Christian
*I see you've fallen in love with her.*
I frown at Elliot's text.
*What the fuck does that mean?*
Elliot sends me a video. Clicking on it, I realize it's from the softball game last weekend. Someone took a video of the two of us after I bought her the cotton candy.
"God fucking damn it." Now, people are going to be diving into her history. They're going to want to know who she is, what she does, and where she goes. That puts her and my daughter in danger.
*Shit, El. I'm going to have to get security now.*
I liked no one knowing who she was. It made Ellie safer. Now, if they go anywhere without me, I'm going to need someone watching them. I'm not going to have anyone trying to kidnap my daughter because they know they can follow Ms. Steele and she'll be with her.
*It's good to see you relax, dude. You haven't done that since the bitch left. Don't let this video ruin it.*
*I need to keep them safe.*
*I'm sure you will.*
My fingers tap on my desk while I think about it. A part of me wants to think I'm overreacting, but I know the second I tell myself that, something will happen to one of my girls. I'm responsible for both of them and I'm not about to let anything happen on my watch. Pushing myself out of my chair, I decide I need to go find my head of security and pick his brain a little.
XxXxXx
I'm home late tonight. I alerted Anastasia that it'd probably happen, but she didn't seem concerned. She really is so good with my daughter. She never seems to mind spending time with her... even when it's supposed to be her free time. It seems the two of them really are best friends and I find myself glad that Eloise has a strong female to look up to. I know she's missing that connection and I'm hoping that Ms. Steele is helping with that.
I quickly find the girls in the pool in the backyard, thanks to their loud antics. I stand beside the pool while Anastasia chases Ellie around so she can throw her. Ms. Steele is wearing a dark green bikini and I find myself tightening in my pants while I watch her move in the water. I wish I could see the bottom half.
"Nanny Ana! You can't get me!" Ellie taunts her as she comes after her.
It makes me laugh, getting their attention.
"Daddy! You're finally home!"
"Finally!" I agree. "My girls having fun?"
"So much fun, Dad! Nanny Ana said I had too much energy today."
Anastasia laughs. "Yes, that's why we're expending it in the pool before bedtime."
"Come join us, Dad!"
"Yes! Join us!" Anastasia gives me a grin and I don't know how I feel about that.
"Why does this feel like a trick?"
"No trick, Dad! We missed you! Go get your swim suit on!"
Anastasia
While Christian is up in his room changing, I find my heart pounding a little. I am way too interested in what he's going to look like in nothing but a pair of swim shorts. It was obvious in his t-shirt last weekend that he has some muscle and I'm anxious to see how much. I should be ashamed of myself for having a crush on my brooding boss, but hell, I'm liking him more and more each day. His heart is lighter than I ever thought I'd see it. I figured we might have killed each other by now, but instead, we're becoming more friendly.
I get hit in the chest and find little Ellie grinning from ten feet away while a soaker ball is floating in front of me.
"Try that again Eloise Grace! I dare you!"
She gives me an evil grin and lifts her arm to throw another at me. When it hits me I lunge at her, making her squeal. "Get your butt over here, missy!"
"NO! Daddy! Save me!" She giggles as she tries to hurry to the other side of the pool and I turn to find that my boss is a direct descendent of Adonis. He's wearing little black swimshorts, showing off his muscular thighs and strong calves. He's bare on top and his body is lean and strong, his abs evident. I liquify in my spot. Realizing my mouth is hanging open, I snap it shut.
"Are you ogling your boss, Ms. Steele?" He has a seat on the side of the pool before sliding in gracefully.
"Just enjoying the male form, Mr. Grey. Besides Tarzan, I'm afraid I haven't seen much of it lately."
He chuckles. "Mind getting out of the pool so I can enjoy the female form for a few then? It's been awhile for me, too."
I roll my eyes at his flirting. "I think you've seen enough when you chastised me about my workout gear."
His eyes dance with mirth, but Ellie breaks our connection by jumping on the back of her father, her arms wrapping around his neck.
"I got you, Dad!"
Twisting his neck to see his daughter, he presses a kiss to her nose. "You did."
"You're supposed to go under, Dad, so I can dunk you..."
"Oh, right." He gives me a wink before he takes both of them under the water.
I am so out of my realm with this. I have got to get a grip on myself. I don't intend on leaving Ellie until Christian makes me, so we could be stuck like this for a long time. I need to squash this crush quickly. I need to go out and have some fun.
I feel a hand tug hard on my leg and I let out a scream before I go under. By the time I come back up, I'm sputtering and find Christian in front of me, grinning like a Cheshire, his hands gripping my bare waist.
"I got you."
My eyes narrow at the hot bastard in front of me. I jump quickly, using my hands and my body to push him under.
"Get him, Nanny Ana!" Ellie is delighted that I've managed to dunk her father.
"Run, Ellie!" I holler at her and start towards the opposite side of the pool, knowing I only have a few beats before he comes for one of us.
"Steele!" I hear him growl from behind me and I find my body shivering at his tone. "That ass is mine!"
Before I know it, I'm being grabbed and thrown as I squeal like a piglet across the pool.
XxXxXx
I climb out of the pool while Christian is helping dry off Ellie so she can go in and get ready for bed. She keeps yawning and I know the pool definitely helped tire her out. It was so sweet watching daddy/daughter bonding time as they chased each other and played in the pool. I know I'm an outsider, but it's easy to forget that when I get to watch the two of them together. It really makes me want a family of my own, but I suppose this pseudo-family will be enough for now.
I feel eyes on my backside and turn to find Christian staring while he dries himself off.
"Well, now who's ogling who?"
He gives me a boyish grin, making my heart turn to mush. "Sorry."
I shrug. "I really don't mind. Boosts my ego a little to be honest."
My comment makes him bark out a laugh.
"Daddy..."
Our attention gets pulled to the sweet girl standing in her blue tankini. I can't deal with how adorable she is with her little belly button sticking out.
"Yes, Lovebug."
"Can we get a baby?"
I snort making his face go from shock from her to a scowl at me.
"On that note, I'm going to disappear so you two can have a private moment."
"No, Nanny Ana. You have to stay."
"Why's that?" Now, I'm confused.
"At Aerobics today, Ashley talked about her new baby brother. She said her mom and dad kissed so her mommy could carry the baby in her stomach. I want a baby brother, too!"
My eyes meet Christian's and I give him a 'holy shit' look.
"It's not as easy as that, lovebug." Christian tucks her hair behind her ear. "Plus, there is no mommy to carry the baby."
"But, Dad! You and Ana are friends now! Can't you two kiss so she can have a baby?"
Oh my god. I'm dying. I am suddenly so thankful that she is not my child right now and that I don't have to explain this to her. Slowly, I back my way toward my little house, dying to get away from this awkward situation.
Christian sticks me with a solid glare, obviously annoyed that I'm taking the cowards way out by hiding. "That's not how it works, Ellie. Friends don't have babies together."
"Why not?"
"Because it complicates things."
"That's stupid. You are the best dad and Ana is the best nanny. She could be the best mom! I want a mom, Daddy."
His shoulders sag at her admission and he scoops her up in this arms. "I know you do, lovebug. I'm so sorry that your mommy couldn't be what you need. But, you do have Ana now and even though she's not your mom, she loves you so much and is so happy to be with you."
My hand stills on the door to my house. My heart swells at his words, so touched that he sees the love I have for his daughter. The fact that he approves of me being there for his daughter means so much to me. Now, I'm all in the feels. Damn it, Grey. I slip into the house quickly so I can have a good cry.
Christian
My daughter's words broke me tonight. I hate that she's missing her mother so deeply when her mother was nothing but a neglectful deadbeat to our daughter. My heart is shattered for her. I really hope she doesn't blame herself for her mother leaving. Eloise did nothing wrong. She just wants to love and be loved and unfortunately, her mother isn't capable of that. I was so sure I could be enough for her, but after tonight, it's obvious that I was wrong.
Standing, I refill my glass with bourbon from my cabinet in my home office. I've already had one, but I need another to calm my soul. I've been swallowing back tears since I put her to bed. I am so thankful she has Anastasia. It's more important than ever to make sure that Ms. Steele stays. I'll have to be extremely careful how I proceed from here. I can't run her off with my temper or my attraction to her. My needs don't matter when my sweet baby is hanging by a thread. I hope that tonight shows Ms. Steele just how important her role is in Ellie's life now. She's the closest to a mother figure she has and that's a lot of responsibility. I hope she doesn't get cold feet and run off. I can't imagine her doing that, but we've been fucked over before. Still, I don't see Anastasia of being capable of that.
My phone vibrates and Anastasia's name pops up. Fuck. Please don't tell me she's already backing out.
*You okay, Christian?*
I release the breath I was holding. *Yes, why?*
*I noticed the look of devastation on your face when Ellie said she wanted a mom.*
*Parenting is hard.*
*I can only imagine. I'm sure this situation isn't any easier on you...her mother leaving, I mean.*
*Leila and I had been finished for a long time. She's not worth anyone's time or energy.* I don't know why I tell her this. It's really none of her business, but considering she's being so great with Ellie, she deserves to know.
*Well, thank you for feeling like I'm worth Ellies time and energy. What you said tonight meant a lot. I hope I can live up to both of your expectations while I'm here. Ellie means everything to me.*
I down my bourbon, not liking how emotional this night has turned. It started out so light and playful and now I feel like a sheet of fog fucked it all up. It's no ones fault of course. I want Ellie to be open about how she feels and I am glad she trusts me enough to tell me.
*You're worth both of our time and energy, Anastasia.* My thumbs still on my phone. I almost delete it, but it's true and Ms. Steele needs to know how important she is in our world now. I don't want her to doubt her position in our lives.
XxXxXx
You're Invited!
Anastasia Rose Steele requests your presence at:
Nanny Ana's House
Your Backyard
6:00pm sharp
An Italian Dinner Masterpiece Awaits!
No stuffiness allowed.
(p.s. I'm keeping your child until then.)
I smile down at the invitation I found taped to the front door of the house. I look down at my workwear and know it won't do. The invite states no stuffiness allowed, so I suppose it's a jean and t-shirt kind of dinner. Looking at the clock, I see that I only have fifteen minutes before I'm supposed to be knocking on her door.
I quickly throw my bag and empty coffee tumbler on the entryway table and hurry up the grand staircase to my bedroom to get ready.
I decide that a t-shirt might be too casual for an Italian dinner, so I opt for a black polo instead and throw on some darkwash jeans and my black Vans for footwear.
Soon, I find myself knocking on the door to the guesthouse. All the drapes are pulled and I can't see anything. I wasn't aware that Anastasia knew there were even drapes to pull considering she's never used them before.
"He's here! He's here!" I hear the voice of my nine year old from behind the door and it makes me grin. It's obvious that the girls conspired together for this and I find myself excited over it.
The door gets yanked open and Anastasia is standing there in a navy blue flowy sundress that meets her knees, her feet bare. Her long, beautiful hair is down in soft curls and she's wearing soft makeup that makes her eyes look even bigger. Oh, fuck me.
"Wow." It barely comes out. My mouth is suddenly dry.
Giving me a soft smile, she pushes the door open further and I take in the main living space. There is a giant homemade banner that says "Happy Birthday, Christian!" with streamers and hand colored pictures from Ellie hanging from the exposed rafters and walls.
My sweet girl is standing in the middle of the room in her own blue sundress and sparkly tiara as she blows on a noise maker. "Happy birthday, Daddy!"
I'm sure my mouth is on the floor.
"I know your birthday isn't until Saturday, but Elliot said you are spending it with your family, so I thought we could celebrate tonight. Surprise!"
When my shock subsides, I scoop Anastasia up in a hug and spin her in a circle, making her squeal. Laughing, I put her back down. "This is perfect. Thank you."
"Spin me, Daddy! Spin me!" I smile at my beautiful lovebug and spin her a few times, soaking in her laugh as I do.
As I set her down, Anastasia guides me to the table where she pulls out the chair at the head of the table for me.
"Anastasia... this is your-" She quiets me with her fingers over my mouth. I find myself wanting to pucker my lips to kiss them.
"It's your birthday, Christian."
"Yea, Daddy! You're the king! Nanny Ana says the king always sits at the head of the table!"
"The king, huh?"
Ms. Steele giggles at me and reaches toward the table, where I notice a gold crown with red satin and fake gems is sitting.
"I didn't want you to feel like it wasn't a real birthday because you didn't have a crown, so I got you one myself." She teases me as she places it on my head.
"But, you two dethroned me." I give her a grin.
"Well, for your birthday, I'm giving it back."
"Thank you. For everything." My hand finds its way to the side of her neck and rests against her jawline, my fingers caressing the soft hair against her nape. I can't remember ever feeling affection like this for a woman before. I just want her close. I want to hold her close and press my lips to hers. I want to taste her, have her...hell... Possess her. When I lean in, she looks shy and looks down, allowing me to kiss her on her forehead. It's not where I wanted to, but it'll suffice...for now.
Clearing her throat, she takes a step back and my hand falls to my side. "Let's eat."
Anastasia
I'm not going to survive this summer. This man is going to kill me. We've finished the four course dinner that included tiramisu for our dessert and Italian Creme cake cupcake for Ellie. and all three of us are slouching in our seats, Ellie asleep against the table. I give the girl an affectionate grin.
"Thank you for dinner, Ms. Steele. It was delicious. This was a great birthday."
"It's not done yet, Mr. Grey."
He looks surprised. "Is that right?"
Giving him a smile, I push away from the table and go in search for his present that I hid in the bedroom. I find it on the bed and return to hand it to him.
"I thought my present was my crown back." His grin is teasing and it makes me giggle.
"That was just so we could take it from you again. This is your real present." I pick up my cup of coffee and hold it between my hands, taking a sip while I watch him open it.
"Anastasia."
He's staring down at the two large canvases on the table. One is a collage of candid pictures from Ellie's many activities this summer. The other is a large picture of them one evening as he sat with her on the rocks down by the Sound. She's sitting in his lap and his profile can be seen as he kisses her cheek, her back to the camera as she looks out into the water, the sun setting.
"When?"
I grin. "I saw you two down there from my window... and I've sort of formed this hobby... so, I snuck out with my camera and took some shots."
"It's perfect. I'd love more."
I shrug. "It's just a hobby. Eventually, I'd like to do more, but I need a better camera and maybe even a specialized printer... and that all costs a lot. I just bought a photo editor for my laptop, so I figured I'd experiment with these first. They didn't turn out too bad, did they?"
Christian's eyes are still on the canvases in front of him. "They're beautiful. You have a gift, Anastasia. I'd love to fill the house with these."
I blush at his compliment. "That means a lot, Christian."
He gives me a brilliant smile, that almost knocks me out of my chair. God, how I'd love to attack him right now. I want to tear his clothes off and-
Ellie whimpers at her spot at from the table and she rubs her eyes. "Oh, Daddy! You got your present."
"I did."
"I'm sorry I missed it. I'm sleepy."
Reaching over, he runs his palm over her hair. "I know, sweet girl. I think it's time for bed. I'll carry you."
Soon, he's carrying Ellie to the door and I open it for him. "I'll bring the canvases over tomorrow."
He gives me a nod. "Thank you, Anastasia. For all of this. This was perfect." Leaning in, he presses a kiss to my cheek. "Sweet dreams."
I stand in the doorway as he makes his way toward the main house. I know I'm going to end up shattered by the time this is over, but I'm not willing to leave.
Teaser? Just ask.
Next Up: Ana has a night out with Kate and Elliot.