Chapter ten
"I don't know, I can't eat anymore. Maybe it's the pregnancy?" Ana said with an apologetic expression and I could almost kick myself for not thinking of this sooner. It hadn't occurred to me that Anastasia could be suffering from morning sickness.
I pulled out my phone, intending to call my doctor who was always ready to make house calls. "I think it's time you saw a doctor."
Ana seemed appalled at this. "Oh, no. I'm not sick. It's not that bad," she bit her lip and I frowned.
"Don't bite your lip," I admonished her. I can't believe I'm practically drooling over her just because her teeth are pressing into her lips!
"It's just a check-up. I don't think there will be any needles involved if that's what you're worried about," I said, phone in hand, pausing in mid-air.
Ana blushed a little under my intense gaze. "Is it a man or a woman?"
I smiled, understanding. "Dr. Smith is a male doctor but if you feel more comfortable with a female, that can be easily arranged."
"I went to see a doctor before I boarded the plane. He checked my heart, gave me a TB test and two shots. Doesn't that qualify for a check-up?" She asked, her voice a little shaky.
The check-up she was referring to was far from a complete physical. Given her background, I had the hunch Ana had never had a physical before with labs and the works.
"I'm afraid that's not enough," I said firmly. I then dialed Dr. Smith who then told me he had several candidates in mind. He would send their resumes first thing tomorrow morning so I could look them over and set up interviews, and start the selection process.
...
Time flew by. We talked about politics; she was surprisingly well informed about current events, and good background knowledge in world history; I hadn't expected that. She went on to tell me that when she was in school she was a teacher's pet and often the teachers rewarded her with textbooks to take home from the previous school year. I didn't think much of that until she clarified that in her home country, students were not allowed to take their textbooks outside of the classroom for any reason. Some students could afford to purchase the books but she wasn't one of them. I was shocked to hear that she couldn't always attend school on a regular basis and that somehow, she never fell behind as she was determined to educate herself at home.
Halfway through dessert, Ana started yawning as she toyed with her creme brulee. She became so drowsy, she was a little unsteady on her feet as she rose from the table, so I lifted her in my arms, bridal style and carried her all the way to our room. She giggled a little on the way there. I then deposited her in bed and pecked her lips. She was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.
I stood there watching her sleep, wondering if she would ever find me worthy of her love.
I considered undressing her so she could be more comfortable, but then I knew I wouldn't be able to contain the beast in me.
She was a beauty and I was the beast.
Like the beast, I'm a loner and a little rough around the edges. I've never even had a girlfriend.
I don't know even what it's like to go out on a date or how to woo a woman.
I'd never thought I would ever need any of those skills.
The reason was simple.
Love was for fools.
BESIDES, SHE WILL NEVER LOVE YOU
SHE LOVES HIM!
I slid in bed beside her and did my best to brush the infuriating thought aside, telling myself there was still hope. I reminded myself of the way she had returned my kiss earlier in the day. I tossed and turned for a while, and fantasized about her all night, as I drifted in and out of sleep.
In my dreams, I saw her in her bra and underwear and the perfect submissive position. In other dreams, she lay in various erotic positions and begged me to let her have an orgasm. I lifted my flogger and dangled the ends across her shoulders, tickling her bare breasts. The tips hardened to such sharp points I wanted to clamp them. With a gentle flick, I teased her along her labia. I repeated the movement until she sighed with pleasure. No pain, just pleasure. I smiled at the way she looked at me, lust gripping her. That's the way I wanted her, it had taken forever to her to this point, but at last, the moment had come.
Upon awakening, such dreams troubled me a little since I had wanted a break with the past.
Well, Grey. Just because you will no longer be practicing BDMS doesn't mean you can't have a little fun.
In the early light of the morning sun, I turned my head to my side. She was still asleep. I figured she was still yet lagged. In reality, she hadn't slept all that much since her plane landed. It was bound to catch up with her somehow.
I pressed the call button on the intercom and asked Gail if she could bring us a tray for breakfast and leave it outside the door. I was planning on retrieving it after I got out of the shower.
When I came out of the shower a few minutes later, she's still sleeping. I contemplated waking her, even murmured her name softly, "Anastasia." She didn't even stir.
I had a meeting this morning and didn't want her to wake up all alone. Maybe I should just write her a short note. I promptly retrieved pen and paper. I chewed on the end of the pencil and struggled with the wording, like a clueless middle schooler.
Oh, c'mon, Grey. It's a note, not a fucking love letter!
I brought the breakfast tray inside the room and placed it on a big round table next to the wall. I ate a piece of toast and a few bacon slices while I thought about what to write.
Dear Anastasia: I hope you slept well. Enjoy your breakfast. Feel free to text me anytime of the day. I left your cell phone charged up by your nightstand.
Now I needed the closing statement.
Love, Christian
No, no, scratch that.
Laters, Christian
I sat behind my desk at work, unable to concentrate. My thoughts alternated between my dad and Anastasia. Even though dad's doctor had assured me he was doing better this morning, I couldn't shake the feeling that my father could die any minute now and that perhaps I should be home. The thing was, part of me really wanted to be there when the moment came, and part of me wanted to run away to the other end of the world.
I busied myself with trying to locate Anastasia's family. Not an easy task. Ana's hometown was a tiny blip on a map. From what I gathered from the conversation we had last night in dad's room, I learned that there were rural areas in her home country that did not enjoy many of our modern conveniences. Out in the country, she'd held a number of odd jobs. They didn't stay in one place for long. Every few months, they traveled to the nearest city so that her mom get psychological counseling at the hospital. While in the city, she'd worked the cash register at a bakery. That was the last job she'd held prior to applying with the agency that brought us together. This last part she'd mumbled quietly for my ears only while dad's nurse took his vitals.
Perhaps, the best thing was to wait for Ana's mother to make a withdrawal from her bank account. I've set it up so that the bank manager delivers a letter from me expressing my desire for her and her daughter to come and live with us. All her mother would need to do was to accept the offer which will then allow me to petition for their immigration visas to be approved.
…..
It was past five in the afternoon and I was looking forward to going home and spending time with Anastasia. I was thinking maybe we could still get away for a little while. We could go out to dinner or something (depending on how dad was feeling). She had arrived home directly from the airport and had seen very little of the city of Seattle.
I straightened the papers on my desk and shut down the computer. Right then, the intercom buzzed.
"Someone is here to see you, Mr. Grey."
"Who is it, Andrea?"
"It's a young lady from Esclava, sir."
FUCK!
My first thought was that it was Leila, she was first in command at the salon after Elena. Andrea wouldn't know her since she'd never been to my office before.
My contract with Leila had ended three months ago, our contract had specifically stated no contact after its termination. She had been my last submissive. I never got anyone else to replace her. It was simple and complicated at the same time. Leila became a true nuisance, demanding and expecting more from our relationship that had been agreed upon. I had no emotional connection with Leila and she kept insisting we needed it in order to have a healthy BDMS relationship. I was too fucked up, she said. I was furious.
I decided I was done with that. I didn't want to be in that type of situation again with a submissive. I was turning my life around. I was going to prove Leila wrong; I was perfectly capable of developing an emotional connection with a woman, except it would not be with a woman like her.
Over time, I started thinking about what it would be like to have a conventional relationship with a woman.
When I first shared my intentions with Elena, she had laughed; she'd said I would never be able to settle vanilla. I shrugged her off. I was going to prove her wrong too.
Around that time, Dad's health had taken a turn for the worse and he kept talking about having grandchildren. At first, the idea of settling down was outrageous. But then, the idea started growing on me. Having a wife was respectable in dad's eyes and I wanted very much for dad to approve of me. As to having children, in all honesty, I hadn't give it much thought. The idea didn't excite me but it didn't scare me off either. I didn't see myself as an active participant in any child's life. I'd read somewhere that children were meant to be seen but not be heard up until about age 15, the age when logic and reasoning start to fully develop. I liked this philosophy, I was raised this way by Carrick who ruled with an iron hand and the expectation of absolute obedience. Often, Gail would try to undo the damage by spoiling me rotten and covering my tracks during my tumultuous teenage years.
I loved my father and understood why it was so important for him to see me settle down. I was my father's only son and it made sense that I have children to carry on our family's legacy. I was fine with that.
Soon, I started browsing dating sites, looking for the ideal woman. Not that I believed in soul mates or anything corny like that, but I sure wanted to find the perfect woman to become my wife. The problem was that these sites required too much disclosure of personal information and obviously, I couldn't get everyone that looked at my profile to sign an NA.
At last, I ran across an agency for men who were looking for a traditional old fashioned relationship with women living outside the United States. The agency was quite accommodating and willing to sign an NA and keep everything confidential. My lawyers went over everything and forked quite a bit of money to make sure everything panned out well. Even though the agency's headquarters were here in the US, it was still a risk since they still had personnel in other countries whose actions were more difficult to monitor. And to think, I almost gave up on the whole idea.
And then I saw her. Anastasia. Never in my entire life had a felt such an obsession with another human being. It happened instantaneously. And now, every time I close my eyes, I feel her hot mouth on mine. That kiss we shared was otherworldly, leaving me disoriented every time I think about it. It made me wonder what it would like to have her all hot and bothered in my bed. I have the feeling it would be like she was the axis and I the wheel, and my job was to watch her sitting majestically at the center, while I helplessly spun all around her.
"What's her name?" I asked in a sharp tone.
"Ms. Jane Brooks."
I breathe a sigh of relief. Not Leila.
"Send her in," I grumbled.
Moments later, a petite brunette stood in front of me, assuming a submissive position.
I'm doubly pissed. First, Elena has sent a submissive to my place of employment, and secondly, she has sent her without my consent!
I'm a married man now!
Elena had crossed the line this time; there was no other way to interpret her actions but as a threat to my marriage to Anastasia.
"Look at me," I snapped at her and she looks up at me. "Tell me why you're here."
"Ms. Lincoln has sent me to please you, sir."
That was all the confirmation I needed. Elena had become unreliable and unpredictable. First, she'd made the call to Ana's ex and now, she had taken the liberty to send a submissive without checking with me first. This was fucking unacceptable, no one was going to mess with me; no one had the right to mess with my perfectly organized life, thank you very much! Not even Elena who had saved me from a path of self-destruction years ago. I picked up the phone, ready to read her the riot act.
Author's note:
I'm completely blown away by the number of favorites and follows for the last chapter! I counted 49 follows, amazing for just one chapter.
What made you decide to follow this story? Was it learning about Christian's intentions with Ana or something else?