§
We’re back at the loft in ten minutes. I pour two glasses of Perrier and sit beside Adam on the sofa. Turning to face him, I say, “Let’s be completely honest with each other. I promise not to hold anything you say against you, if you promise to do the same for me.” He nods.
“I’ll start then. I do trust you, you need to know that. The text message rattled me, I wasn’t thinking straight. I’m sorry I didn’t walk into that coffee shop that day, it would’ve changed everything, but I was a different person then and not as well equipped as I am now.”
I take a deep breath as I think of what I’m going to say next. “When I told you to leave a few weeks back, it was a desperate act to protect both of us before we ended up in a darker place. I cried my eyes out. My heart walked right out the door with you. I was a mess.”
He sighs, “Hearing you say all of that,” he pauses, “it means so much. When I left here I sat on the ground beside my car and cried. I haven’t cried like that since my uncle. I felt like the end was imminent and I couldn’t do anything to stop it. It was my fault I’d pushed you too far. I wished I could turn back time and said yes when you asked me in Chicago. I should’ve been man enough to say yes, but my pride, my fucking pride got in the way. The trust thing was so hard for me, but it doesn’t matter now, because you do trust me, it showed every time we were together, but I was just too stubborn to notice. I’m just as sorry as you are.”
I take his glass from him and put it down on the coffee table. Taking both his hands in mine and looking into his eyes I say, “You can turn back time. What we have is magical, so we can do anything as long as we’re together.”
A tear trickles down his cheek and he pulls me into him. Two strong arms envelope me. “Oh Violet, I don’t deserve you.”
My eyes sting from my own tears. “You do deserve me. I was yours before we even met. Just say it and we’ll….”
And then he says between kisses, “I love you Violet, I never stopped. Being without you is like holding my breath all the time. The pain moves from my heart to my stifling chest and becomes more excruciating each second, and then it repeats itself, over and over again. You breathe life into me. You’re the reason I smile when I do, because you’re everything to me.”
He pulls me in tighter, blending our tears together. We need this, opening the wound, feeling its rawness, baring our souls, this kind of honesty is going to heal us, I just know it.
“We can get through this.” I squeeze him tighter.
“We have to, or I’ll never be happy.”
“I think you should see someone.”
He loosens his arms around me so he can look at me. “What do you mean?”
“Someone to help you understand your feelings.”
“You do that, you make me feel all kinds of things, but you mean a shrink?”
“Yes, I think you still have a lot of pain from your uncle’s suicide. I would too if it happened to me. Just think about it, okay?”
“I’ll do whatever you ask. I love you that much.”
“And I love you more. You’ve made me the happiest woman alive, I hope you know that.” I stand and lead him to our bedroom. We undress each other and slide into bed. The closeness of his body, his arms protectively wrapped around me, seals our bond. Our love will last forever, like a solid stone. I just know it.
Chapter 33
“Adam”
Waking up, I hope last night wasn’t a dream. When I feel her warm body still in my arms I let my breath out, because it’s true; she’s really in my arms. Listening to her breathe makes me smile. It’s hard not kiss the top of her head, but I don’t want to wake her.
§
Warm brown eyes look up at me. “Hello,” she says, still sleepy.
“Hello Beautiful.” I kiss the top of her head.
“So it wasn’t a dream?”
“It wasn’t, we’re really here like this.”
“Good.” She kisses me. Her kiss sends bursts of perfect warm energy, sunbeams through me. The rays reach every cell of my body. Who knew I could love someone so much? I never did before her. I kiss her back pulling her in close. “I love how you kiss me,” she whispers into my mouth. If I hold her any tighter I’m afraid I’ll hurt her—I loosen my hold just a little, still keeping her very close.
I want her, no, I need to feel her in every way. My hand caresses her soft skin. I trace a finger around her nipple, still kissing her and she moans encouraging me. Her back arches when my finger eases its way down and inside her. I move it slowly to escalate her pleasure. I slide up to her clitoris and play there for a little while. She moans again.
I move upward, using her wetness to trace a heart shape around her navel. She’s looking down as I do, her eyes heavy with desire as she pulls my head to her breast. Her nipple is hard and tender between my lips. I suck it and then tease it with my tongue, her back arches again. I slide my tongue downward, moving closer to what I want, to taste, her, all of her.
Her belly rises up and down against my lips as I kiss it. Inching closer, her breathing becomes heavier. Her essence makes me hungry, very hungry. Her shapely thighs frame my face. I blow over her clit. “Adam, please,” she groans.
“Please what, Beautiful?” I want to hear her tell me what she wants. I blow in circles, her bum raises off the bed.
“I want to feel your tongue, oh Adam, pleeeeaaaaseee.” My first lick runs all the way up and down her entire core. “Ahhh,” she moans. Kissing her lips turns into sucking them, teasing them with my tongue. She writhes beneath my head. My tongue paints circles around her, in her, and over her. This won’t last long; her clit is hard as stone. I grin, going in for the crescendo.
My tongue plays her clitoris like the perfect instrument it is, attached to the perfect being. I circle it, press down over it and then she pulls my head in closer—she wants her release. I hold the note vibrating my tongue over her sweet spot, her hips rise, her voice rises and then she lets go. Her legs twitch as she belts out her chorus. It’s sweet music to my ears.
Sliding my body upward, she looks into my eyes and wraps her delicate fingers around my erection. She squeezes and rubs just enough to make me moan. Still holding my gaze, her hand guides me. She slowly releases me, one finger at a time, allowing me in deeper. I want to feel every bit of her.
And when I move my hips she moans, grabbing my hair. I lift her hips to take her up a level or five. Feeling her tightly wrapped around my cock is a thrill of a lifetime. I can never get enough of how she feels. It’s like a drug, I always want more. I thrust faster, watching her face contort with pleasure. I grit my teeth to hold on as long as I can, it’s not easy. My cock’s nestled nice and tight. She’s a perfect fit. Her moans get louder and her hips start to move. She’s going to make me come. Five hard thrusts and I start spiraling into euphoric oblivion. As she begins to climax she clenches down over my cock, taking my pleasure to the very top and then I let go. “Ahhh, Violet,” I cry out.
“You have a beautiful cock, Mr. Stone,” she croons in my ear as my head rests on her shoulder.
“And you, well, being inside you is addictive. Everything about you is.”
“I love you, I love you, I love you, Adam Stone,” she says out loud. I roll over on my side and pull her into me.
“I love you more.”
She smiles, kisses me on the lips and says, “Breakfast? You must be hungry after that outstanding performance. You deserve a standing ovation.” She giggles and kisses my chest.
“You better be careful with those kisses, I’ll only want more of you.”
She bats her eyelids. “I’m always ready for more!” It takes two seconds to roll her onto her stomach. Starting at the nape of her neck I massage my way down. “Oh, that feels nice,” she whispers. Sliding my hands over perfect soft skin gets my heart racing again.
Chapter 34
Pushing my chair back from the dining table I stretch, having just finished updating my resume. Making the right choices are paying off. This past weekend with Adam was so revealing. We were both transparent; two open books. The tension between us has lifted. The hopeless feelings I had a few weeks ago, are gone for good.
From: Violet Cole
To: Adam Stone
Subject: My resume
Hi sweetheart,
I’ve attached my resume for your feedback. I know you’re really busy and I hope your trip is going well. Be brutally honest, I can take it.
Love you.
Violet
xoxox
In less than an hour he responds. I honestly don’t know he does this between meetings.
From: Adam Stone
To: Violet Cole
Subject: Re: My resume
Hi Beautiful,
I’m never too busy for you.
Your resume looks great, here’s a thought to consider, but not mandatory. (Does that even sound like me? You’re changing me for the better.) Sorry, I digress.
Consider digging a little deeper into your contract reviews and renewals. You’re sifting through important details, identifying concerns that could be detrimental down the line. This could be very helpful to the museum when commissioning for new exhibits. A major exhibit has the potential to be a big money maker and marketing opportunity.
Like I said, it’s just something to consider. It really is very good and I’m impressed at just how much you do. I’m so proud of you!
Love you
Adam
Reading his email makes me hug myself. Impressing him means a lot to me. I make a couple of edits and send it back to him as final. He can now submit it for consideration. I’m so excited!
§
Adam leans over my cubicle, his beautiful eyes smile at me along with two perfect lips. Taking it all in makes me dizzy. I’m so in love with him. “Hi,” he says and then mouths, ‘Beautiful’. My body warms up instantly.
“Hi, welcome back,” I say and mouth, ‘I missed you’. While I enjoy working with Paul, I’ll be glad when I change jobs. It’ll be better for both of us and we won’t have to hide our relationship anymore.
“Me too. Is Paul around?” He slips in a wink.
“He’s out until two, I can call him if you’d like?”
“No, that’s okay. Can I see you in his office?” In Paul’s office with the door closed, he pulls me into his arms for a quick kiss. “Sorry, I just had to. I couldn’t stand it out there just now. You know, you getting another job is a good idea. I don’t want to keep us a secret anymore. You’re too special for that and well, I just want everyone to know how much I love you.” As he says the last three words Paul walks into his office.
The heat on my face is obvious, even when he steps away from me. There’s an awkward silence until Adam breaks it. “Sorry, Paul, I’ll explain.” Adam closes the door. “Violet and I are seeing each other again, but I want you to know that had nothing to do with her resignation. She decided to do that before we actually got back together, I hope you won’t hold it against her or me.”
I hold my breath in anticipation of what he might say. “You two deserve each other. I mean, you’re meant to be together, it was always obvious to me. I’m happy for you.” He gives us a reserved smile.
“Thanks, Paul, I’m glad you understand.” I touch his shoulder before we leave.
§
Reading with the TV on, I’m curled up on the sofa. Adam’s working late and said he’d stop by on his way home. He’s traveling again tomorrow. The buzzer goes and I answer, “Hello, you can use your key you know.” There’s street noise, but no answer. “Adam?” I hear breathing, that damn breathing again. I yell, “Who the hell is this?” What I hear next sends chills down my spine to the tips of my toes; it’s a chesty and evil cold laugh. I hang up, dropping the receiver. I sit coiled up on the sofa feeling scared.
§
The alarm chime from the front door makes me jump into a standing position. “Hey, it’s me.” Hearing Adam’s voice makes me well up. When he sees me at the top of the stairs he quickly runs up them. It takes two seconds to wrap his arms around me. “What’s wrong?”
I wipe away tears, settling down, feeling safe in his arms. “I’m not sure, maybe a prank?”
“What do you mean sweetheart?” As we sit, he keeps one arm protectively around me.
“Just a little while ago, the buzzer went. I thought it was you. I could hear street noise and breathing, so I called your name and waited, and still only heard breathing. I blurted out, ‘Who the hell is this?’ because it’s happened before, but not so obvious. This time the person laughed, wanted me to know someone was there. It was cold and evil sounding. It made me cringe and scared me.”
“Do you think it’s teenagers? The buzzer’s outside, it’s easy enough.”
“I would normally, but that laugh, it sounded like a man’s laugh. I think he wanted to scare me.”
“When was the last time?”
“We weren’t really together then. Maybe a month ago? It was early in the morning, the buzzer went, but there seemed to be no one there. I looked out the window after it happened, trying to see if anyone was outside, but there wasn’t. To be honest I didn’t think more about it.”
“Anything else strange happen?”
“There was a call, the person hung up, so I put it down to a wrong number, but no more text messages.”
“I’m not leaving you tonight. I’ll stay over and take you to work. I’ll cancel my trip.”
“No, you’re not canceling your trip. I’m weepy because it just happened and I was scared. I’ll be fine. Let’s not let this asshole, whoever it is, disrupt our lives. I promise to turn on the alarm when I’m home, and I’ll keep my phone close in case you call. “
“I’m not comfortable leaving you.” He picks up his phone and calls Ray. When he hangs up he says, “Still nothing. If you go out after work Frank will drive you and pick you up. Promise me.”
“Okay, I promise.”
“Have you eaten?”
“No, I was waiting for you.”
“I’ll make dinner. What do you want, Beautiful?” He kisses my lips then moves to my cheek.
“Chicken parmesan?”
“Done.” His lips linger over mine until he says, “We’ll eat in thirty minutes.”
§
He’s made chicken parmesan with noodles and it’s delicious, as always. I’m now loading the dishwasher while he washes up a frying pan. It’s almost nine now.
“I don’t want to leave you. I can stay you know, cancel my trip.”
“No, you still have a business to run. You’ve done enough for me already, more than enough. All I need is to know that you love me and that’s it.”
“You’ve got that covered a hundred times. I love you, babe. As long as I have you, life’s perfect.” Wrapping my arms around him I lean in close and kiss him passionately.
“If you start that you know what’s going to happen.” I stare at him, daring him to take me. In seconds he has me bent over a chair. He slides my yoga pants down easily. As he rubs my back I hear his belt buckle clink and unfasten. He’s in me in no time. The heat rises quickly as he stirs his cock around—he knows I like that and I groan. My hands grasp the seat of the chair as the floodgates burst open. He fills me to the brim and I love it. He’s hard and fast taking me closer and closer, and then, “Ahhhhhh,” my hands clench as my pussy convulses and tightens around him. It’s not much longer before he cries out too.
§
We embrace at the door. “Don’t worry, I’ll lock it and put on the alarm. I’ll be fine.”
“I’ll call you when I get home. I won’t see you until Saturday now.”
“I know. About Saturday…�
� I hesitate, feeling a little shy. “Are you going to send me some…choices?”
“Let’s take a break, the last time we did that you asked me to leave and it ripped me apart.” My body slumps on the inside after hearing that. I kiss him good night and close the door. Looking through the peep hole I can see he’s still standing just outside. He walks away when he hears the alarm’s been turned on.
Chapter 35
“Violet”
‘Dressed for success’ I sing in my head. I’m wearing a dark gray pant suit with a navy blouse and navy pumps. Today’s my interview for the assistant curator position. It’s with a panel of three board members. Adam’s done a great job helping me prep. He’s also done really well at leaving me to make my own decisions on how I want to move forward. We’ve come a long way!
The museum doors are large and old. A nice touch, I smile to myself. As instructed, I check in with the concierge desk and ask for Gloria Pinkney. I remember her from the opening last year. We shake hands, exchanging pleasantries as she escorts to me into a meeting room. I’m fifteen minutes early, wanting to make a good impression. My folder lies in front of me alongside a notebook and pen. I’m a little nervous, but also confident that I have the skills to do a great job here.
I stand when the door opens, in walk three board members. The one I know is Mike Cottons, the guy who tried to pick me up at the opening, the guy Adam asked me to steer clear of. He’s joined by a woman and another man.
Mike can’t get to me fast enough. “Hi Violet, it’s so nice to see you again.” He introduces Hilary Waters and Edward Bond, explaining to them how we’d met at the opening last year. We all shake hands and take our seats. I sit up straight, opening my file folder and offering them each a copy of my resume, and a mock-up marketing scenario I’d prepared for discussion. Adam loved the idea when I told him about it.
Solid Stone: Choices Page 17