by S. Nelson
But I loved it.
And he knew it.
And from then on, he’d been a permanent fixture in my life. The only difference now was the fact I’d agreed to officially be a couple and stop sneaking around.
My dad’s brows knit into a tight frown. “What do you mean you’ve been with him for a year? Why am I only hearing about him now?” I wasn’t sure whether he looked offended or angry.
Taking a slow sip of my water to buy me some time, I averted my eyes and stared at the family portrait on the wall behind his head. It was the last picture taken of the three of us, six months before my mother passed. She looked healthy, not like a woman who was going to leave us forever in less than a year’s time.
“Well?” Dad prompted, pulling me back from my haunted memories.
Taking the plunge, I started explaining. Sort of. “It wasn’t anything serious until recently.” His lips parted to grill me some more when my phone rang. Quickly searching my purse, I pulled it out and glanced at the screen.
Speak of the devil.
“Do you have to take that?” he asked, reaching for my glass to refill it.
“I’ll call him back. Now, how about some of your infamous chili?” No sooner had the words left my mouth than my stomach growled, threatening to eat itself if I didn’t provide some sort of nourishment.
It was the perfect question to distract my dad from probing further into my relationship with Stone.
Stone
I hated when she didn’t answer her phone. It drove me fuckin’ nuts, and I’d be sure to let her know as soon as she answered the damn thing. I was controlling to a fault and I didn’t see any reprieve in sight, although I knew I had to curb it enough to not drive her completely away from me again, even though she’d promised not to run away going forward. I knew she loved me almost as much as I loved her, and I prayed those feelings were enough to convince her to stay when I overstepped my bounds. Because, let’s be honest, although I would do my best to calm my temper, I knew there would be times I would cross the line. I wasn’t delusional enough to think I’d be able to completely change who I was.
Trying her phone an hour later, she finally answered.
“Hey,” she casually greeted.
“Hey, yourself. Where are you?” Nothing like cutting right to the point. Finished at the club, I wanted nothing more than to have Addy back in my arms again, begging for me to fill her until she collapsed underneath me. I couldn’t help it; it was where my head went whenever I heard her sexy voice.
“I’m at home now.”
“Now? Where were you?” I tried to keep the curt tone out of my voice, but I failed big time.
Huffing into the phone as if my question had just annoyed the hell out of her, she grumbled something incoherent. If I had to guess, she did it on purpose, riling me up even more than I already was. Stress of the club and aggravation over not being able to lose myself completely in Addy were driving me to the brink.
“What?”
“I was with my dad,” she bit out. “We had lunch at his house. Wanna know how long it took me to get home and every move I’ve made since then?” Obviously, she was being sarcastic, but her anger wasn’t lost on me. I knew I was a lot to handle, and I knew I drove her nuts, but I couldn’t help myself.
“Knock it off,” I warned. “I just wanted to see you, that’s all.”
“That’s not all and you know it.” She was borderline explosive, and it rattled me.
I had no idea what had crawled up her ass, but it wasn’t like her to get so defensive with me so quickly. Usually, it took a buildup over a few days of putting up with me and my demands before she blew up and told me to go straight to Hell.
Curiosity wrapped its risky arms around me, and before I could stop myself, I engaged her in an argument.
“What the hell is your problem? I asked you to wait for me until I was done at the club and you refused. I let you leave and when I finally called you, you didn’t answer. Numerous times. What am I supposed to think? Huh? You tell me.” The anger poured out of me like lava, each word packing a harder punch than the last.
“You let me leave?” she hollered. “You don’t own me, Stone! I can do whatever I want, whenever I want to. If you think for one second that just because we’re official I’m gonna let you dictate any part of my life, you’re sorely mistaken.” Short pants of anger hit my ear, and I knew right then if I didn’t bring it down a notch she would hang up on me and deny me any kind of access to her for the next few days. It was her go-to thing when she’d had enough of me. For most men, the silent treatment was a godsend, but for me it was utter torture.
“All right, calm down,” I soothed, my voice instantly becoming quieter, pushing all anger aside in an effort to make sure she didn’t go nuclear. “I was just concerned is all. You know I worry when you don’t answer your phone.” A full fifteen seconds of silence followed my sort of apology. I actually thought she’d hung up on me.
I was the first to break. “I would love to see you. Can I come and pick you up?” I hated asking for any kind of permission, but I knew if I came off as arrogant as I wanted to, she would dismiss me altogether.
“Fine,” she mumbled.
“Okay, I’ll be there within the hour.”
“Fine,” she said again, hanging up before I could say anything else.
Oh, boy! This was going to be something. I could just feel it in my bones.
Adelaide
By the time Stone arrived, I’d managed to calm myself enough that I wasn’t upset with him anymore. I knew exactly the type of man I had agreed to be with, and short of slapping him upside his head, I knew it was going to take some time for him to lose some of his arrogant and possessive ways. Otherwise, I would freeze him out until he complied, which had worked in the past. Sort of.
I was praying he would calm down once we’d told people we were an item, an occurrence I both looked forward to and feared. For many different reasons.
A loud knock rapped against my door.
Because he’d arrived quicker than I’d expected, I jumped at the loud noise before reaching for the handle and pulling the door open. Every single time I laid eyes on the man crowding the entryway, I crumbled. I tried to put on a good front, but there was no way he didn’t notice the effect he had on me. My eyes devoured the very sight of him. Never mind the fact my body reacted accordingly—nipples pebbling into tight buds, thighs clenching together to ease the building ache, the feeling of pure desire wrapping around my entire body.
The first thing I noticed was the ravenous look behind his beautiful dark eyes. The way he stared at me made me forget I had been even remotely upset with him. As if that weren’t enough, licking his full lips drew my lust to the surface, blood rushing to the one place I wanted to be consumed by him. My eyes finished devouring the rest of him, from his black T-shirt which fit his chest and arms like a glove, to his dark jeans which hung low on his narrow hips, enticing me to find the prize he hid lower still.
“Keep starin’ at me like that and you’ll be on your back before you can take your next breath.” He entered my apartment, closing the door behind him before stalking toward me. Not once did his eyes waver from mine, other than to quickly take in my state of undress.
Tiny jersey shorts and a tight cami were the only clothes I wore, and the way I was feeling right then, mixed with the way Stone was looking at me, I’d come to the conclusion that I was indeed overdressed. I’d taken a quick rinse when I came home from my father’s house, needing the warmth of the shower to help chase away the twinge of nausea as well as the worries which racked my nerves.
“Where are we going?” I asked, backing up a few paces the closer he came. We wouldn’t be leaving my apartment if he had his way, and while I was good to go with what was probably running through his head, I needed a distraction from the issues I tried my hardest to run from, even though I knew I had to face them, and soon. But I needed more time, even if it was only a day.
; “What?” he asked, reaching for me. I smiled and continued to back away, the backs of my legs eventually coming to rest against the edge of the couch.
“You said you wanted to pick me up,” I answered, resting the flat of my palms on his chiseled chest. “Where are you taking me? Out on our first official date?” I teased, knowing full well Stone wasn’t the type of man to date.
He stopped suddenly, cocking his head and narrowing his gaze. “You wanna go out on a date?”
See? I hit the nail on the head.
Deciding it was the best opportunity I would have to take it all the way, I indulged myself. “Yeah, sure I do. I think you should dress up in a nice suit and pick me up for a proper date, complete with flowers and a nice, fancy restaurant.” I couldn’t help myself, a small smile giving everything away.
Never in a million years could I imagine Stone dressed in anything other than his normal day-to-day attire. He was rugged and sexy, not refined and polished. If I’d wanted a man like that I would have dated any one of the doctors at the hospital who’d asked me out.
No, Stone was exactly the type of man who revved my engine. Even though he drove me insane sometimes, he also drove me out of my mind with lust. One look from him and I was a total goner for sure.
Something he was totally taking advantage of right then.
Pulling me in to him, my breath escaped on a strangled hiss, our bodies pressed so close I had to tilt my head back in order to see his face. Lowering his mouth, he kissed me. Sweetly. His lips skimmed over mine, but he never took it further. A slight flick of his tongue was the only action that told me he would delve deeper if I gave him access. But I was too enthralled with whatever game he was playing to completely give in. And rest assured, he was up to something—I was sure of it. Any other time Stone was able to get his hands on me was a rushed effort to bring us both pleasure.
This was something different. Did he feel bad about berating me over the phone? Was he trying to calm his reactions when it came to his daunting ways of handling things? Was he trying to apologize for his craziness earlier?
I had no idea, but I was about to find out.
Pulling back, he gazed deep into my eyes. The look was overwhelming, allowing me to see a part of his soul. The connection between us had always been undeniable, but it was times like these which told me he was it for me. Better or worse, Stone Crosswell was the man I was meant to end up with. Despite everything.
A pang of hurt crushed me. Would I be able to give him all of me in return? Would we grow old together? Would we share the joy of the child growing in my belly?
Would we be happy?
Dismissing my fears, I focused back on the gorgeous creature staring at me.
“Did you trim your beard? It doesn’t look as long as usual.” Yeah, that was where I chose to focus. Everything else pinging back and forth inside my head was too much.
“Yeah, I did. It was getting a bit too much. You like?”
“I approve.” I smiled and playfully yanked on his trimmed facial hair.
He’d gone quiet for a few seconds, something obviously on his mind enough to not talk right away. When his lips finally parted, he said something I never would’ve imagined.
“If you’re serious about me wearing a monkey suit and taking you to a fancy restaurant, I will. I would do that for you because you deserve it, Addy.” He kissed me gently again. “You deserve everything.”
I was floored.
I was completely playing with him, but I guessed it backfired on me.
Well, not backfired, per se, but it was definitely unexpected. That was for sure.
“While the idea is tempting, how about I hold onto that one, calling it in whenever I want?”
“Deal.”
“Deal,” I repeated. “So, where are we going?”
“I thought we could grab some takeout and head back to my place,” he said, linking his fingers through mine and pulling me toward my bedroom.
“Where are you going?” I asked, thinking he wanted to ravage me before we left. And to be quite honest, I wasn’t about to object.
“You have to get changed. You’re not goin’ outside dressed like that.” He waved his hand over my body, drawing my attention back to the fact I was barely clothed.
Adelaide
Strapped to the back of his impressive ride, my arms wrapped tightly around his strong body. I relaxed and allowed myself to revel in the moment. There was a certain freedom which came from being on the back of a motorcycle. Allowing the open road to possess me. The wind whipping all around, making me aware I was part of something bigger.
It was intoxicating.
I understood why the men chose to take their bikes when they had to go on long runs. There was nothing like it, and although I was sure they were tired after the long distance, it must have been well worth it, an escape which was sometimes definitely needed.
I’d closed my eyes as soon as we hit the stretch of highway away from my house, but I’d immediately become alert when I noticed we were traveling toward the club. I knew the distance and turns like the back of my hand.
The roar of the engine was too loud for him to hear me, never mind we were both wearing helmets. I decided not to freak out, though; I was sure there was a good explanation why he needed to stop there. But that didn’t stop me from tensing up the closer we approached, hoping and praying my uncle wasn’t anywhere near the place.
When we finally arrived, Stone backed his bike into his appointed spot like he’d probably done thousands of times before. Swinging my leg over, I came to stand beside him, pulling off my helmet before he even shut off his engine.
“What are we doing here?” I asked, my lip quivering in uneasiness the longer he remained silent. Tearing off his own helmet, his strong thighs continued to straddle his ride. He didn’t answer me, instead reaching for my hand to pull me close.
“Addy . . .” he started, giving me a look of apology as well as intent.
“No, no, no.” I shook my head and pulled my hand from his grip. “We can’t do this now,” I pleaded. “I’m not ready.”
Dismounting, he stalked me as I backed up with each step. “Yes, you are,” he affirmed, a thread of steel to his voice I was all too familiar with. “There’s no time like the present. We have to get this over with if we’re gonna move forward. And if that means dealing with Trigger, then so be it.”
He seemed so sure of himself, standing before me like a mountain of strength. My uncle was going to flip out, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. I hated that I was going to upset him, but I was even more distressed at the potential harm he would inflict on Stone. And while Stone wouldn’t technically feel the physical effects of my uncle’s wrath, it could most definitely be life-changing.
My uncle was that crazy protective when it came to me, and I had no doubt he would threaten Stone’s very existence, no matter what pleas fell from my lips.
After some more back and forth between the two of us, I gave in. I tried to walk in front of him to scope out the club and see who was present, but he pulled me back, grabbing hold of my hand and forcefully gripping it in his. He wanted there to be no doubt we were together, and if seeing our hands entwined was the first start, then so be it.
I continued to struggle, but that only earned me a tightened grasp as well as an annoyed look.
“Stop trying to get away from me,” he warned. “It’s happenin’, so the sooner you get onboard the better.”
If he wasn’t afraid of what was going to happen, then why was I? While I tried to relax and let everything play out as it will, I couldn’t escape the fear inside me. This was the last thing I needed to deal with right now. I still hadn’t told Stone anything about being pregnant or sick, and there he was, adding another thing to my plate I just didn’t need to deal with.
As we walked across the expansive lot, I noticed a few members milling around. First, Hawke came into view. His head was down, looking at something displayed on his ph
one. When he heard us approaching, he picked his head up, staring at our combined hands before a knowing look appeared on his face.
“‘Bout fuckin’ time, brother,” he acknowledged, addressing Stone before looking my way. “Hi, Addy,” he gleamed, his smile telling me everything. How the hell did he know we were together? Had Stone announced our business to people before I’d even agreed to be his?
Before I could ask, Stone answered my silent question. “He guessed.”
That’s it?
Hawke wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but I had noticed he liked to people-watch. Was that how he’d picked up on whatever was between us? Were we that obvious? How many other people had taken notice?
The next people I saw were Ryder and Tripp, huddled around the fighting ring toward the back of the lot. Jagger and Zip were sparring, Jagger’s skill outweighing his opponent at every turn. All four men were too engaged with what was going on to pay us any mind. That was until they heard their president’s voice.
“Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me right now, Stone? This is the last goddamn thing we need, messing things up inside the club.” Marek briskly walked toward us, fists clenched at his sides and an incredulous look painted across his face.
“I’m not hidin’ it anymore, Prez. She’s mine, and I want everyone to know it.” Stone stood tall next to me, challenging his friend—and leader—with a simple look.
“Fuck!” Marek shouted, coming to stop directly in front of us. Looking back and forth between us, he finally focused on me, realizing his friend was too far gone with determination. “Addy, is this something you want to divulge right now? Your uncle’s inside, but he’ll be out here any second.”
I never got the chance to speak before Stone spouted off at the mouth. “What the hell, Marek? I told you it’s what’s happenin’. Of course Addy’s scared of Trigger’s reaction, but she wants this as much as I do.” Stone tightened his hold on my hand on the last word.
