by E. L. James
“I didn’t know what you liked, so I ordered a selection from the breakfast menu,” I mutter by way of an apology.
“That’s very profligate of you,” she says.
“Yes, it is.” My guilt blooms. But as she opts for the pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon with maple syrup, and tucks in, I forgive myself. It’s good to see her eat.
“Tea?” I ask.
“Yes, please,” she says between mouthfuls. She’s obviously famished. I pass her the small teapot of water. She gives me a sweet smile when she notices the Twinings English Breakfast tea.
I have to catch my breath at her expression. And it makes me uneasy.
It gives me hope.
“Your hair’s very damp,” I observe.
“I couldn’t find the hair dryer,” she says, embarrassed.
She’ll get sick.
“Thank you for the clothes,” she adds.
“It’s a pleasure, Anastasia. That color suits you.”
She stares down at her fingers.
“You know, you really should learn to take a compliment.”
Perhaps she doesn’t get many…but why? She’s gorgeous in an understated way.
“I should give you some money for these clothes.”
What?
I glare at her, and she continues quickly, “You’ve already given me the books, which, of course, I can’t accept. But these, please let me pay you back.”
Sweetheart.
“Anastasia, trust me, I can afford it.”
“That’s not the point. Why should you buy these for me?”
“Because I can.” I’m a very rich man, Ana.
“Just because you can doesn’t mean that you should.” Her voice is soft, but suddenly I’m wondering if she’s looked through me and seen my darkest desires. “Why did you send me the books, Christian?”
Because I wanted to see you again, and here you are…
“Well, when you were nearly run over by the cyclist—and I was holding you and you were looking up at me—all ‘kiss me, kiss me, Christian’—” I stop, recalling that moment, her body pressed against mine. Shit. Quickly I shrug off the memory. “I felt I owed you an apology and a warning. Anastasia, I’m not a hearts-and-flowers kind of man. I don’t do romance. My tastes are very singular. You should steer clear of me. There’s something about you, though, and I’m finding it impossible to stay away. But I think you’ve figured that out already.”
“Then don’t,” she whispers.
What?
“You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“Enlighten me, then.”
Her words travel straight to my cock.
Fuck.
“You’re not celibate?” she asks.
“No, Anastasia, I’m not celibate.” And if you’d let me tie you up I’d prove it to you right now.
Her eyes widen and her cheeks pink.
Oh, Ana.
I have to show her. It’s the only way I’ll know. “What are your plans for the next few days?” I ask.
“I’m working today, from midday. What time is it?” she exclaims in panic.
“It’s just after ten; you’ve plenty of time. What about tomorrow?”
“Kate and I are going to start packing. We’re moving to Seattle next weekend, and I’m working at Clayton’s all this week.”
“You have a place in Seattle already?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“I can’t remember the address. It’s in the Pike Market District.”
“Not far from me.” Good! “So what are you going to do for work in Seattle?”
“I’ve applied for some internships. I’m waiting to hear.”
“Have you applied to my company, as I suggested?”
“Um…no.”
“And what’s wrong with my company?”
“Your company or your company?” She arches an eyebrow.
“Are you smirking at me, Miss Steele?” I can’t hide my amusement.
Oh, she’d be a joy to train…challenging, maddening woman.
She examines her plate, chewing at her lip.
“I’d like to bite that lip,” I whisper, because it’s true.
Her face flies to mine and she shuffles in her seat. She tilts her chin toward me, her eyes full of confidence. “Why don’t you?” she says quietly.
Oh. Don’t tempt me, baby. I can’t. Not yet.
“Because I’m not going to touch you, Anastasia—not until I have your written consent to do so.”
“What does that mean?” she asks.
“Exactly what I say. I need to show you, Anastasia.” So you know what you’re getting yourself into. “What time do you finish work this evening?”
“About eight.”
“Well, we could go to Seattle this evening or next Saturday for dinner at my place, and I’ll acquaint you with the facts then. The choice is yours.”
“Why can’t you tell me now?”
“Because I’m enjoying my breakfast and your company. Once you’re enlightened, you probably won’t want to see me again.”
She frowns as she processes what I’ve said. “Tonight,” she says.
Whoa. That didn’t take long.
“Like Eve, you’re so quick to eat from the tree of knowledge,” I taunt her.
“Are you smirking at me, Mr. Grey?” she asks.
I look at her through narrowed eyes.
Okay, baby, you asked for this.
I pick up my phone and press Taylor on speed dial. He answers almost immediately.
“Mr. Grey.”
“Taylor. I’m going to need Charlie Tango.”
She watches me closely as I make arrangements to bring my EC135 to Portland.
I’ll show her what I have in mind…and the rest will be up to her. She may want to come home once she knows. I’ll need Stephan, my pilot, to be on standby so he can bring her back to Portland if she decides to have nothing more to do with me. I hope that’s not the case.
And it dawns on me that I’m thrilled that I can take her to Seattle in Charlie Tango.
It’ll be a first.
“Standby pilot from 22:30,” I confirm with Taylor and hang up.
“Do people always do what you tell them?” she asks, and the disapproval in her voice is obvious. Is she scolding me now? Her challenge is annoying.
“Usually, if they want to keep their jobs.” Don’t question how I treat my staff.
“And if they don’t work for you?” she adds.
“Oh, I can be very persuasive, Anastasia. You should finish your breakfast. And then I’ll drop you off at home. I’ll pick you up at Clayton’s at eight when you finish. We’ll fly up to Seattle.”
“Fly?”
“Yes. I have a helicopter.”
Her mouth drops open, forming a small o. It’s a pleasing moment.
“We’ll go by helicopter to Seattle?” she whispers.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I can.” I grin. Sometimes it’s just fucking great to be me. “Finish your breakfast.”
She seems stunned.
“Eat!” My voice is more forceful. “Anastasia, I have an issue with wasted food. Eat.”
“I can’t eat all this.” She studies all the food on the table and I feel guilty once more. Yes, there is too much food here.
“Eat what’s on your plate. If you’d eaten properly yesterday, you wouldn’t be here, and I wouldn’t be declaring my hand so soon.”
Hell. This could be a huge mistake.
She gives me a sideways look as she chases her food around on the plate with a fork, and her mouth twitches.
“What’s so funny?”
She shakes her head and pops th
e last piece of pancake into her mouth, and I try not to laugh. As ever, she surprises me. She’s awkward, unexpected, and disarming. She really makes me want to laugh, and what’s more, it’s at myself.
“Good girl,” I mutter. “I’ll take you home when you’ve dried your hair. I don’t want you getting ill.”
You’ll need all your strength for tonight, for what I have to show you.
Suddenly, she gets up from the table and I have to stop myself from telling her that she doesn’t have permission.
She’s not your submissive…yet, Grey.
On the way back to the bedroom, she pauses by the sofa.
“Where did you sleep last night?” she asks.
“In my bed.” With you.
“Oh.”
“Yes, it was quite a novelty for me, too.”
“Not having…sex.”
She said the s-word…and the telltale pink cheeks appear.
“No.”
How can I tell her this, without it sounding weird?
Just tell her, Grey.
“Sleeping with someone.” Nonchalantly, I turn my attention back to the sports section and the write-up on last night’s game, then watch as she disappears into the bedroom.
No, that didn’t sound weird at all.
Well, I have another date with Miss Steele. No, not a date. She needs to know about me. I let out a long breath and drink what’s left of my orange juice. This is shaping up to be a very interesting day. I’m pleased when I hear the buzz of the hair dryer and surprised that she’s doing what she’s been told.
While I’m waiting for her, I phone the valet to bring my car up from the garage and check her address once more on Google Maps. Next, I text Andrea to send me an NDA via e-mail; if Ana wants enlightenment, she’ll need to keep her mouth shut. My phone buzzes. It’s Ros.
As I’m on the phone, Ana emerges from the bedroom and picks up her purse. Ros is talking about Darfur, but my attention is on Miss Steele. She rummages around in her purse and she’s pleased when she finds a hair tie.
Her hair is beautiful. Lush. Long. Thick. Idly, I wonder what it would be like to braid. She ties it back and puts on her jacket, then sits down on the sofa, waiting for me to finish my call.
“Okay, let’s do it. Keep me abreast of progress.” I conclude my conversation with Ros. She’s been working miracles and it looks like our food shipment to Darfur is happening.
“Ready to go?” I ask Ana. She nods. I grab my jacket and car keys and follow her out the door. She peeks at me through long lashes as we walk toward the elevator, and her lips curl into a shy smile. My lips twitch in response.
What the hell is she doing to me?
The elevator arrives, and I allow her to step in first. I press the first-floor button and the doors close. In the confines of the elevator, I’m completely aware of her. A trace of her sweet fragrance invades my senses…Her breathing alters, hitching a little, and she peeks up at me with a bright come-hither look.
Shit.
She bites her lip.
She’s doing this on purpose. And for a split second I’m lost in her sensual, mesmerizing stare. She doesn’t back down.
I’m hard.
Instantly.
I want her.
Here.
Now.
In the elevator.
“Oh, fuck the paperwork.” The words come from nowhere and on instinct I grab her and push her against the wall. Clasping both her hands, I pin them above her head so she can’t touch me, and once she’s secure, I twist my other hand in her hair while my lips seek and find hers.
She moans into my mouth, the call of a siren, and finally I can sample her: mint and tea and an orchard of mellow fruitfulness. She tastes every bit as good as she looks. Reminding me of a time of plenty. Good Lord. I’m yearning for her. I grasp her chin, deepening the kiss, and her tongue tentatively touches mine…exploring. Considering. Feeling. Kissing me back.
Oh, God in heaven.
“You. Are. So. Sweet,” I murmur against her lips, completely intoxicated, punch-drunk with her scent and taste.
The elevator stops and the doors begin to open.
Get a fucking grip, Grey.
I push myself off her and stand beyond her reach.
She’s breathing hard.
As am I.
When was the last time I lost control?
Three men in business suits give us knowing looks as they join us.
And I stare at the poster that’s above the buttons in the elevator advertising a sensual weekend at The Heathman. I glance at Ana and exhale.
She grins.
And my lips twitch once more.
What the fuck has she done to me?
The elevator stops at the second floor and the guys get out, leaving me alone with Miss Steele.
“You’ve brushed your teeth,” I observe with wry amusement.
“I used your toothbrush,” she says, eyes shining.
Of course she has…and for some reason, I find this pleasing, too pleasing. I stifle my smile. “Oh, Anastasia Steele, what am I going to do with you?” I take her hand as the elevator doors open on the ground floor, and I mutter under my breath, “What is it about elevators?” She gives me a knowing look as we stroll across the polished marble of the lobby.
The car is waiting in one of the bays in front of the hotel; the valet is pacing impatiently. I give him an obscene tip and open the passenger door for Ana, who is quiet and introspective.
But she hasn’t run.
Even though I jumped her in the elevator.
I should say something about what happened in there—but what?
Sorry?
How was that for you?
What the hell are you doing to me?
I start the car and decide that the less said, the better. The soothing sound of Delibes’s “Flower Duet” fills the car and I begin to relax.
“What are we listening to?” Ana inquires, as I turn onto Southwest Jefferson Street. I tell her and ask her if she likes it.
“Christian, it’s wonderful.”
To hear my name on her lips is a strange delight. She’s said it about half a dozen times now, and each time it’s different. Today, it’s with wonder—at the music. It’s great that she likes this piece: it’s one of my favorites. I find myself beaming; she’s obviously excused me for the elevator outburst.
“Can I hear that again?”
“Of course.” I tap the touch screen to replay the music.
“You like classical music?” she asks, as we cross the Fremont Bridge, and we fall into an easy conversation about my taste in music. While we’re talking I get a call on the hands-free.
“Grey,” I answer.
“Mr. Grey, it’s Welch here. I have the information you require.” Oh yes, details about the photographer.
“Good. E-mail it to me. Anything to add?”
“No, sir.”
I press the button and the music is back. We both listen, now lost in the raw sound of the Kings of Leon. But it doesn’t last long—our listening pleasure is disturbed once more by the hands-free.
What the hell?
“Grey,” I snap.
“The NDA has been e-mailed to you, Mr. Grey.”
“Good. That’s all, Andrea.”
“Good day, sir.”
I sneak a look at Ana, to see if she’s picked up on that conversation, but she’s studying the Portland scenery. I suspect she’s being polite. It’s difficult to keep my eyes on the road. I want to stare at her. For all her maladroitness, she has a beautiful neckline, one that I’d like to kiss from the bottom of her ear right down to her shoulder.
Hell. I shuffle in my seat. I hope she agrees to sign the NDA and to take what I have to offer.
When we join I-5 I get
another call.
It’s Elliot.
“Hi, Christian, d’you get laid?”
Oh…smooth, dude, smooth.
“Hello, Elliot—I’m on speakerphone, and I’m not alone in the car.”
“Who’s with you?”
“Anastasia Steele.”
“Hi, Ana!”
“Hello, Elliot,” she says, animated.
“Heard a lot about you,” Elliot says.
Shit. What has he heard?
“Don’t believe a word Kate says,” she responds good-naturedly.
Elliot laughs.
“I’m dropping Anastasia off now. Shall I pick you up?” I interject.
There’s no doubt Elliot will want to make a quick getaway.
“Sure.”
“See you shortly.” I hang up.
“Why do you insist on calling me Anastasia?” she asks.
“Because it’s your name.”
“I prefer Ana.”
“Do you, now?”
“Ana” is too everyday and ordinary for her. And too familiar. Those three letters have the power to wound…
And in that moment I know that her rejection, when it comes, will be hard to take. It’s happened before, but I’ve never felt this…invested. I don’t even know this girl, but I want to know her, all of her. Maybe it’s because I’ve never chased a woman.
Grey, get control of yourself and follow the rules, otherwise this will all go to shit.
“Anastasia,” I say, ignoring her disapproving look. “What happened in the elevator—it won’t happen again—well, not unless it’s premeditated.”
That keeps her quiet as I park outside her apartment. Before she can answer me I climb out of the car, walk around and open her door.
As she steps onto the sidewalk, she gives me a fleeting glance. “I liked what happened in the elevator,” she says.
You did? Her confession halts me in my tracks. I’m pleasantly surprised again by little Miss Steele. As she walks up the steps to the front door, I have to scramble to keep up with her.
Elliot and Kate look up when we enter. They’re sitting at a dining table in a sparsely furnished room, befitting a couple of students. There are a few packing boxes beside a bookshelf. Elliot looks relaxed and not in a hurry to leave, which surprises me.
Kavanagh jumps up and gives me a critical once-over as she hugs Ana.
