Chapter 1: The Elevator

Anastasia's POV

Thursday, June 7th 2012

I'm exhausted. My feet are killing me from running useless errands for my irate boss, and I'm looking forward to a quiet evening at home. As I open the door to the outside world I sigh at the fact that I'm leaving work once again hours after the sun has gone down. That's the third time this week and it's only Thursday. Of course I'll have dinner waiting for me at home, thanks to my loving boyfriend. I smile as I think about how lucky I am to have found him. He and Kate are my two favorite people in this world. After we graduated from WSU, we all moved to Seattle together. José and I had been together since my sophomore year, and Kate and I were inseparable since the moment we met at orientation freshman year. We decided that Seattle would provide an adventure, and it certainly has given us one. José and I continued on our growth as a couple as Kate went on to find the man of her dreams. A mister Elliot Grey. As soon as I met him, I knew he was the one for Kate. There's just enough likeness between the two to keep things stable, but their differences are what makes things so interesting. She called me earlier on my lunch break and asked me to go out with her and Elliot tomorrow night and I immediately agreed. I need some Kate time and Elliot's always entertaining. I'll be going out alone again, but when your boyfriend owns his own company, you can't complain much.

When I reach my car in the parking garage I sit in the driver's seat for a moment and relax for the first time today. My boss keeps working me to the bone; calling me in early, not letting me leave until after work hours. He's truly becoming a menace. I don't like my job, I'm just an assistant to a company I'll never work for later in life, but when I couldn't find a publishing job, Elliot called in a favor from a family friend and got me a job that would pay the bills. Now 8 months later, I'm dying for something, anything, else. When I pull out onto the busy street of Seattle I start to think of all of the work I have to do this weekend. We're moving into a beautiful house soon and the apartment is barely packed. I spent 4 hours last night trying to go through my things, but every time I found something interesting, I got sidetracked and by the time I went to bed I only had one box packed. Oops. Pulling into my parking spot in the underground garage of Escala I walk quickly to the elevators because my stomach has started to seriously growl, alerting me it's past my dinner time. As I'm standing in the elevator waiting for the doors to close, I hear a deep voice calling, "Hold the elevator!"

I do, but then an amazingly handsome man enters and I can't help but let out a gasp when he smirks knowingly at me. I have seen him around several times and every time he gives me the same reaction. My body stiffens and my mouth salivates on sight. He rakes his eyes appreciatively up and down my body as he comes to stand a little too close to me. I swallow harshly as he nears and my breath hitches in my throat. I think he quite possibly may be the most beautiful man in the world…

But damn it, Steele. Close your mouth.

I don't know why I'm always reacting this way around him, but I really can't seem to help it. It's like there's something deep inside of me that wildly calls to his body. I lick my lips out of reflex and try to let out a steady breath of air. I know this feeling shouldn't be washing over me, but there's no way in hell I could stop it. I squeeze my thighs tightly together as he stands just a step closer to me, and the moisture continues to pool in my groin. I have never in my life felt this level of attraction for someone, not even José, and I feel terrible, but I can't stop looking at this gorgeous man beside me. He's still grinning and I feel my cheeks heat up under his hypnotic gaze. Neither of us utters a word, we only keep stealing desirous glances at one another while the elevator ascends. Just as I'm about to open my mouth to speak to the Greek god beside me, there's a jostle in the elevator and we abruptly come to a complete stop. The overhead lights go out, and our car is only illuminated by dim emergency lights on the side.

"What the fuck was that?" Adonis practically growls, and fuck if that didn't make him that much sexier and me so much wetter.

No. Stop. Think of José…

But as I look shyly through my lashes to the pacing, angered man next to me, I bite my lip and start undressing him with my eyes. He stops to look over to me and the anger that was swimming in his eyes before seems to have dissipated as they begin darken with desire. He inhales deeply and takes a step towards me so that he is flush with my body. His mouth is only mere inches away from mine and I can feel his hot breath hit my face. He puts his thumb on my chin and tugs to free my bottom lip from my teeth and immediately leans down to lick across the spot on my lip that my teeth had previously been digging in to. I involuntarily let out a moan, and much to my surprise, he does too.

"You taste better than I imagined." He moans again and lets a hand drift into my hair. He grabs a fistful and tugs so my mouth is more upturned to him.

I know that I shouldn't be doing this… I'm not the cheating type… but this feels too good… His mouth suddenly crashes into mine and he's devouring me. This isn't a gentle kiss, but harsh and carnal and I am relishing every arousing second. I have a hand on his cheek and the other is on his hip, grasping his shirt and urging his hips closer to mine. I can feel his erection pressing against my sex and it spurs me on even more. I begin to subtly move my hips against his, and he reaches his free hand to my ass as he begins kneading it and pulling me in while he circles his hips. My clit is throbbing and my panties are drenched, and I know I'm a breathless mess… but it's so worth it. His hips continue to grind into mine, and he's hitting my clit with each motion, making me rise higher and higher, closer and closer to orgasm. He breaks our lip's contact and kisses my cheek, my jaw, my neck and he starts to suck there. I can't stop moaning and he's panting just like me. Abruptly, he stops his movements and pulls back to look at me. For the longest time he just looks deeply into my eyes and there's a curious emotion on his face.

Adoration.

"You're so damn beautiful… I've wanted to kiss you since the first time I saw you all those months ago." He whispers and rests his forehead against mine.

"Really?" I whisper back, absolutely giddy that he wants me.

"Oh, yes. But I've only ever seen you when you're with another man. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw you alone in the elevator." He smiles a devastatingly handsome smile and his hand the rests on my cheek lets his thumb rub circles on my skin.

Ah, shit. That's right… I have a boyfriend.

I take step back from him and he looks devastated.

"That man you've seen me with… That's my boyfriend." He looks away and I can see disappointment in his eyes. "I have a boyfriend. I shouldn't have done this."

"You regret kissing me?" His broken voice causes my eyes to snap to his and I see their wide with sadness.

"No." I sigh. "I should. But I don't. I know that makes me an awful person too… but I liked kissing you."

He has a slight smile on his face and picks up my hand. He brings it to his mouth and kisses each knuckle while maintaining complete eye contact with me. I think I stop breathing and then he smiles brightly at me again.

"I'm glad to hear it, Miss…" He frowns. "I don't even know your name."

"It's Ana, well, Anastasia Steele. What's yours?"

"Grey. Christian Grey."

Christian's POV

My mind is elsewhere today and I really can't concentrate on the work that waits unfinished on my desk. I sit in my office, turned towards the large floor to ceiling window that overlooks the busy city of Seattle. I sigh when I realize I could live anywhere and not care. Seattle's beautiful… but I just don't care. My parents live here, my siblings too. My business's main office is here, so hence I must be here. But it really doesn't matter. Lately I can't stop thinking about how mundane my life is. I don't have anyone to go home to at night; it's just my staff that's back at Escala. There are men that would kill to be where I am. Billionaire with the ability to buy anything my heart desires, the respect from people whose names I'll never know, women who throw themselves at me daily. Shit, I can't even remember the last time I was intimate with a woman. My mind is always focused on work… except for the rare day, like today, where I just sit and wallow in my own self-pity. I literally have the same routine every day, even on most weekends. Wakeup, workout, work from office, go home only to work more. My brother, Elliot, keeps nagging me about going out with him and his girlfriend, Kate, but I don't have a want to do that. Plus Kate annoys the piss out of me.

Maybe I need to find a woman...

No. No woman wants to play second fiddle to my work, and to be honest, I have never met a woman I can stand being in the same room with for lengthy periods of time before I just want to choke them. The only interactions I have with women are the very rare occasions I go to bars just to find someone I can fuck in the bathroom. I've never had a woman even come to my apartment. Never taken anyone to dinner, never had a date, never had someone meet my parents. I'm just a lonely son of a bitch. But sometimes I'm thankful because some women are more hassle than their worth. There was one about a year ago that I took to a hotel, which I've only done a handful of times with someone. I was really horny so I got us a room, not a suite, I didn't care that much. But I let her blow me that night, and kept her as a go to for the next two weeks. Always taking her back to the hotel so she could get me off, and then got annoyed when she wanted to see each other exclusively. I damn sure didn't want that. Especially from her. She could have been anyone, it just happened to be her who hit on me first the night we met. I would text her and demand she meet me at the hotel, and boy what a mistake that was... letting her have my number. After I broke it off with her, she called and texted me so much I had to have my number changed. It's fair to say that's a mistake I won't make again. I only listened to one of the many voicemails she left me and it was her sobbing telling me she thought we were soul mates. I grimaced when I listened to it and deleted the rest without a second thought. Hell, I don't think I remember her name. Lila? Leia? Leila? Something along those lines. She held no interest to me, so I dropped her like an old hat and moved on.

I think that may have been my last sexual experience and fuck… that was like 11 months ago. I really just don't have time for women. Not that I don't enjoy them when I have them, it's just I have better things to do than to put up with the overbearing come-ons and then convincing them to let me bang them in the men's room of wherever we may be. Too much work and my right hand suits me just fine for now. It's not like I don't get a dozen offers a day, it's just that no one gets me interested. There's no spark. Well, I've felt a spark before. But I've felt it for someone I don't even know. I've never even spoken to her, but every time I see her, my heart beats fast and I get nervous. She's the most beautiful, alluring woman, and the attraction I feel for her scares the shit out of me. I don't know her name, but I think about her all of the time... especially in bed at night. I know she lives in my apartment building, and I find that very promising, but when I see her, she's with another man and I'm scared that it could be a boyfriend. I'm a ruthless, billionaire, CEO and I'm scared of the reaction this woman would give me if I talked to her. Shit, I need a shrink.

When I tear my thoughts away from my gorgeous mystery girl, I look at the clock and notice it's almost seven. I usually stay until about eleven, but I'm useless today. Putting my suit jacket on I call Taylor and tell him I'm leaving. He hates when I drive myself to work and I have to update him of my location throughout the day when I do. God forbid I take a piss without letting him know first, but if I don't, I'm afraid he'd phone in the National Guard. I let Andrea and Olivia go home at five so it's pretty quiet on this floor and I'm thankful because it gives me a peaceful ride down in the elevators by myself. When I'm in the parking garage, I look to my spot and see my perfect Audi Spyder waiting for me. This is the one thing that has gotten me excited today and it's a fucking inanimate object. I really need a life. As I'm getting into the car, Elliot phones me and rather than ignore it like I usually would, I decide to answer.

"Hey, El."

"Little, bro! Taking a break from work to talk to your favorite brother? I'm touched."

"I'm leaving work and you're my only brother. What do you want?"

"Okay, straight to the point, no small talk, I get it. Kate and I really want you to come out with us tomorrow. She got a promotion at work and we're going to go celebrate. She's bringing her best friend and we're going to Trinity around 10 if you want to join." I sit and close my eyes for a minute. Usually I'd say no without hesitation, but I really need to get my mind off of things, so I contemplate going out with them tomorrow night. "Lil, bro? You there?"

"Yeah, El. Actually, you know what? I'd love to."

"Holy shit, really?" I can hear the excitement in his voice and it makes me feel like a jackass for never spending time with him.

"Yeah. That sounds great. I guess I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Awesome! I can't wait to tell, Kate. Laters!" He hangs up and I start the car so I can head home.

Home. That's a funny word. Yes, I'm referring to where I live, but it feels like anything but a home. It's sterile and feels like an art museum. It's definitely not what you think of when you hear the word home, but it's not like I have anyone to impress. It's just me. When I pull into the parking garage at Escala I see my mystery girl walking towards the elevator. I throw my car into park and practically sprint to catch up.

"Hold the elevator!" I shout and thank God, I see her hand reach out to keep the doors from closing. Fuck, she's gorgeous.

I can't help but smirk when I hear her tiny intake of breath and I come to stand close to her. She smells delicious, and she looks just as appetizing. I am desperately fighting the strong urge to moan as I feel electricity flowing between us. I let my eyes are roam all over her perfect little body and I can't stop grinning. She blushes as she catches me staring, but I want her to know I'm checking her out. I want her to know that I'm incredibly interested. We keep giving each other small looks as the elevator descends, but neither of us speak. I want to talk to her. Tell her how beautiful she is, but I'm so nervous. Would she even want me? As I'm having these thoughts, the elevator shakes and the lights go out. Small emergency lights come on and I'm pissed as hell as I start to pace.

"What the fuck was that?" I know I'm growling, but shit. This is an expensive place, it should have working elevators.

All angry thoughts leave me though when I look over to my mystery girl and see her biting her plump bottom lip. It's just so damn sexy. She's looking at me with hungry eyes, and I decide to make a bold move. I come closer to her, so much so I can feel her body heat, and I grip her chin to release that enticing lip from the confounds of her perfect pearly whites. I am so entranced, without thinking I lean down to lick across her bottom lip. She moans and I echo her.

"You taste better than I imagined." I moan again and slip a hand into her sexy brunette locks and grab a handful.

I tug so her mouth is turned closer to mine and I latch my mouth to hers. She doesn't pull away; in fact she grabs at the fabric on my hip and pulls me closer to her. My hard dick is resting against her and I put my other hand on her ass to yank her even closer. Her ass is firm and feels so good in my hand; I can't help but squeeze it over and over. She starts to lightly move her hips to push into my body, and I copy her movements so that I'm thrusting my erection against her pussy. I let my lips wander all over her face and then bring my mouth to her neck where I suction onto it. She tastes heavenly and I just can't get enough. I can smell her arousal and it's making my dick throb. Her scent calls to me; it's absolutely primal. This woman honestly makes my heart ache, she's so damn sexy and fits perfectly against me. I pull back to look into her powder blue eyes and feel like she must be the purpose in my life. She was made for me, I know she was.

"You're so damn beautiful… I've wanted to kiss you since the first time I saw you." I whisper then rest my forehead against hers; savoring this moment we're having together.

"Really?" She asks me in disbelief.

"Oh, yes. But I've only ever seen you when you're with another man. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw you alone in the elevator." I want her to tell me he's no one, but that's not the response I get. She steps back from my arms and I frown at the immediate depravity I feel.

"That man you've seen me with… That's my boyfriend. I have a boyfriend. I shouldn't have done this." Fuck!

"You regret kissing me?" I look back at her and I can hear the depression in my voice.

"No." She sighs but continues. "I should. But I don't. I know that makes me an awful person too… but I liked kissing you." YES! Miracles do happen.

I smile and reach for her hand, not handling the loss of physical contact. I bring her hand to my lips and kiss each delicate knuckle of her tiny hand and smile at her.

"I'm glad to hear it, Miss… I don't even know your name." How can I not have asked yet?

"It's Ana, well, Anastasia Steele. What's yours?" Anastasia. Beautiful.

"Grey. Christian Grey."

She smiles, and I think this is the start of a lot of trouble.