Thanks again for all the reviews, you guys are the best! This chapter is a little shorter than the previous chapters. But this weekend, I promise to update at least twice. So thanks again! Oh and please review.
A bright white light penetrates my eyelids as I begin to wake up. The room is hot and completely still, apart from the light breathing coming from Christian. His chest races and falls steadily as I lay above him, and as I reluctantly surrender to the morning light, I pry my eyes open. I flutter my lashes as the room comes to focus, before glancing down to see white sheets barely covering our lower halves.
Christian's right arm is around my shoulder; the other resting on his ribcage. Each time he inhales, the dip between his ribcage sinks inwards, drawing his skin tightly over his hip bones. So tantalizing. I brush my fingers over his happy trail, appreciative of the manly hair. A restless energy begins to run through me as I think of his naked body.
As I rewound to our night on the rug only hours ago, I push the sheets down until his semi-erect length is revealed to my eyes. Even in its relaxed state, it's well-sized has my imagination running wild.
"Having fun?" Christian's voice startles me from my daydream and I hastily pull the sheet back over him as I feel heat rise to my cheeks for getting caught. "Don't stop on my account, you were clearly enjoying yourself."
His voice is laced with amusement, and as he stretches, the sheet pulls back down to where I had it before. Judging by his exaggerating yawn, I assume that it's a deliberate move.
"What time is it?" I try to distract Christian, patting the bed sheets down in search for my phone. He reaches the bedside table and tilts his phone towards him.
"8:45." I bolt upright as panic strikes through me.
"What?! I have to be at work in fifteen minutes! And I need to get home and change! Shit." I jump from the bed, almost face-planting the floor as my limbs tangle in the sheets, running around frantically as I search for my clothes.
"Fuck. Christian, where are my clothes?!" I turn to face Christian, who has a massive grin spread across his face. "Christian! This isn't funny. Where are my pants?" He starts laughing, which only infuriates me even more. I can feel my blood boiling and heart pounding against my chest.
"This isn't funny!"
"It kinda is."
"No, it's not!"
"Come back to bed." I pause, looking him straight in the eye.
"Are you serious right now?"
"Yes." Christian smiles as I roll my eyes and sigh exasperatedly at him.
"Finally!" I grab my pants from the pile of clothes in the corner and quickly step into them.
"Wrong way around." he coughs. I groan in frustration, just about ready to collapse to the floor and assume fetal position. "By the way, I called you in sick."
"What?"
"I called your boss earlier this morning and said that you wouldn't be able to make it in today." Christian's grinning at me as he speaks and I'm left standing, frozen. "So take your pants off and get back into bed."
"Christian, you can't just call me in without my permission. Unlike you, I actually have to go to work to keep a roof over my head." His eyes widen and I realize I just said something really bitchy.
"Wow." I shake my head, covering my face with my hands.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it. It's just, I'm tired and frustrated." Christian nods his head and grins.
"It's okay." I sigh in relief, running my fingers through my hair.
"So what did he say?"
"He said that it was fine and to get much needed rest."
The urgent panic that I'm feeling is quickly transitioning into a stomach-clenching relief- like that moment when you're frantically searching in your bag for your phone thinking that you've lost it, and then you find it right at the bottom. My racing pulse begins to return back to normal and I can feel the flush of heat slowly leave my cheeks as I take a few small steps towards the bed.
"You could of told me earlier." I huff, pushing my pants from my legs. He pulls the sheets back for me to join him.
"I tried, but it was very entertaining having you run around like a headless chicken. A very naked headless chicken." Christian smirks.
I'm suddenly very aware at how naked I am, and also very aware at how strangely relaxed I feel in front of him. I can't work out which bothers me more- or if either of them bother me at all. I place my knees on the edge of the mattress, scowling playfully at Christian. He cocks his head, lips still kinked in amusement as I waver on the left edge of the bed.
"I think I'll just lie here." I mutter petulantly, smirking to myself as I turn my back to Christian and lay down on the very edge of the bed.
"What a shame."
As he speaks, the bed moves and Christian's body comes behind my own. Heat radiates from his skin and despite my intended stiffness, my body instantly relaxes into his warmth. I shudder as his lips come close to my ear and his warm breath washes over my skin.
"I guess I could always go to the bathroom."
As his nose grazes the hollow behind my ear, I feel his erection press into my lower back, and it's clear that he has no intention of hiding it. My stomach clenches and I squeeze my legs together tightly as arousal begins to pump through me and I search for a quiet friction. After last night, there is no way in hell that I stand a chance at resisting him this morning.
"You go do that." I mumble half-heartedly, letting my eyelids flutter shut as his fingertips begin to trace random shapes over the skin of my waist. His hand lowers and I wince as it brushes my backside.
"It's still sore." he whispers as he continues to soothe the area.
Christian cups my cheek and I inhale sharply. Despite the initial discomfort, his fingers feel so good upon my pink skin, and even better when he slides one between my legs, stroking me slowly. I picture his hand slapping and kneading my skin, and I instantly feel the same vulnerability that I experienced last night; the same profound need to surrender myself to him. I'm confused but I want more. More of him and less of me and my own mind.
"Do you have any idea how good it feels when I spank you, while I'm inside of you?" I arch my back and push against him, turning my head as I search for his lips. "So good." he whispers, before pressing his hips to mine.
As our kiss deepens, Christian gently lifts my outside leg upwards and slides himself inside of me. He moves slowly, making sure that his lips rarely leave mine as we indulge in hot, lazy, morning sex until we both are shaking and spent.
My eyelids flutter open as I gradually rouse from my post-sex daze.
"So why did you call me in?" I mumble. Christian's arms are around me with my head resting on his shoulder, completely relaxed.
"Well, firstly, you were clearly exhausted after last night." I laugh quietly; my mind still slightly blank and hazy from my orgasm. "And secondly, because I want to spend more time with you." Christian slides his arm from beneath me, shifting his body down the bed so that we are face to face beneath the covers. "And perhaps, spank you some more." he smirks.
My head spins with needy anticipation, both at the thought of being spanked by Christian and spending time with him. He's mysterious and unpredictable and it's captivating me in so many ways.
"But before any of this," Christian brings me back to reality, "I think we better shower." He kisses my lips and throws the sheet back, bearing his fantastic naked body to my wandering eyes.
"Yes," I agree. "Good idea."
I hate Fridays. Everyone loves Fridays, but I hate it. They are long, hectic, and full of people running around trying to cram in the work that they haven't managed to complete during the week. And with the weekend so close, they always drag. In fact, this past hour, I looked at the clock at least twenty times, watching the second hand lazily drag itself around the face. It's painful to watch, and despite the upbeat Christmas music coming from my speakers, the illusive Friday feeling continues to be very much just that.
Working at a publishing company as a editor is fun but highly stressful a lot of the time, and I'm having a particularly bad Friday today. The phones are going off and emails even more so, and it's about 29 degrees too cold to be in my office. I want to be in my warm, cozy bed or drinking my hot tea.
"Cold today, isn't it?" Hannah, my assistant, asks while rubbing her shoulders warm.
"Well, Jack's too much of an asshole to turn up the heat." We both both laugh and she walks back to her desk.
But despite my crappy mood, I still feel fantastic, and I feel fantastic because of Christian. My stomach is in a constant whirlwind of butterflies and I'm completely dizzy with lust. I haven't experienced any other feeling like it before. As I wander around Seattle on my lunch break, I reminisce about the day we spent together on Tuesday.
After a rather heated shower, we sat and talked and laughed about anything and everything for hours, until we were forced to say our goodbyes because of a charity he had to attend. Music, books, films, work... We even had a conversation about favorite cheeses. Plus, our date at the Seattle Space Needle made headline news, but no one even knew who I was. Thank God.
But Christian never once mention his childhood, when I brought up the question, he pushed it aside. All I know is that he's adopted by two loving parents and has a brother and sister. Nothing was said about his childhood, which kept me wondering what happened to him. It probably has to deal with the scars on his body, which he doesn't let me touch.
I bring myself back to reality and try to focus on the positive things. Like for the first time in a long while, I actually feel good about myself, and I have Christian to thank for that. I arrive at the deli and order my usual sandwich. While I wait, I feel a cool breeze run up my coat and I shiver.
The air becomes stifling, and I'm sure that there's eyes on me. Someone's watching me. I glance out of the the corner of my eye and spot a older man in a suit, his eyes on me. My number is called and I take my food, running out like a bat out of hell. I walk down the street and the man is clearly following me. My heart starts beating rapidly against my chest in a panic. I try to lose him in the crowd but he's constantly on my tail.
I finally make it back to SIP and watch as he follows me inside. My adrenaline is running through my body, and I decide to snap back towards him and confront him.
"Why in the hell are you following me?" I yell and he doesn't flinch, standing tall in front of me.
"I'm just doing my job, Miss Steele." he replies and I raise my brow, obviously confused.
"What? And how do you know my name?"
"Mr. Grey. He hired me to watch over you." My eyes widen and mouth drops open. I immediately shut my mouth and calm myself down, trying not to freak out.
"Can you please dial, Mr. Grey?" He pulls out his phone, calling him, and I take the cell out of his hand. In two rings, I hear him pick up.
"What is it? Is she okay?" Christian panics over the phone and I grin.
"Oh she's just fine, Mr. Grey." I mutter and I hear him sigh.
"Ana, I was going to tell you."
"Tell me what? That you hired a man, that I don't even know, to watch my every move?"
"With the lifestyle that I have, I have to take every precaution to keep you safe from the press or stalkers, now that you're with me." Christian explains and I listen to this every word, but I can't fully understand the meaning.
"Now that I'm with you? When did we even establish our relationship?"
"Anastasia." he starts.
"No. Christian, I appreciate you worrying about me and wanting to protect me, but I can take care of myself, I have for many years now." I look at the time on the wall and realize that my lunch break is nearly over.
"Ana, just listen to me."
"I have to go." I hang up and hand the phone back to my bodyguard, or whatever he is. My stomach grows, but I ignore it, and make my way back to my office. I now have to skip lunch and dive back into work. This Friday has officially gotten worse.
I exit a meeting with a potential client and start heading towards my office. Hannah rises up from her desk as she sees me and she looks really nervous. I stop in front of her and press the folders in my hands against my chest, raising my eyebrow.
"What's wrong?" I ask and she nods towards the door.
"You have someone waiting in your office." I nod and enter through my office, to find Christian sitting at my desk, looking sexy as hell in his designer suit.
"What are you doing here?" I ask, throwing the files on my desk. He stares at me with his intense, gray eyes and I shiver under his gaze.
"Well, you hung up on me, Miss Steele." He stands up and comes towards me, never breaking eye contact. "And it really pissed me off." I've never seen this side of Christian before, he's so dark and serious.
"Christian, I never-"
"No. Now it's my turn to talk." he orders and I nod, biting my lip. "The reason why I hired that man so I was certain you were safe at all times because I worry about you. The press and paparazzi are eventually going to figure out who you are and I needed to make precautions ahead of time. I never meant to keep anything from you, believe me. And yes, yes we're fucking together. Because you drive me absolutely crazy and I can't stop thinking about you."
I stand watching him out of breath and I can't help but smile. How can this man have those feelings for me? I reach forward, cupping his face, and I feel his hands rest upon my waist, pulling me closer to him.
"Okay." I whisper and he sighs.
"Good."
"And I'm sorry for what I said, I was hungry." He laughs and I grin.
Christian crashes his lips against mine, but then pulls away briefly. My eyes drop to his lips as I pull my lower lip between my teeth. I want him to kiss me again.
"You should get back to work." I shake my head, not wanting him to leave. "Yes."
"Fine." We kiss goodbye and I'm left alone. I turn back to my desk, where there's a medium-sized shallow black box, held together by a thick, black satin ribbon. I'm truly clueless as to what it could be, but I very well know who it's from.
I take the box by its sides and lift it. It's light and there's little sound when I shake it gently, giving me no clues to what's inside. I place it back down on my desk and slip the ribbon from its neat tie, before pulling the lid from the body. A layer of pretty pale pink tissue paper keeps me guessing. It's not until I pull the right-hand side open to reveal delicate black silk that my curiosity is appeased. My pulse quickens and lips quirk as I see the back of the card with handwriting, and I take it in my hand and turn it over.
'Perhaps you could wear this when we next play with one of your nine lives.
-Christian
I place the card down on my desk and pull the wrapping from the box. The bra is made from a rich, black silk with a delicate floral lace trim along the top edge of the cups, and a baby pink bow right in the middle. The french panties and suspender belt follows perfect suit. As I carefully place the three-piece to the side, I lift up two black silk stockings that have a thin seam running along the back of them, right from the heel to the top band. The lingerie is sexy and demure, I'm wondering what sort of fantasies Christian has playing out in his mind. But I feel myself not being able to accept this expensive gift.
Just as I'm about to reach for my phone to text Christian, Hannah enters to remind me my next appointment is waiting outside. I quickly take the delicate garments in my hands and carefully place them back into the box, pulling the tissue paper over them and concealing them from the rest of the world. I'm overwhelmed, excited, conflicted, and kinda turned on all at the same time; and a restless energy surging through me. This is going to be one hell of a long Friday afternoon.
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