What she was not ready for was what she saw as she stepped out of the elevator. When the receptionist had said the elevator gave direct access to his office, Eden had assumed that it went to straight to his office floor, but in fact it opened directly into his private office. She stepped out and found herself in a large room that ran what felt like one entire side of the building. Sebastian was leaning against his desk, arms crossed over his chest, wearing faded jeans and t-shirt that stretched across his upper body. Eden had never seen him out of a suit yet and his relaxed outfit took her breath away. She didn’t know what she expected him to say or do, but she was surprised to see he was smiling, as if trying to suppress a laugh.
“Why, Miss Maxwell, what a lovely surprise.”
She had surprised him, and this was something she realized didn’t happen very often to a man like Sebastian. Eden remembered her mission and ignored his warm eyes, trying to hold on to the irritation she had felt just less than an hour ago when lying in her bed. Still, she hesitated until he spoke.
“You said you needed to speak to me about tonight. But I suspect this is more important than simply a scheduling issue. Why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you?”
“What’s bothering me, Mr. Stone, is your presumption that I’m not capable of making my own decisions.”
He frowned slightly, clearly unsure of where Eden was going with the conversation. “I do think you can make your own decisions. You make very good decisions, in fact. Such as coming here.” He smiled at her now, turning her anger into a joke. “Although, you do seem rather annoyed about something.”
“It’s about what I told you. In my bedroom.” Eden blushed now, remembering how disappointed she had been when he had stopped touching her. “You said you wanted me still, even knowing what you now know, and yet you assumed you were taking advantage of me. I gave you that advantage. You weren’t taking it away from me.” By now, she had crossed the distance between them and she stood a foot away from him, suddenly nervous to get any closer. “I’m not a child. I may not be as…experienced…as the great Sebastian Stone, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know what I want. And I want you.” Finally, she looked up at him, expecting to find the same warm smile as when she had started her speech, but instead, she was met with a cold stare, his mouth hardened into a line.
“What you want? You don’t know what you’re asking, Eden. Think very carefully before you agree to something until you fully understand the ramifications.”
She felt that he was threatening her, but with what she wasn’t sure. “I do,” she answered with the last bit of courage she had left.
Sebastian stood up from the edge of desk and approached her, running his finger down the side of her face, along her neck, and brushing her clavicle. She shivered under his touch. “I like you in dresses. Whenever I see you in a dress, it does something to me, Eden. You do something to me. Are you prepared for what that means?”
As he spoke, he slowly drew her toward him, one hand holding her against him by the small of her back while the other ran down her hip, slowly gathering the material of the soft blue dress until his fingers grazed the skin on her thigh, his fingertips like feathers.
“Silk…” he murmured, and she wasn’t sure if he was referring to her dress or the feel of her skin under his touch. His fingers slid higher until they reached the waist of her panties and he followed the edge of lace around to her back. She bit her lip as she felt his hand slide in and he gently squeezed her bare ass. She could feel her breathing becoming shakier. What if someone came in and saw them like this?
She felt his cock hardening and he moved his hips forwards, ensuring she could feel his reaction to her, hard against her core. His eyes never left her gaze as his hand moved further down and his fingers reached between her legs and gently probed into her folds, already wet and waiting.
“You’re so wet, Eden, so ready for me, aren’t you?” he whispered.
She could barely nod, blushing from her physical reaction.
“Maybe you do know what you want. Your pussy clearly does.” He moved his fingers further, never pushing in, but simply moving back and forth, brushing her lips. “I want you to say it, Eden, before this goes any further. Tell me what you want.”
She didn’t know what to say. She could barely verbalize what she was feeling to herself, let alone to him. She stammered finally. “I...I want…you.”
“More, Eden, you need to tell me more.” He was pulling her so tightly against his hips she was amazed he wasn’t hurting himself. His erection dug into her, but he made no effort to adjust himself.
“I want you inside me, Sebastian… Please.”
He broke his gaze finally, groaning as he thrust his hips against her hard and breathed in the scent of her hair. “Do you trust me, Eden?”
“Yes, I do.”
Suddenly, he stepped away, removing his hands from her so abruptly Eden had to step forward to catch herself from stumbling. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the elevator. The doors opened immediately and he pulled her in, keeping her close to him with his hand gripping her wrist. With his other hand, he took out his phone and called his secretary.
“I’m leaving for the day. Unless it’s an emergency, don’t put any calls through.”
Eden smiled, flattered that he would drop everything to be with her. She looked up at him, but he was staring at the closed elevator door, ignoring her.
“Your secretary works Sundays?”
“Yes. I can be very demanding. You should know that about me.”
Eden shuddered. Why did she feel like he wasn’t talking about his work habits?
The town car was waiting for them when they left the building and still, without having spoken another word to her, he opened the car door and helped her in, climbing in after her. Now, alone with him again, Eden desperately wanted him to come to her, to press himself against her like he had done upstairs. She wanted his fingers back on her hips, and she squeezed her legs together, trying not to wriggle in anticipation, yet she also wanted to slap him. His silence was maddening and she felt that he was angry with her—for what, she had no idea, but she knew when she was getting the silent treatment.
Sebastian kept his distance, staring out the window the whole ride, his face a mask that she couldn’t get past.
Chapter Twelve
Eden wondered if this had been a huge mistake. What the hell was she thinking propositioning a man she barely knew? A man who turned from warm and compassionate to cold and distant without any good reason or explanation. But she had made her decision. Something about Sebastian instilled her with so much desire that she had been missing for years. He made her feel alive and even if that meant being reckless and irrational, she was willing to follow that feeling no matter where it took her.
It was only when they were in the elevator in his apartment building that he turned to her, pressing her gently back against the elevator wall, his hands on her hips guiding her backwards. His mouth brushed her cheek before stopping against her ear.
“You can still turn back, Eden, it’s not too late. But once we go inside, it will be. You’ll be mine and there will be no stopping me. Tell me you understand.”
Eden nodded quickly, hardly able to breathe.
“Say it, Eden.”
“I…I understand,” she managed to gasp.
Was this the right thing to do? After all these years, could she let this man in? Let him touch her the way he intended to? What did he mean “mine?” Her mind didn’t have space to dwell on those thoughts. All she could think about was Sebastian’s hands on her waist, pushing her against the elevator wall, so cold compared to the heat emanating from his hard body, from the hands that held her there. Those hands she would do anything for. “I trust you. I do, Sebastian.”
Once in his apartment, the gentle hands she had felt on her body in the elevator turned into something else. The second he closed the apartment door behind them, he had her pinned up against it. He grabbed at th
e blue dress, yanking it up to her waist and over her head. He moaned as stepped back temporarily to take her in. She had her wedge heels still on and was wearing a white matching bra and bikini panties. Eden had felt nervous putting on the lingerie that Mara had made her wear. But it seemed to have the desired effect on Sebastian. She watched him, still leaning against the door, both of them panting.
Sebastian wanted her. She’d had men desire her before, but this was something else, something far more extreme than she had ever experienced. And, for once, she reciprocated the longing. It was more than desire, though. It had become a thirst, a visceral need to be touched by him. She needed him to quench it for her so she could go back to thinking clearly.
Sebastian stepped toward her and turned her around so she was facing the door. He unhooked her bra, slowly sliding the straps down her arms. It was only after it dropped on the floor that he turned her around again and stepped back. Eden shivered under his gaze. She wanted to cover herself, to escape from those eyes that were now hooded with salacious need.
Sensing her nervousness, he spoke as she started to raise her hands to shield her breasts from his stare.
“Don’t! You can’t hide yourself from me, Eden.” He wasn’t trying to comfort her. His words were demanding. It was an order and she obeyed immediately, dropping her hands to her sides. “Now take the rest off.”
Eden glanced down. The only things left were her panties and wedges.
“Start with the sandals.”
Keeping eye contact, she bent down while lifting her ankles one at a time, slipping off the wedges and dropping them on the floor.
Sebastian walked toward her, but stopped a few feet in front of her. “Now the rest, Eden.” His voice held a hint at irritation. Eden assumed that he must be exasperated that she wasn’t acting on her own volition. She shook her head. She’d never been this naked in front of anyone, even Joachim. He had only caught glimpses of her under the covers, with the lights off.
“I don’t know if I can. I feel…” she stammered, wishing she could muster the courage she’d had earlier.
“What, Eden? Spit it out.” Why was he being so abrupt with her? Could he tell she was struggling, that this was awkward for her?
“Clumsy! I feel clumsy like this, naked in front of you, especially since you’re still dressed.”
“I’m only going to ask this one more time, Eden. After that I don’t want any more questioning like this, no more doubt. You do as I say when I say it.” He still hadn’t touched her, but she didn’t dare raise her arms up to cover herself. “Do. You. Trust. Me?”
“Yes, I said I did!” What did that have to do with anything?
“I don’t just mean do you trust that I won’t hurt you, but do you trust that I know what’s best right now? That I know what you want, how you want it? That I know what you need? Do you trust me to do all that?”
Eden stared at him. How could he possibly know those things? She didn’t even know those things. She thought back to all the times she had been with Sebastian, starting with the Acer Club and ending in his elevator. Whenever he had his hands on her, her body responded in a way that was almost beyond her control. The only time she had resisted was in her apartment when he tried to unbutton her jeans and she had immediately regretted asking him to stop. God, he was right! He always knew how to touch her, how to respond to her. He watched her body and listened to her, even when she resisted—the push and pull between them was always perfectly played out because she trusted him and he knew what to do with her.
“Yes.”
“In that case. Take. Them. Off.”
Without hesitating, Eden slid her panties down and stepped out of them, dropping them next to her shoes.
Sebastian dragged his eyes up her body and she could feel a blush spreading from her neck up to her face. Admitting to herself that she trusted him was in itself a turn-on, knowing that the man in front of her would know exactly what to do with her and she was going to let him. He stepped to her finally, bending to swoop her into his arms. He carried her toward the bedroom and deposited her gently on the bed.
Pulling his white shirt over his head, Eden gazed at his chest, amazed at his figure and, more shockingly, the intertwining tattoos that wrapped around the muscles on his upper chest and right arm. His muscles weren’t too bulky, but more wiry. Tattoos ran from his right shoulder down his bicep, ending halfway down his forearm. Her gaze fell to his waist as he unbuckled his pants and pushed them off, taking his boxers with them. He was fully naked and stopped a moment before joining her on the bed.
Eden was staring at him, but now her focus had moved to just below his waist. She had seen Joachim naked before, but similar to her own nudity, it had always been in a darkened dorm room with only fleeting glances at his body. To see Sebastian now, completely naked in front of her, stunned her slightly. There was no question that his large erection made her nervous. Sebastian took it in his hands, stroking it slowly, and she looked up to meet his gaze.
“Don’t be scared, Eden. You’ll be amazed how our bodies fit together.” She nodded slightly, knowing she could trust him. He touched her ankles now, gently kissing each one before running his hands up her legs until he reached her waist.
Sebastian crawled up between her legs, running his fingers slowly over her thighs, but he avoided the space between her legs, instead moving up toward her waist, positioning himself above her, resting on his elbows on either side of her so that he was hardly touching her. Her body shivered with expectation of what was about to happen. Keeping himself propped up, sensing her nerves, he gently stroked her collarbone and neck. “I want to see you, Eden. There’s nothing to be nervous about. You’re beautiful. Perfect.”
His mouth returned to her body and he lowered himself until his head was level with her breasts as he palmed one and then the other, working his mouth over her nipples, caressing them with his tongue until they were pink and swollen. One hand slid under her back, pulling her closer to him every time she arched her back with pleasure, never wanting his lips to leave her skin. The other hand slid down, past her stomach, and finally nestled into her wet folds.
She felt herself tense under his touch as his fingers slid over her pubic bone. Mara had convinced her to wax, teasing her mercilessly about attempting to go on a date with only a razor trim of her bikini line. Thank God she had let her badger her into it. The sensation of his touch on her bare skin was more than she could take. She didn’t want him to stop and her body was telling him to keep touching her, but something was making her nervous and she couldn’t get rid of it. It wasn’t about trust, but simply apprehension of the unknown.
Sebastian could feel her body tremor in excitement and fear. He whispered into her skin, trying to calm her nerves. “You’re not afraid, Eden, not with me. You know I won’t hurt you.” He kept repeating the words over and over, in between his kisses. “I’m going to make you feel good, Eden. So fucking good.” He emphasized each word with a sweep of her clit.
With those final words, she let it go, all that was holding her back. She exhaled and let her body arch more into his touch, thrusting her hips forward, and Sebastian read the sign as she hoped he would. He pushed one finger inside while his thumb remained on her hood and pressed gently on it.
Eden gasped in anticipation. His finger gave just a hint of what his cock would feel like. He added another one, pushing them in and out, spreading her, readying her for him. Eden drew in a deep breath in an attempt to get control of whatever it was she was feeling. Her hips moved involuntarily against the rhythm of his thrusts and he spoke to her as he ran his nose up the side of her neck.
“You like that, baby, you like riding my hand. You’re so wet for me, so ready.” God, his words were enough, not to mention the magic he was working with his fingers. She groaned as he spoke, causing him to chuckle. “Oh yeah, I love your sounds, Eden. So fucking precious and hot. You love it when I talk dirty to you. Tell me how much you like it. I didn’t want to scare you wi
th it, but every time I tell you how wet you are, how much I want you, I can feel you shiver. Tell me.”
Eden could barely fathom talking, but she wanted to please him, to give him what he asked for. “Yes, Sebastian, I love it when you talk to me. It drives me…” She couldn’t finish her sentence, as right then he twisted his fingers and pressed a part of her inside that she didn’t even know existed. Eden shuddered and arched her back. “Sebastian…I...it’s so much…” She knew the orgasm was building, but it had never been like this with a man, and the sensation building inside was overwhelming.
“Not yet, Eden. I don’t want you to come until I’m deep inside you and I can feel you come around my cock.” Sebastian withdrew his fingers and she whimpered, already missing his touch. He moved to position himself between her legs, cradled in her hips. He rested one forearm next to her head as the other reached between them and positioned his cock at her entrance. “It’s going to sting, Eden, but then it will feel good, I promise. I’ll make sure it’s good for you.”
She looked up into his blue eyes, enraptured by what she saw—they were pooling with lust, turning a darker shade of blue that pierced through her. She nodded, reaching up and wrapping her arms around his neck. “I’m ready, Sebastian. I want to do this with you.” With that, he pushed into her, slowly at first, hardly moving at all until they both felt the resistance. And then Sebastian kissed her hard as he thrust forward, and his mouth caught her cry, muffling it with his tongue. He pushed forward once more and then he was fully inside her.
Trusting Stone Page 9
