Miami is beautiful. We spend Sunday afternoon roaming the beaches, eating ice cream and shopping. When we get back to the hotel I'm pretty sure I have sun burn on my chest but I've never felt happier. Christian bought me a dress to wear later and it's breathtaking. Tonight is our last here and we're having a ball. Christian's luxury life sometimes leaves me lost for words.

"An actual ball?" I ask as I get ready. "Like the ones in movies?"

It's evening now but the sun is still shining. I've just had a shower and am now sat at the vanity, carefully curling each piece of hair.

"Yeah," Christian chuckles, adjusting his tie and checking himself out in the mirror behind me.

He looks absolutely delectable with his hair smoothed back and his custom designed Alexander Wang suit. My dress compliments his ice blue silk tie. In true Cinderella style, I'll be wearing a blue satin gown. Once I'm ready and Christian helps me dress, I feel like a real life princess. Even Violetta is in awe.

"Daddy, Ana looks like a princess," she giggles.

"She does," Christian agrees, coming to stand behind me.

He kisses just behind my earlobe. "I should have bought you diamonds," he frowns, fingering my bare ears.

I turn in his arms. "You've got me enough."

"There's always a next time," he murmurs, kissing the tip of my nose. "You look stunning."

After we say goodnight to Violetta, who is been looked after by the private hotel nanny, we head down to the front of the building where Taylor is waiting.

"Miss Steele," he says, opening the door to the SUV for me. "May I say you look lovely this evening."

"Thank you," I say softly.

Once were inside, I play with the necklace hanging on my neck. It's nowhere near fancy enough for this dress but I rarely take it off. It's the present Brett bought me for my sixteenth. Thinking about him sends a chill down my spine. It's like a punch to my gut as I picture his blonde hair and carefree smile. If he could see me now, in this necklace on the way to a ball - he'd have been lost for words.

"What are you thinking about?" Christian asks, his eyes watching me intently.

I'm not going to ruin the moment by talking about Brett so I tell him I'm fine.

"Just nervous," I say truthfully. "I've never been to something like this before."

"You'll be fine," he assures me, taking my hand and placing a kiss there. "You're with me."

"I know," I smile.

"You'll be the most beautiful girl in the room," he says, running his hands over my fingers.

I lean in to kiss him, wanting to feel his lips. Our kisses are gentle and romantic. He makes me feel like I'm the most important girl in the world.

"Ready?" He murmurs against my cheek when we reach.

I nod and he takes my hand.

The room rented out for the ball is in an exquisite hotel. There are hundreds of people there and as I walk in with Christian, a few cameraman stop to take pictures. Christian pulls me close to him, his hands making reassuring strokes on the small of my back. I lean in, smiling for the pictures and he kisses me on the top of my head.

Once were inside, I'm shook to find that it actually is a ball. There's an orchestra playing classical music with golden chandeliers and soft low lights. Everyone is dressed in exquisite gowns and suits. A waiter passes by us holding two glasses of champagne which we both take.

"This is crazy," I murmur to Christian.

He chuckles, wrapping an arm around my waist.

A few moments later, the CEO of Royale Airlines finds us and chatters to Christian for the next twenty minutes about business. The same thing happens after that with a CEO of an up and coming company, trying to get Christian to invest. I soon realise that these balls are just a fancy way to get super rich men in one room to discuss work and money deals. I'm on my third glass of champagne and have left Christian to grab some of the buffet food when Andrea materialises by my side. She's wearing a red dress with a fancy updo as she helps herself to a fondant.

"Ana," she says, her eyes fixated on me.

"Andrea," I reply, between bites of pastry. "These are amazing," I say, pointing to the one in my hand. "Try one."

She does.

"They are," she agrees.

I take another sip of my drink and go to walk away but she touches my arm gently.

"Ana, I really am sorry about the way I treated you," she confesses. "The truth is, I was jealous."

I look at her in surprise. There's a sincerity in her eyes that would be clearer if I hadn't had three drinks.

"You're young and beautiful," she gestures to me with her hands as if making an obvious statement. "Christian adored you straight away and I was petty. For that, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have projected my insecurities onto you. I hope we can move past this."

I look at her and gauge she's telling the truth. The vulnerability is plain on her face and I nod my head.

"I understand," I say. "And I'm sorry you felt that way but what Christian and I have...it's more than him thinking I'm beautiful."

"I know," she agrees.

"But thank you," I smile. "I accept your apology."

She smiles back and I walk back to find Christian.

We'll never be best friends but I at least hope this tension can finally be over.

I find Christian in deep conversation with a man around sixty years old. His eyes zero on my cleavage when Christian puts his arm around me. He looks back at Christian with a smirk.

"Firecracker you got there," he grins.

I glare at him. Before Christian can say anything, I open my mouth. The champagne has loosened my tongue and he's right, I am on fire.

"I'm not a firecracker," I say harshly. "And he hasn't got me."

The man pales as he stares.

"I'm a woman. My name is Anastasia Steele and I'm a university student and ballerina. I'm a person you know," I bite sarcastically. "And also, I'm Christian's girlfriend. He's my boyfriend. We have each-other."

I finish and he gulps, staring at me awkwardly. "I'm sorry Miss," he says hurriedly. "I truly didn't mean to offend. It was a stupid joke."

I just look at him until he walks away. Afterwards, Christian surprises me by bursting out laughing. Watching him laugh makes me laugh too. It's contagious.

"How much champagne have you had Ana?" he chuckles, taking my half empty glass from me and sipping it himself.

"You're not mad for me for being rude to your friend?" I ask with a smirk.

"My friend? He wasn't my friend, I don't even know him. Just someone trying to get my money," he shakes his head and pulls me closer. "Come on, dance with me."

Nobody else is really dancing. A few people are swaying but Christian leads me into the centre of the dance floor and wraps his arms around my waist as we start to move in tune to the music.

"Everyone's staring," I giggle.

"Well, I am Christian Grey," he smirks.

I stamp on his foot and he laughs.

"I want everyone to look," he then says, looking down into my eyes. "I want everyone to see how lucky I am."

He twirls me around before I can reply and holds me close.

"I like dancing with you," I say.

"I like doing everything with you."

I press my lips to his as the music fades into another piece and we kiss underneath the glittering lights.

We fumble through the doors hours later. We're both drunk and acting like teenagers as we hurriedly undress eachother in the dark. Once I've gotten his shirt off, my mouth is all over his chest whilst his hands roam my ass. The gown sinks to a pool at my feet and he lifts me out of it, all but throwing me onto the bed as he crawls over me and touches my thighs. My panties are wet and he tears the silky fabric from by body leaving it in ribbons as he pushes two fingers inside, thrusting them upwards. I dig my heels into his back as my own arches. Christian swirls his tongue around my navel as he adds a third finger. My body does a little spasm and he kisses further down, his tongue on my clit circling gently. It's not long before I come and he's upright, shedding his boxers. Before I know it, he's at the foot of the bed and pulling me toward him. Still standing, he leans over, his lips on my neck as he raises my legs all the way over his shoulders and sinks into me. I gasp at the deepness. He fills me completely and I'm utterly helpless as he pounds into me at a pace that makes me lightheaded. He comes quickly after and collapses on top of me, regaining momentum for a few minutes. We're both breathing heavily as we calm down from the high and I stroke Christian's hair, feeling the softness on my fingers. I kiss his head, his eyes, his nose - everywhere I can reach I place my lips conveying all the unsaid words with touches instead.

After a long while, Christian speaks.

"I never even knew sex could feel this good," he confesses into my neck.

I laugh in agreement. "Neither did I."

He's silent then but my thoughts are racing. Aside from Sophia, I don't know any of Christian's past girlfriends. I wonder how many he's had. When I ask him, he laughs and moves us further up the bed and under the blankets.

"Knew it would come sooner or later," he says.

"What? I ask, feigning innocence. "I'm just curious."

He raises his eyes at me and I snuggle closer into him, entwining my legs with his long ones.

"Aside from Sophia, I'd never really had a girlfriend per se," he starts. I don't interrupt in case he decides to stop talking.

"When I was younger, I went through a rough patch. Started getting into trouble. I met a girl who was a few years older called Leila. She was into BDSM and introduced me to the lifestyle. It helped me gain control back."

"Hold up," I say, sobering up now. I move away slightly so I can see his face. "BDSM? Like bondage erotica."

He nods.

"What do you mean she introduced you to the lifestyle?"

"A big part of BDSM is socialising and being involved with other like minded people," he explains. "They have dungeons where you go to watch scenes. You can engage if you want."

"You've had sex in front of other people I ask?" mildly horrified.

"Yeah," he says casually. "Many people in the lifestyle do so Ana. It's not unusual."

"Did you do these things to women?" I ask, not really wanting to know. "Or did they do them to you?"

He shrugs. "Both. At first I was a submissive but a few months later it was pretty much established I was a dominant."

"Did you use chains and whips and things?" I ask, now wanting to know everything.

I've opened Pandora's box and there's no way I'm going back now.

"Yeah."

I stop for a moment, trying to gather my thoughts.

"How long did this go on?" I finally settle on.

"Honestly? I only really stopped when Violetta was born. I didn't need to fight for control anymore because I already had it. I wanted to be a man my daughter would be proud of."

"Don't you miss it?" I wonder.

"Sometimes," he admits, "but I have you."

I'm quiet again as I contemplate all this. How could he go from being so wild to...well, to this? Vanilla.

"Why have you never talked about it with me? Asked if I'm into it?" I ask.

"Are you into it?" He chuckles.

I glare at him and he sighs, rolling onto his back.

"You don't just ask people if they're into BDSM Ana. You meet likeminded people through connections and the internet and clubs. Besides," he glances at me as he turns his head. "I'm not sure how I'd feel, being like that with you. It's a different side of me. It's controlled and calculated. The women I engaged with, they were just sexual partners. It was almost like reinacting a scene. With you, it's real. I love you."

I'm quiet again and he turns fully now, cupping my face with his hand.

"This is more than enough. What I have with you is more than I've ever had. I don't need BDSM anymore. That part of my life is over," he says sincerely.

I nod and he kisses me but my brain isn't fully engaged. I'm thinking about all the women that came before me. The sexual intimacy he experienced with them that surpassed far beyond the things we've done together. I don't say the words, but I find myself...jealous. Jealous and petty and irritable. I'm offended that he didn't tell me. That he has no desire to be intimate with me in that way. I try to blame it on the drink but I'm pretty much sober now. I don't know how to feel about it all.

But when he rolls me on top of him, I know that the conversation is over.

For now at least.

I'm back. i hope you enjoyed. please review, lots of love xxx