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

by Lisa Hughey

  He had a mouth made for kissing. She pressed a liquid, wet, kiss of gratitude to his mouth and tasted her own passion on his tongue. She sipped from him and made love to his mouth, and lost herself in the pleasure of pleasing him.

  She could tell he was smiling as she kissed the curve of his mouth. She lay down along his side, and continued to kiss him in slow, sweet sensual abandon.

  “What was that for?” he asked when she finally stopped.

  “Because I could.”

  Eight

  Riley’s watch vibrated, buzz-buzz-buzz, against his wrist.

  He came fully awake from his light sleep. Dawn was breaking. The light inside the very small tent was barely there and cast everything in a pale gray haze. Di’s smooth skin and lean limbs were draped over his body as if they’d slept together for years rather than one night.

  Her light brown lashes fanned against the angles of her cheekbones, and her mouth, that mouth that had kissed him so sweetly, was soft and curved in sleep. Her short blond hair lay on her forehead and curled against her cheek and jaw.

  All her edges disappeared when she was relaxed and asleep. He loved her edges. The quick wit, the acerbic comments, the way she called him on his bullshit.

  But this softer, sweeter Di was appealing too.

  Riley let himself just lie there and watch her sleep for a bit. As the sun was coming up, Di started to wake and as consciousness came back to her he could see the edges take shape. Until she stretched, yawned wide and opened her pale, ice blue eyes.

  “Rise and shine, honey,” he drawled.

  A deep flush worked over her body as her memory returned with her edges.

  He thought for a minute that she wouldn’t meet his gaze but not his Di. She resolutely lifted her chin and looked him straight in the eye. “Morning.”

  Hopefully their clothes weren’t completely damp. The temperature in the island jungle was already rising. If they made good time, and avoided the military, they could still catch their flight out today.

  He was pretty sure the soldiers hadn’t followed them. They’d be searching for them and the truck on the roads. They wouldn’t think to look in the jungle. And thanks to Lailani and Magtanggol they weren’t anywhere near the roads. But that didn’t mean they could relax. He wouldn’t relax until they were in the air and off Jolo Island.

  “We need to get gone.” Riley executed a sit up with Di still half on top of him.

  Her little hum of approval vibrated through him as he lifted her and set her to the side. Riley folded the Mylar blankets.

  They put on their damp clothes, awkwardly bumping into each other in the tight confines of the little tent.

  “Ugh.” But Di was smiling as she pulled on her Henley. The damp fabric clung to her pert breasts. Riley’s mouth watered. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on her again. Once they were safe. And had protection.

  “If we don’t run into any trouble, we can likely make the airport in time to catch our flight.”

  “But—”

  “We need to get off this island.”

  Before they left, he needed to write down as much information about the soldiers and the other rebel factions on the island as he could detail.

  Riley had already noted the lat and long of where the trucks came from and where they were likely headed. He noted the type of vehicle, the number of soldiers, their uniforms, and weapons by texting into his cell phone. But his thumbs were slow.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Notes,” Riley said shortly as he laboriously entered the information.

  “Do you…want some help?”

  “Sure.” He handed her his cell. He dictated all the information he could think of while he broke down the tent. She entered the data in the phone far more quickly than he could.

  After he was done speaking, Di kept typing.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Adding to your notes.”

  Riley raised his eyebrows. “Thanks.”

  “Too bad we can’t just call someone for a pick up.” She joked as she finished entering the information in his cell.

  “Yeah.” Unfortunately the cell was useless in the jungle. Even if there was someone they could safely call. “Let’s get moving. The sooner we get out of here, the happier I’ll be.”

  Riley checked the coordinates on his watch and turned in the proper direction. That was when he realized what time it was.

  Dammit. He’d missed his checkin with Jack.

  Hopefully once they arrived back in Jolo he’d have time to make a call. It was first time he’d missed checkin. He actually had a few days before the company hit def-con one and came looking for them. And Riley knew that Jack had confidence in him and his ability to get the job done. So he shrugged and didn’t worry too much.

  “Let’s hit it.”

  ***

  They landed in San Francisco almost twenty hours after getting on the plane in Jolo by the skin of their teeth.

  “It is now safe to use your portable electronic devices. Please refrain from leaving your seat until the plane has stopped at the gate.”

  Nanette, their first class flight attendant, made a point to stop by Riley’s seat. “It was a pleasure serving you today, Riley.” She practically purred the words, her mouth pursed and slicked with a new layer of glossy red lipstick as she rested her fingers on his wrist. “Please let me know if you need anything else.”

  Beside him, Di stiffened. He could practically hear Di rolling her eyes at Nan’s barely veiled come-on.

  “Thanks, Nan.” He kept his tone and smile light as he gently brushed off the unspoken offer. “Nice to see you again.”

  He and Nanette had hooked up last year after they’d met on the exact same Manila to SFO flight. And he knew that with one suggestive smile and his Platinum Amex, they could be ensconced in a suite at the Westin about twenty minutes after clearing customs and within thirty he could be inside her.

  But Riley didn’t want easy or flirty. He wanted the prickly, contrary, compassionate, silent woman on his right.

  The gleam in Nanette’s eyes faded as she realized that Riley had no intention of a repeat of the last time they’d seen each other.

  It wasn’t his fault he happened to know the flight attendant. From Di’s seat, the flight back had been filled with a condemning silence. She’d avoided talking to him for the long flight home by sleeping, or pretending to sleep, when he was awake. And he’d finally crashed about eight hours into the flight.

  Now Di hustled ahead of him, barreling through the customs line with the focus of an Indy car driver on the straightaway to the checkered flag.

  Customs wouldn’t take her long. They hadn’t gone back to their hotel in Jolo to get their bags. Riley wanted to avoid any possibility of being picked up by the Philippine military faction who was against the peace accord. He had known once they got to the relative safety of the Jolo Airport they would be okay.

  Riley had ditched the knives and machete just before they hit the ornately-tiled arch to the Jolo Airport, but he had brought his other weapons home with him. So, for him, customs was going to be a little more involved. He unzipped his pack, whipped out his permits, and kept a tight eye on Di’s progress through the re-entry line.

  Fortunately, she got held up at a slow moving customs counter, and he managed to speed through his own line so they finished at about the same time. Riley could see her heading for the parking garage. But he knew she didn’t have the keys to her car. They’d been left behind in the hotel.

  “Di, wait up.”

  She was practically running. He strode purposefully toward her and when he got close enough, he grabbed her bicep. She jerked to a stop so quickly that he almost ran into her. “How are you getting home?”

  He really wanted to ask where home was. He didn’t even know where she lived.

  “I’ll get a ride.” She pasted a totally fake smile on her lips and stared over his right shoulder.

  It had only been seven day
s since they had left California. He definitely hadn’t thought they’d become besties during the trip but her frigid answer after their adventure in the jungle was pissing him off. “I’ll take you home.”

  “That’s not necessary.”

  “All part of the GHR package.” Riley let his company smile come out.

  Her pale blue eyes narrowed, and her mouth pursed. She didn’t like it when he was his usual charming self. “Really. Not necessary.”

  He held onto her arm in a tight but not hurtful grip. “I insist.” Riley said, “After all, we need to discuss the trip and what went right and what went wrong. GHR takes customer service very seriously.”

  Which was bullshit, but damned if he’d let her leave him.

  She wanted to call him on his lie. He could tell by every line in her body, but she finally nodded reluctantly. “Okay, fine.”

  “Great.” He grinned at her. He was inordinately happy to get her in his clutches again. Riley lead her to long-term parking and his car. His brothers had more modern fast cars but Riley preferred his old-fashioned muscle car. The 1967 Pontiac GTO with custom leather seats and a 400 HO engine was a classic.

  Fortunately, he’d carried his car keys in his emergency backpack—along with their passports, so they’d been able to get on the plane without any problems—so he had the means to get home. Otherwise, he’d have had to call one of his brothers to bring him the spare set.

  When he lead Di to his car she merely raised an eyebrow and slid in the passenger seat. He knew she was re-thinking her interest in him. Perversely, her feigned indifference was hitting every single hot button he didn’t know he had. He’d be damned if now that they were back in the States she blew him off.

  Riley knew all about opportunities and regrets. And while he was still on board with them getting together he’d been re-thinking things too. Riley’s Rules Number Eight: Never get involved with a client. He knew it was a very bad idea. But he’d likely jump if she asked how high.

  Riley threw his backpack in the trunk and then got behind the wheel.

  Di avoided him by scrolling through information on her cell phone.

  “We need to talk about it,” Riley said as he fired up the super-charged engine. She was clearly still pissed about Nanette’s obvious come-on. But it wasn’t like he’d encouraged her.

  “No we don’t.” She rolled toward the passenger door and curled into a tight ball. She might be blocking him out right this minute, but he wasn’t going to let this lie.

  “Nan and I had a thing—”

  “Wake me when we get to Monterey.” She fake yawned and effectively shut him down.

  Dammit. Riley slammed his palms against the steering wheel. He wanted to push but she really did look exhausted. Her face was pale and the delicate skin beneath her ice blue, blank eyes was bruised. “Fine. We’ll talk later.”

  Within minutes, Di was asleep.

  Riley had tried to call Jack during their very quick layover in Manila but Jack hadn’t answered, which was beyond unusual. Jack always answered his cell. Riley was antsy to get back to the office and Monterey and figure out what was going on. In the meantime, he’d left a long message for Jack that didn’t get into specifics but let his big brother know that he had critical information for their client.

  Since he hadn’t been able to touch base with Jack from the Philippines, Riley called Jack again while he navigated the road home. But Jack didn’t answer the office phone or his cell. Again. What the hell?

  Riley frowned. He checked his cell in case he had a missed call or text. Connor had called him, several times a day, since he’d missed check in.

  Weird.

  Riley pressed speed dial and Con answered his cell immediately. “You okay?”

  “Yeah. We’re fine.” Riley raised his eyebrows. Con sounded the tiniest bit worried.

  “Where are you?”

  “On 101 just south of Gilroy.”

  “You’re back in the States?” Con burst out. “Jesus, Riley, you didn’t think to call?”

  “I called Jack.” Riley glanced over at Di but she was still sound asleep. “What’s wrong ?”

  Connor sounded like he’d taken a Jack pill. All worried and uptight.

  “You missed check in. Twice.”

  “We had a bit of a situation,” Riley understated. “And then I didn’t have time to call before we took off. I left Jack a message.”

  “Yeah, well, Jack is basically MIA.” Con sighed. “And so were you. Ava, Jess, and I were…concerned.”

  Was it his imagination or was there an emphasis on Ava and Connor? When did they get together? And since when did Connor and Jess even communicate with each other?

  He’d only been out of the country for seven days, and out of touch for two. “Feeling a little like I went down the rabbit hole here, Con.”

  “You have no idea.” Connor said, “Jack left a few days ago and we weren’t able to get ahold of him. You were gone and not checking in. Ava was attacked. The company computers survived an attempted hack.”

  “Ava okay?” Riley pressed the pedal harder. He needed to get home. It sounded like all hell was breaking loose.

  “Yeah. Long story.” But there was an easy smile in Con’s voice that Riley hadn’t heard in…ever.

  “Tell it to me when I get there.”

  “Will do.” Con asked, “You okay? Client okay?”

  “Yeah.” Riley glanced over at Di who was softly snoring. “Getting there.”

  “Ry?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Glad you’re home safe and sound.”

  “Thanks, bro.” Riley swallowed. “See you soon.”

  Riley glanced at her, noting her filthy pants. Riley had given her the one clean white t-shirt he’d carried in his pack. And he couldn’t stop the visceral thrill of seeing her in his oversized shirt. It was sophomoric and he didn’t care.

  He tried to ignore the ripe smell coming from his own clothes. They hadn’t had time to do more than clean off with baby wipes, and slather on deodorant at the airport in Manila.

  He shrugged and continued driving toward Monterey. She’d let him know where she lived when they got closer.

  But as Riley motored down Highway 101, he realized if he let her go, even home to regroup, they’d never get back to where they’d been in that tent.

  And he knew what he had to do. He wasn’t taking her home.

  Nine

  The sudden quiet woke Di. Disoriented, she blinked her eyes open and glanced around the strange car’s interior. She quickly flashed through the last day and half, and remembered Riley insisted on giving her a ride home. But she wasn’t home. She was in Riley’s car which was no longer moving. Where the hell were they?

  Di glanced around and finally recognized the underground parking garage of GHR’s building. The distinctly American structure and sounds from the street above were harsh noise after the more natural sounds from the jungles and beaches of Jolo Island. She already missed the familiar scents and sounds of her childhood home.

  Di stretched her arms above her head and yawned. She leaned her head back against the headrest and her head lolled to the side. She finally realized that Riley was getting their stuff from the trunk of his classic car.

  “I don’t live here,” she said to him as he crouched down on the passenger side and rested his elbows on the open window frame.

  “I know.” He gave her that smile. The one he’d tried to use on her in the office the very first time they met. She’d kind of been hoping that Riley wouldn’t make an appearance. But of course, he did. That Riley was the one who picked up flight attendants. And with that thought her temper started to simmer. Mostly at herself. She was the one stupid enough to think their encounter in the jungle had been the start of something. Stupid.

  “Let’s go on up to the office.”

  “I don’t want to go to the office,” she said politely through gritted teeth. “I want to go home.”

  “We just have one last GHR detail
to go over and then I’ll take you home.”

  She didn’t trust him. His smile had an edge that hadn’t been there before. What was he up to?

  “I can just call a cab,” she countered. “I don’t live too far from here.”

  Di needed to get away from him. Now that they were back in the real world, she needed to get over this strange attraction that Riley Stone held for her. He was a player. She may have forgotten for a few insane moments in the jungle, but now she remembered. And she knew that the last thing she needed was to get involved with a guy like him. Even for a night.

  She never thought she’d be grateful that he had rules but right now she was thanking the fates that they hadn’t had any condoms.

  She needed to retreat back into her comfortable head space and chalk up that last day in the jungle to some sort of fear-induced aberrant behavior. Riley Stone couldn’t possibly be as sweet as she’d believed. Couldn’t possibly be as into her as she’d assumed. She must have romanticized him while they were fighting their way back to civilization.

  “Not yet, honey.” He gripped his backpack, and her cell phone in his large, capable fist.

  “Are you—are you holding me hostage?”

  Riley laughed. The sound was rich, warm and very amused.

  “Of course not.” But then he turned on his heel and headed for the building’s elevator, completely ignoring her wishes. “Come on.”

  Di saw red. Who the hell did he think he was?

  She stomped toward him and hopped into the elevator, just as the doors were closing on her. “Give me my cell.” She snatched at her smart phone but he held it above his head and slightly behind him so the only way she’d be able to reach it was if she pressed him flat against the elevator wall and plastered her body against his.

  He raised an arched brow at her and smirked. Go for it, honey.

  “Are you really that desperate?”

  “You wanna press the button for the fourth floor?”

  She wanted to bash him upside the head. Di clenched her fists, and took control of her temper. Then pressed the damn button.

  They rode the elevator in silence. Once they got to the door to GHR, Riley extracted his office keys from the backpack and opened the door.