I am woken by my alarm clock, ugh time to get up already, I was having such a pleasant, well naughty dream I really didn't want it to end. I shower and eat toast and jam with a cup of coffee to get the engine running this morning. Taylor is waiting as usual to escort me safely to work. I want today to go smoothly so at 4pm I can leave and get ready for our weekend away. I am excited when I think it is our first weekend together and I walk into the office beaming.
"Good Morning Miss Steele" says Sophia "Nice to see you looking so happy today" I smile.
"Good Morning Sophia and thank you" I return and head to my office with a spring in my step.
I feel so happy I float my way through the day, nothing happens to ruin my good mood and I leave right on time. Taylor is ready to drive me home.
"I bet you are looking forward to some time off" I say to Taylor, assuming someone else would take over.
"No ma'am I will be escorting Mr. Grey and yourself to Grey Manor this weekend" he solemnly replies.
"Oh I see" I blush, does he not get any time off? After all, he has been looking after me for the last few weeks including the weekends. He must be shattered.
At the apartment I scurry around packing the last few bits, I stand back and check my bags. Goodness, me it looks like I am going for a fortnight! I knew I should not have listened to Kate, I smile. I unpack a few things I hope I will not need, when the doorbell rings. I check through the spy hole and he is here. I open the door and welcome him in. He steps one foot inside and pulls me into his arms, his lips touch mine, my eyes close and I can feel my panties beginning to dampen. I run my fingers through his hair and pull him in to deepen our kiss. He lifts my summer skirt and runs his fingers up my thigh until I feel he has reach my clitoris which he teasingly touches and circles until I am panting with wanton desire. I feel the familiar bulge of his erection against his jeans, my hand reaches down to stroke but he pulls away.
"Oh god Ana, what you do to me. I have been waiting all week to feel and touch you. It has taken all of my willpower not to burst into your office and take you over the desk. You are always ready for me and I could take you right here, right now but I promised Mom we would be there for dinner this evening." he pants.
Oh, talk about leaving a girl hanging! I struggle to compose myself, I feel hot and bothered now and extremely frustrated.
He walks over to the chair and takes my bag. I am sure I see a small look of surprise at the weight cross his face but he says nothing. We are meeting Kate and Elliot at the house so I lock up and we hit the road.
"I thought Taylor was coming this weekend?" I enquire.
"He is, look in the mirror and find the black sedan following us a couple of cars back" he explains. I look and sure enough I see a black sedan behind. "You may also see a silver SUV ahead or behind from time to time, that is Sawyer, he double backs occasionally to see if anyone is following at Taylor's request"
"Oh" I am not sure what to say. I look over and see a small smile on his lips.
"Does it make you uncomfortable Ana?" he asks.
"Well yes and no" I answer honestly "it feels a little creepy knowing someone is following you all the time but reassuring that they have your back in times of trouble"
"Exactly Ana, I can't remember how many times my security have helped me in various situations" he says.
His phone rings and brings our conversation to a close and he is obviously annoyed at whoever was on the phone so the rest of the journey was completed in silence.
Fortunately we arrive soon after, Kate and Elliot are already here, plus a few other cars and as we pull up to the door, both Kate and Mia followed by Grace and Carrick come to meet us.
"Ana, Christian so glad you are here" as Mia throws her arms around Christian and then me. Kate hugs and kisses both Christian and I. Grace asks me how I am and I can see Carrick shaking his son's hand. We all move into the house and then out into the huge garden where a few other guests are sitting. Elliot smiles as we enter, he kisses me on the cheek and asks how the new door is working for me. I laugh and reply that it has been very reliable so far and that if anyone had tried to kick it, I sure couldn't see any signs and he laughs back.
"Hey Bro" says Elliot playfully.
"Hey Lelliot" he replies smiling and shaking his hand, Grace leans in and says that Elliot's name was the only word he spoke for quite a while after he was adopted. I smile at the thought of a tiny Christian being looked after by Elliot.
"A few introductions necessary I think" Grace says as she goes around the room "and of course you know my good friend Elena" Christian and Elliot's faces darken together, strange I thought but not the time or place to ask.
Kate comes over as Christian and Elliot disappear to the kitchen.
"Oh this is so lovely Ana. I can see why you like his family so much, they make you feel at home and this house is just magnificent" I nod in agreement.
Elena interrupts our conversation "Ana darling so good to see you again, so unfortunate about your little accident, I hope you are on the mend though" she says smiling sweetly, completely ignoring Kate.
"Yes thank you Elena, this is my best friend Kate" I tell her.
"Lovely to meet you Kate" she distractedly says before turning back to me "Come to my salon soon Ana darling, I have so much I could do for you" she air kisses before walking away.
"Wow, is it cold in here or did the ice bitch just stop by?" I laugh at Kate; she always has a great way with words and is brave enough to say them.
I look around and see Christian and Elliot both looking very irked about something and I get the feeling it because of Elena. I think she is exactly the way Kate describes her but I have only met her twice and she has never done anything to me. However, I don't want to run into her very often if I can really help it.
At that moment Christian and Elliot join us and we break away to continue mixing. Christian pulls me aside.
"What did Elena have to say to you?" a very dark and serious look covers his face.
"Oh just pleasantries really and she told me I must visit her at the salon" I admit truthfully.
"Stay away from her Anastasia, she is poison" he says forcefully.
"Ok I will but it's hard at occasions like this" I voice trying to be reasonable.
"Stay away!" he snaps. I guess why, is a conversation for another day. I sigh but Mia bounces over and I paste a smile on again.
"Come Ana lets go for a walk outside, it's much too stuffy in here" she says looking at Christian, I wonder if she heard our words but I am too afraid of the answer and what she might know.
"That is a great idea" I say and smile at Christian as we walk towards the door.
"I don't like Elena, she is far too fake, plasticky and botoxed for my liking. Sometimes I don't know why we can't age gracefully instead of making ourselves look like cheap surgically enhanced Barbie dolls and she always makes a bee line for Elliot and Christian when she can. I don't really know why my mother invites her, I know they have been friends for a long time and she is involved in mom's charity but really she is very cold" Mia blast out words at a rate of knots. She doesn't mince her words either.
"I have only met her twice but she is a little, err full on" I say a diplomatically as I can. We walk quite a distance before I realize we have security for company.
"Do they even follow you around the garden?" I say and look over in the direction of a black suited man.
"No, this is because you are here and my big brother worries about you" she tells me before dragging me down to the lake.
"This is beautiful" I exclaim "The moon is so big tonight" it lights up the whole area, casting shadows and making the ripples on the lake look like they are dancing. I see a small building structure a little in the distance.
"What's that building?" I ask Mia.
"That's the boat house, well it's more of a house now, Christian and Elliot converted it years ago. I will let Christian show it to you" she explains "and this is daddy's boat" we have walked a little further and a huge but beautiful boat is moored.
"Wow Mia, it's beautiful and it's named after you I see" I notice.
"Daddy always wanted a little girl and when I came along he renamed it Mia" she smiles fondly "I guess we had better get back before my brother sends out a search party" we giggle. I like Mia; she is so bubbly and fun. As we reach the house, Christian and Elliot are standing together and I see Kate is deep in conversation with Grace.
"Did you have fun ladies?" Asks Elliot.
"Of course we did" replies Mia, I am nodding my head and smiling. "We got as far as the boat house but we didn't go in, I thought you would like to show Ana that Christian"
"Thank you Mia" Christian says sternly but he has a soft look on his face. He turns to me and asks if I have eaten today. I tell him that lunch seemed a long time ago and I was feeling famished so we head into the dining room and who do we bump into- Elena. Christian stiffens and the look of almost hatred is on his face.
"Christian darling, how are you?" she touches his arm very creepily.
"Don't touch me!" he snarls in a low voice "and stay away from Ana, do you understand?" I look around to see if anyone has heard our exchange but they seem oblivious.
"Oh Christian, don't be so aggressive darling" she answers back. With that, Christian takes my arm and we move to the other side of the room away from her.
"What is it with Elliot, Mia and you? What has she done that's so bad?" I probe.
"I am NOT discussing her here, now can we drop it?" he almost pleads. I nod and see him relax a little and we start to eat the fantastic Hors d'oeuvre although my appetite has diminished somewhat after Elena's confrontation.
Grace and Carrick are doing the polite walking around chatting to everyone bit and eventually come over to where we are standing.
"Is everything ok my dear's?" she asks with a slight look of concern.
"These Hors d'oeuvre's are fantastic Grace, which caterer do you use?" I say to divert the conversation.
"No caterers but my absolutely wonderful housekeeper, chef, and anything else you need, Mrs. Logan" she smiles.
"She certainly is talented" I smile back sampling cheese wrapped in smoked salmon.
Carrick has engrossed Christian in conversation, I am sure about business. I forget Carrick has not yet retired, he has run a successful firm of Lawyers for many years and his reputation precedes him.
Grace is a well-respected pediatrician and through experience, I can say she is a lovely doctor with a bedside manner that more people could do with and has excellent rapport with children. Mia is an interior designer but that does not seem to be her passion though and Elliot, from what I have seen and heard is a very clever architect and designer.
The evening begins to draw to a close, Elena being the last to leave much to Christian and Elliot's annoyance. Grace and Carrick bid us goodnight, Mia the same as she bounces off up to her room. Elliot and Kate are in the snug watching television, he has his arm around her shoulders and her head is leaning on his chest in a familiar way, they seem very comfortable in each other's company.
I yawn and Christian puts his arm around my shoulders.
"Come baby, let's go to bed," he whispers in my ear.
I nod and he takes my hand and leads me toward the boathouse…
A/N: Thank you for all your support and reviews.