She looked at him and his beautiful face was almost more than she could handle. “Stop, Sebastian. I’m not done, it gets worse. You say I survived, but I didn’t really.” Eden could feel the tears now gathering in her eyes. “I couldn’t take it, the shame and the fact that people didn’t believe me. I tried to kill myself a few weeks later. I had to leave school. I had a complete breakdown and had to drop out. After a long time, I got myself back on my feet, sort of. I couldn’t return to St. Leonard’s. They were still there. So I applied to the international program and left for Edinburgh. But I never really recovered. I still talk to my therapist, Dr. Shepherd. He’s says I’m doing well, really well, but…I know I’m weak. I’m damaged, you just can’t see it yet.” She couldn’t keep it in and she broke down, a sob rising out of her chest. “I’m damaged goods.” She forced herself to stand up, pushing Sebastian’s hands off her lap. “Don’t follow me,” she choked out, hoping he remembered her final caveat. She couldn’t handle Sebastian seeing her break down completely.
She turned and walked across the park. She made it to her building, nodding at Sebastian’s driver who was waiting in front of the car. He looked confused to see her without Sebastian and she was relieved to see Rick opening the door for her, politely greeting her. He, too, looked startled to see her back so soon and he made as if to say something, obviously concerned about her tear-stained face.
Eden quickly shook her head, hoping he understood. She waited for the elevator, feeling Rick’s eyes on her back. She barely knew the man, but she was strangely comforted by the fact that he seemed genuinely concerned for her. Dr. Shepherd would love it, she thought. Of all people for her to start trusting, her doorman was top of the list. The elevator doors finally opened and she stepped in, turning to see Sebastian rushing through the lobby. He ignored Rick’s attempts to intercept him as he lunged toward the elevator.
Chapter Ten
Eden stepped back further into the elevator, praying for the doors to close in time. He promised! What was he doing? His hand grabbed an edge of the door just as they started to close. Eden let out a small groan of disappointment. He was not going to let her be. He pushed them apart and stepped in, facing her.
“You promised me! We had a deal, you shook on it!” she whispered, furious with him. Sebastian remained silent, which made her see red, as he stepped forward, crowding her even further into the corner of the elevator. “You can’t do this to me, Sebastian. Do you understand? I told you. I told you this thing between us would be ruined and you wouldn’t listen to me!” She couldn’t control herself anymore. She pushed against his chest hard. “Why don’t you leave me alone? Can’t you see this is all wrong?” Why wouldn’t he speak to her? Eden gave up and leaned her forehead against his chest, half pushing and half pulling on his suit jacket. “Can’t you see I’m all wrong for you?” she whispered into his chest.
Finally, Sebastian spoke and he moved slowly, folding her up in his arms. Then he was kissing her face, kissing the tears off her cheeks, running his hands along her back.
“God, Eden, you’re so far from damaged goods,” he said between kisses. “I won’t have you thinking that. You’re the most amazing creature I’ve ever seen. You’re perfect.” He kept repeating it as he moved down her neck with his lips, his hands now in her hair, caressing her dark tresses, gently pulling her toward him even more with his grip. “Nothing’s ruined. You’re not ruined.” He spoke clearly now, having pulled away slightly so he could look her in the eyes. “Do you believe me, Eden? You’re not ruined.” He said it with such force, with such conviction that, in his hold, Eden did believe him.
She felt like a woman when she was with him, especially when he touched her. Under his fingertips, she was no longer the weak, broken girl that everyone else knew. Instead, she was a woman—strong, beautiful, and sensual.
“I do, with you,” she said, and she felt herself leaning forward to kiss him. Her tears had dried up just in the few moments where he had been holding her and she forgot about the conversation she had just had, the memories she’d had in her mind as she explained her past to him.
All she wanted was for him to keep touching her, to make her feel the way she had in her apartment, to make her forget it all and consume her with his body. She knew that Sebastian could feel her responding to him and it was clear by the way he pulled her body against his and pushed his erection against her stomach that he wanted her.
“Feel what you do to me, Eden. Feel how hard I am because of you,” Sebastian whispered as he ran his lips along her jaw line.
She nodded slightly, biting her lip in frustration. How could he make her this hot with just a few kisses?
“Eden, I’m going to make you come so hard, you’ll barely be able to remember your name—just let me do that for you, let me make you feel good”, he said, holding her hand and leading her out the elevator toward her door.
Eden fumbled with her keys as he stood behind her, nuzzling into her neck now, his hands moving down her back, running over the curves of her ass and hips. She’d never had a man speak dirty to her and she couldn’t believe how much it turned her on. She wanted to hear more, and there was no way Sebastian hadn’t noticed the impact his voice had on her. She could barely keep her trembling hands still enough to open the door. His arm reached around her finally and he helped steady her hand.
Eden squeezed his hand and her breath came quicker, unable to imagine what was about to happen, only knowing that she wanted to keep going. She could do this, she knew she could, because for the first time in her life, she wanted it to happen. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, pushing her heat against his cock, reveling in the throbbing hardness she could feel pushing through their clothes against her sex. He walked them to her bedroom, consuming her mouth with his.
Sebastian pushed her down onto her bed and ran his hands up her arms, cupping her face as he pushed his tongue into her mouth harder, his tongue exploring deeper, the force of it making her grab at his shoulders. His hands reached up, gently undid the small tie what was keeping the front of her dress up, and pulled it off her, revealing her bare breasts.
“No bra.” Sebastian growled as he looked down at her, breaking their embrace. He hissed through his teeth as he covered her breasts with his hands, gently squeezing them as his tongue licked her neck. “Jesus, Eden, I want to feel my cock in you more than anything, but I want to savor you, devour you. I want to taste your pussy, explore you with my fingers. I don’t know how slow I can be, though. Your skin…it does something to me.” Sebastian pushed his face into the curve of her neck, inhaling deeply.
Eden forced herself to break away, letting go of his shoulders and pushing him off her as much as she could without making him think she was rejecting him. While she wanted to continue, she had to tell him one more thing. She writhed under his touch, mesmerized by his words.
“Wait, just wait,” she gasped, amazed at her own self-control. His hands had felt so perfect cupping her breasts, and his words alone had made her moan. He stopped moving and reached his hand into his pocket, pulling out his wallet. What was he doing? She looked at him, perplexed as to why he needed his wallet now.
“It’s okay, Eden, I’ve got a condom. As much as I’d like to feel you without one, I’m not that cavalier.”
“What? No, I’m on the pill, but that’s not…”
Now it was Sebastian’s turn to look confused. There was clearly a misunderstanding that neither of them could figure out.
“Remember how you asked if I had slept with Joachim and I said I hadn’t?’
He nodded, his face so close to hers, their noses were touching. “Yes, why?” he breathed out, reaching up to touch her, his thumb brushing her nipple as he nuzzled into her neck. He was clearly having trouble controlling his urge to touch her, and she couldn’t help but moan as she felt him push his hardened cock against her thigh.
“Because I need to tell you. I never slept with Joachim…or anyone else for that ma
tter.” There, she had said it. She was still a virgin. At her 22, it made her feel like a leper, regardless of her past.
Sebastian pulled away from her with such force, she immediately regretted it. He paced backwards quickly, clearly desperate to get some distance between them. “Jesus Christ, Eden! You’re a virgin? Why didn’t you tell me?” he shouted, and she recoiled onto the bed, drawing her feet under her, pulling her dress back up to cover her breasts, and wrapping her arms around her.
“I did tell you, just now! Why are you yelling? After what I told you, what difference does this make?” The confusion in her voice was audible.
“Because this is about you. This is your choice! And especially in light of what you’ve told me...” Sebastian continued pacing the room now, waving his arms as he spoke. “You have no idea of your worth, how special you are, and you were just going to let this happen, just like that. God, the things I said to you—to a virgin…”
He stopped and Eden finally caught his eye. She was crying again, not sobbing like before, but tears were streaming down her face as she realized that it was this information that was going to ruin them, not what she had told him in the park.
“Don’t cry, no, stop crying, Eden.” Sebastian returned to the bed and wrapped his arms around her. “I can’t stand to see you upset. I yelled, I know. It scared you.”
“You don’t want me anymore, I’m sorry. I just had to tell you.” Eden leaned into him. He was so warm and, although she knew he wouldn’t touch her again in the way she wanted, she could at least enjoy this moment. She felt him chuckle, his whole torso moving with laughter.
“Eden, you couldn’t be more wrong. I want you. I wanted you the moment I saw you get out of that ridiculous limo in Edinburgh. I wasn’t scheduled to come to New York for another week, but I couldn’t wait to see you. Once I found out where you were, I couldn’t wait a whole week.” Sebastian tipped her head up and gently kissed her mouth, sending small tingles down her body as his tongue softly flickered into her mouth. “But today’s been eventful and in light of what you just told me, I want to do this properly. We’ll do Sunday dinner. Let me wine and dine you. And no running out on me this time. So far I’ve tried to have two meals with you and you’ve walked out on both. That’s the last time you’ll do that.”
Eden nodded in response. There was something about Sebastian that made her willing to give up everything, her virginity being the first thing.
“One last thing. As I’ll be your first, I want to make it as special as possible. And that means I don’t want anything between us. I always use condoms and get tested regularly. The last time was three weeks ago and I haven’t been with anyone since. I’ll have a copy of the results emailed to you. You said you were on the pill? Why? In light of your virginity, why the birth control?”
“I started taking it when I was fifteen and started dating. My mom was convinced I’d mess up and get pregnant. And it actually helped with migraines I used to get, so I’ve always stayed on it, even though I haven’t needed it.”
“That’s great, Eden, really.”
She was surprised at how thrilled Sebastian looked at the news, but then again, she’d heard that condoms did really change how things felt. She continued, feeling like she needed to be as responsible about the whole thing as Sebastian was being. “And in terms of other stuff…well, even though there was hardly any risk of my catching anything, I made sure I was thoroughly tested after my attack and I haven’t let anyone come near me since then, so I know I’m clean. I’m happy to get retested, though, if you want to be sure.”
“No, Eden, I believe you.” He trusted her. Did he know how much that meant to her? What she had told him today had been all about her being able to trust him, but Eden knew what it felt like not to be trusted, to be treated suspiciously, and she liked it that Sebastian seemed to have no doubts about her. In fact, she loved it.
Chapter Eleven
Eden lay in bed on Sunday morning, replaying the events of the previous day with Sebastian. Part of her still couldn’t believe that it had happened. After he’d calmed down, he helped straighten her dress and insisted on a tour of her apartment. He asked about her decorating plans and he seemed intrigued with the photos and prints she had lying around, waiting to be hung. She had mentioned she was going to frame some of them and it had obviously piqued his interest for some reason.
They had gone out for lunch in a small bistro down the street from her apartment and they had discussed their mutual love of art. He was impressed with how well she knew the Edinburgh Gallery and he mentioned that he had a small growing collection that he intended to show in his offices. He wanted to know if she’d ever thought about curating, and Eden was flattered that he was so fascinated with her knowledge of art history. He had walked her home and gently kissed her outside her door, behaving like a perfect gentleman—no dirty talk, no ass grabbing, no making her shiver with his lips on her neck. Nothing.
Eden knew he was processing the huge amount of information she had told him over dinner and then after. She had thought the latter was sure to turn him off, but it hadn’t, or so he claimed. But it had put a damper on the passion. After she had told him she’d never had sex, he put on his white gloves and started treating her like a porcelain doll.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she felt. That was not her intention behind telling him. In fact, she was regretting the whole thing now. Maybe she should have looked at Sebastian as nothing more than a one-night-stand. Why did she insist on thinking that losing her virginity had to be with someone she connected with on an emotional level? She assumed that sex with Sebastian would be amazing, if their previous physical contact was anything to go on. Why couldn’t that be enough? And now she had ruined that chance by telling him about her past and her total lack of sexual experience.
Part of the appeal of Sebastian, until that moment, had been the intense electricity that passed between them whenever they touched—for that matter, whenever they even looked at each other. Something wild and uncontrollable. Now he was turning it into something demure and chaste. She was sick of being chaste. Who was he to turn the dial down on them? She wanted to be the girl in the town car who he’d launched himself at, who had pressed his mouth so hard against her that she thought he would draw blood.
Eden looked at the clock, 11 a.m.—where would Sebastian Stone be on a late Sunday morning? Presumably at home, but Eden got the impression that Sebastian worked a different schedule. True to his word, he had emailed her a copy of his recent bloodwork that morning, but it gave no clue as to whether he was at home or not. She couldn’t imagine a man with that much intensity simply lounging around in his pajamas.
Eden grabbed her phone and texted him, feeling odd about the familiarity of texting a man she still barely knew. He had given her his number the day before, taking her phone out of her bag without asking her and adding his number. “Contact me whenever you want, Eden.”
Well, she was taking him up on his offer now.
Where are you? I need to speak to you about tonight. Xx
She waited and, in less than a minute, the reply came.
At work—something wrong? Seb
She put her phone down and quickly started dressing. She did not intend to answer him. For the first time since she had literally fallen into Sebastian Stone’s life, she had the upper hand. She wasn’t about to give it away.
Trying to fill herself with the confidence that she felt around Sebastian, instead of opting for her usual drab uniform of jeans and top, she grabbed some items that she hadn’t worn in a while but she knew she looked good in—high wedge-cork heels with brown leather straps, perfect for the summer heat, and a short-sleeved lightweight dark blue dress that hung just above her knee. It had a gentle v-neck and Eden had to remind herself that pushing against her comfort levels was important. More importantly, the lining of the dress was silk, and it fell around her curves beautifully. She wanted to impress him. Eden dabbed on dark pink lip-gloss and ma
scara and grabbed her bag, throwing in a brush to deal with her hair in the cab ride to his office. If she didn’t go now, she would lose her confidence.
Standing outside the office building, she checked her phone. He had texted her on the cab ride over—Are you ok? Where are you?—and again she had forced herself not to respond or pick up when he called her twice after that. With her goal in mind, she entered the revolving doors and approached the large front desk, which was manned with several staff members, all seemingly busy, despite it being Sunday.
“Hi, could you please let Mr. Stone, Stone Security, know that Miss Maxwell would like to see him?” Her voice shook slightly with nerves.
The receptionist politely smiled. “Do you have an appointment?”
“No. He’ll know what it’s about.”
“I’m sorry, but Mr. Stone is a very busy man. We don’t interrupt him unless you have a scheduled appointment.”
Eden realized this was going to be harder than she thought. She quickly texted, I’m downstairs. Front staff won’t let me up. She waited a minute, smiling in return to the receptionist who suddenly bolted to life and grabbed the earpiece she was wearing.
“I’m sorry, Miss Maxwell, please—take elevator twelve, it gives direct access to his office. I’m so sorry to keep you waiting.” The poor woman was obviously distressed thinking she had made some serious mistake.
By the time she got to elevator, the doors were already open and she stepped in. There was only one button, 57, which lit up as the doors closed, and she didn’t even press it before the elevator shifted into motion. 57 floors, plenty of time to get herself composed, she thought. Eden knew if she focused too much about what she was planning on saying, she would lose her courage. Instead, she settled on the feeling she had felt the first time he touched her, when he pulled her close to him in the Acer Club, his hand wrapped around her wrist, trapping her with his other arm around her waist. His voice, with that English accent most women drool over, had calmed her down, stopped her from having a panic attack. She focused on that feeling, of how much she had wanted him to kiss her then and there, and then to how it had felt when his lips were against hers later in the car. By the time the elevator stopped and the doors opened, she was ready. She knew what she wanted.
Trusting Stone Page 8