“And she’s playful like you.”
He averted his attention back to the solitude of nothing, staring at the privacy fence, but fewer lines creased around the outer edges of his eyes and a hint of a grin toyed with his beautiful lips. Several quiet minutes passed before he met my gaze.
“I’ve hired a detective. He’s the best money can buy and I promise you, we’ll find out who’s responsible for fucking up our lives.”
I swallowed hard. “I’ve been thinking about that. What good will come out of it? Nothing. Our families have closure, the truth. Probing deeper will only hurt other people. That girl, Misty…she had to bury her mom knowing she wasn’t who she thought she was, that she’d done things she didn’t know her own mother was capable of.”
“Don’t ask me to drop this. I won’t.”
“Just hold off until you’ve had time to think about what I’m saying. We both know there are others involved. There may be other kids this will affect, and Misty shouldn’t have to be interrogated by an investigator. She came forward with the letter when she didn’t have to, and don’t you think she’s already begged for closure? Aside from all the others, think of Savannah. She doesn’t need to be exposed to corruption, not about the people she loves.”
“Dammit, Ave. I need to know. Call me a selfish bastard, but I need to know who stole my life!”
“They stole mine too, but they can’t steal my future,” I whispered. “And they can’t take my happiness, not anymore.”
“Why’d you call my name while pleasuring yourself?” he asked arrogantly, causing a hot rush to slap my cheeks.
“Stone…”
He cocked his head to the side. “You were never shy, always audacious and bold, eager to make out in the back seat of Gammy’s car, not giving a damn where we were or who saw—not even when one of the deacons from your dad’s church caught us on that dirt road at two in the morning. You slipped out your bedroom window without looking back, so don’t try to play innocent with me. Tell me why you called my name.”
Because I want you, and you’re the only one capable of putting out the fire. No one else has ever come close.
Heated blood channeled through my veins while my heart thrummed. His sexy blue gaze made me want to lose myself, to let go, to blurt out exactly how he made me feel and free my inhibitions. He made me want to admit that I wanted nothing more than to crawl over the table between us, rip his clothes off, and taste every inch of him.
“You can’t hide what you’re feeling. I see your flushed skin, the way you’re breathing harder, and it turns me on to see you pull your bottom lip in between your teeth. Just thinking about you sliding that vibrator in and out of you made me hard, but hearing you say my fucking name…”
The summer breeze swept his scent through the air, toying with any thread of logic I had left. Meeting his steely blue, magical gaze dead on, I said, “I fantasize about you all the time. Since that kiss…I couldn’t stop thinking about how good it would be between us.”
He stood, sauntering around the table and standing behind me. His moves were smooth, and his audible breathing made me hold my own breath. Across the way, his silhouette was illuminated in the window pane. I couldn’t take my eyes off him as the seconds ticked by with neither of us moving or speaking.
Waiting.
Waiting for him to say something.
Waiting for his touch.Waiting for a taste of anything Stone.
Shudders assailed my body. I wanted nothing more than to beg him to touch me, but I waited for anything to satisfy the burn igniting between my legs. I sat unfulfilled and hungry, waiting for him to make a move.
As if reading my mind, his hands landed on my shoulders, massaging gently, seductively while his thumbs found the base of my neck. I released a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding, letting his magical touch soothe me deeper into bewilderment.
“Avery, if you want a man that can make love to you, tell me to leave. I don’t do romantic dinners. Dating is not my thing. Believe me, if I were to tell you my fantasies, what I want to do to you, you’d blush until your skin burned.” He leaned down, his lips nipping my ear. “And I want nothing more than to show you. I want to fuck you right now, in every way imaginable. Tell me now if you want me to go or if you want me to make you come apart until you can’t remember your own fucking name.”
His words engulfed me and my body trembled as I pressed into his hands with the need to surrender. A twinge of disappointment ran through me. Through all the hatred I’d carried, a dull ache of longing for what we could never be existed. We had been so good together, but those days of loving like there was no tomorrow were long gone. When he leaned down, breathing against my ear, a desperate whimper escaped my throat.
I squeezed my eyes closed, pulling my bottom lip between my teeth. He made me feel things I hadn’t felt since us. Sexy. Beautiful. Wanted in the most intimate way.
“Say something.” He worked his mouth over the lobe, tugging it gently between his teeth.
I let out a sound, something between a moan and a whimper. “You made me feel so good last night.” My head rolled to the side, inviting his mouth and breath against my neck and ear.
“Is that what you want? To be fucked in every possible way?” His teeth bit my flesh while his tongue swirled around the edges of my ear. His breath branded my skin, sending hot shivers down my spine. “Tell me.”
Helpless, I choked out my answer through ragged panting breaths. “Yes.”
He cupped my chin. “In return, you’ll be my private dancer.”
Oh. My. God. My lips parted, ready for his to mouth to capture mine, but then Savannah opened the patio door. I shot out of the chair, guilt ridden and suffocating. Savannah seeing me in an intimate position with a man she barely knew was the last thing I wanted. Once she learned Stone was her father, I didn’t want her to get false hopes. A house with a white picket fence wasn’t in works for us. We would never be a family. He was just there for a good time.
“I need to give Savannah her medication. Come on, sweetie.” Rattled and undone, I grabbed her hand and darted inside. I wanted to crawl between the cracks of the patio and hide my shame.
Ten minutes later, Stone joined us in the living room. Savannah sat on the ottoman in front of the rocker while I brushed her hair, securing a ribbon around her ponytail.
“Mommy, when can we go the beach?”
My hands stopped smoothing the length of her gathered hair, shocked at her innocent question. “What beach?”
“Stone’s. He has a beach and last night, he said we could visit one day. He showed me pictures and everything.”
“He did?” I cast my questioning eyes to Stone, wondering what else they’d talked about. “I bet it’s nice.”
“Can you show me the pictures again?” She beamed, darting to where he’d made himself comfortable on the sofa.
“Sure thing.” He patted the cushion beside him.
My phone signaled an incoming text.
Lindsey: I see you had company last night. His Jeep still has dew on the window.
Me: Stalker
Lindsey: All good?
Me: Wouldn’t call it that. A LOT to tell you…
Lindsey: I’m all ears.
Me: LATER
Lindsey: Using caps? Twice? I’ll be waiting for the juicy details…I’m taking Kaylee to the library for story time at eleven and then to the mall to ride the carousel. She would love for Savannah to come…
Me: She’d love that.
Lindsey: Enjoy your afternoon delight, I want all the details :)
After Savannah finished scrolling through all the pictures, she asked Stone question after question about the beach and all the things to do there. The relationship there were building made me feel warm inside, knowing everything was going to be alright. After she scurried off to her room to play, Stone leisurely stretched out on the couch. He then held out his hand, eyes scorching over my body and knocking the breath out of me. He crooked his
finger, motioning for me to join him.
“Come here,” his intense raspy voice called out.
When I was within his reach, his hand coiled around mine, drawing me down to lay chest to chest. His hands slid to the sides of my face, holding my hair back as his eyes displayed a mesmerized tenderness.
“I need to go to Houston in the morning.” He pressed his lips softly to mine. “Come with me, you and Savannah.” His mouth never left mine, the words and breath working magic against my skin. It was as if he was bribing me, using his masterful skills to persuade me to say yes.
I pulled back, placing my hands on his chest and lifting my body to see his full face. “I don’t know. It’s too soon for Savannah. We—”
His mouth crushed mine, stealing the rest of whatever I debated. Our tongues sensually danced together, closing the door on any sense I had.
“Come with me. I want you there. I want you both with me.” The same shade of trouble he’d expressed earlier showed underneath the tenderness in his expression as he twirled a tendril of my hair around his finger.
“How long would we be there?”
He shrugged, pulling my head against his chest. “My business shouldn’t take more than a couple hours. We could go back to the beach house and stay a week or so. Savannah would love that, don’t you think?”
I nodded. “She would.”
“You’re still hesitating.”
“I don’t want her to get her hopes up, start getting the idea that we’re a couple. Once she finds out you’re her father, I don’t want her thinking we are going to be one big happy family. We can’t let that happen, Stone.”
“We’ll be honest from the beginning, explain we’re just friends.” He paused before pushing forward. “Ave, we can be great parents and friends at the same time. The better we get along, the easier it’ll be for her.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
Chapter 11
“Do you like my mama?” Savannah asked.
I stopped in the hallway, gaping. Out of sight, I clutched the suitcase handle a little harder and waited on his answer.
“Yes.”
“Do you think she’s pretty?”
“She’s beautiful. You ask a lot of questions, silly girl. Speaking of your mom, I wonder if she’s packed yet. The faster we leave, the sooner we can build sandcastles.”
My jaw dropped and my eyes popped open, the clock on the wall ticking in sync with the echo of my pulse thumping in my ear. I needed a moment to get myself together after a little voice shouted the words that flashed in my mind like a neon sign: He’s going to break your heart.
When Stone had left for his hotel room the night before, I’d been relieved he hadn’t pushed to stay. Emotionally drained, I needed a few semi-normal hours to myself before going to bed. I’d thought if he weren’t around, I’d manage to keep busy, get control of the hormones nagging me to attack him, but it didn’t work. Not even a self-induced orgasm relieved the ache. Instead, I’d tossed and turned in a hot mess, aching for another round with Mr. Wicked himself.
“And pick up seashells!” Savannah squealed.
Get yourself together, right this minute.
Heart slamming against my chest, I stepped out of the hallway. Like always, he sat stretched back on the couch, looking casual and perfectly content. It didn’t seem fair since millions of butterflies were conducting a hostile takeover in my stomach. Adrenaline coursed through my system in response to the magnitude of power he wielded over me.
This getaway had the potential to change or ruin my life, and I felt the electric chemistry between us as if the air buzzed with a deadly lightning strike. A river of unmistakable desire swam in his penetrating gaze as he devoured me from my head to my toes, and his lips tightened when his focus rested at my mouth.
A cocky smile curled his lips up and I couldn’t help but smile back at him. I was playing with fire, and I yearned for the burn. Rolling the suitcase behind me, I made my way closer.
“Savannah, your bag is ready at the foot of your bed. Roll it in here so we can get loaded and head out, and don’t forget Penny Pink.”
“Yay! I’m ready!” She scampered off.
He flashed a smile. “Who’s Penny Pink?”
“It’s the pink bunny she’s slept with since she was one. It goes everywhere with her.”
“Well we better not let her forget it. I’d have to send Hank back here for it.”
I narrowed my eyes in confusion. “Who’s Hank?”
“He’s my pilot. He’ll be flying us to Houston and back for Savannah’s doctor’s appointment.”
“We’re flying…today?”
“I have an appointment I can’t be late for. Hank has piloted my helicopter for a few years now and takes me wherever I need to go.” His glorious blue eyes dimmed with that same shadow of trouble.
“You own a helicopter?” I knew he’d been born a trust-fund baby, but I had no idea to what extent. His great-grandfather, grandfather, and father had been in the oil business when it boomed back in the seventies and early eighties. They’d made good stock market choices, invested well, and passed down the silver spoon—or so Dovie had once told me.
“She’s all mine. We’ll take her up while we’re at the beach. The sunset is breathtaking from the sky.”
I bit back my sassy thought about him not doing romantic dinners but promising to whisk me away and fly off into the horizon…it made a girl wonder about his definition of romance.
“Speaking of items you can’t leave home without—did you pack your blue friend? The one that made you moan my name? Hank might blush if I asked him to come back for it.”
I flashed a coy, playful grin. “Can’t keep me satisfied yourself?”
Savannah’s feet pitter-pattered as she pulled her purple travel bag adorned with tiny white hearts, and Stone gently wrapped his hand around my upper arm as he leaned down to whisper in my ear, “Careful, Ave. I can get you worked up in a matter of seconds, and we’ll be flying high in the sky. You’ll endure the ache between your legs with soaked panties, eagerly anticipating the many ways I can make you come. It’s a long flight.”
In the air, I pondered several issues. First, there was the timing of telling Savannah the truth. Had this been the right way to handle the situation? She and Stone had started bonding, but what if she resented him instead? Second, I wanted to vomit at the thought of hurting Dovie. I wasn’t bothered so much by having kept it from his parents—it hadn’t been a secret that they never felt like I was good enough for their wonder boy—but my beloved Dovie…
Savannah perked up, gazing across the skyline of Houston, and Stone pointed toward a cluster of tall buildings. “See the one with the letter M on the side? That’s where we’re headed.”
“Why?”
“That’s where I live. Then when I finish my meeting, my friend Hank is going to take us to our beach house.”
Our.
“You have two houses?”
He chuckled. “I do.”
Stone glanced over my way. “Clare, my housekeeper, will be waiting at the elevator to show you and Savannah inside. Your bags will be safe in the compartment. I should return around five and Hank will fly us to Bolivar.”
I arched my eyebrows upward. “Business meeting?”
“Something like that.” A dark broodiness hazed over his happiness.
The chopper landed gently on the marked circle atop the building. Once Hank gave the all-clear signal with his thumb in the air, Stone assisted us down the steps of the helicopter. Trouble smoldered behind his beautiful blues and as much as he tried to hide it, he failed.
“Kiddo, there’s a media room if you want to watch a movie.” He ruffled the top of Savannah’s hair and gave me a half smile. “I’ll be back as quick as I can.”
“I hope everything goes well.”
“It will. It always does.”
He looked at his watch. “Gotta go. Make yourself at home, Ave.”
“See you
when you get back.”
Stone winked before climbing back into the cabin and securing the seatbelt. There was a beautiful, slender woman who appeared to be in her fifties waiting for us at the metal door, and I turned around just in time for one last glimpse. Through the small window, he held up his hand in a wave before the rotating blades gathered enough momentum to take off.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Anderson. I trust your flight was quite comfortable.”
“It was, thank you. You’re Clare, right?” I held out my hand.
She shook my hand and then turned her attention to Savannah. “Well hello. Let me show you and your mother around.”
We walked down a long corridor before coming to double mahogany doors. She pressed a few numbers on a keypad before gaining access and held the entrance open for us.
My jaw dropped in awe. There were pristine white marble floors, strikingly sleek modern furnishings, and panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows offering incredible views of the sky and skyline. Art pieces filled the built-in shelving, and fine crystal perched on side tables. A chocolate sectional sat atop one of several zebra-print rugs, and an authentic cowhide chair sat by a thick glass coffee table. It was magnificent yet unpretentious, and everything I couldn’t picture as Stone’s taste.
He was so different, someone I had known so intimately, now a total stranger.
“Holy cow!” I muttered under my breath. “Baby, don’t touch anything.”
Clare softly chuckled. “Mr. Mitchell had me go out and purchase red juice. I hardly think he’s much concerned with accidents, Ms. Anderson.”
Red juice? Out of the question! One dining room chair probably cost more than my yearly salary. I squeezed Savannah’s hand a little tighter, keeping her close.
“Please, call me Avery.” I took in the stunning kitchen that had a waterfall wall made of glass tiles. A giant marble island divided the area from the dining room, and glass doors led to a terrace with an outdoor entertainment area. We didn’t tour upstairs, but Clare gave us a rundown on the master and guest bedrooms, Stone’s office, and the other terrace off his bedroom.
I had once known Stone like I knew myself. I’d known what he’d believed in, the coach he wanted to be after graduating from college, how he’d always wanted a stone home in the Hill Country near Austin. This cold, walk-on-eggshells home didn’t match the man I knew. He was still cocky and arrogant, but lacked the warmth and wholesomeness he once had. He was unknown to me in so many ways.
Chasing Wicked (The Mitchell Brothers - Wicked Series Book 1) Page 8
