Family Stone Holiday Box Set: (including Stone Cold Heart, Carved in Stone, and Heart of Stone) (Family Stone Romantic Suspense)

by Lisa Hughey

  And that was when he realized exactly how he would get Ava to stay with him.

  “I need you for the discussion with Jess. You’ve got company knowledge that we need.” Her loyalty to the company and Jack would exert subtle pressure to come back with him.

  Jess gave him an odd look. He sent the silent message, trust me. And Jess pressed her mouth together and nodded.

  Ava relented and they were on their way.

  Eleven

  Con and Jess sat in the more casual grouping of leather chairs in Jack’s office. They had returned to the office since it was almost time for Riley’s check in. Ava was setting up the computer system so they could enter official notes on the confrontation with Fernandez.

  Con figured there was no time like the present to clear the air.

  “Thanks for having my back.” Con said softly, “And looking out for Ava.”

  “No problem.” Jess smiled, her green eyes sparkling.

  Con had figured out that if he wanted to move forward, he needed to get this out. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately—”

  “You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?” Jess joked.

  “Ha. Ha.” In the past her teasing would have raised his defenses. “Seriously, Jess, I’m sorry about your friend, Laura….” Con trailed off. He couldn’t for the life of him remember the girl’s last name. Wow. He’d gotten drunk and seduced his sister’s best friend and thrown the entire house into chaos and now he had no idea what her name was.

  Jess stretched her legs out in front of her and slid down so that she slumped in the chair. “Con, seriously?”

  “I fucked up.”

  “She was only my friend because she wanted you,” Jess revealed with a roll of her eyes.

  Well that was a new take on it.

  “But I got her drunk—”

  “She got herself drunk.” Jess shook her head. “Con, I realized long before that night that she had an agenda when it came to you. And that night, you came home drunk, but she’d already stolen a bottle of mom’s vodka and put it in a water bottle when I’d changed into my pajamas.”

  “But you were pissed.”

  “At her.”

  “My behavior was completely out of line.”

  “Con, we each had our own way of dealing with our family life when we were growing up.” Jess rubbed her hand over her breastbone and then looked him straight in the eye. “Yours was to act out as crazy as you could to grab attention. Mine was to be as good as possible so I got to stay.”

  “So that’s why you were always Little Miss Perfect?”

  Jess snorted. “I was far from perfect but if you want to think that go right ahead.” There was an easiness to her smile that had never been there before when they talked.

  Con raised his brows. He’d never quite thought about each of them that way, but damn if she wasn’t right. “Huh. When did you get to be so smart?”

  “I always was smart,” she countered. “You were just too busy being bad to see it.”

  “Well, I’m glad you figured it all out.” Con bent forward, thinking about that whole incident in a different light. It had been a pivotal moment. He’d enlisted the next day, determined to get out of Monterey before he completely destroyed everything.

  “We good?” she asked softly.

  A happy warmth settled in his heart. “Yeah. We’re good.”

  Con decided it was time to move on to the business. “Well, one problem is solved.”

  “Hey. I resent being a problem.” Jess smiled. “Kidding. What?”

  “Jack called.” Con frowned.

  “Then why are you frowning?” Jess scooted until she was upright in the chair.

  “There was definitely a woman in the background when he called,” Con said. “And she sounded pissed.”

  Jess laughed. “And that’s a problem? That sounds more like SOP for women and Jack.”

  “I can’t put my finger on what was different.” Con rubbed a hand over his smile. “It just was.”

  “At least he checked in,” Jess replied.

  “Yeah.” Connor let that worry float away. They still had another bigger issue.

  Jess asked the question that was on both their minds. “What about Riley?”

  “Still no word. But hopefully he’ll call in the next hour.” Con said, “But if not, we need to be ready to go.”

  “Who made you in charge?” Jess tilted her head but her words weren’t confrontational, just questioning.

  “Jack.”

  “Okay then.”

  And that’s when he really knew, everything was going to be okay. They discussed logistics and worries about Riley. There was no sense worrying too much until he missed another check in. But at least they had a game plan now.

  “If we’re done, I need to go upload these pictures into our system.” Jess lifted the camera from around her neck.

  “We really need to compare our notes regarding Fernandez,” Con said reluctantly. Con would rather not right now, but they had to make sure Fernandez was going down. “I need to make sure that the company is protected.”

  Jack had absolved him from the negative press of the arrest, and Con had protected the woman he loved and gotten some answers. Fernandez was definitely dirty. They just had to keep digging.

  “What about Ava?” Jess said reluctantly. “She’s more important than the company.”

  “No question,” Con countered. “But it doesn’t have to be an either, or situation. We can protect both Ava and the family.”

  “We can do it together,” Jess said softly.

  And Con knew everything was going to be just fine with his sister.

  “Let me go upload these pictures. I have a feeling you’ve got some more groveling to do.” She glanced back at the reception area where Ava had been silent.

  Shit. She’d probably had time to start thinking too much.

  “Uh, yeah.” Con thought about his declaration in Fernandez’s office. Ava hadn’t said much after that little caveman claim.

  “Good luck. Don’t be above begging.” Jess bent over and pressed a kiss to his hair. She shot an amused glance at the desk and then sauntered away. “Just a reminder, this office worked great for me.”

  Once Jess was gone, Con called Ava. “Ava.” He felt lighter, happier. Everything was going to work out.

  Ava hovered in the doorway, her hands clasped in front of her. But she was back to not meeting his gaze. Dammit.

  Looks like he wasn’t quite there yet. And Con knew if he didn’t distract her she was going to bolt. Too much had changed in the last twenty-four hours.

  Ava kept her gaze firmly planted on the crashing waves out the window rather than look directly at Con. Suddenly beyond nervous.

  “Remind me never to piss you off, honey,” Con teased.

  At his teasing, Ava flushed about as deeply as she had when Jack had cautioned them not to have sex on his desk.

  “So, para whatever. What does it mean?” Con stood and stretched.

  Ava frowned and rubbed her hands along her arms. “It is not wise to open old wounds.”

  “Oh yeah. You got to him.” A wide grin spread over his face and brightened his eyes. “You kicked butt.”

  A sense of pride rushed through her. She had kicked butt.

  He sauntered toward her. She continued to linger in the doorway as if somehow when she stepped over the threshold things would never be the same.

  “Now that the police have the entire incident documented, you should be safe.” Connor paused in front of her and brushed his fingers over her hair. “Or as safe as you can be until Fernandez is in jail.”

  “I hope we nail him,” Ava said fiercely. She might not have been convinced before they went to see him but his reaction to their confrontation earlier told her he was definitely hiding something.

  “We will.” Con emphasized the we, reminding Ava of the other things revealed during that meeting.

  Ava shied away from the memory of Con’s claim. She was
sure that he hadn’t really meant it. He took things to heart deeply. And he had made it clear before they’d gone in that he would protect her. But that didn’t mean he really wanted her.

  Ava needed to get away. Needed time to process the events of the last thirty-six hours. “So can you take me home now that you and Jess are done?” Her car was still at the Stone mansion.

  “Not a chance.” Connor denied her. As if to keep her from bolting, he curled his fingers around her left hand and held tight. “Right now, Fernandez can’t move against you without bringing more scrutiny on himself. But he is still ridiculously clean on paper.”

  “I should be safe,” Ava argued. If she didn’t go home where was she going to go?

  Connor shook his head, his gaze shadowed. “As we believed, he is deep into whatever happened to your friends. The fact that he could stay so clean for fifteen years means he’s got the power and the ability to cover his tracks.”

  “But—”

  “I requested an APB on the Lincoln, that pale green color is unusual enough that we might get a hit, but it was likely stolen.” Connor held her palm in his and rubbed his thumb over her soft skin.

  “Okay.”

  “You have the softest skin.” Con stroked his callused fingers over her palm.

  “Yeah, well when you work in the fields you get really tough skin,” Ava said absently. “I use about a gallon of moisturizer to keep my hands soft.”

  She was stuck back on not being able to go home. To get some distance from this overwhelming pull that Connor Stone seemed to exert on her. She glanced around the office and couldn’t figure out for the life of her why he wanted her here. “What am I doing here?”

  “Hey.” Connor lifted her chin with his fingers and stared into her eyes. His tawny starburst gaze was hypnotic. “I see you.”

  “Of course you do, you’re right in front of me.”

  Connor threaded his fingers through her hair. “I know why you want to leave.”

  “Umm, yes. Because I want to go home.”

  “No.” Connor held her head tightly. His grip firm but not painful. “Because you have a giant hole inside you, a lonely gaping place that has existed since your friends disappeared.”

  She blinked. Swallowed.

  “And now, this thing between us is filling that hole. Closing the gap and making you feel whole, making you feel, and you don’t know how to deal with it.”

  Ava opened her mouth to argue, but could only shake her head.

  “The guilt is disintegrating and the idea that you might be able to live your life, be happy is suddenly a possibility. And it’s scary. I get that. I understand how you feel because I had that same hole in me. But I realized that for the past year you’ve been slowly making me whole. With each smile and averted gaze you’ve been filling those gaps.”

  “Connor.” But she had no idea what to say. He was right. That hole had been there so long she wasn’t even sure what to do. But now she was so full that she nearly choked on the emotions and feelings that wanted to burst from the overflowing pool.

  She opened her mouth again but couldn’t get anything out.

  Connor muttered. “Shit. Deeds not words.”

  What? Before she could ask, he yanked her over the threshold and pulled her into his arms. Con lifted her up and twirled her around. She couldn’t believe he could lift her. “Connor! Put me down.”

  He laughed and let her slide down his body, the hard muscles of his chest rubbed against her breasts as she slid down to the floor. He cupped her jaw in his large palm, his hand tender yet forceful. “I love you.”

  That left her speechless. Before she could form a reply to any of what he’d said in the last two minutes, Connor slanted his mouth across hers and devoured her with his kiss.

  Tingles shivered down her spine, and her body heated at the sensual command in his kiss. Like a white knight who plundered his spoils, he invaded her mouth, and explored her with his tongue. He nipped at her lips and scraped his teeth along her jaw. Then he pressed soft sucking kisses down her neck and along her delicate collarbone. As if she’d been tinder just waiting for his spark, her body ignited.

  He kissed her as if he would never let her go. As if she filled him with the same contentment and desire that he gave to her.

  He kissed her as if…he loved her. Connor Stone loved her.

  She wanted to run. But then she thought about her vow to seize life. She could run home or she could stay. Seize life. Seize Connor.

  And she knew this was good, right. Ava blinked and swept her lashes over her eyes to hide the swell of love that shuddered through her. Her heart thundered in her chest at the step she was about to take. Fear and anticipation warred for dominance. But this was life. It was big and scary and wonderful. “I love you too.”

  Ava gripped his head and crashed his mouth to hers. Desperate for the hard press of his mouth against hers. Connor walked her further into the office until his butt hit the edge of Jack’s desk. He pulled her tight into the V of his thighs and she was pressed up against him. Her body snug between his legs, the proof of his desire throbbed against her belly, and her arms were wrapped tight around his shoulders. Ava moaned into his mouth.

  “You want me to come back later?” Jess asked with laughter in her voice.

  Ava tried to jump back, like a teenager caught by her parents, but Connor held her tight. Her chest heaved and she knew her face was bright, candy apple red. Madre de Dios.

  “Jesus, Jessica.” Connor curled his arms around Ava’s body and tucked her head into his shoulder. She didn’t know if he were trying to protect her or himself since his erection prodded her belly insistently.

  “I can go away for a few minutes.” Jess Stone smirked. “You two look awfully comfortable on that desk.”

  Con lowered his head to Ava’s shoulder but he smiled against the soft skin of her neck. “Yeah.”

  Ava curled her arms around Connor and held on. She and Con were practically sitting on Jack’s desk with Ava between Connor’s knees.

  “I’m glad.” Jess snickered. “That desk is certainly getting a workout.”

  “Yeah.” Con acknowledged. “Jack should have never given us ideas.”

  “He’s going to have to have his desk bronzed.” Jess laughed again.

  Ava buried her face against Connor’s neck. “Oh my God.”

  “Don’t worry, Ava.” Jess said, “I’m partial to that desk too.”

  Heart of Stone

  Two weeks earlier

  Riley Stone didn’t have a type.

  He loved all women equally. Short, Tall, Skinny, Round. Outgoing. Shy. Young. Old. Sweet. Sexy. Surly.

  And they loved him right back.

  When he was younger, he’d come to the very happy conclusion, that he could charm his way out of, or sometimes into, any touchy situation.

  He’d developed the skill as a young kid. When he’d realized that he was never going to be a good reader, or a good student, he’d made the decision that he’d have to rely on his other attributes. He could charm his grades up from any teacher in whose class he might need a little help. Which came in handy when he knew he wasn’t going to pass a test.

  He made it a point to always have something nice to say. As an adult, charming people was second nature. He didn’t even have to think about doing it.

  When he grew up, he finally understood that his talent was in making people feel better about themselves and better in general. How he approached a situation might vary from person to person, and if using a little charm eased the way, he was gonna use it.

  He was shallow enough to use his God given talent to charm women into bed, at least he had been. These days he was more focused on making a go of GHR and Stone Consulting with his brothers and sister than in scoring with a hot woman.

  But he still couldn’t help himself when it came to charming people, especially women.

  “How’s it going, sweetheart?” He stopped to chat with Ava Sanchez, his brother Jack’s ass
istant, making her blush and stammer. She was a complete hottie and didn’t even seem to realize it. But Riley’s Rules Number Ten: Never do more than lightly flirt with co-workers.

  He’d managed to maintain an amicable relationship with every woman he’d ever had a thing with. It was a particular point of pride with him. But odds were, at some time, things wouldn’t end well. And he’d never jeopardize a working relationship, or Global Humanitarian Relief and Stone Consulting, which meant sweet Ava was off limits.

  He smiled gently at her. “He ready for me?”

  “Yes. You can go on in,” she replied with a tilt of her head. “He’s got company.”

  “Client?”

  She nodded, lowered her lashes and smiled.

  “Okay.” Riley paused to adjust the cuffs of his Egyptian cotton dress shirt and smooth his hand down his bright geometric Jhane Barnes tie. He made it a point to be well-dressed in the office in case there were meetings with clients. It was rare but it did happen. From his vantage point in the doorway, he could see there was a woman in Jack’s office. He didn’t recognize her from the back. She seemed delicate, the curve of her head covered with a riot of short blond curls and her body language screamed supreme annoyance.

  Riley curved his lips into a casual smile and sauntered into Jack’s office. His big gruff brother seemed to be conversing carefully with the woman across from him.

  Jack looked up and the hard set of his shoulders relaxed. “Ry, you’re here.” A desperate smile lit his face as he stood and grabbed Riley’s hand like a lifeline. “I’d like you to meet, Diana Lundberg from Tools for Schools.”

  The woman stood abruptly and shoved out her hand in a very masculine move to greet him.

  She was tall, more sleek lines and hard angles, than soft curves but when her firm, capable fingers curled around his much larger palm, Riley took a serious punch to the gut. Lust hit, hard and unexpected, as he grasped her far more delicate fingers and gazed into her wary, pale blue eyes.

  “Pleasure,” he finally murmured dazedly.