CPOV

"Close your eyes and hold out your hands" I whispered to Ana, standing behind her in the workshop.

"If you're going to tickle me again" she giggled making me smile.

"I won't, I promise."

In her open hands, I placed the mug I had made for her a few days ago.

Days, is that all it's been because it feels like I've spent a lifetime with this woman, getting to know more and more about her.

Nothing had gone further than kisses and cuddles, well except a few touches here and there. All, drove me wild but I would never rush her. The jerk Ana had been with last had hurt her badly so I was more than happy to wait for things to progress further, no matter how long that took.

"What is it" she whispered, feeling around the mug before a smile came on her face.

"Open your eyes" I instructed and watched as she traced her fingers over her name and the raindrops as well. "For a large mug of tea on a rainy day."

"Christian, this is beautiful, thank you."

"You're welcome. I'd made it a couple of days ago but with everything that happened, I forgot to give it to you."

"It will be well used. I only wish I could make something as beautiful as this for you."

"Do you want to try?" I teased, startled and surprised when she agreed.

I tried once to get Mia to have a go on the lathe but with the loud noises of that and also the other machinery around, she couldn't wait to run away.

"I don't know what I'm doing but I'd like to try something even if I only manage to put a chip in a piece of wood."

Standing behind Ana, holding her hands in place as I guided her, she made more than that. Her cup was, should we say rustic, and might not hold much liquid with the crack now down one side but it was, besides the woman who held it proudly, the most precious thing that I had.

"I was considering whether to play Unchained Melody, as you two together on the lathe look like a scene out of Ghost."

"I think they were throwing pots there Jason" Ana laughed.

"Yes, but the sizzling chemistry was just the same" he laughed too, leaving us alone.

"What are you going to do with that" Ana asked of the cup she now placed in my hand. "It's not much use for your coffee."

"It can sit proudly on my desk then and hold my pens, plus I can use it to show everyone my name."

"If they can work out what it says" she giggled as we both looked at my name scraped into one side and what I think was a goose on the other. Grey Goose is my CB handle in the truck, something that amused Ana greatly as before I had found her that day on the road, her only experience with anything to do with drivers and trucks was watching Convoy with her grandfather.

Ana will be in for a lot of fun when we leave in a couple of days, especially when she meets some of the characters that ride the roads.

We left the workshop, bypassing the desk I had been working on for the past couple of days and headed for the office. I wanted to have it finished before I left on Friday and I was well on the way to doing that.

We had only just entered and I had placed the mug on my desk when a call came in from Rob, one of our joiners who had been working outside.

"It seems the presidential cavalcade has returned" Elliot informed us and I could see for a moment Ana pale. That's before she steeled herself and headed for the door.

"Ana, baby wait" I spoke, pulling her back.

"What" she replied.

"I said wait."

"No, you called me baby" she smiled.

"Yes, I did," I agreed, placing a kiss upon her lips. "The gates are locked, no one can get inside and if they try the police will be called."

"Christian, you shouldn't have to lock the gates just because I'm here. It's not fair if I'm interrupting your work."

"Ana" Elliot called out her name. "Unless we have a delivery or the yard is clear, the gates are always locked especially when we're working on a large structure or loading them onto the truck, as the last thing we want is for someone to drive in and destroy the work we've been doing just like with Rob out there today. You being here is no problem so don't ever think that, ok."

"Ok," she whispered, before looking into my eyes. "It may seem that my father has returned, or it's poor Andrea returning with a cheque. Shall we go and find out which one it is."

I smiled, placing a kiss upon her lips before I led us out of the door. I knew though from the footsteps coming up the rear, we were not alone.

It was a stern man we came face to face with, one who was not happy to see my girl here. If he thought she would take his orders for her to turn her phone on and return home, he was very much mistaken.

"You're the one who needs to go," Ana told him, through the metal gates. "You don't belong here."

"And you do" he hissed. "You're too good for this, for him."

"You don't know anything about me, who I really am and what I want. You're the stranger here to me, not these people... Go home, don't come back and leave me be. If I find out that you return here again, have someone follow me, I'll be calling a lawyer. I would call the police but we all know that would be a waste of time because your protection is so much more important than mine, isn't it, father."

"What, I don't know what you mean" he startled, looking at his daughter.

"Yes, you do."

Knowing about the police reports Ana had filed in the past and this man's reaction now made me wonder if he was either a brilliant actor or he had nothing to do with the cases being dismissed. It didn't matter though, he had been a shit father all of her life and one little thing wouldn't change that now.

"Anastasia."

"No, I have nothing to say to you so please leave."

"You heard her," I said, as Ana turned away from him and buried her face into the side of my neck.

"I have nothing to say to you" he spat at me.

"No, well I have tons to say to you…. You can tell your son that…"

"I DON'T HAVE A SON" He shouted.

"No" I spoke calmly. "Funny how you thought best to protect a nobody then above someone that was your own blood, showing everyone in your building where your loyalties lie…. Tell him any way that if he touches Ana again, if he leaves one more mark upon her it will be him I'm paying a visit to next."

"He didn't touch her, he left no mark on her, it was her who hurt him."

"HOW WOULD YOU KNOW HE LEFT NO MARK, YOU DIDN'T EVEN CHECK" Ana shouted at him. "Go away, I have nothing left to say to you. Go away, take those men with you because if I find one following me, you will have David knocking on your door."

I could see that what Ana had said had made him think, so much so he had taken a step back. I didn't know who this David man was but it seemed Steele wasn't fond of him.

With Ana's words, the conversation between us and him was finished as she turned her back on him and pulled me towards my trailer.

I could hear from the way Steele called her name that he was shocked that she would go in here but I didn't care about what he thought of my home, the only thing I cared about was the woman I held in my arms.

"Hey... hey baby you're shaking."

"I'm angry Christian. Did he think I would just be the good girl and do as I'm told? He's bullied me all of my life and I'm not putting up with it any more."

"You're a lot stronger than he will ever know Ana. Those people he surrounds himself with are weak, bowing down to his every whim and because of that, he thinks he can always get what he wants."

"Not from me" she stated, angrily.

"Good, I'm glad. Can I ask who David is, your father obviously doesn't like him" I asked.

"No, the feeling from David is mutual... David is a man my mother was engaged to before my father came on the scene and stole her from him. I've met him at various functions over the years and was swiftly told by his sister Elena the first time we met, what a bastard my father was. I haven't seen him for a couple of years but my father doesn't know that. He's a lawyer and has been on the opposite side of the courtroom from my father many times over deals and staff he's dismissed. Not once has he lost to my father."

"Why didn't you call on him about Hyde," I asked.

"Because I've been used enough during my life and I didn't want to be a pawn in the battle between those two."

"I wish my dad was here" I stated sadly.

"So do I Christian. You, Elliot and Mia, deserve more than anyone your parents to be around."

"I miss them but my dad, with him being a lawyer, I know he would have been straight in there and sorted Hyde and your father out."

"They will all get what's coming to them Christian because if my father interferes in my life once more, I'll be sure to inform him who's really been running the company for the past few years, and it's certainly no man."

…

Thankfully Steele kept his distance and despite checking constantly with the CCTV, it didn't pick up anything suspicious.

Either he was taking this threat of Ana's seriously about David or he was just biding his time. Either way, Ana and I were out of here today, leaving this city behind for a few days, well more like a week. Two days there, two back and one unloading although I told Elliot I wasn't going to rush so who knows when we will return. I know this house build is important, not just to us but also our client but it's not as important as spending time with Ana.

I had the stopovers planned for every night we were away, each night also I would get to sleep close to Ana. Our first night would be spent in the cab and although I told Ana she could take the bed and I would sleep in my chair; she would hear nothing of that. Our second and third, we would be at our destination as I'd booked us into a small bed and breakfast where I stayed last time. Double, twin or single, I'd asked Ana before I'd called to confirm the room, the only answer she gave me was a smile and a passionate kiss so double it is. If I've got it wrong, Ana can take the bed and I'll either take the floor or sleep in my cab. Considering we will be sharing an even smaller bed on the way; I don't think I am.

"Excited," I asked Ana, laughing because she was practically bouncing with excitement for us to get on our way.

"Can you tell?" she laughed, opening the trunk of Mia's car who had kindly picked Ana up this morning for me while I made sure everything was loaded up. Ana's car, she had left it at her apartment so if anyone checked upon it, they would think she was in, or now her father knew about us, at my trailer where my car sat outside. Before she could reach for her bag though, I pulled Ana into my arms and what started as a peck on the lips, soon turned into a passionate kiss.

"God they're never going to get there" I heard Elliot groan behind me.

"No, it will take them an hour to get out of the yard" Mia called out before heading into the workshop after our big brother.

"Ignore them" I whispered.

"Ignore who" she replied, before crashing her lips to mine.

We did leave the yard eventually, only thirty minutes behind schedule. I had the roof frame of Lewis's new home on board and I know once Elliot finally gets there, it won't take long to be up. Elliot and I also had another delivery on the schedule but that one hadn't been taken by either of us two. Ana's phone left Seattle yesterday and was currently en route to California with a friend of ours and would be dropped off on the way. If Steele was tracking her phone and planned to go after his daughter, he would be going the wrong way.

"How long will it take to get there," Ana asked as we hit the interstate.

"Twenty-two hours if I drive straight or had another driver on board. Legally though, I'm only supposed to drive for eleven hours a day, so we're taking our time."

"I'm in no rush" she declared. "What's our first stop."

"A little town called Elwood in Utah" I replied, smiling as I thought of some of the people we would meet there.

Just like the first time Ana and I had driven together, talk flowed easily between us. It had only felt like minutes not hours that we had been on the road when I was pulling into Elwood, to Cameron's Place later that evening. We had stopped once upon the way at Lily's to pick up some lunch and to use the bathroom but although she was thrilled to see us, hardly able to keep in her excitement that we had arrived together, we had not stopped there, we had eaten on the road, promising we would stop for longer on the way back. Now though, I would get to take my girl to dinner for the first time.

"It's busy" Ana stated of the other trucks that were parked up like we soon would be, for the night.

"This place is small compared to some we'll visit. I prefer places like this though than trying to find a place for my truck in the city."

"Is it like Lily's?" she asked.

"With the hospitality, yes" I replied. "Although Cameron's serves food just like Lily's during the day, at this time of night, there's more of a bar vibe to it."

"I hope they're still serving food, I'm starving," Ana said, worryingly.

As if I would bring her somewhere where I couldn't get food at any hour. Cameron's or should I say Samantha's kitchen is always open for some.

"Come on, let's go and get you fed then."

I got down from the truck, before offering Ana a hand, one she looked at with a smile before insisting if she was going to travel with me, this was something she would have to learn to do herself.

Just like the first time she had gotten down from my truck, Ana was a little wary of where to put her feet. Finding the steps, she was a foot above the ground, ready to step down to the floor when I couldn't resist and my hands came to her waist.

"You just like touching me" she laughed as her feet touched the floor.

"I can't deny that" I smiled, locking up the truck before I wrapped my arm around Ana's shoulder and guided her towards the front of Cameron's.

The first thing that hit us was the music flowing through the open doors, the second, the smell of food. My mouth salivated at the thought of the steak I had told Cameron to save me when I called yesterday, to save two which had earned me questions and teasing I refused to acknowledge before I ended the call.

"GOOSE, ABOUT FUCKING TIME, I WAS ABOUT TO GIVE THE DOG YOUR…." Cameron shouted when we entered before his words quietened and so did all the other chatter around. "Holy fucking shit."

"You never did tell me why, Goose" Ana enquired, amusement filling her voice. "Is it secretly your favourite drink or is it for something else?" she giggled.

"Something else, I'll tell you later," I laughed before turning back to Cameron to ask what he was staring at. "I've had my hair cut since the last time I saw you. Come on, it's not that bad" I stated, knowing his words had faltered because of the woman by my side.

"If you've had your hair cut recently, they did a shit job because it's still the same" Samantha, his sister declared before coming to stand in front of us. "Are you here for the steak, my love?" she asked Ana.

"Of course, I hear it's the best around" Ana replied, earning a smile from my friends.

"A woman after my own heart who knows what taste is... Although what you're doing with Goose here, I don't know. I'm sure we can find you some better company than him" she teased.

I was about to protest until Ana gripped the front of my t-shirt, her words making me smile.

"No thanks, I'll stick with him."

Samantha laughed, showing Ana to a table as I walked closely behind them. Walking past Cameron though, his words did make me stop and smile.

"Sweet Jesus bro, she's hot."

"Yes, she is and she's all mine."

….

I looked around to who was here when we were seated, groaning instantly at two who I'm not sure had come to drink or to cause trouble.

"Problem" Ana asked, taking a sip of the beer that Samantha had just placed before her.

"No, he's just noticed the skanks who've come in" Samantha announced causing Ana to choke on her drink. "Sip it, drink it, don't inhale it" she laughed, patting Ana on the back.

"Sorry, I've not heard of someone being called that before, well unless it's in a book."

"You like to read," she asked.

"And write" I replied proudly, causing both women to look my way. Ana in shock as if I'd told a secret and Samantha in wonder.

"Please tell me you write one of those all sex and no plot books that Cameron tells me I read too many of."

"That's called porn" I laughed, knowing from what I had read from Ana's book, although there was sex in it, that was not all it was.

"Shush, some of those books are hot."

"Do they come with pictures too?" Ana asked, shocking me this time as the girls laughed together although that laughter faded if only for a second when my name was uttered from behind Samantha.

"Goose, nice to see you back" Beth spoke, placing one hand on my shoulder while twirling a piece of her hair with the other as if I would find that sexy.

"Beth, Susie," I said, acknowledging them, although my look away from my girl for just a second was for Beth to remove her hand. Once that was gone, my focus never left Ana.

"What can I get you two besides the steak" Samantha asked, ignoring those who would dare to interrupt our meal.

"Besides the steak. Do you mean like fries or something else on the side?" Ana asked.

"Fries are a given dear, but to most who visit with the appetites they have being on the road all day, a steak can be a snack."

"What" Ana laughed seeing the size of the steak that was being delivered to a table on the other side of the room. "I'll stick with just the steak thank you, and if I'm still hungry after, apple pie for dessert."

"I'll make sure a slice is saved."

"Don't forget for me to" I added before we were once again interrupted when Beth and Susie returned from the bar.

"Goose, do you wanna dance, you said next time you were here," Beth asked trying to get my attention which pissed me off because to her it was as if Ana wasn't even there.

"No, he didn't, you must have been hearing things in your drunk addled brain. What he said was he would dance with you when hell froze over" Samantha spoke, turning to the women.

"Am I the only one who knows your real name here?" Ana asked with amusement, not the anger that I expected having been interrupted by these women.

"Only you" I spoke, placing a kiss on her delicious lips and taking some of the gloss she wore onto mine so I could savour her taste. I preferred the natural taste of my girl but strawberries and Ana, I wasn't going to refuse that. "Cameron and Samantha know too" I whispered when I let her take a breath.

Beth and Susie didn't hear the last part though, so it was with disdain that they looked at Ana, knowing now how special she was to me. Ana, looking at them, she smiled at them then waved.

Ana wasn't intimidated by these two women desperate for my attention or attention from any man in the room. She had commanded a boardroom, dealt with million-dollar deals before so handling these two women was no problem for my girl.

"Run along, I'm sure there's a corner around here for you to frequent, or if not, catch a lift to Salt Lake City, maybe you can find someone desperate there, or maybe not" she laughed, looking at some of the disgusted faces of those around who had heard her words, some who I know stopped there.

"What about you" Mike who had been sat at the next table over asked Ana.

"What about me" she replied.

"Are you free later."

I knew he was winding me up, Mike was a good guy on a good day but if he was trying to hit on my girl, he would be getting a pounding later.

Ana saw this, moving over from her seat to sit on my lap, grinding down in all the right places at the wrong time as she got comfortable.

"What's his name baby," Ana asked so that everyone could hear. Me, I could barely pay attention to her words as all feeling, all coherence was heading south. "Focus Christian" she whispered with a giggle.

"His name's Mike."

"Well Mike," Ana said, smiling at him. "It is lovely to meet you and I'm very flattered by the attention but… you couldn't handle me."

Mike laughed, many others did too as whistles were heard across the bar. When Cameron came over to place our meals upon the table, I finally albeit reluctantly let Ana retake her seat.

"You can come again young lady" he declared. "And you can bring C back here with you."

"Where he goes, so do I so it's a given" she smiled.

"You might regret saying that" I laughed. "As we'll be back again next week."

"I'll make sure the steak is on order again then" Cameron replied.

"Don't forget the apple pie" Ana added, practically salivating at the pie Samantha brought past.

"Don't worry there will be plenty of that too."

Ana and I stayed in the bar for a few hours after our meal was done, playing pool, dancing around and just having fun. Ana didn't drink any more alcohol after the first one she'd had, preferring to stick to soda before having a cup of tea with Samantha after she'd announced the kitchen was closed.

I had introduced my girl to many others who were staying the night just like we were. All thought she was wonderful, down to earth and one of us, just like she wanted to be.

No one here knew Ana was the daughter of a billionaire, she didn't act like that and she didn't want to. No Ana was a trucker just like the rest of us and she fit right in.

….

"You saved a goose," Ana asked as I carried her towards the truck on my back.

"Yes, my first run out. I found it in the middle of the road with an injured wing. It travelled with me all the way to Lily's where we managed to call someone out to pick it up."

"You seem to like picking strays up on the side of the road Mr Grey."

"I only pick up the best" I announced before I ran around the nearest truck before spinning her around. A squeal and laughter was my reward, both leaving her lips.

"Are you drunk?" I asked when my head had stopped spinning and I continued walking us towards my truck.

"Hardly, I've had one beer all night. I do feel a little queasy though, I wonder why."

"I have no idea" I replied, unable to contain my smile.

"Besides, you've had more than me, are you drunk Mr Grey," she asked, kissing before biting down on my ear.

"Ana, if you continue that, I'll throw you over my shoulder and spank your behind."

"Ooh Kinky, I might use that line in my next book. Now you didn't answer my question" she laughed.

"Bossy woman, no I'm not drunk. I've had two, well one and a bit as I didn't finish my second because I was too busy watching you. Plus, I have to drive tomorrow remember and I don't want to be either drunk or asleep at the wheel especially when I have such precious cargo on board."

"The house" she stated.

"No, you."

Ana mumbled something, her words disappearing on the breeze before I moved her from my back gaining a squeal so I now held her in front.

"What did you say," I asked.

"Nothing" she replied embarrassingly, looking away but I wasn't having that.

"Ana" I whispered, lifting her chin with my finger so she was looking into my eyes. "What did you say."

She brought her hands to my face as I held her tightly before placing a kiss upon my lips.

"I... I'm just so happy Christian, I wanted you to know that" she spoke, although I don't think that's what she was going to say.

I didn't want to push her though because those three words that I think she was going to say would be said when the time was right.

"I'm so happy too, happy you're here with me and so happy that I get to do this."

I spun us around again, Ana's squeal no doubt waking some of the truckers trying to get some sleep. I didn't worry about them though as upon reaching the truck Ana's back was against the door, my lips firmly placed against hers.

Only to open the door did I let go of Ana so she could step up and get inside before I quickly followed. Instead of staying in her seat, Ana moved to the back, to the bed before gesturing me to follow.

I followed all right, pushing her down on the bed as a giggle left her lips.

"What do you want," I asked hovering over her as Ana's arms came around my neck, pulling me closer.

"I want you to make love to me."

"Are you sure, there's no rush Ana?"

"I'm sure Christian, make me yours" she whispered, placing a kiss upon my lips.

"You are mine," I declared and no words had been truer except those three words I'd tell her soon.

It didn't take long before our clothes were removed. What did take time though was exploring every inch of her body that I kissed making sure Ana was ready for me.

Giving Ana pleasure and watching her fall apart was a sight I will never forget for as long as I live.

Upon entering Ana for the first time, it was me who had to take it slow. Slow because of what I had felt and seen, watching Ana deal with others to watching her shatter before me. It had me so pent up I didn't want to feel like a high schooler again and quickly blow my load.

So, slow it was to start as we continued to explore each other's bodies, to feel what the other could give. Moving Ana from underneath me to on top though was the beginning of the end.

I watched her ride me, heard the moans of pleasure that fell from her lips all the whilst giving in to what my body wanted the most. To come inside this woman.

"Ana" I groaned, as she sunk down once more on me, groaning louder as she gripped me from the inside.

"Christian" she moaned, locking her eyes on mine, the pleasure becoming too much for her too.

I quickly moved us, Ana, now back underneath me as I picked up the pace, chasing my orgasm. I didn't care who heard us when Ana called my name, it was only eclipsed by the roar of her name when I found my release.

Panting, sweaty but both with smiles on our faces, that was the image that filled my mind that night as I watched Ana sleep

Thank you for reading.

Their trip continues next chapter when those three words will be said.

Despite Elwood being a real place which I picked at random when google maps helpfully planned the route, all the people they meet there are just part of this story.

Until next time, take care.

Caroline.