*Christian's POV*
The moving crew just left Anastasia's new apartment and I am helping her unpack. She's in the kitchen organizing the cabinets how she wants them while I empty boxes in her bedroom. As I grab a box of folded clothes to put in her drawers, I find her panties and lingerie on top. I can't stop my grin. Only I get to see these on her. They range from cotton, satin, and lace and vary in thongs, briefs, and boy shorts. There are just as many bras, but only a couple of peices of lingerie. I've seen her in both pieces and she looked sexy as hell. I need to buy some more. I throw her panties and bras into the top drawer, deciding she can organize them if she'd like. When I reach in a second time, my fingers hit something hard and cold. My eyebrow raises before I can even pull it out.
I raise the item to eye level, the metal catching the light through the window.I find myself wandering back towards my girl, looking for an explanation.
Holding them up, I clear my throat. She spins in her place and cracks up at me.
"Hand cuffs Ms. Steele?"
She bites her lip. "A gag gift. When a college friend got married everyone in the bachelorette party got one."
"...And you decided to keep them?"
She rolls her eyes. "Stow the jealousy, Grey. I've never used them. I thought they might come in handy in case someone tried to kill me or if I ended up being with someone kinky."
My eyebrow raises. "Like me?"
She nods. "See? I was smart to keep them."
"Baby, we haven't even started on the kink, yet." I'll handcuff her and fuck her any day of the week. Wish I would have known about these weeks ago. Maybe they would have made her calm her ass down and listen for once. "Stop biting that lip and get back to work. I've got plans for us later." Can't wait.
She giggles. "We better hurry then cause I need a good night's rest. We meet the new owners of the business tomorrow. There's been rumors that they are moving us from the building, but the only people that know who they are and what they're doing is upper management. I need to be at my best when I meet them for the first time."
I know that this is going to be a cluster fuck. I haven't told her...I know I should have, but with our fragile relationship, I couldn't tell her. "I'm sure they'll love you."
She chews her lip. "I want them to like me, yes, but what is important is that they respect me. I am the newest employee and so I'm the easiest to trash if they feel they we're overstaffed. I have worked so hard, I really hope my work exceeds expectations."
Her drive is so refreshing...and so sexy. People with drive like this are hard to find, unfortunately. Setting the handcuffs down on the counter, I make my way to her and wrap my arms around her. "You are a solid fixture in your company Ms. Steele. Everyone sees that. Try not to worry." My eyes dance over her face and I see that the frown on her face hasn't moved. It looks like I'm going to have to ease her in a different way. "All right, angel. Let's take a break. Come with me." I take her hand and guide her to the bedroom, grabbing the handcuffs on the way.
*Ana's POV*
I am so anxious. I keep finding myself tapping my feet on the carpet below my desk while I try to read through my emails. it's a quarter 'til ten and our meeting begins at ten o'clock sharp. My phone vibrates on my desk, startling me and making my heart rate spike even further. Damn it. I'm going to be an antsy mess at the meeting. Looking down I see that it's Christian.
*You're wonderful, angel. Please relax. You're an asset and they know that.*
I let out a deep breath, trying to calm the pressure in my chest. Before I can thank him, an alert pops up on my computer telling everyone to meet in Conference Room B. Here it comes, Steele. I fold Christian's blue blanket up and place it in its special place in my drawer. Grabbing a notebook and pen, I join the herd and make my way towards the conference room, sitting myself between Scott the IT guy, and Vanessa.
"Hey, Ana. Have you figured out your phone yet?" Scott taught me how to use the phone system when I first started and I had a terrible problem with accidentally hanging up on people when trying to transfer them.
"Ha. Ha." It's sarcasm, but I can't help my grin. "You are a menace. Picking on the newbie! I should report you to HR."
He laughs. "But do you even know how? Or do I need to show you how to use that part of the software, too?"
"I don't need software, buddy. There's nothing wrong with these legs. I'm not scared to make my way over." I poke him in his bicep.
He wiggles his eyebrows playfully at me. "There's definitely nothing wrong with those legs."
I can't hide my surprised look when I smack him in the arm. "Sounds like these legs need to make their way to Eva's place." He's engaged to a beautiful blonde named Eva so I know his remarks are in jest.
"Trust me. You do not want to trample on bridezilla right now." He holds his hand up like a claw and roars.
I giggle. "How did that girl get so lucky?"
He dusts off his shoulder and winks.
A three ring binder gets slammed down and the low hum of random talk suddenly ceases, everyone jerking their eyes to the front.
I'm met with hard, gray eyes and I startle in my seat. What the fuck? I stare back, my surprise waning and my anger beginning to boil. How could he do this? How could he not tell me! Breaking eye contact, I look down at my wrist.
Today I had to wear a bracelet to hide the handcuff mark that was made after the third time he made me orgasm last night. I push my bracelet up, covering the mark. Suddenly I feel nauseated. He took such wonderful care of me last night...making sure to exhaust the worry out of my system... but now I'm starting to wonder if he just fucked me because he knew he might not be able to after today. He knew I'd be pissed.
Had he bought the company after I got the position? Had he bought it before? My stomach clenches, causing me to wrap my arms around it. Was he the reason I had this job? I force tears back at the unwelcome thought. I hadn't earned this position at all. I got the job the day after we met. Surely, he couldn't have gotten the business that quickly, could he? It had been a Sunday when we met.
I look back up and his eyes are still on me, worry on his face now, seeing me holding my tummy. Stop looking at me. People already know he's my baby's father. Nothing is going to keep them from talking now. Especially since he and Ros have come for the orientation. Doesn't he have people for that? With all the companies he buys, it'd be silly for him to be doing this for each one.
God he looks good like that. He's in his dark grey suit, his shoulders are straight and broad and there is a strong stoic look on his face. I'm instantly wet. And instantly angry.
No wonder he told me not to worry. Of course he wouldn't fire me... even if I was shit at my job. My heart aches. I'm so disappointed that I didn't do this myself. I couldn't sell my worth myself, so Christian had to.
I try to pay attention as we go through our binders, but my mind wanders and my chest continues to ache. I find myself looking at my watch multiple times throughout the hour long meeting.
"Now if you all would turn to the last page, we have one last signature. Take your time, review this carefully, and if you agree to the newfound contract, please initial the bottom of each page and sign the last one." Ros closes her binder. "After you sign, you may return to work. If you refuse to sign, security will escort you out of the building. If you have any questions, please inquire with your immediate supervisor."
Swallowing, I look down at the contract, but everything is blurry. I have to blink a few times to see the words carefully. Grey Publishing. It reads basically as an NDA. Don't speak about work and don't work for competitors. No photography, screenshots, or outside emails are to be taken or sent on company property. Keep tight-lipped about clients and future happenings... including the fact that the company will be moving to the 14th floor of Grey House when construction is complete. Fuck. How did I miss that? I've been so angry and nauseated that I must have missed that part of Ros' speech. I scan it a couple of times and see people begin to sign and leave, taking the rest of their binder with them.
Do I honestly agree to work under Grey Publishing? Working in the same building as Christian might make him more controlling than ever. I could start fresh somewhere new... but there honestly aren't any places that I'm qualified for that I haven't already tried around here. I can't move and take his baby away from him. No matter how pissed I am right now.
"Need a pen, Ms. Steele?" Christian's voice startles me.
Meeting his gray eyes, I pick up my own pen. "No, sir. I have my own."
"Sign it, Ana." His voice is quiet, but urgent. "We'll talk later."
My pen taps against the paper. I can't think with him so near. Even with me angry with him, the electricity is evident and he smells so damn good. Stupid pregnancy nose. My pregnancy has me craving it.
"Please." His voice is louder and his eyes are pleading.
Still confused, I press my pen to the paper and sign and initial the paperwork.
His shoulders visibly relax an inch, even though he's stance is all business. God why is he so sexy? I want to climb up that hard, stiff body to those broad shoulders and bite that sexy bottom lip he has a habit of rubbing with the pad of his thumb. I'm angry at myself for being so attracted to the ape even though he kept this from me.
I watch as he opens the rings of my binder and slides the paperwork out of it, before righting the rings and closing it for me. "Your binder, Ms. Steele."
"Thank you, Mr. Grey. I hope you have a lovely day." I push my chair back to stand and his eyebrow raises.
"That all depends on you."
Rolling my eyes, I turn on my heel and make my way back to my desk. I know it's disrespectful to roll my eyes at the owner of the company, but what's he going to do? Fire me?
*Christian's POV*
The look on my angel's face when she walked out the conference room door has stuck with me through the afternoon and I find myself waiting for her at her apartment. This is not going to be a pleasant encounter, but I know we have to get through it.
I hear her enter the apartment, but I wait for her in the bedroom, wanting to be as far from the front door as possible. I don't want her running today. As she makes her way into the bedroom, she stills, waiting for me.
"Christian." She slows to a stop.
"Hey."
"I don't know what to say to you. I am beyond words, Christian. How could you do this to me? How could you do what you did last night knowing what I was going to be finding out today? I put my complete trust in you! I let you bind and blindfold me and you were conning me the whole time!"
I'm pissed. "Wait just a god-damned minute, Anastasia! How dare you! I love you! I would never- where are you going!?!" I grab her wrist as she tries to leave and out of the corner of my eye I see the handcuffs and I grab them, handcuffing her wrist I have caught in my fingers.
"What the fuck! What the hell is wrong with you!" She's pissed. I don't give a shit. Taking the other end of the handcuffs, I cuff myself.
"You aren't running, Anastasia! No more running. We're talking this over." One of us always runs and we need to fix this shit. We're a family and I did this for her own good. I spend millions on this damn company just so I'd know she could support herself and eat.
"Let me go."
I shake my head. "Not until we've talked this through." Resigned, she plops down on the bed and I sit beside her.
"I would never hurt you. I only want to keep you safe and secure. What happened today shouldn't sour last night."
"You imprisoned me."
"No. I worshipped you. You being bound gave me the time to show you just how incredible you are. As if right now, I might be just a little...but only because we need to communicate." I tug at the cuffs linking us together. "If you weren't comfortable with it, you should have told me. It was dishonest of you not to." I hate that these two instances are being weaved together, but at least she's opening up.
Looking down, she pouts. "No, I liked it. But you should have told me before today. I felt like you purposely used your sexpertise last night to dull my rage for you today. You knew I'd be angry."
My hand reaches up to caress her soft cheek. "We already had so much on our plate. I just wanted to concentrate on getting us straight and then getting you moved somewhere safe."
"That's so selfish! You wanted me to move where you felt was best and so you didn't tell me, worried I'd decide not to move!" She's right.
"I'm a selfish man, Ana, but I wanted to make sure you were safe. I don't care how pissed you are at me, at least I'll know that much."
She growls in frustration. "I can't stay here knowing the owner of the company I work for is paying my mortgage!"
"Yes you can and you will! It's already paid for. If you won't allow me to gift it to you then consider it a gift for baby bear. The baby deserves comfort and safety. You can't deny that."
"This is so fucked up. When did you buy the company, Christian?"
"Around the same time you hired in."
"Before or after? Did you buy the company so you could hire me or did you buy the company because I was there?" Neither of those options sounded good coming out of her mouth.
"The night you came to Elliot's, I was already in negotiations to take it, but when you said you had an interview... I sent Roach an email agreeing to the amount he wanted if he hired you."
Her face drains of its color. "So, it's true. I only got the job because of you. It wasn't because of me at all."
"Ana...Hyde fucked you over. He ran his mouth about you to everyone that would listen. Claimed that there was a sexual harassment case against you. You deserved a break. You just needed your foot in somewhere." That stupid fucker is paying for what he's done. Slowly, he'll see that I'm ruining his company and I can't wait for it to fall apart.
She has tears in her eyes, making my heart clench painfully. "So now they're going to know I didn't get the job on my own. That you gave it to me cause we have a thing going."
"First of all, it's not just a thing. It's a relationship. Yes, we're a little fucked up but we're figuring it out as we go. And, no. They won't think that. As far as they know, we agreed to buy it a week ago. No one knew about this except the senior leaders. If they think anything, they'll think I bought it cause you put in a good word for the place."
"Or that you bought it so I could sleep my way up the company just like Elizabeth insinuated!" Angry tears fall from her eyes, but when I try to wipe them away, she batts at my hands.
"What Elizabeth said is grounds for dismissal. She discriminated against a pregnant woman, forced you to work through your allotted breaks which is illegal, and has slandered your name. If I had complete ownership of the company at that point she would have been gone, but I didn't. She better mind per p's ans q's because if she doesn't, she's history." I hate that woman. I can feel myself losing my temper and I take a few deep breaths to find my control.
"I don't want you to have control over my career. You've crept in and inserted yourself everywhere in my life...but my career... come on, Christian!"
I shake my head. "I am not in control of your career. I just own the company. You'll work your way up yourself. I will not push you through the ranks. That will be between you and your supervisors. I am three levels above your supervisor."
Her frown is still evident, but she finally releases the tension her body has been holding and sighs, her body relaxing against my shoulder. "Can you release me now?" She holds her wrist up.
I find the key in her drawer to release us and pull her closer to me rubbing her stomach. I have so much affection for the tiny thing in her tummy. I haven't even met them yet, but I feel like I already can't live without them. The thought of them... of Ana carrying them... gets me through each day.
"I have a question for you now, angel." When she cranes her head to look up at me, I take advantage and duck to kiss her nose. "Who the hell was eyefucking you before the meeting?"
"What?" She's startled by my sudden gruffness.
"The asshole that sat next to you. It was obvious he wanted in your pants. He was trying way too hard to make you laugh."
Rolling her eyes, she pushes away from me, but I keep our hands linked. "Scott. He does not want in my pants. It just so happens we were talking about his fiancé. Not every man who talks to me wants to fuck me, Grey."
"The hell they don't!" I pull her closer to me even though she she tries to pull back at first. She knows that the affection will calm my anger, so she allows it.
"You're ridiculous. Stop being a jealous asshole. I'm carrying your baby. That should be enough to stow your anger. I'll talk to whoever I want whenever I want."
I roll my eyes, but she doesn't see me. "Okay, Anastasia." We'll see about that. I press a kiss to her head. "Let's not fight anymore."
She gives me a smile that lights up her eyes. "Okay."