A/N: I know it's been a long time, but I'm back! I probably won't be able to update as frequently as I used to still, but I'll try to update one of my stories at least once every two weeks. A lot of things have been going on and most of my attention will be averted elsewhere. I promise that even if I don't update quickly, that I won't abandon this story. I have an outline for the rest of the story and I'm determined to get it finished.
"Christian! Where are we going?" Anastasia laughs from the passenger's seat of Christian's R8.
Tonight is their first official date and Christian has spent the week planning it. He told Anastasia to dress comfortably and blindfolded her when she got in the car.
"I told you that you'll find out when we get there." Anastasia has never been much of a patient person, but Christian is enjoying making her wait awhile. It'll make the surprise even better.
She keeps playing with the bottom hem of her navy dress, worried she didn't dress properly for their date. He had said to dress comfortably, but she still wanted to look feminine for their first date. Surely, he would have told her to change if there was a chance of her showing her panties to everyone.
"How much longer?" The longer she sits with her eyes covered, the more anxious she becomes.
He laughs. "So impatient." Reaching over, he takes her hand before she wrinkles the bottom of her dress. "Five more minutes, baby. It won't be long."
"I love your hands." She takes his hand between the two of hers and runs her palms over the length of his hand. "They're my favorite hands in the world."
"I am pretty good with my hands…"
Anastasia giggles at his comment. "Christian! This is our first date!"
"So?"
"Your vulgar comment is not appreciated! You're supposed to be a gentleman."
"My fingers can be very gentlemanly." He wiggles his fingers against her palm and she can feel her cheeks warm a little.
"Ouch!" Christian yanks his hand away from hers when she suddenly squeezes a little to tight.
She sits in her seat with a large smile on her face, feeling pretty pleased with herself.
"You're lucky that we're here or I might have turned this car around and taken you home to throw you over my knee."
Anastasia bites her lip. "Maybe later."
Christian's dick stirs in his jeans, but he forces his mind away from the thought and cuts the engine, relaxing back in his seat.
"Can I look now?"
He reaches over and pulls at the bow of her blindfold, letting it fall from her eyes. It takes her a few seconds for her eyes to focus, but when they do, she's shocked.
"Christian!" She's touched. "You remembered."
He smiles. "Of course I remembered."
They're sitting in the parking lot of a mini-golf course. The same mini-golf course where they hung out for the first time. It was really the first time Christian got to witness Anastasia's lack of coordination for himself.
"Maybe this time I'll manage not to hit anyone in the back of the head." Anastasia giggles at the memory. She had gotten so frustrated with the ball that she hit it way too hard and it ended up going airborne, hitting a man in the back of head who was two holes ahead of them.
"That'll be our goal for the night, love." He teases lightly, tugging at a tendril of her hair. It's back to its normal short self, but he's glad that it's all hers. She's absolutely beautiful no matter what length her hair is, but a part of him hopes she'll grow it out.
In true Anastasia form, she rolls her eyes and huffs. "Let's go." She grabs for the handle on the door, too impatient to allow Christian time to open it, causing him to jump out of the car to catch up.
When they make their way to the entrance to sign up, Anastasia notices that there is no one on the mini-golf course. There are tons of cars, so the arcade inside must be packed. It's odd to see it so empty.
"Where is everyone?"
Christian smiles and hands her a club for her to try out. "I didn't want to take the chance of you knocking someone else out."
"You rented out the course?"
"You're surprised?" Christian hands her a purple ball and grabs a blue one for himself.
"Actually...yes." She doesn't know why, but she is.
"Safety first, Ana. Too many things are going on right now for us not to take every precaution." He puts an arm around her shoulders and steers her toward the first hole. It is then that her eyes catch the CPO's at every entrance to the course.
"Oh. Wow." She's suddenly nervous. This is all so eerie. She's never seen the course so quiet. It's like a ghost town.
"Baby, don't think too much on it. Let's have fun. Try not to give Taylor a concussion, alright?" He smacks her backside. "Ladies first."
She scowls at him over her shoulder as she makes her way to the tee off mark. The first hole is pretty straight forward, but that doesn't mean it's going to be easy for her. She's never been one for any type of sport...although she's decent at bowling...and she's pretty uncoordinated, so she's hoping that she doesn't do too bad tonight.
She takes a deep breath and hits the ball with a little force, worried that if she hits it too lightly, the ball won't make it anywhere near the hole. Unfortunately, she hits it too hard and it bounces off the back of the hole and comes back down the green to rest two feet away from her feet.
"Well, shit." She sighs.
Christian grins. "We'll call that a warm up round. Let's try again." He bends and grabs her golf ball and places it back on the tee mark. "Here, I'll help you." Wrapping his arms around her and placing his hands on top of hers, he bends to make himself her height.
Anastasia laughs. "You're just trying to cop a feel."
"Not true. It's simply just a bonus. I want to help your swing." Christian explains how to line up the club to swing towards the hole and he brings the club back and hits the ball with enough force to send it down towards the hole and stop about two feet from its goal. "There. Now you hit it again...nicely… and get it in the hole."
She marches down the green with purpose. "Don't worry. I got this." She feels confident that she can make it the two feet to the hole without screwing up too badly.
Anastasia hits the ball and it goes straight toward the hole, rolls against the edge and ends up on the opposite side of the hole. "No way! This is rigged!" She follows the ball and this time when she hits it, it goes in.
Christian shakes his head, amused. "You can use that excuse all you want tonight, but we both know it's operator error." He writes down a '3' for the first hole next to her name and slides the paper and pencil into his back pocket so he can tee off.
"Let's see your shot, smart ass." Anastasia stands on the sidewalk with her hands on her hips, waiting for him to make his shot.
Christian hits the ball, it goes down the green, straight toward the hole and goes in easily. He stands there, leaning against his club with an easy grin on his face.
"Oh, I hate you." It annoys her that he's good at everything, while she seems to lack skill in anything physical.
"You should be glad that these things come so easily for me, love. I have to compensate for the things you lack. Our poor baby wouldn't have a chance, otherwise." He bends to grab their golf balls out of the first hole and she smacks him lightly on the backside with the end of her club, making him jump.
"That's what you get for being so ornery."
When he stands, his eyes narrow at her and he lunges, letting his club fall to the ground so he can grab her. She squeals, causing Taylor and Sawyer to look back quickly at the two of them.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She giggles as he rubs his scratchy facial hair against her neck and face while he has her scooped up in his arms.
He stops immediately and sets her down nicely. "Uh huh. That's what I thought."
They continue to play and Anastasia is actually pleasantly surprised at how she's playing. She's not playing well by any means, but she's doing better than she thought she'd be. By the time they hit the seventh hole, her average stroke count is a four. Last time they played Christian refused to even keep score because it took her too many strokes and she had to cheat to get the damn ball anywhere close to the hole. Maybe this pregnancy thing has even more perks than she thought. Or maybe she's been blessed with some good luck tonight.
The eighth whole has a ninety degree turn, goes uphill first and then has the hole almost in the corner at the end. To get the ball to land anywhere close to the hole, she'll have to hit it hard enough for it to go uphill, then hit the corner instead of straight ahead or it'll bounce off and come back down toward her. You can do it, Ana.
She takes a couple deep, cleansing breaths and takes her time getting herself into position. When she hits it, she holds her breath, and watches as it rolls up the small incline, hits the corner of the green and bounces off, making its way toward the hole. It bounces off the side again and her ball makes its way to the corner hole, slipping in effortlessly.
A puff of air rushes out of her mouth. "Did...Did I just...Is that a…?" She turns toward Christian, who has a giant smile on his face.
"Baby, you just got a hole in one."
Anastasia squeals and dances a little before throwing her arms around his neck to hug him. He holds her tightly to him, enjoying her small victory with her. He's so excited for her.
"I can't believe it! Why didn't you tape it?"
Laughing, he releases her. "How was I supposed to know it was going to happen? It's like a one-in-a-million shot that you would have gotten it."
She huffs. "Way to have faith in your best friend, there, beau."
"I do have faith. I have faith that you'll never be able to get a hole in one again."
"You willing to bet on that?" Anastasia gives him a sassy grin.
"What are we betting?"
"What do you want to bet?"
"Hmm…" Christian takes a minute to think about it. He has to choose wisely. "If I win, then you move in with me. Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?!" Anastasia didn't expect anything like that to fall out of his lips. Honestly, she figured it'd be something sexual like office sex or a blowjob.
"Yes. Tomorrow."
Now, she is nervous. The stakes are suddenly high. She's pretty sure that she isn't ready to move in with him, yet. They've barely started their relationship and she enjoys her independence. Soon, she'll have a baby attached to her hip 24/7 and she wants to enjoy being by herself for awhile.
"So, what are you betting, Steele?"
Anastasia isn't sure what she should bet. "If I win, I get to decide what the baby's name is going to be. First and last."
Christian's eyebrows knit together. "What do you mean first and last? It isn't going to be Grey?"
She shrugs her shoulders. "I haven't decided, yet."
"But it's my baby!" Why the hell would she bring this up now?
"It's my baby, too, Christian. That's why I haven't decided, yet. It doesn't mean that the baby's name won't be Grey. I don't know, yet."
This isn't the time, Grey. Plus, what are the odds of Anastasia getting a hole in one again? The odds are not in her favor. Deciding to stow his anger for the moment, he agrees.
"Fine."
XxXxXx
They're at the last hole and Anastasia did not get her hole in one. In fact, her luck seemed to plummet after they made the bet. Christian is looking extremely smug on the eighteenth hole and she knows she's going to have to give up her apartment tomorrow. It feels like she's giving up every shred of independence she has.
The eighteenth hole has three pipes to aim for, all numbered. Number one means a hole in one, two means two strokes, and three means three strokes. You add that number to the number of strokes it takes to get your ball to travel down one of the pipes, where an underground mechanism takes the balls and deposits them back in a bucket at the front shack. As long as you hit the ball straight into a pipe, it wasn't a hard hole...but unfortunately for Anastasia, she isn't the best player.
"You go first." Anastasia states, waving him forward. She wants to eye the green a little longer and syke herself up.
Christian is beaming from ear-to-ear. He can taste the sweet victory on the tip of his tongue. "Sure, baby. I'll go first."
He hits the ball and it slides easily into the pipe labeled '1'. "I win."
"I'm not done, yet."
"Unless hole eighteen is able to give you a negative twenty points, I win the game."
"But not the bet."
He laughs. "Not yet. Just hit the ball so I can celebrate my victory."
She mean mugs him as she places her ball on the tee. "You mean my victory."
"Not in this lifetime, Steele."
"Well, then, you better keel over, Grey."
Anastasia wiggles her butt and takes her time lining her club up with the pipe labeled '1'. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, she swings back and hits the ball, every muscle in her body clenching as she watches the purple ball go rolling across the green. It goes straight down the center, to the middle pipe labeled '1', and slips easily into the pipe and out of sight.
She immediately begins to scream and dances around excitedly. "I did it! I did it! I won! I won the bet!" Turning towards him, she does a small happy dance.
Christian stands there stunned. He cannot believe that Anastasia hit it on the first try. He was so close to winning. Apparently, he was overly confident.
"Not so cocky now, are you Grey?" She asks, a cocky-ass grin on her face. "I am the master! Bow down to me! Even better...get on your knees first."
"Lucky shot."
"You're right. I got very lucky!"
"It was the eighteenth hole. It doesn't count."
"No, no, no! You can't take it back now!"
Seeing that Christian really is pouting, Anastasia wraps her arms around his waist and raises on her tiptoes to kiss his pout away. "Don't be a sore loser, beau. I promise not to name the baby anything too crazy like Dirk or Gidget."
He can't help, but snort a laugh at the names. "I don't get to veto anything?"
Anastasia taps her chin, thinking. "Alright, fine. I'll allow you three vetoes. Once you use your three vetoes, you have to keep quiet though."
"As long as you don't come up with terrible names on purpose to make me use the vetoes."
She shakes her head. "No, I promise, I won't. Only ones I honestly like. Deal?" Holding out her hand, she waits for him to take it. After a beat, he finally does.
"Deal." He shakes her hand roughly, pulling her closer to him so they can kiss on it. He isn't going to mention it now, but he's going to use his vetoes on the last name. He wants his baby to have his last name. He'll do whatever it takes; it's really important to him. Anastasia can choose whatever first name she wants, as long as the baby is a Grey.
XxXxXx
"Let's take a walk."
"Okay." Anastasia smiles up at Christian and takes his hand, letting him guide her. The mini-golf course sits right beside one of the piers, looking over Puget Sound. Their security guards follow them from ten feet back, giving them some space as they take a walk down the boardwalk.
She shivers as the wind picks up, wishing she didn't wear such a light dress. It's no longer mid-summer and fall air is slowly showing itself.
The air is chilly, but luckily Christian remembered his Harvard hoodie. He stole it back from her a few days ago and she has yet to realize it's missing. When he feels her shiver, he reaches back with his free hand and gives a light snap, feeling the softness of his hoodie touch his fingers only seconds after. Taylor makes quick, silent work with getting the hoodie to Christian.
He pulls the hoodie from behind his back and holds it out to her. "Cold?"
"What? How? When did you get this?" She stops and yanks it out of his hand so she can put it on. Once she pulls her head through the opening of the hoodie she states, "It's mine!"
Christian chuckles and reaches up to calm her suddenly wild hair. "You said possession is nine-tenths of the law, so I took possession of it."
"Well, I'm taking it back."
"But you didn't even go to Harvard."
"I don't care. It's from you. I love it." Anastasia pulls the hood up over her head and slips her hands in the front pocket, getting cozy. "It makes me feel like I'm wrapped up in you."
Christian's heart swells at her sweet words. The hoodie had meant so much more to her than just something comfortable to keep her warm. Never again would he try to take it from her. The hoodie comforts her in a way he had never realized before.
Slipping an arm around her, they continue their walk down the boardwalk.
"Are you hungry?" He asks as they make their way closer to the boat docks.
"Yes." She answers honestly. She feels like she could eat a whole cow at the moment.
"Then follow me. We'll get you and our baby fed." He ushers her toward the docks and punches in a code before opening the gate for her.
"Where are we going? You're not going to make me catch my own food are you?" Christian houses his boat elsewhere, so she doesn't understand why they're here.
He laughs. "Oh, no. If we had to wait for you to catch our food, we'd probably starve to death."
"Hey!" She knocks his arm with her elbow, unwilling to pull her hands away from the nice warmth of the hoodie pocket.
"Don't worry, baby. I'll make sure you're fed. I'll never make you catch your own food." Seeing that she's pouting, Christian ducks down and presses his lips to her temple.
"Seriously, Christian...why are we here?"
He slows his walking and her eyes follow his to see what he's looking at. In front of them is a large sailboat, about the size of The Grace, but instead of blue, this one was black and white. On the side, it reads The Anastasia.
Her heart skips a beat.
"Christian!"
He's grinning from ear-to-ear. "Do you like it?"
"I...oh, wow. Yes! Yes, of course! You didn't have to-"
"I wanted to." He states, cutting her off. "This new sailboat has all the bells and whistles and the most advanced technology out there. It just rolled off the assembly line two weeks ago and I've been waiting to show you, trying to decide when to, and tonight seemed like the perfect time."
"Christian, it's beautiful." She reaches up and wraps her arms around his neck, allowing him to hold her off the ground while she gives him a deep kiss to thank him properly. "You never cease to amaze me. I'm so touched by this." Her tears that have been welling up have begun to overflow and run down her cheeks. "Can we climb aboard?"
Nodding, he picks her up properly and carries her over to the boat, lifting her up into it before climbing on himself to greet Mac, the manager of his sailboats.
XxXxXx
Anastasia sits on one of the built-in benches close to the wheel while Christian mans the wheel and Mac is busy at the bow of the boat. The air is chilly as they glide across the water, making Anastasia's nose cold and red. She pulls her knees up against her, trying to get more comfortable and warm. Christian has found her a blanket and she's completely content watching her handsome boyfriend control the sailboat like a professional. He really is good at everything he sets his mind to and it's obvious the pride he has in his accomplishments.
"How are we doing, Ms. Steele?" He asks, giving her a warm grin.
"Perfect!" She says over the wind.
He's relieved by her words. He had been worried that sailing might make her nauseated. Looking her over, she seems relaxed and untroubled, just enjoying the ride. She's always been willing to join in on his adventures, trusting his judgement no matter where the adventures take them or how many times he's made her step out of her comfort zone and confront her fears. He remembers the first time he really pushed her limits.
"I can't believe we're going to do this!" Anastasia and Christian are both in wet suits, standing in a boat in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. They've just graduated from their universities and this trip is their graduation present from their parents. It was Christian's idea to go scuba diving.
"Believe it, love! No turning back now." Christian gives her a large grin and slips on his goggles and places the regulator in his mouth before turning his back to the edge of the boat and falling back into the water like the instructor had shown them to do.
Anastasia watches him from the boat as his head reemerges from the water, but doesn't move an inch.
Pulling the regulator out of his mouth, he tries to encourage her to get in the water. "Come on, Steele."
"I don't want to. I'm scared." She doesn't like the thought of being stuck underwater if her air tank somehow breaks.
"Get in the water."
"No. "
"Anastasia Steele! Get your ass in this water, now!"
Her eyes narrow at him. "Don't yell at me, Grey! I have bungee jumped with you, I've gone free-falling with you, I even let you shoot me with a paintball gun...multiple times I might add! I have always followed you on your little adventures...but this...this is too much. The water and the tank and I just… I'm scared and the yelling is not helping."
"Okay, okay. Love, I'm sorry. Just get in the water. Everything will be fine. Don't you trust me?"
Her shoulders visibly relax. "Of course, I do."
"I'll be right here with you. I promise I won't let you drown."
"Okay." It takes her a moment, but she finally agrees.
"Now get your ass in the water."
"Fine!" She huffs, putting on her gear before getting in the water.
An hour later they reemerge from the water with smiles on their faces.
"That was the most incredible experience of my life!" Anastasia squeals as the instructor pulls her back into the boat. Christian barely gets himself back into the boat before she attacks him with a bone-crushing hug. "Thank you for making me do this! I can't believe I did it! What can we do next?"
Christian laughs and holds her dancing body against his, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I knew you could do it, Ana. I'm so proud of you! We can do whatever you'd like, love. I'm up for anything."
She smiles up at him. "Promise that you'll always take me with you."
"Pinky promise." He states, promising. There's no one else he'd rather have with him during these adventures.
She lifts up on the pads of her feet and her lips meet his, surprising him. The kiss is soft and quick, and when she pulls away, her cheeks redden. "I'm sorry. I don't know what-"
"That is exponentially better than a pinky promise." He states, giving her a charismatic smile. "I think I'll kiss on that promise once more." Leaning down, he presses his lips to hers again. "You're the best, Ana."
She looks up at him through her eyelashes and gives him a bashful smile.
"Come here, Ana." The memory that their first kiss, although innocent, was on a boat makes him want to kiss her all over again. This time, it won't be so innocent.
She makes her way over to him with her blanket wrapped around her and he makes quick work of grabbing her and dipping her low as he gives her a deep, slow kiss.
When he returns her to the standing position, she's giggling. "What was that for?"
"I was just thinking about our first kiss."
She bites her lip. "The one on your couch?"
"No, baby. Our very first kiss. Remember? On the boat in Indonesia?"
She laughs. "Oh, yea." She opens up her blanket and wraps her arms around him while he keeps one hand on the wheel, wrapping them both up in warmth. "I don't know what got over me. Scuba diving that first time was such a rush. I can't believe that I actually did it."
He smiles fondly at her. "I was so proud of you."
Giggling, she nods. "Me, too."
XxXxXx
Mac had left on a smaller boat after they dropped the anchor in the middle of the Puget Sound, allowing them to have the night alone. They've decided to eat dinner at the table in the dining room below, in an effort to keep the chill off of themselves and their food.
Anastasia finishes her last bite of her lava cake for dessert and sits back with a sigh.
"Full?" Christian asks, knowing.
"Stuffed." Anastasia runs her hands over her full belly, now thirteen weeks along. Her bump is even more pronounced with a full stomach and she rubs the bump affectionately.
"You're beautiful." he states simply, watching her caress her stomach. He finds himself falling more and more in love with her each passing day. The bigger her stomach grows, the deeper his love grows for her. She's carrying his child in her womb; a precious, innocent little being that she protects and nourishes 24/7. He loves his little family.
She rolls her eyes. "I don't feel beautiful. I feel bloated."
A small smile appears on his lips. "Dance with me."
Her eyebrows raise in surprise. "You want me to dance with you?" She's not the best dancer and he knows it. She has a habit of stepping on his toes. He tries to hide his discomfort when she does so, but she knows better. Although she knows she's not the best dancer, she secretly loves it...and maybe she's getting better. She managed to only step on his toes once the night of Coping Together.
"Please." Christian knows how much Anastasia enjoys dancing, although she won't ever admit it. The way her cheeks and eyes light up when she dances tells him that much...plus he can't count the number of times he caught her dancing in her room while they were in high school. Music is a part of Anastasia and her body naturally moves to the music. He just wishes her feet would learn to cooperate with the rest of her body. Her hips sure know how to move…
He stands and takes her hand, escorting her back up the stairs and out to the stern. On his way up, he hits a button along the wall and the sound of music surrounds them through the speakers that are located throughout the boat.
He pulls her closer to him, but she puts a finger up. "Hold on." Reaching down, she pulls her shoes off, relieved to be barefoot. "Ah, better. Now, if I step on you, it won't be so bad." She gives him a grin.
"I appreciate that, love." He wraps his arms around her and pulls her against him, hugging her to him. He's worried that her legs are cold, but he's sure she'll let him know if they get too cold.
Anastasia looks up at the sky and smiles when she sees that half of the moon can be seen, the other half covered by light clouds. Stars litter the sky in the same way that freckles spread across Christian's shoulders in the summertime after he's been in the sun. Feeling completely content, she rests her head against his chest and closes her eyes, letting him move and sway them across the wooden floor.
"This is just perfect, Christian. Thank you." She says quietly, not wanting to ruin the moment.
"Night isn't over, yet."
Her eyes widen. "What? You mean… there's more?"
"Just a little more."
"What else do you have up your sleeve, Grey?" Anastasia is anxious to see what else he could have planned.
Christian chuckles. "So impatient." He releases her and pulls her back towards the stairs to head back into the hull of the boat. He pulls her straight toward the bedroom and opens the door for her, letting her go first.
The comforting smell of vanilla and bergamot candles hits her nose and the warm glow from the dozens of lit candles inside the room catches her eye. She almost tears up at the sight. Christian has somehow reached into her mind and recreated the scene from her dream, almost perfectly. Candles are burning all over the room, giving it a soft, yellow glow around the pale gray walls. The bedding is pure white, covered in red rose petals.
She turns and her lips immediately find his, showing him her appreciation. As they pull apart, a grin forms on his lips. "I take it, you like it?"
Anastasia giggles and nods. "It's beautiful, but... you're pretty sure of yourself, Grey. This is our first date, after all. What type of girl do you think I am?"
He gives her an amused, lopsided grin. "Love, you're carrying my baby. Don't you think you could break your five date rule just this once?"
She bites her lip, pretending to think about it. Her hands run up the front of his shirt, rubbing his chest. "I suppose so. I'd be a stupid woman to pass up a night with you." She gives him a salacious grin and begins to unbutton his shirt.
"We can't forget you, Ms. Steele." Reaching down he pulls the hoodie off of her and then slips her navy dress over her head, revealing her navy blue lace lingerie set. His dick stirs just looking at her. Her pale skin against the dark blue material is flawless. The way her small bump curves around the fabric, making it dip down in the front just drives his craving for her even more.
He reaches down and picks her up from the back of her thighs, laying her down in the center of the bed, covering her body with his. He kisses her a few times.
"Do you trust me?" He asks, hopeful.
Anastasia gives him a small smile. "Of course."
Christian's smile mirrors hers, hearing her words. He presses his lips to hers once more and reaches into his pocket, producing the blindfold he used on her earlier. "I want to try something."
Her mouth falls open slightly with a soft gasp, her arousal heightened by his willingness to try something new. She gives him a small nod. "Okay."
He pushes himself up on his knees, kneeling beside her and leans over to place the blindfold over her eyes, tying it behind her head.
"How's that? Can you see?" Christian waves a hand in front of her face, but she shakes her head. "Great. Now lay back and relax, baby. I'm going to take care of you tonight." He's read that the other senses are heightened when you take someone's sight away. He wants to test this hypothesis and see just how much pleasure he can give her...hear just how loud he can make her scream. They've got all night to enjoy each other and he's going to use it to his advantage. There is no one for miles around. No worry of being heard...being seen.
He drinks in the sight of her blindfolded and waiting and it makes him impossibly harder. She's giving him the control to do as he pleases to her. She's giving him free reign of her body. It's sexy and oh-so satisfying.
XxXxXx
Anastasia wakes up the next morning, her body still relaxed and sated from the night before. Christian hadn't left an inch of her body untouched. His hands, his lips, his tongue explored every curve, every dip, every freckle on her body. It was the most intense experience of her life...it was beautiful.
Rolling toward Christian's side of the bed, she notices it's empty. There's a note on his pillow.
Good Morning, Beautiful.
I left your clothes on the bathroom counter.
Get cleaned up and come find me.
Anastasia smiles at the short note and runs her index finger over the words before climbing out of bed to use the restroom. Inside, she finds a warm sweater, a pair of jeans, a new bra and pantie set, a pair tennis shoes, and a big white towel. She's relieved that she'll be able to shower before heading up. She's sure she looks a mess and knows that Mac is back, because the boat is moving across the water.
She takes a quick shower and throws her hair up in a ponytail before heading to the deck to find Christian. She finds him sitting on the same bench she sat in the day before. Mac is at the wheel and he gives her a wave when he sees her.
"Good morning, Mac." She gives him a polite smile and has a seat next to Christian, curling up against him. He's warm like always and she allows herself to snuggle into him.
"The sun is actually out today." She mentions, enjoying the morning sunlight.
Christian wraps his arm around her and presses a kiss to her head. "It's a beautiful morning for sailing."
Nodding, Anastasia looks around, enjoying looking at the waterfront houses that go by. She wonders just how expensive the houses are. She sees one in the distance on her right side that catches her eye. It's a large house with many windows, surrounded by acres of green grass and a meadow that backs up to the shore of the Sound. It instantly reminds her of the dream she had of them just weeks prior.
Christian sees that something has caught her attention and is surprised to see her captivated by the secluded property. As the sailboat continues to slice through the water, the property disappears behind them and she relaxes against him once again, laying her head on his shoulder.
"How are you feeling this morning?" Christian asks, twirling a loose tendril of her hair around his finger.
A smirk forms on Anastasia's lips. "Incredible. I didn't think it was possible for every muscle in my body to be so relaxed at once."
Leaning closer to her ear, he asks if she enjoyed what they did in bed.
She gives him a bashful smile and nods.
"Does that mean you're willing to experiment a little more?"
"Definitely." More than willing.
Running his hands up and down her back, he nuzzles into her ear. "This is going to be fun."
A/N: Let me know if you want a teaser for Chapter 21.