Fifty Shades of Grey(204)

I love this man. I love his passion, the effect I have on him. I love that he's flown so far to see me. I love that he cares about me... he cares. It's so unexpected, so fulfilling.

He is mine, and I am his.

"That's right, baby," he breathes.

And I come, my orgasm ripping through me, a turbulent, passionate, apogee that devours me whole. And suddenly Christian crushes me to him... his arms wrapped around my back as he finds his release.

"Ana, baby!" he cries, and it's a wild invocation, stirring and touching the depths of my soul.

We lie staring at each other, gray eyes into blue, face to face, in the super king bed, both hugging our pillows on our fronts. Naked. Not touching. Just looking and admiring, covered by the sheet.

"Do you want to sleep?" Christian asks, his voice soft. He is beautiful; the mix of colors in his hair vivid against the white Egyptian cotton pillowcase, gray eyes, smoldering, expressive. He looks concerned.

"No. I'm not tired." I feel strangely energized. It's been so good to talk - I don't want to stop.

"What do you want to do?" he asks.

"Talk."

He smiles.

"About what?"

"Stuff."

"What stuff?"

"You."

"What about me?"

"What's your favorite film?"

He grins.

"Today, it's 'The Piano'."

His grin is infectious.

"Of course. Silly me. Such a sad, exciting score, which no doubt you can playSo many accomplishments, Mr. Grey."

"And the greatest one is you, Miss Steele."

"So I am number seventeen."

He frowns at me not comprehending.

"Seventeen?"

"Number of women you've um... had sex with."

His lips quirk up, his eyes shining with incredulity.

"Not exactly."

"You said fifteen," My confusion is obvious.

"I was referring to the number of women in my playroom. I thought that's what you meant. You didn't ask me how many women I'd had sex with."

"Oh." Holy shit... there's more... How I gape at him. "Vanilla?"

"No. You are my one vanilla conquest," he shakes his head, still grinning at me.

Why does he find this funnyAnd why am I grinning back at him like an idiot?

"I can't give you a number. I didn't put notches in the bedpost or anything."

"What are we talking - tens, hundreds... thousands?" My eyes grow wilder as the numbers get larger.

"Tens. We're in the tens, for pity's sake."

"All submissives?"

"Yes."

"Stop grinning at me," I scold him mildly, trying and failing to keep a straight face.

"I can't. You're funny."

"Funny peculiar or funny ha ha?"

"A bit of both I think." His words mirror mine.

"That's a damned cheek, coming from you."

He leans across and kisses the tip of my nose.

"This will shock you, Anastasia. Ready?"

I nod, wide-eyed, still with the stupid grin on my face.

"All submissives in training, when I was training. There are places in and around Seattle that one can go and practice. Learn to do what I do," he says.

What?

"Oh." I blink at him.

"Yep, I've paid for sex, Anastasia."

"That's nothing to be proud of," I mutter haughtily. "And you're right... I am deeply shocked. And cross that I can't shock you."