Instead of going over and over worst-case scenarios in my head, I change the subject and try to distract myself.
“Where is Lucius?” I ask.
“Hawaii, with the mistresses, just how he likes it. I had to force him to take a vacation, but, I think it’ll do him some good,” Evan replies.
“What about Aidan? And Athena?” I ask.
“That’s up for debate. Apparently, they went skiing together, but my damn Aunt is so tight-lipped about the whole thing. Aidan’s back in New York to see his family, I think. That’s what he said anyway; that and something about needing to get away from Athena,” Evan laughs.
“Those two,” I click my tongue.
“Don’t they know by now that the Stones are cursed when it comes to love, and they should just get over themselves and be together if that’s what they want?” I joke.
“Well, that’s what we did, didn’t we?” Evan says with a little grin.
The ring is much bigger than I would’ve chosen for myself, but I like that Evan says the three diamonds represent our past, present, and future.
Ava Darlington Senior was married fifty years when she wore this ring, and I think it’s going to bring Evan and I the same luck.
It wasn’t that we didn’t want to tell everyone we were engaged; we wanted to wait until everyone was together again, and with everything so hectic lately with the business we had to make a point of taking a vacation home.
The house is lit up with Christmas lights as snow falls lightly on the ground, and the limo pulls up in front of the house.
Corban is waiting for us and opens the door for Evan.
“Brother,” Evan greets Corban.
They hug and clap each other on the back.
“Sun looks good on you! I’m jealous you wouldn’t let us come out there,” Corban laughs.
“Yeah, well we only have a one bedroom, so we didn’t think everyone would fit,” I joke.
Corban laughs.
“I still can’t believe you and this business, Evan. I’m impressed. Noah would be beyond words as to how proud he is of you,” Corban tells Evan.
Evan nods.
“You know, I know that,” he says thoughtfully.
Then, Evan squeezes my hand.
I look up at the handsome man I love, and get ready for the chaos.
Tinsley looks frazzled as the twins, Grayson and Landon, both stark-naked and nearing the one-year mark, run around her screaming at each other.
Well, it’s not really running; mostly they run a few steps, fall and push each other.
It would be adorable if they weren’t screaming in baby gibberish.
Sebastian is crying in Elizabeth’s arms, his face smeared with food as she brings him into the kitchen.
“What are they doing?” Corban shouts over the commotion.
“I don’t know!” Tinsley squeaks.
“Monsters!” Corban yells.
Then, he lunges at both twins playfully, and wrestles them back into their clothes.
Matching little white shirts, with tuxedos silk-screened on them, and black pants.
They look so adorably alike, I’m in awe of Ava’s twins.
Ava makes her appearance just as Corban is finished putting them back into their clothes.
“Oh no, did they do it again?” Ava asks.
“Again,” Tinsley nods.
She looks relieved that they are no longer running circles around her screaming.
“Well, at least they can’t swear yet,” Ava sighs in relief.
“Evan! Leigha!” she cries as she spots us.
Then, we’re swept up in a hug so tight I can barely breathe.
“I was wondering if I was ever going to see you two again,” Ava jokes.
Once Evan and Ava get to talking, it’s hard to get a word in edgewise.
Then, the twins start screaming again, and Elizabeth walks in with Sebastian to hand a now clean eight-month-old to Tinsley.
They’re trying to talk over the jabber of the twins but it’s Athena who gets all of our attention at once.
“Hello!” Athena bellows from the top of the stairs.
Evan immediately runs up the stairs to greet his aunt in a tight embrace.
“I was wondering when you lovebirds would make your appearance,” Athena croons.
She drapes an arm around Evan as they walk down the grand staircase together.
“And Leigha, how lovely to see you,” Athena greets me.
“It’s good to be back,” I reply with a smile.
Athena takes both my hands to lean in and give me a kiss on both cheeks.
Then, she pauses.
Her thumb runs against the ring on my left hand.
The scream that Athena lets out is so high pitched I have the urge to cover my ears.
Evan covers his and Ava suddenly looks up.
“Oh, my God! What’s wrong!” Ava demands.
She looks everywhere, as though one of her monsters are missing.
“You’re engaged!” Athena screams.
Ava smacks her forehead and shakes her head.
“Yes, we’re engaged,” Evan says calmly.
His arms encircle me and I lean into my fiancé’s embrace.
“Engaged!” Ava screams this time.
Corban just laughs.
“Bloody hell, I wish my brother were here to see this, I can’t believe it Evan! You’re getting married!” Athena gushes.
“We are getting married,” Evan whispers in my ear.
For a second, it’s a private moment, just the two of us and the sound of family around us fades away.
Evan’s lips press just under my ear, and a wide smile spreads across my face.
I am warm, and I am safe in Evan’s arms.
He continues to kiss me, down my neck, and Athena smacks him over the head.
“Save it, Evan,” she teases him.
“We need champagne! I’ll grab a bottle,” Tinsley says as she excuses herself.
She’s smiling, but I know how hard this must be for her.
“I’ll go with her,” I tell Evan quietly.
I follow Tinsley down the hallway, towards the stairs to the cellar.
“Are you alright?” I ask.
Tinsley has tears in her eyes, so she only nods for a moment.
Then it comes, the sobs that wrack her entire frame.
She’s thinner than when I last saw her. Almost frail, and I wonder if she’s been eating between caring for Elizabeth, Sebastian and the twins destroying everything in their path.
When she leans into me for support, I wrap my arms around her and pull her close to me.
I know in these tortured moments, all I can really do is hold her, and it’s a long time before she settles.
“A little better?” I question.
Tinsley nods as I rub her back.
“I apologize, I’m just…” She stops herself.
“I’m so happy for you, and for Evan but, with Noah being gone, happy things just seem to drag me down into this endless pit of despair. I don’t want to take away from the happiness of everyone else,” Tinsley admits.
I’ve no idea why she’s confiding in me, but I have a deeply seeded urge to soothe her.
“Tinsley, I think that’s perfectly normal. I would feel the same way if I was in your shoes,” I say, trying to be honest with her.
“That’s probably true,” Tinsley sniffs.
There’s a small, but comfortable silence, as we walk down the stairs and towards the enormous doors at the end of the hall.
“They want me to sign the death certificate, as his next of kin,” Tinsley says, her voice small.
“Don’t do it,” I urge her.
“You think so?” Tinsley says, her voice brightens up a bit.
“I don’t for a second believe that Noah is dead; they will find him. If he was dead, they would’ve found…” I stop myself.
“I know,” Tinsley finishes for me.
“I’ll alw
ays hold out hope,” she adds, her voice strong.
“It won’t be much longer,” my lie is small.
This is what Tinsley needs to move forward; to go through the motions of day-to-day life.
We enter the cellar, that contains rows and rows of wine, champagne and spirits.
Tinsley finds what she calls ‘an amazing vintage’ without a second thought, and we head back up.
“Do you need another minute?” I ask.
“No,” Tinsley shakes her head.
She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and smiles.
“When I had to go through with that farce of a marriage, whenever I was in public, I would just pretend I was with Noah, to fake it. Now whenever I’m with people, and I have to be happy when I can’t, I just pretend he’s right around the corner,” Tinsley explains.
I return her exuberant smile, and we return to the others.
4
Evan
December 24, 2018
When my eyes open on Christmas Eve morning, I know this is the best I’ve felt in a long time.
Not everything is right with the world, but I feel like me.
I feel like Evan Stone.
“Morning,” Leigh slurs sleepily.
Even though it’s almost one, we were up later than everyone else.
“Morning, love,” I whisper back.
A gentle smile sweeps across Leigha’s features, and she looks, truly, the happiest I’ve ever seen her.
“I didn’t get you anything,” Leigha tells me.
“Good, because I forgot too,” I laugh.
“We never were good with presents, so we’ll probably both forget our anniversary,” Leigha quips.
“Well, there is one thing you could do for me,” I tell Leigha.
My voice is as serious as anything.
“And what’s that?” she asks.
“I want to move back to England. If my father isn’t found soon, someone is going to have to take over his affairs for a bit, and I think it should be me. Levi offered to do it, but he sounded like he didn’t think it was his place,” I explain.
“You’ve been thinking about this for a while?” she asks.
“As much as I love our life in Nassau, I think we have to face the fact that this is our reality,” I explain.
Leigha purses her lips together.
“I’m not opposed to the idea, but I am going to miss Nassau,” she says.
Her explanation makes sense.
“Plus, I’m not sure how Bond is going to deal with the twins,” she laughs.
At the mention of his name, Bond moves from the window sill and jumps onto the bed to snuggle right between us.
“Did you hear Mommy say your name?” I ask the cat.
Bond purrs as I scratch under his chin.
“So, we’re staying in London, then?” I ask Leigha.
“We’ll stay,” she confirms.
I knew she would understand, but it was a decision I wanted to come to together.
We’re partners, there is someone else involved in every decision I make.
“I never thought I’d say it, but I’m thankful the tabloids are still running headlines about us being married,” I laugh.
“Oh right, I forgot about that!” I giggle.
Evan picks up his phone and searches our names just for fun.
Immediately an article pops up, us walking out of Heathrow and an analysis of my ring.
“That’s trash anyway! I wonder what they were going on about when we were gone,” I muse.
“Well, this gives us an excuse to say no to Athena’s engagement party idea,” Evan says with relief.
“Thank god, I don’t like being the center of attention,” Leigha admits.
“I know,” I whisper.
I move across the bed, and plant a kiss on Leigha’s swollen lips.
Swollen from kissing and having wild drunken sex all night with reckless abandon.
Slowly, I move under the sheets towards Leigha, between her legs.
“You’re mine,” I growl
“All yours,” she whispers breathlessly.
I adore when she says that, because I am hers as much as she is mine.
I’m hard just thinking about the fact that we are tied together, we have a life we are going to build together, at last.
I pull her towards me roughly, and Leigha’s laugh fills my ears.
I’d do anything to hear that laugh the rest of my life.
“You think you can please me Stone?” she teases me.
I give my dick a few strokes, then cock an eyebrow.
Is that even a question?
I lean over her body, one finger trailing down her bare skin all the way from Leigha’s nipple to down her abdomen.
“I make your toes curl, and your body weak, and you know you love every second of it,” I growl.
Leigha sucks in a breath, and I know I’m exactly on target.
She squirms underneath me, her hips rising against mine.
I lower my lips to her breast, and swirl my tongue around her hard nipple.
“Ev,” she whispers low.
“Mhmm?” I answer innocently.
I move my hand between her thighs and find her slick with anticipation and desire.
It’s easy to slide two fingers inside her, rubbing my thumb in circles around her clit.
“Evan!” she gasps.
I alternate between curling my fingers inside her, and rubbing slow circles around Leigha’s wet clit.
Enough to drive her insane, really.
“Evan, please,” she whines.
Then, Leigha bites her lip, and with those gorgeous eyes on mine, the desperation on her face is obvious.
Her lips slightly open, her face flushed and her expression is wild with a fire that I love.
All bets are off.
A flurry of hot, frenzied kisses throws me back into that lustful haze where we are anything but responsible, and the only two people in the world that exist are us.
I can’t hold back, and stuff Leigha full of my cock, over and over again.
Finally!
Leigha cries out in pleasure, gasping for breath as I let out a low groan.
I can’t get enough of her wrapping herself around my cock so tightly.
“Evan! Yes!” she gasps.
“God! Leigha, you feel so good,” I growl in her ear.
She curls her legs around my waist, and I give Leigha exactly what she wants, every powerful thrust racking her body with pleasure.
Leigha sets all my nerve endings on fire.
She digs her nails into my back, rakes them across the flesh and bites my lower lip.
In return, I bite into the skin of her neck, and a gasp of pleasure so loud escapes that I know it drives her deeper into our lust.
I want her to be mine.
All of her, every messy bit, every good and bad part, I want it all.
We cling to each other, twisted in the sheets, rocking the bed with the rhythm of our sex.
Leigha’s muscles tighten around my cock, and I know she’s getting closer and closer.
Then, she says it.
The one thing that always drives me over the edge.
“Cum inside me, Stone!” Leigha begs.
“Is that what you want?” I groan in her ear.
As if I could hold back!
She nods, and I continue to fill her with my girth.
“Please! Evan! Cum in me!” she cries.
“Leigha!” I growl.
With one final thrust I fills her to the brim with my cock and blow my load inside her, my mind going into overdrive as a few final thrusts empty everything I’ve got into Leigha’s pulsing warmth.
She comes, then, her pussy gushing over me, soaking us both.
Her moan is long and dragged out, her breathing ragged as her body shakes underneath mine.
She is a shaking, sweaty mess in my arms.
I kiss her all over to bring her back down to ea
rth.
I move a sweaty piece of hair away from her face, to look deeply into Leigha’s eyes.
“I love you Leigha,” I whisper.
“And, I love you,” she whispers in my ear.
“Is it silly that I still can hardly believe we’re finally together?” Leigha asks.
I shake my head and begin to pepper her face with light kisses.
“No, because I still can’t believe I get to call you my wife,” I confess.
“Well. believe it,” she tells me.
“I have a present for you,” I tell her.
My ultimate surprise.
“I thought you forgot?” Leigha mocks shock.
She knows I always have something up my sleeve.
“I’ve always loved this neighborhood,” Leigha tells me
We pass beautiful, large scenic houses on our way.
“I know,” I tell her with a little smirk.
We’re only a few blocks away from the Stone home when I pull into the driveway.
The house is large, and modern.
It stands out in contrast with the other houses on the block, and I just know that inside there is a wide-open concept living space.
I can already picture a state-of-the-art kitchen, with the two ovens and a gas range, plus a flat top.
“Evan, what is this?” Leigha asks hesitantly
I know that she is hoping this is my surprise, because she knows this is something that I would do.
I hold up two sets of keys.
“Welcome home, Leigha,” I tell her warmly.
“Oh my God! Evan!” Leigha cries.
Our home.
For us to live in, together, and start our life.
The entire thing brings Leigha to tears and she dives over the gear shift, our lips crashing together.
With my face in her hands she kisses me over and over again.
“I love you so much,” Leigha tells me.
“Just wait until you see inside,” I laugh.
We walk up to the front door, my arm around Leigha’s shoulders.
I unlock the door, then sweep her up in my arms and carry her across the threshold.
I never want the romance to die, I want to thrill her for years to come, even when we’re old and gray.
Every second of being with her feels like it breathes new life into an old one.
Secret: A Stone Billionaire Series Novel (The Stone Billionaire Series Book 5) Page 30
