Heart of Stone

by Dakota Willink

  “Because neither of us could afford it before!” I laughed. “But now that we both have fatter paychecks going forward, I think we can splurge a little.”

  “For sure! We should go to one of those high-end places. You know, the ones we could only dream about before?”

  “Ooh! The Mandarin. I’ll call and set it up,” I offered, suddenly giddy over the pending girls day out. I had been so wrapped up in Alexander, that it would feel good to have some one on one time with Allyson.

  “Okay, you call while I go take a shower. I still have to pack for my trip too.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” I said, unable to contain my grin. “Oh, and one more thing. You’re not a mother hen. I know why you worry, and I appreciate that more than you know. Thank you for being there, Ally. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “I’m here for you, babe. Always.”

  ****

  I couldn’t stop thinking about the look that Krystina threw at me when I mentioned that she should keep some of her clothes at my place. Her expression was bothering me, so much so that I couldn’t concentrate on business negotiations throughout the day. I tried leaving the deskwork behind and went down to check on the construction of Turning Stone Advertising, except even that wasn’t enough to distract me.

  I knew that Krystina would never willingly hang a single stitch of material in my closet anytime soon, but I didn’t know why it was troubling me so much. The only solution that I had was to take the liberty myself.

  When I announced to Laura that I would be leaving the office for a few hours to go on an impromptu shopping trip, the expression on her face was almost comical.

  Yes, Laura. Believe it or not, I do know how to shop.

  I dismissed her protests about calling Gabriella, my preferred sales rep over at Duncan Quinn, to order the things that I needed. Gabriella was an expert in men’s fashion, and she also had contacts at several high-end women’s boutiques. However, making a simple phone call to order clothing for Krystina seemed too impersonal. This was one spending excursion that required my individualized attention.

  I called Hale’s cell to tell him to bring the Porsche Cayenne around to the front of my building.

  “I’ll have it there within five minutes,” Hale assured. “Where are we going?”

  “Fifth Avenue. We’re going shopping.”

  “Yes, sir,” he said.

  And if I wasn’t mistaken, I thought I heard a hint of amusement in his voice.

  CHAPTER 34

  Surprisingly, shopping for Krystina had been rather enjoyable. From sweaters and skirts, to jeans and boots – the possibilities with women’s clothing seemed endless. Looking at various styles and picturing certain items on Krystina was an experience unlike any other. I was careful with my selections, keeping her tastes above my own. I wanted her to be pleased with my choices and know that I was keeping her interests in mind. And most importantly, I wanted to show her how much I wanted to take care of her, yet still allow her to maintain her individuality.

  I knew I was taking a risk. Krystina might be down right furious once she saw everything that I had bought. But I also knew that she might be more apt to accept my gifts if she knew that I personally selected each item.

  When I arrived home shortly after six, I was pleased to see that the packages from the day’s spree had been delivered and that Vivian already organized my spacious walk-in closet to accommodate the purchases. It was strange to see the colorful array of cottons, silks, and cashmere hanging next to the line of utilitarian colored suits. Yet, I also derived a certain amount of satisfaction over seeing it, as if I had achieved some kind of great accomplishment.

  As I closed the closet doors, the intercom to the penthouse buzzed. I assumed it was Jeffrey letting me know that Krystina had arrived, and it irked me that he hit the call button to announce her arrival. I had given him explicit instructions to simply send her up whenever she came to my home.

  “Yes!” I snapped into the intercom.

  “Mr. Stone. Ah…I, um Miss –,” Jeffrey started.

  Just what I thought.

  “Allow Miss Cole into the elevator, Jeffrey. Now please.”

  “Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. She’s on her way.”

  I walked away from the intercom speaker, not bothering to thank him. Whatever patience that I had for the bumbling doorman was starting to run thin.

  I waited in the entryway for the elevator to arrive. When the doors opened, my breath caught in my throat. No matter how many times I saw Krystina, her beauty took my breath away. Her hair was in a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck, allowing a few stray curls free to frame her delicate face. Her tight jeans and scoop necked sweater accented every flawless curve of her body.

  She was perfect, like a goddess from the heavens. Little had I known that this woman would turn my world upside down when she slipped and fell that day at Wally’s. I wanted her then and I want her even more now – more than I ever wanted any other woman in my life. She was an angel.

  My angel.

  I closed the distance between us in less than a second and scooped her up under the legs to cradle her my arms.

  “Alex! Put me down!” she half scolded and giggled at the same time, swatting at my arm. I ignored her and breathed in the sweet smell of her hair.

  “Mmm…not a chance. I missed you,” I murmured into her ear.

  “Already?” she laughed.

  “Very much,” I admitted before kissing her softly. “You’ve been on my mind all day, angel.”

  “Oh, have I? I can only imagine all of the wicked things you were thinking today.”

  “Miss Cole, you have no idea.”

  I ran my nose down the length of her cheek to nuzzle the sweet spot below her ear. She hummed and closed her eyes, angling her head to the side. I moved back up, savoring the softness of her skin, nipping along the line of her jaw. My teeth grazed her parted lips and I kissed her again, but this time it was long and possessive. She surrendered and gave into my tongue, allowing me to revel in the taste of her.

  “I could get used to greetings like that,” she murmured once I gave her a chance to come up for air.

  “My girl likes being swept off her feet I take it,” I joked.

  I felt her stiffen in my arms.

  “I guess I do,” she said with a small smile. However, her grin didn’t quite reach her eyes, and I knew that she was thinking metaphorically about what I had said.

  “I was only messing around, Krystina. After all, I did quite literally sweep you off of your feet.”

  “I know,” she said, planting a placating kiss on my cheek. I set her down, and if I wasn’t mistaken, I thought she looked relieved. Her sudden change of demeanor was perplexing.

  “You okay?”

  “I’m sorry,” she said sheepishly. “I think I’m just tired, that’s all. Somebody wore me out last night.”

  “I didn’t hear any complaints,” I said with a wink.

  “Oh, not at all. But I’ll have to admit, the day is finally catching up with me. I’d love to just lounge on the couch for a little while. Maybe watch a movie? What do you say?”

  A movie?

  Lying on the couch and watching a movie with a woman was foreign to me, yet it provoked some very interesting ideas. The thought of getting Krystina horizontal had me readily agreeing.

  “I’m game for that. But first, I have something for you. Come with me.”

  I took her hand and led her into the bedroom. When we reached the closet doors, I paused before opening them. I was thrilled at the chance to give Krystina her surprise, but I was nervous about it too.

  What if this is a mistake?

  I thought of the way her new clothes looked hanging next to mine. For me, it was simply a gift, one that I was anxious to give her. However, Krystina had a tendency to look too much into things, and I was afraid of how she might perceive the appearance of my closet.

  Maybe I shouldn’t show her this. Not yet.

&nb
sp; “What is it?” she asked.

  Her question tore me away from the indecisive meanderings.

  I shook my head to clear it, feeling uncomfortable with the way I seemed to be questioning my every move as of late. I have always been confident in my choices, yet I seemed to stumble over the smallest of decisions surrounding Krystina and it was starting to wear on me. I didn’t like it. Not one bit.

  Get your shit together and just give her the damn clothes!

  “It’s here. In my closet,” I told her.

  I opened the doors and gestured her inside. She stopped when she reached the threshold, not having to venture any further to see what was plainly before her. I saw her visibly blanch, in what I could only assume to be shock, before she slowly turned to face me. Our eyes locked, and hers were flashing with accusation.

  I should have waited.

  “Alex, you said that you had something for me. These are things. As in plural. Very plural.”

  Her voice was strained and I could tell that she was trying to keep her temper in check.

  “I just wanted you to have a choice, that’s all,” I tried to shrug off.

  She got quiet, unusually so. By the way she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, she appeared agitated. She attempted to tuck a curl behind her ear, but it sprang free again. I reached up to do it for her, but she jerked her head away so that I couldn’t. I dropped my hand to my side, knowing that she was just as angry as I feared she would be.

  She cast her eyes down, seeming to stare at some invisible speck on the carpet. Occasionally, her eyes would dart back up to her new wardrobe, but then down again as if she couldn’t bare the sight. Her silence was vexing, but I held my tongue, waiting for her to break it first.

  “I wish you didn’t do this,” she eventually whispered.

  “I wanted to,” I stated simply.

  She looked up at that, sticking out a stubborn chin.

  “What if I don’t want to accept?”

  I pursed my lips in annoyance, trying not to feel insulted over her rejection. I took a deep breath, reminding myself that Krystina responded best to brutal honesty.

  “You’re not getting it, Krystina. I want to buy you things. I want to take care of you. It’s a need that I can’t explain,” I told her, trying to sound as earnest as possible. “It makes me happy to do so, as I so discovered today. This is just something that you’ll have to get used to.”

  “Look, I appreciate it, but it’s you that isn’t getting it. A week ago we were both saying no strings attached. All of this is a whole lot of strings,” she said, motioning to the clothes with her hand.

  I chuckled at her unintentional pun, trying to keep the mood light. I was just grateful that she was talking again.

  “Angel, it’s only clothes.”

  “It’s more than clothes to me. It’s what it symbolizes.”

  “I understand your hesitation. And to be perfectly honest, I don’t know what possessed me to do it. I’ve never personally gone shopping for a woman before, not even for my sister. It was just…” I struggled trying to find the right words to explain my compulsion. “It was just something that I wanted to do. Accepting would make me very happy.”

  Her face looked pained, as if she were suffering from some sort of internal battle. She looked at me, eyes full of uncertainty, before walking into the closet and running her hand up and down the sleeves of the hanging blouses.

  “You shopped for all of this by yourself?”

  “Sort of. Hale may have had a thing or two to say about some of the stuff I bought.”

  Her head snapped around so fast that it threatened whiplash. Her eyes were round with apparent disbelief, but then she let out a loud and genuine laugh. The sound was infectious and music to my ears.

  “You two must have been such a sight!”

  I crossed my arms and smirked at her.

  “Are you laughing at me, Miss Cole?”

  “I would never dare,” she retorted.

  Her eyes twinkled, a sure sign that I was on my way to securing the win.

  “Does this mean that you’ll accept my gift?”

  “I suppose I could,” she mused the consent.

  I hesitated before dropping the next bomb on her.

  “I hope so, because this isn’t all of it.”

  Her shoulders slumped and she shook her head back and forth.

  “No more gifts, Alex,” she implored.

  “You said you’d accept. What’s next is just part of the package.”

  “Please. No,” she tried to deny, but I ignored her pleads.

  I went over to the dresser and picked up the small gift-wrapped box that I had left sitting there. When I turned back to face her, there was no describing the look of horror that spread across her face. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the package that was in my hand.

  I looked from her to the box, then back up at her. And then it dawned on me.

  “Chill out, baby. If I was going to propose, I’d do it better than this,” I said dryly. “Just open it.”

  I thrust the cube shaped box into her hand, annoyed that this was going so badly.

  A blush crept over Krystina’s cheeks. I was fairly certain that her embarrassment over jumping the gun was the only thing that kept her mouth shut while she went to work on opening the package.

  Carefully, she pulled at the satin bow and slid her fingernail across the tapeline to unwrap it. Inside the box, nestled in a royal blue pillow, lay the necklace that I had a local jeweler custom craft for her.

  “Alex, it’s beautiful,” she said in awe. She ran her fingers across the platinum interlocked spiral emblem and over the three smooth sapphires that were placed in the surrounding circle. She looked up at me and smiled.

  Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!

  Confident that she wasn’t going to argue with me about the necklace, I released a sigh of relief.

  “It’s a triskelion, or at least a variation of one,” I told her. “Some people call it a triskele.”

  “What’s a triskele?”

  “It’s a symbol of the BDSM community.”

  “Oh. Well, um…” she hesitated and her smile faltered. “Am I…to wear this? I mean, don’t get me wrong – it is truly a beautiful necklace. I’m just not too keen on advertising my new-found interests.”

  “Don’t worry,” I lightly laughed. “The triskelion symbol has many meanings actually, depending on who you ask. Most people you encounter will think it means something entirely different. I personally believe that may be why the BDSM community adapted it. Look it up one day, Krystina. You may be intrigued by it’s history.”

  “How so?”

  “BDSM may be a subject that is never talked about, but many aspects of it are often in plain sight. Here, let me put in on you.”

  I reached to take the box from her hands. I could still see the apprehension on her face, but she didn’t argue when I secured the clasp around the back of her neck. The emblem rested perfectly against her smooth skin, accenting the flawless swell of her breasts.

  “Well, whatever the symbol is, you have impeccable taste. I love it, Alex. Thank you.”

  “I’m glad you do. That will make it easier to give you the last surprise.”

  “Alex,” she said in a warning tone. “I said thank you for the necklace, not the clothes. I’m still not sure what to think about those, let alone a third surprise.”

  “It’s nothing, really. This one is more meant as a joke than anything else. Open the top drawer for my dresser.”

  She eyed me suspiciously, but did as I instructed.

  “What’s this?” she asked after she peered at the contents.

  “Replacement underwear for the ones that I ripped off you. Remember?”

  I flashed her a devilish smile, recalling the night that I tore the black lace from her hips. The image of doing that again caused a stirring in my groin.

  “Oh, I can certainly remember! But this is more than a replacement �
�� there’s got to be at least ten pair in here!”

  “A dozen to be exact,” I moved over to her and circled my arms around her slim waist. I leaned down to whisper in her ear. “So that means, I get to rip them off of you twelve more times.”

  I felt her shiver in my arms, and I knew then that I had truly won. I reached down to cup her behind, pulling her hips tighter against me.

  “Twelve more times, huh?”

  Her words sounded breathy already and I hardened in response.

  “Yep,” I confirmed, nipping at her ear. I trailed a line down her neck, feeling the beat of her pulse beneath her skin. My hands found the hem of her sweater, and I slid them up her back to undo the clasp of her bra.

  “Well then,” she started, but then paused to moan when I found one of her nipples. “We should, ah…we should get to work on that.”

  “I thought you wanted to watch a movie.”

  I rolled her taut peaks around between my thumbs and forefingers, flicking them softly while I did so.

  “The movie can wait,” she breathed.

  “Yes, it can,” I agreed, relishing in every response she had to my touch. I stepped away and reached into the drawer to retrieve one of the lace thongs. I looped it around my finger and held it out for her to take. “I think you need to go put on a pair of these so that we can test their durability.”

  “I’ll be right back,” she promised, taking the panties from me.

  After Krystina disappeared into the bathroom, I went to the stereo to select a playlist for inspiration.

  Something darker I think.

  I wanted to show Krystina something new tonight, to take her to a place that she hasn’t been. Selecting music that I thought was appropriate for what I had in mind, I turned back to the bed. Reaching up, I began to unlock the latches that held the crossbars in place for the St. Andrews cross.

  Once I was satisfied that everything was secure, I fished keys out of my pocket and headed over to my private closet to retrieve the leather cuffs that I would need. However, I was stopped midstride when I heard Krystina cry out from the bathroom.