“Up here, Mia,” I call. “Well, Miss Steele, I feel better for that—but I still want to spank you.”

“I don’t believe I deserve it, Mr. Grey, especially after tolerating your unprovoked attack.” She is crisp and formal.

“Unprovoked? You kissed me.”

“It was attack as the best form of defense.”

“Defense against what?”

“You and your twitchy palm.” She’s trying to suppress a smile.

Mia’s high heels rattle up the stairs.

“But it was tolerable?” I ask.

Ana smirks. “Barely.”

“Oh, there you are!” Mia exclaims, beaming at the two of us. Two minutes earlier and this could have been really awkward.

“I was showing Anastasia around.” I hold out my hand to Ana and she takes it. I want to kiss her knuckles, but I settle for a soft squeeze.

“Kate and Elliot are about to leave. Can you believe those two? They can’t keep their hands off each other.” Mia wrinkles her nose in distaste. “What have you been doing in here?”

“Showing Anastasia my rowing trophies.” With my free hand I wave toward the faux-precious-metal statuettes from my sculling days at Harvard arranged on shelves at the end of the room. “Let’s go say good-bye to Kate and Elliot.”

Mia turns to go and I let Ana precede me, but before we get to the stairs I smack her behind.

She smothers her yelp.

“I will do it again, Anastasia, and soon,” I whisper in her ear, and folding her into my arms, I kiss her hair.

We walk hand in hand across the lawn back to the house while Mia gabbles beside us. It’s a beautiful evening; it’s been a beautiful day. I’m glad Ana’s met my family.

Why haven’t I done this before?

Because I’ve never wanted to.

I squeeze Ana’s hand, and she gives me a shy look and an oh-so-sweet smile. In my other hand I hold her shoes, and at the stone steps I bend down to fasten each of her sandals in turn.

“There,” I announce when I’m done.

“Why, thank you, Mr. Grey,” she says.

“The pleasure is, and was, all mine.”

“I’m well aware of that, Sir,” she teases.

“Oh, you two are sooo sweet!” Mia coos as we head into the kitchen. Ana gives me a sideways look.

Back in the hallway, Kavanagh and Elliot are about to leave. Ana hugs Kate, but then pulls her aside to have a heated private conversation. What the hell is that about? Elliot takes Kavanagh’s arm and my parents wave them off as they climb into Elliot’s pickup.

“We should go, too—you have interviews tomorrow.” We have to drive her back to her new apartment and it’s nearly 11:00.

“We never thought he’d find anyone!” Mia gushes as she hugs Ana, hard.

Oh, for fuck’s sake…

“Take care of yourself, Ana dear,” Grace says, smiling warmly at my girl. I pull Ana to my side.

“Let’s not frighten her away or spoil her with too much affection.”

“Christian, stop teasing,” Grace chastises me in her usual manner.

“Mom.” I give her a quick peck. Thank you for inviting Ana. It’s been a revelation.

Ana says good-bye to my dad, and we head to the Audi, where Taylor waits, holding the rear passenger door open for her.

“Well, it seems my family likes you, too,” I observe when I’ve joined Ana in the back. Her eyes reflect the light from my parents’ porch, but I can’t tell what she’s thinking. Shadows shroud her face as Taylor drives smoothly out onto the road.

I catch her staring at me under the flicker of a street lamp. She’s anxious. Something’s wrong.

“What?” I ask.

She is quiet at first, and when she speaks there’s an emptiness in her voice. “I think that you felt trapped into bringing me to meet your parents. If Elliot hadn’t asked Kate, you’d never have asked me.”

Damn. She doesn’t understand. It was a first for me. I was nervous. Surely she knows by now that if I didn’t want her here, she wouldn’t be here. As we pass from light to shadow under the street lamps, she looks distant and upset.

Grey, this will not do.

“Anastasia, I’m delighted that you’ve met my parents. Why are you so filled with self-doubt? It never ceases to amaze me. You’re such a strong, self-contained young woman, but you have such negative thoughts about yourself. If I hadn’t wanted you to meet them, you wouldn’t be here. Is that how you were feeling the whole time you were there?” I shake my head, reach for her hand, and give it another reassuring squeeze.

She glances nervously at Taylor.

“Don’t worry about Taylor. Talk to me.”

“Yes. I thought that,” she says quietly. “And another thing, I only mentioned Georgia because Kate was talking about Barbados. I haven’t made up my mind.”

“Do you want to go and see your mother?”

“Yes.”

My anxiety surfaces. Does she want out? If she goes to Georgia, her mother might persuade her to find someone more…suitable, someone who, like her mother, believes in romance.

I have an idea. She’s met my folks; I’ve met Ray; perhaps I should meet her mother, the incurable romantic. Charm her.

“Can I come with you?” I ask, knowing that she’ll say no.

“Um, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she answers, surprised by my question.

“Why not?”

“I was hoping for a break from all this…intensity. To try to think things through.”

Shit. She does want to leave me.

“I’m too intense?”

She laughs. “That’s putting it mildly!”

Damn, I love making her laugh, even if it is at my expense; and I’m relieved she’s kept her sense of humor. Perhaps she doesn’t want to leave me after all. “Are you laughing at me, Miss Steele?” I tease.

“I wouldn’t dare, Mr. Grey.”

“I think you dare, and I think you do laugh at me, frequently.”

“You are quite funny.”

“Funny?”

“Oh yes.”

She’s making fun of me. It’s novel. “Funny peculiar or funny ha-ha?”

“Oh, a lot of one and some of the other.”

“Which way more?”

“I’ll leave you to figure that out.”

I sigh. “I’m not sure if I can figure anything out around you.” My tone is dry. “What do you need to think about in Georgia?”

“Us.”

Fuck. “You said you’d try,” I gently remind her.

“I know.”

“Are you having second thoughts?”

“Possibly.”

It’s worse than I feared. “Why?”

She stares at me in silence. “Why, Anastasia?” I persist. She shrugs, her mouth turned down, and I hope she’ll find her hand in mine reassuring. “Talk to me. I don’t want to lose you. This last week—”

Has been the best in my life.

“I still want more,” she breathes.

Oh no, not this again. What does she need me to say?

“I know. I’ll try.” I clasp her chin. “For you, Anastasia, I will try.”

I’ve just taken you to meet my parents, for heaven’s sake.

Suddenly she unbuckles her seatbelt, and before I know it she’s scrambled into my lap.

What the hell?

I sit immobile as her arms slip around my head, and her lips find mine, and coax a kiss from me before the darkness has a chance to stir. My hands slide up her back until I’m cradling her head and returning her passion, exploring her sweet, sweet mouth, trying to find answers…Her unexpected affection is utterly disarming. And new. And confusing. I thought she wanted to leave, and now she’s in my lap and turning me on, again.

I’ve never…never…Don’t go, Ana.

“Stay with me tonight. If you go away, I won’t see you all week. Please,” I whisper.

“Yes,” she murmurs. “And I’ll try, too. I’ll sign your contract.”

Oh, baby.

“Sign after Georgia. Think about it. Think about it hard.” I want her to do this willingly—I don’t want to force this on her. Well, part of me doesn’t. The rational part.

“I will,” she says, and nestles against me.

This woman has me tied up in knots.

Ironic, Grey.

And I want to laugh because I’m relieved and happy, but I hold her, breathing in her redolent and comforting scent.