Trusting Stone

by Alexa Sinclaire

  “How did you find me?” she finally asked, breaking the silent stand-off between them.

  “It wasn’t really that difficult. I work in security. It’s my job to be able to find people. I also have some contacts at Edinburgh University and it was simply a matter of requesting your forwarding address from their files,” Sebastian explained, a small smirk flitting across his lips. “Does that bother you?”

  Eden was a bit shocked. “That’s a complete violation of my student record. They shouldn’t have given you that information. In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s illegal.”

  “People break rules for me, Eden.” And then as an afterthought, he added, “You’ll see that for yourself soon enough.” If only he knew how many of her own rules she had broken in those few minutes with him in his car. “But you’re happy that I found you. I know you are. I can tell just by the way you’re breathing.” He was standing next to her suddenly, having moved around the island so swiftly Eden didn’t have time to move away. He whispered into her ear now and she knew he was going to touch her.

  “Yes. I am,” she answered, though he hadn’t actually asked her. He had done that when they first met. He made statements to her that other people would phrase as questions.

  Eden slowly breathed out as he ran his fingertips up her arm until he reached her neck and stroked her collarbone.

  “I missed this. In fact, I thought about little else,” he whispered as he slowly bent down and brushed his lips against the skin of her neck, his hands moving to her hips, pulling her into him. She closed her eyes and softly moaned as the electric feeling she had felt with his first touch returned to her and her stomach tightened, the feeling shooting down between her legs. She reached and held on to his shirt to keep her balance. “You missed it too, Eden.”

  And suddenly, they were in motion. He was walking her backwards while kissing her throat, gently biting where her neck and shoulder met. He lifted her shirt over her head, throwing it over his shoulder. With her arms now bare, she wrapped them around his neck, running her fingers through his smooth hair, responding to his caresses, willing him to keep touching her and to never let it end.

  He laid her on the long couch, his hands moving across her bare torso, caressing her stomach and waist before climbing up over her breasts to her shoulders and easing down her bra straps.

  “God, I’ve been fantasizing about what your tits looked like since you pressed them against me at the club,” he breathed into her neck.

  His voice made Eden writhe harder under him. He had been thinking about her, too!

  With Sebastian on top of her, she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him toward her, feeling his erection through his suit trousers pressing against the seam of her jeans, and it made her moan again. He had exposed one breast, and while he still hadn’t kissed her mouth, his lips were constantly moving over her body. They now found her nipple, already hard from her arousal.

  “So sweet and pink, Eden, even better than I imagined.”

  His lips surrounded it and she arched her back as she felt his tongue flicker across it, causing it to pebble even further. While his tongue continued to caress her nipple and breast, his hands had started moving south, further down, squeezing her waist, and she felt his fingers slide under the top of her jeans. He yanked at the top button, and something about the noise made Eden freeze.

  “No,” she said. It was hardly a whisper, but loud enough for Sebastian to realize she was serious. He stopped, as still as she had become, looking up from his position on her chest, his mouth still covering her now swollen nipple. To see his mouth like that, holding a part of her so intimately, Eden blushed.

  Suddenly, he was up, facing away from her, moving to the window and looking over the New York skyline with his back to her. In so doing, Eden realized, he was giving her the discretion she needed to get dressed.

  After a few moments, he spoke. She was shaking, but not from the fear she assumed was about to overwhelm her when he had unbuttoned her jeans. No, now she was shaking with her own frustration at having stopped him.

  “Come to dinner with me tomorrow night. My apartment. It’s not far from here. I’ll send a car at seven p.m.” He turned to face her now and she blushed again, remembering his erection pressing against her, remembering how it felt between her legs, how much she had wanted more than it simply rubbing against her, and wishing she hadn’t said no. She wished she could take it back because, looking at Sebastian Stone, the only thing she wanted was him back between her legs, this time without the hindrance of clothes between them.

  “Yes, but on one condition,” she said, slightly surprised by her own bravery, “first tell me what happened to you. It’s like you vanished one day from Elmbridge.”

  “Dinner. I’ll answer any questions you have at dinner.” He walked past her, picked up her phone from the kitchen counter, and started typing something. A few seconds later, she heard his phone beep. Apparently, he didn’t feel that he needed to ask for her number. He just took it. The corners of his mouth lifted into a smug smile before he approached her to say goodbye. They walked to her door together, not touching but close enough to feel each other’s presence.

  Sebastian turned at the door, pulling her toward him gently with hands around her waist. “In Edinburgh, you said you weren’t afraid of me. Is that still true?” The cold in his eyes had returned, and Eden gazed back at him, aware that there was no way she could lie to those eyes, despite how nervous they made her when they were cold.

  “Yes, it’s still true.”

  “Good.” And with that, he kissed her softly, his lips barely touching hers, cupping her face in his hands. “Until tomorrow, love.”

  Eden waited until she heard the elevator doors shut before she bolted the door and slid her back along it. Even now, she could feel his touch on her. Her nipples were still sensitive and his caress lingered on her stomach. But she remembered the button, the sound of her jeans being opened, and suddenly, she wasn’t with Sebastian. She was back in the frat house room two years ago, pinned down by four boys, men really. She could feel her jeans being ripped off her, twisted around her ankles, her bra off and discarded, rough roaming hands touching her despite her cries of protest that were muffled by a hand. She could hear the sound of the music playing at the party downstairs, Lady Gaga’s “Monster” coming up through the floor, and she realized that even if she were able to shout, no one would hear her.

  The sound of her phone ringing brought her out of her flashback and she jumped up, working through Dr. Shepherd’s calming exercises—get out of the moment, don’t dwell, that’s not how you will recover, Eden. She looked at her phone and winced when she saw who was calling—Joachim.

  She answered, putting on a calm voice that she found within her, despite the memories that still circled in her mind.

  “Baby! You’re back! I just heard.” Joachim’s voice came through vibrant and joyful as ever.

  “Yup, I’m back. In a way,” she answered. Her parents had impressed upon her how she had to maintain her social relationships, especially since she wasn’t returning to Boston. She was establishing herself in a new city and Joachim had known her family since she was a child. He’d moved here two years ago to start work at his father’s law firm. And more importantly, he was the boy she had been dating for almost five years before she up and disappeared to Edinburgh. She couldn’t possibly say no when he invited her to lunch with him.

  “I’ve only got an hour, but meet me at my office and I’ll take you out, my treat.”

  ****

  Eden had to admit to herself that it was a pleasure to see Joachim again. She had pushed him out of her mind during her time in Edinburgh, although she had responded to his regular emails. She had tried to maintain a distance between them and thought that when she didn’t reciprocate the affection she found in his letters, he would slowly back off. It hadn’t happened, and Mara had pointed out that Eden clearly didn’t have a clue how Joachim really felt about her. She had
been dreading seeing him. But now, watching him walking across his building’s foyer toward her with a huge smile on his face, she beamed back at him and realized she was glad to see him.

  The history between them made her feel relaxed, as long as she kept certain memories pushed to the side. Joachim was two years older than her and, during her breakdown and slow recovery, he had finished law school and was making a name for himself at Benedict, Turner, and Smith.

  She couldn’t help but notice how handsome he looked in his suit. His blond hair was usually floppy and messy, but today he was wearing it slicked back and under control. Eden had always teased Joachim that he grew up on the wrong coast—his hair color and relaxed features gave him a surfer-boy look. She had always been amused that Joachim managed to pull off wearing a suit. He was best suited in flip-flops, worn-out jeans, and some threadbare band t-shirt.

  He played football throughout high school and college and she knew how hard he worked at keeping in shape. His broad shoulders and rock hard body fit so perfectly in his football gear it was always a surprise to see that he didn’t look like the Incredible Hulk when he was wearing anything else. From what she could see in the suit, he was clearly maintaining his muscle mass.

  Joachim finally reached her and swung her around as if she weighed nothing.

  “God, I’ve missed you, babe!” He held her against him for a moment longer than she wanted, and she realized that despite the year she had put between them, there was still something there. At least for him. “Come on, let’s rush. I’ve got us a table at Le Choux and we have so much to catch up on.”

  Chapter Seven

  Lunch flew by and Eden found herself actually enjoying it. She had a niggling guilt that all the pushing away she had done to Joachim was perhaps unnecessary. He reminded her of so much that she used to like about her old life—fun, carefree, and with little to worry about. Joachim’s laid-back surfer look matched his personality. He was relaxed and charming even at the worst of times. He hated confrontation and, as such, people were drawn to him, just as Eden had been.

  They had been joined at the hip growing up, both only children, and they inevitably spent huge amounts of time together because of their parents’ close friendship. No one had been surprised when they had started dating in high school. It had seemed like the most natural thing in the world at the time. Eden remembered their first kiss. Joachim had been tender and sweet, aware of the two-year age difference, which now seemed negligible, but in high school, it had felt like decades. Joachim had been overly concerned that she would feel pressured or taken advantage of. Eden hadn’t felt either of those things. She’d heard so many horror stories from her girlfriends about awkward first kisses, too much saliva, bitten lips, clashing teeth. She was almost giddy when Joachim’s lips had pressed against hers, his tongue barely flicking into her mouth to taste her.

  And that was what the rest of their physical relationship had consisted of—Joachim trying to take things to the next level, but always making sure Eden was comfortable. It was all very…polite. Controlled. Managed. Just like the rest of Eden’s life.

  Much to Eden’s pleasure, the lunch conversation hardly touched on their old life. Joachim knew why she had left for Edinburgh and he clearly understood that returning back to New England was not necessarily easy for her. They kept the subject mostly neutral. She asked about his work and if he liked the city. She didn’t have to ask if he had managed to find a social circle of friends. Joachim’s warm character had made him one of the most popular boys in high school and college. She knew his social circle included many of her former friends, but he steered away from mentioning them as he spoke about how much fun he was having in New York.

  She was tempted to tell Joachim about meeting Sebastian Stone. Being older than her, Joachim had more interaction with Sebastian than she ever had. But then Joachim asked the question she was so hoping he wouldn’t.

  “And how are you feeling about, you know, everything?” He looked sincerely at her, and she had to look away after a moment before she answered.

  “I’m fine. Really. Edinburgh was great for me. It really gave me what I needed.” She hoped he would pick up on the tone. What she had needed was a new start, and here he was bringing up the past.

  “Really? That’s so good to hear, Eden, because I want to talk to you about something. About us.” He reached over and gently took her hand in his. “I don’t want to lose you again. If you’re ready, if you’re okay, I would love to pick things up where we left them. I mean, before…” He trailed off, not wanting to directly refer to the attack.

  Despite the amount of time they had dated, they had never clearly stated the parameters of their relationship. There had never been any promises made, and any declaration of emotion had really only been on Joachim’s part. She had initially been fairly timid with Joachim, and she expected to eventually reciprocate his feelings, but instead, her feelings for him had morphed into familiarity and comfort, not lust and desire. Joachim was so easy to be around and he treated her well. They had remained exclusive throughout her first two years at college, with a few short break-ups that never lasted long.

  When she left St. Leonard’s, they never explicitly broke up, but with her breakdown, Joachim’s role seamlessly moved from boyfriend to platonic friend. And now that she was back, she should have known that Joachim would have been expecting them to return to being more than friends.

  “I’m not sure. I’m not sure I’m ready for that,” Eden replied, pulling her hand back. She gave him a big smile. “Come on, I’ll walk you back. Just because you’re the boss’s son doesn’t mean you can skive off!” She knew she had not given Joachim the answer he had been looking for, but he was too polite and kind to push the matter further.

  But standing in front of his office building, Eden could see that Joachim wasn’t going to let it go completely. She decided to face it head-on. “It was so good to catch up. Just what I needed, really.” She leaned into him and gave him a warm hug, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing him tightly to her. “I have missed you. I just need more time, please understand,” she whispered into his ear as he wrapped his arms around her waist and almost lifted her off the ground with his embrace.

  “Always, babe. I’ll always understand.”

  “I’ll call you,” she said as he turned and walked toward the building. He glanced around one last time, blowing her a kiss, knowing it would make her laugh. Eden turned toward the busy avenue, ready to hail a cab, still smiling from his ridiculous childlike display of affection, when she noticed the town car on the other side of the street. She blushed, remembering the last time she had been in a car like that. She suddenly gasped as she realized the man about to get into the car was Sebastian Stone. He was staring at her with a look of pure fury on his face. She stared back, hardly able to move or even wave at him. A bus came between them and when it finally drove off, he was gone.

  ****

  Arriving at her apartment, Eden couldn’t shake the look Sebastian had given her. What was he so angry about? Surely he remembered Joachim. Why would he be angry to see them together? Eden shook her head. It seemed like every interaction she had with Sebastian left her flustered.

  Her phone rang and she curiously looked at the screen—Mara. Why was she calling her? They’d been emailing almost daily since they left Edinburgh, but Mara was usually too busy to call, and the time difference made things awkward. Mara’s reunion with Enzo had been a whirlwind of romantic gestures, one after another, as well as lots of fantastic sex. She’d been sure to regale Eden with every detail in her emails.

  “Mara? You okay?”

  “Eden!”

  She pulled the phone away from her ear. Mara was screaming.

  “You’re never going to guess where I am!”

  “What’s going on, Mar?”

  “I’m in N.Y.C.!”

  “What?” Eden couldn’t believe it. Why was she here? She was supposed to be in Madrid, planning her wedding. />
  “I’ll explain everything. Are you free now? Give me your address, I’ll swing by.”

  “I’ll text you, but you have a lot of explaining to do!” She couldn’t believe she was going to see her best friend.

  When Eden opened the door, Mara practically knocked her over with her hug. She was a hurricane and she swept around Eden, switching from Spanish to English trying to explain.

  “God, Mar, I don’t speak Spanish, help me out here! What is going on?”

  “Okay, sit down, though. This is big.” Mara was as glamorous as ever. In the final weeks of exams, she had seen a whole new side to her friend—fun, sassy, and wild. That was the girl sitting in front of her now. “I said yes to Enzo, I told you that in the emails, si? Well, he was really nervous because after I said yes, he had another big announcement. He’d been given a huge promotion, but it meant relocating to…New York!”

  “What?” Eden couldn’t believe it. Mara would be living in the same city as her!

  “He was so worried I’d say no, but I couldn’t wait for us to move. I wanted to tell you, but I also really wanted to surprise you. Your emails were a tad glum, Eden. I mean, you’re in goddamn New York City and you’re moping around. So now that I’m here, we’re going to let loose, okay?”

  “Oh, don’t get me wrong, Mar, I love it here. I’m just not settled yet. But frankly, you being here suddenly makes this all so much better!” Eden hugged her.

  “Okay, so let’s go. I’m taking you to lunch!”

  “Don’t you have things to do? I mean, don’t you need to settle in? And I’ve already had lunch.”