„I have to admit, I wasn't sure about this, but the food is delicious." Christian admitted while snapping another crab leg and dipping it into the small bowl with melted butter. Ana had insisted they would go to a restaurant called Crab Pot which was not what he had in mind. It was a small family-style restaurant that on this evening was occupied by a younger crowd. Groups of friends and a few college-age couples were sitting on the other tables.
He had thought of Canlis or one of the other luxury restaurants he knew about town. Especially since the seafood Ana had ordered for them had just been dumped onto a wax cloth on the table, but the food was delicious and the atmosphere at the restaurant had made him feel relaxed.
„I know, I've been to a few restaurants like this when I was traveling for work to California. It takes a little getting used to but I just can't get enough of the food." She explained.
„Do you have to travel a lot?"
„Kind of, since Cross Publishing is only now expanding I sometimes had to travel to meet with potential new authors who couldn't make the trip to New York."
„Why wouldn't they?" He asked.
„Well, some of them had normal day jobs before their books became bestsellers, other's have a family to take care of or simply couldn't afford to travel to New York. Usually, in cases like that editors use Skype and E-Mail to talk to the author, but I like to meet people in person it makes it easier to read them."
„I agree... have you been to London in the meantime?" He asked because it was still his wish to take her there.
„No, I only ever traveled for work. I haven't been on vacation at all in the last four years. Taking time off of work would have meant having time to myself... time to think."
„Would you consider it now?"
„I guess eventually I will go on vacation but not right now."
„I want to take you to England. I have to go for a meeting anyway but if you agree to accompany me I would turn it into a one week stay." He said trying to hide his own smile when hers grew bigger and bigger.
„You want to take me to London?"
„Yes, we would have to leave next Thursday. We will stay in London first then we could spend a day or two at a cottage by the coast. Are you in?"
„Yes!" She said so excitedly that he was no longer able to hide his smile.
„Well, Miss Steele, I guess then I can let Andrea know to organize everything for our trip, do you have a preference for our trip to the coast?"
„Cornwall, I've read so much about it, besides London, it's what I always wanted to see the most." She said.
After dinner, they went to see a movie but both of them found that even halfway through the movie it was so bad they had lost all interest.
„It's so bad." Ana whispered to Christian.
„I know, do you want to leave?" He asked and suddenly she had an idea.
„Do you know that there is something very common that happens during dates that take place at a cinema?" She asked feeling a bit shy suddenly. She had not been close to a man ever since that awful night in New York, so she was actually very nervous now, still, she didn't want to wait to get at least a little bit closer to Christian.
„No, what do you mean?" He asked and she got a bit closer and let her fingers run across his sideburn and cheek before she pulled his face closer and kissed him.
The second their lips touched Christian couldn't help himself, he pulled her into his lap and let his hands roam over her back while hers fisted in his hair and neither of them couldn't stop kissing and touching the other until they were rudely interrupted.
„Excuse me, but you can't do that here." They both heard the voice of a teenage boy and shrugged.
„Sorry, we'll leave, the movie is horrible." Ana giggled took Christian's hand and they went to the garage where Taylor was waiting in the car and as soon as Taylor was driving they started to kiss again.
Taylor was looking at the couple in the back, both of them not giving a damn about him being in the car with them and smiled. About damn time. He thought to himself and drove them back to Escala where he cleared his throat.
„We have arrived, do you want me to drive around for a bit longer, Sir." He asked clearly amused.
„No, thank you." Christian smirked and they were both grinning like naughty teenagers when they got into the elevator and went up to his place, where they continued to make out but when they reached his bedroom and he started to undressed her Ana felt a bit overwhelmed.
„Christian..."
She didn't have to say anymore, he stopped immediately and pulled her back into his arms.
„Too fast?"
„I... I just need a bit more time... are you mad?"
„No, I'm not mad, we are taking this at your pace, Ana. Come let's have a glass of wine." He said and took her hand in his.
„I would still like to stay here tonight if that is ok with you." She said quietly.
„Baby, getting to hold you in my arms all night is more than ok, in fact, I would be happy if you would decide to stay permanently." He said and she looked at him.
„I don't know if I'm ready to move in with you just yet, Christian. It's not that I don't want to, it's just sometimes I just need to be alone for a little while... but if you are ok with me holding on to my apartment for a bit longer I would really like to spend most of my time here with you." She said and that made him smile.
„I would like that a lot. So, are you tired?"
„No, not even a tiny bit." She said and leaned in to kiss him again. She wasn't yet ready to try to do more but to her, it was a really huge step that she now knew she could be this close to Christian without any horrible memories coming back up into her mind.
A week later Ana found herself in London sitting in a hotel room while she was waiting for Christian to return from his one meeting he had during their stay in England. She didn't mind at all to stay at their hotel and wait for him because even looking out of the window and watch the city while listening to an English radio station was really exciting to her.
Today they wanted to do the touristy thing by visiting Madame Tussaud's, Harrod's and the Buckingham Palast. Ana was also looking forward to having fish and chips for lunch and of course dinner at the London Eye which Christian had booked for them. She also wanted to visit the Tower, see the St. Paul's Cathedrale and visit the London Dungeon. So, they had a lot to see and Ana felt like a small child on her first big adventure.
When Christian returned she jumped into his arms and kissed him immediately.
„Missed me?" Christian asked but kissed her again before she could answer.
„Can we go right away?" She asked when he put her back to her feet.
„Give me ten minutes to shower and change, then we can go." He said and fifteen minutes later they left the hotel hand and hand to explore the city.
Ana had loved every second of their trip so far and now they had just arrived at a small cottage right on the coast in Cornwell which was just beautiful.
„It's so beautiful here." She said when they stepped into the backyard from where they could see the ocean.
„It is, do you like it here?" He asked.
„Yes, you might have to drag me out of here when we have to leave." She said and he smirked.
„How about I don't drag you but you can return whenever you like."
„I'm sure a jewel like this is booked most of the time." She said gesturing at their vacation home.
„That would be true... but in this case you are wrong... here." He said and handed her the keys.
„Why am I wrong?" She asked frowning at the keys.
„I know your birthday isn't for another month but this is your present." He said and watched her face to see her reaction.
„You bought me a cottage... this cottage?" She asked visibly moved.
„Yes, because I know how much you love England and so you have a reason to go on vacation every once in a while." He said and she kissed him.
„Thank you, this is amazing... I love it... can we really come here whenever we want?" She asked again.
„Yes, it is yours, baby... we can be here together, you can bring Ray... or your friends... or even go alone if you need some time to yourself." He said and she wrapped her arms around his middle.
„Can we go inside, I want to explore?"
„After you." He said with a smile and they looked at every room until eventually they ended up in the upstairs bedroom where they started to kiss again, but he stopped himself before it went to far.
„Don't stop, please." She said and he looked at her and could tell that she was scared.
„You are scared, baby..."
„I know and I will be until I face that fear." She replied.
„Tell me what scares you?" He asked and smiled when she crawled onto his lap to curl up against him.
„Talk to me, baby... let me help you." He encouraged her after a while and she looked up at him.
„I'm scared it won't be the same... that I can't enjoy it... that it becomes some sort of trigger for me... and I'm scared that it won't be the same for you because I'm not just yours anymore." She said and with that the tears started to fall from her eyes.
„No... no... baby, look at me. Please Ana, look at me, nothing about you has changed for me. You are still the girl I fell in love with the day you tripped into my office. What happened to you was not by choice. You didn't ask for it to happen or did anything that encouraged Hyde to do what he has done to you. He was a sick and twisted bastard who in the end got what he deserved. There is nothing you have to be scared of when it comes to the way I feel for you."
„Make love to me." She whispered and without any hesitation he lifted her chin to his and kissed her.
„You can tell me to stop at any time, baby." He murmured and he kissed her neck while he unbuttoned her blouse and then removed her bra.
The entire time he made sure that he was touching and kissing her so she felt their connection and had no time for her thoughts to go to anything else, but then when he was above her on the bed he could feel her anxiety most likely because she was feeling trapped with nowhere to go, so he sat up and pulled her on to him.
„You sure you want this, baby?" He asked again and she nodded, so he lifted her a little bit, positioned himself and let her slowly sink onto his erection until she had taken him in completely with a moan.
„Ok?" He asked and she replied by wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him before she started to move.
He held her just enjoying the feeling of being this close to her while desperately fighting his own orgasm because he knew she wasn't there yet and this was about her, she needed this even more than he did to finally see that nothing that happened had changed anything between them. And then he felt her insides clench around him, she gasped out his name and with her safely held in his arms he too let go.
„How do you feel?" He asked after a while when they were both stretched out on the bed looking at each other.
„Good... better than I thought I would." She admitted with a small smile.
„You see, Ana there is nothing you ever have to fear as long as you are in my arms." He said and kissed her.
„Thank you." She murmured.
„For what."
„For waiting for me even when you had no idea if I would ever be back." She said quietly.
„You are the only woman I ever fell in love with... you are it for me and I never gave up hope that one day we would see each other again. And having you back in my life again now was well worth the wait. I love you, baby."
„I love you, too." She said and they kissed again...