"I choose stripes," I say innocently, smiling coyly at Christian. His mouth twists in amus.e.m.e.nt.

"Be my guest," he says politely.

I proceed to pocket the next three b.a.l.l.s in quick succession. Inside, I'm dancing. At this moment, I am so grateful to Jose for teaching me to play pool and play it well. Christian watches impa.s.sively, giving nothing away, but his amus.e.m.e.nt seems to ebb. I miss the green stripe by a hairsbreadth.

"You know, Anastasia, I could stand here and watch you leaning and stretching across this billiard table all day," he says appreciatively.

I fush. Thank heavens I am wearing my jeans. He smirks. He's trying to put me off my game, the b.a.s.t.a.r.d. He pulls his cream sweater over his head, tosses it onto the back of a chair, and grins at me, as he saunters over to take his frst shot.

He bends low over the table. My mouth goes dry. Oh, I see what he means. Christian in tight jeans and white T-shirt, bending, like that ... is something to behold. I quite lose my train of thought. He sinks four solids rapidly, then fouls by sinking the white.

"A very elementary mistake, Mr. Grey," I tease.

He smirks. "Ah, Miss Steele, I am but a foolish mortal. Your go, I believe." He waves at the table.

"You're not trying to lose are you?"

"Oh no. For what I have in mind as the prize, I want to win, Anastasia." He shrugs casually. "But then, I always want to win."

I narrow my eyes at him. Right then . . . I'm so glad I'm wearing my blue blouse, which is pleasingly low-cut. I stalk around the table, bending low at every available op- portunity-giving Christian an eyeful of my behind and my cleavage whenever I can. Two can play at that game. I glance at him.

"I know what you're doing," he whispers, his eyes dark.

I tilt my head coquettishly to one side, gently fondling my cue, running my hand up and down it slowly. "Oh. I am just deciding where to take my next shot," I murmur distractedly.

Leaning across, I hit the orange stripe into a better position. I then stand directly in front of Christian and take the rest from underneath the table. I line up my next shot, lean- ing right over the table. I hear Christian's sharp intake of breath, and of course, I miss. s.h.i.t.

He comes to stand behind me while I am still bent over the table and places his hand on my backside. Hmm ..."Are you waving this around to taunt me, Miss Steele?" And he smacks me, hard.

I gasp. "Yes," I mutter, because it's true.

"Be careful what you wish for, baby."

I rub my behind as he wanders to the other end of the table, leans over, and takes his shot. Jeez, I could look at him all day. He hits the red ball, and it shoots into the left side pocket. He aims for the yellow, top right, and it just misses. I grin.

"Red Room here we come," I taunt him.

He merely raises an eyebrow and directs me to continue. I make quick work of the green stripe and by some f.u.ke, manage to knock in the fnal orange stripe.

"Name your pocket," Christian murmurs, and it's as if he's talking about something else, something dark and rude.

"Top left-hand." I take aim over the black, hit it, but miss. It skirts wide. d.a.m.n.

Christian smiles a wicked grin as he leans over the table and makes short work of the two remaining solids. I am practically panting, watching him, his lithe body stretching over the table. He stands and chalks his cue, his eyes burning into me.

"If I win ..."

Oh yes?

"I am going to spank you, then f.u.c.k you over this billiard table."

Holy s.h.i.t. Every single muscle south of my navel clenches hard.

"Top right," he murmurs, pointing to the black, and bends to take the shot.

CHAPTER 11.

With easy grace, Christian taps the white ball so that it glides across the table, kisses the black and oh-so-slowly the black rolls, teeters on the edge, and fnally drops into the top right pocket of the billiard table.

d.a.m.n.

He stands, and his mouth twists in a triumphant I-so-own-you-Steele smile. Putting down his cue, he saunters casually toward me, all tousled hair, jeans, and white T-shirt. He doesn't look like a CEO-he looks like a bad boy from the wrong side of town. Holy cow, he's so f.u.c.king s.e.xy.

"You're not going to be a sore loser, are you?" he murmurs, barely containing his grin.

"Depends how hard you spank me," I whisper, holding on to my cue for support. He takes my cue and puts it to one side, hooks his fnger into the top of my shirt, and pulls me toward him.

"Well, let's count your misdemeanors, Miss Steele." He counts on his long fngers.

"One, making me jealous of my own staff. Two, arguing with me about working. And three, waving your delectable derriere at me for the last twenty minutes." His eyes glow a soft gray with excitement, and leaning down, he rubs his nose against mine. "I want you to take your jeans and this very fetching shirt off. Now." He plants a feather-soft kiss on my lips, wanders nonchalantly over to the door, and locks it.

Oh my.

When he turns and gazes at me, his eyes are burning. I stand paralyzed like a complete zombie, my heart pounding, my blood pumping, not actually able to move a muscle. In my mind, all I can think is-this is for him-the thought repeating like a mantra over and over again.

"Clothes, Anastasia. You appear to still be wearing them. Take them off-or I will do it for you."

"You do it." I fnally fnd my voice, and it sounds low and heated. Christian grins.

"Oh, Miss Steele. It's a dirty job, but I think I can rise to the challenge."

"You normally rise to most challenges, Mr. Grey." I raise an eyebrow at him, and he smirks.

"Why, Miss Steele, whatever do you mean?" On his way over to me, he pauses at the small desk built into one of the bookshelves. Reaching over, he picks up a twelve-inch Perspex ruler. He holds each end and fexes it, his eyes not leaving mine.

Holy s.h.i.t-his weapon of choice. My mouth goes dry.

Suddenly, I'm hot and bothered and damp in all the right places. Only Christian could turn me on with just a look and the fex of a ruler. He slips it into the back pocket of his jeans and ambles toward me, eyes dark and full of promise. Without saying a word, he drops to his knees in front of me and starts to undo my laces, quickly and effciently, drag- ging both my Converse and socks off. I lean on the side of the billiard table so I don't fall.

Gazing down at him as he undoes my laces, I marvel at the depth of feeling that I have for this beautiful fawed man. I love him.

He grabs my hips, slips his fngers into the waistband of my jeans, and undoes the b.u.t.ton and zipper. He peers up through his long lashes, grinning his most salacious grin as he slowly peels my jeans off. I step out of them, glad that I'm wearing these pretty, pretty panties, and he grasps the back of my legs and runs his nose along the apex of my thighs.

I practically melt.

"I want to be quite rough with you, Ana. You'll have to tell me to stop if it's too much,"

he breathes.

Oh my. He kisses me ... there. I moan softly.

"Safe word?" I murmur.

"No, no safe word, just tell me to stop, and I'll stop. Understand?" He kisses me again, nuzzling me. Oh, that feels good. He stands, his stare intense. "Answer me," he orders his voice velvet soft.

"Yes, yes, I understand." I'm puzzled by his insistence.

"You've been dropping hints and giving me mixed signals all day, Anastasia," he says.

"You said you were worried I'd lost my edge. I'm not sure what you meant by that, and I don't know how serious you were, but we are going to fnd out. I don't want to go back into the playroom yet, so we can try this now, but if you don't like it, you must promise to tell me." A burning intensity born of his anxiety replaces his earlier c.o.c.kiness.Whoa, please don't be anxious, Christian. "I'll tell you. No safe word," I reiterate to rea.s.sure him.

"We're lovers, Anastasia. Lovers don't need safe words." He frowns. "Do they?"

"I guess not," I murmur. Jeez-how do I know? "I promise."

He searches my face for any clue that I might lack the courage of my convictions, and I'm nervous but excited, too. I'm much happier to do this, knowing that he loves me. It's very simple to me, and right now, I don't want to overthink it.

A slow smile stretches across his face, and he starts to unb.u.t.ton my shirt, his deft fn- gers making short work of it, though he doesn't take it off. He leans over and picks up the cue.

Oh f.u.c.k, what's he going to do with that? A frisson of fear runs through me.

"You play well, Miss Steele. I must say I'm surprised. Why don't you sink the black?"

My fear forgotten, I pout, wondering why the h.e.l.l he should be surprised-s.e.xy, ar- rogant b.a.s.t.a.r.d. My inner G.o.ddess is limbering up in the background, doing her foor exer- cises-a great fat smile on her face.

I position the white ball. Christian strolls back around the table and stands right behind me as I lean over to take my shot. He places his hand on my right thigh and runs his fngers up and down my leg, up to my behind and back again, lightly stroking me.

"I am going to miss if you keep doing that," I whisper, closing my eyes and relishing the feel of his hands on me.

"I don't care if you hit or miss, baby. I just wanted to see you like this-partially dressed, stretched out on my billiard table. Do you have any idea how hot you look at the moment?"

I fush, and my inner G.o.ddess grabs a rose between her teeth and starts to tango. Tak- ing a deep breath, I try to ignore him and line up my shot. It's impossible. He caresses my behind, over and over again.

"Top left," I murmur, then hit the white ball. He smacks me hard, squarely on my backside.

It's so unexpected, I yelp. The white hits the black, which bounces off the cushion wide of the pocket. Christian caresses my behind again.

"Oh, I think you need to try that again," he whispers. "You should concentrate, Anas- tasia."

I am panting now, excited by this game. He strolls to the end of the table, sets up the black ball again, then runs the white ball back down to me. He looks so carnal, dark eyed with a lascivious smile. How could I ever resist this man? I catch the ball and line it up, ready to strike again.

"Uh-uh," he admonishes. "Just wait." Oh, he just loves prolonging the agony. He wan- ders back and stands behind me again. I close my eyes once more as he strokes my left thigh this time then fondles my backside again.

"Take aim," he breathes.

I can't help my moan as desire twists and turns inside me. And I try, really try, to think about where I should hit the black with the white. I shift slightly to my right, and he follows me. I bend over the table once more. Using every last vestige of inner strength-which has diminished considerably since I know what will happen once I strike the white ball-I take aim and hit the white again. Christian smacks me once more, hard.

Ow! I miss again. "Oh no!" I groan.

"Once more, baby. And if you miss this time, I'm really going to let you have it."

What? Have what?

He sets up the black ball once more and walks, achingly slow, back to me until he's standing behind me, caressing my backside once more.

"You can do it," he coaxes.

Oh-not when you're distracting me like this. I push my behind back against his hand, and he smacks me lightly.

"Eager, Miss Steele?" he murmurs.

Yes. I want you.

"Well, let's get rid of these." He gently slides my panties down my thighs and off. I can't see what he does with them, but he leaves me feeling exposed as he plants a soft kiss on each cheek.

"Take the shot, baby."

I want to whimper, this is so not going to happen. I know I am going to miss. I line up the white, hit it, and in my impatience, miss the black completely. I wait for the blow-but it doesn't come. Instead he leans right over me, fattening me against the table, takes the cue out of my hand and rolls it to the side cushion. I can feel him, hard, against my backside.

"You missed," he says softly in my ear. My cheek is pressed against the baize. "Put your hands fat on the table."

I do as he says.

"Good. I'm going to spank you now and next time, maybe you won't." He shifts so he's standing to my left side, his erection against my hip.

I groan and my heart leaps into my mouth. My breath comes in short pants and a hot, heavy excitement courses through my veins. Gently, he caresses my behind and curls his other hand around the nape of my neck, his fngers fsting in my hair, his elbow at my back, holding me down. I am completely helpless.

"Open your legs," he murmurs and for a moment, I hesitate. And he smacks me hard- with the ruler! The noise is harsher than the sting, and it takes me by surprise. I gasp, and he hits me again.

"Legs," he orders. I open my legs, panting. The ruler strikes again. Ow-it stings, but its crack across my skin sounds worse than it feels.

I close my eyes and absorb the pain. It's not too bad, and Christian's breathing becomes harsher. He hits me again and again, and I moan. I am not sure how many more strokes I can bear-but hearing him, knowing how turned on he is, feeds my arousal and my will- ingness to continue. I am crossing to the dark side, a place in my psyche I don't know well but have visited before in the playroom-with the Tallis. The ruler strikes once more, and I moan loudly, and Christian groans in response. He hits me again-and again ... and once more ... harder this time-and I wince.

"Stop." The word is out of my mouth before I'm even aware that I've said it. Christian drops the ruler immediately and releases me.

"Enough?" he whispers."Yes."

"I want to f.u.c.k you now," he says, his voice strained.