Chapter 13:

Stretching like a cat, Ana rolled over onto her back. She opened her eyes to see that she was not in her own bed. She was in the master bedroom of Escala. She sat up in bed holding a luxurious soft Egyptian cotton sheet to her chin. The morning light was gentle upon her skin due to the tinted windows. She sat up in the bed and took in her surroundings. She had slept in Christian Grey's bed with the man himself….and they didn't have sex! He held her all night! He kept her warm and safe. He murmured his love for her as she fell softly into a peaceful slumber. Ana sighed as she relaxed into the soft mattress and closed her eyes. This was heaven! Warm, soft sheets with the masculine scent of Christian Grey.

"You look like an angel." A male voice softly declared. Ana's eyes popped open to see Christian standing in the doorway to the ensuite wearing only a towel and a smile. "This is what a man wants to see in his bed everyday… a beautiful woman whom he adores and loves." His lop-sided smile grew as Ana blushed. "My God…you are beautiful!" He was across the room and kneeling beside the bed before Ana could say anything. "I love you, Ana."

"Christian." She breathed. Her heart was racing wildly knowing that only a slip of a towel was between her and his naked body. Her senses were on overload as the exotic smell of Christian and sandalwood assailed her. "I…I…love you, too." She leaned forward and gently kissed his soft lips. Then, reality dropped in on her happiness. Tara! "Oh, god…I have to get to the hospital."

"Shhh….she's alright. I already called her. She has gone back to her apartment." Christian took her hand and kissed each finger. "I love how you love your friends. You are so kind and gentle, Ana."

"Ryder?"

"Still the same…resting comfortably in ICU in a medical induced coma." Christian kissed through her fingers again. "I can't wait to put a ring on this finger." His gray eyes sparkled with the fires of desire. "Miss Steele…you need to get up, shower, and get dressed so we can have some breakfast. Pancakes?" With a flick of his wrist the sheet was torn off Ana to reveal that she wore one of his shirts. With appreciating eyes he took in her flushed cheeks, the gentle swell of her breasts against the cotton of his t-shirt, and those legs. My God…those legs! "Miss Steele, is there a problem?" He asked when she failed to move.

"Um…no…I just can't get over you. You want to marry me?"

"I have asked and you did say yes." He smiled devilishly as he stood. His arms scooped under her and brought her up and out of the bed. "Now, the future Mrs. Grey…you need to get cleaned up. We have things to do today."

Pancakes for breakfast with Christian Grey and then an elevator ride that was basically a make-out session that made Ana's head twirl was the beginning of Ana's day. Next stop was her apartment where Christian pinned her against the wall, kissing her and fondling her until she was near mad with heated desire. Every inch of her body burned for him and he was yet to consummate their engagement. As quickly as they brought the flames of want and need to a fevered pitch, Christian backed off and sent Ana to pack a few items. As usual the apartment was sparkling clean. Of course that was to be expected since Ana nearly lived there alone. Kate stayed most of her time at Elliot's now that they were back from their vacation. Christian made a mental decision that Ana would spend most, if not all of her time at Escala. He wanted to marry her quickly. He didn't want to take a chance that someone would talk her out of loving him. He leaned against the wall waiting for her with a smile on his face.

"What are you smiling about?" Ana softly asked as she walked into the living room. "You have that smug smile on your face."

Christian chuckled as he shrugged. "I am happy, Ana. I am happy for the first time in a very long time." He pushed himself off the wall and approached her. "I am the most fortunate of men because the woman I love has come back to me and has forgiven me."

Ana could feel the heat of his body as he stood in front of her. He didn't touch her, but stood in front of her. "Why haven't you made love to me yet?"

"I will only make love to you when you have my ring on your finger. I want to… I need to belong to you completely."

"Oh, Christian…you do belong to me as I belong to you." She reached up and gently caressed his cheek. "I said yes and I meant it."

A thousand watt smile broke out on Christian's face. "Then, let's not waste time…we have an engagement ring to purchase and a wedding to plan."

"First, I have a friend to call upon and make sure she is alright."

Christian only nodded and stepped aside to let his lady pass to do her bidding.

xxXXXxx

Ana quietly opened the door to Tara's apartment after using her key to gain entrance. She looked behind her as Christian closed the door behind them. She motioned him to be quiet and to take a seat as she made her way to Tara's bedroom. Ana was expecting to find Tara asleep in bed, but was shocked to find Tara's room in shambles. At first Ana thought that the place had been broken in to and robbed, but she then noticed Tara standing by the bed throwing clothes into a suitcase.

"Tara?" Ana whispered bewildered by what she was seeing.

"I have to leave. I can't stay here anymore." Tara choked back her sobs. "He's alive. He will recover and I can't be with him. He's not good for me."

"That's no reason to leave Seattle." Ana nearly shouted. "Tara…please…just stop!" Tara stepped away from the bed and looked at Ana with empty eyes and a broken soul. She slid to the floor in sobs. "He … I love him…even after everything he did to me, I still love him. Oh, god, Ana…why do I still love him? Why can't I stop?"

"Oh, honey." Ana went to her knees and gathered Tara into her arms. "The heart wants want the heart wants." She gently stroked Tara's hair hoping to give some comfort. "I wish I could fix this for you."

"Why did he come back? I was so happy here without him. I was getting myself back."

"And, there's no reason why it can't continue, Tara. He can't force you to take him back. You have all the power, Tara…take it…top from the bottom if you have to." Ana's eyes were full of resolve and love for her friend. "You showed me that there is life after submission."

"You are back with Christian?"

"He says he has changed…time will only tell. I am giving him one last chance to prove it to me." Ana felt Tara's tears against her skin. "I understand what you are going thru, Tara. I love Christian also."

"But, he is nothing like Ryder. He never put you in a hospital or demand that you go under the knife." Tara sniffed in a very loud unladylike way. "I think he's a good man, Ana, a real good man." She wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm happy for you both. You deserve to be happy."

"So do you, Tara." Ana replied softly. "Please don't leave. You are my best friend."

Tara swallowed hard. "I'm not leaving…not for a while."

"That's good because I will need you more than ever. Christian asked me to marry him and I said yes."

"Holy Shit!" Tara exclaimed sitting up. "Are you shitting me?"

Ana's laughter sparkled about the room. "Believe me, I'm not shitting anywhere. He asked me last night and I said yes." Ana gently wiped away a tear from Tara's cheek. "I will have to figure out who is going to be my Maid of Honor…you or Kate?"

"Kate, of course. She's been your friend longer and you went to school together. I will be happy being a bridesmaid."

"Deal!" Ana exclaimed quickly so Tara couldn't change her mind. "I think we are getting the ring today." Ana lowered her voice and bit her lip to keep from laughing from the joy that was threatening to bubble forth. "Christian is waiting for me in the living room."

Tara jumped to her feet. "Then, get the hell out of here. What are you waiting for? The man wants to put a ring on your finger and you are here with me… are you crazy?"

"Tara." Ana could see that her friend was in an emotional freefall. The girl was in a tailspin. "The ring can wait, you… on the other hand are more important. You took care of me at my lowest…" Ana bit her lip to keep from crying. "It's my turn to look out for you. I love you, Tara. You are the sister I never had."

Those softly spoken words began the healing process within Tara and brought back her steely resolve. She took a deep breath. "I'm a mess, I know. I'll get through this. I won't be afraid. He can't hurt me anymore."

"No, he can't, and even if he tried, he would have to deal with me!" Ana got to her feet. "It's alright to love him, Tara. It's not a weakness, but a strength to still care for someone even if they are twisted. It's even a greater strength to realize that even though you love them, they still might not be good for you. Don't ever think to settle." The girls hugged each other. "Don't be afraid anymore."

"So…you and Christian Grey, the stalker extraordinaire?"

"He was there for me when I needed him and I realized that life is too short and too fragile to deny the love that I have for him. I do love him, Tara and he loves me. He wants me and I want him."

"And… the other stuff?" Ana shook her head. "So, it is official, The Christian Grey has gone vanilla and is off the market."

"Well….I wouldn't say he's all vanilla…I'm sure there is some chocolate and caramel in there somewhere!" The girls began laughing. "Tara, you will be alright? You won't run off?"

"No, I just went a little crazy there from my own fears. I know that no matter how much I still have feelings for Ryder, he will never leave the lifestyle. I have to self-protect and I thought running away was the best way, but I know now it's not. It's time that I face that fear and conquer it. I know that I can never be in his world again, but I can still care for him."

"You are a good woman, Tara."

xxxXXXxxx

They held hands as they traveled quietly through the streets of Seattle. Christian was beyond ecstatic. She said YES! She agreed to be his wife. She spent the night in his bed, slept in his arms and still wanted to be his wife. She made him feel alive. She made him want to be a better man "Ana, will Tara be alright? She seemed to be happy about our announcement, but I saw so much sadness in her eyes."

"I hope so. She is still in love with Ryder but she also knows that they are not good together." Ana undid her seat belt and snuggled into Christian's arms. "She knows he won't leave the lifestyle and she knows she can't do it anymore. She has to figure out how to not love him."

"Is that possible? I wouldn't know how to not love you." He held her closer. "I couldn't even fathom how to do that…not love you." He kissed the top of her head. She smelled of lavender and honey. She always smelled fresh. "What can we do to help her?"

"We give her support and be her friend. We just be there for her." Ana smiled up at him. Christian was letting his caring side come out and it was a joy to behold. She knew he would never admit it, but the man was full of love and compassion. "Thank you for caring about my friend."

"You have made me a better person, Ana."

"No, you have just decided to let that part of your personality come to the surface. Compassion looks good on you, Christian…it's very sexy." She giggled to his delight.

"Sexy, you say? Hmmm… I guess I should have tried that earlier." His long fingers traced over her upturned chin. She was too lovely for mere words. He soaked her in…those big blue eyes and her sweet smile. "I love you so much." His voice was full of emotion, deep and husky. "I want you so much."

"You have me Christian." She whispered. Their lips touched softly at first then the fires of desire made their need more urgent. For a few moments they forgot about the world. They forgot about pain, despair, and tragedy that plagued life. All they knew was each other's beating heart. "I think we should marry quickly. Life is too short to waste time."

"I agree, Sweetness." He murmured against her lips. "You are so sweet. So sweet."

"Christian." Ana breathed as she was once again lost in his embrace and deep kisses. They never noticed that Taylor had parked the vehicle. They could not be bothered. Finally, Taylor clearing his throat brought them back to reality.

"Pardon, but we are here, Sir." Taylor said stoically keeping his eyes forward.

"Ummm…where are we?" Ana asked looking out of the tinted windows to see a dark building. People were passing by not caring that the richest and luckiest bastard in Seattle was sitting in the car with the lovely Anastasia Steele.

"My favorite jewelry store." Christian said with a wide smile. "Today, my darling…you will wear my ring telling this world that I belong only to you!"