I sat in my office at GEH completing more paperwork. It was Thursday night, and today I'd told Ros I was taking Ana away on a four-week holiday in just over a week's time. To say she was displeased was the understatement of the century. I knew she'd understand once she knew the truth, so I was relieved to hear she'd accepted my mother's invitation to her Labor Day party on Monday.
I'd spoken to Mom last night, and let her know Ana's parents would also be attending. Mom adored Ana, so was looking forward to meeting her family. Kate had already added José to the list of invitees. He'd be staying with her and Elliot, so she'd be bringing him to Bellevue early. Traditionally the family gathered an hour or so before the first guests arrived, so Ana and I planned to make our announcement then. We'd hand out the wedding invites and explain the need for secrecy. When everyone else gathered, we'd make the engagement and pregnancy announcement, but we wouldn't let on the wedding would be any time soon. I'd have a quiet word with Ros and John after the second announcement, and slip them their wedding invites then.
Ana was at home tonight with Gail, Andrea, and Kate. Franco, formerly of Esclava, and his assistant were doing a trial run for Ana and Kate's hair and makeup. My mother had been seeing Franco for years, and after a few leading questions yesterday she'd quietly confided in me that she'd heard he'd left Esclava and was going out on his own. As her stylist, she intended to follow him. So I'd felt no guilt engaging his team for all next Saturday. They could attend Mom, my grandmother, and Mia at Bellevue before going across to Escala to see to Carla, Gail, Kate, and Ana.
It was hard to believe in nine days Ana would be Mrs. Anastasia Grey. Ana was closemouthed about her gown, although she did let me know she'd chosen a silver theme with a navy accent. Elliot and I would wear tuxedos, and beyond that Ana had left the details to me, although she had asked me to run my selections past Gail and Andrea. Elliot and I already had custom-made tuxes, so we'd met at my tailor's yesterday, and under Gail and Andrea's approving eye, had made the relevant accessory selections. My father and grandfather also had tuxedos they would wear, but Ana told me Ray didn't. She didn't want him to feel out of place, so she'd arranged a fitting, and he drove up for it. We'd had dinner afterward, which is when Ana told Ray about the plans so far and asked him to give her away.
The only hitch had been our vow selection. We'd met with Reverend Walsh to discuss our thoughts. Ana had initially thought we'd write our own but came around to my idea of using the traditional wedding vows. I was elated – until the stumbling block about obey.
Ana had outright refused to promise to obey me, and I couldn't help but feel it as a rejection. Several tense hours had passed after we first discussed it, me barricading myself in my study like a petulant child. In the end, I'd called Elliot who had told me in no uncertain terms I was an idiot. It was a sentiment politely echoed by Reverend Walsh when I called the next day, and he confirmed he couldn't remember a single ceremony in the last thirty years where a bride had promised to obey. A night of honest discussion, followed by several rounds of very hot lovemaking, and Ana and I agreed to use the modern traditional vows that didn't include the word obey.
The only other snag in our present happiness was Jack Hyde. He'd failed to appear at his hearing in New York, so a warrant had been issued for his arrest. While my security team was still doing their best to find him, in the grand scheme of things he was no one else's priority. If he was careful, he could go years without being picked up. I hated the idea of him out there and on the loose, but he had bigger issues than Ana to contemplate. We'd finally got a second assistant to tell her story, and that had led to a third and then a fourth. When Jack was caught, and he would be, we had enough to make sure he was put away for a long time. I hadn't yet told Ana that Jack didn't made his hearing; we'd barely had ten minutes alone together each night before Ana fell comatose into bed fast asleep. But I'd tell her tomorrow.
My phone rang, and I fished it from my pants.
Night went well. Andrea and Kate have gone home, and Gail has returned to her accommodations. I am all alone in our bed, and I WANT YOU. A xx
My cock was straining against my pants, and I wanted to get home as soon as possible.
I'll be home soon. Wait for me, baby! C xx
I barked for Taylor, and we were on our way to the Grey House basement in minutes. I was impatient the whole ride. When we arrived, I had my tie off and was shrugging off my jacket before I was halfway across the great room. I opened our bedroom door, a devilish grin on my face, only to find my beloved fast asleep. Her porcelain skin was even fairer than usual, and I could see dark smudges of exhaustion beneath her eyes.
I groaned softly, keeping my frustration to myself. I wanted my baby girl so badly, but she was wrecked. Between editing a novel, planning a wedding and growing a baby, something had to give - my carnal desires needed to take a back seat!
Making sure Ana was comfortable, I walked into our bathroom, shucking off my clothes and stepping into the shower. My cock was still hard in expectation, so I decided to take things into my own hands. Underneath the warm spray, I closed my eyes, remembering when Ana first sucked me off. She'd been tentative about it, but it had been so damned good.
I took my cock in my hand, gently fisting it up and down as my mind replayed Ana on her knees, my dick halfway down her throat. I recalled her looking up at me; those guileless blue eyes regarding me with such trust as she fucked me with her mouth. I wanted to make the recollection last, but Ana, even in memory, was so fucking hot! All too soon, I was blowing my seed onto the glass shower screen, wishing I was instead releasing into my woman's hot wet mouth or tight little cleft.
Embarrassed at my weakness, I toweled off and climbed into bed beside my beloved. Ana didn't wake, but she cuddled back against me as I curled into her from behind.
"I love you, Mrs. Grey to be," I whispered into her hair. I saw Ana smile in her sleep, and that was enough. I quickly fell to sleep, too.
I woke to see Ana watching me.
"Morning, baby. You're up early?"
"I was too excited to sleep!"
"The scan?" Today was Friday, and Dr. Greene and a sonographer were visiting Escala tonight.
"I can't wait to see our little blip again!"
"Me too. Only four days till we tell everyone! I'll warn you now - Mom is going to be ecstatic. She's made no secret of the fact she wants Elliot and me to get on with the job of providing her some grandchildren!"
"I wonder how my mother will react?" Ana mused. I clenched my teeth, and of course, Anastasia noticed. "You haven't already told her, have you? Is that why she's coming?"
"No baby, I wouldn't do that to you."
"Then how did you get her here?"
I kept my mouth closed. I didn't want to have to tell Ana.
"Please, Christian. Full disclosure, remember?"
I growled. She had me now. I hated having to explain myself to anyone.
"Carla said she really did want to come, but claimed she didn't want to risk embarrassing you by my family and the paparazzi seeing her in the sort of clothes she could afford, so I promised her a shopping session with Caroline Acton as soon as she arrives on Sunday."
"So, you basically paid her off with designer clothing? Unbelievable!" Ana said, sounding horrified.
I shrugged. "You wanted her here, so here she'll be." I wasn't sure who she was angry at.
"Why is she staying at The Fairmont instead of with us?" Ana's good mood was long gone, so I might as well tell her everything.
"That's my fault. I was so disappointed in her, I didn't think I could handle her staying in our space, so I offered her a suite at the Fairmont. To be honest, I think she preferred it that way."
I could see Ana process everything I'd said.
"Thank you, Christian," Ana said, crawling closer to me in our bed and wrapping her arms around me. "I love my mother, but you're right, it will be better if she stays somewhere else."
I felt like a ton of bricks had been lifted from my shoulders.
"I did the right thing?"
"I think so. This is meant to be our happy time. If Mom stays here, she'll make it about her. I don't want her bringing us down."
"Let's go see our baby, Miss Steele," I said taking Ana's hand in mine in the back of the SUV. It was Friday night, and we were both in the mood to celebrate. Ana had handed her first edit of Boyce Fox' book across to Cheryl which was a relief. I'd also concluded a major deal, so both of us would have a light load until our wedding. Initially, Ana had intended to work through to the day before, but common sense, and Gail, had prevailed and Tuesday Ana would work a half day then would not return until after our honeymoon.
Neither Ana or I wanted bachelor or bachelorette parties, and I knew my mother well enough to know once she'd heard our big news, she'd insist on hosting dinner at Bellevue the night before the wedding, so that should give Ana some time to relax before the big day.
In the great room, Gail had some refreshments ready. Ana went to change into a skirt and top, and I unlocked the guest room with the sonogram equipment for Dr. Greene's arrival. Before Ana came back, I went into my office, fetching a small teddy bear out of a bag I'd hidden there. I'd seen it in the window of a gift store the other day and sent Taylor back to buy it. I wanted to give our baby its first toy and today seemed like the perfect time.
"Dr. Greene and Dr. Atkins are here," Taylor announced, showing the two women into the great room.
"Dr. Greene? I thought a sonographer was coming with you today?" I asked abruptly. I was put out, as I recognized Lorraine Atkins as one of my mother's professional associates.
"Dr. Atkins is an obstetrician and gynecologist who has sub-specialized in obstetric and gynecological ultrasound and prenatal diagnosis. Usually, a sonographer would do the first scan, and Dr. Atkins would be called in if there were any concerns. I thought you'd want the most experienced skilled person performing the ultrasound, so I asked her in place of a sonographer," Dr. Greene replied frostily.
"Of course we do," Ana said, coming in and warmly welcoming the two doctors, putting everyone at ease. "That was very thoughtful of you, Dr. Greene. Thank you both so much for taking time to come to us this evening. Christian and I are very excited to see our baby again."
As she spoke Ana rubbed my forearm, and I could feel the tension leaving me.
"Yes, thank you. It's nice to see you again Dr. Atkins. My mother speaks very highly of you."
"Grace is too kind. I'm looking forward to her party on Monday," Lorraine replied.
"Well if you could keep this under wraps until then, I'd appreciate it. Mom doesn't know we're expecting," I explained. "We plan to tell our families before the guests arrive on Monday."
"My lips are sealed," she replied with a smile. "Now Anastasia, can you get on the examination table for me?"
Ana complied, shimming her skirt around her thighs and lifting her blouse to expose her midriff. Dr. Greene was setting up the equipment, while Dr. Atkins read over her file.
"Nice full bladder?" she asked Ana.
"Yes."
"Then let's begin!" She smeared gel on Ana's still flat stomach, pushing down quite hard just above her pubic bone. After a few tries back and forth she fiddled with the dials and suddenly we heard a heartbeat.
I grinned from ear to ear, gripping Ana's hand in my own. Lorraine looked at a few areas before starting to take measurements. She explained what she was doing at each stage, and what she was looking for while Dr. Greene annotated the measurements into Ana's file. Dr. Atkins confirmed the placenta was in a good spot, high and clear of the cervix, and that measurements corresponded with the estimated gestational age.
"Will you be taking blood for nuchal translucency testing?"
"What's that?" I asked, instantly alert. Dr. Atkins saw my alarm and reassured me, explaining it was a standard screening test for some of the more common genetic conditions. "There's nothing on the scan to concern me, but if you wished baby to be screened, it would be a simple blood test for Ana."
Ana and I looked at each other, and she nodded.
"It's not going to change the way I feel about blip, but I'd like the test," she said.
"Then I can take your blood today. It's not an absolute, but it will give you an idea of the likelihood of some particular conditions," Dr. Greene replied.
A few more measurements, a large number of pictures, and we were done. Ana moved into the attached bathroom to clean herself up and then came back out for Dr. Greene to take the required blood for the screening test while Dr. Atkins and I waited in the great room.
"Try not to worry, Christian. Ana is in good health, and everything looked good on the scan. Relax and enjoy this exciting time."
"It's all the what ifs," I explained with uncharacteristic candor.
"Welcome to parenthood," Lorraine chuckled. "There's no faster way of learning how little control you really have than becoming a parent!"
