2008 starts off with a bang as the very first thing I do is make love with Christian Grey. He takes me in the small living room, on each of the couches, the coffee table, and on the desk across from the bed in the bedroom. We indulge in one another again and again, for hours. I lie panting on the unrelenting polished surface of the desk, reeling from the high, unable to speak or move. I’m exhausted, my body aching from exertion.

“Have you had enough?” Christian asks, in a low voice over me. I look up at him, still on top of me, holding my left thigh up with one arm, supporting his weight on his other forearm next to my head. There is a sheen of sweat on his brow and a delighted glint in the gray of his eyes. He presses his lips to mine, kissing me softly as he pulls out of me. I wince at the sensation but relish in the soreness. He lifts me and carries me to the bed, laying me down gently on the pillows, and then crawls into bed to lie next to me. I snuggle into him, resting my head on his shoulder, and he holds me, stroking my hair gently. We lie there for a while in silence and I wonder if he’s waiting for me to fall asleep. I don’t though. I won’t allow myself to because I don’t want to miss a single moment with him.

“Do you want to take a shower?” Christian asks when he realizes I’m still awake.

“Sure,” I tell him. I’m tired, exhausted even, but I haven’t had my fill of him yet. I wonder how long that feeling lasts? Is it just because this night still hasn’t technically ended? Will it continue into tomorrow? The rest of the week? It’s then that I remember that he’ll be leaving back to Seattle soon and I’ll still be here in Vegas. Kate said Elliot was only staying for one day, is that true for Christian as well?

“What is it, Anastasia?” Christian asks once he’s rolled out of bed. I look up at him as he stands over me, a Greek god carved from marble towering over me. I gaze longingly at his perfection, lost in the graceful curves of his muscles beneath his skin.

“Anastasia?” He goads me, and I blink from my distracted daze and look up into his expectant gaze.

“Will you leave with Elliot in the morning?” I ask.

“Yes,” He says simply, and I feel my face fall with disappointment.

“Come back to Seattle with me,” He suggests.

“Kate has already booked us through tomorrow and we promised my mom we would hang out with her,” I say regretfully. “I need to spend time with her.”

“What are you doing next week?”

“I don’t know. Hanging out at home, I suppose.”

“My family and I are going to Aspen on a skiing trip on Sunday. Come. Spend the week with me.”

“To Aspen? I don’t know how to ski.”

“We’ll figure it out. My mother would be ecstatic if you came, my sister would love to see you, and I don’t want to be away from you until term starts on the 14th.”

“Two weeks,” I say regretfully, knowing that time without Christian would feel interminable. “I’ll talk to my Mom about it tomorrow.”

“Can I meet her?” He asks.

“My Mom?”

“You’ve met mine,” He says. “And when else will I get the chance? Don’t you think your mother should meet your boyfriend?”

Boyfriend? I feel a rush of joy at the word.

“I suppose she should,” I say, a smile breaking across my face.

“It’s settled then. Come, let’s take a shower.”

I wait patiently by the glass door of the oversized shower while Christian turns on the water. It’s nearly two thirty in the morning and I’m fighting to stay awake. Hopefully, the shower with help with that.

When the water is hot, Christian takes two huge, fluffy towels from the shelf by the sink and hooks them through the bar on the shower. I step in before him and once he closes the door behind us, he envelops me in his arms, holding me close to him, and looking down at me in an adoring way no one has before. The water is a little hotter than I prefer, but the comfort of his arms overrides the discomfort of the heat and I don’t care. The water cascades over us, drenching my hair and ruining all of Kate’s hard work.

“How do you feel?” Christian asks, pulling gently on my chin so that I look up at him.

“Wonderful,” I tell him, actually now appreciating the hot water as I become accustomed to it and it begins to make my muscles relax.

“Are you sore at all?” He asks.

“A little,” I admit.

“Turn around.”

I do as he says and when I’m facing forward in the torrent of warm water he begins to massage my neck and shoulders. I moan approvingly, letting the water pour over my face. It’s a very relaxing sensation. After a few moments, he pulls me into him so my back his flush against his naked chest and he wraps his arms around me, cupping my breasts and kissing my neck.

“What are you doing to me, Anastasia?” He whispers. “I can’t seem to get my fill of you. Even after everything tonight, I could take you again, right here, right now.”

“I can’t get enough of you either,” I tell him. I bring my hands up and lay them over his, encouraging the movement of his hands on my breasts. “Do it, Christian. Take me again.”

“You’re sore, Anastasia, and I don’t have any condoms.” He says in a low voice. “Speaking of which, you’ll need to sort some birth control out as soon as possible. I hate wearing those fucking things.”

“What if I hate taking pills?” I say defensively.

“Then get a shot.”

I slip out of his grip, turning around to voice my indignation but as I do, he snorts, trying to subdue laughter.

“What?” I ask.

“Your mascara is running. It’s all over your face.”

I slap him playfully on the shoulder and tilt my head back so that my face is once again beneath the water. Carefully, I run my hands over my eyes and cheeks, hoping that I’m successfully removing the black smudges I’m sure make me look like a raccoon. After several seconds of this, I tilt my face back up to Christian, who wipes the last bit away with his thumb and smiles.

“There you are,” He says.

“You don’t like the make-up?” I ask.

“Not particularly. It hides how beautiful you really are and it gets all over everything. What would I say to my other girlfriend’s when I came back with lipstick on my collar?”

“You would tell them that at least you’re screwing someone who looked good,” I reply sarcastically.

“You do look good, just like this. You’re beautiful, Anastasia. I’m in awe of you.”

He leans down and kisses me, his tongue performing an erotic dance with mine. His hands move, first into my hair to hold me still as he deepens the kiss, and then slowly down over my neck, my breasts, my stomach, and then between my legs.

I whimper as his fingers begin to slowly circle my clitoris, the increasingly familiar sensation of heat beginning to rise deep within me after a few moments. He continues his ministrations until I feel my legs begin to weaken and my breathing comes faster and harsher. He gently eases a finger inside of me and I hiss slightly as the soreness is exacerbated. He freezes.

“Too much?” He asks.

“No, it’s fine. It’s just a little sore. Be gentle.”

“Like this?” He asks as his finger slides fully into me and begins to caress the front wall of my vagina. There is a new intenseness to this sensation and I gasp, clinging to him to stay steady on my feet.

“That’s it baby, feel this,” He says. His thumb begins work on my clitoris and after a few moments, he inserts another finger inside of me.

“Christian!” I moan as I begin to build higher and higher towards an orgasm.

“I love hearing you call my name, Ana,” He says, the careful movements of his fingers concentrating on my most sensitive spots. I squirm, feeling overwhelmed by the sensations but he doesn’t stop. The friction is mind boggling and it isn’t long before I feel my muscles clench and I fall off the edge, melting into him as I’m overpowered by my orgasm. His fingers continue to work until I come down from the high and when it’s ended, he slowly withdraws them from me and takes them into his mouth, moaning appreciatively. It’s extremely erotic.

“I love watching you come, Ana,” He says, leaning down to kiss me.

“Hmm,” I hum, too exhausted to say anything more. He’s now fully supporting me in his arms as I desperately fight off sleep.

“Let’s get you washed and into bed,” He says. “You look exhausted.”

He pours some shampoo in his hand, working it through my hair as I drift in and out. When he’s finished, he wraps me in a towel and dries my hair while I sit on the seat before the vanity, and then carries me to the bed. By the time he sets me down, I’m completely out.

I’m woken a few hours later by the harsh buzzing sound of my phone in my clutch sitting on the desk across the room. It takes me a few minutes to orient myself as the oblivion of a deep, restful sleep slips away from me. I’m very warm and I realize it’s because Christian is wrapped around me. Memories from the previous night wash over me and I flush.

I said yes to Christian.

He called himself my boyfriend.

I’m not a virgin anymore.

I bite down on my lip as a feeling of overwhelming happiness rushes through me. Last night was perfect. Christian has surpassed all of my hopes and wishes for what I wanted my first time to be like. I recall my very first orgasm, so intense as it ricocheted through me, pulling me down deep into an abyss where the only things that existed were pleasure, sensation, and Christian.

I’m pulled out of my reverie as my phone rings again. Sighing, I pull back the covers, carefully untangling myself from Christian so that I don’t wake him. When I stand, I immediately feel the effects last night had on my body. I’m extremely sore, almost to the point of painful. I wince as I walk to my phone, wondering how long the soreness between my legs will last, but also finding I’m pleased by the physical reminder of my night with Christian.

I dig in my bag and pull out my phone, answering it just in time.

“Hi Kate,” I whisper, conscious of the fact that Christian is asleep behind me.

“Good morning,” She says in a overly satisfied tone. I can almost picture the smug smile on her face. She knows what happened between Christian and I last night.

“Good morning,” I reply, trying as best I can for nonchalance.

“Elliot and I are going to breakfast, would you and Christian like to join us?”

“What time is it?” I ask, hoping my words are distinguishable as I yawn.

“You sound tired,” Kate says. “Did you have a late night last night?”

I roll my eyes at the phone, knowing she’s enjoying this. I think my virginity has been a bigger deal to Kate than it has to been to me.

“As a matter of fact I did,” I tell her. “Christian’s still asleep. Let me call you back in a few minutes to see what he wants to do.”

“Sounds good. Let him know that we understand if he’s too tired to come out with us. He must be exhausted.”

“Goodbye, Kate,” I say flatly.

“Goodbye, Ana.”

I hang up, shaking my head as I put the phone down on the desk. My fingers brush over the polished wood surface and I feel my cheeks heat as images from my time on this desk last night run through my mind.

“Pleasant memories?” Christian asks behind me and I whirl around to see him smiling at me with a self-satisfied smirk.

“Very pleasant,” I say, leaning back against the desk and drinking in the sight of him sitting in before me. I know he’s naked beneath the blanket and now, it doesn’t take much to imagine what is just hidden from my view.

“You look mighty fine this morning, Anastasia,” He says, glancing over my naked body. “Why don’t you come over here and I’ll see if I can leave you with more pleasant memories to carry with you throughout the day.”

I frown as the soreness I feel in the most sensitive parts of me body flames to the front of my mind.

“What’s wrong?” Christian asks, noticing the change in my expression.

“I think I’m a little… overused at the moment. I’m not sure how susceptible I can be to your salacious actions.”

He grins. “Feeling a little sore this morning?”

“I think the word ‘little’ falls short of what I’m currently experiencing.”

He gets up from the bed, crossing the room and wrapping his arms around me. I tilt my head up and kiss him and he reaches down and lifts me, carrying me back to the bed with him.

The heat between us intensifies as the kiss becomes a passionate expression of our need for one another. His lips are urgent, his hands insistent, and when we finally do have to break away from one another, his eyes are blazing with unrestrained lust.

“Can I try something?” I ask hesitantly.

“What?” He replies.

Slowly, I wiggle out from under him and sit up on the bed, wincing slightly with each movement.

“Lay down,” I tell him, and he looks at me questioningly, but does as I ask. I lean over to kiss him once and then slowly crawl down the bed. As I move, he props himself up on his elbows and looks down at me with creased eyebrows until I reach out and grasp him firmly at the base of his erection.

I take a moment to stroke my hand up and down his length, appreciating and marveling at him. I don’t apply much pressure as I gently run my fingers over the skin which feels silky smooth despite the slightly ribbed texture of the veins beneath the skin. As my hand moves, he groans and collapses back onto the bed. I bite my lip as I look up at him, his eyes closed and his mouth open as he is revels in the sensation. His hips buck up into my hand and I feel overly pleased with myself, knowing what I’m doing to him. My hand slides up to the head of his erection and I circle my thumb over the tip where I find a bead of dew, which I gently spread around with the pad of my thumb. In a moment of bravery, I lean over and kiss the tip of his erection and he groans, again elevating his hips upwards to urge me on.

I look down at him, hesitating for only a moment before I take him into my mouth, slowly enveloping him until I can’t manage anymore.

“Fuuuuuuuck,” He hisses in a labored whisper, his head rolling farther back in ecstasy. I ease him out of my my mouth, carefully shielding him from my teeth with my lips as, finally, he looks down at me. I can see the passion blazing in his fiery gaze as I move my mouth up and down his length.

“Harder, baby,” He presses me, and I tighten my lips around him, sucking harder as I take him back into my mouth.

“That’s it,” He groans. “Oh god, Ana!”

His euphoria in his voice urges me on and I begin to experiment with my hands and swirling my tongue over the tip of his erection.

“That feels so good, baby,” He says in a low carnal voice. I push him deeper into my mouth feeling him in the back of my throat. He groans as he feels my moan of pleasure vibrating through him. I move my mouth up and down his length, varying the pressure and speed. I can feel myself getting wet as the muscles deep inside of me clench with delight. I’m aroused by how powerful giving him this pleasure makes me feel. He writhes beneath me, flexing his hips up to meet me each time my mouth slides down his erection and after a few moments, I begin to feel a sense of urgency in his thrusts.

“I’m going to come, Ana,” He warns me breathlessly. “If you don’t want me to come in your mouth, stop now.”

The memory of him holding me in the shower, continually working his fingers in an out of me as my orgasm powered through me flashes across my mind. The intensity in that moment went on and on as he refused to let me come down from the ecstasy. I tighten my lips around him, wanting desperately to do for him what he has done for me.

“Ana!” He groans as his eyes roll back and he thrusts himself deeper into my mouth one last time. I feel the warm, bitter liquid drip into my throat and I quickly swallow it down. It’s… not pleasant, but the look of elation on his face wipes away my uncertainty. I sit back and stare at him expectantly, waiting for him to recover as lies there panting with his eyes closed. When he comes down, he rolls his head to the side and looks at me proudly.

“I didn’t expect that,” He says. “That was… incredible.”

“Good,” I say in a small, pleased tone. His brow furrows as he stares at me, unsure for a moment.

“Have you done that before?” He asks, he looks worried.

“No, some of us are just born talented,” I tease him, and he laughs.

“Good. I like being the first with you, Ana,” I smile and lay down next to him, letting him envelope me in his arms.

“Kate called me earlier,” I tell him. “She and Elliot are going to go get breakfast and they want us to meet them.”

“You don’t want reciprocation?” He asks.

“You can owe me,” I reply with a smile, and his eyes glint salaciously.

“That’s a debt I’ll happily take on, Miss Steele.”

We each take a quick shower, separately so we don’t become distracted again. While Christian is in the shower, I send a text to Kate asking where she wants to meet and she tells me that they’re on their way to Cafe Bellagio.

Twenty minutes later, we are led to the table where Elliot and Kate are sitting. They both give us ridiculous, knowing smiles, especially when I sit at a pace so slow, the soreness I’m feeling is blatantly obvious. Christian and I each take a menu from the waitress, doing our best to ignore the giddy energy beaming at us from across the table, but the moment the waitress departs, Kate stands and announces she needs to use the restroom. I glance up at her and she gives me a hard look that I know means she wants me to go with her. I raise an eyebrow at her but she gives up on any sense of social nicety and grabs me by the arm, dragging me away from the table with her.

“Tell me everything,” She says when the bathroom door closes behind us. I stare blankly back into her expectant expression.

“Don’t you have to use the restroom?” I ask sweetly, but she rolls her eyes and puts her hands on her hips to let me know she will not be diverted. I sigh.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t give me that crap, Anastasia Steele. You can’t hide that glow from me. You and Christian had sex last night, fess up.”

“Fine,” I say, having trouble hiding the ridiculous smile that crosses my face. I hope the even tone I try to use makes up for the blush that colors my cheeks. “Christian and I had sex last night.”

“Ahhh!” She squeals, reaching forward and pulling me into a hug. She holds me out at arm’s length and begins to bombard me with questions. “Was he gentle? Was it good or did it feel awkward? How many times did you do it? You were safe right, I mean, I know you’re not on the pill? Did he make you come?”

“Kate!” I exclaim indignantly, though it’s hard to pull off as I can’t stop smiling.

“Did he?” She asks again.

“Did he what?”

“Did he make you come?”

I take a deep breath as I decide that fighting her questions isn’t going to work.

“Yes,” I finally acquiesce and she smiles broadly.

“Way to go, Christian. Elliot must be lying. There’s no way he’s a virgin and could get you off on his first time. Sounds like he knows what he’s doing.”

I shrug, trying to fight the images of Christian and the Bitch Troll that immediately spring into my mind. They’re much harder to take now that I know Christian intimately.

“You’re okay, though?” Kate asks, the giddy exaltation fading away for a look of true concern from my best friend.

“I’m good, Kate. I’m really good.”

“So is this like a ‘what happens in Vegas’ thing?”

“I don’t think so. He seems pretty serious… he asked me to go to Aspen with his family next week.”

“What?” Kate exclaims. “Elliot didn’t ask me to go.”

“My boyfriend likes me more than yours does,” I tease. She glares at me and grabs my arm, dragging me back out to the table. When we get back into the dining room, Elliot looks simply radiant with happiness. Christian looks annoyed.

I take my place next to Christian and look curiously down at the cup of hot water in front of me, a bag of English Twinings Breakfast Tea laid neatly on the saucer. It’s my favorite tea, and I have to think back through months of memories to remember when I have ever ordered it in front of him. It was October, when Christian took me out of town for breakfast and told me he was sleeping with Mrs. Robinson. It’s hard for me to recall anything from that day besides that awful realization, and of course the life-altering kiss in the back alley. How does he remember the tea that I ordered? As I lift the dry tea bag and dunk it into the saucer, I add another personality trait to my list. Christian Grey remembers everything. Perhaps I should keep that in mind if we’re going to be dating.

“Thank-you,” I tell him, and he reaches for my free hand under the table and entangles his fingers with mine.

“So Elliot, what are you doing next week?” Kate asks innocently, although I know exactly what she’s doing.

“I don’t know,” Elliot says. He picks up his cup of coffee and drains it.

“We’re going to Aspen next week,” Christian reminds him.

“Oh, yeah,” Elliot says, genuine recognition crossing his face. He turns to Kate. “We’re going to Aspen.”

“I see,” Kate says, trying to hold his gaze expectantly, but he’s distracted by the waitress. I look down at the menu as Elliot recites what he wants. I’m starving this morning. Apparently my nocturnal activities have worked up quite the appetite. Unable to decide what I want, I ask the waitress to bring me the same omelette and toast Christian ordered. The waitress collects our menus and when she disappears, Kate starts talking about how much she loves Aspen, though Elliot doesn’t seem to get the hint.

Christian and Elliot don’t leave vegas until two, so after breakfast we make plans for the afternoon, which involve lunch with my mom. Elliot suggests that we all head up to the room upstairs so he and Christian can pack and then we can hit some stores before heading over to my house. I didn’t know anyone could be as excited to buy things as Kate, but Elliot seems to give her a run for her money. Christian excuses himself from the table and heads upstairs before the rest of us, I assume to hide the evidence of our sexcapades.

My assumption is proven right when we get to Christian’s room and it’s completely spotless, almost as if maid service has already been through, but since it’s only 07:45 in the morning, I know that probably isn’t the case. Christian is sitting on one of the couches we made love on last night, staring at the business news ticker at the bottom of the screen while some CNN anchor talks about Cyprus and Malta adopting the Euro. Elliot looks around at the tidy space and then down at the bed which is neatly made. He smirks and turns to me.

“So Ana, was it the worst sex of your life or just completely mediocre?”

My face flushes and out of the corner of my eye, I see Christian’s head turn towards Elliot so he can glare at him. Well, clearly both Kate and Elliot know… is there any point in trying to deny anything now?

“It was extraordinary if you need to know, Elliot,” I say. He snorts.

“You just must not have had enough experience to know better,” He says pointedly, though he’s talking to Christian more than me.

“I don’t know… Kate’s told me enough about you that I think I could recognize mediocrity,” I say. Kate and Christian laugh and to my relief, Elliot’s face breaks into a wide smile.

“Sick burn,” He says, “I gotta keep my eye on you, Steele.”

Christian finished packing while he was alone up here and since Elliot didn’t actually stay here last night, he simply takes a quick shower, changes his clothes, and puts the few things he did remove back in his bag before we head out. Christian holds my hand, wheeling a carry on size suitcase behind him with his free hand as he leads us all out to the parking garage. He and Elliot have rented a car, an expensive looking car, which they both look at with a lust that harkens me back to last night. It’s matte black with a winged B embedded into the front of the hood. I stare down at the impressive car with awe and trepidation as it once again reminds me of the income gap between Christian and I.

I think about the beautiful house the Greys own and all of the luxury they lavished on me when I stayed there this past Thanksgiving break. Today, I’ll be bringing Christian back to my small, late ’60s era house that is approximately 1/8th the square footage of the Grey home and where my mom will probably serve coffee in collector mickey mouse mugs that we got on our last trip to Disneyland. I worry how Christian will react when he sees first hand the differences between us when it comes to income. Maybe when he steps into the living room of my mother’s house, which is half the size of his entrance hall alone, he will see what his father sees. That it might just be too convenient that a girl from lower middle class Montesano has cozied her way into one of the elite families of the greater Seattle area…

“Give me the keys, Christian,” Elliot says as he closes the trunk now tightly packed with luggage.

“Good one, Elliot,” Christian laughs as he walks around to the driver’s side.

“Um, I’m the big brother. You have to listen to me when our parents aren’t around.”

“I’m an adult, I don’t have to listen to shit,” Christian says. Elliot rolls his eyes but climbs into the back seat with Kate. We take a tour down the strip, stopping at Thomas Pink, Paul Smith, and Tom Ford along the way. Kate drags the boys into a store called Scotch & Soda in Fashion Show Mall and lets loose.

I stand at the entrance next to Christian, who is texting with Ros on his Blackberry, while Kate rushes around the store like a mad woman.

“You’re not shopping?” He asks when he tucks his phone away in his pocket.

“Shopping isn’t really my thing,” I tell him, leaving out the fact that the closest shirt can see is $75.

“What about this?” He asks, reaching to his left and pulling out a simple, royal blue button down blouse that looks as though it is made of silk. “You look lovely in blue, Anastasia.”

“It’s pretty,” I shrug. He frowns and places the hanger back on the stand. He walks into the store, and says something to Kate that I can’t hear. She nods and he turns back to me.

“Kate and Elliot will meet us at the car when they’re finished. I need to get a coffee, will you come with me?”

“Sure,” I say, and he takes my hand and leads me through the mall to a Starbucks where her orders a latte for himself and an iced green tea for me. Once we have our drinks, we walk back to the car, hand in hand.

“Is that a Latte?” Elliot asks when we meet them in the parking garage, staring at the cup in Christian’s hand dubiously.

“Yes,” Christian replies, opening the front passenger door to the car for me.

“Real men drink black coffee,” Elliot says pointedly.

“Real men do whatever the fuck they want,” Christian says, and Elliot smiles. Both he and Christian climb into the car and my anxiety mounts as Christian asks which direction he should go to get to my house where my mother is waiting with her souvenir mugs.

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