Carved in Stone (The Stone Series) (9 page)

             
“Hmm,” he murmurs, resting his chin on the top of my head.

             
“You know I meant every word I said last night Gabriella. No more wasting time. No reservations. Last night was the beginning of
us
baby. I’m all in this and last night you committed to be all in this too. There’s no turning back. Okay?”

             
He tightens his arms around me, placing a kiss on my cheek as I shiver at the unyielding resolution ringing through his tone. It’s one of resounding finality and although I couldn’t think it possible after our talk last night, my heart soars higher at his words of proclamation.

             
Attempting to lighten the moon, I twist around to face him brushing my lips lightly against his.

             
“Your so in trouble now Mr. Stone. You have no idea how stubborn I can be,” I joke, winking at him.

             
“Oh… I have some idea button,” he chuckles, tapping his forefinger against my nose.

             
“Button?”

             
“Yes
button
. You have the cutest little button nose,” he says, nipping playfully at my nose with his mouth before placing another kiss on it.

             
“Come on. Let’s get you back to bed,” he orders standing up from the chair and lifting me with him.

Chapter Eight

             
“Wow G. Unbelievable. Just un-freaking-believable! I’m… speechless.”

             
“Now that’s a first M,” I mock, laughing. “Okay, I have to go now Mia, works piling up here.”

             
“Oh no you don’t. I need more details so spill Gabby,” demands Mia petulantly.

             
“I’ve told you everything, now seriously I have to go. Jeremiah’s getting impatient, he’s making faces at me outside my door.”

             
“Oh all right,” sighs Mia. “Will you be home tonight?”

             
“Not sure, Aidan mention something about going out for dinner this morning, so I don’t know what time I’ll be home but I’ll text you. Okay?”

             
“Yeah okay G. Have fun. Say hi to lover boy for me and tell him if he hurts you again he’ll answer to me this time,” declares Mia, in her best intimidating tone.

             
“Yeah, yeah…Bye M, love ya,” I smile, disconnecting the call.

             
“Mia?” Jeremiah calls.

             
“Yeah.”

             
“I’m going for a coffee. Do you want anything?”

             
“No I’m all good, thanks.”

             
“I bet you are sunshine,” says Jeremiah smirking. “Staff meeting in fifteen.” He calls over his shoulder whilst walking away.

             
“Ha ha, very funny,” I yell back at him, reaching for a file on my desk.

             
For the fourth time in an hour my cell buzzes, I really should turn the damn thing off.

             
“Mia for the last time - stop calling me. I’ve told you everything!” I snap in exasperation.

             
“Everything okay baby?” Asks Aidan, a hint of concern threading through his seductive tone.

Shit!
I should have looked at the caller ID on my phone before answering. Damn Mia.

             
“Hey you,” I smile, hoping he’ll ignore my weird greeting. “How’s your day going?”

             
“Good button and yours?”

Aidan’s
use of his nickname for me has me grinning from ear to ear, my mind briefly wandering back over our morning together.

             
After going back to bed, Aidan gathered me close, wrapping both his arms tight around my waist, our legs tangled together and his chin rested on top of my head. The warmth of his body cocooned me securely and before I knew it, I floated off to sleep in a state of languorous bliss.

             
Waking just after seven, Aidan took a shower while I made him coffee and toast for breakfast. The act itself felt so intimate yet surreal as I moved around his kitchen opening and closing cupboards, pulling out butter and milk from the fridge. It was hard to believe that the same time yesterday morning I was heartbrokenly miserable and this morning I was soaring, walking on cloud nine and officially in a relationship with Aidan Stone. The man I loved more than anything in the world.

What a difference a day can make!

              After breakfast, Aidan drove me home to Mia’s condo where I took a quick shower and dressed for work. Aidan sat on Mia’s pristine white couch waiting, his long legs stretched out crossed at the ankles while talking on his cell.               His sheer presence alone made an imposing figure, filling every inch of Mia’s lounge room; just the sight of him literally took my breath away. He looked deceptively relaxed, mind-blowingly handsome and smoothly urbane in his dark grey suit, crisp white shirt and pale blue tie. The cufflinks he wore were platinum with a single diamond centered in the middle of each one, his tie clip the same, part of a matching set I guessed although he wore no other jewelry except a platinum Rolex watch.

             
He looked the epitome of a powerfully impressive CEO who presided commandingly over his domain and suddenly, I was gob smacked, of all the stunningly beautiful women he must have met in his life – he’d chosen me.

             
As if reading my thoughts Aidan looks up, catching my eyes with his and raising his eyebrows in question.

             
“Hang on a minute,” he says to the caller on the other end of the phone.

             
“Everything okay?” He asks frowning.

             
“Yeah,” I smiled in return, smoothing my expression.

How does he do that? It’s like he can read my mind!

              “Everything’s just perfect.”

             
“I’ll call you back,” he says abruptly, disconnecting the call.

             
“Come here Gabriella,” he orders huskily, unfolding his godlike body and rising from the couch. He reminds me of a lion, keenly aware of its surroundings and in complete control of his body while stalking its prey.

             
Walking into his embrace I sigh, inhaling deeply that uniquely intoxicating scent of his. Sandalwood and cinnamon, the combination of the two is both supremely masculine and earthy with the right amount of spice to be intriguing. It really is a heady mixture.

             
“This feels so right, doesn’t it,” Aidan murmurs, kissing the top of my head.

             
“Frighteningly so,” I whisper back. He chuckles, rubbing his hands up and down my back.

             
“Come on, let’s get you to work,” he says, turning me around towards the door.

             
Mia had left earlier in the morning to hit the gym before work so I missed seeing her but in a way I was glad, it meant I had Aidan all to myself for an extra hour before work.

             
It would have been nice to curl up at home with Aidan alone, no distractions and no interference from the outside world for a little bit longer but there wasn’t any chance of that being a workday. At least it was Friday and hopefully we would spend the weekend together.

             
Which brings me to now, just after two in the afternoon and I was giddy hearing his voice on the other end of the phone. We hadn’t spoken since this morning when we parted heading for our separate floors at work.

             
“My day’s been good, very productive, thank you. However, I am missing my boyfriend terribly.”

             
“Well you’ll be pleased to know he’s missing you too button,” he murmurs softly, his sweet words filling me with warmth.

             
“There’s been a slight change of plans, I now have to attend a business dinner this evening at eight. I want you to come with me Gabriella. When it’s done we can head back to my place for the night. I’ll have a driver take you home after work this afternoon so you can change and he’ll drive you back, then we’ll leave from here.”

             
“Oh… okay.”

A
ttending a business dinner tonight wasn’t what I really had in mind and to be honest doesn’t sound like that much fun but the spending the night together part certainly does.

             
“In fact Gabriella, pack some cloths for the weekend. I want you all to myself for a few days,” he continues, sounding slightly distracted. I can hear the tapping of his fingers against the keyboard through the phone.

             
“And… what if I had other plans for the weekend?” I tease.

             
“Do you?” He asks in an eerily low tone, the sound of his leather chair creaking in the background.

Damn
, he called my bluff.

             
“Um… no.” I can just imagine the smug look on his face at the moment.

             
“Good then. Plan for an active, a very nakedly active weekend Gabriella,” he purrs seductively.

             
Just the thought of being naked with Aidan all weekend has me clenching my thighs together tightly and blushing.

             
But before I can counter with some witty sexual banter of my own, he says, “Sorry button but I have to go now. My next appointment just walked in.” Then the line goes dead.

             
Oh well… a whole weekend with Aidan, alone, just the two of us. Now that’s my idea of the perfect weekend.

****

              An hour and half later, the staff meeting wrapped up, Molly and I decide to run out and get a smoothie from the juice bar across the street before heading back to our desks. Skipping lunch again today has me hankering for a sugar hit.

             
“That’s one bright mixture you’ve got there.” Scrunching my nose at Molly’s drink, the beet, ginger, carrot and wheatgrass concoction looks… revolting.

The
russet colored drink is almost as colorful as the pink and purple streaks in her hair.

“It’s delicious,” she
asserts, taking a long draw from the straw then smacking her lips together for emphasis. “Which one did you get?”

             
“Apple, mint and lime. I love this combo.”

             
“Soooo… Gabby, are the rumors true?” Asks Molly sheepishly. She’s biting her lip, curiosity flaring brightly in her violet eyes.

             
“Ah… what rumors?” I feign, knowing full well what she’s hinting at.

             
I can only imagine the rumor mill had been working overtime with gossip about Aidan and I, especially after he gave me a soul searing kiss goodbye outside the elevator car in the lobby this morning. Although there were only a handful of people milling around near the entrance at the time, none of them directly near us, I figured we’d been spotted with the way Jeremiah breezed in making overt childish innuendos.

And if he sang
“Gabby and Aidan sitting in a tree…’
one more time, I swear I was going to ring his juvenile neck!

             
“That you and Mr. Stone are…you know… seeing each other,” She grins, her eyes wide filled with curiosity.

             
“Ah… yeah I guess it is,” I reply self-consciously. “ I guess people are talking huh?”

             
Molly nods, the grin on her face broadening to a wide smile. “Oh my God! That man is so H.O.T.” She declares, fanning herself.

             
“What’s he like? How long have you two been going out? Does he kiss as deliciously as he looks,” she blurts in a rush, her gaze going all dreamy.

I think a lot of women get that dreamy far off gaze when seeing Aidan Stone.

And man, that Jeremiah has a flipping big mouth!

             
“Between you and me?” I ask carefully, caught between not wanting to gossip about the CEO of the company we both worked for and bursting to talk about my man with a girlfriend.

             
Molly nods earnestly. “Just between us,” she promises.

             
“Yes, he’s hot. The relationship is still very new and we kinda just got back together after a week apart but he’s a really amazing person, there’s so much more to him than just his looks. And… well, the subject of his delicious kisses, I’m afraid my mouth’s… firmly closed on that one,” I playfully tease, nudging her shoulder with mine when she pouts in protest.