Shuttered Affections (Cornerstone #1) (7 page)

“You’re going to drive the guys wild tonight—you
know that, right?”

As I stepped into the apartment, I glanced at my phone and
noticed Sid sent me a response to my text.

Sorry, J- I am tied up with a hair appointment until right
before work. I’m already in my uniform. I’m sorry. We’ll ride together next
time.

I was a bit bummed I wouldn’t have the chance to see or talk
to my friend before work again today. I missed her. I knew she had a boyfriend
and all, but I needed some serious girl time.

Just as if something had hit me over the head, my eyes
landed on the note from
him
and a
creepy shiver rolled up my spine. Maybe I could quickly get ready for work and
get there early so I wouldn’t be alone.

Quit being a baby,
Julia. Geez.

Well, I figured should at least take precaution and bolted
the door.

After my shower, I made sure to curl my hair and let it dry
naturally while I checked my emails.

I wanted to load the photos of the garden on my blog, but
worried I didn’t have enough time for that right now.

Excitement coursed through my veins when I opened my mail
app and saw his name.

From:
[email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: Tuesday, March 13 at 10:35 AM

Subject:
A garden fit for an Angel

Juliana –

Pat called me and told me you
stopped by.
She seems to adore you,
which is no surprise.

Pat also said you took great interest in one of her
antiques but she quickly realized you looked heartbroken over the price.
She wouldn’t divulge what it was that
fascinated you.
I find her honorability
with her customers to be very admirable, but that doesn’t mean my curiosity
isn’t piqued.

So, if I may ask, what do you
have great interest in, Angel?

I hope you and your friend enjoyed the butterfly garden.
I’ll have to take you back there again, just
to enjoy it together.

Do you have plans tonight?

Aiden

I smiled and hit reply.

From:
[email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: Tuesday, March 13 at 2:47 PM

Subject:
Re: A garden fit for an Angel

Oh, Aiden.
Pat
is probably the sweetest woman I have ever met!
She was so kind and thoughtful.
I
never expected to be welcomed so warmly when I approached her about
photographing her place.
I can’t thank
you enough for suggesting her shop and gardens to us.

As far as what interests me, Mr.
Stone, I thought that was quite obvious. ;)

But, I did see a beautiful, antique mirror, which I
believe, if my art history has helped me any, is from the early 19
^th
century and may be French.
I did not
inquire about the history of the mirror because I didn’t want to fall in love
with it any more than I had.
The price
is more than fair, but just too much for me.

Pat’s garden literally took my breath away.
I had no idea such a beautiful place existed
anywhere around here.
She deserves some
exposure, but I almost got the feeling she likes her place to stay small, so
too much exposure may ruin that for her.

As far as tonight, I have to work.
As a matter of fact, if I don’t stop
blabbering and get my ass in the car, I will be late!
Stocking shelves before my shift at 7.

Thank you again for the recommendation!

- Your Angel

After pressing the send button on my too-flirty email, I
bolted for my shoes, and then for the door.

Since I knew I was stocking shelves first, I wore a tank top
and jeans to work, but brought my nice clothes with me to change. Arriving
right at three, I noticed Sid and Pete were already there.

Immediately upon putting my stuff away and heading toward
the stock room, Sid lifted her chin in the direction of the dry erase board on
the wall and said, “Lib’s got a whole shitload of crap for us to do before our
shifts. I’m gonna be a sweaty mess by the time I have to get all dolled up.”

She huffed as she picked up a heavy case and shuffled off
with it in tow.

Well, damn. I had better get my ass to work then.

The three of us spent three hours lifting and moving heavy
boxes full of liquor, mixers, and assorted bottles to the various bars
throughout the club. Doors opened at six, so we had to hustle to get everything
done in time, which didn’t allow any time for chit-chat.

By five after six, all three of us were panting and sweating
as Lib came in and told us what a great job we did.

Thankfully, Lib installed an employee shower in the lounge. So,
we were all able to duck under some cold water really quick before changing
into our nice blacks and whites.

I slid into my silky, white, sleeveless blouse and black
mini-skirt while Sid took her seven-second rinse. Because I dared to wear a
mini-skirt tonight, I had to wear a garter belt underneath to hold my stockings
up above the hem of the skirt.

Already wearing my blouse, skirt, and red garter belt, I
began to hike up my black, sheer stockings with the lacey tops and hooked them
to the garter.

Quickly bringing my head up, I saw Pete watching me with an
amused look on his face.

“What?” I asked, fully aware of just
what
he was staring at.

He scratched the back of his neck and shook his head as he
laughed. “You’re going to drive the guys wild tonight—you know that,
right?”

Then, without an answer to his obviously rhetorical
question, he left the room.

Almost twenty minutes later, I was dressed and my hair
looked somewhat decent. Long, blonde curls draped over my back and shoulders
and I put a black headband on to keep most of it out of my face. I allowed a
few curls to escape the front of the headband and frame my cheeks.

Quickly stepping in my heels and putting on my apron, I was
ready to go. Sid was already behind the bar with Pete and I had to take care of
the floor and VIP areas again tonight.

Tuesday nights usually weren’t busy, but after the slamming
we had last night, we weren’t taking any chances.

Sure enough, I walked out and was amazed there were at least
a dozen people already seating themselves at tables around the dance floor.

I quickly and easily got to work.

A few hours had passed and things were nice and steady. It
wasn’t overly busy tonight, which was a bit of a relief. But it was still busier
than usual.

As I was in my element, smiling kindly and getting tipped
well for my efforts, I noticed a new customer came in and sat down in a dark
corner of the VIP area, where there were comfortable leather couches lining the
wall.

Making sure everyone was taken care of around me, I
sauntered over to the VIP sofas with a slight shake in my hips and a smile on
my face.

My heart stopped dead in its tracks as I saw the face
staring up at me.

I can’t believe he
came!

“I’ll be here to catch you anytime, Angel.”

With forced confidence, I sauntered over to Aiden and tried
my best to breathe as I approached him.

“Well, hello there,” I chimed with a slight drawl in my
voice. “A bit surprised to see you here.”

He was sitting in a corner sofa with both arms draped over
the back. He wore dark blue jeans that fit his hips perfectly and had a slight
worn look to them. His shirt was a fitted, black button-up with short sleeves
and some sort of black stitching design along the front panels. The shirt molded
to his muscles and because of his posture, the sleeves hiked up and squeezed
his biceps. I saw just a hint of a tattoo peeking out from under his right
sleeve. I couldn’t quite tell what it was, but I definitely wanted… no…
needed
to find out.

Unquestionably, he had to be the best-damn-looking man on
this Earth. I could stand here staring at him all night and never tire.

 
“I couldn’t
resist checking the place out, especially since they obviously hire some
stunningly beautiful servers here,” he said with a wink and a smile.

“Well, thank you, Mr. Stone,” I said, blushing as I tucked a
stray curl behind my ear.

“Please, call me Aiden. I want to hear those beautiful lips
say my name,” he said with unabashed flirtation.

Steeling myself in an attempt to look unaffected and
probably failing miserably, I moved a bit closer so I could hear him over the
loud music and voices.

The sight of him looking up at me made me tingle with
delightful daydreams of a certain
Stone
beneath me.

“So, Aiden. What’s your pleasure?” I asked, endeavoring to
get his order and return his flirtation with just a bit of a demure nature.

“You, Juliana,” he said as he leaned forward, his eyes
glittering with more than simple lust. He wanted me.

His hand reached around the back of my leg and fingers began
trailing up behind my knee. He continued his feathered assault up the back of
my thigh, under my skirt, until he reached the lacy top of my sheer, black
stockings and the garter clip holding them up.

“Shit. Those are sexy. Those are very sexy,” he said with a
controlled assertiveness. “Are you allowed to sit for a minute? I don’t want to
get you in trouble.”

“Let me go get you something to drink and tell my boss I
would like to take my break. Then I’ll be able to hang for ten minutes if that
is okay with you,” I told him with an innocent tone. “What would you like me to
bring you?”

“I would love a beer. Your choice. Just as long as it’s in a
bottle, not draft,” he explained while his thumb still caressed the top of my
stockings.

“Sure thing!”

I didn’t want to leave the warmth of his touch. His fingers
caressing the back of my thigh sent delightful shivers across my entire body. My
panties were saturated with the slightest attention from this man. I definitely
needed my break.

Mustering all the strength I had, I turned and walked away. I
could feel his eyes on me as I sauntered toward Lib’s bar. I enjoyed the
attention. His notice brought out an exhilarating confidence in me I never knew
I had.

After being separated from him for a moment, my head started
to level out.

I cannot get involved
with my professor. This is crazy.

Yet, every time I was near him, I’d lose total sense of
right and wrong.

Dex came up to me and lightly grabbed my elbow to get my
attention.

“Is he bothering you, Jules? Just
say the word and…”

I held my hand up to stop him from wasting his breath. “No, Dex.
He’s perfect. Uh… I mean, he’s perfectly fine where he is. He’s not bothering
me. If anyone does, you’ll be the first to know,” I said with a shy smile.

He just smiled and nodded his agreement, then went back to
the main entrance.

Bounding over to the smaller bar Lib was working, I asked,
“Hey, Lib. Can I take my break now? There’s someone in the VIP section I would
like to take a few minutes to talk to.”

“Wow. You’ve never actually asked for your break before. I
usually have to beg you to take one,” she said with humor, barely glancing up
from the drink she was making. “What’s his name?”

“I’m not willing to divulge that information right now. There’s
nothing going on…”
Yet
, I thought.

“He also would like a bottled domestic, so could you hand me
two Stellas?”

She pulled two bottles of beer out of the ice chest and
popped the tops off with an opener.

“Here you go, sweets. Take your time. And just know that I
plan on forcing the juice from you later,” she said with a wink.

I shook my head and smiled at her as I started back toward
the VIP section with the beers.

Aiden was sitting with his right leg bent, resting on the
cushion, his right arm still draped along the back of the couch and his left
hand in his lap.

From that angle, he could see the entire dance floor. He was
just staring out onto the floor, looking devastatingly handsome, and patiently
waiting.

“Here you go, Aiden,” I said cheerfully as I sat next to
him.

His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he let out a
soft groan.

“I love hearing you say my name, Angel.” He looked directly at
me when he said
Angel
.

I curled my feet up next to me on the couch, causing me to
lean in slightly. He shifted his hand from his lap to take his beer from me. The
hand he had draped over the back of the couch began to play with a stray curl
and he just stared at me.

“So, what do you think of the place?” I asked as I gestured
around us with my hand.

He kept playing with my hair and touching my cheek as he
answered me. “It’s very interesting. I see why they call it H
²
0. But,
honestly, I’ve been focused on you ever since I walked through the doors. You
flow around here with confidence and grace. You must love what you do.”

“I enjoy it. I wouldn’t say I
love
working in a club, but I enjoy the fast-paced environment. Also,
most of the customers we get in here are always very nice and generous. The
owners and security don’t put up with jackasses in here, so if we ever have a
customer who gives us a hard time, they’re usually asked to leave. So, as far
as dealing with the customers, it’s always a joy…”

“So, is that why the Godzilla from the front door spoke to
you after you walked away from me?”

“Ahh, yeah. He saw your hand on me and he wanted to make
sure everything was okay. He was prepared to give you the boot if I said so,” I
admitted with a wink and a smile.

He just threw his head back and laughed. Oh, that sound was
so wonderful. I’d love to make him laugh every day, just so I could hear that
joyful sound.

“Julia, do you think the owner will let me take photos in
here?” he asked with a hopeful look. ”I think if I use a monopod or tripod and
no flash, I could get some really wicked photos in this place. Especially with
all the blue accented throughout.”

“I don’t see why not, as long as you don’t publish any
without her consent. I bet she would probably like you to if you let her use some
for advertisement purposes too.”

He set his beer down and moved his face closer, trailing his
finger along each part of my body as he slowly spoke his seductive words.

“I would love to photograph you right now, sitting here with
the blue light reflecting in your eyes and off your skin, with your long hair
dangling down your back and wispy curls falling around your face, with your top
unbuttoned just enough to show your mesmerizing curves, with the top of your
stockings and a hint of that red garter peeking out from under your skirt, and
those red heels…” he rolled his head back and made a sound of pure frustration.

As he undulated each word, his finger trailed to each body
part he spoke about. From my cheek, to the line of my hair, down my chest to my
cleavage, then down my arm, over my hip, and to my leg, where you could just
barely see a part between the lacy top of my stockings and the bottom hem of my
skirt.

I could feel the wetness pool in my panties with each seductive
word and gentle touch.

I was suddenly very thankful I chose my red garter and
matching heels tonight. Maybe Pete was right. I was going to drive this man
wild.

A huge smile crept up on my face at the thought.

I just met this man yesterday and I already wanted to sleep
with him. I wanted to run my fingers through that golden hair of his and trail
my tongue down his lean body. I wanted to see that tattoo.

Oh, the tattoo!

“Aiden?” I asked, batting my eyes ever so slightly.

“Yes, Angel?”

“What is that tattoo you have hiding there?” I asked as I
trailed my finger over his muscles.

“Maybe you’ll have to find out sometime,” he said, while
wagging his eyebrows in a playful manner.

I just laughed. He was going to tease me. Well, two could
play that game.

“Hey, Jules!” I heard Lib holler over the music from across
the guardrails leading to the floor below.

I turned in her direction and suddenly, the place got
louder. I must’ve been so attuned to Aiden, I had blocked out the blaring sound
of the club music.

I saw Lib was standing on the bottom rung of the guardrail
to get my attention.

“What’s up, Lib?”

“I really hate to pull you away from your break, I really
do. But, we’re getting slammed right now for some reason and I need you to keep
working the floor. Sid is having a hell of a time keeping up with it on her own.”
Lib looked sincere and mouthed
sorry
.

“It’s no problem, Lib. I was just about to get back down
there anyway. I’ll take over now,” I shouted with disappointment.

“Thanks, Jules! Drinks are on me!”

I turned back to Aiden, who was sporting a full-on pouty
face.

“I’m sorry, Aiden. I don’t know why we’re so busy tonight,”
I said as I put the beer bottle to my lips and chugged the entire thing in a
matter of seconds. I heard Aiden snicker, but in an attempt to seem unaffected,
I didn’t look at him as I licked the last of the delectable beer off my lips. I
got up from the couch and he quickly followed.

Just as I stood up, I lost my balance and almost fell.

“Whoa, careful, Angel,” Aiden quietly said as he caught me
against his chest. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry. High heels don’t jive well when worn by a
klutz. They may look good, but they’re a pain in the ass to walk in,” I joked. My
comment made a slight chuckle leave his lips. Such a wonderful sound.

“I’ll be here to catch you anytime, Angel, especially if
you’ll be wearing those fuck-me heels.”

Wow, his words definitely did something to me, deep down.

Our noses were inches away and I really wanted him to kiss
me.

Suddenly gathering my bearings, I pulled away and thanked
him.

“Are you staying? Would you like another beer?” I asked out
of politeness.

“I can’t stay any longer and not have you next to me. It
will be too much of a tease,” he said, moving closer to me again and putting
his hands on my waist. He leaned in and pressed his cheek to mine. Whispering
in my ear, he said, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Angel.”

Then, he walked out.

Damn. He left me all soaking wet with the promise of seeing
me tomorrow… during class for crying out loud. Now my entire photography period
was going to be spent daydreaming about his hands trailing all over my body.

As I made it out to my car, it was almost midnight. At least
it wasn’t as late as last night.

Just as I was about to duck my head and sit, I noticed a piece
of paper under my windshield wiper. I knew better than to stop and reach for
it. Those are the kind of tricks muggers and car-jackers use to catch you off
guard.

Deciding no piece of paper was as important as my life, I
kept it there and locked my doors immediately upon getting in the car. I pulled
out and stayed completely aware of my surroundings as I headed out of the
club’s parking lot.

Surprisingly, the small sliver of paper stayed tucked under
my wiper the whole way home.

I quickly grabbed the paper as I bolted for my front door. I
didn’t want to take the chance of being followed, so I waited until I entered
my apartment and locked my door before reading it.

Prior to unfolding it, dread consumed me. I suddenly knew
who this was from and I began to shake.

I swallowed hard, attempting to force back the bile that
already began to rise in my throat, and read his words…

I saw you with him tonight. Does he
know what a slut you are? Does he know you belong to me?

Pure fear gripped me. Oh, God. He
wasn’t going to stop!