Trusting Stone

by Alexa Sinclaire

  “It’s going to be epic!” she said as she gave Eden a squeeze and started introducing her to the other students. Apparently, despite being a communications graduate, Susan hadn’t picked up any other descriptive adjectives for how the party was going to be.

  Eden could smell the tequila coming off them before she spotted the bottle, now practically empty between Susan’s knees. This was a boundary she was not willing to cross, despite wanting to fit in. The last time Eden had allowed herself to get drunk at a party, it had not ended well for her. Susan passed her the bottle after taking another swig.

  “No thanks, none for me.” Eden again gave Susan one of her polite smiles.

  “What? Come on! It’s Patron. You’ll love it.”

  “Really, I’m good. I’ve got so much packing to do tomorrow. I can’t be hung over.” Eden tried again to pass the bottle on to the girl next to her, who by now had paused to listen to the conversation.

  “Oh, Eden, always so uptight. By the end of the night, I’ll get a drink in you,” she giggled.

  Eden kept her smile plastered to her face and smoothly diverted Susan on to another topic. It wasn’t that she never drank, but she never got drunk anymore and she never drank with people she didn’t trust 100%. Considering she didn’t really trust anyone anymore, besides Mara, it meant her alcohol tolerance had plummeted.

  “So, Trey’s hooked the group up with the Acer Club? How’d he manage that?” She’d seen Trey flirting with Susan on campus and Susan clearly reciprocated his sentiments. It was an easy way to distract Susan from the subject of drinking.

  “Not sure really. Trey—well, his parents, I mean—know the manager or owner, I can’t remember. But I think we’ve got most of the club to ourselves.”

  Eden had heard of the Acer Club. It was a city club in the traditional sense of a gentleman’s club, the sort of place her father took her to lunch in Boston and watched her eat club sandwiches and drink Perrier while he slowly got drunk on expensive scotch. In the evenings, the Acer Club hosted parties, usually for more sophisticated crowds than a bunch of drunken American students, but Eden knew these kids had more pull than most.

  Finally, they arrived and Eden sighed in relief. There were only so many times she could rebuff Susan’s offer of alcohol without the other girls making a thing of it. She slid away from the open door, letting the other girls stumble out of the limousine first, wanting to give herself a moment to compose her thoughts and prepare for whatever she found inside. The limo, with the music and the overexcited girls, already tipsy before the night had begun, made Eden feel out of her depth, and she had to breathe deeply to remind herself that she was in control.

  Even though she was only 22, the one-year difference she had between herself and most of the girls in the car made her feel middle-aged. She reminded herself that she could choose how tonight went, no one else.

  “Come on, Eden!” she heard one of the girls shout, and she realized they had all but gone into the club.

  Eden finally stretched her legs out, glancing down at her heeled feet, careful to avoid the cobbles on the road. Her shoes were the one concession to sexy she had made, while keeping the rest of her outfit somewhat chaste. The four-inch heels made her feel powerful. At five-foot-two, any extra height added to her confidence, and she smiled as she looked down at them. The black suede crisscross pattern that traveled down the front of her foot to a peep-toe point reminded her that she was still in control, despite Susan’s idle threats of getting her to drink before the end of the night.

  A cool summer breeze suddenly swept across the pavement and Eden’s smile started to fade as she looked up. The wind caught her hair and swirled it across her mouth, hiding her small gasp as she made eye contact with the man standing in front of the club.

  For a moment, Eden forgot the fear and dread she had been carrying around her all evening. Pale blue eyes held her gaze, and for the first time in a long time, she felt a tightening inside her that she almost didn’t recognize. She didn’t notice the cool wind anymore, even though it swirled around her, pulling her dress in a twist around her body, revealing far more than she intended. She instinctively tightened her grip on the limo door, not wanting to lose her balance as the man she couldn’t take her eyes off of continued to return her gaze. All she could see was the blue, a calm lagoon that she could get lost in and float away. Those eyes were like nothing she had ever seen before and she never wanted to stop looking.

  “Eden! Come on! God, it’s freezing out here.” Susan was suddenly there, grabbing her wrist, breaking the bond with the mystery man and practically pulling her over. Eden stumbled for a moment before regaining her balance and looking up. But in those few moments, he had disappeared into the Gothic building, home to the exclusive Acer Club.

  Susan looked at her again. “I thought you didn’t drink on the way over? You look totally out of it. You okay?” Her voice sounded sober all of sudden.

  “I’m fine, sorry. Ready for an epic night?” Eden said, now pulling Susan into the club, slightly shaken by what she had seen. There was something so familiar about those eyes, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

  ****

  Eden was secretly pleased to see Trey had oversold his parents’ sway with the club. The management had only allocated two of the club’s larger entertainment rooms to the group, not the entire club as Trey had promised. The main foyer was calm and quiet, exuding the feeling of controlled opulence that Eden had expected of such an establishment. It was only when Susan led the way down one of the hallways leading off the main foyer and opened a set of double doors that Eden realized the rooms were soundproofed.

  Momentarily, as they walked in, the beat of the music coming from the sound system broke the tranquility of the rest of the club. The large, dark rooms were fully paneled and joined together through a set of double doors, now swung open for the evening.

  “It’s open bar! Trey’s really pissed we’re not getting the whole club, so it’s a sort of peace offering, I guess.” Susan looked at Eden with a little smirk. “You can’t pass up a drink on the house now, can you?”

  “I’ll get them. Looks like Trey’s glad you finally arrived,” Eden offered, nodding in the direction of the blond man weaving his way toward them. He had a sloppy grin on his face, giving away how drunk he already was. Eden was determined to regain her composure and to get away from Susan’s increasingly irritating manner.

  As she walked across the room to the bar, sliding between the crowd, trying to avoid too much contact as she squeezed past her peers, all she could think about were those eyes—so blue and piercing. Why hadn’t she been able to look away? She held her stomach, thinking back to the feeling his stare had invoked in her, a feeling she’d all but given up on having. Coming back to the task at hand, she ordered a rum and Coke for Susan and a straight Coke for herself. There was no reason Susan would think it was any different than her own drink and maybe that would get her off Eden’s back for the evening.

  Eden found Susan in a corner of the first room, leaning against the paneling with Trey at her side. They both were giggling at each other and, for a moment, Eden was jealous—jealous of their carefree attitude, jealous that Susan could stand Trey’s touch, his hand resting on her hip while he leaned in to flirt with her, jealous that they could drink and relax and enjoy their youth without always being afraid or suspicious of what might happen next. But then she shook her head. Eden had given up on trying to become the woman she once was.

  The next hour passed smoothly and Eden had fully stepped into her role as the happy American senior. A few of Trey’s friends had joined them, and Susan engaged Eden enough in the conversation that she felt compelled to stay with them instead of losing herself in the crowd, as she had intended to do. The music had been turned up and more people had joined the dance floor, crowding the group further together into the corner.

  Suddenly, Eden felt a shove from behind, causing her to spill her drink all over her hand. She turned around and sa
w a dancing couple, oblivious to their lack of personal space.

  “Let me take that,” Trey offered, grabbing her drink out of her hand and handing her a paper napkin from the small table that ran along the side of the paneled wall.

  “Thanks,” she mouthed, as she wiped up the spilled drink, pleased to see she had avoided her dress. She glanced at Trey as he handed her back the drink, doubting whether her first impressions of him were right. She was too hard on people. Dr. Shepherd had warned her. Not all men were like those frat boys, he told her time and time again. Perhaps she was wrong about Trey.

  She took a long sip of the drink and tried to relax. The sugary taste filled her mouth and she was already swallowing before she realized the bitter bite she detected was rum. She caught Susan’s eye and gasped.

  Trey burst into drunken giggles. “We did it, Susie, we finally got her to drink something!”

  Susan joined in, almost hysterical. “You should see your face, Eden. Priceless.”

  Eden looked down at the drink in her hand, realizing what had happened and that it hadn’t been a mistake. Trey had purposely given her the wrong drink, and suddenly Eden felt very out of control.

  She turned away as Susan and Trey continued to tease her, informing the rest of the group of their little trick. She had to get out of here. Trey was exactly the sort of man she expected him to be, just like those other boys, men who liked to tease, even when they were the only ones laughing. She had to get out, away from the music, away from Susan’s abrasive laugh, away from her peers, who for a moment, she had let herself think weren’t all that she had expected them to be.

  It wasn’t that Eden was averse to drinking, although she knew her reaction made her look hysterical. She could feel a panic attack just waiting to happen.

  She passed through the double doors, and instead of turning right to enter the main foyer, she turned left. She could see people milling under the crystal chandelier that illuminated the main foyer. Different functions were being held throughout the club, and there were too many people for her to have to get past before she lost her composure. And even if she held it together long enough to get out the front door, she would simply find herself outside, with no ride and nowhere to hide. There was no way she could sustain a panic attack and hail a cab at the same time.

  Eden walked quickly down the hall, looking for a sign for the bathroom and trying to regain her breathing. She could feel the panic attack mounting in her chest. The tears were making her eyesight blurry and she started to stumble, the four-inch heels suddenly catching on the patterned runner that ran the length of the dark hallway. Before she could understand what was happening, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and one hand grabbed her wrist, catching her from falling and simultaneously pulling her into a doorway. Eden started to protest and pull away. Who the hell was touching her?

  She looked up to find a pair of pale blue eyes.

  Chapter Four

  “I can’t…I…” she stuttered, unable to catch her breath.

  “Breathe, Eden, just breathe,” the man said, still holding her waist and wrist. “That’s right, in and out. You’re alright now, love.”

  Eden held his gaze and focused on his voice, a smooth English accent with a strange hint of something else underneath it. His voice captured her attention and she found her breathing slowing down. The fear and panic she had felt moments ago began to dissipate as he continued to soothe her.

  Eden took in the rest of his face—his dark hair, swept back to leave exposed features so perfect she could hardly believe they were real. She was most aware of his mouth now that he had stopped talking her down from the panic attack—firm lips that she, for some reason, wanted to touch. She realized he was still holding on to her. And she didn’t want him to let her go. Ever.

  Finally, she broke the silence. “How do you know my name?” she whispered, still slowly regaining her breath.

  “Eden? You don’t remember me? I’m Sebastian Stone.” He smiled at her, his cold blue eyes suddenly filling with warmth. She hadn’t heard that name in a long time, over a decade.

  The Stones had lived on the same street as her family for years. Four years younger than Sebastian, she’d had little to do with him, but their parents attended the same country club and she inevitably saw him at functions during the holidays. He had moved away after his parents got divorced and she’d never heard about the Stones again until now. The last time she had seen him was when he was 11 years old. She could hardly believe this was the same young boy.

  Eden could feel her heartbeat pounding through her chest and she wasn’t sure if it was from the avoided panic attack or the fact that he had pulled her so tightly to him that she could feel the buttons from his suit jacket pressing into her through her silk dress. The feeling in her stomach had returned and she tried to smile back. She felt completely overwhelmed by his presence. Usually, Eden avoided feeling overwhelmed by any emotion, good or bad, but she didn’t care now. She didn’t push away. She didn’t freeze up in fear. Instead, she let herself get lost in his touch, in his gaze, in his voice.

  She breathed in, trying to slow her heart, and she shivered as she took in his scent—musky cologne and something else.

  “Something scared you, didn’t it? But it’s gone now. You’ll be fine,” he said as a statement rather than a question.

  “I just...I don’t know…I just had to get out of there.” Eden felt embarrassed about her dramatic escape from the party. But she felt herself seize up as she suddenly saw Trey stumble through the double doors, obviously looking for her. Sebastian obviously felt her body tense and followed her line of sight. Still holding her wrist in his grasp, he moved her behind him so that she was trapped between his body and the door.

  “Don’t move,” he whispered, finally releasing his grasp and turning his back to her. His shoulders filled the door and she had to shift to the side to look past him and see Trey, who was now standing in front of them.

  Trey, who initially had come across as one of the better-looking men at the party, fell short in comparison to Sebastian. His blond hair looked ruffled and slightly greasy. His polo shirt, matched with slightly baggy jeans, made him look like a child held up against Sebastian’s dark three-piece suit that fit him amazingly well.

  “Eden, there you are! Come on, we were just joking around.” Trey eyed up Sebastian before returning his attention to Eden. “Come on, Susan’s worried she really upset you and you should come back in. The party’s only just begun.”

  “I’m fine,” Eden managed in return. “Just leave me alone, please.”

  Sebastian finally spoke. “It would be best if you returned to your party.”

  Trey finally looked at Sebastian, having ignored him until now. “Who the hell are you?”

  “It doesn’t matter who I am. Eden’s told you she’s fine and clearly doesn’t want to return to the party. A gentleman would take the hint.”

  Trey shuffled his feet, clearly unsure of how to deal with Sebastian’s rudeness. “Okay, whatever, man. Eden, let’s go.” Trey reached around to grab Eden and Sebastian growled.

  “I believe the lady asked you to leave her alone. If I were you, I would avoid touching her if you know what’s good for you.”

  “Look, man, Eden’s with us. There was just a little joke that she got offended by. I’m taking her back to the party.” Trey was pushing his luck. Eden could hear her breath quickening and, for a moment, she thought Sebastian was going to step aside and she would have to deal with Trey on her own.

  Instead, Sebastian took a step forward, placing himself just inches away from Trey. “I don’t like having to repeat myself. The lady asked you to leave her alone.” Eden couldn’t see Sebastian’s face, but the slight shift backward that he took gave away Trey’s fear.

  “Whatever, she’s not worth it.” And without another glance at Eden, Trey turned and walked away.

  Sebastian’s broad shoulders still mostly obstructed her line of vision, but she heard the doub
le doors open and the sound of the DJ spilled out in the corridor as Trey rejoined his party. Only then did Sebastian turn to her. His hand reached up, and Eden instinctively tried to take a step back, still shaken by Trey’s behavior, but she was already pressed up against the door and there was nowhere for her to go. He slowly moved his hand to her shoulder and brushed a lock of her hair that had fallen forward over her shoulder. In so doing, his fingertips grazed the exposed skin along her shoulder just for a moment. But in that moment, Eden felt something she had never felt before—a wave of electricity shot through her body, causing her thighs to tighten and her stomach to flutter. And for the third time that night, she gasped, caught in Sebastian’s gaze.

  “Do I frighten you, Eden?” Sebastian asked, his left hand moving down to again grasp her right wrist, as he had done when catching her from her stumble.

  “No,” she whispered, and she realized she was telling the truth. She had flinched away as a matter of habit, and more because of Trey, not because she didn’t want Sebastian to touch her.

  “Come,” he said, tightening his grasp on her wrist and walking quickly down the hall.

  Eden had to be careful not to stumble again, struggling to keep up with Sebastian’s brisk pace. They moved across the foyer, Sebastian practically dragging her through the doors and out on to the Edinburgh sidewalk. Only then did he stop and wait as a town car pulled up to greet them. Eden used those few seconds to eye him up. He was taller than she initially realized, and even in her four-inch heels, she barely came to his shoulder. Under the well-fitted suit, she could see that he was muscular but lean. In those few seconds in the doorframe, when she had been pressed against him, she had felt his hard body.

  She avoided his blue eyes now as her gaze moved over him, worried that she wouldn’t be able to look away. She wracked her brain to remember any details about what had happened to the Stones. How come she had never heard about him after the divorce?