Fifty Shades Darker (book 5) novel Chapter 132

“I think so, too. Christian…I—”

My gut tightens.

“What is it, Ana?”

“Here.” From her purse she hands me a small dark box wrapped in a ribbon. “This is for you for your birthday. I wanted to give it to you now—but only if you promise not to open it until Saturday, okay?”

I swallow to contain my relief. “Okay.”

She takes a deep, nervous breath. Why is she anxious about this? I shake it. It sounds small and plastic. What the hell has she given me?

I look up at her.

Whatever it is, I’m sure I’m going to love it. I give her a broad smile.

My birthday is on Saturday. She will be here on that day—or so this gift implies. Doesn’t it?

“You can’t open it until Saturday,” she says, waving a finger at me.

“I get it. Why are you giving this to me now?” I place it in my inside pocket.

“Because I can, Mr. Grey.”

“Why, Miss Steele, you stole my line.”

“I did. Let’s get this over with, shall we?”

FLYNN STANDS AS WE enter his office. “Christian.”

“John.” We shake hands. “You remember Anastasia?”

“How could I forget? Anastasia, welcome.”

“Ana, please,” she says, as they shake hands. He directs us toward his sofas.

I wait for Ana to sit down, admiring the fit of the navy dress she’s changed into, and I take the other sofa but sit close to her. Flynn takes his usual chair. I place my hand on Ana’s and give her hand a squeeze.

“Christian has requested that you accompany him to one of our sessions,” Flynn says. “Just so you know, we treat these sessions with absolute confidentiality—”

He stops when Ana interrupts. “Oh—um, I’ve signed an NDA,” she says quickly.

Shit.

I release her hand.

“A nondisclosure agreement?” Flynn gives me a puzzled look.

I shrug but say nothing.

“You start all your relationships with women with an NDA?” he asks me.

“The contractual ones, I do.”

Flynn stifles a smile. “You’ve had other types of relationships with women?”

Shit.

“No,” I respond, amused by his reaction. He knows this.

“As I thought.” Flynn turns his attention back to Ana. “Well, I guess we don’t have to worry about confidentiality, but may I suggest that the two of you discuss this at some point? As I understand, you’re no longer entering into that kind of contractual relationship.”

“Different kind of contract, hopefully,” I say, with a look at Ana.

She blushes.

“Ana. You’ll have to forgive me, but I probably know a lot more about you than you think. Christian has been very forthcoming.”