“You did the right thing. If he got away with it once, well, you never know. If I was around I would have kicked his ass for you.”
I find his comment both flattering and a little scary. I say, “It did make me realize I wanted to choose who I wanted to be with, especially the first time. I think that’s really the reason I’ve waited until now.” I feel myself blush.
He must like what I’ve just said because he gives me a big, beautiful smile. He appears to be lost in thought before he says, “You are a strong woman and holding off takes a lot of self-control, especially in today’s world. It’s not an easy thing to do. But once you start, Violet, you won’t want to stop. At least not with me anyway.” I completely believe him and feel a tingle down there at the thought. Behave, flashes through my mind.
“Violet, I have to say this to you because I find you very genuine and sweet. I am not Prince Charming, so if you are saving yourself for marriage, then I am not the person who should be taking your virginity. I can’t promise you anything long term at the moment and I don’t want you to have any regrets.”
There is no doubt in my mind that I have chosen the right person and luckily, he likes me too. It absolutely must be him. I’ll cross the long-term part when it comes. I just want him so badly. “I want it to be with you Adam, I really do.” My eyes are pleading with him to not change his mind. It must be with him, my heart says inside of me.
“Are you sure?” I can see concern in his eyes.
“Yes I‘m one hundred percent sure.” I say this very confidently. The wine is helping, but I mean it.
He seems to believe me, because he then tells me, “I’ll make your first time memorable, Violet. I promise not to disappoint you when we get to that.”
Another warm rush comes through me; he is so confident. “Thank you,” is all I can think of to say. Our steaks arrive with sweet potato and broccoli. The food is divine.
“What do you think of the steak?” he asks.
“It’s perfect. So tender I don’t think I even need a steak knife to cut it.”
He smiles. “I told you I wouldn’t disappoint you. I always mean what I say. You should know that.” His smile leaves his lips. I wonder why, but don’t say anything.
“Why do you always just stare at me like you are looking through me?” I blurt out. It must be the wine talking.
“I told you, I find you attractive so I like to look at you. I’m admiring you. Does that bother you?”
“I’m not used to that much attention that’s all. You flatter me, Adam.”
“When we are alone, I promise all my attention will be on you and your exquisite body. You look stunning this evening. That dress suits you. It’s just the right amount of sexy. I really like it. Did you wear it for me?” This man is Prince Charming. He is elegant, regal, and such a gentleman, even in the way he seduces me with his words.
I have to tell the truth, “Yes, I bought it today with you in mind.”
“I’m very flattered, Violet, but please don’t spend your money to impress me. I just want to get to know you and spend time together like I said, okay?”
“I will be able to wear it to work as well so it’s money well spent.”
He smiles at me and goes back to our previous conversation. “Will you consider taking birth control Violet? We should have all our ducks in a row. We don’t want any accidents do we? I’m something of a control freak. Something else you should know about me.” He hesitates to let me think and then asks, “Are you still interested?”
Ann was right. He really is the kind of man who tells you what he wants without hesitation. “Yes, Adam, I am very interested in you. Anyway, aren’t all big shots control freaks?” The wine is so effective at relaxing me.
He laughs which delights me, and says, “Yes, I suppose so.” He takes another bite of his steak and then becomes serious. “I have something else I need you to do before we can begin.” He hesitates for a long moment. “My other request is for you to sign a confidentiality agreement before we go any further with this.” He is trying to sound humble, but it doesn’t come out that way.
What? My face must look confused. “Why?” I ask.
In a low tone he continues, “I need assurance that my clients’ affairs and my personal life are kept private. I need to take care of my personal life as carefully as I do my business life now.”
He is about to say something else when I cut him off, feeling insulted. “Is that what all rich bastards do? Flatter young women with flirting, kissing, and fancy dinners? Wait two minutes and then slip into the conversation that you’re so important I need to sign a legal document to be with you? That’s pretty arrogant, don’t you think? Isn’t the health inspection enough? This is a lot for a second date, Adam. I barely even know you!” My voice is high pitched and quaking with anger.
I stand and leave the table, heading back to the elevator. Does he really think he’s that important? I look back and he hasn’t even flinched. He doesn’t chase after me. I see him picking up his glass of water and watching me. He doesn’t move a muscle. It’s like I wasn’t even sitting with him. This only confirms his arrogance.
As I get in the elevator alone the hostess says nothing, for which I am grateful. She gets me to the main floor and I run out and ask the valet to get me a cab. I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes. A cab pulls up and I can’t get in it fast enough. I don’t even look back to see if Adam has bothered to follow me out, as I am sure he has not. Thankfully, I am at my front door in less than ten minutes. I pay the taxi driver and thank myself for putting cash in my purse earlier. I run to the front door and the tears start rolling down my cheeks.
Halfway up the stairs I stop to take off my shoes so I can run faster. Reaching my door, I open it quickly and close it behind me to shut out the world. How did my dream date turn into a business meeting? My feelings are hurt. I would never openly discuss my private life anyway let alone his and his clients? What does that even mean? His demeanor was so serious when he asked. It was all about what I needed to do for him. I need you to sign an agreement, I need you on birth control, and I need you to have a check-up. Each of his demands was to suit his needs. It was too much, too fast. The wine numbs my senses as I take off my dress and fling it to the floor. I am sobbing and feeling sorry for myself that I wasted the money on him. I feel drained as I wash my face and go to bed. It takes hours for me to fall asleep. Stupidly, I check my iPhone to see if he has tried to reach me when I realize he doesn’t even have my cell number. He probably wouldn’t call anyway. He is an important man from a different world than my own. My insides hurt like hell.
Chapter 6
Thank goodness it’s Friday. Stepping out of bed, my stomach aches at the thought of what happened last night. What did I do? My carnal, selfish side thinks of how he made love to my hands and how it made me feel and what more I could be missing. No longer having a wine-induced frame of mind I ask myself, why didn’t I just ask a few more questions instead of freaking out? I realize I don’t have his cell number or I would text him. I can’t email him at work for obvious reasons and then it hits me. The guy is involved in confidential deals at the highest of levels, so of course he would need me to sign something. I could be privy to all kinds of conversations if we were in a relationship. The fact I work for another law firm is also a good reason. To add insult to injury, it dawns on me that I should have known all of this, being a paralegal.
Oh shit, what have I done? Why couldn’t I have just let him finish? It must’ve been the wine and shock, but mostly the wine. What must he be thinking now? Is he done with me? He really has little invested in us so far, only a few kisses and a hand massage, a very good hand massage mind you. It could be an easy decision for him to make, to just walk away and pretend we never met. The pain in my gut is killing me and I decide to call in sick. I must figure out how to get in touch with Adam to apologize. I can’t just let this end so easily and I
really do want him to be my first. That I know for sure.
Pulling my laptop out of its bag, I log in and send Paul an email to let him know I am not well and will be working from home. He replies within minutes, “I hope you feel better. See you on Monday.” I am momentarily grateful that my work life is going well at least.
My belly is grumbling, but the pain in it takes precedence, making it very difficult to think of food. I can only think of Adam. I feel so terrible. The thought of blowing this before we even started is eating away at me. I fill the kettle with water and set it to boil. I need some tea and time to figure out how to get in touch with him. Mustering up my confidence, I repeat my mantra out loud: “Today and every day, I am confident, I am successful and I am sexy.” I say it three more times and decide my only option is to call Adam’s office. I don’t have his direct line, but I can call the main switchboard and ask for his assistant, Alice, who I had chatted with once or twice when I was setting up the meetings for the bank merger.
A friendly voice answers, “Good morning, Laurier and Stone, how may I direct your call?”
“Yes, good morning, can I speak with Alice Barnes, please?”
“Yes, may I say whose calling?”
“Oh yes sorry, it’s Violet Cole from Oliver and Harold.”
“One moment please.” My nerves kick in as I hear the call is being transferred.
“Adam Stone’s office, how can I help you?” It’s Alice.
“Hi, Alice, it’s Violet from Oliver. How are you?”
“Oh, hi, Violet, how are you doing? Happy Friday,” she says. I think, no, not really for me. What do I say now? Then I hear Adam’s voice in the background so he must be at her desk.
I hear him say. “Is that Violet from Oliver & Harold?”
“Yes, Mr. Stone it is.” Without any explanation, he asks her to put the call through in two minutes. I can hear every word and I am certain he knows it.
Alice comes back to me. “Violet, Mr. Stone wants to speak with you. Can you hold the line for a couple of minutes?”
“Yes, of course,” I reply. My nerves are on high alert now and it’s frightening. My heart is beating fast for a different reason now.
Alice comes back on the line. “Hi Violet, I am transferring you to Mr. Stone, now.” I don’t have a chance to say thank you before I hear the line ring. My heart begins to pound double time inside of me.
“Adam Stone.” His voice is so serious, forthright and very sexy. We both know he is aware it’s me on the phone. I realize I better say something quickly before he hangs up on me. I’m going to tread lightly to avoid a repeat of the night before.
“Hi, it’s Violet.”
Dead silence and then, “I am little surprised to be hearing from you. To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?” He is terse and I can hear sarcasm in his voice. Why else would I be calling him other than to apologize? At this moment I am only interested in mending things, and ignore his tone.
“Adam, I’m calling to apologize about what I said last night. I don’t know what came over me. I should’ve waited to hear what else you had to say or asked questions to help me understand better. I’m really sorry.”
There is silence down the line and then I hear him take a breath before he says, “You embarrassed yourself and me last night, Violet. To be honest, I found your outburst to be immature. At the risk of sounding like a ‘rich bastard,’ I can’t condone behavior like that from anyone I am associated with, you must understand that.” I flinch as I hear him say “immature” and flinch again at hearing “rich bastard.” I have to convince him otherwise.
I know I sound desperate when I say, “Can we please meet to talk this over? I’m so upset. I even called in sick today. I really am sorry and I know I should not have behaved that way. You didn’t deserve that.”
He sighs and, sounding brusque, replies, “I leave on a flight for London tonight. I can meet you for lunch if you promise not to walk out on me again. Otherwise, it will have to wait until after the opening event next week.”
“Yes, lunch is good, where should we meet?”
“Your place, that way you have nowhere to run.” He thinks quickly, which only deepens my attraction to him.
“Okay, yes,” I say, feeling happy that I am going to see him and hopefully make peace. I ask him what time.
“I’ll be there before 1.” The phone goes dead. He’s hung up on me.
It’s only 9:30. I breathe to help steady my racing heart. I have time to tidy up the apartment and then step out to get some food for lunch. I take a shower feeling a little better that he has agreed to see me. The fact that he thinks I am immature is worrisome. A man like him doesn’t want drama in his life, I get that. I blow dry my hair and put on a little makeup. After pulling on my nice jeans and a fitted pink button down shirt, I grab my purse and head to the grocery store. I buy four fresh buns, three tomatoes, and some freshly sliced Havarti cheese. I will cut up some strawberries for dessert. I decide wine is inappropriate, as he may need to get back to work. I have one more stop, to pick up flowers to brighten up the apartment before I head home.
At home, I put the flowers in a vase that belonged to my mother. I stand back to admire them for a minute and then place them on the mantle of the fireplace. They look nice there, white tulips, my favorite. I set out a platter on the kitchen counter for the cheese and tomatoes leaving the bread wrapped so that it stays fresh. Just before 1, I hear my apartment buzzer.
“Hi,” I answer.
“It’s me.”
I press the buzzer to let him into the building. My heart is racing with uncertainty again. I open my front door and step into the hall to wait for Adam to come up the stairs to my apartment. He looks handsome and distinguished in his suit and tie as he walks down the hall toward me. He enters my apartment and just stares at me. This causes me to put some distance between us, as I feel embarrassed and awkward. He is serious and I can tell he is thinking again, about what, I don’t know. I wish I did. His thoughts come to life quickly when all of sudden Adam is walking towards me. He pulls me into him and kisses me. He is unbuttoning my shirt. Oh my, I think, please undress me and take me now. The kiss is passionate and deep. His tongue exploring my tongue, my lower region is tingling. He is now undoing my jeans. Is he going to make love to me now? So many wonderful thoughts run through my mind. He holds my arm as I step out of my jeans. I am now standing in my bra and panties with an open shirt in front of Adam. I don’t feel shy. I feel passion and desire. I want him badly.
He leads me to the open bedroom door that is Ann’s former bedroom, which he obviously thinks is mine. I’m glad, as this room is tidier than my own. “Lie down on the bed,” he orders. I comply, feeling nervous and excited at the same time. He stands over the bed and looks down at me. His eyes are dark and his face is serious. He begins to run his finger over my belly and up towards my now very erect nipples that are visible even under my bra. He rubs the left nipple on his way up to my mouth. He runs his finger across my mouth slowly and then down my cheek. He moves it down over my other erect nipple then down my belly and this time stops. I’m breathing heavier now, mesmerized by his touch and its effect on me.
Suddenly, he pulls my shirt upwards locking my arms in the sleeves of the shirt above my head. “Lie still,” he commands as he flicks open the front clasp of my bra, exposing my breasts. He continues to explore my body with his finger running it over my now exposed nipples; he circles each of them a few times and it feels amazing. I moan. He slowly moves down and stops at my now moist panties. He can feel the moisture and I can see his erection beneath his pants now. I just want him to rip off my panties and take me any way he sees fit. Instead, he pulls the crotch of my panties to one side and lets his finger touch my moistness. He knows exactly what he is doing.
“Look at me,” he says. I look up into his dark blue eyes waiting for his next move. “You are very w
et Violet.” I can only moan, as what he says is true and he is the only person, other than me, who has touched me down there. His touch is driving me crazy with desire as he begins to explore me. He runs his finger over my clitoris; I squirm as the hot sensations run up my belly, then he slowly moves his hand back and inserts a finger inside me and begins to wiggle it. Oh, this feels so good. He is skilled, like a musician playing an instrument and I am the instrument. My body begins to crescendo with each motion of his finger. I moan again, trying to close my legs because what he is doing feels so good. I want to explode and he says hungrily in a deep voice. “Wait, Violet, until I tell you to come or I will stop.” I look up at him, “Please, don’t stop.”
He grins down at me, which makes him look even sexier. This time he moves his lubricated finger up to massage my clitoris by slowly rubbing and putting just the right amount of pressure sending shivers all through me. I look up at him. “Please, can I please?” Our eyes are fixed, I can’t move, I am lost in so much passion and my belly is full of sensations I can’t explain. Waves upon waves of pleasure are rushing through me as Adam finally gives permission.
“Let go. Come for me. I want to hear you.” I scream in ecstasy as he permits me to release while his finger is still skillfully working. I moan as my body jolts. My mouth is wide open and my eyes close as the pulsating sensations rip through my entire body and then I lay still.
He slowly moves his finger from me and runs it along my belly up towards my mouth. “Taste yourself Violet, taste what I’ve done to you. Imagine what more I could do, if you would just sign the fucking agreement.” I oblige immediately and suck his finger, enjoying the moment. He is finished with me and looks down with a slightly amused but oh so powerful glance. Stepping away from the bed he tells me, “Get up and get dressed. We have lots to discuss.”
He walks out of the room into the living area. I lay breathless for a minute on the bed. I have pleasured myself many times, but what he did to me has taken me to an entirely new level of delight and he did it with just one finger. My desire to be with him has quadrupled, and I didn’t think that was even possible. I quickly begin to get dressed and realize my jeans are in the living room. I walk out in my shirt with no pants and he is watching me, inspecting my body. When dressed, I walk over to where he is sitting and take the armchair beside him.
Solid Stone: Revolving Door Page 6