The NSC Boxset: Heart of Stone

by D H Sidebottom

  He shook his head eagerly as his eyes showed his fear of me. “No, baby. You’re doing an excellent job.”

  I scowled at him “Not like I have a fucking choice, is it? You did this you arsehole. We are never having sex ever again.”

  His face contorted painfully and I could read the despair on his face at my words. “Now, Red. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves . . .”

  “You twat . . .” I shouted as another contraction tore through me, its tightness crippling me and ripping through me.

  “Push, baby, push . . .” Lucas whispered against my head softly and I whimpered against him as I bore down and pushed. I would shove the little blighter out if it was the last thing I did.

  “Red, God. Oh, baby, she’s here. You did it, Red, God; I love you, baby, I love you . . .” Lucas cried as our daughter’s lungs pierced the room.

  Thank fuck!

  “Well, hello Willow” Lucas cooed as the nurse handed our baby to him.

  His face was pure rapture and I knew if I never saw the sunshine again I could picture this moment and be filled with a brightness that was utterly blinding.

  He looked over at me, his wet eyes telling me how much he loved me. “She’s so beautiful, Red. Just like her Mom.”

  I smiled wide and happily as he passed her to me and I cradled her gently.

  “Hey, baby”

  Her small plump lips rolled and parted and the nurse helped me to get her settled on my breast.

  She was a gannet, just like her father, devouring every bloody thing I had in me and Lucas smirked. “I’m gonna have to fight her for them.”

  The nurse laughed loudly as Sara smacked his arm. “Congratulations, you two. She’s beautiful” She declared.

  Lucas pulled her into a side hug. “Thanks Sare, dunno what I’d have done if you weren’t here to help.”

  She rolled her eyes but kissed his cheek softly as she went to tell our waiting family the news.

  Lucas settled sideways beside me on the bed and stared up at me. “If I could give you the world right now, baby, I would. Every single square inch of it because at this moment I feel like the richest man on the planet.”

  I smiled at him as Willow slurped against me, the moment seeming surreal but I knew it would be burnt in my memories forever.

  “Wait until Troy sees her” I warned with high brows.

  “Oh God, you do know we’ll never get to her again.”

  I laughed and nodded.

  Troy had been a permanent fixture in our lives since Lucas had found out about him and he was utterly adorable. He had been counting the days on our calendar until Willow’s due date and I knew he was going to be very possessive over his sister.

  Lucas cradled Willow’s soft head in his hand as he leaned up to kiss me. “I love you so much, Red. I’m so glad you made a decent coffee that day when you came into my office. The way you back chatted me would’ve seen you on your arse if it wasn’t for your amazing coffee skills.”

  I smirked at him. “And I’m so glad you stopped wearing tie’s baby, because you don’t wanna know about the visions I had involving those ties and your neck.”

  The End

  Sometimes, love is just that little bit too unforgiving

  Prologue

  Mason

  6 years earlier

  I KNEW SHE would change my life the exact moment she walked into the room.

  Fuck me, Heaven had sent her—or hell, whichever way you wanted to look at it.

  The mass of red curls were striking out everywhere atop her head in every direction, her stunning bright green eyes drank you in and devoured you; the way they held my gaze when I studied her told me of her deep passion and I knew she would be the little firecracker I needed.

  Her curvy soft pink lips were crying out for mine to empower and control and I watched them as they parted for her to draw in a small gasp. My eyes fluttered and my dick groaned as I pictured the curve of them over my cock, taking every single damn inch of me.

  Fuck!

  She followed the trek that my eyes were taking with her own little inspection.

  She wanted me as much as I desired her. That much was obvious, but there was something behind her eyes. Denial, maybe; discipline, definitely but there was something else, something . . . mysterious but sorrowful.

  My eyes had ventured lower, over the swell of her large breasts. The plump flesh was shrouded behind a thin white striped cotton shirt and the slightest impression of her lace bra was visible through the material.

  And even lower to the contours of her lush hips, a perfect size for my hands to grab onto with command and dominance, then down to the sheer skyscraper heels adorning her small feet.

  She was an angel; perfect.

  What the hell, Mase?

  I gestured to a seat for her to sit down and inwardly smirked when she wobbled slightly. Oh, she was affected by me alright but this one was George’s girl; out of limits to someone like me; definitely too pure for someone like me.

  Untouchable.

  But, hell, she was fucking exquisite; as though God had created her from my fantasies, from my internal list of everything perfect in a woman.

  “Mr Fox?” Trevor stuttered in my ear and I turned back to the window to divert my attention back to the prick who was currently trying to wind his tongue up my arsehole.

  “If I have to explain what I want from you one more time Trevor, I will personally send Sam round for a visit. And if you think you have got off lightly with Sam, bear in mind I will be the next port of call. You got me?”

  “Y . . . yes, Mr Fox. But . . .”

  I blew out a heavy breath and clenched my free hand into a fist as I fought the urge to pull this idiot through the phone and rearrange his pretty fucking face.

  “What?”

  “It’s just, uhh, a couple of the, uhh . . . girls are playing up for Julie and she . . .”

  “She can handle it.”

  “But, really, Mr Fox she doesn’t seem to be handling it, if you get my drift.”

  I blew out another breath. Christ, did I have to do fucking everything? “Right, get Rebecca in,” I relented slightly, already bored and fed up with this idiot and I was eager to get him off the line. “I’ll call in later.”

  He let out a heavy sigh and I could feel him nodding even though I couldn’t see him. “Thank you.”

  Closing my eyes in frustration I slid my phone closed and pulled in a hefty breath before I turned back to the pussy’s drooling over Miss Stone.

  “I’m sure I can sort it out” she smiled at Greg. My God, this woman had a stunning smile. The twinkle that lit her eyes brightened the whole of her pale freckled face and I sank my teeth into my lower lip at the twitch in my stomach.

  What the hell was wrong with me?

  “You can sort me out anytime, Ava” Dane growled. Seriously? This man needed better chat up lines.

  I spotted her squirm as her face darkened with her discomfort.

  “Dane!” I barked at him, “Enough.”

  I didn’t acknowledge the feeling that was coursing through my veins at my friends hit on her. I never did possessive and I wasn’t about to start now.

  She wouldn’t be mine, I wouldn’t allow her to be mine but the erotic images of her panting and writhing underneath me wouldn’t leave my damn fucking head.

  Jesus—Fucking—Christ.

  This woman would tempt me every which way but I had to stay away from her. I needed to stay away from her.

  I would break her; I knew it before I’d even said one word to her.

  Mine, mine, mine!

  Fuck!

  “Miss Stone, welcome aboard. I have business to discuss with these gentlemen so Sam will show you to the kitchen. If you could manage to work the coffee machine, I would be grateful if you could bring us all some coffee.” I told her, hiding my emotion well and virtually barking at her.

  I needed to rein this in. I needed her to be wary of me. I needed her to stay away. I needed her u
nder me. I needed my name ripped from her lips as I thrust into her warmth deep and hard. I needed her to come hard around my cock.

  I needed her heart and I needed her soul.

  “No problem Mr Fox, I’m sure I’ll figure it out” She smiled sweetly as she stood and waited for Sam to escort her.

  The way she said Mr Fox gave a shot of electricity to my dick as well as inside my chest.

  Shit!

  What the hell was wrong with me? Never, and I mean never, had I had this reaction. I didn’t know how to control it. I didn’t even know if I wanted to control it.

  She would just be another bitch after my money as well as my cock but this time I didn’t think so, there was just something about her that drew me in and locked me up.

  It was like she had cast a spell. Maybe she had and a little twitch lifted my lips at the thought of what other magic she held.

  Fuck it, she was going to be mine. Mine. Mine!

  Fucking mine!

  Chapter 1

  Mason

  “DADDY?”

  I diverted my gaze away from Ava. She was shaking her head marginally at the conversation she was having on her phone. Her back was to me but I could tell by the hold of her shoulders that she wasn’t happy. Her head was low as she ran a hand through her mass of copper curls frantically whilst she whispered just as agitatedly.

  Katie tugged on my trousers again and I smiled down at her. “What, Sweetie?”

  She pursed her lips the only way she can, which was to kind of suck in one side of her lips and let the other side pop. She thought it made her look like her mother when she was working at the laptop. I thoroughly agreed.

  “Can we be serious for a moment?”

  I coughed slightly, to hide the snort that wanted to rise and nodded earnestly as I bent to a crouch before her.

  She clambered onto my thigh and I shuffled her little body further on as she huffed out a great big sigh. “I think I’m in love.”

  Christ!

  I closed my eyes for a moment and tried to desperately control my facial expressions. I nodded again and patted her knee, “And how do you know its love, poppet?”

  “Well . . . I always get a funny feeling in my tummy when I look at him.”

  I waited for her to continue but apparently that was it. “Right and what’s his name?”

  “Gerald.” She divulged quite openly and I frowned at the name.

  “Uh-huh and how old is Gerald?” I asked her cautiously, holding my insides in preparation.

  She gave me ‘The look,’ the one that said ‘how stupid are adults!’ and huffed again. “He’s six, daddy, like me.”

  Thank Fuck!

  “Does . . . Gerald feel the same about you?”

  She screwed her cute nose up and shrugged as she tipped her head to the side to consider my question. “Well, I think he does. He smiles at me a lot and he keeps pinching my ruler and Maisie says that’s because he’s in love with me.”

  I stared at the floor, desperately trying to vault my mind back to when I was six. Did I steal girl’s rulers? Hell, if I can remember.

  Ava moved to the corner of the room and lowered her voice but I caught her whispered plea, “Please, don’t do this.”

  I frowned as I tipped my head to listen in more but Katie had other ideas, I was hers for the duration and she demanded every bit of my attention. “Are you listening, daddy?”

  I nodded firmly at her and gave her my best smile. She nodded in approval as she stared at me with her brow high in query.

  I shrugged and shook my head in bewilderment and she rolled her pretty green eyes, “Well?”

  “Well. . . .” I encouraged her to fill me in to what was expected.

  “Well, is it love, daddy?”

  “I doubt it, poppet, you’re only six.”

  Wrong words apparently. She proper glared at me, full on hateful, spitting feathers glare and I diverted quickly. “Have you kissed him?” I whispered playfully.

  Her eyes widened and she reared back. “Daddy, I’m six!”

  Oh, now it’s okay to mention her age.

  “Well,” I paused to give effect, “It might be love, or it might not be, the only person who will know that is you, sweetie, and Gerald of course.”

  She deliberated for a while then kissed my cheek sloppily. “You’re right. And I don’t think I want to be in love yet. I want to enjoy my life before I settle down.”

  Give me strength.

  Ava slammed her phone on the worktop and I watched as her shoulders sagged in resignation. She continued to stare out of the window as her little finger lifted to her mouth and she proceeded to chew it to near death.

  “Go and tell your brother to hurry with his teeth, sweetie. It’s nearly time for school” I told Katie as I patted her thigh and lifted her off mine.

  She glanced at her mother, recognising the oncoming storm but nodded and hurried out of the room as I slid my arms around Ava’s waist. She jolted and spun round. I didn’t miss the false smile adorning her face. “You okay, baby?”

  Her fake smile got wider as she nodded. I tipped my head and studied her, “You sure, Ava?”

  She swallowed before she answered around her finger, “Yeah.”

  Okay, she was feeding me shit again. Third time this week and something was definitely bothering her. I tilted her head back with a finger to her chin and narrowed my eyes as I perused the panic on her face, “Now tell me the truth, baby.”

  She tried to look affronted but she forgot how long I had been doing this job. It was in my best interests, especially if I wanted to remain alive, that I read people and over the years I had gotten good at it, now in particular.

  She huffed and shook her head, “Nothing’s wrong, Mason. I’m just tired, that’s all.”

  I twisted my lips and sighed. “Eight years, baby.”

  She frowned in confusion at me and I raised my brow at her. “Together, eight years now and you forget I can read you like a book. Now—tell—me—the—truth.” I demanded from her, my anger at her reticence bubbling quietly in the pit of my gut.

  Her nose scrunched quite adorably as her teeth sank into her lip and I couldn’t help think how sweet it made her look but her hands slammed into my chest and pushed me back a little. “I said I’m fine, Mason, and I’m fine; just a headache.”

  Okay, she was tired a minute ago.

  “Ava . . .” I warned but Georgie came to her rescue, flying into the room at rocket speed as he slid along the floor in his socks.

  “George!” she scolded but I knew it was a digression so she could move away from me.

  I followed the sway of her lush hips under her dress as she moved across the room to save George from the cupboard handle he had caught his belt on.

  Her mind-blowing body was still the ultimate in sin and our passion was still raw and primal, even after eight years. The heat and thrill was still intense between us and I was constantly hard for her; constantly yearned for her sumptuous body to be beneath me and I knew she felt the same. Christ, sometimes she was so hot I couldn’t sate her until I had taken her every which way.

  “Come on. Did you do your teeth?” she asked George as she led him from the kitchen to prepare for school.

  I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. Something was off, something big and I hated the fact that she didn’t feel she could tell me.

  We had been to hell and back in our past and I thought she now trusted me.

  Yes, I had been an arse to her. The drugs and women had nearly been the end of us, but we dragged our relationship through it and came out the other end, both of us stronger and more in love; or so I believed.

  My phone rang in my pocket and I groaned at the name when I pulled it out. “Wendy” I greeted austerely. This fucking woman was a liability and would be the death of me.

  “Mr Fox . . .” she flustered and my hackles rose at her tone, “You need to get here quick, it’s . . . Yvonne, she’s been . . . strangled and . . . and well not nicel
y.”

  The fuck! Was there any nice way to be fucking strangled? Stupid woman.

  “The fuck?” I barked at her and I grit my teeth at her gasp.

  “Last night. Dunno what happened but Fran’s only just found her.”

  “Fucking Christ” I spat as I pulled on my shoes and slammed the front door behind me.

  Chapter 2

  Ava

  I PAUSED WITH my hand on the handle before taking a deep breath and stepping in. “Ava” Nate smiled at me but I didn’t return it.

  He sighed and gazed at me. “Ava, please, you know I need to do this.”

  “And you know I can’t, Nate. It would end us.”

  “Why, Ava? All that shit is in the past, it doesn’t need to affect the present.”

  I scoffed and shook my head sadly, “You know Mason won’t see it like that. He’ll kill me before he lets me work with him. Look at last year with Layla, it still eats away at him Nate and I can’t do that to him.”

  He slumped in his chair as he rubbed his eyes in frustration. “But, I can’t do this without him. I need to sort this, Ava, you know I do.”

  I nodded and smiled in understanding, “I know” I said simply as I placed my resignation on his desk in front of him.

  He closed his eyes and groaned. “Ava, please, don’t do this. Please. I’m sure you and Mason can work things through over this. Your relationship is strong enough.”

  Was it that strong? Would Mason relent and yield just to keep me happy?

  No!

  “We’re still friends, right?”

  He tutted loudly as he came around the desk to me and drew me in. “You know that, sweetheart; always. If there were any other way around this, you know I’d do it.”

  I nodded against his chest as a tear slid free. I loved my job, or rather, I had loved my job. It was me, just a small part of my life that was mine, and now I had lost that, what was left of just me? “I know, Nate. I hope he finds what you need.”

  “I just don’t know how long it will take him, Ava. It could just be a matter of weeks or it could take bloody months. You can’t hang on until he’s finished?”

  I shook my head sadly, “I can’t do that Nate, and it wouldn’t be fair to all three of us. I would go mad at home just waiting for your call, I can’t do that. Fair enough, if I haven’t managed to find a job when this is over, then I would love to walk back in.”