Chapter 16

Anastasia is ready and waiting in the great room to go to the Opera tonight. That dress brings out her bright blue beautiful eyes. I love seeing her draped in the finest clothing. She deserves the finest of everything. I haven't forgot about missing her birthday and it weighed heavy on me the night she left and the days since she's been back.

"Anastasia, you have never looked more beautiful, you take my breath away" I whisper as I lean in and kiss her behind her ear. She smells divine as always. She blushes on cue and looks up at me with an innocent smile.

"Thank you again for the dress and everything else" she motions towards her bag and shoes.

"You are most welcome Anastasia"

"You look pretty hot in that tux . If I wasn't so excited about seeing my very first opera I would drag you back into your bedroom and have my way with you" and she bites her lip giggles. Oh that's fucking tempting but I have all night to love her.

" Don't tempt me baby and don't bite that fucking lip or we will miss the opera" and she gasps a little and looks down at her hands. Why is her shyness so appealing to me? I find her irresistible when she gets like that.

I want tonight to be very special for her. I have also bought her a new keyboard and it will be delivered tonight and set up when we return home. I am hoping she will sing something for me later. Of course she can play my baby grand anytime she likes but I remember reading in her journal that she had saved up six months for her keyboard and dropped it the very night she moved in here, I want to replace it. Damn I still haven't mentioned that to her, I'd better just keep quiet.

I'm sure she will be excited about the keyboard but it's not very romantic so I also bought her a pair of elegant Tiffany Soleste Platinum and Tanzanite diamond earrings to go with her dress and her eyes. I saw them on the Tiffany website and had Taylor go pick them up. I want to give them to her now so I'd better check if Taylor has them.

While she was getting ready I wrote her a belated birthday card telling how much she means to me and how much I love and adore her even though we've only known each other a short time.

"Wait here Ana, I have a surprise for you baby" I smirk

"Oh my gosh what?"

" You'll see, I'll be right back" and I dash out of the room and upstairs to Taylors office.

"Do you have the earrings Taylor?"

"Yes sir, here you go" he smiles

"Be ready to head out in five minutes the opera starts at 8pm" I say terse. I don't need him thinking that I am soft all of a sudden just because I'm in love with Anastasia. She is the only one person who can soften my heart. Well maybe my family can but that's it. I head back to the great room where Anastasia is standing awkwardly and fidgeting.

"Happy belated birthday Anastasia" and I hand her the little blue box and a small note card.

She looks at me with a shocked expression and before she even opens it a tears rolls down her cheek.

"How did you know it was my birthday last week?" she says trying to fight back the tears.

"You left your driver's license on the dresser and I went to look at your photo" I say casually but it's a lie. It was on her background check and of course I read her journal. Shit the fucking guilt is eating away at me over that.

"I would have given you a gift sooner if you'd told me Ana. Why didn't you say anything to me? And she shrugs at me with shyness then hugs me.

" Aren't you going to open it baby?" and she smiles brightly and nods.

She opens the notecard and smiles wide and mouths I love you to me. She carefully pulls the small ribbon off and opens the box. She glances up at me with her mouth wide open and the tears brim her eyes. She seems at a loss for words and my heart constricts with sadness. Nobody has even given her a birthday gift before, I know that and it makes my soul ache.

She is such a wonderful person I cannot fathom that someone before me has not found her and showered her with love. I am the truly luckiest man alive. Although I feel as I don't deserve her, either way she's mine and I will cherish her as long as she will have me or forever.

"Thank you" she barely whispers and just leans her head onto my shoulders and weeps.

"Ana, why are you crying baby?"

"It's just um..." she sniffles.

" They're so beautiful. I don't know what to say. Nobody has even given me a gift apart from this dress you bought me. They are the most beautiful earrings I have even seen in my life. Oh Christian I don't know how I can ever thank you. I love you."

"I love you too Ana, don't cry love, come let me put them on you. They match your dress and your beautiful baby blue eyes" and I lean in and kiss her salty tears.

"I want to lavish you with gifts baby and I will." I help her put the earrings on and they look exquisite on her delicate ears.

"There" I grin.

"They look perfect on you, c'mon wipe your tears now baby, Taylor is waiting outside for us" and she nods and goes to the bathroom and two minutes later she emerges with a smile but it still obvious she has been crying.

I will have to make her feel better on the ride. I pull her close and my hand glides over her round little ass and I plant a few soft kisses on her neck and her lips and she smiles as we head out. During the ride I keep my arms tightly around her and hold and kiss her trying to lighten her mood. As we pull up to the theatre her face lights up.

" Puccini's -La Bohème" she gasps and turns towards me, her smile is bursting and she squeezes my hand tightly.

"It will be in Italian Anastasia but there will be English subtitles on the small overhead screen."

I help her out of the car and lead her inside. We head up two flights of stairs and sit a small balcony with seating for four. It will just be the two of us. This is my private box. Occasionally my family will use it or Ros and her partner. There is a chilled bottle of Dom and some elegant appetizers on a silver tray. A server comes and pops the champagne and fills our glasses.

"Happy Belated Birthday Ana, to good health and to us finding each other" and we clink glasses and she takes a small sip and smiles.

"umm, delicious" and I give her a wink.

"Christian it's so beautiful here, I've passed it so many times and have never been inside" I just smile at her and hold her hand.

I don't really know what to say. I have been so hung up on my horrific first four years of life that I completely forgot that I have not suffered alone. Ana has never even known the love of a family her entire life or the love of a man. I will change that for her. She will never suffer again if I can help it. My only mission now is to keep her loved, safe, and happy. I watch her expression throughout the show and I can see she loves it. She plants sweet kisses on my neck throughout the performance and I'm ready to have her right here right now.

I place her hand on my lap so she can feel my erection and she grins.

"If you don't stop kissing me like that Miss. Steele I might have to make love to you right here" I warn.

She gives me a cute look and says.

"Mr. Grey you are turning me into a sex crazed lunatic, you've created a monster. I think we should wait until we are in bed though" and she shakes her index finger at me.

I grab it and give it a little suck and she quivers for a second then squares her shoulders and sits up straight.

"Shh, I want to watch now, be a good boy " she says adorably and I acquiesce and we enjoy the rest of the performance.

Next we are headed to a private club I am a member of downtown so I can take her for an elegant dinner. The keyboard should have arrived at my home by now and I asked Escala security to store it until I return home then Taylor will retrieve it. I have also ordered her the finest French Raspberry Chocolate Ganache cake and it's in Taylor's refrigerator in the staff quarters. The staff has their own kitchen and living areas as well. I will present it to her when we get home.

Dinner was great Ana was going on about the opera and her love of music. I asked her how she learned to play so well and she told me that she learned to play piano when she was in foster care in between living with families. It was donated and once a week an instructor would come but most of the kids weren't interested so it was like getting private lessons. Then the rest of the time she just practiced. She said she has written over a hundred songs and even wrote one about me. I cant wait to have her sing it to me.

I don't even bother asking her is she wants dessert, she barely eats but her cake awaits her at home so I'm excited to see her reaction. During dinner I took a few pictures of us on my cell phone and she asked Taylor if he could take a few photos of us together. I didn't even think to take pictures of her before. I must be crazy just seeing the two of us together embracing in a photo make me feel alive. I got a few good shots of her alone, god she is fucking beautiful, I'll have to print and frame some to have in my office at GEH.

When we get back to Escala we are both exhausted. Tonight has been a very good night and it's just going to get better.

"Ana go get comfy baby I have a few calls to make and I'll join you for some tea in about 15 minutes" She kisses me and heads for my bedroom or our bedroom now.

I have Taylor bring in the keyboard and place a large red bow on it. I set the cake onto the breakfast bar and light a tall skinny candle and shut the lights. Right on cue Ana walks in her PJ's and I sing happy birthday to her. She is once again speechless as she approaches the kitchen.

"Oh Christian I am going to run out of tears, you're so sweet I can't believe you did this for me after everything else" she mutters

"Make a wish baby" and she closes her eyes and blows out the candle.

"It already came true" she whispers and kisses me.

I lift her up and wrap her legs around me and just kiss her sweet mouth. This is it for me, she is the woman I love and I will never love another. How I got this lucky is beyond me. Really I owe it all to Gail. She sent her to me and I am forever grateful to her.

"Now before I give you a good birthday fuck I have one more thing for you" and she flushes from head to toe.

"Birthday fuck" Christian! She shrieks and punches my arm playfully.

"Turn around" and I clasp her shoulders and turn her towards the living room and point to the keyboard.

"Oh. My. God, Oh My God" and she saunters slowly over to it.

"For you baby, Taylor said you dropped yours the night you moved in so I thought you might want a new one". Actually he never said but I read that god damned journal, ugh she going to be pissed I can't tell her that.

"Okay seriously Christian I am now at a total loss for words. This is overwhelming. You have done so much for me already I feel like I can't accept.." I stop her mid-sentence.

"Anastasia they are just birthday presents, please I want you to accept them with my love.". She nods with a frown

"Okay but no more this is just way too much. I do love it though but you have spoiled me tonight, the dress, the earrings, the cake, the opera, the keyboard, it's too much but Thank you and I love you."

Oh well I guess I'll give her the wardrobe tomorrow. Right now I don't want to fight with her unless its in bed. I want to climb inside her and love every inch of her delectable body.

I scoop her up into my arms and kiss her hard. "Come baby, I owe you a nice long birthday fuck" I grin

"Yes please" she smiles and bites her lip.

Hope you are all enjoying this story (still). I know this chapter was a bit long but sometimes to get to a point you have to keep going! I have completed a few more chapters but need to fix a few errors so I will post as soon as I can. I am doing my very best to continue this story. I have gotten so many requests for it. I am trying so please be patient I feel like my writing gets worse as I go on so I really have to try hard to make it good.

I was thinking of continuing with another story I posted called "When Anastasia Left Me" It was the few days in between their breakup in book one and two. I like writing his POV mainly because the books are in Ana's . If you have read this story and liked it, leave me a comment on it and tell me if you think its worth adding to. xoxo Laters, baby!