Fall Into Me (Heart of Stone) (7 page)

"Yeah,
well, Chase is from those days. He comes from money. Not as much as I came
from, but his family's got some. Not that they would have been interested in
giving him a dime so he could set up his club in a sleepy town outside New York City. That's where I came in."

"If
you're not into that, why did you agree to be his partner?"

"Silent
partner."

"Okay.
Why did you agree to be his silent partner?"

"Because
I know a good investment when I see one. When he came to me with his idea, I
knew it would make money. So I agreed to go in on the club with him as long as
he agreed that I'd have nothing to do with the day-to-day operations."

"So
you just sit back and collect the money?" she asked with a sly grin on her
face.

"Exactly.
I prefer to stay in the hotel business and keep my involvement with Top
silent."

"Why
stay silent about it?"

"I
don't care what people like, but there are certain segments of society that
wouldn't approve of the owner of the Richmont Hotel chain as co-owner of that
kind of place, even if he's a silent partner."

"Doesn't
the board of your company have a problem with it?"

Shaking
my head, I explained, "They don't know. I financed Top with my own money,
not Stone Worldwide's money or credit."

Her
eyes grew wide as saucers. "Holy shit! You are loaded!" Instantly,
she covered her mouth with her hand and mumbled from behind it, "I'm
sorry. That's not the way the girlfriend of someone like you should act."

I
pulled her hand away from her face. "It's not a problem. I am. I always
have been. Money is something I've been blessed with. I'm not one of those
people who thinks it isn't important. It is. But it's not the most important
thing in life."

"I
always hate when you see wealthy people or movie stars talking about their
success in interviews and saying things like the money isn't something they
think about or it doesn't mean anything to them. That kind of thing just bugs
me. For those of us without money, it's a big thing and we always think about
it."

Her
honesty washed over me like a refreshing summer rain. This was Nina, and I
loved her. "And then you find out they give little to nothing to charity
and you wonder what they do with that money they say they care nothing
about."

"Exactly!"
she said as she sat up. "I hate that kind of hypocrisy."

I
suspected she hadn't checked her bank account since she'd gotten home from the
hospital and didn't know how much money she really had now. Not that it would
matter. I had the feeling that she could have millions and still be the same
down-to-earth soul she'd always been.

Running
my fingertips over the soft skin of her arm, I continued, "By the way, you
act perfectly to be my girlfriend. Don't ever think you aren't exactly what my
girlfriend should be."

"Yeah.
I'm sure the board of directors of Stone Worldwide would be thrilled to find
out you are hanging out with some middle class girl instead of those
supermodels they like to see on your arm."

Her
comment brought the ugly reality of Karl and the other members of the Stone
board to the front of my mind. No matter how happy I was with Nina, I had to
figure out a way to convince them that she was no threat to them or whatever my
father had done.

"I
can see by the look on your face that I'm right, aren't I?" she said
sadly. "It's okay. I understand if you have to take one of those women to
your events instead of me."

Pulling
her down to lay on top of me, I kissed her full on the lips. "Not anymore.
If you want to go with me, then I go. If not, then those functions can do without
me and my silent as a statue act."

She
traced the outline of my lips with her forefinger. "How's the Board going
to feel about that?"

"I
don't care. You're the woman I'm in love with, so if I'm going, so are you. If
they don't like it, too bad."

"You'd
do that for me?"

I
caressed her cheek and spoke the absolute truth. "I'd do anything for you,
Nina. Anything."

Chapter Seven

Nina

Tristan
and I fell asleep right there on the floor of the penthouse's living room with
the floor to ceiling windows showing the entire world our lovemaking. Naked and
in each other's arms, we held each other close as the nightlife of Manhattan
slipped away to allow the business of day to take over, but as I stirred awake,
I didn't feel his arms around me. Instead, a blanket kept me warm. Wiping the
sleep from my eyes, I looked around and saw no Tristan but an envelope near my
head.

Smiling
to myself, I opened it and slipped the note from inside. As always, his words
charmed me.

Good
morning, Nina. I hope you slept well. I realized when I woke up that I did
quite a number on your dress last night. You can find clothes to wear in the
closet in the bedroom at the far end of the penthouse. When you're ready,
simply take the elevator to the garage and my driver will be waiting to bring
you to me.

I hope
you're in the mood for shopping. It's the least I can do to replace the dress I
ruined.

Thank
you for giving me another wonderful memory.

                                                                             Love,

                                                                             Tristan

A
man who wanted to take me shopping? I thought such men only existed in
fantasies, like unicorns and dragons. Stretching my arms above my head, I
thought about the other ways Tristan was the stuff of fantasies. Had a man ever
made me want him like he did? Those stunning eyes, that beautiful mouth, those chiseled
abs and strong arms...

Just
thinking about him excited me. If only he was there with me so I could show him
how much I wanted him. I could only guess that making love with him first thing
in the morning would be another delicious experience.

The
man had a way of making love that made other men seem like schoolboys. My hand
slid between my legs to stroke through my soft folds as I remembered the
exquisite sensations his cock had given me just hours before. Kicking the
blanket off my body, I spread my legs open wide and let my fingers try to
replicate the feeling of Tristan's hands and cock on my pussy. A tiny moan
escaped my throat as each stroke brought back the wonderful memories of him.

Just
then I remembered that I was lying in front of a wall of windows and giving the
entire city a show. Opening my eyes, I saw in horror that it was late enough
that the office buildings nearby would have people in them!

Quickly,
I gathered up the blanket and ran from the living room to the back bedroom
where he said I'd be able to find clothes. Embarrassed, I blushed from head to
toe at the idea that some poor secretary just sitting down with her morning
coffee had nearly seen me masturbate. I rolled my eyes at my stupidity,
wondering if Tristan was as modest as I was or if he routinely paraded around
nude for nearby office workers to see.

The
closet was in the corner of the room, and I opened it up to see an entire
wardrobe of women's clothes alongside all of Tristan's suits, shirts, and ties.
As I ran my fingers over each outfit, I wondered if I had always kept clothes
here or if he'd had them brought there before we arrived the night before.  

I'd
learned so much about Tristan already, but at every turn he seemed capable of
surprising me.

Grabbing
a grey jersey mini-dress and a pair of underwear from the dresser that seemed
devoted to my clothes, I wrapped the blanket around me and made my way to the
bathroom to get ready. I stepped into the room and stopped dead, stunned at how
gorgeous it was. The man certainly knew how to live. Marble and granite covered
every square inch of the room, except where an enormous soaker tub sat in front
of a narrow floor to ceiling window and a large glass shower, which stood
nearby the tub.

I
draped my clothes over the tub and got into the shower, still uncomfortable
about the window but hoping that my paranoia about being seen by the office
workers across the street was just that. Of course it was. This was Manhattan. No one saw anything here, even with eight million people around. God, I hoped
that was true or I was giving some unsuspecting souls a peep show as I showered.

I'd
accepted the fact that I was going au natural, and I hoped that Tristan was
into the pale girl look, but after I dressed I took a chance and looked through
the vanity in the bathroom, desperate for at least some toothpaste I could rub
across my teeth to get rid of my morning breath. I was stunned to find a
toothbrush next to duplicates of every stitch of makeup I regularly used right
there for me. It was like this was a parallel dimension that contained
everything the other one at the house had. My father's joke about loving Spock
and his goatee in the old Star Trek episode ran through my head and I smiled.

My
father. I had tried so hard not to think about him being gone, but every so
often something reminded me of him and forced the sadness I so wanted to forget
back into my mind. His quirky humor. His lectures about working hard so I could
do better than he had. What would he think of me now as I stood in the gorgeous
Manhattan penthouse of Tristan Stone, CEO of Stone Worldwide and madly in
love with me?

Of
all the things and people I'd forgotten because of my accident, my father's
death hurt the most. I couldn't help but feel it was unfair that I had to go
through the pain of mourning him a second time. Why was this happening to me?
Wasn't it bad enough to lose your father once? Why did I have to lose him again
and feel all the pain a second time?

I
couldn't keep doing this, so I pushed the thought away until some other time
when I was able to deal with it. Looking in the mirror, I fixed the hair around
my face and put on my best supermodel face. Well, I wasn't a supermodel, but I
could make their face as well as any of them. That would have to do. A change
of shoes from the closet in the bedroom since the gold shoes were definitely
not a good look with the jersey dress and I was ready for my shopping trip.

Tristan
was as good as his word, and when I exited the elevator, his driver stood
waiting for me as if he was a permanent fixture right there in the garage. I
approached him and saw he wore a serious expression on his fifty-something
face, but he smiled like it was part of his job when I stopped in front of him.

"Miss,
if you're ready, we can leave."

"Where
are we going?"

"Le
Ciel, miss. It shouldn't take long at all."

"Do
you have to call Tristan or something to let him know we're coming?"

The
driver opened the back passenger side door to the black Town Car and stood back
so I could enter. His gaze drifted up toward the concrete ceiling above us. "Not
to worry, miss. He knows."

If
I thought the man would give me a more complete answer, I would have asked how
Tristan knew we were leaving, but something told me he would simply plaster
another formal grin on his face and repeat his cryptic sentence. It didn't
matter. I could just ask Tristan when we arrived at the store.

I
climbed into the car and settled in for the ride, not knowing where this Le
Ciel was but happy that it wouldn't take long. The idea of a man taking me
shopping had my curiosity piqued. Was it possible Tristan Stone was gorgeous,
wealthy, sexy as all hell, and loved to shop?

No.
Even he was a mere mortal man. But that was okay. I was still crazy about him.

As
I pondered all the ways Tristan was far more than just a mere mortal, the Town
Car weaved through traffic like the driver owned the road. By the time I'd
mentally listed half a dozen things I loved about the man who had given me one
of the best nights of my life, we'd arrived at a boutique in Midtown. I stepped
out of the car and saw even the window showcase was obviously upscale with
mannequins dressed in designer names and wearing smug looks that somehow
intimidated me, telling me Le Ciel wasn't anywhere I'd ever shop.

As
I entered the store, a thin woman with jet black hair and a love of Botox, if
her frozen forehead was any indication, approached me with an eager look on the
lower half of her face. I guessed my current outfit made it seem like I may
have belonged there, but I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Miss
Edwards, Mr. Stone is waiting for you. Please let me take you to him," she
chirped out from her perfect mouth.

I
was afraid to open my own mouth, unsure I wouldn't inadvertently say something
that would give away the truth of how much I didn't belong in her store.
Instead, I silently followed her, catching the price of a few dresses as we
passed and mentally adding them up to a ridiculous total on our way to a room
at the back of the boutique. I found Tristan sitting with three blondes who
appeared totally engrossed in whatever he was saying, each hanging on every
word he spoke.

The
back room was even more luxurious than the store. The walls were draped in deep
blue satin fabric that reminded me of what I imagined a sheik's harem would
look like. Tristan relaxed on a black velvet couch, his arms opened wide across
the back and his legs spread slightly. He wore his usual suit, that day's a
black pinstripe with a grey shirt, and looked so incredibly right sitting there
that I felt like I was intruding. He oozed power, and the three saleswomen
lapped it up.

They
noticed me immediately and straightened their backs when I stepped into the
room. Tristan looked over at me with a warm smile and stood to take my hand.
"Good morning, Nina. Are you ready to shop?"

I
looked up at him and wished we were alone so I could tell him how happy I was
to see him. Quietly, I said, "I guess."

"Did
you have something to eat for breakfast? I instructed the concierge to give you
whatever you wanted."

I
sheepishly admitted that I hadn't eaten yet. "I didn't know I could do
that."

Tristan
leaned down to kiss my cheek and whispered, "I'm sorry. I forgot that you
wouldn't know that. I should have remembered."

His
voice sounded sad, making me feel bad for not knowing. "It's okay. My
stomach isn't grumbling yet, so I'm good."

He
slid his thumb over my bottom lip and turned to face the three women.
"Ladies, this is Nina and she hasn't eaten breakfast yet. I'm sure one of
you can find her something to eat while we shop."

The
blonde who stood in the middle nodded her understanding and scurried away,
ostensibly to find my breakfast. I gently tugged on the sleeve of Tristan's
suit coat to get his attention, and he turned to face me with a smile on his
face. "You didn't have to do that. I would've waited."

"Nina,
I'm about to leave a nice chunk of money in this store. The very least they can
do is run out to the café down the street and pick up some pastries. I just
hope you like what she brings back. If you don't, she can go again."

He
turned to face the other two women who remained standing there before I could
explain that making a salesgirl run out repeatedly to grab a blueberry muffin
for me seemed out of line. Neither of the women seemed put off by his request,
though.

"Miss,"
one of the women said, "we can begin anytime you'd like. Do you have a
preference for beginning with day or night?"

Confused,
I asked, "Day or night?"

Tristan
smiled back at me and answered, "Nina will begin with clothes she can wear
at night. We have a few celebrations to attend over the holidays, and she's
going to need dresses."

The
two women sprung into action and dashed out past me into the store. Tristan
took his seat on the couch again and looked up at me, obviously satisfied by
how it was all going. I remained unsure of what to do, but there was something
reassuring about the fact that he was staying. While I was a master at the art
of shopping as any woman in her twenties likely was, he fit right in with the
ambiance of Le Ciel, while I felt like a fish out of water.

"Should
I sit and wait or stand?"

"Do
whatever you feel comfortable with. They'll be back in a few minutes, but I'm
always a fan of having you next to me."

I
took a seat on the couch. It felt like I was sitting on a cloud, and instantly,
I felt more at ease. Leaning over, I gave him a peck on the cheek. "Good
morning. It's nice to see you. I would have loved to have seen you when I woke
up."

"But
you got my note, didn't you?"

"I
did." Lowering my voice, I whispered, "But it's hard to have great
morning sex with a note."

He
slid his tongue across his lower lip and smiled. "Ah, now that's true.
I'll have to remedy that oversight." Looking down, he ran his finger
across my stomach. "How do your ribs feel?"

I
couldn't help but smile at how sweet he was. "They feel great. I'm not so
easily broken."

The
women returned with their arms full of clothes. They appeared far more excited
by the idea of my trying them on than I did, although I had to admit I could
get used to this kind of treatment. They hung them on movable racks around the
room and then took their places at the ends of one of the racks like fashion
sentries.

"We're
ready when you are, miss."

"Okay.
I need to replace a black dress. Is there a cocktail dress in there?" I
asked the left sentry.

"Of
course!" she answered as she picked out some similar to the one Tristan
had shredded the night before. With her arm extended, she held out three
gorgeous black dresses and displayed them like she was a game show model.
"I think any one of these would look incredible on you, don't you think,
Mr. Stone?"

Tristan
studied the three dresses for a few moments and nodded his appreciation.
Turning to look at me, he leaned his head toward the saleswoman and mouthed,
"You're up."