A/N: Bit of a filler.
"Anastasia...this is Sawyer. He'll be your bodyguard." Christian announced when she appeared from their bedroom the next morning, dressed for work.
"Um..hello." Anastasia nodded toward the handsome brunette with blue eyes.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Steele." Sawyer nodded back at her. "I'll be taking you to work this morning."
Anastasia's eyes widened. "I need to speak with Mr. Grey for a moment...will you excuse us?" She pulled Christian back into the bedroom.
"I don't want him to take me to work!" Anastasia's eyes were almost bugging out of her head.
"Relax, Ana. You have nothing to worry about. Luke Sawyer is gay." Christian assured her.
A small smile appeared on her face. "Really?"
"Yes. We did a thorough background check on Sawyer. He was honorably discharged from the military, has a clean record, and has been married to his husband for one year. Taylor trusts him. I trust him. You are safe." Christian held her face between his hands.
"Why does he have to take me? It's kind of embarrassing."
Christian chuckled. "I'm paying him a lot of money to keep you safe, Ana. Plus...your car is totaled."
Anastasia winced as she remembered. "Right. I need to do something about that..." She sighed. "I still don't know why we're not calling the police and reporting Leila."
"Anastasia...we talked about this. You know how private I am. The last thing we need is someone snooping into my background. I can keep you just as safe...safer than the police. What if Leila finds out they are looking for her? What if she goes off the deep end and comes looking? Leila is not in a good place right now. She isn't herself. They would just throw her away instead of getting her the help she needs. She needs to be committed and get psychological help."
Anastasia looked at him, her stomach churning. She hated the fact that he was so gung-ho about where Leila ended up. She didn't like that he cared so much for her...even though it was a very lovely thing to do. She didn't want him caring that much about any other woman. Especially when the woman went and completely totaled everything she had. Ever since Christian declared he was courting Anastasia, it had been nothing but a shit storm and she wondered if it would always be that way.
"Ugh...fine, whatever." Anastasia was too annoyed to go any further. Plus they both had to be at work soon.
Christian sighed. "Are you ready? We'll go down to the garage together." He took her hand and escorted her back into the main room.
"Taylor...Sawyer...let's go." Christian announced.
Anastasia grabbed her handbag off the counter in the kitchen and said goodbye to Mrs. Jones before climbing in the elevator with the three men.
Christian smiled warmly at Anastasia. "You like Gail."
Anastasia grinned. "I love her. She's just lovely." She caught Taylor's eye and saw that he was grinning. "It's so nice having a woman around when there's so much testosterone being thrown around. She's the real reason why I stayed." She teased.
Christian's eyebrow cocked. "I'll have to make sure she stays then, Miss Steele. Maybe she needs a raise."
Her eyes lit up. "Yes! That would be a wonderful idea! Don't forget Taylor's, now." She added, making Christian chuckle.
As they exited the elevator and walked into the garage, Anastasia saw a new car sitting in the R8's spot with a large gray bow on it. It was a brand new, red Audi TTS coupe.
"Another new car, Christian?" Anastasia questioned, shaking her head.
"Not for me." He said coming up behind her and holding out the key in front of her.
She gasped. "CHRISTIAN!" She squealed and turned around and squeezed him around the waist, making him laugh. "Really?" She pulled back enough to look at him.
"She's all yours." He nodded, opening his hand and offering her the keys.
She grabbed them and held them to her chest, looking at the car. "Christian! It's just beautiful! Oh, I can't wait to drive it!"
She unlocked it and it made a beeping sound, making her raise her shoulders with excitement. "I love that sound!"
She hopped in the driver's seat to check out the interior and Christian climbed into the passengers side to show her how everything worked.
"Oh Christian! This is just a dream! You've outdone yourself! Thank you so much." She leaned over the center console and gave him a sweet kiss.
"You are very welcome, baby."
"Can I take it today?" She asked, hopeful.
He looked uncertain. "Sawyer was going to drive you in the Lincoln."
She pouted. "Please? I want to drive."
He sighed. "Okay, fine. Be careful! Sawyer will tell me if you aren't."
Anastasia grinned. "I will! Thank you, Christian! Can we go now?"
Christian laughed. "Eager to get rid of me?"
"You're more than welcome to be my passenger, Christian."
He snorted. "No, thank you. I think I'll leave the driving to Taylor."
"Don't trust me?" Anastasia asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"I don't trust anyone's driving except my own and Taylor's." Christian answered.
Anastasia rolled her eyes. "Out, Mr. Grey! Tell Sawyer to hurry up."
He growled and pulled her face close to his, kissing her roughly. "Manners, Miss Steele!"
She grinned. "Oh, yes...speaking of manners...I'll need to thank you properly for this lovely gift. I think a Christian exclusive might be in order. You'd be lovely for dessert tonight."
Christian groaned. "It's going to be a long day." He complained, caressing her cheek with the back of his fingers.
XxXxXx
When Anastasia reached the parking garage across the street from SIP, she realized her cheeks were hurting from smiling too hard.
She looked over to Sawyer who looked at her expectantly.
"So...um...how does this whole thing work?" She asked.
"Miss Steele, I am your bodyguard. I go where you go." Sawyer told her.
"Including my office?" She wasn't sure if she was that thrilled with having someone in her personal space all day long.
"No, I'll stand guard in the hall, check the doors, walk the perimeter, and keep an eye on your car. I've got hourly rounds that Mr. Grey and Taylor outlined for me." Sawyer explained.
Anastasia's eyes widened. "Wow...and I thought being a security guard was boring." She shook her head. "Well...let's go!" She was not looking forward to the looks she was going to get from her colleagues.
He escorted her across the street and into the building, looking around as he went. It made Anastasia extremely paranoid and she found herself looking around even though she didn't know what to look for.
"Hello, Ana!" Olivia called from the front desk.
"Good morning, Olivia! This is Sawyer. Mr. Grey has hired him...he'll be hanging around for...awhile. If he gets thirsty or hungry, would you mind grabbing him something?" Anastasia asked, trying not to blush.
"Absolutely! Nice to meet you Sawyer. What do you do?" Olivia offered her hand and he shook it.
"I am Miss Steele's bodyguard. I'll be doing rounds every hour and making sure she stays safe." Sawyer answered, making Anastasia wince.
"Bodyguard? Ana...are you okay?" Olivia's eyes widened.
"Oh, yes! Everything is fine! Just a bit of a precaution is all. Sawyer...would you like a coffee? Olivia...I'd like my tea now." Anastasia answered.
When Sawyer denied the coffee, Olivia hurried off to the lunch room and Anastasia continued to her office.
XxXxXx
Anastasia quickly became annoyed by Sawyer's presence. When she had her door shut and he did his rounds, he was constantly opening it to make sure she was okay. She finally just gave up and left it wide open even though it made it harder for her to concentrate on her work while the others were constantly walking around talking, phones were going off, and Elizabeth's loud voice came from the office next door...even when she had the door closed.
"Sawyer?" Anastasia asked, as she watched him stand in front of her open door, his back to her. "Would you like some lunch? I'm about to order some."
He turned and looked at her. She could see the gears turning in his head; he wasn't sure if he was allowed to take a lunch break or not.
"Sawyer...I am sure that Mr. Grey would not like you skipping meals while you are trying to do your job. He'd want you to keep a clear head. Now...I am ordering Jimmy Johns. What would you like?" Anastasia asked, making the decision for him.
When Jimmy Johns came, Anastasia made Sawyer take a break and eat at her desk with her. She got to know a little more about him and it made her feel more comfortable. They were halfway done with their meal when Anastasia looked up and saw Christian at the doorway.
She grinned at him. "Good afternoon, Mr. Grey! How may I help you?"
His eyebrow raised in question.
"Sawyer was going to go the whole day without eating! Can you believe it? I told him that you would never want him to go that long without eating while he was trying to do his job. He can't have a clear head if he doesn't have nourishment." Anastasia knew he couldn't fight this.
Christian nodded. "Understood, Miss Steele. I want Sawyer at his best one-hundred percent of the time."
She stood up to kiss him, but then realized she wasn't sure if she should in the business setting. Seeing her predicament, Christian stepped in and closed the door and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply. "I just wanted to make sure you and Sawyer were doing alright your first day. I made a meeting with Mrs. Morgan while I'm here."
Anastasia smiled. "Sawyer's been great. Thank you for checking up on us." She said, even though she was a little annoyed.
Luckily, Christian didn't catch her annoyance and kissed her again. "I'll be in Elizabeth's office if you need me."
XxXxXx
Anastasia was in the lobby speaking with Olivia when Christian emerged from Elizabeth's office.
"Hello, Mr. Grey!" Olivia nodded, making Anastasia turn around.
"Hello, ladies. I'm heading out."
"Have a great day, Mr. Grey." Anastasia answered.
He cocked an eyebrow at Anastasia. "You too, Miss Steele."
She licked her lips subconsciously and nodded. She saw his eyes darken and his jaw clench.
"Mr. Grey?" Anastasia asked, confused.
He took two long strides toward her, grabbed her face and kissed her. Anastasia tensed as his lips hit hers, but as she felt the electricity flow through her lips and down to her core, she relaxed and melted into him. She felt her legs start to shake and he grabbed her around the waist and held her to him as he slipped his tongue into her mouth before slowly ending the kiss, kissing her softly twice more before looking down at her.
She felt breathless and lightheaded. He hadn't kissed her like that in awhile. "Breathe, Anastasia." He whispered, smiling at her. "I'm going to let go now." He added.
She blinked a few times and then nodded, coming to her senses. She realized where they were and jerked back to reality, clearing her throat and straightening her gray skirt and blouse.
"Laters, baby." He said quietly, winking and turning to leave the building.
Olivia and Elizabeth stood there with their mouths open. Benjamin had the decency to turn around and pretend to be busy.
Anastasia cleared her throat again. "Olivia...I'll be in my office." She rubbed the back of her neck and hurried off to her office, getting looks from random people as she went.
*Mr. Grey! That was very unprofessional!* Anastasia texted him, embarrassed.
*I own the company Anastasia. I'll do as I please.*
*Not with me you won't! I have to work with these people!*
*I'm sorry, baby. I can't keep my hands off of you. It was only meant to be small, but when I noticed everyone watching, I figured I'd make a show out of it.*
"Miss Steele!"
Anastasia jumped in her seat and looked up to see Elizabeth standing inside her door.
"Yes, Elizabeth? What can I do for you?"
"What you can do is keep your personal life separate from work! I will not allow you to conduct yourself in an undignified manner! This is a place of work, not your bedroom! I will not hesitate writing you up and firing you...I don't care who your boyfriend is! I also don't appreciate you sending him down here to have a "meeting" with me to audit me. I am doing nothing wrong and I won't stand by while you try to take my job!" Elizabeth looked murderous.
"Elizabeth...I assure you that, that little incident in the main foyer will not happen again. I'm not happy about it myself. I want you to understand that I had no idea that Mr. Grey was even coming today. He did not mention your meeting until he got here. I am not pushing for your job and to be honest, I don't want it. I have enough on my plate without added stress. It is not unheard of for a new owner to perform audits on all employees; it is actually quite smart to do so. I think you do a wonderful job and if Mr. Grey asked my opinion... I would tell him that. I am sorry that you are feeling insecure and threatened right now, but attacking me because of my relationship is just as unprofessional as the show Mr. Grey put on out in the foyer. If you want us to keep our relationship out of work, then I need you to do the same. I do not want to hear you say another word about us or treat me cruely because of it, again. If you do, we will have a problem. Do you understand?" Anastasia asked, keeping eye contact.
Elizabeth seemed to relax her shoulders a little. "Anastasia...I apologize. I was feeling threatened and it was unprofessional of me to act the way I did."
Anastasia gave a nod.
XxXxXx
Sawyer showed up at Anastasia's door, looking worried.
"Sawyer? What is it?" Anastasia frowned.
"Someone leaked that you needed a bodyguard to the press. They are starting to swarm. I left through the back and snuck around to look through the crowd...I didn't see her, Miss Steele. I think we should go before the group gets bigger. Mr. Grey requests you home, now." Sawyer explained from the doorway.
Her heartrate quickened. She hated the press. Last time it lasted a whole week. She took a deep, cleansing breath and grabbed her handbag and her keys. She handed her keys to Sawyer; she hated driving while she was so worked up.
"I'll go ahead, you stay close behind me. I'll block you." Sawyer said, straightening his suit.
Anastasia nodded, and reminded herself to take deep, slow breaths.
He opened the door and she followed him out, hearing the people before seeing them. She grabbed on to the back of his jacket with both hands and kept herself close. She could feel her knees shaking as they slowly made their way through the crowd. His arm moved behind him and held her to him, making sure she stayed put, as he started to move faster through the crowd, forcing them through.
"Are you okay, Miss Steele?" Sawyer asked once they were in the car.
She laughed and rubbed her face. "Me? Are you okay?"
He smiled and started the car. "It's my job, Miss Steele."
When they pulled into the garage of Escala, Taylor and Christian were both waiting for them. Christian hurried over to her door and opened it for her
"Are you okay, Ana?" Christian looked half panicked.
She laughed. "I am fine. Sawyer took the brunt of it." Anastasia felt much more calm now that the shock wore off. She decided that she would never read a tabloid again.
A small smile tugged at the corner of Christian's lips. "You find this humorous?"
"It's laughable! They don't have better things to do than follow a girl they've never heard of before?" Anastasia leaned up and kissed him. "Hello, by the way."
XxXxXx
"They're saying that you hired a bodyguard as protection against me." Christian frowned, staring at his computer. Anastasia came around his desk and sat in his lap to look.
There was a picture of Sawyer and her leaving SIP, Anastasia pressed up against his back and his arm around her behind him.
She scanned through the article and snorted. "How can I be cheating on you with Sawyer if we're no longer together?" She shook her head. "Ridiculous."
Christian sighed and rested his chin against her shoulder. "This is why I am so private. Your world has been turned upside down and it's all my fault."
Anastasia turned in his lap, forcing him to lift his head, and looked up at him. "Their opinion doesn't matter Christian."
He frowned. "What if you get sick of it and leave?"
Anastasia wrapped her arms around his neck, her hands slipping into his copper hair. "Oh, baby…you are worth all of this. I won't leave you because of some shitty reporter who doesn't have anything better to do than make up ridiculous stories about people they don't know. You are the love of my life Christian. I'm not stupid enough to let that go." She kissed him softly and felt him grin against her lips.
"I love you, Ana."
"Love you, too." Anastasia smiled at him and jumped up, hurrying around his desk to close his door.
His eyebrow rose.
"I believe I owe you a Christian excusive." She mentioned, kneeling down in front of him.
His eyes widened, before he grinned.
She reached up and worked quickly on his belt and popped open the button on his gray pants. She slowly lowered the zipper, the sound seeming rather loud in the quiet office. She giggled and shook her head.
"I was just wondering if Taylor could hear that. I feel like we're teenagers trying to sneak around behind his back." Anastasia said quietly, making Christian chuckle.
She gripped his hips and yanked, making his hips slide down a little. She then slipped her fingers into his waist band and he raised his hips, allowing her to pull his pants and boxer-briefs down enough to free his erection. She hummed as she watched it spring free.
He grinned. "Glad you like what you see."
"Oh, I love what I see, Mr. Grey. I love the taste even better." Anastasia mentioned, leaning over and taking him in, making him hiss and lean back in his chair.
She took her time, enjoying the fact that she could treat him, when usually, it was the other way around. She loved the moans and groans that she could elicit from him, loved the way his hands gripped the leather armrests as he tried not to flex his hips into her.
She began to hum a tune while she looked up at him, and his head fell back against his headrest, his mouth open in an 'O' shape. God, he was sexy. She slipped him in to his hilt, sucking hard, and he poured inside of her, moaning her name while his hips flexed.
There was a light knock and the door swung open. "Mr. Grey…"
Their heads snapped toward the door and Taylor quickly stepped back, shutting the door behind him.
Anastasia felt herself redden from her head to her toes and she hid her face in his thigh.
"Thank God he waited til after I came." Christian grinned.
"Christian!" Anastasia scowled up at him.
He laughed. "What? It would have been a complete mood ruiner."
She stood and turned to huff away, but he quickly grabbed her and pulled her into his lap, holding her to him.
"Relax." He whispered into her ear. "He's not stupid, Ana. He knows what adults do. Gail probably does the same."
Anastasia scrunched her nose. "You can stop talking now. You aren't making this better."
He chuckled and kissed her neck, causing her to shiver. "Hmm…" He grinned. "Let me try that again." He continued up her neck and she tilted her head so he could continue. He kissed up her jaw and she turned her head so he could reach her lips.
"I love the way you react to me." Christian said, kissing her once more.
She smiled. "Me too. You're so sexy when I treat you." She licked her lips at the thought.