Resolution (Heart of Stone) by D H Sidebottom

shaking hands and sealing the deal.
     
    “So Miss
Stone, Tell me more about you” Gary said, his eyes holding mine and I shrugged
as I took a bite of my steak.
    “Oh I’m
nothing special, Mr Thornton” I smiled.
    “Oh? I’d say
you are very special” a voice whispered in my ear and I froze as goose bumps
exploded all over my body, my heart hiccupped and I closed my eyes.
    “Kade” I
breathed.
    “Hello,
sweetheart” he whispered as his lips planted a wet kiss below my ear. I bit on
my bottom lip as I stood up to greet him.
    He cocked
his head as his eyes swept my face and a wry grin lifted his lips. We held each
other’s gaze for a long moment and then his eyes swept down my face and landed
on my neck.
    The change
in him was immediate; his face darkened and he chewed on his lip in agitation,
his shoulders straightened and his fists clenched.
     
    He reached
up to my shirt and pulled the collar back harshly. He exhaled profoundly as he
shook his head in dismay. “Well I see your still letting him into your fucking
knickers” he growled and I grit my teeth.
    “Kade!” Nate
hissed.
    “Nice to see
you too” I snapped and sat back in my seat.
     
    Kade rounded
the table and took the chair to the side of Gary, his eyes never leaving my
face. I could see Gary’s eyes shifting from me to Kade and then back again and
I smiled apologetically. “I apologise for this arsehole Mr Thornton, he doesn’t
know when to keep his unwanted opinions to himself.”
    Kade
signalled to the waiter and ordered his drink and I wondered how many he’d
already had.
    His eyes
settled on me again. “So Nate tells me Mason’s been doing his usual excellent
job of treating you like a princess, Ava” Kade smirked.
    My glare
shot to Nate who had the decency to shrink into his chair. “Oh, he did, did
he?” I growled and he looked away.
    “I mean what
the fuck, Ava? Why do you let him do this to you? How long before he
extinguishes that fire inside you completely? It’s already nearly gone Ava, the
flame in your eyes, even I can see they’re fucking dead” he hissed.
    I flicked my
icy glower at him. “Not fucking now!” I snarled.
    “Is it his
money Ava? Or does he just fuck you harder than I did?” he hissed at me.
    I shot up.
“Screw you” I spat as Nate stood up.
    “Kade!
That’s enough!” he warned, his eyes blazing.
     “If you’ll
excuse me Mr Thornton, I need to go before I smash this arrogant,
self-righteous, narrow-minded arsehole’s face in to the table and ruin your
meal” I smiled sweetly, “It was lovely to meet you.”
    Gary smiled
warmly and tipped his head to me. “It was my pleasure, Miss Stone.” He stood
and leaned towards me, kissing me gently on the cheek, “Until next time.”
     
    I snatched
my bag off the floor while I gave Nate the filthiest look possible. “Ava, you
can’t go” Nate said as he jumped up and grabbed my arm.
    “Did you
know he would be coming?” I asked “And don’t fucking lie, I always know when
you lie to me, Nate!” he looked away and I took his silence as an admission of
guilt.
    I sighed and
shook my head. “How could you?” I hissed in his ear.
    “Ava, he
cares about you” he whispered as he pulled me to one side.
    “Nate, he’s
fucking pissed and has just embarrassed me in front of a new client” I bit my
lip. “Get back to Gary; I’ll see you at the office.”
    Nate grabbed
my arm. “Ava, I can’t let you go alone. Let me phone Neo to come and pick you
up” he said but I shook my head.
    “You’ve done
enough for one day, Nate” I hissed and stormed from the restaurant.
     
    I decided to
walk back to the office, needing the air to cool my pistons and let my blood
pressure return to normal. I was fuming and humiliated and ashamed and aroused…
I mean, what the hell, aroused?
    Kade could
always turn me on with one hot look, one of his sensual smiles, the way his
eyes would burn into mine as his tongue swept across his lip.
    I always
knew I had a