Carved in Stone (The Stone Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

us.
                  “I’d hardly say that’s the definition of a dear friend,” he adds, spearing me with a scowl.
                  The tension within the room notches to a stifling level as I shift uncomfortably on my heels trying to desperately to avoid Aidan’s icy glare that’s now directed at me.
    Shit, shit and shit!
                  “Mr. Stone, Good Morning Sir. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you’d be attending the meeting this morning,” Jeremiah says, recovering from his previous muteness.               Aidan’s subzero glare shifts, piercing Jeremiah and I’m amazed that Jeremiah isn’t turned into a Popsicle instantly.
                  “I know you weren’t expecting me,” curtly replies Aidan.
                  “Well… um… it is good to have you here Sir,” rallies Jeremiah gallantly.
                  “And Mr. Norwood, I’m Jeremiah Quinn, Director of the Events Department here at the Stone Corporation. It’s a pleasure to meet you Sir,” says Jeremiah, thrusting his hand out to shake Caleb’s.
                  “Shall we take our seats?” Invites Jeremiah, on a cordial wave of his hand towards the table.
                  “Gabriella,” snaps Aidan gruffly, pulling out the chair next to his.
    It’s obvious he wants me to sit next to him but does he bother to politely ask me? No. No he doesn’t!
    Damn bossy caveman!
                  Swallowing the sudden lump in my throat and attempting to avoid Aidan’s continued glacial scowl, I take the seat next to him. My heart is beating hard and I swear the anger radiating off Aidan is palpable which only serves to notch up my own annoyance towards him by several degrees.
    “Don’t cry, don’t cry and for god sakes, what ever you do Gabby, don’t sh ow him how effected you are by his presence here,” I mentally chant to myself.
                  Furthermore, what’s it to Aidan if Caleb was a little over friendly in his greeting towards me? It’s not like him and I are together. After all, he was the one who ended things between us. He was the one who broke my heart. Not the other way around.
                  Caleb takes the seat opposite mine, a shameless smirk playing across his face, his baby blues dancing with unabashed humor. He’s clearly finding the whole situation amusing.
    ****
     
                  “Oh. My. God. Gabby! What the fuck was that?”
                  Still reeling from the most extremely uncomfortable meeting I’ve ever attended, I stare mutely at Jeremiah who’s reclining back in his office chair looking almost as frazzled as I feel.
                  “No, I’ll tell you what that was,” he says, leaning forward bracing both hands on the edge of his desk.
                  “That was the most intense scene EVER! Two magnificent specimens and I do mean magnificent , marking their territory. At one point there Sunshine, I didn’t know whether to fan myself from all the testosterone flying back and forth or duck for cover. They couldn’t have been more obvious if they both hiked their legs and pissed all over the table!”
                  Creatively articulate as always, Jeremiah has managed to sum up the last fifty minutes of our morning.
                  Still too speechless to respond, I replay the meeting over and over in my mind, cringing in recollection.
                  After taking my seat, I continued to feel Aidan’s anger seething, rolling like waves over me as well as everyone else in the room. Aware of little else but the sound of his steady breathing, the feel of his strong muscular thigh brushing against mine, the sound of his thumb tapping softly, rhythmically, scarcely restrained against the table tabletop. With each passing second my anger progressively increased until I sat