Carved in Stone (The Stone Series) (13 page)

             
Just the memory alone sends a shiver rippling through my body –
holy moly
; I never knew sex could be that earth-shatteringly explosive. The intense searing passion and all consuming connection between Aidan and I was… incredible; I was positive I would never in my life experience that with any other man.

             
Both mornings we’ve eaten breakfast on the patio while admiring the unobtrusive views of the glistening ocean and last night we held up on the couch, our limbs entwined like ivy watching old movies on television to the early hours. Aidan ordered take-out for both lunch and dinner yesterday and we’ve talked – nothing too heavy, mainly about the music we both like, movies we’ve enjoyed and the places we’ve traveled or want to travel too. I have to admit I’ve seen another side to Aidan that’s captured my heart all over again. The unique beauty that constitutes Aidan is so much more than his perfect masculine sexy exterior; it is his heart, his very soul, it’s a cornucopia of unbridled passion, fearless determination, ruthless ambition and wry sense of humor. His very nature is an enthralling mix of complexity, enigmatic charisma and remarkable astuteness.

             
And, I’d never seen him so relaxed, unguarded without the pressures of work and the outside world encroaching. In my humble opinion, there is nothing more sexier than Aidan wearing a pair of low hung faded torn blue jeans, an old tight college t-shirt and bare feet. Well, maybe Aidan in a tailored designer suit…and gloriously naked of course.

             
We’d talked more in the past couple of days than in two months of dating, his sincere interest in everything I had to say was both endearingly heartwarming and flattering and I loved his lightening quick wit and dry humor.

             
However, although the weekend had been amazingly perfect, I still got the niggling sense that Aidan was holding back a portentous piece of himself. He avoids discussing anything too innately personal like his family or childhood, he doesn’t appear to have many genuinely close friends and although his home is stunningly beautiful it lacks intimately personal effects like photos of family and love ones. There isn’t even one framed photo of Aidan himself in the entire house.

             
Every time I tried to make any small reference to his family he instantly shuts down, his expression changing to that of annoyingly impassive while switching the subject or distracting me further by initiating sex.

The last part w
asn’t so bad, truth be told.

             
But I wanted desperately into that fortified sealed heart of his. I needed to carve myself within the walls of Aidan Stone’s heart; after all it was only fair, he was undeniably and irrevocably carved into mine.

             
I couldn’t help wondering how a little boy who looses his mother at such an early age, despises his father whom he also looses to a heart attack later in life, grows up to be a wildly successful multimillionaire who runs a diverse organization like the Stone Corporation.

             
Aidan’s clearly a workaholic, which makes this past weekend all the more amazing because he’d chosen to spend the majority of it together, alone with me when I’m positive from the sound of business calls he’d received yesterday morning, his attention was needed elsewhere.

             
The other thing that continues to peak my curiosity was Aidan’s relationship with his stepmother Virginia and half brother, Blake. Definitely no love lost between those three. It appears the only redeeming factor in Aidan’s weirdly dysfunctional family unit was Sebastian, Aidan’s younger half brother. Sebastian is almost as handsome as Aidan, with a vivacious and roguishly endearing personality.

             
Why was there a cavernous indifference between the brothers? From my observation, the indifference wasn’t coming from Sebastian, on all counts, he seemed to respect and admire his big brother.

As Aidan’s relationship and mine developed, w
ould there be an opportunity to bring the two of them together in the future?

             
Personally, I’d be lost, miserably alone without Mia in my life, so I couldn’t understand this level of dysfunction between blood families.

Family is
everything
.

Even the
bonds we make through close friendships become our strengths, the pillars that hold our foundations in life. It hurts my heart that Aidan doesn’t appear to have many close-knit bonds in his life.

             
“Gabby!” Snaps Mia, shouting on the other end. “Did you hear me?”

Wincing, I adjust my phone. “Ah, sorry Mia, I spaced out there for a second. What did you say?”

             
“Doesn’t matter. I’ll see you this afternoon, yeah?” Mia grumbles back.

             
“Yeah. See you soon M.” With a renewed sense of gratitude, I chirp, “Love you.”

             
“Love you too G.”

             
Throwing the cell phone on top of my purse, I walk outside to look for Aidan. While I was on the phone he strolled past me, a towel slung over is shoulder and wearing a pair of loose blue and grey swimming shorts that hung low on his narrow hips showcasing the delectable little trail of hair that lead to even more delectable things below his shorts.

             
Dressed in panties and one of Aidan’s old college t-shirts, I walked along the edge of the pool, faltering in my advance as I stop short, staring hypnotized at the sight of Aidan; his powerful shoulders slicing through the water effortlessly as he swims laps in the pool. The lean defined muscles of his back undulate on each vigorous long stroke, a visceral representation of the powerful man himself.

             
Squatting down, I sit planting my ass on the edge of the pool, dangling my legs into the pleasantly cool water and appreciate the magnificent view before me.

             
As if sensing me, Aidan finishes his lap, dives under the water and surfaces up to where I’m seated.

             
“Hey baby,” he grins adorably, pushing his wet chocolate locks back from his face. His gorgeous thick black lashes are spiky with wetness; droplets of water run down his broad smooth tanned chest. Licking those droplets one by one becomes my immediate new goal in life.

             
“Hey yourself, handsome,” I grin back.

             
“All good with Mia,” he asks.

             
“Yeah. All good. I promised her I would spend some time with her this afternoon. It seems I’ve been neglecting her of late… or so she tells me.”

             
“Your going back to Mia’s tonight?” He seems taken aback.

             
Shrugging I explain, “Well it is home and I haven’t slept there since last Wednesday night. Besides I don’t want to wear out my welcome here.”

             
“Hmm.”

             
Not liking the sound of that
‘Hmm’
or the frown that’s currently plastered on Aidan’s face I ask with concern. “What’s Hmm?”

             
“Nothing baby,” he replies, smoothing his features.

             
“Come here Gabriella,” he purrs playfully, changing tact.

             
Another thing I’m recognizing with Aidan, every time our conversations progress to the point where he has the opportunity to open up emotionally and express himself, he clamps up, shifting us to another direction. It’s the main reason I’ve held back from expressing my feelings to him, but his time is fast running out.

             
In one swift move he grabs both my ankles pulling me into the pool and submerging me under the water. Surfacing, I squeal lunging for Aidan, wrapping my arms around his neck and locking my legs tight like a vice around his waist.

             
Pouting, I admonish. “I can’t believe you did that! You’re diabolical.”

Leaning in, I begin k
issing his jaw, snuggling closer, savoring the feel of being wrapped up in Aidan embrace, his hands rubbing in exploration, up and down the length of my back while he chuckles in response to my outburst.

             
Swimming us over to the wall of the pool, he presses my back flush against it driving his fingers through my hair. Bending his head, he captures my mouth in a long, deep searing wet kiss, our tongues dancing wildly with each other’s. Desire rises hot and fast, its like we haven’t had sex in days and yet in reality in was only a few hours ago. This burning lust, the need for a constant psychical connection between us is only intensifying with the more time we spend in each others company.

His hands release my hair, gliding down over my shoulders and palming by breasts through the wet material of the shirt.

             
“I haven’t fucked you in the pool as yet,” he murmurs, trailing kisses along my jaw and down my throat.

             
“A situation I intend to rectify right now.”

****

              “Hmm,” I sigh contently, thoroughly sated, “this has been the perfect weekend. I wish it didn’t have to end. Thank you Aidan.”

Caressing my palms down his firm taut
chest, I trail small light kisses along the corner of his shadowed jaw, this time sighing with reluctance.

             
“I should probably get home soon.”

             
“You sure you wouldn’t rather stay the night.” His emerald green eyes flash with pure temptation.

             
“I’d love nothing more than to stay but I promised Mia I’d be home this afternoon, spend some quality girl time. Besides I have to do my washing, get ready for the work week ahead.”

             
Extracting myself from his hold I belatedly notice Aidan intently staring at me, a frown marring his handsome features.

             
“What? What’s wrong?”

             
“Nothing baby,” he shrugs dismissively, smoothing out his features.

             
“A conversation for another time,” he says cryptically.

             
“It’s something, so tell me.”

             
Aidan studies me intently for a few moments as if considering his words.

             
“I just like having you all to myself, especially when I’m going to be away most of the coming week.”

             
“You’re going away?”  I ask, not hiding the twinge of anxiety coating my tone. The thought of being separated from Aidan for the better part of a week plunges my stomach into a pit of disappointment.

             
Recovering with a false bravado, I quickly plaster on the fakest smile I can conjure and ask, “Where are you off too?”

             
“Chicago. I have an important business deal going on out there and the negotiations stalled late Friday afternoon; Paul wasn’t able to resolve it without my presence. It should only be for a few days, Thursday tops.”

             
Absently I wonder if his business is with Amelia Anderson and their joint property deal but before I can ask, Aidan cups the side of my face with his warm strong hand.

              “I’ll be back before you know it baby,” he says softly, playfully tapping my nose with his finger.

             
Damn!

How does he read me so well?

Every single time - I’m so totally convinced mindreading is one of his many, many talented skills.

Chapter Twelve

              Three days, one hour and twelve minutes precisely have passed since I’ve last seen my boyfriend in the flesh.

Boyfriend!

Yep…still get a little thrill every time I say that to myself…. but hey, I’m deliriously happy so that has to count for something, right?

             
After our pool sexcapades, Aidan dropped me off at Mia’s where I spent a fun filled afternoon doing laundry, washing my hair, shaving my legs and watching really bad reality television with Mia while we treated ourselves to mud facials and gorged on Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey ice-cream. The latter was the perfect way to spend a lazy Sunday evening with your BFF. The chores part…not so much.

             
Aidan flew out to Chicago first thing on Monday morning, he had a pretty tight schedule for the following three days but I was thrilled he not only took the time to call me on the way to the airport but every night thereafter.

             
I was loving the place our relationship was currently in despite the occasional misgivings that plagued me from time to time with regards to Aidan’s reluctance in opening up about himself and his family. So, he wasn’t an open book – not everyone divulged their whole life’s history at the beginning of relationship. I had to keep reminding myself that we,
us,
as a couple were still very new. Some people needed time to develop trust and feel comfortable about sharing their inner most secrets.               Besides, I had no doubts whatsoever that Aidan had genuine feelings for me. The sincerity and veracity of his commitment towards our relationship was unequivocally not in question – he had more than made that abundantly clear to me over the past week. I just didn’t know if Aidan was in love with me or if he was even willing to let himself love me sometime in the future.

             
Aidan Stone was the most perplexingly complicated, fiercely guarded, frustratingly mercurial male I’d ever met, however he was also categorically the most beautiful man that I had ever laid eyes on.

             
He was also
my
boyfriend - my very bossy boyfriend whom I was currently missing very, very much.

             
Lost in my thoughts, I was startled when the phone rang. The ring tone signaled an internal company call so with less formality than I would use for an external call I answered, “Good afternoon, Events Department, Gabby speaking.”