Stoned (The Stone Series) (4 page)

Damian smiles at me and tells me that his new favorite flavor is Tutti Fruitti but that he’s always thought of himself as dark chocolate.

My cell phone begins to chime. Damian tells me to answer it so I look at the screen, I mouth to him, “Its Alex” and he puts his hand out asking for my phone. Not able to deny him anything apparently I hand over my phone. I am only able to hear Damian’s side of the conversation.

“Alex, it’s me…we’re having lunch…no, at my place, Stone’s…she’s not going to make it, I’ll tell her to call you and reschedule…I have to go, I’m being rude to my guest.” And with that he hangs up looks at my phone and says, “I told him you’d call him back later and you need a new phone.”

The chef arrives with our main course of pasta
. He smiles at me and nods at Damian then takes his leave after pouring us each a glass of a
full-bodied Italian Vermentino
.

The bowl of pasta is set on the table between us and Damian uses his fork and spoon to twirl the
long, flat ribbons around before saying, “Open up” then he puts the first bite in my mouth. It is heavenly, the explosion of flavors on my tongue.

He alternates between feeding me then himself until I beg for mercy, full beyond my limits. He smiles and asks if everything has been to my liking and I admit my favorite part of the meal has been the company. “Same here” he says “Shall we head to that apartment now?” Damian rises from the table and holds out his hand for me, I rise and take his hand allowing him to lead me out of the private room. As we get to the door he pauses and says, “I almost forgot about dessert.”

Just as I try to protest that I can’t eat another bite his lips are on mine, soft and gentle barely brushing over them. He looks at me, his lush mouth still so close to mine that I could stick out my tongue and touch it. His mouth is strong but soft and it makes my body weak, I lean in closer to him, waiting for his kiss to come, waiting for him to brush his supple lips across mine. He slightly backs up as if asking permission to continue and when I don’t protest he brings his hand up to my hair and pulls me into him for a deeper kiss. This time he makes our lips touch and our eyes instinctively close. I feel his breathing quicken and I know mine is off the charts. His smooth tongue runs over my bottom lip then slides into my mouth. My tongue moves to meet his and something inside me explodes. It is my first kiss and I imagine the best I will ever have, even if I’d been kissing boys my whole life something just tells me this one would stand out above the rest, way above. My hands reach up and find their way into his silky hair then I use it to pull him harder against my mouth. He wraps his other hand around my waist and when he pulls me closer into his body I feel his erection staining against his zipper and at that I break our kiss. He smiles at me then kisses me gently on my forehead.

“Mmm…you are better than any dessert we serve. You are doing…something to me Sydney that I don’t understand. I don’t usually feel this way; it’s a new experience for me. One I’d love a chance to explore more of but for now, come, we have an apartment to look at. I think we’ll have to table this until you’re ready for me. I’ll know when you’re ready for more.”

What? I’m ready for more now. I’ll even beg for it, but because I no longer can speak I remain quiet and just nod.

When we step out of the restaurant the Escalade is waiting for us at the curb. Mac steps out and opens the back door. “Sir” he says to Damian as he gestures me into the car before Damian climbs in behind me. Damian tells Mac to take us to his apartment building.

The leather seats feel smooth under my bare legs making me happy that I choose my halter dress.  It’s sleeveless and ties at the back of my neck. It’s one of my new favorite purchases. I put it on this morning for my last meeting with Alex to discuss the benefit auction he’s talked me into but now I’m glad I have it on while I’m with Damian. It makes me feel pretty and even a little sexy if I dare. I turn to look at him and find him staring at me with this sultry look in his eyes. “What?” I ask.

“You’re beautiful. I can’t help it; I could look at you all day. I was watching you while we were eating and I am fascinated by you, intrigued even. By the way your mouth moves when you speak, when you eat. Your skin is flawless with that perfect blush that sweeps across your cheeks when you get embarrassed or is it a flush of desire? Either way it’s beautiful. I’d love to show you how I can bring that pink hue to the surface of your body, all over your body under the touch of my hands” he murmurs as his thumb gently brushes my cheek sending chills through my body.

I don’t know what to say to that, don’t know how to respond. It makes me uncomfortable so I blush and turn to look out the window at the traffic passing by. I picture him touching me and I instantly blush further, giving him the effect he was looking for.

“We’ll have to work on you taking a compliment. I can tell I’ve made you uncomfortable. I just don’t know if it’s because you don’t know how stunning you are or if it’s because you’re not used to being told things like that. Either way…” he trails off but his eyes remain on me.

Thankfully, we arrive at the apartment building, Mac climbs out and opens the door for me and Damian is behind me guiding me with that strong hand of his again at my lower back. It feels like possession. As we go through the doors I see that the front of the impressively tall, even for the city, building is stone just like the restaurant. We are greeted by everyone on staff trying to make an impression on their boss but he just waves them all away never taking his attention away from me or his hand from my back.

The lobby is stunning with modern clean lines and I instantly know who decorated this space… Alex. The colors are all subdued, silver, chrome and grays with a touch of black and white. The absence of color makes the space look massive and elegant. There are more of the stone paintings like in the restaurant throughout the space but the focal point is the floor to ceiling wall of stones that is in the center of the space. It goes from the lobby straight up, showing each floor as the eye looks up. The space is open and bright, clean and airy. Of course this is the work of Alex; his best friend would be the interior designer on all of his projects. Now that I think of it Stone’s was most definitely another of Alex’s designs. It makes me smile thinking that maybe once I am working for Alex I’ll be able to see Damian again and maybe even work on one of his projects too. I have had such an amazing time with him that I don’t want it to end but I’m cautiously reminding myself that this man is way too experienced for me. He probably does lunch with a different woman every day. I’m sure from that kiss that he’s had more than his fair share of practice. I’m just another lunch date to him and once he’s shown me this apartment he’ll be done with me no doubt.

Damian releases the hold on my back and takes my hand. He entwines our fingers together and I melt. I remember the days in high school when the popular kids were paired up and would walk around the hallways with their hands laced together. I wanted to be like that with someone so desperately but I couldn’t be with anyone, not then, not with everything that was happening. Who would have wanted to be with me? I was tainted goods and anyway, I had never met a boy that could take away my fears. One who could replace the horrid memories with the good, one who could make me forget. I had to protect myself at least at the times that I could, I was so helpless at other times. I hadn’t met that person until now. The only problem is with Damian having the power to make me forget, to replace the bad with the good he also has the power to destroy me forever if all goes wrong.

We walk to the bank of elevators and ascend to the first floor. Damian never lets go of my hand, we stand side by side on the ride and when the doors open he leads me to apartment 101. He presses a code into a key pad and the lock releases. Damian pushes open the door, holds it open for me and gestures for me to enter, his manners hitting me in the heart again.

The apartment is empty and painted a pure white. It has an open space living area with kitchen and bar all in one space. The kitchen is a state of the art space composed of stainless steel, granite and mahogany that mixes light, sleek and rich elements resulting in an ultra modern feel. Against the back wall of the kitchen is an oven and range with cook top, steamer and fryer. The most amazing mirrored steel oven hood I have ever seen and a microwave oven. On the wall to the right is a side by side refrigerator freezer. Across from the range is a curved bar that houses the sink and warming drawer. I can only imagine that the limited natural light in the evenings is combated by the nickel and other reflective materials as well as the crystal light fixture above the bar.

The living space is large and has a floor to ceiling black fire rock vent-free system that is a modern, contemporary fireplace. The facade is covered in the same stones that I have been seeing everywhere I go; I have never seen so much stone in my life as I have over the last few days. Have I just not noticed it before?

Damian ushers me into the wet room bath and once again I am pleasantly surprised. The space is much larger than I thought possible for an apartment in the city. The space is filled with soft soothing lines, and natural materials are predominant throughout the space. There’s a floor standing modular unit with curved lines like the bar in the kitchen pieced together to create the look of perfection on one wall. Inserted into the unit is a double sink. The faucets coming out of the wall are sensors; they turn on when you wave a hand under them. The space showcases part tiling with a splash back being combined with fully tiled feature walls in brown and blues. The shower area looks like a room in and of itself, it’s a massive space that has multiple fixed rain shower heads and separate handheld showers. There are jet streams and mood lighting in the space; this must make a shower an entire experience for the senses. The floors have under floor heating, it is the height of luxury and I wish I could afford to live here; well actually I probably could if I would just use the hush money I have been squirreling away for years but that’s never going to happen, not even to be in Mr. Perfection’s building.

The last stop on the apartment tour is the bedroom. The space is large enough for a king sized bed, side tables and a chest of drawers but like the rest of the apartment its empty and painted a pure white. It’s a blank canvas and in my mind’s eye I already have it decorated.

“So, what do you think? Would you like to move in?” Damian offers.

“Ah, yeah, of course. Who wouldn’t? It’s amazing. The views alone would sell anyone and then add the size of the space and the luxury appliances and fixtures. It’s…I’m speechless but I can’t move in. I could never afford to live here. I have student loans and I haven’t even begun at S&S and when I do I’m not going to make a salary allowing me such luxury, not for years, if ever.”

“First, I agree the view of the city from this apartment is stunning, it’s a shame actually. Because with you here no one will ever look at the view of the city again, it disappears when you’re here. Secondly, I have a proposition for you that will allow you to stay here” Damian begins and I raise my eyebrows at him. Once again I am thinking that he might just ask me to be his sex slave. And the jury is still out on what my answer will be.

“If you’re looking for some kind of sex slave” I jokingly begin but am cut off when Damian says, “Don’t tempt me Sydney. You have no idea what I’m capable of” in a playful tone of warning.

He continues to tell me that he owns the building as I know and that he’d like me to furnish and decorate this apartment giving me the option to change out anything I want. He tells me money is no object, I can spend as much as I want; he wants it to be done very high end. He wants me to live in the space after I’m done as a form of payment for my services. He’s planning on using it as a model apartment. When people are interested in moving into the apartment building they have to put their names on a waiting list. He says he hates to show people his apartment and hates even more to bother other tenants to do the same so this way he’d have a space to show to perspective buyers without bothering anyone. Well, anyone but me, however he promises that he would only show it when I wasn’t there.  

“You’ve never even seen my work, what if I suck and mess it up?” I warn.

“Alex hired you to work at S&S, no?”

“Well, yeah but...” He interrupts me, “Then there’s no but, Sydney. If he hired you then you must be good and if you are working for S&S you already work for me. It stands for Stone and Smith by the way; I’m a silent partner, really just the money man. I have no clue about interior design.” 

It’s then that I wonder what else this man owns in this city and then it hits me. The stone facade outside of the S&S office is the same as the restaurant and this apartment building. I feel like I’ve seen it other places as well. He must put the stone facade on all of his buildings. I’ll have to pay closer attention from now on as I walk through the streets.