After walking Krystina to her office in Cornerstone Tower, I made my way to my own office. Entering the elevator, I punched the code into the keypad that would take me up to Stone Enterprise on the fiftieth floor. As the elevator ascended, I mused over Krystina’s behavior from the morning.

She was off. Very off.

I saw her bristle when I mentioned the stylist, but it was for her own good. Hitting Fifth Avenue on her own would leave her vulnerable. If I could take her shopping myself, I would. Unfortunately, my day was full. I had too many contracts to review and I couldn’t rearrange any of my meetings.

Nonetheless, I thought there was something more than just the stylist that was bugging her. I could not put my finger on it, but Krystina hadn’t been acting right for a few weeks. Our relationship seemed tense, her temper was shorter than normal, and she seemed visibly exhausted. I attributed all of it to the long hours she had been working. While this week might have been her first week back to Turning Stone Advertising since the accident, she had poured over client files for a solid week before hand. It was apparent that the rigorous schedule had taken its toll on her and burnout was imminent.

I urged her to take it slow, but she was too damn stubborn. She went in with a full head of steam on day one. It was time I put a stop to it. I missed my angel. If it meant I had to tie her down to keep her healthy, so be it.

I envisioned Krystina being tied down. Naked. Instinctually, my cock twitched.

I haven’t pulled out the ropes lately. Perhaps I should tonight.

I mused over the thought as the elevator chimed the arrival to my floor. I exited the lift and acknowledged Laura, who was already behind her desk tapping away on the keyboard of her computer.

“Morning, Laura.”

“Good morning, Mr. Stone,” my assistant greeted in return. “Your schedule for the day is printed and on your desk. Will you be needing me to go over any of it with you?”

“No, Laura. I looked over the emailed version of it on the ride here. If I need anything, I’ll let you know.”

“Very good, sir. I just forwarded you an email from The Carnegie Corporation. You’re being considered for the Andrew Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy for the contributions the Stoneworks Foundation makes to the city. The winner will be announced at the Governors Charity Ball.”

Fucking great. Another dinner to attend.

Being considered for the award was an honor, but I didn’t need the recognition. The Stoneworks Foundation did a lot for the city, but it was not the only foundation to do good deeds. As far as I was concerned, there were many others that deserved the recognition and publicity over me.

“Send the email to Justine. She can handle it,” I dismissed. “Anything else?”

“Yes. You should also know that PR called. They are still fielding questions about Mr. Charles Andrews. They’d like to know if you changed your mind about making a statement.”

“No, I have not. Stephen has been in touch with the DA and both agree that it should wait until after the trial. We don’t want a media spin to give the defense an edge.”

“I’ll tell them, Mr. Stone,” she said and turned to pick up the phone. Leaving her alone to talk to the Stone Enterprise public relations team, I headed into my office.

Once I reached my desk, I sat down and fired up the computer. I skimmed through the slew of emails that had come since last night and went over my schedule for the day. My morning and afternoon were jam-packed, as I was still paying for taking so much time off after Krystina’s accident. Resigning myself to the hefty workload, I got straight to it.

Clicking on the emails by order of priority, I shot off the responses needed to those working on building permits. Construction invoices were forwarded to Bryan, my accountant. Acquisitions were another beast entirely. Schmoozing over the owners of the potential properties I wanted to acquire required more time and finesse. I opened an email from John Benson, the owner of a derelict fifteen-story apartment building in Chicago, only to find that he decided to up the list price.

Damn it! The greedy bastard is no different than Canterwell.

I shook my head. I wanted that building badly. It was a great location with a lot of potential, but not for the increased price tag. The projected renovation would be costly if I wanted it to become something worthy of the Stone Enterprise name. I fired off a quick rejection reply, knowing that the stingy old man would come around eventually.

I made sure to copy Bryan in on my response, knowing that my accountant would be happy that I decided not to budge on my initial offer. I just had to play Benson’s game for a little while longer. He would come around, and when he did, I would be ready. A few cocktails and a couple of greased palms should be all that was needed to secure the deal nicely.

The next email was from Justine. The subject line was blank. Assuming that my sister was sending me something to do with The Stoneworks Foundation, I opened it. I was surprised to see that it was just a short note informing me about a date change for Charlie Andrews’ trial. It had been moved up. My eyes moved to the top of the email to see the recipients. She had copied in Stephen, my lawyer.

Good.

However, her email wasn’t sitting right with me. I frowned. It wasn’t because the trial date had been changed. These things happened. Not to mention, I had been putting pressure on Thomas Green, the District Attorney, to speed things up. What bothered me was the fact that the news came from Justine in an email. She normally came to see me personally or called when it came to matters with her ex-husband. But then again, Justine had been noticeably absent as of late.

Since Krystina’s car accident, it was like she fell off the grid. If it weren’t for communications regarding Stoneworks, I wouldn’t have heard from her at all. I often wondered if she was harboring guilt over what happened. I made a mental note to call her later in the day. At the very least, we needed to talk before the trial and make sure we were on the same page. But I knew my sister, and I also knew that a phone call to her would not be a quick one. I fully expected her to be a bundle of nerves over the upcoming trial. She would be looking for a project to distract her and I just happened to have the perfect thing in mind for her.

My intercom buzzed and Laura’s voice came through the line.

“Mr. Stone, your eight o’clock is here.”

I glanced down at the neatly typed schedule that Laura left on my desk. Samuel Faye, the security detail that Hale uncovered, was scheduled to meet me at eight. I wanted to go over a few things with him before he met with Krystina.

“Send him in, Laura,” I replied.

When Samuel Faye entered my office, I was surprised to see how different he looked in a suit. At our initial meeting, he wore frayed jeans and a tattered t-shirt. His hair was dusty and two days’ worth of stubble covered his face. Hale explained that Samuel had just come off work at a construction site, a temporary job he took on after leaving the Navy. Regardless of his unprofessional attire, Hale had given Samuel a strong reference and his military background spoke of his competence. But I recalled his handshake more than anything. It was firm. Sturdy.

Now, here he stood, dressed in a neatly pressed navy suit. Clean cut and polished. His dark hair was cut with precision and sharp intelligence marked his brown eyes. He looked younger than I remembered, a detail that shocked me somewhat since I’m normally more observant. I assessed him again and my eyes narrowed into slits. He cleaned up good. Too good, in fact. And this was the man I was going to put in charge of Krystina’s wellbeing. He would be everywhere she went, mirroring her daily activities, and watching her every move.

Unease and jealousy swirled in my gut. I pressed my lips into a tight line and tried to shrug off my suspicion, as it was completely baseless. Hale was fond of Krystina and he knew me very well. He wouldn’t have chosen Samuel if he couldn’t be trusted.

Still, I didn’t stand as he approached my desk. I stayed where I was, eying him coolly, as he stretched his hand out to me. It was an arrogant power play, but a necessary one until he learned his place.

“Mr. Stone. It’s a good to see you again, sir,” Samuel greeted formally.

I leaned forward and returned his handshake. It was exactly as I remembered it. Strong. A lot could be said about a person through a handshake. I pushed the nagging worry aside and focused on that until I could get a better read on his character.

“Have a seat Samuel,” I told him and motioned to one of the two chairs in front of my desk. He immediately sat, his back ramrod straight, posture assertive and perfectly correct. If I peered around the desk, I was confident that his heels would be together and his toes apart. Just like Hale, Samuel Faye was a military man, through and through.

“Please, sir, call me Sam.”

“Sam, I know that Hale and I have already gone over the job expectations with you. However, I have a few other concerns that you should be aware of before your meeting with Krystina.” I paused and took in his attentive gaze while he waited for me to elaborate. Out of pure curiosity, I switched gears and asked, “Why did you accept this job, Sam?”

“I have the utmost respect for the Commander, sir,” he began, referring to Hale by his retired navy status. “Commander Fulton expected only the best from the men that served him. I know that to be true even after he retired. When he approached me with the opportunity, it was an honor.”

“That’s it?”

He tossed me a knowing smile.

“Well, the money you offered was kind of hard to turn down too.”

He laughed lightly after his final statement. It was true. The salary that he was used to didn’t even compare to what he’d be getting from me. Nonetheless, he needed to know that this was not about earning a quick buck.

“Money cannot be your motivation. Krystina will not be just a paycheck to you.”

Samuel sobered instantly.

“I never thought she was, sir.”

“Good. You should also know that she’s stubborn and doesn’t think she needs you for protection. I have no doubt that she’ll be resistant. Don’t let that deter you. It’s not your job to win her over. Her safety is of the utmost importance here. Hale and I have done a good job of shielding her, but she’s naïve.”

“Sir?” he questioned.

“Don’t misunderstand me. Krystina has a brilliant mind, but she isn’t used to being in the public eye. I’ve already addressed social media usage with her. She no longer uses Facebook or any of the other social platforms, but you should still monitor that just in case. However, I suspect that the press is going to become a problem in the very near future.” I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms. “There’s a court case coming up soon, one that is sure to cause a big stir. Hale has been working to ward them off, but they’re like dogs after a bone. It won’t be long before they make an attempt to get to her for a story. You cannot allow the press near her. In the off chance that they do get to her, ‘no comment’ is all you or she needs to say. Do you understand me?”

“I understand, sir.”

I narrowed my gaze and leaned forward on my desk before speaking again.

“One last thing. Krystina is everything to me and she is about to become my wife,” I warned, emphasizing the last word and allowing it to sink in. “Don’t forget that.”

The statement was my not so subtle way of telling him to protect Krystina at all costs, but it was hands off. His eyes widened, but only for a moment before he quickly recovered.

“I won’t forget, sir,” he promised with a nod.

“I’m glad we understand each other. Now, my original plan was to have you start on Monday. However, the court case I mentioned has been moved up. I’d rather have you in place sooner, allowing more time to get yourself acclimated to the position. Take the morning to get your affairs in order. Krystina is expecting you later this afternoon. Consider yourself on the clock from that point forward.”

Samuel and I went through the final motions of signing paperwork to get him on the payroll. Once we finished, I sent him on his way. I had a mountain of contracts to get through and couldn’t afford to spend all afternoon ensuring that my message to him was clear. In the off chance that I wasn’t, I would make sure Hale kept a watchful eye on the young security detail.

Before long, it was nearing two o’clock. I sat back in my chair and rubbed my hands over my face. My eyes hurt from staring at the computer all morning and the early afternoon. I detested long days in the office where I did nothing but pour over buying contracts. I hated reading the fine print even more. I preferred a more hands-on approach when working on business deals, but a few time sensitive property acquisitions had not allowed that today.

My stomach growled, reminding me that I skipped lunch. Giving my eyes a break from the glare of the computer screen, I stood to walk over to the mini-fridge to see what was available. Working lunches were a norm for me and Laura knew to keep it stocked for the occasion.

Opening the refrigerator, I perused the contents. Settling on half of a ham sandwich and an energy drink, I went back to my desk. After I was seated once more, my email pinged with a new notification. It was from Krystina.

I scowled, a knot of dread forming in the pit of my stomach.

Like I would actually forget about the damn shrink.

A sort of restlessness began to set in as I thought about the upcoming appointment. When Krystina made the suggestion to go see a psychiatrist together, I should’ve known better than to agree to it so quickly. We had been seeing Dr. Tumblin for the past month and, as far as I was concerned, the appointments were nothing but a waste of time.

Tumblin wasn’t telling me anything I didn’t already know. Every week he dragged us through the gauntlet, insisting that we discuss a past that I would rather leave dead and buried. And worse, every session meant an increased risk of him learning the truth about where I came from. When he poked and prodded into those issues, my back went up.

However, Krystina felt that therapy was necessary, even if it went against every fiber of my being. My privacy had always come first and foremost. I guarded it well. Keeping an open mind was a goddamn struggle, yet I tried. I had to for her, despite the fact that I was failing to see any sort of positive impact. I was still experiencing frequent nightmares and Krystina seemed more withdrawn than ever.

I looked down at the sandwich that was half eaten. Suddenly, my appetite was lost and I pushed it away before typing my response.

I hit send, and my thoughts drifted back to the strained air between Krystina and me. My gut told me it was because of these damn appointments, and not because she was overworked. I just couldn’t be sure. However, if it was work related, I may be able to remedy that problem.

I recalled the list of potential clients Krystina told me about over dinner last week. Acting on instinct, I buzzed Laura through the intercom.

“Laura, get Sheldon Tremaine on the line.”

It was time to call in a favor.