Stoned (The Stone Series) (10 page)

Damian interrupts my thoughts thankfully when he sees the look on my face. “Hey, I’m sorry am I hurting you? You look scared to death right now. What’s wrong? Too much too soon?” he inquires.

“No, I’m…fine. It’s fine. I’m just tired and I have finals tomorrow and even with this room done I need to get started on the living space tomorrow too” I explain.

“I see. I should be going. Thanks for…” he begins but I cut him off, not wanting him to leave even though I’m afraid of what’s going to happen if he stays. “No, please. I want you to stay. Will you please stay with me, please Day, stay” I beg.

He smiles and says he would love to but that he wants to pop up to his apartment first to get changed. I smile back at him as he climbs off my bed and exits my room. It isn’t until I hear my apartment door close that I let out the breath I didn’t know I had been holding.

I go into the bathroom and use my makeup remover to clean my face then I strip off my clothes and pull on my blue orchid silk cami set. I planned to wait for Damian in the living space but without any furniture in there yet I decide to wait for him in my bed. It just looks so comfortable that I can’t resist climbing in. I must fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow because it becomes the winter of 2006.

I am at the big house and its night time. The house is quiet but mom and Robert are home. They’re in their room with the door closed. Ryan has been taking advantage of this set up and coming into my room more frequently. I decide to start sleeping on the couch so maybe he’ll be too afraid of getting caught to bother me. But I’m wrong, very wrong.

I am in the main living room and I must have finally fallen asleep, a task that is getting more difficult to do. Ryan is standing over me when I startle awake.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me? Do you really think this is not going to happen down here? God, you’re stupid. This is even better for me; we’re farther away from our parents down here so I can give it to you even harder. Maybe that’s what you want. Yeah, I think that’s it. You want it rougher” Ryan says as he flips me over the arm of the chair and pulls my bottoms down.

“Maybe I’ll fuck you up your tight little ass tonight for a change” he says as I hear him taking off his pants.

“NO, NO! DON’T TOUCH ME. GET OFF ME” I scream when I feel his body on mine but it’s not Ryan on me and I’m not in the big house anymore. Damian is trying to wake me. When my gaze finally settles on his face my whole body relaxes and he pulls me onto his lap.

“Talk to me, Syd. Tell me what happened to you.”

“I can’t, Day. I want to but I just can’t. I’m sure you’ve worked out the main idea so it’s really just the details and those are not something I want to share.” I climb off his lap and out of bed. “I can’t sleep” I complain.

“Try. With me here, try. Maybe you can. Come here. I’ll hold you. I’ll stay awake until you’re asleep. I’ll keep you safe” he says as he holds out his hand and I take it. He pulls me back down to the bed and cradles me in his arms. He strokes my hair and kisses my forehead. He never once tries anything sexual with me and I am thankful for that after my nightmare. He always seems to know exactly what I need.

***********

I lay awake in the darkness of her room with her safe in my arms. I listen to her breathe and I question what the hell I am doing. I know I’m falling in love with this girl and I can’t stop myself. It’s like I’m on a collision course, I know the traffic is heading towards me and I should probably turn the other way but I can’t. I know something happened to her, I suspect an old boyfriend or maybe just a casual date made her do something she didn’t want to do. This will complicate my plans for our relationship. First because now I am questioning if she will have it in her to be what I want and second because I know she’s a sub deep down in her core, now I’m just not sure I can deal with why. The one thing I do know is I will get it out of her, what happened and by whom. I will then find this person and destroy them. I will fix this for her, make her feel safe. Let her know that it is my job to protect her.

I lean in and inhale the intoxicating scent of her…Sydney. She is unraveling me and I don’t think she is trying to. I don’t think she has any clue what she is doing to me. The fact that I am laying here wide awake thinking these thoughts in bed with a woman I have not fucked yet, one I have not even played is crazy but amazingly I feel at peace, I feel satisfied with just this, in the moment, holding her in my arms. It’s all I need.

I gaze down at her and study her features. Her beautiful long lashes, her strong cheekbones. But it’s her mouth; those gorgeous full lush lips that make my cock stir. I can almost feel them wrap around me, her tongue coming out to lick around my head. The thought brings me to full staff and I groan hoping I don’t wake her. I rub my hand over my erection then decide to try to ignore it and hope it’ll go away. I don’t know why I would think that would help, I’ve had a raging hard on for a week now, ever since she fell at my feet.

She looks so peaceful and content sleeping like this, like a child safe in my arms. If this is all I can offer her for now, it’s enough. If this is what she needs, this is what I will give her. I can push aside the ache in my groin and just be here with her.

I lay here wide awake for I don’t know how long with a growing ache in my groin and my chest; the ache in my chest is like that of a gaping gunshot wound. I’m not sure what this feeling is that is taking over every one of my senses but as I start to fall asleep I do so with a smile on my face. 

************

We sleep in each other’s arms, tangled up in the sheets and each other’s limbs. I’m hot from his body heat when I wake but I don’t want to move and break our embrace. I look sideways to the clock on my bedside table and jump up. Its 11:07, early afternoon, and I have to be on campus in two hours for my last two finals. I wake Damian as I jump out of bed and he just smirks at me.

“It’s after 11, don’t you have to work?”

“Nope, being the boss rocks. Come back to bed, baby.”

He’s been using that nickname for me a lot…baby. And it does something to me, makes me feel like a silly girl but in a wonderful way, like he adores me. Every time he says it I shiver, it makes my body relax. Silly.

“I can’t, I have two finals today and now I’ve got nothing accomplished with the living space. Oh, God. Why did you let me sleep so long?”

“Baby, I was sleeping too. We didn’t go to sleep until after 3am, of course we slept until 11. Don’t you usually sleep seven or eight hours a night?”

“No” I tell him. “I don’t. I barley sleep for three or four usually.”

“Then I guess we’re good for each other. You’re getting a full night’s sleep when you have me in your bed and I’m getting the most restful sleep of my life laying next to you” he points out.  

I leave Damian in my bed and head into the bathroom to shower. I put on some makeup and fix my hair. I wrap a towel around myself and return to my room where I find him still lounging in my bed. When he sees me his eyes widen and he licks his lips. I smile and hang my head, embarrassed to be the center of his attention.

“I’ll go use the bathroom while you get dressed” he says as he stands and adjusts himself in his sweatpants. My eyes are riveted to his groin and I think my mouth might be hanging open.

“Morning wood, makes this more of a splendid sight now doesn’t it?” he teases. “Now’s the time for you to call me Mr. Perfection” he says through a smile as he walks out of my room running his hands through his wild dark hair. He’s a man completely at ease with his body and his manhood, even in the condition he’s in.

I just stand there. I can’t move from this spot. I have never seen a man with an erection like that before. Mr. Perfection indeed. I never looked when Ryan came into my room. Damian’s must be huge. He has on thick sweatpants and it still looked like it could burst right through them. Oh, and the way he licked his lips when he saw me in this towel made me ache for his lips to go where no man’s have gone before. It might kill me, I might die from it but I want this man to fuck me and fuck me good. If I have to die, that’s how I want to go out, with him filling me with pleasures I have never known.

I finally make my legs and brain work together and I start to move. It takes me some time to find what I’m looking for. Pete and the guys must have organized all of my things. I’m not sure I’m comfortable with knowing that they put my underwear away. But I don’t have time to dwell on that right now. I have a gorgeous man in my bathroom in all his morning glory. Oh. My. God. Maybe he’s in there touching himself. Maybe he’d let me watch. Oh God, where did that idea come from?

I grab my white lace underwear and pull them on before I pick my matching white lace bra. I slide my red cotton zebra print dress over my head and slide my feet into flats. Damian comes out of the bathroom just as I’m finishing getting my clothes on and he smiles and says, “Shucks, I thought I was fast enough” before walking out of my room with a quick look over his shoulder. Again I am unable to move, he wanted to catch me naked. What would have happened if he did?

When I get my legs to work again I head in search of Damian. I find him standing at the curved island in the kitchen with two coffees and a trashy gossip rag. I assume he used his magic phone again to make this happen. Unless he went out in the condition he was in which I doubt was possible. I hope he doesn’t walk around like that for girls to see. He could kill one of them that way. I know, I just almost died from the sight.

He has a sly smile on his face when he utters, “Well, baby, you’re famous now. You’ve made the front page.” He hands me the magazine and there we are on the cover. It’s the picture from last night when we were coming out of the theater.

“You okay? You look pale all of a sudden.”

“I…I’m fine. I just like to keep my life private. How do you deal with this?” I ask as fear overtakes me, fear of Ryan finding me.

“It sucks but that’s one of the reasons why I have a security team. I didn’t think they’d bother us last night but now that they’ve seen me with a beautiful woman they will be relentless. I’ll speak to Mac later today. If it bothers you I’ll try my best to be sure they don’t bother us again, I’ll see to it first thing.”

We enjoy our coffees and he tells me he’ll ride with me to campus. He says he wants to talk to Alex about something. He asks that I just give him a few minutes to run up to his penthouse, get changed and grab Mac.

Chapter 7

I tell Damian that I’ll meet him down in the lobby and I search for my notes from my classes so I can look them over while I wait and on the car ride to campus. I am standing in the lobby facing the large windows looking over my papers when I feel his presence behind me. It’s a good thing my body can now sense when he’s near me or I don’t know that I would have recognized him. He looks much younger, like he belongs on campus in class with me instead of in his CEO office. He’s wearing a baseball hat on his head backwards pulled low to just above his eyes. This look may just be the sexiest look I have ever seen on him yet. Don’t get me wrong, I love him in a suit and tie, it’s very hot, but like this, with a day’s worth of stubble on the perfectly chiseled face, he looks like such a dirty bad boy I want to let him do dirty bad boy things to me. And I don’t even know what that would consist of …but I’m game.

He has on a black t-shirt that hugs the muscles in his chest and around his arms. I’ve seen his arms before but in this outfit I truly notice their beauty. They are smooth and bulky; Damian doesn’t have much body hair. There are cords of veins running through them and when he moves I can see the muscles flexing and releasing. Flex and release, flex and release. It’s very hot in this lobby right now. On his legs are charcoal gray shorts that show off his calf muscles. His legs have dark hair on them, not too much but just enough. His thighs look tight and large and his calves look better than a women’s in nine inch heels.

He smiles when he sees me checking him out and leans down to ask in my ear, “Still like the splendid view?” Then he brushes his lips over my sweet spot just behind my ear and I go limp in his arms. I smack him lightly on the arm; I give his bicep a little squeeze then start absentmindedly rubbing it up and down. Up and down. Up and down. It really is way too hot in this damn lobby.

When we exit the building we are rushed by reporters yelling out Damian’s name.

“Mr. Stone. Who’s the woman? Is this your girlfriend?”, “Mr. Stone. A picture?”, “Mr. Stone, where did you meet?”, “Mr. Stone does she work for you?”

“Mac, shut it down, now” Damian growls as he ushers me into the back of the SUV.
We climb in and Damian instantly swings my legs over his lap. We ride in silence while I look over my notes and he runs his hands up and down my calves, very distracting. When we exit the car he looks shyly at me with his hands out for my bag. “May I walk you to class Ms. Cooper? It would make my day” he asks. How can I refuse?

Damian carries my bag and holds my hand through campus. I am finally that girl, the one that is holding a boys hand walking through the hallways. I can feel every girl we pass looking at him. Not just giving him a once over, they look him up and down then go back for another run over his body before turning around to see him from the other direction. This should bother me but I can’t blame them and his attention never leaves me, it’s as if he doesn’t even realize every girl’s attention is focused on him. He’s acting like he can only see me, like I’m the only one there and it’s an addicting feeling.

When we get to my class he leans down and kisses me gently on the mouth. “Where were you when I was in school?” he asks.

“Probably playing with my dolls and learning how to tie my shoes old man” I joke with him.

He laughs and kisses me again then sighs. “I have a business meeting for dinner tonight that I can’t get out of; it’s kind of important and will probably go late. Can I come by after or would you rather I not wake you up if you’re already asleep?”

I’m relived about the meeting, I was afraid he would ask to see me
again tonight and I’d have to make something up, I can’t very well tell him that I’m working at a gentlemen’s club tonight. Something tells me he would not be too happy about that. I tell him to call or text me when he’s on his way over so I’ll expect him. He agrees and asks if he should go home first to get changed for bed. I ask him to bring his change of clothes with him and leave on his suit.

“This is a very splendid sight, Mr. Stone and I am enjoying the view tremendously but I also like the view in a suit too.”

“As you wish, Miss Cooper. See you tonight…in my suit. Oh, and Sydney, you look beautiful. If I had to take a final right now in that class with you, I’d fail it miserably. All I would be able to think about was getting you out of that dress and under me. God, I wish I was in your class. See you tonight. Good luck, babe.”

And with that smirk of his on his face he walks away from me once again leaving me with an ache between my legs and yearning for more. Now how am I supposed to take and pass my final with thoughts of being naked and under him?

************

I leave Sydney at her class and walk through campus to Alex’s office to pick up my ticket for the auction. I find that I have an extra spring to my step today caused by her. I also have an aching dick because of her too but I hope to remedy that situation as soon as possible. I am excited about a relationship for the first time. The fact that I can even think of it as a relationship says something. But I’m confused and not sure how to play my next step.

Alex is sitting at his desk deep in thought when I walk in. He’s in a pair of jeans and a sky blue collared shirt, looking casually cool but distracted, pure Alex.

“Penny for your thoughts” I ask.

Alex tells me that he’s trying to correct finals and his mind can’t focus. He’s worried about this auction and my plans for Sydney. I tell him that I’m not sure what my plans are anymore and he looks at me with raised eyebrows.

“What, change of heart? Thinking about listening to my advice for once and going at this from a normal relationship angle like every other guy our age?”

I’m not sure what I’m going to do but I do know I am not letting anyone except me win services of any kind from Sydney at the auction. I warn him that I am planning on paying anything I have to; there will be no limit to my bidding.

“Have you talked to her about what she’s wearing? I want to send her something.”

“Stone, most men don’t dictate what a woman wears so no, I have not spoken to her about what she’s planning on wearing. If you want to send her something, be my guest.”

“I’m not dictating, I’m being generous. Okay, thanks for the ticket. I’ll see you Saturday night. I’m off to Saks to pick something out for her.” And with that I’m out the door.

On my way to the car I spot her from behind. It’s her hair that I notice first. Her hair reminds me of someone but I can never put my finger on whom. I creep up behind her and cover her eyes while pulling her into my body and kissing her neck. At first she tries to resist and fight me but as soon as she realizes it’s me she softens into my embrace and turns to see me. I push a lock of her hair behind her ear and kiss her softly on the lips. Even before I have taken her into subspace she melts under my touch. Beautiful.

“What are you still doing here?” she asks me.

“I just finished with Alex and now I’m on my way to the gym then into the office where I will sit behind my desk wondering what you’re doing” I admit.

I take her bag and walk her to her last class of her college career. When we get to the door I pull her into my arms and instead of kissing her gently I pull her to my body and cover her mouth with mine. My tongue licks her bottom lip then finds its way into her mouth. She doesn’t struggle but instead melts into me. Her tongue twirls with mine and a moan escapes her. I pull back, smile at her and say, “Good luck, baby. See you tonight, we’ll finish this then” and I turn and walk away.

************

I walk into class
in a Damian induced haze to find Allison with her mouth wide open and staring at me. “What the hell was that? Is that your boyfriend?” she asks me still with her mouth wide open.

“Oh, I don’t know. We haven’t really put a name to it yet” I admit and for the first time I think that maybe we should talk about what’s going on between us before it goes any further.

“Does he go to school here? I can’t believe I’ve never seen him before, he’s not the kind of guy you miss or that you forget.”

“No, he went to school in Connecticut and he graduated like eight years ago. He’s a CEO of his own company now” I report.

“Lucky you, drop dead beautiful and rich too. Who cares what you call it as long as you’re fucking him” Allison crudely says.

I don’t bother to tell her that we’re not “fucking” and that I’m scared to death that he’ll try to do just that very soon. The professor walks in ending our conversation and for the next hour I focus on my last final. It’s hard to believe that I am done with school and about to be an adult in the real world. It’s a little overwhelming.

After my final I head home to work on my sketch for the living space. When I reach the apartment building there are reporters camped out in front with cameras. I rush past them with my head down as they yell to me and snap as many pictures as they can. I head to my apartment and lose myself in my work, I can’t think about the reporters and pictures or I’ll go out of my mind with worry.

I want to be sure to keep the floor to ceiling rock fireplace as the focal point of the room. The facade is covered in the same stones that Damian seems to use on the front of his buildings as well as throughout. When I look at it I am reminded of him and I love the feelings it stirs inside of me. I am planning on hanging a large flat screen TV flush to it so I can angle the seating to it. I am going to ask Pete to make me floor to ceiling bookshelves on each side of the windows and then my minimalist look will be accomplished. All I need to purchase for this space other than the TV is the flooring, seating and the curtains. I want to go with Brazilian gray slate floors. I want it to look clean, sleek and urban like the man I want to see lounging in the space watching a game on a Sunday or reading the paper, maybe cuddling with me on a sofa.

Pete arrives not long before I head out to shop and he promises to get me the flooring I want and have the built in bookshelves done. He tells me the other guys will be able to start painting the space tomorrow. Pete looks to be Damian’s age; close to thirty would be my guess. He has a sexy goatee on his chin that’s as black as the short hair on his head. He has deep brown eyes and a controlling manner about him. Pete seems like a great guy but there’s something under the surface of him that seems sad and detached. Pete and I share a few pleasantries then I excuse myself to throw my hair up into a ponytail and tuck it into a baseball hat before I don a pair of huge dark sunglasses of Parker’s and head out in disguise. The reporters and photographers won’t recognize or bother me this time.

When I reach the shops I start with the seating and find myself drawn to white, I go with a three seat sofa. I imagine Damian and I curled up on the sofa in front of a fire, me in his arms, him pressing sweet kisses to my lips.

As I pass a store front I fall in love with a large area rug that has cardinal red, jet black and tan colors throughout and can’t help but change my mind and create my design around it.

My next stop is an easy decision, the TV.
I go to the same electronics store as I did yesterday and the salesman salivates when he sees me and the huge commission about to come his way again. I go with a ninety inch LED 3D HDTV. The salesman says it’s every man’s dream and I want Damian to spend a lot of time at my place, I think this will sweeten the deal. I figure he should get something out of whatever it is we’re doing seeing as how I’m probably not going to be giving him sex anytime soon. This TV is the least I can do for him.

When I exit the store I check my phone and find an email from Damian.

From: Damian Stone

Subject: Witchery

Date: May 2
4, 2012 4:21pm

To: Sydney Coope
r

I am sitting here in a meeting that has taken a turn for the worse and all I can think about is you.  I don’t know what kind of spell you have cast over me, Sydney Cooper. I can’t wait to see you tonight but I’m afraid it will be later than I thought. This situation needs to be resolved in my favor before I can leave. I’ll let you know when I have a better idea of my ETA…

Damian Stone

CEO, Stone Empire, Inc.