Trusting Stone (20 page)

“Wait, Eden, I can tell you’re mad at me. Have lunch with me, please, next week? Come on, you’ve been dodging me for weeks now.”

Eden had a pang of guilt. What if Joachim didn’t know what their parents had planned? What if she was simply pushing him away out of anger toward them? Also considering the amount of texts and missed calls she received from him, she could see that he wasn’t going to stop any time soon.

“Alright, Tuesday, can you meet me at work? I only get half an hour.”

“Of course, it’s a date!” he laughed, his jovial tone returning.

“No. It’s
not
a date.” With that, she hung up, grabbed her bag, and looked up to see Sebastian standing in the doorframe, glaring at her. Eden walked up to him, feeling sheepish about him overhearing the conversation, even though she knew she hadn’t done anything wrong. “I’m ready, sorry I took so long. I got a phone call.”

“I’m rather intrigued as to how Joachim Benedict knows more about what happened between you and your parents than I do. Aren’t you?”

Eden tried to walk past him, but he continued to block the door. “Please let me through, Sebastian.” Slowly, he moved to the side, letting her past, and followed her to the
apartment
door. “Do you still even want me to spend the night at your place?” she blurted out, turning to face him. She was sick of everyone being mad at her, expecting her to behave in a certain way.

Sebastian walked up to her until they were almost touching, her breasts just grazing his white shirt. He slowly leaned down and whispered in her ear with a voice that matched his icy glare. “I always want you, Eden. You seem to not be able to remember that.”

The drive back to Sebastian’s
apartment
was as arctic as the ride down in the elevator. Eden smoothed her hand across the leather seat, remembering what had happened less than an hour ago. How could things swing from hot to cold so quickly? Sebastian looked out the window, seemingly ignoring her. Finally, she couldn’t hold out anymore and she reached her hand across the gulf between them and hooked her pinky into his.

“Please, Seb.” He didn’t turn to face her, but carefully entwined the rest of his fingers with hers. Eden gazed at their entwined fingers. Despite all the things Sebastian said to her, she
realized
that she still had a hard time trusting his actions more than his words. Sebastian had never done anything to hurt her. Every gesture, every move he made with her showed her how much he wanted her, not just her body but her soul. But one angry glare was enough to wipe all that away, leaving her feeling exposed and lonely. The thought of it made her shudder, and for a moment, the black pit in her stomach that she had walked around with for years reopened.

What if this was all to end? Could she survive without Sebastian by her side? The confidence she felt, not just sexually, but overall, made her feel alive and, more importantly, worthwhile. Did those feelings only exist because of Sebastian? Could he take them away from her as quickly as he had helped them flourish? She pushed the thought out of her head, closed her eyes, and focused on the gentle caresses that Sebastian applied between her knuckles.

Chapter Twenty-Three

As soon as they were in the
apartment
, she knew Sebastian would want answers and she didn’t blame him. If some ex-girlfriend of his knew about the any of the many secrets Sebastian carried, she knew she would be livid. Throwing her bag next to the black sofa, she glanced at Sebastian, who was opening a bottle of white wine.

“My mother called Joachim. Apparently, he’s been talking to them about me, which is odd considering how little I’ve seen him.”

“I know.” Sebastian was not one to
apologize
and Eden knew that was the best she was going to get out of him.

“I didn’t thank you for getting me this afternoon. I don’t think I would have made it home.”

Sebastian looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

“My parents know about us. Joachim told them. But that’s not what upset me. They don’t want me to see you anymore.”

Sebastian smiled as he lowered his glass. “Well, I’ve never been one to impress the parents.”

Eden wished she could laugh with him, but she could still hear her parents’ demands in her head.

“They don’t want me to be with you because they want me to be with Joachim.”

Sebastian’s smile quickly fell. She crossed the room now and sat on the bar stool as she elaborated on what had happened over brunch,
finally
ending with her panic attack in the parking lot.

“What happened after your attack at St. Leonard’s, Eden?” Sebastian had clearly picked up on the fact that her parents held her responsible for that night. “I want to know exactly what happened after Joachim opened the door to that room.”

“Why? What’s that got to do with this?” Eden had relived those moments so often, she hated going over them. Sebastian knew that and she knew he must have good reason for him to ask her to do so.

“Just tell me what happened.”

Eden started talking, explaining how Joachim had
suddenly
been pulling the men off her, dragged her jeans back on her, and carried her downstairs. The party had died down at that point and in the mix of drunk
students
leaving, no one had paid any attention to a half-naked drugged out girl clinging onto Joachim. He had his car there and drove her back to her dorm room and tried to put her to bed. An hour later, she had started vomiting so he took her to the ER, where her stomach was pumped and she was sent home.

Sebastian stopped her there. “So nobody reported it? Joachim didn’t call the police? The hospital didn’t make a report as to the drugs in your system?”

“I don’t really know. I was still totally out of it and I only know that Joachim was worried I would get in trouble if they found drugs in my system, so he asked the ER doctor not to call the cops and just told them I’d had too much to drink. I don’t really remember the rest.”

Joachim had left her tucked into bed in the dorm room. When she woke up the next day, she started having panic attacks and eventually went to the student medical clinic three days later. She had partial memories of what had happened and more were coming back as the week went on. The attending doctor gave her a prescription for sleeping pills, thinking she was just another over anxious junior who was getting messed up from studying too much. Eden didn’t bother to correct him.

Eventually, she tried to swallow the whole bottle. Her roommates found her and again she was taken to the ER, but this time, the police were called and it was classed as an attempted suicide, which it was, as if there could have been any doubt about what she was trying to do. Her college advisor sent her home and told her to take time off. Eden never went back.

“What happened when you got home? To Elmbridge? Did your parents report the attack then?”

“No, it never got that far. Joachim helped me pack up my dorm room and drove me home. My parents were devastated. Joachim told them what happened at the party. I couldn’t face doing it myself. I couldn’t describe to my father what had happened. Anyway, it didn’t go down well. My father was furious with me, not just for the suicide attempt, but also for getting myself into that ‘situation,’ as he likes to call it. My mom was a bit better, but she always takes his side, so she wasn’t much help to me. It was horrible, really. I was going to therapy three times a week and then I was coming home to my parents telling me how embarrassing the whole thing was and how I needed to be more careful next time. Finally, Dr. Shepherd arranged a private appointment with just them. I don’t know what exactly he told them, but after that they stopped bringing it up and then they told me I’d have access to my
trust fund
if I could get back to college. I refused to go back to St. Leonard’s, so I applied for the exchange program.”

“One last question and then I promise I won’t bring it up again.”

“Okay. I’m just so tired
suddenly
, Seb. It’s been such a bad day.”

“Do you know the names of the guys that did this to you?”

“Eric Taylor, Damien Tine, Robert Elin, and Jonathan
Young
.” The names rolled off her tongue without a second’s hesitation. While she’d tried so hard to move on from that night, she certainly wasn’t going to ever forget those names. “Now you tell me why that matters.”

“Oh Eden, I thought you said you were tired?” Sebastian had come around the kitchen island and ran his fingers up her arm. He pushed open her knees and stood between them, slowly placing one hand on each of her bare legs, right above her knees. She could feel his thumbs gently rubbing little circles into her legs.

“Sebastian, don’t distract me!” Eden knew what he was doing and she tried to focus on the question she wanted him to answer.

“It’s been a very long day, darling. I think I should help you get into bed.” Sebastian’s voice had become low and rough. As he spoke, he slowly, almost imperceptibly moved his hands up her legs, pushing the skirt hem higher and higher until her panties were almost visible. Eden slowly moaned and bit her lip as Sebastian hooked one finger into the seam of her panties and gently tugged. “Hmm,” he murmured, “all this beautiful lingerie, such a waste.”

Eden looked down at the black panties she had changed into at her
apartment
. “What do you mean a waste...” She gasped as he
suddenly
lifted her by the waist and ripped the fragile lace off her, dropping them onto the floor behind him.

“Now, do you want your bra to suffer the same fate or do you want to take it off yourself?” Sebastian’s voice was growly and tough, but she knew he was teasing and it drove her wild.

“I think as you learned with my text this morning, Mr. Stone, two can play at that game.” She slipped off the counter and out of his arms, moving one step at a time as she unbuttoned the top of her dress.

She made sure the coffee table was between them before she let the dress hang open, exposing the balcony style black lace bra that had matched the panties. “The only way the bra’s coming off is if you can
catch
me.” Without a second’s notice, Sebastian lunged across the room toward her, hopping over the coffee table to get to her. Eden shrieked and ran around the couch, aiming for the bedroom, unsure if she would make it. He got to her just as she reached the bed, spinning her around to face him. She laughed when she saw the expression on his face—a mix of lust and irritation, exactly what she had wanted.

“Don’t run from me, Eden, or I might have to tie you up,” he threatened in the same low voice. He kissed her neck as he pushed the dress off her arms and dropped it on the bed. His hands swiftly moved up her back to unhook the bra. “I won’t ruin this today. Your dress, on the other hand…” He reached behind her and picked up the thin silk dress, wrapping it around his hand.

Eden looked down at her completely naked body and then at Sebastian, still fully clothed.

“You wouldn’t dare tie me up, Sebastian,” she whispered. Part of her desperately wanted him to, but she also was afraid of what that would mean. Letting him hold her hands above her head was one thing. In so doing, Sebastian was also restricted by having to pin her down. If he tied her up, he would have complete access to her body, with no hindrance.

“Are you challenging me, Miss Maxwell?” Eden
realized
she either had to stop him now or it would be too late. She kept silent and gently leaned against him. Her forehead was on his chest and she was slightly panting at the thought of what was about to happen. He took it as a sign of acceptance and pulled her hands around to the front of her waist. He wrapped the material around her wrists, but didn’t knot it. Sebastian bent down and lifted her into his arms. He walked to the side of the bed and put her down on the mattress so she lay diagonally across it, lifting her arms until they were above her head. Only then did he tie the dress together, after wrapping it around the bedpost.

Eden pulled at her wrists, surprised at how little she could move them. Sebastian looked down at her, running his fingers down the side of her face before settling them on her lips. She kissed the pads of them. The tension in the room had changed dramatically. Gone was the playfulness between them after the chasing game. She stared up at Sebastian, waiting for his next move. He slowly walked to the end of the bed and removed his shoes, but nothing else.

“I want to see you too, Seb.” She spoke
finally
, breaking the silence.

He shook his head. “Don’t say another word.” Something in the way he spoke made her not want to disobey him. He bent down now, gently pulling her legs apart just enough so he could kiss her ankle. He crawled onto the bed, pushing her legs farther and farther as he worked his tongue up her leg. Eden closed her eyes and exhaled. She could never get enough of his touch, his tongue against her skin. She held her breath in anticipation as his fingers moved inches away from her
sex
, already wet and ready.

Suddenly, his mouth was on her stomach instead, missing her cunt completely. He circled her navel, holding her slender waist with both his hands. Eden lifted her head and looked down at him. His eyes were on hers as he continued to lick and nibble her torso. Eden’s face clearly showed her disappointment and he shook his head in response. She laid her head back, looking up at the ceiling. She knew what he was doing—he was going to tease her mercilessly and there was nothing she could do about it. He moved his mouth further up, kissing between her breasts, his hands pressed against her ribs, just under the curve of her breasts. But again, he skipped over her nipples, kissing her collarbone, her jawline, and
finally,
her cheeks.

She quivered beneath him, trying to find friction against his hard body, something to relieve the pressure she could feel building, the need for him to touch her where she most wanted it.

“Do you remember your little text this morning? Do you know what a tease you are?”

“You started it, Sebastian. I was just matching your game.”

“Oh, Eden, haven’t you figured out that you can’t win with me?”

She arched her back now as his finger trailed onto her right breast, just circling her nipple, which was already hard and alert.

“Tell me what you said you wanted.”

“You, I said I wanted you.”

“No, tell me exactly what you wanted.”

Eden held her breath. She was completely exposed to this man, who had watched her orgasm multiple times, who’d had her in positions she wouldn’t have imagined in her wildest dreams, yet to say the words still made her blush. She closed her eyes as she spoke. “I want you to touch my cunt. I want your cock inside me, and I want you to fuck me, Sebastian.”

“And I will. I promise you I will.” He looked at her now, his face full of tenderness
suddenly
before kissing her gently on the mouth. “I’ll give you exactly what you need.” He moved her now, flipping her over onto her stomach, checking that her wrists weren’t too tight.

He straddled her and she could feel his erection through his suit trousers pressing against her behind. He trailed his fingers down her back before lifting her hips slightly up as one hand slid underneath her and found her clit. He rubbed it with his thumb while another finger slid into her waiting body. Now it was his turn to moan.