The Life of Mrs. Fifty Shades | Chapter 20

The Life of Mrs. Fifty Shades

Chapter Twenty

Christian

I didn’t tell Ana about Elena because I knew exactly what would happen. Ana still despised the woman and always would. She claimed it had nothing to do with jealousy, but I think that was part of the reason.

Because if she’d ever been with another man, I’d kill him.

I understood her rage because I’d been jealous before. That photographer had the hots for her, and I didn’t handle that well. And then that guy at the hardware store wanted to fuck her too.

Shit, everyone wanted to fuck her.

But Elena didn’t have any attraction to me, and I certainly held no attraction to her. We walked away from our arrangement without regrets. She even helped me find other submissives over the years. At one point, we truly were great friends. 

But Ana would never see it that way, and I respected her tolerance, or lack there of.

I took advantage of the time away from the public eye and started my old workout regimen. While I was in captivity, I lost muscle mass more than anything else. I was thinner and weaker, two attributes I didn’t want to possess. So I hit the weights hard and ran several miles every day.

I passed Crow’s house on my jog and spotted him doing the same thing. Shirtless and sweaty, he jogged down the path around his vineyards. With the keen eye he constantly possessed, he noticed me too.

“Glad to see you’re getting back in shape. You looked like shit.”

I stretched my legs as I stood on the grass bordering his property. “Now I’m going to make you look like shit.”

Crow chuckled, slightly amused. “How are things with the family?”

“Ana is getting better. Still shaken up over the whole thing but less so every day.”

“Yeah, she cried a lot. It was irritating.”

I didn’t snap at the comment because I understood his distaste. I never liked hearing women cry either. Ana was the only woman who could cry and not annoy me—besides Phoebe. Once upon a time, I was just like Crow. I understood his point of view.

He looked out at the acres of vines in front of us as if inspecting his harvest. “How long are you staying?”

“Not sure.” We walked side-by-side, both sweaty from the Tuscan sun. “I’m not ready to go back and deal with the biggest news story of the year.”

“I’m not American, but I can imagine you’re always the biggest news story of the year.”

I appreciated his dry sense of humor. It balanced out my forceful seriousness.

“If you’re staying awhile, we have some work to do.”

“With the shipment?”

“Yeah. It went out a few weeks ago and it was successful. But there’s one downside.”

“What?” I asked, instantly snapping into business mode.

“Apparently, there weren’t enough products. They want more. And my connections in the east want more weapons. If you’re interested, we should talk about making another delivery.”

This wasn’t something that could be decided on a whim. I’d have to discuss the options with my employees back in Seattle. “Let’s sit down and talk later.”

“Alright. You know where to find me.” He headed to the right, moving back to the entrance of his house.

“Crow.”

He turned around, his hair damp from the sweat.

“Is Patricia busy tonight?”

***

The house was empty because the children were at Crow’s estate just over the hillside. There was no greater feeling than being reunited with my family, but I definitely wanted some alone time with my wife.

I tied her wrists together with the cable ties sitting in my nightstand, and then I placed my tie over her eyes and secured it to the back of her head. She was lying on the bed with her ass hanging over the edge.

Her perfect tits pointed directly to the ceiling above, hard and tight from the cool draft moving over her skin. Her knees were pressed closely together out of excitement, not dread. And I couldn’t wait to be between them.

I pressed my hands on either side of her head and held myself over her. All I did was stare at her, watching her chest rise and fall. Every breath she took sounded on my ears, quiet but audible. Her smooth stomach caved in as she arched her back. It was an image I could stare at for the rest of my life.

She writhed underneath me, anxious to get started. But she didn’t speak because I didn’t ask her a question. She took her duty as my one and only submissive seriously as she waited with her hair in a braid across the bed.

I placed an ice cube in my mouth then leaned over her, my mouth and tongue cold. I pressed the ice cube in the valley of her breasts and moved all the way down, approaching her navel.

She hissed between her teeth and arched her back, her nipples hardening to the tip of diamonds.

My mouth migrated down until I reached her hips. I pulled her knees apart as I moved, and she took another deep breath in excitement. I slowly moved down until I reached the folds between her legs.

She gasped and arched her back again.

My mouth pressed against her, the round ice cube bringing her nerves to life. It quickly melted in my mouth because her heat was searing. When it changed to liquid, I swallowed then gave her a final kiss.

“Christian…”

I rose to my feet and gripped her hips. “I’m going to fuck you now, Mrs. Grey.”

She bit her lip—and bit it hard.

“Fuck.” I pulled her feet over my shoulders and laid my body on top of hers. She was pinned underneath me, her hands still over her head. I thrust myself inside her in one swift motion, making her moan loudly at the delectable intrusion.

Then I fucked her hard.

I watched her lips part as she cried out for me. My body tensed with the exertion and sweat trickled down my back. I never felt more alive than I did in that moment. I needed this. I needed to feel in control again. I needed to prove that my life was my own once more. I needed to fuck Ana to release my pent up aggression.

“Harder…”

The muscles in my arms tightened and my spine shivered. I loved hearing those commands fall out of her mouth. She was bossy and aggressive when she was in the moment. When she was excited like this, she was no longer self-conscious. A part of me missed being told what to do, being commanded like a mindless soldier. I didn’t have to make decisions or think about anything. Ana would never become the Dominant in our play time, but it was satisfying to entertain the idea.

I pounded her into the mattress as my body kept her pinned down. Her arms remained over her head, her wrists bound together. Her small body was folded underneath me, just for me to enjoy. I watched her bound wrists with desperation. “Hook your arms around my neck.”

She flinched at the command before she complied. As she did so, her body immediately tightened around me. The moans became louder, and she became wetter.

I wanted her to touch me. I never wanted her to stop touching me. I kissed her hard on the mouth as I continued to thrust inside her. My body waited for her explosion to erupt. It was coming, building slowly.

And then it happened. “Christian…” She couldn’t kiss me anymore because she was swept away in ecstasy. Her lips became immobile and she moaned incoherently as she rode it out until the end.

The only thing better than having an orgasm was giving Ana one. The shape of her mouth was intoxicating, and hearing those sexy sounds pass those pretty lips made me feel like a god.

I allowed myself to join her on the other side of the curtain. I pounded into her hard and moved through her slickness before I released. My face rested against hers as I rode the waves of pleasure until the very end. “Ana.” I dug my hand into her hair and kissed her hard on the mouth.

I slipped the tie from over her eyes and relished the satisfied look in her expression. Having the evening alone was good for the both of us. We loved our kids, but sometimes Mommy and Daddy just needed to be together. I stared at her while I caught my breath, grateful I was still around to stare at her for as long as I wanted. When I was trapped, her face was the only thing that kept me going. It fought off the feelings of starvation and isolation. It kept me focused and motivated to escape. She was the light of my darkness, and without her, I wouldn’t have been able to find my way. Sometimes a strange feeling emerged deep in my chest, but I couldn’t explain what it meant. I couldn’t tell her what I was thinking because I didn’t know how.

But she seemed to understand. “I love you too, Christian.”

***

I had a conference call with Andrea while Crow and I ironed out the details of our next shipment. We had a common goal but very different special interests. I was sending clean water filters and food to the refugees fleeing the Middle East. Crow was sending weapons to the rebellion in the hope they would protect the innocent people and give them a fighting chance. Crow didn’t hide his distaste for the rulers of that nation, and wanted to see them disappear. Some might think his actions were heroic, but they were innately selfish.

Mine were selfish too.

I addressed Andrea over the speaker phone. “Arrange for those to be packaged and delivered by tomorrow morning. Not a day later.”

“Of course, Mr. Grey.” It was midnight our time, so it was still within working hours in Washington. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be at the office for me to speak to. “I’m glad to see you’re well. Is there anything—”

“I don’t want to discuss it, Andrea. But thank you for your concern.” I needed to prepare for the endless line of questions I was bound to face when I returned. I could ignore everyone’s curiosity, but that didn’t mean they would lose interest. I'd likely be forced to do a TV interview just so people would move on with their lives and stop focusing on mine.

Crow sat on the opposite couch with a glass of scotch in his hand. The corner of his lip rose in a smile.

I ignored the look. “Let me know when it’s done, Andrea.”

“Of course, sir. Goodbye.”

“Bye.” I hit the button on the phone and ended the call.

Crow stared at the paperwork before he closed the folder and tossed it aside. “You can’t hide. Just go with it.”

“You wouldn’t understand.” Crow operated in secrecy. He might own a successful winery, but thousands of other people in Italy did the same. The public only cared about his wine, not him as a person.

“But I do understand,” he said coldly. “If you just tell everyone the truth upfront, there’s no more questions because they'll have the whole story. The more you ignore them, the more mysterious the situation becomes. And people love mystery.”

“So I have to be an open book just because people want it that way?” I snapped. “It’s my life. I don’t have to say a goddamn thing to anyone.”

“Yeah, that’s true. But we both know that’s not how things work. Life isn’t fair. And that’s definitely something we both understand.”

I looked away because his words irritated me. They were true, and that pissed me off even more.

A knock sounded on the door and Lars appeared. “Your Grace, Vanessa is here to see you.”

Crow glanced at his watch. “At this time of night? Is she alright?”

“She’s fine, sir,” Lars said. “I made her some dinner, and now she’s headed up here. Between you and me, I think she’s a little intoxicated. Cane dropped her off.”

Crow rolled his eyes. “Of course she is.”

Lars bowed before he walked out.

“Your Grace?” I raised an eyebrow. “You actually have your staff call you that?” 

Crow wasn’t amused by the insult. “Italian culture is much different than American culture. We’re old-fashioned.”

It was still ridiculous.

The door opened again and a woman walked inside. She was Ana’s age with dark brown hair that was almost black like Crow’s. It was thick and wavy, and her mocha brown eyes were just like his. She was tall and thin, looking exactly like most Italian woman I’d come across. She giggled before leaned over the back of the couch and wrapped her arms around Crow’s neck. Her long hair fell over one shoulder and down his arm. “Guess who asked me out?”

Crow kept up an indifferent façade. He hadn’t moved an inch and he didn’t look at her. But there was something different in his eyes. They shined a lighter shade than ever before. His lips fought to remain in a straight line. “I don’t give a damn.”

“Russo.” She giggled again then stood up, each of her hands resting on his shoulders. “Crow, he’s so fine.”

He remained cold, but his eyes were warm like fresh coffee. “Thanks for sharing.”

“When he asked me out, he gave me one long stemmed rose. So cute.”

I was more confused than ever before. At first, I thought she was a woman he was seeing but that didn’t add up.

“I’ll need to talk to him before you go on this date.” Crow rested his ankle on the opposite knee and didn’t turn around to look at her. “Scare the shit out of him first.”

“Like you could scare anyone.” She raked her fingers through his hair like he was a child.

Not once did Crow tell her off. If anyone else touched him like that, he would snap. “I’m up for a challenge.” His eyes met mine. “I’m sorry, Christian. This is my baby sister, Vanessa.”

She waved from behind the couch. “Ooh, he’s cute too.”

I tried not to smile at her bluntness. I suspected she would regret this in the morning. “It’s nice to meet you, Vanessa.”

She leaned over the couch and looked at her brother. “Can I crash here tonight? There’s no food at my place and it’s a pig-sty.”

“If you just picked up after yourself, it wouldn’t be disgusting,” Crow said with a bored voice.

“Coming from the man who has seven maids and a butler,” she snapped.

He placed his hand on her face and gave her a gentle push. “Go to bed, Vanessa. I have company right now.”

She mocked him in his deep voice. “Go to bed, Vanessa. Do this, Vanessa. I’m king of the world, Vanessa.”

I couldn’t stop myself. I chuckled.

Crow stared at me with a stone cold expression.

I shrugged in apology.

Crow rose from the couch then walked around it until he was beside Vanessa. “You shouldn’t insult the man giving you a place to sleep.”

“Whatever. You’re my brother, so I can insult you whenever the hell I want.” She noticed the decanter of brown-gold liquor on the table. “Ooh, scotch.” She snatched Crow’s unfinished glass and tried to take a drink.

“Alright.” Crow took the glass away. “You’re officially banned from the study.”

“Your study is too gloomy anyway.” She glanced at the wall behind her. Three paintings hung, and each one was an image of the Tuscan hillsides. But buttons were displayed in the picture, giving the images a 3D effect. “Except the artwork. It really lightens up the place.” She winked.

He grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her to the door. “Alright. It’s bedtime.”

“I’m not a child.” She twisted from his grasp.

“Really? You fooled me.” He opened the door and pulled her into the hallway.

“You can be such an ass. You know that?”

“You think I’m an ass now?” he asked. “Wait until I meet this boyfriend of yours. I’ll show you what being an ass really looks like.” His voice trailed away as he walked her to her bedroom. He was gone for five minutes before he returned.

His relationship with his sister reminded me of mine with Mia. We were playful and sometimes cruel, but there was love packed underneath the surface. Truth be told, I adored her.

And I could tell Crow adored Vanessa.

He returned to the couch and sat down with a sigh. “Sorry about that…pain in the ass.”

“And you thought Ana was a pain in the ass?” I asked with a chuckle.

“Yeah…different ballgame.” He drank from his scotch until the glass was empty. “She’s struggled since our parents died. I think she acts out sometimes because she doesn’t get the parental attention she needs—even though she’s a grown woman.”

“I can understand that.” My birth parents weren't there for me either, and now I was fifty shades of fucked up. Ana fixed me, but there were still those years of darkness when I never saw the light buried in my mind.

“She’s been dating, and that’s a nightmare.” He refilled his glass. “I have to threaten each and every guy not to fuck with her. She’s doesn’t care for it.”

I couldn’t blame her. Crow wasn’t someone I wanted for an enemy. “Other than that, she seems nice.”

“She’s great,” he said quickly. “She and I have always been close. Her and Cane…not so much.”

The mention of his brother's name made me tense. I knew Cane was reckless and unpredictable. I didn’t want him anywhere near Ana. Thankfully, Crow kept his brother away while she was here.

“I used to be her brother, but now I have to be her father too. Not what I signed up for.” His eyes moved to the fire with a dazed expression. He watched the flames for a minute before he came back to reality. “Anyway, are we done here?”

“Yes.” I closed the folder and tucked it under my arm. “Ana said she’s very fond of you.” Crow wasn’t my enemy, and I shouldn’t feel threatened by him. Ana looked at me like I was the only person in the room—in every room. I knew she loved me unconditionally and nothing could shake what we shared. But that didn’t stop me from being paranoid from time to time.

“Really?” he asked. “I was an ass to her most of the time.”

“She says she doesn’t buy the act.”

He masked his expression with a drink. “I hope you aren’t implying that something happened between us. Because I can assure you, nothing did. Not once did I touch her, and not once was I closer than five feet. You know I have a broad taste in women, but married women have never been my thing.”

“No. That’s not what I was implying.” I leaned forward with my arms resting on my knees. “She said she felt close to you—like a brother. Ana doesn’t have any siblings so I think that’s something that’s always been missing for her.”

The corner of his mouth rose in a smile. “Like a brother, huh? I’ll take it.”

I rose to my feet and shook his hand. “We’re leaving tomorrow.”

“Have a safe trip.” He stood up and walked me to the door. “But don’t come back anytime soon. It’s hard for me to keep up my lifestyle when there are kids around.”

“You’re telling me.”

We walked down the stairs and to the entryway. Crow opened the door for me then instructed his valet to bring my car around. “I’ll give you a call when the shipment goes through.”

“Will do. If you’re ever in America, let me know. You should come by for dinner sometime.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I’ve seen enough of your cocky face for a while.” He told me he was joking with a smile.

Sometimes our banter reminded me of the relationship I had with Elliott. “I’ll tell Ana you said goodbye.”

“Tell her she better have some meat on her bones next time I see her. A man loves curves.”

“I’ll relay the message, but don’t expect it to make a difference.” The car arrived and the valet opened the door for me. I walked to the car and rested my hand on top of the window.

“Grey.”

I turned back to Crow.

“You’ve got a good woman who loves you. Don’t fuck it up.”

   <<  chapter 19   |  chapter 21 >>




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