Heart of Stone (2 page)

“Well, I do try to be accommodating at times.
And, it’s true to some extent, my schedule doesn’t allow much time
to attend functions like these normally however I’m extremely
pleased that I came to this one tonight. And you Gabriella, are
you…
happy
to meet my acquaintance?” He asks in a seductively
low tone.

Shit – I really walked into that
one
.

Straightening my posture I grin and reply
casually, “Of course, it’s always nice to meet new people.”

“So… Gabriella your accent, is it
British?”

“Australian. My accent is Australian. My
mom’s American but my dad is from Australia. They met here when he
was on a holiday, fell in love, married, moved over there and had
me and my brother Dean.” I blurt out giving him my entire family
history in reply to his simple question. Wow my speech has well and
truly returned in the form of verbal diarrhea.

Aidan smirks as he nods his head once and I
wonder if he can read my thoughts or is he just showing patience
for the simpleton standing before him.

“And you’re here in Los Angeles visiting your
cousin?”

“Yes, um no… not visiting exactly, I’ve come
to live with Mia for a while.” I clear my throat and add, “Speaking
of which, I should probably go find her.” I say bending down to
slip my shoes back on. Now I feel downright awkward and extremely
self-conscious.

My heart is beating a million miles a minute
and I’ve never felt so flustered just speaking with a man before
and his scent is so intoxicating it’s making me light headed. He
smells of sandalwood and cinnamon, a very heady combination. I
can’t place the cologne and I have an overwhelming desire to reach
in closer and sniff him.

Oh my God, I’m literally going
insane
.

“Get a grip Gabby!” I mentally chastise
myself.

“Pardon?”

“Holy crap, please tell me I didn’t just say
that out aloud?” I ask blushing, mortified yet again.

“You said something but I didn’t quite catch
it,” laughs Aidan.

“Oh… good I guess.” I mumble, desperately
trying to shove my feet into the shoes.

Please floor just open up and swallow
me.

Aidan reaches out and gently holds my elbow
to steady me once more as I step into my pumps and that same tingle
of electricity shoots up my arm from his contact.
What the hell
is that?

“It was…um nice to meet you Aidan.” I hold
out my hand to shake his but he just stares at me as the strangely
charged atmosphere continues to bounce between us. There is
something working behind his eyes and I shift nervously from foot
to foot under the glare of his gaze.

“Only just
nice
Gabriella?” He asks
breaking the long silence between us.

“P….pardon?” I ask dazed and somewhat
confused. His powerful presence and masculine beauty is messing
with my head.
God I have to get out of here.

“Relax Gabriella. I’ll walk you back out to
the party. Come,” he motions on a wave of his arm.

As we walk out to the back of the house where
the party is in full swing around an enormous pool with a
exquisitely lit water fall as its back drop, Aidan places his hand
lightly on the small of my back guiding me then immediately drops
his hand as we reach Mia standing with her boss Carl by the bar.
The electric current I felt before from his physical touch pulsates
again through my body but abruptly ends with the withdrawal of his
hand. A strange feeling of loss sweeps over me.

Carl Morris is in his late fifties, short,
white hair with light blue eyes and red cheeks. He’s eccentric and
very jovial - his appearance and manner kind of reminds me of Santa
Clause. I’ve met him before on several occasions when I visited Mia
over the past few years. He adores Mia like a favorite
granddaughter.

When Mia graduated college she started
working at Morris Advertising, a small but quirky advertising
company as an intern than eighteen months ago she was promoted to
Carl’s Personal Assistant. Mia calls it her dream job, she’s a born
organizer, almost as OCD as me but Mia has a flare for the dramatic
as does Carl. He seems like a really nice boss - a perfect fit for
both of them.

“Mr. Stone, good to see you again sir,”
greets Carl enthusiastically. “I’m glad you could make it tonight.
This is Mia Thompson my PA.” Carl is practically bouncing with
excitement as he introduces her.

Wow Mia was right – everyone is in awe of
Aidan Stone. A short giggle escapes my lips but I abruptly swallow
it by biting my bottom lip with my teeth when Aidan throws me a
quelling frown while narrowing his eyes at me.

“Ms. Thompson, Carl. I hope you are both
enjoying yourselves tonight,” Aidan greets politely nodding to
them. Mia gives Aidan her brightest of smiles.

“Mr. Stone, nice to meet you sir and thank
you, it’s a great party. Mr. Stone this is my cousin Gabby.” Mia
says gesturing towards me even though I’m standing right beside
Aidan.

“Oh yes Gabriella and I already met earlier…
under the stairs of all places.” Aidan says with a smirk on his
gorgeous face. He again nods politely at Mia and Carl. “Good to see
you again Carl. Have a lovely evening Ms. Thompson.” Then turning
to face me, he winks playfully. “Gabriella, it’s been a pleasure.”
He says in that ever so sexy voice of his. Turning on his heel he
departs walking over to another group of people who have been
eagerly trying for the past few minutes to catch his attention.
Once again I’m speechless. Did he just…
wink
at me?

Mia’s eyes are bugging out at me as if to say
what is that about
but I give her a slight shake of my head
to say not now and Carl asks me how long I’m in Los Angeles
for.

Half an hour later I’m politely chatting with
a woman in her late forties discussing her last holiday to Mexico
when a waiter comes by with some delicious looking appetizers. As
the woman moves away to talk with another guest I smile in
appreciation at the waiter and grab a napkin. I’m so hungry from
missing dinner that I don’t even ask what they are as I hastily
pluck one of the appetizers off the tray and pop it into my mouth.
Oh no!

The pastry has some sort of shellfish inside
it. Crab I think. I’m allergic to seafood; well not actually
allergic where my throat will close up and hives break out all over
my body, but allergic enough that causes my stomach to instantly
reject it by hurling. Not an attractive look when you’re the
Plus One
at a classy work event with your cousin. I just
really,
really
can’t stomach any kind of seafood.
Yuck!

Just as I spit the pastry into my napkin in
the most unattractive way possible (because, really there is no way
you can spit food out attractively), Aidan appears out of nowhere,
stepping close until there is less than a foot between us.
Seriously, this is not my night.

“Gabriella,” he greets in his smooth silky
voice.

I inwardly groan and hesitantly look up into
those unfathomable emerald eyes. He’s smirking at me. I narrow my
eyes at him and he lets out an amused chuckle. I can’t help
returning his smile. Oh well the gig is up; I mean how more
embarrassing can I be in one evening. He must think I’m the most
unappreciative party guest in history with first hiding away under
the stairs avoiding the other guests and now spitting out the
served appetizers.

Aidan motions with a nod of his head to the
half chewed pastry that I’m holding in my hand and asks.“ Is
something wrong with the food Gabriella?”

Why does he keep saying my name like that,
it’s very disconcerting.

“Ah… I have an aversion to seafood. I didn’t
realize the appetizer had crab in it when I took it.” I explain
pulling a sour face at the mangled offending piece of pastry in my
hand.

He nods his head slowly as if to sympathize
then hands me a tall crystal glass he’s holding that appears to be
filled with iced water. “Here take a mouthful it will wash away the
after taste.”

I hesitantly take the glass and have a small
sip while he intently watches my mouth with those piercing green
eyes. I feel like every move I make is under some kind of
microscope with him and I’m not sure if he finds me amusing or some
bizarre girl that finds herself in these absurd situations.

“Thank you. I’m a little embarrassed that you
keep catching me during the most awkward of moments this
evening.”

“Yes, well it’s made my night interesting if
nothing else. But if your next mishap is falling into the pool
while wearing that dress Gabriella, I won’t be responsible for my
actions.”

“Sorry?”

“In other words Gabriella, I’m looking for
any excuse to strip that delightful dress from your beautiful body
and have you naked and soaking wet beneath me.”

Holy Shit!

Completely speechless I can only gape open
mouthed at his extremely blunt and incredibly crude statement.

I have no idea how to respond to that. If any
other man other than Aidan would have said something like that to
me, I would have considered it downright sleazy not to mention kind
of creepy but in weird way that’s the nicest compliment I’ve ever
received. And to be honest, I’m a little turned on by it. I’m more
jetlagged than I thought.

Suddenly I feel the overwhelming desire to
flee from his intimidating presence.

“Mia is probably wondering where I am. I
better go and find her, I don’t want her to worry,” I mutter.

I quickly hand him back his glass of water
mumbling another thank you and turn to find Mia so I can get the
hell away from Aidan before I’m either thrown out or throw myself
at him.

As I walk away I feel his eyes boring into me
(don’t ask me how I know he’s looking at me) but I don’t dare look
back at him.

On the way home Mia questions me over my
interaction with Aidan and I tell her all the embarrassing
highlights, leaving out the naked, soaking wet and beneath Aidan
comment of course. I’m choosing to ignore that one completely. Mia
laughs and shakes her head. She is always so self-assured, nothing
like this would faze her and I really do envy her confidence and
happy-go-lucky nature.

Chapter Two.

I wake up to the morning sun streaming in
through the window as a cool salty breeze gently sways the gossamer
white curtains framing the floor to ceiling window. I stretch out
my body yawning then roll on my side to look out the window at the
dazzling Pacific Ocean. I love Southern California in July.

It has been two weeks since I arrived to stay
with Mia and I’ve been occupied; taking long walks on the beach,
swimming everyday, checking out the local farmer’s markets and
cooking all of Mia’s favorite meals while she’s at work. But I feel
restless and I know I need to make a decision as to where I’m
heading in life. It’s been seven months since my mom passed and
with Dean in Europe and dad immersed in his job travelling all the
time, there’s just nothing back home for me anymore.

I have friends in Australia but Mia has
always been my closest confidant, we’re more like sisters and with
even an ocean between us we spoke almost daily on Skype. It’s
comforting to be so close to Mia now.

I know I need to find some direction, my mom
always said
‘an idol hand is an idol mind’
. Why is it that
mothers always come up with little catch phases like that? They’re
like tiny nuggets of wisdom that you scoff at when they’re imparted
to you during your youth but they come back to haunt you later on
in life. I smile at the memory of my mom and her many nuggets of
wisdom she was always quoting and instructing to Dean and myself as
kids.

And of course a large chunk of my thoughts
have been preoccupied with a certain enigmatic man. Groaning for
the hundredth time since the night of Mia’s work party as I replay
my humiliating actions over and over in my mind. I’m obsessed with
those penetrating emerald eyes, his perfect full sensual lips, that
deep smooth sexy voice and his tall lean masculine body.

And his evoking scent, sandalwood and
cinnamon…hmm one word
‘yummy’
. Ok it’s official I’ve
completely lost my mind. It’s time to focus, get a job, stop
daydreaming of Aidan Stone and move in a positive direction with my
life.

“Honey I’m home.” Sings out Mia as she walks
through the door. “And I bring liquid nourishment. Hope you’re in
the mood for red tonight. What’s that delightful smell?”

“Lasagna.” I reply grabbing two wine glasses
from the top cabinet. I open the bottle of wine silently praising
the invention of screw top wine bottles and pour us both a
glass.

“So M, today I’ve been thinking and…” I
begin.

Mia pushes her arms back to hop up onto the
kitchen counter then reaches out to take a long sip of wine from
her glass and I mirror her actions on the opposite bench. “…I’d
like to stay permanently, get a job if that’s ok with you?”

“Are you kidding, of course it’s ok G, it’s
more than just ok. I love having you here. I think this’ll be good
for you. I’ve been nagging you for years to move over. I know the
circumstances really suck but I’m happy you’re here.”

Tears swelling in my eyes, I hop off the
bench and go over and pull Mia in the tightest hug I can manage. “I
love you Mia, I couldn’t have gotten through the last seven months
without you.” I sniff.

“Ok enough with the water works G, what sort
of job are you looking for.” Mia asks wiping away her own
tears.

“Hmm, I haven’t thought that far ahead but
anything I guess. I have my Communications degree so an entry-level
position in PR would be exciting but at this stage I’m willing to
try just about anything. Copywriting wasn’t all that much fun, the
only part I loved about my last job was the fashion aspect of it.
Any job that is challenging and continually evolving would be
great.”