy to me. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't be sitting here. He's the one that hired me in the first place.

While thinking it through I realize that there was something weird that Mark has said.

"Why didn't she tell him?"

"What?" Ana asks and I frown. Did I asked that out loud? God, I need to pay more attention.

"Well, Mark said that his daughter had an accident, but that he didn't know how because his ex-wife wouldn't tell him." I tell her and Ana looks confused.

"That's weird."

"Exactly. I mean, if she had been in a car accident, wouldn't you say that?"

"Maybe she was too upset? Or panicked?" Ana answers and I try to think it through.

"It's possible, I guess. But I still think it's weird." It just doesn't make any sense. Why wouldn't she tell him?

"Yeah, well… We will know when we get back. Maybe it's just something minor." Ana tells me and I nod. Yeah, I guess there's no point in asking questions if you can't get answers. Mark isn't here and even so, he didn't knew anything either.

"So… Just you and me, huh?" Ana says in a mocking tone and raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah, just you and me now." I say and lean back and take my glass of wine.

Yeah, just the two of us now. This is not how I thought this trip would go. I feel really bad for Mark and I hope that everything turns out alright for him, but honestly; I can't say that I mind the side effects. Maybe, if Ana has a few glasses of wine under her belt, I can ask her about this morning. I know that she will loosen up after a glass of two or three and she's more likely to talk to me about personal things.

I take a sip of my drink while I'm trying to figure out how I can ask her about it. Maybe a glass or two for myself wouldn't hurt either. I watch Ana playing with her glass and taking a big sip.

"This taste really good." She smiles at me and takes another big sip, almost emptying her entire glass and leaning back in her chair. That's almost one glass. Only two more to go.

So, Ana zoned out during breakfast and it was a chaotic mindset she was in. It would have been easier if I could have just put a visual in it instead of writing it out, wasn't it? She had a long flight the day before, was lacking sleep, mind all over the place and she went in her own world, freaking the hell out of Christian, who had no idea of what was going on while she was examining him as if he was some sort of mannequin or ragdoll. Nice going Ana, huh? I hope it didn't read as chaotic and scrambled as how it was in my own mind.

Next: they're not all in the same hotel. Mark has left the scene and the other guys are leaving too, just one more day….And there's an evil Christian who most likely is holding a bottle of wine hidden under his seat so that male waiter won't come back…. Oh oh

Although, would that really be necessary? Yes, this story won't have quick plot lines or two people profession there love in a few days after meeting, nor will there be a marriage or children coming around the corner anytime soon. This is my interpetation and how I want things to go. That was something I made clear chapters ago, but about the story: they are slowly breaking boundaries and getting more and more comfortable with each other, letting down there guards. I think it's clear that the lines were already crossed when Ana started to lie against Mark chapters ago.

As for Ana's dream on the plane: I only touched it lightly in Ana's POV because I wouldn't do a wet dream anymore. Maybe down the line again buy not anytime soon. The next time there's written about sex, it will be real.

Next chapter could take a little longer, because I'm stuck in a lot of research. I have been to Paris, but that was a long time ago (and as a student) so I need more that the vague memories from my head.

Hope you liked it :-)