Shuttered Affections (Cornerstone #1) (18 page)

He used his fingers to turn my head back in his direction.

“You’re such an amazing person, Juliana Petersen,” he said
with reverence.

I moved closer and put my arms on his shoulders. My curly,
messy hair fell over us in a spiral curtain of tresses as I placed my forehead
on his.

Our lips met and a fire broke out between us. His tongue met
mine, boldly tasting me, hot and wet. An electric current surged up my spine
and sizzled over my nerves down below like a bolt of lightning.

Gasping for air, we broke away, our breaths coming in quick
pants, desperate for oxygen. I stared at him in wonder. He captivated me.

“I should get dressed,” I said in a non-convincing tone. I
desperately wanted to rip my t-shirt off and pounce on him. However, the
sensible side of me scolded the idea and reminded me I just met this man a few
days ago.

Just as I was about to push myself away, he grabbed the hem
of my t-shirt and pulled me closer.

Slowly and seductively, he ran his hands up the inside of my
shirt, tracing the contours of my stomach, waist, and sides, until he finally
reached the curves of my breasts. He let his fingertips linger along the lower
crease below them before finally cupping both mounds in his hands, massaging
the tender buds between his fingers.

A low moan escaped my mouth as I leaned my head back, giving
him better access.

“You are mine, Juliana. All mine.”

“Shit was right.”

With agility and speed, he lifted my shirt up over my head,
tossing it to the floor somewhere across the room.

“God, you are so beautiful, Juliana,” he spoke as I stood in
between his legs, naked with the exception of my white panties.

I placed my hands on his shoulders and smiled down at him as
he stared at my breasts.

With his hands on my hips, he slowly pulled me closer and
sucked one of my nipples into his mouth.

“Oh,” I cried out, surprised at the intense reaction my body
was having to his tender touch.

As he switched to the other nipple, I noticed that he was
still fully clothed in a light blue, button-up shirt and black slacks. I
quickly steadied my fingers and began unbuttoning his shirt.

He grabbed the back of my neck and crushed my mouth to his
as I continued my descent down his chest.

Suddenly, he bolted up, carrying me with him and frantically
saying, “Shit! I have to get back to class.”

I totally forgot he had a beginning photography class at eleven
thirty. I quickly glanced at my alarm clock.
Shit
was right. It was almost ten after eleven already. It took at
least fifteen minutes to make it to campus, not to mention the time to park and
run to the classroom.

He held me up under my butt, my legs wrapped around his waist,
as he stood in the middle of my room. I grabbed his face in both my hands and
kissed him lovingly.

“When. Is your. Last. Class?” I said between kisses.

“Ah…” He seemed to be having trouble thinking while my
kisses rained down on him, so I pulled away and cocked an eyebrow. “Oh, uh…
last class today ends just before three. Can Pete stay with you until then?”

I nodded and kissed him again, still holding tight to his
face. I knew Pete could stay until his shift started at five.

“Pete, Sid, and Dex all have to work, but because of what
happened last night, Lib gave me tonight off,” I explained with a grin.

“Great. I’ll pick you up…” I interrupted him with more
kisses. “Oh, Julia. You’re gonna make me late with your distractions.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t help myself,” I said as I pulled away
slightly.

He looked at me with lust in his eyes and I could feel his
excitement pressing into me.

“I’ll pick you up as soon as I’m done with my last class, okay?”

I nodded.

He carried me over to my bed and laid me down gently.

“God, you’re so beautiful,” he said as he stared down at me.

He adjusted himself in his pants, buttoned up his shirt, and
turned to leave.

He stopped at the door, but didn’t turn around. He stood
there, taking a few deep breaths, probably to calm his arousal, and then he
left.

Shortly after Aiden left, I looked at my phone. I had three
missed text messages from
Highway Robber
,
one from Vic, and another from Maddy.

Aiden’s texts were a series of frantic messages asking me if
I was okay and if it was all right that he came over. I’m glad he didn’t wait
for my response.

Vic’s message was a little strange.

I’m sorry for the way I acted on Wed. night. I would like
a chance to make it up to you. Please tell me how I can make it up to you.

Well, I already told him I was interested in someone else. I
really saw no point in attempting to be kind or to give him a chance. I decided
not to respond.

Maddy’s message made me smile. I really was lucky to have
such good friends.

You have never missed a class since I have known you. I
hope you are okay. Mr. Stone seemed completely out of sorts. I hope things are
not causing issues. Please let me know you are okay.

I immediately texted her back.

Yes, I’m okay Mad. Everything is fine with Stone. I had a
long night at work and he assured me since I am almost done with my project,
that I could skip class today. Sorry to make you worry. I love you for thinking
of me.

After catching up on my messages, I got dressed and made my
way out to the living room.

Sid looked up at me and smiled a huge grin while she cuddled
next to a sleeping Pete and watched raunchy, daytime talk shows.

Poor Pete was depriving himself of sleep in order to stay
with us. I felt so bad and touched that my friend would suffer so that we felt
safe.

“Do you think we should let him sleep in my bed?” I
whispered and pointed to Pete.

Sid shook her head. “No, don’t wake him. He’s out like a
light anyway.”

I sat down on the other side of her, plopping down on the
couch and propping my legs up on the coffee table. I barely fit between her and
the arm of the couch, but I needed to be close to her.

“You do realize how much I appreciate you and everything
you’ve done for me, right? I just wanted you to know, I love you, and I’m so
thankful to have such a good friend in my life,” I blurted out quickly, hoping
she would understand even an ounce of respect and adoration I had for her.

“Aww, Julia. You know I only do it because you do so much
for me. You mean so much to me. I don’t know what I would do without you,” she
said with tears beginning to gather as she hugged me.

“No tears. No more tears,” I chided.

We pulled out of our hug and she got an excited gleam in her
eye.

“So…” she said as she wagged her eyebrows and smiled.

I shrugged, not sure what she was waiting for me to say.

“Aiden left here in an awfully good mood and said he would
see me later as he was buttoning up his shirt. I’m guessing you guys played
nice?” she asked with a wink.

Oh. That was what she was getting at.

“Ah, yeah. We talked. I told him everything, even the small
details. And he explained the situation with his wife—which is odd, but
I’m cool with it. Oh, and something happened I never got a chance to tell you
about yesterday,” I continued on, telling her about the panic attack I had in
the hallway when he pinned my naked ass to the wall.

“One of the things I hate about what Rob did to you is he
ruined some of the fun stuff for you,” she said.

I stared at her with a puzzled look on my face, “What do you
mean?”

“Well, a guy holding you down, or holding your hands while
he works you into a frenzy, toying with your physical feelings—it’s
supposed to be such a turn on. Most guys don’t mean it in a bad or forceful
way, and I guarantee Aiden didn’t mean it to be evil. But that’s all you’ve
ever known and it sucks the piece of scum took that away from you,” Sid
explained.

“So, wait a minute. You mean to tell me that you like to be
held down and out of control?” I looked at her incredulously.

A look of desire flicked across her face before she continued,
“Of course. It’s a very exciting and arousing position to be in. Someday, when
you find someone you can truly trust, you’ll know what I mean.”

“Well, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy the attention he was
giving me. It’s just, when I said ‘don’t’, he just kept going and it caused me
to panic and lose my bearings. It was barely a whisper and very likely he may
not have even heard me. But, I couldn’t help it. I explained to him why I
freaked out though and he seemed to be very understanding. Oh, and he wants me
to stay with him tonight. Says he has a guest room I can use. Rob will never
know where to find me and I feel safe enough with him to actually sleep, I
think. Can you stay at Sean’s tonight so you’re not here alone?” I asked her,
begging her to say yes.

She nodded and said, “No problem at all. He loves it when I
stay over. He’s actually asked me to move in with him, but I enjoy my
independence a little too much to make that kind of change right now. I worked
so hard for what we have here. I feel like I need to enjoy it a bit more.”

Just then, Sid’s phone rang and it was a number we didn’t
recognize. She answered the phone quietly and gave a few yeses and uh huhs
before she said we would be there at two.

“The police would like us all to come down and give
statements at two,” she explained.

I nodded my head, but couldn’t help the frown that overtook
my face.

“Hey, are you going to be able to do this, Julia?” Sid asked,
with concern in her eyes.

I nodded. “It’ll be difficult and I’m sure I’ll need lots of
tissues, but I think I will be okay. If it means getting him out of my life,
then it’s what I have to do.”

She nodded her agreement and we sat there, holding hands,
watching the muted TV, and listening to the light, purring snores of our dear
friend, Pete.

After a while, I decided I should take a shower and text
Aiden with our schedule, not necessarily in that order.

I moseyed on into my bedroom and sent Aiden a text.

The police would like Sid and me to come give statements
at 2. Pete will be with us until 4 b/c his shift starts at 5. Sid can stay the
night at her bf’s house. Text me when you are done with your last class.

I decided to start packing a bag since I knew he wanted me
to stay with him. I was hoping to take a trip out of town with Aiden to that
property he spoke of, although I hadn’t had a chance to talk with him about it
yet. So, I made sure to pack a few comfortable outfits as well as my work
clothes. I had no idea how long I would be staying, but wanted to be prepared.

My phone buzzed after only a few minutes and the fact that
he was able to text with me made me happy. Technology was so wonderful.

Are you going to be okay to talk through everything with
the police? I think you’re strong enough, but worry I can’t be there with you. Is
it okay if I pick you up from the station?

I hated the fact that I made him worry.

Please, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I would
love for you to pick me up, but aren’t you concerned people will find out about
us? My friends already know and if it gets out, your job could be in trouble.

By the way, I’m packing a bag so I
don’t have to come back here.

As I pressed send for the second text, I hoped and prayed he
would come pick me up from the station. I really wanted him to, but just
couldn’t imagine how I would feel if he got fired because of me.

Buzzing brought me back from my worry parade.

I can’t help but worry about the people I care for,
Angel. And I sincerely care for you. I will come to the station as soon as I
get out of class. If our relationship leaks, then it was meant to. Don’t you
worry about me getting in trouble. We’ll still try to be discreet.

I smiled and gathered my things for a shower.

As I waited for the water to warm, I thought of how sexy it
would be to shower with Aiden.

Steam rose from the heated shower and I sighed in sheer
bliss when I positioned myself directly under the spray. The hot water
cascading down my body definitely made me feel better.

The time to head to the station quickly came and to my
surprise, I wasn’t nervous as we walked through the doors.

“Hmmm. How do I say, I’m staying with my sexy professor?”

Two nice detectives greeted us as we entered the private
room, which I assumed was for questioning and interrogations because it had the
big mirror on one wall.

I wasn’t happy when they separated Sid from me. But, I knew
why they had to do it. They wanted to make sure our stories were the same.

Sid gave me her assurances that everything would be just
fine and that I needed to have the courage to tell them everything. Then they
escorted her into a different room.

Pete waited for us out in the busy waiting area.

The detective’s name was Gowan. He asked for my name, date
of birth, etc. until he had all my personal information, even my parents’ names
and address.

Det. Gowan then asked, “So, Miss Petersen, can you tell me
why you’re here?”

I brought my purse up to the table, reached in, and brought the
small box with all the threatening notes and letters out onto the table.

“Feel free to call me Julia. It’s going to be hard for me to
tell you all this without getting emotional. So, please, bear with me.”

He just nodded, so I continued, “My ex-boyfriend was very
abusive, but thanks to my friend,” I gestured over my shoulder to what I
thought was the next room, “I managed to get away from the relationship and
started a new life for myself. Just recently, he began making contact again…
following me around, leaving me notes, showing up at my work place and my home.
I just want it to stop and I don’t know what to do.”

Det. Gowan looked remorseful, like he had past experiences
with battered women like myself.

Before he spoke up, I continued, “I really like it here. I
don’t want to have to leave my life behind again. I want to stay here and
finish school. I don’t want to be afraid anymore.”

“I know this is going to be hard for you, but can you
explain to me the extent of his abuse? We need to know what type of person we
are dealing with and any details you can give us will help,” he stated with
grief in his voice. It made me wonder if he had a personal experience with such
things, like maybe a family member went through this as well.

I nodded. I was already prepared to spill my guts all over
the table and hope Aiden would be here soon to pick up the pieces of a broken
girl.

So, I began tearing out my soul for this stranger and the
recording device in front of him. I even gave the detective specific sexual
details I did not share with Aiden to spare him from the gore. I also brought
my medical records that held reports of my multiple emergency room visits and
specifically pointed out the last one. I showed him the notes from my past and
then pointed out the four most recent from this week.

Det. Gowan listened to every intricate detail I gave, taking
notes every now and then, even though the session was recorded.

When I was done, I was sobbing again. He handed me a box of
tissues and sat back in his chair, obviously thinking about something.

“Well, Julia. You seem so much stronger than you let on. I
appreciate you sharing your story with me. Your honesty helps me get the facts
straight. This entire case concerns me. He definitely sounds like a predator. But,
this is where the system gets tricky. We have no proof he has broken the law.”

He pointed the eraser of his pencil down toward the mess of
torn papers and continued, “These harassing notes are borderline. He seems to
know not to cross over with clear threats. It’s as if he’s more into demeaning
you than he is threatening you with violence. I still consider it a threat, but
the law doesn’t.”

Fingering through the medical records and placing them back
in their respective envelopes, he continued, “The ER visits definitely hold a
decent amount of evidence he abused you, but they’re aged a few years now and
any good lawyer will argue with why you held them back for this long. However,
I’m still worried he will eventually cross the line again. And when he does,
you need to call us right away. If he breaks the law at all, we can get him,”
he said with passion.

I gently placed my sweaty palms out on the top of the table
and braced myself.

“So, let me get this straight… he has to break the law
before I can get help? I’m worried that the one time he breaks the law, I might
actually…” I didn’t have to finish the sentence for the detective to understand
my fears.

“I know it sucks, Julia. And we’ll do everything we can to
help you get through this. But, as legalities go, we can’t actually arrest him
unless he physically threatens you. Or, if he puts a physical threat in writing
or gets caught saying that he is going to do something to you. If you ever get
a threatening note where he actually says he is going to physically harm you,
then with a little handwriting analysis, we might have something. At this
point, the only thing we can do is obtain a restraining order against him. You
should also set up an alarm system at your apartment as soon as you can. In the
meantime, do you have friends or family you can stay with so you’re not by
yourself?” He did sound sincere, but the more he spoke about legal crap, the
more bitter I became.

“Um, yes. Well, I live with my roommate, Sid, the one I told
you about who is in with the other detective. She plans to stay with her
boyfriend. And, I…” Hmmm. How do I say,
I’m
staying with my sexy professor?

“You…” he tried to prompt me to continue.

“Sorry,” I apologized. “I’m in a new relationship and not
quite sure whether to call him my friend, or… boyfriend. But, he said he has a
guest room I can stay in for the time being. At least until I can get all this
sorted.”

He nodded and continued, “Okay, that sounds good. I’ll need
his name and the address you’ll be staying at so we can find you if any new
developments arise.”

I froze. Should I give out his name?

“Really, he’s already sticking his neck out for me by
allowing me to stay with him when there’s a lunatic after me. I would like it
if I didn’t have to drag him any further into my mess,” I explained, without
trying to sound defensive.

Just as he was about to argue with me, there was a knock on
the door. The detective rolled his eyes and got up to answer.

I couldn’t hear what the person on the outside was saying,
but I heard Det. Gowan say something to the effect of ‘It's fine’ and ‘We're
almost done anyway.’

He left the door cracked as he came to sit down.

Moments later, Aiden came through the door and closed it
behind him.

I sprang from my seat and sighed in relief as I said his
name out loud, “Aiden!”

He hugged me tight and brought me back to my seat before he
pulled a chair up for himself.

“Wow. Her spirits just lifted one hundred percent since you
walked through the door, Mr. …”

“Stone. Aiden Stone,” he said as he extended his hand for a
shake. “I’m glad I could put a smile on her face. Things have been tough for
her lately, which is why I wanted to try to be here for her as soon as I could.”

Det. Gowan raised an eyebrow. “Well, Mr. Stone. I was just
discussing with Julia the options she might have to stay with someone until
this blows over. She mentioned staying with a new boyfriend, and I am only
assuming that is you,” he said as he pointed his pencil in Aiden’s direction.

“Yes, I offered her one of my guest rooms. At least until I have
a security system installed for her,” he added with a wink in my direction.

“But, Aiden, I can’t ask you to do that. That’s just too m…”
He put his fingers over my mouth.

“No arguments. I want you safe,” he said with a voice that
was stern but still full of humor at my failed rebuttal.

“Well, Julia. I’m very glad to see you have someone who will
make sure this psycho stays away. In the meantime, I am going to process all
the paperwork for the restraining order. I will call you within the next few
days with a court date. I also want to make copies of all these ER reports you brought
and the harassing notes. It is important that you hang onto the originals. Here’s
my card with my numbers on them. Please program them into your phone so you can
call me with any new developments. If you feel threatened in any way, don’t
call me, call nine-one-one first. You’re more than welcome to give the
dispatcher my name so I can be paged.”

Then he looked at Aiden, “Oh, and Mr. Stone. Is it okay if I
get your address so we know where to find Julia?”

I tensed next to Aiden, but he just patted my hand to tell
me it was all right.

“Of course. All I ask is that you call Julia or me ahead of
time to make sure we are going to be there. I share a house with a friend and
would not want to inconvenience her if it can be helped,” he responded with
ease and a dazzling smile.

Then Aiden wrote down all of his contact information,
including his phone numbers and address, for the detective.

“Wow. That’s a nice area. I’m sure anyone lurking around
those homes would be spotted like a leopard,” Det. Gowan joked.

“One more thing, Julia,” he continued. “Can you give us your
work schedule so we can possibly keep an eye out for him? I can’t promise
anything, but if I don’t have any pressing cases, I’d like to stake the place
out for a couple of nights, just to see what his activities are.”

I nodded, quickly wrote down my schedule on his pad, and
then added, “It usually doesn’t change unless I switch shifts with someone. I
will just make sure to keep to this schedule and let you know if anything does
happen to change. I was supposed to work tonight, but since he was waiting for
me to leave the club last night, my boss decided it would be best for me to
take tonight off. I will be back to work tomorrow night though.”

The detective smiled and shook both of our hands. He told me
to stay safe and be careful.

We walked out into the waiting area where only Sid sat.

“Where’s Pete?” I asked.

Sid looked a little surprised and said, “You’ve been in
there for a really long time. He had to go to work.”

I looked at the clock and realized it was close to five in
the afternoon.

“Wow. Have I really been in there for almost three hours?” I
mumbled. Not really asking anyone, but just showing my amazement at how time
flew.

Sid got up and handed me my two bags. I was thankful she
remembered to get them out of Pete’s car.

“Um, Aiden?” Sid said uncomfortably. “Pete drove us both
here and my car is still at work. Is it possible for me to get a ride to the
club?”

“Oh, no,” I exclaimed. “I didn’t even think about us needing
rides afterwards and your car is only a two-seater.”

Aiden began to chuckle at me and I scowled.

“Don’t worry, Angel. That’s why it took me so long to get
here. I figured you both may need rides and possibly have bags, so I went home
and got my Jeep before coming here,” he said with pride in his eyes.

“You never cease to amaze me, Mr. Stone,” I blubbered as he
tucked me in under his arm.

He grabbed one of my bags and one of Sid’s before leading us
out to this beautiful, green Jeep Wrangler with the fabric top taken off. The
roll bars were bare and I was so excited to let the wind flow through my hair.

Aiden flung his arm around me and said, “It does have a top
if you would like me to put it on.”

“Oh, never. I love having the wind in my face,” I admitted
as he hoisted me up into the passenger seat. “I do want to make a phone call
though. Think the wind will be too noisy?”

“We’ll sit in the parking lot for a few while you make your
call,” Aiden said as he climbed into the Jeep.

“Okay. I want you both with me while I call my mom,” I
admitted, feeling foolish but knowing I needed all the support I could get when
it came to my mother.