Hey guys. I'm so sorry for taking long to update, life has been busy and I haven't had the time I thought I would to be able to write. I've managed to write this one, but I hope it isn't too bad or boring. It's probably not as humorous as other chapters either. Sorry.

Chapter 30

Part 2

With one of my hands still grasping onto my man's gorgeous backside, we move towards a table where drinks are being served while the Mega-Beast is in front of us, leading the way. What did Christian say her name is? Elena? Well, personally, I think Mega-Beast is a far better name to refer to her as rather than Elena.

Horrible as it may be, I find I don't like this woman already. There's just something about her- the way she ignores me as if I'm not there, the way she demands Christian's attention- that unsettles me.

Still, I'm the only one molesting his right butt cheek right now, holding on for dear life with my hand- not her. I'm the one who's wearing the CHRISTIAN'S sterling silver initial necklace that he gave me as a gift. I'm the one he refers to as his girlfriend. But despite all this, I just can't help my animosity.

There's two white-suited servers gathering up glasses of what looks like bubbly champagne to offer everyone. Christian grabs me one, handing it carefully for me while grabbing one for himself.

He lets the Mega-Beast grab her own glass. My inner Gollum likes that; the fact that he gets me a drink and me alone. My inner Gollum likes that a lot.

Grabbing her own glass, the Mega-Beast finally turns to acknowledge me properly while pursing her lips over her champagne glass. Her eyes drift down lower to my arm and, where my hand is, hidden behind Christian's back, still squeezing his buttocks tenderly. As her eyes dart back up to meet mine, I notice one of her thin, overly plucked eyebrows dart up.

I give her a look back as good as I can, raising my own brows in a silent challenge. Yeah, see? Whoever you were to him, that's in the past now. Christian's all MINE, and, as you can fair well probably notice, I'm still groping his butt cheeks. He lets me do it, and you want to know why that is? It's because he's MINE and he lets me grope his butt cheeks, NOT you, Mega-Beast!

"Anastasia's agreed to be my girlfriend," I hear Christian murmur over the loud chatter in the room.

At that comment, she looks at me again. It's really hard to know what she's thinking with her look. "Well, of course she did," she murmurs back, and then after taking another sip of her wine, "Who could possibly say no to you, Christian? You truly have no idea how lovable you are, do you?"

Lovable? I almost choke on the sip of my own champagne I've sucked in. Yeah, Christian's lovable no doubts about it. But oh, the nerve she has!

"Actually, Christian, darling." She says his name like it's candy. "I was wondering if I could have a minute alone to speak to Anastasia?"

I'm not sure who's more surprised; Me or Christian. This is going to be interesting. I'm curious to hear what she has to say to me.

"You'll be all right?" Christian asks softly, and when I glance over at him again, I realize he's directing the question to me. Why would he think I wouldn't be all right? Really, it's the Mega-Beasts well-being that I think he should be concerned about. I am this close to knocking her to the floor.

I nod once, forcing a smile, my ovaries coming alive at his wary, intense look for me. They twist and curl, cooing for his babies tenderly inside of me. "I'll be fine," I say sweetly, and it's like my entire body follows, coming alive as he leans down. He kisses me on the cheek and that kiss goes straight to my vag, I may as well be honest. That's just what the man is capable of doing to me.

My lady parts are singing by the time he moves his mouth to my ear, whispering in a controlled, cold voice, "Let me know if she bothers you and I'll handle it." Oh, like I can't handle my own. I am so ready to put the Mega-Beast in her rightful place.

Then he leaves us, striding to a group of businessmen who eagerly shake his hand. The confidence he alludes, it's mind-blowing. He easily falls into conversation with all the men, holding his own. I so want to jump him right now, my lady parts and ovaries are certainly crying out for it. Only it's too crowded and I need to deal with Elena first.

Forcing my eyes away, I turn to look at her while swallowing a mouthful of my drink down.

"He's never had a girlfriend before," she finally speaks, standing beside me so she can probably ogle my man herself while she gossips about him. Of course he hasn't had a girlfriend before. There can only be me, myself, and I "Usually he asks for my help to pick the submissive girls. He likes his brunettes."

"I'm not his submissive," I murmur, unsure to figure out what her tone is implying. "I'm just his girlfriend. Oh, and he really didn't need your help with picking me. We found each other all by ourselves." I can't help the tone of disdain in my voice.

She glances at me swiftly past her shoulder, then her beady eyes fall on Christian again. Mine do as well as he turns his head, watching us carefully. He's clearly braced and ready to come intervene if things get too messy between us, but he need not worry. The only one going down is her.

"So how long have you two been in a relationship for now exactly?" she asks. "How long have you been his girlfriend?"

I really can't see how any of this is her business. I let my answer linger while swallowing down a few small sips of my champagne, letting the unanswered question stew in the air between us. Then I lick my lips slowly as I finally say, "I don't really see how that has anything to do with you, how long I've been his girlfriend for."

"Touche," she murmurs with a light shrug of her shoulder. "He's watching what goes on between us like a hawk."

"I know he is."

"I think he's worried about what I'm going to say to you."

"Well, he shouldn't be. I'm a big girl." I tilt my chin higher up in the air, hoping I look stronger, more fiercer. "I think I can easily handle myself."

"Good. Then I'll spare you a lengthy conversation by getting straight to the punch," Mega-Beast Elena decides smartly.

"Good decision."

"You know, that time when you left him, because of that... that 'room'..." I know immediately that the 'room' she's indirectly hinting to is his Anabilia collection room. "He came to me afterwards." My stomach curls at her words. I know he said that he saw her because she helped apparently put some things into perspective, but it still makes me feel funny, knowing that he had. "He explained everything. The... need to take your things, to create a sort of... 'shrine' of you- something so very uncharacteristic of him. I hadn't seen him that way before."

When I throw a look at the side of her face at the unnerving tone in her voice, I think I see her physically shudder as if lost back there in the memory of how he looked.

"Usually he doesn't get affected by certain things but... it's clearly different with you. You obviously mean a lot to him." She shudders again, her eyes narrow as she stares at him across the room absently. "He was extremely... broken when you left him. Frankly I've never seen him that way about a young woman before."

He was broken? My eyes move to where Christian is in the room while he speaks animatedly with the group of men, one hand still holding his glass of champagne tightly, my heart seizing painfully. Oh, my poor baby. While I know now that I will never run out on him ever again, it still hurts to hear her confirm just how heartbroken he was. But then why is she telling me this? Is this her way of guilt-tripping me?

"And clearly, seeing you two back together now, with everything apparently fine and dandy, he looks happy," she says with a long sigh, as if she's reluctant to admit it to herself. "You must make him happy."

Well, of course I do. He's happy with me and I'm happy with him because we're soul mates, we belong together. This is where we're supposed to be- together, just me and him. Like I don't already know that. Why does she feel the need to tell me this?

"He makes me happy too," I mutter, eyeing her.

"And I'm sure you already know then that he's in love with you," Elena Mega-Beast adds, waving it off dismissively with her hand, her gigantic diamond ring flashing at me brightly. "It's no doubt obvious to you."

What? My mouth hangs open at her comment as I try not to heave like an animal in heat. She has the gall to say that Christian's in love with me when he hasn't even told me that himself? Of course, I've known he has to be in love with me, just as I feel I am passionately, murderously in love with him. But to hear it out loud from someone else... my stomach clenches and aches like I've just been doing a billion sit ups.

"He's never completely been in love with a woman before. I don't think he's even totally sure it's love that he's feeling himself. But I saw it there... that night when you left him, his reaction when he came to me. How... broken he was, how... obsessive he is to collect things of you. He just has... peculiar ways of showing it." She keeps babbling on like she's got some verbal diarrhea happening. "Which is only natural, I suppose, given the way he was brought up and what he experienced. His issues." A brief fond smile flickers across the Mega-Beasts Botox lips. "He doesn't think he's worthy of love, that he's... undeserving of it, that he's too... messed-up with all of his psychological issues."

It feels wrong, hearing this from her. And yet I cannot stop listening to her.

"It's obvious that you feel the same way too. But..." The 'but' lingers as, suddenly, she grabs onto one of my hands, holding my wrist tightly in warning. My eyes fling over to meet hers in outrage at what she's doing, her ice-cold eyes glaring back into mine with warning, "But... if it ever happens again and he comes to me, broken due to you, I won't hesitate to hunt you down and make you sorry. Is that understood, little girly?"

Little girly? Holy Satan's fiery testicles, she didn't. Oh N to the O!

I gape at her, almost disbelieving what she's saying between the lines. Wow, she's actually daring to threaten me. And to touch me in such a manner? Her eyes burn into mine fiercely, her fingers tightening over my wrist. The lady clearly does not know who she is dealing with here. Well, I'm happy to show her.

I feel it come over me. My inner Alex Forrest is unleashed, uncontrolled.

I step closer while her fingers tighten marginally over my wrist, my other fingers and hand that is holding the stem of my champagne glass shaking brutally between us.

"Firstly," I murmur in as deadly quiet a voice as possible, seething through gritted teeth, "Take your hand off me. And secondly..." A disbelieved giggle bubbles up, spilling out of my mouth at her audacity. "Secondly you have no business threatening me."

She releases my wrist at once, my skin burning at after-sensation of her bony fingers squeezing into it, cutting the circulation off there.

"You think what I'm telling you is funny, little girly?" Her name for me is really starting to get on my last nerve. "You dare to laugh at such a serious conversation concerning Christian?"

I edge closer, holding her gaze again with steady, unwavering eyes. I will not show any feelings of intimidation to her, I will not back down. Really, I have no true feelings of fear or intimidation over the woman at all, nor at her threat. I'm not afraid of her.

"I'm not laughing at the subject of our conversation, believe me," I whisper to her, stink-eyeing her. And I'm known to give good stink-eye. She stares back, showing no flicker of her own fear. "I'm simply laughing at the audacity you have to unnecessarily threaten me."

My heart is pounding crazily, I'm that infuriated.

"Oh, and by the way, not that it has anything to do with you, but there won't be any repercussions of me leaving Christian ever again. I'm holding on tight this time for real and I am not ever, ever letting go. Christian and I belong together, just me and him, and that's the way it's going to be until the very end. Just me and him." I grit my teeth, enunciating every word slowly and carefully through them. "And seeing as you dared to threaten me, I figure it's completely warranted of me to give you a little piece of my own advice."

Elena Mega-beasts mouth drops open, then closes again in shock. She obviously wasn't expecting it. But what do they say? Never judge a book by it's cover. "Oh, do you now?" she huffs incredulously, blinking heavily at me as I get close enough with our faces that, any closer, we'd be headbutting.

"If you- or anyone else for that matter- tries to come between me and Christian, then, well..." I huff under my breath loudly, speechless on how to even find the decent words, shaking my head. "Well, let's just say that there's a whole other deep and nasty side of me that you don't ever even want to meet. As 'Little girly' as I may seem to you, there's a whole lot more underneath all of this-" Here, I gesture at my dress and body "-that would send you shitting yourself if you ever came to bring it out of me. Now am I making myself clear enough?"

"He's coming back," she murmurs in warning, her eyes flickering to something behind me as she swallows nervously.

"Good. Because I think we're both done here." Moving back a few steps in my heels, I place a smile on my face as I look off to where she was glancing to, my face still red.

And she's right; He is coming back. Christian is eyeing the pair of us warily as he strides through the crowd, dodging a few men to get to us again. I try to appear completely normal as I keep my smile in place for him, running my eyes slowly down his suit. Damn, he looks good. I just hope the Mega-Beast heeds my own advice.

Just as he reaches us while taking my hand, the Mega-Beast excuses herself quickly, turning around to find someone else to speak to. My whole entire body relaxes the second she does.

"Did everything go okay?" he asks me, unable to hide the worry in his tone. I peer up at him to see the concern etched all over his face. He was broken when I'd stormed out all due to the Anabilia room- according to the Mega-Beast. My poor baby. "What did she want to speak to you about?"

Oh, crap. I strive for an excuse. "Oh, nothing of importance," I mutter dismissively with a shrug. "Um, she just spoke about her business."

Christian's eyebrows furrow. "Her business?" he repeats in confusion.

"Um, yeah. I... I mean the business that you two do together. It's very... interesting." Please don't ask me more about it, I plead, staring up at his precious face. Please don't ask. Please don't.

"Hmm." A playfully thoughtful look comes across his face as he reaches over, tucking a strand of my hair back behind my ear, only after securely tucking my hair back, he leaves his hand there for some reason. I discover why when I start to feel him use the tip of his thumb.

He rubs back and forth over the curve of my ear and down towards my earlobe, making me shudder. I have no idea what he's doing, all I know is that it feels good. Is this a new way of him being kinky freaky? What- does he now have an ear fetish too?

"Are you enjoying yourself tonight, Mr Grey?" I bring myself to ask, shivering again. I sound too breathless and croaky.

"Not particularly, although I am enjoying the sight of you in that dress." My cheeks redden.

"Ditto, Mr Grey," I murmur breathlessly, my voice too panty like I'm suddenly overcome with exhaustion. "Right back at you. I know I'm definitely enjoying the sight of you in that suit." It makes it easier to imagine what you'll look like dressed on our wedding day...

He runs a slow hand through his hair while his other hand keeps up with rubbing around my ear in a strangely erotic and sensual way, his eyes bright as he bites a little on his lower lip with his teeth. Dang, I so want to do that.

He better stop or else I think I'll spontaneously explode into thousand little pieces of glitter.

"I have an idea." At last he stops fingering my ear with his thumb, dropping his hand away from me.

"Oh? And what sort of idea?"

"How about you come with me?" There's something meaningful in his voice that I don't understand. What the heck? Come with him where? "But finish the rest of your champagne first. Something tells me you'll need it."

"Need it?" Although confused, I drain the rest of the bubbly liquid down my throat in less than five gulps. "Okay, all done." I put the now empty glass on the table behind me quickly. "Where do you want to go?"

He doesn't answer. All he does is hold his hand out to me, his long fingers outstretched. It's like he's tempting me with his hand alone. His gray eyes are bright, shining with something. I only figure it out once I take his hand and let him lead me through the crowd towards the exit. Oh, of course. I think somebody wants to indulge in their pantie-sniffing fetish.

"I see straight through you, Grey," I tease as we reach through the doors, stepping outside into the cold night air. "Don't think I can't." I pull at his hand with a laugh.

Christian turns to look at me while pausing by a small group of stairs that lead down into a large garden. "What?" he asks, and since lights have lit up outside the back, I can see his face easily. He looks sincerely clueless, like he doesn't know what I'm talking about or hinting to. He's so good at this. Dang, the man is great at his acting. "What do you think I'm doing by bringing you out here?"

"You know exactly why," I murmur. "To fulfill your pantie sniffing fetish. It has been over an hour after all. The withdrawals must be hitting you like crazy."

He runs his hand through his hair as he looks back at me, smiling. "That's part of it, I admit. But that wasn't the only reason." He starts stepping down the small stairs, steering me along with him. Once we hit the grass, I learn that heels and grassy earth are definitely not a good combo. "I wanted to tell you something also, Ana," he adds, his voice breathy and low. I think he's nervous for some reason. Shit. What's going to happen?

An unsettling, panicked feeling settles into my stomach as I try to think of what he wants to talk about while my heels stab at the grass. He better not be the one leaving me. I so am not letting him go.

It's funny how the Mega-Beast Elena didn't scare me with her threats but something like this, the unknowing of what Christian wants to say, this does terrify me.

But at least I get a small, annoying distraction from the fear of his abandonment. One of my heels slides straight through dirt, causing me to topple slightly off my feet.

"Christian, wait!" I cry out, steadying myself. He turns around on the spot to look at me, reaching out with his arms, helping me remain upright himself. "These heels aren't going to let me walk on the grass."

"Then problem solved," he murmurs, and I get what he means immediately with what he does next.

A high-pitched, surprise squeak erupts from me as, unexpectedly, Christian wraps both of his muscular arms around my waist. Seemingly without effort and like I'm light as a feather, he lifts and scoops me over his shoulder.

I'm fairly certain the dress I'm wearing has ridden up to show my ass and my panties to any spectators, but when I lift my head up from somewhere near his backside, my hair hanging around me, to my relief I can't see anyone outside around us anyway. Everyone must all be inside, enjoying talking about business while sipping their decadent glasses of champagne.

"Christian, my dress," I gasp out nervously as he starts walking again with me. "I hope no one's outside otherwise they're going to get an eyesore when they see me all exposed with my panties out and my legs!"

And maybe my lady garden peeking through the sides of my panties. Yeah, there's a lot of that too. I really do need to invest in a good speedy bikini waxing session, but if Christian has any issues with a bushy jungle down there, he certainly hasn't mentioned it.

"Beautiful legs," I think I hear Christian murmur appreciatively in front of me. Then he lifts one of his hands only to hold it in place over my underwear, covering me somewhat while flexing his fingers, giving my buttocks a sort of nice yet rough massage. Mmm. Feels good.

But that pleasure of him kneading my backside through my panties doesn't last for long, the further he strides through the lawn. It's obvious that we are really far away from the house now. There's no lights and its really dark, with only the moon illuminating our surroundings. Why do I get the feeling that he is going to murder me, but in the most heavenly way? Then afterwards make a makeshift grave to dump my body in it?

"Christian, where are you taking us?" I demand shakily. "And why?"

"I already told you. There's something I need to tell you."

The blood rushes to my head as I continue to bob up and down over his shoulder. I wonder what he needs to tell me though. Something bad? Utilizing my arms, I stretch them around his waist, then tighten them for something to cling onto to stop the rocking and bouncing. I hear him inhale deeply.

"What do you need to tell me? What is it? And why so far from the house where everyone is? If it's to indulge in your pantie sniffing habit then sure, I get it. But what do you need to tell me?"

I can only sigh in deep relief as Christian at last sets me down carefully onto my feet near a huge, tall tree. I steady myself against it, resting my shoulder on the rough bark while panting heavily. I can only just see him in the faint light of the moon; He's breathing heavily himself, one hand resting in his hair as he rubs the other over his suit jacket repetitively. Why is he so nervous about what he's about to tell me?

Sure, he may have an Anabilia room dedicated to me; which had my bloody tampon in it before he threw it out, frizzy loose hairs from my hairbrush, my toothbrush. Any normal and sane person would be terrified of that, maybe even sickened, yet... nothing terrifies me and sickens me more than not being able to tell what he wants to tell me.

"Christian, you are really freaking me out right now. Can you please just tell me already?" I plead, uncaring how scared and frail I truly sound. "If your bringing me out here isn't just to do with you sniffing my panties, then... what?"

When he doesn't say anything, just stares at me in the darkness while breathing heavily, I lean off the scratchy thick trunk of the tree for a second while extending out both arms, coaxing him closer. My inner Gollum cackles in glee at his precious as he gives in, dropping his hand from his hair and reaching out, grasping both of my hands in his.

For some reason, his hands are actually shaking, I discover. That makes it even worse. No, no. He can't leave me. He can't leave or break up with me. Holy shit-balls, is that what he's intending to talk about? Breaking up?

It can't be a good sign, if even his hands are shaking. Something bad is coming, I know it is.

"Christian, your hands are trembling," I whisper, horrified. "Why?"

My inner Alex Forrest breaks loose yet again at the realization, my hands releasing his. Instead, desperately, they reach out to touch everywhere, around his jacket, rubbing him down. Then his neck, into his soft, beautiful hair. Then finally, his face. Gently, I run both hands down the shape of his forehead.

Precious, oooh. Precious. He can't leaves us, my inner Gollum wails as I trace my fingers down his cheeks, around his stubbly chin. The Precious can't leaves. I glance up at his face, lightly lit in the moonlight. I can see his eyes are closed, and his mouth is slightly parted as he breathes shakily, reveling in my facial caressing. But what the fudge does he need to say? What?

"I've been working hard to say this all week," he at last begins to speak, his voice unsteady, nervous.

"Working hard to say what, Christian? Just tell me!"

"I need you to know that...what you told me..." He swallows thickly as he reopens his eyes, them glistening down at me. I realize he's doing that thing he did earlier. How he was obviously struggling to say something to me. How constipated he is with words, my poor baby.

"What I told you? What exactly in particular, Christian?"

He takes a deep breath while reaching over, cupping my own face gently in his hands while he allows me a field day in still touching his, caressing, stroking. As if steeling himself, he exhales out deeply, then says firmly, breathing into my lips, "Anastasia, just as you said, before, the feelings mutual. It just... took me a while to understand it all, but I realize it now."

I pause from brushing the backs of my knuckles against his cheeks, startled. Mutual? But what is-

"I am obsessively..." The instance it starts to come out of his mouth, I feel my heart drop. I'm frozen, speechless, as he drops his hands from my face, only to fall down to his knees on the grass before me, resting them on both sides of my shins, kneeling in between my legs.

Oh, holy cheese sticks. Holy brother from another mother. Those three words! He's about to say those three freaking words that I've daydreamed, wished for, hoped for to hear from him for so long even before we first met and I only saw him on television!

I swallow compulsively as he lifts his head to peer up at me while he uses his hands. Slowly, he places them on the back of my heels, then starts to bring them upwards. The first instance his warm fingertips brush and glide against my skin, I arch higher uncontrollably, a shaky inhale escaping me.

"Passionately..." he murmurs hoarsely as he guides them further up until both hands go beneath my dress. "Murderously." Lifting up onto his knees, he stands on them, grazing his hands over the waistband of my panties, then even higher. As he goes to run his hands up my bare navel through the dress, he has to lean closer, his chin coming to rest on my stomach.

I know I'm going to cry. Already my eyes are building up with tears, a frog in my throat as I try to control my emotions at such a dream coming true. Tentatively, I drop my arms, letting my hands fall and rest on the top of his head, my fingers burrowing through and into his hair like a monkey combing through anothers fur for any mites or fleas to gobble up greedily.

He strokes the tip of his nose into the fabric of my dress, panting heavily. The fabric of the dress is so sheer that I can feel him, the warmth of each ragged breath he takes, heating me up. Then he rests his forehead flat against it, his breathing still unsteady and labored. He runs his hands back down my dress, following the outline of my legs, and Jesus. Even although we're outside and I'm leaning against the rough bark on a tree trunk, I am sweltering hot.

We're outside, in the dark with the evening air faintly blowing across my skin, and yet, I am so hot. I'm assuming it's all him though. It must be purely a Christian Grey thing. He affects my body temperature that bad, I feel like I'm in early menopause with hot flushes and a sweaty vag.

It feels like he's worshiping me, like I'm a Goddess and he's my faithful devoted slave. It takes my breath away.

Reaching the bottom of my ankles and my heels, he brings up his hands again, caressing me over the dress this time. Smoothing the fabric over my hips with his warm palms, his needy fingers.

He lifts his chin a little higher, until his eyes shine up at me, glistening back at me in the moonlight. "In love with you," he finishes, and I hear him swallow out of sheer anxiety. "I am obsessively, passionately, murderously in love with you, Anastasia Steele. The feelings completely mutual."

I gasp out loud, my heart singing a song of joy. Holy shit. Those three words! He said them back!

Suddenly, I recall him this afternoon while getting ready. Overhearing him with what I assumed was his 'speech'. 'Love', he had kept saying to himself. I'd thought he'd been rehearsing a speech for tonight and yet, it was him practicing saying he'd loved me all along all because he was nervous of not getting it right?

I suddenly burst out laughing breathlessly at my own stupidity, then cough as I choke on my own saliva. How silly I'd been. The fact that he was so apprehensive to tell me, it's so... beautiful. So touching.

"Oh my god," I heave out, spluttering as tears trickle down my cheeks. "I thought you were practicing a speech for tonight!" A tear must fall and plop down onto his face, because he recoils suddenly in alarm.

"Are you... crying?" he whispers, sounding astounded by the fact that I am. "Or is it starting to rain out here?"

"Nope, it's all me," I admit, sniffling loudly. Embarrassed, I dash my tears away hurriedly. Why do I have to cry like a baby? "I'm sorry. I just..." I bite down on my lip, overwhelmed as I shake my head down at him. "I've just been waiting for you to say that for so long! I love you too!" Love is a little bit of an understatement, I guess. More like I'm utterly hooked, chained, and captivated by him.

"And I want you to move in with me."

Apparently he isn't done with the surprises. I stiffen against the trunk at his next words, overwhelmed with disbelief. It's too much. All too much.

Holy fudge balls. Move in with him?

For a moment there, I assume I've only just hallucinated him telling me that. It wouldn't be the first time. "What? Did you, um... just say that you want me to..." I'm babbling incoherently, my mind not able to think a single coherent thought at the blissful surrealness of it all.

"Move in with me, yes," Christian murmurs, his voice like a raspy plea.

Holy crap. I was not expecting that. Two things in one night... Overwhelming. I feel like I can't breathe. He may as well be proposing to me.

"Move... move in with you?"

"Yes."

"Like... in your, um, house?"

"Yes."

"Your... your penthouse? Like we're... a couple that, um... lives together?" My mind is still struggling to process it.

"Yes, Anastasia." Oops, I think I hear a tinge of frustration in his voice as he begins moving his hands again, slowly trailing them up and down my hips through the dress. "Yes, exactly like that. Well done."

I'm so glad the moonlight is rather dim as a feral, wide grin comes across my mouth. Oh, my god! This is literally what dreams are made of!

But as good as it all sounds, suddenly I'm overcame with fear. Oh, no. What if I accidentally burp or fart in front of him? What if he realizes I sweat a lot on my feet and that they sort of get smelly at times? Not that he minded sniffing my day-old socks, of course. But still. You can't hide all your fatal flaws when you live with the man of your dreams, can you?

"But... but what if we drive each other crazy?" I mutter out loud. "Or what if I... I do something that you find out annoys you?" Like the lingering stench of my sweaty feet stinking out his penthouse after a very long and exhausting day. "Or what if we argue over who used the last of the toilet paper?"

I realize I'm overthinking it all, being paranoid, because I hear Christian sigh in exasperation.

"Look, Anastasia, there's no... pressure. If you aren't comfortable with the idea, then just tell me. I won't get offended."

"Oh, no!" I blurt out when I realize he's misunderstood me completely. Crap, I hope I haven't offended him now. "It isn't that I don't-"

"-I just want to wake up next to you," he explains, cutting me off quickly. "I just... I want to wake up before you and watch you while you sleep." Aww. My heart skips a beat. "And I want to be able to secretly watch you from afar. When you make yourself breakfast... when you shower...make the bed." I'm so distracted by what he's telling me that I don't even notice his hands have returned back beneath my dress until he lifts it up, slowly, tantalizingly, above my underwear. "I want to smell you all around the house, in every single room." His words- they are so hot, like foreplay. "I want to steal dirty pairs of your underwear from our laundry basket when you're not looking. Most of all, I want you in the Anabilia room."

Too much. I can't take it anymore. It's excruciating.

"Yes," I murmur, and he stops talking abruptly, his mouth dropping open. Ha, he wasn't expecting that! Go me! "Yes, I will move in with you, Christian!"

Touching the top of his head again, his silky hair, I slide my hands down until I'm caressing the shape of his skull, his beautiful face.

"I want that, too! All of that!"

Rising to his feet and dropping the bottom of my dress, he wraps his arms around me tightly and, next thing I know, he's kissing me. Happily, joyfully. Passionately. As I kiss him back while gliding my hands up and down his cheeks, stroking his warm skin, I realize it's real and then I'm overwhelmed all over again.

Even as he pushes me up against the trunk again, my back scraping painfully against the rough bark to the point where I feel like I'm going to have grazes and bloody skin later on, it's like a mind-blowing revelation.

Oh my.

Both of us clearly lost in our excitement, Christian reaches down between us with his hand, undoing the zipper on his trousers and then unbuttoning the lone button on his dress pants, dropping his trousers and getting himself out. As he stops kissing me and moves back an inch, I help him out speedily, yanking down my panties past my thighs while at the same time urgently lifting up the end of my dress so it won't get in the way of us.

Licking my lips while trying not to beam too over-eagerly, I glance over at him, the moon offering just enough light to see he's got an erection already while his pants dangle around his shoes. Oh, wow. Flitting my gaze up to meet Christian's, I see a faint distinctive glow to his eyes as he breathes shakily through parted lips.

"I... I want you," I whisper desperately, parting my legs for him. "I want you, Christian. Badly and right now."

And he's all too happy to give me what I want.

I squeeze my eyes shut, gritting my teeth to stifle my cries of discomfort as he moves to stand with his legs in between mine. Reaching down without warning, he grasps the back of my thighs tightly, then helps me, lifting them up, guiding me along so that I clench them around his waist. It isn't exactly comfortable, having my back pressing into the rough bark behind me, but hey?

What's pleasure without a little pain?

"Fuck, your beautiful," he whispers as finally he fills me, his Little Christian and my Lady Ana Garden getting well reacquainted at last. He keeps his tight grip on my thighs, keeping my legs around him while I bring my arms up, clasping them around his neck. "In the moonlight, your pale skin glows."

"Ditto, Mr Grey," I whimper back as, without warning, he eases out, then in again, thrusting inside me. "Shhh-it," I hiss out through gritted teeth at the sharp sting of my back grazing against the bark. Yet it's all so confusing. With each sharp sting, there's also this amazing spike of pleasure while Christian thrusts inside me. The pleasure just barely overrides the pain. "F-faster," I beg raggedly. "Christian, p-p-please. I need you to-"

He cuts off my impassioned pleas with his mouth, kissing me.

We swallow each other's grunts and groans as he shifts slightly against the tree, making himself go somehow deeper, faster. My legs begin to shake uncontrollably, his fingers tightening into my thighs in a bruising hold. I can feel myself already almost there. It's not going to take long at this rate with how fast he's going.

With one last thrust, we come undone at the same time, Christian cursing under his breath as he rests his head beneath my chin and throat; Me, coming undone as I grip onto his shoulders for dear life, something wet and sticky on the back of my dress.

"Oh, Christian," I murmur weakly, cupping the back of his head as he lays against my chest, his hair damp, skin moist and sweaty.

"Ana," he mutters back, sounding just as drained and tired himself.

He's like my baby while I'm his Momma as I stroke his hair while he still holds me up against the trunk, my legs dead with pins and needles. The amazing orgasm has made me lose all sensation in them; They keep flopping wildly, my feet having little spasms in the heels like they're possessed. It's really lucky he's holding me otherwise they'd be going all over the place.

Letting my head fall back against the trunk, it's then I see them past his shoulder. My cheeks redden as my breath hitches in my throat.

A few members of this work function have decided to come outside and get some air. Either that or look at the garden. Crap, I hope we weren't too loud?

"Um, Christian?" I whisper nervously.

"Yeah, baby?"

"Um, we've got company." Drowsily, he lifts his head off my chest to glance up at my face. Then he hears the voices the same time as I do, from about a few meters away, and his head whips around quickly. "Do you think they heard us?" I ask in a low voice as I watch three men begin walking around the grass.

"Your guess is as good as mine. But who gives a fuck if they see us?"

"Um, I do actually. And I'm sure that, um, it wouldn't reflect very well on people's opinions of the Head CEO, being caught in an uncompromising position with his girlfriend against a tree."

Although neither of us really want to, Christian gently sets my legs down back onto the ground. He helps me pull my underwear back up, and then he reaches down, putting his Little Christian away and properly constrained in his trousers.

When I push off the trunk, I hiss, unprepared for the sting as the cool air meets it.

"You okay?" Christian asks me,, outstretching his hand for me to take. It's only when I gladly take it and we begin walking does he see it. "Fuck, Ana!" he cries out in horror, stilling me by the shoulder. "Baby, your bleeding and the back of your dress is torn?"

"I think the trunk of that huge ass tree is to blame for that," I murmur, biting my lip down to staunch my pain as Christian gently touches a few wet-feeling places with his fingers.

"Well, that explains it." Although it's dark, Christian shows me his knuckles. I can only just see the skin scraped off them, the shiny bits of blood. "I wondered why my knuckles were strangely sore and my knees felt as though I'd rubbed them with a cheese grater. Now I know why."

"Yeah, up-against-a-tree sex is maybe a little too bloody. More kinky freaky, less bloody next time."

Christian takes hold of my hand as we walk leisurely back up to the building. As we get inside, now in the light, I realize how bad we really do look. Christian's hair is all ruffled and messy, while mine is too.

Sometime during the thrusting Christian had copped a light dusting of dirt around his forehead and a smear of it on his nose. His knuckles on both hands are torn open and bleeding, while as he shows me to a mirror, my dress is torn and I've got bloody scratches all over my shoulders and red inflamed skin.

But all the pain, the scratches and dirt and bleeding, it's so worth it.

Because he loves me. My dream man, my soul mate, the future sperm father of my children, he loves me. And not only that but we're moving in together!

So sorry for taking so long to update. I do hope you enjoyed this chapter? I feel a bit rusty so it probably isn't as humorous in tone like normal but at least Christian finally said what he said and also asked Ana to take the next step with him. ;)

Also, this is not the end of Elena. Ana still doesn't know all about his past with her (or that it's Elena that did what she did to him). I would love to know your thoughts. And again, I'm very, very sorry. I hope this isn't a let down.