Control Part A

by bluesky5679

Christian Grey, as we all know, had a truly wretched first four years of life and, as a result, has since lived and breathed control. This need has long held him back from having normal relationships and may cost him the love of his life who has control needs of her own.

Due to a computer glitch, my page called bluesky5678 is no longer operative. You can still reach it by entering bluesky5678 under writer but I can no longer submit stories to that page. All stories after the first 20 will post on bluesky5679. Meanwhile, I've been revising and proofing as many of the original 20 as Word will let me find and transferring them to bluesky5679. I hope this isn't too confusing. Questions? Please PM me.

Hello everyone, here is #19. As always, all hail E. L. James who brought us such wonderful characters and allows us to use them in our stories. Keeps the old brain cells sharp (I hope).

There are 80 chapters and an epilogue. For those who wish to comment after each chapter, as so many do, I understand that my submitting completed stories is frustrating. Please feel free to make your comments through private messaging. I've met some lovely people in that way and also found some great stories.

Christian Grey, as we all know, had a truly wretched first four years of life and, as a result, has since lived and breathed control. This need has long held him back from having normal relationships and may cost him the love of his life who has control needs of her own.

CONTROL

PART I

Prologue

My dearest Christian,

Writing this letter may be the hardest thing I have ever had to do. It is tearing me up inside. However, you have shown time and again what it is that you need and I cannot give it to you. I know that I vowed to never leave you and in my heart, I never will. I love you, my darling, but I cannot continue this relationship with you. I lose more of myself every day and soon I will be but a ghost of the woman with whom you fell in love. I know then that you will no longer want me and that will ruin me completely.

Christian didn't finish reading the letter. He threw in into his desk drawer and slammed the drawer shut. Then he filled a tumbler to the brim with bourbon and drank it all in one gulp before he refilled the tumbler.

CHAPTER 1

Ana used the plunger until she was able to unplug the toilet which one of the fine society ladies had stuffed with a Kotex napkin despite a polite sign requesting that anything other than toilet tissue be disposed of in the waste receptor next to the commode. Then she moved to the next stall to gather up all of the pieces of tissue scattered about. She sighed as she flushed all of it down the toilet. There were six stalls in the restroom and she had to make certain that each one was pristine for the next occupant.

Then she closed the heavy double doors leading into the stall area. Each stall had a solid wood door with a shiny burl wood veneer. The doors closing the area off from the lounge area were decorated with gold chevrons. The scones beside the doors were also art deco. Indeed, the entirety of the huge trailer was done up in art deco. In addition to the stalls, there was a large lounge area complete with plush leather seating. Just outside the stall area there were several marble sinks with soap dispensers and terry cloth towels which Ana had to replace after each use. She could only imagine the cleaning bill for the hundreds of towels being used.

These posh trailers were owned by Grey Enterprises Holdings which was solely owned by 27-year-old Christian Trevelyan Grey, the son of Grace and Carrick, tonight's host of this extravagant gala. GEH was, therefore, Ana's boss. GEH was a generous employer even for the lowest level employee which was certainly Ana. She'd been a clerk at a hardware store for the first three years as a student at WSU but the little store could not compete with the big box stores so it closed, leaving Ana desperate for funds to cover the expenses her scholarship did not. An acquaintance had alerted her to this opportunity. Although she grimaced at the thought of cleaning toilets, Ana could not turn down the money. She told herself that she could do anything for a year. So, wherever the luxury toilets went, so did Ana.

There were usually several events a week when other companies rented the trailers. Where once events would have provided porta-pottys for their guests, GEH had upped their game and so others followed.

As Ana polished the sinks, the faucets and the mirrors, the ladies paid her no mind. She was nothing to them and so they felt free to express their opinions even as she scrubbed the floor beneath their feet. She found their discussions both interesting and catty.

"Did you see who he's with tonight?" the redhead asked.

"Yes, another blonde. Of course, she's beautiful, graceful and attentive," a brunette answered.

"He certainly has a type, doesn't he," the redhead remarked, ignoring the ashtray next to her in favor of knocking the ash off her cigarette and onto the floor Ana had just cleaned. Ana got down on her knees again.

"You knew most of his female staff is blonde, didn't you?" Another brunette pointed out.

"I'd bet most of them have brown roots," the redhead laughed.

"He's never seen with the same woman twice, however. It's sad. That blonde he's with tonight is just arm candy like all of them but she's probably convinced herself that she's different, that she has a chance with Seattle's prince."

All the women nodded in agreement. "I'm almost certain that he's gay. It's a shame. A man like that should be hetero."

"I don't know, Liz. He certainly seems straight. I mean, he just oozes masculinity."

"Yeah, and he doesn't seem the type to give a damn what anyone else thinks of him. If he were gay, he would just show up with a male blonde."

Liz tapped more ash onto the floor as all the women joined in the discussion about Mr. Grey's sexual orientation. Once more, Ana got down on her knees.

CHAPTER 2

The auction had begun so all the ladies hurriedly departed. Mr. Grey usually offered a long weekend's stay at one of his many luxury properties and this was an auction item in great demand. The ladies wanted to make sure that their husbands bid high. Their leave-taking afforded Ana the opportunity for a break. She decided to get some air.

As she stood outside trying to cough the smoke out of her lungs, one of the men in black approached her to inquire as to whether she was all right. She politely told him that cigarette smoke bothered her. He smiled and asked if she would like a bottle of cold water. As he went off to get her drink, Ana followed him to the tent to get a peek at the festivities. She was gobsmacked. The interior looked nothing like a tent. It had chandeliers lighting up the place. Servers in smart attire. A checkerboard dance floor. An orchestra with a back drop open to the incredible view of Puget Sound in the moonlight. The guests were all in tuxedos, glorious gowns and dripping in jewels. This was Ana's first look at the Coping Together Gala held once a year at the Grey's estate.

It was another world to Ana. She gasped to think that people lived like this. Suddenly, a bottle of water was thrust into her hand. She gulped it down and turned to thank the security who'd provided her with it but he was already gone. As she watched the auction, she tried to cough discretely and drink her water.

The auctioneer, a man with the interesting name of Nomad Paul, announced the first item. A four day stay at the Aspen home of Mr. Christian Grey complete with housekeeper and chef. He opened the bidding at $5000. Ana could pay for her studio apartment and a semester's worth of ramen noodles for that kind of money. Some ballsy woman yelled out, asking if Mr. Grey came with the house. There was much laughter as Mr. Paul smiled and shook his head no. Ana tried to pick Mr. Grey out of the crowd but she was far back and he was probably at a table up front. The bidding finally ended at $25,000. A week's stay at Mr. and Dr. Grey's Montana ranch brought in $20,000. As the auction ended, people got to their feet and women headed for the trailer as did Ana. Certainly not my world, she thought, shaking her head in amusement.

A different crowd claimed the seating in the lounge this time. The chatter was mostly about the auction.

A tall and stunning blonde sat down, sighing.

"How's it going, Miranda?"…a woman in a red dress asked the blonde who was wearing the kind of dress that would stop a man dead in his tracks, Ana thought. The neckline was slit down to her waist, revealing quite a bit of décolletage and as the woman sat with her legs crossed, Ana could see that there was a slit up the side to almost the top of her thigh. Her shiny blonde hair was thick and hung down to her breast. It was pulled over to one side so that her neck was naked on the other side.

"He's said barely ten words to me all night. I'm required to stay close, hold his arm and listen to every word he says or at least appear to be attentive. I'm supposed to smile a lot, laugh at jokes…although Grey doesn't joke…dance with my hand on his shoulder with space between us. When we sit with others, I'm to be quiet unless someone speaks to me.

"When his mother asked me how long Grey and I had been seeing each other, I had to smile and answer "not long". He discouraged me from engaging in conversation with any one at the table."

"Who was at the table?"

"Just his family and a friend. She was something else. Take a look at her when you go back

in. She's at least twice his age and all over him. He made sure that I sat between her and him."

At that moment, all talk ceased as a newcomer to the group strutted in. Ana tried not to gawk.

CHAPTER 3

Grey's date subtly indicated to the others that this woman was the family friend. While the woman occupied a stall, the ladies either left or made small talk. Ana busied herself with cleaning the floor. The woman returned through the doors and stood checking herself in the mirror and refreshing her lipstick, a blood red color. Then patting her beehive yellow hair, she strutted out again.

She'd neither flushed the toilet nor washed her hands. Ana shivered with disgust. Now she would have to attend to that stall. The woman had apparently squatted over the seat, perhaps feeling that it was unclean…which it was after she finished with it. Ana dried the seat with a rag and then sprayed it with disinfectant. Then she flushed the toilet and looked around to see if anything else needed doing.

Meanwhile, the women sitting in the lounge were wildly discussing this woman. They, too, had noticed that she didn't flush or wash her hands.

"Poor Grey. I'd better get back before she gets her filthy hands all over him," the blonde spoke with a tinge of disgust in her velvet voice as she left the trailer.

"What the hell was she wearing anyway?" one woman asked the group.

"It looked like either cheap leather or pleather," said another.

"It was odd. She was creaking as she walked." Everyone laughed, including Ana.

"Hey," one of the women called to Ana. "What did that toilet look like after she got done with it?"

Ana, feeling the need to be discrete, simply replied that she'd forgotten to flush.

"Yeah, probably too preoccupied with getting back to Grey. Honestly, I don't know why Grace Grey is friends with that creature. I mean, Grace is the epitome of elegance and that woman is…is, well, I don't know what she is."

"She owns the salon that Grace frequents. She fusses over her something fierce. It's all 'darling' and 'dear' and compliments and Grace just eats it up."

"That's strange. I don't know Dr. Grey well but she seems like such a smart woman. Why would she fall for all that phony crap?"

Ana had a theory but she didn't share. She was invisible in that trailer. Her opinion would be of no interest to these women. The thing was that although Ana didn't know Grace Grey, she felt akin to her.

Dr. Grey, Ana assumed, was the doyen of Seattle Society. She was a doctor, a philanthropist and a lady. None of the women Ana had met in the trailer tonight were in Dr. Grey's league. They talked of wishing they had the nerve to approach her and say hello, say anything. Perhaps this hairdresser was the only person who befriended Dr. Grey.

Ana was a brilliant woman. She'd finished high school in three years and undergrad in three, as well. She was now finishing up her masters in English literature and another in business and, if she could swing it financially, she would go on to earn a Ph.D. Her dream was to have her own publishing company some day while also being a senior editor. She was only 22 years old. She planned to have her doctorate within two years of earning her masters. She had graduated high school and undergrad summa cum laude.

She was well-known around campus but few dared approach her. She wasn't an ordinary student and when she smiled at someone, they thought that she was just being kind to the riff-raff. When she attempted conversation with other students, it was like Einstein trying to be one of the guys.

The girls wanted to talk about boys and clothes and their futures with lawyers and doctors. If Ana mentioned her dream of owning a business, they just stared at her. After a while Ana gave up trying to find a companion or two.

Boys were definitely interested in her although Ana was usually oblivious or uninterested. They would approach her and it was like attempting conversation with high schoolers. They wanted to talk about the 'game' or how lame some professor was or could they buy her a beer. Ana would ask them about their future plans and they would shrug…answering that they would worry about that in a year or so or maybe they'd go into business with their dads. None seemed to have any dreams for their futures beyond making 'big money'.

So, Ana closed herself off. Maybe, she thought, she'd meet someone interesting when she got out into the world. She was currently surrounded by children who thought only about their next test or their next date…or, of course, the big game.

CHAPTER 4

While Ana toiled away in a luxury toilet, Christian was toiling away in the big tent…doing his best to appear normal when he felt that he was anything but. He knew that he should be making more of an effort to entertain his 'date' but she was boring him. She spent all her energy ogling him while he tried to talk to his parents and business associates. He had no friends here…or anywhere for that matter. Once or twice Elliot wandered over to chat with Christian's date who made no effort to engage him in silly banter. His parents were terribly busy chatting up their hundreds of guests while Elena wouldn't leave him alone, leaning past his date to talk about nothing. He tried to keep busy dancing but the blonde…what was her name again?...took every advantage to lean in closer. Once she lowered her hand from his shoulder to his chest. He jumped back quickly to avoid her touch…to avoid freaking out in front of her and the guests.

He excused himself to visit the men's trailer. He could have gone into his parent's house, of course, but he feared that his nosy date would follow. Thus, he and Taylor headed for the luxury trailer. He could hide out there for a while. Taylor could easily devise some emergency need for him at GEH but his parents expected him to stick around for the fireworks. He needed to hold out for another hour before he could escort the blonde to her home. What the hell was he going to do for another hour?

As he passed the first trailer, the women's trailer, he saw a young woman in casual dress sitting on the stairs, her head in her hands. Who was she? What was she doing here? He indicated to Taylor that he should approach and solve this mystery while Grey waited off to the side.

Taylor spoke to her for several minutes. All Grey could see was Taylor's back and his head moving.

Taylor turned and walked back to Grey.

"It's all right, sir. She's an employee and is in charge of this particular lavatory. She has a bad headache due to the smoke and the idle chatter of the women in the lounge. She's returning to her job now. I told her that I would send someone in with a bottle of water. I think that she's a bit dehydrated."

Grey frowned. "I hope that she's doing her job in there. These trailers have to be immaculate. They are representative of GEH," he said sternly.

"GEH is represented by toilets, sir?" Taylor chuckled. He immediately caught himself as Grey glared at him. "Yes, sir. I'll have Preston came by and do a check." He took out his phone and texted the female covert. The girl had already returned to the interior of the trailer.

An hour later, the trailer was empty of its patrons and Ana was doing a last-minute check to assure that when the trailer was towed back to its storage area, it was as clean as it had been at the beginning of the evening. She knew that it would be thoroughly inspected and her continued employment would depend on the outcome of that inspection. One of the security detail had already been by to check on things. She'd smiled and remarked that she didn't know how Ana managed to keep it so sparkling. Preston was quite nice and open so Ana felt comfortable telling her about wet toilet seats and ashes on the floor. However, she didn't mention the Grey family friend.

Locking the door behind her, Ana was able to watch the end of the fireworks and the guests waiting for the valets to bring their fancy vehicles around. The world of the well-to-do was interesting to watch but seemed repetitive and dull, Ana thought. Not one of the well-kept women who came to the trailer that night had seemed happy or involved with the charity. It was just another night of dressing up and gossiping about other people.

She headed off on her long walk to find her car, parked far away from the fine automobiles transporting the fine people who attended the gala. From a distance, she could see Mr. Grey and the blonde getting into a Mercedes SUV. Ana had been driving an ancient VW beetle for several years and she loved her car. She didn't suppose that Mr. Grey had any feelings about his luxury vehicle. She'd bet that he didn't even give it a name. She smiled as she saw Wanda waiting for her just ahead. She patted the old girl and asked her to please start tonight and get her home because she was dead on her feet. Wanda obliged. Ana grinned as she drove past Mr. Grey's SUV still waiting in line to get out of the driveway.

She'd made good money tonight. Her tip jar was full of bills. Each time one of the ladies pushed a bill into the jar, Ana made certain that she smiled and thanked the woman. One woman smiled and whispered that she'd always carried a tiny purse to these affairs…a purse containing cash and lipstick. She tipped the bartender, her table's server and the toilet attendant. Ana remarked that she was quite thoughtful. The woman told her that before she married, she was a waitress. Then she winked and wished Ana well. The woman didn't know that she was the highlight of Ana's night.

Besides the tips, Ana had also made a few hundred in wages. Thus, feeling flush, Ana decided to forgo cooking ramen noodles when she got home in favor of stopping at a Sonic for a burger and fries. Heck, she thought, I think I'll even spring for a malt. When she arrived back at her apartment, she sat on her bed and watched some old black and white film noir while she happily devoured her dinner. She hadn't eaten all day, something she often forgot to do. She looked around her room, wondering if there was anything she should clean before she slept. The place was small and her only furniture was her bed and nightstand. She had a closet with a few items in it and a tiny kitchenette with a small table serving as an island where she could prepare meals. She also had recently purchased the little television she rarely had time to watch but she could use an antenna to tune in to three channels and that was enough for her. She could watch the news and old movies. She liked her tiny studio. It had everything she needed. It was easy to care for and her landlord was a good guy…always prepared to do what she needed done…like when she asked for a peep hole in her door…he did it right away. Ana was a good tenant and he hoped to keep her for some time.

She had a little bit of energy left and wondered if she should use it to take a shower. She had her first class at 10 a.m. and it was now after midnight. If she showered now, she could sleep later in the morning. Her bathroom was small but enough for her. Her landlord had rigged up a shower in the tub for her and put up a shelf above the pedestal sink. After her shower, she didn't dry her hair. She was too tired to hold a dryer. She toweled off and slipped straight under the covers without bed clothes. In fact, around her apartment she rarely worn clothes. Clothes meant nothing to her. She liked the free feeling of being naked and unencumbered.

CHAPTER 5

Grey was sitting in his Mercedes feeling quite encumbered. His date had buckled up in the middle seat right next to Grey. He remembered the day that he'd called her in to his office. He'd carefully explained that he needed someone to escort to the gala. It was just business, he explained. The blonde would be paid overtime and he would provide the necessary outfit. She was to stay by his side and say as little as possible. This was not a date, he emphasized. It was a work assignment. The blonde, however, like so many women he knew, was quick to assume that Grey didn't really mean what he said. He was just shy and fearful of being exploited. She would show him that she was different. This was her chance to get close to her boss.

She leaned against his right arm and began to lay her head on his shoulder. Grey sighed.

"What are you doing? As I explained in my office, this is a business arrangement, not a date. Please move to the seat next to your door."

The woman looked embarrassed but Grey was unmoved. She knew better but was trying to take advantage. He considered checking her employment record at GEH, wondering if she was good at her job.

When the car stopped at the woman's apartment building, Taylor opened her door and Grey politely thanked her for her "work" this evening and said good night to her after which Taylor escorted the blonde to her door and made certain that she was safely inside before he returned to the car.

"Sir, may I make an observation?" Taylor asked Grey.

"Why don't I just go to these things alone? If I go alone, I'll be subjected to the attentions of every woman in the place. You'll be escorting me to the restrooms all night long. It's a damned if you do and a damned if you don't situation, Taylor…unless you have any bright ideas," Grey smirked.

Taylor was quiet for a moment as he pulled out into traffic. Then he sighed. "Have you ever had a date with an employee who honored the established parameters?"

"I don't recall any. I do recall some who bawled."

Taylor chuckled. "Perhaps Ros could set you up with one of her lesbian friends. Have you considered that?"

"Hmmm…not a bad idea, Taylor. I'll check with her. Of course, using the same woman all the time could become problematic with the media. There would be quite a fuss and the woman would be followed all the time."

"Perhaps she could wear a disguise when with you. You know…a blonde wig, for starters."

"You might have something there, Taylor. I knew that there was a reason that I paid you the big bucks," Grey grinned.

"Sir. You pay me to keep you alive. My sage advice is secondary to my first commitment."

For the first time that night, Grey let out a great laugh. He wasn't a man who smiled or laughed much so Taylor enjoyed this side of Grey. In the morning, he would consult with Ros about a possible beard for Grey…someone who didn't want his money or his dick.

CHAPTER 6

At 8 a.m. Ana was still asleep when the phone rang. She groggily pushed herself up on her elbows and grabbed the phone. She didn't recognize the number so she put the phone back in the drawer and instantly went back to sleep.

At 8:02 a.m. the phone began ringing again. Again, Ana struggled to grab the phone. This time she recognized the same number.

"Look, I don't want to buy anything, including a timeshare or a warranty on my 20-year-old-car. Please don't call…." But before she could finish a woman politely identified herself as the COO of GEH.

Oh, gosh. Suddenly Ana was wide awake, terrified that something had gone wrong last night. Was she in trouble…out of a job?

"Ah, yes, Ms. Bailey. I'm sorry. You woke me. I mean, that's okay. I was just startled. Is there something wrong, Ms. Bailey? I'm certain that I left the trailer in perfect condition."

Ros could hear the slight tremble in Ana's voice. "No, no. Nothing is wrong. In fact, the inspector says that your trailers are always the cleanest he checks on when they're returned to the storage yard. You do a fine job."

Ana sank back on the pillow in relief. "Oh, that's good. I certainly need that job."

Ros smiled on her end. "Ms. Steele, I would like to meet with you about another job. When would you have some time in your schedule?"

"A different job, you mean?"

"Yes, very different. I think you might prefer it to cleaning toilets. Do you have any time free today to come to Grey House…possibly lunch?"

"Today would be good. I have a class at 10:00 and another at 4:00 so lunch should work."

"Great. There's a sub shop across from GEH. Why don't you pick up a couple of subs and sodas? Of course, I'll reimburse you."

Ana was about to say that that wouldn't be necessary but she stopped herself. It actually would be necessary. She had her budget worked out to the penny. Breakfast was oatmeal. Lunch was a peanut butter sandwich and dinner was ramen noodles. Yes, reimbursement would be necessary.

After she rang off, Ana lay wondering what sort of job she was being offered. Maybe an office job. She sighed. She would have to turn that offer down. She had one good dress in her closet and the rest of her wardrobe consisted of jeans, t-shirts, sweat shirts and a raincoat. She didn't even have a dressy pair of shoes. This job of cleaning restroom trailers had been perfect wardrobe-wise.

She tried to go back to sleep for another hour but her mind was awake even if her body wasn't. She might as well get to school early. She could use the computers in the library to research the paper she had coming up. She considered skipping her 4:00 to just come home and sleep. Gosh, that sounded wonderful. Sleep. It had been so long since she'd been able to sleep without setting the alarm. However, she knew that she couldn't skip her 4:00. Even though she had a 4.0 going, this particular professor was fussy about attendance. He'd lower her grade if she missed a class. So, with a deep breath, she forced herself to jump out of bed and get dressed.

.+.

Taylor sat studying the brief on Ms. Steele. And it was brief. Welch had dug deep but there was simply not much to find. Having committed the facts to memory, Taylor bid Andrea a good morning as he walked into Grey's office. The man himself had spent the morning in meetings. Now he was stripped down to his crisp white shirt, sleeves rolled up and tie lying on the desk. He was focused, as always, on his laptop…his attention so intent that he didn't hear Taylor walk in.

"It's a good thing you have security. Anyone could walk up to you when you're working and whack you."

Grey looked up and smirked. "I knew you were there. I would have coldcocked you and laid you out flat."

Taylor smirked right back at him. Maybe that was true. Maybe it wasn't. No point in arguing.

"Can you take a break? I have something to discuss with you."

Grey pushed back from the desk and motioned for Taylor to take a seat.

"Drink?"

"I'm on the clock, sir. I was thinking about your dilemma."

"Which one is that? Taiwan? New York?"

"Neither. Your dating dilemma. I've noticed that with each event or business dinner, your dates are becoming more difficult. I've also taken note that your last two subs had to be dismissed because of their jealousy. They read the tabloids, you know. One of them even turned up with her brown hair bleached…undoubtedly thinking that she had a better shot at being collared if she were blonde. You're also going to be running out of blondes soon. I think half the women in this building have signed NDAs. You obviously need a better solution."

"And you have one, my little matchmaker?" Grey chuckled.

"Possibly, yes." He slid a GEH ID picture across the desk. Grey picked it up and felt a little catch in his throat. This was a very pretty brunette with blue eyes.

"Before you object…for any reason…let me continue. This is the girl I spoke with at the ladies trailer last night. I had a good feeling about her. Call it intuition. Over my years in security I've learned to read people well and quickly. That skill has saved my life or my employers more than once. I read this girl as someone trustworthy, hardworking and quite independent. I had Welch do a deep vet on her when we got home.

"She is 22, a grad student with a 4.0 average. She graduated from high school and undergrad in six years with summa cum laude degrees. She has no family except a mother who abandoned her when she was 6. Her stepfather raised her. He died last year. She is a scholarship student. However, that pays only her tuition. She is extremely poor. Until she came to work for GEH, cleaning the trailers, she worked at a hardware store for 30 hours a week. They closed down.

"Welch's vet showed no evidence of friends or a relationship…ever. It appears all she's ever done is study. Ros is going to interview her today."

"You say that she is extremely poor. How poor?"

"She lives in an unsafe section of Seattle in a 200-sq-ft. studio apartment. She drives a 20-year-old VW Beetle. I spoke with your mother last night before we left and asked her if she was satisfied with the trailers you provided. She marveled at how clean this young woman kept them. She said that several women had commented to her that the trailers were so posh, smelled so good and they wondered if the woman cleaning them was available to do home cleaning. She regretted that she had not had time to go out and meet this young woman. She said that she'd been using the GEH trailers for several years and no one had ever said a word about them before.

"From this and my own thoughts, I concluded that perhaps this young woman could be trusted to accompany you and perform as asked."

"What makes you think that she won't want me and/or my money?" Grey sneered.

"Her lack of involvement with men indicates that she feels that she has to be discreet…as in she is a lesbian. Also, her educational drive makes me believe that she is quite independent and determined to make her own way in life."

"If I take the same woman to everything, the press will believe that she is my girlfriend. How would she feel about being followed everywhere, her picture in the tabloids every day, her life exposed?"

"As I suggested last night, sir, she could wear a disguise…a blonde wig, brown contacts, makeup. Ros is speaking with her at noon. She's free until 3 p.m. If Ros approves, you could sit down with her and tell her exactly what is expected of her. I have a good feeling about this idea, sir."

"Well, I don't. Sounds fantastical."

CHAPTER 7

"Ms. Bailey, I have to be honest. This "solution" to Mr. Grey's problem just sounds too fantastical."

"Tell me your objections. I'm listening," Ros replied.

"No matter how much goo you slap on my face, after the paparazzi take a few close ups, they're going to remember me."

"And where would they see you? You go to school. You don't wander up and down the main drag…shopping. You wouldn't be anywhere that the paps would ever expect to find you."

"I hear the girls at school gossiping about Grey the Greek God all the time. At some point, one of them is going to recognize the resemblance between the girl in the photos and me."

"But you always sit down in front and you aren't friendly with any of your classmates. You eat your lunch in the library alone. You don't go to bars. You simply do not socialize."

"Have you had someone following me?" Ana's blue eyes blazed. Ros tried to hide her reaction.

"Of course, we've had you vetted. We had to be sure of your character. Just any girl wouldn't do."

"Well, I don't know how I feel about that. AND…and my advisor, my professors, the TAs…they've all spoken with me face to face."

Ros considered this for a moment. "Mr. Grey has ways to shut people up."

Ana's eyebrows popped up. "No, no. I don't mean anything illegal. I mean, our lawyers would have those people sign NDAs, if necessary. Besides, Mr. Grey always escorts blondes to every affair. The paps barely bother with them anymore. To them, all the blondes look alike by now. Also, they are always quite stunning so one more beauty is just one more beauty. They'll probably take only distance shots. Security keeps them pretty far back anyway."

"Well, there's a problem. I am not a beauty. Perhaps they'll notice the difference in Mr. Grey's taste."

"Ana, you are quite lovely. Now, this job will involve little more than hanging on his arm all night. You'll earn twice…make that three times as much as you do now and aside from having to stand around on your tippy toes in stilettoes all night, it will be a lot easier than crawling around cleaning toilets."

Ana stopped in her pacing. "Three times as much?" Ros nodded. "Ms. Bailey, I don't have fancy clothes. I don't own a pair of fancy shoes. I don't have…" Ros raised her hands to call a halt to Ana's objections.

"Ana, don't you think we've considered that? Anyone who steps out with Mr. Grey isn't allowed to choose their own gowns anyway. He's a man who has to be in constant control. He'll send you to his personal shopper to be measured and all necessary clothing will be chosen by him and sent to you."

"My clothes closet is quite tiny."

"You won't be wearing anything twice so the outfits will be collected from you the next morning."

Ana continued to pace. She thought about her plans to earn a doctorate. If she could keep this thing going long enough, maybe she could earn enough for a year of school. She wouldn't have to quit and work for a year to save up.

"If this doesn't work out, can I go back to the trailers?"

"If you do your very best and through no fault of your own, you are outed…well, I'm sure that Mr. Grey would give you another job. Hell, he is a very generous man. He'd probably pay for the rest of your education outright. This plan works for you no matter how you look at it." Ros was beaming. She knew she had Ana hooked.

"I'm not just getting my masters. I plan on earning a doctorate as well. We're talking bucubucks here."

Ros blinked. "Hmm…well, I don't know what bucubucks are but Mr. Grey is a multi-billionaire. Is that bucu enough?"

Ana's eyes bugged out. "Yeah, I guess he could afford it…but would he want to?"

"Like I said, if you do your job well, his gratitude will know no bounds. So. Are you ready to meet with him?"

Ana gulped and nodded.

CHAPTER 8

Grey looked up as the girl walked into his office. He was only 5 years older but his position and his demeanor made him seem much her senior. One automatically needed to address him as sir.

He gazed at her. Just his type but somehow…more. He'd had subs with blue eyes. Why did these blue eyes seem bluer? His subs were always brunettes but this girl…this girl's hair seemed more…a lush mahogany. And his subs were never allowed to look him in the eye without permission…which he rarely gave. This young woman stood before him, looking through him.

"Wow. I've never seen you close up and your pictures don't show it. Your gray eyes, I mean. They are really remarkable. I've never seen gray eyes," she blathered on. He indicated that she should sit.

"You are Anastasia Steele, I presume? She nodded.

"I know that Ros interviewed you extensively and you passed muster with her but now you have to do likewise with me." He thought that he sounded stern and dominating but the girl simply smiled and cocked her head like a puppy seeking to understand a command. It was kind of…endearing.

"I am in need of an attractive woman…" That was as far as he got before Ms. Steele raised her hand. He sighed. "You have a question already?" he asked, a bit exasperated.

"Why does the woman have to be attractive?" Good lord. She had him in a vise already. He took the easy way out.

"Because," he snarled. "Oh," she responded.

"I am in need of an attractive woman to escort to GEH business dinners, events, charities we support and so on. I am obliged to attend these functions often…sometimes twice a week. Having a companion to these affairs will somewhat protect me from the constant unwanted attentions of all the women who attend with their husbands, boyfriends…" Up went the hand again.

"Are there not women who are themselves executives, business owners…you know, anything other than arm candy?" She was tilting her head again. It was cute. He wished she would stop.

"Yes, there are but they are as troublesome as the, hmm, arm candy. To continue. You will stay close to me to ward off other women unless I indicate to you that I wish to speak with one of them. You will pretend to be interested in conversations that I am having with my peers. You will hold my arm. If we are dancing…." He took a deep calming breath…"Yes, Ms. Steele."

"I don't know how to dance. I can sway but that seems too intimate for your purposes."

"Surely you've gone to dances at school?"

"I finished high school and undergrad in six years. I didn't do it by spending my time at mixers."

She wasn't smug, which Grey admired, but still…

"So, you don't waltz or foxtrot…nothing?"

"I've never even been held in a dance way," she said confusingly, as she waved her arms about…attempting to demonstrate that she didn't know where she should put her hands.

"Well, we'll have to see that you get a few lessons."

"Waltzing. I'd like to do that. It looks like flying."

"Of course. Now, when you use the ladies lounge…you know, to freshen up…you will be inundated with questions about me. You will explain that you are merely my companion for the night and know little about me."

Ana slapped her hand down on the desk and burst into laughter. Grey was startled and jumped slightly in his seat.

"Oh, do I know what you mean. At that affair last night, for instance, it was Grey, Grey, Grey. I don't know who these women were, whether they had husbands or boyfriends but you were the subject du jour. What you were wearing, your face, your posture, your command of the room, your money, your youth…it went on and on. I was supposed to be the invisible cleaning lady so I couldn't ask any questions but it was hilarious. You poor man.

"I understand completely now. Don't worry. I will be highly visible but not intrusive. I will be the perfect arm candy with dagger eyes that warn others away. I'm betting that the ladies lounge will go dead silent when I walk in. No one will dare to question me."

Grey was stunned. He couldn't wait to see how this worked out. He informed Ms. Steele that two days hence he had a business dinner. There would be no dancing…just a speaker or four, dinner and obligatory chat with fellow business people. It would be intensely boring and Ms. Steele could not play games on her phone.

"I don't have a phone with games." She pulled out an ancient flip phone to demonstrate. Grey informed her that she would receive further instructions from his PA Andrea and he would see her when he picked her up. It was then that he informed her that there would be no need for conversation as he would be working in the car. As she got up to leave, he asked her…he didn't know why…how she had done on her exam that morning.

"I aced it." She noted that his eyebrows rose at her perceived boast.

"I have to ace everything. It's how you get scholarships. Just business," she winked at him.

CHAPTER 9

After Ms. Steele left, Grey sat stunned for a while. He would have preferred that she was quieter. However, he felt that she clearly understood his needs and would deliver. He actually felt relaxed. He sat, thinking about that feeling and how it might have come about. He hadn't been completely in control of the meeting but he felt all right about it. She had promised to do the job perfectly and somehow, he knew that he could take her at her word. He'd dreaded the coming dinner but now he felt it might be bearable. He smiled inwardly.

He pushed a blue button on his keyboard and was instantly connected to Caroline Acton, his personal shopper. She was indispensable to him. She beamed at him and expressed her delight at meeting with him again. She'd made millions off this guy.

"Mr. Grey, I'm delighted to hear from you. What would you like from me today?"

Grey got right to the point. He was sending a young woman her way tonight after 5 p.m. She would need a conservative gown for a dinner in two days. She would also need three wigs…all blonde…in three lengths. For the dinner, he would like her hair, the wig, to be in a simple chignon.

"I've seen the photos of the blondes that you've been squiring about lately. May I suggest a more elegant shade of blonde…something less bright and loud. More Grace Kelly…less Jayne Mansfield."

"Yes. That would be good. Thank you for the suggestion. I know you to be most discreet so I will tell you that this young lady may be my permanent companion, if she works out. I'm afraid that I've gone through most of the available blondes here at GEH."

Ms. Acton laughed. He was pleased. He'd told a joke.

"I would also like her to be fitted with a pair of brown contacts. In order for her to continue with her private life, we must disguise her well. If the paparazzi get wind of her, it would adversely affect her life."

"Don't be concerned, Mr. Grey. I completely understand. Now. Makeup. More would make for a better disguise but would possibly damage her skin. I think that you would prefer less. Am I correct?"

"Yes, she doesn't wear any makeup at all from what I could tell and her face is quite lovely without it. I'll leave it to you. Also, if you could provide her with a pair or two of clear glass spectacles, that would help when she is not with me."

"Excellent idea. If there isn't anything else, shoot me over to Andrea so she can give me your itinerary for the coming months. I can get going on suitable attire."

Dancing lessons…Andrea could locate someone to teach Ana how to waltz and do simple moves. He didn't necessarily enjoy dancing…too much touching…but it was expected and his mother had made certain that all her children could dance. He smiled…thinking of his little sister, Mia, dancing. He didn't know what the dances were called but they were certainly bouncy. He didn't approve, of course, of some of the grinding she did. She called him a fuddy-duddy and kissed his cheek.

Well, one headache under control. Now back to the rest of them.

.+.

As the elevator descended, Ana considered what she was getting into. She was both excited and worried. All that money. She'd never in her life had that much money. It gave her such a sense of ease…something she'd rarely felt. She thought back to the days with her father in their cabin. He made her feel safe. They didn't have a lot but it didn't matter…they had enough to get by.

Raymond Steele was such a gentle man…kind and thoughtful. He could be gruff but he didn't frighten her. A moment later he'd pick her up and squeeze her. Gosh, she loved her daddy. She never gave her absent mother a thought. Maybe she should have missed having a mother but you don't miss what you've never had. Carla had disappeared when Annie was six. She woke up one morning and her mother was gone. Ray said nothing about it and Annie didn't ask. It was as if she'd never existed.

Ana had always been an exceptionally smart girl, according to her teachers. Ray told her that she shouldn't get a big head just because she was brighter than all the other kids. It was more important to do good things with her smarts and to be kind and helpful. Annie had nodded. Daddy was always right so that's what she would do.

As the elevator doors opened and Ana walked out into the usual Seattle drizzle, she realized that this new job was more than money. She would be kind and helpful to Mr. Grey as well.

CHAPTER 10

D-day. I don't know this woman. I don't know what she'll do. She seems like a loose cannon. Grey was feeling a lack of control. He had a new sub, Delilah, who would be waiting up for him when he got home. They'd only spent a couple of sessions together but she was doing well and perhaps she would help him get back his feeling of control after a night with Ms. Steele. No, wait. He had to be careful to not slip up with the name thing. They had decided that her name would be Anabelle Adams. He could then call her Ana. It would be crucial to use her fake name.

"Sir, ready to go?" Taylor inquired. He was a little nervous himself. This had all been his idea. He had even chosen the young woman. If this blew up, he would never hear the end of it. However, if it worked, he'd probably get a bonus and his daughter, Sophie, needed braces.

Grey nodded and entered the elevator with Taylor. If he were a praying man…but then he wasn't. The drive seemed to take forever and the route grew seedier as they headed north. Grey noted that the buildings and the cars parked outside of them looked rougher the further they drove. He said nothing but Taylor could see by his expression in the rearview mirror that his boss was disturbed. Why hadn't he thought to collect Ms. Steele first?

Finally, he slowed to a halt in front of a brick building that had to be at least one hundred years old. Few of the street lights were lit. A strikingly beautiful woman stood on the sidewalk conversing with an elderly man and a young man with a punk haircut. Taylor pulled up to the threesome and got out of the car. The woman waved goodbye and gracefully slid into the back seat. She buckled her seatbelt and turned to greet a horrified Christian Grey. His eyes were bugging out of his head and he quickly locked the doors. He gaped at a confused Ana.

"Are you all right, Ms. Steele?"

"Anabelle Adams, Christian. And, yes, I'm fine…except that my feet are already killing me. I may have made a logistical error. I thought that if I walked around in these things for two days I'd get the hang of it. Instead, I have sores and pain. I'm so glad that we aren't dancing tonight. Please tell me this dinner is going to be served. If it's a buffet, I don't think I'll be able to eat."

"I wasn't talking about your feet, Ms….Ana. You were surrounded by thugs. You should have stayed inside until Taylor came for you."

"Those two? Don't be silly. The older gentleman is my landlord and the younger is his grandson, a really sweet boy. They were just watching out for me as I waited.

"Now, do I look the part?" she asked.

"What? Huh?" Grey stumbled over his words. He knew that she was a struggling student but he wasn't prepared for the depth of poverty that he saw before him.

"I said…do I look like a multi-billionaire's gal pal? Ms. Acton helped me with my makeup. She tried to attach false eyelashes but I'm having enough trouble adjusting to contacts. Between the contacts and the stilettoes, the last two days have been….. Christian, are you all right? Your mouth has been hanging open for the last few blocks."

He clapped his mouth shut. "Yes, I'm fine. What was your question? Oh, yes. You look wonderful, Ana. I was just concerned about this neighborhood and your companions. I have never been this far north and I didn't realize that these streets were so rundown."

"Yes, I'm one step from living under a bridge," she chuckled. "Still, I'm lucky. My landlord is lovely and all the people I've met, although heartbreakingly poor, are equally as lovely. It takes them a bit of time to trust but once they do, you're one of the gang and we all take care of each other."

"Perhaps now that you'll be making good money, you can move further south," Grey posited.

"No, I'm happy where I am and I intend to save my money for school. Change of subject, you look delicious. I'm really going to have my work cut out for me to keep you safe from errant arm candy," she giggled. "Didn't you say that you had work to do? I'll stop talking now."

And she did.

CHAPTER 11

From the way that Ana glided into the Fairmont Hotel ballroom, you'd never know that she was in pain. Even in 5 inch stilettoes, the top of her head came only to Christian's shoulder. In his office, he hadn't noticed how petite she was. She slipped her arm through his and smiled at him as if they were at ease with one another. Under her breath, she urged him to smile at her as well. It was the first time he had done so and Ana was agog at his beauty.

The first people to approach greeted Grey and then turned to Ana. Grey froze and then began to introduce Ms. Steele. Before he could get out the word, Ana smiled brilliantly and introduced herself as Anabelle Adams, shaking hands with the couple. Christian stood like a post so Ana began a little conversation…inquiring about their business interests. They were in tech and telecom just like Christian…the difference being that Christian was also into mergers and acquisitions.

"Yes, that is different, isn't it? You know, before I got to know Christian, I thought that acquisitions were all hostile but he doesn't operate that way at all."

The couple looked surprised. "Oh, no. He rescues companies that are failing. He helps to revive them, if at all possible. He saves jobs. I'm quite proud of him," she said, beaming up at Christian.

Christian smiled at her again…this time unprompted. He might have been surprised at how well Ana understood his company but his ego just assumed that she'd know all about him. The couple left to find their table. Ana whispered to Grey that if she didn't sit soon, she'd fall over.

"We're up front," he said.

"Of course, we are," Ana groaned. By the time they reached their table, Ana was gasping for breath. She resisted the urge to lean against Christian's arm. She removed her shoes and sighed in relief.

"Do we have any sneaker events upcoming?" she smirked. Grey actually chuckled. Ana looked around and wondered how all these women managed to wear these shoes all the time. While being measured by Ms. Acton, she noticed that she was wearing high heels and probably had been all day. Caroline assured Ana that she'd adapt in time.

Servers came around with champagne and water. Ana didn't touch her champagne. Grey was curious. Offered lobster bisque and steak…Ana declined both, requesting only a salad. Finally, Grey whispered to her.

"Why aren't you eating and drinking?"

"I don't drink. Long story. My feet hurt so bad that if I eat anything heavier than this salad, I may need to run to the ladies and I can't walk so… Don't fret, Christian. It looks delicious but I'm fine."

"You're too thin," Christian frowned. Ana looked aghast.

"Am not. Where did you get that idea?" she demanded to know.

"I have eyes, Ana. Also, Caroline Acton told me that you fit into all the sample sizes and didn't need any alterations. I happen to know that samples are size 4."

"Tell you what. After you're done with the need for a model to accompany you to these shindigs, I'll get fat. Deal?"

Grey was torn between scolding and laughing. He called over the waiter and asked him to box up the lobster bisque, steak, bread and dessert for Ms. Adams to take home. She could eat it when her stomach felt better. The server smiled charmingly and asked if she would like a glass of ginger ale or 7-up. Ana thanked him for the idea and asked for the 7-up and the bread.

"It's what I always eat when my stomach is roiling," she smiled and thanked Christian for being thoughtful.

The two didn't realize that they'd been huddling and speaking softly to each other throughout the meal. When the first speaker got up, Grey was startled to find that they hadn't been interrupted once…not even by their tablemates.

The speakers were boring, of course, but the evening flew by and Ana was able to tolerate her shoes by the time they left.

CHAPTER 12

Ana was worn out and had fallen asleep within minutes of buckling her seatbelt. Christian checked emails on his phone on the twenty minute trip to Ana's place. He unbuckled her belt and Taylor picked her up as easily as he carried his daughter. Christian had thought to do it but didn't want to overstep his bounds. This was a business relationship and such gallantry wouldn't do. He did hold the door for Taylor as he took her inside.

Again, Grey's mouth dropped open. Her entire living space could have fit inside his bathroom. A tiny kitchenette and an old iron bedstead were pretty much all there was. Taylor carefully laid Ana on her bed and covered her with the duvet after removing her shoes. He had to drag Grey out as he continued to gawk around him.

Although the door had a peephole, it was a flimsy wooden door. Grey decided to have Elliot send a couple of men over in the afternoon to install a steel door and frame. Taylor cautioned him to check with Ms. Steele first but, of course, Grey knew best. He also didn't think that he'd sleep tonight. He thought about the tiny fridge in her kitchenette. He was able to stuff the box of food into it only because it was nearly empty…holding only a quart of milk. In the cabinets, he found a box of oatmeal, several boxes of ramen noodles, bread and peanut butter.

It was heartbreaking and Grey didn't even have a heart.

.+.

Ana slept through the morning and was still sleeping when she was awakened by a knock at her door. She tried to ignore it but it was insistent. She realized that she was still dressed in her gown and wondered how she'd gotten to bed.

"Coming, coming." She stumbled to the door and looked through the peephole. All she could see was a wall of plaid flannel with buttons.

"Who is it?" she groaned.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Steele. My name is Elliot Grey, Christian's brother. He's quite concerned about the strength of this door…or rather, the lack of it. I own a construction company and he asked me to install a stronger door."

What the hell? she thought. My door is fine. "I don't need a different door. This one has served me well for years. Tell your pushy brother thanks but no thanks."

"Please, Ms. Steele. My brother will never let up if I don't get this done. He'll just tell me to knock this door down."

"Don't you dare knock down my door! Just tell your brother to chillax."

"Please, Ms. Steele. He is relentless when he decides on something. Besides, you will be safer."

Ana pulled the door open to find a blond giant in her hallway. She gaped up at him. He gaped down at her.

"Damn," was all he said. Then he broke into a great grin. Even with her blonde wig falling off her head and her mascara smeared, she was as cute as all get out.

"Do you mind waiting for a minute?" she asked sweetly. Nah, he could stand here and wait all day.

She rummaged around but couldn't find her bag from last night and now she had no phone. She turned to Elliot and, reading her mind, he handed her his phone. It was an up-to-date IPhone and she just stared at it. He took it from her hand and brought up his contacts.

"Just press Chris."

"Did you get it done?" Grey demanded without the preliminary of a hello.

"No, he didn't get it done and he isn't going to get it done. I'm sending him on his way now and you will leave him be." Ana's tone brooked no argument but Grey still tried.

"Ana, I'm only thinking of your safety. Please let me do this for you. Last night went so well and I really can't afford to lose your services," he almost pleaded…which was so unlike him.

"You mean after someone breaks in and murders me in my sleep, you'll have to start auditioning for a fake girlfriend all over again?" Elliot had to turn away. He was laughing too hard.

"Well, something like that. You did such a good job last night…far better than I'd expected and we have another dinner in three days. Besides, you have to finish your MA. You don't want to die before then, do you? What a waste of all your hard work just for want of a steel door and bars on your window, don't you think?"

"The fire escape doesn't work and I'm two floors up."

"Your fire escape doesn't work! My god, Ana!"

Ana began laughing hard. "Your fire escape does work, doesn't it? That wasn't nice, Ana," Grey growled.

CHAPTER 13

Ana sat cross legged at the foot of her bed, leaning on the iron railing while she watched Elliot and the other guy, Jeff somebody, tear out her old door. She had to admit that it crumbled like balsam wood in their hands. Then they installed a steel frame and then the door. About then, her landlord peeped around the corner and smiled quizzically at Ana.

"Hello, Mr. Jacobs. These men are Elliot and Jeff. My boss was concerned that the old door was too easy to knock down. I'm sorry. I couldn't find you earlier to ask your permission. Did you go to see Margie?"

"Yes. This is fine, dear," he spoke with the quivering voice of a very old man. "I wish I could do likewise for all the tenants. It certainly would be safer."

"How is Margie?"

"Oh, she's having a good day. I think she recognized me for a bit. Otherwise, her health is good, knock wood. Well, I guess, knock steel now," he giggled. "I told her hello from you."

"Good. And you…how are you today, sweetie?"

"I'm kind of knocked out now. I'm going to take a nap. Call if you need anything. Are you going out tonight again? If you are, I'll let Jakey know."

"No, I'm off school and work for a couple of days. I'm just going to stay in and read. Take care."

The old man shuffled away and down the stairs. Elliot had to restrain himself from running after him to help. He seemed ready to topple at any moment. Ana read his mind.

"Don't, Elliot. The weaker a person is the more they cling to their independence. And the poorer a person is the more they cling to their old wooden doors," she muttered. Elliot chuckled.

"How many doors in this place, Ana?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Oh, let's see…six...counting mine. Why?"

"Why don't you get your landlord's permission and we'll replace them all tomorrow."

"That's wonderful, Elliot. Be sure to send the bill to your brother and tell him that I ordered you to replace all the doors."

"Boy, you sure do like to poke the bear, don't you?"

"I'll not have one of my neighbors murdered in their sleep while I'm cozy in my room and you can tell him I said so," she nodded firmly.

Later the next night, she heard a knock at her new door. She checked the peephole and saw part of a $4000 Armani suit with a silver $500 tie.

"Who is it?" she asked in a saccharine singsongy voice. In reply, there was a low growl.

"Is it the big bad wolf?" she sang back.

Then she pulled hard, letting the door swing open as she leaned against it. "Would you like to come in?" she asked politely.

"Come in where? There's about 20 . to stand in."

Ana walked over to her bed and patted a space next to her. "This is my seating area. Please, make yourself comfortable." Grey hesitantly sat on the bed, a few feet from Ana. This was most irregular.

"Elliot dropped off a bill to me and said that it was from you."

"You can take it out of my paycheck."

"You don't have bars on your window." He marched over to the window and noticed immediately that the lock was broken. He tried to open the window but it would go no further than a couple of inches. He saw nails had been hammered into the frame. Clever. Still, the window itself was only one pane thick.

"Must get awfully cold in here," he remarked.

"I cover the window with a quilt in the cold times. I like it cool, dark and quiet as a tomb when I sleep." Grey shivered at the description.

"I brought your phone and I'll take the gown, etc. with me so you won't be bothered by anyone else."

"You're afraid to send anyone up here, aren't you?" Ana teased.

"Ana, this place terrifies me. It reminds me…well, never mind. It's just unsafe. Please let me move you uptown. I know you want to save every dime but we'll just toss in the new place as part of our deal."

"I'm happy here, Christian. I like my neighborhood and my neighbors. My landlord needs me. He's very old and his wife is senile and lives in a home now. All he has is his grandson, Jake. Jake is a darling boy and if Mr. Jacobs should die, I couldn't leave Jakey alone. He's overcome a lot to make his way in this hard world. Christian, this is my home and my people. I can't tell you how excited my fellow tenants are to be getting steel doors. None of them have much."

"But Ana…"

"Christian, if keeping this job with you means leaving here, I'll have to resign. Doing right by these people is important to me."

Christian stared at her, uncomprehending. "Your car isn't safe, either," he murmured in defeat.

"Wanda runs. That's all I require. No one bothers her because she looks like she does. A nicer car would be stolen outright or be stripped for parts. No one pays any attention to Wanda."

Christian sighed. He needed to get home to Delilah. He needed to get home to his playroom where he could recover his equilibrium. Since he'd met Ana just a week ago, he'd been losing his balance.

She handed him a garment bag with the shoes attached. He said he'd see her next week. She thanked him for the doors and goodnight.

CHAPTER 14

After a couple of hours with Delilah, Grey felt better…not as relaxed as he'd felt after spending that business dinner with Ana but certainly more in control. With Delilah, his every command was obeyed. She was relieved of all of her tension and both enjoyed his application of aftercare. The world was his…for all of 30 minutes. Once he came down from his high, he found himself right back on increasingly familiar territory…worrying about Ana living in that run-down hovel on the edge of a homeless encampment.

"Sorry to wake you."

"We've been over this many times over the years, Grey. When do I sleep?"

"Never. You never sleep. Sorry, my mind is a bit distracted these days. I'll get right to the point, Welch. An acquaintance of mine lives quite a ways north, Avenue North, in a crumbling building that she refuses to leave because she likes the people. There is a homeless encampment nearby and god all knows what goes on there. It's a bad area. Just a couple of street lights. Since she won't move, I've assigned several coverts to keep an eye on her place.

"I'd like you to do a review of the place and its occupants. I need to know the crime rate and the possibility of my friend being attacked. She's been living there for a few years and claims to feel safe."

"Is this the Steele chick that you've got masquerading as your girlfriend? I gave you her address along with all of her other information. Why are you suddenly all concerned?"

"Because I got my first look at the area. I wasn't aware that it was that bad."

"Geez, Grey. You've got to get out of your Richie Rich bubble now and again. Okay, I'll see what I can find." Click.

For a moment, Grey wondered if Welch was right about him. Was he blind to the world that lived 20 stories below his penthouse? He certainly remembered something of his first four years living in that freezing dump with his mother but he'd done his best since to forget. Of course, he had his nightmares to remind him and he donated quite a bit of money to various shelters and food banks. What he didn't do was touch base in person.

He wandered over to his piano. It was past midnight and he wanted to wake Delilah but he'd exhausted her so he decided to be considerate. Instead, he raised the fall board and placed his hands on the keys. It always felt so right. The keys were his and the music that flowed freely from his fingertips was his as well. Soon, he felt in control again. He'd been working on a difficult piece that confounded many professional concert pianists but soon it would be his. He would do whatever necessary to own his world.

.+.

Around 2 a.m., Ana was awakened by a hard knock on her door. Through the peephole, she saw Jake.

"Ana, I apologize for waking you up but I'm worried about Grandpa. The cops are here again and he's out there trying to stop them. I'm afraid that he'll get hurt."

"Get back out there, Jake. I'll be close behind," Ana assured him. She hurriedly dressed and raced out to the homeless encampment. These raids infuriated her. Periodically, in a quest for political points and to please wealthy donors, the mayor and the chief of police would roll like Nazis down to the encampment with bulldozers to disrupt the already ruined lives of dozens of struggling citizens. When they were gone, the people would mourn and then start all over again as they'd had to so many times. Ana worried for them and respected them.

She raced to the first police car she saw and ask for the officer in charge. Ana's clothing didn't look much better than that of the victims of this raid but she was clean, pretty and spoke in an educated manner. She explained that she lived nearby and that she, as a citizen and a voter, did not approve of this treatment of her neighbors.

"Your neighbors!? Ma'am, we're just trying to protect you and the other people from the crazies who are trespassing on this land."

"We're in no danger from these people. I know many of them and they are kind and good. Life has dealt them a bad hand and they are just trying to live quietly and peacefully. I know that no one living nearby has called you. This is just harassment. I object and demand that you leave their homes now and do not return."

When her argument was disregarded, Ana threw herself into the fray…blocking the bulldozers, the officers and generally making an almighty nuisance of herself as much as possible. She called to the residents to link arms to block the advance of the dozers and the men. She led a loud chant of "Nazis, Nazis". Usually, the police gave up after destroying a few homes and then the morning papers would portray the raid as another effort by those who serve and protect to rid the city of its least desirable occupants…the homeless problem.

Tonight, however, there was a slight change in procedure. One of the officers, overworked and underpaid, lost his temper and laid his nightstick across the head of one particularly loud and annoying woman…the ring leader of this protest. His action brought her to the ground and stopped the actions of the other officers in their tracks. An ambulance was called. There was blood. However, most of the encampment had been saved. Many of the occupants left their homes undefended to walk, following the ambulance to the nearest hospital. They could rebuild. Ana might die.

CHAPTER 15

Grey had just finished 2 hours of piano playing and was on his way to bed, hoping for a few hours before he had a nightmare. His phone rang, which for most people meant trouble, but for Grey meant Welch.

"That was quick. What do you have for me?"

"There are no crimes committed by those living in the encampments on record for the past several years. Apparently, they are a peaceful bunch. However, a couple of times a year, they are invaded by police who destroy the place and remove…or steal…everything these people own. Within a few weeks, the place is rebuilt. These people are quite resourceful and determined.

"Lately, this is for the past couple of years, the attempts to destroy the encampment have been less successful…according to my sources. Officially, the police are thorough but that is bullshit.

"Now, here is where it got interesting. About an hour ago, the police attempted another raid but a young woman intervened."

Grey felt a sudden clench in his stomach.

"My source tells me that she led a revolt, a successful revolt. Only a few homes were destroyed this time. However, the whole thing was stopped cold in its tracks when an officer whacked the woman with his nightstick. She was taken to Seattle General and it appears that the entire occupancy of the encampment followed the ambulance on foot to the hospital. I'd like to know the whereabouts of all your coverts when this happened. Last I heard, the woman was in surgery.

"Grey, you still there?"

"Thanks, Welch." Grey tried Ana's phone. He didn't expect an answer and he didn't get one. He called Taylor and told him to have one of the coverts check on Ana. He waited, feeling sick.

"Sir, Ana's door was wide open and she was gone. Samuels checked with some of the locals and it seems that Ana got in the middle of a police raid on the homeless living nearby and was struck on the head by an officer. She's been taken to Seattle General. That's all we have."

Doing his best to sound commanding, Grey instructed Taylor to bring the car around. Taylor advised against the public exposure. The hospital was sure to be surrounded by paparazzi. Grey insisted. Taylor told him to wear a hat low on his head and a coat with the collar turned up.

Grey quickly dressed, mumbling to himself that he hated this cloak and dagger shit but it was important to protect Ana's identity. Then he realized that she was in a subpar hospital and that she had no one but him. He felt still sicker. This arrangement of theirs was getting complicated. A part of him wanted to call it off. A bigger part didn't.

Down in front of the building waited an ancient Mercedes Benz. Taylor opened the front passenger side door for Grey.

"What is this thing and why am I riding in the front?"

"It belongs to Mrs. Talbot in 6A. She won't miss it. And you're riding shotgun because it's less conspicuous. Here, take that Armani off and put on this old trench coat."

Taylor's precautions were necessary as it turned out. There was a lot of press at the hospital and dozens of obviously homeless people crowding the hospital entrance. Taylor dropped off Grey and left to park the car. No one paid any attention to Grey as he casually walked into the lobby. At the front desk, he revealed himself and asked to be directed to the surgery waiting room.

He spent the next couple of hours pacing. The chairs were just plastic stackables on a well-worn vinyl floor. There were stacks of old magazines. Two of the chairs were occupied by a couple of men in cheap suits. Grey approached them and asked if they were SPD detectives. Not recognizing him, they just nodded dismissively. He pulled up a chair right in front of them, flipped it around and sitting on it backwards, pushed the hat back on his head. They immediately sat up straighter.

"I want the name of the asshole who hurt my friend. I want him arrested for assault."

The two men looked nervous and reluctant to speak until Grey whipped out his phone.

CHAPTER 16

A groggy voice answered. "Yeah, what is it?"

"If you're going to be destroying people's homes in the middle of the night, shouldn't you at least stay awake?"

"Who the hell is this? Do you know what time it is?"

"This is Christian Grey and I think it's time for a new police commissioner."

The commissioner sat up straight in bed, now wide awake. "Mr. Grey, this is a pleasure, sir. How can I help you?"

"You can get your sorry ass down to Seattle General. Now. No sirens. No caravan. No fuss."

Grey rang off and turned his attention back to the detectives. "Now, where is the man who hit an unarmed, helpless young woman and put her in surgery for her life?"

"The officer was sent home, sir. He lost his head in the thick of the disturbance and was traumatized."

"He was traumatized. And who started this "disturbance"?"

"We had orders to clear out that homeless settlement. The homeless fought back."

"Fought back, eh? And how did these sick, hungry and cold people fight back, detective?"

The two men were now trembling. This was Christian Grey. He could destroy them and probably would. "Ah, sir, they refused to leave, sir, and they called us Nazis."

"So, they fought back by refusing to capitulate to your demands and allow your bulldozers to run over their homes. What else did they do and specifically do to warrant being cracked over the head?"

"They…ah…formed a blockade so that the bulldozers couldn't get through. The young woman was the ringleader and the officer did his duty by taking out the leader. Protocol, sir."

"The young lady…was she armed in any way?"

"No, sir. However, she was belligerent and insulting. She led the chant, calling us Nazis."

Grey stood suddenly and threw his chair across the room. "If she dies, you're going to see belligerence in a court of law. I'll have all your badges and your freedom!"

"Mr. Grey, sir, I'm Commissioner Thompson. We've met a few times at different events," an older, white-haired man introduced himself.

"And you presumably authorized this middle of the night attack on helpless people? Is that right?"

The commissioner had, in his time, come up against many an angry citizen but never one as livid and as powerful as Christian Grey. It didn't matter that Grey was half his age. Grey ruined those who displeased him and Grey was shaking with anger.

"When the settlements get to be too large for comfort, we try to get people to move along. Our methods may seem cruel but little else works. Yes, we know that these people will begin rebuilding but some will move on. It's about all we have to combat this problem."

"Bulldozers and angry officers armed with guns and nightsticks is all you have to offer these citizens? Well, that makes you a pretty sorry asshole, doesn't it?"

"We take our orders from the mayor and the city council, sir."

"I want the officer who harmed this woman arrested. She was unarmed, non-aggressive and not even a resident of the encampment. And god help you if she doesn't recover," Grey addressed the commissioner in a voice of iron and ice. The commissioner excused himself to speak with his detectives.

"Family of"…before the surgeon could announce Ana's name, Taylor jumped up and cautioned him to whisper. "We, my employer and I, are here for Ana Steele. She has no family or friends. Mr. Grey is her employer and we know that she wouldn't want any publicity."

The surgeon nodded and motioned for Taylor and Grey to follow him to a private room.

"Ms. Steele is lucky to have such a caring employer. Otherwise, I gather, she would be alone."

"Doctor, I'm sure that you haven't had time to look outside. There are probably 100 people awaiting word out in the parking lot. How is she?" Taylor asked as Grey stood frozen.

"Hard-headed and lucky, I'd say. She took quite a blow to the head but her skull was not fractured. We needed to drill into her skull to relieve the pressure which is why the surgery was only a few hours. The pressure began to immediately decrease. She'll need to stay with us for a few days and she's going to have a bad headache for a while but she'll be fine. We don't anticipate any further complications. She began to talk the minute we took her off anesthesia. She's a little confused but asked that we not inform "Chris". Then she demanded to be released to go home. She's certainly feisty."

CHAPTER 17

"Ana, Ana…it's Christian. Can you open your eyes?" She was extremely pale and half of her face was bruised. The doctor had gone out to the parking lot to explain her condition to her friends and, relieved, they had all gone back to their homes to help their neighbors rebuild. The paparazzi pressed for answers but all the doctor told them was that she was a one of the homeless and that she didn't want any attention drawn to her or her neighbor's plight. They were proud people.

The morning's Nooz put the story on a back page. No one, after all, really cared about the indigent living in blighted conditions on the edges of town. Besides, the general feeling was that the homeless were all drug addicts, alcoholics and mentally ill. It was sad but what could you do?

Ana groaned and moved her head back and forth until her full consciousness returned. She put a hand to her head and half sat up, crying out in pain. Grey pressed the call button and asked the nurse for some pain medication. Ana laid her head back, panting with pain. Christian soaked a towel in ice water and wrapped it around her head. That seemed to help. Finally, she looked up at him.

In a weak voice, she said that she'd asked them not to bother Mr. Grey. He smiled. "I was already here…out in the waiting room, ripping the commissioner a new one. I'm going to have a word with the mayor about these sneak attacks. I've already sent some men over to your neighbors to ascertain their needs. We'll get them set up with new tents first.

"How bad are you feeling?"

"How did you know that I was here? I didn't know that I was here."

"Someone called to tell me about the raid and mentioned that a young woman was leading the people against the police and had been hit on the head with a nightstick. I figured it was you."

"So that's what happened. One second I was calling a bulldozer driver a Nazi and the next it was all black. Well, why did you bother coming all the way up here?"

"An essential employee is injured. I need to know about it. You have insurance with GEH so don't worry about the bills. You didn't tell me yet how you feel."

Ana sighed. "If I don't move, I may live. Oh, that cool cloth feels so good. Thank you. How did you know to do that?"

"My mother is a doctor. I also do bandages and apply ointments," he grinned. Ana tried to laugh but it hurt to do so. It also hurt Grey to see her in pain. This surprised him. She was an employee. They had a business relationship. Certainly, he'd been upset at her living conditions. He couldn't afford to lose a good employee, especially one offering such a specialized skill. However, the doctor had said that she was going to be fine so why should he be so upset to see her in temporary pain?

Oh, yes, he recalled. He had a business dinner on Tuesday that he would have to attend alone. Ana seemed to read his mind.

"I'm sure that I'll be fine on Tuesday night…although I'll have to wear flats in case I'm dizzy still."

"No, Ana. Should anyone ask, I'll just tell them that you have a bad cold. I can tolerate one dinner without you. Maybe I can feign concern for you and leave early."

"Feign concern? Okay, now I'm fine with you going alone," Ana grimaced. "Did the paps catch on to who the patient is?"

"No, the doctor spoke to the crowd outside and told them that you wished to remain anonymous so none of your people would talk to them…even when they were offered money."

"What crowd?"

"Your crowd. The ones you led last night and kept from losing their homes. They walked all the way here, following the ambulance, and waited until they were assured of your recovery before they left. They're loyal to you."

Ana smiled. Then the medication took effect and Ana fell asleep. Grey watched her for a while and then kissed her head before he left the room. Now, why did I do that? He wondered. He'd been having feelings lately that he didn't recognize.

At least, he was reassured that Ana's neighbors were not a danger to her. He could stop scheming for ways to get her into a safer apartment.

CHAPTER 18

Ana's professors were understanding about her missing classes the following week when she explained that her case of the flu was lingering. Her doctor helped her with a note indicating that she was still contagious and still feeling quite weak. Even her professor who didn't allow absences was kind about her illness. When she returned to class with bruising still evident on her face, she explained that she'd tried to leave her apartment to attend classes and dizziness overtook her, causing her to fall down the stairs.

She marveled at her ability to lie so easily, especially as she'd never found much reason to lie before in her life. After she was released from the hospital, Mr. Grey saw to it that a nurse checked in on her every day and brought her healthy meals. He called every day as well to ask her how she was doing. She was grateful to have such a kind boss. It was only after he insisted on continuing this care when she felt that she was beyond it that she found his need to control her health a bit irritating. And then she felt ashamed for being irritated when he was only being kind.

Andrea sent her an itinerary for Grey's upcoming month and Ana found that the following week was devoted to a trip abroad. She was relieved to be free of work commitments for an entire week. A whole week to herself. Until then she had to attend a charity affair that he warned might include the presence of his parents. This, she was a mite wary of attending. It was important that she walk a fine line between being a good date and yet not encouraging his mother to expect more.

"My mother is going to probe and push. She wants me to marry and produce grandchildren. You'll need to find a balance between being friendly and discouraging her idea that you'd be a good choice for me."

"Well, how do I do that? What subjects should I discuss? How should I answer questions? You're not going to leave me alone with her, are you?" Grey's anxiety was contagious. He was clearly nervous. He promised her that he trusted her to handle things well.

Ana asked Caroline if she knew Dr. Grey and Caroline rolled her eyes. "Grace is pretty much convinced that her son is gay. Try to encourage that belief. Don't touch Christian. Don't talk about him or look at him unless he speaks. Keep telling yourself that he is gay. If Grace says anything about the two of you making a beautiful couple, raise your eyebrows and smile noncommittally." More lies.

Ana was still overwrought when Taylor pulled up to the venue. Grey wasn't doing much better. Yes, he'd told her, he had tried to get out of this event but his mother was not a woman who wanted to hear "no" from any of her children. She'd called him several times that week to remind him of his need to attend. Ana supposed that she ought to find it funny that the commanding Mr. Grey was such a mama's boy.

Caroline had done her wig up in an elegant French twist with a bejeweled comb attached. Aside from a bit of lip tint and a touch of mascara, Ana wore no makeup. Caroline chose a shimmering royal blue dress with high front and a low back. When Ana first got into the car, Grey approved. Then he saw the back and did not. It was too late to change the dress so Grey chose to sulk instead.

Ana tried to tease him. "Perhaps I could turn the dress around?" She laughed.

"It isn't funny. You're my date. Your back isn't for the rest of the world to drool over," he scowled.

Ana knew that there was no placating Grey so she sighed and watched the scenery go by. Then she thought of something to bring up his spirits.

"I was over to the village this morning. The residents were thrilled to show me all their new things…from large tents, kitchen utensils, camp stoves, so many things to make their lives easier.

A dentist has been by and he was greatly needed. A doctor held office hours and there was such a lineup that he promised to return tomorrow. A small camp store was established and bug spray was distributed. You really did a wonderful thing for these people, Christian. I am also curious about the posted signs declaring the woods to be private land. What did you do?"

"I discovered that the city owned the land and I made the supervisors sell it to me. In exchange, you aren't going to sue them."

"I'm not, eh? I didn't know that I had plans to do so. I guess I was pretty angry, eh?" she smiled.

Christian smiled a little. "A lot of people were. Now, quiet. I have to work."

Ana grinned. She couldn't stop herself from leaning over to gently kiss his cheek. "Yes, sir." Then she went back to watching out the window. Christian snuck a look at her lovely profile.

CHAPTER 19

The flashing bulbs were blinding as the beautiful couple stepped out of the car. Christian had to take Ana's hand and wrap his arm around her waist to help her into the venue. He felt protective of her. She was still experiencing periodic bouts of dizziness.

"I'm sorry to look so clumsy, Christian."

"Never mind. It will take some time for your head to heal completely. No more protests, okay?"

"One never knows. Something might come up."

"Then you call me and I'll handle it." Ana was of two minds about this. It was nice to know that someone was there for her and yet she didn't like being treated like the helpless little woman.

Once inside, Ana was able to hold her head high and glide along with her Adonis escort. Sometimes, when she stopped to pay attention, she was gobsmacked by this man. She'd not seen anyone like him. Ever. He was just heart-achingly handsome. People, male and female, stared at them as they walked in the room. She wondered if she'd ever come to take his looks for granted.

Meanwhile, Grey was quite disturbed by Ana's appearance. She glowed. She seemed like something out of a dream. Her skin, her smile, her slender curves that seemed to flow to the floor. He wished she didn't have to wear brown contacts. On the other hand, her azure blue eyes mesmerized him and he needed to maintain control so it was for the best. Meanwhile, the bare skin he was currently putting his hands on while he guided her through the room was sending electric shocks through him.

"Someone is waving frantically at us, Christian. An elegant older woman. Is that your mother?"

"I'm afraid so. Now, remember. Give her no reason for hope." Ana laughed. His pout was so cute. He stiffened his back at the sound of her laughter.

His mother was beautifully dressed and his father looked great in his tux. Yes, he had a set of great looking parents. His mother's salt and pepper hair shone under the lights and her face was lit up like the chandeliers. He was suddenly struck by how much he loved this woman, his savior. His father reached him first, shaking his hand and giving him a half hug. His admiration for his father knew no bounds. Carrick had taught him so much since he'd become his father 23 years earlier. Where would he be without these two people?

"Mom, Dad, this is my friend, Anabelle," he said, presenting her to them. His mother embraced Ana. Grey could see by the expression on Ana's face that this had an effect on her. Odd. It was only a hug. He'd have to ask about that later. His father took one of Ana's small hands in both of his and beamed at her. Okay. They loved her on sight. This could be a tough night.

His mother started right in on Ana while Grey was still pushing her chair in. He decided on early intervention.

"Mom, why don't we save the inquisition until I get us a couple of drinks. Ana?"

"An ice cold soda, please."

"Very well. I'll be right back." It was probably not wise to leave Ana but Grey needed a drink. Now. By the time he returned, his mother was pushing heavy on the throttle.

"A Ph.D! How impressive! Are you planning to teach?"

"No. I hope to get a foothold in publishing with an eye to one day owning my own company."

"My! That is ambitious. Do you think that with all the new technology, books will still be a flourishing industry in another decade?"

"Yes, I do. Reading will never go out of style. I dread to think what might become of our civilization if it did. Therefore, I want to do whatever I can to encourage the practice. I will, of course, encourage e-books as well. I'll have to stay on top of all the latest technology. I had a double major…English lit and business. Also, I'm getting a double masters in Literature and business finance. My doctorate will be a combination of lit and publishing."

"Wow. That sounds like a terrific amount of work."

Ana laughed…"Say the attorney and the doctor holding degrees in both ob/gyn and internal medicine."

Grey smiled. She was killing it.

Then the first bomb dropped.

CHAPTER 20

"How long have you and my son been dating, Anabelle?"

"Oh, you misunderstand. Christian and I aren't dating. We're just friendly acquaintances really. I know how your son hates to attend all these affairs alone so I volunteered to accompany him. I thought that I could do some networking as well. Get to know a few possible investors. So, this works for both of us."

Grace and Carrick exchanged quick glances. After 40 years together, they understood each other with the slightest look. Both of them saw how their son looked at Ana. His dispassionate expression wasn't fooling them. Gay, my aunt fanny, Grace thought.

"Ana, would you like to dance for a bit before dinner is served," Christian asked, though his tone was more a command than a request. He needed to seize control of the situation back from his mother.

Ana's lessons had paid off. She was quick learner. Her high heels no longer bothered her and she loved to waltz, although this was her first time with Christian. Her instructor had been careful in leading her through the dance. Christian was definitely in command as they flew about the floor. Ana simply loved this. She gripped his bicep as they gracefully floated on the air, lost in the moment and unaware of the stares. When the music stopped, they were both breathless and neither could hide their joy. The next number was a simple one-two step so Ana moved her hand to Christian's shoulder, careful to keep a safe distance from his chest.

"My!" Grace said. "You two dance as if you'd been doing it all your lives." She beamed at them.

"Well, Christian has," Ana reminded Grace. "He tells me that you required all of your children to learn. I've just recently been taking lessons. I love the waltz the most and Christian is very good at it."

"Those lessons really paid off for you as well," he complimented in return. Dinner had arrived and, as usual, Ana requested a box to take most of her meal home. She explained that that was when her appetite kicked in. She ate a tiny side salad and drank her soda.

"Ana, this champagne is truly delicious. Are you certain that you don't want to try it?" Carrick asked.

Ana decided to come clean. "I was raised by my father and all he ever drank was beer. He'd spent time in France while in the army and noticed how even children drank wine with meals. Therefore, he didn't see anything wrong with my drinking beer. I adored my daddy and wanted to be just like him so when he drank a beer so did I. In high school, I realized that I was drinking increasing amounts and it was beginning to interfere with my studies. I had to maintain a 4.0 so I quit cold-turkey. It was more difficult than I anticipated so since then I've avoided alcohol."

Carrick and Grace just stared at Ana. Had she gone too far? "So that's the deal with no champagne," Grey marveled. "That's very interesting." He smiled and clinked glasses with Ana.

After dinner, there were a couple of speeches about the charity and then people began to mingle.

"Okay, I have to walk around for a while and meet and greet. Ana?"

"Why can't Ana stay here and talk with us?" Grace whined.

"I'm sure that I'll be back at some point but I have to go with Christian now. It was so nice to meet you, Grace and Carrick."

Ana took Christian's arm and they strolled around the room, smiling and chatting with other guests. It didn't take long for them to be surrounded by businessmen who wanted to pick Grey's brain and their trophy wives to shove their husbands off to the side.

"Oh, Donald, Mr. Grey doesn't want to talk about widgits and gidgits. It is so nice to see you again, Mr. Grey. You're looking wonderful tonight"…and so it went. The women swarmed around Grey like bees gone mad. Ana hung on his arm and still the women acted as though she didn't exist. Attempting to insinuate herself into the conversation didn't work either since the women ignored her comments so she tried another angle. She picked up the conversation where the men had left off. She got them talking about business which Christian joined in on and the other women stood there…at a loss for what to say to get his attention.

Ana deftly maneuvered Christian around the room, entering and exiting conversations, leaving behind a trail of frustrated women. Eventually, they found themselves back at their table with Grey's parents awaiting them. Grey was relaxed and smiling. Ana excused herself to retreat to the ladies lounge. She wanted desperately to remove her shoes and massage her sore feet.

She sank unto the couch and breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that she couldn't stay long. Grey was still vulnerable. She might have to wiggle her way through a horde of swooning women if she didn't hurry back. Then she heard a somewhat familiar sound….creaking. She kept her head down and ignored the woman in black who plopped down next to her. The woman lit a cigarette and blew the smoke in Ana's direction. Ana turned toward the creaker and glared at her.

"Do that again and you'll be eating that ciggie, ma'am," Ana said in a saccharine tone. The woman looked taken aback.

"My, does Christian Grey know that the woman who's been hanging on him all night is extremely rude?"

"Yes," Ana replied simply as she rubbed her feet. She donned her heels again and washed her hands, tipping the attendant before she left the lounge.

CHAPTER 21

As she suspected, when Ana returned to Christian, there were women to the left of him, women to the right. There was a heavily jeweled hand on each of his shoulders and a woman sitting in her chair. Grey's parents didn't seem to notice how uncomfortable their son was feeling. Ana found that odd. Of course, what she was about to do would probably seem odder to them.

Ana gently took a woman by her shoulders and moved her out of her way. She then stood looking down at the woman in her chair. "If you don't mind," she smiled. The woman decided to ignore her so Ana lifted her by her arm and then took her seat. Grace's mouth was open as she watched Ana firmly claim her place. The women she'd displaced gaped at her. She smirked up at them and noted that their husbands and/or dates were probably looking for them. She then said a simple good night. The lot of them slowly drifted away, muttering as they left.

Ana brushed something off of Christian's shoulder as he gazed at her in gratitude.

"I was beginning to have trouble breathing. Do they bathe in perfume before they come here?" he asked.

"I suspect so," Ana smiled. Then she noticed Grace's look of disapproval. "What is it, Grace?"

"I shouldn't say," Grace replied stiffly. Ana smiled gently. "Is it that you think that I was a mite territorial concerning Christian?" she suggested.

"Well, you did say that you don't have a romantic interest in my son and yet you shooed away other women who might have been interested…ruining his chances to find someone else."

Christian was about to speak but Ana beat him to it. "Grace, in your hankering to see your son in a love relationship, you didn't notice that he was terribly uncomfortable being surrounded by predatory women. Not one of those females was of interest to Christian and all were already attached…mostly married."

Grace found herself with her mouth hanging open once again. She appreciated that Ana was protective of her son but still didn't know quite what to make of her.

Ana reached over and put her hand on Grace's. "It is lovely to see the mama bear in you come out." Grace blushed. "I'm sorry, son, if, as Ana says, you were not interested in any of those women. I should have spoken up for you."

"It's okay, Mom. I knew that Ana would be returning soon."

Just then, Ana saw something in the corner of her eye…an unwelcome guest coming straight for their table.

"Christian, do you think that you'll be ready to go soon? I have to get in a couple of hours of study tonight before I can sleep. Grace, Carrick, I do hope I see you again soon. I'd love to talk more with you. Good night."

She took Christian's arm and steered him around the table to kiss his mother's cheek and pat his father's shoulder, exiting to the cloak room just before the creaker arrived at his parents' table.

"I may have overstepped. That woman approaching the table. It's my understanding that you would rather not visit with her. If I'm mistaken, we can return."

Christian couldn't stop himself. He wrapped her cloak around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. "You were absolutely brilliant tonight. You were firm but kind with my intrusive parents. You endeared yourself to every boring businessman in the place. You successfully dodged the packs of grabby women demanding my attention and to cap off the evening, you saved me from the unwanted and overbearing attentions of my mother's best friend."

"The creaker is your mother's best friend? Holy shit! That does not compute."

Grey laughed. "She would have planted her lips on my cheek or my mouth if I didn't duck. She would have grabbed my hand and refused to let go and the talk…my god. And the whole time she was gabbing away, my parents would have sat there smiling, oblivious."

"She blew smoke directly into my face and I threatened to make her eat her cigarette."

Grey threw his head back and roared with laughter. Gosh, this woman was a find.

CHAPTER 22

As Taylor wound his way back to Ana's place, she dutifully gazed out of her window so that Grey could work on his phone. Grey, however, had changed his plans. He wanted to talk while Ana had made her peace with his wishes and was now deeply engrossed with thoughts about her school work.

She was a bit put out when he decided to chat her up. Now he wants to talk, she was thinking sourly. Still, she was on the clock so if he wanted to talk, she'd listen. He yattered on about his business rivals…and they were all rivals…which company he wanted to take over, how easily he'd acquire what he wanted. Honestly, as she listened, she wanted to smack his arrogance right off his gorgeous face.

"I made a lot of headway tonight with some of those men who normally would have considered me too young to worry about, too young to know what I was talking about, but you really came through for me chatting with them about how you learned this and that from me. They couldn't take their eyes off of you either because you were so beautiful."

"Thank you, Christian. I'm glad I was a help to you tonight. That feels better than just being arm candy. I like your parents, too."

"And that!" Christian clapped his hands together as he reared back. "The way you put my mother in her place. Whoa. And then charmed her socks off to cap off your scold. I can't wait to tell Mia and Elliot. We would never have dared talk back to her. And then you deflected Mrs. Lincoln. I mean, Ana, you just rocked!"

As Taylor pulled up to Ana's building, she was feeling pretty good. Now, if she could just knock out a couple of good hours of study before bed, her evening would be a resounding success. As Taylor opened his door to come around to open Ana's, Grey unbuckled his seatbelt. Ana had a queasy feeling that her evening had just taken a down turn.

Both men walked Ana to her door. Ana turned at the door to say goodnight but Taylor asked for her key.

"Hmm…okay," she murmured uncertainly. Grey took her arm, preventing her from following Taylor into her home.

"He has to do a sweep to be sure the place is safe," Grey explained.

"He's never done that before tonight," she frowned.

"You've become more well-known, Ana. We could have been trailed by paparazzi," Grey asserted petulantly. When Taylor indicated that they could enter, Grey locked the door behind them. Ana was mildly troubled. She was now locked into a very small space with two men she barely knew. Grey walked past her and over to her window. He tapped the glass and scowled.

"Taylor, get someone over here tomorrow afternoon to replace this window."

"Excuse me, Christian, what are you doing?" Ana demanded to know while trying to keep her tone agreeable.

"Anyone with a rock could easily break this glass, Ana. You need a break proof glass and possibly a new frame." Then he and Taylor stood examining the window, followed by checking out the rest of the tiny studio for safety flaws as if Ana weren't in the room. She tried to take back control.

"Never mind, boys. I'll speak to my landlord in the morning. I'm sure that he'll take care of it for me."

The boys smiled and said, "We've got this," and went back to ignoring her. She felt her blood boiling. Having assured themselves that they'd covered every possible safety flaw, they bid her good evening and let themselves out. If Ana had had any excess glassware, it would be in shards against the wall.

Where were her big protectors the last seven years of her life? How did she suddenly become incapable of making decisions on her own? She seethed. Too upset to even study, she laid on her bed and tried to calm herself. Well, at least, her room was now up to their standards of security.

She'd planned to remove her clothes in the bath while they were here so that she could have them take the dress back but now she would have to get up in the morning to answer the door to the messenger. Drat. She divested herself of everything and crawled under the covers. Suddenly, she was very tired…her energy sapped by dealing with men.

She'd no idea that Grey's control of her wellbeing was just beginning.

CHAPTER 23

Promptly at nine o'clock, there came the knock at her door. She hollered at the courier to wait a minute while she donned her blonde wig and gathered all her evening things into the garment bag. She did not check her peephole. Thus, when she opened the door, she had just a split second to cover herself with the garment bag before the flash bulbs started off. They'd found her. She slammed the door and stood with her back to the peephole, panting. She didn't think that they'd gotten more than a peek at her, probably not even her face…she hoped.

"Com' on, Miss Adams. Just a shot or two and we'll leave you alone," one of them yelled. She took out her phone and called Mr. Jacobs. Jakey answered the phone and said that either they picked the lock or they'd slipped in when someone left. He told Ana to take it easy…he'd be right up to shoo the pests away.

Pests. She wished that she could think of them that way. However, to her they were the all-powerful press that could ruin her life. If she continued to work for Mr. Grey, she foresaw a future of running and hiding. She had more than a semester to finish her MA and if she kept up her work load, she could finish her doctorate in a year. It was a long time to be ducking these people.

She heard a commotion in the hallway as Jakey ordered the men to leave. She got the impression that he was armed with a baseball bat.

"Ana, hand me that bag and when the courier turns up, I'll give it to him."

Ana breathed a sigh of relief. It would be nice not to worry about the courier trying to make a few bucks by taking her picture on his phone.

"Good morning, Andrea."

"And good morning to you, Ms. "Adams". Ana could hear Grey's PA grinning through the phone.

"How did you know it was me?" she asked.

"Oh, recognizing voices on the phone is one of my superpowers. Grey isn't in, you know. He's in the air at the moment."

"And this means that he can't call or text you a dozen time an hour," Ana smirked.

"That's right. It's my version of a vacation," Andrea laughed. "When Grey first hired me, he told me that I'd be on call 24/7. He was going to pay me a lot of money but I was still overwhelmed. My wonderful David went into Grey's office and had a friendly man-to-man with Grey and when they were done, Grey and David were all buddy-buddy. Grey agreed to dial it back. 'Course, he still leaves me texts at 1 a.m. to do something in the morning. It aggravates him that the world isn't awake 24 hours to respond to his needs."

"I thought he gets whatever he wants whenever he wants it," Ana said.

"Usually. Right now, he'd be plotting some way to get you out of that studio and away from Wanda. Beware."

"I've already told him that I won't move and if he puts a shiny new car out front, it will be gone or stripped to its frame by morning. I believe that he is flummoxed," Ana laughed along with Andrea.

"Oh, I am enjoying your employment here, Ana. Grey is in a marginally better mood than usual, especially after a night out. He was full of glee this morning as he described your handling of his parents, their friend, the women, etc. I should warn you that you'll be getting a bonus in with your regular check this week."

"Oh, for heaven's sake. I'm only doing what he hired me to do in the first place. He must have had low expectations."

"I'm sure that he did. He thought you'd be like all the others, just hugging his arm and blowing in his ear."

"Yikes. Maybe I'll blow in his ear next outing just to watch his face. I have to keep reminding him that I can't be made to do as he says all the time."

"Yeah, well, good luck with that. Control is his middle name. He never gives up. Why don't you tell me where you'd like to live and what sort of car you'd like to be driven around in and then, at least, when he takes over your life, you'll be getting the stuff you want."

"I want my hovel and my rusted old beetle."

"Sorry, dear. Those I can only get rid of for you. It's inevitable. Oh, here comes an array of texts. He must be refueling in New York. Have to go. I'll tell the courier to get your bag from the landlord, okay? Go back to bed."

Ana wondered how Andrea knew about this morning. Oh, yeah. Spies. Grey hated and feared her neighborhood. He probably had her surrounded with burly bodyguards. Not very good ones, she figured, after what greeted her this morning.

CHAPTER 24

He should have demanded that Ana skip classes this week and come with him. She would have made his evenings bearable. Now he would have to spend all day in meetings and then spend his evenings in the company of the same boring people. He wouldn't even have time in his playroom to cheer him. Given a choice between the playroom and dinner with Ana, he would have chosen the latter. Ana would be amusing and charming. Ros was the only other woman who could keep up with him.

While Grey was sulking in his luxurious jet, nursing a bourbon, Ana was leaving her apartment to go to study at the library. Paparazzi were still lurking outside but they paid little mind to the scruffy brunette wearing glasses who was heading for a broken down beetle. She was almost home free when someone knocked on her window. It didn't roll down anymore so she had to open her door.

"What do you want?" she grumbled at the guy with the camera.

"Excuse me, ma'am. Do you happen to know Anabelle Adams?" he asked hopefully.

"Anabelle Adams….the woman who's dating the billionaire? How the hell would I know her?"

"Well, she lives in this building. Thought you might have run into her sometime."

Ana's eyes bugged out. "You think that a billionaire's girlfriend lives in this dump? Are you crazy?" She began laughing in derision.

"Well, we followed him dropping her off here last night." Ana threw her head back and howled.

"You guys aren't very bright, are you? You actually believe that Grey would allow you to follow him? Did it never occur to you that he had decoys? This is fuckin' unbelievable. Grey leads you straight to his girl's home…as if his bodyguards would even drive into a neighborhood like this," she shook her head in disbelief.

"I'm late for work but, hey, stick around," she sneered. "George Clooney ought to be back soon."

The pap looked sheepish. He walked back to his buddies/competitors and after talking to them, they all looked sheepish. They felt really foolish. Ana, driving away, snickered all the way down the road.

Her new phone beeped at her but she ignored it. She was driving and the phone was still too complex to answer while doing anything else. She pulled up in front of the library and pushed her heavy black-rimmed glasses up her nose. She'd gotten used to the pressure on her nose but she still didn't like the way she looked. A couple of professors had inquired about her sudden need for glasses but she just faked a pout and gave them a story about her eyes being too dry to continue wearing contacts.

After turning off the engine, she took out the phone to find a text from Taylor.

Mr. Grey would like to know how you are doing.

So why doesn't Mr. Grey ask me himself?

He's just gone into a meeting.

I'm doing fine. Paps were crowded round this morning.

Did they bother you?

They asked if I knew Anabelle and I laughed at their

stupidity to think that Grey's security would allow them

to follow him and would allow his girlfriend to live in a slum.

He's right. You are smarter than the average bear.

Tell him that I'm fine. At the library. Have to hurry to

reserve a computer. Take care, Taylor.

Back at ya.

CHAPTER 25

When Ana arrived home around 6 p.m., the paps were gone. However, her door was open and from inside she could hear grunts. She snuck a look around the corner and saw the blond giant wrestling with her window.

"Ahem." She startled Elliot so much that he almost fell backward. He caught himself on the foot of the bed.

"Oh, hi, Ana. You were expecting me, right?"

"These days I'm expecting anyone. You seem to be struggling with that window."

"This building may be old but it was built strong to begin with. This frame is really stuck in here. I should have brought one of the guys with me."

Ana pulled out her phone and studied it for a bit. She finally figured out how to bring up her contacts.

"Hi, Jake. Are you busy right now? There's a guy replacing my window and he could use some more muscle. No, no. Don't make your grandfather climb the stairs. Take your time. This guy looks like he could use a small rest. See you when I see you."

"Would you like a soda or water?"

"Yeah, soda. Thanks." Ana handed him a cola. He stared at it. "Never heard of this brand."

"I keep a couple on hand in case Jake comes by. He gets kind of lonely sometimes. I'm the person closest to his age in this building."

"How old is he?" Elliot asked as he gulped down the cold beverage.

"Just turned 17. Thanks to my new salary, I was able to buy him a cake and a present. Like everyone else in the neighborhood, he and his grandfather are poor. Ever since his gram had to be put in memory care, his grandfather has deteriorated some. Jakey was afraid that he'd come home to a corpse one day so he dropped out of school. He's a smart kid, though. Within a month, he had his GED. Now, he stays home and helps Mr. Jacobs around the building."

"Gee, that's sad. Doesn't he have any other family?"

"Nope. All gone. You've seen Mr. Jacobs. I fear that he won't last much longer and then Jakey will be completely alone."

"No friends?"

"Friends don't want to hang around an old man. I told your brother that I couldn't leave my people and this is what I meant."

She put her finger to her lips when she heard Jake's heavy footsteps coming up the stairs.

"Hi, Jake. I'm Elliot. I really appreciate you coming up to help. This thing is stuck but good. I can't pull it out on my own."

Jake was a good sized young man but even he was in awe of Elliot, all 6' 3'' and 260 muscled lbs. of him. He just nodded and then started right in. Ten minutes later the window was out…and the room was freezing.

"Your stubborn brother just had to get this done as the temperature dropped," Ana shook her head.

"You know, I know that these are old windows but with a quilt thrown over them, the cold doesn't come through," Jake remarked.

"It wasn't the cold, Jake," Elliot said. "My brother has a thing about safety. He was afraid that someone could easily break the glass and then Ana's neck."

"Oh, yeah. I guess that makes sense. 'Course if Ana screamed, half the homeless would be climbing that fire escape," Jake grinned. "You know, all those folks are forming a government out there and thinking of naming the place, Anaville."

"What!"

"Yeah. Oh, and they don't think of themselves as homeless anymore since the land's gone private and the police can't harass them. Pretty happy bunch over in Anaville."

CHAPTER 26

After the window was in, Jake excused himself. He didn't want to leave his grandfather alone for too long.

Elliot went back to his cola and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I feel for that kid. Say, listen, keep me informed about him, would you? When his grandfather passes, I could give him a job with my company."

"Does Christian own the company?"

"No, I'm sole owner of Grey Design and Construction. My brother did give me the start-up money, though. I was able to pay him back within a year."

"Impressive. You must be in demand."

Elliot grinned. He had a knock-out smile. It was different from Christian's but almost as dazzling. When Ana commented on their lack of resemblance, Elliot explained that he and his sibling had been adopted.

"I was six and I'd been in and out of foster care. It wasn't bad. I'm a pretty laid-back guy and I've always been kind of an intimidating size so no one picked on me. Christian, on the other hand, was four when he was brought home. He was the scrawniest thing I'd ever seen. My parents couldn't convince me that he was four. I kept telling them that they'd been scammed…that he was two, at most. It didn't help that he didn't talk."

"Why didn't he talk?"

"It was something psychological. He was physically okay. It was two years before he said a word and that word was the name of our little sister, Mia. He said her name, Mom started crying and I told him that he was in for it now. He was scared but this baby was in his arms so he just sat still. He might have been protective of his mother, too, but I didn't know her and he doesn't talk about her…ever. He was very protective of Mia, however, and still is. So, you see. You aren't the only one he worries about."

"I guess I should be flattered then. Actually, his "protectiveness" drives me a little nuts. I mean, I've been on my own since I was Jake's age so I kind of resent being treated like a fragile little lady."

"Well, you are kind of small and you live in a rough area. Where are you from…you know, before now?"

"I was brought up by my stepfather, Ray, in a little dot on the map called Montesano…couple of hours from here. We had a cabin on the edge of the woods and the water. It was a great place to grow up. We had only each other. My mother disappeared when I was six. I guess I identify with Jake. Daddy died shortly after I graduated from high school when I was 17 but I've been fine on my own. I think I'm just a loner."

"What do you think of this gig you have now…you know, squiring my brother around?" Elliot chuckled.

"It's the easiest job I've ever had and the pay is great. Your brother thinks I should get a better place to live but I'm used to living frugally. I still have to pay for school through May when I'll get my Masters and if this job holds, I'll be able to save enough to pay for my doctorate. So, it's kind of a dream come true. Did he tell you what I was doing before this?" Ana grinned.

"Uh, uh. My brother is rarely forthcoming about anything in his private life."

"I was originally hired to clean the ladies' lavatory trailer," she laughed. Elliot almost spit up his cola.

"Well, I guess this is a step-up, then."

"The pay is certainly better but there's more pressure…most of it on my toes. I've never worn high heels. The first event my feet were torn and bleeding but then I had a week off to recover from surgery so that was a lucky break."

"Surgery? Wait, that woman who got whacked was you!?" Elliot gaped. "You have weird ideas about what constitutes a 'lucky break'."

"Well, I didn't die, did I? Although, I did have a headache for two solid weeks. It was hard to concentrate in class and I have to keep up a 4.0 to keep my scholarship and get another one for my Ph.d."

"Speaking of work, I have to be up early. That's the construction game, you know."

"Thanks a lot, Elliot. Hope I get to see you again sometime. I enjoyed talking with you."

CHAPTER 27

The meetings were long and dull. It was a given that Grey would get his way but the potential acquisitions and mergers were owned, of course, by proud older men who would not capitulate to this pip-squeak, who somehow outshone them all, without making him work for it.

"Mr. Grey, what makes you think that I should just hand over my company…the company I've spent my life building?" The balding man with the pale, fleshy face didn't attempt to conceal his contempt for the handsome youngster across the table…the young man looking bored and playing with his phone. Grey put his phone down and rose to his feet.

"First of all, Mr. Mason…you are well beyond 70 years of age and in obvious ill health. It requires no stretch of the imagination that you'd like to cash out and try to enjoy the few years you have left. Secondly, I've not only offered you a more than fair price for your company, I'm the only person who has shown any interest at all. Thirdly, your company is in the red and will have to go into receivership with a month.

"I am, Mr. Mason, your only way out and, much as it galls you, you would be committing financial suicide to refuse my offer which, by the way, will be rescinded if you do not sign all necessary paperwork before I walk out that door. I've allowed this farce to continue long enough. I'm getting on my jet tonight to reach my next destination.

"You have the time it takes me to get to the loo and back to sign the contracts." Grey turned gracefully on the heels of his $3000 Italian loafers and left the room. Mason lowered his head and his entourage tried to appear unembarrassed for him. They watched as he reached for the papers, pen in hand.

Grey sat in the men's lounge and texted his brother.

Did you get the window in at Ana's?

I removed the old window and hung a blanket over the hole in the wall.

?!

Geez, bro, relax. All is well. Had a talk with your girl. She's nice.

She isn't my "girl" and don't be having talks with her.

Don't worry. Had to work early so couldn't stay the night LOL.

Grey rang off. No one could get to him like Elliot. Taylor popped his head in the door and announced that the papers had been signed. All that was needed now was his signature. The jet was ready to go.

Grey returned to the conference room and signed before tucking the contracts into his briefcase and handing it off to Taylor. He nodded slightly and bid the former owner of the company that was now his, a cold goodbye. As he walked away, he pretended that he didn't hear himself being called a "rotten bastard".

It was only Tuesday evening and he had three more destinations and three more sham negotiations to conduct before he could fly home. On Saturday night he had a charity event to attend. Ordinarily, the thought of enduring yet another such affair would send him straight for the Jim Beam but now he was happily anticipating spending time with his fake girlfriend.

As he envisioned Ana elegantly dressed, her hair up, revealing her neck or her hair flowing down over her pert breasts, her soft brown eyes smiling at him, he felt his blood rushing to his cock. Down boy, he told himself. She is a fake girlfriend and you don't cheat on your subs. With luck, you'll be home by Friday at 8 p.m. and enjoying yourself in your playroom with Delilah.

It occurred to him that perhaps he ought to explain to Delilah that Ana was an employee, not a sub. Ordinarily, a Dom need not explain himself to his sub but in this case, Delilah was certain to see photos of him and Ana in the tabloids and make the wrong and hurtful assumption. Yes, he would make an exception and clear the air with Delilah.

CHAPTER 28

Ana didn't have a class until 2 p.m. so she was luxuriating in her cozy room, sleeping in without an alarm to wake her. This was a rare time for her…until she lurched forward, her heart beating fast. Her mother was pounding on her door. She wanted her daughter to get up and make her breakfast. In an instant, Ana realized that it hadn't been real. She cussed that the memory of her mother had invaded her free time. She tried but she couldn't go back to sleep. So, she lay there, breathing deeply in and out to calm the anxious feelings.

It was 8 a.m. She reached over to her nightstand and retrieved Grey's itinerary. Maybe she'd get up and go see Caroline Acton about her clothes for the charity event on Saturday. This one was for Greenpeace. As she ran her eyes down the page, she marveled at how many charities her boss supported. It was a wonder that he had any money left to pay for his castle in the sky. She also wondered if she'd ever get the chance to get a gander at it. How does a multi-billionaire live?

She imagined gold-plated faucets, rooms the size of houses, Picassos and Monets hanging everywhere, marble floors, maids, butlers, a chef. She bet he had a library filled with first editions that he never read, thinking of them only as investments. Probably a fireplace in every room. Musing, she realized that she didn't want any of that. Not even the first editions nor a library of any kind. It was wasteful to own things that one could get for free. Besides, she liked to hang out in the campus library. Poor Grey. He went to work, to business dinners and to charity galas. What a dull life. He never had the time nor inclination to lose himself in a good book. Perhaps he'd like Thurber. The old grump could use a good laugh.

.+.

By the time Grey boarded Grey II for the final flight, he'd spent days working up to a pounding headache. His head hurt too badly to drink so he tossed back a few Advil and tried to nap in the back of the cabin. He managed a few hours over the Atlantic but when his dreams woke him, he was stuck staring at the ceiling, listening to the engines roar. It occurred to him that he ought to keep an electronic piano on board. Why, he wondered, had he never before considered doing so?

During the fueling stop in New York, he thought to amuse himself by annoying Ms. Steele. They had that gala to attend Saturday night. He could rile her up by suggesting that she'd forgotten and was unprepared.

Ms. Steele, I'm assuming that you've forgotten about tomorrow night?

He waited and waited. Why wasn't she answering? Hadn't she figured out yet how to use the IPhone he'd gotten for her? As the minutes passed, he was the one becoming annoyed.

Hello, Mr. Grey, of course not. I usually expect there to be a tomorrow night.

What the devil?

Ms. Steele, I'm reminding you of the Greenpeace Gala!

Oh, you wished me to attend with you?

Had she lost a chunk of cortex in the past week? he wondered.

If you don't mind terribly, Ms. Steele…yes, I will expect you to accompany me.

Gotcha, boss. See you out front at 8 .

Lord, she was flake. Lives in that dump, drives a wreck, befriends people who live in tents. How ever did she maintain a 4 pt. GPA? At least, she was cheerful. He'd better remind Andrea to get Ana over to Ms. Acton's for wardrobe.

Andrea, see to it that Ms. Steele is properly attired for the Greenpeace Gala, would you? She's forgotten all about it.

Ana took care of all that earlier in the week, Mr. Grey.

Grey fell back on the bed, not even bothering to buckle in as the jet ascended into the New York sky. He was not amused. Ms. Steele would require a stern lecture about showing respect for her employer.

Suddenly, he realized that his headache was gone.

CHAPTER 29

Grey made it back to Escala by 7 p.m. giving him time to shower and don his playroom jeans. After brushing his teeth, he stood back to check himself out in the mirror. He was tired. Did he look as tired as he felt, he wondered. For the first time ever, he also puzzled over why he wore those tattered jeans into the playroom. He would soon be naked, after all and his subs weren't allowed to look at him anyway.

As he descended the stairs, the elevator pinged and Delilah strutted out of the car. She was expensively dressed, wearing a sour expression and all the jewelry he'd gifted her over the weeks of their contract. She was carrying a paper of some kind. She slapped it down on the foyer table, lowered her eyes, muttered good evening and began to mount the stairs.

Grey picked up the paper, sighed and requested that Delilah accompany him into his study. She obeyed, of course…standing mute as she studied the floor. As she waited, Grey looked at the paper. The Seattle Nooz, the most reputable rag in all of Seattle tabloid-land, had devoted the entirety of its front page to the story of Christian Grey's new girlfriend, complete with photos of the lovely Ms. Anabelle Adams. There had been a brief article and a photo on the society page of The Seattle Times, an actual newspaper, the previous week but Grey doubted that despite Delilah affecting the appearance of a lady that she actually read real news.

"Were you not going to question me about this article, Delilah?"

"It is not the sub's right to question her Dom, Sir."

"So, you decided on the passive-aggressive route instead?

"The what, Sir?"

"Did you not think to ask my permission to question me?"

"Mrs. Lincoln advised that saying anything would be grounds for dismissal, Sir." Delilah's voice had a slight quaver to it.

"Did she now? Does Mrs. Lincoln give you a lot of advice, Delilah?"

"Well, yes, Sir. Before we come to interview for you, she advises all of us and also tells us to come to her throughout our service to you if we have any questions. When girls are dismissed, she has us come to her for counseling to help us deal with our…hmmm…disappointment."

Had Delilah permission to raise her eyes, she would have seen Grey's blazing eyes burning a hole into the wall opposite his desk.

"Delilah, I was intending to speak with you this evening about Ms. Adam's role in my life before you got the wrong idea. She is not my girlfriend nor is she a sub. She is an employee who is paid to escort me to the many boring affairs that I must attend as part of my work and my charitable causes. I do not wish to be bothered by women expressing an interest in me and having a fake girlfriend on my arm is useful. I am monogamous in my contracts with submissives. If you check your copy, you'll see that this fact is recorded there."

He could see Delilah visibly relax and yet he was not pleased. That she cared that he might have another possible partner made it clear to him that she cared for him and was averse to competition.

"Answer me honestly, Delilah. I am your Dom and you cannot lie to me. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Are you hopeful that our contract will be extended and that perhaps in time, I will collar you?"

Delilah shuffled her feet, obviously reluctant to admit to her feelings. "I believe that I have been an exemplary submissive, Sir, and, yes, I'd hoped to continue in your service for some time to come."

"Delilah, you do remember that you signed a non-disclosure agreement prior to agreeing to our contract, do you not?"

Tears began to drop from her eyes. She knew what was coming. Developing feelings for one's Dom was at the top of Grey's hard limits and grounds for immediate dismissal. To ignore Delilah's romantic urges toward him would be to lead her on…highly unfair to her.

"Having signed that NDA, you realize that you would be in serious trouble if you were to discuss anything to do with our partnership, including tonight's discussion. Do you understand? You will not speak to other subs. You will not speak with Mrs. Lincoln no matter how much she advises you to do so. Should I find out that you have violated your NDA, everything gifted to you by me…car, apartment, insurance, clothes, jewelry, money…everything will be lost to you. In addition, any chance of you finding a new Dom in the area would be also lost. Tell me that you completely understand. Do you have any questions?"

"No, Sir," she began to cry. "Delilah, should Mrs. Lincoln contact you at any time and try to pressure you in any way, including with so-called helpful inducements to speak with her, hang up. Call Taylor immediately." He patted her shoulder and turned her around to face Taylor.

"Thank you and goodbye, Delilah." Taylor walked her to the elevator. She was being stronger than many of his other subs had been.

"Taylor, a word." Grey returned to his chair and sat, his fingers steepled in front of his sensuous lips. In a flash, he slammed his fist down onto his desk top. A word with Taylor and then several words with Mrs. Lincoln.

CHAPTER 30

After instructing Taylor to locate each of his former subs and speak with them about their NDAs, Grey was too tired to ream Mrs. Lincoln a new one. Besides, she'd enjoy it too much. She could no longer be trusted to provide him with subs. He also now recognized that her manipulation of his BDSM practice had been ongoing since she first mentored his transition into dominance. No matter what he said to her now, she would defend herself in the name of devoting herself to his happiness.

All he wanted to do was sleep but sleep eluded him. It was only 9 p.m. He wondered what Ana was up to on a Friday night. Standing over a barrel fire with the homeless next door? Maybe roasting marshmallows? He chuckled at the absurdity.

Latner…is Ms. Steele in for the night?

No, sir. She's leading a sing-a-long…hootenanny?... in Anaville.

WHAT!?

Yes, sir. She's pretty good on guitar. I think half the neighborhood is here.

What do you mean by "here"? Where are you?

Close at hand, sir. Keeping an eye out. I'm also on bongos.

"TAYLOR! Get the car!"

When Grey arrived, there was, indeed, a party going on. Dozens of people were gathered around a campfire…some dancing…everyone singing. Ana was sitting on an upturned garbage can, strumming a guitar. Someone was playing a harmonica, Latner was using a couple of upturned plastic buckets as bongos and everyone was singing. Taylor recognized a couple of the new coverts he'd enlisted since Ms. Steele became Ms. Adams. To top it all off, a few of Seattle's finest were standing off to one side, clapping along.

Grey stomped over to the officers. "What the hell is going on here?" They looked at him as if he

were a bit slow.

"It's just a bit of Friday night fun, mister. Don't worry, we'll shut it all down at 10 p.m. Until then, it's legal." Neither cop recognized Grey.

"Haven't any of the neighbors complained about the noise?"

"What noise? It's music. Besides, most of Anaville's neighbors have joined the party. It sure is nice to see a lot of these old folks getting' out and having a good time. Don't worry. At 10, Ana'll be sure to see that they all make it back safely to their homes."

She was on a first name basis with the cops?!

Grey turned around to see Taylor tapping his foot. Taylor…the least fun man on the planet. Grey wandered over to Ana's building to sit on the steps next to an old man with a big grin on his face.

Grey looked like he fit right in with his worn out jeans, his wrinkled tee-shirt and his $3000 Italian loafers. From his perch, he could see and hear Ana smiling and singing as she played her guitar…old songs he hadn't heard since he was a small boy when Elliot was learning to play guitar.

At one point, it was just Ana and one old man singing 'Blowin' in the Wind' while everyone linked arms and swayed. The nights were getting cold now and Grey actually found himself concerned about the residents of Anaville. Those tents wouldn't keep them warm and kerosene heaters were dangerous. He'd have to see about running electrical lines out here and making certain that everyone had safe heaters. Would that be enough? The January temps could get down into the mid-30s. Maybe Elliot would have an idea.

Grey and Taylor got back in the car and quietly left the neighbors to bid each other good night. Ana would never know he'd even been there.

CHAPTER 31

But she did know…and she wondered.

"Latner, you were great on the bongos. Maybe you could get a couple of sticks and try drums next time."

Latner blushed. He didn't want to confess but he had a bit of a crush on the young lady who'd loaned him the buckets. Since he'd been doing covert for Ana, he'd gotten to know the people of Anaville. They didn't mind him and his colleagues wandering about in their black suits and ties. On the contrary, it made them feel safer. Life in Anaville was certainly nothing like living in a penthouse on the 20th floor of Escala but it was the closest to normal that these people had come for a long time. Their living quarters had improved, the law didn't hassle them anymore, they had medical care. They didn't know precisely how these things happened to them but they knew that it had something to do with Ana.

One day Elliot and his construction crew arrived and, after asking permission, they helped the residents clear an area in the middle of camp. This displaced some homes but they were quickly relocated. The middle of camp had been a prime location, safety in the middle and surrounded by their neighbors, a buffer zone. However, they were protected now, somehow, and so willingly gave up their space. Elliot built a nice building housing toilets and showers along with outside spigots. He ran plumbing lines up to the street and someone came by to leave toilet tissue in a cabinet. The residents were left to be responsible for keeping this outhouse clean. It was a precious place for them and they protected it from the less responsible and less sane among them.

Consequently, the camp was cleaner, smelled better. The people living in Anaville became neighbors. They formed a council to lead them. They held meetings to discuss issues. Many, who were physically and mentally able, even found jobs because they had addresses now. People looked after each other.

It was by no means paradise and those who found jobs and could afford it, moved out…trying to rebuild their lives in society. Compared to the despair that dogged them for so long, Anaville was peace.

"Hey, Latner, why don't you ask that girl for a date? She's just like any other girl except that she's fallen on hard times as so many have."

"Aw, Ms. Steele, I don't think that the boss would like that. It would be crossing a line. I'm supposed to be protecting you from any and all threats in a dicey neighborhood and that includes Anaville…even though any of these people would protect you, ironically."

"She's a pretty girl and very sweet. I like her and I believe that she's crushing on you as well."

"Really? You think? I suppose it wouldn't hurt to just talk to her some." He smiled and walked off.

Ana returned to her apartment and several hours of study. She resolved to speak with Mr. Grey about Latner's love life. Life wasn't perfect on her street. It was sort of guns and gardenias. There were still thugs lurking around, trying to see what they could get…but the coverts were good at their jobs. Ana had also come to appreciate her steel door and her smash proof window. Twice now she'd awakened in the middle of the night to see a dark shadow at her window, trying to see inside. To know that they couldn't break in was a relief. Maybe they were simply curious. Maybe they were part of the small contingent of mentally unstable who wandered the alley at night, looking into dumpsters. Whatever they were, she was safe from them.

She had been working on her thesis for hours and was now exhausted. Less partying, she told herself. She had to be sharp for tomorrow's gala. She'd read up on Greenpeace at the library and felt comfortable in participating if Grey wished. He'd been very pleased at the last gathering when Ana joined in the conversation. She suspected that Grey found conversing difficult unless he was involved in negotiations. She even felt badly for him. Despite his devastating good looks and remarkable intellect, he was a social moron and just chum in the high society shark tanks swimming with predatory women. He didn't know what to do with them. It was rumored that he was gay or even asexual but he oozed testosterone. Of course, she'd known boys in undergrad who seemed quite masculine although they dated other men. She guessed she didn't know enough about gay people. She didn't even know much about straight people. She was a social moron, too.

Enough about her boss. She had to sleep. She hoped that her mother would stay away tonight. Lately, for reasons Ana didn't understand, the woman had been at her door every night. The moment she awoke and understood that she was only dreaming, her anxiety decreased but still it was annoying to be bothered by Carla. She didn't feel that she'd ever really known her mother. She was just a mean lady who lived with her and Daddy and made them miserable. Ana's earliest memories of her were of being ordered to clean. Not many 3 year olds knew how to keep house but Ana did. She could also cook simple dishes…scrambled eggs, toast. Carla ate her meals at the Casino. Her Daddy made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. She smiled at the memory.

CHAPTER 32

Ana had looked lovely in the firelight and her voice was strong and sweet as she sang with that old man. Still she was out in the woods next door when she would have been safer in her apartment. That she was surrounded by friends and coverts and even cops did not ease Grey's concerns for her safety. Perhaps he could include her staying in after dark as part of their contract. She'd have something to say about that for sure, he chuckled to himself.

He leaned back in the plush seating of his Mercedes SUV. So comfortable. What was he going to do about that tin can held together by duct tape that Ana had given a name?

"Taylor? That rust bucket of Ana's is still bothering me."

"Sir, instead of trying to come up with a way to force Ms. Steele into a safer vehicle, why don't you simply offer to rehab her old Beetle. She probably needs air bags, seat belts, a steel-girded frame and a new engine. Park a new car in front of her building and it won't last the night."

"Okay, I'll present that scenario to her tomorrow night. It isn't ideal but it's better. I wish she were easier to control."

"Yeah. She isn't like a sub." Taylor smiled inwardly. Steele was a new kind of challenge to Grey and Taylor was enjoying watching Grey struggle with this challenge.

Grey grimaced. He would have to visit a couple of clubs to find a new sub. He would not call Mrs. Lincoln.

He thought when he went to bed that he'd finally sleep for a while but instead he found his thoughts dwelling on Ms. Steele. This confused him. Certainly, she was a pretty girl. She was a beautiful young woman, actually but so was Delilah. He'd always divided women into two uses…competent, like Ros and Andrea…and practical, like his subs. Ana didn't quite fit either mode. Not being certain of her place, he found it difficult to deal with her. It could be said that she was both competent and practical but she was more than those. She was a conundrum. He didn't like conundrums. Perhaps he just needed to spend more time with her. That was it…a little more time and he'd understand.

She actually made for an interesting puzzle. There was something else, however…something that he'd been pushing to the back of his mind. It was too difficult to deal with and he was too busy to explore its implications. Also, if he were honest with himself, he was uncomfortable with these musings. They had no place in his life…no room.

He had full days…GEH, runs, workouts, playroom time, more GEH and a middling amount of sleep time. Somewhere in there he tried to squeeze an hour a week with his shrink, John Flynn. He only had time for the piano because his nightmares would wake him. And he liked his schedule. He liked keeping busy. It left him no time to contemplate ideas that disturbed him. When he felt a rush of anxiety, he dove into his work.

Lately, tho', notions that he had no business thinking about had been forcing themselves into the forefront of his consciousness. He could do nothing about these notions. They were verboten yet persistent. They made him angry and quite uncomfortable. He fought them and kept losing.

Thoughts about Ana.

CHAPTER 33

"Taylor, go collect Ms. Steele and bring her back here. We'll leave from here for the gala."

Taylor nodded and turned for the elevator. Grey's excuse for this change in plans was that he needed to keep working on a new acquisition but Taylor knew that Grey was trying to avoid feelings of protectiveness on seeing Ms. Steele's building. If Grey could block her frightening circumstances from his vision, he could avoid one more reason to care about her.

As soon as Taylor left, Grey sat down in his study and poured over Ros's evaluation of the new acquisition. Immediately, he could see that this one would be a fight, possibly a hostile take-over. The company wasn't in bad shape…could certainly be better…but not enough to welcome GEH. Much of the outfit was unnecessary to GEH's projected needs but it did own a failing shipyard and GEH could really use that. Maybe a merger would make more sense.

GEH was ostensibly a mergers and acquisitions organization but Grey's preference always was to buy outright. He didn't like to be forced to cooperate with others. He wrote up a proposal to purchase only the shipyard. It wouldn't be easy but that just wetted his appetite for the battle.

Just as he finished, the elevator pinged. He stood, straightened his bowtie and his shoulders, walking out to greet Ms. Steele. She stood with her side to him, her lush locks flowing down her back, her perfect body… stop it, Grey. Just stop it.

Taylor's jacket was around her shoulders and, for some reason, this bothered Grey. Taylor noted the blaze in his boss's eyes and removed his jacket from Ms. Steele. She didn't notice as she gazed around. Grey was pleased that he could dazzle her so.

She turned to look at him. She hid her feelings well. A lifetime of practice helped because Christian Grey was a god.

"Your tie is crooked." She strode over to him and reached up to straighten it. Then she turned back to look at the room.

"You could fit all of Anaville in here. Say, are you responsible for all those electricians who showed up this morning? They're setting up posts with outlets at each campsite. They said that a truck would arrive tomorrow with heaters. That is you, isn't it?"

She turned to beam at him. He was relieved that he'd chosen to wear tight briefs tonight. Without consciously acknowledging it, he'd known that he would have to disguise a ragger at some point.

"The nights are getting cold. I don't know what those campers are using for heat but if it's oil or kerosene, there could be fires and Anaville is too close to your building. Electric heaters will be safer. It's only pragmatic," he replied stiffly.

"Uh huh. Good thinking, Mr. Grey. I'm enough bother. You'd hate to have to find a new escort," she answered solemnly, nodding in agreement.

"Well, I'd love a tour but we'll be late. Where is your powder room? I have to don my wig."

Returning, fully blonded, she gave the order. "Let's get to work, shall we?" She turned for the elevator where Taylor was holding the door.

"Wait, you need a wrap," Grey said as he removed his jacket and settled it around her slender shoulders. Taylor stifled a snicker. Grey made a mental note to have Caroline Acton provide coats for Ana. Reading his mind, Ana warned against anything fur.

There was no other conversation as the elevator descended to the garage. Grey walked well behind Ana as she seemed to float to the car. Maybe he didn't want a coat to cover…Enough, Grey!

As they pulled out of the garage, Grey started talking. He didn't know why.

"I've been supporting Greenpeace for several years now," he began.

"Yes, I did some reading at the library," Ana said. "You contributed to their cause before it was fashionable for conservatives to do so. Quite admirable."

"Why did you go all the way to the library? Everything is on the internet. And what makes you think that I'm conservative?"

"I don't have a computer…or internet at my apartment if I did. And I suppose I assumed that you're conservative because you vote Republican."

"How have you managed all these years of schooling without a computer and what makes you think that I vote Republican?"

"There are computers at the library and you supported our Republican mayor in the last election."

CHAPTER 34

Grey was quiet for the rest of the trip. He had supported the Republican candidate for mayor in the last election but not because he was conservative. He just didn't want to admit to Ana that he needed to own the mayor for his own purposes. He could just imagine what she'd have to say about that.

"How was your business trip, Christian?" Ana inquired softly, breaking through his silence.

"My trip? Oh, the same as most. Boring, aggravating, successful. I always get what I want but I have to put up with traveling and idiots to get there," he grumbled.

Ana ignored his whining. "Oh, to be able to go anywhere, see everything."

"I don't see much besides hotels and conference rooms. I don't really have the time to get off track."

Ana seemed to consider this for a moment before she remarked that being rich and one's own boss didn't seem to be advantageous. Then she was silent. It was some time before he spoke again.

"So many obligations, you see. Always more duties await."

"Seems like you are able to surround yourself with creature comforts but little time to enjoy them."

She said this without judgement or pity. Perhaps some sadness. He thought of her singing last night, happy with her friends, although she was so poor. He'd worked so hard to never be poor like that cold and starving child he'd been before the Greys adopted him. How much would he have to have before he felt safe?

He slyly glanced at Ana's profile. She was so lovely, whether sitting around a campfire or dressed to the nines. Still, there was something more than he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Sensing his attention, Ana turned to him and smiled inwardly as his eyes snapped forward.

"Do I look all right tonight, Christian? I wasn't sure about this dress but Caroline Action assured me that it suited the occasion. Feels a bit too much for a charitable event but she said that you'd be wearing Tom Ford so I'd be fine."

Grey looked at her, rather perplexed. Dressing down for any of the many charity dinners and galas that he attended had never occurred to him. That wearing nearly $10,000 worth of clothing to affairs benefitting organizations desperate for money had never struck him as contradictory or hypocritical…until now. He'd been rich since he was four years old and had never given it much thought except for being certain that he had to make his own way as an adult.

"You are absolutely beautiful tonight, Ana. Except…." He reached into his jacket and removed a velvet covered box which he handed to Ana. Opening it, she found a diamond necklace. She seemed confused by it. She stared at Christian. "Do you want me to wear this, Christian?"

"It's just on loan for the night. As my purported girlfriend, you need to be wearing gifts from me. It's expected." He was glad that it was dark in the car because his face felt hot.

"Oh, I see. All right then. Will you help me with the clasp, please?" She brushed her hair off her neck so that Christian could get to the necklace. She felt a shiver as his fingers touched her skin and lingered just a second too long. He felt a jolt straight to his groin, once again grateful for his tighty-whiteys.

CHAPTER 35

Ana had switched to four inch heels and was grateful for the extra comfort. The dresses that Caroline chose for her were always form-fitting and included a slit to her knees, for which she was grateful as well. She didn't care to waddle into the venue like so many women seemed to do. She had told Caroline that she never wanted to wear mermaid-style gowns and Caroline smiled and agreed. Ana certainly had the figure for it but they were not comfortable.

Grey stood a few feet from Ana as they walked in. When she announced that she was ready, he turned to her and found himself speechless. He'd been wrong. She was far more than absolutely beautiful. He gaped. Ana looked concerned, misinterpreting the gape.

"Is my hair messed? Should I stop in the ladies and fix it?" she asked. He tried to get out a word.

"Christian? My wig? Does it need straightening? It will only take a second."

"No!" he almost yelled. "I mean, no. It's fine. I need a drink. Let's find our table. I also have to go over my remarks. I'd like you to read them over."

Ana nodded and took his arm, a gesture that once meant little and that now seemed like a gift. A hostess approached, her face shining as she looked at the gorgeous Grey.

"Mr. Grey? Your table is up front. You'll be sharing with another couple. Shall I send a server over to take a drink order?" The entire time she didn't look at Ana. Ana wondered if she'd ever get used to being invisible when with Grey. She'd never had much attention paid her in her life but being with Grey, the lack of notice seemed amplified.

"Let's take our seats quickly. I'm tired of people staring at you. It's annoying." Ana was shocked. What was he talking about? As she took furtive glimpses around, she saw that, indeed, people were staring at they walked by.

"I think that people are looking at you, Christian. You are exceptionally handsome tonight," Ana

smiled. Christian smirked.

"It's just a face and a few billion, Ana. The men are ogling you and I don't like it. You're mine."

Ana was taken aback at this comment. He spoke as if he'd marked his territory and the other wolves had better not pee on his tree. She was going to object but he pulled out her chair, handed her his speech and left for the bar. She had never in her life been claimed…well, unless one counted her daddy who threatened to unload his shotgun into any boy who came calling. She had just laughed…knowing none ever would.

She was a fast reader…a necessary skill for someone majoring in English Literature. By the time, Grey had returned, she'd almost finished the several pages he'd handed to her. He placed an ice water in front of her and then settled himself down with a bourbon. Waiting on her afforded him the opportunity to just stare at her. If she were his sub, he could shackle her to his St. Andrew's cross and blindfold her while he sat on his chesterfield couch and admired her. She was stunning, just stunning, yet…words weren't enough and he couldn't identify what else he was thinking. He'd never given women much thought. He loved his mother and sister and he required the services of subs but other than that…he didn't need words and he didn't talk about women.

Now, his brother Elliot…he seemed to have a million words for women…rather like Eskimos and snow. Of course, Elliot's vocabulary was mostly vulgar and nothing he said could be applied to Ana. He watched as she quite seriously went over his text.

"Perhaps you could use a pen?" he kidded. She didn't look up at his comment. She simply reached out her hand for the pen. He removed his Mont Blanc and slipped it to her. He'd expected her to chuckle at his little joke. He'd also expected her to read the pages, tell him how wonderful they were and return them. Instead, he glared at her as she marked up his speech. He'd been complimented on his speeches every time he gave one and now he watched, bothered as she slashed through his words and sentences.

Finally, after long tortuous minutes, she seemed to be finished destroying his ego and his speech.

"Here you go. I think that you'll find that it is clearer and more concise as well as shorter…which any audience appreciates," she said, "and it also gives you less time to be gawked at by the ladies," she smiled. He did not return her smile.

Skeptically, he read his decimated remarks. Sourly, he had to admit that Ana had done a remarkable job but what had he expected? he asked himself. The woman is working on her MA and she certainly isn't the sort to be obsequious. Oh, my, Mr. Grey. This is just brilliant! He'd asked her for her opinion and he got it.

CHAPTER 36

Grey ate his steak and Ana ate her baked potato. What kind of dinner was that? She insisted that she loved baked potatoes and rarely had the opportunity to eat one so she was quite happy with her dinner.

"A potato is rare for you? Christ, Ana, it's just a fucking potato." Ana hissed at him.

"Keep your voice down, Christian. Our tablemates are evangelicals."

"They're deep in conversation. They didn't hear me."

"Well, I can hear them and we are the subject of their conversation."

"How did you know that they're evangelicals?"

"They tried to convert me while you were at the bar. Concerned for my soul and all. It's kind of sweet, really. Must be exhausting trying to save people all the time. I'm having enough trouble with just you," she giggled. Christian looked aghast. "It's a joke," she smirked. He couldn't take her over his knee…not now and not later. It would be so satisfying if she were only a sub.

While he quietly ruminated on Ana being a sub, he heard his name called. He glanced through his notes and got to his feet. Ana sighed. He'd barely read his revised copy. What did she expect? He was lord of all he surveyed. The input of one of his minions was certainly not of value.

"Ladies, gentlemen," he began and then continued to address the crowd in an easy yet intense manner about his dedication to the Greenpeace movement, the risks taken, the accomplishments and the unending need for such an organization. He emphasized that the work done by Greenpeace directly affected every person in the room and then he concisely explained why. The attendees were riveted. He did not once consult his notes…and every word was exactly as Ana had doctored.

He received a standing ovation as he descended from the podium, his eyes on only Ana. The emcee thanked Grey for his brilliant speech and his consistent monetary contributions to the cause. Grey heard none of it as he was concentrated on Ana's half-eaten potato.

"Eat," he whispered firmly. Ana smiled and replied that her potato had gone cold while he commanded her attention from the stage. Grey looked around and his very glare brought a waiter to the table.

"Please bring Ms. Adams a fresh potato and a small steak…well done."

As the waiter hurried away to fulfill Mr. Grey's wishes, Christian pleaded with Ana to eat a bit more potato and at least half the steak. "You need protein, Ana. That potato is all carbs." Inwardly, he was hoping she'd honor his wishes. He reflected that he'd never had to beg anyone for anything.

"I'm really not hungry, Christian," Ana smiled softly, pleased with his concern.

"Ms. Adams, you are my employee," he whispered, "you will do as I say. Is that understood?"

Ana giggled…giggled! "Next, you'll be chewing the food and regurgitating it into my mouth like a I'm a baby bird."

"You eat like a bird."

"Birds eat five hundred times their weight every day." Christian whipped out his phone and texted.

Taylor, how much do birds eat every day?

Depends on the bird, sir. Most eat at least twice their weight. Is Ms. Steele having fun with you again, sir?

Never mind.

Ana was dutifully eating small bites of steak so Grey tried to relax. "There is going to be dancing after the last speech." Ana, having a mouthful, simply nodded. She stuffed food into her mouth until her cheeks puffed out and then smiled at him with closed lips. Grey lost it and laughed out loud. Their tablemates and everyone within earshot stared in wonder. Grey sometimes smiled…tightly…but laughter?

Ana managed to get through part of the potato and half the small steak and Grey called victory. She then excused herself to the ladies lounge. She rather dreaded the trip, knowing half the females in the place would follow her while the other half swallowed Grey whole but nature cannot be refused…as so many speakers tonight had noted.

Grey watched as Ana led a little army into the ladies lounge.

CHAPTER 37

"Well, we meet again, Ms. Adams." Ana groaned inwardly as the creaker greeted her upon her entry into the ladies lounge. Ana nodded as she passed into the stalls area. Maybe, she thought, if I just stay in here…maybe if I grunt a lot and make other awful noises, the creaker will be disgusted and leave…but, no. She heard the racket of the creaker plopping down on the sofa. Leather meet pleather.

Finally, Ana screwed up her courage and left the stall. She washed her hands quite thoroughly and standing tall, she attempted to leave the lounge. The creaker leapt to her feet and blocked Ana's exit.

"Excuse me, ma'am. You're in my way," Ana said politely.

"Actually, you are in my way. Sit. We need to talk." Up close, the creaker was quite a sight. Was it possible to wear that much makeup on one face? And that hair? Was any of it hers? Not to mention what seemed to be her uniform….a shiny vinyl-like suit. Ana was suddenly curious about this woman so she sat.

"What is this material exactly?" she asked the creaker whose eyes narrowed into slits just like her mouth. Up close, Ana could see that her lips were basically painted on.

"Do you spend entire nights in the ladies lounge? Seems that you are always in here when I come in…or are you stalking me?

"Christian says that you are a friend of his mother's. What is your name?"

Ana was apparently not going to stop so the creaker answered. "My name is Mrs. Elena Lincoln. I am a dear friend of the entire Grey family, especially Grace and Christian. We run in the same upper society circles." She said all this in the haughtiest of tones. Ana was fascinated by this odd creature.

"Are you married to one of the rich men out there?" Mrs. Lincoln seem appalled by Ana's gall.

"I am divorced from one of them. I am quite well-off on my own. I am the owner of a chain of elite salons." Ana couldn't stop herself. "Oh, so you do hair?" Mrs. Lincoln's mouth dropped open while Ana maintained an innocent expression.

"My employees "do" hair, Ms. Adams. To retain my services would cost you a month's salary."

"Oh, my. Well, I do my own hair except once when Christian wanted me to wear my hair in a chignon? So, then I had to go to a salon. I wonder why he didn't send me to one of yours. He is very rich and very particular."

"Who are you to Mr. Grey?" Mrs. Lincoln demanded to know. Ana looked around as if she were checking for eavesdroppers.

"Well, I am many things to Christian. I could tell you but he is a very private man…very. In fact, it makes me a bit nervous to even be talking about him to strangers. He wouldn't like it one bit."

In a voice of ice, Mrs. Lincoln reminded Ana that she was a close personal friend of Christian's.

Ana jumped to her feet and quickly backed around Elena. She smiled and put a finger to her lips as she rushed from the room. Mrs. Lincoln sat back down and fumed. She'd have to drop in on her neighbors, the Greys, and make subtle inquiries about this silly tart.

By the time that Ana returned to the table, Christian was gone. She glanced toward the hallway leading to the men's room. There were several women standing around, waiting. They weren't speaking with each other and as men came and went, it didn't appear that they were waiting for their husbands either.

Ana strode confidently over to the group and joined them. She asked them if they'd seen a terribly good-looking man come through. They stared at her. She smiled. They continued to stare. Ana walked down the hallway to the restroom door. The women's stares turned to shock at her chutzpah. Ana knocked on the door and called out for Christian.

"Honey, hurry up. I wanna dance," she whined. Christian popped out of the door and flattened Ana against the wall, looking deep into her eyes. She was finding it hard to catch her breath. He was so close and he smelled divine. She didn't know that he was thinking the same thing. Vanilla. Apples. "Were you baking earlier?" "No." What an odd thing to say.

CHAPTER 38

On the dance floor, Christian held Ana close…their hands tucked against their chests…his arm around her waist and Ana's arm tight around his neck. They paid no attention to the stares…Mrs. Lincoln, watching from a distance, furiously smoking under a no smoking sign…numerous women either glaring or stunned, uncomprehending…most of the men either talking business or their eyes glued to Ana's glorious gluteus maximus.

After several dances, men approached, asking to cut in. Christian's gray eyes almost turned them to ash. A man and woman, dancing nearby, asked to switch partners. Grey growled at them like a wolf protecting his kill.

Ana was tiring. She kicked her shoes off and laid her head against Christian's chest. It was sudden and unexpected. He gritted his teeth and determined to fight the pain…but it never came. He waited but nothing. He lowered his head and put his nose in her hair. Apples. Vanilla.

"Ana?"

"Yes?"

"Do you use a special shampoo?"

"Whatever's on sale," she answered woozily. "How about you?"

"Well, my shampoo is shipped from a salon in Paris and my body wash is specially composed by a shop in New York." Ana began laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"You, obviously," she sighed. "I think that I'm falling asleep, Christian."

To the chagrin of their audience, Christian picked up Ana's shoes and led her out of the ballroom. Elena attempted a conversation but Christian shook his head. He helped a sleepy Ana into her shoes and followed Taylor out the door.

On the trip home, Ana fell asleep and sat with her head hung down. Grey was, of course, concerned that she would have a stiff neck so he moved over to the middle and settled Ana against him. He briefly considered taking her back to Escala so that Gail could undress her. Then he decided to simply wake her so she could undress herself. He knew that she wouldn't appreciate waking in a strange place. That dance tonight crossed a line or two as it was. He was losing control.

When she hadn't returned soon from the ladies lounge, he'd begun to panic as one woman after another came to his table. He didn't know what to do with them as they leaned over him, suffocating him with their heavy perfume and their liquor-laden breath. Some were smokers as well. The entire experience was disconcerting and unpleasant. He wished that he had the balls to just order all those women to go away but he was raised to be well-mannered and what the hell was taking Ana so long!?

He finally tried to escape to the men's room, horrified to find that the women followed him! Were they planning to stand around the urinal, trying to get his attention? When he heard Ana doing a poor imitation of an empty-headed girlfriend, his relief made him lose all sense. He certainly hadn't thought ahead of time to push her up against a wall, nose to nose. Lord, she smelled so good. It took everything in him to keep from nuzzling her neck.

He could lie to himself and say that the closeness of their dance was only for public consumption but when other men tried to cut in, he came so close to snarling "mine". His mother was sure to call in the morning and insist that he bring Ana to brunch after she saw the photos in the Seattle Nooz. Too bad. Ana had to study. Ana had a hangover and a drinking problem. Whatever, no, Ana couldn't come to brunch…ever.

She mumbled and snuggled closer. As they drew nearer to her building, he would have to move away from her. This was better, yes. Shaking her awake would erase their tender dance and any ideas she might be getting.

However, even as he planned to discourage any romantic ideas she might develop, he was plotting their next meeting. There were two business dinners during the coming week. Caroline Acton would be prepared with proper cocktail apparel. He told himself that having a date would make both dull affairs bearable. Ana had already met many of the people attending when she went to the last dinner. He was due to receive a plaque of some sort and she could proof his acceptance speech. She'd certainly improved on his remarks tonight.

He moved back to his seat and Ana fell over, waking herself. She looked confused. Why was she lying on the back seat? Taylor escorted her to her apartment after a pleasant, business-like goodnight from Mr. Grey. She locked her door and fell onto her bed. Caroline Acton would be receiving a wrinkled dress in the morning.

CHAPTER 39

Andrea, please remind Ms. Steele of her commitments this coming Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Yes, Sir. I thought you had decided not to attend those functions.

Changed my mind.

It's late. I'll text Ms. Steele in the morning.

Agreed.

Andrea rolled over in her bed to look into the dark brown eyes of her husband. "Don't start. I get paid handsomely to be available 24/7." She paused. "He's planning more outings with Ana Steele. This is getting kind of interesting."

"Maybe I'll find it interesting in the morning…the late morning," David replied grumpily.

Andrea kissed David's forehead and snuggled up against him as she returned to sleep.

While Andrea and Ana slept deep and blissfully, Christian Grey stared at his ceiling. He reflected that as much staring as he did at that ceiling, he ought to put something up there to look at. Maybe a mural of a naked woman with gentle blue eyes and flowing mahogany locks looking down at him with a smile made of sunlight.

Good grief, Grey…he chastised himself. You need to get a new sub. Tomorrow, he asserted. I will visit a club and find a petite brown haired woman to hang from my carabiners.

Now that he had a plan, he felt better. If he found someone, he'd cancel Tuesday and Thursday and leave poor Ms. Steele to her school work. A good sub would take his mind off of Ana. That was his whole problem. He could see clearly now. His irrational thoughts and behavior were only due to the lack of playroom activity. He was projecting his needs unto Ana. Of course, he realized, his playroom needs did not include holding a woman close, needing to kiss her. Never mind, a new sub would relieve his tension and all would be as he intended. Ana would simply be a beard to save him from the attentions of other women. He would have to cease all their talking as well. Talking would only lead to feelings.

Now he knew that he would sleep well tonight. No nightmares of the ogre who beat and burned him while his mother slept off her drug-induced stupor. He'd taken back control of the situation. He closed his eyes and, taking a deep breath, he let himself relax and accept rest.

Three hours later he was awake, shaking, his pillow soaking wet. The ogre was still with him, his mother was still unaware and uncaring…only this time the ogre was still, agog at the blue eyed angel who hovered above the little boy.

For two hours, he played his piano, a difficult piece that totally occupied his mind. He focused completely on his fingers and the feeling of control with a touch of challenge. There was no Ana, no sub, nothing but his keys and the sounds he could make with them.

As he finished, the dawn was shining in his wall of glass…pink and soft, like Ana's lips. He lowered his head to rest against the fall board. He needed a long, punishing run that would leave him with aching legs and lungs bursting, desperate for air.

Taylor, dressing in his running gear, sighed. He was so attuned to his boss that he knew that today's run would be a marathon. That he was in the best shape of his life thanks to Grey did not help him look forward to today's punishing laps around the city.

CHAPTER 40

As Taylor and Grey struggled up a hill to Escala, they passed a newsstand. Taylor stopped and bought a copy of the Nooz, certain that Grey would be interested in the contents. Besides, he would have to be prepared for his mother's phone call.

When Grey finished his shower and sat down at his desk to eat his Raisin Bran, he immediately noticed The Nooz waiting for him. The entire front page was a portrait of him dancing with Ana. It was after she'd kicked off her shoes and curled into his chest. Her eyes were closed and his face was in her hair. If not for the poor quality of the newsprint, it would have been a beautiful picture. Still, he couldn't take his eyes off it. He and Ana looked like a couple in love.

Half of the rest of the Nooz was taken up with smaller images of Ana striding gracefully across the floor, Christian striding gracefully across the floor and the two together sitting and then striding gracefully across the floor again. The Nooz took note that Ana was seen proofing his speech and then Grey giving the speech while Ana gazed up at him proudly. The text, what there was of it, gushed about the happy couple and how beautiful they were and how they'd been seen canoodling in a hallway in full view of several jealous women.

Grey groaned. He knew what was coming and it did. His landline rang. Only his mother had that number. He considered ignoring it but his mother wouldn't give up. Taking a deep breath, he picked up the phone.

His mother skipped the cheery hello and got right to the point. "Christian, Margaret's copy of The Seattle Nooz this morning was quite enlightening. You and Ana certainly do not look platonic."

Grey quickly jumped in. "We are good, aren't we? We discussed ramping up the PDA. I'm still being smothered by lusty women and we think that we're going to have to do more to discourage them. Last night when Ana stepped away for five minutes, it was just seconds before I couldn't breathe. You taught me to be a gentleman, Mom. Perhaps you should have taught me how to repel women when necessary as well." Very good, Grey. Nicely done.

"It is hard to believe that you are acting, Christian. You do look very much in love."

At this, Grey burst into genuine laughter. "Mom, no. I don't have time for all that. I pick Ana up from her place, we discuss that night's strategy and after the event, I drop her back home. That's it. Although, we've wondered if we need to make some public appearances along the lines of taking walks and seeing movies. Grey, what the fuck are you doing? Expect to see us in the Nooz every day until the public gets tired of us, Mom. I need to make this work or I'll never have peace."

"Well, suppose the public does get tired of you, are you then going to stop seeing Ana? That will only bring on more speculation about your status."

"Neither Ana nor I have time or interest in relationships, Mom. We're perfect for each other in that respect. She is, as you can see, a particularly beautiful woman and also a little tired of beating men off with a stick. She's finishing up an MA and then starting work on a doctorate. She's a busy woman."

"Still, Carrick and I are very interested in meeting again with her. Elliot told us that he put in a window in her apartment and talked to her a bit. He thinks she's quite nice. Mia would like to meet her as well. Bring her to brunch tomorrow. That is an order."

Grey was ready for this. "Mom, you can order me but Ana is not under your command. She desires no involvement in my life beyond these business gatherings. She can barely fit my needs into her schedule. She is swamped with work. To keep her scholarships, she has to keep a 4 pt. average. She will not waste a Sunday at a brunch."

After a bit of silence, Grace sighed dramatically. "It just seems so real. I had such hope."

"Well, perhaps when she's completed her doctorate, she'll have some free time. Of course, then she'll probably be off to god knows where. Sorry, Mom. Just give it up and ignore all the crap you read in the Nooz."

"All right, son. I love you. Goodbye."

CHAPTER 41

Christian, Andrea tells me that we have two engagements this week in addition to Saturday.

Would it be possible for me to skip Thursday? I have an important exam on Friday. I can't

afford to be unprepared or tired? Pretty please?

Well, how can I say no to a pretty please? Yes, we'll skip Thursday's engagement and the best of luck on your exam.

Thanks! It's half my grade for this class and it's an oral presentation. Orals always make me extra nervous.

Can't wait to hear how you do. See you Tuesday at 7:30.

Drat! The Thursday dinner was rather important. His shipyard acquisition would be attending and Gray needed all his powers of persuasion to convince the owner to even hear him out. If they were in a conference room, he could Dom his opponent into cooperating but this was purportedly a social evening. He would be expected to be there, to be friendly and charming. He was if he was with Ana but otherwise he was a dour dud.

Maybe he could find another blonde employee to accompany him? No, with all the other blondes he'd been no different than he was at the office. It wasn't until he began squiring Ana that he realized how useless those other women had been to him. Maybe he could take Mia. She certainly brightened up a room. No, the other businessmen would wonder at his good sense. Mia was a delightful little sister but she was squirrely as all hell.

Good morning, Andrea. Got your text. Talked Grey out of Thursday so that I could be prepared for an exam on Friday. He said it was fine. However, I have a feeling it isn't. So, what is the real low down?

Too bad your exam isn't on Wednesday. He could more easily skip Tuesday night's dinner. He's just supposed to collect another plaque and make a speech. Thursday the owner of a shipyard Grey is trying to acquire will be attending and will expect Grey to speak with him about it. Grey will mumble and grumble and leave a bad impression. But don't you worry. He'll find a way to get that shipyard anyway and your exam is more important.

Would it be kosher for you to send me the details of this deal? Maybe I can work up some talking points for Christian and work with him on Tuesday.

No, it certainly would not be kosher! I'll have the details couriered to your place and slipped under the door. By the way, The Seattle Nooz really did a number on you two this morning.

Now Ana was both interested and concerned. She donned her usual clothes, grabbed her bag and flew out of her apartment. Her car was gone. That dirty rat bastard. She looked around and there it was….a shiny black Mercedes SUV complete with driver.

CHRISTIAN! WHAT THE FUCKING HELL HAVE YOU DONE WITH WANDA! YOU RETURN HER THIS MINUTE OR I'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD!

Lord, she was cute when she was mad, he laughed to himself. He pondered how to answer, finally deciding that straight forward was best.

Good morning, Ms. Steele. Up and out, bright and early. I think that you work harder than I do.

CUT THE CRAP, GREY.

Your car has been towed to a classic car rehab center. It was Taylor's idea. It is being entirely redone in an inconspicuous fashion. That is to say…new engine, airbags, seatbelts, seats, etc. I think you'll enjoy the new radio. Think of it…you'll not only be able to roll down your window, it will be electric. However, the exterior…the rust bucket design you prefer…will remain as is. Anyone seeing it on the street will have no interest in stealing it. We're even having it dented in a couple of places. Better now? Meanwhile, you'll have a ride waiting for you whenever you need it.

You have more money than sense, Grey.

If I didn't have sense, Ms. Steele, I wouldn't have a few billion in the bank, now would I? See you on Tuesday.

Ana grudgingly accepted a lift from Latner but she refused to sit in the back. "Your boss can be such an asshole, Latner," she complained.

"Gosh, Ms. Steele, I've found him to be reasonable and fair. This is the best job in security that I've ever had and, actually, it's all thanks to you."

"Me?'

"Yes, he's really beefed up his security detail since he's known you. I've been trying to get a job with Grey for the last couple of years but there was never anything available. Then suddenly, Taylor called, interviewed me, said that you are a top priority and hired me. It's been great. My charge, you, has been the best assignment I've ever had."

CHAPTER 42

"Latner," Ana said as she donned her glasses, "you'll have to drop me off a couple blocks up here. I can't be seen getting out of a luxury automobile."

"Of course, ma'am." Ana cringed. "Please, just Ana."

"But Mr. Grey says…" Latner protested.

.

"I'll handle Grey," Ana replied, getting out of the car and thanking Latner for the ride. As she walked off toward the campus, Latner's phone rang. He knew who it was.

"Yes, sir, Mr. Grey. Yes, I've just left Ana at the campus. Hmm…she insisted…rather forcefully, sir. Well, that's kind of what she said, sir. Perhaps when you come to an agreement, you can let me know. Thank you, sir."

As he rang off, Latner had a feeling that he already knew how he'd be addressing Ms. Steele.

When the lecture had ended and students began hurriedly leaving the hall, Ana jumped up and asked to speak with the professor privately. He was amenable and invited her to sit.

"Thank you, Professor Wyatt. I have a problem. I have my exam with you on Friday and I intend to do well."

Professor Wyatt chuckled. "I've no doubt, Ms. Steele. I always look forward to your work. The difference between your work and the rest of the students is like the difference between Dick and Jane and Tess of the d'Urbervilles."

Ana blushed. "You're very kind, Professor. I'm requesting to take the test early, either Wednesday or early Thursday. You know that I can be trusted to keep the contents secret. I have a work commitment on Thursday night which will go on past midnight. I won't have time or energy to do any last minute review and I'll probably fall asleep in the middle of the presentation. Is my request possible, sir?"

Professor Wyatt opened his day planner and looked at it carefully with Ana on tenterhooks. Then he smiled and said that he could move something around. Could she commit to Thursday morning at 10 a.m.?

Ana nearly hugged him but caught herself and merely nodded and shook his hand. She didn't realize, of course, that old Professor Wyatt dearly wished that he was 40 years younger…and not her teacher.

Ana happily left for the library. On the way, she texted Andrea that she would be able to attend all three events that week and asked her to alert Caroline. Ana and Caroline were becoming good friends which amazed Ana. She almost had a friend. Of course, she knew that to Caroline, Ana was probably just a great customer but still, it was always fun to go in for her fittings. They would talk about everything…except Grey, naturally. They'd both signed NDAs. Caroline's was turning yellow. Ana didn't know where hers had gone. Didn't matter. Neither felt the need to discuss Grey. Caroline dressed Ana to suit Ana, not Grey. He'd called with objections and Caroline simply ignored him. He was so conservative that he'd have Ana in a nun's habit if he could. He'd been disappointed that Ana wasn't wearing six inch Louboutins but Ana was comfortable in kitten heels so Grey could go wear stilettoes if he liked them so much.

For Thursday's business dinner, Caroline had chosen something different from the usual gowns. She hoped that Ana liked the change because Grey probably would not.

CHAPTER 43

Grey found himself delighted to hear from Andrea that Ana had changed her plans in order to be able to attend all three events of the week, especially Thursday's. It eased his mind considerably. Now he just had to get through Monday and Tuesday before he'd see Ana again. He'd stopped denying that seeing her was important to him right about the time that he felt his excitement knowing that he'd get to see her three times in one week.

Okay, he told himself. I truly enjoy her company. Nothing wrong with that. No need to make it more than it is. I appreciate a woman's companionship. This is not a romance…besides, he chuckled to himself, being in a romantic context with Ana would be a mistake of epic proportions. She would fight every order he gave her. He'd be in a constant state of outrage and anxiety as she objected to his attempts to protect her.

No, there was nothing romantic about his feelings for Ana. He simply relished conversation with her and he certainly had to acknowledge that having her at his side at these brain draining business dinners made the time fly by. She'd come in handy more than once.

So, he told himself, to clarify…Ana is a fine companion…no, wait. Ana is a fine employee. He congratulated himself on having the good sense to hire her. Of course, it was all Taylor's idea and Taylor was the one who'd chosen Ana…but that was neither here nor there. She was now Grey's assistant of sorts and he was quite pleased with this hire.

He felt so much more relaxed now that he'd talked himself out of his confusion. It had only been because Ana was a different sort of employee…one with whom he had to pretend affection and a personal acquaintance. Thus, it was entirely new and strange and had required behavior to which he was unaccustomed. As time went on, he would grow to take her for granted just as he did any of his employees. Naturally, her good work would be valued and he would have to make some adjustments but he was nothing if not a quick learner.

Also, Ana had shown no confusion over her role. He'd told her what he wanted her to be and she was all that and more. She was more than necessarily attractive as befitting the girlfriend of a man of his wealth and status. She was intelligent and amusing. She could think on her feet. She didn't sit around waiting to be told what it was that she should do next. The other girls he'd chosen for a night were almost like subs. They had to be told to stand up, sit down, speak or say nothing. They'd made his night more work than it already was. Worst of all, they did nothing when other women crowded round him except look sour.

Yes. Ana was a find. She made every evening they spent together feel special. She lightened his load. He even found that he usually slept better after a night out with Ana. She was certainly one of his best employees.

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday…what a great way to break up the week.

And this habit he'd been developing of kissing her, touching her without reason, dancing closely…those were simply the result of his initial lack of understanding of their roles. He decided to visit a couple of the elite BDSM clubs in Seattle that night and find a petite brunette recruit. A new sub was just what he needed.

CHAPTER 44

Even the finest of the BDSM establishments in Seattle were underground…literally. Legal or not BDSM was considered to be shameful and perverse by the godly folk of Seattle. Christian was a member in good standing at three clubs he'd chosen some years before. They were safe spaces for him…everyone had signed NDAs. He donned a full-face mask and knocked on the door. He never brought security with him since there was already quite a bit at each club and he didn't want to subject Taylor to scenes that he would abhor. The door was opened by a lovely older woman who instantly recognized Grey's distinctive gray mask. Her mask covered only her eyes so when she smiled brightly at Grey, he could see her delight to have him return to the club.

"Oh, Mr. Lord, it has been quite a while since you graced us with your presence. I'm thrilled to see you again. Tell me, how have you been?"

Grey found Hostess Darlene sincere and sweet. He actually liked her because she actually liked him…not his fame nor money nor good looks. Just him…although he didn't know why she felt that way.

"It's nice to see you again, Darlene. I've been well and you?"

"Oh, you know me. I just enjoy life. I have a wonderful dom in my darling husband and the club is doing well, too. Are you here to simply have a drink or were you thinking of doing a scene?"

"I'm in need of a new sub, Darlene. So, I suppose you could say that I'm scouting."

"Well, that's just fine. I'll get you a tumbler of bourbon and you can wander about. I do hope that you find someone you like. Don't want you heading for our competition," she laughed.

Soon, drink in hand, Grey began his search. Some Doms and subs liked to do scenes with an audience so he watched them for a while. Most preferred privacy so he would have to wait for a sub to finish a scene and come out for a drink. He figured that he ought to know what was available within the hour…and he did. No one even came close to what he wanted. Too tall, too blonde, too heavy, too loud. He stopped to thank Darlene on his way out. He was tired. He'd try the other clubs on Wednesday.

He needed to rest for Tuesday night. Without thinking about it, he found himself driving north. Suddenly, just ahead was Anaville. All was quiet. There were small solar-powered lights throughout the camp. The bath building was softly lit. There was the sound of a soft hum from the heaters Elliot had provided each campsite. Here and there a tent was lit up by a lamp…someone up late reading. Anaville actually looked peaceful and tidy and inviting. Still, he'd rather Ana didn't visit there. He knew some of the residents were unstable and Ana was a beautiful woman.

He looked up at her window. Her light was on. He checked his Rolex and found that it was nearly 1 a.m. She was studying, knowing that she wouldn't have tomorrow evening to do so. He felt something. Guilt. Nonsense, he told himself. She is an employee and her school work would have to fit in around her job…just like any other employee. He bet that there were plenty of employees who attended night school and then showed up for work at GEH in the morning. Ana was no different. Except that he felt different. He made a quick U-turn and headed south to Escala.

Though Ana's light was on, Ana was out cold. She'd been in class part of the day and every minute other than that was spent in prepping for her oral presentation. It was going to be tough. Ana was inured to earning As and A+s throughout her academic career. Still, she was like a performer who'd spent 20 years in front of an audience and yet always felt stage fright before going on. She was never sure and she was always fearful of failure. Her scholarships were essential to her education and while a 3 pt. GPA would have been a matter of pride to many students, to her it meant the loss of financial aid. Although she was asleep, her brain would awaken her in a couple of hours and then she would go back to work…refining, revising, reworking. She'd never known any other way to live. She'd never known a Friday night of blowing off steam with a group of friends at a bar. She'd never sat back in a seat at the movies with a bag of popcorn. She'd never gone to a party or danced to loud music with her buddies. She'd never had buddies.

To those who knew her from school, she was an enigma. Sometimes she was an object of discussion. Her classmates would ask each other if anyone knew her…had seen her out. There were just a lot of shrugs. The mystery of Ana lent itself to strange imaginings. Perhaps she was the daughter of a mafia boss. The recent appearance of strange men in black suits and ties made this story feasible. Perhaps she was just the daughter of an incredibly rich man which made her a target of kidnappers?

No, several students objected. Rich girls don't spend every day in the library using the computers. Rich girls have their own computers and they don't drive rusted out old Beetles.

CHAPTER 45

Grey found himself filled with nerves as he stood before his mirror and adjusted his tie. This was a rather informal occasion tonight…just a business dinner to honor an elderly CEO who was finally retiring. He and his wife were going to leave the gray skies of Seattle for the tropical heaven of the Bahamas where they had purchased a home on the beach. Grey didn't really have to attend this affair. Certainly, his appearance would be a surprise to all in the business world who knew him to be anti-social. However, Ana would be with him and he'd also recently learned that the CEO of Lockwood Technology, Inc., the firm that owned the shipyard he wanted, had decided to attend. This was Grey's opportunity to be charming and perhaps be able to avoid a hostile takeover.

He had been inclined at first to have Taylor bring Ana to Escala again but he was so anxious to see her and the longer drive would give them time to talk. He conveniently forgot that conversation was not part of their deal. Now he sat in the back seat of the Mercedes, tapping his fingers restlessly on the leather seats as they began the long drive to Avenue North. He wondered if Anaville would be busy tonight. Another party? After all, most had no schedule to follow.

As usual, Ana was waiting out in front with Mr. Jacobs and Jake. She was hovering over the old man, concerned…it seemed…with something…his health? This time Grey told Taylor to stay in the car. He'd get Ana.

"No, sir. Stay in the car until I've checked out the area and opened your door," Taylor firmly insisted.

"Dammit, Taylor. Who hired who?" Grey whined.

"I believe, sir, that I agreed to employment. Now stay put." It was ironic that Grey insisted on control of everything in his life but, at least when it came to his safety, he did not have the last word. Taylor did a quick visual sweep and then opened Grey's door.

Grey could now see Ana clearly. She was wearing a cream-colored suit jacket over a flowing, lightly pleated maxi skirt. It was a perfect combination of casual and fancy. Her blonde wig was tied up in a high, bouncy ponytail. In her ears, she wore small diamonds. A bit of mascara and lip tint and she was a heavenly vision. Grey heard himself take in a quick breath as she smiled at him.

"Good evening, Christian." She turned and waved goodbye to her landlord and his grandson.

She took Christian's hand as he helped her into the car. He closed the door, took another deep breath and then entered the car from the other side. From far away he heard a voice repeat "employee, employee"…to no avail.

By the overhead light as Taylor entered, Grey had a quick glimpse of Ana's face and he could see that she was tired. How could she be so beautiful with weary eyes?

"You are very beautiful tonight, Ana. That is a lovely outfit."

"Thank you, Christian. It's a bit different but Caroline convinced me that it was appropriate for the occasion. Appropriate is the most I ever shoot for when I need to dress up. I'm really an amateur when it comes to fashion. I'm so grateful for Caroline. If you had just given me a pile of money and told me to go shopping, lord knows what I'd turn up in," she laughed.

Still trying to seem nonchalant, Grey smiled and remarked that he'd have to give Caroline a bonus.

"You seemed concerned about the old man. Is anything wrong?"

"He seems to be going downhill fast, Christian. The doctor is coming tomorrow and I suspect that he'll have bad news for Jake. I found Jake sitting on the stairs earlier, crying. Mr. Jacobs is quite old, more a great-grandfather than a grandfather. Jake's parents had him rather late in life. They had tried but had given up so Jake was a surprise."

"What will happen to him when the old man dies?" Christian asked.

"He and I have talked. If he is 18, he'll be independent. If he is 17, I'll apply to be his legal guardian. The apartment building will, of course, be his so he'll have that income. Also, your brother asked me to keep him informed. He'd like to hire Jake, take him under his wing. Hopefully, the combination of Elliot and me will keep Jake emotionally afloat."

"Elliot said that?" Christian was taken aback.

"Yes. Does something like that not seem like Elliot? He's stuck me as a caring, thoughtful man."

"Yeah, I guess he is," Christian answered.

"You don't see your family much, do you, Christian? It isn't my place to question your private life, of course, just an observation. That night we met your parents, they looked at you with such love and seemed to be so delighted in your presence…as though it was a rare occasion." Christian wasn't looking at her now yet she was studying him closely.

"My work keeps me extraordinarily busy. Mind you, I began this company when I was 21 and in six years I've turned it into a global concern with some 50,000 employees depending on me for their livelihoods. Their welfare is on my mind always. I suppose a private life has become a luxury for me," he said while thinking that his appraisal was somewhat false. He had a private life, all right…a very private life.

He looked at Ana for her reaction. She just nodded and smiled at him. She was thinking that she had nothing to say for herself with regards to a private life.

"What are you thinking, Ana?" Grey inquired.

"Do you know when my car will be ready?"

"Taylor, will you check into Ana's car tomorrow? Ana, you can always borrow a company car from our fleet, if you like. We have an affair on Sunday but that will give you all of Friday, Saturday and most of Sunday."

He felt an unknown emotion when Ana lit up. "But, Christian, you have a dinner on Saturday night."

"Nothing of great importance. I was thinking of staying home anyway…or prowling the clubs looking for a new sub."

"Taylor, if Ana's car isn't available, see that she gets the keys to one of the fleet."

Ana glowed. Her eyes no longer looked tired. She impulsively threw her arms around Christian's neck and hugged him hard. Thank god it was dark in the car and she couldn't see his ragger. Even tighty-whiteys could not contain his reaction to her body being so close to his…and it wasn't just his cock. Something in his chest felt so good. He didn't understand but he instinctively wrapped his arms around her as well.

He couldn't deny that Ana was more than an employee and that he was possibly in an altogether impossible situation.

CHAPTER 46

As they drove along, Christian explained to Ana that he wished to acquire a shipyard from Lockwood Tech and that so far his efforts had been rebuffed. The CEO would be at tonight's dinner and Grey hoped to be charming and considerate enough to soften the man's resolve to foil Grey's attempts. Grey's youth always played against him. The older men who ran all of the business world resented him for his age and his success. He also came across as arrogant…which he was. He was hopeful that Ana's calming presence would help ease conversation tonight. He also knew that only the addition of a beautiful young woman like Ana would get him any attention at all from the CEO.

Ana asked him a lot of questions about Lockwood, the shipyard, why he needed it and why Lockwood didn't want to sell. Her astuteness amazed Christian. She caught on quickly and asked intelligent questions. By the time they arrived at the venue, he was feeling relaxed and hopeful.

As always, when they walked in, arm in arm, everyone stared. Grey looked around for Henry Austin, Lockwood's CEO. There he was and he, too, was staring at Ana. Objectively, there were a number of quite lovely women in the room but there must be something special about Ana that was apparent to more than just Grey. There were a few people in the room to whom he had introduced Ana prior to this night and Ana remembered them. She smiled and waved. They returned her greeting. The Settle Nooz and other tabloids had ascribed the words gold digger to her character and Grey was certain that many people agreed but those who spent more than a few minutes with her quickly understood that she was just a nice girl.

The elite of society and the business world were a small and tight cabal. Grey hoped that in time as Ana became acquainted with everyone, she would win them over. After all, with the exception of Mrs. Lincoln, Ana was kind and understanding with everyone. Of course, there would always be those women who wanted Grey and jealousy ruled their thinking. Likewise, there would always be those men who wanted Ana. Grey's antennae were up and watching their every move. Ana didn't understand that she was desirable and she was oblivious to flirting.

"Henry Austin is sitting at 1 o'clock, white hair, dumpy wife."

"Christian, she could be a lovely woman and a way into her husband's affections."

"Yes. Of course, you're correct…but she's still dumpy."

Ana shook her head in disapproval and began to study her menu. The waiter arrived to take their orders but rather lost his composure when he looked down into Ana's face. Christian inwardly smiled at how the waiter would feel if Ana's blue eyes were shining up at him instead of brown contacts.

"Could I get drinks for you to start?" The young man's voice cracked. Ana smiled sweetly at him. "Are you working your way through school?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm saving up for college. I'll be the first in my family to get a degree."

"That's wonderful. I'm sure your family is immensely proud of you. What college do you want to attend?" Christian groaned inwardly. At this rate, they'd never eat.

"Oh, I'm going to go local. My parents both suffer from illness and I have to stay close."

"I'll have a bourbon on the rocks and a water," Christian interrupted. "Ana?"

"Oh, yes. Ice water and a diet coke, please. What is your name?"

"Harry Marsten, ma'am. I'll get those drinks for you and then take your dinner order." He smiled and hurried off.

"Christian, doesn't GEH have an intern program?"

"Yes, but it's for graduates, not freshman." Ana considered this for a moment. Then she batted her eyelashes at him. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. She was actually trying to charm him into doing something for this boy. And, yeah, she was winning.

"You want me to hire him at GEH, don't you?" He appeared disapproving but she wasn't fooled.

"Well, first, I want you, as I'm sure you do as well, to check him out with Welch. Find out how much of a load this kid is carrying. Do his parents have medical insurance? How sick are they? What does he need to be successful? You know…all the deets."

Grey caved and began chuckling. "Make you a deal. You charm Henry Austin and I'll see to it that Harry Marsten gets into college."

"Make you a different deal," Ana smiled. Even if I don't charm Henry into giving you his shipyard, you'll still help Harry because it's the right thing to do."

Grey bounced his head off the table top and laughed. He and Ana shook on their 'deal'. Then he got out his phone, texted Welch with all the pertinent details and instructed him to get all he could on Harry. Harry…who'd no idea when he arrived to work tonight that he'd be meeting his fairy godmother and she would change his life.

CHAPTER 47

During dinner, several speakers came to the podium to make nice speeches about Roger Altman who'd worked hard for far longer than he should and now was at last going to live the good life he deserved. To Ana's surprise, Christian was one of the speakers. He spoke off-the-cuff in a good-natured fashion about his dealings with Roger. Roger, he said, was a gentleman, a true gentleman…someone rather special in the dog-eat-dog world of business. His kindness, his wisdom would be greatly missed. Ana glanced over at Roger who clearly was overcome by Grey's words and also clearly surprised. The applause for Grey as he stepped down indicated that Roger wasn't the only person stupefied by Grey's words and his manner.

"You didn't tell me that you were going to speak," Ana noted as Christian took his seat. "Your speech was lovely, Christian."

"I meant every word. Roger is one of the good guys."

"I think you are, too, Christian." Ana beamed at him. He actually blushed. No one had ever called him a good guy. Of course, he had deliberately endeavored to cultivate a ruthless image.

"Dinner is over. Time to mingle. First, we stop at Roger's table to congratulate him and wish him well. Then we casually wander about until we just happen to bump into Henry Austin."

"Yes, sir, commander Grey. Into battle we go," Ana grinned. Christian stood and pulled out her chair and then took her hand. The line to greet Roger was already long so Grey had to be patient…one of the few things he didn't do well. Fortunately, Ana loved meeting and greeting so her chatter with others waiting in line kept not only Grey but many in the room entertained.

Just as their turn to greet Roger was imminent, Grey looked to find Henry Austin just behind them. Apparently, some people hadn't the patience and had decided to drop out of the competition.

For a moment, Grey was at a loss. Ana saw his face and turned around to look at Henry Austin. She was not a bit shy about seeing him. First, she introduced herself to his wife, Edna, who was delighted to be noticed by anybody. Edna introduced Henry to Ana. Ana told him that she thought his name was cool. He blinked. Cool? This was a first. Ana explained that she liked Henry and that Austin was supposed to be the neatest city in Texas although she herself had never been as yet.

She excused herself and turned to join Christian in speaking with Roger. She told him that she'd never heard Christian speak so highly of anyone so Roger must, indeed, be quite special. Then she said that they didn't want to take up any more of his time because he was quite popular tonight.

At this, she turned to Henry and Edna. "Henry, I need to talk with you when you have a moment.

Edna, stick around." They stared at her and quietly agreed with her orders. Christian just stared.

"Ana, what are you up to?" he asked.

"I have questions for Henry. Why don't you go mingle with all the other head honchos?" she replied. Then she excused herself to visit the ladies lounge…not a trip to which she looked forward but one that nature demanded.

As expected, Ana led a little parade of women as she walked to the ladies. She tried to appear unaware. They were so annoying. Grey decided that while Ana was luring the ladies in one direction, he ought to take the opportunity to visit the gentlemen's restroom.

Ana did what she came to do, washed her hands and checked her face in the mirror. Mascara in place, lip tint refreshed and dress still tidy. Now to attempt a return through the gauntlet. When she emerged into the lounge area, the vipers had taken over the room and blocked the door. Ana didn't even try to pretend that she was perplexed by this mob. She simply stood, arms akimbo and smiled, waiting.

"Okay, ladies. What can I do for you?" Her lack of fear and her appearance of bemusement confused the pack. They were quiet for several moments.

"Come, come. I know you have comments and questions. Out with it."

Finally, one of the women bravely said what everyone wanted to know. How had she done it? How had Ana gotten Christian Grey? Was she just his beard?

"Christian is all man, believe me. He is just unusually private and devoted to his work. So, no, I am not his beard. He is not gay or asexual. He doesn't like to attend all these functions on his own…partially, ladies, because your over-attentiveness to him makes him truly uncomfortable. As his friend and co-worker, I accompany him because he is comfortable with me and I protect him from the lustful mob. Now it's my turn to ask a question.

"Why, ladies, do you all ignore your husbands to drool all over a man who has no interest in you. I mean, I know that he is devastatingly handsome but don't you think that you hurt your husband's feelings when they see your reaction to Christian? Do you not want to have good marriages?"

The ladies just gaped at Ana, truly lost for words. She smiled at them and bid them adieu as she left the lounge. Christian met her at the end of the hallway and then led her to the Austin's table.

"Well, I've been given my orders to mingle so I'll leave you with my date. I'm sorry to say that I have no idea what she has up her sleeve. She is a constant surprise to me." He kissed her cheek and walked away, wondering if she was about to blow his deal out of the water.

CHAPTER 48

Grey watched Ana and Austin from across the room. Austin did not appear to want to talk with Ana but she was so beautiful that he tolerated her. Gradually, he seemed to engage with her. Nervous about what Ana could possibly be saying to Austin and irritated by the women who kept trying to engage with him, he kept busy knocking back bourbons.

Around 30 minutes in, Welch sent him all he could quickly find on Harry Martens. The boy hadn't lied. His parents were both chronically ill. They did receive disability from the government but Harry had to work two jobs to supplement their meager income. In addition, he had a younger sister. He did well academically despite his responsibilities and had applied for a number of scholarships. It wouldn't be enough, however, in the long run.

Grey looked around the room and caught sight of Harry busing a table. He walked over and handed his business card to Harry, telling him to come by Grey House at his first opportunity. Harry gaped at Grey and a "thank you" stumbled out of his mouth. Grey then turned his attention back to Ana.

By now, both Edna and Henry were laughing with Ana. Grey couldn't take the suspense anymore. He walked, a little unsteadily, toward the table. Ana, seeing him approach, said something to the older couple and then stood, striding over to Christian. She waved goodbye over her shoulder and turned Christian around, steering him to the exit.

As soon as Taylor had helped him into the car, he growled at Ana.

"Wha you doin? I have to speak…to speak to Ausin," he was slurring his words badly.

"You may have to but you can't just now. You were more likely to topple into Edna's lap. I made an excuse about your health," Ana giggled. "Since when do you get sloppy drunk?"

"Since you ma...make me so nervous," he asserted just before he passed out in her lap.

"How did it go, Ms. Steele?" Taylor asked.

"Very well, I'd say. Austin is willing to sit down with Christian in a day or two when Christian recovers from the flu," she giggled.

"The flu, eh?" Taylor laughed.

"Does Christian have a problem with alcohol, Taylor?"

"He rarely overindulges, Ms. Steele. I think that he was exceptionally rattled tonight…wondering what you were discussing with the Austins." He's been rattled since he met you, thought Taylor.

"Go to Escala, please. I won't feel comfortable until I see him safely into his bed." Taylor didn't tell Ana that he could easily throw Grey over his shoulder. He instinctively understood that Ana was more than concerned about her boss.

He helped Grey out of the car and put an arm around his shoulder while Ana tried to assist with Grey's other side. It was comical. She was such a petite woman yet she seemed to consider herself capable of holding Christian up. In his bedroom, she removed his shoes and socks, then his jacket and tie, and finally his belt. She pulled his pants down and removed his shirt before rolling him over unto his stomach. She looked down at him, still unsatisfied.

"I'm afraid to leave him alone, Taylor. What if he vomits? He could choke. He could roll onto his back or unto the floor, maybe hit his head." She looked so genuinely distressed about Grey's safety. Taylor noted that perhaps he could stay up and keep watch but Ana looked doubtful. Taylor, she figured, worked too many hours and was liable to doze off himself.

"I'm not used to sleeping much, being a student and all. I'm still wide awake. I'm going to sit in this club chair over here," she insisted. Taylor tried to point out that Grey might wake and need to use the toilet. What would she do then? She tapped her foot and considered this problem. Well, she responded, better one of us be embarrassed then he falls and cracks his head open. She pulled up the sheet over Grey and then sat down in the chair.

Taylor could only imagine Grey's reaction to this unorthodox situation when he awakened but he'd worry about it in the morning. Ana was right. Taylor was plumb out of energy and Ana seemed wired so he wished her good night and headed off to his quarters and his warm wife.

Ana removed her shoes and nylons and then her dress. She found an extra duvet on a closet shelf and curled up in the club chair. It was a very large chair if she'd wanted to sleep but she was determined to stay awake.

From her viewpoint, the evening had gone well. The Austins had been wonderful company and Henry's opinion of Grey seemed to grow ever more favorable as Ana explained why Christian wanted the shipyard and why it would be such a good deal for Lockwood Technology.

CHAPTER 49

Christian rolled over onto his back a couple of times and it was no easy task for Ana to shove him back onto his stomach. Twice he vomited and Ana cleaned it up. Afterward she placed towels over the spots. Toward dawn he sat up in bed and with great effort, hauled himself out of bed and to his feet on his way to the toilet. Weaving side to side, he was unaware of Ana on guard behind him…like a mother watching out for her child as he takes his first steps. However, Ana's care was not that of a mother so much as a pissed off warden. It had been a long day and a very long night. After Grey managed to crawl back into bed and on his stomach, Ana checked the toilet…surmising that his aim had not been the best. She again cleaned up the area, not wanting his housekeeper to have to deal with it in the morning. Then she again took up guard. She did have to chuckle at the idea of all those women who thought he was such a god among men. They should deal with his vomit and urine. He'd surely lose some of his magic in their eyes. He was just an ordinary man with incredible good looks and an extraordinary brain and such a need for control that he got drunk because Ana had taken the wheel.

She knew that matters had not gone as he intended the previous evening. He had more likely expected that she would charm Mr. Austin with her looks while Grey handled the complex details of the deal. She truly had not intended to simply take over. It had just worked out that way somehow. When Christian was awake and sober, he would interrogate her like an FBI agent and express his great displeasure at her presumption. She was arm candy only, she reminded herself. Mr. Grey was not in possession of the average male ego, either. His was super-sized and she had stomped all over it.

His breathing was even and quiet now. Ana was feeling the effects of no rest and a difficult night. She left her chair, donned her shoes and outfit and wandered out into the great room.

"Ms. Steele, good morning! You're up quite early," the housekeeper smiled warmly at Ana.

"Good morning, ma'am. How do you know who I am?" Ana was puzzled as they'd never met.

"My husband is Jason Taylor. He was so grateful that you stayed last night so that he could sleep. His hours with Mr. Grey are so long and unpredictable. He was exhausted last night. Mr. Grey starts the day with a long run at 7 a.m. and often works in his study until after midnight, seven days a week."

"Surely Taylor isn't the only security Mr. Grey employs," Ana expressed with surprise.

"No, there are others but Jason is his chief of security and he takes his job very seriously. He doesn't like anyone else to drive the boss. Mr. Grey often has to order him to stay home. Of course, he wants Jason to drive when you're going to be in the car. I gather that you've become quite important to Mr. Grey. He's protective of you."

Ana huffed. "I'm eminently capable of taking care of myself…and, apparently, Mr. Grey."

"Yes, I understand that he was in quite a state. It's unusual for him to drink so much."

"I cleaned up vomit twice and urine once." At the look of horror on Mrs. Taylor's face, Ana hastened to explain that Christian had soiled the toilet area, not himself. Mrs. Taylor looked relieved.

"Is anyone else awake, Mrs. Taylor?"

"No, it's still too early and I'll let Jason sleep until Mr. Grey awakens. It isn't often that he gets to sleep in."

"Okay, well, I'm going to be going then. I'm close to passing out, too. It was nice to meet you, Mrs. Taylor."

A mutual bidding of farewells and Ana entered the elevator. She could smell the alcohol in the cab from the previous evening. She was tired and more than a little peeved. She would have a talk with Christian later. It was still a bit dark on the street level so she kept close to the lobby guard as he called for a taxi for her. When she gave her address to the driver, he hesitated…reluctant to brave that dicey area. Ana had to reassure him that he'd be safe.

He believed her when they arrived to find a couple of cop cars and an ambulance. Ana immediately feared for the residents of Anaville. When she alighted from the taxi, however, she discovered that the ambulance was for her building. She found Jake sitting on the front step, head in hand.

Instinctively, she sat and put her arms around him. He was sobbing and shaking. He hadn't been able to wake his grandfather who liked to rise with the dawn each day without fail. The EMTs wouldn't come into the neighborhood without a police escort. Most of Anaville was awake and watching. Of course, they all knew Mr. Jacobs and many were crying.

After an eternity, the EMTs emerged from the building, carrying a stretcher. Mr. Jacobs was in a black bag…an awful sight. Ana requested to be able to unzip the bag to see Mr. Jacobs' face one last time. She stood, she and Jake, with their arms around each other…looking down into the peaceful countenance of the old man. Ana smiled and reminded Jake that his grandfather was no longer old and infirm…that he was happy with Margie.

Jake nodded, the bag was closed and Mr. Jacobs was moved into the ambulance to be taken to the morgue. The other residents of the building watched from their windows, wondering what was to become of Jake and them now.

The EMTs gave Jake and Ana some information about the morgue and what they needed to do now with Mr. Jacobs' remains. Ana told Jake that he wasn't alone and they'd manage. She knew that Mr. Jacobs had put aside some money for a cremation and she would be his executor.

CHAPTER 50

Christian stumbled into the great room in his boxers and robe, scratching his head. Mrs. Taylor set a glass of juice and two Advil on the breakfast bar. Mr. Grey did not express his appreciation for her thoughtfulness. He already paid her for her thoughtfulness.

"Where's Taylor?"

"Sleeping, I hope. Would you like something to eat…perhaps something light? How is your stomach?" Mrs. Taylor kindly asked.

"Not bad. I woke up on a couple of towels. I must have vomited and then put towels on the bed."

"No, that would be Ms. Steele. She stayed with you last night so that Jason could rest."

"She what?! She slept with me?" Mr. Grey looked shocked and alarmed. He never slept with anyone.

"She sat up in a chair all night. She was afraid that you would lie on your back and vomit. She left about an hour ago."

"Oh. I thought you said that Taylor was asleep."

"He is. She didn't want to wake him. I suppose that she took a taxi. How about a Hole-in-One…just an egg and a toast?" He nodded. While Gail cooked, he muttered about Ana taking a taxi. He pulled his phone out of the pocket of his robe. Gail looked up sharply.

"You're not calling Ms. Steele, are you? She's probably asleep after babysitting you all night," she chided. "Besides, I think she is rather sour about your drinking. You might want to give her time to rest and calm down?"

Grey looked at Gail. She was being insubordinate. He was too hungover to say anything about it. Ana was mad at him, eh? Perhaps waiting until later was better.

He didn't know that Ana was sitting in her kitchen, watching Jake eat cereal while she went over the papers that his grandfather had entrusted to her some time before. There was a small life insurance policy…all that he could afford but enough to have him cremated. He'd asked that his ashes be given to Jake in a nice urn of some sort. Ana would take Jake shopping for that later. She'd been so tired but was now wired.

"Jake, your grandfather didn't have a certain church or religion, did he?"

"No, Ana. I knew that he wanted to be cremated, tho. Being buried scared him. He said that I could keep his ashes or scatter them wherever I thought best."

"Okay…which would you rather do? Do you know?"

"No, I don't know. I guess I just didn't want to think about it."

"Well, I have an idea. There is a lovely spot under the oak in Anaville. We could put Grampa's ashes in a nice box and bury it there with a nice plaque on the tree. And, when Gramma Margie's time comes, we could put her there, too. I think that they'd love being among all the people they loved and protected."

"And the people of Anaville?" Jake wondered.

"They would be honored, Jake. We could have a nice ceremony as well. Afterward, we could have a couple of tables of food and sit around and talk about Grampa. What do you think?"

Jake smiled. Ana could see that he was weary so she sent him back to his place to sleep for a time.

It was almost 8 a.m. Elliot would be up and working.

"Boss," someone yelled up to Elliot. He loved to work the roof early in the day. "What?" he yelled back. "You got a call from some gal named Ana Steele."

Elliot hurried off the roof. Damn, he suspected the reason for the call. "Ana?"

"Hi, Elliot, I'm sorry to take you away from your work." Gosh, she sounded dead on her feet.

"That's fine, Ana. Is it about Mr. Jacobs?"

"This morning, early. Jake found him. He hadn't been gone long. He looked good, Elliot…peaceful, not all stressed from pain. We're going to have him cremated and buried under that oak tree in Anaville."

"How is Jake doing?" The concern in Elliot's voice was genuine, Ana could tell.

"I think he's still in shock. I fed him and sent him back to bed for a while. Later, we're going to make arrangements and buy a nice container for his ashes. I want to get him a bronze plaque for the tree. We'll have a ceremony and then a big picnic spread to share and talk. Probably Tuesday.

We'll have it after work hours so that any of your guys could come if they want to. And, of course, you."

"I'd be honored, Ana. I know the guys would like that. And Tuesday is perfect. We had to work today to get this place closed in so I was giving the guys Tuesday off anyway. That's the construction business in a place like Seattle. You work when it's dry…take off when it's raining.

"Thanks for calling, Ana. I'm glad that you didn't forget about me."

Ana giggled. "You're not forgettable, Elliot."

CHAPTER 51

Grey spent most of Sunday fretting…about Ana spending the night…did she watch him have a nightmare…about vomiting in front of her…about what she must think of him. Even after Taylor reassured him that Ana was simply concerned about him choking on his vomit and that she didn't appear to be angry with him, Grey still worried. He'd lost control again. How could he face her? How could he face Henry Austin?

Late Sunday afternoon, Elliot rang and told him that old Mr. Jacobs had died. Grey had a vague notion that Ana was fond of the old man so he wasn't surprised to hear from Elliot that Ana had taken his grandson under her wing and was making all the arrangements for a memorial and burial of the ashes.

Suddenly it hit him that Ana hadn't slept since Friday night. She couldn't go on like that. He quickly rang her up.

"Hello, Christian. I was just about to call you to fill you in on my conversation with Mr. Austin. I want to apologize for taking over the way I did. It wasn't my intention but once we started talking, we just kept going. However, it went really well and Mr. Austin didn't seem to think anything of my playing proxy. He would like to schedule a meeting with you as soon as possible. Oh, he thinks that you were suffering from a nasty case of flu and wanted to be careful to not share it with him. He even suggested having a dinner together at the Mile High Club…again at your convenience, that is, when you're feeling better.

"Are you feeling all right today? You were so sick last night. Also…." She was running on at 50 miles an hour and she was short on breath.

"Ana, Ana. Stop," he beseeched.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm talking too much." And then she continued until he once again asked her to stop talking.

"Ana, we can discuss Lockwood Technology another time. Elliot called me about your landlord. Is there anything that I can do? Have you slept at all since Friday night?"

"Hmm…I don't remember. Let's see, I studied Friday night. I took a power nap Saturday before the dinner. I was going to sleep today until everything went to hell in a hatbox this morning. I have things to do now before the memorial on Tuesday. I need a bronze plaque by Tuesday afternoon but I'm afraid that finding one engraved on such short notice might not be possible and I don't want to disappoint everyone. Mr. Jacobs' was so beloved. I have to be strong for Jake. Oh, gosh, I forgot to call Jake's boss. He'll get fired!"

At this point, Ana's breathing was shaky and she was close to crying. Christian told her that he'd take care of everything. She said that no, it was her responsibility. "You're my boss. I work for you. I have to go now."

"Taylor! We're leaving!"

Twenty minutes later they were across town and parked in front of Ana's building. Christian called at Ana's door. It seemed to take forever for her to answer. She was still wearing the gown she'd worn to the dinner. Her blonde wig was lying on the post at the foot of her bed and her glorious mane was hanging loose. Her light application of mascara was smeared and it was clear that she'd been crying. Her brown contacts were still in.

"Ana, you have to get those contacts out."

"I tried. They're stuck. Do you want to discuss my conversation with Henry and Edna? Interesting story. It's actually Edna who's reluctant to sell the shipyard." Christian took her hand and pulled her into the bathroom. Looking through her medicine cabinet, he found eye drops. He washed his hands thoroughly and then took Ana over to her bedroom. He ordered her to lie down and stare at the ceiling as he administered the drops. Then, gently, he removed the contacts. It wasn't easy. They were, indeed, stuck. Taylor handed his boss the contacts case.

"Is that better?" Grey asked. Ana sighed and nodded yes. "They were really uncomfortable. Thank you, Christian. You know, if being a billionaire CEO doesn't work out for you, you could try to be an optician."

"Ana, did you write down all the information that you want on the plaque?" She pointed to the little table in the kitchen. "All right, what do you wear to bed?" "Nothing," she murmured as her eye lids grew heavier now that her eyes were relieved of their burden.

Christian pulled back her duvet and helped her under, still wearing her $5000 gown. "Taylor, go home to Gail."

"Sir, I can get this plaque done by Monday evening." Grey thanked him and send him on his way.

Ana was still murmuring to herself. Grey was looking for a place to sit…besides the bed…when a knock came at the door. It was Jake. They went into the hallway to avoid disturbing Ana. Grey offered his condolences and Jake smiled. They sat on the steps and talked for a while.

CHAPTER 52

"Your brother called me this afternoon. I helped him take out Ana's old window and put in a new one and he thinks that I could be good at construction. After the funeral, we're going to talk about me going to work for him. It would be steady work and good pay. He seems like a real good guy."

"He is, Jake…a real good guy," Christian agreed, thinking ashamedly that he was not a good guy or a good brother. "So are you. You sacrificed a lot for your grandfather."

"It didn't feel that way. My grandparents were old when they took me in and I was a hyper little kid. It must have been hard raising me, especially when they had so little themselves. My grandad was the best. My grandma was already going downhill when they took me in. Now, I'm all alone. Feels strange being an orphan. 'Course, I have Ana. She and my granddad signed papers a while back so social services couldn't put me in a foster home."

"Ana is your legal guardian?" Grey asked surprised. She'd never said a word.

"Yeah, course I'll be 18 in 7 months but now I don't have to move at all. That would have been real hard even for such a short time. Ana understands what it's like to have no one. Well, tomorrow's going to be a busy day so I better get some decent sleep. Nice to meet you, Mr. Grey."

"Christian…my name is Christian, Jake. Oh, and I'd like to come to your grandfather's funeral but my presence there would draw a lot of attention that should be focused on you and Mr. Jacobs."

Jake nodded. He understood that Mr. Grey was the most important man in town. He also had a notion that he was the owner of Anaville and the reason for all the improvements. Yeah, if he was at the funeral so would a lot of strangers with cameras. He thanked Christian for looking out for Ana 'cause she hadn't been sleeping.

After Jake left, Christian went back into Ana's room. She'd been restless in her sleep and gotten all twisted around in that dress and the sheets. She couldn't sleep well in that jacket and skirt combo. After some deliberation, he tried to wake her but she was in deep. So, he took a deep breath and unbuttoned the jacket…under which he found the most beautiful pair of little breasts but no bra. Please be wearing panties. Yes! She was wearing a modest pair of plain white panties and no stockings. He tucked her back under and straightened out the sheets and the duvet. He gathered up the clothing and shoes and left a text for Caroline that he'd have them returned in the morning. He didn't want Ana bothered. He also texted Taylor with more instructions from the list Ana had on the table.

Now what? he asked himself. Ana had no comfortable club chair…nor any room to put one. Yet he didn't feel that he could leave. Now why did he feel that way? Maybe he was afraid that she'd need something in the night. No, he just felt that it was his turn to watch out for her. She was curled up on one side of the bed so he laid like a plank on the other side. He didn't intend to fall asleep but…

"You undressed me!?" Someone was yelling at him and swatting at him. Not his usual nightmare but certainly not as bad as his usual either. "I cannot believe the gall of this man!" What man? Grey started to come to, wondering if there was an intruder. What was this place? Where was he?

He slowly opened his eyes to find himself spooning…nothing. Something was missing. Oh, no, he suddenly realized. He'd rolled over and wrapped himself around Ana. He also realized that he hadn't had a nightmare. Of course, he awakened to one. Ana was banging around in her tiny kitchenette, cursing and ranting to a man she thought was still asleep. Maybe it was better that he continue to be.

Playing dead, of course, was impossible when one was being yelled at and struck repeatedly with a dish towel.

CHAPTER 53

Maybe a charm offensive…except Grey knew nothing about being charming…not really.

"Good morning," he said cheerily. He ducked around the dish towel on his way into the bathroom.

"There's an extra toothbrush in the cabinet but you'd better watch your aim this time," she growled at him.

Watch his aim? Huh? He completed his morning ablutions and left the bathroom to find that Ana had made him eggs and toast with juice.

"This is nice. Thank you, Ana. I've arranged for someone to take your gown into Caroline's. I apologize for violating your privacy. However, you were all twisted around and uncomfortable…quite restless. I'd expected a bra. I understand that even if you'd been wearing one, it would be embarrassing for you. I didn't expect you to be naked under your jacket. By the way, you have adorable breasts.

"Also, I didn't want to leave you alone. You didn't leave me so…I didn't know that in my sleep I'd spooned you. It wasn't my intention." He paused for a breath. "I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"

Ana just sighed and stared at him. "Eat your breakfast," she ordered. He obeyed. She grabbed some clothes from the tiny closet and went into the bathroom to change. The place was so small that he could hear every sound she made while he sat on the stool and ate the food she'd fixed for him while she was yelling at him. It all had such an intimate feeling. They could have been an old married couple, he smiled.

As he finished his breakfast, Ana emerged from the bath. She cast a glance at his dishes and he understood. He took the dishes to the sink and washed them, dried them and returned them to the cabinet. He thanked her for feeding him. She nodded and stood looking at him, thinking that no man had the right to look so good first thing in the morning in a wrinkled shirt and mussed up hair.

"Ah, could we talk a bit before I go?" he asked. Ana nodded and sat on the bed. He tried to express his sorrow for her loss. She smiled with teary eyes. He told her that he wanted to help because she was wearing herself out. He explained that Taylor was having a plaque made.

"He is? Can it be ready by tomorrow?" Her eyes were wide with hope. They were so lovely. He recalled that she always wore brown contacts when with him. He'd really been missing out. He was mesmerized.

"Christian?" Oh, yes, he assured her. Taylor would see to it that the plaque was tacked to the tree by the morning. She beamed. She'd been so afraid that she couldn't get someplace to do it so quickly. Of course, she wasn't Christian Grey.

"I read your eulogy. It was excellent. I wish that I could be here to hear you read it."

Ana dropped her head. Yes, she understood. He was such a busy man and he didn't know Mr. Jacobs.

"No, Ana, you misunderstand," Christian stepped off the stool and took a seat next to Ana.

"My presence would disrupt the entire proceedings. Paparazzi would flood in, with their cameras and their yelling of questions. I would ruin the entire memorial. Sometimes, keeping you a secret makes things difficult. I would very much like to be present in Anaville tomorrow night. I've texted Taylor to arrange everything, right down to digging a hole. You don't have to worry about a thing except being there for Jake and all of his grandfather's friends."

"Then all I have to do is get food," Ana smiled gratefully. No, no. Christian shook his head. He'd also arranged for a caterer who would bring tables and chairs. Mr. Jacobs would love a party in his name, wouldn't he? Christian smiled sheepishly.

"Have I gone too far, Ana?" he asked nervously. She looked deep into his gray eyes, noticing that they'd gotten darker as he sat close to her. Somehow, she understood. She reached up to touch his face and then leaned in to press her lips to his. At first, he was stiff…on guard. This was wrong…wasn't it? Then he thought about those pretty pink nipples on her perfect round breasts. He returned the kiss, even gently tickling her tongue with his own. That was all it took for both of them to acknowledge their attraction.

He pulled her tightly to him. They fell back unto the bed. He reached inside her shirt to massage her breasts while she ran her hand through his hair. He felt the most wonderful sense of well-being. He moved his mouth to her breasts, suckling as much as his mouth could take in. Ana sat up and removed her shirt so he did likewise.

She smelled so good. His lips wandered all over her neck, her ears, her face while his hand reached down inside her sweat pants and then her panties. He cupped her sex and both moaned in want. They were lost now. There was no more thinking…wisely or wrongly. There was just their need and their lust for each other. Soon, both were naked…touching each other everywhere.

Neither knew what they were doing. Neither had any experience in making love. Grey knew how to fuck his subs but it wasn't the same with Ana. Ana was a virgin but without inhibition when it came to Grey. Being intimate with him seemed natural…easy…as though they'd been a hundred times before.

Grey did know how to bring Ana to orgasm. He'd always made certain that his subs were satisfied before him. He knew how to use his fingers but he'd never used his mouth. It had seemed too personal. Now it seemed desirable, necessary to be as close as possible to Ana and so he tasted her and she was delicious. He sucked and licked and dipped his tongue inside her, driven on by his own need to be as close as possible with Ana and by her cries of pleasure, her cries of his name.

With his subs, he'd always finished a scene with fucking them from behind. He never wanted to look at their faces or have them see his face as he came. Again, it was too personal. Now he craved intimacy with Ana, craved being inside her and looking down into her eyes…showing her how she made him feel and wanting to know how she felt.

After, he wrapped his arms all around her, murmuring her name over and over. Finally, breathing hard, he raised himself up on his elbows and touched his forehead to hers. Then, reluctantly, he rolled onto his side, taking her with him.

"Are you all right?" he asked softly. "Did I hurt you?"

"A little…just a pinch. Skinny hymen," she giggled. He looked concerned. She kissed him to reassure him. "Christian, I couldn't have asked for a better first time. I'm so happy it was with you."

CHAPTER 54

They wanted each other again but Christian could see that Ana was tired. He told her to sleep. He promised to still be with her when she woke. Having his word, Ana quickly fell away.

He hadn't used a condom. He didn't know if Ana was using a contraceptive. It was foolish. It was the best time of his life…better than his first million…his first billion. No comparison really. Knowing that she was deeply sleeping, he slipped away and dressed for a trip to the drugstore a couple of blocks up.

Walking up the street, he perceived a strange sense of freedom. He could not recall the last time he'd walked alone. He got into cars and out of them and into elevators and out of them and into chairs. He looked around him and chuckled. Once he'd been fearful of riding in a bullet-proof SUV, with Taylor at the wheel, into this neighborhood and now he was strolling down the street like a normal person. Maybe he should have waited until Ana woke up and they could have walked hand in hand instead. Well, he could take her to the Riverwalk.

At the drugstore, he bought a jumbo box of jumbo condoms. He was a big boy and proud of it until he thought of Ana. Sure her tightness had been wonderful but he was too big. He worried again if he'd hurt her. He also bought Plan B. It would be the height of rudeness to knock her up. Then as he walked he wondered if he was being presumptuous. Maybe this was a one-off. After all, she had plans for her future and maybe one of those plans included sampling all that was available to her. She was an extremely beautiful woman and his money meant nothing to her. What could he offer to her?

By the time he was approaching her building, he'd done a good job of lowering himself into a blue funk. She was done with him and moving on to see what else was out there…like other men who knew how to make love with a woman. He drudged drearily up the stairs to Ana's room. She was still asleep. He quickly undressed and climbed in behind her to hold her as long as he was allowed to do so.

.+.

Meanwhile, Elliot was downstairs knocking on Jake's door. Jake's eyes were red but he broke into a big smile when he saw Elliot at the door. Elliot reached out and pulled Jake into a strong hug. A forgotten memory of Jake's father came to him. His father certainly wasn't as big as Elliot but as a little boy he had seemed so to Jake.

"I brought you something that I worked up in my metal shop," Elliot smiled, handing Jake a beautifully detailed box. What say we go get your grandfather, eh?" Jake nodded eagerly. It would only be ashes but he'd get to hold his grampa again.

"Say, would you happen to have a picture or two of your grandfather? Maybe one you could spare? Taylor would like to attach it to the plaque. Jake nodded happily and invited Elliot into their tiny apartment. Elliot looked but said nothing. Once again, he reflected on how good he had it. Jake returned with a photo album and pointed out a picture of him cuddled between gramma and grampa.

"This is the one you want on the plaque? How's about we get a copy made first?" Jake was pleased. Elliot thought of everything. As they left the building, Elliot texted Taylor while Jake gaped at Elliot's huge F250. Elliot drove the behemoth like it was a sports car.

Upstairs, Ana was just waking up. Momentarily disoriented, she soon remembered the most wonderful afternoon of her life. She relaxed in Christian's warm embrace, his breath on her neck.

CHAPTER 55

Grey paced his huge study…waiting. The memorial for Mr. Jacobs had begun a couple of hours ago and Baxter and Ryan were both filming it for him. Earlier he had learned that two of the local television stations were present, filming as well. The police were trying to keep people away. This was not some big gathering for the public. The reporters on the scene were complaining that they had a right to be there until they were informed that this was a private funeral. Thus, gawkers and news hounds were not welcome.

In the background, Grey could see a dozen officers linking arms to prevent entry. He was grateful to have the influence to demand such protection for Anaville but sorry that he couldn't be there with Ana. The little village was lit by the people holding candles. Singing could be heard. Mr. Jacobs was particularly fond of an old song called "Yellow Bird" about a canary freed from its cage. Grey couldn't see her but he was sure that Ana was playing her guitar.

He was concerned that too much information about Anaville would get out and attract other homeless. The place was packed as it was. He'd bought all the land that the original settlers had lived on and he'd purchased more acreage. The weather had turned cold but the usual shelters were sparsely populated. If it was a choice between living in a tent with a heater…a home of their own…or a shelter full of strangers and danger, people were constantly coming by to ask about living in Anaville. Now that Mr. Jacobs was gone, Jake would be the liaison between Anaville's mysterious benefactor and Anaville's mayor. The news stations had moved on to the weather when the elevator pinged and Ana ran into his arms.

She was trembling. Her car had been returned to her and Baxter had asked her to take the film to Grey. He was busy on drums and one of the new residents who'd lost her guitar several moves ago was playing Ana's. Ana had been followed and then chased by news vans. She'd eluded them because her little bug was more maneuverable than the bulky vans. Still, it had frightened her.

Christian led her to the couch and then got her a cold water. He made sure that she swallowed the entire glass.

"Better?" he asked. She nodded. "I was being silly. They weren't going to hurt me. I think I just activated too much adrenaline. Want to watch the film?"

Baxter had done a good job. Grey could see everything clearly…the plaque on the tree with a picture on it…the tiny metal box being buried…Ana speaking to the crowd without notes.

"What is the picture?" he asked her.

"Jake sitting between his grandparents when he first moved in with them. Elliot made the box for the ashes and took Jake to the crematorium. The caterers were wonderful and the food, I'm told, was very good. We just had such a crowd and that wasn't expected. Everyone was grateful for the police presence and people were thanking them. It was a lovely evening. I missed you. Elliot kidded that we got the better brother," Ana snickered.

"You did," Christian agreed, kissing her head. Ana simply shook her head.

"You did a great job with that eulogy. How did you memorize all that?"

"Just habit. Student are always having to memorize."

Ana sighed and got up to leave. "Wait," Christian protested. "Where are you going?"

"Home. I have to study for an exam on Friday. It's the end of the semester. Hard to believe that in one more semester, I'll have my Masters."

Christian frowned like a little kid being told no. He pulled her down onto his lap and nuzzled her breasts. "Stay tonight. You have to sleep."

Ana giggled. "We won't sleep, Christian, and I won't leave in the morning. Besides, you have to make an appointment with Henry Austin as soon as possible. Now remember what I said. Edna is the one deeply attached to that shipyard. It was her father's. Be sure to ask her questions and include her in the conversation. She's the key. Let me know when Henry signs." She kissed his forehead and entered the elevator.

CHAPTER 56

As Grey sat brooding, he realized that Ana had one more week after this before the semester was over. With the holiday break upcoming, business dinners would be few and far between. When the elevator pinged, he leapt to his feet. She was back!

No, she wasn't. Elliot strode into the room with a big grin on his face. Christian fell back onto the couch.

"Met Ana on her way out. Wow, she was great tonight. Had everybody crying as she recounted how Anaville came to be. Apparently, old man Jacobs welcomed the first homeless years ago and helped them out. He filled up jugs of water and took them over. He and his wife crowded all of them into his little apartment on the coldest nights. He befriended all the local cops and introduced them to the homeless. He was dirt poor but he gave people money when they needed medicine and diapers and food. I guess I thought that Ana was their savior but it was Mr. Jacobs who started all of it and Ana got involved because of him. Why do you look so bummed?"

"Ana left. Had to study," he griped.

"Oh." Elliot paused for a moment. "Did I miss something? I thought that she was just Ms. Steele, your Ms. Adams, bewigged blonde dinner companion?"

"I thought so, too. Things change," Christian moaned.

"Chris, Ana will never be a sub for you. Hell, she'd dom you first," Elliot laughed. "And don't you have a sub anyway?"

"No," Christian grumbled. "I had to dismiss Delilah. She was attached. Even though I warned her about her NDA, she probably ran straight to Elena to cry about it."

"Chris, don't get any more subs from Lincoln. She's bad news, don't you see that?"

"Yeah, Elliot. As a matter of fact, I do. I went to a club to try to find someone but no luck yet."

He paused. Elliot knew something was up. "It's Ana, isn't it?" Then he plopped next to his brother on the couch. "What are you going to do? She'd no sooner let you truss her up than toss her out a window. In fact, she might do the tossing. Does she know yet about your hobby?"

Christian growled at Elliot. "It isn't a hobby, El. It's who I am."

Elliot smirked. "Is not. That's just Lincoln talking. She's got you brainwashed. You don't need all that crap up there in that room to enjoy a woman. In fact, you'll probably enjoy sex more without having that damn room. Wait a minute. I know that face. You've been with a woman, haven't you? One of those vacant blondes you used to take to business dinners…right?"

Christian shrugged. "Maybe."

Elliot just kept staring at him, studying him. "No, not one of those blondes. This was someone you cared about. Oh, my god, Chris. Have you lost your freakin' mind, bro? Ms. Anabelle Adams is way out of your sick league. You can't use a woman like her. You'll break her."

Christian got to his feet and started pacing, tearing at his hair. "More like she'll break me, El."

Elliot fell back against the couch cushions and groaned. "Well, you've really done it this time. What did I tell you, Chris? I told you years ago to quit the bitch and get your life back. She's got you so twisted up that you can't think straight anymore. When did you dismiss Delilah?"

"Couple weeks ago, I think. Can't quite remember. I've been mixed up a lot lately. I have to tell Ana and then she won't want anything to do with me. El, I had this nice, steady, no drama, controlled life until I hired that damn woman to be my companion. I had no idea that she'd be so good at the job and I'd get so attached. I mean…I need her now and not just as my defender from the predatory hordes.

"Yesterday was a mistake and my greatest fear is that she'll think so, too. I picture her just shrugging those slender little shoulders of hers and agreeing to continue just as we have been…except that I can't. I'm stuck now. I've never been enthralled to anyone. What's wrong with me?"

"You're lying to yourself, Chris. You've been enthralled to that Lincoln bitch since you were 15."

CHAPTER 57

Ana had been studying for a few hours and trying desperately to stay awake and sharp when she heard a knock at the door. Jake, she figured, in need of company. He'd had both a great evening and a rough one and now he was downstairs alone.

She checked the peephole and couldn't see anyone. Did he change his mind, think that he was bothering her and head back downstairs? She opened the door to catch him and instead found another sad sack sitting on the landing, leaning back against her wall. She sighed and went out to sit next to Christian.

"I thought that if I saw you for a little bit that maybe I'd be able to sleep after. How's the studying going?"

"It's a grind. It's been a very long day," Ana answered. She leaned her head on his shoulder and, in turn, he leaned his on her head. They sat like this for some time before Christian spoke.

"I shouldn't have bothered you."

"That's okay. I was kind of stalled anyway. I don't know why I keep going back over this stuff. I have it down cold. I guess I just can't take any chances."

"Don't yell at me, okay?" Christian asked. "You don't have to worry about tuition, books and such."

"Why don't I?" Ana asked, completely disingenuously. That Grey would offer to pay for everything had never occurred to her. She'd thought that Andrea was kidding her.

"Well, you do have a multi-billionaire completely besotted with you, you know," he said sheepishly.

Ana lifted her head. She stared at him. She needed a moment to regain her composure. "No, Christian. I've been on my own for a long time. I've never taken anything from anyone."

"I know, I know. I can't help it if I want to do things for you. You've become so important to me. I didn't see it coming and now I'm kind of lost. I want to take care of you so badly. I don't know what to do with all this emotion."

Ana sighed. "I understand, I guess. I've always been so independent that I don't know how to lean on anybody else. It's something I need to learn. Suppose I let you buy me a textbook?"

"A textbook? A lousy textbook? How much could that be anyway? $25, $30 bucks?"

"Try $300, grampa," Ana giggled. Christian was gaping at her. "Are the pages trimmed in gold?" he gasped.

"And rarely does a class make do with used books anymore," Ana pointed out. "The profs "update" a couple of chapters each year so that they can require new books. It's all a shell game. And the schools find more and more reasons to charge fees. Depending on the type of subject, a single class can easily cost up to a thousand dollars a semester. Anyone with labs is completely screwed."

"How long does it take to get a Ph.d?" Christian was now wondering why his parents were so anxious for him to complete a degree at Harvard. My god, he saved them a fortune and they were furious with him for dropping out.

"Depends on the doctorate. Usually a combination of literature and business like mine would take several years but I can't afford the time or money so I'll get it done in 18 months tops. Then I'll get the best jobs I can find."

"Jobs? Plural?"

"Yeah. I want to open my own publishing company and that will take all the money I can scrounge together. I want to have my company by the time I'm 30."

CHAPTER 58

They sat on the landing quietly until Christian realized that Ana's breathing was slow and even. She was worn out and asleep. He stood and picked her up in his arms, concerned that she was so light. Considering what she ate, when she ate, it wasn't surprising that she weighed so little but it was still disturbing. She never seemed lacking in energy. He decided that she lived on sheer determination. He carried her into her room, wondering if he should wake her. He certainly didn't want to but she might be angry if she woke in the morning without all the work done that she'd intended to finish. No…she said that she knew her stuff.

At least, he felt justified in undressing her since they'd been intimate. He pulled the covers back and tucked her in. He knew that he should leave but he also knew that he wouldn't sleep much if he slept alone. Gosh, if only he could talk her into staying with him at least a few nights a week…then he'd get more rest. She was correct, however, when she assumed that they wouldn't sleep much. He stood, looking down at her. Even just watching her sleep made him feel relaxed. She was already asleep, he thought, so what could it hurt if he just laid down next to her? He'd wake earlier than she would and then he could slip away before she even knew that he'd taken advantage.

He left the bathroom light on so he wouldn't stub his toes when he crawled out at dawn. Then he stripped down to his boxers and crawled under the covers. He decided against taking the chance of holding Ana so once again he laid like a board on the far side of the bed. Thank god she didn't sleep in a twin bed. He was out cold before he even had a chance to know it…so unlike at Escala when he'd stare at the ceiling for an hour before he felt the least bit sleepy. This woman was so good for him. He wanted to be good for her, too. She just wouldn't let him be. Stubborn woman.

The next thing he knew he was feeling so good, his whole body alive, blissful. He smiled and hummed. This feeling of ecstasy…he must be having a wonderful dream. When he opened his eyes, he saw a hump under the duvet and felt a wet warmth sliding all around his cock. He gripped the sheets as a tidal wave of pleasure swept through his entire body and he howled out the rapture that overcame him. He struggled to catch his breath and then to understand what had happened. He'd never had a dream like that. All he'd ever had were nightmares. He opened his eyes again to see Ana emerging from under the duvet. She was cupping his balls gently as she crept up his body and laid her head on his chest.

He'd slept quite a ways through the dawn. He was in the middle of the bed so he'd probably rolled over to Ana in his sleep. What had made him think that he could stay away from her when it was always where he needed to be? As his breathing calmed, he let go of the sheet and brought his hand up to cover her head and to stroke her hair. He thought to ask if she was angry with him for staying but as his brain began to work again, he knew that she wouldn't be sucking off his cock and petting his balls if she were feeling hostile.

"Ana, I've never been awakened so wonderfully in all my life. Thank you. I slept well, too."

"Don't you usually sleep well?" she asked as she kissed his chest.

"Never. Except for the last time we slept together." At this, Ana raised her head and looked at him, distressed. She shook her head.

"I don't understand. What do you mean…never?"

"Never before in my life. I didn't know what it felt like until I first slept with you. I didn't understand the feeling even. I'd hear people talk about getting a good night's sleep and I'd wonder what they were talking about."

Ana just stared at him. He saw tears brim in her soft blue eyes. "Oh, honey, don't…don't. You can't miss what you've never had. I'd get a few hours and then I'd have a nightmare. I'd play piano until morning. I've conquered quite a few difficult pieces with all that spare time," he tried to joke. It was to no avail as tears dropped to his chest.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her small body as if he could somehow protect her from his pain. He would keep her from all the pain in the world, if he could. She was so fragile, he felt, although she thought herself a rock. Meanwhile, she was trying to think of ways to keep him from his pain, his nightmares.

"Christian, what are your nightmares about?" He shook his head to indicate that he didn't want to burden her. "Tell me," she insisted and he knew that she wouldn't let up.

"All right, sweetheart. I'll tell you. Maybe we can share horror stories."

CHAPTER 59

So, he shared. It wasn't as difficult as he thought it would be. Talking with Ana was always easy. She didn't look at him with pity, just interest…thinking that it was incredible that he'd not only survived such an ordeal but emerged a kind, thoughtful, intelligent man who had accomplished so much.

Her story wasn't nearly as bad, she thought. A worthless, spiteful and vicious mother who mostly hurt her with words and intimidation. Yes, she had a few scars but nothing like the burns that Christian had endured.

Coincidence that both had been freed from their respective horror shows as very young children…Christian at four and Ana at six. Thereafter, he had had a lovely family and she had had her wonderful daddy Ray.

And now he was a successful businessman and she was soon to have her MA and MBA. They'd made it through.

What Christian didn't tell her was that she was the first woman he'd ever made love with and that he hardly knew what he was doing. Ana was learning, too. Another important thing that they shared. Although Ana seemed to be a natural…uninhibited.

Something they didn't share and Christian was afraid to share was, of course, his BDSM practice. He'd told her that he was a difficult and angry child…that his parents spent a fortune on therapy. Ana just assumed that the counseling had worked. He didn't tell her about John Flynn, the man who often kept Christian afloat. Ana didn't tell Christian that she sometimes had bad dreams about her mother. He was overprotective as it was. He'd probably find her mother and have her fitted with a nice pair of cement shoes and then take her on a boating excursion, Ana giggled inwardly.

It was the most they'd ever talked but both wanted more. He wanted to know everything about Ana. She wanted to know everything about this enigma of a man and what he could possibly see in an ordinary woman like her when the world was at his feet. He could have anyone but, for reasons she couldn't divine, he wanted her.

Being vulnerable to each other was tiring so they fell back to sleep, neither having any dreams.

Later, he awoke and simply watched her, feeling that if he watched her long enough, he'd begin to understand himself and this thing called emotions. He thought of so many words that seemed to go with Ana…need, craving, desperation, wonder and so many others that he couldn't name. Fear…that was one. It was strong and clutching at his heart. She overwhelmed him and he didn't know how to reach the surface and the air.

While with her, he didn't feel the fear. He felt safe and warm…peaceful, especially in bed, holding her. But when they were apart, the demons inside him screamed at him…sometimes threatening him…sometimes warning him. The demons laughed at him for wanting to believe that she cared for him. Lose your money…lose your pretty face and you'll lose her. You're a fool. Hold tight and still you'll crack.

The joy, the happiness isn't real, they cackled. It was all imaginary…as fragile as rice paper in the rain.

CHAPTER 60

When Ana awoke, Christian was gone. She was disappointed and hurt…yet not so surprised. It was after 10 a.m. and he had to get to work. She had to get to work, too, and she had a couple of classes later. If he'd stayed, it would have been hard for either to get out of bed. On Saturday night, they had a charity gala to attend and he'd warned that his parents also supported this particular cause. If Grace was present, the creaker might also be in attendance. On the bright side, Friday was the last day of the semester.

Ana didn't expect to hear from Christian until Saturday but he'd left her a text open on her new phone.

I slept well…again. If only I could bottle you and keep you on my nightstand.

She grinned happily. Then she tried to text back to him. It took her a while to tap out the message on the tiny keyboard.

I slept well, too. I'll see you Saturday and I hope you have a good rest of the week.

She was proud of herself for knowing how to do an emoji. She imagined him smiling.

However, she was wrong. He wasn't smiling. He stared down at her simple note and frowned…thinking that she had him by the balls and he didn't like it. He figured that she knew it, too, and if they continued seeing each other, he'd lose all control. He'd be lost to her. He had to find a new sub.

Elena had been calling and texting him since he released Delilah. She was relentless no matter how nasty he was to her. So convinced was she of her hold over him that even a shovel over the back of her head wouldn't deter her from believing that he would be drawn to her. Maybe she wasn't so wrong.

Send two subs to be interviewed. No blue eyes. I'll receive them tonight after 7 p.m.

Wish you'd called, darling. So long since I've heard your voice. However, I will do as you asked. Hope to visit a bit with you this Saturday. Kisses, Elena.

He groaned. If he didn't talk to her, his mother would wonder. Ana, on the other hand, would be bewildered at his sudden friendliness toward this woman. Perhaps that would be for the best. It would put her off and back on a professional basis with Grey. Waking up with his cock in her mouth was a sure sign that she was feeling too comfortable with her boss. He didn't want to hurt her but it was the only way to take back control of the relationship.

He wished that he hadn't left her that text this morning. Now she would be expecting to continue to have an intimate acquaintance with him. He had to discourage her feelings from growing. He had to convince her that she was just a good time for him…that she mustn't take his actions to mean that his affection for her was growing.

Besides, in the spring she might be leaving for another city to pursue her doctorate and then she'd get a job who knows where. She was going to be leaving him for certain. There was no way to control this situation and the pain for him might be unbearable.

He needed to say goodbye before she left.

CHAPTER 61

Periodically, over the next few days, Ana would check her phone for calls or text messages. Once she even called Andrea to inquire as to whether Grey had said anything about trying to get ahold of her…but nothing. She told herself that he was busy. She told herself that she'd see him soon. She hadn't yet acknowledged to herself that she missed him…that she was becoming attached.

Meanwhile, Grey was fighting with himself every minute to restrain his urge to call Ana. It was for the best…what he was doing, he told himself. He wasn't sleeping…even his appetite was poor. Just stick to the plan he urged himself.

By Saturday afternoon, he was a nervous wreck. He forced himself to text Ana with a lie that he couldn't pick her up that evening. She would have to drive herself and meet him at the Fairmont Hotel at 7 p.m.

Ana was disappointed and hurt but she told herself again that he was busy. With the semester over, she would have nothing but free time. Maybe they could spend Sunday together?

That afternoon Ana took extra care with her makeup, her wig and her gown. She'd never fussed much before. It had been just as though she were donning a uniform. Nor was she truly conscious that she was trying harder for this particular evening. As she drove Wanda south to the Fairmont, she was vaguely aware of feeling anxious but she tried to ignore it. She put it down to being excited to see Christian.

As she left her coat with the checkroom, she looked around for Christian. She'd thought that he'd be waiting for her but he wasn't. She swept gracefully into the main room, feeling slightly bereft, and then she saw him. He was sitting at a table with his parents and, to her dismay, the creaker, Mrs. Lincoln. The foursome was deep in conversation, Christian sitting in between his mother and Elena. He didn't look up. He wasn't watching for her. Ana felt a strange discomfort in her stomach. Making her way to the table, she saw that it was a table for four and there was no chair for her.

"Good evening, everyone," she smiled brightly. All four looked up at her with curious expressions.

"Good evening, Anabelle," Grace smiled. "Christian didn't tell us that you would be here tonight."

"Are you certain that you were expected, Ms. Adams?" Elena glared at her. Suddenly, Ana felt quite unsure about her welcome and she was having trouble breathing. Christian got up and picked up a chair from another table, seating Ana beside Elena. He smiled tightly and said good evening to her but then returned to his place between his mother and his mentor. Ana sat quietly, listening as Carrick continued the conversation.

Ana would have tried to join in but she couldn't hear what they were saying. Her head was buzzing and her body was tingling unpleasantly. Then she felt someone standing next to her…Harry Martsen.

"Ms. Adams, when Mr. Grey came in and you weren't with him, I was afraid that I wouldn't get to see you again. I wanted to thank you for all you did for me. Mr. Grey is doing such wonderful things for my family and he gave me a good job in his mailroom. This is my last night working here."

"Oh, Harry, I am so delighted for you. I just know that you'll be a grand success," Ana beamed at him.

"You look pale, Ms. Adams."

"I'm all right, Harry. I'm just dehydrated, I think. I'm rather dizzy. Could you get me a large water, please?" Harry nodded and raced off. Ana watched him go, unaware that Christian was looking at her with concern. She didn't look well. He leaned around the back of Elena.

"Ana, are you ill?" Her wan appearance frightened him. He stood up and asked Elena to switch seats with him. It was clear that she didn't want to do so…insisting that they continue their talk.

"Ms. Adams is fine, aren't you, dear? Christian, sit down." His back to his parents, he scowled at Elena and insisted that she get up and move. With a huff, she did so.

"Ana, answer me. Are you ill?" He observed her with a stern expression.

"I'm sure that I'm not ill, Christian. I just need something to drink. Harry is getting me a glass of water. Thank you, by the way, for being so good to him. It was kind of you." Ana smiled slightly.

Yeah, thought Christian, I'm a real good guy. I'm only treating you like shit. He watched carefully as Ana downed her drink and asked Harry to bring another.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't pick you up tonight."…but I'm a louse, he thought.

Ana pretended that it wasn't important. Her rehabbed Beetle was running beautifully now, she said.

CHAPTER 62

Grey wanted more than anything to continue gazing into Ana's eyes, to put his arm around her, but he silently reminded himself that he had to tough this out. He turned again to converse with his parents and Elena. His parents, still believing that Ana was merely a companion of no importance, chose to also continue the conversation they'd been having. Why get to know someone who meant little to their son?

Ana, feeling better, listened but could find no way to join in on a subject she knew nothing about. She sat, her hands clenched together in her lap. Dinner came and went. Ana ate little. Grey saw but said nothing. Harry asked if there was something different that he could get for Ana but she thanked him and said no. There were speeches and auctions. Someone came over to the table and asked Ana to volunteer to be auctioned off…a prospect that horrified her but Christian encouraged her.

Ana, though she didn't believe so, was easily the loveliest young woman in the room. Even dejected, she glowed under the twinkling lights. The emcee introduced each girl with a silly biography until he came to Ana. He said only that she was stunning and the bidding would start at $100. Ana stood, her shoulders square and a pleasant look on her face. She didn't want to embarrass Christian by breaking down. She had to be on display for quite some time as the bidding continued on up and up. Cries of $200, $300, $500, $1000 and onward came out from the crowd. No other girl had gone for more than $400. Ana didn't hear the bidding, really. She strained to hear Christian's voice but finally the bidding ended at $3000 and an elderly gentleman came to collect his prize. Grey hadn't place a bid at all.

The dancing began and the old fellow was sweet and kind to her. He remarked that he didn't know why her boyfriend hadn't tried to win her. She smiled brightly at him and said that she'd asked that he not do so. She glanced around the room to see Grey dancing with Mrs. Lincoln. She tried to feel angry but she could feel only deep hurt, twisting inside her stomach. Her partner walked her back to the table where she sat alone for several minutes. Then she rose from her chair and walked rapidly to the ladies lounge and into a stall where she retched for several minutes.

As she left the lounge, she passed Harry and asked him to wait a while and then tell Mr. Grey that she hadn't felt well and had to leave. Harry followed her out to the coat check and helped her into her wrap. She gave him a hug and wished him well. He watched her sadly until the valet brought her car around and then he strode furiously to the Grey table.

"Mr. Grey?" Christian looked up and smiled at Harry.

"Harry, your last night, isn't it? Are you looking forward to Monday?"

"Yes, sir," Harry said without enthusiasm. "Sir, Ms. Adams asked me to tell you that she wasn't feeling well and had to leave. I saw her to her car, sir." Then he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Grey staring after him.

Elena heard all and inwardly grinned in glee. Carrick and Grace looked concerned, saying that at least Ms. Adams could have said goodbye and then they went back to talking with Elena about this and that and nothing at all. Grey was bored and wished he could have talked with Ana. She was always so interesting.

He was deeply ashamed of the way he'd treated her tonight but it was necessary…wasn't it?

He excused himself from the table and found a quiet corner by the coatroom. It wouldn't encourage Ana if he simply texted her to check on her health, now would it? No, of course not. It would, in fact, be expected that her boss be concerned.

You left without a goodbye. Harry said that you were unwell.

Then he waited. She would still be driving and shouldn't be texting…so he waited. Fifteen minutes later, he still sat on the couch.

"Christian, your parents are wondering about you. Why did you disappear like that? We were having such a nice time together." Elena stood over him, a false cheer in her smoke-ravaged voice.

"Go back in, Elena. I'm just looking in on Ana. I want to be certain that she got home all right."

"She's a grown woman, Christian. She has a phone. She probably called a friend to sit with her."

Grey said nothing…nothing like Ana doesn't have a friend to call and she thought that I was her friend.

Elena sat down next to Christian, too close for his comfort. "Sheryl is so looking forward to her first session with you later. She comes highly recommended and I know that you'll enjoy her company. No limits…that isn't easy to find. I also warned her to remain detached."

Liar, thought Christian. "Yes, I got the impression from her during our interview that she didn't find me at all attractive. She was just insistent that I give her sufficient pain to avoid the boredom she felt with her previous Dom. I have a good feeling that I shall be renewing her contract in three months and beyond." He inwardly smirked at Elena's undisguised chagrin.

CHAPTER 63

I'm better now. Go back to your party. Goodnight.

Grey had been staring at the same text from Ana since he arrived home. It was well after midnight. He'd looked in the sub's bedroom. Sheryl was asleep and snoring. The night had been an unmitigated disaster even though it had gone as he wanted it to go. There was no doubt that he'd discouraged any notions of romance in Ana's mind. He knew that he'd wounded her deeply. Having to sit still in his seat and watch her being auctioned off, alone and brave…it killed him. How could he do that to the sweet woman who laid her head on his shoulder, sitting in her hallway?

He wandered the penthouse for hours, unable to rest for even a short while. Why couldn't he have just explained to her that they couldn't be lovers? What the hell was wrong with him that he could one night hold her like the greatest treasure he'd ever know and a few nights later allow her to believe that she was nothing to him?

I'm better now. Go back to your party. Goodnight.

The pain in his chest was almost unbearable. He'd never cared for anyone like he did Ana and he'd let fear control him. He owed her the truth so that she could walk away with some peace.

Ana, are you sleeping? Please forgive me.

It was into the wee hours when he decided to drive past her place again. He hoped to find her window gone dark so that he could believe that she was able to forget about him until morning.

Her lights were out but this didn't comfort him at all. Maybe she was lying awake still. Maybe she was crying. Maybe she hated him. He rather hoped that she did.

She had had to be strong all her life and take care of others while she had no one to lean on and then he'd let her trust him. He'd made her trust him and then he'd crushed her.

Ana, I'm down in the street, watching your window.

Ana lay in the dark, reading Christian's message. She'd tried to be strong and angry when she walked away. Yet she had almost turned Wanda around. She didn't understand why Christian had gone to such lengths to hurt her, to humiliate her. She didn't understand why she had sobbed for hours until she was too worn out to fight the agony. She looked down into the street. Yes, there he was in a fancy sports car. He must be hurting. He must be confused.

Ana began to comprehend that she was weak where Christian was concerned. It was a new sensation and one she didn't welcome…still, there it was. He was down in the street and he was in pain and in need of her. She knew that it wasn't a good place for her to be in. She hadn't been careful. She'd been arrogant, certain of her strength, her ability to stand on her own and now look. Knowing that he was sitting down in the street at 3 a.m. was tearing at her heart.

She had to end this. She had to send him on his way except…except to where? He was alone, too, and he wasn't as strong as she believed herself to be. She actually blamed herself for leading him on. It was a business arrangement but she'd taken it too far. She'd thought she could help him and it was her fault that his heart was compromised. He believed now that he meant something to her and that, therefore, he was safe with her.

Well, neither of them was safe. Somehow she had to help him go.

I'm awake. You can come up if you wish.

CHAPTER 65

She'd intended to open the door, wave Grey in and then speak plainly with him. She would tell him that emotions had gotten out of hand, emotions that neither of them were prepared to handle. She would then turn over her dress and shoes and wig and send him on his way. They would both hurt for a while but soon enough what they thought they felt would fade.

However, matters didn't go that way. She opened the door and he ran up the stairs, clutching her to his body. They didn't talk as they should have. The craving for each other was too strong, made stronger by the evenings manipulations that had kept them apart. They stood in the doorway, kissing until they needed air and then beginning again. Eventually, they wanted so badly to be truly together that Christian picked her up and took her to bed, kicking the door shut behind him. It was a frenzy of sex for a long time with Christian having to taste her everywhere. He brought her to orgasm after orgasm, desperate to watch her shatter, to own her. She screamed for him, him! Watching her come was all it took to make him come as well. Slowly, they tired. They made love. They connected and found it unthinkable to separate as they collapsed, sleeping.

In the morning, Christian's back was covered in scratches and Ana's body was covered in the marks from his mouth. Yet, in the morning, still connected, they began again. This time they made love…gentle yet passionate love. Christian buried his face in her shoulder and cried. He hadn't cried since he was a terrified and burnt little boy. In a different way, he was still terrified and burning but this time because he loved a woman.

Ana grasped him to her as tightly as she could, her arm around his back and her hand in his hair. She hummed and massaged his head until he stopped crying and sighed with contentment. He rolled onto his side with Ana and finally looked into her azure blue eyes. No more brown contacts, he thought. He had to see her eyes, had to see into them. He ran his hand through her lush chocolate locks. No more wig. No more makeup. Just Ana.

"I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry. I was in ragged knots all night even as I thought of more ways to hurt you…to make you believe that you meant nothing to me. Ana, you mean everything to me. I love you, Ana. I love you," he swore as he looked deep into her eyes. "Do you hear me, Ana?

"Do you believe me? Can you believe me?"

Ana didn't realize then that it was too late for her to turn back. She was alive in this moment with this man who owned her heart and soul. All that followed for them was inevitable. She was unable to refuse him anything and he was unable to see the reality of what he was offering her. He was so ridiculously happy and so completely focused on taking care of Ana that he was blind to what he was doing to her.

The little room that she loved and her cozy neighborhood had to be abandoned. It wasn't even a consideration that she would stay another night. She had to be with Christian and so Taylor sent a couple of agents to pack up her few belongings to move to Escala. Before long, Grey had seen to it that Caroline Acton had filled Ana's side of the closet and Ana's bureau drawers with all new clothing. Her worn outfits, purchased at the thrift store, disappeared into the incinerator along with all of her books, collected from used bookstores over the years. Grey's library was filled with first editions and he declared that this was her room alone. He installed a work area and the newest of Apple products. He even tucked a large club chair by the window. Ana would spend many hours there.

After their night together, with the memory of Ana's lips on his and the declaration of her love for him tucked deep inside his heart, Christian left for Escala. Miraculously, his Audi R8 was still intact after a night on the street. He didn't know that thugs had come for it a couple of times but each time had been repelled by residents of Anaville.

He drove home in a daze, a wonderful and joyous daze that temporarily distracted him from the unpleasant job waiting for him…Sheryl. She was understandably shocked by her dismissal. She threw half his desktop at him before Taylor carried her to the elevator. She was not appeased by the large check, the car, the diamond tennis bracelet (one of dozens that Grey kept in a drawer) that Grey gifted to her. And, yes, Mrs. Lincoln would certainly hear about this. Fuck your fucking NDA, you fucking a**hole.

Within the hour, Elena called. Grey decided to rip the bandage off quickly rather than avoid her forever after.

"Hello, Elena. Yes, quite sudden. No, nothing at all wrong with Sheryl except for her vocabulary. My reasons are none of your business. You taught me that. No one questions a Dom. By the way, I will no longer be a Dom. My girlfriend is not a submissive sort. Pain is not her idea of a good time. No, I'm not interested in introducing you. There is no point. Goodbye, Elena and farewell."

He was grinning ear to ear when Taylor came back into the study. It was clear that he was curious but Grey was happy so, he thought, leave it alone.

"Sir, Ms. Steele is on her way up. Ryan and Reynolds are following with a few boxes. Is there anything else that you require?"

"Yes. Assemble the rest of the staff for introductions to Ms. Steele."

CHAPTER 66

As Ana flew off the elevator and into Christian's arms, heart aching for him after only a few hours apart, he whirled around with her, kissing her face.

The staff could only gape in astonishment. What, when, how…who, they stared at Taylor while he shrugged. When Christian finally set Ana back on her feet, his arm firmly around her waist, he turned to the staff lined up before them like toy soldiers. He was beaming and his employees were nervous.

"Everyone, this is my girlfriend, Anastasia Rose Steele. She will be living here. This is now her home as much as it is mine. You will address her concerns and desires with the same respect as you do mine. Should she ask that the chandelier in the foyer be removed, you will do it. No need to check with me. Is that understood?"

Heads nodded like the bobble head that Ana had attached to Wanda's dash…ironically, it was that of a queen. Then Grey introduced each employee to Ana. She'd met Taylor, his…strike that...their chief of security. She'd also met Ryan and Reynolds. Now she was introduced to Baxter and someone new, Preston. Preston, she was told would be her personal close protection officer. Ana looked at Christian in alarm.

"And this is Gail Taylor, Jason's wife and our housekeeper. Gail is the one exception to the rule that everything is yours and everyone answers to you. Gail owns the kitchen but she shares on the weekends. She usually leaves a casserole or two in the fridge." Ana felt immediately comfortable with Gail who radiated warmth and welcome. She remarked that she would like to have a talk with Ana about the kinds of foods she liked.

"Healthy foods, such as you cook for me, Gail. Low carb and no sugar," Christian answered for Ana who didn't object. She was still overwhelmed by the news that she would need a bodyguard. When introductions were complete, Christian gave Ana a tour of her new home. Its enormity stunned her. He'd told her that the penthouse was large but she'd just come from years of living in just under 200 sq. feet. Now she had to accustom herself to 10,000.

He showed her the panic room and the main security office with its monitors and other surveillance equipment. In one monitor, she found herself looking at the space where she'd just been introduced to the staff.

The second floor, Grey told her, was just guest rooms, rarely used. Why? She asked. This is when she learned that Grey had no friends and seldom saw his family members unless they ran into each other at a charity event.

There was a gorgeous, glossy grand piano in the great room. She tried to recall if Grey had ever mentioned being able to play. Now she found that he could play at a concert level. She gaped at him. At the side of the piano, leaning in its case, was a guitar to replace the one that Ana had given to the girl who lived in Anaville. She marveled at Grey's thoughtfulness. She was soon to find out that he rarely missed a step.

Finally, he lead her round the stairs to the master bedroom. It contained a bed, a double king-sized bed. How, she asked Grey, did Gail manage to change the sheets? He shrugged. Maybe security helped. Ana was momentarily distracted by the thought that this woman would be handling the bed linens on which she and Grey had sex. She had removed the sheets from her bed before she left her studio because she didn't want anyone else to see the mess left after she and Christian made love.

"Hungry? We didn't have breakfast unless you count swallowing each other's fluids," Christian chuckled. Noting Ana's blush, he told her that she was the most delicious thing he'd ever tasted.

CHAPTER 67

"Why do I need a bodyguard, Christian?" Ana asked with wide eyes.

"Why are you surprised? I have Taylor. Why would I leave you unprotected? Christian held her close and kissed her forehead.

"Why do I need protection? Who would want to hurt me?"

Christian sat on the bed with Ana on his lap. He sighed. "I suppose that I should have explained a few things to you about my life." He tenderly tucked a tendril of her hair behind her ear. "When I became a multi-millionaire, I became news-worthy. Pictures of me and anyone associated with me ended up on the front page of tabloids and even legitimate news outlets."

"I know that paparazzi took photos of Anabelle Adams but what is so dangerous about that?" Ana protested.

"For one thing, as Anabelle, you were in disguise and of interest only a time or two a week. As Ana, my girlfriend and housemate, you will be hounded on a daily basis. Most of the time, people will simply be annoyances. Sometimes, they will be a danger to you."

"A danger…how?" Ana felt a rising panic in her gut.

"Kidnapping, jealous attacks…." Ana jumped off his lap and stared at him.

"People will try to kidnap me, attack me…all because I'm your girlfriend?! Christian got to his feet and pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry. I know that I sounded nonchalant. Of course, this sounds new and frightening to you. I was being stupid. The occasional threat is why I have Taylor and the rest of the security and why you'll have Ms. Preston. I never give them a thought anymore and aside from a cabinet drawer in the security office full of letters, I've never actually been attacked. There will always be angry people who want to blame their bad luck on people who seem to unfairly have good luck. I've worked 80+ hours a week since I first started my company to reach the level of wealth that I currently have…and now you have."

"What do you mean…I have?"

"What's mine is yours now, Ana. You are a very rich young woman. Even if that weren't true, people would assume it because we are a couple. That makes you as much a target as me. The bad guys out there will know that I'd hand over Grey Enterprise Holdings to get you back, to keep you safe. I could always start over but there will never be another woman for me. You are my treasure. You are mine."

"Christian, I don't want your money. I will earn my Ph.d and I will somehow build my own company just like you did."

"And I will help you however I can, Ana. After all, I may be a self-made man but I was raised in a rich family by educated parents. I received a good education that I didn't pay for unlike you. My grandfather, Theo, was a business genius who taught me everything he'd learned building his company and fortune. I had connections due to the prominence of the Grey family. I had help and there is no reason why I shouldn't help you."

"I think, Christian, that I am just overwhelmed. The changes in my life since I opened my door to you last night have been incredible. I don't know how to be rich. I've never wanted to be rich and now I know that Taylor isn't just your driver…he's your protector. Every time you're out of my sight, I'll be a wreck worrying about someone shooting at you."

"My Mercedes SUV is bullet-proof." Ana stared at him. He smiled smugly. He didn't understand that none of what he was offering impressed her. She was only frightened. She was accustomed to a small world. Grey's world was vast and mind-boggling. And there was more, she suspected, so much more for her to learn. She shut her eyes tight. She had to be with Christian…that was all that was clear to her now. The rest will come, she told herself. The rest will come.

"Come. Let's get some food into you. You're too light. I worry that you aren't strong enough."

Grey took her hand and towed her out into the kitchen. "Do you like mac and cheese? Gail has a special recipe."

He didn't wait for an answer. He just dished out large amount into big bowls and then set down glasses of Merlot on the counter. Ana sat down on a stool. She knew nothing about wine but she thought that she ought to learn since Christian drank it all the time. She sipped the Merlot and made a face. Christian assured her that she'd get used to it. Why, she wondered much later, did she have to "get used to it"? She liked water. The mac and cheese was good but she certainly couldn't eat all that he'd given her. He pushed her to eat just a little bit more and so she did.

CHAPTER 68

Ana had a few weeks break before beginning her final semester to earn her MA and MBA but she wanted to get a jump on the work so she decided to purchase her textbooks. Christian had decided to take a break from GEH while Ana wasn't in school, however. He wanted to spend as much time as possible with her before she had to start back in January. He convinced her to let him take her on a vacation so she put off the reading she'd planned.

They flew one of the Grey jets to Aspen where Christian had a chalet. Ana was dazzled by the magnificent structure and its breathtaking views of the mountains. Before they left, Ana stood in the closet wondering what one wears in Aspen but Christian told her that Caroline Acton had already arranged for all the wardrobe that Ana would need to be sent ahead to the chalet. Ana only had to wear clothes for the plane ride.

Christian continually referred to the chalet and the jet as "ours". This made Ana uneasy because she'd done nothing to earn these things. She tried to explain to Christian that his generosity made her feel uncomfortable…that she appreciated that he shared them with her but that sharing was enough. Christian explained again that she was his, that all he had would always be hers and that he could never repay her for all the happiness she brought to his life.

"I don't know how to make you see all that you give to me, Ana. I've never been happy. I've never known joy or contentment. What I give to you is just things. What you give to me is priceless. Let me, please. Having you, caring for you, is everything to me."

After a couple of weeks, Ana caught herself before she tried to correct Christian's use of the word "ours" and after a couple more weeks, she forgot about it all together. When she went to the campus bookstore to buy her textbooks, she handed over a black Amex card without noticing the look on the face of the clerk. Only a few of the very richest students carried the premier credit card. And when she used an ATM to get cash for lunch, she didn't even bother to see if she had enough of a balance. She knew that Christian would see to it that there was at least $50,000 in her checking account.

One day, arriving home with Preston, Ana looked at the cold white leather couches in the great room. She went online to check local furniture stores and found comfy upholstered couches in a dark green. By the time Christian arrived home, he found the great room completely redone. He was delighted that Ana had taken charge and spent their money. He'd always hated those leather and chrome sofas that Elena had picked out. He twirled Ana around and immediately took her into their bedroom to make mad love to her. She giggled in delight. The staff pressured Taylor to have the bedroom soundproofed.

It was that evening that Grey revealed more of himself to Ana. He felt confident now that she wouldn't leave him when she learned the truth of his life before her. In the afterglow, he sat up against the headboard, holding Ana in his arms, curled against his chest. She could not have been more content. She was practically purring. While he was initially concerned about her misgivings, he was now certain that she had adjusted and would not leave him. He took a deep breath and asked her if she wanted to know his deepest, darkest secret. It was ugly, he warned her, and she might want to move away from him while he talked it through. She only hugged him harder.

And so, he began.

CHAPTER 69

Christian's confession that he'd been practicing BDSM since he was 15 after being seduced by Elena Lincoln was easier to tell Ana than he thought it would be. He was unaware that it was much harder for Ana to listen. She sat up in bed and asked him more about it in greater detail.

"Christian, it sounds like she tortured you. Ball gags, ropes, handcuffs, whips, canes and shackles? She was a sadist, a pedophile."

"I guess it sounds like that but really, Ana, I was out of control…being kicked out of schools, beating other students, failing grades. My parents were frantic."

"So, when you changed literally overnight into a good son, they didn't ask what was going on in your life?"

"Well, no. I think they were just relieved. They thought that I'd grown out of that behavior…that Elena was right that I just needed to work out my aggression with manual labor."

"When did this torture end?"

Christian was now feeling less sure of his standing with Ana but he couldn't lie to her. She had an uncanny way of reading him. He gulped and went on to tell her about becoming a Dominant in his 20s.

"You tortured women just as you'd been tortured? What did you do to these women?"

"Whatever they wanted. We signed a contract with our needs and limits spelled out. I couldn't do anything to them that they didn't ask for me to do."

"Well, that's easily gotten round, isn't it? You just didn't hire any sub who wouldn't give you what you wanted…and tell me, Christian, what was it that you wanted?"

By now, Ana was standing over him, staring down and daring him to lie to her. She'd walk. He knew it. If he lied to her, that would be it between them. And so, he showed her copies of the contracts he had signed with his last few subs. One sub loved fisting and her previous Dom wouldn't do it so she left him. Another sub wanted the cane and another the whip. None had any limits at all.

Grey swore to Ana that no limits weren't important to him but that he was much in demand because he was considered a fair and generous dominant so the subs that Elena sent him offered no limits in the hope of increasing their chances of becoming his sub. Nonetheless, as their dom, it was his duty to see to it that they were happy so he watched their reactions and he was able to detect if something they'd said they were okay with…they were, in fact, not.

He kept talking, seemingly digging himself in deeper with every word. Ana had gone from staring at him to bowing her head. Suddenly she shot up and glared at him.

"It's upstairs, isn't it? Where you did all these things? Show me!"

Grey thought it best not to argue. He quickly drew on his robe and rushed into the kitchen to the drawer where all the keys were kept. Ana was waiting at the foot of the stairs. They walked together, in silence, down the hall to the last door. Ana wouldn't look at him. She stared at the doorknob. He turned the key and pushed the door open. Ana found the switch and lit up the room. Grey cringed as he realized how it all looked to an outsider. It had been his refuge and sanctuary for the past five years and now he just wanted to watch it burn.

Ana stood stock still, her back to Christian. He stood frozen to the threshold. Her hair shone in the light and he had the urge to braid it. Ana began to roam through the room, touching implements as she passed them hanging on the wall and on stands. She stood for a moment looking at the St. Andrews Cross and then up at the carabiners at the ceiling. She stopped at a beautiful chest that might have held jewelry but instead contained butt plugs and nipple clamps.

Finally, she came to the bench and the belts hanging next to it. At the bed, she saw ropes attached to gold rings at each corner. Women stretched out for display. She winced as she recalled Christian spreading her legs and examining her folds and telling her how soft and lovely they looked to him. She'd felt embarrassed but thought that she was just too inexperienced to understand that it was okay. She didn't feel that she could object to anything.

"I don't do this anymore, Ana. I never intended to ask you to join me in here. The women who shared this with me very much wanted it. Some felt that I wasn't hard enough and they left me for harsher doms. It never occurred to me for a single moment to make you my sub. You're not wired the way subs are. One of the things I asked each candidate was whether they were abused as children because I couldn't understand why they wanted all this. They just said that they liked the kink and the pain turned them on.

"Ana, for god's sake, talk to me," he pleaded.

"I can't live here knowing that this room is up here, waiting for when you're done with me and you need subs again. I can't, Christian," she turned to him with tears brimming in her soft blue eyes.

CHAPTER 70

"I haven't used it since before I met you. I'll have it dismantled tomorrow. Please let me hold you, honey. I'm crumbling over here."

Ana walked into his arms and together they left. He didn't bother to lock the door. First thing in the morning, he'd have a crew demolish everything and turn the room into another guestroom. He needed to hold Ana as close as possible so he picked her up and cradled her against his chest. He set her down on a stool at the breakfast bar while he got her a glass of water.

Ana looked up into his eyes. He knew that she was trying so hard to understand and all he could tell her was that it was all he knew since he was 15 years-old. Being indoctrinated so young, he believed what Elena told him. He was one of the special people. Most people were dull and stupid but he was going to be a god among men one day.

"And did you come to believe that, Christian? Do you see yourself as a god among men?"

"Well, right now I feel about 5 inches tall…maybe a god among worms?"

Ana didn't laugh. "I've been in therapy for my nightmares for years and my counselor has been trying to get me to see that I've been brainwashed by Elena. We're still working on that one. All I know is that without her, I'd be in jail or dead. I was on the fast track to failure when she took me in hand."

"Christian, this is just a hunch but does Elena come to you for money?" He nodded. "Well, doesn't that tell you something about her motives?"

"She says that I owe her…that she made me the man I am today." He felt foolish saying it out loud.

"You mean, the man who, until recently, was without joy or happiness…that man?" Her words hit him hard. He hadn't thought about it but Ana was right. Sure, he was rich but Elena hadn't taught him to be happy. Ana had done that. She reached for his hand and took him back to bed where she loved him to sleep. She stayed awake for hours more.

That was the last time they mentioned BDSM. The room upstairs was gone the next night and there was nothing from it that Grey thought worth keeping. His vanilla sex life with Ana was more than he'd ever desire.

To Ana, time was a blur of changes. Every day, it seemed, she had to adjust to something new. Wanda stayed in her space, humble and still, surrounded by Grey's fleet. He feared her being in a car without bullet proof glass. Besides, Preston drove Ana to school every day. By now, everyone knew about her, about the girlfriend of the Prince of Seattle. Christian had even introduced her to his entire family, taking her to Christmas dinner and the annual Christmas party at Grey Manor.

She was fearful of dressing inappropriately and required his input on every outfit. She had never before cared about what she was wearing and now she needed his approval on shoes. She had met his parents, of course, but finding that Anabelle Adams and Ana Steele were the same person startled them and put them on guard. Sitting in the living room while Christian was in the study being grilled by his parents and warned to be careful, Ana tried to relax and converse with Elliot and his sister, Mia. Thank god for Elliot. He was the warmest person in the family and he liked her. He told her that he'd convinced Jake to move into the second bedroom in his condo because he felt that Jake needed someone to look out for him now. Ana still had legal guardianship but she trusted Elliot. He had even given up bar hopping on weekends because he didn't want to leave Jake alone. He didn't bring any more skanky bottle blondes home either. He felt a strong responsibility to be a good role model for Jake. He looked after Jake's inheritance, the Jacob's building, as well.

Mia was another case all together.

CHAPTER 71

"You know, my brother and I were always very close…until his teen years. Now he doesn't come around much anymore. So, what do you want with him anyway?" Mia didn't disguise her distaste for Ana.

"He'll come around more now. I think that he realizes that he misses all of you."

"You dodged my question. What's in it for you, Ms. Adams or Ms. Steele?"

"Please call me Ana. I was originally supposed to be an employee who escorted him to all the events he had to attend. He wanted me to discourage all the women who came onto him. He didn't like that. I tried to protect him from intrusion. One night I helped him with a new acquisition that he was having trouble buying from the owner. That felt good…better than just being arm candy.

"In exchange, he paid me for my time. I was, basically, just another employee. Falling in love was a great surprise for both of us. It's been an adjustment. I've always been so independent."

"Elliot said that you lived in a dump out by that homeless encampment," Mia sneered.

"Mia, thanks to Ana, that settlement is now a nice neighborhood. Everyone there loves her. They even named the place Anaville," Elliot put in.

Mia huffed and glared at her eldest brother. "You mean, thanks to you and Christian. Ana did nothing except schmooz you two into throwing a lot of money at all those lazy, filthy users down there."

Ana somehow held her temper. "I'm sure that if you met the residents of Anaville, you'd come to understand that they are good people just down on their luck."

"Well, they aren't down on their luck anymore, are they? My brothers spent a fortune fixing the place up. Maybe if those people got jobs they wouldn't need to live like bums."

"They aren't bums, Mia," Ana asserted coldly.

"And you aren't anymore either, are you? You've moved on up, way up. 20 floors straight into a penthouse. You've got Christian to support you, pay for school, too. Although I don't know why you're bothering with an education when you've got my brother's Amex card in your pocket."

"That's enough, Mia!" Elliot fumed. "If I recall, you also have an Amex from Christian. You don't have a job and you live at home with Mommy and Daddy."

"That's different, El. I'm family. Ana's just some opportunist, using Christian. You know he's too naïve to understand what she's doing. Why aren't you protecting him?"

"Because I happen to believe that Ana is the best thing to ever happen to Chris. I just hope to god that she sticks around after you and the 'rents get done with her."

The voices from the study were louder now. It was obvious that Christian's parents weren't happy about Ana. She was certain that Christian was rethinking his involvement with her. She was suddenly in fight or flight mode…more flight than fight, actually. She was about to ask Elliot for a ride back to Escala when Christian stormed out of his father's office. His face was beet red.

Merry Christmas, Ana thought. And to think they were expected back for the New Year's gala.

"Ana, grab your coat. We're leaving." Ana didn't need persuading. She smiled at Elliot sadly and took Christian's hand. "I hope that you'll come by sometime with Jake, Elliot. I'd also like to have a birthday party for him. Eighteen is a big one, you know." Elliot nodded.

"Wait, Christian, please wait, dear," Grace blocked their way to the door. "Please stay. Let's try to talk."

"Well, you haven't called Ana a kept woman yet, Mom. I think that's about all that's left for you to say, isn't it?"

Grace was wringing her hands and looking so distraught that Ana felt badly for her. She didn't want to come between Christian and his family. As he pulled on her hand, she held back. He looked confused.

"Christian, perhaps if your parents felt free to speak with me, ask me questions, it would help them to worry less about you. Five minutes. Please?" Christian pulled her close and kissed her head. He adored this woman.

Grace looked grateful for Ana's intervention. Mia looked disgusted. Elliot smiled.

CHAPTER 72

Ana sat between Elliot and Christian on one couch…facing Grace, Carrick and Mia on the couch opposite.

"Hmm…should I start…maybe not…Christian?" Ana looked helplessly at her boyfriend who looked furious. Grace looked worried…Carrick dubious and Mia was almost audibly snarling at Ana.

"Well, go on, Mom. This was your wish…to talk." Christian was in no mood to be kind to his "savior".

Carrick was about to speak but Grace stopped him. "Well, Ms. Adams, I…" Christian leaned forward and snapped at his mother. "Her name is Ana Steele and you know damn well."

"It's confusing, Christian. We met Ana as a blonde, brown-eyed employee and now you present her as a brunette, blue-eyed girlfriend who will be living with you and be supported by you. You have so little experience with women so, naturally, we fear that you've been bamboozled."

Ana snickered, to the expressions of displeasure from the other couch. "Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that I haven't heard that word since my father once warned me that upon going out into the world on my own I must be careful to not let some smooth talker bamboozle me."

"Where do your parents live, Ana?" Carrick began his interrogation.

"I hope that there is a heaven and that my daddy is waiting there for me. My mother abandoned us when I was 6 and I've no idea where she's gone. I don't have any other family."

Elliot now put his arm around Ana's shoulder and squeezed. Christian gave him the side-eye but Elliot ignored him.

"Christian described you as quite independent, putting yourself through school since you graduated high school in just three years' time. Yet, now, you are being supported by Christian. Were you hoping to find a sugar daddy?" Again, Christian leaned forward as if he were going for his father's throat.

"Christian, you haven't been forthcoming with your parents," Ana gently chided. "You think that your son is inexperienced with women. Quite the opposite. He has never gone without for long. On the other hand, Christian is my first. I'd no intention of seeking a boyfriend. I didn't want one. I have plans of my own. After I finish my MA and my MBA, I'll start to work on my Ph.d in English lit and publishing. In a few years, I hope to start up my own company.

"Our affair came as a perplexing surprise to me. Your son swept me off my feet," she said as Christian smiled smugly at his parents. "I guess I never expected to fall in love…ever…but I have.

Christian is quite protective of me and I'll have to be careful that he doesn't bulldoze me."

Christian looked chagrinned and remarked that he'd never and Ana said oh, yes, you would. He smiled sheepishly and admitted to her charge but, he defended himself, it would only be because he needed to protect her and care for her properly.

"Which, in the last five years, I suppose that I've not been able to do on my own?"

"Well, I can do it better!"

"I have a closet full of clothes I didn't ask for and I never get to drive my car anymore and I have to have a bodyguard so that she takes the bullet for me and you text me a dozen times a day to see that I'm still alive and well…" Ana continued even as Christian answered back.

Grace and Carrick smiled at each other. Maybe this would be all right after all.

CHAPTER 73

And so, with the exception of Mia who was slow to accept the loss of first place in her brother's life, suspicions within the family soon died down. There were many more questions and conversations as time went on but it was all friendly. Ana encouraged Christian to text Mia regularly to reassure her that he'd not forgotten her. She also pushed him to spend time with Elliot and Jake. Jake was fascinated by both brothers and their being self-made men. Ana was pleased that he now had excellent role models for building a solvent life. His grandparents had taught him much about being a good person and caring for others but they didn't teach him how to not be poor.

Although Jake visited his grandmother every weekend, her dementia grew unabated and she never knew him. Sometimes she'd ask after the nice man who came and held her hand and Jake would just tell her that grampa had been over to visit the day before. Then she would accept that she just didn't remember and smile. It was clear, however, that somewhere inside she understood the loss of her husband. Her health declined rapidly. By the end of January, she was dying. For several days, Jake sat with her until she was gone. Elliot arrived at the nursing home as hospice was washing Margie and dressing her for cremation. He found Jake leaning against the wall opposite her closed door. He made all the arrangements and saw to it that the residents of Anaville were informed that their last angel was gone.

Again, Elliot had the bronze plaque engraved with Margie's information and Christian arranged for food and security. Ana, Janice and Latner sang a couple of Margie's favorite songs. Since word was long out that Christian and Ana were a couple, he was able to attend the service for Margie. He told Latner that since Ana now lived at Escala, he could apply for a position away from Anaville if he wished but Latner refused. He was in love with Janice and neither wanted to leave Anaville.

"You don't have to live like the homeless, Latner," Christian said in confusion. "I do pay you well enough, don't I? You could live with Janice in an apartment." He found the whole situation bizarre.

Latner explained that Janice's father refused to leave his home and friends. He was older and ill and Janice wouldn't leave him so Latner wouldn't leave Janice. They now had their own tent. Christian just shook his head and shrugged his shoulders as he got back into his Mercedes SUV. Maybe Ana could explain this idiocy to him. Ana found that Christian was a bit thick when it came to understanding things outside his bubble.

In an effort to familiarize her boyfriend with real life, Ana took him down to Anaville once a week for a visit. He did it for her but he applied sanitizer on her hands the second they got back into the Mercedes.

Christian's feelings for Ana only intensified as time went on. He was sleeping well except for the occasional bad dream about losing Ana. Sometimes she was hurt but usually she just disappeared off into a white mist. He would awaken with a soaked pillow and hold her even tighter. Even though he had set up the library as her office, he whined until she carried her laptop and textbooks into his study every night when he had to work. How much work he actually got done was debatable since he seemed to spend every minute just admiring Ana. She endeavored to ignore him but more often the heat between them would build and soon they'd be loving each other on the study sofa.

He had to work more at night because he'd cut back on his office hours. Roz Baily, his COO, would come looking for him at 4 p.m. and Andrea would just shrug and say that he'd gone on already. Roz first learned to schedule meetings for mid-morning and then she just scheduled them around Ana's class schedule. If Ana was home, so was Christian.

Ana was more independent although she loved Christian more and more deeply as well. It was only her love for him that allowed her to tolerate his dependency on her and his increasing need to control her and her life. He'd added a second CPO to her security detail because the Seattle tabloids had increased their coverage of her. She'd discovered that she could put the paparazzi out of her mind as she went about her day and she rarely looked at a tabloid unless one of her classmates, who'd found themselves increasingly "fond" of her, thrust a copy in her face. She'd dare not look behind her in the lecture hall because she'd find every eye on her. However, her professors were annoyed that the back of her head was of more interest than their lectures. She giggled to herself as she toyed with the idea of attaching a sign to the back of her head…one that read "pay attention to the lecture."

She kept her head down as she walked around campus to avoid seeing the stares and tried to not hear the click of the camera phones. Sitting in the school union during lunch, she tried not to hear the whispers…what does he see in her…she's so plain…so ordinary…what is she even doing here when her boyfriend is a multi-billionaire…what's she got that one of us hasn't…and on and on. Preston followed Ana's lead and acted as if she didn't hear the snide remarks but she really wanted to yell at the little bitches.

Then there were the young men of all ages who suddenly took notice. Grey overheard Preston telling Taylor about Ana's sudden popularity with both genders and, thereafter, Christian showed up to have lunch with Ana whenever possible. Ana began to have lunch in a cubby in the back of the library and then finally had to firmly order Grey to stay away. He sulked for days over that rejection.

And, meanwhile, Ana was getting in deeper and deeper and couldn't even contemplate a way out. She was too much in love with this controlling, impossible man.

CHAPTER 74

Ana was fraught with concern over her upcoming exam. It was important…well, they were all important. She needed to keep up with her 4.0 GPA to keep her scholarship even though Christian assured her that she didn't need financial aid. She was the girlfriend of a billionaire. She tried to explain her need for independence but he never understood. The only way to reach him was to tell him what she needed to be happy. Her happiness was important to him because it kept her with him.

Still, wanting Christian to be happy, she found herself at another Sunday brunch with the Grey family. Christian had come to be fond of spending time in this family setting. He enjoyed his time with Elliot and Jake, goofing around like a regular guy and so Ana prioritized this over her discomfort at not being able to study. Mia had come to like Ana very much and considered her to be like a sister which meant a lot of meaningless prattling on about parties and clothes and boys.

Ana was just a couple of years older than Mia but decades more mature. All the things that Mia ceaselessly talked about were of no interest to Ana but she was a good listener. Grace liked to talk with her, too. Rich people, Ana found, were endlessly fascinated by poor people and how they managed. Grace came to truly admire and respect Ana, as did Carrick. Neither had ever known a moment of want. To imagine Ana living on ramen noodles and water, the occasional piece of fruit…living in a tiny room with just a bed and next door to a mass of homeless people…Christian's parents could barely wrap their heads around this.

Ana convinced the entire family to come visit with her and Christian. They were honored and dressed accordingly. Ana sighed and asked if they had any clothes one might consider grungy. They were flummoxed until they recalled the year that they'd dressed up as bums for a Halloween party. When they all arrived in their fancy cars, the folks at Anaville thought that Ana and Christian were dropping off new residents. They gathered round and sought to help any way they could. Ana suppressed her laughter and explained that the Greys were Christian's family.

She was proud of Anaville. No one was angry or disrespectful in any way. They just smiled a little and understood what the Greys were doing. They invited them for lunch and told them that they should just be themselves. Lunch was simple but delicious and the Greys were quite impressed with the little village. No one referred to Anaville as a homeless encampment. It was, they informed the Greys, a village with proper sanitation facilities, clean and sturdy tents, honorable residents…many of whom had regular jobs now that they had an address. It was the first that the Greys learned that usually homeless couldn't get jobs because they had no address. Now, they could arrive at an employment agency in clean clothes and say that they lived on Avenue North in Anaville. They received mail addressed simply to their name and Anaville, Avenue North, Seattle.

They didn't have a zip code but the postal service was understanding…thanks to a word from Christian who was much admired by Anaville. Ana, herself, was just loved.

Mia had gone off to take a call from the "friend" that she most complained about, Lily. However, Lily had all the good gossip. Grace was dealing with something in the kitchen and Carrick and Christian were in the study while Elliot and Jake played basketball in the driveway. Ana took a deep breath. She was alone. Such a rare moment anymore. She grabbed her bag and set off for the dock at the edge of the property. Sitting in the sunshine, she happily went over everything for the next day's exam. She'd been relaxed and calm for some time, unaware of anything but the material she was working on when she felt a shadow come over her. Christian had sent Taylor out with a beach umbrella and a bottle of sunscreen. He smiled sheepishly at her and tried to explain that Christian was just concerned.

The sun had felt so good. It was all too rare in Seattle and Ana was tempted to knock the umbrella away and throw the lotion into the Sound but she knew that she was being watched. Christian would rush out and she would have to cease her work so she smiled and waved at the house and the man in the window.

Dinner had been delicious as usual with Christian prodding her constantly to eat more so she ate until she felt sick. Christian then urged her to drink several glasses of water. Everyone, except Elliot, watched her with concern.

Ana hated Sunday brunch at Grey Manor. Before they left, Grace would load her down with left overs to take to Anaville. Latner would know who was in need. Then she and Christian would go home.

Christian was always eager to make love with Ana. It wasn't just his physical need for her but his way of reassuring himself that she was his, that she loved him, that they were safe.

One day he suggested that they play a bit. Ana was skeptical but to please Christian, she agreed to be bound and blindfolded. He wasn't wrong. It was an intense experience and Ana was gifted shattering orgasms. Christian was pleased that he'd made her happy but he really hadn't. Yes, she had certainly enjoyed the orgasms but she hadn't enjoyed being blindfolded and tied up. She wanted…needed…to make love with her man. To her it wasn't all about the orgasms. It was about being close.

Now that she had agreed to the restraints, Christian asked her to try being spanked. Again, despite the discomfort, Ana physically enjoyed the experience. Next came gentle flogging and having her skin sensitized after which Christian would bring her to the edge of orgasm and then pull her back, again and again until she was screaming for release.

All of this new stuff was too often asked of her. She would kiss Christian gently and softly ask him to make simple love to her which he would do, gladly, but his sexual go-to now was the kink. He loved the control. Ana tried to tell him that it really wasn't what she wanted but his sad expression always stopped her.

CHAPTER 75

On the day in March when the letter came, Christian ignored the addressee after he saw the return address. His blood froze and with shaky hands he opened the letter.

Ana had been accepted to the Wharton School of Business in Philadelphia to work on her Ph.d. He was sorely tempted to shred the letter but he couldn't do it. He had to trust that Ana wouldn't leave him…wouldn't go across the country…even if Wharton was the most prestigious business school in the United States. Not only would they be pleased to have Ana attend, they would provide a full-ride scholarship, including living expenses.

NO, NO! She didn't need a scholarship and she didn't need a Ph.d. She could attend a local school. Hell, even Stanford would be closer. She couldn't leave him. She wouldn't leave him. He heard Ana giggling in the kitchen with Gail as he buried his face in his hand. If he wasn't honest with her, he'd lose her for sure. She'd never forgive him for denying her this chance.

"Ana, sweetheart, could you come into the study for a moment?"

Ana could hear a bit of a quaver in his usually strong voice. She felt her heart clench as she walked quickly to him. He tried to smile at her but she could tell that he was in pain.

"Christian, what is it?" She wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up into his gray eyes. He embraced her and smoothed her hair, fear clear in his face. He reached down and picked up the letter. He apologized for opening her mail, lying that he just automatically did so whenever mail arrived. He handed the letter to her.

Ana stared at the words in amazement. One of the richest and certainly the best-looking man in the world wanted her and now Wharton would be pleased to pay her to come to their school. Her self-esteem was suddenly alive, surging within her.

Grey watched her. He couldn't help but see that she looked more alive than she had in some time. He hadn't failed to notice that she'd been fading before him….looking tired…rarely laughing anymore. Only when he made tender love to her did she seem truly happy. He'd been failing her. God, if only she'd reject this offer, he'd somehow make her happy again.

"I'm really proud of you, Ana. This is an amazing accomplishment. Wharton knows what they're doing, how having you as a student will raise their profile and draw in better applicants and money from donors. They're lucky to get you…not the other way around."

He was trying so hard to be supportive yet it was killing him. Please, Ana, say no. Don't leave me.

He could see the joy in her face. She was glowing. She was going to leave him.

She, in turn, could see the heartache in his face. Suddenly, her joy was gone. She would have to tell Wharton that she was honored to be accepted but that, for personal reasons, she could not accept. Later, when Christian was asleep, she would go to the library and read the letter again and cry her heart out.

She could break Christian's heart or her own. It wasn't really a choice.

CHAPTER 76

That night Christian loved Ana with everything in him. "Mine, my love, my Ana," he murmured as he held her. She moved her fingers through his hair…it always soothed him and soon he was asleep. She disconnected and looked at him. Did she want to leave him? No, no, of course not. She loved this man beyond all reason. He owned her and it was clear that she owned him…didn't she?

Yet, she had worked toward this dream for the past six years. She had never expected to achieve such success. She had never expected to fall in love, either. She lay there thinking about the life she was living now. It was nothing that she'd ever dreamt of having...such wealth, privilege, public adulation. She'd done nothing to deserve it yet she and Christian were on the front page of nearly every tabloid and People magazine at least once a month. Privacy was a thing of the past for her.

She constantly lived in fear of embarrassing Christian with her poor clothing choices so he always chose for her. They had to attend so many dinners and fancy affairs and she worried now that she'd do or say the wrong thing. When she'd been just his employee, she liked helping him but that was before everyone knew who she really was and expected any girlfriend of Grey's to be someone special. She didn't feel special. She was a mousy and plain girl from the country. She read it all the time in the tabloid columns. She heard it whispered in ladies lounges and school classrooms.

One day when Christian wasn't home with her, a rare day, and Taylor was gone, she snuck into the security office and opened the cabinet drawer to find all the letters threatening Grey. That's what he'd told her…that the letters were threats against him…but there were more now. Letter after letter threatening her…awful threats…beheadings and stabbings and mutilations…all because she'd had the gall to take Christian Grey off the market. She was called every kind of ugly name.

She knew that she should have the good sense to put the letters away and go about her business. These people were evil and crazy. Taylor and the crew spent much of their time confronting these bitter haters to ascertain the level of the threats.

Still, as Christian increased his control over her both with his love and his demands and his expectations, she wondered…how long before she could no longer keep him interested. He bought a new toy…something called a spreader bar. He told her that it was fun. She had recently arrived home after class and decided to take a nap while she had some rare alone time. She noticed something about the bed that she was sure was new…gold rings attached to each corner of the bed. She looked into Christian's nightstand and found red rope.

Her heart raced and she began to pant. She ran into the bathroom and vomited. His kink needs were escalating and she didn't know how much more she could take of being humiliated and abused for his entertainment. He didn't see it that way and she knew that she could always say no to anything. He'd throw it all away to keep her…but he'd be disappointed. He might not say so but she'd always wonder after they'd made love if he wanted more.

She lay on the cool bathroom tile, trying to calm herself and wondering how long until she wasn't enough anymore. Sure, he had talked about their future as if it would go on forever…telling her that he could not imagine a life without her. Yet, when she mentioned children, he'd just shrugged. He didn't want to share her, he told her. Children would come between them. She would be a wonderful mother but he would long for her attention. He craved being with her, only her.

She managed to get to her feet and she walked to the library, to her desk where she kept the acceptance letter from Wharton. They had given her just 30 days to accept before having to offer the place to another candidate. She had already decided to write and decline. The letter was gone. She rifled through the drawer…nothing. She raced to Christian's study but it wasn't there either.

Christian, have you seen my letter from Wharton. I need it to write back to them.

Why? If they don't get your acceptance, they'll figure it out.

It's respectful to respond to their offer, Christian.

You're right. I'm sorry. I shredded it after you said that you weren't going there.

Ana?

I'll just google the admissions office. Don't worry about it, honey X

XX right back at you, my love.

Ana dragged herself back to the library. She looked around. It didn't matter what Christian asserted so firmly…none of this belonged to her and the one thing that did, he destroyed. She would have loved to have kept the letter and looked at it once in a while when she felt like nothing except the girlfriend of Christian Grey.

She sat down at her laptop and googled Wharton School of Business.

CHAPTER 77

Grey noticed that Ana was subdued. The light in her seemed to be dimming. He guessed that he shouldn't have shredded the letter from Wharton. Ana had mid-term exams upcoming and then she would have spring break. He would take her on a vacation…some place warm and sunny…away from dreary Seattle. The constant rain would get anyone down, he figured. Ana had to work so hard for school. She needed rest and a reprieve from stress. He could take care of her.

At Sunday brunch, while Christian worked with Carrick on his new will and arrangements for Ana's welfare, Ana sat on the couch staring into space. Mia was traveling with Lily and Grace was making calls about this year's gala. Elliot plopped down next to Ana with much ado and put an arm around her. She leaned into him.

"What's up, buttercup?" he teased.

"Just tired, I guess. Christian has arranged a packed vacation for us over spring break. I hate to let on but I'd rather just sleep for two weeks."

"So, tell him to cancel."

"Oh, I couldn't do that to him, Elliot. He's gone to so much trouble and he'd be so disappointed. He just wants to take care of me."

"But he isn't. So, tell him what he really needs to do to take care of you," Elliot urged.

"Plans are made and he's so excited. It's all he talks about."

Elliot shifted and looked into Ana's eyes. "Sweetie, the girl who lived in a dump…that girl that I met was so filled with life. Her eyes shone and her cheeks were pink. That girl seems to be gone. I've noticed every Sunday, you are less and less Ana of Anaville. You're not happy, are you?"

Ana's eyes filled with tears which she quickly wiped away. She looked back at Carrick's study door. She didn't want Christian to catch her crying. Last night he'd gleefully told her about the golden rings and the rope and how excited he was, how mad he was going to drive her, about the orgasm he would bring to her. She had burst into tears and finally told him that she didn't want any of the kink and she was so sorry that she couldn't give him what he wanted. He tried to assure her that all he wanted was her happiness and that he'd thought that she was enjoying their play. He was shocked to find that he'd been upsetting her all this time and he would get rid of all the toys the next day. Never again would they use kink in their love making.

Ana couldn't help thinking how devastated he must be. First, he'd given up his playroom for her and now she wouldn't even play with a few of his toys even though they caused little pain. She was so selfish and useless and gave nothing to him while he did everything for her.

"I'm just confused sometimes by this new life and I've done nothing to earn it. I feel undeserving."

"You had a good life that was all yours, Ana. You made it. You owned it. Now you're made to feel like you owe everything to Christian but you don't, Ana. He owes everything to you. You make him real now. You brought him to life."

Ana smiled at Elliot. He was always so kind to her. Everyone was. And it was all because of Christian. He was happy with her and they were so grateful that she made him smile. That was her only contribution to the Greys. She'd brought Christian back home.

"Hey, bro. Get your own girl. That beautiful creature has been claimed." Elliot laughed, kissed Ana's cheek and rose from the couch.

"She needs a nap, bro. Why don't you take her home?"

Yes, Ana thought. Take me home. Where is home?

CHAPTER 78

Ana had a plan and it involved making Christian as happy as possible. She apologized for being upset about the toys and encouraged him to continue. He was shocked because she had been so upset a week earlier but he was more than willing to believe that she had changed her mind. In time, perhaps, he could work up to the rougher stuff. To have both the woman he loved and the kink he loved would be perfection. He wondered if he could even rebuild his playroom.

Everything was working out wonderfully in his life.

Everything wasn't working in Ana's life…quite the opposite. The man she loved more than her own life couldn't see how unhappy she was and when she tried to explain, he tried to fix it all but his fixes always somehow involved having things his own way. If she did something of which he didn't approve, he didn't object exactly but he had his way of getting her to understand and change. It seemed to Ana that she was changing all the time.

They didn't go to visit Anaville anymore. Grey would get Latner on speaker phone and ask him how things were going…did the village need anything… Ana would get to talk to a few people who gathered around Latner and his IPhone. Everyone would ask Ana to visit but Grey would immediately interrupt to say that Ana was crushed with schoolwork since this was her last semester before she graduated from her Masters program and yes, of course, everyone understood and wished her well. Ana was allowed to say goodbye.

Everyday Christian chose her outfit because otherwise she would wear the same things all the time. He teased her about it and told her that she was beautiful and shouldn't be ashamed to show it. She had never before felt ashamed that she wore the same jeans and sweater every day. It was easy and economical.

Studying in Christian's office became impossible. He couldn't take his eyes off her and they always wound up making love on the couch. She needed him close and he was such a wonderful lover…but she didn't get any work done. When she finally put her foot down and returned to the library, she had to endure him sulking for days.

Once day she insisted that Preston and Baxter ride with her in Wanda to school. She just wanted to drive herself in her beloved little car. She hadn't made it halfway before she found herself surrounded by a convoy of security in black Mercedes who followed her all the way to the parking lot and caused quite a stir. People were staring, wondering who the terribly important person was who had come to visit. Watching Ana emerge from her old Beetle with two guards was disappointing. People were laughing and even catcalling insults. The situation was worsened when the guards from the Mercedes approached people they considered threats and threatened them in turn. They even followed Ana into the lecture hall and lined up along the back while Ana sat up front with her CPOs sitting on either side of her.

The professor asked her if all this was necessary and before she could answer, a student called out that she was the girlfriend of Christian Grey. The professor simply nodded and continued with the class. Later he nicely told Ana that it was all rather disturbing and could she make other arrangements for her security.

Ana should have been furious but she didn't have it in her anymore. She just parked Wanda and never mentioned her again…each morning getting into "her" Mercedes and reading her IPad on the way to school.

Despite her lack of energy and spirit, Ana forced herself to work hard at her masters program. In April, she received her first "C" grade on a test because she fell asleep during the exam. Christian had kept her up half the night "playing". Yes, it was intense and the orgasms took her to another world and her man told her over and over how much he loved her…still, she didn't get much sleep. Christian could get along on 5 hours or less and making love with Ana energized him while he wore Ana out.

The "C" grade devastated her. She would not complete her program with a 4.0. She begged the professor to allow her to take another test but he refused. She would still graduate with a 3.95, the highest grade in the class, he comforted but it wasn't a comfort for Ana. It didn't have any effect on her scholarship but it ruined her lifelong academic record, her very identity.

Christian didn't understand. He held her tightly as she cried and tried to find a way to fix things. He would pressure the professor into allowing a retest, he assured her. No, she cried, you don't understand. It wouldn't change the fact that she'd gotten a "C". Christian had never cared about grades because he had his plan for his future company. Grades meant nothing and he'd even dropped out of school. No, Christian couldn't understand Ana's grief.

CHAPTER 79

That night as Christian slept blissfully, an arm slung over Ana's body, Ana could not sleep. She could only stare at the ceiling, grieving for her now destroyed lifelong record of only A grades, her only accomplishment…the record that helped her feel strong. Christian had tried to love her into some peace but it was hopeless. The dye was cast. She reached for her IPad and began to write. She had already been in touch with the admissions office at Wharton who were thrilled to receive her acceptance. She asked that they retain the packet of information concerning her scholarship and living quarters until she arrived early in June to pick them up. She couldn't risk Christian opening her mail again or even seeing a large package with the Wharton logo.

She was now trying to write the letter she needed to leave with Christian, to try to explain her departure. It was a hopeless task, really. Unless Christian was told something he wanted to hear, he did not comprehend. Still, she couldn't just leave without a word…and that word had to be in writing after she was gone. This was not a conversation she could have with him. The pain on his face, his desperate attempts to get her to stay…she wouldn't survive it. He would stand by as she called Wharton to rescind her acceptance.

The rest of the last semester was agony for Ana. She was lying to the man she loved and would always love. She was going to break his heart, crush his spirit…like he'd already crushed hers. She was moving forward with little courage, determination or energy. Everything she'd depended on for all her life to keep her going was depleted. She had nothing left except that tiny light at the end of a very long tunnel…a tiny light called Wharton.

Escaping Christian would not be easy. She was always watched. It was called protection but she knew it was also observation. Everything she did was reported back to Christian. She learned to be stealthy, duplicitous. She packed a small bag with some clothes and essentials. She told Christian that she was going to visit Anaville with Jake and would be driving Wanda. Preston, of course, would be going along. When they arrived, Jake took the bag to a friend in Anaville for safe keeping.

Ana had more than $50,000 dollars in her checking account…some of it earned by her. Christian was always encouraging her to spend, spend, spend. So, now she did. She bought a bus ticket to Philadelphia…grateful that so much could be done online. She bought an expensive and large bag that she could throw over her shoulder for her IPad, phone and MacBook Pro. She bought several thousand dollars' worth of clothes and shoes, arriving home with bags of goodies. Preston found her change of heart suspicious but Christian was delighted. Days later, escorted by Baxter, Ana returned everything, requesting cash rather than having the amount returned to her Amex account. Baxter, standing at the front door, neither saw nor would care what women did in clothing stores.

Soon, as the semester wound down, Ana was ready…ready to be free…to be heartbroken and sad and to be gone. Her life was waiting for her in Philadelphia.

She aced all her classes although it really didn't matter anymore. It was just habit now. Christian had been invited to give the commencement address. He wanted it to be something that would make Ana proud. He didn't know that she wouldn't hear it unless someone put it on YouTube.

She'd had scouted the hall for a means of escape and was prepared to slip away. She was so concentrated on her plan that it left little room in her mind to think about the heartbreak to come.

Sitting in her cap and gown at the back of the hall, grateful for her last name beginning with an 'S', Ana indicated to Preston that she needed to use the restroom. Preston nodded and escorted her, first entering and doing a sweep. Then she allowed Ana inside with Ana telling her that it might be longer than usual. Preston smiled in understanding and waited outside.

As Christian went over his speech, Ana quietly pushed the lock into place. Then she climbed on a sink and opened the window to make it appear that that was her exit. However, this particular restroom had a janitorial closet in the back and the janitor came and went through a door to the back of the building where Jake was waiting with her bag and Wanda. Together they raced to the bus station, making it with just enough time to hug goodbye. Ana apologized for not being there to throw Jake his 18th birthday party. He said it was okay. He had Elliot now. She wasn't to worry and she was to call the moment she arrived safely in Philadelphia. She promised and made him promise to watch out for Christian.

CHAPTER 80

As Christian mounted the podium, he cast his gray eyes over the large crowd, seeking Ana's blue eyes. Preston was not standing in the back. He was concerned but he had to speak now. His speech was well received and the last section where he thanked his wonderful girlfriend and applauded her hard work and academic success brought smiles to his entire audience. Their love story was well known and fun to keep up with in all the tabloids. Only those sitting in and near the 'S's were perplexed by Ana's disappearance. Preston had already broken into the restroom and assumed that Ana had crawled out through the open window.

Christian had to spend an interminable amount of time handing out diplomas, waiting for Ana Steele's turn…which never came. He stood waiting. Everyone waited but she did not appear. For appearance's sake, the delivery of diplomas had to be completed before Grey could smile and leave. As Preston explained that Ana had left through the window, as Grey panicked and sent Taylor and his little army out to search, as they found Wanda sitting in her usual spot in the Escala garage, Ana was miles down the highway to Philadelphia…tears flowing down her face as she stared out of the window of the bus.

At home, Christian found a letter on his study desk.

My dearest Christian,

Writing this letter may be the hardest thing I have ever had to do. It is tearing me up inside. However, you have shown time and again what it is that you need and I cannot give it to you. I know that I vowed to never leave you and in my heart, I never will. I love you, my darling, but I cannot continue this relationship with you. I lose more of myself every day and soon I will be but a ghost of the woman with whom you fell in love. I know then that you will no longer want me and that will ruin me completely.

I will be in Philadelphia beginning work on my Ph.d. It has always been my dream and perhaps completing it will return to me some of the spirit and courage I've lost. You need control in all things and that included me. I'm sorry that I cannot be what you want because leaving you is killing me. I will always love you and my greatest fear is losing you but I know that you may love someone else one day. She will be the luckiest woman on the planet just as I once was.

I hope that you can begin to understand why I had to go and why I could not say goodbye in person.

You will be in my mind and heart every moment of every day.

All my love, Ana XO.

Christian read the letter over and over and over…trying to understand but he could only question where he had gone wrong. With every reading, he drank another tumbler of bourbon until he passed out.

Of course, he had his investigator find Ana. He knew where she lived and, in time, every detail of her day. He tried to bring himself to call or text but he felt such aching rejection that he could not. He contemplated flying out to Philadelphia to bring Ana back. He knew that he could do it. He was a master of persuasion but he also knew that Ana had gone to great lengths to escape him and his pride would not let him beg for her.

She had told him that she would finish her Ph.d in 18 months to save money but now she had a full scholarship so she could take her time. With his subs, once it was over, there was no going back. He told himself that that is how it should be with Ana…but he knew that if she still wanted him, he'd crawl to her.

I lose more of myself every day…he threw his glass against the wall. What had he done to her? He'd loved her. He'd never loved anyone except her. She was in his heart and he'd never get her out. How had he hurt her so badly that she felt lost? He just couldn't understand.

I'm sorry that I cannot be what you want…what was she talking about? Ana was everything and more. What did she think that he wanted from her? What did she think that he needed her to be? She was fucking perfection!...he thought as another tumbler hit the wall.

As the days dragged on, Grey dragged himself through his duties at GEH but it was clear to everyone that he was gone in some way. Months went by with Grey barely conscious of what he was eating, of what work plans he was signing on to…without Roz, the company would have collapsed. Then came the word from his investigator that truly broke him.

EPILOGUE

Ana had been gone for almost seven months. Grey had begun seeing his psychologist, John Flynn, regularly.

"I receive word, via text and photographs, of Ana and her life in Philadelphia, John. I had almost reached the point where I could screw up the courage to call her but this latest information changes everything. I know now that we are well and truly over."

"My goodness, Christian. What could make you give up on Ana? You know that she still loves you."

"No, John, she's moved on. He's tall and handsome and the father of the child she's carrying. She told me that she wanted children one day and I told her that I didn't want to share her. She didn't argue…probably because I'd knocked all the spirit out of her and she didn't think that she had a chance of winning. She didn't know that if she said that we were having six kids that I would have said, "yes, ma'am." She never knew the power she had over me.

"She's five months pregnant, John. She's going to have Richard something's baby and they'll probably marry soon. They're already living together. I was shown a picture of them walking hand in hand down the street, eating ice cream cones. They looked very happy together. I haven't seen her smile like that for a long time. You know, she asked me to buy her a cone one day and I refused because sugar is bad for a person. Can you imagine? I denied her a lousy ice cream cone. She didn't say a word.

"She's gone, John."

THE END OF PART I

Dear readers,

I personally hate cliffhangers…but if I'd continued, I would have had 80 more chapters and would have published nothing for six months. So, I decided that I needed a short break. I will endeavor to publish part 2 in another couple of months. Thank you for your patience. Blue