My dear little broccolis💚💚💚

💚 So, this story is dedicated to two particular authors with whom I have briefly touched on those issues, and who make amazing stories. paleseptember10 & Krooela. Go check them out, you won't regret it.

💚 Fallen Angel💚

How would have Christian Grey's life turned out if the Greys had intervened when Elena tried to sink her claws into him? Would he still be the same man as we know, or someone completely different ...

‼️Rated M - {Out Of Characters/All Human/Alternate Universe}‼️

‼️Romance/Angst/Drama/Lemons‼️

‼️AS/CG/The Greys/The Steeles/Jack Hyde/Elena Lincoln‼️

💚 READ & REVIEW, DON'T BE A SILENT READER 💚

Chapter 20: Temptation (6,4K)

Christian's Pov

Ana looks at Jack as I close the door behind him, her brows furrowed as she asks with concern, "I'm not interrupting anything, am I? I thought you said you didn't like lunch meetings."

I could have been in conference with the fucking president that I would have dismissed him. I have missed her so much and all I can think of right now is taking her in my arms.

"Who the fuck cares about Jack?" I growl, taking the basket off her hands and putting it on the floor, looking at her with need and desire.

"Nope! Food doesn't go on the floor mister," she warns me and I repress a groan, doing my best to not throw the fucking basket on the table. Once it's no longer on the floor, I tackle her against the nearest wall and crash my lips to her, relishing in the feel of her lips.

Have her lips always been so soft? Have her kisses always been so intoxicating? Has she always smelled so good? I don't know. I don't care. All I care about is having her with me at that right moment. I get lost in her lips, loving the soft moan escaping her throat when I bring her hands up and angle her head so I can kiss her better.

Without ever breaking contact with her lips, I intertwine my fingers with hers and press my hand against hers as the other one goes to her body. Anastasia Steele would be able to turn the most pious man into a pure sinner!

As I feel my desire for her grow, I finally break our kiss and rest my forehead against hers, out of breath as I confess, "I missed you."

She gently smiles at me and takes a deep breath, letting me know, "I missed you too."

"Those were four very long days. Next time I'm packing you in my suitcase."

She laughs at that and shakes her head, pointing out something ridiculous, "I'm quite heavy, Mr Grey. Though billionaires like yourself don't care much about luggage weight."

I want to pick her up just to prove to her that she's not heavy and that I can have her as my carry-on anytime I want, but of course, that would mean that she would touch me to find her balance. So I swallow my annoyance and deception, and I clear my throat, giving her back her personal space.

"You don't really think you're heavy, do you?" I ask because if she's having an ED, I'll definitely need sessions with Martha. Mia's brought the worst in me and I was anything but supportive. I don't want Ana to run away because of this. I don't want her to run away period.

"Nope. I'm lucky on that front. But I still do know that I weigh more than your average carryon."

She smiles at me, sitting on the small sofa and opening the basket. "Anyway, I decided to pretend I can be a good girlfriend and I brought you food. Though this time it's all store-bought. Work has been hectic this week."

I sit next to her and pick a sandwich as she removes one heel and tucks her foot under her ass. I've noticed that when Ana is comfortable, that's the way she sits and I'm so glad that, no matter the fact that she's in GEH, she still feels comfortable enough around me to be her natural self.

"How come?"

"Two people went on early retirement, and they didn't replace them. So more work for those on the bottom of the food chain. I don't mind, because I love it, but it's a good thing you weren't here. I would have had no time for you. Kate even complained about it."

"You live together. And she's always with Elliott."

Ana shrugs, "Yes and no. She always stays with me … around this period of time."

She doesn't tell me about Kate and her loss, and I don't push her. No matter how much I wish she could rely on me and trust me with all aspects of her life, I know that she doesn't want to talk about things that don't concern her. Hopefully, she does the same about me.

I watch her sip on her soda and I bring my hand to her face, pretending to replace a wild lick when all I wanted was an excuse to touch her. She smiles at me and I smile back before taking another biting in my sandwich and telling her,

"I want to take you on a date tonight. Proper big date in a restaurant and all of that."

"Naha. Next date is on me remember. And it's all already planned. Dress casual."

"Saturday is in fucking forever," I complain. I can't wait until then. I need my Ana-fix. And now I am talking like a junkie! But I have been missing her and I don't want to wait until fucking Saturday to seeder again. I mean dating someone surely means seeing them more than once a week.

But Ana doesn't even seem affected by this high innocent bump into our schedule. She shrugs again and simply says, "I'm sorry, but I already have plans with Kate tonight."

"Kate? Don't you live with the girl? Can't you postpone?"

Ana looks at me as if I am the crazy person for trying to spend some quality time with my girlfriend and she tells me, still unbothered by all of this, "Henry Cavill is visiting tonight. I'm sorry, but no matter how hot and sexy you are, you'll never win against British accent full of muscles."

I bite down on my sandwich, doing my best to be bothered by this. She's allowed to spend some time with her friend. It's not because she's my girlfriend that it means that she needs to spend every waking second with me. But … couldn't she at least pretend that she'd rather spend the evening with me rather Kate. Especially after we haven't seen each other in over four days.

She smiles at me and I see her hand move before she stops herself, which annoys me even more. This whole touch issue is just fucking up my life right now. I know she wanted to touch me but stopped herself because she didn't want to trigger me.

"Just go and see Elliott. Like that, you two bros can wine on how unfair it is that we prefer to drool over some stupid roast beef instead of being with you. And worst-case scenario, if Elliott is that boring to be around, you guys can come over. BUT, you are in no way allowed to judge the amount of fawning that will occur."

.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

We spent the rest of our short lunch together talking about her upcoming visit to my parents. She is quite nervous about it and even admitted having thought of a couple of excuses to get out of it, but in the end, she felt that she couldn't do that to me. I tried to reassure her by telling her that my parents are not monsters (and certainly less scary than her father) and that Kate was going to be there anyway. So technically, she'll only have to meet with my Mom and Dad. Mia is not even in the country at the moment.

The rest of the day went as busy as per usual. There is this new branch that we want to open soon, but we are still trying to decide where should be the main office. Ros argues that we should keep it in the US, but since it is something highly eco friendly, I am not sure about it. Internationally speaking, the US is not particularly known for its ecology. But then again, it's a way to change the way the world sees us.

When I finally leave the office, I go straight to Elliott's. I haven't checked the time on purpose, not that I really had many opportunities to do so, and it's already past eight. As expected, I find him alone in his flat, watching some show on the TV whilst working on his iPad. No matter how much of a clown Elliott can be, he is still a hard-working man.

His company doesn't employ that many people because Elliott insists on doing all this part himself. He knows every single one of his employees and he pays them well above market value. it is some way to see business, and it certainly creates a strong bond between them that can only result in loyalty. In a way, I envy him that. But in the meantime, I don't. Elliott knows when a kid is sick when someone has a wedding or a divorce when someone's grandma died. He's been invited to every wedding since he started his company. And I just can't. I am not a people person, nor do I want to be.

In fact, the way Elliott treats his business is a lot similar to the way Eric treats his. But then again, they are much closer business associates than Eric and me. Eric is my friend and mentor first, he is Elliott's business associate first.

"So … why don't we surprise Ana and Kate? That could be nice," I casually say, because I'm certainly not going to admit to Elliott that I missed Ana during our four days apart. I mean, I have no trouble owning up to that, but I do have problems with the incessant yapping that will result from Elliot knowing that. I'm pretty sure that the word pussy-whipped will be used several times.

"Bad idea, bro! If a girl keeps you away during the first day, be grateful for it. It means she really cares for you and doesn't want to lash out at you."

What kind of drug is my brother on? I know that Elliott likes to talk gibberish, but he usually makes sense. Right now, he makes as much sense as that fucking caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland.

Elliott looks at me as if I was missing the point before he explains, "periods, bro. I'm talking about periods. Technically, today is their first day. They have the same cycle, which is freaky if you ask me."

I shrug at that. Mia did say that she read several articles on the topic and that it's apparently normal for women living under the same roof to synchronise their cycle. Still, I had no idea that Ana was on her period. She didn't look any different as usual. But then again, I have known her since May and I have seen her regularly since then, and I never knew when she was on her period.

"How do you even know that?" I ask because I don't think Ana talks about her period to people. Otherwise, she would have told me.

"I right down Kate's. And she made an off comment a couple of months ago that she and Ana had the same cycle."

I stare at him and he shrugs, "Periods are just part of the relationship, I think it's normal for me to keep track of my girlfriend's most annoying time of the month. I just know that I'm not necessarily welcomed around this time. she's tired and hormonal and I can't relate in any way. So I just lay low and do my best to help. Yesterday, I brought her chocolate and a couple of months ago, I bought her a hot water bottle."

I don't say anything, wondering if this is the kind of things Ana expects from me. But then again, how can I do any of that if she doesn't tell me first. I'm not a magician, and I can't know what's up with her body if she doesn't tell me first.

Elliott looks at me before brusquely getting up and reaching for the remote to switch off the TV. "I guess I owe you one for outing your relationship like I did. Plus it will do you some good to see what a period girlfriend looks like. Just for you to know. Let me take you shipping first."

.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

After we buy flowers, chocolate and a hot water bottle in form of a sheep, I get Taylor to drive us to Ana's place. Elliott makes fun of me all the way in because of the little pink sheep, but I don't care. Ana will get the joke. In fact, the fact that he doesn't get it actually makes me feel good.

We don't knock or ring, and just enter their flat since Elliott has a spare key, which makes me feel … odd. I know that Elliott's and Kate's relationship is not the same as Ana's and mine. For starters, they have been dating longer. And they have crossed steps that are still so fucking far away for us. But … it is still a form of trust that Kate has given Elliott that Ana has still to give me. Or maybe I am doing what Martha says I always do, and I am overthinking and overanalysing the whole thing.

When we enter, we see the girls on their sofa, with pizza in front of them and each wrapped around a blanket. Kate has her hot water bottle on her stomach and she grimaces as she reaches for her purse.

"I'm never betting against you again, Steele."

Then she hands Ana a fifty dollar bill that Ana brandishes like a victory flag as she beckons Elliott and me to come in. "I bet that you guys would come. We ordered an extra pizza."

I glance back at the table and see the other box beneath the one with the slices missing and I smile at Ana. She just knows me that well. Elliott goes to Kate and takes her in his arms so she can snuggle on his lap as he whispers something in her ear that makes her chuckle and kiss him and I just swallow my envy.

Though I have to say, Kate looks nothing like the Kate I have seen today at work. Ana either. They just look drained. So I sit next to my girlfriend, handing her the flowers and chocolate and she brightly smiles at me, telling me to make myself at home and have some pizza whilst she puts the flowers in a vase.

She disappears into her room as Kate pauses the movie, and shouts that the flowers are for her view only, so they will stay in her room. When she comes back, I give her the little sheep and she laughs, winking at me as she takes it and puts hot water in it. Then she comes to sit next to me, and asks, "So who's the wolf in sheep's clothing? You or me?"

"Is it making you feel better?" She nods and so I boast, "Then it's obviously me. I mean, I'm the criminal after all."

She laughs at that before Kate intimidates silence on us as she resumes the movie and I take her hand in mine as we watch Tom Cruise and Henry Cavill fight. For a while, we just watch the movie, but I can't help but be so envious of Kate and Elliott. She is on his lap as he caresses her arm with her head resting on his chest and I am just holding my girlfriend's hand like a fourth grader!

So I take a deep breath and reach for Ana. She frowns looking at me, but I shake my head and indicate that she should put hers on my shoulder. She does, ever so slowly, to give me all the time in the world to retract if I want to, and once I feel the pressure of her head sighing on my shoulder, I let out a breath I didn't even realise was holding.

I see Elliott looking at us from the corner of his eyes, but I don't even try to look his way. First I don't want to have to justify myself later on. Second, this is a moment between Ana and me, period. So, just to prove to her that I'm okay with that, I put my hand on her shoulder, and she gently reaches so our fingers can lock whilst we watch the rest of the movie.

.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

When Saturday finally fucking comes, I am more than curious about Ana's idea of a date, I am excited about it. No matter what, I'll have her to myself for the whole day and I missed that. So right now I am in front of her door, waiting for her and dressed in jeans and a plain grey tee. After all, she said to dress casual.

She comes out of her flat in black jeans and a brown overlarge pullover matching her sneakers. She looks at me from head to toe and complains, "Can't you at least try to look bad once in a while?"

"I can't. I have someone to keep up with," I chuckle, leaning in so I can kiss her. She welcomes my kiss without thinking about it for one second and I bring my hands up to cup her face.

Still, she's the one breaking our sweet kiss, clearing her throat as she lets me know, "I didn't make you come here so early in the morning just to make out."

"What are you saying? You don't like my kissing you?" I tease, my finger tracing the vein of her neck. Her pupils dilate and I lean, ghosting my lips on her soft and sweet skin. "If I recall, I have rendered you breathless a couple of times with just my kisses." I gently pecker my way from her neck to her lips, passing by her jaw. "In fact, I have enjoyed making you speechless with just my lips."

Finally, I kiss her slipping my tongue in her mouth as I enjoy the little moan coming out of her. Our breath mix as one and this time I'm the one who stops our kiss before it becomes too heated and I am not able to walk around without poking someone.

"Anyway? Weren't you supposed to take me out on a date?"

She groans, leaning her head backwards as I take a step back to get a hold of myself. She smiles at me and I show her my hand for her to take it. Then we join Taylor in the car and she gives him an address on a paper. He reads it and raises an eyebrow, looking at her in the rearview mirror.

"Miss Steele?"

"Yup. Though now you can't lie and pretend you're not ex-military."

Taylor chuckles, quickly glancing my way as he responds, "Just keeping informed, Miss. doing my job and all of that."

"Mmmhmm," she says, clearly not believing him as Taylor represses a chuckle, dancing once again my way before driving us to wherever she told him to go.

I squint my eyes at her, my suspicions high and she innocently smiles at me, showing me her hand for me to take it, "Just trust that I am not on my way to dissect and bury you. Though, it wouldn't be very clever of me. I'm pretty sure I am not on your life insurance plan."

"You can be so morbid sometimes."

"I know," she proudly brags. "It's part of my charm."

I laugh with her, and during the ride, we talk about where she will take me for breakfast afterwards. She was very clear that I shouldn't eat anything before I see her, and I have followed her instructions to the T. If needed, I can always grab a doughnut somewhere.

And finally, Taylor pulls over in the outskirt of town, next to a hangar surrounded by barbed wire on which is written,

KEEP OUT

MILITARY PROPERTY

"Are you trying to recruit me for the army?" I ask, trying to make a joke but not making a move to move out of the car. I don't know, this has a very weird vibe if you ask me. Very horror movie. And I don't want to be the dumb idiot who dies first.

"Haha. Nope. We're just going to chase the dawn," she lightly says, getting out of the car and going to meet the dude coming out of the hangar.

"Taylor?" I question as soon as she is out of the car. And this man has the nerve to smirk, looking at me in the rearview mirror.

"I think Miss Steele made it clear, sir. She wants to chase the dawn with you. Apparently in that." He points at the hangar now open and we can see a glider in the front.

Ana is speaking to some balding guy, laughing with him before she waves my way with a great smile. Okay, this shouldn't be a big deal. After all, I know how to fly a fucking helicopter, so I shouldn't have a problem with being in the air with Ana. But … I like being in control when there is a high possibility of me dying. Gliding doesn't sound like it.

But when Ana walks toward me, all those worries fly away and I take the hand she offers me to follow her to the glider. The balding guy comes to us, probably to help us sit, but she dismisses him, telling Jerry that she will take care of it.

Once I am in my seat, she tells me to buckle up, watching me do so before she tells me how to check on each strip on my own. And that's when it downs on me that we are about to literally fall to our death. Willingly. I mean there is no engine to keep us up. Just fucking air. And no matter how much I hate the idea of Ana seeing me panicking, I can't let her lead us to our death like that without protesting a little.

"Ana … I'm not sure about … that."

She reassuringly smiles at me, hopping in her seat but turning so she can still see me. "I remember my first time. I was scared shitless. And if you don't want to go through with it, we won't. But I can promise you, the thrill, the adrenaline, it's more than worth it, it's … ineffable."

I think about aborting the whole thing, just for reason and sanity's sake, but the way her eyes sparkled when she recalled that first time … it made me jealous. I want that feeling too.

So I nod and she gives the go to Jerry, upping her two thumbs before getting in her seat. Jerry comes, makes sure she is properly buckled in before he closes the glider and lets us know in the headphones what is about to happen.

But in all honesty, though I understand why he did it, I kind of wish he didn't. It would have made gliding through the air that much better if I didn't know what to expect. But still, as we glide from airwave to airwave, I have to give it to Ana. This is .. there are no words for it. It's fucking wonderful.

In fact, I don't think I have ever felt something as good before. It was the best fucking adrenaline rush of my life, and I am going to cherish this memory until the day I die.

When we get back on land, as soon as we are out of the glider, I spin Ana around and take her face into my hands so I can crash my lips to hers. And this is how I seal the best morning of my life. I ignore the balding guy, even though I can feel his eyes on us, and just enjoy the moment with my girlfriend. This date is definitely something I am going to put on the pedestal of dates.

"You were right. It was fucking incredible. Even better than flying a helicopter."

"Oh? You can fly a chopper?" She asks, genuinely surprised by this revelation. I grimace at the word. Elliott uses it as well, but it sounds just too deadly and gruesome to me. But then again, I have heard that some military use it in their jargon.

She smiles at me, winking as she lets me know, "Look who's trying to score brownie points in my Dad's eyes. You're doing very well so far."

"Oh really?"

"Yup. Dad loves flying. He's the one who took me to my first glide. And also my first parachute. I wanted to take you parachuting first because you do seem to be a bit of a control freak and there is more control with the chute, but … I don't think it's for you just yet."

I apologetically smile at her, and she waves it off, telling me that now that she's sure I won't puke all over the place, it is time for us to have a proper breakfast.

.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

We spend the rest of the day together, though we have a slight disagreement every time we try to have a bite. Ana is quite a walker, and I don't mind. Walking is mindless exercise, and I don't work out as much as I used to ever since I am with Ana.

But the girl really needs to relax when it comes time for me to be the gentleman and pay for whatever we are doing. I had to fight her for every bill coming our way, and we definitely need to have a conversation about this because this can't keep happening. I know Ana is all about girl-power and ending the patriarchy and all of that. And I'm in full support of that. Otherwise, I wouldn't be with her.

But the girl is still paying her student debt. She can't blow money my way like that, especially when her student loan is just a fraction of a second for me.

Still, that didn't stop us from having fun and even having a frozen yoghurt. Though I did spend the whole time we were eating it ranting on how there were too many fro yo places in Seattle and how I was ever going to spend a single dime investing in it. This made her laugh quite a bit.

When it comes time for us to part, I walk her back to her place, and after an hour of us making out in front of her front door, she lets me know, looking everywhere but in my eyes, "You know, I think I'm having the flat to myself tonight. Kate is taking Elliott to some party and they will probably end the night at his place."

I watch her blush, and caress her face, showing much more confidence in my voice than I am actually feeling, "Are you inviting me to spend the night with you, Miss Steele?"

Her blush deepens, spreading all the way to her neck and she clears her throat, regaining some of her sass and wit, "Don't worry, Grey. I won't take advantage of you."

As of right now, I think she should be more worried about this happening the other way around. But then again, she is certainly still on her period, so even if I didn't have those damn touch issues, this wouldn't be something for us. But that doesn't mean I am going to pass on the opportunity to spend more with Ana.

We cook together, a quick veggie curry, all the while teasing each other to know who has the best chopping skills. Then Ana lets me know that she'll have a quick shower before bed and I use to opportunity to check my phone, reading through a few emails and answering the more urgent ones.

When Ana comes back, she has men's pyjamas in her hands and she tells me, "I stole this from Kate's room, they are probably your brother's. Do you want to have a shower?"

I accept and she takes me to her room for me to use her bathroom. And now, the mystery is solved! Ana smells so good because of her body wash. A mix of vanilla and peach. It doesn't smell the same on me as on her, but I broke down her secret. Once I am clean, I find Ana on her bed, reading a book about 19th-century poisons and I raise my eyebrow at her,

"Should I be worried that you're reading this book just after we've cooked?"

"Haha, no I told you, you will need to get worried when I'll be the beneficiary of your life insurance plan."

I chuckle and reach for the book to close it, though I am careful to mark the page before putting it down on the nightstand. Ana taps the bed on the other side for me to take and so I lay next to her, listening to her as she explains that she's writing a paper on HH Holmes as her motivation letter to the FBI.

And though it is creepy that she likes to look into those kinds of things, I love how she gets excited and passionate about it. She definitely knows what she's talking about. Whether it is what kind of poison the psycho used, the clothes they used to wear, or the penal system of the time. But of course, what she is most interested in is how and why he chose his victim.

Our conversation drifts to other things, more recent and contemporary, and at some point, she mentions something about doctors that makes me sit straight up. She looks at me confused, and I let her know,

"No one is going to interrupt us for sure, tonight." She still seems confused and so I enlighten her, "About our experiment from last week. I'd like to reiterate that."

She chuckles, sitting up as well as she points out, "Well, that doesn't sound surgical at all."

Still, she gets serious and switches on the light of her nightstand so it can see what is happening. Then, she locks eyes with me, and slowly moves so she can straddle me. My hands go to her ass as I swallow with difficulty and she smirks at me, trying to lighten the mood, "Where were we?"

"Kiss me already!" I groan, and she does, her hands steady on the headboard. My hands move from her ass to her shirt, gripping it tightly as if my life depended on it and I pull her closer to me to deepen our kiss.

But this was the biggest most idiotic mistake I have ever made when it comes to Ana. As soon as our chests touch, I tense, feeling every single fibre of my body tense. FUCK!

Why can't it be easy? Why can't I just enjoy making out with my girl without fearing a panic attack because she would touch me? Fucking hell! She tries to move, but I shake my head, refusing to admit defeat like that. Reasonably, I should. My breath is short and erratic, and I know it has nothing to do with her this time. But I refuse to let it rule me this time!

She doesn't move, simply waiting for me to do something with all the patience in the world, and when I finally put some distance between us, I am nothing but a ball of anger. I am angry at the situation, but also at myself for pushing back against Martha every time she tried to make me work on this. If I had listened to her, I wouldn't be in this situation right now.

Gently, Ana reaches for my hand and she says in her soft and sweet voice, "it's okay, Christian." I lock my jaw, feeling that this is anything but okay and she adds with wisdom, "If you rush things, you'll only delay the outcome."

I repress a snort as her words echo something Martha has told me over and over again and I bring her hand to my lips before taking it to my hair and claiming her lips. She shyly lets her hair comb my hair and I growl with satisfaction. At least I can have that. I'll be damned if I don't have my own girlfriend touching me in some way when we're making out!

Somehow, we end up back in laying down, but this time we are a bit closer (though not in each other's arms). She moves her hand so she's no longer touching my hair, and I quickly reclaim them and put them back in place as I let her know, "I don't mind that."

She nods, quickly rolling over to switch off the light before regaining her former position and putting her hand back in my hair. I close my eyes, appreciating the moment before she asks with a small voice,

"Can I ask why?"

My first instincts are to refuse and rebuff her. This is something that I have always kept close and it took me a while to even open up about it to my family. But then I hear Martha's voice who reminds me that I can't hope for a long term with Ana if I don't let her in my deepest and darkest secret.

"You know that I was adopted … Well, my birth mother was … not a good mother. She was a prostitute and addicted to so many substances I lost track. And her pimp was often unhappy with her. He took it out on her, but also on me. So I became his human punching ball and ashtray."

Though she switched off the light, I can still see her face under the moonlight since she hasn't drawn the curtains. And the pity I was expecting to see is inexistent. Instead, I see pain and unshed tears in her beautiful blue eyes. So I reach for her face and let her know,

"Don't worry. I'm seeing someone about all those fucked up issues."

"Having trauma is not the same as being fucked up, Christian." She admonishes me, making me sadly smile at her as my thumb travels her face. She kisses my palm, repressing a yawn, but still makes a point of telling me,

"Thank you for telling me and trusting me."

And just as she says this, just as her eyelids close, heavy with sleep, it hits me with the blunt force of a bullet. I don't know where it's coming from, or how I can be so sure of something so abstract, but I've never been more sure of anything else before in my life. I'm in love with her.

I am in love with Anastasia Rose Steele.

But I don't say it to her. I keep this information to myself. It would freak her out if I told her so soon. Man, it is freaking me out. So I just clasp her hand in mine and tell her,

"Night, babe."

"Night, Christian."

.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

The next morning, I wake up alone in bed, which makes me pause for a moment. I know that I spent the night at Ana's, but I am usually one to wake with the birds. But it seemed that last night was a perfect night of soundless sleep.

I was a bit nervous about that when Ana invited me to stay over last night because I didn't want her to see me have a nightmare on our first night together. But it seemed that her mere presence chased those away, along with insomnia.

I get out of bed, curious about the voices I hear coming from the kitchen, and there I find Elliott and Kate chatting with Ana. Kate smiles at me as Elliott wiggles his eyebrows at me in that annoying way that is so Elliott.

"Morning sleeping beauty," he tells me and I flip him the bird, just so he would tone it down. Kate snickers, though I'm not sure if it's at me or at Elliott, and Ana comes next to me, standing on her toes and waiting for her morning kiss. I definitely should have hit the bathroom first. She smells like berries and I probably have morning breath.

"Why is my stupid brother here? No offence Kate, but you can do so much better."

The girls both laugh and Ana explains, "Apparently they came back here last night because it was closer to the party. But that means a jovial breakfast. Though smoothie for everyone."

"What? Why?" I exclaim, not ready to give up my food and she explains to me that she doesn't want to seem rude to my parents by not eating a lot, so she's having a small breakfast on purpose.

Martha thinks I overthink too much. She has obviously never met Ana. Elliott makes a joke about how we have a ten-course meal, making Ana pale, but before I can reassure her about the idiocy of my brother, someone knocks on the door.

Since I am the closest to the door and the least involved in the conversation (Kate having taken upon herself to remind Ana that Elliott is a national jokester), I go to open the door, curious as to who could knock on a Sunday at the girl's door.

And I was really not inspired when I made that decision. I open the door, still in pyjamas, my hair completely dishevelled, traces of sleep still obvious on my face, and I am found face to face to fucking Colonel Steele who looks at me from head to toe, ready to kill me with just the strength of his gaze.

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.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚

💚 So, the L word has been thought of

💚 And what did you think of the date? and how Christian opeed up to Ana?

💚 What does the Colonel want? If you can guess, you get a teaser ^^

💚Well, let me know what you thought of this chapter. What was your favourite part? What do you think will happen next?

💚 E L James owns the names of the characters from the Fifty Shades franchise, Everything else is mine (including the mistakes and grammar errors).

Love, Mina 💚💚💚