Authors note: I had a few people ask questions in their reviews but I can't answer them if you're not signed in or if you're leaving a review under 'guest' even if you type your name in. So, if you have questions, I'll answer them happily but only if you sign in. I'm not keen on using authors notes to reply individually. Also, if you haven't, check out the pinterest page, the url is on my profile page. Now, back to our favorite kinky couple.
CPOV
At some point in the dead quiet of night I wake and walk to the kitchen to get rid of those photos. I see the note I had missed in my desperation last night. This is definitely Elena's handwriting, she didn't even try to hide it. She is literally hunting down Anastasia and trying to destroy what we have. For what purpose? Does she think I'd ever be with her again?
How did she get these to Ana? How did this happen again? I don't care that it's four in the morning, I call Taylor into the security office and he shows up, fully dressed in less than two minutes. He may have just saved his job.
"How the fuck did these get to Anastasia?" Taylor takes the pictures and exhales, running a hand behind his neck in an uncharacteristic moment of weakness.
"Fuck if I know, Sir. Where did Ms. Steele find them?"
"I haven't asked her that yet. Where's Sawyer? Get him in here." Five minutes later Sawyer walks in, also fully dressed but still half asleep. "Those pictures, where did they come from? Tell me everything from the moment you felt the shift in her demeanor." Sawyer examines each one and then places them back in the envelope with the note.
"I have no idea, sir. Are they previous…relationships of yours?" I nod tightly as I take back the brown envelope. "Ms. Steele was her usual self for the majority of her trip. After starting dinner she went upstairs to pack and when she came back down I noticed a slight difference in her demeanor but I chalked it up to her leaving her father. She seemed a bit detached and sad but not overly emotional or angry. Once we got in the car she questioned me about staying at her apartment, which I discouraged and then she put on heavy metal music, loudly, for the duration of the drive. She didn't speak much except to ask if I needed to stop."
"Fuck! How did these get to her? Was there a breach at Rays that we don't know about?" I'm so angry right now I could rip the monitors off of the walls and throw them out the window. Instead I resort to pulling at my hair until my head hurts.
"There were no breaches, no alarm trips, no visitors and no way for anyone to have entered the premises without our knowledge." There is no worse feeling for me than feeling out of control when it comes to Anastasia's security.
This bitch just cost me a good night's rest and the opportunity to make love to my woman. "I want this figured out by the time I get up in the morning. I want to know how she got these."
"Sir," Sawyer swallows a yawn and steps forward. "have you asked Ms. Steele?"
"Of course not! I don't want her thinking about these any more than she has!"
"Sir, if I may speak freely?" Taylor looks up and waits for my nod. "We are currently trying to take down Ms. Lincoln on two different fronts, we have 24/7 coverage on Morton and an entire team looking for Hyde. We have four serious death threats against you at the moment, an apparent embezzler at GEH and the Amazon gala on Friday night. It would save considerable man hours to ask Ms. Steele directly, I can assure you that she's already thinking about it and would most likely appreciate being asked to help." He pauses and turns his hands palm up. "She's a lot tougher than we give her credit for."
He's right of course. Right down to her being stronger than we think. "Ask her after breakfast, with me present, in here. I want as few rooms of this place tainted by this bull shit. You know Matteo is coming at 9?" Taylor nods and shuts the light as we exit.
Back in the bedroom Ana lies in the quiet darkness, unaware of the anguish sitting just two feet away from her. I have no right to have her here, no right to keep her to myself. Tonight, watching her fall apart in front of me has solidified that awareness for me. Inside I'm churning, a mixture of desire, desperation and the need of her body's submission to mine. Is it wrong that I need to have sex with her to feel like we're alright? Flynn keeps harping on me needing another way to cope but I don't know why, she's all I need.
"Ana." I breathe on the back of her neck, pushing her hair away to reveal the tender white skin there. My lips graze that heartbreaking slope of her shoulder and whisper her name again. She groans and shifts under me, pressing her perfect round ass into my groin. "I want you." She groans again and turns her head but doesn't open her eyes.
"I was dreaming about you." My whole body freezes, she dreams of me? "We were on the Grace and you fell overboard and Elena came up out of the sea, like Ursula in the Little Mermaid and I ran the ship into her side and killed her." Little Mermaid? Killed Elena?
"I see. I'll have to watch this movie one day."
"It's a Disney movie. Ariel is my favorite princess, I have the DVD. I'm tired, Christian." Fuck.
"I know, just let me love you the way you loved me the other night. I want to feel you tremble underneath me, I want to hear those sexy as fuck moans you make when you get ready to climax." She groans and pushes back against me and I know I've got her. With one hand I slide the shirt over her head and run my palm against the smooth flat planes of her back. Perfect.
She's got damn yoga pants on but that won't stop me so I sit back and pull from the waist and watch as her perfect creamy skin appears, inch by heaven induced inch until all that's between us is a white cotton thong. White cotton, so underrated by women worldwide. If they only knew what a fucking turn on this was…She raises her hips without me asking and I peel those panties down slowly, relishing in the sight of her naked, just a few inches from me. Already she's wet.
"I can smell your arousal, Ana. You want this as much as I do. You want me inside you right now."
"Yes." She gasps. I sit back and pull her hips up so that she's totally open and exposed to me and with one hand I push my boxers off, fisting myself with my other hand. Without warning I slap her clit with the head of my cock, over and over until her hips start pushing back into the air, looking for me to fill her.
Like a cat I stretch over her, my hands running underneath her until they find her thighs and pull her open wider. "Don't move, Anastasia. No matter what I do to you, don't move. I'm desperate for you, baby, I want you desperate for me. Keep your hips lifted."
She moans when my fingers pull her open and cries out softly into the pillow when the head of my cock runs down through her inner folds to drag over the tip of her clit lightly. Even this tiny contact has me on edge, desperate, again, for the fulfillment that only she can bring me. Over and over I run the length of her, my index and ring fingers holding her open until I begin to tap on that hard little clit with my middle finger, lightly at first and then with a bit more pressure.
"You're soaking my hand, baby. Do you feel how wet you are, dripping on the sheets and down your legs?" I press just the head inside of her, damn it feels so fucking good. "Is this what you want? More of this?" She moans and tries to back onto me but I hold her still, that finger tapping away while the rest of her body writhes under me.
"I need you, Anastasia. I need this with you." With one long fluid stroke I bury myself to the hilt, stretching over her body as she cries out with pleasure. Her walls tighten around me while I thrust and still I don't stop tapping. My strokes are long and slow, purposefully filling her and then emptying her until she's begging me to let her come.
"Please, Christian, please. My god, please!" Three minutes, three fucking minutes and I'm losing control.
"Fuck, Ana, you feel so good, baby." I have to concentrate on the finger tapping between her legs as she begins to thrust backwards onto me. "NO! Don't move! I don't want to come yet." She cries and buries her face in the pillow, that soft skin glowing in the moonlight, calling to me. I kiss the skin of her shoulder and bite down, licking the flesh between my teeth. She comes then, screaming and convulsing under me and around me, the strong muscles of her pussy tightening and flexing until my own orgasm rips through me. My hips pump furiously as the pressure builds and collects, rushing out with breathtaking force.
It's only after I come back to earth that I see the deep indentation of my teeth marks on the top of her shoulder. It pleases me to no end. She liked that little bit of pain. Her body is limp beneath me, lost in a sea of satiated exhaustion and together we drift off, my chest to her back, holding her as closely as I can.
In the morning she's gone when I wake, a dried wet spot beneath where her pelvis had been resting just minutes before. The sheets are warm when I run my hands over them and where she sleeps the mattress is just beginning to dip a bit, a physical reminder of her everyday presence in my life. Of course, it could just be dipping because I pound into her in that spot so often. A huge smile spreads across my face at the thought.
The water in the shower turns off and she comes out, shiny from her body lotion with a towel wrapped around her.
"Lose the towel." She laughs at me and takes out a pair of nude panties and a black bra. By themselves, they're utilitarian, not even remotely sexy but on Ana, they may as well be lingerie from La Perla. "You have a killer body, you know that? And I don't just mean the sexual parts. Your legs are so strong and defined and holy fuck that line of muscle down your back? Sweet Jesus you're put together nicely."
"You're not too shabby yourself. The way your stomach has 12 blocks underneath of it every time you so much as sneeze. Or the divets on the side of your ass cheeks, very sexy, Mr. Grey. I want to bite them." She continues to talk but all I hear is bite.
"Come here, I think I may have done a bit of damage last night." Oh shit, sure enough, there is a very distinct mark on the back of her left shoulder close to her neck. The impression of my teeth has long since faded but in its place is a very nice bruise. "Sorry."
She sits up and runs to the bathroom to see yelling my name when she gets a good look. "Christian Trevelyan Grey! How could you! I have to teach class today you Neanderthal! Oh my god, look at this!"
I want to look at it, I do, but she's standing there in just those panties and a bra and I'm hard as all hell from watching her get dressed so I do the only decent thing I can think of. I give her an orgasm. Lifting and turning her to squeals of female protests mingled with chiding giggles I sit her on the edge of the vanity sink and kiss her hard and deep, pulling the straps of her bra around her shoulders before sinking to my knees to taste the very essence of Ana.
She's still damp from her shower and as the lingering taste of soap is washed off of my tongue by her cream I'm transported directly from my bathroom into a literal slice of heaven. How someone can taste so sweet is beyond me but the taste of her on my tongue whips my body into a frenzy even as it satisfies a need in me. I explore her a little, take in the pink color of her pussy and the way she shivers each time my nose tickles the top of her mound.
Over and over I lick with a flat tongue from her ass to her clit until she grabs my head and shoves me where she wants me, holding my mouth over that hot button now throbbing between my lips. Her whimpers echo off the wall, surrounding me and encouraging me and just as she's about to come I stand and slam into her, holding her panties to the side with my thumb.
In front of me is Anastasia, hair wet, face unmade, eyes closed in ecstasy but beyond her I see me, between her legs, holding her open as she holds my neck. I need mirrors in the playroom and behind my bed immediately. Holy fuck this is erotic. My free hand grabs the back of her hair and pulls it roughly to the side to expose the bite mark. Mine. My lips latch onto her collarbone and as she watches and urges me on I suck hard enough to leave a mirrored mark.
"Yes, oh god yes, Christian." She pulls my neck back and bites me back, leaving her own mark on the top of my chest.
"Fuck yea, baby. I need you to come for me." My thumb presses against the top of her slit and I increase my pace but the site of her legs spread, her head back, and my body moving in between hers rushes me over the edge of control and I come, hard inside her the second I feel her tighten around me.
She's still convulsing around me when I pull her close and sit on the floor as my legs give out. Forever, I need her to commit to forever with me.
"Holy shit." I pant out, the deep pulls of air searing my lungs.
She mumbles an answer against my neck, her hair a knotted mess in my hands. "What?"
"I said, I need another shower."
"Oh hell no, baby. I love knowing you're walking around with my semen in you. Fuck, just saying that gives me a thrill." My index finger reaches down and pulls her panties over her mound, patting on top of the cotton to signify that I'm done.
"You are so bad. You know we have company coming in less than 10 minutes, right?"
"I do. I'm excited to see what you pick out for the apartment." Silence stretches between us as we both debate asking and answering the question of her moving in. I can't take it anymore, she's debating moving in and I'm ready to get married. "Have you decided yet? I just want you here, with me, all of the time, Ana."
She wrings her hands and my heart falls. I already know what she's going to say. "Christian, I'm committed to you, I think we've established that at this point but moving in is too much too soon. I want to be with you all of the time as well, we can switch where we stay sometimes but I need my autonomy still. It's not a reflection of you or of us, it's just what I want at this stage of my life." My head falls onto her chest, disappointed would be an understatement.
"Are you mad?"
"Mad? No. Saddened, disappointed, frustrated, confused, those would be good adjectives. I don't understand. We're together all of the time, we love each other, you're safer here than anywhere else. I don't understand why I want this so badly and you don't." A fear creeps up my spine. "Is it because of what Elena sent you?"
She breathes in deeply and sighs. "Not really. I guess a part of it is the craziness that seems to follow you and I around but if I'm really honest with myself and with you, I just want to be independent for a while longer. I'm not ready to play house yet."
"I don't want to be without you, Ana, ever." She kisses me softly and shifts back grimacing as she straitens her legs.
"I'm not going anywhere right now anyway but my Mom is coming on Wednesday so I thought we could stay at my place. I know you don't want her here and I really want to show her what I've accomplished on my own." That I can understand.
"OK, baby. I don't like it but what can I do?" Inside I'm in turmoil. She doesn't want to live with me?
She walks to the shower, reaching in for a washcloth to clean herself up. I love watching her do this, I love the reminder of what we've just done and knowing that for hours after part of me is still inside of her.
"I'd rather you stay here than your apartment, your mom too. I'm looking forward to meeting your mother." Her eyes roll and she huffs out in disbelief.
"Right. It's ok, I realize you're not going to be best friends. She's only staying two nights anyway, maybe we can do dinner Wednesday after Krav, she wants to come and watch but I told Sawyer to just drop her at the apartment. I can't handle her there. Maybe we can meet out somewhere instead?"
I drop a kiss on the top of her head and step in the shower just as Taylor knocks on the bedroom door.
"Ms. Matteo is here, sir, Ms. Steele."
"I'll entertain her while you get ready but be quick. You never did tell me what the history is with her. Did you fuck her or something?" Not a chance.
"Fuck no. Elliot did, repeatedly over the last two years. I guess they're kind of like fuck buddies but last I heard, she had a fit when he told her he'd no longer be meeting up with her because he'd found someone he wanted to be serious with."
Her cute little face lights up as she brushes her hair. "Kate?" I nod and wink before stepping under the water.
"The one and only. Ms. Kavanagh has turned my playboy brother into a love sap fool."
"Would he cheat?" Elliot? Not a chance, the guy is as loyal as they come.
"No way. He may have slept with half of Seattle and a quarter of Washington State but he's not a cheater. Kate's safe with him just like you're safe with me."
APOV
Gia Matteo is drop dead gorgeous. The minute I exit the hallway to greet her waiting in the great room I'm struck by her height and also by her beauty. If Stepford had a spokesperson, she'd be it. Not a hair out of place, make up perfect, shoes to die for. Her eyes rake over me cooly before she extends a perfectly manicured hand and takes mine, smiling at me but looking past me.
"You must be Anastasia. So lovely to meet you, is Christian joining us?" Suddenly I feel very territorial.
"Yes, Mr. Grey is momentarily delayed but he'll be out soon enough. Shall we go into the kitchen, the books you left for us are there." She smiles and follows me. So this was the last woman Elliot was with before Kate. Can't say he's got bad taste, that's for sure.
"Can I offer you a drink?"
"No, thank you." Just then Christian walks out barefoot in jeans and a light blue polo that does little to hide his perfect physique. Gia takes notice right away and walks towards him, her mouth stretched into a smile that threatens to eat her face.
"Christian! So good to see you again, I must say, I'm looking forward to dipping my feet back into the decorators pond again." She air kisses him on both sides, something I've not seen him do before. She's totally over the top and ridiculous.
"Ms. Matteo, we appreciate you making the trip on a Sunday morning. After speaking with Anastasia we've decided to leave the library as is for now and focus on the foyer, great room, living room and our bedroom." Our bedroom. She can't hide her grimace at those two little words. I could fuck him right now on this table.
His hand outstretches towards me and I lean in, kissing his cheek when he bends down to open the first of the sample books. "Which color did you like for the entrance, baby?"
For ten minutes the three of us stand around the large white books talking about colors and the direction the sun rises and sets in accordance to each room. If I had to choose between my yearly gynecological exam and picking out paint colors, I'd pick the forceps every single time. This is tedious and boring as hell.
"Ana, can I please get a glass of water?" She smiles sweetly but her message is clear. 'You, serve me.' Next to me Christian stiffens infinitesimally and straitens, turning to me and tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
"I'll get it, baby. Did you want anything?" That settles it, table sex the second she leaves.
"I'm fine, thank you." He disappears into the kitchen and her attitude shifts from cool and collected to ice queen. She says nothing but anyone can see that she's used to having a males full attention and Christian has been attentive only to me. Every time Gia asks him a question, he turns to me, waiting to hear my measured response and only then does he give her instructions. Every answer, every choice, is mine to make.
"Ms. Matteo." He hands her the water glass and right there, in front of my god damn eyes she takes it, brushing her fingers over his. Got it. Game on you skank. I chose the red silk tank top because I wanted to feel sexy today after facing the pictures of my boyfriend's ex-lovers. That old saying, 'fake it 'till you make it' rings true. I'm going to fake confidence until I feel it and this fire red satin tank, short white shorts and four inch sandaled heels are just the thing I need. What I don't need is the white cardigan I donned before leaving the bedroom to fight off the chill of the air conditioner with the added bonus of hiding those dark bite marks.
Without so much as an 'excuse me' I peel the white cotton from my shoulders and brush my damp hair to the side so that the evidence of our night is within a foot of her face. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what the mark on my shoulder is. The fact that we both have wet hair is just an 'innocent' bonus.
Even after being told that I was making the decisions and then having Christian deflect any and all questions to me for a finale verdict, Gia still insists on addressing him and him only. It's pissing him off but it's infuriating me. When she leans over and touches his hand again to move it to the correct color they had been discussing I amp up my game and give him a firm squeeze right on his ass.
He sucks in a gust of air and then grins, turning towards me and taking my face in his hand. "Now, the most important room of the place. Our bedroom. Do you like blue?" His eyes sparkle with mischief and I must reflect the same spark because he almost laughs when I answer.
"Well, we do spend most of our time together in that room." I ask casually, without looking her way what the most calming colors are.
"Blues, greens and creams." Is her tight lipped response.
"Blue then, we'll need that calming effect often it seems." She opens to the blues and chooses four she thinks would work with the North facing walls. Still she only speaks to him and judging by the ticking of his jaw, she's about to get fired. My hand finds a resting place on the small of his back and rubs little circles there until we've finalized the colors for the three rooms we'll focus on for now.
"I hate to rush you but we've got to meet Christian's brother Elliot and his girlfriend for brunch in 30 minutes." The color runs out of her face, the red lipstick that was so chic before now looks garish but she recovers quickly and closes her tablet, gathering up the binders and her briefcase.
"Well then, I wouldn't want to keep you from your plans. I'll have painters come within the next four days to do color swathing on the walls so that you can get a real feel for how it will look before we make any final decisions. Mr. Grey, is there a specific day that works best for you?"
Christian's eyebrows rise, his voice an even timbre. "You'll need to schedule that with Anastasia, she's the one making the decisions. Thank you again for coming by." He shakes her hand even though she leans in for an air kiss.
The minute the elevator door slides shut he turns on his heel and lifts the phone to his ear.
"Mr. Ellison, Christian Grey. I want another designer assigned to us effective immediately…..yes, I appreciate that but Ms. Matteos attitude towards my girlfriend was inexcusable…..thank you, I'll expect to have her back ground check completed by my staff by end of day, just forward her name to my assistant…..you as well."
And without another word he grabs my light weight sweater and hands it to me, offering his arm as we walk to the elevator. I am definitely fucking him on that table.
Kate and Elliot are seated and drinking Bloody Mary's when we arrive. I watch carefully as the two men greet each other. Christian extends his hand but Elliot bats it away and hugs him tightly, careful to not touch his back. Christian stands there bewildered even after Elliot has sat down.
"How was Miami?" I doubt Elliot told Kate what was going on but she knew something was happening between the two brothers, it was impossible to miss.
"Long, boring and without Ana. How was the opera?" He unrolls his napkin and smooths the white cloth on his leg, nervously glancing towards Elliot.
"Surprisingly not so bad. It was in English thank fuck, I got caught up on emails I'd ignored for too long." Kate smacks his arm and smiles.
"It was lovely to spend time with Grace. Ana, how was Ray?"
"Great, still no girlfriend but he seems to be just fine. He bought a new motorcycle so that was exciting." I feel Christian stiffen next to me but I refuse, absolutely refuse to have this conversation again.
There is an underlying awkwardness between the men and after we've eaten and finished our drinks I excuse myself and beckon for Kate to follow.
"What the hell is going on?" She hisses when we're out of earshot. "Elliot's been in a funk since Thursday night and the opera? On a Saturday afternoon when we could have been having sex instead? What the hell is going on, Ana? Is Christian in trouble?"
"No, he's not in trouble. There are some issues from when they were younger that the two of them are working out right now, they'll be fine." So he hasn't told her. I feel even worse for him, Katherine Kavanagh can be downright relentless when she wants information.
I waste as much time as I can, asking her mundane questions about her job and Ethan and Mia. I should tell her about Gia, that's what girlfriends do for each other but it seems wrong for some reason, like I'd be raining on her relationship parade. As we approach the table the guys stop talking but I can tell by the heated look on Elliot's face and the stone face on Christian that the conversation wasn't exactly a feel good one.
"Christian tells me you're leaving for Aspen tonight for the Fourth of July Holiday."
"Yes, I'm looking forward to it, I've never been there." Elliot lets out a low whistle and runs his hand through his hair.
"You're in for a treat then. Make sure he takes you out to Takah for some sushi. Kate tells me you're a sucker for it and theirs is the best. Oh! And the Meatball Shack for lunch. Unreal how good their food is. When are you coming back?"
I look over to Christian just as he takes a sip of his water. Kate will flip a lid when I tell her why we need to come back on Tuesday.
"We're staying through Tuesday, flying back late night so that we can be at work Wednesday morning. I have a new employee starting on Tuesday so I'll need to spend some time getting him up to speed plus My mom is coming to visit through Friday." I catch her stunned expression and grimace even though she hasn't said a word. "We're going to stay at the apartment." She picks up her drink and swirls it.
"Well, then you won't find me there." I know. Kate met my mother briefly on her two day trip here three years ago. My moms distant demeanor and dismissive attitude towards me that weekend forced the conversation I had avoided for years and I wound up telling Kate and Jose everything when she left right down to Morton and the abuse I'd suffered. They had known, of course, on some level that something had happened, if you'd spent any amount of time with me you knew I was hiding something.
Since then every time my mom's name came up Kate would automatically go into overprotective mode and remind me of what a terrible mother I had. It got old quickly so she's resorted to passive aggressive avoidance of the issue altogether.
Kate and Elliot head out before we do, it's obvious that Elliot is caught between wanting to punish and protect his little brother but mercifully Kate says nothing. The minute they leave Christian orders another Bloody Mary and lets out a deep breath, hanging his head back and closing his eyes.
I give him a minute before reaching for his hand and covering it with my own. "He wants me to talk to my parents. Actually, he wanted me to go over there tonight to do it." His head snaps forward, eyes locking with mine. "I can't do it, Ana." His anguish is palpable.
"You can and you will. I'm so very proud of you for telling Flynn and me and Elliot but the people that really need to know are Grace and Carrick."
"And then what? My parents hate me, my mom loses her best friend, what's the point?" I take a deep steadying breath and close my eyes to think. This is a lot for him to take on. In two short months he went from secrets and solitude to being open always with someone. My life has had quite the drastic turn but so has his.
"Your mom won't lose her friend, Christian. The woman is no friend to begin with. I don't know what will happen and neither do you but are you really going to continue to live like this? Always afraid of them finding out? You had to have known that telling Elliot was the first step to telling them. You'd never let him live with this huge secret that still has presence in your lives and expect him to go on as if he knew nothing."
He pinches his nose and stands to go ignoring what I just said. "I want to go home. Taylor wants to talk to you about the pictures you…found." My stomach drops at the reminder but I take his outstretched hand and follow him to the car.
"Are you alright?" His head rolls from one side to the other before he grins and begins to drive.
"Just a headache. This emotional shit, I don't like it." No shit.
CPOV
Gia Matteo is getting fired today. Female attention isn't something I'm unfamiliar with but for someone to do it so brazenly in front of my girlfriend, my very fragile girlfriend, is unforgivable. Ana plays the game just fine, better tahan Gia actually, verbally claiming the apartment as her own even though she'd just told me she's not moving in. My baby's got an edge to her and I don't mind seeing that one bit.
I'm already fuming, doing my best to control my rage when Anastasia casually shrugs off the sweater she had on to reveal the two distinct bite marks to her shoulder and collarbone. Her jealousy is quite possibly the highlight of my emotional awakening.
Before the elevator doors close I call her employer and demand a new designer, nobody will treat Ana like that.
Taylor motions for me to bring her into the security room as we discussed last night but after the scene I just witnessed, that would be foolish. Instead we eat and drink with Elliot and Kate and while I do enjoy this new ritual of ours, I'm uncomfortable with the tension between my brother and myself. The second the women stand to use the bathroom he pounces.
"I took mom the fucking opera yesterday, Christian. The fucking god damn opera! I can't jump in every time that woman wants to do something with her. You know I tried to hack into her phones calendar to see if she had anything else planned?" He's frantic in his speech, trying to shove a three day conversation into four minutes.
"Did you tell Kate?" He looks at me with disgust and shoots back his apple juice. Only Elliot still drinks apple juice like a little kid. I find it comforting for some reason.
"Of course I didn't. I want to, she is my girlfriend after all and this is only the biggest thing to ever happen in my life but I won't because you're my brother and I want you to know that you can trust me." He takes my orange juice and drinks that as well keeping his eyes on me. "Speaking of trust, from now on when I see you, I'm hugging you. I won't go rubbing up all over your back but I will hug you with two arms and you will hug me back." His voice catches but he waves it away and then twiddles the stem of his glass.
"When you do talk to mom and dad, I'll be there too if you want. If you don't that's cool too but I'd like to be there. For you."
"I don't know when I would do that, Elliot." I can barely hear myself but I can feel him tense and shove his chair back.
"Soon, Christian, you'll do it soon."
By the time we walk back into Escala my head is pounding like a drum. Taylor escorts us to the security room but Ana detours to the bedroom first, bringing me a glass of water and two Advil's. God I love this woman.
Taylor sits across from Ana and leans his elbows on his knees. For the first time I see their relationship the way they see it. He cares about her, deeply, but as a father or an uncle, not as a threat to me. One less man I need to worry about.
"Ms. Steele, I'd like to ask you how those pictures came to be in your possession."
"I'm not entirely sure but my guess is that Ms. Lincoln brought them with her to the Greys on Monday night and put them in Christian's car either before or after she left. My name was written on the envelope so even if she had tossed them in I would have asked about them."
Taylor swings his gaze to me and sits back. "Did you lock your car, Sir?" Did I?
"Probably not. It's a gated driveway and I had security there. Where were your guys?" Taylor flips through a tablet and pulls up the calendar report for Monday.
"In the house and at the gate. The car would have been left unatteneded and she would have had access to it since she was a guest at the dinner. My professional opinion is that's exactly what happened. Ms. Steele, did you not see them when you got in that night?" Ana takes a minute and closes her eyes to remember.
"No, we were pretty steamed up about her even showing up and Kate had handed me a few things from the apartment right before I got in. I probably pushed it to the floor or didn't even notice it and then when my purse spilled on Thursday I shoved everything in it that I thought had fallen out. This is the result."
I still say I'd hire her. Not only is she resourceful and smart, she's a logical thinker, extremely well versed in negotiations and hot as shit. In a nutshell, the total package. She shudders out a breath and my head throbs when I recognize it as sadness. Taylor motions for us to go, he got what he needs and it's pretty clear that that would have been the only opportunity for Elena to get to Ana.
Her hand grasps mine tightly and pulls me towards the darkened bedroom. Fuck yeah! Headache or not I'm up for a bit of afternoon delight. As quickly as I can I shrug out of the polo and jeans I have on but she remains clothed and waves for me to get under the covers. Huh?
"Take of your clothes, baby." She laughs and kisses my cheek, pulling the blankets up and lying on top of them against me. Instantly her hands smooth over my scalp, stopping every few seconds to apply pressure to my temples. It feels amazing and as much as I want to fuck her right now, this is pretty good too.
An hour later I wake to the warmth of Ana's body wrapped around me for a change. She's not asleep but she's not really awake either. "Ana?" I half turn my head but she doesn't respond. "Ana?" She blinks and smiles at me, brushing my hair away from my forehead before kissing it.
"Feeling better?" My whole body turns and envelopes her, nuzzling my face into her warm chest and nodding slowly. "Good." She resumes stroking my hair and giggles. "You snore. Did you know that?" I rise up on my elbows and give her an indignant pout.
"I do not!"
"Yes, you do, just a little but it's really cute. In 10 years it'll annoy the shit out of me though, I'm sure." 10 years? How about 70?
"Well you, my beautiful girlfriend, bite your bottom lip even when you're sleeping. And, when you turn over you fully sit up and then throw yourself back down. It's frightening." She laughs when my fingers dig into her sides, her whole body tensing and drawing into itself. I've only ever seen this in the movies and a few times when I was a kid and Carrick would wrestle with Mia and Elliot. I stop and sigh at the memory.
"What?" I give her a shy smile and roll onto my back, pulling her against my side and shaking my head.
"When did you change?" She's in a light thin white t-shirt instead of that sexy as sin red tank.
"When you fell asleep. I didn't want to wrinkle my shirt since I'm wearing it on the plane tonight." I have to laugh if she thinks I give a fuck about that and since I'm the only one she'll see on the plane, I do laugh.
"You know it's a private jet right?" She nods. "And you know that I'll be fucking you 40 thousand feet in the air anyway so a few wrinkles means jack shit, right?" With that her eyes grow wide and she pounces, straddling me and grabbing at my sides the way I just did to her.
It feels foreign, strange and uncomfortable but it also…..tickles. My legs pull up but she stays on and firmly wiggles her fingers under my neck while I try to toss her off and catch my breath at the same time. "Stop, oh my god, stop!" I'm laughing so hard my cheeks hurt but she doesn't relent, instead she pile drives her head into my chest and reaches down to try and tickle my hips but I grab her wrists and lift her with my legs so that she dangles above me, Superman style as Elliot and I used to call it when we'd do this to Mia as kids.
"Put me down! Oh my god, Christian! Put me down." She looks so fucking gorgeous with her hair all messed up and falling around her face.
"Put your arms out, Anastasia." She looks at me like I'm crazy. "Like you're flying." She rolls her eyes and does as I've asked and I laugh before I drop her to my chest. "Didn't you do that as a kid?" She blows the hair away from her face and presses her lips to my sternum.
"With Ray when I was really little." My hands smooth down her back, pulling at the end of her hair so that it almost touches the curve of her ass.
"I've never been tickled before." She leans up, a puzzled and pained look on her face. "Couldn't do it. I wanted to but I couldn't. I'd sit next to my dad while he wrestled with Elliot and Mia and I'd laugh with them and sometimes I'd help hold them down but I'd never let anyone touch me." The memories are vivid and sad but she pulls me out of my melancholy when she reaches up with her fingers and traces my jaw, scratching her nails along the sensitive skin under my chin.
"Did you like it? When I just tickled you? Or did you hate it?" How could she not know?
"I loved it, anytime you touch me I love it." She hums in satisfaction and sits up to straddle my waist, still, regrettably, fully clothed.
"I read that tickling is part of BDSM sometimes." Her fingers trace lazy circles over my chest, mindlessly going from scar to scar. It feels good. "Did you ever…..use that method?" She seems pleased when I shake my head no. I'd never even thought of it.
"When did you read about BDSM? I thought you were too busy riding Harley's." She giggles, the vibrations of it running through her body and onto my dick.
"A bit in the morning before breakfast." She grins and giggles again. "Let me tell you, there are some things that are just not meant to be read about before coffee." Her eyes find mine and she smiles shyly. "I read about a few things that weren't mentioned in your contract." My stomach twists with nerves but she seems not to be upset.
"Like what?"
"Well, I didn't see any mention of collars or confinement and it didn't mention humiliation….and a few other things like slapping and, oh god, spitting."
"Why does spitting bother you more than anything else?"
"It's degrading. There's a difference between dominating and demeaning, at least I think so but you're the expert." I laugh and squeeze her knees.
"I've experienced almost everything you read about with the exception of most of my hard limits and having a strap-on used on me." Her face turns bright red but I'm shooting for total honesty. I've always been frank when it came to sex and I'm not about to stop now, I want her totally and completely comfortable with anything and everything she wants to do and even with the things she doesn't want to do. I want her to be able to talk to me about anything.
"So someone spit on you?" I nod slowly. "Her?"
"And others when she'd loan me out. It's pretty common but not something I ever did to a sub of mine. I chose not to because of what you just said, it felt degrading. As to collars, I never had any desire to mark a sub and humiliation isn't my thing." I half sit up then, resting the upper part of my shoulders against the headboard so that I can see her more clearly. This is one conversation I do not want to mess up.
"And how did you come up with your hard limits? Like the blood play and electric play?" She scrunches her nose in disgust, can't say I blame her either.
"Never appealed to me. Even as a kid I wasn't stupid enough to let anyone stick me with a needle or cut me, it takes enormous trust to allow that and trust isn't something I've ever really had until now." She smiles because she knows I'm talking about her.
"And the other stuff on your hard limits?"
"Just not interested. There are worse things too but I wouldn't sign on with someone who wanted a lot of it so there was no real need for me to write it out." Lying here talking about limits is a revelation to me, a lot of the things that held no interest for me were truly sadistic. And I didn't want them.
"So, can I assume that you've done everything else on your soft limits then?" And now to the hard part. She rushes her words. "I'm not going to get mad, I can't, you didn't know me. I'm just curious." I will still tread with extreme caution.
"I've done everything listed on the soft limits, yes and I would very much like to do those things with you. Except for fisting, you're way too tight anyway." That sweet blush creeps up her neck and stays on her face as we talk.
"I just don't see how that's pleasurable. For her!" I laugh and lean up for a quick kiss. Her skin is on fire with embarrassment.
"Me neither. But I tried it once and didn't care for it. That contract was an old one, the newer ones didn't include that." This seems to please her.
"I wouldn't mind trying some of those things with you." Her voice is soft and low but I know what I heard and it's only confirmed by the darkening of her face. My cock is at full staff now, pulsing beneath the seam on her tiny white shorts.
"You would?" She bites down on that bottom lip and tosses her hair behind her. "Stop biting your lip, Ana or I will fuck you right here whether we're finished talking or not."
"Yes, Sir, Mr. Bossypants." I laugh again and adjust my erection so that it's not so painful but she rolls her hips to tease me and I shoot her one last warning look. "Sorry." She whispers with a giggle.
"Ana, I would do anything you asked of me as long as you really wanted to do it. Not because you think I want it. I want you any and every way I can have you and if all we ever do is vanilla, that's enough for me. I find it more satisfying than any other type of sex I've ever had to be truthful."
"So if I said I never wanted to do any of that stuff, you'd be ok with it?" My heart drops, I really want to do a lot of that with her but if she doesn't want to, then I don't want to.
"I just want you happy and satisfied." It's the god's honest truth. "As long as I can bury myself inside of you and make you come, I'll die a happy man." She leans forward and brushes her lips along my jaw before nipping at my ear.
"I want to try some of it. With you." I'm going to shoot off in my pants if she keeps this up. I swallow hard and grip the sheets beside me.
"Like what?" That lithe body of hers rolls back, totally unaware of the power it wields. I'd give her anything, do anything for her so long as she rolls on too of me like that.
"Well, I don't see genital clamps ever coming into play and I'm not hanging from any ceiling for you or anybody, ever and you can fuck yourself before you punish me but the rest of it, I'd be open to trying." She rushes to add, "Eventually!" and I know she's talking about anal sex. I want her and will have her every way possible and as pleasurable as anal sex is, I'll wait as long as I have to.
"Ana, we'll never do anything you're uncomfortable with or not ready for." I shift, the ache in my balls just about killing me. "So you'd be willing to try some toys?" She nods hesitantly. "And you'd be ok with being tied up?"
"Tied up, not strung up and only if we agree it's for kinky sex, not for BDSM. I don't want that on my resume."
"Your resume? What the fuck? Do you plan on applying somewhere else one day 'cause fuck if that's going to happen! You're mine, Anastasia, don't play around with that." She lays a hand on my chest and kisses me again just as the alarm on her phone goes off.
"Calm down, I was being playful. Kinky is fine so long as it's on my terms for now. BDSM and punishments are not."
"OK but you realize that kink is part of BDSM, right?" She's blurring the lines which in and of itself is fine, most couples at some point introduce aspects of the lifestyle into their sex lives, but I don't want her coming back at me after we've played.
"I do realize that but I want to try. Not just because I want to make you happy but because I really am interested. I'm still a bit shocked that I enjoyed the spanking and god did I like those silver balls but I want to keep our vanilla life too." Gripping her thighs hard I flip her onto her back and laugh into her neck.
"Baby, I wouldn't give that up for anything. Now get dressed, you're late for class. Where's your bag for Aspen? You really only need a toothbrush and I'm sure I've got extra there."
"What about when we go out to those restaurants Elliot told us about? I should go naked?" She's joking but it enrages me to think of her naked in front of anyone else.
"Don't play at that either, Ana. I'm a jealous and possessive man." My whole body pushes her into the mattress, pressing the air out of her lungs before I lick her neck from collarbone to ear. "I don't give a fuck what clothes you bring, I have no intention of you ever getting dressed."