Page 32 of Heart of Stone

Krystina Cole.

I had gone into the office that morning, only to find that I was completely bored with the tasks that awaited me. There was no excitement, no challenge. The only highpoint from the morning had been reading Krystina’s snappy text messages.

Disgusted with myself for lack of focus, I ended up canceling my appointments for the rest of the day, and headed down to the gym in Corner Stone Tower. I had looked for my trainer, but he was with another appointment. I could have pushed for a session, but decided that it would be better to go at it alone. My sullen mood dictated the necessity for solidarity.

Up until recently, I had been satisfied. I had money. I had status. And I’ve never once had to pursue a woman. Yet here I was, chasing after some chic that I barely knew, playing a game that I’ve never before had to play. I tried to shut it down, but Krystina’s brown eyes haunted me even in my sleep. Images of her naked and kneeling consumed me, so much so that I could barely think about much else.

And it was seriously pissing me off.

I finished the final mile and slowed the treadmill to a cool down speed. I could have easily gone another five miles at a run, but I was done. Even the workout was boring me.

I’ve been too long without a Sub.That’s my problem.

Grabbing a towel, I hit the showers.

Bracing myself against the shower wall, I let the water steam over me as I thought about the last time I had a good fuck. Nobody really stuck out in my mind, at least not one that I’d care to hook up with again. I could only think of one person that I wanted, despite my efforts to forget about her, and I wasn’t even sure if she would even be open to my sort of lifestyle.

But I could show her the ropes…

Ropes.

The metaphor put another image in my head, and I slammed my fist against the tiled wall.

How old am I? I seriously need to get a grip!

I had to think about this rationally. Too many things had gone wrong since meeting Krystina. Despite what she thought, I really did have every intention of giving her a formal interview that day in my conference room. But at some point, my intentions had changed. I didn’t mean to seduce her.

Or did I? Who am I kidding?

I’ve wanted her under me, hot and submissive, since day one.

But be that as it may, I had handled the situation with her without thinking and had been forced to wait it out. Krystina needed space after the interview gone wrong. There was truth behind the expression about patience being a virtue, so I had deliberately given her a few days to cool off, maintaining silent neutrality between us while I put together a plan. The cell phone swap was just the beginning of what I had in mind, even if she was ticked off about it. I had known before sending it that she wouldn’t be the most receptive. For once, I was able to accurately predict her reaction. But Krystina’s anger had been a risk that I was willing to take if it meant that I got to see her again.

Stepping from the showers, I quickly towel dried and threw on jeans and a t-shirt. I collected my duffle bag and the garment bag that contained my suit from earlier in the day, and headed out of the locker rooms.

As I approached the front desk of the gym, I saw that Gretchen was working the counter. Gretchen was attractive, a pretty face with a tall and lean physique, and was currently sporting yoga pants and a pink crop top. She had been skirting around me for months, dropping elusive hints to show her interest in me every time we spoke.

She gave me a coy smile and averted her eyes down when she saw me approaching.

Definitely the submissive type. Maybe I should just scratch my plans for Krystina and satisfy my bug with this one.

In just a few short strides, I closed the distance between us and stepped up to the counter. Gretchen’s eyes remained downcast, even though she knew that I was right in front of her.

“Hey, Gretchen,” I drawled out, deliberately turning up the charm for the gym employee. However, even to my own ears, the greeting sounded false. Fake. I flashed her a toothy grin and a wink in an attempt to be more convincing.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Stone. What can I do for you today?” Gretchen asked. Her words were professional, but her tone was suggestive and could be easily picked up on by anyone with a sharp ear.

You can do a lot of things for me, baby. Particularly anything that will make me forget about a brunette’s curls and big brown eyes.

“Actually, I need a couple of things. First, I need you to send this suit up to Laura. I want it sent out for dry cleaning,” I told her, handing over the garment bag. “Secondly, I need to use an office for about fifteen minutes or so.”

She took the suit from me and allowed her fingers to hesitate slightly on mine. Her gaze traveled from our hands to my face, her eyes narrowing provocatively. After a few seconds, she turned to place the bag on the counter behind her. When she spun to face me again, her cheeks were flushed a rosy pink.

Hmm. She’s almost making this too easy.

“The manager’s office is available for you to use if you will be requiring a computer. Or you can use the meeting room if you want a locked door with a little more privacy,” she offered.

It was hard not to notice the way she emphasized the last word. Or the obvious mention of a locked door. She shifted her eyes to the side, bit her lip, and nervously tugged on the ends of her blond ponytail.

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