Fifty Shades Darker

Taylor nods. “Now? Or will the morning do?”

“Morning, I think, Taylor.”

“Very good, Mr. Grey. Anything else, sir?”

Christian shakes his head and raises his bottle to him. Taylor gives him a rare smile-rarer than Christian’s, I think-and heads out presumably to his office or up to his room.

“Christian, what happened?” Carrick demands.

Christian launches into his story. He was flying with Ros, his number two in Charlie Tango to deal with a funding issue at WSU in Vancouver. I can barely keep up I’m so dazed. I just hold Christian’s hand and stare at his manicured fingernails, his long fingers, the creases on his knuckles, his wristwatch-an Omega with three small dials. I gaze up at his beautiful profile as he continues his tale.

“Ros had never seen Mount St. Helens, so on the way back as a celebration, we took a quick detour. I heard the TFR was lifted a while back and I wanted to take a look. Well, it’s fortunate that we did. We were flying low, about two hundred feet AGL, when the instrument panel lit up. We had a fire in the tail-I had no choice but to cut all the electronics and land.” He shakes his head. “I set her down by Silver Lake, got Ros out, and managed to put the fire out.”

“A fire? Both engines?” Carrick is horrified.

“Yep.”

“Shit! But I thought.”

“I know,” Christian interrupts him. “It was sheer luck I was flying so low,” he murmurs. I shudder. He releases my hand and puts his arm around me.

“Cold?” he asks me. I shake my head.

“How did you put out the fire?” asks Kate, her Carla Bernstein instincts kicking in. Jeez, she sounds terse sometimes.

“Extinguisher. We have to carry them-by law.” Christian answers levelly.

His words from long ago circle my mind. “I thank divine providence every day that it was you that came to interview me and not Katherine Kavanagh.”

“Why didn’t you call or use the radio?” Grace asks.

Christian shakes his head. “With the electronics out, we had no radio. And I wasn’t going to risk turning them on because of the fire. GPS was still working on the Blackberry, so I was able to navigate to the nearest road. Took us four hours to walk there. Ros was in heels.” Christian’s mouth presses into a disapproving flat line.

“We had no cell reception. There’s no coverage at Gifford. Ros’s battery died first. Mine dried up on the way.”

Holy hell. I tense and Christian pulls me into his lap.

“So how did you get back to Seattle?” Grace asks, blinking slightly at the sight of the two of us, no doubt. I flush.

“We hitched and pooled our resources. Between us, Ros and I had six hundred dollars, and we thought we’d have to bribe someone to drive us back, but a truck driver stopped and agreed to bring us home. He refused the money and shared his lunch with us.” Christian shakes his head in dismay at the memory. “Took forever. He didn’t have a cell-weird, but true. I didn’t realize.” He stops, gazing at his family.

“That we’d worry?” Grace scoffs. “Oh, Christian!” she scolds him. “We’ve been going out of our minds!”

“You’ve made the news, bro.”

Christian rolls his eyes. “Yeah. I figured that much when I arrived to this reception and the handful of photographers outside. I’m sorry, Mom-I should have asked the driver to stop so I could phone. But I was anxious to be back.” He glances at Jose.

Oh, that’s why, because Jose is staying here. I frown at the thought. Jeez-all that worry.

Grace shakes her head. “I’m just glad you’re back in one piece, darling.”

I start to relax, resting my head against his chest. He smells outdoorsy, slightly sweaty, of body wash, and Christian, the most welcome scent in the world. Tears start to trickle down my face again, tears of gratitude.

“Both engines?” Carrick says again, frowning in disbelief.

“Go figure.” Christian shrugs and runs his hand down my back.

“Hey,” he whispers. He puts his fingers under my chin and tilts my head back. “Stop with the crying.”

I wipe my nose with the back of my hand in a most unladylike way. “Stop with the disappearing.” I sniff and his lips quirk up.

“Electrical failure… that’s odd, surely?” Carrick says again.

“Yes, crossed my mind, too, Dad. But right now, I’d just like to go to bed and think about all that shit tomorrow.”

“So the media know that the Christian Grey has been found safe and well?” Kate says.

“Yes. Andrea and my PR people will deal with the media. Ros called her after we dropped her home.”

“Yes, Andrea called me to let me know you were still alive.” Carrick grins.

“I must give that woman a raise. Sure is late,” says Christian.

“I think that’s a hint, ladies and gentlemen, that my dear bro needs his beauty sleep,” Elliot scoffs suggestively. Christian grimaces at him.

“Cary, my son is safe. You can take me home now.”

Cary? Grace looks adoringly at her husband.

“Yes. I think we could use the sleep,” Carrick replies smiling down at her.

“Stay,” Christian offers.

“No, sweetheart, I want to get home. Now that I know you’re safe.”

Christian reluctantly eases me onto the couch and stands. Grace hugs him once more, presses her head against his chest and closes her eyes, content. He wraps his arms around her.

“I was so worried, darling,” she whispers.

“I’m okay, Mom.”

She leans back and studies him intently while he holds her. “Yes. I think you are,” she says slowly, glances at me, and smiles. I flush.

We follow Carrick and Grace as they make their way to the foyer. Behind me, I’m aware that Mia and Ethan are having a heated whispered conversation, but I can’t hear it.

Mia is smiling shyly at Ethan, and he’s gaping at her and shaking his head. Suddenly, she folds her arms and turns on her heel. He rubs his forehead with one hand, obviously frustrated.

“Mom, Dad-wait for me,” Mia calls sullenly. Perhaps she’s as mercurial as her brother.

Kate hugs me hard. “I can tell some serious shit’s been going down while I’ve been blissfully ignorant in Barbados. It’s kind of obvious you two are nuts about each other. I’m glad he’s safe. Not just for him, Ana-for you, too.”

“Thank you, Kate,” I whisper.

“Yeah. Who knew we’d find love at the same time?” She grins. Wow. She’s admitted it.

“With brothers!” I giggle.

“We could end up sisters-in-law,” she quips.

I tense, then mentally kick myself as Kate stands back to gaze at me with herwhat-aren’t-you-telling-me-Steele look. I flush. Damn, should I tell her he’s asked me?

“Come on, baby,” Elliot summons her from the elevator.

“Let’s talk tomorrow, Ana. You must be exhausted.”

I am reprieved. “Sure. You, too, Kate-you’ve traveled long distance today.”

We hug once more, then she and Elliot follow the Greys into the elevator. Ethan shakes Christian’s hand and gives me a quick hug. He looks distracted, but he follows them into the elevator and the doors close.

Jose is hovering in the hallway as we come out of the foyer.

“Look. I’ll turn in… leave you guys,” he says.

I blush. Jeez, why is this awkward?

“Do you know where to go?” Christian asks.

Jose nods.