“Because it has the same effect on me as I have on you when I do this.” She lets her teeth toy with her bottom lip.
“Really?” I do it once more and lean down to give her a swift kiss. When my lips touch hers, it sparks my desire. I hear her sharp intake of breath, then her fingers are twisting in my hair. Holding my lips to hers, I grab her and push her against the elevator wall, my hands cradling her face. Her tongue is in my mouth and mine in hers as she takes what she wants and I give her all that I have.
It’s explosive.
I want to fuck her. Now.
I pour all my anxiety into her, and she takes everything.
Ana…
The elevator doors open with the familiar ping and I pull my face away from her, but I’m still pinning her to the wall with my hips and my hardening erection.
“Whoa,” I whisper, dragging air into my lungs.
“Whoa,” she answers, panting.
“What you do to me, Ana.” I trace my thumb across her lower lip. Ana’s eyes flit to the foyer and I sense rather than see Taylor.
She kisses the corner of my mouth. “What you do to me, Christian,” she says. I step back and take her hand. I haven’t jumped her in an elevator since that day at The Heathman.
Get a grip, Grey.
“Come,” I say.
As we exit the elevator, Taylor is standing to one side.
“Good evening, Taylor.”
“Mr. Grey, Miss Steele.”
“I was Mrs. Taylor yesterday,” Ana says, all smiles for Mr. Taylor.
“That has a nice ring to it, Miss Steele,” Taylor responds.
“I thought so, too.”
What the hell is going on?
I scowl at Ana and Taylor. “If you two have quite finished, I’d like a debriefing.” Ana and Taylor exchange a look. “I’ll be with you shortly. I just want a word with Miss Steele,” I say to Taylor.
He nods.
And I take Ana into my bedroom and close the door. “Don’t flirt with the staff, Anastasia.”
“I wasn’t flirting. I was being friendly. There is a difference.”
“Don’t be friendly with the staff or flirt with them. I don’t like it.”
She sighs. “I’m sorry.” She tosses her hair over her shoulder and looks down at her fingernails. I cup her chin and lift her head so I can see into her eyes. “You know how jealous I am.”
“You have no reason to be jealous, Christian. You own me body and soul.” She looks at me as if I’ve lost my mind, and suddenly I feel foolish.
She’s right.
I’m completely overreacting.
I give her a chaste kiss. “I won’t be long. Make yourself at home.” I go to find Taylor in his office. He stands when I enter.
“Mr. Grey, about—”
I hold up my hand. “Don’t. It’s I who should apologize.”
Taylor looks surprised.
“What’s occurring?” I ask.
“Gail will return later tonight.”
“Good.”
“I’ve informed the facilities management at Escala that Miss Williams had a key. I felt they should know.”
“How did they respond?”
“Well, I stopped them from calling the police.”
“Good.”
“The locks have all been changed and a contractor is coming to look at the emergency stairwell door. Miss Williams shouldn’t have been able to get in from the outside even with a key.”
“And you found nothing in your sweep?”
“Nothing, sir. I couldn’t tell you where she was hiding. But she’s not here now.”
“Have you spoken to Welch?”
“I’ve briefed him.”
“Thank you. Ana’s going to stay here tonight. I think it’s safer.”
“Agreed, sir.”
“Cancel the Audi. I’ve decided on a Saab for Ana. It should be here soon. I have asked them to expedite delivery.”
“Will do, sir.”
When I return to my bedroom, Ana is standing on the threshold of my closet. She looks a little stunned. I poke my head around the closet door. Her clothes are here.
“Oh, they managed the move.” I thought Gail was going to handle Ana’s clothes. I shrug it off.
“What’s wrong?” she asks.
I give her a quick rundown of what Taylor has just told me about the apartment and Leila. “I wish I knew where she was. She’s evading all our attempts to find her, when she needs help.”
Ana puts her arms around me, holding me, calming me. And I embrace her and kiss the top of her head.
“What will you do when you find her?” she asks.
“Dr. Flynn has a place.”
“What about her husband?”
“He’s washed his hands of her.” Asshole. “Her family is in Connecticut. I think she’s very much on her own out there.”
“That’s sad.”
Ana’s compassion knows no bounds. I tighten my hold on her. “Are you okay with all your stuff being here? I want you to share my room.”
“Yes.”
“I want you sleeping with me. I don’t have nightmares when you’re with me.”
“You have nightmares?”
“Yes.” She squeezes me tighter, and we stand in my closet wrapped around each other.
A few moments later, she says, “I was just getting my clothes ready for work tomorrow.”
“Work?” I release her.
“Yes, work,” she says, confused.
“But Leila, she’s out there.” Doesn’t she get the risk? “I don’t want you to go to work.”
“That’s ridiculous, Christian. I have to go to work.”
“No, you don’t.”
“I have a new job, which I enjoy. Of course I have to go to work.”
“No, you don’t.” I can look after you.
“Do you think I am going to stay here twiddling my thumbs while you’re off being master of the universe?”
“Frankly, yes,” I respond.
Ana closes her eyes and rubs her forehead as if she’s calling on all her inner strength. She doesn’t understand. “Christian, I need to go to work,” she says.
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes. I. Do.” Her tone is forthright and determined.
“It’s not safe.” Suppose something happens to you?
“Christian, I need to work for a living, and I’ll be fine.”
“No, you don’t need to work for a living, and how do you know you’ll be fine?”
Fuck. This is why I like having submissives. This would not be an argument if she’d signed the fucking contract.
“For heaven’s sake, Christian, Leila was standing at the end of your bed, and she didn’t harm me, and yes, I do need to work. I don’t want to be beholden to you. I have my student loans to pay.” She places her hands on her hips.
“I don’t want you going to work.”
“It’s not up to you, Christian. This is not your decision to make.”
Fuck.
She’s made up her mind.
And of course she’s right.
I run my hand through my hair, trying to hold on to my temper, and eventually I have an idea. “Sawyer will come with you.”
“Christian, that’s not necessary. You’re being irrational.”
“Irrational?” I snap. “Either he comes with you or I will be really irrational and keep you here.”
“How, exactly?”
“Oh, I’d find a way, Anastasia. Don’t push me.” I’m about to explode.
“Okay!” she shouts, holding up both her hands. “Okay, Sawyer can come with me if it makes you feel better.”
I want to kiss her or spank her or fuck her. I step forward and she immediately takes a step back, watching me.
Grey! You’re frightening the poor girl.