“But things will be different.”
“Change isn’t a bad thing. Think about her and think about who I am. You’ve gotten to know me pretty well over these past few weeks. In fact, you know me better than most now. You know that I will be good to her.”
“I do know that, which is why this is hard. You’re not just another boyfriend, Alex. You’re the real deal.”
“I love her. This is as real as it gets,” I said honestly.
“Have you told her yet?”
“Told her what?”
“That you love her,” she clarified.
“Not yet, but I will. I’m heeding your advice. You once told me that I would have to tread carefully on the stepping stones to Krystina’s heart. That’s exactly what I am doing.”
“Elizabeth Long will be furious,” she commented.
“I know she will be, but I’ll handle her.”
“Alright, then. You said that you needed a favor. What do you need me to do?”
“This move has to go as smoothly as possible for Krystina,” I said adamantly. “I don’t want her to be stressed about anything. I’ll need you to pack up her personal belongings. Hale will be at your disposal to assist with anything that you need.”
“Packing is the easy part. It’s the unpacking that is a royal pain in the rear,” she pointed out.
“Very true,” I acknowledged. “I’ll take care of doing that. Just let me know when you have it all ready to go.”
She agreed to do as I asked, albeit somewhat reluctantly, and I ended the call. I took a seat in one of the chairs and leaned forward to rest my chin on my fist. I contemplated all the boxes full of Krystina’s belongings that would be arriving at the penthouse in just a few days time. Between the books, CD’s, and various trinkets that highlighted Krystina’s personality, I was having a hard time picturing her things in the lifeless space in which I lived.
Where should I put it all?
The spare bedroom that I had would be ideal. Not much was in the room, other than basic furniture. I tried to picture Krystina’s things in there, but it didn’t feel right. I didn’t want the essence of her to be confined to just one room. I wanted her to have more space and freedom to make it feel like her home.
I could leave everything packed and let her decide. Or maybe….
Another idea came to mind and suddenly everything was very clear.
That’s it!
I pulled out my phone again and dialed Laura.
“Hello, sir,” she greeted.
“Laura, where do things stand with the Westchester deal?”
“Everything it set, but with everything that you’ve had going on, I’ve delayed the closing until further notice.”
“Perfect. I need to change some things.”
“Sir?”
“I need you to write down everything that I say and then get with Stephen. He’s going to try to argue about what I want him to do, so you’ll need to reiterate that I am resolute about this. He must make all the necessary modifications that I am going to lay out for you.”
“Yes, Mr. Stone. I have a pen and paper in front of me as we speak. I’m ready when you are,” she told me.
I quickly outlined my plan. Laura probably thought that I was out of my damn mind. Stephen would most likely rupture an artery over it. But it didn’t matter.
I had never been more sure of anything else in my life.
CHAPTER 30
Two weeks later, I lay sprawled on Alexander’s couch with him curled up behind me. I still viewed the couch as his, just like I saw everything else in the penthouse as his. He insisted that I should view everything as ‘ours’, but it was a hard notion to grasp.
After my release from the hospital two days prior, I came here to find that all of my clothes from my apartment in Greenwich had been brought over and hung neatly in his enormous walk-in closet. My toiletries and makeup lined the shelves of his bathroom and my books were added to his office library. I knew he did it all to make me feel more comfortable, but I was still struggling with the concept that this was now my new home. It was a surreal sort of feeling.
His housekeeper, Vivian, had just left. The idea that I had a housekeeper may very well be something that I never got used to. She arrived daily to clean, do laundry, and bring groceries. Today’s groceries included Christmas cookies from a local bakery, reminding me of the fact that Christmas was just over two weeks away. I had nearly forgotten, as there wasn’t one bit of holiday cheer to be seen in the penthouse.
“You’re quiet. Are you feeling okay?” Alexander asked.
“I’m okay. Do you want to put on some Christmas music?”
“Sure, angel,” he agreed. He reached over my head to grab the stereo remote from the end table. A moment later, a soulful a cappella by Pentatonix filled my ears. I smiled to myself, appreciating the soothing effect that their breathy vocals had.
“Alex, I was just wondering. Why don’t you have a Christmas tree?”
“Honestly, I’ve never had one. I didn’t think about it,” he said as he lazily twirled a piece of my hair around his finger. “Would you like to get a tree?”
“You’ve never had a Christmas tree?” I asked in complete astonishment.
“Not since I lived with my grandparents, no. Holiday’s have always just been another day to me,” he shrugged off.
I sat up and turned to face him.
“Christmas is not just another day! We’re not talking about some random Hallmark holiday here! I mean, you live in New York for crying out loud! How can you be immune to Christmas? It’s my favorite time of year in this city. It’s not just the decorations either. Everyone just seems a little bit nicer, a little bit kinder. It’s magical!”
He laughed.
“Lay back down, angel. Your not supposed to be over exerting yourself.”
“Oh, hell no. I’m perfectly fine. You are not going to use the ‘you need your rest’ excuse to get out of this one. First thing tomorrow, we are going to get a Christmas tree.”
He held his hands up in surrender.
“Okay, okay! If it means that much to you, then that’s what we’ll do. But why wait? Let’s go out tonight to get one. Maybe we can even walk around the city afterward and you can show me a bit of that magic,” he joked.
I reached up and tousled his hair.
“You’re teasing me.”
“I would never,” he said with a wicked smile. He lightly traced the line of my collarbone with his fingertip. I loved when we shared moments like this, and we had quite of few of them when I was in the hospital. The fun, flirty, and lighthearted exchanges gave me a glimpse into the future and what could be between us. My heart swelled.
I love him. I really do love him.
I fretted over how to tell him exactly that, unsure of how he would take to hearing those words. I needed to find the right setting. The right time and place. I wanted it to be special when I told him for the first time.
Rockefeller Center. Next to the Christmas tree. No. That might be too cliché.
“Are you serious about walking around the city tonight?” I asked.
“Maybe,” he murmured and leaned in to nibble along the line of my jaw. “I could call Hale to pull the car up right now if you want.”
His hand skimmed up my waist and brushed past the side of my breast. We were fully clothed, but even without the flesh on flesh contact, I was turned on in an instant. Shivers raced down my spine and heat crashed between my legs. The immediate arousal was all consuming, as Alexander and I had not been together physically since before the car accident.
“We don’t have to go right now,” I breathed.
His hand moved down to slip under the waistband of my sweatpants, scorching a path over my skin. I sharply sucked in a gulp of air when he made gentle contact with my already moist folds. It had been too long since I last surrendered to his touch. I arched under him and moaned.
“Easy, angel,” he warned. “I don’t want you to push your
self.”
I did as I was told and settled my hips back down on to the couch cushions. He was right. I shouldn’t push it, as I was still feeling exhausted more often than not. But that didn’t mean that I didn’t want this – that I didn’t want him. To say that it had been a rough month would be a gross understatement. I needed that physical connection with him, even if it was only a little, just so that I could feel normal again.
“How do you want me, Alex? I need this,” I pleaded. “I’ll do whatever you want me to do.”
“Oh, baby. You don’t know how those words thrill me. So submissive,” he said in a voice that was heavy with desire. “Just relax and let me do the work.”
Slowly pushing my t-shirt up, he palmed the weight of my breasts and circled each nipple with the pads of his thumbs. I gasped when he latched on with his teeth, slowly suckling each one and coaxing them to an aching, straining peak. He worked me into a desperate frenzy before moving a hand back south.
His lips moved up to meld with mine. I kissed him desperately, our tongues sliding deep, clashing and then tasting. My passion grew at a fevered pace, too quick after being so long without him. I needed to feel him, the other half of two souls that were on fire.
He worked his finger gently through my swollen flesh and teased my clit, his repeated flicking motions causing me to squirm. He pushed a finger in to the knuckle, flexing it against the heated walls just inside my entrance. My hands flew up to grip at his hair, the build up to my orgasm coming swift and sweet.
“Oh, god,” I moaned and began to convulse around his fingers. Our time apart worked against any sort of self-control that I may have once had. I stiffened beneath his merciless hand, and came quickly and unexpectedly.
My body took over and I went off like a rocket. Fireworks exploded before my eyes. I quivered around him as he gently worked me back down from the explosive release. And after so many weeks of being lost, I finally felt like I was home again. Where I belonged.
****
I could sense Krystina’s desire, her longing for more, as she squeezed my bicep and rode out the rest of her orgasm. My cock ached, as I wanted nothing more than to claim her hard and fast.
But not today.
No matter how long it had been, no matter how impatient I felt, she needed delicate handling. Today was not the day for dominance and submission. There would be no kinks, no exploration of limits. We had plenty of days ahead for that.
Fate, the fickle bitch, had finally decided to smile down on me. I had been given a second chance and I didn’t want to fuck it up. Krystina was here, alive and well, and I’d be damned if I would allow Fate to get the last laugh.
Krystina purred beneath me as I slowly worked her pants down her legs. I left a trail of kisses down each thigh as I went, down her calves, ankles, and toes. I tossed her sweats to the side and stood to remove my own. After I shed my t-shirt, I moved back to the sofa. Positioning her ankle over one of my shoulders, I continued where I left off. She gripped at my hair as I made my way back up, provoking a fierce desire to surge through my veins.
My lips trailed up her body, over her hips and across her smooth stomach.
Perfection. She is nothing short of perfection. And she’s mine.
I closed my eyes and inhaled the scent of her skin, needing her more and more with every breath that I took.
She placed her hand on my chest and over my heart as I looked into her rich chocolate eyes. So expressive. So unguarded and exquisitely tender.
“Take me, Alex,” she whispered. “I need you.”
Her words almost broke me and my heart began to hammer in my chest.
I took her hand in mine. I kissed each of her fingertips as she scissored her legs around my hips and pulled me closer. The weight of my cock pressed against her warm and velvety heat. Blood surged from the desperate need to possess her.
“Be still, angel. It’s been a while and I don’t want to come the minute I get inside you. I want us to come together.”
Her eyes glowed sultry and provocative, but she nodded her consent and remained still as I slowly slid in. I pushed all the way to the hilt, instantly lost in her all consuming heat.
Oh, fuck.
I watched as her eyes rolled and head tilted back in unabashed pleasure.
Yeah, baby. I feel it too.
It was as if I were feeling her for the first time, and I was overcome with complete and total bliss. Her tissues constricted around me to adjust to my girth, each pulse threatening to send me over the edge.
Not yet.
I began to move, slowly and deliberately, fighting with every shred of my being to hold on. To wait for her. She just felt so damn good.
I continued to drive into her, absorbing every sensation and savoring her every reaction. I loved that she was so responsive. I was so close, but I knew that she wasn’t there yet. Knowing what she needed, I changed the pace and increased my thrusts. I could only hope beyond hope that she would get there soon.
I saw when she closed her eyes and her face reflected the pleasure that was imminent.
“Oh, Alex,” she said in between panting breaths. “I missed you. I missed this. It’s been too long.”
Her words were enough to launch me over the edge.
“Angel, I hope you’re there. I can’t hold back much longer.”
“I’m there. Come with me, Alex.”
I withdrew once more and then pushed forward. Then again and again. Her fingernails raked down my back and I felt her stiffen beneath me. Our gazes locked and I hurled us both to the brink of ultimate pleasure.
At her shattered cry, my orgasm burst forth in an explosive surge that was both agony and ecstasy. I choked out a strangled cry, pouring myself inside her. It was a moment of earthshattering intensity, a perfect union of heart and mind.
I collapsed down on top of her, careful to balance my weight on my elbows so that I didn’t crush her. My cock twitched as she quivered around me, still giving up the last remnants of our release.
Once our breathing returned to a more normal rhythm, I reluctantly withdrew from the heated clutches of her body. She whimpered in protest.
“I’ll be right back,” I told her and kissed her softly on the lips.
“Where are you going?”
“Just to get a washcloth before we make a mess. I’m rather fond of this sofa and I don’t think Vivian will take kindly to having to clean it,” I said with a light laugh. There were some lines that my housekeeper would simply not cross.
After retrieving the washcloth from the master bathroom, I returned to Krystina and began to wipe the evidence of our lovemaking from between her legs.
“I can do that,” she protested and tried to sit up.
“Lay back down. Let me take care of you,” I scolded. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine, Alex. You don’t have to baby me. I’m not helpless you know.”
I folded up the washcloth, placed it on the coffee table, and looked pointedly at her.
“I’m not babying you. I’m asking for a specific reason,” I told her as I slipped back into my jeans.
“Oh? And what reason would that be?”
“Because I wasn’t planning on this little impromptu reunion that we just had. I’m not sure where your energy level is. If you’re still up to it, I thought that I would call Hale about taking us to get the Christmas tree that you want.”
She beamed instantly, her grin splitting from ear to ear.
“I’m definitely up for that! Then afterwards, we can do as you suggested and walk around the city. I can show you all of my favorite things. We should probably start at Bloomingdale’s for all of the window displays first. Then maybe head over to Rockefeller Center. I know it will be crowded, but there’s no avoiding that. Oh, and we should go to Little Italy to eat!”
I raised my eyebrows, startled by her zealous display of enthusiasm. I already had a plan in motion, none of which included any of the things she was saying. She was talking rapidl
y and making my head spin.
“Whoa, whoa! Easy tiger,” I laughed. “One thing at a time. Remember, you can’t over do it. Let’s just go get a tree first, and then we can see what you feel up to doing afterwards.”
She frowned.
“I’m just tired of sitting around and doing nothing,” she complained. “All those weeks in the hospital, now here. I don’t know. I feel restless.”
“That’s because you’re starting to get your energy back. Trust me when I say, nobody is happier to see that than I am. But you’re still tiring easily. Remember the doctors orders?” I reminded her.
“Yeah, I know. I know. Rest when I need to,” she waved off.
“I know that you’re excited to get out, but let’s see how much you can handle before we go full out on Christmas in the city,” I said and reached down to take her hand. I pulled her up into a standing position, noting that she no longer seemed to be embarrassed over being naked in front of me.
“You’re right,” she conceded.
“I know I’m right, angel. Now, go get dressed while I call Hale.”
She made her way to the bedroom and I went to the foyer closet to see about winter gear. It was cold outside, the temperature just below freezing. I wanted to make sure that Krystina had something suitable to help keep her warm, as I didn’t know how long we would spend out of doors.
Pleased to find that she had a down jacket and thermal gloves, I pulled a matching scarf and hat from the top shelf and brought everything to the dining room.
Once I had everything laid out, I took my phone from my pocket and dialed Hale. I was surprised to find that my hand was shaking slightly. Not overly so, but enough so that I had a hard time selecting the buttons for speed dial.
It was irritating. I was not the nervous type. But then again, so much hung on the balance of what I was about to do. I shook off the feeling of trepidation and made the call. Hale answered on the first ring.
“Bring the car around. It’s time,” I told him, emphasizing the last word.
“Time for what?” Krystina asked from behind me.
I spun around, surprised to see her there. She dressed quicker than I anticipated. Without saying another word to Hale, I hit end on the screen and pocketed the phone.
Stepping Stone Page 25
