We're almost to Seattle and a million different thoughts are racing through my mind. Christian was right, as always, about Jack. Why didn't I see this? Jack's never even come close to being this way and then all of a sudden, he comes onto me while drunk. Shit. How I did I not see this?
And then there's Elena. Why the hell would she think that I would ever wanna see her? And what could she possibly have to tell me about Christian? I already know everything I need to know about him. Fuck, do I? What does she think is so important for me to know? Is she lying? Is she jealous? Fuck, why don't I know this?
"What's wrong?", Christian asks when he notices my expression.
"Didn't you say you were going to talk to Elena?", I blurt and Christian furrows his brows at my question.
"I already did, Anastasia. Why do you ask?"
"She called me in New York."
"What did she want?", he says as he clenches his jaw.
"Same thing. She wants to meet up with me."
"God, she never takes no for an answer."
"She said she had something she wanted to tell me...about you." As I say this, he suddenly looks worried.
"Did she say what it was?", he whispers.
"No, but I told her I wasn't interested."
"I have no idea why she's acting this way. Apparently she doesn't trust you."
"She seems eager to keep me away from you", I mumble.
"Ana, she's the reason why I saw you in Georgia."
"And what about after that?"
"Ana, let's just drop it for now."
"What does she want to tell me?"
"Ana, I said that's enough", he almost shouts and I suddenly scoot away closer to the window, gazing out of it as I do. I hear Christian take a deep breath and then hear him slowly slide over to me and gently take my hand.
"I'm sorry. I'm just not used to this is all", he says softly. I chance a look at him and can tell he's a lot calmer.
"Me, neither", I reply because it's the truth. What the hell do I know about relationships?
"What else did Elena say?", he inquires suddenly. Whoa, change of direction.
"She asked me if I know why you do what you do", I whisper and once again, Christian seems tense. Why? What isn't he telling me?
Just then, the pilot announces we've arrived back to Seattle and Christian gently kisses my knuckles in turn.
"We're home", he smiles and just like that, our conversation is over.
We follow Taylor to a car parked on the tarmac and Christian opens my door allowing me to enter first.
"I have a surprise for you", he says once we pull out. Oh?
"What is it?" He touches his nose and winks and I resist the urge to roll my eyes at him. Bastard.
I gaze out the window, avoiding his gaze, silently grateful to be back home.
I see my apartment in the distance and Christian suddenly places his hands over my eyes.
"What are you doing?"
"It's a surprise", he responds and he sounds like a little boy. What is he up to?
Before I can dwell on it further, I feel the car slowly stop and Taylor opens the door as Christian and me exit, his hands still over my eyes and helping me outside.
"What's going on?", I question, giggling.
"See for yourself", he remarks and removes his hands as I blink in the light. My jaw drops when I see Wanda, my old Beetle, sitting perfectly by the sidewalk in front of my apartment. What the...?
"You got her back for me?", I ask in disbelief. I can hardly believe it.
"A repairman fixed her up and now she's safer than she was when you first owned her", Christian replies, shrugging. Before I can stop myself, I throw myself at him and hug him tight before bringing his lips down to mine and kissing him deeply, fully aware that Taylor's nearby.
"Thank you", I smile and Christian looks relieved.
"We aim to please, Miss Steele."
"Can I drive her to work tomorrow?" If I still have a job, that is. The thought depresses me.
"Of course. If it makes you happy", he grins but frowns when he notices my expression.
"What is it, Ana?"
"Will I still have a job now that Jack's not there?" Christian regards me curiously as if I've just suggested going to the moon for vacation.
"If you don't, you could always...", he starts and I immediately know where he's going with this.
"Christian, you know I love working. You can't keep me locked up in your penthouse, even if I do move in with you."
"I could keep you safe", he explains softly.
"Christian, I'm always safe when I'm with you. But I already told you that I love working and don't want your money. If I can't work there or anywhere else, then I'll lose my mind. I work because love my job." He sighs deeply before giving a response. .
"I'll make sure you have a job. I promise", he says.
"I don't want you interfering in my career, Christian. I can do this myself. Jack's gone, so you don't have to worry about anything."
"It's not about that. If they fire you, they'll take it up with me."
"Then where would I go?"
"You could work for me again", he smirks.
"Yes, because that worked out so well in the past", I remark, trying to scold him but failing miserably.
"I assure you, Miss Steele, that you won't lose your job at SIP. I won't allow it and we'll see what they have to say."
"Okay", I reply and kiss him again.
"Good surprise?"
"Very. I've missed her."
"Good. I can have her delivered to Escala if you want to come."
"Of course, Mr. Grey. I'd be honored", I reply and he takes my hand and leads me back to the car. Wanda. He gave me back this can work out after all.
We enter the elevator at Escala hand-in-hand and I continue contemplating on moving in here with Christian. I've never lived with anyone but Kate but Christian? What would that be like? Would we be living as boyfriend and girlfriend or, um, a Dom and a sub? And would we ever visit the Red Room again? God, this is so confusing.
"Don't overthink it, Anastasia", Christian says suddenly, causing me to look at him. Shit, he can still read my mind.
"Overthink what?", I reply, feigning innocence.
"Moving in with me. Please, don't overthink it."
"Are you sure you want me to move in with you? We haven't been together for very long."
"It isn't like that to me. I want you here all the time."
"Like when I was almost your submissive?', I ask, arching my brow.
"Partially, but I prefer you as my girlfriend, which is one of the reasons why I gave you back your car."
"I still can't believe you did that for me."
"I would do anything for you, Anastasia. I want to give you the world."
"You already have me, Christian. I don't care about the baggage."
"Baggage, eh?", he teases and I roll my eyes in response.
"You know what I meant."
"Did you just roll your eyes at me?"
"Maybe. What are you gonna do about it?"
"As tempting as you are, Miss Steele, I have some work to do so I'll have to take a rain check for now." Oh.
"Can I look around the house?", I ask out loud, causing Christian to furrow his brows at my request.
"Of course. I won't be long", he smiles before taking my hand and kissing it gently, just before the doors open to Escala. He kisses me quickly and says hi to Gail before heading for his office and leaving me in the foyer.
"Hi, Gail", I say as I enter the room.
"Welcome back, Miss Steele, er, Ana. Can I get you anything to eat?"
"No, thank you. I would rather wait for Christian."
"As you wish Miss... Ana. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me", she smiles warmly before leaving me on my own. I look around the great room, thinking about what it'd be like to live here. What would it be like? If I was Christian's submissive, I would only be here on the weekends, but he's asking me to live here full time and share his life with him. Could I live like that? Would it even last? I shudder when I think about it.
Don't go there, Ana. He loves you.
Shaking my head at the thought, I walk through the great room before stopping outside what looks like a library. Curiously, I enter the room and notice shelves full of books and a large billiard table in the center of the room. José taught me pool when I first met him in college and while I'm not an expert, I think I'm pretty good. I notice Christian's office beside the library but he's not there. Weird. I thought he would be. On impulse, I decide to set up the balls and play a little until he's ready. I move the balls around on the table until the white ball is where I want it to be and lift the triangle holding them together and set it to the side. I then walk over to a rack of cues and pick the one that looks the right height for me and find a piece of chalk and rub it across the tip. I blow off the excess dust and walk back to the table, thinking hard about my first move. I set up the shot and concentrate on where I want the ball to go, then hit the ball hard so it falls in the left corner pocket on the other side of the table. Hmm, solids.
I walk over to where the white ball is and line it up for the side pocket on the right. I set up the cue and focus on my destination, before hitting the ball smoothly into the pocket. I then have the feeling that someone's watching me and look up to see Christian gazing at me intently in the doorway to the room. I gasp when I see him and he smirks in return.
"Miss Steele. I was wondering where you were."
"Um, I hope I'm not intruding", I stutter. Will I ever get used to seeing him like this?
"Not at all, Miss Steele. I'm surprised I haven't shown this room before", he says before walking into the room and closing the door behind him. I feel my breath hitching as he walks over to the side of the table and stares at the balls.
"I didn't know you could play", he remarks in amazed amusement.
"José taught me", I say quietly.
"Are you any good?"
"Hmm, we'll see", I remark coquettishly and he looks at me in surprise.
"You wanna play?", I ask.
"Only if you're not a sore loser", he retorts as he goes to pick up a cue.
"That depends on how hard you spank me", I state and he stops in his tracks.
"You want me to spank you?", he asks as he blows off the dust from his cue.
"Always, Mr. Grey, but maybe we should raise the stakes."
"How so?"
"Make a bet. If I win, you take me back to the Play Room." His mouth pops open at my request. I don't think I'll ever get used to shocking him like this.
"And if I win?"
"Your choice", I respond before deliberately biting my bottom lip.
"Then, break", he orders and after a quick glance, I set up my shot again and effortlessly hit my next ball in the upper right corner. I sashay over to Christian and start setting up my next shot, while deliberately rubbing my backside against his thigh. I hear him groan behind me and as I start thinking about my next shot, I feel him slowly raise his hand up my skirt and gasp as his fingers gently tease my inner thigh. I take a deep breath and clear my throat and hit the ball, just to watch it bounce right off the side. Shit.
"Oh, dear", Christian says as takes the white ball and sets it beside a striped one. He looks up at me and smirks before kissing the ball with his cue, which falls smoothly into a corner pocket. He saunters over to me and starts setting up his next shot, and I feel as if my body is radiating from his closeness. He fluently hits another ball into a pocket and looks quite pleased as he does. How the hell does he turn me on like this?
I watch as he then starts setting up to hit a striped ball at a far corner, but misses instead, causing it to hit the side. I giggle at the sight and quickly take my turn, not hesitating to touch him every chance I get, just like for when he was first in my apartment. I brush my behind against his hand and I can tell he's watching me as I do. I hit the next two balls into their holes but miss the third one and groan as I do.
"Be careful, Miss Steele, or I might have to spank you if you lose", Christian says seductively and I gasp as he does.
"I'm hoping I'll win. I wanna go to the Red Room and then you can spank me all you want."
"If I didn't know any better, Miss Steele, I'd say you miss the Red Room."
"I do, Christian. Can we ever go back?"
"We did when I showed you how to use the spreader bar."
"But we didn't stay in there."
"Ana, as much as I'd like to revisit the Play Room, I'm not ready, at least not yet. I couldn't bear it if you left me again."
"I won't leave you, Christian. Why do you keep insisting that I will? You've already asked me to move in with you."
"But you haven't given me an answer."
"That doesn't mean I won't", I confess. The thought of my life without Christian is...insufferable.
"I know. Just give me time, okay? Let's learn to walk before we run."
"I really wanna see Dr. Flynn about this", I whisper.
"You want to meet him?", Christian asks surprised.
"Er, maybe. Just to learn more about you."
"I think you know me well enough, in more ways than one", he smirks and I squirm at his gaze.
"Yes, I think I do", I whisper as I bite my bottom lip.
"Stop biting your lip. You know what that does to me", he warns but I can tell he's amused.
"Maybe you should just punish me right now, since I obviously deserve it", I suggest and bite my lip again. Christian tries to look appalled but before I know it, he drops his cue and walks over to me, with clear determination in his eyes. He closes the space between us until I'm back against the billiard table, breathing heavily as I do.
"I wanna be very rough with you", he whispers.
"So be rough with me", I respond and before I know it, he spins me around and gently pushes me on the table before moving my hair away from my face. He then reaches under my skirt and quickly pulls my panties down so I'm naked below my waist. He gently rubs his hand over my backside before slipping a finger inside me, causing me to gasp.
"You're very wet, Miss Steele", he says in obvious appreciation. "What should I do about that?", he asks before slipping in another finger, making me groan. He circles me, stretching me further, and all to soon he removes them and licks the remains off his fingers.
"Hmm, you taste mighty fine, Miss Steele", he remarks but before I can respond, he suddenly spanks me and pushes me on the table with his movement. I moan at the feel and he soon does it again. And again. And again.
"Fuck, Ana", he breathes and I soon hear the familiar sound of his zipper and tear of a foil packet before sliding it on his length. He then slowly enters me, causing me to moan, and soon works up a steady pace and rocks me against the billiard.
"Come for me, Ana. I want you to come", he growls and I can tell he's close. I bite my lip again but as soon as I do, my legs start to quiver and before I can stop myself, I scream as my climax rips through me and Christian calls out my name before collapsing on my back, breathing hard.
"I love you, Ana. Don't ever leave me", he pants.
"I love you, too. I'll never leave", I whisper and can hear Christian breathe a sigh of relief. He kisses my shoulder and gently pulls out of me and helps me to my feet. He removes the condom and knots it before putting it in his pocket and zipping up his fly. He then turns me to face him and kisses me, hard, tangling his tongue with my own. I moan into his mouth and twist my fingers in his hair, giving all that I can give to the only man I've ever loved. When he pulls away, he kisses my forehead and bends down to hand me my panties, which I gladly accept.
"When was the last time you ate?", he asks suddenly.
"Um, before we left for Seattle", I confess.
"Come. I'll have Mrs. Jones prepare something", he says but I can tell he's not mad. He kisses me quickly before exiting the room. After recovering my equilibrium, I pick up our cues and put them back where they belong, and then move to the table and rearrange the balls. I leave the library and enter the great room, where Christian's talking with Taylor, who looks visibly upset. What's wrong?
"What is she doing here?", Christian asks Taylor, trying hard to control his temper.
"Apparently she wants to see Miss Steele", Taylor responds, equally upset. See me? Who wants to see me?
"Christian?", I ask quietly and Christian turns to see me standing awkwardly in the great room. He excuses himself and walks over until he closes the space.
"Elena's here to see you", he says and I think I've stopped breathing.
"Why?" What the hell does she want?
"She wants to talk about me", he says simply and I feel my blood run cold. What the fuck does that woman want?