Chapter 35 – Under the Radar

Don't ask me how we managed to sneak from the wine cellar to Christian's bedroom undetected by anyone, but we did. Either that or the entire security team and Gail have mighty good game-faces. I could never work for a reclusive billionaire, as I would have giggled the moment I saw us or held back my laugh until it came out like a snort. Either way, I dried my hair quickly and put my clothes back on before Christian and I headed to the dinning room for dinner and if I can sneak some, a few Advil. Sore isn't the word to describe down there. It takes every ounce of self-control to not gasp as I take my place at the dinning room table with everyone. Christian watches my every move barely able to contain his relaxed grin. Thankfully Christian remembered to bring up two bottles of Reisling, otherwise Taylor or one of the guys would have to go down and grab it. I'd be mortified if they found any evidence of my lost virginity.

The guys discussed sports, while Gail and I compared recipes, talked about the redesign at Escala, and laughed about stupid stories we read in the news. It was light-hearted with no discussion of business or the ongoing security issues. It was just what we needed, though it didn't last long as my phone rang a moment later.

I excused myself from the table, glanced at the unknown number on the phone, and answered it. I could feel all of their eyes on me even though my back was to them.

"Hello," I answered cautiously.

"Ana, listen, I don't have much time," the female voice whispered.

"Mac?"

"Yes, just listen to me carefully. Don't trust anyone but Christian's security team. Not the police, not Cochran, not anyone. Do I make myself clear?" she whispers.

"What's going on Mac? How's Luke?" I ask as I put the call on speaker and raise the volume.

"Don't trust Cochran. Luke is going to be fine, promise. Trust no one other than Taylor's team. Do you understand?"

"We do," Taylor replied. "Where's Luke now?"

"Safely tucked away but I can't tell you where for now. Given Luke's limited role with the military, he's surrounded by security so Cochran can't even get to see him alone," she explains. "Tell Christian that Luke is certain that Lincoln Timbers CEO is the man behind this all. He's trying to use you, Ana, to get to Christian before trying to literally put the nail in his coffin. He wants Christian to suffer before he kills him. You need to allow the military, ATF, and FBI to handle this mess, as they are now all involved. Lincoln Timbers charity division that provides supplies to build homes around the world for those less fortunate is a front. We're talking major arms dealing and smuggling to rebels and militants."

"Holy shit," Christian swears as he runs his hand through his hair. "I own forty percent of the overall Lincoln Timbers stock under different company names. Am I at risk?"

"No. Luke informed the four-star general working this for the military that you own the stock, but that you had no day-to-day involvement in the running of the company. Luke wants you guys to keep security tight and do your best to fly under the radar. Mr. Lincoln is supposedly on the run and is blocked from leaving the country as his passport has been flagged. According to Luke, we wait it all out as the ATF and FBI do their thing. I have to go."

With that the line is dead and we're all standing around looking at each other in shock. We expected this all to be about someone with a grudge against Christian or me, but the reality is unsettling because it proves that the mastermind behind it, Mr. Lincoln, is beyond unstable. I mean, who runs an illegal arms operation and risks it all to go after a nobody like me? It just doesn't make sense.

"Christian, is this Mr. Lincoln related to Elena Lincoln?" I can't help but ask as my mind works overtime trying to pull the puzzle pieces together. Christian pales slightly before replying that he's her ex-husband and their divorce six or seven years ago was less than amicable. "Do you think we should warn Elena? I mean, clearly her ex is an unstable person?"

The security team and Gail quietly scatter as Christian replies that he'll take care of it. The feeling they know something I don't is unnerving. All I can think is that the enigma that is Elena Lincoln being married to a psychopath doesn't seem all that farfetched. I feel like a bad person even thinking it but there was always something distinctly creepy about her, but gave her the benefit of the doubt since she's a long time friend of Christian's mother. Now I can't help but wonder. I make a mental note to watch her closely when I return to volunteering once this security issue settles down and her ex has his ass firmly planted in prison.

"My parents invited us to Bellevue for dinner tomorrow. Would you like to go?" Christian asks. I can see the hope in his grey eyes. How can anyone say no to the childlike innocence in those grey orbs, when it's a vulnerability he so rarely exudes?

"Where you go, I go," I reply as he wraps his arms around me.

"Shall we move your things into my room or should we both move into the wine cellar?" he asks with a naughty grin.

"As I said, I'll follow your lead. This is your castle after all Mr. Grey," I tease.

"My room it is then," he laughed as he pulled me toward the guest bedroom to grab my things. It took all of ten minutes for him to make room in his closet for my belongings. I didn't want to burst this bubble by reminding him when the security situation was resolved, that I was moving into my own place.

I have to admit, his closet was a dream – custom all the way. To see dozens of expensive suits perfectly hung and spaced, and beneath them drawers for ties, watches, and other clothing made me realize he spent more on his closet than I did in my entire life. It was awesome until it felt like a wake up call with a profound slap in the face. I'm way out of my league here. I'm just a screwed up kid from Montesano and he's basically the king of Seattle business.

"Can I got out to the patio and get some fresh air?" I ask hoping I can take a few deep breaths, calm down, and let the desire to run pass. 'I will not run, I will not run' is the mantra echoing through my mind.

He nods. I can feel his eyes on me as I open the doors and step out onto the patio. I know if I don't do this, I'll have a full-blown anxiety attack. My eyes close, my head tilts backward and I take a few deep breaths of the fresh, cool air. I allow my mind to drift back to the brown chaise in the wine room and instantly I begin to relax. That man is so damned sexy. Just thinking about him arouses me. Finally I just break out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Christian whispers in my ear as his arms wrap around me from behind.

"I found something better than Xanax for an anxiety attack," I whisper as I turn in his arms to face him.

"And what's that?"

"Thoughts of a brown chaise, bottles of wine, and the man I love there with me."

Just the feeling of his fingertips lightly touching my lips makes my entire body tingle with anticipation as his lips approach mine. His kisses are soft, loving, and lingering. I wish I wasn't so sore down there.

When we finally pull apart, I can't help but ask, "If we can't trust anyone but your security team, how do we handle the police patrolling Escala and supposedly watching over your family? I know ninety-nine percent of the SPD are good men, but what if we got some of the one percent?"

"I'll have Welch and Taylor bring on more members for our teams and tell the SPD we have the security situation under control," he sighs in frustration over the situation. "How would you like to spend the remainder of this evening?"

My cheeks flush, I can't help it. "How I'd like to spend it and how I am capable of spending it are two different things unfortunately." I can't help but giggle at Christian smirks at me. "I actually have spent way too much down time lately ignoring my business, so I would like to sit in bed with my laptop, catch up on emails and maybe do some editing."

"We'll both catch up on emails in bed then."

He leads me back into the apartment, each of us grabbing our laptop bags along they way as we head toward the master bedroom. After changing into our pajamas, we get under the blankets leaning against the headboard, our arms touching and power up our laptops. I must have been completely out of my mind thinking I could sit in bed with him and actually get work done. I venture a glance at his screen and he's not faring much better. He's read the same single paragraph email for the past five minutes before sighing unhappily, closing the laptop, and placing it on his bedside table.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

He shifts uncomfortably as he faces me. "What's your relationship with Eric Dali?"

Okay so maybe we didn't have the same things on our minds. I don't know where he's going with this, but I'll play along. "He's a contracted E-House writer. His book comes out next month."

Relief sweeps over him as his body relaxes. "What type of book is it?"

"It's an autobiography and expose on the BDSM community across the country – the good, the bad, and the ugly," I reply. "He's seen it all."

He tenses. "Does he mention specific people?"

"It's an expose, of course he does."

"Me?" he asks tensely.

"I've read all of his notes, and personally edited the book. There's not even a hint of you, even veiled in it."

Christian goes on to tell me it's ironic that Dali is writing an expose because his reputation as a dominant is less than stellar. He explains that he's heard complaints from a few gorgeous, no limit submissives that he wouldn't contract with them.

I can't help but laugh. "You do know that Eric is gay, okay, deep in the closet gay since he is part owner of a professional sports team, right? His sexual submissives are always men, so if the women are spreading the rumors, they are lies."

Christian laughs, but I can feel his relief.

"The book has garnered some advance media attention. We have a deal with a large news organization that's completed an investigative piece in some of the underground BDSM clubs in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco," I explain. "It's going to be an all out media blitz the week before the book comes out. I spent two months cutting a one-shot deal with a print house in Pennsylvania to print thirty thousand copies and distribute them around the country to bookstores. The investigative segments for television are really well done in that they expose the underbelly of the BDSM community after showing what real BDSM relationships are like. I hired a freelance PR person recommended by the network too handle all of the talk show bookings and accompany Eric and I around the country for two weeks next month."

"And how did you meet Dali?"

"He's supposedly a friend of Elena Lincoln's. She tried to fix me up with him so she dragged us to dinner one Saturday night then left us alone," I explain. "The joke was on her though. He's not a fan of hers. He was just being polite."

"Are you sure he's gay and isn't just playing gay to try to weasel his way into your panties?" Christian asks tensely.

I laugh. "We've had a few meetings at The Lobby Bar on trivia night. He paid more attention to the male physiques surrounding us than he did on trivia or even discussing his book. Most definitely gay and according to him utterly fabulous."

He runs his hands through his hair. "So you've educated yourself about the BDSM lifestyle."

I giggle. "I've learned more than I ever wanted to know. When done in a trusting relationship between two consenting adults its fine." I sigh. "I've read more books in the past few months that had all kinds of sex in them, yet until today I honestly didn't grasp how amazing it actually felt. I still don't grasp the entire tie them up, hit them with different things, clamps and all that stuff. I heard and read all about it and found it overwhelming."

He pulls my face to his and smiles mischievously. Our lips meet, softly at first, then deepens. His muscular body hovering over me, I can't resist wrapping my arms around his waist, and pulling him on top of me. When he finally pulls his lips from mine, he's grinning from ear-to-ear. "Do you trust me?"

I nod after a second of hesitation.

"Trust me?" he whispers. "No toys, no pain – just trust me."

"I do."

His eyes never leave mine as he slowly moves down my body. When he finally reaches my feet, he grins, holds my ankles and pulls me a bit further down on the bed.

"Promise me you won't move from that position?" he asks.

"I promise."

I watch as he gets off the bed and heads into his walk-in closet, returning a moment later with two of his ties. Try as I might, I can't keep the anxiety from my face.

"It's not what you think," he reassures me as he climbs onto the bed. I watch as he ties one end of each tie leaving a loop at the end, and then ties one to each of the posts on the headboard. Finally, he pulls me to a sitting position and removes my nightgown, leaving me in just my tiny lace underpants. He's straddling my legs, our eyes locked as he gently lays me down. As he puts one of the rings at the end of his tie in one of my hands, he explains.

"You are in control of what happens here. I'm asking you to hold onto the ties and don't let go," he explains. "This is not about learning about BDSM, it's about feeling and learning how each part of your body responds to sexual stimuli. Your sole role is to allow the sensation to consume you."

He smiles as he stands and removes his pajamas, allowing me to enjoy the view. Just the sight of him standing naked before me arouses me. I can feel my body respond as his eyes slowly examine my barely clad body. With my arms holding the ties, I feel exposed, vulnerable yet surprisingly safe – this new awareness makes me smile longingly at Christian as my body relaxes.

"I'm all yours," I whisper "but I warn you, if you teach me about my body, you'll have to teach me about yours because if I'm yours, then you are mine."

He closes his eyes, tilts his head back and groans. "You keep talking like that and this might be a short lesson. Now close your eyes."

I look at him confused.

"This is about pure feeling, not seeing or moving on your part."

As my eyes close, I can feel his weight on a corner of the bed. Thirty seconds go pass, then a minute and he hasn't touched me. Every nerve on my body is ready and waiting, and nothing.

"Anticipation," he whispers in my ear, causing me to gasp and my entire body to shiver. Holy shit that was hot.

He moves and straddles one of my legs, leaving his knee barely touching my folds, the other bracing my leg so I can't move.

"You're already wet," he whispers in my ear.

I can hear the mirth in voice, leaving me giddy with anticipation. He lightly nibbles my earlobe, before sucking it. Ever so lightly, he traces my ear with his tongue. I moan softly, as he kisses just beneath my earlobe. The feeling of his warm breath on my skin is indescribably erotic.

His lips softly kiss, suck and nibble their way down and around my neck as he makes his way to my other ear, repeating the decadent assault on my senses. All I want is for him to move his knee a bit closer so I can grind against it, but it's just outside of my reach no matter how much I try to shift my hips closer.

"Naughty girl," he chuckles softly putting a hand on my hipbone. "No moving. We've just begun our fun."

I feel his hand move over my heart and rest there. "Excited are we?"

I laugh and nod my head.

He removes his hands from my body and all I can do is wait and feel what he does next. Finally I feel his fingers on my nipples, slowly rolling them between his fingers. I can feel them get harder, my breath comes quicker, the wetness increasing between my thighs. When his lips replace one of his hands, duplicating the action of his other hand with his lips and tongue, I moan loudly arching my back. When his teeth lightly taunt my nipple all I can do is let my head fall back onto the bed, moan Christian's name as I teeter on the edge of an orgasm.

"Responsive, I approve," he whispers before shifting his oral attention to my other breast and bringing me back to the edge. "Very responsive."

He begins kissing his way down my stomach, stopping to kiss my belly button, before his journey continues downward. Reflexively my hips lift off the bed. He chuckles softly as I he shifts lower on the bed so his legs are no longer touching mine as he removes my panties. When I feel his warm breath between my barely parted legs, I want nothing more than to shift them further apart to provide him better access, but his arms are now resting on either side of my legs preventing the motion.

His fingers gently part my folds as he softly blows on my clit. My hips jerk forward as I gasp. His mouth takes over, kissing and sucking my clit. It takes every ounce of my failing self-control to not beg him for more. When his tongue begins licking, nudging and caressing my folds and all around my clit without touching it, my frustration grows.

He begins to kiss and lick his way down my leg, lingering behind my knee. When he reaches my foot and kisses my arches, I can feel my entire body spasm.

"That's my girl," he whispers as he repeats the action with my other leg. The closer his lips get to my folds, the harder my breathing becomes. My heart feels like it's beating out of my chest, it's beat matched by the throbbing between my legs. Two of his fingers slide between my folds, barely touching my entrance. My hips feel like they have a mind of their own as they shift in an attempt to get his fingers inside me.

"No, no, no," Christian chuckles as his tongue moves around my clit, carefully avoiding it. Between his tongue and fingers, I'm teetering on the edge.

"Please," I moan as he blows on my clit. "Oh Christian, please."

"Tell me what you want," he whispers.

"You," I barely manage to breath out as his tongue continues it's taunting journey.

"How?" he asks as he begins to suck on my clit. A moment later he pushes two fingers inside me, caressing, pushing, in and out, over and over matching his sucking rhythm. My back is arched, I'm pulling on the ties with all my might, my body trembling, my breathing is coming in raging gasps as he adds a third finger into the mix and sucks on my clit with renewed fervor. The sensation is almost too much, it's overwhelming, my head is shaking side to side, every cell in my body feels alive – primal; when his tongue takes over on my clit, alternating sucking, lapping, and even nipping at my clit I feel myself teetering on the edge again. His fingers push deeper into me, pressing causing me to cry out. I can feel his smile against me down there. A moment later all sensation is gone. No!

The sensation is short-lived as I feel his body slide up mine, his hands touch mine, urging me to release the ties. "Eyes still closed," he whispers in my ear. I obey as he rolls over, taking me with him. My legs fall to either side of his hips and I can't resist rubbing myself again him causing him to gasp.

"Naughty girl," he chuckles kissing my breasts.

His hands move to my backside pulling me along with him as he moves up on the bed. I can feel his chest against mine he is now sitting up and I'm straddling him. Once again he places the looped ties in my hands. I can't resist putting my wrists through the loops and holding on. He lifts me off him when I once again grind against his rock hard cock. I can feel him at my entrance, taunting me as he rubs it against my opening.

"Please," I beg.

"Please what?"

"I want you deep inside me."

"Deep," he murmurs before bringing me down onto him, filling me in one quick motion. I can't help but cry out. "Are you okay?"

"Sore," is all I can say as I adjust to the fullness.

"Oh Ana, you should have told me."

I can't help but smile as I rock against him. "I love feeling you inside me. I feel complete," I sigh as his hands massage my bottom. He brings me up and then let's me sink onto him again. Each time he repeats the motion, the intensity increases – I'm thrusting down, his hips thrusting up. I feel his fingers spreading the cheeks of my backside, allowing him to go even deeper into me. The pace quickens once again –it's carnal, erotic, and primal. We're teetering on the edge. His finger moves further between my cheeks, when he applies gentle pressure – there, I cry out as my entire body quivers explodes around him as he empties himself into me. "Chris – tian!"

When I finally open my eyes, my body is resting against his as he struggles for breath. My hands are still in the tie loops, but his are wrapped around me keeping me upright. Finally he brings my face to his and I stare into his amused grey eyes. Did I pass out due to lack of oxygen due to orgasm? Fall asleep? All I know is I'm still trying to catch my breath and I couldn't move on my own if I tried.

"Welcome back," he chuckles.

It's a struggle to keep my eyes open, so I don't even try. I rest my head on his shoulder as he begins to untangle my hands. I've never felt this relaxed or this tired as I drift off to sleep.