“Hi," he says. I manage to grunt in response, and his smile broadens. "Rude enough for you?"I nod and give him a reluctant grin. Jeez, any ruder and I'd have to spank the pair of us.”

“You love strapping me in, don’t you?” “In any form,” he says, a wicked grin playing on his lips. “You are a pervert.” “I know.” He raises his eyebrows and his grin broadens. “My pervert,” I whisper. “Yes, yours.”

“I love you,” I murmur, and he smiles his heart-achingly shy smile, and I melt. “I will always love you, Christian.”“And I you,” he says softly.“In spite of my disobedience?” I raise my eyebrow.“Because of your disobedience, Anastasia.” He grins.”

“She says that I have to abstain from all sexual activity for the next four weeks.”Christian’s mouth drops open in shock, and I cannot keep a straight face any longer and grin at him like an idiot.“Gotcha!”He narrows his eyes, and I immediately stop laughing. In fact, he looks rather forbidding. Oh shit. My subconscious quails me in the corner as all the blood drains from my face, and I imagine him putting me across his knee again.“Gotcha!” He says and smirks.”

“I was waiting for you," he says softly, his eyes dark gray and luminous."That's... that's such a lovely thing to say.""It's true. I didn't know it at the time." He smiles his shy smile."I'm glad you waited.""You are worth waiting for, Mrs. Grey.”

“Do you have a girlfriend?" I blurt out. Holy crap--I just said that out loud?His lips quirk up in a half-smile, and he looks down at me."No, Anastasia. I don't do the girlfriend thing," he says softly.”

“He wouldn't let her work. You know, he was controlling. Some men are like that.' He gives me a quick sideways smily. 'Really? A controlling man, surely a mythical creature?' I don't think I can squeeze any more sarcasm into my response.”