Fifty Shades Trilogy 03 - Fifty Shades Freed

Fifty.
    “Believe me,” I whisper.
    “It’s not easy.” His voice is almost inaudible.
    “Try. Try hard, because it’s true.” I stroke his face once more, my fingers brushing against his sideburns. His eyes are gray oceans of loss and hurt and pain. I want to climb into his body and hold him. Anything to stop that look. When will he realize that he means the world to me? That he’s more than worthy of my love, the love of his parents—his siblings? I have told him over and over, and yet here we are as Christian gives me his lost, abandoned look. Time. It will just take time.
    “You’ll get cold. Come.” He rises gracefully to his feet and pulls me up to stand beside him. I slip my arm around his waist as we wander back into the bedroom. I won’t push him, but since Ray’s accident, it’s become more important to me that he knows how much I love him.
    As we enter the bedroom, I frown, desperate to recover the very welcome lighthearted mood of only a few moments ago.
    “Shall we watch TV?” I ask.
    Christian snorts. “I was hoping for round two.” And my mercurial Fifty is back. I arch my brow and stop by the bed.
    “Well, in that case, I think I’ll be in charge.”
    He gapes at me, and I push him onto the bed and quickly straddle him, pinning his hands down beside his head.
    He grins up at me. “Well, Mrs. Grey, now that you’ve got me, what are you going to do with me?”
    I lean down and whisper in his ear, “I am going to fuck you with my mouth.”
    He closes his eyes, inhaling sharply, and I run my teeth gently along his jaw.

    Christian is working at the computer. It’s a bright early morning, and he’s tapping out an e-mail, I think.
    “Good morning,” I murmur shyly from the doorway. He turns and smiles at me.
    “Mrs. Grey. You’re up early.” He holds open his arms.
    I bolt across the suite and curl into his lap. “As are you.”
    “I was just working.” He shifts as he kisses my hair.
    “What?” I ask, sensing something wrong.
    He sighs. “I got an e-mail from Detective Clark. He wants to talk to you about that fucker Hyde.”
    “Really?” I sit back to gaze at Christian.
    “Yes. I told him you’re in Portland for the time being, so he’ll have to wait. But he says he’d like to interview you here.”
    “He’s coming here?”
    “Apparently so.” Christian looks bemused.
    I frown. “What’s so important that can’t wait?”
    “Exactly.”
    “When’s he coming?”
    “Today. I’ll e-mail him back.”
    “I have nothing to hide. I wonder what he wants to know?”
    “We’ll find out when he gets here. I’m intrigued, too.” Christian shifts again. “Breakfast will be here shortly. Let’s eat, then we can go and see your dad.”
    I nod. “You can stay here if you want. I can see you’re busy.”
    He scowls. “No, I want to come with you.”
    “Okay.” I grin, and wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him.

    Ray is bad-tempered. It’s a joy. He’s itchy, scratchy, impatient, and uncomfortable.
    “Dad, you’ve been in a major car accident. It will take time to heal. Christian and I want to move you to Seattle.”
    “I don’t know why you’re bothering with me. I’ll be fine here on my own.”
    “Don’t be ridiculous.” I squeeze his hand fondly, and he has the grace to smile at me.
    “Do you need anything?”
    “I could murder a doughnut, Annie.”
    I grin indulgently at him. “I’ll get you a doughnut or two. We’ll go to Voodoo.”
    “Great!”
    “You want some decent coffee, too?”
    “Hell yeah!”
    “Okay, I’ll go get some.”
    Christian is once more in the waiting room, talking on the phone. He really should set up office in here. Weirdly, he’s by himself, although the other ICU beds are occupied. I wonder if Christian’s frightened off the other visitors. He hangs up.
    “Clark will be here at four this afternoon.”
    I frown. What could be so urgent? “Okay. Ray wants coffee and doughnuts.”
    Christian laughs. “I think I would too if I’d been in an accident. Ask Taylor to go.”
    “No, I’ll go.”
    “Take Taylor with you.” His voice is stern.
    “Okay.” I roll my eyes and he glares. Then he smirks and cocks his head to one side.
    “There’s no one here.” His voice is deliciously low, and I know he’s threatening to spank me. I am about to dare him, when a young couple enters the room. She is weeping softly.
    I shrug apologetically at Christian, and he nods. He picks up his laptop, takes my hand,