Heart of Stone

by Dakota Willink

  “It’s not a regular thing. You know me. We’re just talking,” I tried to deny.

  Matteo raised his eyebrows, showing his disbelief.

  “If you say so,” he said with a smirk.

  “It doesn’t matter how you want to classify us. Just knowing what I know about Krystina, she won’t drop it. My parents will come into question again, of that I’m sure. It complicates things because of Justine. I literally just diffused one situation. The last thing I need is another. It’s my job to protect her.”

  “You can’t always be there to shield Justine from her monsters,” Matteo advised sympathetically. He knew my sister. He was one of the very few that knew our past. But despite his knowledge, he would never fully get it because he hadn’t lived it. I shook my head in frustration.

  “They are our monsters, Matt. You know that almost as well as I do. I’m just better at facing them than Justine is.”

  Matteo nodded his understanding.

  “It looks like you have some decisions to make, so let me offer you another piece of advice. I think Krystina may be more innocent than you want to admit, but she doesn’t seem gullible. Secrets never stay hidden for forever. If you want to make a go with her, you shouldn’t tempt the Fates.”

  I smiled wryly at my friend, the irony of his words like a bitter pill that I had been forced to swallow.

  The Fates.

  Those fickle bitches had never looked favorably on me. I had learned early on to take control of my own destiny, to use my gut to point me in the right direction. It had yet to fail me, which was why I was facing the current predicament.

  My instinct told me that I shouldn’t want someone like Krystina Cole. I was not the right man for her. Yet, what I shouldn’t want and what I wanted had become two very different things.

  CHAPTER 14

  When I arrived back at my apartment after dinner with Alexander, I found Allyson alone on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and a glass of wine. The television was off and the only light came from the kitchen. This was not a good sign. I kicked my shoes off into the corner of the front entryway and moved into the living room.

  “Hey, where’s Jeremy?” I asked nonchalantly, trying to assess how bad the situation was.

  “He left a little while ago.”

  “Oh. I thought you two were going to see a movie.”

  “We were. Until Jeremy turned into a chauvinistic pig,” she spat out loathsomely.

  “You guys seemed to be having a good time when I left. What did he do?”

  “It’s not what he did, it’s what he said. We got talking about you being out with Stone tonight. Jeremy thinks it’s a good thing that you found a financially stable man. A man like him would be able to take good care of you properly. Apparently, he thinks women should stay home and take care of the house,” she finished with a scowl.

  Yikes.

  Rule number one – don’t ever insult women’s rights in front of Allyson. Sometimes I would swear that she was a direct decedent of Susan B. Anthony. Not that I agreed with what Jeremy had said, but I sort of felt bad for the guy. Allyson was easily riled when it came to this sort of thing. I could only imagine what she had said once her temper was unleashed.

  “Did you let him have it?” I said with a cringe.

  “I yelled something along the lines of not being the barefoot and pregnant type and asked him to leave. So he did,” she finished.

  “And that’s it?”

  “I may have had a few other choice words for him.”

  “Oh, Ally. Are you okay?”

  “I’ll be fine. Better that his opinions came out sooner, rather than later. For now, distract me. I want to hear about your date with Stone.”

  “It wasn’t a date. It was a meeting,” I told her, deliberately emphasizing the last word.

  “Sure. Whatever. Tell me about your meeting,” she corrected to appease me.

  “It was nice,” I alluded.

  “Come on, Krys. You have to give me more than that. What did he say about the job?”

  “Oh, he –,” I started, but came up short. “Actually, we never talked about job details.”

  “Because it was a date,” she concluded.

  “It wasn’t a date, Ally. Alexander isn’t the dating kind. He told me as much himself. But you were right about one thing,” I admitted, plopping down in the overstuffed chair across from her. “He does want me. And not just as an employee.”

  “Told you so!” Allyson exclaimed with a smug look of satisfaction. However, her face turned serious almost immediately before she asked, “What are you going to do about it, Krys? Do you want him?”

  “No…well yes, sort of. It’s really complicated. I can’t get a read on him. The guy talks in riddles. I let him kiss me, though.”

  “Well, that’s progress at least,” she said with a laugh. “But back it up. Tell me how everything happened from the beginning. Maybe I can help you solve some of the mysterious Stone’s riddles.”

  I told her everything from the cell phone delivery, his surprise visit at the coffee shop, to our dinner conversations. Even after repeating it all, I was still confused.

  “I don’t know what to do with this, Ally.”

  “There’s nothing to do. Just go with it. It’s time, Krys. Accept the job. Go out with Stone. Let yourself be wined and dined for heavens sake. Don’t over think it and just enjoy it.”

  “Maybe you’re right, but I’m scared you know? Sometimes I feel like Trevor was only yesterday. Other times, it feels like it was a lifetime ago. I don’t know if I can put myself out there again. Every time I think I’m ready, I go into a panic.”

  “Come here, doll,” she said patting the couch cushion next to her. When I moved over to sit down beside her, she pulled my head down to her shoulder and rubbed her hand over my head. “I know that you went through hell, but not everything has to have a nightmarish ending. So what if your picket fence went up in flames? You’ll build a new one someday. But until that day comes, let yourself have a little fun. You’re never going to get over what happened with Trevor until you take the next step. At the very least, Stone is loaded. He’s sure to show you a good time. Take advantage of the V.I.P. treatment. I mean, come on! The guy sent a car for you!”

  “Hmm…Alexander would definitely be able to keep things interesting,” I said contemplatively. I looked up at her and debated whether or not I should tell her exactly how interesting Alexander could keep things. “I need to get over how much he intimidates me.”

  “Why? He didn’t do anything to hurt you, did he?” she asked pulling away from me, sounding alarmed.

  “Oh, no. It’s nothing like that. In fact, it might not be him at all, and more of my own fear of the unknown. At the end of dinner, he said he was a Dominant – whatever that means. All I know is that I got all panicky and made for a quick exit. That’s when he kissed me and now I don’t know what to think,” I finished.

  “Whoa! He said that he’s a what?”

  “A Dominant.”

  “Oh, no. This isn’t good, Krys,” she warned, her eyes as wide as a deer in headlights. She shook her head rapidly back and forth. “I mean, I’m all for you getting out there and dating again. Hell, I wouldn’t care if you made the rounds with the entire Yankees team. But you can’t go jumping in head first with someone like –.”

  A knock at the door interrupted her.

  “Hold that thought,” I told her as I got up from the couch to answer the door.

  I found a very distraught Jeremy on our doorstep.

  “Is Allyson here? I really need to talk to her,” he said pleadingly.

  I looked at the man and immediately felt sympathy for him. He seemed genuinely upset. But Allyson had been really riled up when I had come home. Letting Jeremy in the house now would be disastrous.

  “I’m not so sure that’s a good –,” I started.

  “I don’t think there’s anything to talk about,” I heard Allyson bark from behind me. When I turned to look a
t her, her face was awash with fury. “Besides, Krys and I were in the middle of something. You’re interrupting.”

  “Allyson, I’m really sorry. Please talk to me.”

  “I think we did enough talking earlier, Jeremy.”

  “You misunderstood me. You cut me off before I could explain. Please, just give me five minutes,” he begged.

  I was getting whiplash from the back and forth. The poor guy was practically begging. They needed to be alone to talk this out. After the night that I just had, I was in no state of mind to be playing referee if it came down to it.

  “Ally, we can finish this later. You and Jeremy go ahead.”

  “No. I want to finish our conversation,” Allyson said fervently.

  “And we will tomorrow. You two have stuff to work out. I’m tired anyways and I have to work in the morning.”

  Allyson looked torn, eyes shifting between Jeremy and me. I placed my hand on her arm for reassurance.

  “Alright, Krys. We’ll catch up tomorrow,” she finally conceded. She leaned over to give me a quick peck on the cheek. “Go get some sleep.”

  “Night,” I said to her, then gave a nod to Jeremy who returned it in kind.

  As I headed towards my bedroom, I gave into a big yawn. It wasn’t just a line that I fed Allyson and Jeremy as an excuse to give them time alone – I really was tired. Since meeting Alexander Stone, my nights had been full of nothing but restless sleep.

  I climbed into bed, meandering over what I should do about tomorrow night. Normally, I would have run screaming in the opposite direction from a man like Alexander, and wouldn’t even consider exploring that avenue of danger.

  Yet, he had laid the world at my feet – a job offer that I had been desperately waiting for and an ending to this burning need to be with him. And when his lips touched mine, my insides seemed to turn into melting wax, taking any thought or reasoning away from me. He didn’t know it, but he held some sort of power over me, and that terrified me.

  I thought about Allyson’s outlook on life. Sometimes I wished that I could be more like her. She was so carefree, jumping from one guy to the next, living in the moment. I could have resented her insouciant way of life, but I didn’t. I loved her too much. Her unattached lifestyle suited her and she was happy.

  Her way of looking at things was probably right. I should just go for it and have a little fun. I had been alone for a long time. Maybe a quick romp in the sack would be good for me. I would have to remember remain detached of course. I wasn’t looking to be struck by one of Cupid’s arrows. It was just sex, not some life long commitment. As long as I remembered that, it shouldn’t be too difficult.

  I didn’t need or want anything more, and neither did he.

  ****

  The following day began with the usual boring routine. I went to work, fulfilled the duties at my oh-so-monotonous job, and hit the gym.

  However, over the course of my unexciting afternoon, I contemplated the events of the previous evening. For the first time, I was actually thankful for the mindless tasks that my current job offered. That, combined with the willingness of a red punching bag to accept the brunt of my frustrations, I was allowed time to think.

  Stripped down to nothing but a pair of yoga shorts and a sports bra, I went to town on the bag, seeking its cathartic release with every blow.

  Allyson’s words echoed in the back of my mind.

  “Let yourself have a little fun…”

  I spun around and struck the bag with a forceful backfist.

  I recalled the conversation I had with Alexander over dinner.

  “I will fuck you eventually, Krystina…”

  I turned again and landed a powerful roundhouse kick.

  I could still see the flash of desire in his eyes when I left him. I could still feel the heat of his fervently intense gaze.

  I inflicted another punch onto the cylindrical leather bag.

  My lips tingled every time I remembered the sensation of his mouth on mine, and my body ached for him. But most importantly, I remembered how good it was to simply feel something again.

  Forty-five minutes later, I was covered in sweat. I delivered a final blow to the heavy bag, and reached a monumental decision. I was going to listen to Allyson’s advice and move forward with Alexander. Whether it was just sex, just the job, or both. It didn’t matter. My mind was made up. It was time I stop being afraid of the future and allow it to simply happen.

  I grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat off my face and neck, collected my belongings, and headed for home.

  And that’s when my day finally began to get more interesting.

  CHAPTER 15

  I was never one to primp and prune for a lavish amount of time, but I sanctioned a solid two hours to prepare for my night out with Alexander. I wanted to look perfect for whatever was to come.

  I fretted over wearing a skirt that was just the tiniest bit too short and worried about how to tame my crazy hair. At some point during a wild frenzy of ripping apart of my closet in search of the perfect shoes, it occurred to me that I never officially gave Alexander an answer about going out with him tonight and I hadn’t heard from him all day. A part of me wondered if I was wasting my time getting ready for an evening that might not even take place.

  However, the thought quickly passed, as I felt confident that Alexander was a man of his word. He had said that his driver would be here at six o’clock, and I was sure that he wouldn’t bail on me.

  Prepared and ready to go, I took the stairs down rather than the elevator, anticipation filling me with a restless sort of energy. I was surprised by how much I was looking forward to the night out, and a giddy smile curved my lips as I made my way across the lobby of my apartment complex. As usual, Philip was at the door to greet me with his friendly smile.

  “Looking awfully sassy tonight, Miss Cole. That’s the second time I’ve seen that fancy ride outside. Is it here for you again?” asked Philip, eyeing me up and down with one eyebrow raised.

  “It sure is, Phil,” I said, blushing under the older man’s scrutiny. I tried to nonchalantly tug at the hem of my black miniskirt, feeling very aware of its short length. I got the impression that Phil didn’t approve of my clothing choice, even though he didn’t comment about it. He was so dad-like, always looking out for the women in the complex. I often wondered if his watchful personality was the reason why my mother and stepfather were so insistent that I lived here.

  “Have a good time. And be careful,” he warned, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder.

  Why is everyone always telling me to be careful?

  “Don’t worry, Phil. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

  After giving him a reassuring smile, I moved past him and stepped through the door that he held open for me.

  I felt a sense of déjà vu as I headed down the walkway. Alexander’s driver was waiting for me outside of the sleek black Porsche, just as he had less than twenty-four hours earlier. However, this time, I was taken by surprise when Hale opened the SUV door. Alexander was seated inside the car.

  He was looking down at his phone, but looked up at my arrival. I briefly saw a look of relief flash across his face.

  Was he worried that I would stiff him?

  “Good evening, Krystina,” Alexander drawled out slowly.

  A bad-boy smile curled the edges of his mouth and his gaze traveled leisurely down the entire length of my body. The heat in his eyes caused butterflies to quiver in my stomach. I nervously tugged down the edges of my skirt. For the second time since putting the article of clothing on, I felt very self-conscience over my bare legs that teetered on heels that were just a little too high.

  “Alexander,” I greeted, nerves causing my voice to sound slightly breathy.

  “You look amazing, Krystina. Stop pulling at your skirt,” Alexander scolded, climbing out of the vehicle. Turning to his driver, he said, “I’ll call you when we’re ready, Hale.”

  “Yes, Mr. Stone,” Hale said a
ll official-like.

  So the silent driver was capable of speech after all.

  That was the first time I had ever heard him speak, as my previous interaction with him had been so reserved and formal, with only a few short nods used for communication. The raspy voice that he had just revealed suited the persona that I envisioned him to have. In fact, I half expected him to salute Alexander before he turned back towards the car.

  “Ready for what?” I questioned, looking back and forth between Alexander and the Porche. “I thought we were going to your place.”

  “We will eventually. It’s a nice night and I thought we would walk for a bit. Although, you should go back up and change your shoes first,” he advised, looking down at my feet and frowning.

  “What’s wrong with my shoes?”

  “You won’t be comfortable walking more than a short distance in heels that high.”

  “I’ll be fine,” I said, albeit stubbornly. But in all honesty, I was secretly wishing for a pair of sneakers. My stylish four-inchers were definitely not made for an evening stroll.

  “If you think so.” He looked skeptical, but didn’t push the issue any further. Instead, he set his hand on the small of my back and we began to walk.

  “That’s quite an impressive ride that you have there,” I observed, pointing to the SUV as Hale pulled it away from the curb and merged into traffic. “Is that a Turbo or a Turbo S?”

  “Cayenne Turbo S,” he said proudly. But I noticed his slight hesitation before he continued. “Expensive cars are a weakness of mine.”

  I glanced up at him and was able to detect a cautious smile on his face through the dim lighting of the street lamps. I was surprised by his hesitancy. He was normally so sure of himself.

  “No need to be shy about that guilty pleasure with me. I’m used to the car obsession. Frank, my stepfather, is fascinated with anything that has four wheels.”

  “I’m not shy. I’m just being careful – I don’t want to be accused of flaunting my money,” he teased, poking me lightly in the side and causing me to jump.