Page 47 of Heart of Stone

Scraping the last bit of food around on my plate, I processed everything that he had told me over dinner. The plan that I had begun to construct in my head was turning into a complete flop. This was never going to work. He had made so many mysterious implications tonight – rules, privacy, undefined sexual preferences. Every time I thought he was being forthright, he would say something that would throw me for a loop.

Am I really that naïve? What is he trying to tell me?

One thing was certain – if I wanted to explore this thing between us, whatever it might be, there would be no testing the waters first. But before I dived in head first, I needed some straight answers from him.

“Look, Alex. I’m not entirely sure why I decided to meet you tonight. The longer I sit here, the more I’m convinced that this is all a bad idea. So please, give it to me straight. What exactly do you want? And no more guessing games or else I walk,” I impatiently asserted.

His head snapped back and he sharply sucked in a breath. He almost looked as if I had offended him in some way. At that particular point, I didn’t care.

“Krystina, I’m disappointed at the fact that you think I’m playing games. I thought I was being honest. A little cautious maybe, but honest.” He cocked his head to one side, waiting for me to respond.

“What do you expect me to think?” I lashed out, shaking my head in frustration. “You asked me here to discuss a job, but we have yet to do so. You want me naked, yet you don’t date. You like to be in control and you have rules. You have made reference to having a variety of sexual interests – whatever the hellthatmeans. To be perfectly honest, you’re leading me to believe that you’re some sort of freak in the sheets!”

His mouth pressed into a hard line and he looked as if he were trying to decide on his choice of words. He leaned forward in his chair and his sapphire blues narrowed. They held a fiendish glimmer, sharp with an animal-like hunger that made me suddenly afraid.

Goosebumps traveled up my spine as I waited for him to speak again. When he finally spoke, his tone was direct. No-nonsense. Upfront.

“I’m not a freak. I’m a Dominant.”

CHAPTER 13

“You’re awhat?” I almost laughed out loud.

“A Dominant,” he repeated, eyes piercing through me like knives, completely extinguishing any joke I may have wanted to make. “I like to be in control of every aspect of my life. That includes the woman I choose to take to bed. I demand complete and utter power over them. That’s what I want from you, Krystina.”

My eyebrows shot up to the ceiling. I should have been seriously disturbed by his words. Given my sordid past with the controlling Trevor, everything he was saying should have had me hightailing it out of here – and fast. Yet oddly, my skin tingled with delight at the mere thought of this man wielding total control over my body.

But the angel was jumping up and down in front the cheering devil and screaming,“DANGER, DANGER! Run you stupid girl!”

“Sorry, no can do. I already gave up two years of my life for a control freak. I won’t do it again,” I told him, but my words sounded weak in a pathetic attempt to protect myself. He looked at me curiously, but didn’t question what I was referring to.

“I’m not looking to control your whole life, just the sex part of it,” he said nonchalantly with a shrug as he settled back into his chair. The lewd way he spoke threw me off balance once again, fanning the flames that had ignited in my gut.

“Really? Then what do you call the hijacking of my cell phone?” I said, trying to maintain some sense of balance by reminding him of our argument from earlier that afternoon.

“The cell phone was a gift,” he said impatiently. “Maybe I over stepped by bounds, but that was not my intention.”

“No matter which way you spin it, it was a very controlling and assuming thing to do.”

“Look, Krystina. I want you to remain who you are. I don’t want some mindless puppet. I think that might be the reason why I’m so drawn to you,” he paused, looking thoughtful for a moment. “If you agree to this, I will own you in the bedroom alone.”

Alarms rang shrilly in my head, warning me off of this unpredictable man. But my body was still betraying me, and I had to fight the overwhelming need to hurdle across the table and start tearing at his cloths.

I wanted him to control me. Toownme.

Perhaps it was the two glasses of wine that was doing the thinking for me, but somewhere along the line, I had unconsciously made a decision. Despite my many reservations, I no longer wanted to take this slow. I wanted to have sex with Alexander Stone. Here. Now.

Absolute panic set in, as the realization scared the hell out of me. I wasn’t ready for that. Forthis.

“I think it’s time that I go,” I announced and stood up abruptly.

“So soon? Why?” I had obviously shocked him by my sudden need to leave.

“Because…” I hesitated.

Because you confuse me. I can’t think when I’m around you.

But I couldn’t say the words out loud. Instead, I grabbed my purse, slung it over my shoulder and said, “Thank you for dinner, Alex.”

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