I woke late Wednesday morning. Christian had been relentless the night before, claiming me repeatedly. Even when we finally gave in to sleep, he curled up against me, holding me tight in his embrace as we slumbered. I woke before my man. On my side, Christian pressed hard behind me, his arm draped proprietorially around my waist, I enjoyed the view.

Two massive windows, one in front of me, the other at our feet, gave a magnificent vista of the surrounding area. We were in the middle of nowhere, so the drapes were wide open. Beautiful and pristine, it was a delightful landscape to wake up to.

"You're awake?" Christian asked a little while later. I'd been so engrossed in what I could see, I'd not noticed Christian surface into wakefulness.

"I am," I sighed happily. "It's so beautiful here!"

"It is," Christian replied, nuzzling against me, and kissing my nape and the spot just behind my ear. Playfully nipping and kissing, he rolled me onto my tummy.

"Again?" I asked, my voice teasing.

"It's never enough," Christian groaned. "I want to live inside you!" I couldn't control my giggle. Christian was sweet, sexy, domineering, rough, loving, and everything in between. I adored he wanted me so much. "Baby? I need you again…" he moaned.

Christian's words turned me on. Now lying on the bed, flat on my tummy, I opened my legs—a clear invitation. Seconds later, Christian scooted down the bed, his lips finding my folds and lapping at them relentlessly.

In the past, I'd been on my back when he went down on me. This time, on my front, he tried something different. After pulling my hips up so he could tongue my clit and cunt, he let me relax a bit, his tongue exploring my perineum and anus. I felt so naughty but so turned on as his tongue gently explored that area. I was so turned on, I barely noticed his fingers slip inside me, his expert digits fingering my pussy as his tongue tickled my most private area.

"You like that, baby?" he asked, before going back to his oral ministrations. If anyone had told me a few weeks back a man licking my asshole would be a turn-on, I would have laughed. But right now, I would let this man do whatever he wanted to me!

"I love it," I moaned. "Please, Christian?"

"Please what?" he asked. The thing is, I wasn't sure.

"I don't know!" I shrieked. "I just need something!"

"Trust me?" he cooed, flipping me onto my back, propping my legs open. It was all so quick, yet I was ok.

"I do," I promised, staring at Christian.

"Put your legs over my shoulders," he instructed. "It will be so deep that way."

I immediately obliged. I loved it when Christian was in charge. He'd never given me anything but pleasure, so I trusted him. I heard him open a condom before rolling it down his length.

"That's it," he groaned. "I wish you could see how hot you look right now, baby. So wet. Your pussy is glistening. For me. Just for me!"

"Just for you," I confirmed. "Always yours!"

"Absolutely!" he growled, slapping my clit and cunt with his erection. "Who do you belong to?" he growled.

"You. Only you, Christian!"

"And I belong to you, too," he vowed, kissing me before sinking into me. We both groaned in satisfaction as we joined once again. No matter how often we did this, it would never be enough.

As we lay cuddled together afterward, I rolled to look Christian in his eyes.

"When we get back to Seattle, I want you to take me into your playroom."

I was certain Elliot was going to say something when we finally emerged for breakfast around ten. He appeared he was going to, yet one look from Christian silenced him. I wasn't stupid—I appreciated Christian's family must have some idea how we'd spent our morning. It didn't mean I wanted to hear them voice it!

"Was it warm enough in your bedroom?" Christian's Grandma Adele asked as we sat side by side at the family table.

"Everything was perfect," Christian replied. "I can't remember sleeping so well." Grace and Adele both smiled. Meanwhile, Christian grasped my hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing it tenderly. More than anything, I felt loved. "But now we need breakfast. Have you left us anything, Elliot?" Christian teased.

"There are five other people here. Why do you blame me?" Elliot blustered.

"Because no one else eats as much as you," Christian retorted, a smile still on his face. "What do you fancy, baby?" he asked, turning to me.

"I'm happy with whatever."

"Mrs. Bridge? Some fresh fruit, poached eggs, bacon, and hash browns," Christian ordered. Looking around, for the first time I noticed an older woman in the kitchen. Despite looking nothing like Gail, she had a similar demeanor, which instantly drew me to her. "For two. Baby? This is Mrs. Bridge. She's been the housekeeper here for as long as I can remember. Mrs. Bridge? This is my girl, Anastasia Steele." It was impossible to miss Christian's pride as he announced me. I grinned. I was proud to be his, too.

Mrs. Bridge smiled at me. "I am so happy to meet you, Ms. Steele."

"Please, call me Ana. And it's lovely to meet you, too."

Sitting for breakfast with Christian's family was easy. Elliot and Mia filled most of the conversation, and the entire time Christian was touching me. It wasn't alarming—just gentle touches as we sat beside one another enjoying his family's company. Yet it did not go unobserved. I blushed when Grace several times noticed her son's attentions to me. She and I really hadn't spoken since our luncheon, and it was awkward her not knowing that since then Christian and I had made our declarations. Even worse was Mia. She was almost entirely in the dark when it came to Christian and me. There needed to be a discussion, and soon. I had just finished my breakfast when Christian's grandmother spoke.

"The men need to go check out the lake," she declared. "The trout are so ripe for fishing they're all but jumping out of the water. And us girls? I think we need a pamper session." Christian, his brother, father, and grandfather jumped to attention. Adele's word was law.

Christian came over, kissing me gently. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he whispered against my lips. "I love you, baby. So, so much!"

"I love you, too," I replied quietly.

Adele's idea of pampering involved painting one another's nails before enjoying a cold chicken salad and champagne lunch. The whole time she, Grace, and Mia entertained me with stories of Christian's childhood and adolescence. Every time her daughter or mother mentioned Christian's older years, I saw a flicker of sadness cross Grace's face. No matter how many times he'd told his mother she was not responsible for Elena's actions, it was obvious she was still struggling.

After lunch, Adele declared she needed a nap, Mia settled in front of the TV, polishing off the rest of the champagne and starting in on a bottle of wine, while Grace asked me if I'd accompany her on a stroll around the grounds. We walked mostly in silence, Grace occasionally pointing out a tree or shrub. She stopped under a large tree with the remnants of a treehouse in it, and I could imagine Elliot, Christian, and Mia spending time there in their youth.

"Parenting is harder than I thought it would be," Grace announced out of the blue. "Elliot's been the way he is ever since we brought him home at two years old. Always a happy child, he didn't give us much trouble, even during his teens. Mia came to us as a baby, so we're the only family she's ever known. Neither of them needed Cary and me the way Christian did."

She started walking again, and I followed, carefully listening to every word.

"The moment I first laid eyes on Christian, I loved him. He was so small and scared when the police brought him to the hospital. I was the pediatric registrar on duty, and one look at him was enough to tell me he'd had a nightmarish start to life. I will never forget his look of fear and determination. The boy had lost his mother and was removed from everything he knew. But even then, he was a fighter."

"With Christian so damaged by his early years, Cary and I moved to Seattle. I'd just qualified as a Pediatrician, yet there was no way he could be in daycare or anything like that, so I accepted a part-time position at the Seattle Grace and we relocated here to be close to my family. On the days I worked, Christian would stay with my parents. They love all their grandchildren equally, but I know they have a soft spot for Christian."

"He's very easy to love," I murmured.

"Yes. Yes, he is. I swore the day we adopted him I would protect him, and that nothing bad would ever happen to him again. And I failed him, Ana. Instead of offering Christian a home where he was safe and loved, I allowed that woman—that viper—into the one place where he should have been safe."

"You can't blame yourself. People like Elena Lincoln are master manipulators. They enjoy fooling other people."

"I should have seen it," Grace said, ignoring my words. "Christian was always self-contained, but once he hit fifteen, it's like he completely closed in on himself. He started doing his own washing, and his bedroom was suddenly spotless. Early every morning he'd be up to go for a run, and he became very strict about the food he'd allow himself. He didn't seem happy, but I put it down to that inner determination of his. I assumed he'd set himself some goals and was holding himself accountable for them. I did not know what was going on."

"No one did," I replied, thinking of the things Christian had told me about that time of this life.

"I'm his mother. I should have known. Looking at how happy he is now—how happy he is with you—shows me just how much he'd shut down. Ana, our family will never be able to thank you enough for the joy you've brought to Christian's life and for rescuing him from where he was."

"He'd already left the lifestyle by the time we met," I argued, not wanting to claim credit where it wasn't due.

"I know that. I meant from rescuing him from her, and for showing him he is worthy of love."

I smiled, not sure how to respond to that.

"As for Elena Lincoln, once this is all over, I swear to God I am going to find a way to make her life a living hell."

"Where is everyone?" Christian asked as he and his brother, father, and grandfather walked in the backdoor just before sunset. Even though Christian had insisted the next few days be a vacation, I'd brought along enough editing to keep me occupied.

"Your mom and grandmother are napping, and Mia is reading a book upstairs." I wrinkled my nose as Christian came around the end of the sofa to kiss me. "You need to go wash up," I said after I'd allowed him a small kiss. "You smell fishy."

"I can't imagine why, since he didn't catch any," Elliot quipped from where he was standing next to a cooler.

"It's a miracle any of us caught anything with the way you kept talking. So much for fishing being a quiet, peaceful activity," Grandpa Theo grumbled with no real irritation.

"You're just sore I caught more fish than you did," Carrick said, followed by a chuckle.

"First and last time for everything," Theo replied sagely. "Elliot, take that cooler through to the kitchen. Since your talking scared the fish away, you can help Mrs. Bridge scale what we caught for dinner."

Elliot groaned and Christian poked his tongue out at him. I laughed, witnessing their playful banter. No one at Grey House, except for maybe Ros, would believe the man in jeans and a polo in front of me was the same man who could commandeer a room with a single word. The same man who needed to have a shower STAT.

Shooing my smelly man upstairs, I finished the document I was working on, before shutting my GEH-issued laptop. I was about to help Elliot and Mrs. Bridge in the kitchen when Grandpa Theo appeared, having freshened up in his suite on the ground floor.

"That boy is certainly smitten. It's a wonderful thing to see, and we have you to thank for that."

What was this? Corner Ana afternoon?! Like with Grace, I didn't know what to say.

"Adele and I haven't seen him this relaxed in years, and Gracie said he's been much involved with the family since you came along."

"He loves his family very much," I said, thinking about the day after the Coping Together Ball when he told Carrick, Grace, and Elliot about his past.

"It felt like we lost him for a while there. Whatever magic you're working on him, keep doing it!"

"I will, thanks, Theo."

"None of this Theo nonsense. You can call me gramps."

"You trying to steal my girl?" Christian asked, smiling indulgently as he walked in overhearing the last of our conversation. Dressed in dark jeans and a button-up, it should be illegal to look as sexy as Christian looked just then.

"No. I've had my own girl these fifty years past, and she's still as pretty as the day we met."

"Then you need glasses, you old coot," Adele said, joining us in the family room. Not long after the rest of the family joined us, and we were soon enjoying a pre-dinner drink then an excellent meal of freshly caught trout. We were sitting at the dining table listening to Elliot describe a hilarious mix-up of an online order that nearly saw him buying a hundred tons of galvanized nails instead of a hundred cartons when Christian's cell rang. Pulling it from his pocket, he frowned when he saw the caller. Barney. Before we left, Christian made it clear he was only to be called for an emergency. Excusing himself, Christian left the table to take the call. When he came back, he looked pale.

"Everything alright, son?" Carrick asked, taking in his demeanor.

"Yes, just business."

Returning to the table, Christian wrapped his arm around me, and I could feel the tension radiating from him. "Is everything ok?" I whispered.

He subtly shook his head. We made our way through dessert before Christian stood, asking if he could have a private word with his parents and me. Elliot followed us into his grandfather's study.

"That was Barney on the phone," he explained for his parents' and Elliot's benefit. "They've found proof of embezzlement and fraud on Elena's salon computers, so she'll be going down for a long time. But her laptop is another story. There were no work files on that. It was devoted to storing her BDSM images and videos."

"Anything illegal?" Dad was quick to ask.

"Not so far as Barney can tell. He said some of the men and women look young, but most of the videos were taken at clubs, so they would not be underaged."

"Does she have any of you?"

"Yes. But only from after I became a dominant. Mine are the oldest images in her collection."

"What does this mean?" Elliot asked.

"It means that she has evidence I was involved in BDSM, however, I have nothing to prove she seduced me when I was fifteen. If it came out, it would be he said/she said and all over the news."

"Do you think she'll expose you?" Elliot asked.

"It's a distinct possibility. Once the results of the audit come in, she'll do whatever she can to save her own skin," Christian predicted. "She'll no doubt threaten to expose me if I don't use my influence to protect her."

"Can you do anything to stop it?" I asked. "There must be a legal way of preventing her from releasing the pictures?"

"I'm afraid not. I can go after her, legally, once she does, but by then the damage will be done."

"Ok. So, what about other ways?" Elliot suggested. Carrick recognizing his cue walked out of the room.

"What do you have in mind?" Christian asked Elliot.

"Well, you've got all these IT people working for you. What if one of them hacks in and just blanks the laptop?"

"That could work, but only if she doesn't have copies stored elsewhere."

"I doubt she does," Grace said thoughtfully. "Elena has never been the most tech-savvy."

"Although she might have copied them now because of the audit," I added.

"She hasn't," Christian asserted. "Barney has a silent VPN connection that fires up when the laptop does. She hasn't switched it on since."

"Ok. So instead of blanking the laptop, what if it gets stolen? Get someone to break into her house while she's at work and tear the place apart. Look for pictures, cameras, safes, storage media, etc. but mess the place up so it looks like they're looking for valuables. Get them to take other expensive stuff so it looks like a normal burglary. She could have stuff stored at the salons, so send a couple of teams into them at night to go through them with a fine-tooth comb but leaving no trace. It's no guarantee, but you can rule out the three most logical places," Elliot suggested.

"That's not a bad idea," Christian said, running his fingers through his hair. "But there's still a chance all this will come out. It could ruin me, and damage the family, too…"

"Darling boy," Grace said, speaking up for only the second time. "No matter what happens, our family sticks together. We will support you, no matter what." Elliot nodded in agreement.

"And I'll support you too," I said, looking up at my man. "If the worst happens, I'll be there every step of the way."

"There's only one man I trust for this job," Christian said with a groan. Requesting his mother and brother re-join the rest of the family, Christian kept me tucked under his arm as he pulled out his phone, pressing a digit on speed dial.

"Taylor? I am so sorry to interrupt your vacation time. I wouldn't ring if it weren't of the utmost importance…"

"I've been waiting for your call, Sir. About Mrs. Lincoln? What are you considering?"