Everything I Want (The Everything Series Book 3)

by A. K. Evans

  “You’re coming here when you done, right?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

  “Handsome, you were with me when I packed my bag this morning at my place before you dropped me back off at the studio. Of course, I’m coming.”

  “Just checking,” I began. “I’ll start dinner in a little bit; it’ll be ready by the time you get here.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you soon.”

  “See you when you get home, baby. Love you.”

  I could have sworn at that moment I heard her gasp, but she quickly returned, “Love you, too.”

  Monroe disconnected the call before I could ask her if everything was alright and as much as I wanted to call her back to make sure, I really wanted her home more. I figured it was best to leave it until later.

  During the week leading up to a contest, I typically prepped meals ahead of time and used the microwave when I got home. Surprisingly, I had no desire to do that now. Even though I’d normally not have the desire to make food after a day of training, I was a little shocked to find that it didn’t bother me at all right now. The only thought in my mind was that my girl had a long day at work and needed to eat. I was going to make sure she was fed. It was difficult to wrap my head around, but I had this overwhelming urge to take care of this woman.

  On these thoughts, I went about making dinner for us. Just as I was pulling the garlic bread out of the oven, I heard a knock at the door.

  Fuck.

  That needed to be fixed.

  I walked to the door, opened it, and pulled her into my arms. Monroe wrapped her arms around my waist and pressed her cheek to my chest.

  I kissed the top of her head and pointed out, “Perfect timing; dinner’s ready.”

  I turned, kept one arm wrapped around her shoulder, and began guiding her toward the kitchen.

  “It smells amazing in here. What did you make?”

  “Fettuccini alfredo with chicken and broccoli,” I answered as we made it to the kitchen.

  Monroe stopped walking.

  I looked down at her, my brows drawn.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “Fettuccini alfredo with chicken and broccoli?” she asked.

  I nodded and added, “With garlic bread.”

  She stared at me.

  “I’m sorry, Monroe. I didn’t even think to ask. Do you not like that? I can make you something else, baby.”

  She shook her head and replied, “Stone, it’s fine. I do like it…well, I mean, I like the dish. I’m not sure yet if I like yours. My concern, though, is that fact that you made that. I knew you could make burgers, but I didn’t realize you knew how to really cook.”

  I plated the food, put a couple pieces of garlic bread on each plate, and volunteered, “Learned from my mom. I was her only child and she loved to cook. I’d spend a lot of days in the kitchen with her making dinner while we waited for my dad to get home from work. After he died, she lost her love for cooking…hell, she lost her love for everything. She had some good days where she’d make dinner; but mostly, I spent the next two years doing most of the cooking.”

  Monroe’s face changed. It hurt her to hear this.

  “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I didn’t think when I said that.”

  I jerked my head toward the dining room, both plates in my hands, and indicated she should follow me.

  “No need to be sorry about it, angel. I’m happy she gave me that, especially now that I have someone I want to feed. Sit and eat with me, Monroe.”

  She sat at the table and I put the plate in front of her. When I sat next to her, I noticed she was staring down at the plate with rounded eyes.

  I reached my hand out and wrapped it around hers, which was resting on the table next to her plate.

  “You okay?” I asked.

  Her eyes came to mine and she countered, “Are you trying to make me fat?”

  I grinned at her. She was on to me.

  “Not trying to make you fat, Monroe. You lost a lot of weight. I’m just trying to make sure you get back what I took from you. Then, I’ll ease up if you want.”

  “I can’t eat all of this, Stone.”

  “You said the same thing last night, angel. You ended up eating most of what I put in front you then. Eat what you can tonight, please.”

  “Okay,” she agreed.

  “That’s my good girl,” I said, giving her a hand a squeeze before I let it go so she could eat.

  I ate and watched as Monroe ate. After she ate roughly half of the pasta, chicken, and broccoli she put her fork down, picked up the garlic bread, and took a bite. She chewed, swallowed, and announced, “I’ve hit the jackpot.”

  “Pardon?” I asked.

  “How did I manage to snag myself a guy who’s a deliciously handsome, successful snowboarder that knows how to cook?”

  “Don’t forget I’m a gold medalist in the bedroom,” I added, teasing her.

  Her eyes narrowed at me, while she tried to figure out how I’d know such a thing.

  “Apparently, the guys all knew about my talents, even though I hadn’t yet. Can’t say I’m mad about it considering I got the gold, but I guess you sharing with your girls meant Zane, Luke, and Wes also found out.”

  She stared at me.

  “Regardless, I have to agree that you’ve won quite the prize with me,” I added with a wink.

  Monroe didn’t respond. She simply ate more garlic bread.

  I finished my food, pushed my chair back, and watched her. I had been teasing Monroe just now, but as I sat and looked at her finishing her food I couldn’t help but think about how lucky I was to have her.

  She finished eating and looked over to me.

  “What?” she asked cautiously.

  “Belly full?”

  She nodded.

  “Good,” I said as I held out my hand. “Come here, baby.”

  Monroe stood, put her hand in mine, and walked the two steps toward me. I pulled her into my lap, wrapped my arms around her, and kissed her on the nose.

  “I hope you know I’m teasing you,” I offered gently. “In this whole thing that is me and you, I’m the lucky one. I thought you were something special the moment I met you. When I helped you at the studio that weekend after you moved out here, I knew you were something special. The night you gave yourself to me was the night I no longer had any doubts about the fact that I was one lucky bastard. Even if I had only ever had that one night with you, I’d never think any differently. Last night, something else happened. I gave you something that nobody else has ever gotten from me and the moment you knew what my life had been to this point you made it better. I’ve got shit in my head that’s fucked, baby -- told you that before, but I want you to know that it’s already starting to feel better. No doubt in my mind that you are the reason for that.”

  Monroe’s eyes filled with unshed tears before she nuzzled her face in my neck and hugged me. I held her tight and felt a peace settle over me that I hadn’t felt in so long. I knew having her with me was the explanation for that peace. A woman like Monroe could only ever bring peace and happiness.

  “Let me kiss you, angel.”

  Her head shot back, she put her hand over her mouth, and she shook her head.

  “Did you just tell me I couldn’t kiss you?” I asked.

  With her hand still over her mouth, she nodded.

  Fighting to stay serious with the silliness that was sometimes Monroe, I pressed, “Is there a reason for that?”

  She nodded again, but offered no explanation.

  I couldn’t fight the laughter much longer, so with a smile tugging at my lips I went on, “Care to enlighten me on what that reason is?”

  She pulled her hand no more than an inch from her mouth when she answered, “You made garlic bread. I have garlic breath. I can’t kiss you until I brush my teeth.”

  I burst out laughing.

  Fuck.

  This woman could cure disease with her spirit.

  I wrapped my hand aro
und her tiny wrist, pulled her hand away from her mouth, and watched as she pressed her lips together.

  “Kiss me, Monroe.”

  She shook her head.

  “Baby, I don’t give a fuck if you have garlic breath. I want you to kiss me.”

  She didn’t budge.

  Okay.

  Two could play this game. I brought my hand to rest on her thigh. I let the other travel slowly up her back to rest behind her neck. The one on her thigh made its journey up toward her breast. The pad of my thumb swiped across her already hardening nipple and in that very instant, her lips parted. I captured her mouth and kissed her. She tensed a moment, but within seconds gave in.

  After kissing her good, I pulled my mouth from hers and ordered, “Don’t deny me kisses from these pouty lips, angel. I don’t care if you have garlic breath, morning breath, or minty-fresh breath. Got it?”

  With hooded eyes she answered, “Got it.”

  “Good girl.”

  I smiled at her and asked, “Ready for a shower and bedtime activities?”

  She indicated with a dip of her chin that she was, so I picked up my girl and carried her upstairs where we showered. After, I gave her a medal-worthy performance in the bedroom. If I was being honest, she was the one who deserved the medal.

  Chapter 24

  Monroe

  It was finally Friday night.

  The week had passed quickly, which I chocked up to the fact that there was very little downtime each day. I stayed with Stone every night that week since Monday night. I briefly filled Nikki in on Tuesday since I never went home Monday night. I didn’t get into all the specifics with her because there was just not that kind of time with her having a full schedule at the salon and me feeling the urge to completely change my routine for the exhibition. I was spending my mornings at the studio working on my piece and then once classes started in the afternoon, I didn’t have a moment of free time.

  When classes finished, I went to Stone’s place. He made dinner every night since he was finished with training and home before I even left the studio. The great thing about this was that he was a fantastic cook and he made certain I went to bed every night with a full belly. At this point, it was safe to say I had put on the weight I had lost over those two weeks I was without Stone.

  Charley and Emme checked in throughout the week, but with everybody’s schedules being so hectic we all resorted to the fact that we’d see each other at the snowboarding contest. The girls knew that Stone and I had worked things out. Once Stone had shared everything with me and told the guys he had done so, they delivered the relevant parts of Stone’s story to the girls.

  He seemed to have fallen into this relationship thing relatively easily considering he didn’t have any experience with it nor had he ever planned on having it. Prior to me even leaving the house on Tuesday, he handed me a key and a garage door opener.

  “What’s this?” I asked when he placed them in my hand.

  “You’re staying here right now, you need to be able to get in. I don’t want you standing around outside waiting for me to open the door for you. Besides, if you ever leave the studio early and get back here before me I want you to be able to come in.”

  I figured this all made sense, so I didn’t fight him on it.

  So now, I was here at Stone’s place. He had just fed me dinner, showered with me, and made love to me. I was in his bed watching him get his gear sorted for tomorrow. The excitement I felt at finally seeing him compete was something I couldn’t describe. After we worked things out earlier in the week, he told me he had gotten his head on straight and training was going really well. I could not wait for tomorrow to arrive so I could cheer him on.

  My phone rang from beside me on the nightstand. I leaned over, looked at the display, and saw that Deacon was calling.

  “Deacon,” I greeted as I put the phone up to my ear.

  “Hey, kid. How’s it going?”

  “It’s going. I’ve had a busy week. You?”

  “Haven’t had an opportunity to call you all week, which has bugged the shit out of me. I was unavailable, though. You eating still?”

  I smiled. He worried too much.

  “Yes, I’m eating.”

  “And your heart? Is that any better?”

  This was the other thing about being busy. Not only had I not had an opportunity to update any of my brothers on the status of things with Stone and my no-longer-broken heart, but I also did not have an opportunity to consider how I’d tell them. Vaughn would have been my first choice for being the one to whom to break the news. He’d deliver it to Remi and Deacon and talk them down from an outburst. I decided to go short and sweet with my answer to Deacon.

  “Mended.”

  “I’m sorry, did you say mended?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Christ, Monroe. What do I not know now?” he bit out, slightly irritated.

  “We worked things out,” I answered, quietly.

  My eyes went to Stone, who was now looking at me. His eyes had warmed and his face was soft. Vulnerable. This was something I was seeing more and more as time went on.

  “We? We, as in you and the guy who fucking shattered your heart?”

  “Deacon, please calm down,” I pleaded.

  Stone’s face changed and he stopped getting his gear together. He merely stood and watched me.

  “Can’t fucking calm down when my baby sister, who passed out from not eating because of this guy, is somehow now telling me that she worked things out with him. Care to explain to me how you worked things out?”

  Shit.

  “He apologized and we talked. There was a lot that I didn’t know. It’s good now, Deac. Please trust me on this.”

  “I swear to God, kid, if this asshole hurts you again I’m not going to be happy. I can’t believe you’d ever be the kind of girl who’d accept the type of treatment you’ve been dealt from him. Essentially calling you a whore weeks ago to making you fall in love with him only so he could walk away from you. You don’t deserve the shit he’s put you through.”

  I could feel myself grow more and more upset. A lump had formed in my throat and tears were threatening to fall. I looked down at my lap and stayed silent. I was trying to take deep breaths to control the emotions I was feeling.

  I hadn’t come close to accomplishing that when the phone was taken out of my hand. Shocked, I looked up to see Stone was putting up to his ear.

  “Deacon?” he called.

  Silence.

  “Xander Stone here. It sounds like you’ve got an issue with the fact Monroe and I have worked things out.”

  Silence again.

  Fuck. This was not going to end well.

  “Understand your concern; I’d feel the same, all things considered. But you need to know now that Monroe and I are together in a way that I’m not going to allow you to spew whatever shit you’re spewing to her, which is putting the look on her face that’s there right now. You’ve got a problem with us being together you’re going to have to deal with me on that.”

  Oh no.

  Deacon was not going to receive that well.

  “Yeah, and I fucking know I broke her heart. That’s why I’ve been busting my ass to put it back together. None of that changes the fact that I’m not going to allow you, or her other brothers, make this harder for her. The way she feels for the three of you, it’s going to cut her deep to hear negative shit about the two of us. So, you got a problem with it…I get it. You talk to me about it and you don’t bring that shit on her.”

  Oh my God.

  Nobody.

  Nobody had ever stood up to Deacon. I had to wonder if Stone would have had the same reaction if Deacon were standing in front of him.

  “Fine. Until then, you got something to say on the subject of Monroe and me that doesn’t result in her being fucking ecstatic, you don’t say it to her. You keep a handle on that and we won’t have an issue when I do finally meet you.”

  Silence.


  “Looking forward to proving that to you.”

  Stone pulled the phone from his ear, tapped on the screen, and set it back down on the nightstand. Tears fell from my eyes and, the minute he looked at me, I burst into sobs. He immediately settled over my body and let me hold on to him for a long while.

  “It’s going to be okay, Monroe. I promise,” he whispered softly in my ear.

  I took a deep breath and rasped, “I want them to love you. I want them to love you as much as I do.”

  “I know, angel.”

  “Deacon’s the toughest. They’re all overly protective, but he gets angry. Remi’s rational. He likes to get all the facts first before he makes judgements. I’m close with all three of them, but I’m closest to Vaughn. He’ll cave first. Vaughn will love you because he loves me. Remi will take time, but he’ll get there. Deacon is a toss-up.”

  Stone framed my face with his hands and shared, “He has good reason for feeling the way he does. They all do. I don’t like that he’s upset you, but his feelings are justified. We can’t control his feelings toward me, but I’d like to think he loves you enough to not make the situation difficult for you. No matter what, I love you and I’m going to do what I’ve got to do to make sure nobody brings any negativity to you surrounding the situation with us.”

  “I don’t want him to not like you,” I murmured.

  “I know, baby. I don’t either. And that’s only because I know how much it means to you to have the support of all of them. Don’t worry about it now and let me handle it for you. Okay?”

  I nodded.

  Stone pressed a slow, sweet kiss to my lips. When he pulled back I suggested, “We should probably get to sleep. You’ve got an important day tomorrow.”

  “Yeah. I’ll take care of the rest of the gear in the morning,” he replied.

  Stone lifted off of me and rolled to the side. He hit the light on the nightstand and pulled me against his body, my back to his front.

  After pressing a kiss to my naked shoulder, he asked, “You sure you’re okay, angel?”

  I shifted back against Stone’s body before I answered, “I am for now. Thank you for taking care of me.”

  “I always will, Monroe. I know we had a rough start, but I’m here to stay. I will always take care of you.”