a/n: For Sue...who is sporting the most extreme case of blue balls known to woman.

Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to review last chapter! :)

Christian stretched out beside Ana, placing his hand on her bare stomach as her breathing evened out.

"Better?" he asked huskily as he buried his face in her neck and gave her a soft kiss.

Ana laughed giddily. "It certainly took the edge off," she admitted.

"Just took the edge off?" Christian teased. "You nearly flew through the ceiling."

He felt her chin hit the top of his head as she nodded. "Exactly. If you'd truly sated me, I would have flown through the ceiling."

He laughed heartily as his tongue darted out to tease her flesh before he nearly sprung up off the bed, then winced at his current state. "I'm going to go change," he announced, desperate to get out of there before he broke his promise and attacked her as she was lying there.

When she propped herself up on her elbows, Christian nearly groaned. Her shirt hung limply to the sides, and her breasts, white lace still trapped beneath them, seemed to be straining towards him. His tongue trembled with the desperate urge to stroke her skin. "Into what?" she asked.

"Pajamas," he answered matter-of-factly.

Ana's nose wrinkled as she frowned. "You don't strike me as the pajama type," she admitted.

He grinned. "And you didn't strike me as the seductive type," he teased. "I guess we're both full of surprises. I'll be right back"

As the door closed behind him, Ana reached back and unclasped her bra, felt it loosen, then dropped back onto the bed with a heavy sigh. Whatever effects she'd been feeling from the alcohol were long gone. Maybe it was all those quick inhalations as Christian had kept her teetering on the edge that had done it, but whatever it was...she'd never been more sober.

She probably should get up and change into her pajamas, too. It was late, and she'd be seeing Kate's parents in the morning, as well as meeting Christian's for the first time. She couldn't help but wonder how he felt about that. Did he want her to meet his parents, or had Kate and Elliot inadvertently sped up their progress? He hadn't mentioned it, so she could only hope he was OK with it.

She shimmied to the edge of the bed and then stood, not surprised to find her legs were still quaking. Christian Grey certainly was thorough with that tongue of his. She made her way to the bathroom and changed into a pair of shorts and a spaghetti strap tank top, then washed her face. She was studying her reflection in the mirror—her cheeks were pink from scrubbing her skin clean—and had just spit out her toothpaste when she froze. Christian's words earlier that day from the hotel lobby came back to her. She grabbed the towel from the counter and wiped her face; her eyes widened in the mirror.

"Like I'm going to fuck you in this hotel," she whispered at her reflection. She shook her head; that wasn't right. "Like I"m going to fuck you in this hotel," she repeated, using the same inflection he had. "Like I'm-" Was he trying to tell her something? He hadn't said anything about her initiating things. Or had his enunciation merely been a coincidence?

There was only one way to find out.

He was already sitting on top of the rumpled covers when Ana opened the bathroom door; she came to halt, crossing her arms and leaning against the door frame as she arched a brow at him.

"What?" Christian asked.

"I'm not fucking you in this hotel," she said pointedly.

Christian shrugged. "Your call."

Ana straightened. "Is it really?" she asked, trying to keep the hope from her voice in case she'd jumped to the wrong conclusion. "Is it my call? Is that why you worded it like that?"

He didn't say anything, just kept his gaze locked on hers as she advanced toward the bed. Ana stood there for a moment chewing on her lower lip before she took a deep breath. "Sit up," she said softly.

When he immediately complied, she leaned forward and reached for the hem of his t-shirt, then pulled it off him and tossed it to the floor. She had to force herself not to look away as she reached for the hem of her tank top, then tugged over her head. Her shorts were the next to go, and she willed her cheeks not to turn red as she pushed them down to her ankles and stepped out of them. She feel the goosebumps rising on her flesh as Christian's gaze darkened, but he said nothing until she'd draped on knee over him and was straddling his lower belly. As she reached for his stomach, he caught her hands in his. "You took your hands off the headboard," he growled.

She swallowed past the sudden lump of apprehension in her throat. "I'm sorry," she said in a near whisper.

"I'm going to let it go this time," he said gruffly. "Because you're new at this. Next time, I won't be so forgiving."

Ana didn't say anything; she was too busy concentrating on what he'd said. Or rather—the latter part of what he'd said. Next time. Thank God.

He smirked as he arched a brow at her, and all at once she felt at ease again...or as at ease as she could feel initiating a sexual encounter. "Now, Ms. Steele...what exactly are you going to do with me?"

His eyes dropped to the erratic rise and fall of her chest; she was so anxious that Christian could feel her thighs trembling at his waist. The fact that she was so new to this only made him more aroused, but the last thing he wanted was for her to be fearful. He let her hands go and lightly touched her knees, then skimmed his hands over her flesh until they were resting on her hips. "Relax, Ana," he said softly as he lifted his eyes to her face.

She gave him a tremulous smile and laughed nervously. "I...I've wanted this for so long, and now I don't know...I'm not sure what to do."

"You know it doesn't matter what you do, Ana I'm going to like it," he assured her.

"So this is what's it's like to be in control of Christian Grey," she said teasingly.

He bolted up off the mattress before he could stop himself, and his hand tangled in her hair. Even sitting on his belly, her eyes didn't reach his. He gave a forceful tug, not stopping until her eyes met his. "I'm still in control, Ana," he hissed. "Everything you do—it's because I'm allowing it. Do not ever make the mistake that you're in control of me, because that. Will. Never. Happen." He studied her face for a moment, her eyes darkened, but he was pretty sure it was with desire, and not fear. He leaned forward and brushed his lips over her cheek, then settled back on the mattress. "Now...where were we?"

Ana's heart was racing in her chest, and the same feeling that had assaulted her the first night she'd met him at the bar came back to her now—run far and run fast. And just like that first night, she ignored it.

She hesitantly lowered her hands to his chest, and his sharp intake of breath made her jump. She pulled her hands away, but Christian reached for them and returned them to where they'd been. He kept her hands in place with his, and she felt him shudder as he drew in a shaky breath.

When he finally pulled his hands away, Ana brushed the tips of her thumbs back and forth over his nipples, mesmerized as they hardened beneath her touch. He was well aware that there had been no one aside from him...that her knowledge in this area was limited; there was no use pretending otherwise. She decided to seize the opportunity and experiment on him. She leaned forward, her palms skating across his hard flesh until her palms were resting on his shoulders, her cheek resting against his. She turned her head and skimmed the tip of her nose along his cheek before moving lower. Her tongue darted out of her mouth as she traced a path down his chest. He hissed when she ran across his nipple, and she stopped to sweep her tongue back and forth over the taut flesh.

"Ana," he growled.

There was a wicked grin on her face when she lifted her head. "Is that OK?" she asked.

He couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face; he loved knowing he was the only one she'd ever done these things to. "OK? No, Anastasia," he said huskily as he lifted his hand, pausing for a moment to cup her cheek before tangling his fingers in her hair. "It was damn near perfect."

Her warm breath teased his skin as she laughed softly. Straightening, she scooted up until she was no longer on the waistband of his pajama bottoms, leaving a damp trail of heat as she moved up his lower belly. His breath hitched when he realized how wet she was. "I may have to rethink the way I'd planned for this night to go," he informed her.

"Why's that?" she asked, her head dipping forward. Her tongue continued to work its magic behind his ear, and Christian felt his cock jolt.

"Because you're driving me crazy," he growled.

"Ummm...I haven't even given you any foreplay."

"Foreplay is incredibly overrated," Christian informed her.

"Then I must not be very good at it," she teased as she shimmied her body against his, her breasts moving back and forth over his.

"Dammit, Ana." He lifted his hips off the mattress and shoved his flannel bottoms down to his knees. His hands gripped her waist and he pushed her back before lifting her off him.

"I have a feeling I'm not in control anymore," she whispered, eyes wide as he gradually lowered her down onto him; he groaned as he felt her body surround his for the first time in months.

"Oh, baby," he said with a grin. "You never were."

Her eyes twinkled with a "that's what you think" look as she clenched her body around his and moved her hips in a slow, sensuous circle. "I think I can take it from here."