The Life of Mrs. Fifty Shades | Chapter 7

The Life of Mrs. Fifty Shades

Chapter Seven

Ana

“The type of grape changes everything,” Lars explained. “The size, the ripeness, the texture—everything. I’m not an expert like Master Barsetti but I’ve learned a great deal from him. And I’ve drunken a lot of his wine.” He gave me a friendly smile, his eyes lighting up with true affection. It was clear he loved taking me on a tour of the vineyards.

It was a beautiful day. Far more beautiful than I could truly appreciate. The vineyards moved into the distance until they met the hillside. The sun had just begun its descent toward the mound. In a few hours, it would be gone from sight.

The soil was rich in texture, and the air was so clean it felt good on my lungs. The scent of the land and the weight of history was relaxing. When I pictured Italy I imagined the traditional landmarks everyone spoke of.

I never pictured rural Tuscany.

“How long have you worked here?”

“For Master Barsetti?” he asked. “For forty years.”

“Forty?” Crow didn’t seem that old. In fact, it was impossible.

“I worked for his family when Crow was just a boy. When his family passed away, I stayed in his employment.”

His family was gone? “Oh…”

“Mr. Barsetti is a fine young man. I’m very honored to serve him.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and looked back toward the house. Christian and Crow were headed this way. Both tall and muscular, they walked down the path like they equally owned it. Both men were dark and intense. Christian had a chiseled jaw that was constantly tense. And Crow had a maniacal look in his eyes. I hadn’t known him long, but the expression never seemed to fade away.

The second Christian reached me, his arm was around my waist. He took a possessive hold, keeping me against him without an inch between us. It was like he hadn’t seen me in days, perhaps weeks. “Having a good time, Mrs. Grey?”

“It’s beautiful here.” I swallowed the lump in my throat when Christian stared at me like that. I knew he was upset about something—me. I wasn’t attracted to Crow but I did stare at him longer than I should. He immediately reminded me of Christian. Their looks were different but their aspects were the same. Without asking Crow a single question, I knew he shared the same darkness as My Fifty. He had a playroom somewhere in that mansion—where he hurt his submissives.

That’s why Christian was grabbing me so hard.

“Crow and I have concluded our business.” Christian kept me right beside him so I couldn’t move an inch. “It’s time to go home.” The sharpness of his tone told me the decision wasn’t up for debate.

I turned to Crow, looking in those terrifying eyes that reminded me so much of my husband’s. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

“The pleasure was all mine, Mrs. Grey.” Crow thrived on eye contact. He used it to intimidate those around him. He was just a man, but everything about him hinted at power.

“We’ll be in touch.” Christian shook his hand before he guided me away from the vineyards. He took my hand and guided me to the car and got me in the passenger seat. Once we were on the road I knew there would only be silence.

But when we got home, that’s when the bomb would drop.

***

Christian poured a glass of wine the second we were home. He took a long drink before he set it on the counter. It was white wine, the kind he preferred. He had red on rare occasion—if he deemed it good enough.

“I’m surprised you haven’t opened your own winery. You’re such a wine aficionado.”

           

“It’s crossed my mind.”

“Why haven’t you done it?” My husband was ambitious and brilliant. Everything he touched turned to gold. He knew how to invest his money and make a fortune. And he knew had to do it with different products and ideas.

“Only so many hours in a day.” He finished the glass before he poured another. He gripped the edge of the counter before he turned his terrifying eyes on me. His look was always intense, but right now it was darker than usual.

I leaned against the opposite counter and crossed my arms over my chest. I held his gaze without blinking, refusing to back down. He was like a bear. You could never outrun one so you should always challenge it in the hope it would run away.

But Christian would never run away.

Silence stretched, and seconds turned into minutes. His knuckles turned white the harder he gripped the counter. His anger blurred with his sexuality. He was possessive of me, and that made him want to fuck me senseless.

“You seemed interested in Crow.”

“He’s an interesting man.”

Christian’s eyes immediately narrowed. “Tread carefully, Mrs. Grey.”

I was fed up with his cold behavior and unforgiving brush offs. He was hiding something from me, keeping me at a distance when I did nothing wrong. And now he was jealous and paranoid. “No. You should be the one to tread carefully, Mr. Grey.”

His dark look didn’t change. But his jaw clenched tighter. “I didn’t appreciate the way you were staring at Crow.”

“I wasn’t staring for the reasons you think.” And it was insulting that he assumed otherwise.

He cocked his head to the side.

“I was staring at him because he reminded me of you. You don’t look the same, but you feel the same.” I could feel the same darkness, the same damaged intensity. Crow had a battered soul just the way Christian did. If they didn’t look so different I would say they were brothers.

“Would you care to elaborate?”

“You’re very much alike.” I didn’t need to say more.

Christian stared at me for several heartbeats, his expression not changing. “Crow is the closest thing I can call a friend—besides Elliot. Yes, we are alike. Yes, we are the same. But I don’t want you staring at him.”

“Wasn’t staring.”

“Then stop staring more,” he warned.

I stepped away from the counter and crossed the kitchen. I kept my eyes toward the window, not looking at Christian and seeing his same dark exterior. “I don’t like this…”

           

“Like what?”

           

“This side of you. I feel like I’m in the past. I feel like the past few years haven’t happened. You’re cold, calloused. You’ve put miles between us but you won’t give me an explanation. I miss my husband…” My voice broke when the last word left my mouth. I didn’t understand how much it truly bothered me until that moment. My Fifty had always had a dark past. He always possessed an intensity that was borderline violent. But there was so much light in him as well. But lately, I hadn’t seen much of it.

Christian came behind me and rested his hands on my arms. He squeezed my gently then placed a kiss on my neck. His fingertips ran down my arms until they reached my wrists. He felt my distant pulse before he placed a kiss on the shell of my ear.

Despite my anger and resentment, I closed my eyes. I loved the delicate way he kissed me, the hint of something so much more. My core tightened in longing and I craved that tongue on other parts of my body.

“Ana, I’m sorry.” His hands moved to my waistline and he pulled me against his chest. He rested his lips against my shoulder and breathed quietly, still holding me. “Sometimes…I can’t fight it.”

“Yes, you can.”

“There are times when I feel happy. There are times when I don’t think about the things that haunt me. But then there are other times when they come back…like lately.”

“Why now?” We had two beautiful children and an even more beautiful life.

He sighed quietly, his breath falling over my skin gently. Then he rose to his full height and slowly turned me around. When his eyes met mine they were dull and gray. The light that usually shined from deep in his soul was non-existent. He was an empty man—full of void.

“Christian?” What did he need to tell me? What did he want to hide? I wanted to push him harder but it would just prolong the wait. Christian never did anything unless he wanted to do it. A man like him could never be persuaded.

“My father contacted me—my birth father.” His eyes were locked to mine, watching every reaction I made. He sent a letter a few weeks ago to the office. I read it then threw it in the shredder.”

I let the words sink in and watched the tension move into his shoulders. His gray eyes narrowed at the memory. His strong body tightened underneath his shirt, his muscled arms and chest thick with power.

“Then he came to my office the day before we left. He said he had been searching for me but couldn’t pick up the trail until now. Apparently, my name was changed when I was adopted so that made the search difficult.” Venom moved into his face as he progressed through the story. “I told him to get out of my office and never bother me again.”

Christian never spoke of his father because he didn’t know him. He hardly spoke of his mother, and it was never in a positive way. This turn of events opened the door of his past and let the demons back in. I could see the change in his entire being.

Now everything made sense.

“His intentions are bullshit and we both know it. He saw my face somewhere and made the connection…because we look alike. He realized I was wealthy and wanted a cut of the pie.”

“You don’t know that, Christian.” We were the opposite sides of the same coin. He chose to believe every introduction was hostile and selfish. I always chose to believe there was some good involved. “He could be sincere.”

He shook his head. “Let’s not play this game, Ana. I’m not in the mood.”

“I’m not playing any game. Your mother loved you and you loved her. It’s not outrageous to give this man the benefit of the doubt.”

“It is,” he said coldly. “He wouldn’t have come to my office otherwise. He came there because it’s where my money is. That’s what he’s tracking—not me.”

“Or because he can’t figure out your address or your phone number—since that’s confidential.” He chose to believe everyone was innately evil. That couldn’t be more wrong.

“Ana.” His voice contained his warning. “Let’s not lie to ourselves here.”

“I’m just saying you should give him a chance.”

“I have a father—and a damn good one.” He stepped closer to me, forcing me to back up. “He’s the one who raised me. He’s the one who wanted me. He’s the one who taught me to throw a ball and read. If this guy wanted that experience with me, he missed his chance.”

“But what if—”

“This is why I didn’t want to tell you. I knew you would do this.” He stepped back, running his fingers over his chin in anger.

“I just didn’t want you to jump to conclusions.”

He crossed his arms over his chest, avoiding eye contact with me altogether.

“Christian, I’m sorry.” I closed the gap between us and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. My arms wrapped around his neck and I silently begged for forgiveness. He was wound up tight and I didn’t handle the situation in the way I should.

After a deep breath he cupped my face and rested our foreheads together. “Ana…you do amazing things to me.” He directed my mouth to his and gave me a soft kiss. It was full of restrained passion. “I’m sorry I’ve been so distant. I’m sorry I pushed you away. I’m sorry.”

My hands wrapped around his wrists and I felt his strong pulse. My lips were wet from his kiss and I wanted more. “We’ve come so far. Don’t go backwards.”

           

“I didn’t.” His dark eyes searched into mine, seeing more than what was on the surface. “I just became fifty shades of fucked up all over again.”

“That’s not true.” He was never fucked up to begin with. He was only My Fifty and nothing else. I squeezed his wrists against before I kissed him. My mouth felt his lips with a shiver and his tongue slipped inside. The caresses always made me burn from the inside out. This connection, this heat, brought me closer to him. It brought up closer together.

           

Christian moaned into my mouth quietly, giving into the desperation he felt. His past wasn’t on his mind. And neither was his future. All he was thinking about was me. He suddenly ended the embrace and grabbed me by the end. He guided me into the bedroom upstairs where he unzipped my dress and pulled it from my body. “Vanilla.” He brought me into his chest and kissed my neck, his hands gliding behind my back where he unclasped my bra.

I loved everything My Fifty did to me. But I especially loved the slow and sensual way we moved together. His body felt powerful between my legs, and he gave me every inch of him until I exploded. Every time reminded me of the first time. I gave him my virginity, and it was the most exhilarating moment of my life. I loved reliving it.

Christian kneeled down before me then pressed kisses to my lower belly. His tongue gently glided across the skin, making me come alive with a raging fire. His lips moved further south, pulling my panties with his fingertips. He pulled them over my ass and down to my thighs before he kissed the gentle nub between my legs.

My nails dug into his shoulder and I released a quiet moan.

“Do you like that, Ana?” He gave me a harder kiss, sucking my skin into his mouth.

“Yes…”

He gave my ass a strong squeeze before he rose to his full height. He pulled his shirt off and threw it on the floor then undid his jeans with lightning speed. When he was fully naked he guided me onto my bed then dragged me across the sheets until my ass hung over the edge.

One palm rested above my head as he held himself over me. He eyed my lips with the same look I’ve seen a hundred times—but it always got better. He kissed me harder than he did before, and his fingers explored me down below. His thumb rubbed my nub as his finger slipped inside me. He pulsed it gently, feeling every inch of me inside. Then he inserted his other finger, stretching me. “Mrs. Grey, you’re ready. Always ready.”

“Because I’m always ready for my husband.”

His fingers halted inside me, and he stared at me with a new expression. His shoulders and torso tensed as the words washed over him, and he closed his eyes for a moment as he savored the way they fell on his ears. “Ana…the things you do to me.”

He pulled his fingers out and righted himself. Instantly, he thrust himself inside me with one swift movement, entering me completely until he reached my cervix. My hips automatically bucked at the harsh intrusion, but my body sang with delight. My head rolled back as he took me roughly.

And I bit my lip.

“Ana.” It was a warning—a firm one. He gripped my hips and pulled me further off the bed before he thrust into me again. He started off slow but strong. The minimal pain was nothing in comparison to how good it felt.

My hands wrapped around his wrists, my nails digging into him. He thrusts remained firm but he didn’t increase his pace. He kept it slow and sensual, appreciating every detailed moment.

Every time his body slammed into mine he hit my sweet spot with enough force to make it sting. But it was the right amount of friction to push me over the edge. I tightened my grip on his wrists as I felt the powerful wave crash through me.

“Come on, Ana.” He increased his pace and hit me over and over, giving me just what I needed.  “Come for me.”

           

“Harder…”

He released a moan before he obliged, loving the way I commanded him to give me more of himself. He pulled my hips toward him every time he slammed inside me. His gloriously naked body shined with sweat, and his muscle pumped with blood.

I hit my trigger and felt the heat spread everywhere. The orgasm was powerful and deadly. My head rolled back and I screamed his name. I gripped him so tightly my nails almost drew blood. My husband was the sexiest man in the world.

“Fuck.” He pumped into me until he reached his threshold. He shoved himself completely inside me before he released. His body tensed and he exploded, giving me every drop he possessed. “Fuck, Ana.” He leaned over me with his length still inside me and gave me a hard kiss on the mouth. “So satisfied but so insatiable.” He pulled out then pressed a kiss to my belly.

Seeing him lean over and give me tantalizing kisses was the sexiest thing in the world. With his sculpted arms and powerful shoulders, it was hard to believe there was a more beautiful man than he.

How could he possibly think I was looking at Crow when I could just look at him?

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