Hello Lovelies,

I hope you're all keeping well. I'm hoping my email issues are now resolved, so I should be back replying to reviews as normal. (Fingers crossed!) As always, thank you for taking the time to read and leave comments. It means a lot.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's starting to feel a little hot in here, don't you think? ;)

Much Love and Stay Safe,

Chelsea x


Julygirljoe83 – Thank you! Haha, a few people have assumed that. I don't know. I think Christian is just a good influence on her! Much Love x

Lavendarjade – Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. I hope you enjoy this one too. Much Love x

Tammi – Thank you! I bet Ana feels like a weight has been lifted! It's about time she stood up for herself. I hope you like this chapter. Much Love x

SuzB – Thank you! I had a lovely birthday, I hope you did too! It was definitely a strange one this year, but feeling very lucky to be safe and well. Much Love x

DoloresDeeHowe – Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. I really hope you enjoy this one too. Much Love x

Jeangb – Thank you! Ana will definitely be keeping her chin up. She's gained a new sense of confidence that will help carry her through this difficult time at SIP. Much Love x

Paula White – Thank you! I hope you enjoy this chapter. Much Love x


Christian's fingers flexed and curled around mine as we began climbing the stairs, him always a step higher up than me.

"Let's see if we can harness some of this new found feistiness you've got, huh?" he muttered, casting a glance down at me from the corner of his eye. His mouth turned up into a wry smile. "You know, I still can't believe you did that… or that I fucking missed it!"

He had instantly found the funny side of my outburst when I had told him about it. He was taken back at first, but then laughed until his stomach and cheeks ached. He begged me to tell him the story over and over, unable to get enough of it.

I admit, I found it amusing too. Well, once the initial shock of it had worn off. I still couldn't believe how out of character it was for me. I was a woman possessed with the spirit of her fiancé!

Since Wednesday's eruption I had seen a definite shift in the general mood at SIP. I was still getting scowls and there was still whispering behind my back, but it was my own reaction to it that had changed the most.

I didn't care.

I had lost the urge to defend myself against the rumours.

Now I had decided I wouldn't bother being friendly to the people who didn't deserve it, I simply got on with my day and ignored them.

Something had snapped inside me. Too many people have taken advantage of my kindness and silence. But not anymore. Fuck them and their bullshit.

"Neither can I," I giggled, shaking my head. "It came out of nowhere."

"It had clearly been building for a while."

"It's your influence," I shot back, tugging on his hand.

"I'll happily take that," he smirked, turning his chin to me. He brought my hand to his mouth and kissed the back of my fingers. "You shouldn't put up with anyone's crap. I'm glad you have found your voice at last."

"Me too," I smiled.

We reached the top of the stairs and rounded the corner, my core tightening as my eyes honed in on the playroom door.

It was Friday night and my turn to decide what we would do for our scheduled date.

There was no hesitation in making my choice. I had been itching to get back in the playroom.

As with the rest of the apartment, it was out with the old and in with the new. Including the playroom. It was time to get rid of the blood red and tortuous vibes, opting for something more erotic and sensual for us now. The playroom was no longer about inflicting pain or releasing anger. It was purely about pleasure and fun. A place for laughter and orgasmic moans, not cries of discomfort and unease.

Christian had hired an old acquaintance from his club days to help with the renovation. There was no way in hell Mia was ever going to find out what goes on in this room. Freddie was happy to jump at the challenge of redesigning the room for us, to bring to life our unusual ideas. I found him to be an easy-going, completely laid-back guy with a wicked sense of humour.

I was convinced I would feel awkward around Freddie, but my worries were shed within moments of meeting him. I wasn't embarrassed or uncomfortable talking to him, didn't feel conflicted about him knowing what we would be doing in that room. He got it. He didn't ask personal questions or pry. He was strictly professional about the whole thing. I liked him.

Freddie finished yesterday afternoon, having added a few last-minute touches over the past week. Neither me nor Christian had been inside during the building works, wanting to check it out only when we had the time to experience the room in its full capacity there and then.

I couldn't wait to see it for myself. See it in the flesh.

Christian removed the small brass key from his pocket and unlocked the door. The click sent a shiver down my spine.

He pushed the door open and stood back, allowing me to head inside first while he reached forward and flicked on the lights.

"Oh my god…"

My heart leapt into my throat.

My gaze darted all around the room, bouncing off different features, unable to take it all in.

"It's beautiful," I gasped.

"Jesus," Christian exhaled. He came to a standstill at my side, both of us in the centre of the room and looking around in awe. "It looks exactly how I imagined it."

"It's exactly what we asked for," I corrected.

He nodded.

Our primary focus for the renovation was to demolish everything and start from scratch. New everything. From the floor to the ceiling, there wasn't a single thing in the room from the time designated 'Pre-Ana'. All of it had been ripped out and replaced. Only the door remained.

I grinned as I scanned the room. There was no red in sight. That was a must.

The room was now peppered with various shades of Christian's favourite colour. We were enveloped into a cocoon of soft light, ice-blue waves dancing across the walls from a rotating fixture hanging from the ceiling. It gave the impression of water rippling along the hues of cornflower, sea-green and sapphire expertly painted on every wall. The colours blended into each other, no harsh lines or finite shifts. The colours were darker near the roof and floor, making the walls appear rounded. It was like stepping into an underwater cave, a mermaid's pleasure dome of sorts. Crystals protruded from the walls, as if bulging from a rock face, the amber, pink and silver diamond-like sculptures mostly framing the king-sized bed in front of us.

I crossed over to the bed and ran my hand across the pearlescent satin sheets. The bed was four-poster, like its predecessor, but was made from white iron. A thin cream veil was draped across the canopy. I smirked as I spotted purple restraints already attached to each of the posts.

To my right was a leather loveseat flanked with tall glass cabinets, each full of toys proudly on display. The dark grey couch sat in front of a large wooden chair, an intricate design carved into the oak. It had navy cushion pads. It was a throne fit for a queen.

His queen.

I studied the chair and saw yet more purple restraints embedded into the wood, for wrists and ankles.

There were numerous locations around the room perfect for being tied to. A whole load of different positions for us to try out…

"I don't remember this in Freddie's plans," I murmured, pointing to the chair. Christian grinned. "Something you added?"

"Among other things," he nodded, a mischievous glint in his eyes. He closed the gap between us. "I added a couple surprises for you… Do you like it?"

"The chair?"

"No, the room," he said, gesturing around us. "Does it meet your expectations?"

"It exceeds them!" I chuckled. I leaned into him, my hands snaking around his back. "Do you like it?"

He nodded again.

"You don't think it's too… I don't know, girly?"

"No," he replied instantly. His hands crept to my face, his fingers starting to caress my jaw. "I didn't want a traditional playroom. Been there, done it. It's not me anymore."

I couldn't hide my grin. It exploded across my face like a firework.

"No pain," he purred, reiterating our promise. "Nothing but pleasure."

His lips hovered over mine, but they didn't make contact. I shuddered at the warmth of his breath.

"You ready to play, baby?" he asked in a low, deep voice.

"You bet your ass I am," I snorted.

"Good," he grunted. He tightened his hold of my face, forcing my head still. "Keep that edge. I want you to be fiery tonight. I want to see my defiant, stubborn Ana."

"You don't want me to be submissive?"

"Oh, you'll submit to me," he pouted. "There's no question about that. But I want to see the gutsy side of you. It turns me on."

"Everything turns you on…"

He gave me a hard kiss and then backed away, reclaiming the distance he had just broken.

His eyes roamed the length of my body and slowly I understood what he was expecting me to do.

My fingers toyed with the buttons of my blouse, trembling as I peeled it from my torso. Removing my slacks and panties was difficult, my knees starting to buckle under the heat of his stare.

I stood in front of him, completely naked, my arms loose at my sides.

He lifted his eyes to my hair. I reached up and undid my topknot, my dark tangles falling around my shoulders.

I saw a flicker of a smirk on his lips before he turned on the spot and left the room.

Keep it together, Steele.

He was back before I had chance to miss him, now wearing only a pair of low-hanging silk pyjama pants. The material was already straining at his crotch.

"Come sit in the chair," he ordered, holding out his hand for me to take. "We'll save the bed for last."

He guided me over to the throne and gently pushed me down into it. I sat, naturally parting my legs, knowing how this will unfold. His eyes lingered between my thighs as he hooked the restraints around my wrists.

"I'm going to take my time with you," he announced. I pulled at the restraints, testing them. "Okay?"

"Yes," I nodded.

"What's our safeword?"

"Flamingo," I giggled.

He rolled his eyes but matched my laughter with a light rumble of his own.

Leaning forward, he pressed his mouth to mine. His tongue ran between the seam of my lips, pushing them open.

"We've got a ton of new toys to play with," he said. "I picked them out especially."

I had let him takeover in the toy department. We had started checking various websites together, but I didn't recognise or understand what half of them were for. It was safer to leave it up to him. He knows my body, he knows what I will like, what I will hate.

And I trust him. Implicitly.

He spun around and strode over to the cabinets. He kept his back to me as he selected his prize, coming back to me with a small pebble like device in his palm.

I frowned as he brought it over and held it out for me to inspect. It was a soft mint colour, shaped like an egg with a slight curve in the middle. There was a small cable protruding from the base.

"Where does that go?" I asked, cautiously.

"Inside you," he hummed. "It's a vibrator."

"Oh –"

"There's a remote control," he nodded. "I can operate it without being near you. It's got a pretty good range, too."

"You've tested it?"

"I wanted to make sure it was suitable," he said, shrugging. "And it is. You'll love it."

Turning back to the cabinet, he snatched up the controller and a bottle of lubricant and then returned to me. I licked my lips as he began rubbing lube all over the pebble, preparing it for use.

"Relax…" he breathed, kneeling between my feet.

He gently traced the seam of my sex, limbering me up with his fingers, massaging my throbbing nub. I writhed, trying to tilt my hips forward, wanting to rub myself into his palm for more friction.

"That's it," he hissed. He raised the pebble and eased it inside me, slowly, positioning it in just the right spot. I jerked as he pressed it against those tightly bound nerves he never fails to find. "Is that okay?"

"Yes," I gulped, nodding vigorously.

His fingers left the apex of my thighs and started dancing down the length of my legs, the lightness of his touch sending more shivers all over my body.

"I'll start you off easy," he promised.

He flicked a switch on the controller and I jolted in the chair, a spasm tearing through me.

"Oh my god!" I shrieked, bucking wildly. It pulsed in beats of three, buzz buzz buzz, thumping deep inside me. "Fuck… is that only the first setting?"

"You bet," he chuckled. I stared at him as he skulked away, heading for the couch. He perched on the edge, watching me writhe. "Is it intense?"

"Very!"

"Too much for you to handle?"

I couldn't reply.

I slammed my eyes shut and tried to adjust to the sensations. It spread through my lower stomach and down my thighs, palpitating through every nerve from my waist down.

I heard a click and the rhythm changed, the beats getting faster, closer together, no breaks for me to try to catch my breath.

"Shit…" I gasped. I threw my head back and moaned. "Christian…"

"It gets a lot better than this, trust me," he said. "This little beauty has ten settings. It goes up in intensity each time. This is only the beginning."

"Fucking hell!" I rocked back in the chair, squeezing my eyes shut. I tugged on the restraints, pulling hard against the ties. "I don't know if I'll make it to ten…"

"Open your eyes."

His request was firm and I tore my lids open, looking across to him.

My focus immediately dropped to his hand.

He had lowered his pants to his thighs, his erection standing proud as he pumped his hand up and down his shaft. He rotated his hand as he moved from base to tip, the way I stroke him while taking him in my mouth.

My jaw clenched and a deep, grumbling sound escaped from me.

"Do you wish you were touching me right now?" he asked, teasingly. I nodded. "Or do you wish I was touching you?"

"Both," I sighed.

With his free hand, he held up the controller. He clicked it twice. My legs shook hard as I screamed.

"Just keep looking at me," he ordered. "I want you to watch. See what you do to me… This –" He gripped himself. "This is what you do to me. It's all you, baby."

"Christian… Please…"

"What?"

"I want you," I begged.

"Not yet," he grinned.

He toyed with the controller and then, all of a sudden, the vibrations were gone.

I exhaled a huff, feeling bereft.

"What?" I shook my head, scowling at him. "What are you doing?"

"Taking my time with you," he repeated his earlier comment. He continued to play with himself. "You'll come when I want you to."

"Please?"

He pumped himself, a trickle of pre-release oozing from his tip.

"Oh come on!" I grunted. "Stop teasing me."

"No," he shook his head. "I like teasing you."

"Baby…"

"And I love the sound of you pleading with me," he purred. "I love hearing your sweet moans."

"You'll get to hear them if you turn that fucking thing back on!"

His grin somehow stretched even higher across his face.

"That's my girl," he nodded. He switched the pebble back on, turning up the intensity by several degrees. "Scream for me."


My skin prickled as the cool air circled around my tangled limbs, the satin sheet only loosely covering my calves and nothing else.

I was laying across Christian, my cheek on his chest, his heart hammering under my ear.

He was as exhausted as me. He struggled to regain control of his breaths.

We had made our way around the room, finally ending up on the bed as he intended. By that point, I could barely stand up, my legs like jelly. Christian had pressed his entire body weight into me, his hands gripping my wrists as he pinned me to the mattress and pounded his hips into mine.

"I think I love this room," he panted. I tilted my head back and smiled at the dazed expression on his flushed face. "Fuck me…"

"I already have," I whispered. I pecked a kiss above his left nipple. "But I'll do it again if you want."

He quietly laughed and I felt his lips against the top of my head.

He hugged me tight to him for a moment longer, before shifting under me and swinging his legs around the side of the bed. He gathered to his feet and stretched his arms high above his head. I watched as he collected his pyjama pants from the floor and pulled them up his legs.

I grinned as he exited the room, knowing what he was about to do.

Although this is the first time we have played in here in a while, we have dabbled in kinkier forays downstairs, in our bedroom. After each session, he sets about the same aftercare routine.

He admitted to me that he never did this with any of his subs, though he knew he should have. He said he should have taken care of them, at least take an interest in their well-being in the aftermath of a tryst, instead of casting them away once he had used them.

With me, however, he wants to take care of my needs. He wants to shower me with affection and comfort, ensuring that I never feel used by him. He needs to make sure I know this is a mutual affair. That we are equals.

Our cuddling now over, I knew he would be in our bathroom, leaning over the tub to turn on the faucet to run us a bubble bath. He will pour lashings of essentials oils into the water, leaving the room only briefly to grab a bottle of white wine from the refrigerator.

He will massage every inch of my body after drying me off. He will dress me and brush my hair.

We'll eat whatever food is in the fridge, something quick and easy, and then we will curl up in bed. Sometimes we will talk for a few hours, other times we will simply lay there in blissful silence until sleep welcomes us with open arms.

I love this part of playtime. I love seeing the shift in him – seeing the dominant alpha slip away to reveal my adoring protector.

My eyes flitted back to the doorway as Christian reappeared. He was holding my fluffy bathrobe.

"Your bath awaits, my lady," he smiled.

He held open the robe and I climbed off the bed, stumbling over to him and stepping into it. It was warm, fresh from the dryer, exactly how I like it.

"Your legs are working, then?"

"Only just," I snorted.

He tugged on the belt around my waist, pulling into his arms.

"Now it's time for me to pamper you," he muttered.

"Did you remember to light my candles?" I asked. "The scented ones?"

"Of course," he nodded. He took me by the hand and led me out of the room, locking the door behind us. "Three lavender and chamomile candles, spaced out around the faucets."

"And my body lotion?" I teased.

I knew he wouldn't forget any step of the routine, but the continued stirring and spasms in my stomach urged me to press him.

To provoke him.

"On the counter," he confirmed. He kept his head forward as he dragged me down the hall. "It's a new bottle. The other one was empty."

"What about my pyjamas?"

"I've chosen something for you to wear," he said. "The pink tartan pants and a blue camisole."

"And my –"

He came to an abrupt halt and spun around to face me. He exhaled a low huff, his brow arched and his gaze hard.

He took a single step forward and towered over me.

"I know what you're doing," he sighed.

"I have no idea what you're talking about…" I shrugged, playing dumb. "I'm just making sure you haven't missed anything."

"No, you're trying to earn yourself another visit in there," he said, pointing to the playroom door.

Busted.

"You're trying to wind me up."

"Never," I breathed, shaking my head and feigning exasperation.

He reached around me and grabbing my butt with both hands, pinching my cheeks and eliciting a wince from me.

"I've already worked you too hard," he whispered. He lessened his grip. "Your ass is a lovely shade of pink. If I do anymore to you tonight, you'll bruise. I'll never leave a mark on you, Ana, you know that. Redness fades quick, bruises linger."

I noted the resolve in his voice and accepted his reply. Playtime was over for today.

"What about tomorrow?" I bargained, narrowing my eyes. "Can we resume play tomorrow?"

"As long as you're up for it," he nodded. "I have no plans for us. It'll be just the two of us for the entire weekend."

I licked my lips and dropped my eyes to his crotch. I lightly brushed my palm over his bulge, causing him to jerk against me.

"Fuck!"

"I don't think I'll ever stop feeling this way," I shook my head. "I could spend every minute of every day with you inside me and it still wouldn't be enough."

"Ana…"

"I love feeling you deep inside me," I breathed. I raised my eyes back up his. "I'll never tire of you."

"I should fucking hope not," he grunted.

He allowed me to run my fingers over the rigid lines of his length once more before he jumped back, putting space between us again.

"No," he shook his head. "Get downstairs now. It's bath time."

"But –"

"The water will get cold."

I pouted my lips and skirted around him.

Peeking over my shoulder, I looked back at him and saw that he was staring at my ass.

He was biting his lip.

I had him right where I wanted him.

"You have ten seconds to get down those stairs," he announced.

"Or what?"

"Or I'll fuck you on them."

My steps instantly slowed and he growled under his breath.