A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 16: The First Date

Ana wished she could have stayed with Christian beside the lake for the rest of the evening, but she knew they both had to get back inside soon before the others wondered where they were. Before they left, however, Christian promised to come by early tomorrow morning and take her to the construction site. Ana at first insisted he didn't have to do that, but he told her he had a surprise for her.

"So what is it?" Ana had asked, smiling up at him, and Christian chuckled.

"Well, it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, now would it?" he said. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, and Ana couldn't help but put her arms around his neck. "However, I'll let you know that it will involve our upcoming first date."

"Ah, okay," Ana giggled. "Well, I guess I should just allow myself to be wooed by you, then."

Christian leaned forward and kissed her on the nose. "I get to woo you," he said with a delighted smile. "I kind of like the sound of that."

"Me too."

Christian grinned before leaning down to kiss her on the lips, and she kissed him back, feeling elated beyond belief that they were free to do this now. Before their kiss could escalate, however, they heard the front door of Ana's house open and the sound of people talking with one another out on the front porch.

Christian and Ana finally pulled away from each other. "I guess that's our cue. We should probably head back," Christian said regretfully, and Ana sighed.

"I guess so."

The two of them walked back over to the front of the house, where Elliot and the Elroy's were saying goodnight to the others. They were clearly about to head back home - Elliot actually had his own vacation house he had rented for himself last week, and he looked over as Christian and Ana approached.

"Hey, you two," he grinned. "What took you guys so long out there?"

"We went for a walk," Christian said, though Ana felt the blush on her face was telling enough. "Heading back to your place right now?"

"Yeah, it's getting pretty late. You should probably think about heading back too."

Ana felt her spirits sink at the prospect of Christian leaving her. He turned to gaze at Ana, his eyes conveying the same emotion. "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

Ana nodded, giving him a sad smile. "See you tomorrow."

The others all said their goodbyes, and Christian left Ana with only a chaste kiss on the cheek. Ana wished he would have kissed her like he had back by the lake, but knew that that probably wouldn't have been very appropriate in front of present company. The Elroy's, Christian, and Elliot all left, and Ana went inside to finish cleaning up before putting Teddy to bed.

The next morning, Ana was in high spirits as she got ready for the day. Teddy was his usual grumpy self when waking up this morning, but Ana eventually got him to sit at the kitchen table with his bowl of cereal and a sippy cup of apple juice. Ray was sitting next to Ted with his coffee and newspaper, and Ana was busily fixing herself and her father a couple omelets at the stove. The TV was playing the morning news in the living room, and Ana was humming quietly to herself as she cooked.

The doorbell suddenly rang, and Ana couldn't help but smile, knowing who it was. Before she could step away from the stove, however, her father had gotten up from his seat and walked over to answer the door.

"Hey Christian," Ray greeted as soon as he opened the door. "What are you doing here so early?"

"Didn't Ana tell you? I'm driving her to the construction site this morning," Ana heard Christian say from the front entryway. "But there are actually a few things I wanted to give you guys first as a thank you for having us over for dinner last night."

"Oh, you didn't have to do that," Ray said, though he sounded pleased at Christian's generosity. The next moment Christian and Ray had walked into the kitchen, a brown paper shopping bag in Christian's hand.

"Good morning, everyone," Christian smiled, his eyes lingering on Ana. "Good morning, Ana."

"Good morning, Christian," Ana said, blushing and smiling. "We were just finishing up breakfast. Can I make you an omelet?"

"Oh, no thank you. I already had breakfast before I came," Christian smiled kindly at her. "I actually have something for your father right now."

Christian set his paper bag on the kitchen table and pulled out a dark blue box with a matte finish that looked very high-end. Ana was sure it contained a fancy bottle of alcohol.

"Oh my God, Christian," Ray looked positively delighted as he took the box from Christian and and gazed at the label on it. "This is Blue Label whiskey! I can't accept this - it's way too expensive!"

"I was happy to do it Ray," Christian assured him with a sincere smile. "In fact, I stock the same whiskey for the wet bar in my apartment in Seattle. You and I can have another drink sometime."

Ray laughed. "You got it son. Would it be too early in the morning to crack open this particular bottle though?"

"Dad," Ana rolled her eyes with a smile while the men laughed.

"Ted, I got something for you here too," Christian said to Ted. The little boy quickly hopped out of his chair and tried to peek inside the bag, bouncing on his little feet. The adults all laughed.

"Here you go, buddy," Christian reached into the bag and pulled out a brand new Tonka bulldozer truck still in the box. The toy looked a lot like the bulldozers over at the jobsite, which was probably why Ted looked so delighted - he jumped up and down and giggled as he took the box from Christian, hugging it to his chest.

"What do you say, Ted?" Ana chided her son lovingly.

"Thanks!" Ted exclaimed as he bolted to the living room, eager to get the box open and the toy out. The adults chuckled at his exuberance, and Ray walked over to his grandson to help him get the box open.

"And for you, Ana…" Christian smiled before reaching into the bag. He then pulled out a small, clear plastic container with a beautiful flower corsage.

"Christian," Ana smiled widely, gazing down at the beautiful arrangement of white flowers, green leaves, and silver-gray ribbons. "It's gorgeous."

"I'm glad you think so," Christian smiled as he handed it to her. "I was hoping you would wear it for our date tonight."

"Are you taking me to prom?" Ana couldn't help but ask with a giggle, and Christian smiled.

"I was actually thinking we could have a nice candlelit dinner over at my place. My housekeeper Gail is an excellent cook, and she's agreed to help me make a delicious dinner for you and I tonight."

"That sounds wonderful," Ana smiled, a blush rising in her cheeks. "Should I bring anything?"

"No, I'll cover everything," Christian said. "Can I pick you up here at around seven o'clock?"

"Sounds good," Ana smiled at him, but her smile faded slightly as she remembered Ted. She turned toward the living room, where Ray was still helping Ted open his box, and she prepared herself for the awkward conversation that was about to ensue. "Hey, um… Dad?"

"I'll watch Ted tonight, Ana. You and Christian go have fun on your date," Ray turned to look at the two of them, a small grin on his face. "I have to say, it's about time you two decided to take the leap."

"Oh my God, Dad," Ana muttered, blushing crimson as she covered her face with her hand. Christian didn't look embarrassed at all as he beamed widely at Ray.

"Thank you, sir. I completely agree," he said, and Ray laughed.

"So did you ask her out last night after dinner during your walk?" he asked. "Elliot thought you might."

"Yes I did, in fact," Christian grinned.

"Christian," Ana brought her hand away from her face to gaze imploringly at him, her face still bright red. "Shouldn't we be going to the construction site right now?"

"Yeah, we should," Christian agreed, and with a smile he took her hand in his and brought it up to his lips, kissing her knuckles sweetly. "I'll be in the car whenever you're ready."

He then turned around and walked back out the front door, saying goodbye to Ted and Ray as he went. Once the door closed behind him, Ana couldn't bring herself to even look at her father.

"Mommy's face pink!" Ted exclaimed from the living room, pointing at his mother, and Ray laughed.

"Her face is pink, isn't it?" he said, gazing over at his daughter with an amused smile on his face. Ana shook her head, fighting back her own smile.

"Shut up, you two," she said before walking over to the refrigerator to store her corsage.

Ana went with Christian to the construction site that morning and they worked there with Elliot and Andy until about noon, which was when Christian needed to meet with Greg Clayton about the town's reconstruction. Christian dropped Ana off back at her place at around lunchtime, not before giving her a searing kiss that made her heart pound and her mind turn to mush.

"I'll see you tonight," Christian whispered after they broke apart, his face still inches from hers. Ana, too far gone to speak any words, merely nodded, and Christian smiled.

Once Ana was inside and Christian had left, she checked in on her dad and Ted, who were both playing a game of tee-ball in the backyard. Ana decided to join them, and for the next couple hours the three of them had a great time hitting a wiffle ball with a plastic bat and chasing each other around the pretend bases. Once Ted got too tired to continue, Ana carried him upstairs to his room for a nap while Ray went to finish up some work in the carpentry shop.

Once alone, Ana went to her room and began rifling through her closet to find a good dress to wear on her date tonight. She honestly wasn't sure if she owned anything nice enough for a formal dinner - most of her wardrobe consisted of jeans, t-shirts, and a couple Easter dresses. She eventually found a nice-looking purple short-sleeve dress with a scooped neckline that looked very pretty, and she knew the corsage Christian got her would look nice with it. She settled on this with a pair of classy black heels and her favorite diamond stud earrings.

An hour before Christian was meant to come and pick her up, Ana showered and shaved. Afterwards, she blow-dried her hair and lotioned her skin up before putting on her makeup; it had been a long time since she had last worn eyeliner and mascara, but tonight was a special occasion. She then put on her pretty dress, earrings, and heels before making her way downstairs.

"Look at you, darling," Ray complimented as she walked into the kitchen. He and Ted were eating dinner together, and Ana smiled at the pair of them as she walked to the fridge to get her corsage. "You look beautiful."

"Pwetty!" Ted exclaimed, and Ana giggled.

"Thank you, guys," she said as she opened the fridge and took out the container, taking the corsage out of it and pinning it to her lapel. "Does this look alright?"

"It looks great, sweetheart," Ray said, and before Ana could say anything else, the doorbell rang. "Prince Charming awaits, my dear."

"Dad," Ana chided her father before grabbing her purse and phone from the kitchen table. "Have a good night, you two.

"Bye Mommy!" Ted called after his mother, and Ana blew him a kiss before walking down the hall and opening the door.

Christian stood on the threshold, looking dashing in a charcoal gray suit and a dark blue tie. The setting sun along the horizon glinted off his brushed-back copper hair, making him look like a male model ready for a photoshoot.

"Hi," Ana said shyly, smiling at him. Christian beamed at her, his eyes roving over her outfit.

"Hi," he said, finally looking into her eyes. "Wow Ana, you look… breathtaking."

"Thanks," Ana smiled, flushing with pleasure. "You look very handsome yourself."

"Thank you," Christian smiled. "Shall we?" he gestured toward his house next door.

"Sure," Ana smiled before taking his proffered hand and closing the door behind her.

~/~

Ana couldn't recall ever having been inside Christian's rental home, but it was just as beautiful and high-end as she had imagined it would be with its sleek, modern-looking design and expensive furnishings. All the lights were currently dimmed, and in the dining room there was a beautiful mahogany table covered in a dark red tablecloth, softly lit with a candlestick centerpiece. The delicious scent of grilled steak and garlic potatoes filled the whole house.

"This is amazing, Christian," Ana complimented, smiling as she gazed around the beautiful place.

"Gail did most of it," Christian admitted. "She decorated the living room and dining room before making dinner. She even whipped us up a dessert, although I had already told her she'd done enough."

"That was very sweet of her," Ana giggled. "Is she still here?"

"She and Taylor left about ten minutes ago. They're going to be staying over at Elliot's for the night," Christian explained, and he took her hand once again. "You and I are completely alone."

Ana blushed, feeling her heart pounding in chest. "Oh."

"Is that alright?" Christian asked, gazing at her. "That we're here alone?"

"That's perfectly fine," Ana said, smiling shyly at him, and Christian beamed back.

"I'm glad."

He led her over to the table and pulled out a chair for her so she could sit down. There were two places set with two plates covered in cloches, and Christian walked into the kitchen before reappearing with a bottle of wine.

"I picked a red wine I thought you'd like," Christian said, opening the bottle and pouring some into both their wine glasses. "It pairs well with the steak."

"I'm sure it will be lovely," Ana said as Christian set the bottle down. He then sat in his own seat adjacent to Ana before removing the cloches from their plates, revealing their steaming meal of filet mignon, baby red potatoes, asparagus, and garlic butter sauce. Ana inhaled deeply, smiling at the delicious scent.

"To our first date," Christian said, picking up his glass of wine. Ana picked her own glass up before clinking it with his and taking a sip. The wine was very sweet, but not overly so, which Ana liked.

They proceeded to eat their food, which tasted heavenly - the steak was cooked to perfection, and the potatoes along with the buttery asparagus stems tasted delicious. Ana would be sure to say thank you to Gail for this food the next time she saw her. In addition to the delectable meal, Ana and Christian were able to have some light conversation about various subjects, including work and family. These were all topics they'd talked about before, but tonight it felt much more meaningful.

"…Tell me something I don't know about you," Christian now said, pouring Ana and himself a third glass of wine. It was a couple hours later, their steaks long gone, and they were currently sharing the plate of chocolate-dipped strawberries Gail had prepared for them.

"There isn't really much I haven't told you," Ana giggled, biting into her third strawberry. She was feeling happy and buzzed from all the wine she drank tonight, as well as spending hours in close proximity to Christian.

"Come on, I'm sure there's something," Christian insisted with a smile, sipping from his own wine glass. He was clearly as buzzed and happy as Ana was. "How old were you when you had your first kiss?"

"Fifteen, and it was with my high school boyfriend Jose," Ana said. "We were in his old Volkswagon Beetle, and it was very awkward."

"Hm," Christian said, and there was an odd hard tone in his voice. "This Jose guy... does he live in Easton too?"

"No, he lived a few miles down the road in Roslyn," Ana said. "I have no idea if he's still there or not, but last I heard he was getting married to some girl."

"Hm," Christian humphed again, still looking rather put out as he took another sip of wine. Ana couldn't help but giggle.

"Christian, are you seriously jealous of some kid who kissed me nine years ago?" she asked skeptically, and Christian offered her a smirk.

"No, but I just don't like that he got to hold you and touch you and kiss you," Christian said sincerely, gazing into her eyes. "I want to be the one to do that."

Ana felt her heart rate spike as she stared back at Christian. Did he really want that with her? She cleared her throat. "Well, Jose and I were together only for a couple months, and we were in high school so we didn't really do all that much together except kiss. There isn't really much to be jealous over."

"On the contrary," Christian said, taking her hand in his own, and Ana's heart began to pound. "I'm jealous of Jose and any other fucker who's touched you in some way. I'm a jealous man, Ana, and when I want something, I want all of it."

The way he said that made tingles shoot through Ana's spine. A part of her couldn't help but feel pleased that Christian wanted her so badly, because she wanted him too. "Well, aside from yourself there isn't really anyone else to be jealous over," she said wryly.

Christian blinked, gazing at her with a hint of confusion. "There's been no one else?"

Ana shook her head. "No."

"Really?" he asked skeptically. "Who did you lose your virginity to?"

Ana blushed, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. She hadn't discussed this topic with him, or any guy before, and she wasn't keen to admit to Christian that she was still a virgin. "Um…"

Her hesitation made Christian realize what she was trying to say. "Ana, are you telling me that you've... never had sex before?"

Ana blushed bright red. "I already told you that I don't date," she muttered, not looking at him. God, she felt so embarrassed talking about this.

Christian didn't say anything for several moments, clearly still shocked by this revelation. "Wow Ana, I… I can't believe that someone like you is still a virgin! And you're a mother too, no less."

"I'm well aware of the irony," Ana murmured, embarrassment still pounding through her bloodstream. She still felt a bit fuzzy from the wine as she got to her feet. "I should probably go now."

"What? No!" Christian said quickly, jumping to his feet too. "Why would you leave? Please don't go, Ana."

"I don't want to talk about this, Christian. I'm embarrassed enough as it is," Ana shook her head, eyes cast downward as she made her way to the door. "It's probably best if I just go."

She was about halfway across the living room when Christian suddenly grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her around so she was facing him. The next moment, his lips were on hers, kissing her with a passion she had never experienced before. She froze for a moment before responding to his kiss, placing her hands on his shoulders as Christian's arms went around her waist, holding her tight. He opened his mouth and tangled his tongue with hers, making Ana feel weak in the knees.

"Fuck, Ana," Christian finally broke their kiss, panting as he stared deep into her eyes, inches away from her face. "You have no idea how much I want you. The thought of you as a virgin is so fucking hot."

Ana let out a gasp, her heart pounding at his words. "Really?"

"God yes," Christian groaned before leaning down and kissing her along her jaw and up toward her earlobe, making her sigh. "I've wanted you ever since I first laid eyes on you, but now that I know that no one's ever touched you… fuck, I can't even tell you what that does to me, Ana. I want you so much."

Ana's embarrassment quickly turned into arousal as she moaned, running her fingers through Christian's hair as he lightly nipped at her earlobe. While she didn't have much experience in these matters, she knew where this evening was heading, and she needed Christian to have no doubt in his mind what she wanted from him.

"Make love to me, Christian."

Christian pulled away from her to stare into her eyes, clearly surprised she had asked him that. "Ana… are you sure?"

Ana nodded, having never felt more sure about anything else in her life. "I'd been saving myself for so long Christian, but I feel like I was only doing it because I didn't know what I was looking for. It wasn't until I met you when I realized what I wanted, even though I was reluctant to admit it at first. I want you Christian - please make love to me."

Christian didn't need telling twice. In one swift motion, he had picked Ana up in his arms and carried her into his bedroom, and Ana giggled as she wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling his erection against her center.

"I'm going to make this good for you, baby," Christian promised her, depositing her on his bed before gazing deep into her eyes. "You've waited a long time for this, and it's going to be special. I'll make sure of it."

Ana couldn't help but smile, affection filling her heart as she gazed back at Christian. "It already is."

Christian gave her a wide, panty-dropping smile before leaning in and kissing her again with all the passion he had exhibited earlier. Ana responded in kind, opening her mouth against his as she boldly pushed his suit jacket off of his shoulders. Christian smiled against her before pulling away slightly.

"I assume you're not on birth control?" Christian asked, loosening his tie, and Ana felt her heart sink.

"No, I'm not," she said, afraid that meant they had to stop.

Christian chuckled, however. "It's okay, baby. I have a condom," he said before pressing his lips to hers once again, alleviating her worries.

Ana kissed him back before allowing herself to be lowered back onto the bed, and Christian began to pull her dress down her shoulders, exposing her bra straps. Ana let him pull her dress off of her completely, leaving her in only her underwear, and she reached behind her to unclasp her bra.

"Oh fuck, Ana," Christian moaned as she revealed her naked breasts to him. With almost indecent haste, he stood up and quickly removed his tie before unbuttoning his shirt. "You look so fucking sexy right now, Ana. I want you so much."

"Christian," Ana gasped, and the next moment Christian was on top of her in only his boxer briefs, kissing her with a fervent passion once again. Ana giggled against him as he reached up to fondle her breasts in his hands.

"So beautiful," Christian whispered, running his thumbs over her pert nipples. "So fucking sexy, Ana."

"Please Christian," Ana moaned, the sensations he was producing inside her were building in a quick crescendo. "I need you."

Christian groaned before kissing her firmly on the lips once more and reaching for something on the bedside table. Ana didn't see what he grabbed, but she heard the sound of a crinkling wrapper before he pulled down his boxer briefs, revealing his huge erection.

Ana could only stare as Christian put the condom on, feeling almost nervous for what was about to happen. Christian noticed the expression on her face and smiled slightly.

"Don't worry baby - we'll fit together just fine," he said, moving back onto the bed so he was hovering over her. "Are you ready?"

Ana bit her lip as she gazed into his eyes. She nodded, and he smiled at her.

"Let's get these panties off of you first," Christian growled before hooking his fingers through the black lace and pulling them down her legs, his hands skimming along her smooth skin. Ana shivered with arousal.

"Christian," Ana sighed as he moved on top of her again, the tip of his erection against her wet center. "Please."

"This is going to hurt at first a little baby, but I promise it'll start to feel good," he whispered against her lips, and Ana nodded to show she understood. In one swift movement, Christian had pushed inside of her, sheathing himself, and Ana gasped at the sudden pain she felt. She clenched her eyes shut, willing the pain to subside, and after a moment or two it did. Opening her eyes, she saw Christian gazing at her with concern and desire.

"You feel so fucking good Ana," Christian grit out, panting as he tried to control himself. "Are you okay baby?"

Ana nodded, chest heaving as she got used to the feeling of Christian's cock inside of her. "Please move."

With a groan, Christian began to slowly thrust, rocking in and out of her at a gentle pace. Ana closed her eyes, absorbing the amazing feeling of Christian moving in and out of her. He began to move faster, causing the pleasure to ripple through her body more intensely, and Ana keened, arching her back.

"You're so perfect Ana," Christian murmured, taking one of her breasts in her mouth and sucking on her nipple. "So fucking perfect."

Ana moaned as she began to feel the pleasure inside of her building up in a crescendo, ready to burst forth in a glorious release. Christian's thrusts began to speed up, indicating he was getting close to the finish line too. Ana gasped as she felt Christian reach between them and rub her clit, stimulating her even more.

"Come on, Ana. Give it to me!"

With a cry, Ana obeyed and came hard around his dick, spasming as the pleasure rocked through her body. With a grunt, Christian stilled as he came inside of her, burying his face in the crook of her neck as he did so.

After a moment or two, they both came down from their highs, panting heavily as they basked in the afterglow what they'd just done.

A/N: Yay, I hope you enjoyed reading that :) Next chapter, something else happens to the town of Easton.

If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review!