APOV
Hours later, I'm not sure how many, Christian wakes on his stomach with a loud yawn and a long stretch. I've been up for over an hour and have showered, brushed my teeth, cleaned the red room and have read about 20 pages of a book in between staring at him and his perfect ass that was peeking out from under the blanket. I may, or may not have, been the one to pull the blanket off of him.
"Ten O'clock?" He mutters and then freezes, slowly turning his face to me, arms still above his head as if he were stretching. He looks…nervous.
"Good morning sweet cheeks." With a sly grin he reaches down and pulls the blanket over himself and then reaches up to rest his hand on my stomach.
"How are you this morning?" He asks casually but I can read the anxiety all over his face.
"Great. Amazing. Satiated. Sore. Aware. Open. Happy." His face turns into the mattress and he rubs his nose back and forth a few times before I hear a muffled reply.
"Well thank Christ for that." After a few seconds he sits up and kisses my forehead softly, lifts the book to see what I'm reading and then reaches over me to drink my coffee.
"I'll get you some while you shower."
"I showered last night after I brought you in here. I was pretty sweaty." I bet. "I'm going to brush my teeth and find my phone and then I'll be back. Can you get me a coffee and maybe a bagel or something?"
I feel like our relationship has changed in a very significant way but I also feel like we're exactly the same. Maybe the shift is internal. Either way, I have never in my life felt closer to anyone. Just taking the time to wait for his bagel to toast seems like it's too long. I have to be with him right now.
That man is mine. Is all I can think when I walk back into our bedroom to find him sitting against the headboard, shirtless with just the sheet over his legs. He's on the phone but lifts his pointer finger, motioning for me to turn around so he can check me out. Since I'm in one of his oversized t-shirts there's not much to look at but I still give him a little show, lifting up the bottom so he can see my white cotton panties. I find it interesting that he chose these and not some tiny little G-string.
"OK, five o'clock is fine. Yes, we'll bring a dessert. Just Mia? OK, see you then." His brows pop up in a silent thank you when he takes the bagel from me before hanging up the call and taking a bite.
"We can't be there until closer to six, Christian. I have a class to teach at four." He stops mid-chew and slowly lowers the Darth Vader mug I bought him in Aspen to his night table.
"No, you don't. I told you, you're not going back there." I swear to god I see an actual flash of anger. I'm this close to dumping my hot coffee on his out of control bed head when he pinches his nose and leans back making all those delicious square muscles of his abs pop up. Damn him and his sit ups.
"Ana, he wants to use you. I don't like that at all and I would prefer it if you didn't go back there."
"Do you think you're fooling me, Christian? You phrased it like a negotiable statement but we both know you've already decided this. Yes, he wanted to capitalize on my fame. Big freaking deal. I said no, he respected that and that was it. I love to teach these classes, it's something that's mine and mine alone. I can run it how I want, I can make the class hard or easy, fun or torturous. I can push myself and my students to the limit and then find new ones. I don't want to give that up."
"I told you I'd buy you your own studio. You can teach as often as you want!" He's distressed which is ridiculous since the situation was really quite benign but then it hits me, he's distressed because he has to find the middle ground here and he has no idea how. My sweet emotionally immature man.
"I don't want my own studio. I want to teach twice a week just like I'm doing now. How about you come with me tonight? You can even join in if you want and then going forward, you can send someone with Sawyer. Maybe Prescott, I know she wants to pick up more hours."
"She said that to you?" God he gets angry so quickly.
"No, but I know she's sending money to her mom in New York and she's only working part time with us so I made an assumption."
"Why is she sending money to her mom?"
"She's just old and alone and her social security doesn't cover the bills so Prescott helps where she can. I know she's got a brother out there who helps with the day to day but she feels it's her job to financially do what she can't do physically."
"Ana, how the fuck do you know all of this?"
"I'm with these people all day long. We talk. Well, actually, I talk and ask questions. I'm not like you. I can't just see them as hired help and spend hours next to them without learning about them. I think that's weird to be honest."
"It's not weird, it's good security. Their job is to stay level headed and logical. If you become friends and gossip partners, emotions come into play and suddenly, they can't do their job effectively. I get your…thing with Sawyer but stop this shit with Prescott immediately."
His argument actually makes perfect sense to me and if he had stopped before that last line, I'd have rolled over and let it go. But since he's drawn two lines in the sand in less than five minutes, it's clear we need to have a conversation about boundaries again.
"Christian, my sweet little dumpling. How many times do we need to talk about not telling me what I can and can't do?" I point to myself. "Adult. Remember? Your argument for my relationship with Prescott makes sense and it also clues me in as to why she hardly reciprocates. She must feel the same way so I will back off on that even though it's against my nature. However, I will continue to teach as normal."
Those hands that bring me such pleasure grip his hair and pull, a low growl echoing in the small space between us. "What can I say, Ana? I don't like the guy. He's a freak who gets to see you bend and pose in spandex twice a week." Oooooh!
"Wait, so that's the problem?" Gray eyes dart over to me and blink twice to buy some time.
"Not entirely. I really don't like that he wants to use you but yes, it's an issue for me that he sees you like that."
"You big ass, why didn't you say something? He doesn't even watch my class! He did when you were there because he was trying to be hospitable but he's never around when I teach. He does paperwork and stuff in his office." He just looks at me with unbelieving eyes, licking cream cheese from the corner of his mouth. I want to do that.
"He doesn't watch?"
"No! He teaches eleven classes a week, the last thing he wants to do is sit in on someone else's." He breaks out into a grin and takes another bite of bagel.
"If I were him and you were in tiny workout clothes bending and stretching, I'd be front and center at every class. Fine, I will allow you to continue to teach but Sawyer and Prescott will go as well and Prescott will be in the front with you."
And because we're both trying really hard to figure out how to make this work between us, I don't chastise him for his use of the word 'allow' and instead just sip my coffee and appreciate the work of art that is my lover.
"I cleaned the room upstairs." Confusion seeps into his features but I keep talking. "I got up and after I showered you were still sleeping and it occurred to me that someone needed to lock the door before Elliot and Kate got here, by the way, Elliot and Kate are coming over at one for lunch, and then I saw that you had locked the door but I don't want Ms. Jones going in there and touching stuff that was in me for crying out loud so I found that vibrator thingy and then the clamps, oh god those clamps and then I stripped the sheets and started a load of laundry."
"Wow. Holy run on sentence, Ana. Breathe, baby. What did you do with the vibrator and clamps?" This is our Sunday morning conversation. $200 vibrators, because, like I said, I look up the price to everything now, and nipple clamps that probably cost more than my yearly income.
"I washed them, dried them and put them in the drawers, rolled up the ribbon and shoved that wedge thing back in the closet. Was I supposed to wipe down the leather cuff things? Because they seemed fine and they didn't really touch any fluids or anything. Oh! And I ran a damp rag over the cross and there was this weird looking puddle shaped dry spot near the mirror where I…you know…where I…"
"Blew me?" Blush. Again.
"Yes! Blew you. Jeez, Christian!" I hiss while he laughs.
"Ana, I fucked you in hundred thousand dollar nipple clamps. Don't go all Puritanical on me now. So, the room is cleaned and locked? And why is Elliot coming over? I thought we were cooking."
"Well, it's like, 50 degrees and pouring outside so I didn't want to go to brunch since the majority of the seating is outside and I really hate waiting at restaurants when they're crowded. Plus, I wanted you to sleep so I texted her and she agreed so they'll be over in a few hours. Elliot was meeting Ethan at some house in Tacoma he liked to make sure it was structurally sound before he put an offer in." He pops straight up, eyes wide open in panic.
"An offer? He's buying a house with Mia already? He can't do that!"
"No, no, no. He's buying a house with one of those attached offices so that he can start seeing patients there. They'll live there until they get married or they break up, whichever happens first. Elliot's wording, not mine. She's not going to be on the deed."
Relief turns to anger just as I knew it would.
"Why? She's good enough to sleep with but not good enough to have her name on the deed? That's bull!"
"Would you calm down? She doesn't want her name on the deed and your father agreed. Something about liability or something." Little huffs of air pushed out with little words of argument continue but I can't make anything out. After a beat he settles back with his phone, scrolling through emails and deleting ones he finds unimportant.
We sit in comfortable silence for a few minutes until he's finished eating and then he slides down a bit further so he's all but lying down. When his hands fold behind his head, I know he wants to talk.
"So. Last night. I thought it was pretty spectacular but I really want to know what you thought."
Last night. The Holy Grail of sex happened to me last night and I'm not sure I can verbalize what I felt but I'll give it a try because I can see how much he wants to know and frankly, I've got a few things I want to know myself.
"Well to start, I wasn't afraid like I thought I'd be. Just nervous and excited. And thank you, by the way, for updating some of the furniture and getting new sheets. That was really sweet and very much appreciated." Adorably he smiles and puckers up for me, clearly happy that I noticed his efforts.
"I ordered those changes six hours after I first took you in there, after you had gone back to your apartment with Ray. You deserve for that room and every room in this house to be wholly yours."
"Ours, Christian. Wholly ours. Which reminds me, the decorator is coming tomorrow night." His face shows just how much he cares about that. Not at all.
"Anyway, last night. So I felt kinda strange calling you Sir and waiting for you on my knees but then I saw your feet and my god, baby do you know how sexy your feet are?" He laughs and lifts them out from under the sheet to wiggle his toes at me. "Are you naked under there?" The rest of the sheet lifts and there he is, naked as the day he was born.
"Every part of it, from the blindfold to the bindings to the music to your words to the other toys you used was amazing. I wouldn't change one thing about how it all played out." Whatever it is he's looking for, I'm not giving him because he just stares at me without moving.
"Bottom line, Anastasia. Do you want to do it again?"
CPOV
Her guileless green eyes widen and blink and her mouth drops before I realize what she thinks I'm asking of her. I chuckle and rub her wrist in slow circles.
"Not now, baby. But in the future, would you want to go in there again?"
"Oh! Yes, I would. No question about it." Relief like I've never known washes over me along with a shot of adrenaline to my entire body, hard on included.
I'm a damn good Dom. Most likely the best one on the West Coast and certainly in Seattle. Historically, after our first scene, I've always sat down with my subs and had a candid conversation about the experience to ensure that she was comfortable. I've never had a sub who was unhappy after our first session so over time my anxiety of this sit down lessened but Ana is not a sub and any rejection on her part would have crushed me.
"You have no idea how glad I am to hear that." And I am. At first, when we began dating I sincerely thought that I'd have to give that entire part of my existence up because she was so threatened by it and the truth of the matter was that I was more interested in keeping her than in keeping it. But as we've gotten to know each other and experience a life together, her interest has peaked while her fear has diminished.
It's true that I don't want to beat or punish her. I can't handle the mere suggestion of causing her pain but the kink, the long drawn out sessions and the thought process that goes into a scene, those things I began to miss. It's not just the sex when I'm in that room and in that mode. It's the preparation, the imagination and the absolute dedication necessary to ensure that what I'm doing to another human is thoughtful and fulfilling.
I trained hard to be a Dom. In my life, when I dedicate myself to something I take it seriously. Be it rowing, working out, building an empire, landing the woman of my dreams and yes, fucking. I wanted to be the best and I was and judging from last night, I still am.
To walk in that room and see Ana on her knees in submission to me was overwhelming. I tried to detach myself from the loving relationship we have and focus solely on our roles as Dom and sub and I thought I'd be able to do it. But I learned something last night. The love we have, it doesn't get put on hold for anything.
Three times I had to step back just to soak it all in. The visuals were stunning, more erotic than anything I'd seen before but what got me, what brought years of trained control to a screeching halt was the absolute trust she placed in me. It was the best mind fuck I'd ever had.
"And physically, I don't even know where to begin. I mean, you've always been really...good, well, I think you are since I have nothing to draw from but..." Over the neckline of her t-shirt she begins to blush. "I liked all of it." I snort.
"I know, you nearly broke my dick off during that last orgasm." Her hands fly to her face to cover it in embarrassment which is crazy considering all that we've done. "As to not having anything to draw from, since you'll never be with anyone else, take my word for it, I'm the best. How did you feel about being restrained?"
"Well, I didn't mind the cuffs on my wrists but when we were on the bed and you used the leg ones, that was a bit unnerving because I was so exposed." Oh I know, baby. "But it didn't bother me. Are you trying to figure out my hard limits?" Too smart.
"It would appear that way. I want you to want to go in that room and want to experience the things in there. You did a number of new things last night and I want you to remain open to other scenes but I need to know what you didn't like so that I don't add that in."
"No new limits to speak of then." When I sit up she immediately stares at my abs so I flex a bit more than necessary because I know she likes what she sees and then pull her onto my lap and wrap her legs around me.
"I like you in just panties and my t-shirt." Shit, she wiggles against me, twisting my hair in her fingers and then kisses me with a giggle.
"I can tell." I'm sure you can.
"Physical stuff aside, I want to know how you were and how you are emotionally speaking. I've been a sub, Ana, I know what it's like to have to trust that you're in capable and caring hands. Thank you for that gift last night." One finger lifts her chin to me and I kiss those soft lips, parting them and sweeping my tongue over them. More, I want more from her. Always more.
"Emotionally." She begins when we finally pull away from each other. "I need more than a morning to describe it but off the cuff, I felt…safe. Taken care of, thought of, important. Knowing you were watching my every move so that you could adjust whatever it was that you were doing so that my needs were met was heady. I felt cherished."
"And what really surprised me was that giving up my own control allowed me to experience sex in a different way entirely. And, even more surprising was how, by giving you total access to my body and mind, I felt more in control. The scene was set by you but it was for me."
Dead on balls accurate. My girls a damn BDSM savant. Shyly she traces the lines on my stomach and then very softly asks how I felt about it. I'd rather show her as would the boner that's pressing up against that soft moist flesh barely covered by her panties but I refrain and kiss her instead.
"I loved it. Every blessed second of it. When I saw you there…unreal. And then to finally live out some of the fantasies I've had of you in there for the last three months, it was incredible. I had to stop a few times just to remind myself to breath. I don't lose control in there but with you, it was a minute by minute struggle not to."
"What happened at the end? How did I wind up here?" I laugh at her and adjust myself so that I can concentrate on the conversation.
"You passed out. In the lifestyle we call it entering subspace. Your eyes were closed, your breathing was normal as was your heart rate but you weren't asleep. It's almost like a trance. So when I could finally move again I unhooked you while you muttered incoherently and then I carried you in here, cleaned you up, put a pair of panties and one of my t-shirts on you and then took a shower and collapsed."
"You cleaned me up?" And loved it.
"Yes, and it's not the first time and it won't be the last time. I like to do that for you. I crave that intimacy with you. I want to do it. Anyway, you woke up around three and called my name, not afraid just like you were looking for me. I rolled over, pulled you against me and you were out again."
"How long were we in there? And why did you use music for each act, sorry, scene, and then shut it off at the end?" She really did notice everything.
"A few hours, I'm not entirely sure. And I shut the music off because I knew how intense that last orgasm was going to be and I didn't want to inundate you with sensory overload. Now I have a question."
"Oh god I can only imagine. Go ahead." I chuckle at the blush that's already creeping over her and then pull her lip out from between her teeth.
"Did you like the vibrator?" Two tiny delicate hands fly to her face and cover it, gold tinted fingernail polish shiny and pristine on ten naked fingers.
"Yes! It was strange at first to be penetrated and have you sitting next to me, not behind me. But then I felt how turned on you were and I just went with it. Aren't you going to London next week for a few days? I'm going to need that thing."
I wrestle with how to answer this since a big part of me is selfish and wants her to rely on me for her pleasure but watching her bounce on my abs all giddy and cute, I realize I've already lost the battle. She can pretty much do whatever she wants when she looks like that.
"You can't go four nights?" I tease but she comes right back at me as usual.
"Hello? Pot meet kettle. You can't go more than four hours!" This is absolutely true when it comes to her.
"You're right, I can't deny it. Now," I say, lowering my voice and reaching for the remote to click on the song I've got cued up, "I want to make love to my woman."
"Oooo, I love this song." She whispers.
"Me too." I say into her mouth, lifting the hem of her t-shirt over her head before rolling her under me. She's so beautiful, all shiny hair and soft alabaster skin with red lips and green eyes. I could stay like this forever and just as Mazzy Star sings her first 'Fade Into You' I do just that and sink into her body, fading from Just Christian to Christian and Ana.
"I love you, Christian." She whispers into my mouth on a sigh.
And just like that, another stitch in this bigger than I ever knew possible heart of mine is sewn tight.
"Christian. It's a pepper, not a piece of art. For Christ's sake, just chop it!"
I run a multibillion dollar company and manage the financial lives of thousands of people. I have six satellite offices around the world. I can fly gliders, helicopters and planes. I can spar with an Olympic kick boxer and hold my own. I can cut a god damn pepper. If I could figure out how.
"If you'd stop breathing down my neck I'd do better. You're making me nervous, go over there and cut something else!"
"Everything else is done. We're just waiting on the peppers baby. Now chop chop. Literally." Six minutes later I have two perfectly cut peppers being cooked along with a handful of other vegetables. "Stir that and then we'll start in on the shrimp."
I thought cooking with Ana would be fun. Erotic, sexy. But it's not. I'm a slave to her. I had total control last night, ordered her around and she did whatever it was I requested. But today I'm her bitch. Cutting, stirring, pouring, measuring and cleaning. She loves to cook, hates to clean it up so that's my job. Going forward, I will leave the cooking to Gail and to Ana.
Just as we shell the last shrimp Taylor walks in with a shit eating grin on his face with Gail close behind him.
"Sir, Mr. Gray and Ms. Kavanagh are here." Gail is grinning from ear to ear, standing next to me to see what it is I'm doing.
"That looks great, Mr. Grey, I'm so excited to try it."
"Well, hopefully you won't wind up in the ER. Send them up, Taylor."
Ana scoops the shrimp into a bowl and puts it in the fridge, explaining to Gail that the jambalaya will be finished by 3:45 when we need to leave for Pilates but that it can sit on the stove until they're ready to eat it. Originally her plan was for us to serve them but I put the kibosh on that. This is bad enough and I'll admit the only reason I even agreed to this was to have sexy time. But sexy time this is not.
"I'm going to wash up before Elliot gets here. He sees this and I'll never hear the end of it."
At the dining room table Ana's put out iced tea and sandwiches that I helped to make but I'll be damned if Elliot finds that out. He sits and grabs the biggest one, shoving it in his face and earning an arm slap from Kate.
"These are awesome, who made these? You or Gail?" Ana opens her mouth to tell him but I shoot her a look and she tells him she did. Granted, I only flipped the bacon and sliced the bread and the tomato but Taylor knowing I'm becoming domestic is bad enough. Elliot, well he's an entirely different beast.
"So, it's basically a BLT with grilled chicken and balsamic?"
"And avacado. When my dad would take me fishing we'd always bring this sandwich with us. And," she says, one finger in the air as she walks to the pantry, "chips!" When did we start stashing junk food?
"Elliot I would have made you a cake if I had known it was your birthday. I'm sorry." Ana actually looks upset but I don't see the big deal. It's his birthday. Big whoop. I gave him the keys to the new twin ATV's we'll use this weekend for the camping trip. I even had Andrea sign Ana's name on the card.
"Aw, sweetie, it's alright. We'll have fun with the gifts you guys got me this weekend. Let me take you for a spin and we'll call it even." Over my dead body will anyone but me be driving Ana on an ATV and that's only after she's been wrapped in a flame retardant body suit and has a helmet on.
"I still feel bad about not having a cake."
"No worries, Ana, I got his favorite dessert! Here you go baby, happy birthday!" Elliot grins and grabs Kate's butt, pulling her onto his lap in what I'm sure is going to turn into a nasty make out session if I don't intervene.
"No cherry ones?" I pout, glancing at the plate of danishes they've brought for dessert.
"I told you, Katie. I told you he'd want the cherry one."
"It looked old, I got you raspberry instead." Kate drops the Danish onto my plate and then turns to Ana, face aglow with gossip.
"You talk to Heather yet?" I admit, even I want to know how this is playing out.
"No, she didn't answer me yesterday and I haven't had time this morning to call her. Is she pissed at me?" Kate's brows knit, Elliot rolls his eyes at me in boredom.
"What? Why would she be? Anyway, Luke showed up at her place all fine looking with breakfast yesterday morning and when he refused to leave she let him in but refused to talk to him. Devin shows up five minutes later all confused because, well, she's refusing to see Luke and Devin thinks Luke is hot. So he walks in her room, pulls her to her feet and tells her, 'The man brought you bacon! You don't say no to bacon!'
Heather said she laughed so hard she choked. Luke heard her, sat down on the bed with her and patted her back until she'd stopped and then next thing she knew, they were kissing and Devin was gone."
"What happened to not being with him anymore?" This from me. I'm as shocked as Elliot.
"I guess they talked all day. She refuses to sleep with him until she knows he's being genuine but they spent the day hanging out and then he took her out to Canlis for dinner and then, get this, dropped her off at the door and kissed her goodnight."
"Yeah, Kate. Because he's not stupid. If he wants to tap that again he's going to have to work for it."
"You're an asshole, Elliot. He likes her, he told her that yesterday when he explained his behavior. He's being respectful."
"Respectful! Ha! Keep telling yourself that Katie Girl." Ana's lost in thought, sipping her coffee and staring at the table, wheels turning in her head.
"So, are they dating now?" Kate shrugs and mumbles a 'sounds like it' just as Elliot yawns and stretches.
"C, let me kick your ass in the gym, I've put on a few."
"Kick my ass? At what? Eating? You're a Danish away from moobs."
"Moobs?" Ana asks.
"Man boobs." I answer, standing to change.
"Big talk for a guy wearing an apron 30 minutes ago. Come on, go see if Taylor wants to come down. Since Little Ms. Steele arrived your runs and workouts are sporadic at best. He'd probably be thrilled to work out with someone of my caliber at this point."
Turns out, Taylor does not want to work out. His daughter is supposed to come over some time this week for an overnight, her first ever at Escala, so he and Gail are getting the apartment ready. I personally think he just wants to have the day off so after he does a security sweep of the gym and alarms it, he heads back upstairs after informing us that we need to give him five minutes to get down here for the elevator ride back up.
"Paranoid much? Damn, you've gone over the edge since Ana came along with security and shit."
"Fuck, Elliot, get your damn balls out of my face. Christ, I'd rather spot myself." Elliot's laughter has always been contagious. Even as a dickhead in high school, if he was about to get suspended and someone made him laugh, before you knew it the office staff was bringing him lunch and patting his back telling him how wonderful he was. But his balls in my face while I'm lifting isn't funny.
"Oh lighten up, dude. I showered a few days ago." And this time I do laugh, dropping the bar into place and rising just in time to see him sniff his hand.
"Animal. You're disgusting. Your turn, lets see how you like my balls in your face." He starts laughing again and lays down after adding another 40 pounds on.
"Can't. Ana's got them in her purse upstairs." After bench pressing and running three miles at top speed and at a steep incline we take to the sand bag. Elliot tapes my hands up and steps back, holding the bag still and suddenly getting quiet.
"What?"
"Keep hitting, I want you to get out a bit more aggression before I drop this on you." My hands fall to my side and I widen my stance.
"Drop what? And don't play fucking games, Elliot. What the fuck is going on?"
"Elena Lincoln went to mom and dad's Friday. I happened to be there with a few of my guys fixing the door to dad's office. She rang the doorbell and strutted right in the second Gretchen opened the door. I'm telling you, C, when mom saw who it was I thought she was going to shit a brick. I have never seen Grace Grey so angry."
Surprisingly, I don't react at all. I can't or I will rip this place to shreds.
"I dropped the hammer and walked to mom who was blazing with fury at Elena who, by the way, stood there proud as a peacock without the tiniest hint of awareness of moms anger. It was bizarre, super bizarre. She almost seemed amused which sent mom into a tailspin. So I ask her what the hell she was doing there and she goes to kiss me hello. Well, that was it. Mom went ballistic. Started screaming at her not to touch her son, how dare she come over after what she did, how she was a filthy disgusting pedophile and that she should watch her back because when mom was done with her they'd have to scrape her carcass off the road."
"Mom said that? Our mom?"
"Fucking A she did. I've never seen anything like it. I swear the woman grew claws and fangs. I was waiting for wings to sprout out of her back and for her to start flying around the room screeching like an eagle. Elena's perfect little mask fell when mom threw out the 'p' word and all the sudden she knew why mom had shunned her and her salon. When I tell you she couldn't get out of there fast enough I mean it."
"I can't believe this." My fingers are rubbing my temple furiously in an effort to stem the migraine I can feel starting but Elliot continues on. "There's more?"
"Oh yea, best part is yet to come. You may want to sit for this part. So Elena goes to walk away and mom reaches out, grabs the bitch's hair and yanks her backwards so hard her feet go out from under her. But mom doesn't let go. Oh no, she twists that nasty fake platinum blond weave around her fist and leans down to whisper in her ear. I have no idea what she said but when I tell you Elenas eyes got wide, I mean, I'm surprised they didn't swallow her face. Before I had a chance to say anything, because I've got a shit ton I want to say to that cunt, she was running out the door which mom slammed behind her. Good thing we were there because I had to replace the jam she shut it so hard."
"Who heard this? Gretchen? Your guys?"
"Gretchen was gone at that point and the two guys I had with me made themselves scarce the second mom pounded in the room. I didn't want to ruin the wedding for you but since you're going over tonight, I thought you should know."
In an instant my fists lash out, punching the bag as hard as I can over and over. Frustration, of all of the emotions I've ever experienced in my life, is perhaps my least favorite. I feel enormously frustrated. So much so that I plan on firing my entire security team. This shit has gone on long enough. At this point, I'm ready to kill her myself.
"Christian. Christian. Christian!" The sweat in my eyes stings but I look at him anyway. He looks distraught, tears in his eyes that he doesn't bother to blink away. Elliot's always been the most sensitive of the three of us but when I see him hurt for me, it brings me to my knees. Literally. I'm not dramatic about it but I squat down and yell out in utter frustration. In an instant he's squatting across from me, a sad smile on his face.
"I know a great place to hide the body." He says it as a joke but I know that if I asked him to, he'd be the first one in line to help me. So when we stand to go I do something completely unnatural for me and hug him. At first he stands still but then he pounds my back the way guys do and stalks off to the elevator, brushing away at something on his cheek.
APOV
"God, I thought they'd never go. So, the real story. All that other shit was true but in between him bringing breakfast and then kissing her goodnight at her front door there was some serious steam. She basically told him to go fuck himself but instead of leaving or yelling at her, he did something she never expected. He talked to her. Sat her down and told her all about his ex and the mind fuck that she did on him and explained that he didn't intentionally act like an ass but that looking back he could see that he had been one. That's when she realized that she overreacted."
"How did she overreact, Kate? He got his rocks off and left her every time with this huge unknown between them." Kate rolls her eyes and reaches for her tea.
"I'll indulge you since you've never had random sex or even just a fuck buddy but if that's how you present yourself, then that's what you're going to get. I mean, she didn't exactly tell him her feelings were evolving and when they first hooked up it was under the premise of slam buddies."
"Slam buddies?"
"You know, people who have sex, nothing more. I mean, he never really treated her like that since he'd spend the night and take her out and all but he didn't exactly put the boyfriend vibe out and she didn't put out the girlfriend vibe. Pass me the tweezers. Anyway, they talked for hours and she learned all about his ex, what a bitch by the way, and he told her some of the more fucked up shit he saw on deployment. I think that has an impact too. He saw some pretty terrible shit over there. She didn't give me details but she said some of the things he told her about would make anyone more insulated. When he said all he was going to say she took a shower and put herself together, comes out of the bedroom and he's asleep on her couch."
"Asleep?"
"Yup, sprawled out like he lived there snoring and everything. At first she was pissed but then she remembered that he'd said he'd been up all night thinking about her and the way she'd been dancing with Landon's friend at the wedding and only then did she actually believe him. So she does her laundry, bakes some cookies, cleans her room and the bathroom and still, he's sleeping. Two hours of solid nap time before he finally wakes up."
"Was she mad?"
"No! The opposite! She said he looked so cute and sweet and that she was so touched that he'd really been up thinking about her that she put her heart out there for him. Sat him at the kitchen table with milk and cookies and told him that she understood he'd been hurt and she was sorry for that but that she wasn't that girl and she'd never do something like that to him. And you know what he did?"
"Kate, I'm freaking dying here! What the fuck happened?"
"Damn, you really are with Christian. When did you start using that word regularly?"
"Kate!"
"OK, OK! Geesh. She said he picked her up, put her on the kitchen table and went down on her. Made her come so hard the glass of milk spilled but he didn't care, he just picked her up, carried her to her bed and did it again. And get this, he wouldn't let her reciprocate. Wouldn't sleep with her or let her blow him. Nothing. Said he wants to prove to her that this isn't all about sex for him."
"I'm kinda grossed out because he's Sawyer and I do not want to think of him doing that but I'm happy for Heather. So are they together or what? I'm confused." Kate laughs and tweezes her uni-brow that only I know about and then hands the tweezers back to me.
"Men like Luke Sawyer are intense, Ana. They don't play around. Either he's with you or he's not. You should know, you're with a guy just like him."
"So…they're together?" Am I really such a relationship neophyte that I have no idea what the riddle is here?
"Duh. Yes. But he really did leave last night after taking her for dinner but since she made an emergency wax appointment for nine this morning, something tells me he might be a little late getting in tomorrow. I mean, a guy can only hold out on a naked woman for so long." She does a once over on my face and plucks an eyebrow hair or two before handing me back the tweezers and picking up the mixture she made.
"Come on, let's get these masks on before the guys come back and freak the fuck out. Elliot saw me shave my pits the other morning and gagged for an hour straight."
For the next 30 minutes we recline on the chaise in the master bath with mimosas in our hands and cucumbers on our eyes. I'd done facials with Kate a hundred times before but it was never this indulgent. On my hair is some weird concoction she whipped up with avocados and olive oil or...something. I think there was a few raw eggs and even a beer from the fridge.
"What in the fuck?"
"Oh hell yeah!" Christian's confusion is overshadowed by Elliot's obvious joy at finding us, legs entwined on the chaise.
"Get the fuck out, Elliot. Ana, what the hell is on your face?" Kate laughs then and stands, walking to the sink to wash off her face. The cucumbers pull away to reveal a sweaty and amused Christian. "Is this how you keep your skin so perfect?"
"Damn, Kate. Even all gooped up you're sexy as hell. Come shower with me in the guest room, you can wash that shit off in there."
Kate glances sideways at me and then at Christian who ignores them both. "In my life, I never saw this happening in my bathroom. What is that shit?"
"Hell if I know, I just let her paint it on and hope my skin doesn't burn off." He sniffs and then takes the towel off of my head, dropping it to the floor when he sees green all over it. His face cracks me up, all twisted and confused.
"You smell like guacamole! What the hell did she do to you? And my god, stop laughing like that with that shit on your face. You look like the Joker! Get in the shower." In the distance I hear a squeal from Kate and so does Christian because he walks out of the bathroom, shuts the bedroom door and then shuts the bathroom door as well.
"Shower."
"Aren't you coming in too?" I pout. He looks hot as hell in his sleeveless t-shirt and basketball shorts. I love it when he's all sweaty and dirty from a good workout. Pheromones or something…
"Yeah, I'll be in once that shits down the drain. I don't need to smell like a taco stand."
"You'll be nice, right?" Christian rolls his eyes and parks in the spot designated for instructors. Around us paparazzi snap pictures and yell out questions. That crap had died down a bit but after those pictures with the Prince were published, it's been mayhem all over again.
"Ana. Don't." Yup, he's going to go nuclear on Jared. "Parasite fuckers." He mutters, shoving his door open and walking over to mine. Ryan shoves some guy out of the way when he tries to get a bit too close to Christian and then threatens another when a camera bumps against my arm. Christian wedges me tightly under his arm and marches me into the studio, kissing me on the top of my head when we get in and then walking straight to Jared's office.
I follow, if for no other reason to than to ensure he doesn't kill anyone but he points to Ryan to keep me out, opens the door without knocking and slams it behind him. On one foot I turn to my security, fists balled and stare him down.
"You stop me from at least listening and I'll lay you out. If you think I can't, ask Sawyer and Prescott." One side of his mouth turns upwards in a smile and both hands fly up in surrender. At the door I hear Jared frantically trying to explain to Christian what it is he was trying to accomplish but he's cut off with a low menacing growl.
"Mr. Mastellano, let me make something very clear to you. If I had my way, Anastasia would never step foot in here again. The pictures you have of her would be deleted from your site and your studio would never enjoy the free publicity of her arrival twice a week. If you think, for one second that I'm going to allow you to use my girlfriend for your gain, you're out of your fucking mind. If you ever, and I mean ever ask her to do anything like that again, I will personally ensure that a studio is built across the street and I'll teach classes there myself. Are we clear?"
And that's my cue to run to the other room and get class started. One minute later I see Christian, hot and sexy in his cargo shorts and white polo shirt, walk to the observation room and stand, legs wide, arms crossed over his broad chest. For 58 minutes he watches my every move, smiling when I stare back. His intenseness says one thing. I want you.
Afterwards he hands me my bag so that I can change and had Jared not appeared just then, I've no doubt he would have followed me into the tiny bathroom for a quickie.
"Ana!" I feel bad for Jared, I really do but I won't go as far as apologizing for Christian. As soon as my name is called Ryan and Christian stand on each side until I huff out and walk to Jared, rolling my eyes along the way.
"Hi."
"I'm sorry I upset you. Truly. I wasn't trying to be an ass, just a business owner."
"I know, Jared. I do. I tried to explain that to Christian but you have to understand his position. The more I'm out there, the less safe I am." He looks down and kicks at a piece of lint on the floor.
"I hadn't thought about that and while you were teaching I realized something else. He's in a position where everyone wants something from him, expects something from him and he doesn't like that I was doing that to you. Even though my intentions were good, I didn't think it through. Forgive me."
"Of course!" I hug him before I think about it but pull back after a quick second when I feel the heat of Christian's body behind me. "I'll see you on Wednesday."
In the car he slams his door, ensures that I'm buckled and then roars out, backing up so quickly I get whiplash. I'm pretty sure I saw a photographer dive on top of the car next to us to get out of the way.
"What the fuck was that, Anastasia? You're hugging the guy now?" His jealousy is seriously becoming a problem for me.
"Christian, he's my friend. He apologized and then we hugged. It's what people do when they make up. It's normal."
"What a crock of shit. You don't see me hugging people I've pissed off." I scoff and lean my seat back to change since I never got a chance in the studio. "What are you doing?"
"Changing. And if you had to hug everyone you pissed off, your arms would fall off. When do you see Flynn again?" He shoots me a warning look so I back off and sulk in my seat, arms crossed and eyes out the window. It takes almost thirty minutes to get to his parents which pisses him off even more. The setting sun has caused such a glare on the highway that people slowed down causing traffic. So he's mad. At the sun. He's mad at the sun.
He throws the car in park before it actually stops moving and then reaches back to grab the plate of marshmallow walnut brownies we brought, handing it to me without saying a word and then grabs the watermelon that was rolling around the entire time.
I'm surprised when he opens the door for me since he's so obviously pissed at me but I say nothing and instead follow him up the stairs where Gretchen is waiting at the door drooling.
"Gretchen." He says coldly, handing her the watermelon and brownies. Carrick appears then with a drink and a smile that quickly falls off when he sees the mood Christian is in. I'm sure this isn't the first time he's seen his own son throw a temper tantrum so he just says hello and moves on to me, kissing both cheeks and offering me a drink.
"I need to speak to you privately if I can since you ignored my calls all day." Carrick barely responds to him and instead hands me a glass of white wine with an ice cube in it.
"We're having swordfish and the sommelier told me this was the best wine to accompany it. Less than $40 a bottle too, I didn't believe him but then Grace and I tried it the other night. Remarkable. Christian you should look into backing this winery. They're new, out of Connecticut of all places too."
"Dad, your office?" Grace comes down the stairs just then with Mia hot on her heels babbling on about taupe versus cream versus egg shell. Kill. Me. Now.
"Hello dear, how are you today?" Her embrace is warm and genuine. She's not my mom but she's the closest thing I've got right now and with him acting all stupid, I need her.
"Why didn't you tell me Elena Lincoln showed up on Friday?" He all but bites her head off without so much as a hello. Elena was here? After all that's happened she came here?
Carrick and Grace's face fall but Mia stands there, one hand on Christian's arm to greet him, the other on the stairwell. Her silence is deafening since she's the only one who's in the dark here. Now he'll have to tell her. When no one responds he looks at his father again, this time with barely concealed anger.
"Your office please." Carrick looks once at Grace and then hands his empty glass to me before he follows his son who is already halfway there.
"I'm going to need a refill sweetheart. Give us five minutes and then come rescue me, ok? Gracie, just finish up dinner and let me handle this." Grace looks crestfallen in her pressed green polo and khaki shorts. Carrick has on a blue polo…and Mia has on a pink one…I guess I didn't get the memo.
When I turn Mia mouths, 'what is going on' to me but I shrug. I really have no idea since he didn't tell me she came here which pisses me off. Full disclosure my ass.
CPOV
"Where were you when she showed up?" I was furious at Elena and I admittedly was pissed at my parents for not telling me but when I saw them, when I saw Ana standing in the foyer where that cunt had been I fucking lost it.
"Work, Christian. And if you ever speak to your mother like that again in her house, you'll deal with me and I won't be so pleasant. Don't you dare give her a hard time when it comes to Elena. You're lucky she hasn't burned that woman's house down yet."
Both of us stand there and wait for the other to say something. I'm being an asshole, I know this but I'm so hyped up I can't stop. I can't deal with one more second of anything to do with Elena Lincoln. He pinches his nose and pulls at his hair, sighing loudly before speaking again.
"What were you calling for?"
"Ana has two freckles on her right shoulder. They're dark too so they should show up on film." My eyes are closed but I know he understands my mood a hell of a lot more right now because I hear him sit and whistle.
"Good to know. I've not seen the picture myself yet but I'll have my contact take a closer look. She may have to submit a photo of her naked back. Is that something she'd be willing to do?"
I am about to break. I promised her, promised her I'd take care of this. Begged her to trust me on this and to let me do the worrying. Told her repeatedly that she'd never have to endure this again and now I need to talk to her about taking photos of parts of her body? And god damn Elena! I just want these worthless pieces of shit out of my life and no matter what I do I can't make it happen.
"FUCK!"
Ana enters then with two tumblers of dark liquid. I don't ask what it is, I just tip it back and hand the glass back to her, silently looking for another.
"You can drive us home." Without a word she walks to the crystal decanter and pours me another, hands it to me and kisses my cheek. Her hair still smells like guacamole which just pisses me off for some reason but her touch does something and I feel a bit of the weight on my shoulders lift.
"Dinner will be ready in five minutes." Dad nods once and she leaves, shutting the door softly behind her.
"I'm an asshole." He grunts, sits up and walks to his phone, dialing a number before answering me.
"Yes, you certainly are sometimes. But you've got three women out there who love you to death so if you do anything right in this life, learn to love them back without being a dick to them. Hi, Paul? Carrick Grey…Good, thanks, I'm sorry to call you on a Sunday but my son Christian is here…yes…oh they did…well that's what I'm calling about…Ms. Steele apparently has two identifying freckles on her right shoulder. Could you take a look at that photo and tell me if you see anything similar? I'm at home but call me on my cell. Thanks."
"One hour and he'll call me back. He's got to run over to the office to take a look. Sit down, son before you pass out on me."
"I'm fine, dad. I just need some Advil and some answers. Why did Elena show up? Surely she wouldn't do that just because mom cancelled lunch."
"Well, I'm going off of pieced together information here and it's all second hand from your mother so take from it what you can but apparently, your mom's got more pull in this town than even she realized. When she started telling her friends not to go to Esclava, they not only listened, they told their friends. Business has suffered quite a bit, enough so that some of the top stylists have threatened to leave, your guy Franco included."
"I hadn't heard." He shrugs and rearranges some papers on his desk.
"Why would you have? Your business relationship is severed and you don't speak to her anymore. Anyway, after your mom just didn't show up and wouldn't return her calls, Elena pieced it all together and came here to confront her. I don't think for a second she thought you would have told us so when your mother called her a pedophile, it completely unglued her."
"You realize, Christian, that by telling us you took away an enormous piece of her power and influence over you. She just now understands that so I am fully awaiting some sort of altercation, be it legal or personal."
"I'm so sorry." I can only whisper it the shame is so great.
"Don't be. I'm sorry we didn't know sooner. One day you'll have kids of your own and your son will turn 15 and you'll look at him and realize what an immature baby he really is. Not because you didn't do a good job but because kids at that age are just not fully developed. And maybe when you see a 15 year old and recognize how vulnerable and impressionable they are you'll forgive yourself and stop apologizing. Until then, take my word for it, you were a kid. She scrambled your brain so thoroughly that you're just now figuring it out."
He makes his way to the door, tipping one last sip of scotch back. "As far as the altercation I'm sure is coming, I look forward to it. I can't wait to destroy that bitch."
"Elliot says he knows where we can bury a body." He laughs then and puts his arm around me to steer me towards the door, squeezing my shoulder in the process. My feet stop and his follow. "Thanks, dad. For everything." And quick as I can I embrace him and then walk out. Neither of us make eye contact until his phone rings an hour later during dessert.
"Excuse me, I need to take this." When he stands I stand and follow him, my heart in my throat. Before we make it to his office he turns and looks at me. "So no freckles. Thanks, Paul. Do me a favor and make sure the DA knows our girl is willing to take a photo and prove it's not her. He's scheduled for Tuesday at 10 so the sooner the better. Thanks, I owe you."
"If that doesn't shut him up, nothing will. I'll know if he changes his plea same time the rest of us know. Tuesday at 10."
"I want to be there. I want to look that mother fucker in the eye and make sure he knows it was me who put him behind bars. I want him to know that no matter how hard he fights, I'll fight harder. No matter how many attorneys he hires, I'll hire more. I want him afraid to sleep at night and I want it to be because he sees my face in his nightmares."
"Christian, let's eat some watermelon." Clearly he's not in the mood for dramatics.
Coffee and dessert is served on the patio so that we can enjoy the sunset over the Sound. The mood has shifted now that at least one issue has been resolved. I've yet to speak to my mom about her run in but at this point, I don't know that I'll even bring it up.
Ana's sitting across from me, her bare legs and feet propped up on my lap. Juice from the watermelon drips down her chin and she giggles, the sound catching me at just the right moment. I will do anything for her. Anything.
And just as the sun dips and a feeling of serenity finally finds me Mia pipes up from across the table.
"Christian? Why does everyone hate Elena so much now?"