"What in the hell do you think you're doing, Anastasia Rose?!?"
Anastasia startles at his voice, but quickly scowls. "I am working from bed, beau, and I don't appreciate the startle."
"You're supposed to be resting."
"I am resting! The doctor said if I could work from the bed that I could work. Gail brought me everything I needed and I've only gotten up to use the restroom." She isn't going to let him win this one. Compromise, Grey.
He frowns and has a seat on the edge of the bed, the mess of papers all over the bed keeping him from sliding closer. "I just worry."
"I know you do and I'm glad, but I'm okay. I'm listening to my body. I'm actually getting more done not having to get dressed and spend time traveling. When I got tired this afternoon, I took a long luxurious nap on your side of the bed and then woke up, ready to work." She gives him a smile and stretches, realizing how late it is. She begins to gather her papers and sets them and her laptop down on her bedside table.
Finally, he's able to get closer, curling around her and her stomach. "I like you being in our bed when I come home from work."
She snorts. "If it were up to you, I'd spend my life in your bed while you're at work."
He can't deny it. "I know your safe that way."
"Well, don't get used to it. Once she's born, I'm out of here!"
He frowns. "What?"
Realizing how it sounded, she shakes her head. "Only out of the bed during the day. Not away from you."
Relaxing back into her, he presses a kiss to her temple. "I have an odd question to ask you."
"Oh?" She turns her head to look at him and he sneaks a kiss.
"Why do you have tongs in your laundry room?"
She laughs. "How do you know about those?"
"I stopped by your apartment today during lunch to make sure the moving crew were doing their job and I saw them lying there." Feeling the baby kick, he presses into her, loving the feel of the baby against him.
"If I tell you, you'll just make fun of me."
"I won't. Scout's Honor." He holds his hand up.
"Okay...fine." She sighs. "I use them to get things out of the washer."
"Wh-what?" He bites the inside of his cheek, trying to keep from laughing.
"Don't laugh! Being pregnant is hard! With this belly I can't reach the bottom! So, I had to get crafty. At least I do my own laundry! When was the last time you did yours?" She pokes his ribs, making him laugh.
"You've never done your clothes here, either." He reminds. "Still you find your clean clothes in the closet."
She giggles. "Yea, your past women were never too happy seeing my clothes in there, were they?" She remembers more than one occasion that Christian cut off his 'fucklationship' with a woman because they couldn't stop bitching about her clothes in his closet. One woman had even walked out on him after she met Anastasia. Evidently seeing the woman behind the clothes didn't make it any better.
"I didn't really give a fuck what they thought about your clothes. Always giving me ultimatums... like I'd pick them over you. Please. Though, I did enjoy ruffling your past men's feathers. Finding my underwear in your drawers always ended up in a fun conversation for you."
She rolls her eyes. "That was not fun for me. They refused to believe that I could keep my legs closed for you."
He hums. "You kept them closed as long as you could, but now... your mine." He wiggles his eyebrows and presses a kiss to her lips. "Those legs don't open for anyone but me, Ms. Steele."
"Please don't talk about sex right now. Not while you're looking like pure sex in your tailored button up and smelling good enough to eat." Her hormones are in overdrive and she wants nothing but to tear his clothes off and beg him to have his way with her. It's only been a couple days and she feels hollow and empty without him.
"I'm sorry. It's going to be a long wait, I know, but it'll be worth it. Gail is almost done with dinner. Why don't I carry you into the dining room so you can sit on some plush seating while you eat and get out of this bed for awhile? Then I'll bathe you and we'll spend some time lounging in bed after I work a little more in my office."
XxXxXxXx
There is a knock on the bedroom door, stirring Christian from sleep.
"Ana?" Grace's voice. When she pops her head in, her eyes widen, surprised that Christian was still in bed, but he waves her in, and puts a finger to his lips to keep her quiet. His girl is tucked into him, her warm naked form pressed to his side, while she sleeps.
Grace closes the door behind her and steps into their room, sitting on the opposite side of the bed. "I didn't expect you to be here still, Christian. I came to check on Ana." She admits, quietly.
He sighs, knowing he's late to work. "I couldn't let her go, yet."
Seeing Anastasia's naked shoulders, she frowns. "Christian, tell me you two didn't..." her sentence falls off, feeling too odd to say it.
He rolls his eyes at his mother. "Do you really think we'd put our baby in danger for our pleasure? People sleep naked, Mom."
She's relieved. "Just checking. How is she?"
He blinks down at her sleeping form. "She's good. She's been working from home, which I don't know how I feel about that, but she is taking it easy and letting us help her."
Anastasia stirs. "Christian? Who are you talking to?" She rolls away from him and stretches, screaming when she sees Grace. She pulls the sheet up to hide her chest. "Grace! I'm sorry! I thought Christian was on the phone."
Grace waves her off. "I'm a doctor, Ana. I've seen my fair share of bodies. I came to see how you are feeling."
"I feel good. Just the normal hip pain from her stretching me apart."
"Her?"
Anastasia stills.
"I'm having a grand daughter?"
"I...Er..yesss, but we don't want anyone to know." She spilled the beans.
Christian slips his boxer briefs on that were beside the bed and throws Anastasia a shirt to put on.
"I'm having a granddaughter! I'm so excited! There is so much to buy!"
"Mom! No! We don't want anyone else to know right now." They were keeping it a secret til she was born.
"I'll be sneaky. I won't tell a soul! Oh, Ana, can I feel your belly?"
She pulls up her shirt and lays back against the pillows. "Have at it."
Grace holds her stomach and talks to the baby, but she doesn't move for her. "I think she's sleeping." Grace frowns.
"Watch a pro!" Christian lays across the bed, his head against her belly. "Good morning lovebug, it's Daddy!" The baby kicks, delighting Grace. "You always dance for Daddy, don't you babygirl?" He presses a kiss to her tummy.
Grace gets misty-eyed. Between seeing her son with his unborn daughter and feeling her granddaughter kick beneath her hand, its absolute perfection.
"Don't start the waterworks!" Seeing Grace get teary-eyed is making Anastasia teary-eyed herself. "Damn hormones." She grumbles, wiping her eyes.
XxXxXxXx
Winter is in full force, snow blanketing Seattle. Christian and Anastasia spent Christmas at the Grey residence with her parents flying up to join them. Christian gave her strict orders to stay on the couch and everyone tattled on her everytime she'd get up for anything, but it was a nice holiday spent with family instead of being stuck in bed lonely.
The new house is well on its way to being done, only a couple weeks left before they would be moving into their new place. They were both relieved when they heard the news that they would be in before the baby made her way into the world.
Christian has a meeting for a walk-through of the house with Gia, but he wishes that Anastasia could come see the finished product before they officially moved. As promised, he wouldn't allow Gia to touch the bedrooms, instead allowing Anastasia to use a friend of hers to implement the changes and decor she had in mind.
"The house turned out beautiful, Christian. It's definitely one of a kind." They sit side-by-side looking over the list of what is left.
"You did a great job, Gia. I knew you would. You're good at what you do." Looking at her, he sees that look in her eyes. Fuck. Anastasia was right. She had that 'kiss me' look on her face, although he wished he was reading her wrong.
"You're my muse, Christian. I couldn't have done half of what I did without picturing you in each room. You make everything look so devastatingly beautiful. Like you."
His eyebrow quirked. "Uh, thanks?"
"No words needed." As she leans into him, he jumps up.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"
She stares up at him. "I-I'm sorry, Christian! I thought-"
"Thought what exactly? That I was going to cheat on the love of my life? The woman that is carrying my baby? In the house that we're making our home? What kind of person do you think I am? What kind of person are you! You know Anastasia, you know that she's bedridden with my baby and still you come onto me?
"Ana was right. I should have never given you the benefit of the doubt. We won't be needing your services anymore and don't expect to get a recommendation from me. I'm not about to let some other woman get crushed because you've came on to her husband. Your last check will be in the mail. Leave your key and get out." Grabbing his coat, he throws it on and heads quickly out the door so he can go home to his girl.
XxXxXx
"Ana... there's something I need to tell you." They lay naked in bed that night, freshly bathed with their stomachs still full of peach cobbler and ice cream.
"Oh? What is it?" Her heart begins to thud hard against her ribcage, but she tries act nonchalant. She keeps still, playing with his hair on his chest.
"Gia tried to kiss me."
Sitting straight up in bed, she pulls the covers off of herself to get out, but he grabs her and pulls her back to him. "Where the hell are you going?"
"To kick some ass!"
Her answer makes him chuckle. "Down, kitten! She's not worth it."
"What. Happened." She feels murderous.
"We were sitting at the table going over what was left and I complemented her on her work and for some reason she thought that was me giving her permission to me."
She growls. "Did her lips touch yours? Did you tell her off? Please say you made her cry. I'll make that blonde wench cry!"
"Easy," he pulls her closer, forcing her to snuggle into him. "Her lips did not touch mine. I asked her what she must think about me if she could think I'd cheat on you and what I thought about her considering she knows your pregnant with my baby and still she goes after me. I told her to leave they key and go and that there will be no recommendations coming from us."
"You're mine." Anastasia huffs, snuggling her nose into his neck.
"Only yours."
"You will block her number." There is no compromising this.
He grins at her possessiveness, feeling adored by her actions. "Already ahead of you."
"Little bitch." She huffs one last time, making him chuckle. Feisty little little thing.