Page 76 of Heart of Stone

A Nine Inch Nails song began to sound in my head and I slammed the laptop closed. I couldn’t imagine how any sane person would get off from being bruised, burned, or poked at with needles. To me, there was nothing sexual about the sadistic images that I had just seen. They were beyond extreme, for obvious reasons. I could not believe that was what Alexander wanted.

Wait…what was it that I was reading about hard limits?

I hesitantly opened the lid for the laptop and went back to the link that I had initially considered boring.

At least that page won’t give me nightmares for the rest of my life.

I read the dry and very long explanations about the history and culture of the dominant and the submissive.

There has to be something better that this!

It was impossible to believe that there wasn’t just a basic explanation available. After reading for more than an hour, I still felt like I knew nothing.

I finally found a page of S&M resources and began scrolling through the articles. The more I read, the more I found that kinky play was actually very normal. But more importantly, I learned of the different levels of BDSM.

Most people’s kinks were fairly mild, practicing only my initial ideas of BDSM. A few spanks and some role-playing. Yet, there were other people who were more extreme – like the scary pictures I just saw. I just couldn’t figure out if there was a middle ground in it all.

This shit is way too complicated.

I could research all day and into the night and still not really understand it. There was only one thing I was certain of – Alexander had some serious explaining to do.

CHAPTER 21

I pressed the button for the intercom on my desk, ending the call with George Canterwell. Leaning back in my chair, I rubbed a hand over the back of my neck. It was shaping up to be a long week, and it had barely even started.

Stone Enterprise had been purchasing properties from Canterwell for a couple of years. Our transactions had been easy at first, as he was pulling up stakes, retiring and traveling the world. He wanted to be done with it all, and scooping up his properties for a cheap price had been simple. But old age, and his new young wife, had made him a greedy bastard. And while I could appreciate his ruthlessness, I wasn’t willing to pay more than market value for what he had to offer. It was time to cut ties with the old man and move on.

The intercom buzzed and I groaned.

Laura better not tell me that it’s Canterwell calling back…

“Yes,” I clipped into the speaker.

“Mr. Stone, Kimberly Melbourne is here to see you,” Laura informed me.

Good.

My appointment was twenty minutes early, but would be a welcomed change of pace after a stressful morning.

“Tell her that I’ll be right out. Also, I’m going to send over some info regarding a property in Westchester. I need you to set a meeting time with the property agent. I’d like to negotiate a selling price.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll have the date and time uploaded to your calendar within the hour.”

“Thank you, Laura.” I quickly sent her the link that contained the information about the listing. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with the land as of yet, but I liked what I saw. It would be a great investment if I could obtain it for the right price.

Once the computer gave theswooshingsound that signaled the email was sent, I got up from my seat behind the desk, threw on a navy sport coat, and made my way out of the office.

I found Kimberly Melbourne sitting on the sofa in the waiting area, picking invisible pieces of lint off of her pricy business suit. Her hair was pulled tight into a severe twist that matched her perfectionist personality.

“Kimberly,” I greeted when I approached her. The design engineer looked up at the sound of my voice and stood to extend her hand for me to shake.

“Mr. Stone,” she nodded in return. I took hold of her outstretched hand. Her grip was firm. No nonsense. It was why I appreciated her so much. She was confident, efficient. And she worked fast.

“Thank you for taking on this project at such short notice. I know how busy you are, but my new marketing director will begin her employment sooner than I had anticipated. I would like her space completed before she starts.”

“Oh, don’t even think twice about it,” she brushed off with a wave of her manicured hand. “It’s been a while since you’ve sought my expertise. When you called, I was more than happy to accommodate.”

And I’m sure that the sum I offered had you dropping your other clients to be here.

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