Ana

God, how completely and utterly embarrassing that I came here. I don't know what the hell I was thinking, and I definitely don't know what it is about this deranged man that I just can't seem to keep away from. I make a feeble attempt at arranging my ponytail into something neater where I sit on one of the sofas. They're so white and expensive that I'm actually scared to sit in them; what if I have a stain on my jeans? Since there are two bathrooms in the suite, Amber and Christian have both disappeared to shower while breakfast is on its way up. Sitting here waiting makes me feel even more stupid. Christian is back first, dressed in a white soft shirt and grey slacks that hang in that way. He looks… Sparkling. All damp darkish hair with a copper glimmer, white teeth and stubble. He hasn't shaved, and the thought of running my fingers across his cheek makes something tingle inside me. Before either of us says anything, there's a knock on the door. Christian smirks at me and goes to open. We stand looking at each other while the table is being set up with all kinds of different breakfast foods, like the time I went to his apartment. Christian tips the room service and sharply turns to pick up his Blackberry that has started ringing.

"Yes" He snaps into it. Is he always that rude on the phone? "How is she?" He then mutters quietly. "Fucking Christ. Keep me posted John. Thanks"

He shuts his phone and again we're interrupted before we can speak, this time by Amber coming into the room. She looks so effortlessly well put together the way only wealthy people can in her dark gray cotton dress with off-white polka dots, off-white leggings and angora shrug with gray converse on her feet. I wonder if she always wears dresses; I've never seen her in anything else. She's putting her hair up in a ponytail as she walks towards the table.

"Sit down, Ana" Christian says and holds out a chair for me, at the end of the table. I sit down.

Christian then does the same for Amber but reaches for a cushion on the sofa which he slips on the chair before she sits down. Amber gives him a look I can't quite interpret and Christian squeezes her shoulder before sitting down on the chair on the other end. I try not to stare and start filling my plate instead, even though I'm not at all hungry. Why would Christian put a cushion on Amber's chair? A thought springs into my head and it makes me cringe. Maybe he spanked her. If he'd want to punish me that way for rolling my eyes I'm sure there are many things that a teenager could do to agitate such a man. Good god, maybe he is a pervert. No, he isn't. The voice in my head is clear and strong. I know Christian is a good person. Why I know is a different matter though.

"Please Anastasia, eat." Christian looks at me disapprovingly. Both he and Amber are halfway through their mushroom omelets. "We'll need to get going soon."

"What exciting plans did you have for the day that I get to be a part of?" I ask them both and Amber smiles at me while Christian just snorts, probably annoyed that I led the conversation away from my lack of appetite.

"Do you like surprises?" Amber surprises me by asking.

"Good surprises maybe" I glance at Christian, who is smirking.

"Let's not tell." Amber declares and looks at Christian, who agrees.

"Let's not." His voice is soft and when Amber gets back to her food I see him watching her. The look on his face is quite touching; there is so much fondness in his eyes. It's so obvious that he loves his daughter very much. But he also looks sad somehow and I wonder why that is. So many things I'd like to know about this man.

I just hope he'll give me a chance to.

…

Christian

It is such a joy to see Amber have some fun for the first time in so long, I almost forget about Leila's stunt last night. And of course, I have the delightful little Miss Steele to distract me as well. I'm still annoyed that for the second time I'm trying to spend quality time with my daughter she manages to come in between. It's not her fault, I know. And as long as Amber doesn't mind, I suppose there isn't really a problem. After gliding, something both girls seemed to enjoy immensely, I got Taylor to drive us into town so Amber could go to a hairdresser. Earlier today the wind blew that damn fringe straight into her eye, turning it red within seconds. She didn't seem to mind the idea when I told her I had had Taylor book her a haircut. And while she's the salon getting pampered I get to sit at the café across the street and enjoy Anastasia Steele. She seems more nervous than usual though and I want to know why.

"Something on your mind, Anastasia?" I ask her, sounding snappier than I intended, as I come back with her tea and my coffee.

"A lot of things, thanks for asking." She retorts. Ooh, careful with that sarcasm.

"Tell me" I demand.

"You're a great father"

I nearly spit out my coffee as it was the last thing I expected to hear.

"Uhm…" I'm lost for words, that doesn't happen often. "Thank you. I'm not sure I deserve it but anyway."

"She seems to love you very much, and anyone can see that you adore her." Ana smiles a little.

"Really?" I can feel the smirk spreading on my face. Smug much, Grey? "Well, I think my daughter is quite easy to love, even if she has a knack for getting herself into trouble."

Ana suddenly gives me an odd look.

"What?" I ask her and take another sip of my coffee. She stirs her tea with her spoon, even if there's no milk or sugar to actually stir. Then she looks up at me again.

"Was Amber a lot of work as a child?" She wants to know for some reason.

"Not really." I mutter and tense, feeling that we've gotten into too private territory. "I only had her with me on weekends and some holidays until my father passed away. She was fine mostly, but children are children, they're bound to screw up sometimes."

Ana keeps looking at me.

"Have you ever spanked her when she has?"

Why the fuck does she want to know that? I should refuse to answer such a thing but I still say in a tight voice.

"Yes."

"Recently?"

"No." I get sick of this. "Why do you want to know these things, Anastasia?"

She blushes.

"I just noticed that you put a cushion on Amber's chair this morning."

I can't help but letting out a laugh.

"Nothing gets past you, Miss Steele." Then I turn serious. "It's not my place to tell what happened. Amber will if she wants to."

I can see the curiosity dancing over her pretty face but since Amber wouldn't even let me tell her own grandmother what had happened I won't tell someone she barely knows. Anastasia doesn't ask anything else.

"I have only punished Amber that way once." I tell Anastasia and I don't know why I share this information. "She scared me to fucking death. She was five years old, and went on the balcony in spite of the fact that she wasn't allowed to on her own. My darling daughter then climbed up on the railing and started tight rope walking. She wanted to become a circus artist" I clarify "I got to her just before she fell."

"Oh my god." Anastasia mumbles. "That must have been horrible."

"It was not a good day for either of us." I sigh. "Apparently I scared her too, I never knew until recently but my father had to talk her out of hiding every time I was to pick her up for quite some time after."

"I'm sorry"

Anastasia says and I shrug.

"We've had our moments too."

I come to think of something and pull my wallet from my inner pocket. I take out the one picture I carry inside and show it to Ana. The smile that spreads across her face is adorable.

"That's a nice picture" She says, gazing down at the small photograph with a trace of a smile on her lips.

"I know" I tell her since there's nothing else to say; it is a 'nice' picture. I move closer to her and enjoy her tensing as my shoulder touches hers. I look down on the photo myself, it's been a while since I looked at it. It was taken when Amber was two years old, on Christmas day at my parents' house. Up until then Amber hadn't quite understood who I was to her. She knew that I was her father because she had been so told and called me daddy but for all intents and purposes her grandparents were her parents. The people who put her to bed every night and gave her food; the people she accepted hugs and kisses from. The only truly terrible thing about her terrible twos was that she would hit or bite most people who showed her physical affection, with an exception of her grandparents and sometimes my sister. I was obviously fine with this but I believe I was the only one. Mia for one was absolutely devastated. My mother was worried that the baby girl might be a tad too much like me. However, I've always thought it had to do with Amber's need for independence and freedom combined with her hatred for feeling helpless. When she was two she had been walking for over a year but was so small that all the big adults could easily randomly pick her up and hold her. She hated that, when she wanted to be carried or held she let someone know and that was the only time she wanted to be carried or hold. Someone picking her up or hugging her without permission would suffer for it through angry little hands pushing and hitting and tiny little teeth biting the hands restraining her. Resulting in corner time and I believe once after a particular hard bite even a swat on her bottom from my father. The funny thing was that after being disciplined she'd always go to the person she had hit or bitten and wrap her arms around their legs, quickly pull away before they could hug back and then look up at them with a small "I'm sowwy". That melted everyone's' heart, including mine that I never thought I had. The picture I have in my wallet is one of that Christmas day, in the evening after Amber had been put in her pajamas and was taken downstairs to say good night to the adults. I had been extremely tired that Christmas, working my ass of more than usual and feeling quite bad about having hurt one of my subs while suspending her from my playroom ceiling. Amber must have picked up on that and wanted to console me because she toggled across the room on her little feet to where I was sitting in an armchair. Then she climbed up on my lap, put her arms as far around me as they would go and laid her head against my chest. I had only ever seen her do that with my parents. Everyone in the room froze; they all know how I felt about unexpected touch. My mother came over after a few moments to tell Amber that she'd said good night now and needed to go to bed but Amber shook her head. I muttered something about it being ok before I carefully put my arms around my baby girl, stroking her curly head and eventually started to relax. The conversation went back to normal after another while but I was too wrapped in my remarkable little child to keep up. Not to mention how fucking exhausted I was. Amber fell asleep in my arms and soon I fell into the rhythm of her calm breathing and drowsed off myself. That was when my mother decided it was photo moment so she took a picture of us with her camera which she later gave me. I remember being annoyed at the time but since I've been glad to have it as a memory of one of the best moments I've shared with my daughter.

…

Thank you for all your reviews and welcome to those of you who are new to the story! I'm very happy to see your enjoying it. This chapter is not my best but I wanted to get an update out. Sort of a filler but will lead onto more conversations about this and that and important things. And next chapter we'll be back with Amber's point of view. So bear with me and please let me know what you think! Thank you