The Stone Brothers: A Complete Romance Series (3-Book Box Set)

by Samantha Christy

  Julian pats me on the back. “Well thank God for small favors. Or huge ones.” He laughs.

  I look across the room at my gorgeous fiancée. “Yes,” I say, agreeing whole-heartedly. “Thank God for those.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Mallory pulls the covers up to her chin as I spoon her from behind. “I don’t want to leave you,” she says, sadly.

  “Then don’t,” I tell her.

  I know her job is important to her and I’d never ask her to quit for me. On the other hand, it will keep us apart more than it’ll keep us together. The reality of it is sinking in now that she has to go home and prepare for the new school year.

  She cranes her neck around, rolling her eyes at me. “You know I have to, Chad. School starts in a week and I have to get ready.”

  I pull her tightly against me. “I know. I just want you with me all the time.”

  “I want that, too. I wish there were a way to have you and my job,” she says.

  “You can have both,” I tell her. “You do have both. We’ll make it work. After the next few weeks of voice-overs and L.A. reshoots, I’ll have a long break until Dark Tunnels filming starts.” I rise up on an elbow and rub my hand down her arm. “I just have one request, babe.”

  “Anything.” She smiles over her shoulder at me.

  “If by some miracle, I ever get nominated for anything, I’m going to need you there with me. I know the awards shows all fall during the school year. But I’m not sure I could handle—”

  “Chad,” she interrupts. “That goes without saying. Wild horses couldn’t keep me away.” She turns around to face me. “And it won’t be by some miracle that you get nominated. It will be because of your talent. You’re a genius in front of the camera, Chad Stone. I don’t make many promises. But I promise you this: if you continue to perform like you did for this film, we’ll have to get a pretty big display case for our new pad because you’ll be filling it with all kinds of awards.”

  “It’s you,” I tell her. “You bring out the best in me, Mal.”

  She smiles. “We bring out the best in each other.”

  I kiss the tip of her nose. “I’m glad you think so. But you were perfect before me.”

  “There wasn’t a before you, Chad,” she says, her eyes glistening in the morning light. “I don’t even have any memories of a time you weren’t either in my life or in my heart. The day you walked up to my bus stop was the day I began living.”

  She snuggles into the crook of my neck. “It’ll be strange, you know, not living in my dad’s house. There are a lot of memories there.”

  “I’m sure he won’t mind if you visit a lot,” I say. “Maybe we could make it a thing. You know, Sunday dinner in the old ‘hood. I’d like to get you back on the court from time to time. I’m not sure we can find a place in the city where we can have one.”

  “Do you want to live in the city?” she asks.

  “I want to live wherever you do, Mal.”

  “Really? Because I want to live there so badly,” she says, her voice perking up. “All my friends live there. I’ve always been so jealous over how they can just walk out their front doors and go shopping. Or get coffee. Or walk home from clubbing.”

  “Then it’s settled,” I tell her. “We’ll live in the city.”

  After looking downright giddy for a few seconds, her smile turns into a frown. “Are you sure that’s wise? I mean, you’ll get bothered all the time. You won’t be able to walk down the street, Chad.”

  “I’m not sure I’ll be able to do that no matter where we live.”

  “We’ll have to live in a place with good security,” she says. “That can be expensive.”

  I stare at her with raised brows.

  She rolls her eyes. “Right. Sorry,” she says. “Sometimes I forget you have more money than God.”

  I laugh. “We do, babe. We have more money than God,” I joke. Then I trace the outline of her face with my finger. “Everything I have is yours.”

  “And everything I have is yours,” she says. Then she winces, forming a wrinkle in her elegant nose. “Sorry. I know you’re getting the short end of the stick.”

  I shake my head looking at the incredible woman lying next to me. “No. I’m definitely the winner here. I promise you that.”

  My phone vibrates on the nightstand for the third time, so I roll over to check it.

  Richard: I didn’t want to alarm Mallory. When I got home last night, there was something for her at the front door. I can’t even explain it, so I sent a picture.

  I tap on the attached picture to expand it and my heart stops. There on the front steps of her house is a life-sized teddy bear with its insides ripped out and spilling down the front porch steps. It looks like it has blood all over it and it’s holding a sign that reads, “Die, bitch.”

  The news of our engagement has spread quickly what with the cast and crew all witnessing it. It was never my intention to keep a lid on it. I’m glad it’s out there. I want the world to know I’m with her. And I did expect some backlash, but I sure as hell didn’t think it would come in the form of an eviscerated teddy bear on Mal’s front porch.

  I read his other text.

  Richard: There were also a dozen or so cards stuffed in the front door and several photographers out front. I know she comes home tomorrow. I know you’ll do whatever is needed to keep her safe. Let me know what I can do to help.

  I quickly scroll through the rest of my missed messages. They are mostly from Paul, who is pissed at me that I didn’t clear things with him first. As if I need his permission to propose to my girl. And my lawyer, Ron, is already bugging me about a prenup that will never see the light of day.

  “What is it?” Mal asks, sitting up in bed when she reads my body language.

  “Nothing,” I say. You have to tell her. “Well, not nothing, but I don’t want you to worry. We pretty much expected this with the news of our engagement.”

  “What happened?” she asks. “Are women protesting in the streets? Are they mourning the loss of the world’s most eligible bachelor?” She giggles and I feel terrible that I’m going to ruin her good mood.

  “Funny, but no. It seems you’ve gotten some, um . . . hate mail back at your house.”

  She laughs. “Already? Wow, that was fast.” Her face falls. “Wait, how do you know about this?”

  “Your dad texted me.”

  “Why did he text you and not me?” she asks. “They didn’t egg his house or anything, did they?”

  I shake my head. “No. They didn’t egg his house.” I reluctantly hand my phone over and show her the picture Richard sent.

  Her hand comes up to cover her mouth as I watch horror cross her face. “Oh, God, Chad. How can people be so cruel?”

  “I’ll have the police look into it. But I’m going to send Cole home with you.”

  “What?” She gives me a crazy-eyed look. “That’s ridiculous. Cole is needed here, with you.”

  “I need to keep you safe, Mal.”

  “I need you to be safe, Chad.”

  I blow out a sigh. “I’ll hire you your own bodyguard then.”

  “I don’t need a bodyguard,” she says. “It’s just a jealous fan.”

  “A jealous fan who could be psychotic for all we know. I’m not taking the chance. Either move out of your dad’s house to someplace more secure, or I’m getting you a bodyguard. Take your pick, Mal.”

  I’ve never been so stern with her before. I hold my breath to see just how hard she’s going to push back. I watch as she processes what I’ve told her. I can read her eyes. She doesn’t know whether to be pissed at me for being an over-protective prick or relieved because I’ll do anything to take care of her.

  “But what about my dad? If I leave, he will be left to deal with things. I want him safe, too. And where would I go?”

  “First off, your dad is a big guy. Nobody is going to mess with him. And it won’t take long for word to get out that you aren’t living there anymore
. I was thinking that maybe you could stay with Ethan or Kyle until we can find a place. I don’t think Melissa or Julian would have enough space for you to comfortably stay with them longer than a day or two.”

  She shakes her head. “I’m not staying with Ethan and Charlie. They have a baby and don’t need me hanging around.”

  “What about Kyle?” I ask. “He’s never home. He’s at the hospital pretty much all the time now that he’s an intern. His apartment is close to Melissa’s, so you and she could ride to work together.”

  “I don’t know,” she says reluctantly. “It’s such an imposition.”

  “You know as well as I do that he’d love to have you. He’s always thought of you as a sister, and soon you’ll actually be one.”

  She shrugs. “That might work. But only if you don’t have to strong-arm him into it.”

  “Strong-arm him? Hardly,” I say, laughing. “As soon as he tastes your cooking, he’ll never let you leave.”

  My doorbell rings so I hop out of bed and pull on some sweatpants. Walking down the hall, I pray I don’t open it to find the eviscerated Teddy’s twin on my doorstep. But when I open the door, I see it’s even worse than I feared.

  “Is it true?” Heather asks, plowing past me and into my living room before I can stop her.

  “What the hell are you doing here, Heather?”

  She crosses her arms and looks at me sadly. “How could you do this to me, Thad?”

  “Heather, I don’t know what you’re on these days, but it’s made you delusional. I’m not doing anything to you. I haven’t been with you for almost four years. I’m engaged to Mallory and you need to respect that.”

  “Respect that?” she scoffs. “You’re with a school teacher, Thad. It’s just wrong.” She walks over to me, getting too close for my liking. She puts a hand on my bare chest, violating me with her eyes. “We were good together once. We can be again.”

  Mallory walks around the corner wearing her short robe, clearly looking like she just rolled out of bed with her mussed-up hair. Two things happen. Mal looks at Heather’s hand on my chest—hatred seeping from her eyes. And Heather scowls melodramatically at Mal, eyeing her from head to toe as if she’s a mangy stray, a pauper off the street.

  I quickly step aside, out from under Heather’s touch and walk back to my front door which is still wide open. “Thanks for stopping by to congratulate us, Heather. I wouldn’t want to keep you any longer. I know how busy you are.”

  Heather sneers at Mallory. “Congratulate,” she says dryly. “Whatever.” She walks past Mal and toward the door where she doesn’t even bother to lower her voice. “When you tire of her, I’ll be waiting.”

  “You’ll be waiting forever, Heather. Because I won’t leave her.”

  “Huh,” she says. “That’s not how I see it. You did it once, Thad. You’ll do it again.”

  I point to the porch. “Out,” I tell her.

  She walks through the doorway and I slam the door after her. Then I turn to Mallory. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea she was coming. I’m going to call the gate and have her banned.”

  “It’s okay,” she says, sadly. “I know I’m going to have to deal with women who want you. If it’s not Heather, it will be someone else. It’s just . . .”

  I step over to her and cup her face in my hands. “It’s just what?”

  “Well, you and Heather were together for years,” she says. “And when I saw her hand on you. It just makes me wonder if you miss it sometimes.”

  “Miss it?” I say incredulously. “Miss Heather? Are you kidding?”

  She shakes her head. “Maybe not miss Heather, per se, but the fun you two had when you were together. I’ve seen pictures; read stories. You were young and wild. Do you ever miss the drugs, Chad? Do you crave them?”

  “Oh, wow.” Deep fucking question. I take her hand, leading her over to the couch where I sit her down next to me. “To be honest, the answer is yes and no. Intellectually, I know drugs are bad for me and they lead to destructive behavior. But physiologically, my body does still crave the feeling I’d get from getting high. It’s why I never drink much. I don’t ever want to be in a position where I’ll make a stupid choice. I’m not sure drug addicts are ever fully recovered.”

  She grips my hand, seemingly terrified.

  “You have nothing to worry about, Mal. I’m not doing drugs again. Ever. If I do, I give you permission to publicly flog me, shame me, string me up by my testicle.”

  She shakes her head and then looks at me with serious eyes. “I wouldn’t do any of that, Chad. But I would leave you.”

  I smile at her and nod. “I know you would. I would expect nothing less. But I’m not going to fuck this up by being a . . . what did you tell me never to be that first night we made love?”

  “Stupid bastard,” she says.

  “Right. I’ll never be a stupid bastard.” She relaxes into the couch causing her robe to gape open, allowing me to see the curve of her bare breasts. “But I will be a horny one if you keep teasing me with what may or may not be under that robe.”

  She smiles seductively at me. “I’ll let you in on a secret. There’s nothing under it.”

  “Oh, there’s something under it, all right,” I say, peeling it away from her body like layers of an onion. “And I plan to explore every exquisite inch.”

  As soon as my hands touch her skin, she moans. God, I’m going to miss this when she leaves tomorrow. I plan on spending every waking minute until then touching her body. Kissing those lips. Feeling her writhe beneath me. I am a composer and she is my muse. And we’re about to make beautiful fucking music together.

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Mallory

  “Thank you so much, Kyle. You really didn’t need to go through all the trouble,” I say.

  He brings my last suitcase into his guest room. “You’re family now, Mallory. It’s what we do for each other.”

  I laugh. “I almost forgot. You are ever the philanthropist. I bet you don’t stop until you’ve cured the world of homelessness. And cancer.”

  “And hunger,” he adds.

  “You and your brother,” I say. “Do you know he feeds almost every homeless person he sees?”

  “Really?” he asks, narrowing his eyes at me in surprise.

  I nod. “He does,” I say. “But he doesn’t think it’s very tough-guy of him so he keeps it on the down low.”

  He laughs, shaking his head over what I’ve revealed about Chad. “And what about you, Mallory? I’ve heard you do good work at Hope For Life.”

  “I try,” I say with a frown. “But I haven’t been very good at it lately, traveling the country with the movie star.”

  “Didn’t Charlie tell you?” he says, looking confused. “She not only took over your Tuesday-night shifts, but now she has Piper Mitchell volunteering there as well.”

  My jaw drops.

  “Don’t look so surprised,” he says. “You have this way about you that makes everyone want to be a part of your world. Most of all, my brother. He’s a lucky guy, Mallory.”

  “I’m the lucky one, Kyle.”

  He hands me a key. “Stay as long as you like. Just don’t scream my brother’s name in bed when he visits. That might be more than I can handle.”

  I feel my cheeks heat up. “Duly noted,” I say. “And, um, when you want to bring women home, I can go crash at Melissa’s or Julian’s.”

  “Ha!” he says. “Who the hell has time for that? Being an intern is kicking my ass. Hey, did you know your dad came by over the summer to congratulate me for getting an internship at his hospital? I always liked him, you know. His new girlfriend seems nice. Young, too.”

  “She is, on both counts. She’s not quite forty yet while he’s pushing fifty. I think they’re afraid to say anything to me, but I saw some of Denise’s things at the house when I was packing up today. I wonder if she’s been staying there. Oh, my God, maybe she’s going to move in now that I’m pretty much gone.”
r />   “Would you be okay with that?” he asks.

  I think about how happy my dad has been these past months. Then I think of all those miserable years he spent after my mom died. He deserves this. He deserves it more than anyone. I nod. “I think I would.”

  “Then you should tell him, Mallory. He’s probably scared shitless to say anything. I’m sure you giving him your blessing would mean the world to him.”

  I smile, thinking of all the happiness my dad and I have been lucky enough to experience this year. “I will. Thanks, Kyle.”

  “I’m off to work now. I won’t be home for forty-eight hours, so don’t worry.”

  “That must be awful,” I say. “I don’t know how you do it.”

  “I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t love it.” He leans in to kiss my cheek and then picks up his keys off the entry table.

  I get his attention before he walks out the door. “What’s your favorite meal?” I ask.

  “Lasagna. Why?”

  I shrug. “After working for forty-eight hours, I think you should be able to come home and eat something you love.”

  He winks at me. “How about you just blow off my brother and let me keep you?”

  I laugh as he closes the door behind him.

  I get started unpacking my clothes. I can’t help but smile. I feel like Chad must feel a lot of the time, a nomad without a home, wandering from rental house to guest house to hotel room. But I’m so happy to finally be living in the city. And in as little as a few weeks, Chad will be living here right along with me.

  ~ ~ ~

  It didn’t take long for the vultures to come out. It’s all over the tabloids that Chad and I have split, and only a week after they were announcing our engagement. Don’t these people have better things to do?

  There’s a picture of me someone must have snapped in the airport. It shows me sad and alone. Of course I was alone; Chad didn’t have a ticket so he couldn’t go through security with me. The good news is at least now I don’t have to go through the main entrance anymore, so the only paparazzi we run into are at the curb. A fellow passenger must have taken the picture of me at the gate.