CPOV
"Sir, a moment please." Sawyer holds open the door to the limo that has returned us back to the Fairmont. I look down at a sleeping and sweaty Ana and hold one finger up.
"Just let me get her tucked in and we'll debrief in the living room." I give a half laugh when I notice Elliot carrying Kate, Logan carrying Missy, Gavin carrying Lisa and Sawyer reaching in to get Heather. Devin stands, arms limp by his side and grumbles about Casey not carrying him but Casey rolls his eyes and drags him towards the staff elevator we've been directed to in the back entrance.
"Are we home?" Ana asks, her sweet face pressed into my chest.
"The Fairmont. I'm going to get you into bed and then meet with Sawyer for a few minutes." She nods, mumbles something incoherently and then falls right back into her vodka induced sleep. Once in our suite she protests about needing a shower but doesn't actually make the effort to get into it but instead stands at the foot of the bed with her eyes closed rambling on about clogged pores and zits and shit that I can't interpret because it's in a foreign language. When I lift the dress over her head she falls back onto the pillow, reaches down for the blanket and begins to snore before I can force her to take the Advil and drink the orange juice I had ready for her.
"Ana. Ana," I sing song to her but she waves me off with her eyes shut. "Just take these and you can go right back to sleep. Come on, baby, you've got a big day tomorrow."
"Go away."
"I will as soon as you've taken these." She grunts and sits up, grabbing at my arm while the world spins around her.
"Whoa. Christian," she starts, her eyes growing wide just as her hand covers her mouth. Oh shit. I whip the covers off of her and whisk her to the bathroom just in time for her to retch into the toilet. She gags and heaves while I watch, horrified by the smell of regurgitated Belvedere and cranberry juice. Like a good fiancé I hold her hair back and rub her back while covering my nose as best I can with my shoulder.
"I hate," retch, "to throw up."
"Please, please stop talking." Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. After a moment she stands, flushes and then rinses her face in the sink, swishing around some mouthwash. "You ok now?" She grins and turns, tripping over her own feet.
"I feel like I'm floating," she says airily, falling into my arms with a puff of sour minty breath on my face. "You're so hot Christian Grey. Do you know that? Do you know how mother fucking gorgeous you are?" She giggles and screeches when I lift her and tuck her back in, this time in one of my t-shirts.
"Seriously, you are a-fucking-mazing in bed too. I want it all the time. Even at work I think about you coming in unannounced and just bending me over the desk without a word and taking me. No asking, just you taking me because you can't stand one more minute without me." I laugh and run my fingers through my hair. I like drunk Ana. A lot.
"The other day, Chris...Chrissss"
"Tian. Christian. Your fiancé, future father to your babies, lover of you when you're old and gray." I point to myself but she just looks at me with a blank smile, eyes glazed from drinking.
"Well, Christian, the other day when we were fighting you looked so hot at your desk all brooding and pissed off. I have a secret to tell you." Oh boy. She waves me over with a crooked finger even though we're the only two people in the room. "That night when I went to bed I was so horny for you that I almost masturbated." She giggles, my cock throbs and then she flops back. "I got as far as rubbing myself over my underwear but then I stopped because I didn't want to upset you further but you just looked so good and I wanted to come so badly!"
She brings her hand between her legs and rubs over the tiny thongs there, the t-shirt she's wearing riding up past her luscious hips.
"I'm so horny for you right now, Christian...I just want you to fuck me, I want to feel that big dick of yours inside me." Holy shit. It would be wrong to take advantage of her like this. It would be wrong to take advantage of her like this. It would be...is she pinching her nipple? Oh fuck it!
"Ana you need to stop talking like that if you want to get any sleep tonight because that little interlude back at the club? That was nothing. Watching you dance like you did, all sexy and grinding up on me, you have no idea the restraint I'm using right now because if you"
I'm interrupted by a snore. A very loud, very unladylike snore. Well damn.
I should take a cold shower before I walk out into the living room with a boner. But it's almost four in the morning and Sawyer has his work cut out for him all day tomorrow so I adjust myself the best I can and cover up the sleeping drunk in my bed, moving her hand from between her thighs to her side so that I can stare wistfully at the scrap of lace covering my most favorite place in the world.
"Sir," Sawyer starts, hands clasped behind his back. I'm surprised to see Welch with him since he headed home after dinner but considering the situation, his presence is appreciated.
"Welch. What's going on?"
"We need to go over the altercation at the club, Mr. Grey. The gentleman that you punched left and went directly to the police to file a report." Welch shifts his feet a bit and inhales tiredly. "Fortunately Chief Collins was on duty and the deputy at the desk got him before taking a formal statement so there's no record of his visit. Between the two of them they were able to detain the guy long enough for Taylor to get there."
"Taylor? He's not due back until tomorrow."
"Gail wanted to fly back tonight so that she could attend the shower for Ms. Steele at your parents' house. It was a happy accident that he came back when he did because he was the one who finally…persuaded the guy to leave it alone." My brows raise.
"First of all, he's no gentleman. He's a filthy piece of scum who put his hands on a woman. My woman. As far as I'm concerned, he sexually assaulted her. Second of all, what do you mean persuaded?" I stand to my full height and point angrily at the two men in front of me. "If he was paid off I will personally hunt him down and take back every penny and then I'll knock his ass right back to the ground!"
"He wasn't paid off, Sir. Taylor explained to him, in his own special way, the repercussions of going up against someone like you. When Mr. James was made aware of just what it meant to take on The Christian Grey he was quick to change his mind."
"Did he get him to sign an NDA?" They look at each other and shake their heads.
"It wouldn't matter, Sir. There were at least twenty people who saw the entire altercation first hand including his friends. I've already put a call in to Debra Borden in the PR department to prepare a statement. So far we're not aware of any pictures that were taken so the story may not get a ton of press since these days you need a photo to really sell a story but there will be reports of it."
I'm too tired for this shit. I've had a long day of drinking and adrenaline, my hand hurts like hell from where it smashed into the asshole's face and I'm horny as all fuck.
"Is the guy pressing charges or not?"
"No."
"Then the rest can wait until morning. I can't and don't care about this right now. I'm going to bed, have Ms. Borden get me an emailed prospectus on how she wants to play this out but right now, I couldn't give two shits what happens." I walk towards the bedroom and spin back at the last minute.
"Actually, tell Debra that our response is 'no comment' and then have her send out the story about his groping my fiancée through the underground channels. I want every fucker out there to know that if they fuck with my girl, I will fuck their day up."
"I feel like shit." My eyes peel open when the bed bounces up announcing Ana's less than discreet exit to use the bathroom.
"Drink the juice!" I yell at her running form but I'm cut off by the slam of the door and the muted sounds of her throwing up again. A few minutes later she emerges, hair in a ponytail with a wet wash cloth over her forehead.
"What juice?"
"By your bedside. I tried to get you to drink it last night but you were out cold. Except for when you were throwing up." She flops back onto bed, the t-shirt riding up past her hips again. Is it wrong that I want to have sex with her right now?
"I bet that was fun for you. Sorry about that."
"Do you remember last night at all?" She rolls to her side and groans, blindly reaching for the Advil.
"I remember the fight," she lifts the washcloth and quirks an eye at me. "And I remember walking in on Casey and Devin in the bathroom and I remember dancing to Jay Z with you but after that, I got nothing."
"You don't remember trying to give me a lap dance?" She shakes her head as her eyes grow wide.
"I didn't," she breathes, that shade of red that I love coloring her cheeks.
"Oh you did. Right in front of Eliza and Andrea."
"Oh my god." I nod.
"Yup. You were…less than aware at that point. Do you remember telling Heather that we made a porn together and that Bridget the Midget had nothing on you?" She stifles a laugh and buries her face into the pillow. "Or that you liked dirty talk?" She sits straight up and blinks.
"I did not. I did not say that. I did not tell her that!" I begin to laugh despite the dull ache in my head. Maybe I should have taken some Advil as well.
"You did. You're lucky it was just her though because she was as drunk as you were. I doubt she'll remember anything from last night. You waked in on Casey and Devin?" She flattens herself, tossing the pillow to the floor and covers her forehead with the cloth.
"I did and not for the first time. Those two have got to start locking the door." I hold back a laugh.
"What were they doing?" She opens one eye and looks at me sardonically.
"Playing cards." I laugh and lean over to massage her temples.
"That mouth, Anastasia. What I wouldn't give to fuck it right now." She scoffs and puts a hand over her lips in mock fear. "Do you know that when you're drunk you flit between languages? Half the time I had no idea what you were saying because you'd start in English, switch to Italian and end up on Mandarin." She smiles.
"I've been told I do that but I've only ever been drunk like this twice before." She groans, "And this is the last time. I am never drinking again," she whines, covering herself back up. "What time is it?"
When I turn to look at the alarm my head throbs. Definitely need that Advil. "Just after eight."
"What time is checkout? I don't have to be at your mom's until one."
"Checkout is whenever I say it is and you may not have to be there by one but you do have to be up and showered by eleven because Franco will be here at 11:30 to do whatever it is he does to get you ready."
"I can get myself ready you know. I did it successfully for 22 years." She lowers the blanket and winks. "Worked well enough to land you so why don't you cancel Franco, order us some omelets and loads of bacon and wake me up at noon to get ready."
"How about I order us omelets with tomato juice and then let you sleep until eleven so that I have enough time to fuck you before you jump in the shower."
"Fine. But I am not drinking tomato juice, that garbage is for people in nursing homes."
I call in room service and then check my phone for alerts on the altercation from last night. As expected, none of the actual news sources have even mentioned it but the filth that is TMZ, Perez Hilton and the like have it as their home screen news.
Grey Saves Fiancée from Sexual Predator
Last night while the rest of the world was tossing back $3 Bud Lights, Christian Grey and entourage were partying and sipping on $1k a bottle vodkas and dancing in shoes that cost us regular people a week's salary. All was well in Grey Land until one of the patrons became a little too handsy with his fiancée, the lion tamer herself, Anastasia Steele.
Now, Grey's been known to be a bit of a hot head so does it come as any real surprise that he threw a punch at the idiot who dared to touch the object of his obsession? No. What is surprising is the fact that his brother, fellow hot head and the Playboy of Seattle, Elliot Grey didn't join in the fray. Perhaps his latest plaything is more than just cat nip and a pretty face.
Grey's camp has issued a firm, 'No comment' but sources close to the couple confirm that Ms. Steele was, in fact assaulted when a yet unidentified male grabbed at her on the dance floor. While we never condone violence, even we admit it's hard to find fault when a man takes care of his woman...especially when he looks like that!
"Morons." The rest of the articles read pretty much the same but I call Debra anyway to get a firsthand account of what's going on.
"We're swamped here, Sir. Hundreds of phone calls between early this morning and now. I think getting out our side through back channels was wise. We're ahead of the story at this point and you come off looking like a hero instead of an aggressor. It's only a matter of time before someone finds out who this guy is and pays him to talk though and while we can paint him in a negative light, we can't put a gag order him."
"You think he'd be foolish enough to give an interview?"
"It depends on how much money he's offered, Sir."
"He groped a woman without her permission! He'd be an idiot to come forward and talk. Transfer me to Welch right now."
"Sir," he says a few seconds later.
"Get someone to keep an eye on that douche bag from last night until this bull shit blows over. I don't want him talking to the media if we can avoid it. The last thing I need is another reason for these pariahs to be sniffing around so close to the wedding."
"I've assigned two part time undercovers to watch him from afar and Barney will monitor his phones incoming and outgoing messages both text and talk. I've got Bradley Scott taking care of the security tapes that were on that section of the floor as well." He clears his throat. "Besides the tape of the altercation, there was a live feed on the hallway where your brother and Miss Kavanagh had a quick...meet up. Normally I'd ignore it but with his name being mentioned in the news, I think it's wise to get rid of that as well."
"I bet there are a hundred tapes of him fucking random girls out there but you're right." The bell to the room rings indicating that my security team has arrived for a thorough debriefing so I end my call and open the door to a tan and married Taylor.
"Jason," I offer my hand and a smile, both of which he returns. "Welcome home. How's Gail? How was your trip?"
"Thank you, Sir. It was great. Relaxing and quiet and overall just perfect but I was happy to return to some action last night. I admit I'm not made for two weeks of nothing." Sawyer grunts and sits at the one of the chairs in the dining room.
"I highly doubt there was nothing going on, Tay. You were on your honeymoon." Taylor grins like the cat that got the cream and pulls out a chair.
"Speaking of honeymoons, when's yours lover boy?" Sawyer shifts uncomfortably in his chair and crosses his arms suddenly unsocial.
"Fuck off, dude."
"Much as I'd love to hear all about your love lives, I have a hung over fiancée in the next room who was somehow, even with four CPO's assigned to her, touched. I want to know how it happened and I want to know how it will never happen again." Prescott joins us with a nod, a cup of coffee in her hand and behind her is the guy I didn't fire last night along with Ryan and Reynolds.
"We advised the women to stay in the VIP area but it was nearly impossible to keep them there despite our best efforts so we circled them the best we could leaving one man back to ensure that their drinks and personal belongings were safe. To the left of the room was a group of men whom we have learned in the last few hours were part of a fraternity from UDub. They were there to partake in a hazing ritual for incoming pledges."
I wait but everyone just watches me. "And?" I motion with my hand for him to continue, frustrated with the lack of response.
"The six guys there that had made it to the end were tasked with finding a pretty girl, and by pretty she had to be approved of by all the guys in the house, and they had to take her home."
"Approved of? Take her home to what?" My stomach goes sour and my head throbs at the mere thought of Ana being watched and graded and pursued.
"As girls walked in they were rated and any nines or tens were considered fair game to either the pledges or the active members." Sawyer shifts and finally levels with me. "Ms. Steele was rated a 10 and therefore was on the list of all six guys as were a few other women from the group. There were two that attempted to approach the group right before Brody James but I was able to intercept them before they were within arm's reach. Both were hostile and put up a good fight but were ultimately thrown out by myself and one of the bouncers."
Prescott sits up and takes over, repeating what she told me last night. She's got two tape strips on each side of her nose and two black eyes. Even if I did blame her, I wouldn't have the heart to rip her apart looking like that.
"Next time you remove your target instead of the threat and then deal with the perpetrators. How did these guys get in? Aren't pledges usually freshman?"
"We're looking into that, Sir. Brody James is 22 and the fraternities vice president but there were at least two underage pledges present." This just gets better and better. "The authorities don't care so long as we put better screeners in place going forward but if the press finds out, that's an entirely different problem."
"Your suggestion then, Taylor?" Shrugging he sits up straight and takes a moment to think.
"We find out every guy that was there, both members of the frat and those who were pledging and find out their financial status. If we catch wind that anyone's going to talk to the press we pay them off based on student loans and shit like that. I can send a few guys over to scare them or we can wait and see what happens. The fact of the matter is their brother sexually assaulted a woman." He sits back, resting his elbows on the chair arms. "We need to make sure that they know that should any of this come back at you, we will exploit that little tidbit until UDub closes their chapter. We threaten to find every girl ever at one of their parties, threaten to find out every dirty secret, every slighted female, every cheated on girlfriend and paint them as misogynists."
"Debra Borden from PR had pretty much the same idea." I knock my knuckles on the polished walnut and stand. "So we wait and see and have every card ready to be played. I'd sooner spend a million dollars to shut them down than I would to pay one of those fuckers off." I turn to Prescott. "Take today and tomorrow off. Ms. Kavanagh's CPO will cover for you at the bridal shower today and Reynolds will be there as well along with my parents and Mia's CPO's."
"Sir, I appreciate the offer but would prefer to work."
"Cottie, take the two days. I need you on Saturday but today and tomorrow are covered. Now if you'll all excuse me."
For the next hour I bounce between calls from my PR department, my parents, Welch and Elliot who is furious at the picture being painted of him.
"If Kate reads this shit she'll kill me. Can't you do something to make them take my name out of it? Did you know I'm trending right now on Twitter? Elliot Grey womanizer is trending! My fucking future in-laws are going to see this shit, Christian, you've got to be able to do something."
"Don't you think if I could get these blood suckers to do what I wanted them to I'd already have had this shit shut down hours ago?"
"Have you read the comments? Women claiming I slept with them, women talking about making me theirs, women saying I've fucked them in the last few weeks even though I'm with Kate."
"Have you?"
"Have I what? Cheated on Kate? Of course not you asshole! I may be a slut but I'm not a cheater. Shit, Christian, I love this girl. I'm not about to stick my dick into some other chick." His voice drops, a slight desperation clinging to it. "Kate's going to birth a dinosaur after this. It's bad enough we run into some ex-fling everywhere we go and I do mean everywhere but now? To have it all written out for the entire world to read? Do something!"
"You should've thought about this when you were whoring around. I mean, damn, didn't you ever stop to think that maybe you'd have to pay up for your cavalier attitude about sex?"
"Cavalier? Unfair, dude. I had very strict guidelines. Had to be over 22, had to be single, had to understand that it was nothing more than sex and had to agree to a condom."
"Wow, such boundaries."
"What were yours? Had to sign and NDA, had to like to be tied up, had to…hey there pretty girl don't you look cute all hung over…it's Christian…she's still sleeping…why don't you go back to bed you look like shit…I was just being polite, Katie, nobody looks cute hung over…sure, I'll bring it right up...love you too..." After a few seconds he hisses into the phone, "Help me, man!"
I chuckle and disconnect the call and then order us room service. When it arrives I wake up sleeping beauty and wait for her to run to the bathroom but the worst of it must be over because she sits up and reaches for the wheat toast, taking a bite with her eyes still closed.
"The protein in the eggs will help."
"Great, thank you for taking care of me," she yawns. "I am so not in the mood to get dressed up and socialize." Between bites I watch her, sleep wrinkled and sallow but somehow still breathtaking.
"What are you in the mood for?" Her eyes are still closed, opening only fractionally to find her next forkful of breakfast.
"Sleep. A shower except that seems like an awful lot of work right now. A foot rub, my feet are killing me from those heels and dancing and more sleep."
"Well finish up and I can help you with two of those things." One eyebrow quirks up with a wry smile.
"You can help me in the shower so long as you know there's no sex." Right.
"And pray tell why not?"
"The girls say it's bad luck to sleep with the groom for seven days before the wedding." Seven days?
"Are you out of your fucking mind, Ana? You think we're not doing it again until our wedding night?" She smirks and leans back onto the pillows as I whip my phone out to Google this stupid tradition I want no part of.
"Yeah, I told your cousin you wouldn't fall for that." Relief washes over me quickly followed by lust as she unfolds her shapely legs and stands, asking for a minute in the bathroom alone before her shower. I follow anyway. "What are you doing?"
"I watched you throw up last night. Are you really still going to be all shy about peeing in front of me?" She blushes and leans her butt up against the counter, rubbing the bridge of her nose furiously before shrugging and yanking down her panties which she kicks at me with an eye roll.
"Fine. Have it your way."
"You don't get it yet, Ana. I don't want to have any boundaries between us. I want you as comfortable with your body as I am. Now come on and let me clean you up." She gives me tired sigh and does her business, tossing her t-shirt at my head with a giggle.
In the shower I shampoo my hair and then do hers watching as the water at our feet turns a muted gold. She shrugs, "He insisted and sometimes it's just easier to let him have his way."
Once finished, I carry her out, dry both of us off and slather her in lotion the way I've seen her do it a hundred times now. I've always enjoyed this routine. As many times as I've been with a woman, Ana especially, I have always marveled over how soft and gentle the female body is. No hard edges, no rough skin, no calloused hands. Male and female. Two bodies operating and functioning, structured in much the same way as the other but so incredibly different.
"You missed my boobs." Her voice is still tired and a bit hoarse from singing with her friends last night. I should let her sleep a few more minutes but I'm too selfish to suggest it.
"I know. I don't want to taste lotion when I suck on them." She gives me that shy smile that drives me crazy and then blushes just the lightest shade of pink. She's slippery when I lift her bridal style and carry her to the bed, the chill in the room making those candy nipples pucker and harden instantly.
"I need to get ready," she says, her husky voice betraying her desire for me and what she knows I can do to her body.
"You have some time." I take off the towel around her hair and rub my head roughly, tossing it to the floor as I open her legs so that I can lie between them. "I'm going to suck on these pretty nipples until you're so wet you're dripping for me and then I'm going to lick all that sweet cream up until you're trembling for me. Then," I pause and push her breasts together, running my tongue back and forth over both tips, "I'm going to slowly drag my tongue over that little clit of yours until you're coming for me."
Her thighs tighten around my torso in response, my dick throbbing with want for her. "And then, just as your body begins to relax I'm going to flip you over and impale you on my cock so I can watch these perfect breasts and that wet pussy ride me." She moans and I bite down gently so that she inhales sharply, her back arching to escape the small pain but also to seek more of it. So responsive.
She pulls my hair and grinds against my stomach, the wetness from between her legs smearing over my ribs. It turns me the fuck on, knowing she'll be on me the entire day, knowing that she wants me so much that she loses her inhibitions and seeks out pleasure from me.
When I work my way down and lap up the fruits of my labor she pants my name over and over as if she were praying but she can beg all she wants, I plan on drawing this out. The hands in my hair pull me up and for this I acquiesce, dragging my flattened tongue over her clit over and over and over as slowly as I can so that she's literally shaking and begging. Her hips rise as she attempts to grind herself against me so I lay one arm flat across her lower belly to keep her still and reach up with my other hand to lightly rest on her throat.
"Please, Christian…please…please…please…" That's it, baby. Beg for me. "Christian…I want…please…" I wanted to draw this out longer, make her so crazy that she loses her mind but I just can't resist her. My dick has had enough of this game anyway so I tighten my grip on her neck and her stomach and apply a steady, firm pressure on her clit, flicking it over and over until she emits a low scream. Under my hand her belly trembles and tightens and then she throws herself back, a quiver running through her body as she comes.
And just as I promised, before she can fully recover she's flipped over and placed on my cock, so hard it's almost purple. The relief I get from the feel of her soft slipperiness is immediate but it's the view that I love the most. Anastasia, hair wet and wild, breasts round and firm, legs spread over me, pussy split over my cock. "Fuck, you look so good."
She's still somewhat out of it so I help her and pump upwards a few times until she meets me thrust for thrust, her tits bouncing hypnotically. She stops and stills me, one hand on my abs, the other in her hair and grinds back and forth, the friction so exquisite that I feel the tingle in my spine instantaneously.
"Ana," I huff between breaths. She leans down and kisses me, stopping all movement except for her mouth on mine. When she slides off I almost cry but she silences me with a kiss and reaches down to grip me in one hand.
"I want to do something," she whispers in my ear, her tongue licking my lobe right before she nips it with her teeth.
"Yes…ok…anything…" As seductively as she can she slithers between my legs and raises one of her hands to her mouth to collect saliva. Oh shit I already know this is going to be good. With slow firm strokes she slides up and down my shaft, grinning when my hips begin to instinctively thrust upwards. My fingers are numb from gripping the sheets on either side of me but I don't give a fuck about anything except what she's doing to my dick right now.
"You like that, baby? Do you like when I stroke your cock, Christian?" Oh my fucking God. I murmur something, I'm not sure what and then gasp when she weaves her hands together and begins to really move. "Look at you, so sexy and hot." Oh god the way her breasts sway as she moves her arms... "All mine, you are all mine."
"Yes, yours...shit that's amazing," my arms and legs tremble despite how fiercely I try to remain still.
"I love your body, Christian," her grip tightens a bit more, "I love the way you look when you fuck me," her hands move a bit faster, "I love your cock." Oh fuck.
"I'm going to come," I cry out, my entire body so tense I'm rigid.
"Yes, baby. Give me your cum right now." Holy shit where did she…fuuuuuck…and then my back bends and the tingle in my spine moves to my balls and then straight up my dick until I feel thick jets of hot fluid fall onto my torso, her breathy pants of 'Yes, so hot, yes' prolonging the pleasure.
"Fuck!" I yell and then shake until she squeezes every last drop out and then kill me now, just when I think this couldn't have gone any better, she leans down and licks my abs clean. If I hadn't already asked her to marry me, I'd have done it right now. My chest heaves and my heart pounds while I watch her, the familiar pulsing of my orgasm dying down only to be replaced by a new rush of blood.
The rest of me might not be ready for another go 'round but my dick sure is. When she's finished she looks up at me and coyly smiles, rises, walks towards the bathroom and turns on the water. After a minute she leans out and pulls her hair high up on her head.
"Do you want to come in with me?" I raise one hand and wave it slightly. It's all I can do right now. She smiles and closes the door leaving me naked and dazed. I'd laugh at the lack of control I have with her but I can't even muster the strength to do that right now.
APOV
After a quick rinse off I reapply my body lotion and am just about to brush my teeth again when Christian bursts in the bathroom, naked and, for once, flaccid.
"Where did you learn that move? You've never done that before." I shrug and grin, turning away from him to look in the mirror. My breasts are bright red from his amorous attention, one of them sporting what looks like a small hickey.
"I took a class yesterday," I toss out casually and watch as confusion falls on him.
"A class," he repeats, one hand running through his hair. I nod and spit, rinse my mouth out and then dry my face with a towel all the while waiting for him to ask more. "As in the girls were talking about stuff and you what? Took notes or something?" He follows me into the bedroom and watches as I pull on my panties and bra.
"No, as in we had an instructor and learned some new techniques and ideas." I would have elaborated but I don't get the chance to say anything more before he physically spins me around and pins me to the wall between his arms.
"What the fuck do you mean you had an instructor? What the fuck does that mean, Anastasia?" His eyes are wild and panicked, his heart beat so harsh I can see it in the hollow of his throat.
"Mistress Sasha came to our hotel room and taught us some tricks to use to give you more pleasure." Tears spring to my eyes at his intensity and his fear but he doesn't relent even a tiny bit. "Prescott and Sawyer ran a full back ground check on her and she signed an NDA and Kate said she paid her double to ensure her silence but Devin said she has a reputation around town as being discreet and not to even worry about it and,"
"Who did you learn on? Was there a model?" What? A model? Oh my god he thinks there was a man there.
"No! No of course not. There were…oh god…dildos that suctioned to plates and we practiced on them." His head snaps back, a bit of tension falling from his shoulders.
"Dildos? On plates?" I nod and as much as I want to reach up and touch his face I don't dare move. He pinches the bridge of his nose but doesn't move away from me. "And she was fully vetted?" I nod again. "Did anyone take pictures or video?"
"No."
"Were there any men there? Sawyer? Anybody?"
"No. He was in the other room and didn't see anything but was close enough to get involved if there was a threat. No men, just me and my girlfriends." His eyes blink, the panic leaving and then they grow wide, his face grimacing.
"My mom? My grandmother?" I laugh then, wiping away the tears that have collected in my eyes.
"They went in their room and rested. Your aunts too but your cousin Alison was there." He makes a disgusted face and steps back, both hands on his hips.
"I don't know how I feel about this. About someone seeing you...sexual." He waves one hand around, the other still on his hip while he tries to figure this out. "You know, doing something sexual. I don't know how I feel about that."
"You seemed to like the end result well enough." At that he grabs his hair and paces back two steps, rounding on me and staring at me.
"You said tricks. Plural."
"Yup."
"Just hand jobs?" I shake my head and his eyes grow wider.
"Oral too? Someone else saw you do that?" He all but yells it, the veins in his neck straining with the force of it.
"To a fake dick? You're upset that I touched a fake dick in front of my girlfriends? Who were also touching fake dicks?" He huffs and yanks a pair of boxers on coming back to stand in front of me again.
"I don't care who was there, Ana. I don't want anyone seeing you sexual. Nobody! And I don't like the idea that someone was teaching you about sex and pleasure. That's my job." His voice raises a bit, the color in his cheeks raising along with it.
"Christian, I want to surprise you too sometimes. Don't you want me to get better at things?"
"Better? Any better and my dick's going to shoot off! What I want is for you, sexually, to be mine, all mine, only mine. In every sense of the word." Angrily he pulls on a pair of gray dress pants and then reaches for a dress shirt, shoving his arms in petulantly.
"If it makes you feel any better, I didn't do the blow job part. Not because I thought it would upset you but because I didn't want a plastic penis in my mouth. It seemed…icky."
"Icky," he deadpans, the corner of his mouth fighting to stay down. "You found it icky."
"Yes. Eliza wouldn't do it either but all the other girls did." I shrug and move past him, reaching for the bathrobe hanging on the door. He can be mad all he wants, it was fun and harmless and ultimately all about him anyway. "I'll say this, your cousin Gavin's in for a real treat. Not only does Lisa not have a filter on her mouth, she doesn't have a gag reflex either."
He snorts, visibly relaxing against the door frame at the humorous turn our conversation has made. "I'm sure we'll hear all about it at the maverick my cousin's set up. Gavin's less than quiet when it comes to exploiting his conquests of which he rivals Elliot on. I hope she has low expectations since he's never, ever going to commit to anything long term."
"Well, then he's in luck because Lisa has zero interest in dating anyone right now. For the night? Yes. Longer than that? No. And may I remind you that you said the same thing my dear and look at you now." He laughs and pulls me close, resting his chin on my head.
"I'm sorry I freaked out. I just imagined some guy there while you practiced." I laugh and smack his chest.
"That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard from you. You know what that sounds like?" He pulls back and raises his brows. "A porn plot."
"Well, since you told your friends that we make porn, maybe we should develop that plot into a full length feature." He grins salaciously and picks me up, pinning me back against the wall and filmed or not, he makes sure his next performance is camera worthy.
"Ms. Steele, you look lovely," Taylor nods and smiles at me but I greet him with a hug, rolling my eyes at the man behind me who's not happy about it. I don't understand how he trusts Taylor to save my life but can't trust him to hug me for two seconds.
"Welcome back! How was the wedding? The honeymoon?" Taylor ushers us towards the waiting elevator and motions for Sawyer to follow with the bell boy and our bags.
"All great, thank you. Gail is looking forward to catching up with you later tonight back at Escala once the festivities are over."
"She'll be at the shower won't she?" I will be so upset if she's been left out.
"Of course! She wouldn't miss it!" He speaks into his watch, directing us towards the back of the hotel once we reach the main lobby.
"We can't go out the front?" I inquire, not missing the look that passes between my fiancé and his head of security.
"Not today, Ms. Steele. The car is waiting out back, your friends and family are already at Bellevue."
"Paparazzi?" I question to which Christian only offers a nod to. I'm a bit confused, as annoying as they are we haven't yet made a real effort to avoid them but this feels almost secretive. "Was there a new threat or something?" Taylor opens the door and shuts it behind us, bringing up the privacy screen when he gets behind the wheel. I wait until the car is in motion for him to answer me but he doesn't so I prod a bit more. "Christian what's going on?"
"That piece of shit who touched you last night?" He pauses and waits, I nod and take one of his hands. "The press caught wind of it. I've had my team putting together statements all morning in case we need to address it directly but for now avoidance is the best option." I must look scared because he lifts my hand to his mouth and kisses it tenderly. "It'll be fine, Ana, I'd just rather enjoy the day instead of deal with it."
"Could you go to jail? For assault or anything?" He laughs, a good hearty laugh that eases my mind and makes me feel stupid at the same time.
"No, baby. Christian Grey doesn't go to jail. If anyone's going to jail, it'll be him for sexual assault." My head snaps back. I'd never thought of it in that context, just a drunk guy getting handsy.
"Sexual…assault," I repeat to myself but he picks up on my mood shift and unbuckles me, lifting me to his lap to hold me close.
"Bad choice of words but any way you look at it, it was a sexual act and it was unwanted. That's how we're approaching it in our conversations with him and that's the angle we go with should the press attempt to make me or you look bad." My head is spinning.
"Conversations with him?" Maybe I was too drunk to really grasp the magnitude of the situation but it all seems a bit blown out of proportion to me. But then again, it involves a gorgeous multi-Billionaire that the press is always watching so maybe not.
"Yes. Taylor took care of it last night." He slides me back to the leather seat, buckles me back up and cups my face. "I don't want you to think about it at all. Today is all about you and being a bride." I smile and look up at him.
"Your bride." He grins as wide as I've ever seen before and kisses me swiftly on the mouth.
"My bride. Holy shit."
"I don't understand, Kate. Why would you be pissed at him about something the press wrote about him that he had nothing to do with, that happened before you?" She rolls her eyes heavenward and covers them with one hand, leaning in to hiss/whisper her answer.
"Because my parents will read it as will all of our friends. It's embarrassing, Ana. To be considered the 'flavor of the week' to the 'Playboy of Seattle'." I'm shocked when tears fill her eyes. "I shouldn't be talking to you about this right now, the last thing you should be a part of is drama like this at your bridal shower."
"Stop, you're my best friend and you're upset. Besides, everyone's fine mingling around right now. Come on, let's go somewhere a bit more private." The truth is I don't like being the center of attention and would love a moment to focus on someone else right now especially if it means I can get away from everyone. Discreetly we exit the room where Grace and Mia have gone above and beyond my wildest expectations and make our way to the stairs. At the second door on the landing Kate walks in and sits dejectedly on the bed.
"I wonder how many whores he fucked in this room," she spats, twisting a tissue until it falls apart all over her dress. "I asked him this morning how many women he'd slept with and he couldn't even give me an answer." She hiccups. "I said, 'Hundreds?' and he shrugged. Hundreds, Ana! How is that even possible!"
"You knew this about him though, Kate." I raise my arms, a bit upset for Elliot at this turn of events and walk in front of her. "Everyone knew this about him. He never tried to lie to you or mislead you. And what does it matter anyway? He's with you, you guys are talking about getting married. Obviously those other girls meant nothing to him so let it go and enjoy the fact that he's with you now." She snorts.
"Easy for you to say, you don't have all of Seattle wondering if you're already old news. Do you know that 90 percent of the time we go anywhere in this city we run into some chick he's done it with? The other day we ran into three. In one day!" She begins to cry, really cry which is so unlike Kate that my frustration towards her disappears immediately.
"Kate, you're the one he committed to. Not them even though they probably wanted him to. You. And I can't imagine how that must feel to always have to face down someone who's been intimate with my boyfriend but I imagine it would feel pretty shitty. But I also imagine that it feels good to know that you're the one with him now. You're the one running errands and doing day to day shit with because you spend your lives together. He moved you in within weeks, Kate!"
"I know," she offers weekly.
"Has he ever done that? Lived with a woman?"
"No," she sniffs.
"And what about going on vacation with a girls family? I mean, the poor guy put up with your father for ten days!"
She gives a small smile and wipes her eyes shaking her head. "I'm the only one he's done that with."
"Has he in the last few months even hinted that he wanted to be with any of them again? Or anyone else for that matter?" She snorts and rubs her nose.
"No. It's just," she looks at me and hiccups, "it's one thing to know your boyfriend fucked hundreds of girls but it's another thing to have to see it in black and white so that everybody knows." Just then there's a knock on the door and a head of unruly blond curls peeks in.
"Katie girl?" Elliot's endearment for her causes a new wave of tears to start which absolutely kills him judging by the look on his face and the way he rushes to her, getting on his knees in front of her. I move to the side, not sure exactly what I should be doing. Should I stay for my friend or leave to give them some privacy?
"How did you know I was up here?" Her words are angry but he reacts to them with tenderness, brushing her blond hair away from her face and gently wiping away her tears.
"My mom came to the boathouse to tell me you had come up here and that it appeared you were upset." He hangs his head as I make my way to the door. "Kate I'd take it all back if I could, I really would." She rolls her eyes and reaches out her arm to grab at me.
"Stay." Her blue eyes plead but I feel awkward. "Please." Elliot looks at her but speaks to me.
"It's fine, Ana. I embarrassed her publically, I should apologize publically as well." I want to smack him upside the head but whatever he says causes her to stop crying immediately and as if a fog lifts she looks at him, still holding my hand. Oh god please let me out of here!
"This is so not about you and me. I'm being crazy. I'm nuts!" His eyes widen with what I think is fear. "You didn't shame me publically!" She smacks her forehead. "You didn't even know me and it's not like I was a virgin when we met. I mean, I practically molested you on our first date." His eyes slide to me and watch as I try, unsuccessfully to wrench my hand free.
"Kate, whether you were around or not is irrelevant. My actions have caused you pain and for that I'm sorry. I truly am." She places one finger over his mouth and takes a deep breath.
"Elliot Grey, you are the most wonderful man in the history of men and I'm not ashamed to be your girlfriend even if they are talking about me like I'm just another of your conquests." He grimaces. "I'm being emotional and I'm letting the same scum who paint my best friend here as a gold digger get to me." Well, thanks for that reminder. "I'm sorry, El. I just...I just hate the idea of sharing you."
"You'll never share me, Katie. It's all you, has been since our first date and will be until we die." He drags his thumb over her bottom lip and smiles at her. "OK? Nobody else, Katie. Ever."
She stands, wipes her hands on her dress and finally, finally lets my hand go. I run out of there like a bat outta hell but it's not fast enough to avoid seeing her jump on him to drag him down to the bed. OK, definitely awkward now.
Grace is at the bottom of the stairs with a cold glass of iced tea and a questioning smile. "And how are things upstairs?"
"All is well in Kate and Elliot Land now."
"Oh thank God. I saw what they wrote and I just knew it was going to be a problem for her. Shit, these boys are going to be the end of me. Everyone said, 'you have boys, they're so much easier than girls'. I call bull shit on that one. Your fiancé and that one up there have just about killed me at least a dozen times each. Damn do I need a drink, come on, I think Carrick mixed up some of his lemon drops."
And that is how Kate finds us about 20 minutes later, her hair in disarray despite her lame attempt to fix it. Grace nods once and hands her a glass of the yellow drink that is deliciously strong. Mia sits down next to her and fixes what she can of the rats nest in the back of Kate's head while everyone else continues to laugh and talk in little groups throughout the room.
"To my girls," Grace raises her glass, "may you tame and control those boys so that I can stop worrying about them!"
Two hours later Christian, his family and myself stand around to survey the hundreds of gifts in the library. He reaches back to grasp his neck and grins.
"I'm going to need a shipping container to get this all back to the orphanage, I don't see how it will all fit on the plane with the Fredericks."
"Isn't it awesome? I didn't expect this much when I registered for everything. Gail said there are over 100 sets of twin sheets alone!" Mrs. Taylor as we've been calling her all day wanders over, a bit tipsy from Carricks drink and plops herself down.
"103 sets in total. 77 pillows, 63 blankets, enough crayons, markers and coloring books to keep a thousand kids occupied and one magic trick box."
"Magic trick box?" Christian asks as Elliot leans forward to take the glass from Gail's hand, avoiding a sure spill. He stands and finds the box, showing us it's contents and explaining his reasoning.
"They need entertainment and I thought this would be fun," he offers before resuming his possessive stance with Kate who, by all accounts has gotten over the drama earlier in the day. If anything she looks more besotted than ever before.
"What's all that stuff?" Carrick points to a pile of wardrobe boxes that have been pushed to the corner. Just then a blue head whips out from behind them and out pops Devin in a fairy costume.
"Bippity," he starts, "Boppity," he taps Uncle Spencer on the nose, "Boo."
"A fairy, Devin? Really? Bit ironic don't you think?" Ethan asks, a smile fighting to remain concealed.
"Of course. Shove it in their faces is what I say. You know what else I say?" He asks, lifting up a pink skirt to reveal a pair of black pants beneath. "I look fabulous in pink."
"What's in the boxes?" Christian asks, one finger running over his mouth. He's watching Devin, taking it all in with the rest of us but I'm sure what's going through his mind is, 'How is this now my life'?
"Costumes. 125 of them in everything from fairy's to dinosaurs, dentists to fire fighters. Kids need expressive and creative play and sometimes the best way to get them to talk and open up is to have them pretend to be someone else. It's safer that way for them emotionally." He slides off the costume and opens the top to one of the boxes to shove it in.
"Those kids have experienced the worst of what life has to offer and I don't know what kind of mental health outlets they have over there so I wanted to send something that can be effective with or without a therapist present."
Christian looks at me and then quickly looks away but I know him well enough to know that an idea just popped into his head. Devin takes the drink Carrick offers and moans.
"Cary, will you puh-lease make these for my wedding?" He drops his lashes and looks at Casey reprovingly, "That is if my boyfriend ever grows the, my goodness, talk about couth. Nevermind, change of verbage. Cary, if you would please make these for my wedding when Casey and I decide to get engaged I'd be so grateful!"
"It would be an honor. When Mr. Cooper here makes it official, I shall be your bartender." Have I mentioned that I love my father in law?
"Perfect. And Ray?" My father looks up from a photo he was staring at and raises his brows. "You'll walk me down the aisle." Ray laughs and claps him on the back.
"Devin, I've been trying to give you away for years now but you just keep coming back!" He laughs and pulls Devin in by the shoulder for a quick man hug.
"I know, Ray. It's a disease, this constant yearning for me in your life. So many suffer from it but as you know, it doesn't ever get any better either, you just learn to live with it."
"Did you enjoy yourself today?"
Christian and I are sitting on the balcony at Escala in our pajama's, listening to Valentia Lisitsa and drinking a glass of the wine I brought back from the vineyard yesterday. I'm exhausted both physically and mentally but I need this down time with him right now far more than I need sleep.
"I did. It's hard for me to be the center of attention like that but I think I handled it ok. Outside of wanting to kill myself when they made me wear that stupid bow hat it was fun. How was the poker game?" He sips and lifts my feet into his lap.
"It was a maverick so it was a bit more competitive than a regular game but I think we all had a good time." His free hand begins to squeeze my heel, my head immediately falling against the back of the lounge chair.
"That feels good," I murmur. "So who won?"
"My Uncle Skip which came as no surprise. I was surprised that all the guys stayed for the entire thing though. Between this weekend and next that's a lot of time for them to give up." I smile with my eyes closed and reach for his face.
"They love you. When are you going to realize that? This was as much fun for them as it was for you because they want to be with you and have a good time with you." He stills and then draws his thumb nail up the arch of my foot, the feeling somehow erotic.
"I'm starting to get it," he says quietly. "It's a head trip for me still though." We sit in silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts. "Did you think of your mother today?" I'd been waiting for the question but it still causes my gut to wretch when he asks it.
"I did." He says nothing, just waits for me to elaborate. "She should have been there but I know she would have somehow made it about her or tried to ruin it. So as much as it hurt that she was absent, I also was relieved that I didn't have to worry about what she'd say or do. Does that make sense? Is it crazy to be sad over someone who treated you so poorly?" He scoffs.
"She's your mom, Ana. That shit cuts deep but after all is said and done, she's your mom. You can't just shut that off, trust me, I know." He switches feet and begins to massage the toes on my other foot. "One day you're going to have to really deal with that you know." I want to protest but I can't because frankly, I know he's right.
"I will. I mean, I talk about it to Dr. Fischer a lot, more than anything else at this point but I know I need to deal with her directly one day. Really get it all out, you know?" He nods. "Do you ever wish you could confront your birth mother?" He stops and furrows his brow.
"I'd never thought about it. I don't know if I'd want to." Minutes of comfortable silence pass until he takes a deep breath. "Maybe the next time I'm in Detroit I'll find out where she's buried and stop there." My heart drops to my stomach. "I'd want you to go with me though." He looks at me as if it's even a question.
"Of course I'd go with you, Christian. I will always go with you wherever you need me to." One corner of his mouth quirks up.
"And I'll go with you when you're ready to confront your mother. Though I may need to hire security for her protection." He kisses each of my feet then and then lifts me onto his lap so that I can curl up on him.
"I don't want you to go to work in the morning," I pout. He laughs.
"I have an enormous amount of work that needs to be completed before we go. I am dead set on not working as much as possible on this trip but that means putting in every spare minute this week." He sighs, the sound of rushing air into his lungs a comfort to me. "I'm going to be gone most of the week, baby. I know you'll be busy with your work and last minute wedding stuff but I still feel badly about it." Panic grips me.
"Can I come to GEH and see you?"
"Of course, you can do anything you'd like."
"It's not that I'd like to, Christian, I need to." He pulls me forward a bit to look at me.
"You need to see me?" I nod.
"I just need you. All the time. If you're not with me, all I'm thinking about is when I'll be with you again. When you're with me, all I'm thinking about is how to get closer to you. I feel...desperate for you." I blush and knot my fingers together. "I know that sounds cheesy but it's true and it's getting worse as we get closer to the wedding." Above me he smiles, his arms banding around my torso tightly.
"I can tell." I sit up and look at him.
"Do you feel suffocated? Because I am freaking out over how much I need to be with you." Slowly he leans forward and brushes his lips over mine, the familiar heat his touch brings rushing over me in an instant.
"Suffocated? Not even close. Cherished, loved, wanted, needed. It makes me happy, Ana." I sit still, my eyes closed, our lips touching.
"You make me happy, Christian. And you are all of those things and so much more to me. I can't even put into words how I feel about you, it's too...overwhelming. I studied literature and speak a multitude of languages and still can't find the words to describe my feelings for you." He stands with me still in his arms and walks silently to our bedroom, standing me at the foot of the bed to cup my face between his hands.
"Then show me."