Ana sat in her hotel room and thought about what she had remembered about someone calling out a certain name. It bugged her immensely, and contemplated how she should go about it. In her opinion this was a very sensitive matter, because the only ones who were there that night besides her, were Christian and that creepy man. Did Christian know the other man? And from where did he know him if he did?
These questions were driving her mad, at the moment. She knew that she should ask Christian about it, but decided to do that at a suitable time. Right now he was in the process of healing from the attack, so Ana wanted to wait before bombarding him with said questions. To be honest, she needed the break also from finding out certain things.
At that, she let out a deep breath, and muttered. "For today just enjoy your vacation a bit, OK Ana?"
She shook her head at that, tucking those questions away in the back of her head for now, and decided to get ready for the dinner at Christian's villa. Just the mere thought of him, made her tummy do flip flops. Gosh! Ana had it and had it bad… real bad.
After taking a long shower, Ana went through the hotel room closet, but she just couldn't find the right dress. At one point the bed was a total mess, her evening dresses spread out on every inch of said bed.
"Damn it!" Ana said, feeling frustrated at that moment.
"Hey. What's wrong?" Kate walked through the door and asked.
Ana sighed at that, and said." I have nothing to wear!"
Her best friend chuckled and walked back to her own hotel room. As Kate returned, Ana noticed that she had a box in her hand. When Kate opened it, Ana's eyes widened, gasping softly.
"No! I cannot wear that! It's yours." Ana exclaimed, while shaking her head firmly.
At that, Kate nodded. "Yes! I want to give it to you, because we both know that it looks better on you."
Kate and Ana went on like that for minutes; Kate giving the dress to Ana, but Ana politely declining.
"Take it, Ana!"
"No, Kate! It is yours and very expensive, I can't!"
"You ready girls?" they suddenly heard a voice say.
At that, the two girls stopped, and looked up. It was Ana's father.
"No, dad. Give us 30?" Ana responded.
"Yes Mr. Steele, we need more time." Kate said, while placing the dress in Ana's hands once more.
"OK." He said and walked away.
"Come one, Ana. We don't wanna be late. Just take the dress? Please?"
Ana let out a deep breath at that, and said. "OK, I'm gonna take it, but I'm also gonna pay you for it."
"Deal." Kate replied, and smiled satisfied.
XXX XX XXX XX
At the moment, Christian was in his master bedroom, looking at his own reflection in the long mirror.
'Ana.' He thought, while his lips curled into a smile.
She was going to be here within an hour. Christian's heart quickened erratically at that, just the thought of Ana's presence making him act like a teenager. God! She was so endearing and so full of life. Christian chuckled, when he thought back on that one time she told him that he was so full of it! Ana could be real feisty at times, just like a whirlwind... or tornado. God, he had it bad… real bad.
Christian was taken out of his thoughts, by a soft knock on the door.
"Come in." he said, while checking his jacket for the fourth time.
Elena walked into the room, and whistled. "You clean up good, buddy." She said.
"Thanks. " Christian replied, while running a comb through his hair again.
"Why so nervous, Christian? You have invited people over for dinner countless times, you know." Elena teased.
"I know that I have, but…" Christian began, but didn't finish the sentence.
"But… none of those people were Anastasia Steele." Elena stated, while raising an eyebrow.
"Exactly." He replied, and cleared his throat.
"First, you have to try to breathe, Christian. Relax and breathe…" Elena advised, while her eyes twinkled from amusement. She had never seen Christian this way; it was so cute!
At that, he inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, his eyes fluttering shut. "OK." He said, and kept doing the breathing thing for a little while.
"Feel better now?" Elena asked, after a couple minutes.
Christian opened his eyes at that, and replied."Nope! Didn't help, not at all."
Elena burst out into laughter at that, and grabbed Christian on his upper arm." Don't worry, it's gonna be OK. You'll do fine, let's go see what your chef has cooked for us tonight." She suggested, attempting to distract him, while guiding him out the bedroom.
XXX XX XXX
As Ana, Kate and Mr. Steele stepped inside the limo, the driver greeted the trio enthusiastically. As they drove away, Mr. Steele noticed that Ana was being very quiet.
"Are you alright, Ana dear?" he asked, while gently squeezing her small hand.
At that, Ana turned to look at her dad, and said. "Huh? Yeah, I feel fine, dad. I feel great!"
"Really? Cause to me you look kinda nervous. It's just Christian, you know." He commented.
"I know, dad! And I'm fine. Promise." She replied, and broke eye contact.
Ana then turned her face to look out the window, not wanting to talk about it. At that, Mr. Steele's eyes darted towards Kate.
"Let her be. She's nervous to see Christian again. Give her time and don't worry. She's fine." Kate whispered, attempting to convince him that Ana was doing OK.
Mr. Steele let out a deep breath at that, and decided not to press the matter.
At the moment, Ana was impatiently and nervously sitting in the limo. She just couldn't wait to see Christian again. Lately, all she could think about was him. His smile, the way his gorgeous eyes lit up when he looked at her— just every little thing about Christian made Ana's knees turn into mush.
'Gah! Why am I acting this way? I'm not 15!' was what Ana thought at that particular moment.
But that's how Christian made her feel. He made her feel like she was able to take on the world…
When the villa came into view, Kate enthusiastically tapped her hands together. " We're here! At Christian's castle!" she said, purposely exaggerating, attempting to get Ana to relax a bit.
At that, Ana's eyes landed on the villa, making her feel extremely nervous. Her fingers immediately glided over her golden rose pendant, while tons of aggravating questions popped into her head.
'Will I be able to do it? Wasn't it too soon to be here again? Will I run the moment I see Christian?' were said questions.
And then Ana thought.' Note to self: ask Christian about that creepy man who had pushed me against the tree that night.'
... .. ... ... ... ... ...
Christian was in the living room with a glass in his hand, when Calinico announced their— her arrival. The second his eyes landed on Ana, his breath caught in his throat. It's like time stood still for those few seconds. Ana walked towards him with a shy smile on her face, her pretty eyes sparkling like diamonds. At that, Christian's lips automatically curled into a genuine smile. As she came closer, he noticed that Ana was wearing a long strapless, blue black dress, hugging her perfect curves at all the right places. Her shiny hair was up with a hairpin, and her plump lips painted red. Ana looked absolutely breathtaking! Christian wanted nothing more than to take her hand in his and to lead her to the dining table, but— he couldn't. He literally couldn't do that, because he had to walk with those annoying crutches. At that, Christian mentally cursed in Greek, still angry at his cousin for injuring his left knee.
"Welcome and please take a seat." Christian said instead, and walked with his crutches towards the dining table.
At that, they all took a seat and thanked Christian for having them over for dinner.
As the wine was poured, the conversations began. Christian was talking to Mr. Steele and Kate at the moment, but he constantly kept catching Ana's gaze.
Ana was deep in thought, a gnawing pain tugging at her heart, while her eyes landed on Christian's crutches. As her eyes darted towards Christian, his eyes locked immediately on hers. His gaze was so piercing yet loving, making Ana break eye contact. She couldn't help, but to feel guilty about his injuries. If it wasn't for her…if Ana hadn't gone into the forest, the wild animal wouldn't have attacked Christian. He wouldn't need crutches now and he didn't have to endure pain in his knees.
Christian noticed that her eyes were sad at the moment. "Are you alright, Ana?" he asked, concerned.
Ana immediately caught his gaze and nodded. "Yes! I'm OK. I'm doing fine, great actually." She said, attempting to sound convincing.
At that, Kate watched her best friend, and squeezed her hand lightly. She knew that Ana felt guilty about Christian getting injured; that's why Ana looked sad all of a sudden.
It was then, when Kate decided to do something to lighten up the mood a bit.
"So, I have to tell you all something hilarious!" Kate began, and started to giggle.
"OK, let's hear it." Elena said curiously.
"Well, this afternoon I was lying on the beach right and I met this Grecian man. He told me that he had three sons and one of them was around my age. He asked if I was married…"
The second Kate finished her story, all of them burst out into laughter. Even Calinico couldn't stop it, wiping away tears that had appeared from laughing so hard.
Mr. Steele had noticed also that Ana had a sad look in her eyes before, so when they all were laughing, he looked over to Kate and mouthed. "Thank you."
Kate smiled at that, and nodded. Mr. Steele was glad that Ana's best friend had lighten up the mood. After Kate's hilarious story, they all decided to tell something funny that they had experienced in Tinos. Dinner was nice, the food was beyond delicious, drinks flowed, jokes were made and the stories that were told were all colorful.
At a certain point, Kate was with Elena and Mr. Steele in the garden. Calinico decided to help in the kitchen, leaving Christian and Ana alone in the living room.
Christian looked at Ana, but neither of them was able to say anything yet. After a few moments, Ana collected all of her courage and said. "Thank you for— for dinner. It was absolutely amazing!"
"I'm glad you enjoyed the food." He softly said, his eyes locked on hers.
"The food was great, but the company is better though." Ana boldly said.
Christian smiled at that, and asked." Wanna get some fresh air?"
"Yeah. I'd like that a lot." She replied.
At that, Christian grabbed his crutches and began to walk towards the balcony. Ana followed him, and when they stood on the balcony next to each other, his eyes darted upwards.
"Ana, look up. See how amazing the stars are at night." Christian suggested, a smile gracing his face.
At that, she did what he asked. "Wow! This truly is a beautiful sight, Christian. Just WOW. "Ana whispered.
"Yes, pretty incredible." He replied, not talking about the stars anymore, as he admired Ana. His eyes weren't fixed on the sky anymore, but they had landed on her.
When Ana's eyes darted away from the stars, and landed on Christian, she noticed that he had been watching her. Ana's heart kicked up three notches, as she got lost in his gorgeous eyes. At that very moment, she noticed that Christian was looking at her like she was something special, making her cheeks turn crimson red.
He chuckled at that, and whispered. "Now your lips match your cheeks."
His words made a delicious shiver go up and down her spine. Christian noticed right away that Ana was shivering, so he assumed that she was cold. At that, he leaned onto the railing and took off his jacket.
"Here, wear this please? You're shivering all over, Ana." He said and handed her the jacket.
Ana wanted to tell him that she wasn't cold, but she knew that Christian was going to insist, so she accepted it.
"Thank you, Christian." She said, while wearing the jacket.
It was then, when Christian apologized. "Sorry." He whispered, his voice trembling.
At that, Ana attempted to lock eyes with him, but he avoided her gaze.
"Christian?" she said, but still he didn't look at her.
At that, Ana tried once more." Christian, look at me. Please?"
As a sigh escaped his lips, Christian finally was able to look up and caught her gaze.
But what Ana saw in his eyes, broke her heart into bits and pieces.
"Sorry? What are you sorry for? You haven't done anything wrong?!" she stated, wanting nothing more than to comfort him.
He shook his head at that and whispered. "Yes, I promised your father to give you a wonderful vacation. But I haven't been able to keep my promise. I'm so sorry."
It became all too much for Ana; she shook her head furiously, her eyes welling up.
"No! You don't have to be sorry for anything, OK? You have been more than a very good host. You have saved my life twice now. I don't know how I could ever repay you, Christian." Ana said, trying to convince him, as a stubborn tear rolled down her cheeks.
Christian hadn't said a thing at that, but just kept his eyes locked on hers. He desperately wanted to wipe away her tear and caress her cheeks. But he remembered how Ana reacted when he tried to brush a lock of hair from her face, so Christian barely managed to hold himself back. He didn't want to startle her like he did then.
"I am the one who should apologize. I am so sorry, Christian. I feel so guilty, please forgive me?" Ana said, her eyes pleading.
"Forgive you? For what?" Christian asked, not knowing what she was talking about.
At that moment, Ana let it all out, no longer able to keep the guilt to herself.
"I'm so sorry that you were attacked that night. I'm sorry …that you got hurt. So sorry …that I went into the forest and so sorry that I didn't visit you when you were at your worst. I'm so sorry! It's all my fault and… I'm selfish and a horrible person. I should've thanked you for… for saving my life in person and not use a no— stupid note! I'm so sorry that you have to endure pain in your knees and… I'm so sorry that you ha— have to walk with crutches!" Ana confessed, as an excruciating sob left her red lips.
As those words reached Christian's ears, he wasn't able to hold back anymore. He grabbed her lightly, and pulled her in a tight embrace. Ana let him comfort her, her face landing in the crook of his neck, not even having the urge to pull away from him. Christian was leaning with his back against the railing, held Ana tightly against his chest, as he enveloped her in his warmth.
"Shhhh… it's not your fault, Ana. You must not feel guilty at all. It just happened, OK? You didn't know what was going to happen." he whispered, while gently stroking her shiny hair.
Never before had Ana felt so safe, being in a man's arms, feeling completely lost in his warm embrace. And yet, Ana felt like she finally was home. At that very moment, Ana wished that he would never ever let her go again.
Christian's heart swell gloriously being so close to her. It felt so right, like she belonged in his arms, no place else. It's like he finally found her, not knowing before that he had lost her. At that, Christian's eyes fluttered shut, reveling at the wonderful feeling of her soft body molding into his. God! Ana was able to take his breath away without even trying…
After Ana's sobs had subsided, he reluctantly let go of her. At that, Ana pulled away slowly, and looked him deep in the eyes.
"Ana, may I wipe away your tears?" Christian asked then.
Without hesitation, Ana nodded. At that, Christian carefully brought his hand towards her face, his heart beating erratically. And just as his fingertips touched her cheeks, Ana's eyes fluttered shut. He wiped her tears away, caressing her cheeks in the process. God! Her skin was so soft.
As a sigh escaped her lips, Ana opened her eyes, Christian's hand still resting on her pretty face. Again, time stood still, both afraid to even breathe. They were lost in each other's eyes, both hearts beating faster and faster. Christian was still leaning on the railing, inhaling her addictive scent, and hearing how Ana's heart was beating. Dadum… dadum… dadum…
At one point, Ana gently cupped his face and asked. "Why are you so kind? And so nice? God! You deserve so much, Christian. You deserve…" Ana began, her voice trailing off, deciding to act instead of talking.
Ana stood on her tippy toes and kissed his left cheek, his eyes falling shut.
"That's for saving my life. Twice." Ana whispered, her voice sounding everything but insecure.
He smiled at that, his eyes still closed. And as Christian opened them, he looked at her with such loving eyes. At one point, Christian's eyes landed on her lips. Without hesitation Ana nodded, her heart ramming against her rib cage, her breathing becoming shallow, the anticipation excruciating.
Christian saw her nodding, giving him permission, so he slowly leaned into her, not wanting to startle her like before. As the seconds passed, he brought his face closer and closer to hers… His lips were almost touching hers, his warm breath tickling her face, their lips mere inches apart. And just as his lips were about to collide with hers…
Mr. Steele opened the door and said.
"Hey Ana, Christian. It's getting l—"he began, but then stopped mid-sentence because he realized what he just had done.
"Sorry…" he whispered at that, and hastily walked back inside.
Note: Mr. Steele! Why?!
OK, guys. Please don't hate me... Slow-burn OK?
And Oh, God! Ana allowed Christian to hug/touch her.
That was something she doesn't allow, because something awful had happened to her in the past. Yay!
I hope you enjoyed the chap. :)
Tell me what you think of the chapter, and thank you in advance! ;)
And of course; Thank you ALL so much for the reviews and support! You rock!
At Dee: Thank you so much! I am happy you enjoy my story. ;)
Till next chapter, all.
J
