Trusting Stone (14 page)

Chapter Sixteen

Eden knew it was him and she yanked the door open without bothering to check. He was panting, still dressed in his black silk
pajama
pants and a white crumpled shirt.

“Are you fucking crazy?” he bellowed at her.

“What do you want, Sebastian?” she shrieked back at him, surprised by the anger in her own voice. Sebastian stepped in
side
, and she
realized
he was still holding her dress in one hand. She walked across the
apartment
, trying to put some distance between them.

“Don’t walk away from me, Eden,” he shouted, stopping her in her tracks.

“You wouldn’t give me my dress.”

“So you decided the best idea was to go out in the middle of the night, basically naked? Do you know how dangerous that was? What the hell were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t thinking, I just wanted my dress! And you made me angry. You said you didn’t play games and that’s exactly what you were doing. So I called your bluff.” She raised her voice again to match his.

He threw her dress on the floor as he approached her and Eden stepped back quickly until she was up against the
wall
. She glared up at him as his placed both hands against the
wall
near her shoulders, trapping her between his arms.

“Don’t shout at me, Eden.”

She could see he was almost shaking with anger and she looked him in the eye, surprised to see that they were still warm. This man confused her beyond belief. His body and voice said one thing and his eyes always seemed to be contradicting his actions. Eden
realized
that it was his tell, the only way to see past the mask of confidence that Sebastian put on for everyone else. He was hiding something, too. He was scared as well and trying to hide it from her. She
recognized
the signs from all her years of practice.

Despite his
behavior
, despite his clenched jaw, and despite the ruined dress that lay crumpled on the floor behind him, Eden reached up and gently cupped his face with her hands. It took her breath away to see that he was so much more like her than she had ever thought. Suddenly, all her anger and frustration melted away and all she could see were his warm blue eyes, almost begging her to find him behind the mask.

“Sebastian.” She whispered his name before leaning forward and softly pressing her lips against his mouth that was held in a rigid scowl. He didn’t change his stance, but she felt him flinch slightly under her lips. She wanted to break him down now, strip him bare, just as he had done to her so many times in the past few days. He had given her a gift. She saw that now and she wanted to reciprocate. She wanted to convince him that he could trust her, too.

Eden continued to kiss him, moving her lips across his cheeks and along his jaw. Her hands moved down to his chest and she gently pushed him to make him stand up straight and release her. He capitulated, but didn’t step away as she unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. She kept her gaze on his as she undid her robe, slowly letting it fall away. Her damp hair fell across her shoulders and she heard his breath
catch
. She stepped forward so their chests were touching, her nipples pebbling as soon as they made
contact
with his bare skin.

She gently ran her hands over his shoulders, following the path of his tattoo around his shoulder and down his arm before reaching for the waistband of his
pajamas
. She slowly slid them down over his hips, releasing his erection that she felt bounce against her stomach.

“Eden, what are you doing?”

She ignored him as she slid her hands over his thighs, pushing the pants further down until they dropped to the ground. She lowered herself to her knees. Her lips brushed against the head of his cock and she looked up as he gasped. The past few days had been wild, but she’d never taken him in her mouth.

“Eden, wait, you don’t have to do this.”

She pushed his hands away as he made to bend down and lift her up. In that moment, she leaned forward and took him in her mouth, stopping his movements.

She ran her tongue along the ridged underside, moving up and down. She felt him getting harder and harder as her tongue explored him. She breathed him in, taking in his scent, and it made her wet as his musk overwhelmed her. She opened her mouth wider and pushed him in further until she could feel him hit the back of her throat. Giving herself a moment to adjust, she started to move back and forth, pushing him even further in as she willed her throat to relax.

She had hardly any experience with blowjobs, only had tentatively tried once before and not enjoyed it. This time was different. This time she understood what the big deal was. It was such an intimate act, almost more so than
sex
—the trust that was required of her, that she happily gave to Sebastian as she felt his hands tighten in her hair. She pulled back, experimenting with her lips and tongue, trying to find the right pressure, the right moves to make him feel good. She pulled away momentarily.

“You have to help me a bit, show me what you like.” She looked up at him, their eyes meeting as she licked the swollen end.

He nodded at her, understanding her want for guidance. She took him back in her mouth and started to move him in and out, using her tongue to explore him. With Sebastian guiding her with his hands, she established a firm rhythm. She
reveled
in the act. She moaned as she felt his hips start thrusting to increase the speed. Her noise acted as a trigger for Sebastian, giving him the confidence to believe that she was enjoying what she was doing.

“Fuck, Eden, you have no idea how sweet your mouth is, how sexy you look with your lips wrapped around my cock.” As before, his words made her melt, and she moaned again. “I want you to touch yourself. Put your hand between your legs and work on yourself while you work on me.”

Eden removed one hand from his thigh and slipped it down, working her fingers into her arousal and wiping it across her clit. She had never touched herself in front of a man before and the novelty of it made her nervous, despite her obvious arousal and despite the fact that she was holding Sebastian in her mouth.

“That’s it, Eden, keep touching yourself. I want you to pretend those are my fingers rubbing that pussy. It’s all mine, Eden. That pussy is mine and no one else can touch it except me.” With those words, she opened her eyes and looked up at Sebastian. He stared down at her with his eyes dark and hooded, filled with passion and command. “Take your other hand and move it to my balls. Squeeze them tight, baby.” She eagerly obeyed and was thrilled at the response she got. She still had so much to learn about his body, and seeing his response to her delicate fingers on him was enough to send a gush of moisture between her legs.

Sebastian threw back his head as she massaged his balls. Her fingers explored the surrounding skin and she gently massaged his perineum,
realizing
quickly that it was an area that elicited an extreme response.

She felt Sebastian start to pull out of her mouth and she returned her hand to the back of his thigh, not wanting him to leave. He groaned again and pushed forward, clearly not wanting to stop.

“Eden, baby, if I stay in your mouth any longer I’m going to come. You need to be sure you’re okay with that. I won’t mind if we stop.”

She tightened her grip on his leg and sucked him back into her mouth, picking up the rhythm even faster now. She wanted to have all of him, there was no doubt about that in her mind. She felt his balls tighten in her hand and then he was thrusting forward even harder, almost unconsciously, holding her head still as his orgasm mounted. He pushed further into her and Eden closed her eyes as she felt him touch the back of her throat.

“Take it, Eden, take me deep. Milk me with your throat.” Sebastian grunted as the first spurts came and Eden swallowed quickly, wanting to
catch
every last drop. She felt his legs quiver and she moved both her hands up to his abs, running her fingers over his body, wanting to soothe any tension that had arisen from their fight. Finally, she felt his body relax as he came down from his orgasm. He gently pulled himself out of her mouth, loosening the grip on her hair, and lowered himself to the floor, wrapping her in his arms.

 Eden nuzzled into his chest as he gently kissed down her neck.

“That was amazing, love. You were amazing.” He held her chin as he kissed her, tenderly, gently, delicately, as if he wanted to
savor
her lips. “Coming inside you was amazing enough, but now that I’ve had your mouth, I have to be honest, it’s going to be hard not to be wanting more of that.”

Eden smiled up at him. This weekend had been so much more than she ever imagined. Not only had she enjoyed her first time, but Sebastian was pushing her past boundaries she never thought she would get past, and she was loving every second of it.

“Eden.” His voice brought her out of the daze she had slipped into. “What are you thinking about?”

She wanted to be more than honest with him. “I was thinking about how wonderful this has all been. I never thought it could all feel this good. God, I never thought I’d enjoy doing that…or all of it really.” She blushed, still not able to describe the acts. “I wanted you to know that, Sebastian.”

He looked down at her, running his hands back and forth over her spine, causing goose bumps to rise on her skin. Without speaking, he rose up, pulling her with him, and hoisted her into his arms. She wrapped her legs around him and he carried her toward her bedroom.

Laying her down, he began to kiss her collarbone—full, open-mouth, wet kisses that
traveled
down her body and ended on her breasts. He laved at her nipples, alternating between the two as his hand reached down and pushed between her legs. Eden closed her eyes and fell into the sensations of his touch. One thing was certain—Sebastian Stone had ruined her for any other man.

Chapter Seventeen

The two days without work and without Sebastian dragged by. Sebastian texted her both days, several times. She couldn’t believe how much she missed him, but Eden knew there was no way Sebastian was feeling the same about her. Although, when she mentioned it to Mara, she had laughed at Eden’s naivety.

“He already got you in bed, chica, he’s got no reason to keep texting you repeatedly unless he likes you.” Eden heard Enzo snort in the background. God, he must think she was a total idiot.

Reassured
by Mara, Eden decided that over
analyzing
how much she missed Sebastian and whether it was a healthy amount was a ridiculous waste of time, and instead focused on hanging her prints and trying not to think about whether or not she actually wanted to go
dancing
on Friday.

Sebastian texted her on Friday morning—
Remember your promise.

He’d made no mention about being able to meet her at the
club
and Eden assumed that his text was confirmation that he wouldn’t be joining her at Granada.

Pulling on the dress that Mara had insisted she buy for tonight, Eden
realized
that she was actually looking forward to going out. Having been avoiding thinking about it too much all week, Eden found herself smiling as she pulled on the dress and started doing her hair. Something had happened to her over that week with Sebastian. She had a confidence inside her that she hadn’t felt in years. She felt
young
and beautiful again. Sebastian made her feel like that. So many of her irrational fears seemed to be melting away. She grinned even more at herself in the mirror, applying more makeup than she usually did. She knew she looked good.

Maybe it was true—losing her virginity had done something to her. Made her feel like more of a woman and less like a girl. The short-sleeve dress clung to her chest,
emphasizing
her petite waist before flaring out into a loose skater skirt that fluttered out when she twirled. It hung mid-thigh and was perfect for
dancing
, giving her enough coverage while still looking fun. No more sophisticated chic for her, she wanted sexy. She wore her hair up in a messy bun, pulling out a few loose tendrils to give her a more relaxed feel. Mara would be pleased. And for once, Eden was pleased. It was the first time she
finally
felt like New York Eden—happy in her own skin.

****

Standing in the VIP section of Granada, Eden was glad she had made an effort. The
club
was swarming with beautiful women and Mara, as usual, looked stunning. She had meant it when she said they were celebrating. She couldn’t believe the amount of people that Enzo and Mara knew in New York. Mara was in her element, showing off her ring to their friends, who all seemed at ease with each other. When Mara had introduced Eden to Enzo, he had surprised her by picking her up around the waist and giving her a huge hug.

“I’ve heard so much about you, Eden. It’s a pleasure. I feel like you’ll be a good influence on my wild Mara.”

“The pleasure’s all mine, Enzo. Congratulations on the engagement. And I’m thrilled to hear you’ll be settling in New York for now.”

“Come, I want you to meet people.” Mara winked at her as Enzo grabbed her hand, pulling her into the group of friends. She was introduced to half a dozen people who all seemed to know who she was already. Eden glowed—she was flattered by how much attention Enzo was giving her. He obviously understood the importance of Mara and Eden’s relationship and wanted her to feel welcome.

“And
finally
, my right-hand-man. Eden, meet Michael Basa. He’s my fourth cousin and best friend.”

Eden extended her hand, thinking Michael would shake it, but instead, he grasped it in both hands before bringing it to his lips.

“The lovely Eden. Mara was right about you.”

Eden gently pulled her hand back. The man looked like he’d walked off the cover of a romance novel—dark and brooding, he looked like a mix of
young
Antonio Banderas and Johnny Depp. She could see that women were looking at him as they walked by, eyeing him up and then glancing at Eden.

“Damn it—Mara!” Enzo looked across the crowd. “Look, I have to go and sort out Mara. Looks like she’s managed to spill her drink on someone. Michael, look after Eden for me.”

“No, Enzo, I’m fine, don’t be silly.”

Eden glanced up at Michael. He was looking at her like he wanted to devour her.

“Are you suggesting that you don’t want my company?” He mocked being shot in the heart.

“No, I just don’t want you to be lumbered with me. I’m sure you have friends you’d like to be talking to.” Eden gestured around her.

“No, I would like to be talking to you right now.” Michael grabbed two champagne flutes from the waitress who was walking around the VIP section.

“What shall we drink to?” Eden reluctantly took the champagne.

“Here’s to being
young
and free,” Michael said as he winked at her, tipping his champagne back and drinking it in one swig. Eden looked at her drink. Boston Eden would have happily downed it and grabbed another one. Edinburgh Eden would have politely held the glass for twenty minutes before getting rid of it. Actually, scratch that—Edinburgh Eden wouldn’t even be here. But New York Eden sipped slowly on her drink, enjoying the lovely bubbles and wondering how to deal with Michael, who clearly had a relaxed concept of personal space and had touched her arm and hand more times than she was comfortable with. It’s not that he was being creepy, just that she wasn’t interested in the slightest and didn’t know how to make that clear without coming across as a bitch.

Eden tried to
catch
Mara’s eye and when she
finally
did, Mara simply blew her a kiss before throwing her arms around her fiancé. Eden wondered how different the evening would be going if Sebastian was here with her. Her eyes wandered to the
center
of the
club
where couples were
dancing
to the fast Latin music that filled the air.

“Dance?” Michael held out his hand.

“Oh God, I can’t dance like that.” Everyone seemed to be moving in a fast sexy Salsa step that intimidated her.

“Oh course.” He lowered his hand, but made no effort to go find someone else to dance with. Instead, he stayed next to her and the evening passed gradually. The two of them made small talk, with Mara and Enzo walking by every now and then to check on her. Eden wished she could get Mara alone. She was worried that Enzo was trying to set her up with Michael. Why else would he be hanging around her all night? To give him credit, he had behaved like a perfect gentleman the whole evening, despite obviously being interested.

Eden checked her phone. There was still no message from Sebastian. She didn’t know why she had expected him to text her. He knew she was out with Mara and he was probably working or on a plane. A slow dance came on and Michael caught her attention.

“I’m sure you can dance to this, Eden. I’ll lead, don’t worry.” He smiled at her and Eden felt that she couldn’t say no again. She nodded and took his hand as he
led
her onto the dance floor.

Michael spun her around gently before pulling her to him, far tighter than Eden had been expecting. He reached his hand around to the small of her back, pulling her in even further so their hips were pressed together. Eden tried to pull back slightly without letting him know he was making her uncomfortable, but Michael seemed oblivious. His hips swayed against hers, moving in time to the deep, slow Latin beat that pulsed around them.

Eden glanced around and
realized
that compared to how the other couples on the dance floor were moving, Michael was actually being pretty tame. She breathed in, trying not to be nervous about how low Michael’s hand was on her back, even though he was practically grabbing her ass.

“Relax, Eden. Let the music move your body.” Michael leaned in even closer, brushing his lips against her ear as he spoke.

Eden moved her head away, not wanting his lips touching her skin. “I think that’s enough, Michael. I’m not sure I want to dance anymore.” She tried to keep her voice polite. The last thing she wanted to do was offend Enzo by upsetting his cousin. She hated herself for being more concerned about offending people than stopping a situation that made her uncomfortable.

Michael ignored her and continued to sway, moving her body against his.

“Michael…please. That’s enough.” Eden pulled her hand out of his and pushed slightly against his chest. “I want to go sit down.”

“I believe the
lady
has made herself clear.”

 
Eden spun around now, shocked to hear the familiar voice. He glowered at Michael, ignoring Eden’s gaze. The only sign of recognition he made toward her was his hand gripping around her wrist, fiercely pulling her back until she was behind him.

“Eden, you know this guy?” Michael stepped back, clearly taken aback by Sebastian’s tone. “It’s fine, we were just
dancing
.”

“Yes, and she asked you to stop. Go find someone else to letch over.”

“Sebastian, you’re being rude.” Eden tried to intervene. “Michael, I’m sorry.”

Sebastian continued to ignore her, not even glancing down at her.

“I’ll be with Enzo. You sure you’re okay with this guy?” Michael looked at Sebastian suspiciously.

“Yes, I promise. Thank you. It was really nice to meet you.”

He walked away from them, giving her a backward glance.

“Sebastian, that was really rude! What are you doing here?”

“We’re leaving now!” He yanked her arm as he charged across the dance floor, weaving in and out of the
dancing
couples. She could see Enzo making his way across the
club
, trying to get to her. Michael must have found him and told him about Sebastian’s angry interruption. Just as they got to the door, he caught up with them.

“Eden, wait, where are you going? Who’s this guy? Stop!”

Sebastian swung around, and for a moment Eden thought he was going to take a swing at Enzo.

“Who the hell are you?” Sebastian stepped in between Eden and Enzo, still
keeping
his grip on her arm.

“Seb, stop! This is Enzo, Mara’s fiancé. He asked Michael to look after me tonight since I didn’t really know anyone.”
Catching
Enzo’s eye, she continued. “This is Sebastian Stone, Enzo. And I’m fine.”

Recognizing
the name, having clearly been told about him by Mara, Enzo’s face relaxed. “Oh right, just checking. Michael wasn’t sure if he should have left you. I just wanted to check if you were alright.”

“She’s fine, I’m taking her home.” Sebastian turned to Eden, clearly waiting for her to agree with him.

“Yes, I’m fine, Enzo. Sebastian will see me home. Thanks for a lovely evening. Tell Mara I’ll call her tomorrow.”

Enzo nodded. “Nice to meet you, Sebastian.”

Sebastian ignored him. Instead, he simply turned and pulled Eden with him out the door. The cool evening air hit Eden in the face and the effect of the few glasses of champagne she’d drunk disappeared. She wrenched her wrist away from Sebastian’s vise-like grip.

“I can’t believe you! I can’t believe you just did that to me!” She glared at him as he pulled out his phone to call his driver to come around and pick them up. “I’m not going anywhere with you, Sebastian. I’ll
catch
a cab home.”

Sebastian stormed toward her now, grabbing her wrist again. “You’ll do no such thing, Eden. You’ll get in the damn car. You’ve been drinking and there is no way that I’m letting you traipse around New York in the middle of the night dressed like that. Goddamn it, Eden, you promised you’d be careful!”