Chapter 10(back to Christian's POV)
Still Monday, November 21, 2016
"Gail! Oh, my God! Are you OK?" My girl examined my housekeeper as if Gail had just returned from war.
The two of them had already struck up a friendship, even though Ana had only seen Gail a couple of times before this past weekend. This was not surprising, though, because Ana seemed to have a way with people, and Gail was always friendly even to the rudest of the women I'd had in and out of my home over the past few years.
"Oh, hush," Gail responded as she hugged Ana. "Don't you start fussing over me, too. I've been treated like a queen today, and all for no reason, because that poor girl never intended me any harm."
"But it had to have been terrifying," Ana insisted.
Gail nodded. "It was, but I would have been more afraid if you or Mr. Grey had been there. I think she did mean to harm you, Ana."
"Gail, how many times do I need to tell you to call me Christian?" I asked her. Since I'd returned from England, I'd been trying to get her to call me my given name, but it hadn't stuck yet. She and Jason were both having a hard time hearing me. After today though, I hoped they understood how much I valued them. They were more than my staff; they were trusted friends.
Gail smiled politely and replied, "It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks, but I'll try to remember... Christian."
"Much better," I responded. "Now, have you done as I asked and gotten plenty of rest today? Did you go to the spa?"
Her smile grew as she answered, "Yes, I've done ALL that you requested. And yes, it has been a good day, despite how it started. Thank you, but you really didn't need to bother yourself..."
"Nonsense," I interrupted. "And... thank you." I knew that the emphasis that she'd placed on the word ALL meant that she'd gotten my suite ready for me and Ana. I was so fucking nervous, but I wanted to make tonight special for Ana, if she still wanted to give herself to me.
"No thanks needed. And... I hope they find her, sir. Jason said she's still missing. That girl needs serious psychological help."
"Yes, I agree," I told her. I had already spoken with Flynn about admitting Leila to the clinic in England where I had spent a month. If anyone could help her, they could. Flynn said first I had to find her, and then I'd need to convince her, because she needed to agree to be admitted, of her own free will. But he spent more time questioning my motive for offering to spend so much money helping a former submissive who was threatening the life of the woman I love. I wasn't even sure why I wanted to help her instead of hurt her, but Flynn suggested that I felt guilty for how I'd treated her in the past. That made sense. Above all, I wanted to do whatever I needed to do to keep Ana safe, but after that, I wanted to correct as many of my past wrongs as I could. If that meant helping Leila, then I owed it both to her and to myself to do whatever I could. Besides, the money wasn't really an issue for me.
"Sir, I just swept your suite again. All clear."
"Good, thanks," I told him absently. "Any updates from Welch?" I asked, even though I'd just spoken with Welch again before leaving GEH, and I knew Leila Williams was still in the wind.
"Actually, yes," Jason answered. "Nothing definitive, but maybe a lead. You know they've been analyzing the coverage from traffic cams that we got from Seattle PD. It appears that a black sedan picked her up a couple of blocks from the hospital. Can't make out the plates, but the make and model fit the 2013 Mercedes E-350 driven by Elena Lincoln."
"Shit!" I muttered.
"They knew each other," Ana reminded me. "You said Elena was your pimp. She hooked you up with all your submissives, right?"
I didn't correct her. Elena may as well have been my pimp, even if I hadn't seen it that way at the time. "Yes," I answered simply.
"We've already determined that Mrs. Lincoln is at home now, after spending about an hour at your parents' home."
"At my parents' home?" I confirmed. "What the hell was she doing there?"
"We're checking into that," Jason answered. Anyway, as of today, we have a guy on her 24-7, so if she makes contact in person with Ms. Williams, we'll know it. We're working on bugging her phone, but... as you know, it has to be handled... delicately."
"That's illegal," Ana reminded Jason.
"Which is why it has to be handled delicately," Jason explained.
"My orders," I reminded Ana. "I suspected her."
Jason continued, "Sullivan is also working on hacking into Lincoln's emails and text messages. If she's been communicating with Ms. Williams, we will find out. I think it's a good guess that they have been communicating. It's pretty fucking obvious, to be honest, but we need proof. I think she picked Ms. Williams up when she left the hospital, but she must have dropped her off somewhere, and we have to trace the route the vehicle took to try to discover where. Welch has already contacted his friend at Seattle PD for more traffic cam footage, but... he'll probably be at it most of the night. It's like finding a needle in a haystack at this point. We can't even say with certainty at the moment that it was Mrs. Lincoln, or her vehicle, that picked up Ms. Williams. We need facts to back up our hunches. But I hope we'll have them by morning."
"OK, thanks, Jason," I told him. "Keep me informed, OK?"
He nodded. "Enjoy your evening, sir," Jason told me as he showed us from the door of his own suite, where we'd been chatting with him and Gail, across the hall to our own suite.
"Thanks, Jason," I told him. "You enjoy yours too. Don't work the whole night. Spend time with your lovely fiancee."
"Dinner will arrive at 7:00 sharp," Gail added, as she'd also followed us across the hall.
I nodded at Gail, then looked at Ana. "Shall we?" I asked Ana as I offered her my arm.
Ana smiled shyly at me. "Well, aren't you the gentleman." She was teasing, but her voice sounded just as nervous as I felt. I hoped she hadn't changed her mind, that she still wanted me as much as I wanted her, but she would be the one taking the lead tonight. Rather, I would take my cues from her. I obviously had no problem with taking charge, but only if I was certain it was what she wanted.
"Because of you," I told her. I'm not sure if she realized how much she had changed me. I'd learned a great deal about myself during my month-long in-patient therapy, and that month itself had changed me immensely, but part of that was because of my long telephone conversations with Ana. There was nothing we didn't know about each other at this point. And it was much more than a cliche to say that she made me want to be a better man.
"Well, we'd better get going if dinner is being delivered at 7," Ana reminded me. "It's almost 7 already."
In fact, we'd worked until just past 6, and then come straight to the Fairmont. It had been an extremely stressful day, but Ana had made it more than bearable, with her surprise performance in my office. I was still reeling over the news we'd discovered about Jack Hyde, but that shock was tempered with delight over Ana. She was truly amazing. For that to have been her first blowjob... damn! I'd embarrassed myself by coming too quickly, but I wasn't complaining. And, on top of everything, my girl was so damn funny. She called her cunt "Matilda." Where the hell does she get that shit?
"Do you think I have time to shower before dinner?" Ana asked me after we'd entered our suite, but then she stopped in her tracks and looked around. I needed to remember to thank Gail again; she'd done an amazing job. There were flowers and candles all around, but not too many, just enough to set the right atmosphere. Gail had even plugged her own iPod into the dock and had what she assured me were romantic songs playing. I didn't know shit about romance, so I didn't trust myself to choose the right songs, but I knew Gail wouldn't let me down.
"Christian?" my sweet angel said, "When? When did you...? You've been busy all day. How did you do all this?"
"Gail," I answered simply.
Ana continued to look around the room in delight. "This is amazing," she told me.
"You're amazing," I replied. Yes, I sounded cheesy as shit, but I didn't give a damn.
Ana blushed and smiled shyly. "I... umm... Is it OK? For me to shower, I mean? Do I have time before dinner?"
"We're on our own schedule," I told her. "If you want to shower first, take your time. Dinner will wait."
She continued to smile shyly. "Thanks. I need to... freshen up." Her shy smile became a smirk as she apparently found her confidence and added, "Matilda has had a little too much freedom this afternoon."
Like she needed to remind me that she wasn't wearing any panties. Well, two could play at that game. I took her panties out of my pocket and sniffed them, relishing the lustful shock in her eyes. "I hope Matilda enjoys her freedom a lot more often from now on."
Ana snorted. "Yeah, keep dreaming, big boy." But she glanced at Little Grey after she'd spoken, and then she looked nervous again. Shit, my girl was going through so many emotions I was having a hard time keeping up.
I pulled her towards me for a kiss, and then I told her, "Go, take a shower, and relax. And remember... tonight is all about you. We will only do what you want to do, Ana."
She initiated the kiss this time, and as I deepened it, I slowly put my hand up her skirt and rubbed her naked ass. Ana moaned, but then she pulled away. "Shower. Then dinner. Then... yes. I'm ready. Then, we can pick things up from here. Is that OK?"
Was that OK? Was she serious? I'd say that was much better than OK. "Of course, Angel. Whatever you want."
She smiled that beautiful shy smile again and disappeared into the bathroom.
Just a few moments later, I got a call from Elliot. I'd missed a call from him when we'd been talking with Gail earlier, so something must be up if he was calling again so soon.
"What's up, Lelliot?" I answered.
He was silent for a moment before he replied, "I like this new you. You used to answer the phone the same way no matter who was calling. 'Grey.'" Elliot did a pretty fucking amazing job of mimicking my business tone. He was right; it was the way I almost always answered the phone, even when I knew who was calling. He continued, "Even though you had caller ID and you knew it was me, and I'm Grey too. Anyway, you OK, baby bro?"
"Yeah, I'm OK, Lell. And I like this new me too," I answered him.
"Thank God," he muttered. "So... things going OK with GEH? And with Ana?"
I sighed. "With GEH, no, not really, but it's nothing I can't handle. I've got a great team of people, and we've got it under control."
"I'm glad Ros hasn't quit yet," Elliot said.
"That woman is worth her weight in gold," I told him. "And yes, she's getting a big raise. But the fuck-up with Hyde isn't over yet. Anyway, I don't want to talk about it right now. You asked about Ana. She's great. More than great. We're at the Fairmont, and she's taking a shower. Tonight's the night, Elliot."
"You mean...?"
"Yeah, I mean I'm going to make love to a woman for the first time in my life. Not fuck. Make love. Pure vanilla. That's what I mean."
"Do you have condoms?" he asked.
I laughed. "No, I don't. Ana's on birth control, so I don't need them."
"You sure you're clean, bro?" he pressed.
"I'm sure," I answered, surprisingly not annoyed. "I haven't fucked anyone in months, Elliot."
"OK, just checking. I wouldn't be a very good big brother if I didn't look out for you." I didn't tell him how funny I found that statement. I was, after all, a 25-year-old self-made billionaire, and Elliot was the one who fucked anything with a vagina. Besides, I wouldn't have even considered having sex even with Ana if she weren't on some form of birth control. No way did we need any unwanted little invaders anytime soon.
"Was that the only reason you called?" I asked him pointedly.
"Well, actually, no. I thought you told Mom and Dad about Elena Lincoln."
"What?" Why was Elliot asking about Elena? I knew he didn't know anything about Leila Williams. Nobody but my security knew yet. "What do you mean?"
"She's still helping Mom plan the Coping Together Ball, and she's going to be there on Saturday," he explained. "I was surprised, because I thought you told them what she did to you. I thought she'd be persona non grata. But no, she was there today, at their house, drinking a glass of wine with Mom and talking about Saturday."
Shit, this wasn't good, but it explained why Elena had been at their house earlier. "I told them about her stealing from me. That's all. I haven't told them about.. the other stuff."
"But if Mom knows Elena embezzled money from you, why is she still friends with her?" Elliot asked confusedly.
"I don't know, Ell, but I'll get to the bottom of it," I assured him.
"But... Christian, don't you think it's time, you know, that you told them... the rest of it?" Elliot asked.
I sighed. "My therapists and you seem to think so. I don't know... "
Elliot said, a bit more insistently, which wasn't like him at all, "Christian, they still think you were on vacation in England. They have no idea that you almost... you know. There's so much they don't know. You know, when you told me about her a couple of years ago, I never judged. I'm still not judging. I just... Damn it, I can't stand to see that bitch cozying up to Mom, like her best friend, when she... she fucking molested you, Christian!"
"Yeah, I know, Elliot," I replied sadly.
Elliot was silent again. "You know?" he finally asked. "You understand...? You argued with me the last time I said that. You insisted that it was consensual, and when I tried to explain why a fifteen year old can't consent, you got mad and didn't speak to me for over a week."
"Yeah, well, that was before I nearly killed myself and spent a month in intensive mental health therapy. I'm not the same man I was before. I see the world differently than I did before."
"Thank God," Elliot muttered again, just like he had when we'd first started this call.
"Anyway, you want to have lunch tomorrow?" I asked him.
"No can do," he replied. "I have a work thing. I can do dinner though." Shit, come to think of it, I couldn't do lunch either. I also had a work thing.
"Metropolitan Grill? 7:00 p.m.?" I suggested.
"That sounds perfect. Tell Ana Banana she can bring my chocolate then, so I don't have to wait for it until Thursday."
"Chocolate?" I asked. Why was Ana giving my brother chocolate. She didn't give me any chocolate.
"Belgian chocolate. The house-made kind, not the factory-made shit. Not that any of it is bad, mind you. But this is the really good stuff. She found some in Sweden, and she knew I loved it," Elliot explained.
"How the hell did she know...?"
Elliot interrupted, "I told her. We're friends, Christian. You can't know Ana Banana and not be friends with her. And if you have a problem with that, you can blame your own damn self, because you're the one who hired me to do your office reno, and then put Ana in charge of it. Now, are you going to chill the fuck out, or am I going to have to come over to the Fairmont and bitch slap you?"
"Are you going to share your chocolate with me?" I asked him petulantly.
"Hell no," he answered. "You got the girl, Christian. I'm going to enjoy my chocolate."
I smiled. "I got the girl, Elliot."
"You did, bro. Enjoy your evening, and I'll see you tomorrow."
"OK, bye," I said absently. My mind was completely focused on the girl, who was still in the bathroom. Naked. And all mine.
There was a knock at the door, and as I expected, it was dinner. I had it all set up and ready by the time Ana joined me in the dining area. Gail's music was still playing softly, and the candles and roses set the perfect ambiance. I was so fucking nervous. I wanted everything to be perfect for Ana.
"Something smells delicious," Ana said as she walked into the dining area, and my jaw hit the floor. Holy... Wow! She was wearing a pale pink gown that flowed down around her, almost to the floor. It was very low cut in the front and made of sheer silk. I could see almost all of her through it, and her pebbled nipples were very visible.
"Delicious..." I repeated her word. "You look... wow!" I realized belatedly that my eyes had not left her breasts, and then I made eye contact with her. She looked amused, but just as nervous as I felt. I needed to set her mind at ease. I needed to relax her.
"When did you have time to get this gown for me?" Ana asked me. Oh, that's right. I did, didn't I?
"It was one of the things Gail did this afternoon," I answered simply.
Ana nodded. "Gail has good taste, but it is quite... revealing... isn't it?"
"You look like a goddess," I answered her honestly.
"Now you're just being cheesy," she joked, but I knew how insecure she was feeling. I determined again to set her at ease.
"Speaking of cheese... dinner is served, mademoiselle," I said, with a very fake French accent. I pulled out her chair for her, and after she was seated, I lifted the lids off our plates. The food looked perfect. Even I was impressed, and it takes a lot to really impress me.
"Duck confit!" Ana exclaimed. "Just like we had at that little bistro in Paris."
"Exactly like that," I agreed. "And don't forget the cheese platter. I wasn't joking about the cheese. And for dessert, we have lemon tart and creme brulee to share, just like we did that night in Paris," I reminded her.
Ana smiled adoringly at me, and my heart made a somersault. "I love duck confit," she said. For a moment, I imagined that she'd said she loved me. I was holding on to hope that she did, or that she at least would before long if she didn't yet, but I didn't want to make her feel awkward by saying anything. The food. That's what she was referring to. Focus, Grey.
"I remember," I said. In fact, that meal in Paris was the only time to my recollection that Ana had ever completely cleaned her plate. That was how much she liked it. It shouldn't have surprised me that Ana preferred the food at the little bistro that we'd just happened upon after a day of sightseeing in Paris rather than the fancy restaurants I wanted to take her to.
"Oh my God, this is so good," Ana exclaimed after taking her first bite, and I needed to adjust myself. Little Grey was ready for action, but he would just have to wait.
Ana was right. The food was absolutely delicious. It tasted just as good as what we'd had in Paris. "Where did you get this?" Ana asked. "Wait... knowing you, you had this food flown in from Paris. Please tell me you didn't use your company jet just to bring us our dinner."
That made me laugh. I hadn't even considered it, but yes, I would have done that if I'd thought of it. "No, this is from a local restaurant that Mia recommended. A friend of hers owns it."
"Wow, they've done a great job. This is just like what we had in Paris," she raved.
"Yeah, I agree," I said. "Mia told me it's the best Parisian food you can find outside of France, and I believe her now."
"When's Mia getting in?" Ana asked. Mia had, in fact, been studying at a cooking school in France for the past six months. She had been able to take a day off from studying and had joined us on the day we visited the Louvre, and not surprisingly had hit it off with Ana. Mia was returning this week, just in time for Thanksgiving with our family.
"Wednesday afternoon. Mom said she's going to pick her up at the airport."
"That's cutting it close if she really wants to be in charge of the Thanksgiving meal," Ana commented.
"Yeah, well, that's Mia," I responded. "And she'll pull it off. She always does."
"I offered to help, but she told me she had it under control. Actually, her exact words were, 'My brother needs you more than I do.'"
I laughed. "Well, she's right about that," I agreed. "Oh, that reminds me. I invited Elliot for dinner tomorrow, and he asked me to remind you to bring him his chocolate."
"Tomorrow?" Ana confirmed, looking a little awkward.
I nodded. "Is that OK?"
She smiled. "Actually... it's great. I already made plans with Kate, but I've been wanting to introduce them. So I'll just text Kate and tell her where to meet us."
That news did not thrill me. Kate Kavanagh was the last person I wanted to spend the evening with. But she was Ana's best friend, so I knew I needed to attempt to get along with her. I decided for now to steer the conversation away from the ever-annoying Miss Kavanagh.
"So, tell me more about this chocolate you brought for my brother. Did you bring some for me too?"
Ana rolled her eyes and then smiled widely. "Smooth, Christian. Almost as smooth as that Belgian chocolate I brought Elliot. And yes, if you're a good boy, maybe you'll get some too." She said that last bit very flirtatiously and winked at me. It seemed that her nerves had settled and my confident girl was making her appearance.
Ana continued, "In fact, I got some of it for your parents too, and a few other people. I found this cute little chocolate shop around the corner from Dr. Lind's office. It was perfect. You can't find chocolate like that here. Anyway, I'll need to stop by my place tomorrow after work to pick it up before we meet Elliot and Kate for dinner."
I'd been looking forward to dinner with my brother, but now that the annoying bitch was going to be there too, I wasn't so sure. "Sure, Ana. That's no problem," I told my angel.
We had both finished our duck confit by now, and I was pleased that Ana had cleaned her plate again, and she'd even eaten some of the cheese platter in addition to all of her duck. After she wiped her mouth with the napkin, she looked in my eyes and said seductively, "Is it OK with you if we save dessert for... later?"
I needed to adjust Little Grey again. "Umm... anything you want, baby. You're calling the shots tonight."
She smiled her shy smile and said, "Good. I want you to make love to me, Christian."
I will remember that moment for the rest of my life, because in that moment, I realized that the old me... the Dominant asshole who never made love but only fucked submissive women hard, for his own fulfillment.. that man was dead. Maybe I had actually killed him in my old playroom that night, the night that Ana saved me. This person I was now wanted to live life to its fullest, and right now, that meant making love to the perfect angel who was giving herself to me. And living life to its fullest was more about her than it was me. Nothing would make me happier than making her wildest dreams come true.
I stood and reached for her hand. "Nothing would make be happier, angel," I told her as I took her hand and helped her out of her chair. As she stood, I kissed her, pouring all of my feelings for her into that one kiss. And then we walked, hand-in-hand into the bedroom, where there were more candles and flowers. Since the suite was set up with surround sound, the romantic music was playing in here too.
As we approached the bed, I pulled Ana into my arms again and kissed her again, longingly. As we broke the kiss, I asked her once again, "Are you sure this is what you want, Princess?"
"I'm sure, Christian," she answered confidently.
"If at any moment you change your mind, you only have to say so, and I'll stop, I promise," I reminded her.
"I'm not going to change my mind, Christian," she insisted. "I want you. I... I love you."
"You... you love me?" Had I heard her correctly?
"Yes, you adorable idiot!" She laughed, but there were tears in her eyes. "It's not like this is the first time you've heard me say those words, but yes. I'm sure about them this time. I love you, Christian Grey. Not just as a friend. I'm in love with you. And I want to make love with you."
Now there were tears in my own Goddamn eyes. She loved me. She really did. "My God, Ana, I love you so fucking much, baby! So fucking much!"
"Then show me," she responded as she wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes with her fingertips and then kissed my tears from her fingers, never breaking eye contact with me. Then she shocked me even more by slipping the straps of her gown off her shoulders. With just a little wiggle from her, it fell to the floor, leaving her completely naked before me.
I'm sure my jaw must have been on the floor. I distinctly remember hearing her voice. "Breathe, Christian."
"You... you're stunning. So, so beautiful. And you were naked under that slip of a gown all this time?"
She smiled her shy smile. "Well, you did say that Matilda should have more freedom from now on."
I laughed. "I did. Matilda should always be free." I had to touch her, but I didn't know where to start. I settled for another kiss.
"I think... Little Grey... needs some freedom... too," Ana moaned once I'd moved my kisses down to her neck. I wanted to kiss every inch of her, but first, my lady had a request.
"Your wish is my command," I told her as I quickly removed all of my clothes, throwing them wherever they landed. Then I moved towards the bed, pulling her gently with me, so that in no time at all, I was lying on my back with her straddling me. This was a position I'd never been in before, but everything about this experience was new for me. And I had determined that Ana would have all the power tonight. I wanted to make sure she was completely at ease.
As I was kissing and sucking her perfect breasts, Ana groaned and moaned, and I'd never heard anything more musical. I wished I could record that sound, but I didn't want to stop, and I didn't think she'd like that request. My God, she was delicious. I couldn't get enough of her. And she was touching me, moving her dainty hands all over my body, and I loved it.
"Christian?" she asked softly as I was still making love to her breast.
"Mmm?" I responded without letting go of her nipple.
"I need... Will you...?" She stopped, seeming unsure of herself.
I glanced up at her. "What is it, love? What do you need?"
"I think... Will you be on top? I want... I really want my first time to be... with you on top. Is that OK? I mean, not that I don't want to do it this way too. I do. I mean, I want to do it lots of different ways. I want to try different, you know, positions. I just... you know, the first time. Will you..?"
I stopped her jabbering with a searing kiss, and at the same time, I flipped her over so she was under me now. "Is that better?" I asked when I finally let go of her lips.
She was panting now, but she wrapped her legs around me and pulled me closer. "Perfect," she managed to get out.
"You're perfect," I told her. Then I look her hands and placed them directly on my chest, where I knew she could touch me. Where only she could touch me. "I love you so much, Ana," I told her.
"I love you, too, Christian, and I'm so ready for you," she groaned.
I kissed her again, and at the same time, I ran my fingers through her folds. Yes, she was right about being ready. She was drenched.
"I can't wait, Christian. Please, just do it," she begged me.
"OK, angel," I said. "I think it will be better if I just... you know... push all the way in all at once and then stop and let you adjust to me. But if it's too much for you, just tell me, and I'll take it slower, just ease in a little at a time."
Apparently, I was taking too long for my impatient girl. "Christian, just do it! I need you! All of you! Now! Please!"
She didn't need to ask again. Immediately, I lined myself up and slid all the way home, never breaking eye contact with her. I wondered if she felt this connection that I felt with her at that moment, as if our very souls were connected.
Maybe she felt it, but maybe the pain was too much for her. "You OK, Princess?" I asked her gently as I stilled. I was buried balls deep inside her, and in heaven, but I wasn't sure she felt the same way.
"I'm OK," she answered. "Just... give me a minute." Of course. Her body needed to adjust to its invader.
"Whatever you need, my love," I told her as I stroked the sweat from her forehead. She was already sweating, and we'd barely gotten started.
A few moments later, Ana said, "I'm OK now. I need you to... I don't know what I need you to do."
I leaned in and kissed her lips. "I know what you need me to do, sweetheart," I told her. And then I began to move, slowly at first, but then I quickened my pace.
"Christian! Oh, God! Yes!" I could see from the look on her face that she was no longer in pain but was enjoying this. I continued to watch her carefully as I pumped harder. She met my every thrust, and I could feel her squeezing her tight walls around me.
"Are you OK, my love?" I asked her, even though I could see that she was better than OK.
"Yes! Harder, Christian!"
Her wish was my command. God, had sex ever been like this? Hell, no. Never. I was going to come, but it was too soon. I needed to make this last longer. And, of course, I had to wait for her. Was she getting closer? I was determined to come with her, but I wasn't sure how much longer I could wait.
"Oh, God, Christian! I'm going to come! Oh, my God! This is... so... wow!"
Spurred on by her moaning, I reached down and began to rub her clit as we both continued our thrusting. I shifted slightly, and I knew by the change in the sound of her moaning that I'd found her G-spot. We were in a perfect rhythm, and I was in heaven. As I locked eyes with her, I knew that she was on the brink of her climax.
"I love you, Ana!" I told her as her orgasm was upon her.
"I love you, Christian!" she screamed out at the same time, and we were both gone.
And if I'd thought the connection I'd felt with her when I entered her was amazing, it was nothing compared to this shit. Anastasia Steele was my fucking soul mate. I'd never believed in shit like that, but now, I knew it was true. We were meant for each other. She was the other half of me. I needed her like I needed air to breathe. She made me whole. But did she feel it too? I had to know.
"Christian!" she cried again as she began to wind down from her climax. "Wow! Did you feel that?" she asked breathlessly.
"What, Angel?" I prayed to God she was talking about our connection. I mean, there might have been an earthquake or something, and I totally missed it because I was so focused on my Ana.
"My God, is sex always like this?" Ana asked innocently. "Kate made me think it wasn't going to be this good the first time. But, wow! That was... Wow!"
She was talking about Katherine Kavanagh now? While I was still inside her, and we were still catching our breath from the best sexual experience ever? Oh, hell no. "Did you feel our connection, Ana? Is that what you're talking about?" I risked asking her. Please, tell me she felt it too.
"Yes," she whispered. "I felt it. I love you, Christian."
Oh, thank God! "I love you, too, so much, Angel."
"Mmm.. so good..." Ana mumbled. "So, so good."
I shifted so that we were now spooning, and I continued to run my hands over her luscious body. I could not get enough of her. We relaxed, and I'm not sure how much time passed. I thought Ana had fallen asleep. But then she surprised me when she spoke.
"I'm glad I waited," she said softly. "I'm glad you were first."
I felt tears coming to my eyes. "I wish you were my first," I whispered regretfully.
"I am," she reminded me. "I'm your first vanilla."
"You are," I assured her. "My first and only love. I never want to make love with anyone but you. You're it for me, Ana."
She shifted so that she was facing me, and her smile lit up her beautiful face. "I feel the same way," she told me. "In fact... can we... do that again?"
She was ready again, already? "You mean... now?" I asked her.
"Oh, God, I'm sorry. You probably need more recovery time, don't you?" she asked embarrassedly.
I laughed. "Ana... I have a relatively short... recovery period. If you want to do it again, I'm ready, sweetheart." And I was hard again, just like that.
"Can I be on top this time?" she asked innocently.
A moment later, I had flipped us so that she was in the position she had been in when we first came to bed, straddling me. "You want to ride me, Angel?" I asked her.
She nodded as she leaned over and gave me a searing kiss. "I do," she answered.
And ride me she did, and I was in heaven again. I would never get my fill of her. The way her perfect tits bounced as she moved on my body, and the way she threw her head back as she moaned... My God, it was spectacular. And she kept at it for much longer than I expected her to. My girl has stamina. She's amazing. And that connection that we felt when we came together the first time... it was still there, even though she came first this time. It was still there, and I knew it would remain there.
Later, after another round of missionary, we soaked in the garden tub. As I held Ana in my arms, my thoughts drifted back to the conversation I'd had earlier with my brother.
"Ana?" I asked, not sure if she had fallen asleep in my arms.
"Mmm hmm?" she asked sleepily.
"I think I need to tell my parents," I admitted.
"Tell them what, Christian?" she asked.
"Everything," I answered, and I meant it. Everything.
Ana sat up and turned so that she could look at my face. "What do you mean, everything?" she asked me.
"Everything," I repeated. "I just found out tonight... Elliot called me while you were in the shower... Elena Lincoln is still helping my mother plan the Coping Together Ball. I don't know why Mom is still friends with her after I told her about the embezzlement scheme that you discovered, but she is. I need to tell them about the other shit she did. I need to tell them about how she seduced an underaged boy and led him to follow a lifestyle that led only to emptiness and misery. And I need to tell them about my... about my suicide attempt. If you hadn't shown up that night, I'd be dead right now. There's no doubt in my mind about that. I owe my life to you, Ana."
"Christian," she said softly as she traced her fingers along my face adoringly. "I don't want to think about that."
"I know, but the thing is... Mom and Dad don't know. They think I was on vacation in England. I wanted it that way. But now... I'm afraid Elena is going to confront you, Ana. I have no idea what she's already done with Leila Williams or how involved she was in what happened today, and meanwhile, she's still milking her friendship with my mom for all it's worth. There's no telling what she's likely to say to you Saturday, at the ball. If I don't stop it beforehand..."
"Christian, don't you worry about that cow," Ana interrupted me, and I loved the spark of fire I saw in her eyes. "I can handle her."
The thought of Elena hurting Ana terrified me. "Ana... I know you're a bad ass and all, but... you have no idea just how dangerous she is. And... my parents are still just as blind to her manipulation as they were when I was a teenager. It's time that I... enlighten them."
Ana placed her hands in mine, looked me in the eye, and said, "I'm with you, every step of the way."
"Good," I responded. "Thank you. And... I need your advice." Yes, I, Christian Grey was saying "thank you" and... you heard me... asking for advice.
"You want my advice?" Ana asked. Yes, she was shocked too.
I nodded. "I'm not sure when to talk to them," I explained. "You know as well as I do that my schedule is too full tomorrow, unless I cancel our dinner plans with Elliot, and I don't want to do that. Then, on Wednesday, Mom is picking up Mia at the airport. If I try to talk to them Wednesday evening, it will spoil Mia's first night back at home. And we have back-to-back meetings scheduled for the whole day. Mostly interviews with potential CFOs. If I cancel any of those, it will likely delay our hiring a new CFO. But then, the next day is Thanksgiving, and I don't want to ruin the holiday. But if I wait until after Thanksgiving, Mom's usually really busy on Black Friday, not just shopping but getting ready for the Ball. It's been an annual tradition ever since I can remember, and she makes it bigger every year."
Ana considered my words thoughtfully. After a few moments, she responded. "I think... the sooner, the better. If you've made up your mind to tell them, do it as soon as possible. Don't worry about it ruining the holiday or Mia's first night back. If you're worried about that, you'll just keep putting it off."
"So, you think I should tell them on Thursday?" I confirmed.
She nodded. "Yeah, I do. If it makes you feel better, you can wait until after the meal. After Dad has gone back home."
"Shit, I sure don't want to tell them while Ray is there," I agreed.
Ana smiled. "Dad's more understanding than you might realize, but I agree that he doesn't need to know about your past. But if you want to tell Carrick and Grace, then when you arrive Thursday, tell them that you need to talk to them afterwards. That way, you can't put it off."
I had to agree, it was a good plan. That decided, and with the bath water getting cold, I got out of the tub and grabbed a towel for Ana before I helped her out too.
"Thank you, Ana," I told her again.
"No need to thank me," she said sleepily. "Just... take me to bed."
"Again?" I asked her. Not that I was complaining, but surely she was tired.
Ana snorted. "To sleep. Matilda needs a break."
As we fell asleep in one another's arms that night at the Fairmont, I hoped that I'd have her in my arms every night from then on.