Fifty Shades of Grey(53)

"I don't have to wear them when I'm not with you?"

"No."

"Okay." Think of them as uniform.

"I don't want to exercise four times a week."

"Anastasia, I need you supple, strong, and with stamina. Trust me, you need to exercise.""But surely not four times a week, how about three?"

"I want you to do four."

"I thought this was a negotiation?"

He purses his lips at me.

"Okay, Miss Steele, another point well made. How about an hour on three days and one day half an hour?"

"Three days, three hours. I get the impression you're going to keep me exercised when I'm here."

He smiles wickedly, and his eyes glow as if relieved. "Yes, I am. Okay, agreed. Are you sure you don't want to intern at my companyYou're a good negotiator."

"No, I don't think that's a good idea." I stare down at his rules. Waxing! Waxing what?

EverythingUgh.

"So, limits. These are mine." He hands me another piece of paper.

Hard Limits

No acts involving fire play

No acts involving urination or defecation and the products thereof No acts involving needles, knives, piercing, or blood No acts involving gynecological medical instruments

No acts involving children or animals

No acts that will leave any permanent marks on the skin No acts involving breath control

Ugh. He has to write these down! Of course - they all look very sensible, and frankly, necessary... any sane person wouldn't want to be involved in this sort of thing surely?

Though I now feel a little queasy.

"Is there anything you'd like to add?" he asks kindly.

Crap. I've no idea. I am completely stumped. He gazes at me and furrows his brow.

"Is there anything you won't do?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

I squirm uncomfortably and bite my lip.

"I've never done anything like this."

"Well, when you've had sex, was there anything that you didn't like doing?"

For the first time in what seems to be ages, I blush.

"You can tell me, Anastasia. We have to be honest with each other or this isn't going to work."

I squirm uncomfortably again and stare at my knotted fingers.

"Tell me," he commands.

"Well... I've not had sex before, so I don't know." My voice is small. I peek up at him, and he's staring at me, mouth-open, frozen, and pale - really pale.

"Never?" he whispers. I shake my head.

"You're a virgin?" he breathes. I nod, flushing again. He closes his eyes and looks to be counting to ten. When he opens them again, he's angry, glaring at me.

"Why the f*ck didn't you tell me?" he growls.

Christian is running both his hands through his hair and pacing up and down his study.

Two hands - that's double exasperation. His usual concrete control seems to have slipped a notch.

"I don't understand why you didn't tell me," he castigates me.

"The subject never came up. I'm not in the habit of revealing my sexual status to everyone I meet. I mean, we hardly know each other." I'm staring at my hands. Why am I feeling guiltyWhy is he so madI peek up at him.

"Well, you know a lot more about me now," he snaps, his mouth presses into a hard line. "I knew you were inexperienced, but a virgin! " He says it like it's a really dirty word.