Stoned (The Stone Series) (35 page)

“I’m going to go put some make up on. I’m a little nervous to meet your family, I want to look nice.”

“You look fine without make up Sydney but if you want I have all of your cosmetics in the drawers of my bathroom. Let me know if I forgot anything that you need.”

When I come out of the bathroom Damian is wearing soft gray linen pants and a crisp white shirt. His hair is starting to dry and it looks wild and messy as always. I walk over to him and stand on my tip toes to give him a kiss on his cheek. He takes my hand and leads me to his kitchen where I find Mrs. Ford has breakfast waiting for us.

We eat our fruit and eggs while Damian tells me about his cousin. I almost choke when I figure out that his cousin is Tate Taylor the huge music executive who is married to Brooklynn Taylor, the famous choreographer who was my idol growing up.

“Tate and Brook have been together forever, it’s crazy. They are so meant to be together, they’re still completely in love. They have the most adorable babies, Zach and Zoe, twins” Damian needlessly tells me, I have followed their story in the tabloids like it was my life.

“I know. I have read everything about them that I could find. I can’t believe you are related to Brooklynn Taylor and I am going to her house and going to meet her. I wanted to be her when I was a kid.”

“Yeah, well don’t bring up the strip club thing that you guys have in common or Tate will flip as bad as I did last night.”

“She was a stripper? I never read that anywhere.”

“In college she worked at a club like mine until Tate walked in and caught her in the act. Sound familiar?”

“Interesting. So Tate’s controlling too?”

“I already told you, I come from a long line of controlling men. He’s mellowed in his old age but they had some good fights. She gives it right back to him as well as she gets it now, it’s very entertaining to watch.”

I ask Damian who else from his family will be there and he says no one. Drea’s in Paris and his parents are out of the country at their vacation home in Italy. I ask what he bought the twins and he looks at me with a blank stare telling me the answer.

“I think we better stop at FAO Schwartz or Toys R Us on the way” I suggest.

When we get to the garage Damian is all jumpy and giddy. He’s walking holding my hand but swinging it like a little boy. I realize what has him so hyped up when I see his parking spot. In it is a Laguna Blue Fiskar Karma with glacier interior seats.

“Is that new?” I ask.

“It’s not mine” he says as he hands me the keys and asks, “Do you like it?”

“Damian, a car? Wait, not just a car, a very pricey car? Are you out of your mind?”

“Watch your tone, you’re not sore anymore and I would love to lay you down on the hood of that car and spank that sweet ass of yours before fucking you bent over the hood” he warns.

“You would never do that here and in front of Mac and Dominick.”

“Try me. I think we established last night in the car that I most certainly would, no?”

“Okay, fine. But this is it. No more. Do you understand? Nothing else. I don’t want you to buy me the Central Park Zoo or Madison Square Garden next week, got it?”

“Do you like animals and sports?” he jokes.

“Damian, I’m serious. No more.”

“Do you want to take your new car today, you and I? Mac and Dominick are going with Jonesie and his wife and Alex; they should all be here any second.”

“Ah, sure. Okay I guess.”

Damian takes the keys from my hand and says, “I’ll drive.”

“Hey, I thought this was my car. Why are you driving?”

He just looks at me without saying a word; the look says it all but Damian still says, “Because I’m a control freak baby, remember?”

Chapter 1
3

I take Sydney’s keys and we climb into her new car, her in the passenger seat and me driving. It feels solid and well-built and the steering is as responsive to my touch as she is. After the toy store we hit the FDR and I test her out to see what she’s got and I’m pleasantly surprised. I wasn’t completely sold on this plug-in hybrid shit but Alex talked me into it. He’s much more eco-friendly than I am but I’m trying to do my part in saving the environment.

Mac punches the Escalade and comes up close behind me as we come to the exit. He and I play around with each other throughout the drive into Connecticut; he is a good guy. I feel bad about the whole deal with him and Drea. Maybe I should give him a chance. I know how upset Sydney is about Parker being away; maybe it would be for the best if I had them come back early. I’m sure their shoots are complete. When I checked with the fashion designer the other day they only needed them for one more day of shooting. I’ll text Veronica when we get to Tate’s and have her take care of the details. She’s so much more useful to me now that I’m not fucking her brains out anymore; it really was making her stupid.

We pull into Tate’s driveway and I can feel the excitement radiating off of Sydney. She’s been like a little kid on Christmas morning the whole ride and I’m glad to see she’s not thinking about that fucking prick of a step brother of hers anymore. God, I can’t wait to get my fucking hands on him.

I climb out of the car and Sydney gets out before I can even get to her side of the car to open the door for her. I take her by the hand and we walk up to the door, Alex, Mac, Dominick, Jonesie and his wife, Tara following along with us. They all know Tate and Brooklynn too. Their security company covers Tate’s security as well.

Brooklynn answers the door with a baby on each hip. “Hey guys, come in. And this must be Sydney. It’s nice to finally meet you; Damian has told us so much about you” Brook welcomes us.

We enter the foyer and Sydney smiles at the babies, making silly faces at them and winning them over as much as she’s won me over. Zoe who tends to only like her daddy reaches out her arms and lunges at Sydney who takes her from Brook and carries her along with us. A strange feeling assaults me when I see her holding Zoe. She looks sexy with a baby in her arms and for the first time in my life it makes me wonder what it would be like to be a dad. I have no clue where these thoughts are coming from but I can’t seem to get them out of my mind. I picture Sydney holding a little red headed baby girl with a dark haired toddler holding on to her skirt. The spell she has over me is getting stronger, any minute now I will not recognize myself.

We follow Brook through the house and into the backyard where Tate is just ending a call on his cell. He comes over and man hugs me then the others. He leans in and kisses Sydney in his usual suave way and even though it’s him I feel a pang of jealousy. I hear Sydney talking to Brook telling her how she’s followed her work and admired her since she was little. Brook thanks her and promises a dance party before the night is over. “When we all get together like this we usually end up drunk, singing and dancing. We’re all good at the drunk and dancing part but the singing will make your ears bleed so don’t say I didn’t warn you” Brook tells Sydney.

“Hey, speak for yourself. I can sing” I say.

Brook introduces her assistant who is also Dominick’s girlfriend, Heidi to Sydney. Asia, Brook’s best friend comes over to say hello and introduce herself and her husband Ted as does Brook’s sister Katrina and her boyfriend who happens to be Tate’s best friend and business partner, Bobby. Brook’s brother Michael and his partner Jeremy should be arriving shortly with their son. I love all the people in this room right now more than ever for making Sydney feel welcomed, they are a great family to be a part of, there was a time that I didn’t realize that, a time when I took them for granted.

We have a great relaxed afternoon together with food and lots to drink. I am feeling no pain and I can tell Sydney is getting a little tipsy too. We’ll be staying the night if we keep it up. Sydney is comfortable and enjoying herself. She is at ease with the women, they spend time alone in the kitchen taking care of the food and chatting while the guys share cigars and talk business. They give me a hard time over my relationship with Sydney. None of them know what to make of it as they have never known me to be with a woman before. They knew I fucked them but they also knew I never had a meaningful relationship with any of them and I certainly would never have brought any of them to a family party. I decide it’s time to open up and make some confessions. I explain my lifestyle and past to the few of them present that don’t already know and answer some questions. They all laugh it off and say they wish they were me. I sigh and Tate looks at me then asks, “So what’s the problem? Is Sydney not into it?”

“Uh, she’s never been before but so far she’s been responsive to what we’ve done. I knew she had it in her to submit the minute I met her.”

“And…” Tate prompts.

“She’s had a traumatic introduction into sex as a child and I’m worried about pushing her too far. But the real problem is me.”

Alex looks at me and takes a long pull of his beer and hands me another, I do the same and smile at him in thanks before I continue. “I like her. Actually, I’m pretty damn sure I’m in love with her. Me, the Dom who plays women, the guy who has never had a girlfriend. It’s just such a mind fuck.”

“Is she totally fucking with you or do you think she returns the feelings, man?” Tate asks.

Mac jumps in, “She’s in love with him. She has it bad; you can see it in her eyes.”

“Yep, she loves him. I agree” states Dominick with a slap to my back.

“What makes you want things to be different with her?” Tate asks.

“Everything. Her.” I run my hands through my hair and take another long pull of my beer. “Her hair, her body, her face. Fuck, you guys see her; she’s fucking perfect, not a flaw. But it’s so much more than that. Looks and submitting was all it was before with me and the girls I played. With Sydney I can’t explain it. The sex is amazing. The few times we didn’t do anything kinky and I got off harder than I ever have I was so shocked I could barely speak. Don’t fucking say anything, any of you but it was the first time I ever made love to a woman and it was better than the best fuck I’ve ever had.”

Tate smiles and let’s a little chuckle escape.

“Oh, fuck no. You did not just laugh at me for that, old man. You? The only guy here who has only ever fucked his wife. Seriously?”

“Okay, first of all I’ve been “fucking” my wife since I was sixteen; it’s not my fault I found perfection at such an earlier age. And secondly I wasn’t laughing at you because you admitted to making love to her. I’m laughing because you are so in over your head; I think it’s kind of cute.”

“Fuck, I am losing my mind over her. I can’t stop thinking about her when I’m not with her and when I am with her, now that we’ve had sex, I can’t keep my hands off her.” I sigh and run my hands through my hair again. “She told me she loves me this morning and I didn’t say anything. I wanted to be the first to say it and now I don’t know what to do. I haven’t even made things official with her.”

“Oh, you mean you haven’t asked her out yet?” Tate chuckles.

“Seriously old man, I am a minute away from kicking your ass.”

“Calm down. You know I’m just giving you a hard time. If you love her tell her. If you don’t want her to be with anyone else ask her to be yours. You’re a Dominant, claim her. Do what you do best. I have an idea if you want to hear the opinion of an old man and before you laugh at me just keep in mind that I’ve been able to keep my wife faithful to me for over twenty years so apparently I’m doing something right.”

I agree to hear Tate out and follow his plan to claim Sydney and make her mine. After our plan has been hashed out we return to the party and the woman are a little more drunk than when we snuck away for the guy talk.

The twins can’t get enough of Sydney. Every time I look at her she’s got one or both of them on her hip or on her lap. They are making laughing noises while she blows on their bellies or makes funny faces at them. She plays peek-a-boo with them and makes me join in. They really are very cute and a lot of fun once you engage them. I guess I never really took the time to learn how to before. When it’s time for Brook to take the twins for their baths and to get them settled into bed all the women go to help including Sydney. It gives me the opportunity to talk the guys into helping me with Tate’s plan.

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

After we have the twins settled into bed the women and I return to find the men up to something but none of them will admit to what that is. They all seem to be more drunk than when we left them thirty minutes ago and they are not showing any signs of slowing down their alcohol intake any time soon.

Damian looks like he’s the ring leader of this scenario and it’s making me curious to learn what they’re up to. He approaches me and tells me to sit down, that he has a surprise for me. He pulls the other women along and sits them down with me in the great room. We all look from one to the other and Brooklynn reminds me of her earlier warning, “I warned you once we get drunk the music starts. He’s probably planning on dancing. I just hope he does me proud. I’m the one who taught him how to dance when he was in middle school” she says.

The music comes on, Justin Bieber’s
Boyfriend
  and Damian and the guys start their choreographed routine. Damian is acting the role of the young heartthrob and clearly singing to me. And he was right earlier, he can sing. Not that I’m surprised, I’m sure he can do anything. He fills the role of a heartthrob well, being one in his everyday life. I have to admit this is the best looking collection of men I have ever seen in my life, not just Damian. Tate is wearing a black t-shirt that shows off his strong muscular forearms and his sizeable chest. His black silky hair is long like Damian’s and hangs into his face too. Also like Damian, his face has two day old stubble on it that gives him his trademark bad boy sexiness. I guess it must be a family trait. Mac is well over six feet tall with quite a set of muscles on him too. He has brown eyes that match his Marine close cut brown hair perfectly. Dominick is younger than Tate and Mac. He’s strong and a very intimidating presence. He is so good looking it hurts to look at him and he knows it, seems like the kind of guy that used it to get any girl he wanted into any position he wanted until Heidi claimed his heart. Jonesie is Mac and Tate’s age and also very sexy. He is as tall, wide and dangerous looking as the others but has blond hair that he wears tight to his head and gray eyes that make you unable to look away. Michael, Brook’s brother and his lover would bring any woman to her knees even knowing that they didn’t stand a chance with either of them.

It strikes me as remarkable; even though these men could be considered every bit as sexy as Damian they have no effect on me at all. I appreciate their looks as any woman would but none of them ignite that fire in me that he does. I compare every man I see now to him and they all come up short and fail in comparison miserably, even these very good looking ones. I can admit their beauty but I only have eyes for Damian. My eyes meet his and I start to melt, I feel my body threatening to slip into its happy place.

As Damian struts towards me I am growing more aware of the effect he has on me, the control he has over me. I think “You are in trouble” for the millionth time but I know there is nothing I can or will do about it. If I’m going to get hurt so be it. There’s nothing I can do to stop the feelings I have for this man. 

The guys are all wearing dark black sunglasses and apparently playing the part of Damian’s back up dancers. I’d say it looked like a comedy skit if they weren’t so good. Each of these men can move and the girls and I are all staring in pleasure as we watch them bump and grind their hips.

Damian begins to whisper the lyrics about being my boyfriend to me. He grabs my hand and makes me stand. He starts to slowly move my body with his; he’s behind me with his hands on my hips. His back up dancers keep up with the dance to the delight of the rest of the room. Damian kisses behind my ear and presses against me. I can smell the alcohol on his breathe, it’s sweet and sugary and making him fun and carefree. He plays with my hair between his fingers and kisses me softly on the lips. His hands run over my stomach then he leaves me standing in front of him and his newly formed boy band. Damian and the other guys break into a choreographed dance shaking their heads and shoulders, grabbing their pants where their bulges are and crossing their legs. Damian is able to glide his feet effortlessly across the floor like the teen heartthrob himself and he’s never looked sexier. A man that can dance is an aphrodisiac in the worst way. I’ll have to thank Brook for this later. I want to jump on him, take him to the floor and undress him with my teeth. But he beats me to it and drops to the floor in front of me on one knee as the songs ends.