*Ana's POV*

Ugh. I feel like each passing day carrying Teddy makes my inability to move worse and worse. My bladder woke me up, but still I lay here, unwilling to get up. Christian is sleeping soundly and I know me flopping around while grunting and groaning as I try to get out of bed will wake him. I am so ungraceful. Some women carry their pregnancy so well, yet I can barely carry myself, let alone this watermelon attached to my stomach.

I sigh. I can't hold my bladder much longer. I literally have to flop to my opposite side, because my body cannot roll itself smoothly anymore. Too much front. I feel Christian move behind me.

"Need help?" He's groggy and I bet if I was able to turn to him, I'd see that he still has his eyes closed.

"Not yet." I grunt out as I shimmy toward the edge enough to dangle my feet and push myself into a sitting position. I hate that I have to wake him every time.

After I use the restroom and head back out, I see Christian curled up on my side of the bed, snoring into my body pillow. It makes me smile. He's been so wonderful taking care of me while he deals with my hormones. On top of that, I've been pressuring him so much about his past. I've seen all I want to see of that. He's ready to move on and I shouldn't force him back just because my curiosity and need to see. No more. We're going to be married and have a baby to obsess over. The past is the past and we'll leave it there.

I decide to let my handsome man sleep and head to the guest bedroom to sleep the last few hours before work. It takes awhile to get myself comfortable since my body pillow is currently under my fiance, but the guest bed has enough pillows to make up for it. Once I get them into place I find myself drifting quickly.

"Ana? Ana!"

I'm startled awake by Christian's panicked voice at the doorway.

"What? What is it?" By the time I force myself to flip to my back, Christian is beside me and picks me up.

"Absolutely not. This won't do." He shakes his head and carries me back to our bed, depositing me into it. "What were you thinking?"

"You looked so peaceful, I didn't want to wake you again. You're not getting any sleep laying with me."

"That's bullshit. If you're woken up from your pregnancy, I should be, too." He climbs in beside me looking annoyed. "Don't you ever pull that shit again. Now settle in so we can sleep."

I sigh. "There is no reason we both should be exhausted. You need your rest so you can deal with me." I settle in beside him and he yanks me closer so I can use him as a body pillow.

"I'm fine. I can't bear waking up without you, Ana. I need you close."

Oh, Christian. When he admits things like that it's so sweet and heartbreaking all at the same time. "I love you, ace." I kiss his chest.

He hums. "Love you."

*Christian's POV*

"Are you ready, Taylor?" Taylor has just entered my office, his briefcase on his arm.

He gives me a nod. "Gail just arrived. I told her we'd be there soon."

I have a mega-watt smile on my face as I stand. I have been waiting for this moment for it seems like an eternity. "Great. Take my briefcase and I'll go collect Anastasia. We'll meet you downstairs."

By the time I step off the elevator on her floor, I find myself wanting to sprint to my girl. I feel so light and can't wait to surprise her. She spots me through the front glass of her office and after giving me a once over, I see her eyebrow quirk. I must look too happy for the workday.

"What's up with you, ace? Ruin someone's day?" She pokes fun at me as soon as I open her door. I give her a playful scowl in return, but I can't wipe the grin I have.

"Grab your bag ans coat, Ana. I want to take you somewhere special."

"Ah, so that's why you're so chipper. You're always too happy to surprise me."

XxXxXx

I blindfold Ana halfway to our destination. I want her front and center when she sees what I'm up to. When she slips out of the car, I guide her by her shoulders.

"Are you ready for your surprise, Ana?"

"Yes! I'm dying, Christian!"

I laugh. "Okay, I guess I'll have mercy on you." I pull the blindfold off and she blinks a few times trying to get used to the light.

"CHRISTIAN!" She takes in the large Gulfstream in front of us. Her hands are over her heart and I'm guessing it's pounding in her chest. "What are we going to do with that?"

I chuckle at her question. "We're going to fly in it."

She turns toward me and throws up her hands. "Well, duh! But where are we going? Not to Savannah again, right?"

I roll my eyes at her teasing. "I told you I was taking you to Maldives."

"Wha-what? Now? But what about work? What about packing for the new house? What about packing for this! I need my body pillow! Do we have tums? Oh my word." She bends over to breathe and I'm to her quickly, rubbing her back. "I need a snack."

I can't help, but chuckle at her words. "Relax, baby. We've got everything we need. I wouldn't forget anything. Your body pillow is on the plane and the plane is full of snacks. I got you."

"We're really going on vacation?" She's straightened up and looking at me with a smile on her face.

"Yes, angel. We're really going."

She suddenly squeals and squeezes me. "I'm so excited!"

I'm relieved she's not worrying anymore and my excitement begins to grow again. Leaning down, I grab her behind and lift her up so she can wrap her arms and legs around me.

"Carrying me over the threshold already, ace?" She asks, teasing me as I carry her up the stairs to the airplane. "We aren't married, yet!"

"But it's our pre-honeymoon. I would carry you over every threshold for the rest of our lives if you'd let me."

She giggles. "With how tired my feet and legs have been lately, I might let you." She gasps when we hit the interior of the plane. "GAIL! TAYLOR! You're coming, too?"

She unwraps from me and I set her down so she can hug Gail.

"For a little while. Then I'm sending them on their way so I can have you to myself." I wiggle my eyebrows at her when she looks at me.

"I'm so excited! This is the best surprise!"

I know my Ana has been missing Gail since we've been separated. She doesn't see her as often as she did when Gail had the large penthouse to take care of, but once we're moved, things will get back to normal.

Once I talk to the pilot we all have a seat in the four large chairs with a table. I buckle in Ana by the window and give her a kiss before buckling myself beside her. Taylor and Gail buckle in across the table from us.

"When we level out, we'll get the snacks and drinks out and put your feet up." Her poor feet are already swollen over her flats. We have Subway sandwiches for dinner in the fridge but I want to wait a few hours for that.

"You spoil me rotten, Christian." She leans over to kiss me. "Thank you for everything."

I wink at her. "I want you to have everything, baby. We're on vacation so you eat all your pregnant self desires."

She giggles. "I hope the swimsuits you packed stretch."

"What swimsuits?" I wiggle my eyebrows at her.

"You're joking!" She looks petrified at the thought, making me laugh.

"You have enough to get you through until they leave. Then it's just you and me on a private island. The only thing touching that skin is me... and maybe a little sunblock."

She's red as a lobster at my admission, but the other two are laughing. They're used to my antics.

We hit the runway and start to pick up speed and Anastasia grabs my hand, making me grin. "I see this is becoming a habit, angel." She squeezed my hand until it was white on our way back from Savannah. "You hold Sawyer's hand like this, too?"

She bites her lip. "Yes."

Taylor laughs. "I'm sure that made Sawyer uncomfortable."

Ana laughs. "Too bad. It's his job."

"You like making him sweat." Taylor's sentence comes out as a statement, but my girl nods.

"It's entertaining. If I'm forced to have a babysitter than I might as well get Christian's money's worth. He probably thinks I'm a spoiled brat anyway."

I roll my eyes. "He does not."

"Christian is right. He cares for you, but he's very much an introvert. I'm afraid you won't be able to worm your way into him like you did me. He's a stubborn professional."

Anastasia gives Taylor a grin. "We'll see."

We finally reach altitude and when the pilot states we are free to move, Ana claps.

"Snack time!" She unbuckles herself and begins to climb over me to get to the snacks. "Excuse me..."

Her foot gets stuck making her fall sideways into my lap and I catch her before she falls backward onto the carpet.

"Damn, Ana. You couldn't let me move first?"

Giggling, she shimmies herself around and I can't help but get a little hard with that beautiful ass rubbing against me. "I didn't want to bother you by making you get up!"

"Well, you failed, but at least this way I'm getting a lap dance." When she finally stands, I smack her ass. "Get us food, woman!"

*Ana's POV*

"I see your ten and I raise you...er... five." I throw my chip in. Taylor, Gail, and I are playing poker while Christian is working on his laptop beside me at the table.

"You're shit at this bluffing thing." Christian comments while he types.

"Shut up! I am not bluffing!" My cheeks turn red.

"A shit liar, too."

"You're taking the fun out of it!" I throw a poker chip at him.

"What part of gambling all our money away is fun, Ana?" He teases. "Taylor is up by five hundred dollars!"

My head falls back in a laugh. "Am I really that bad?"

Taylor grins at me, but refuses to answer. Probably because he's making easy money.

"Fine. I fold." I throw the cards in the middle of the pile. "How long is this plane ride anyway?"

"About nineteen hours. We have to stop and get fuel in the middle, too."

Taylor full on smiles. "I can make millions from poker by then."

"That's a long flight, Christian!" I had no idea.

"With the time difference we'll get there in the morning time and get to enjoy the whole day."

"Do we just sleep in our chairs and on the couch?" I cannot go this long without sleep. I'm already exhausted.

Christian rolls his eyes at me. "There is a king size bed in the back, Ana. You and Gail can share the bed and Taylor and I will sleep out here." Why didn't I know this last time?

Gail clears her throat. "That's very sweet, Christian, but I'd rather curl up on the sofa with Jason. You enjoy the bed with Ana."

He grins. "Oh, really?" He wiggles his eyebrows. "We'll make sure to close the door to give you some privacy."

Seeing Gail's flush is entertaining. For once it's not me embarrassed.

XxXxXx

Nineteen hours on the plane with a stop for fuel and switch pilots, but we're finally at the airport.

As we step out of the plane door onto the stairs I take a deep breath. You can smell the sand and saltwater and it is so wonderful. It's my favorite smell in the world. I just changed into a white pair of shorts and a light blue loose linen shirt and the warm breeze feels so much better than the cold Washington air.

"Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Grey! I am Isamu." A handsome Asian gentleman in khakis and a green polo greets us. "We have a car waiting for you all to take you to the boat."

I'm confused by his missus comment, but keep my mouth shut. I can feel myself grinning from my happiness; a mix of the beauty around us, the smell of the air, and the giddiness of being called Christian's wife makes me feel like I'm floating.

Christian shakes his hand. "Thank you, we're looking forward to this trip."

"We will empty the plane and bring all your belongings on a separate boat."

Christian grins and puts an arm around me. "Isamu, make sure the snacks are number one priority." He rubs my stomach, making me laugh.

"Christian." I roll my eyes.

"Oh, right! And her body pillow... and the tums! Did I remember everything?" He cheeks, squeezing me against him. His teasing is adorable.

Isamu laughs. "I assure everything will arrive safe and sound."

In the car, I fish my sunglasses out of my bag and find a roll of lifesaver hard candy I forgot I put in there.

"Oh, look at that!" I pull it out. "Anyone want a lifesaver? What color?"

The others laugh at me, but you better believe all of them took a piece of candy. See? Being pregnant has it's perks for everyone. I even give the driver a piece.

Once we're on the dock, Christian helps me into the speed boat and we all have a seat. When we pick up speed the air feels good, but my stomach starts to churn.

"Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no." I barely stand and kneel on my seat in time to throw up out of the side of the boat.

"Oh, Ana..." Christian is rubbing my back as I puke.

The man driving the boat slows down. "Do we need to take it half speed?"

Oh, fuck no. The rocking is making it worse. I shake my head and wave at him to speed up. "Keep going!"

As he speeds back up, I take a few breaths and Christian hands me a handkerchief. I am so glad he always carries one.

"Thank you." I wipe my mouth and chin and try to sit back in my seat, the sick taste in my mouth making my nausea worse.

"Ana, where are your lifesavers? Try sucking on one of those. It will help." Gail gives me an encouraging look, so I decide I'll try what she says. I'm too sick to look through my bag, though.

"Christian." I whimper out his name, but he understands.

"On it!" He finds my candy quickly and hands me one. It's pineapple. I throw it overboard making him laugh. The fishes can have it.

"Orange?" He asks holding it up.

I give a nod and he deposits it straight into my mouth.

After a few seconds I realize it is helping. I relax back and rest my head on Christian's shoulder. "Thank you, Gail."

"I was going to blindfold you when we got close to the island, but I think it's best we don't do that. If you feel up to it, let's move to the front so you can see everything as we pull up."

He stands and pulls me up and I follow him down the center of the small speedboat to the triangular front. He shimmies sideways so he can keep me steady and lead and it makes me grin. Always so protective. Once we reach the front he places me in front of him and holds tight to me as the island comes into view.

"Oh! Christian! It's gorgous!" I turn and see Taylor taping us and it makes me super self-conscious all of a sudden. Christian must notice my sudden unease because he whispers to me to relax and enjoy it. As we get closer, I see movement and squint.

"What? Oh my God, oh my God!" I squeal and bounce up and down on the pads of my feet while I wave both arms. Dozens of our loved ones are standing around what looks like an outside restaurant with couches and tables and chairs. They all have drinks in their hands and waving and yelling back.

"CHRISTIAN!" I turn in his arms and reach up and yank his mouth to mine for a kiss. I hear the catcalls as the boat slows at the shore and pull away from him. "I don't know what to say. Thank you. Thank you so much."

He shakes his head, smiling at me. "You deserve it. We deserve it. Let's have some fun with everyone for a few days and then we're going to boot them and have a couple weeks to ourselves." He wiggles his eyebrows.

"Ace. You're perfect."

He gives me a wink. "I'll help you down."

He climbs onto the bench, to the side, and jumps down, into the water that is knee deep. Taylor helps me onto the side and Christian puts an arm around my thighs, holding me against him so I can slide down his body into the water.

"God, the water feels heavenly." I move my legs in the water a little, enjoying the white sand on my sore swollen feet. This is the best medicine. This is going to be the best few weeks of my life.

*Christian's POV*

My girl is absolutely glowing being here. I am mesmerized watching her interact with our friends and family during our buffet brunch. In addition to Taylor and Gail, my family, her father, the Kavanagh's, Jesse and Ava, Savannah and her boyfriend, and Ros and Gwen are all here. Considering the Emma situation, I asked Ethan to leave Dhvani at home and I didn't ask Carla. The drama is being left at home.

"I think you've got something on your chin..." My dad interrupts my staring by sitting beside me on the couch I'm relaxing on.

"Huh?" I wipe my chin, making him laugh.

"Sorry, I thought you were drooling." I elbow him in the ribs. "I like seeing you happy, Christian. I haven't seen you like this before."

"I've never felt like this before." My eyes meet his. "I want to thank you for apologizing and accepting Ana into the family. Taking responsibility for that meant so much to me. It tore me apart hearing what you thought and then being separated from you." I haven't really gotten to talk to my father and thank him properly, yet.

He swallows hard. I know he probably doesn't appreciate me bringing it up again, but I need him to understand.

"I don't deserve the thanks, Christian. My words were so damaging. My first thought was to protect you from just another person who wanted to hurt you, but thinking that was wrong. You're a smart man and you don't need me protecting your assets. Not in that way. I should have been ecstatic that you found a woman that you love and want to start a family with. I'm glad we have mended things and I am ecstatic to have a new daughter and grandson."

"I'm glad you're here, Dad."

"And I'm glad to be here to watch you get married."

"Sh!" I look over to make sure my girl isn't close. I've asked everyone that knows to keep it a secret until this evening. I want to surprise her during our engagement party tonight.

He chuckles at my nervousness. "Don't worry. Everything will turn out perfectly. No one is going to ruin it, Christian." He waves. "Here comes my beautiful soon-to-be-daughter-in-law now."

I turn my head to see her smiling and blushing at my father before her attention turns to me. "Everything okay, Christian? You look nervous." She has a seat in my lap and rub my hand up and down her naked thigh. She looks phenomenal in these little white shorts. Her ass and thighs are to die for.

I give her a smile. "Everything is absolutely perfect."

"I feel that, too. It's so gorgeous here and to be able to share it with our favorite people... it's incredible. I'll never forget this, Christian. You're so incredible. I wish I could marry you right this second. Right here on this couch. I don't know how else to show my appreciation for you other than to give my whole self to you and take your name."

My heart swells so much for this girl. "Soon, angel, I promise. I can't wait much longer." My hand wanders up to her backside and rests there, claiming her.

She gives me a grin and kisses me.

XxXxXx

We played on the beach, the girls got mani/pedis, and we took an afternoon nap after a tour of our oceanside house. Now we're getting ready for our engagement party this evening. We've decided to keep it casual, so I'm in khaki shorts and a black polo, since it's her favorite. She dresses in a black babydoll dress to match me.

"I love that I don't have to wear shoes for three whole weeks." She wiggles her toes at me as she sits on the side of the bed. She chose French tips for her nails and her toes look beautiful. For once her feet aren't swollen and I think the spa and nap really helped her. I'm hoping I can keep her from swelling over the next few weeks.

"Soon, you won't have to wear clothes, either..." I wiggle my eyebrows at her.

She giggles. "Always thinking about getting it in."

I cock an eyebrow. "Yes, but I don't need you naked for that." I push her shoulders back making her fall back onto the bed and grab her thighs, pressing my groin into her panty-clad center. "I just have to push a little bit of fabric over and I'm good." She hums and grinds against me. "Having you naked is intimate in itself. Getting to be the only one who sees your sexy body, to touch you... smell your skin... to kiss and nibble anywhere and everywhere. Fuck. It's incredible." I'm now hard.

"Christian..." She grinds into my tent. "Fuck me before we go. I need you."

My shorts are undone and I'm pulling myself out before she even finishes. Pushing the fabric between her legs to the side, I give her what she needs.

XxXxXx

I stand and tap my glass of bourbon to get everyone's attention. We're all finishing dinner and I want to make my announcement before the music and dancing starts.

"First of all, I want to thank everyone for coming to this little piece of heaven on earth to celebrate our engagement with us. I hope everyone has the time of their lives over the next few days. To be honest, I've been wanting to bring my Ana here since the first time I ever laid eyes on her. Her crystal blue eyes instantly reminded me of the water here and I wanted her to see what I see everytime I look into her eyes." There are coos from the crowd and Ana's hand finds mine, so I squeeze it. "You all know that I am an impatient man and when I want something, nothing is going to stop me." I hear murmurs and laughs that make me grin. "So, I want you all to understand that I didn't just bring you here to vacation with us...as a few of you already know... I also brought you here so you can witness us making a covenant together. I refuse to wait any longer. Ana..." I turn to her. "Tomorrow, you and I are going to be married."

Screaming, she jumps out of her seat and throws her arms around me. "Christian! I can't believe it!" She is sobbing into my chest as I hold her.

"Are you happy?"

She laughs. "Oh, I'm ecstatic! I can't wait! I'm going to be Anastasia Grey in less than twenty-four hours!" She squeezes herself to me again.

Nuzzling into the top of her head, I sigh. I love the sound of that. Anastasia Grey. Tomorrow isn't soon enough.