Trusting Stone (4 page)

Momentarily, as they walked in, the beat of the music coming from the sound system broke the
tranquility
of the rest of the
club
. The large, dark rooms were fully
paneled
and joined together through a set of double doors, now swung open for the evening.

“It’s open bar! Trey’s really pissed we’re not getting the whole
club,
so it’s a sort of peace offering, I guess.” Susan looked at Eden with a little smirk. “You can’t pass up a drink on the house now, can you?”

“I’ll get them. Looks like Trey’s glad you
finally
arrived,” Eden offered, nodding in the direction of the blond man weaving his way toward them. He had a sloppy grin on his face, giving away how drunk he already was. Eden was determined to regain her composure and to get away from Susan’s increasingly irritating manner.

As she walked across the room to the bar, sliding between the crowd, trying to avoid too much
contact
as she squeezed past her peers, all she could think about were those eyes—so blue and piercing. Why hadn’t she been able to look away? She held her stomach, thinking back to the feeling his stare had invoked in her, a feeling she’d all but given up on having. Coming back to the task at hand, she ordered a rum and Coke for Susan and a straight Coke for herself. There was no reason Susan would think it was any different than her own drink and maybe that would get her off Eden’s back for the evening.

Eden found Susan in a corner of the first room, leaning against the
paneling
with Trey at her side. They both were giggling at each other and, for a moment, Eden was jealous—jealous of their carefree attitude, jealous that Susan could stand Trey’s touch, his hand resting on her hip while he leaned in to flirt with her, jealous that they could drink and relax and enjoy their youth without always being afraid or suspicious of what might happen next. But then she shook her head. Eden had given up on trying to become the woman she once was.

The next hour passed smoothly and Eden had fully stepped into her role as the happy American
senior
. A few of Trey’s friends had joined them, and Susan engaged Eden enough in the conversation that she felt compelled to stay with them instead of losing herself in the crowd, as she had intended to do. The music had been turned up and more people had joined the dance floor, crowding the group further together into the corner.

Suddenly, Eden felt a shove from behind, causing her to spill her drink all over her hand. She turned around and saw a
dancing
couple, oblivious to their lack of personal space.

“Let me take that,” Trey offered, grabbing her drink out of her hand and handing her a paper napkin from the small table that ran along the side of the
paneled
wall
.

“Thanks,” she mouthed, as she wiped up the spilled drink, pleased to see she had avoided her dress. She glanced at Trey as he handed her back the drink, doubting whether her first impressions of him were right. She was too hard on people. Dr. Shepherd had warned her. Not all men were like those frat boys, he told her time and time again. Perhaps she was wrong about Trey.

She took a long sip of the drink and tried to relax. The sugary taste filled her mouth and she was already swallowing before she
realized
the bitter bite she detected was rum. She caught Susan’s eye and gasped.

Trey burst into drunken giggles. “We did it, Susie, we
finally
got her to drink something!”

Susan joined in, almost hysterical. “You should see your face, Eden. Priceless.”

Eden looked down at the drink in her hand,
realizing
what had happened and that it hadn’t been a mistake. Trey had purposely given her the wrong drink, and
suddenly
Eden felt very out of control.

She turned away as Susan and Trey continued to tease her, informing the rest of the group of their little trick. She had to get out of here. Trey was exactly the sort of man she expected him to be, just like those other boys, men who liked to tease, even when they were the only ones laughing. She had to get out, away from the music, away from Susan’s abrasive laugh, away from her peers, who for a moment, she had let herself think weren’t all that she had expected them to be.

It wasn’t that Eden was averse to drinking, although she knew her reaction made her look hysterical. She could feel a panic attack just waiting to happen.

She passed through the double doors, and instead of turning right to enter the main foyer, she turned left. She could see people milling under the crystal chandelier that illuminated the main foyer. Different functions were being held throughout the
club,
and there were too many people for her to have to get past before she lost her composure. And even if she held it together long enough to get out the front door, she would simply find herself outside, with no ride and nowhere to hide. There was no way she could sustain a panic attack and hail a cab at the same time.

Eden walked quickly down the hall, looking for a sign for the bathroom and trying to regain her breathing. She could feel the panic attack mounting in her chest. The tears were making her eyesight blurry and she started to stumble, the four-inch heels
suddenly
catching
on the patterned runner that ran the length of the dark hallway. Before she could understand what was happening, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and one hand grabbed her wrist,
catching
her from falling and simultaneously pulling her into a doorway. Eden started to protest and pull away. Who the hell was touching her?

She looked up to find a pair of pale blue eyes.

Chapter Four

“I can’t…I…” she stuttered, unable to
catch
her breath.

“Breathe, Eden, just breathe,” the man said, still holding her waist and wrist. “That’s right, in and out. You’re alright now, love.”

Eden held his gaze and focused on his voice, a smooth English accent with a strange hint of something else underneath it. His voice captured her attention and she found her breathing slowing down. The fear and panic she had felt moments ago began to dissipate as he continued to soothe her.

Eden took in the rest of his face—his dark hair, swept back to leave exposed features so perfect she could hardly believe they were real. She was most aware of his mouth now that he had stopped talking her down from the panic attack—firm lips that she, for some reason, wanted to touch. She
realized
he was still holding on to her. And she didn’t want him to let her go. Ever.

Finally, she broke the silence. “How do you know my name?” she whispered, still slowly regaining her breath.

“Eden? You don’t remember me? I’m Sebastian Stone.” He smiled at her, his cold blue eyes
suddenly
filling with warmth. She hadn’t heard that name in a long time, over a decade.

The Stones had lived on the same
street
as her family for years. Four years younger than Sebastian, she’d had little to do with him, but their parents attended the same country
club
and she inevitably saw him at functions during the holidays. He had moved away after his parents got divorced and she’d never heard about the Stones again until now. The last time she had seen him was when he was 11 years old. She could hardly believe this was the same
young
boy.

Eden could feel her heartbeat pounding through her chest and she wasn’t sure if it was from the avoided panic attack or the fact that he had pulled her so tightly to him that she could feel the buttons from his suit jacket pressing into her through her silk dress. The feeling in her stomach had returned and she tried to smile back. She felt completely overwhelmed by his presence. Usually, Eden avoided feeling overwhelmed by any emotion, good or bad, but she didn’t care now. She didn’t push away. She didn’t freeze up in fear. Instead, she let herself get lost in his touch, in his gaze, in his voice.

She breathed in, trying to slow her heart, and she shivered as she took in his scent—musky cologne and something else.

“Something scared you, didn’t it? But it’s gone now. You’ll be fine,” he said as a statement rather than a question.

“I just...I don’t know…I just had to get out of there.” Eden felt embarrassed about her dramatic escape from the party. But she felt herself seize up as she
suddenly
saw Trey stumble through the double doors, obviously looking for her. Sebastian obviously felt her body tense and followed her line of sight. Still holding her wrist in his grasp, he moved her behind him so that she was trapped between his body and the door.

“Don’t move,” he whispered,
finally
releasing his grasp and turning his back to her. His shoulders filled the door and she had to shift to the side to look past him and see Trey, who was now standing in front of them.

Trey, who initially had come across as one of the better-looking men at the party, fell short in comparison to Sebastian. His blond hair looked ruffled and slightly greasy. His polo shirt, matched with slightly baggy jeans, made him look like a child held up against Sebastian’s dark three-piece suit that fit him amazingly well.

“Eden, there you are! Come on, we were just joking around.” Trey eyed up Sebastian before returning his attention to Eden. “Come on, Susan’s worried she really upset you and you should come back in. The party’s only just begun.”

“I’m fine,” Eden managed in return. “Just leave me alone, please.”

Sebastian
finally
spoke. “It would be best if you returned to your party.”

Trey
finally
looked at Sebastian, having ignored him until now. “Who the hell are you?”

“It doesn’t matter who I am. Eden’s told you she’s fine and clearly doesn’t want to return to the party. A gentleman would take the hint.”

Trey shuffled his feet, clearly unsure of how to deal with Sebastian’s rudeness. “Okay, whatever, man. Eden, let’s go.” Trey reached around to grab Eden and Sebastian growled.

“I believe the
lady
asked you to leave her alone. If I were you, I would avoid touching her if you know what’s good for you.”

“Look, man, Eden’s with us. There was just a little joke that she got offended by. I’m taking her back to the party.” Trey was pushing his luck. Eden could hear her breath quickening and, for a moment, she thought Sebastian was going to step aside and she would have to deal with Trey on her own.

Instead, Sebastian took a step forward, placing himself just inches away from Trey. “I don’t like having to repeat myself. The
lady
asked you to leave her alone.” Eden couldn’t see Sebastian’s face, but the slight shift backward that he took gave away Trey’s fear.

“Whatever, she’s not worth it.” And without another glance at Eden, Trey turned and walked away.

Sebastian’s broad shoulders still mostly obstructed her line of vision, but she heard the double doors open and the sound of the DJ spilled out in the corridor as Trey rejoined his party. Only then did Sebastian turn to her. His hand reached up, and Eden instinctively tried to take a step back, still shaken by Trey’s
behavior
, but she was already pressed up against the door and there was nowhere for her to go. He slowly moved his hand to her shoulder and brushed a lock of her hair that had fallen forward over her shoulder. In so doing, his fingertips grazed the exposed skin along her shoulder just for a moment. But in that moment, Eden felt something she had never felt before—a wave of electricity shot through her body, causing her thighs to tighten and her stomach to flutter. And for the third time that night, she gasped, caught in Sebastian’s gaze.

“Do I frighten you, Eden?” Sebastian asked, his left hand moving down to again grasp her right wrist, as he had done when
catching
her from her stumble.

“No,” she whispered, and she
realized
she was telling the truth. She had flinched away as a matter of habit, and more because of Trey, not because she didn’t want Sebastian to touch her.

“Come,” he said, tightening his grasp on her wrist and walking quickly down the hall.

Eden had to be careful not to stumble again, struggling to keep up with Sebastian’s brisk pace. They moved across the foyer, Sebastian practically dragging her through the doors and out on to the Edinburgh sidewalk. Only then did he stop and wait as a town car pulled up to greet them. Eden used those few seconds to eye him up. He was taller than she initially
realized,
and even in her four-inch heels, she barely came to his shoulder. Under the well-fitted suit, she could see that he was muscular but lean. In those few seconds in the doorframe, when she had been pressed against him, she had felt his hard body.

She avoided his blue eyes now as her gaze moved over him, worried that she wouldn’t be able to look away. She wracked her brain to remember any details about what had happened to the Stones. How come she had never heard about him after the divorce?

Sebastian swept his hands through his unkempt wavy hair, almost as dark as hers. And
suddenly,
they were moving again. He was guiding her toward the town car and, for a moment, Eden wondered if she should protest. Was she really about to get into the car? She hardly knew the man. They had barely had a real conversation. But without a further moment’s hesitation, she ducked down to get in. Sebastian had released his grip, but kept
contact
by touching her on the small of her back as they got settled. Only when they were both seated did he break
contact
and pull back.

Eden
realized
she wanted him to be touching her again. This thought scared her and she edged back into the corner of her seat, pressing herself against the door, trying to establish some distance between them. He still hadn’t spoken, and Eden glanced up now to see that he was staring at her. The warmth she had witnessed in his eyes momentarily in the hall was gone and she practically shuddered under his cold gaze.

“Where do you live?” he asked, and Eden managed to tell him her address. What the hell was she doing? Did Sebastian intend to take her back to her
apartment,
and then what? He’d asked if she was afraid of him and she said no. God, she’d lost all sense of safety and had now told this stranger where she lived and was trapped in a car with him. Eden knew she should be more sensible, knew she should at least text Mara and tell where she was in case Sebastian did turn out to be a psychopath. But she didn’t. She’d felt something when he touched her, and whatever it was, she was willing to take the risk to pursue it.

The car shifted into motion and Sebastian pressed a button, raising the privacy screen between the driver and the backseat. Eden’s debutante training was beginning to kick in and she started to speak.

“I don’t know how to thank…” But before she could finish the sentence, he was on her.

Sebastian’s lips pressed against hers with a gentleness that didn’t seem to match the cool blue eyes that had been watching her moments ago. His hands caressed her hair and Eden found herself responding. She kissed back, opening her mouth to let his tongue gently sweep in. That act of acceptance acted like a trigger and Sebastian’s soft kiss turned ferocious. His hands gripped her hair, angling her head as his mouth assaulted hers. But she responded in turn and her hands reached to grasp his forearms, pulling him into her even more.

With one hand still lost in her hair, his right hand started moving, sliding down her neck,
traveling
over the smooth black silk of her dress until it cupped her breast. Eden moaned in surprise and desire. She should have been afraid, but she wasn’t. For the first time in years, she wanted this, wanted this man who she barely knew caressing her, touching her, turning her on. She pushed forward with her body,
signaling
to him that he had permission, wanting him to do more, giving herself to him. She could feel herself getting wet and she sucked in air as his mouth broke away from their embrace and moved down her face, kissing her neck and exposed skin along her shoulder.

The electricity she had felt in the hall when he had simply grazed her shoulder with his fingers was now magnified as his lips and tongue danced across her skin, and her body felt like it was on fire. His touch seemed to ignite and yet quench the flames that shot through her. His hand moved from her breast, sweeping down her waist, cupping her ass and pulling her even closer. She moaned into his hair as his mouth continued to caress and nuzzle her neckline. She was lost in his touch and his scent, her senses overwhelmed.

Suddenly, he pulled away and Eden tried to regain her composure, gasping for air, smoothing her dress as he leaned across her to open the door. She hadn’t even
realized
they had stopped. How long had they been driving? It had felt like only seconds. Unsure of what to do, Eden stepped out of the town car, making sure to hold her clutch tight to her, attempting to breathe deeply and quell the feeling between her legs. Eden looked up to see they were in front of her
apartment
building.

“Let me walk you to your door, Miss Maxwell.”

“I can’t believe you remember by last name,” she murmured, avoiding his gaze. She was
suddenly
embarrassed as to how she’d responded to his touch in the car, the way her body had moved against his, so willing, clearly yearning for more.

“Lead the way, Eden…” Sebastian caught her eye and she saw the warmth that had comforted her in the
club
.

She smiled, relaxing in his gaze
finally
. When they got to her
apartment
door, she wasn’t sure what to do. She didn’t want this to end, whatever it was. She needed more, but the rational part of her brain had kicked in and she didn’t know if she could bring herself to invite him in, to become a
young
22-year-old woman who partook in
one-night
-stands with random men she hadn’t seen for over ten years, to be the woman she had tried to be at the
club
and failed miserably.