My dear little broccolis💚💚💚
💚Sweetie, Let Me Give You The Daddy💚
"The best investment I ever made, was when I lost fifty million dollars and met the love of my life as a result of that."
‼️Rated M - {Out Of Characters/All Human/Alternate Universe}‼️
‼️Romance/Angst/Drama/Lemons‼️
‼️AS/CG/The Greys/The Steeles/José Rodriguez/Grace Grey‼️
💚Now, in case it wasn't clear, this will be a Christian POV story. and I know you will want Ana's PoV, but it will just be Christian.
💚 READ & REVIEW, DON'T BE A SILENT READER 💚
Chapter 12: New Luster and White Lilac (9,5K)
New luster is one of the rarest gemstones in the world, and it represents Ana and the fact that she is quite rare to Christian. As for the white lilac, it represents youthfulness, innocence and purity, and as you know, the flowers are for Ana.
Looks like someone forgot his tie under my bed ... Are you trying to mark your territory, Mr Grey? Because this kind of behaviour is the reason why I keep saying that you are a caveman 😏😏😏 ~ Ana
Christian looked at the picture that Ana had sent him, with his tie peeking out from under her bed, and he couldn't help but grin. Of course, this did not help with his morning boner, especially since the text message was the first thing he saw after waking up on this Monday morning.
In fact, he was very tempted to just masturbate at the memory of what happened on Friday afternoon, but he liked the idea that he could control his urges, no matter how strong they could get. Still, that didn't stop him from staying in bed for a little while and reminiscing about what had happened on the previous Friday.
Hey. Would it be possible for you to come a couple of hours earlier than planned? I would really appreciate it. ~ Ana
Come? I thought you girls were the one coming. I made reservations for tonight. Plus, I made sure that the fridge would be stocked up on raspberries. ~ Christian
We're still coming, don't worry. I just thought we could spend some time together before going to your fancy restaurant. ~ Ana
In all honesty, Christian was no longer at his office, but he was still working from home, his mind on a deal he was trying to close in France. If he were to listen to himself, he would just tell Ana that they would meet for dinner, since he and the girls would have the whole weekend to spend time together. But there was this small voice reminding him that the last time Ana asked to spend time with him, and he refused, she flew to England afterwards, and it took him four years to see her and learn about his daughter.
Ana never asked for his time, though he knew that it was the thing she appreciated the most about him. It wasn't his money, it wasn't his looks (though she clearly appreciated that as well), it wasn't his mentorship. Whether it was now, or five years ago, Ana had always only wanted his time.
So he took it upon himself to postpone his reading of the deal, so he could go see his two brunettes a little earlier than planned. After all, he was supposed to pick them up with Sawyer at 7 pm, and it was almost 5. It was only two hours. He told Sawyer to drop him off, and just stay in the neighbourhood before dropping them at the restaurant, and once again, he wished Ana could drive. He could drive himself, but he despised driving in New York. And moreover, he had a couple of glasses of wine over lunch with Raymond.
Every time he had seen Raymond for work since he took up residence in New York, he had the hope that Ana would join since she was working with the man, and Christian knew that Raymond highly valued her as a lawyer. But it seemed that Ana was determined to keep their personal and professional lives separate. In fact, whenever he had dropped by Raymond's office, he had never seen her.
Once in front of her building, he was again reminded of the lack of concierge and poor security measures he deplored about the building. Criticising it in his mind once again, he went to the apartment. She had given him a spare key when they returned from LA, and he had used it every night when he came to have dinner with the girls. And every time he had used the key, the phrase 'Honey, I'm home' had been burning on his lips. It wasn't much that he wanted to be that much of a cliché, but he wanted to know how it felt.
Usually, Grace would run up to him, all excited to share her day, but this time, she was nowhere in sight. He called for the girls, and Ana came from the corridor that was leading to the bedrooms, in nothing but a black and red negligé. His eyes followed the curve of her breast, so well defined by the red outline of the tissue, and he followed the black slit on her stomach, clashing with the red undergarment that she was wearing.
After a long minute of him silently taking her in, Christian cleared his throat like a teenager, glancing around as he reminded Ana (but mostly himself), "Where is Grace?"
"Jose came up with this wonderful idea of taking her for a movie, so the two of us could... talk. Well, that or..." She wiggled her eyebrows at him, and before any of the information could reach his brain, he was already making his way to her, infinitely thanking Jose and his wisdom.
Ana giggled, and bolted out of his reach, rushing to her room, and he effortlessly followed her there, closing the door behind him so she couldn't try to escape. She playfully looked at him from head to toe, as he took in that she had lit a few scented candles and closed the curtains to give a subdued light to her room, and when she suggestively sat on her bed, he made his way to her while loosening his tie.
He leaned in to kiss her, and she wrapped her hands around his neck to return his kiss, all the while laying down on the mattress and taking him with her. Christian smiled, breaking their kiss to take her lower lip between his teeth whilst one of his hands enjoyed the silky texture of the negligé against her skin.
Ana's hand softly left his neck, so she could cup his face, and resume their kissing, and for a while, they just enjoyed making out on the bed before he tried to lay on top of her, instead of resting his weight on his left hand. As soon as he did, Ana made them roll, so she could be on top of him, her lips never leaving his.
When they finally broke their kiss to get some air, Ana was straddling him, hands going up and down his chest as she pointed out, "How is it fair that I am wearing next to nothing, and you still have so many clothes on?"
Then, she undid his tie, and discarded it, before unbuttoning his shirt and kissing his neck. Christian helped her get rid of his jacket and shirt, before trying to lay her back on the mattress, but she didn't let him. He opened his mouth, but she put her finger on his lips to silence him.
"Last time, you wanted to give all the pleasures. This time, you have to lay back and enjoy."
She started kissing her way down, her fingers already on his trousers to undo his belt, and he tried to reason, "Ana, babe... I just — "
"How about you stop thinking like a caveman, and just enjoy the moment? Or are you really going to refuse a blowjob?"
This was all he needed to stop arguing, and he just closed his eyes as she yanked his trousers down, as well as his briefs. At first, she just played with him, her hands going up and down his shaft whilst his nerves were becoming increasingly aware of the littlest thing. Like her breath on his lower stomach, or her hair tickling his thighs. And finally, she took him in her mouth, and he let out a loud moan as he lifted himself to get as deep as he could.
Without being aware of it, he brought his hand to her chestnut hair and lost his fingers in her mane. He swore under his breath as she went up and down, hollowing her cheeks so she could create suction and using her hand to masturbate the part of him her mouth couldn't access.
Once or twice, she choked a little, but the 'caveman' in him didn't really mind. It meant that he was bigger than she could handle. In fact, he could easily see just losing himself in the moment, and finishing in her mouth if she kept going like that. Which was why he said her name with a ragged breath, trying to get her to stop,
"Babe. I don't want this to be over too soon."
Ana smiled victoriously, and kissed her way up, her hand still jerking him off, and as soon as her face was at his level, he savagely kissed her with passion. Once again, he tried to be on top of her, and she still didn't let him, breaking their kiss to stand up and go to her nightstand, looking for a condom.
He just watched her, his grey eyes not sure where to linger. Her ass, her breasts, her face. It was as if he would never get enough of her. She caught his stare and raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't know about you, but I don't really get kinky with shoes and socks."
In barely a second, he kicked his shoes and trousers out of the way, because though she had yanked them down, he was still technically wearing them. He grabbed her and made her sit on his lap, feeling how wet she was through her panties.
"Who would have thought that giving me a head would turn you on so much?"
"You have no idea. I am so wet, you're going to slide right in," she replied, before kissing him again.
But this time, Christian made sure to strip her of the little clothes she had on. And when she opened the condom and busied herself with putting it on him, he busied himself otherwise, sucking on her breast, and making her lose her breath several times.
When she finally impaled herself on him, Christian swore in her hair before sucking on her jugular. He loved everything about this. The way she bounced on him, the way he felt her walls clamp around his cock, the taste of her skin on his tongue, the bite of her nails in his back. This moment was simply perfect. So perfect that he had no idea how long it lasted.
A minute, an hour. It was all the same, it was perfect because it was with Ana. Because no matter how imperfect she was to the world, she was perfect for him. It was more than connecting physically, they were just in sync. They knew without saying a word when to go faster or when to go slower, when to share a passionate kiss, and when to scream out of passion.
And this how they climaxed together, sweaty with sex, their voices ragged because of panting, and their eyes glassy with bliss. He watched Ana's mouth form a perfect 'O' as her inner walls gripped his cock, and he jerkily raised his hips to chase their perfect bliss.
When they were done, they stayed silent for a moment, Ana on top of him as they were both trying to catch their breath.
"Wow, you really are a freak in the sheets."
She chuckled, the noise resonating in his chest. "That is definitely not being a freak in the sheets. That is just... being a good shag."
He gently traced pointless lines on Ana's skin, before she moved a little as if trying to get up. He clasped his arms over her, and pleaded, "Five more minutes."
She smiled and kissed him, though she still moved. Christian understood that she was just trying to find a position more comfortable than the foetus one she had just been in. She turned so she could be on her side, but then immediately cuddled with him, facing him and looking at him with love.
He brought his hand to her face, tracing her delicate features. Her high cheekbones, her jaw, her plump lips, her small button nose. Her bright blue eyes simply looked at him with peace and love, and so he blurted out, "God, I love you."
As he had expected, she blushed, and she leaned in for a kiss that he gladly gave back. The kiss started growing into something more, and though he was already ready to attack, he knew he wouldn't get to the finish line.
"Give me five minutes to recharge. Then, I'll ravish you, and take your breath away."
"Haha. I don't think so. Jose will be here in twenty minutes. And I don't feel like explaining the birds and the bees to Grace yet. So, unless you want to have this conversation with her..."
He shook his head, doing his best to ignore the uneasy feeling of having his daughter ask about anything that was not related to cartoons or baking. She was four, and she had no business asking about sex until... she was fifty. At least.
Still, this was not what he bounced back on. "Remind me to tell Jose how much I love him."
"Haha. Don't tell him that. He'll dump Karl and snatch you up. And you'll find yourself with a husband without knowing how that happened," she teased, and he entered her game.
"Well, he does have some charms. And well... wait! No! I can't marry someone who makes yucky food."
Ana laughed with him, though she still gently slapped his chest and admonished like she already did to Grace. "Don't say yucky. It's disrespectful."
"It's food, Ana."
"So? You put it in your body, and it is well known that your body is your temple. You wouldn't invite someone in your house just to disrespect them, same goes with food. I respect the food I eat, the people I invite in, and the... mini-Christian that makes me see stars."
"Don't pay too much attention to him, or I will have to ravish you in less than fifteen minutes. Plus, he's not mini-, or do I have to prove that to you in a more eloquent manner than what we just did?"
She playfully rolled her eyes and muttered "caveman" under her breath before getting up and telling him that she would have a quick shower.
Christian came back to the present moment, his morning wood now rock hard because of the memory, and he jumped in the cold shower, doing his best to not think of Ana and her perfect body. When he was ready, he went to the kitchen and told Gail to make him something quick to eat for breakfast. He sat down to read the newspaper as he answered Ana.
How am I supposed to focus on hiring new people when you bring those sexy memories back to life? ~ Christian
It could be worse. I could be naughty and send you some real pictures that would leave nothing to the imagination ... 😏😏😏 ~ Ana
Christian stared at his screen, hesitating on asking for the naughty pictures. He wouldn't mind one bit, but on the other hand, he had a whole week to wait before seeing her again. His dilemma was quickly cut short by Ana's next text.
Anyway, I thought I should tell you: you didn't miss anything this morning. I've been left aside like an old sock by Grace as soon as she saw her new classroom. ~ Ana
He immediately tried to call her, but she didn't answer, which annoyed him greatly.
I am at the tribunal, waiting for a hearing. I can't talk and whine about our daughter forgetting all about me. We'll talk tonight. ~ Ana
You okay? ~ Christian
Yes. I should have expected it. She was so eager to get to school. And I'm sure she'll tell me all about it, tonight, anyway. ~ Ana
You don't have to be all strong in front of me. If you're sad that she ditched you, just tell me. Trust me, I know how it feels. ~ Christian.
Ok. I'm a bit sad she ditched me ... ~ Ana
I'm sorry. But I'm here for you. Well not physically, but you know what I mean. ~ Christian
I do. And thank you. We'll call you tonight, okay? ~ Ana.
.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.
When he got to work, Christian was feeling a little bit less guilty about missing Grace's first day of school. It seemed that it hadn't been such a big deal for the young girl, after all. As soon as he was in his office he asked Andrea to join him, and she followed him, as he was still trying to wrap his mind around all the things he had to do this week. The more he thought about it, the more he realised that he needed to convince Ana to move to Seattle with him. Although he could easily do the back and forth between the two cities, as well as his international travels, he didn't want this to affect his fragile relationships with his family.
He sat on his chair, sipping on the coffee that Andrea had had ready for him, and she informed him, "Your brother called just a few minutes before you arrived. He wants me to tell you that, and I quote, 'Your presence is required tonight, or he'll get Ana to do a sex strike.'"
Christian nodded, sure that Elliott would be able to convince Ana to deprive him of the little sex they could have. But in all honesty, he didn't have much planned for the evening after calling Grace, so he could always go to his brother's after.
He listened to Andrea letting him know of his schedule for the day, and when he heard that his lunch was still free, he said,
"Call my mother and ask if she's free for lunch. If she is, pin her in for lunch, and just delay Van Houten for fifteen minutes. She won't be happy with just half an hour."
For a second, Andrea stared at him, dumbfounded, before looking back at her iPad and typing in the information, but Christian couldn't really blame her. Andrea had been working for him for more than ten years, ever since she had finished high-school and he convinced her to extend her small summer job into something more permanent. And over those ten years, he had never asked her to pencil any member of his family for lunch. In fact, he often asked her to find him excuses to avoid family functions.
Still, she quickly recovered and didn't make a big deal out of his request. She finished with the rest of his busy schedule, reminding him that she had cleared half an hour for him to call his daughter for her bedtime story. Christian scratched his forehead, still slightly conflicted by the fact that he had missed her first day of school, even if he didn't miss much, according to Ana.
"And Jamie and Theo are in the conference room. They expect you at quarter past eight, so you can ambush them whenever you want," she finished, and Christian repressed a smirk. Every time he had been in the hiring process, he had always left the candidate on their own for a while, and showed up earlier than planned, just to gauge their reaction. It was a simple thing, but it could tell him a lot about a candidate.
"Mrs Baileys said you could see them on your own or wait for her. She's on a videoconference with London, right now."
He nodded, taking the resumes that Andrea was handing to him, and she got up to leave, but he stopped her. "Andrea ..." He waited for her to turn and look at him. "It looks like I will be staying in New York at least until the end of the year, and I want you to come with me. Three hours time difference might seem like nothing, but it is hell to me."
"Mr Grey, I ..."
"I'll get you an apartment and pay for it. And we can carpool to work, or I can get you a car. I just need my PA with me, not in another state where I don't live. And I don't want anyone other than you."
Andrea looked down at her shoes and muttered so low he had to strain his ear, "I don't think my partner would like the idea of me leaving for two whole months."
"What if I fly you back for the weekends? And Thanksgiving?"
"I... I don't think he minds the work, but more..."
"The fact that you're working so much with a man. I can relate to that. What does your partner do?"
"He's a stay at home dad."
Christian stared at his assistant with shock. He had no idea that she had children. She never took a single sick day in the ten years working for him, let alone maternity leave. And he didn't think he was so self-absorbed that he wouldn't notice his own PA being pregnant. Unless she had the same issue as Ana.
"I didn't know you had a kid."
"Stepson. And... well, since this job pays well, we decided it was better this way."
"Fair enough. Well then there's nothing else to it, get your partner to pick you up, and I'll take five minutes to explain the situation to him. Have an NDA ready for him, so I can explain to him that I am already taken, and I already have a family."
.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.
Christian's day was so busy that it flew by, though it had many highlights. The first one being that, as he knew she would, Ros seemed to have picked up gems for them to form. Theo was fresh out of uni, but the top of his class, and bright. Jamie, on the other hand, had been working for a rival company for five years before he left, not happy with their inner politics.
He explained that, though they would never admit it publicly, the company was homophobic, racist and sexist. And though he said he was lucky enough to be a straight man, he was still black, and couldn't see himself staying in a company that refused equality. No matter how much money he could make. In fact, he told Christian that he was through with big companies and corporations, and the only reason he even considered GEH was the fact that Ros had almost as much power as him.
Christian stayed away from giving his personal feelings on the situation, though he agreed with Jamie. But he liked that the young man was upfront and didn't fear to say what he thought. And he could tell that Ros had made a perfect pick. Jamie had the same drive that he did, the same hunger in his eyes to conquer the world.
The only personal questions that Christian asked Jamie were his plans about forming a family, and his relationship status. But fortunately, Jamie was career-focused for now and didn't care much for a family. In fact, when he mentioned families, Christian saw in Jamie's dark eyes something familiar, though he couldn't pinpoint it.
Andrea had managed to get him to lunch with his mother, and with her special powers, she even managed to make them eat at a restaurant by the building, where the wait time was usually ages-long. Christian only had to walk in with his mother, and they were seated and served immediately. And for the first time in his life, Christian asked his mother for advice on psychology.
He called Grace when her bedtime came, and she happily told him all about her day. It was clear that she loved her first day at school, and even more her teacher, Miss Donovan. For ten minutes straight, every sentence Grace said started with 'Miss Donovan', and Christian simply smiled, nodding and humming every time she took a breath. Finally, after ten minutes of marvelling about her teacher, and how impressed she was that Grace already knew her alphabet and how to write her name, it seemed that Grace didn't know what to say anymore, and so Christian asked, "How about the other kids? Did you make any friends?"
Her smile immediately disappeared, and she looked down as she said with a small voice, "Well... I don't think they like me."
"Oh, sweetie. Why would you say that?"
"No one wanted to play with me during breaks. And some even said I talk funny. Do I really talk funny?"
Though he never really paid attention to it, Christian had to say that she had a slight British accent but given the fact that she learned to speak English in the country of crumpets, it was expected that she would pick up the accent. Even Ana pronounced words like the Brits and used some British equivalents now. The most obvious example was the fact that she no longer cooked zucchinis, but courgettes.
"Of course not, sweetie. You're just more travelled than most of them, and it reflects in the way you speak."
"Andrew said that they were jealous."
"He is probably right," Christian conceded, hiding his surprise concerning the fact that Andrew had paid the girls a visit. He should have expected it; at least once a week, Andrew had shared a meal with them, though Christian made sure to change nothing in his demeanour towards him. He wasn't hostile to the Brit, for Grace's sake, but he wasn't open and sympathetic to him either, for Ana's sake. After all, as she had said, his loss was his to share, and if he wouldn't do it, Christian would have to pretend as if he knew nothing.
Grace was still sadly pouting, making Christian wish he could be there to take her in his arms, and this feeling amplified when she asked, "Do you think I am weird?"
"What? Of course not! Why would you even say that?"
"I thought I would make a lot of friends in school, just like Mama. She has a lot of friends. And everyone likes her. I think no one likes me."
Christian saw tears building up in his daughter's eyes, and he cursed himself for even bringing up the friends topic in the first place. She had been so happy talking about school until he asked about it, and he was sure that Ana already consoled their daughter over this issue.
"That's ridiculous, sweetie. Lots of people like you. They even love you. Your mother and I for starters. And your Uncle Jose. And your Nana and Pops. And what about Elena? Or Raymond and Carla?"
"But... I wanted a friend little like me. I'm not a grownup. It's not the same."
Once again, Christian wished he could be physically there for his child, and he let her know, "I didn't have a lot of friends growing up. I still don't have many friends. In fact, your mother is my only friend. Some people are unique and special, but it's hard for others to understand that. But I see your kind of special. I know that you're amazing and that any kid would be lucky to be your friend. It might take time for others to see it, but it will happen at some point."
She blinked away her tears, hope illuminating her blue eyes, and she rose her pinky as she trustingly asked, "Promise?"
"Promise," he assured, raising his pinky as well. He was rewarded by a toothy smile, and he watched Grace get a bit more comfortable in her bed, so he could read her the bedtime story. But just as he was about to start, Grace looked at her teddy bear, and she asked, "What teddy are you going to get me?"
"Huh?"
"Because you always get me a teddy when you are not here." She was so sure of her logic, and though Christian had thought of that earlier in the day, he wanted to break this cycle, and to get her something else entirely,
"Actually, I need to talk to your Mom about it. But I don't think you'll get a plushie this time."
"What? But ..."
"Trust me. It's something much better, and you will love it much more than a teddy."
.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.
When Christian finished with his short story, Grace was softly snoring, laying on her side, suspiciously still. Though he remembered that when she had slept with Ana and him, she was still... for the first half-hour before she started dancing the lambada in her sleep.
He called Ana a few hours later when he finished work, and as expected, she was already in bed, her voice muffled by the cover.
"I can call you back in the morning."
"No, I was reading whilst waiting for your call, and just threw the cover over my head as soon as your name appeared on the screen," she assured him. He smiled to himself, and took the time to tell Taylor to drive him to his brother's before he asked her, "You want to talk about this morning?"
"No. She's growing up, and... I didn't think it would affect me so much. I guess I liked the idea that she needed me somehow, and now Miss Donovan is her new hero."
Christian couldn't help the small laugh that escaped him as Ana complained about the new person in their daughter's life. Still, he reassured her, "Don't worry, you will always be Grace's number one. I'm fairly sure that if I ask her what she wants to be when she grows up, she'll say you."
"Actually, she wants to be a dragon when she grows up. She still doesn't believe me when I tell her they're not real. Because there is a real dragon in Maleficent. CGI is making my child gullible," she whined, with the same tone she used when she complained about his parents spoiling their daughter, and this time, he outright laughed.
He saw Taylor raise a surprised eyebrow at him in the rear-view mirror. After all, he usually remained stern during his phone conversations. But then again, he usually called business associates and not his girlfriend.
"Well, she still has a long way to go for that. But in the meantime, I was thinking about getting her a puppy."
"Oh, Christian. Am I going to have to fight you on this too?"
"Hear me out. She would be so happy because she isn't expecting it. And my place is much bigger than yours, so it wouldn't feel cramped and — "
"The problem is not the size of the apartment. That's the easy version I gave Grace. The problem is that it's not fair for the puppy to be left alone all day long. Dogs are social animals, but I work all day and Grace is at school all day."
Christian victoriously grinned, finding a loophole in Ana's logic, "So you agree that the problem is not your place, but the animal."
"Yes... No. I know where you're going with this, Christian."
"I am thinking, kitten. They're independent enough to be left alone. I'll get Andrea to find you a shelter where you can get kittens, so it remains in your charitable vibe. And Grace will get a pet by the end of this week."
He heard Ana sigh, and he got himself ready for her counterargument, though he was already texting Andrea of her future mission. Just by her sigh, he could tell that he was going to win this one, he just needed to push her in the right direction. And in fact, Ana made it easy for him, as she said, "Okay. You can tell her tomorrow that she's getting a kitten."
"Great. I'll get Andrea on it in the morning, so you can pick it out after school, on Wednesday."
"Stop grinning. I can hear your victorious smile through the phone," She admonished him, though he could hear that she was smiling as well.
"You know, if you're worried about taking care of the pet, you can still move in with me. I'll get the maid to take care of it during the day."
"Nice try, Christian. You and Grace are just relentless. Every night, she asks why we're not staying with you, and every night I have to remind her that we each have our home."
"Well, you could make it simpler, and move in. I'm sure she would stop asking the question then," he smugly told her, though he was happy to hear that Grace was just as actively trying to get them to move in with him as he was.
"We will. I'm just waiting for my lease to end," she promised. Christian stopped himself from arguing that her lease was nothing, and he could take care of it, his conversation with his mother still fresh in his mind.
Taylor took a turn that got him closer to his brother's, but Christian still had something to talk about with Ana. "So... Grace said that kids were picking on her."
"Yes. Andrew told me." He could tell that she was annoyed by that fact, and at first, he didn't understand why.
"Oh, she didn't tell you about it?" He asked, and once again, Ana sighed, though this time, it was out of sadness. Christian found himself cursing again the fact that he was far away, and she told him, "I ... I don't know why she didn't tell me. Even when I put her to bed, she didn't mention anything and just asked when you were going to call. I feel like she resents me for putting her in school."
"No, of course not. She loved school. Well, on the academic level. I just think that... you're still her hero. And she wants to be like you. And she's sad she couldn't make friends like you."
"She told you that?"
"I'm paraphrasing, but yeah."
Ana remained silent for a moment, and Christian knew that she was doing what Ana did best, she was overthinking the whole thing.
"Babe, don't overthink it."
"Maybe I should have put her in preschool. She would have bonded with other kids there and developed her social skills."
"I'm sure preschool never would have taught her how time difference works. Don't go and try to blame yourself. I was a lonely kid, and — "
"You had a sibling," she cut him off, before she promptly said, "But anyway, it's just the first day, and she arrived when the year had already started. I'm sure she'll make lots of friends, by Thanksgiving."
Christian agreed because truth be told, Grace was a loveable child, no matter how biased he was in that statement. Still, he did take note on how quickly Ana had changed the topic after she mentioned siblings. So, he asked about her day, not wanting their conversation to be just about Grace. She told him about it and asked him the same question when she was done summarising hers.
So Christian told her about his new hires, and how he was much more confident in Jamie than Theo, and he told her about the lunch he had with his mother. He was sure that she would appreciate hearing this news, which, of course, was the case.
"Aww. I'm sure your mother was over the moon to see you unexpectedly like this."
"She was. You were right, I should spend more time with my family, just for the sake of it."
"Oh, Christian. Didn't your father teach you that? Women are always right," She teased, with mirth echoing in her tone, and he closed his eyes, resting his head on the headrest. Taylor had parked in front of his brother's house, but he wanted to finish his conversation with Ana first.
"To be honest, I've never heard him say that. Not even once in my life."
She chuckled, and he could picture her rolling her eyes at him. "He said it at least twice when they came over. You need to pay attention to his infinite wisdom."
"And you need to stop being such a lawyer, changing the words so they fit your narrative. My father said that wives were always right, not women. And though I know exactly in which category you are, I don't think you do," he simply said with a small smile, and making Ana chuckle on the other end of the phone.
"Ever so the businessman."
"It's all in the details," he reminded her. She repressed a yawn, and so he told her, "Anyway, I am going to keep on applying your wise advice and spend the evening with my brother. I'll get Andrea to contact you tomorrow for the kitten, and I'll get in touch, okay?"
"Say hi to the guys from me, okay?"
"And you sleep well. Don't dream of me, I'm not here to put out the fire."
"It's okay. My hand can do the job fine."
"Your hand will never make you see stars, the way I do," he gloated, because, even though they didn't have sex that many times, he still made her come multiple times, each and every time they did.
Ana uttered a small "caveman" before hanging up, and Christian left the car, telling Taylor that he would call him when he would need to return home. In all honesty, if it hadn't been for the threat, Christian would have stayed at the office and worked through a good part of the night, just so he could have his weekend free and visit the girls for the weekend. Being back in Seattle made him realise of all the things he had been missing out on, and he knew that he would need at least two weeks to sort it all out.
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Christian had to admit that he had missed spending time with his brother and nephews. It was something that he had come to do more frequently after Ana left, but since she came back, he didn't get the chance to do it so much. Jason was happy to see him, and bombarded him with questions about Grace, claiming that he was happy to be an almost big brother, now. He showed Christian the doll that Julian and he bought for their little cousin, and Christian patiently listened to little Jason explain how he excited he was to see Ana again for Halloween and to spend it with her and his cousin.
Julian seemed more reserved, but as Elliott already pointed out, he was in his moody teenager phase, so Christian didn't think much of it. Julian did ask if they were going to see their cousin more often than they saw Christian, and it did have some impact on Christian.
When the boys went to bed, Elliott took a bottle of scotch from the top of the fridge, and he explained as they sat on the couch, "Ever since Peter Quinn threw a sleepover with underaged drinking last month, I tend to hide the liquor. I don't want Julian to think he can do the same here."
"I thought you were the kind of parent all about talking, and reasoning, and that kind of shit."
"I am. But so was Mom. And I still enjoyed Dad's liquor when I shouldn't have."
Christian didn't retort anything to that, because Elliott had always been the popular kid, and the one to throw parties. And usually, when he did so, he just stayed in his room, occasionally with a girlfriend.
"So... you're going to New York this weekend?" He asked, and Elliott nodded, getting more comfortable on the couch.
"Yup. I think Jason is old enough now to understand that missing half a day of school isn't the end of the world, but still not a pass for missing school all year round. And since Ana said that Grace just started school herself, I don't see them flying here any time soon. Especially when you're always in New York, to begin with."
"So now you're going to lecture me on spending time with my kid."
"No! Spend time with your kid! I just thought you didn't like New York. Are you going to move there permanently? Dad seems to think so."
Christian shook his head and sipped on his scotch. It wasn't his first time having alcohol since the operation. He'd had several meetings over dinner or lunch since then, and he had enjoyed wine with Ana when they were eating out with Grace. But it was the first time he was drinking it in a house, and it struck him as odd. Not even once had he felt the need to drink when he was alone since the operation, and he was just realising that now.
"I don't know yet. It's complicated."
"Uncomplicate it, then," Elliott responded with a shrug, and Christian realised that his brother was probably the best person to help him out on his situation.
"And how? She is persuaded that I will screw up and hurt Grace. How did you do it? How did you convince Kate that you were there for the long haul?"
"Well, first of all, I didn't call my lawyer as soon as I found out she had a kid." Christian glared at his brother, but Elliott was unapologetic. "What, it's true. I'm not going to pretend it's not just because you're acting like a normal person now.
But on a more positive note, I don't really know. I guess I was just there, and I always made it clear that I considered Julian as mine, even if we don't share blood. And... I was there for her as well. I mean, people often forget themselves as a person when they have a big change happen in their lives. You stopped being a normal person when your company made it big, some women become just mothers when they give birth, and forget their whole identity before that. Some men become idiots once they fall in love, and forget they have a life outside their relationship.
Well, I made sure that I always treated Kate as such. She wasn't just Julian's mother. She was Kate. The woman who could solve a Rubik's cube in forty-five seconds, but who couldn't sew for her life. The woman who killed every cactus we ever had, but who played the guitar beautifully. The woman who ..."
Elliott cleared his throat, shaking his head a little as his eyes refocused on the present moment. He took another sip on his drink and turned a proud head to Christian as he summed up, "All in all, be human. With your flaws and all your qualities, and Ana will move in with you in no time. I mean, you already have half the job done, she's definitely fallen head over heels for you."
Christian rested a comforting hand on his brother's arm, not sure what he could tell him, and Elliott assured him, "It's okay Peanut. I just get caught up in the memories sometimes. I've moved on."
"And yet, you're still single."
"I don't need to be with someone else to move on with my life. I need to be at peace with myself. It took me years, but I got there, and I no longer cry when I see the empty side of my bed."
Once again, Christian was unsure of what to say, but Elliott just served them both another drink, shaking his head and telling him he didn't need to say anything.
"To be fair, for a while I did try to date, just so the boys could have a mother, you know. But in the end, I did the best I could, and I think they're pretty alright."
"I think you did more than alright. You're like the perfect father. Grace will see you and look down on me two minutes later."
"Haha, if she does that, it's because I'm cooler than you. But in all seriousness, the perfect parent doesn't exist."
Christian snickered, letting his brother know, "You obviously haven't seen Ana as a mom. She does it so... effortlessly. And here I am, struggling to even make cookies with my kid."
"Haha, welcome to the club. The first time I made cookies... we ended up buying some at the store and warming them up in the oven."
They laughed together, Christian wishing he had thought of that as a backup, so Ana would have never known of Grace's and his epic fail.
"But you know Ana is just human. And she's far from thinking she's the perfect mom."
"What do you mean?"
"When you were being an ass, and I went to see her, she was feeling pretty down. She blamed herself for everything that goes wrong on this good Earth. She felt that she should have tried harder, and forced you to own up to your child, showing up at your doorstep and all. She felt that she shouldn't have cared that you were an asshole and that having a distant father who didn't care, was better than no father for Grace.
And even financially. Apparently, there had been a couple of times that were rough on them, and she knows that, had she been with you, Grace never would have lived through those. She felt that every time she refused your kid something because she couldn't afford it, she was depriving Grace of something she would have had with you.
I had to trash your name a lot to make her stop crying. And to be honest, giving how I felt about you at the time, it wasn't that hard."
Christian sat up straight, looking at his glass with his brows furrowed as he let the information sink in. Ana was an amazing mother, it never occurred to him to think otherwise. And yet, she had doubted herself so much over the past few years.
He rested his elbows on his knees, saying more to himself than to his brother, "She never said anything."
"Yeah, but that's because you're a lucky bastard. Ana clearly loves you, and she just wants to spare your feelings. Just like she did when Dad and I proposed to be organ donors for Grace. You know, even Julian and Jason were ready to give. They understood it was an operation, and yet, they said that they were ready to help their cousin. Mom had to remind them that they were too young, and not of the right blood type, anyway.
The thing is, I don't think Ana is someone who naturally tells people how she feels. I don't know her that well, and mostly virtually, but the fact that she never talked about herself, and always asked about the kids and me... Well, call me Mom, but I think it's just that Ana is someone who likes to take care of people, but isn't used to the other way around."
Christian passed a hand over his face, and agreed, "That's exactly what Mom said. You should reconvert, that would make her happy."
Elliott tapped his shoulder, trying to cheer him up, and gave him the best advice he could think of. "Stop trying to make things happen. The more you push, the more she will hesitate. Just let it happen, and it will."
.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.
The next couple of weeks had many ups and a few downs. The best news of all happened when Grace called him in the middle of the day. Of course, he had been in a meeting at the time and called her back an hour later. And Ana told him that Grace had made them wait that hour in the shelter, so he could choose the kitten with her via FaceTime.
She chose a little brown munchkin cat that was barely six months and that she excitedly named Peanut because Christian liked peanut butter. And though Christian loved that his daughter implicated him in the naming of her cat, he was not looking forward to his brother learning about this name.
Throughout the next couple of weeks, Grace made a point of narrating her whole school day to Christian, skipping her bedtime stories just so she could speak about Miss Donovan some more. And of course, there were the antics of Peanut. Though Grace was ecstatic to find the kitten sleeping at the foot of her bed every morning.
Every night, Grace warned Christian that when he would come back and see Peanut, he needed to be gentle and to look around because he was big, and he could crush her little kitten. And when he would pet him, he needed to do it in a certain way. And he couldn't use the same potty as the one the cat was using.
Ana and Christian agreed that their daughter was obsessed by her cat, and though she still didn't have any friends, it seemed to have come at a good time, because she didn't mention the issue even once again.
At work, he was convinced by Jamie's performances that he could do the job as well. And he had convinced Andrea's partner to let her go to New York with him. The answer had been simple. He agreed to fly Todd, her partner, and his son as well, so they could still have a somewhat familial life when she would get home.
Halloween happened as well, and for a while, Christian didn't much mind missing the celebration. It was clear that Grace was looking forward to it, and Ana had sent him a few pictures of last year's costumes with the two brunettes and Andrew dressed as the Flintstone family. He knew Andrew was going to be there, and he didn't mind. Grace had promised to keep all the peanut sweets she'd receive for him, and Ana had promised to put her costume back on when he would get back, for him to peel it off of her.
What he didn't know, was what the costume looked like. In his memory, Morticia Addams wore a black dress that covered her from head to toe, not a sexy form-fitting dress that showed all her curves, with a plunging neckline that revealed her generous décolleté. When he received the picture of the two Steeles that Elliott had sent him, all he had wanted to do was call Ana and plead her to wear something else. Anything else.
But he swallowed his emotions, aware that Ana would not listen to him anyway, and just listened to Grace with a tense smile the next day when she told him about Halloween night. Apparently, everyone loved their costumes, and she even said that some people thought Elliott was her father because he was dressed as Gomez. Apparently, they had all decided to follow a theme, and Andrew dressed as Lurch, Jason as Pugsley and Julian as Uncle Fester.
Of course, Grace had no idea that Christian was anything but thrilled hearing that his own brother had been mistaken for her father and just went on with the events of the night. And that same night, Elliott texted him for a while, managing to lift his spirits by reminding him that the costume played most of the parts in this misunderstanding. Plus, Grace referred to Christian as her father when she talked to Elliott, and the two brothers saw that as a positive sign.
Though Elliott mentioned several times that he was impressed by Grace's dictation, and her intellect, which made Christian ponder on it once more. He remembered that at first, he had found it odd, but after a while, he had gotten used to Grace speaking so well, and asking questions that usually didn't trouble four-year-olds. But as Elliott pointed out, neither of his kids were that knowledgeable and aware at her age.
Ana kept on deflecting the issue, saying that it was because she never babied Grace, and always spoke normally to her, and Christian did agree with that. Not even once had Ana spoken down to Grace, which lead to Grace using words that most children were unaware of.
Midway through the second week, he informed Andrea that he was going back to New York over the weekend and expected her there by the end of next week as well. He had taken an apartment for her in the same building where he lived, though she had assured him repeatedly that she had family in New York, and that she could live with them for the time being. Christian was sure that Todd was the one who convinced her that having their own place would be better than staying with her sister.
At this precise moment, he was in the middle of a board meeting, listening to Ros whilst his hand half-covered his face. He was getting tired of this board made of shareholders who thought they knew better than him how to make his company thrive. He wanted to invest in young blood and businesses, and they were not happy about it. So, Ros was the one doing the convincing since he was tired, sexually frustrated and missing his kid. It was not a good combination as he was already trying very hard not to rip off people's heads
Jamie was next to him, taking notes, though, by the way his leg was bouncing, he wanted to say something, and so, keeping his eyes closed, Christian snapped in a whisper low enough just for the young man to hear, "If you want to say something, say it. You're here to replace me, not to take notes."
He opened one eye to see the man's reaction, but just as Jamie interrupted Ros, Andrea knocked on the door and popped her head in.
"I'm sorry, but Mr Grey, you have a call."
"I'll call them back later," he dismissed, surprised that Andrea didn't naturally do that. She shook her head and showed that she was holding his iPad.
"I don't think it can wait. It's from New York."
He frowned because Ana always called him on his cell. So he got up, telling people to take five minutes before he walked to the door and took the iPad as Andrea explained, "She kept asking for you, and ..."
Grace was crying, and Christian walked a few steps away from the conference room, barely aware of Ros coming to him and getting closer. Though he had seen his daughter cry on several occasions, he never saw her in such a state of distress.
"Mama needs you."
"Grace, take a deep breath. What's wrong, sweetie?"
She tried to do as instructed, but it only made her cry even more and Christian kept his face impassable to mask his worry from her.
"She doesn't answer me. She went in the bathroom, and she screamed, and I heard a boom, and she doesn't answer. I knock on the door, but she doesn't answer."
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💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚
💚 So, Mouahhahahaha 😈. I mean, Guys, we've had fluffy chapter over fluffy chapter ... You knew this was coming, haha
💚Now, I know what you want to talk about, but first, question time,
1. We had some lemons ... Hope you liked it. And just so you know, Christian very briefly and subtly made an allusion to their Friday afternoon during the last chapter. But what did you think about it?
2. Now, I think it became the norm, but what did you think of Grace? And school? And Peanut?
3. And what are your thoughts on Christian's work in general? And the people he works with?
4. And what did you think of the conversation Christian had with Elliott?
5. And of course, this chapter held a little bit more about the relationship of our couple, not just sexually ...
6. What do you think Christian talked about with his mother?
7. And yes, finally I am asking, what did you think of that cliffhanger
8. As per usual, what was your favourite part? Mine was the conversation between Ana and Christian about Grace's first day at school.
9. And what do you think will happen in the next chapter? Am I about to kill someone?
💚 E L James owns the names of the characters from the Fifty Shades franchise, Everything else is mine (including the mistakes and grammar errors).
Love, Mina 💚💚💚