Fifty Shades Trilogy 01 - Fifty Shades of Grey

by E. L. James

  “Next week.” I stare down at my hands.

  “You need to sort out some contraception.”

  He is so bossy. I stare at him blankly. He sits back on the bed as he puts on his shoes and socks.

  “Do you have a doctor?”

  I shake my head. We are back to mergers and acquisitions – another 180-degree mood swing.

  He frowns.

  “I can have mine come and see you at your apartment – Sunday morning before you come and see me. Or he can see you at my place. Which would you prefer?”

  No pressure then. Something else that he’s paying for… but actually this is for his benefit.

  “Your place.” That means I am guaranteed to see him Sunday.

  “Okay. I’ll let you know the time.”

  “Are you leaving?”

  Don’t go… stay with me, please.

  “Yes.”

  Why?

  “How are you getting back?” I whisper.

  “Taylor will pick me up.”

  “I can drive you. I have a lovely new car.”

  He gazes at me, his expression warm.

  “That’s more like it. But I think you’ve had too much to drink.”

  “Did you get me tipsy on purpose?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you over-think everything, and you’re reticent like your stepdad. A drop of wine in you and you start talking, and I need you to communicate honestly with me. Otherwise you clam up and I have no idea what you’re thinking. In vino veritas, Anastasia.”

  “And you think you’re always honest with me?”

  “I endeavor to be.” He looks down at me warily. “This will only work if we’re honest with each other.”

  “I’d like you to stay and use this.” I hold up the second condom.

  He smiles and his eyes glow with humor.

  “Anastasia, I have crossed so many lines here tonight. I have to go. I’ll see you on Sunday. I’ll have the revised contract ready for you, and then we can really start to play.”

  “Play?” Holy shit. My heart leaps into my mouth.

  “I’d like to do a scene with you. But I won’t until you’ve signed, so I know you’re ready.”

  “Oh. So I could stretch this out, if I don’t sign?”

  He gazes at me assessing, and then his lips twitch into a smile.

  “Well, I suppose you could, but I may crack under the strain.”

  “Crack? How?” My inner goddess has woken and is paying attention.

  He nods slowly, and then he grins, teasing.

  “Could get really ugly.”

  His grin is infectious.

  “Ugly, how?”

  “Oh you know, explosions, car chases, kidnapping, incarceration.”

  “You’d kidnap me?”

  “Oh yes,” he grins.

  “Hold me against my will?” Jeez, this is hot.

  “Oh yes,” he nods. “And then we’re talking TPE 24/7.”

  “You’ve lost me,” I breathe, my heart is pounding… is he serious?

  “Total Power Exchange – round the clock.” His eyes are shining, and I can feel his excitement from where I sit.

  Holy shit.

  “So you have no choice,” he says sardonically.

  “Clearly.” I can’t keep the sarcasm out of my voice as my eyes reach for the heavens.

  “Oh, Anastasia Steele, did you just roll your eyes at me?”

  Crap.

  “No,” I squeak.

  “I think you did. What did I say I’d do to you if you rolled your eyes at me again?”

  Shit. He sits down on the edge of the bed.

  “Come here,” he says softly.

  I blanch. Jeez… he’s serious. I sit staring at him, completely immobile.

  “I haven’t signed,” I whisper.

  “I told you what I’d do. I’m a man of my word. I’m going to spank you, and then I’m going to fuck you very quick and very hard. Looks like we’ll need that condom after all.”

  His voice is so soft, menacing, and it’s damned hot. My insides practically contort with potent, needy, liquid, desire. He gazes at me, waiting, eyes blazing. Tentatively, I uncurl my legs. Should I run? This is it; our relationship hangs in the balance, right here, right now. Do I let him do this or do I say no, and then that’s it? Because I know it will be over if I say no. Do it! my inner goddess pleads with me. My subconscious is as paralyzed as I am.

  “I’m waiting,” he says. “I’m not a patient man.”

  Oh, for the love of all that’s holy. I’m panting, afraid, turned on. Blood pounding through my body, my legs are like jelly. Slowly, I crawl over to him until I am beside him.

  “Good girl,” he murmurs. “Now stand up.”

  Oh shit… can’t he just get this over with? I’m not sure if I can stand. Hesitantly, I clamber to my feet. He holds his hand out, and I place the condom in his palm. Suddenly he grabs me, tipping me across his lap. With one smooth movement, he angles his body so my torso is resting on the bed beside him. He throws his right leg over both of mine and plants his left forearm on the small of my back, holding me down so I cannot move. Oh fuck.

  “Put your hands up on either side of your head,” he orders.

  I obey immediately.

  “Why am I doing this, Anastasia?” he asks.

  “Because I rolled my eyes at you,” I can barely speak.

  “Do you think that’s polite?”

  “No.”

  “Will you do it again?”

  “No.”

  “I will spank you each time you do it, do you understand?”

  Very slowly, he pulls down my sweatpants. Oh, how demeaning is this? Demeaning and scary and hot. He’s making such a meal of this. My heart is in my mouth. I can barely breathe. Shit, is this going to hurt?

  He places his hand on my naked behind, softly fondling me, stroking round and round with his flat palm. And then his hand is no longer there… and he hits me – hard. Ow! My eyes spring open in response to the pain, and I try to rise, but his hand moves between my shoulder blades keeping me down. He caresses me again where he’s hit me, and his breathing’s changed – it’s louder, harsher. He hits me again and again, quickly in succession. Holy fuck it hurts. I make no sound, my face screwed up against the pain. I try and wriggle away from the blows – spurred on by adrenaline spiking and coursing through my body.

  “Keep still,” he growls. “Or I’ll spank you for longer.”

  He’s rubbing me now, and the blow follows. A rhythmic pattern emerges, caress, fondle, slap hard. I have to concentrate to handle this pain. My mind empties as I endeavor to absorb the grueling sensation. He doesn’t hit me in the same place twice in succession – he’s spreading the pain.

  “Aargh!” I cry out on the tenth slap – and I’m unaware that I have been mentally counting the blows.

  “I’m just getting warmed up.”

  He hits me again then he strokes me softly. The combination of the hard stinging blow and his gentle caress is so mind-numbing. He hits me again… this is getting harder to take. My face hurts it’s screwed up so tight. He strokes me gently and then the blow comes. I cry out again.

  “No one to hear you, baby, just me.”

  And he hits me again and again. From somewhere deep inside, I want to beg him to stop. But I don’t. I don’t want to give him the satisfaction. He continues the unrelenting rhythm. I cry out six more times. Eighteen slaps in total. My body is singing, singing from his merciless assault.

  “Enough,” he breathes hoarsely. “Well done, Anastasia. Now I’m going to fuck you.”

  He caresses my behind gently, and it burns as he strokes me round and round and down. Suddenly, he inserts two fingers inside me, taking me completely by surprise. I gasp, this new assault breaking through the numbness around my brain.

  “Feel this. See how much your body likes this, Anastasia. You’re soaking just for me.” There is awe in his voice. He moves his fingers,
in and out in quick succession.

  I groan, no surely not, and then his fingers are gone… and I’m left wanting.

  “Next time, I will get you to count. Now where’s that condom?”

  He reaches beside him for the condom and lifts me gently, pushing me face down onto the bed. I hear the sound of his zipper and the rip of the foil. He drags my sweatpants off and then guides me into a kneeling position, gently caressing my now very sore behind.

  “I’m going to take you now. You can come,” he murmurs.

  What? Like I have a choice.

  And he’s inside me, quickly filling me, I moan loudly. He moves, pounding into me, a fast, intense pace against my sore behind. The feeling is beyond exquisite, raw and debasing and mind blowing. My senses are ravaged, disconnected, solely concentrating on what he’s doing to me. How he’s making me feel, that familiar pull deep in my belly, tightening, quickening. NO… and my traitorous body explodes in an intense, body-shattering orgasm.

  “Oh, Ana!” he cries out loudly as he finds his release, holding me in place as he pours himself into me. He collapses, panting hard beside me, and he pulls me on top of him and buries his face in my hair, holding me close.

  “Oh, baby,” he breathes. “Welcome to my world.”

  We lie there, panting together, waiting for our breathing to slow. He gently strokes my hair. I’m on his chest again. But this time, I don’t have the strength to lift my hand and feel him. Boy… I survived. That wasn’t so bad. I’m more stoic than I thought. My inner goddess is prostrate… well at least she’s quiet. Christian nuzzles my hair again, inhaling deeply.

  “Well done, baby,” he whispers, quiet joy in his voice. His words curl around me like a soft fluffy towel from the Heathman Hotel, and I’m so pleased that he’s happy.

  He picks at the strap on my camisole.

  “Is this what you sleep in?” he asks gently.

  “Yes,” I breathe sleepily.

  “You should be in silks and satins, you beautiful girl. I’ll take you shopping.”

  “I like my sweats,” I murmur, trying and failing to sound irritated.

  He kisses my head again.

  “We’ll see,” he says.

  We lie for a few more minutes, hours, who knows, and I think I doze.

  “I have to go,” he says, and leaning down, he kisses my forehead gently. “Are you okay?” His voice is soft.

  I think about his question. My backside is sore. Well, glowing now, and amazingly I feel, apart from exhausted, radiant. The realization is humbling, unexpected. I don’t understand. Holy shit.

  “I’m okay,” I whisper. I don’t want to say more than that.

  He rises.

  “Where’s your bathroom?”

  “Along the corridor to the left.”

  He scoops up the other condom and heads out of the bedroom. I rise stiffly and put my sweatpants back on. They chafe a little against my still-smarting behind. I’m so confused by my reaction. I remember him saying – I can’t remember when – that I would feel so much better after a good hiding. How can that be so? I really don’t get it. But strangely, I do. I can’t say that I enjoyed the experience, in fact, I would still go a long way to avoid it, but now… I have this safe, weird, bathed in afterglow, sated feeling. I put my head in my hands. I just don’t understand.

  Christian reenters the room. I can’t look him in the eye. I stare down at my hands.

  “I found some baby oil. Let me rub it into your behind.”

  What?

  “No. I’ll be fine.”

  “Anastasia,” he warns, and I want to roll my eyes but quickly stop myself. I stand facing the bed. Sitting beside me, he gently pulls my sweatpants down again. Up and down like whores’ drawers, my subconscious remarks bitterly. In my head, I tell her where to go. Christian squirts baby oil into his hand and then rubs my behind with careful tenderness – from makeup remover to soothing balm for a spanked ass, who would have thought it was such a versatile liquid.

  “I like my hands on you,” he murmurs, and I have to agree; me, too.

  “There,” he says when he’s finished, and he pulls my pants up again.

  I glance over at my clock. It’s ten thirty.

  “I’m leaving now.”

  “I’ll see you out.” I still can’t look at him.

  Taking my hand, he leads me to the front door. Fortunately, Kate is still not home. She must still be having dinner with her folks and Ethan. I’m really glad she’s not been around to hear my chastisement.

  “Don’t you have to call Taylor?” I ask, avoiding eye contact.

  “Taylor’s been here since nine. Look at me,” he breathes.

  I struggle to meet his eyes, but when I do, he’s gazing down at me with wonder.

  “You didn’t cry,” he murmurs, then grabs me suddenly and kisses me fervently. “Sunday,” he whispers against my lips, and it’s both a promise and a threat.

  I watch him walk down the path and climb into the big black Audi. He doesn’t look back. I close the door and stand helpless in the living room of an apartment that I shall only spend another two nights in. A place I have lived happily for almost four years… yet today, for the first time ever, I feel lonely and uncomfortable here, unhappy with my own company. Have I strayed so far from who I am? I know that lurking, not very far under my rather numb exterior, is a well of tears. What am I doing? The irony is I can’t even sit down and enjoy a good cry. I’ll have to stand. I know it’s late, but I decide to call my mom.

  “Honey, how are you? How was graduation?” she enthuses down the phone. Her voice is a soothing balm.

  “Sorry it’s so late,” I whisper.

  She pauses.

  “Ana? What’s wrong?” She’s all seriousness now.

  “Nothing, Mom, I just wanted to hear your voice.”

  She’s silent for a moment.

  “Ana, what is it? Please tell me.” Her voice is soft and comforting, and I know that she cares. Uninvited, my tears begin to flow. I have cried so often in the last few days.

  “Please, Ana,” she says, and her anguish reflects mine.

  “Oh, Mom, it’s a man.”

  “What’s he done to you?” Her alarm is palpable.

  “It’s not like that.” Although it is… Oh crap. I don’t want to worry her. I just want someone else to be strong for me at the moment.

  “Ana, please, you’re worrying me.”

  I take a big breath.

  “I’ve kind of fallen for this guy, and he’s so different from me, and I don’t know if we should be together.”

  “Oh, darling. I wish I could be with you. I am so sorry I missed your graduation. You’ve fallen for someone, finally. Oh, honey, men, they are so tricky. They’re a different species, honey. How long have you known him?”

  Christian is definitely a different species… different planet.

  “Oh, nearly three weeks or so.”

  “Ana, darling, that’s no time at all. How can you possibly know someone in that kind of time frame? Just take it easy with him and keep him at arm’s length until you decide whether he’s worthy of you.”

  Wow… it’s unnerving when my mother is so insightful, but she’s just too late on this. Is he worthy of me? That’s an interesting concept. I always wonder whether I am worthy of him.

  “Honey, you sound so unhappy. Come home – visit with us. I miss you, darling. Bob would love to see you, too. You can get some distance and maybe some perspective. You need a break. You’ve been working so hard.”

  Oh boy, is this tempting. Run away to Georgia. Grab some sunshine, some cocktails. My mother’s good humor… her loving arms.

  “I have two job interviews in Seattle on Monday.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful news.”

  The door opens and Kate appears, grinning at me. Her face falls when she sees I’ve been crying.

  “Mom, I have to go. I’ll think about a visit. Thank you.”

  “Honey, please, don’t let a man ge
t under your skin. You’re far too young. Go and enjoy yourself.”

  “Yes, Mom, love you.”

  “Oh, Ana, I love you, too, so much. Stay safe, honey.” I hang up and face Kate, who glares at me.

  “Has that obscenely rich fucker upset you again?”

  “No… sort of… err… yes.”

  “Just tell him to take a hike, Ana. You’ve been so up and down since you met him. I’ve never seen you like this.”

  The world of Katherine Kavanagh is very clear, very black and white. Not the intangible, mysterious, vague hues of gray that color my world. Welcome to my world.

  “Sit, let’s talk. Let’s have some wine. Oh, you’ve had champagne.” She spies the bottle. “Some good stuff, too.”

  I smile ineffectually, looking apprehensively at the couch. I approach it with caution. Hmm… sitting.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I fell over and landed on my behind.”

  She doesn’t think to question my explanation, because I am one of the most uncoordinated people in Washington State. I never thought I’d see that as a blessing. I sit down gingerly, pleasantly surprised that I’m okay, and turn my attention to Kate but my mind glazes over and I’m pulled back to the Heathman – “Well, if you were mine you wouldn’t be able to sit down for a week after the stunt you pulled yesterday.” He said it then, and all I could concentrate on at the time was being his. All the warning signs were there, I was just too clueless and too enamored to notice.

  Kate comes back into the living area with a bottle of red wine and washed teacups.

  “Here we go.” She hands me a cup of wine. It won’t taste as good as the Bolly.

  “Ana, if he’s a jerk with commitment issues, dump him. Though I don’t really understand his commitment issues. He couldn’t take his eyes off you in the marquee, watched you like a hawk. I’d say he was completely smitten, but maybe he has a funny way of showing it.”

  Smitten? Christian? Funny way of showing it? I’ll say.

  “Kate, it’s complicated. How was your evening?” I ask.

  I can’t talk this through with Kate without revealing too much, but one question on her day and Kate is off. It’s so reassuring to sit and listen to her normal chatter. The hot news is that Ethan may be coming to live with us after their holiday. That will be fun – Ethan is a hoot. I frown. I don’t think Christian will approve. Well… tough. He’ll just have to suck it up. I have a couple of teacups of wine and decide to call it a night. It’s been one very long day. Kate hugs me, and then grabs the phone to call Elliot.