Chapter 22: Welcome to New York
AKA: The one with the almost-threesome

Life is about the places you go, the people you meet and the memories you make along the way

I received a call from Christian while I was having lunch on Friday.

"Hello, handsome," I greeted him happily.

"Hi, sunshine. I've got bad news."

"Oh, no. We can't go to New York this weekend?"

"No, that's not the problem, love. Our trip's still in place. But Ros found out we're going, and she self-invited herself and Gwen, as her parents live there."

"That's not so bad! So we've got to share the jet. No big deal."

"They're also staying with us in my apartment because Ros' parents don't fully approve of her and Gwen."

"Oh, poor Ros. I'm sure it won't be a problem, Christian. I bet we will each do our own thing through the day if they'll be visiting Ros' family."

"I wanted to fuck you in every surface of my New York apartment." I could hear him pouting.

"Something to look forward to for the next time, then."

He sighed. "I guess."

"I'm sure your apartment is big enough for us to enjoy ourselves anyway," I tried to placate him.

"Is that your way of saying we can still have sex in our room without the gate-crashes listening?" he asked, amused.

"Yes. Unlike you, I'm not alone right now."

"Right. I'll leave you to your lunch, then."

"See you at five. I love you."

"I love you, too. Laters, baby."

"Do you have plans for tonight?" asked me kindly Angela—my friend from human resources and my boss' wife—as soon as I had hung up the phone.

"Yes. My boyfriend is taking me to New York this weekend. His… right hand from work decided to tag along with her girlfriend."

"Wow. He must be a great work partner."

I snorted.

"More like an ogre, really. Rumour has it he can make grown men cry. But Ros has been his second in command for years, and they're good friends."

"So, he's her boss?"

"He's the big boss—CEO of GEH."

"You're dating Christian Grey?" she asked open-mouthed.

I blushed. "Yes."

"Wow… I thought he was gay?"

I laughed so bad my stomach hurt. I couldn't wait to tell Christian!

And Kate!

Christian was already waiting for me when I walked out of the office, leaning against his car. I practically skipped towards him, excited for the weekend trip.

"Hello, love. Ready to go?" he asked with a grin that mirrored mine.

"Definitely!"

"Are you on a sugar rush?" he joked, opening the car door for me.

"No. Just excited to go to New York with you. And in the summer, no less! I bet Central Park looks amazing. I can't wait to see everything!"

I fidgeted all the way to the airport. We would be meeting Ros and Gwen there, as they had had to pack first. Christian had let Ros leave the office earlier to save time, as the flight would take all of six hours to get us to New York.

I was beginning to see the disadvantage of having company on the plane.

Soon enough, we arrived at the airport. Because Christian had his own private jet, we didn't need to go through the check-in or the police control, and instead drove directly to the plane. I could get used to being rich…

Ros and Gwen were being helped off the car by Reynolds and Ryan while Taylor parked our car. Sawyer, who had been tailing us, stopped behind us. Christian and I walked out of the car without me waiting for anyone to open my door; there was no time for chivalrousness.

I happily greeted the black and red-headed beauties while Reynolds and Taylor did the customary check on the plane. As soon as we got the good to go, we were gestured to go ahead. We climbed into the plane—Gwen and I the most excited—while Ryan and Sawyer carried our bags.

In the plane, we were welcomed by our pilot, Stephan, the blushing First Officer, Beighley, and the tall flight attendant, Edmund. I was irrationally glad to see the brunette and voluptuous flight attendant from the last flight wasn't around.

Christian guided me through the pale maple wood plane, and we took a seat in the cream leather couches toward the back. Gwen and Ros picked the seats a couple of rows in front of us. The CPOs Sawyer, Reynolds and Ryan sat in the front, and Taylor wished us a safe trip. He had the weekend off and would be spending it with his daughter Sophie.

I was my usual ball of nerves as we took off. I held onto Christian's hand tightly, and he caressed my white knuckles silently.

I relaxed once the plane started to level up. As soon as we were allowed to unfasten our seatbelts, Ros and Gwen insisted I join them to watch a movie in the middle of the plane, where the seats were perpendicular to the rest and facing a large TV.

We watched a silly rom-com—with Ros' commentary, which made it all much better—as Christian worked—and jibbed his VP about being lazy—. Dinner was served after that, and I managed to coax the CPO into turning back into my boyfriend and joining us to watch Tom Hanks' 'Big.'

"We're so going to that toy store," I muttered as I watched the scene with the big floor piano.

We finally arrived at JKF airport at midnight, where two cars were waiting for us. After that, it was a forty minutes long drive to Christian's apartment.

The building we parked in front of was right on 5th avenue and the 78th. We'd be staying across the street from Central Park!

The elevators were on the smaller side, so we had to take two to the eleventh storey. Three apartments shared the floor. The door of apartment B opened, revealing an old lady.

"Mr Grey!" she exclaimed happily.

She was about half a head shorter than me, white-haired, dark-eyed and nicely dressed. She must have been in her seventies.

"Hello, Mrs Boyd. Allow me to introduce you to my girlfriend Anastasia Steele. Baby, this is Mrs Ashley Boyd, my housekeeper."

"Call me Ana, please," I said as I shook her hand. She had a firm handshake.

"Come on in, come on in. You must be exhausted."

As we were hurried into the apartment, Sawyer greeted Mrs Boyd. It was clear they already knew each other. Not a second later, I heard the other elevator arrive at our floor.

I was too distracted to pay attention to Ros, Gwen, Ryan and Reynolds though. I was busy looking around the main room of the penthouse.

The living room was two floors high, with a beautiful L-shaped creamed coloured sofa dominating the room. A grey patterned rug lay on top of the dark wooden floor, and a black faux-leather coffee table completed the ensemble. Off to the side, I could see the kitchen and the dining table.

Two doors led to what I presumed to be bedrooms. I saw Reynolds deposit his bag in front of one. I'd later learn the other one belonged to Mrs Boyd, but she only lived there when Christian was in for a visit. During that time, she took care of the cooking and cleaning the kitchen, while someone else dropped by weekly to clean the rest of the apartment.

Too tired to waste time on a tour, Christian led me up the stairs. Another three bedrooms were available there. We took the one closest to the stairs, while Ros, Gwen, Ryan and Sawyer walked beyond us to the other two doors.

The bedroom was about as large as mine—the one from the apartment I momentarily shared with Kate—and, unsurprisingly, decorated in various shades of grey. It had an amazing view of Central Park.

I had no energy left to make love that night. I could tell Christian was consternated because of it, but he insisted I ignore his hard-on as we cuddled.

"It'll go away," he claimed. "Now go to sleep, beautiful."

It was only seven when I woke up the next day. The other side of the bed was empty but warm. I could hear noises coming from the bathroom.

I decided not to waste time, and got ready for the morning. I opened my suitcase to find my running shirt towards the top—the one that read 'Classy, Sassy & a bit Smart Assy'—and put it on, as well as a pair of leggings.

"Hello, sunshine," greeted me Christian as he walked out of the bathroom. I turned around to look at him. "Your ass looks fantastic in that," he added, hugging me. His hands automatically found my butt.

"Thank you. Hello, handsome," I answered, kissing his cheek—self-conscious about morning breath.

I didn't waste too much time in the bathroom and soon enough we were leaving for our morning run.

Jogging through Central Park was out of this world. The scenery was breathtaking. There were tall green trees and lush grass wherever I looked. It didn't belong to the centre of the busiest city in the world, yet that's exactly where it should be. It was like a green lung full of peace in the middle of a jungle of cement and metal.

There was plenty of people outside, but the park was so huge it couldn't possibly feel crowded.

My eyes greedily took everything in. Christian followed my slow pace without complaint, happy to see the fascination reflected in my face.

We made a pit stop in the Alice in Wonderland monument and the Bethesda Fountain. Sawyer, our willing companion, was happy to take pictures of us. Maybe I should have worn another t-shirt? Oh, well. It would still be a great memory, and—in a way—the t-shirt would someday reflect our youth and playfulness. I was, after all, only twenty-one. It was my time to be crazy and free.

As we were returning to the apartment, I received a call from my Dad.

"Hi, Dad! I'm sorry I didn't call you last night when we arrived. It was well past midnight, and I just wanted to get into bed."

"It's alright, Annie. How was the flight?"

"Long, but fun. Ros and Gwen decided to accompany us. We mostly watched movies."

"That's nice. Any plans for today?"

"Uh-Huh. Christian and I are finishing our morning run. Central Park is beautiful, Dad! There's so much I want to do, I'm not sure what we'll start with."

"Well. Have fun, Annie, and say hello to that man of yours for me. Send pictures."

"I will, Dad. Bye!"

I passed the message along to Christian.

Soon, we were walking back into the building. I sent my parents, Grace, Kate and Mia a few pictures from that morning. I received positive answers from Dad and Grace almost instantly.

Inside the apartment, Mrs Boyd was making breakfast. She assured us we had enough time to shower first, and we did, although it probably took us longer than she had expected. After all, we hadn't had sex in about forty-eight hours! We had much to make up for.

I wondered what it'd be like to live with Christian. Would we make love every night? How long would it take for the 'Honeymoon Phase' to go away? Something told me it'd be a very long while. Our sexual appetite wasn't exactly standard.

Ros and Gwen were halfway through breakfast then we got out of our bedroom, dressed for our first day in New York.

Our first activity included all four of us. The girls and I wanted to go to Madame Tussaud's wax museum. Christian was reluctant but accepting. He did enjoy himself, much to his surprise, although we took way too many pictures for his comfort.

We parted ways after that. Ros and Gwen went to visit the former's parents—with such reluctance I wondered why they even bothered, but I guessed parent are parents—and I dragged Christian into the Public Library. He was patient as I investigated every nook and cranny, and before I knew it, it was time for lunch.

Sawyer drove us back to the Penthouse, where Mrs Boyd had food waiting for us.

Afterwards, we enjoyed a nice, romantic stroll in Central Park. We took our time to walk down the 7th avenue, stopping at a few shops. We spent a long time in M&M's World and Hershey's Chocolate World before making our way to the Rockefeller Centre. There, we took the elevator to the Top Of The Rock and spent nearly an hour enjoying the view of New York during the evening, sunset and night.

After having taken a million pictures—and sent several to our families—we returned downstairs. In the very same block, we visited FAO Schwarz, the toy store from 'Big.' Christian had even more fun than me in there, playing on the Big Piano. They also sold piano mats, which were some kind of plastic rug with large keys that would light up and play the right note whenever you stood on them. Without Christian noticing, I had Sawyer buy one. It was time I started planning the Christmas presents.

Next, we had dinner in a nice restaurant before visiting Times Square at night. Much to my delight, Christian surprised me by taking me to watch 'The Beauty and the Beast' on Broadway. It was a magical night I'd never forget.

We returned to the Penthouse a few minutes after Gwen and Ros. We found them having a drink in the living room, dressed nicely, but barefoot.

"Hello, there, lovebirds," greeted us the redhead. "Did you have fun?"

"So much!" I answered, allowing myself to drop on the couch next to her. "We've just watched 'The Beauty and the Beast.' It was brilliant."

"Great minds think alike," commented Gwen as Christian served us some wine. "Ros took us to watch 'Mean Girls.'"

"We picked good ones," I joked. "Did you have fun with the family?" I asked Ros.

She groaned, "Ughh. No matter how much I try, they're so…"

"Ughh?" I guessed.

"Yes. I need to relax," she complained, stretching her neck. She stood up. "Are you coming, love?" she asked Gwen, offering her a hand. She didn't bother to hide her desire; her intention was obvious. "You're welcome to join us if you'd like," she told me with a flirty smile.

"I'm flattered, but I'll have to refuse the offer. I've got all I want right here," I explained, patting Christian's thigh, close to the promised land.

"Damn right," he answered with jealousy, hugging me.

It was hard getting out of bed the next morning. Instead of going for a run, we enjoyed the early morning to visit the Empire State, which wasn't crowded yet. The city looked beautiful from our vantage point. Of course, Ros and Gwen decided to tag along, but they kept their distance as to not to crash our date.

From there, it was a short walk to Madison Square Garden. Then, we were driven to the American Museum of Natural History. Both Christian and I found the floor of Dinosaurs and their evolution fascinating. I took a few pictures and made sure we had one with the Easter Island statue, the Moai.

We didn't leave until my stomach was begging for a late lunch. Mrs Boyd was happy to be of service, feeding us for the last time of the weekend. After packing—which didn't take us more than a few minutes—it was time to go.

Ryan and Reynolds took the long route to the airport, driving us through Brooklyn Bridge. The traffic forced us to drive slowly, and I took the best pictures I could from the car. Right after crossing, we made a pit stop in the pier by the Brooklyn Bridge, spending there half an hour before returning home.

The weekend had been exhausting but amazing, and I couldn't wait to travel somewhere with Christian again.

Making memories with him was… indescribable.

When I arrived Sunday night, it was rather late, and Kate was already sleeping. It was fine by me, as I may have been evading her… I didn't know how to tell her I would be moving in with Christian, who I had only known for three months—or two, depending on how you looked at it—and at the young age of twenty-one. It'd be like the baptism of fire before I told Dad. Maybe I should just start with Mum, I thought; she'll be ecstatic.

Kate was acting strange Monday morning. When I asked her about it, she told me not to worry, and that we'd talk after work when we'd have time to have a conversation.

"Why don't you tell me about your weekend, instead?" she suggested.

"It was brilliant, Kate! We explored Central Park, we looked at the city from both the Empire State and Top of the Rock, we went to Madam Tussauds, the American Museum of Natural History and the Public Library, and Christian took me to watch 'The Beauty and the Beast.'"

"So everything's good between you guys?" she asked. How odd.

"Of course. More than fine. But we should talk this afternoon, or I'll be late for work." It wasn't a good time to tell her I'd be moving out.

My day was uneventful but pleasant. I was assigned an interesting story, but its writing required some work, so I was focused on the draft the whole day.

Soon enough, Sawyer was driving me back home—my legs had had quite a workout that weekend so I hadn't fancied driving that morning—, where Kate and her odd mood were waiting. Had she somehow found out from somebody else I was planning on moving out? I had yet to tell my mum, but maybe Elliot had known, although I doubted it. Christian had changed for the better, but he still wasn't one to voluntary share information with his nosy brother.

When I walked into the apartment, Kate was waiting for me. She was still smartly dressed and sitting on our couch. I felt like I was about to be fired by the big boss, or something of that nature.

"Hi, Kate. What's up?" I asked nervously, sitting next to her.

"Ana. Hi. There's something we need to talk about." I nodded. "This weekend, while you were gone… Well, on Saturday night I ran out of copy paper," she spoke hurriedly, "and it's not like I could go out and buy some, so I went searching for some into your room…" My room? Nothing was incriminating in there, and I was sure she wouldn't be horrified by a vibrator or sexy lingerie.

"So I checked your desk drawers," she continued anxiously, "but one of them was stuck, and when I pulled it open a bunch of papers fell from the back." My desk drawers? What was in there? "And I swear I didn't mean to pry, but some words of the contract stood out, and curiosity got the best of me," she explained anxiously.

Contract?

Oh, crap.

I could feel the blood abandoning my cheeks as I paled.

She knew.

Or rather, she thought she knew, and she had it all wrong.

"And I'm just worried about you," she added, shaking her head.

"Okay. I'm not mad. Listen. It's old news. Let me start from the beginning—actually, let me start from the end.

"That contract—what's written there—it never happened. It's not my style. I… That's a 'Total Power Exchange' contract, and it's something I was never interested in, so I rejected it."

"But you and Christian…"

"It never happened. Listen: Christian and I have a normal romantic relationship, and we like… using toys. And sometimes we do a bit more than that in the bedroom, but not… in our normal lives. You've seen us together. You've seen me mad at him, you've seen me teasing him… You've seen me do things to him that nobody else would dare to do."

"I know. I do. But it doesn't cancel out the contract."

"It kind of does, though. I'm not constantly… I'm not his Submissive," I finally said the word out loud, and all cards were in the table. "We still… roleplay in the bedroom, but nothing else. I… let me start from the beginning now.

"Remember I told you Christian and I met in a sex club?" —cue blush— "I actually meant a BDSM club. I had a handful of Dominants before Christian, but he was my last one. We had a basic, less intense, one-month long contract while in Vancouver—it was a formality really, for safety's sake—and when it ended, Christian wanted… more that I was willing to give him. That's what the contract was about. I said no, and we parted ways. He wasn't happy about it, but he agreed to leave me alone…"

"And then you met him for the interview," she realised.

"Yes. And I showed him who Ana really was—as much as I could in fifteen minutes, at least—. But he practically begged me to give us a chance. He told me to look over the contract and meet him for dinner so I could tell him what I was against. That was our first 'date,'" I said, drawing the quotation marks in the air.

"And well, you saw what I did to the contract."

"You decimated it," she answered with an amused smile.

"I did! He frowned all through dinner, I swear. Looking back, it was hilarious. But at the moment I just couldn't understand why he wanted to be with me so badly when it was obvious we didn't want the same things. I felt like he wanted more than I was willing to give him. I didn't want to be his Sub 24/7. So we both gave in a bit, and I agreed to a few inconsequential things… I think I consented to let him pick what I would wear and eat during the weekend? I honestly don't remember, because it never actually happened.

"You know how I used to tell you we were friends with benefits? I was lyi– at the moment I thought I was lying, but the truth is that I stopped being his Sub the last time we met in the club in Vancouver. After that, we were good friends that liked to play in the bedroom. And then we became something more… And now, against all odds and common sense, we're in love."

"So you only let him boss you around when you have sex?" asked Kate.

I hesitated. "Yes and no. It is only during… during sex. Or well, also when it's something important to him, like me having a CPO or not drinking in excess… You know, reasonable things."

"Not drinking in excess isn't reasonable," she muttered, and I ignored her. We both knew I had always measured myself around alcohol, anyway.

"Where was I? Uhm… He doesn't boss me around every time we… do it."

Kate snorted. "You let the guy tie you up, put toys in your ass and flogger you—or whatever it's called—but you can't say the word sex while sober."

"Kate! I can't believe you just said that!" I exclaimed horrified. "And no, I can't say it. I've heard it all before from Christian, so don't bother. Now, do you want me to answer your question, or not?"

"Yes, sorry. Go ahead."

"So… back in Vancouver yes, our relationship was strictly him bossing me around in bed, but now we do that less often. Sometimes we just spice things up with toys, and other times we just do it plain vanilla."

"Vanilla? Good one. So sometimes you add chocolate sprinkles, and sometimes you make a whole Banana Split."

"Right."

"And do you have a dungeon just for it? Like in that movie?"

"I don't know what movie you're talking about, and Christian lives in a penthouse—no dungeons."

"I'll take that as a yes then. What'd you call it?"

I blushed to my roots and stood up. "Kate! This conversation is over." She snickered. "I'll be in my room if you need me."

"Wait! I'll drop the sex talk!" she promised, pulling me back to the couch. "I just need to know… Are you truly happy? Or is he an ogre when we're not around?"

"He's even nicer and sweeter when we're alone, and he makes me very happy. He…" I hesitated. "He asked me to move in with him. And I said yes." She looked at me wide-eyed. "I… I want to spend the rest of my life with him, Kate. And I figured, why not start the rest of our lives now?"

She reminded silent and pensive for nearly a minute.

"I think the romantic books have gotten into your head… yet you're also the most down-to-earth person I know. If you think it's not too soon, then then I trust you. And, if God forbid, things don't work out, you'll still have a home here."

I hugged her with tearful eyes. "Thanks, Kate."

"When are you moving, then?"

"I'm not sure. We haven't spoken about it. He asked on Wednesday, but then with spending the weekend in New York…" I shrugged. "I was planning on calling him now, anyway." I grimaced. "I'll let you know."

"You're in for quite a talk, aren't you?"

"We agreed not to tell you about the BDSM bit, but you found out… You can't tell anyone about this, Kate. Not even Elliot."

"I know. I promise to keep my mouth shut."

"All right, then. I'll be in my bedroom."

I made my escape, and as I changed out of my clothes and into something more comfortable, I called Christian.

"Hey, baby," he answered in the first ring.

"Christian! Hi. I've just had quite the talk with Kate…"

"Did you tell her you're moving in with me?"

"Well, yes. Speaking of, we still haven't figured out the details."

"Details?" he asked alarmed.

"It's not only me that's moving in with you, Christian. It's also my clothes, and you'll be surprised by how much I own."

Everything else in the apartment, except for my bed, mattress, desk, chair and computer, had been bought by Kate's parents. I did have a few books, but most were either at Dad's house or digital.

"Oh, and my desk, of course. I'm seizing your library." No point in taking the bed with me.

"Of course, beautiful. Consider it your office. The desk could probably fit in my SUV once we lower the back seats, and we can put your clothes in bags and luggage, and bring it in another car. Why don't you take the week to pack so we can move your things Friday evening?"

"Sounds good, handsome."

"And if you'd like to come over on Wednesday, you can start bringing some of your clothes."

"Of course. It's a date. Umm… There's something else I need to tell you about Kate," I added with a small voice.

"What is it, baby?"

"Well… during the weekend she came to my room looking for some copy paper… and came across a very particular contract."

"I see." He didn't give up much.

"So… the cat's out of the bag now. She was—she was freaked out at first—. Worried, really. But we talked, and I convinced her our relationship was never like that."

"But we did use to be Dom and Sub."

"Not like in the contract you gave me, or even in the new one you drafted after our discussion in the Heathman. You went through all that trouble, yet we never actually followed the contract. It feels like a lifetime away, you know? I can't even remember the details anymore, and I had put so much thought to it!"

"You're right. Everything changed drastically once you moved to Seattle. I don't think I truly ever behaved like your Master again." He snorted. "I let you sleep in my bed that very first night. And now in my head, it's our bed."

"By the time we decided to become a couple, we were already a couple. And you know what the worst part about it is? My mum was right," I grumbled.

He laughed.

"Have you called her yet?" he asked.

"Ughh. No. But I'm sure if Kate was supportive, so will my mum. You know she lives in a sugar cotton cloud. It's my dad I'm worried about. I'm twenty-one, and I'll be living in sin with a man."

"You're almost twenty-two," he said as if it helped.

I snorted.

"What would you do if Mia moved in with Ethan a month from now."

"Cut his balls. Or maybe have Taylor do it."

"There you go then."

"Do you think it'd make him feel better if we told him in person?"

"Go to Montesano?" I asked.

"Why not? Maybe not this weekend—there will be unpacking to do, and I'll have more work than usual after our weekend in New York—but we can go the following one."

"Sounds good. I'm always up to visit my dad."

"You're a Daddy's girl," he joked.

"And don't you forget it! This Daddy's girl can totally kick your butt, especially after Taylor's self-defence review curse!"

"Yes. I overheard Reynolds complain about you bruising him."

"Upsy."

After hanging up, I did some packing. I started with the flirty dresses I wouldn't be wearing before the weekend, as well as most of my pyjamas, my cotton underwear and then my winter clothes. I didn't own that much luggage, so I had to borrow Kate's.

That night, as usual, I called Christian. As I touched myself, he told me huskily how he'd made love to me every night after I moved in with him. While I had first found this whole phone-sex business unnerving, I had gotten used it to and found it odd it would soon be over. On the other hand, it would be even better with Christian present and doing the touching.

Sawyer took care of my luggage Wednesday morning. He passed on my clothes to Ryan, who in turn got them to Escala. I made Christian promise not to make Gail unpack, as I wanted to do it myself.

My boyfriend and I had a light dinner that night, and then he suggested we move on to the Playroom. I readily agreed, even if we usually reserved such activities for the weekend.

He gave me a few minutes to get ready. I went into the Playroom dressed as I was and took off my dress. I was already wearing provocative underwear underneath, all sheer black lace and straps. I opted to kneel still wearing not only my panties but also bra, suspenders and stockings. If I had gone through the trouble of putting it on, Christian had better enjoy it.

Soon, he walked into the room wearing his pale jeans, unbuttoned and hanging low from his hips.

He circled me once before offering me a hand and saying, "Stand up, Kitty."

I knew I wouldn't be in trouble for my underwear. He had long ago given up on trying to make me use only panties. He had instead learnt to appreciate my lingerie and how he could take it off me as if I was a Christmas present.

"Exquisite as always, Anastasia," he whispered as I stood in front of him, my eyes focused on his nice naked feet. "Spin for me, baby."

So did I, slowly, allowing him to enjoy the show.

He grabbed me by my hips and kissed me. When he pulled away, I forgot myself and looked into his grey eyes, so full of love my knees went weak. He smirked as I lay more of my weight on him.

"Undress. Slowly."

He took a step back and I grinned flirtatiously before reaching back to undo my bra. I removed it leisurely before throwing it aside. Next, I worked on my stockings and suspenders, before unhurriedly removing my panties.

"Beautiful," he complimented me, and I blushed. "Get in the bed."

I did as told while he went to fetch the toys he was planning to use. He came back to me with handcuffs in one hand and a blindfold in the other. But these were no regular handcuffs and blindfold: they were black and fuzzy—Elliot's gift.

I snorted and Christian smiled at me with amusement before reaching down to cuff me. Without needing verbal cue, I rose my hands toward the headboard. The moment I felt a furry handcuff brush my wrist I couldn't help it: I burst out laughing.

I didn't know what triggered it: it could have been anything from the ridiculousness of the situation—fuzzy handcuffs were child's play compared to what I had worn before—, to the face Elliot would pull if he could see us now.

Christian could only smile with amusement as I lay on the red sheets, laughing so hard I was crying.

"What's so funny?" he asked once I had calmed down.

"Elliot—" was all I could say as an explanation before my chortling returned.

Christian climbed into bed and got in all fours on top of me. His naked chest against my breasts was enough to bring me back to the here and now: the playroom, during a scene.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to laugh."

"I'm not used to women laughing at me once I get them in bed," he explained, slightly offended.

I glared at him. "You better not be used to women doing anything in bed with you, unless that woman is me."

"Don't worry, gorgeous," he said, lying some of his weight on me. "Now that I've had a taste of you, I'm never letting you go."

"Damn right!"

He smiled.

"So what was the problem? The handcuffs?"

"I guess. They're so… silly!"

"What about this?" he asked, showing me the blindfold.

"That one looks cute," I approved.

So he put it on me, and the world went black.

Thursday evening was a repeat of Monday and Tuesday: I packed all of my reminding clothes, but that time around with Kate's help. Next, I emptied my desk and put all of my papers in boxes, taking special care to hide the contract in a manila envelope; I wanted to keep it as the memory of how it all had started: with kinky sex and a large compromise.

When I got back home Friday after work, Reynolds was already there with the SUV, helping Christian carry out the desk. I rushed to greet them and help Sawyer with my chair and luggage, no matter how much they insisted they got it. It's not as if any of the stuff was heavy. I did let Reynolds carry the box with books.

"I can't believe my Ana is all grown and moving out with a man," said Kate tear eyed as I hugged her goodbye. "Promise you won't forget about me."

"I'll be living ten blocks away from here. And I'll see you all the time."

I was excited on the ride to my new home. Luckily, the drive was very short—only a handful of minutes by car—and in no time at all, we were getting out of the car with half of my things. While the CPOs took the furniture with them in the service elevator, Christian and I took as many bags as we could.

"Mr Grey, Ana, welcome home," said Gail the moment we stepped out of the elevator. I beamed at her.

I breathed in the smell of her cooking.

"Home, sweet home," I smiled at Christian.

He took a step closer to me, invading my personal space, and then he kissed me. It was rather hot for polite company, but I knew Gail was subtle enough to turn around.

When the guys showed up carrying my desk, my chair and the box with my papers and office stuff, I rushed off to the library to decide where I wanted everything set.

The library was very neutral, with white walls and bookcases, and light brown wooden floor. I wasn't worried about my white desk and light blue chair and lamp clashing. Then I remembered the green baize billiards table—in which we had yet to play in both ways, that is pool and sex—and realised that it may be a problem.

Yet, when I got into the library—a large room placed underneath the playroom—I was pleasantly surprised to realise the billiards table had been moved far off to one side. In the centre of the room now lay a white fluffy rug—the kind you want to step on barefoot—and a light blue sofa that matched my chair. I looked at it wide-eyed before turning to look at my boyfried.

"Thank you, Christian!" I exclaimed, jumping into his arms.

"I'm glad you like it, baby."

"I love it. I love you."

There was enough space to place my desk and chair by the large window. After Reynolds and Sawyer had taken care of it, I set to organise my papers and office supplies.

Soon afterwards, Christian led me to the dining room, where dinner was served by Mrs Jones. She disappeared to the staff apartment, and we talked about our week and our plans for the next couple of weekends.

It was my first meal as a permanent resident of Escala, and I truly felt at home.

"Well," I said as soon as we were done eating. "I do believe we have a couch to christen."

And we did. Many times.

Christian undressed me slowly, caressing my skin with reverence. He made me sit on the couch. He kneeled in front of me, spread my legs and feasted on my pussy. I called his name as I came, and as soon as I could stand, he asked me to lean on the back of the couch as he undressed.

While my ass was in the air, he went looking for something in the bookcase behind me. Had he hidden a toy among the books? It would seem so, as I could feel him spreading lube in my ass before he pushed in anal beads inside my butt, one bead at a time.

"Please, Christian," I whimpered as he reached down to play with my clit. "I need you inside me."

He didn't make me beg and impaled himself in my cunt, taking me fast and hard as I meowed. While I came, he pulled the toy out of my ass, prolonging my pleasure.

I was still groggy when he helped me to lie down on the couch.

"Hmm… That was great, handsome."

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.

A/N: Writing the talk between Ana and Kate was fun! It wasn't in the book, nor in any fanfics I've ever read and liked, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to write it here! I really liked what I came up with, and I hope so did you.

Fun fact: Tomorrow (Sep 10th) it's Ana's birthday!

Recommendation of the day: P&P variation: Ardently by Caitlin Williams