by Lace, Lolah
Table of Contents
Title Page
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
Authors Note
HEART OF STONE
By
Lolah Lace
Copyright © 2017 by Lolah Lace
www.lolahlace.com
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
EXPLICIT ADULT CONTENT
WARNING
This novella is considered erotic romantic fiction. This is for mature audiences only. This book contains adult profane language and extreme sexual situations. This is dark.
***
PROLOGUE
ANTONIO
I had thought about a lot of things over the last two weeks after ending a relationship. I was on a mission to form a new relationship, one that would span over the course of many years. The stress was getting to me.
Was I making the right decision? Only time will tell. Was I ready for this? Was I ready to confront her? She had changed. It had been too long, but I had to do this. I couldn’t just sit back and wait to see what move she was going to make.
My cell phone rang. I fished it out of my inside suit jacket pocket. I glanced down at the screen. What does Harry want now?
I answered. “Harry.”
“Where are you?”
Straight to business— like always. “In Chicago.”
“Where are you staying? I didn’t book anything for you.”
“With my brother.”
“Tonio, I don’t think that place is secure.”
“I’m a grown man. I can take care of myself.”
“How many restraining orders do we have to issue on your crazed fans before you take your safety seriously?”
“I think I can fight off my stalkers. I actually had to learn martial arts for the movie Jitsu. I did my own stunts, remember?”
“That’s movie martial arts.”
“You are ridiculous. I can fight like a pro.”
“You know people use weapons nowadays.”
“Yes, I know. My brother’s place is in a gated community. I’ll be in disguise.”
“You call a baseball cap a disguise?”
“Why did you call?”
“Look Gigi is not taking the breakup well.”
“What does that mean?”
“You did it so abruptly. You know these women need closure. We have to promote this film. You picked the perfect time to dump her. We really don’t need her talking to the public about the breakup. She deleted all your photos off her Instagram.”
“We were only together for five months. You can’t honestly call that a real relationship. She’ll just move on to some musician. All supermodels move onto musicians after me. They are done with actors for the time being. It’s not a thing. You have my permission to threaten her with legal action.”
“If I threatened every woman you stuck your dick in, I would run out of threats.”
“Haha, Harry.”
“I will give her a quick call under the guise of seeing if she’s okay.”
“You’ve done that before and fucked it up. Do not, I repeat, do not let her think we have a shot of getting back together.”
“So this time you’re done?”
“I’m always done. Have I ever had a relationship last more than six months?”
“No, you haven’t. When are you going to settle down? I thought Gigi was the one.”
“I’m never getting married, and I’m not having kids.”
“Well—”
“Shut the fuck up.”
“Fine. How are you getting around?”
“The same car service I always use when I’m in town.”
“No taxis, definitely no Ubers, or Lyfts, please no public transportation. Chicago is the murder capital.”
“That isn’t actually true by populace. Don’t believe everything you read on the internet.”
“I don’t want to be all the way in L.A. concerned about your well-being. If you die on me, I will never get another job in this town again.”
“If I die you can write a tell-all book about me and be set for life.”
“Yes, I could. We need to put that in my next contract.”
“Then I would have to worry about you trying to kill me.”
“Okay, this isn’t funny anymore. I need you to just be safe. You have three films lined up for next year. Are you going to see her?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Fuck! I hope you’re making the right move.”
“I think so.”
“Let me know how that goes. I’m ready to serve her with a gag order, a restraining order or whatever you feel is necessary.”
“She didn’t break the NDA yet. I can control her.”
“I hope so. Keep your temper in check.”
“Always.”
“I will send the itinerary for tomorrow. Please sleep. You’re much better when you’re rested. You have TV and radio.”
“Goodbye Harry.” I ended the call.
Harry had a way of making me feel like a reckless teenager. I played along. He enjoyed giving instruction. He seems to forget that he is younger than me. I would always do whatever I wanted. But I paid him for his honesty.
I was in town for more than promotion. I was in Chicago for personal reasons as well. The private investigator Harry hired had tracked her every move. She would be walking down this street within minutes. I had my driver pull over to the curb.
I spotted her walking toward me. I rolled down the tinted window and when she was in earshot—
“Kelby.” The pictures the investigator sent hadn’t done her justice. She was more beautiful than I remembered. She was wearing tight black spandex pants and a gray fitted shirt. She looked like she had been to the gym. Her hair was pulled back and her high cheekbones were prominent. She wore no make-up yet her face had this natural glow.
She stopped in her tracks after hearing her name. She locked eyes with me. She was holding it— him. He was strapped to the front of her body in one of those baby carriers that mothers used.
Her eyes stretched wide when sh
e recognized me. I couldn’t read her expression. It may be one I’ve never seen before. Her hand went to cover it— the baby.
“Get in.” She didn’t budge. She just stared at me. “Kelby, get in.” This time I demanded it. Her steps were slow and strained as she walked the few steps to the car. I opened the door and slide over so she could get into the backseat beside me. I hit the button so the partition would rise. This was a private conversation.
Kelby reluctantly closed the door. Her hands cuddled it— the baby.
“Are you surprised to see me?” I knew she would be.
“Yes.” Her eyes found mine and then she cast them away.
“You have a baby?”
“Yes.”
“A son?”
“Yes.” She exhaled deeply.
“Look at me.” She slowly gave me her undivided attention. “Is this my son?”
She palmed the baby’s head with one hand. I waited for her response, and it almost never came.
“Kelby, I asked you a fucking question.”
“Yes.” I could barely hear her but the word no never sounds like yes. So it was clear even in a faint whisper. Her eyes were moist. Was she going to cry?
“This is my son.”
“Yes.” There was a trace of venom in her tenor.
My chest felt tight. “So, you told the truth.”
“Tonio, what do you want?” Her voice shook.
This wasn’t the reaction I envisioned. I didn’t have a vision of this meeting now that I think about it. Where was all the emotion coming from?
“I don’t know yet.” I hadn’t thought that far.
“I want to go home.” Her hands were shaking.
“Calm down. I’ll take you home. This isn’t over.”
A tear dropped from her eye, and she didn’t bother to wipe it away.
I lowered the partition and instructed the driver to her place. She moved to the other place just like she said she would. She had a condo in a much better neighborhood. The money I gave her afforded her a better living. She had quite a bit left over. She hadn’t squandered the money from our first illicit weekend or the second weekend. The second time I saw her the guilt made me put 80K in her account instead of the 60K that I agreed to.
We sat in silence as the car drove us the few minutes it took to get to her condo. She hadn’t been with another man. The investigator tore into her past, present and future. She worked from home. She cared for her baby and saw a few friends.
I thought she would turn tricks after me but she wasn’t really an escort. She just was a woman that did it twice with one man. I was flattered. Every woman I dumped bounced back rather quickly. Within months my exes had their lips firmly planted around another man’s dick. Kelby was different. She could have a relationship with a man. She chose not too. Why?
When the driver pulled up to the curb, Kelby reached for the door and tried to open it. The doors were locked and she turned back ignoring me.
“Driver, driver, please open the door.” She was practically yelling at the chauffeur.
“Sir.” He addressed me. My driver was in my service, not hers. I nodded and he hit the lock for her door.
Before she could exit, I grabbed her wrist. “Kelby, I will be back.” I let go of her arm.
“Why?”
I flashed a pissed off look because I was pissed off. She was still very upset. The brief ride hadn’t calmed her. Under normal circumstances, I would love this frightened behavior from a woman, but today it was confusing. Today she was someone else. Someone with a baby, my baby.
“Kelby get out.”
She carefully got out the car holding the baby tighter than necessary. She slammed the door purposefully hard. My presence had gotten under her skin. What made her think she could keep a secret like this from me?
I watched her disappear into the building. I don’t know what she was thinking but I can control her. I didn’t even look at it— the baby.
CHAPTER 1
ANTONIO
We pulled away from the curb and were on our way to my brother’s place in Willow Springs. I had a lot the think about. I should’ve called Kelby first. Showing up unexpectedly seemed quite impersonal. Realistically, I don’t know what I should’ve done. Learning I had a child with a woman I never thought I’d see again was somewhat disconcerting.
She wasn’t happy to see me. I had to block her reaction to me out of my head so I could go on with the rest of my day. I read my emails, surfed my social media accounts and made a random tweet about climate control.
My driver pulled into the driveway of my brother’s house. He helped me with my luggage. I had more things than I needed. My brother’s wife Carla answered the door and greeted me with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“Antonio, I was expecting you two hours ago. I was worried.”
“Flight was delayed and I made a stop.”
“Daniel called me three times looking for you.”
“He didn’t call me.”
“He didn’t want to be the overbearing younger brother. He still worries about you.”
“Daniel is just a worrier. He has nothing to worry about when it comes to me. Sometimes he forgets, I’m the older brother.”
“Very true.” She smiled. “Your room is all ready for you.”
“Thanks, Carla.”
“I made sure all your favorite foods and drinks were in the kitchen.”
“Why do you go to all the trouble?”
“It’s no trouble. We don’t see you often.”
“I haven’t worn out my welcome?”
“God no. We barely get to see you. You’re always off making movies.”
“I love to work.”
“You and your brother have that in common.”
“We do. Where are my nieces?”
“In school. They are going to be so happy to find you here when they got home.”
“They must be big girls now. They grow a foot every time I see them.”
“They are starting to gang up on me. We did we have two? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m great.”
“You look, I don’t know. Antonio, are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, I’m just a little stressed.”
“Was it your recent breakup?”
“Breakup? No, no.” I remembered I had a girlfriend a few days ago – now I don’t. Shit, how did I forget about Gigi?
“I’m sorry that didn’t work out. Daniel and I want you to find someone special.”
“Gigi was not the one for me. She was far from special.”
“I didn’t really think so either. She seemed a little, I don’t know, Barbie doll like.”
“She’s a model.”
“True she is a model. So if it’s not your ex., something is on your mind.”
“There is something.” I wasn’t trying to be vague. I hadn’t actually come to terms with fatherhood.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not really. I need to shower, change and to try to eat something.”
“Okay, everything is just the way you like it. I will be in my office if you need me.”
“Thanks, Carla. I’ll come and get the rest of my bags later.”
“Sure whatever, let me know if you need me to whip up something for you to eat.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Of course you will.” Carla walked away leaving me in the foyer with my suitcases. I stood there a minute and just looked around. I wish I had a feeling I could lock onto.
All these months and she never tried to contact me. She could’ve contacted me through Joel. He knew my true identity. They stayed in touch. She purposely stayed away. She went awol from her Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages.
But that wasn’t really the case. She did post things but never anything about being pregnant or babies. She deliberately kept that part of her life off of social media. Why? That makes me think she had ill intent. She probably planned to extort some money fr
om me. Everyone has a price. I paid for her before so she isn’t above taking my money. Just because she hadn’t blackmailed me yet didn’t mean it wasn’t coming.
My brain wasn’t ready to think about this. I hadn’t realized how tired I was. I showered and laid down. I took a much-needed nap. I was out for an hour and I woke up with the same problems and unanswered questions.
I ventured downstairs. I needed Carla’s ear. I needed to talk to a woman. She could maybe tell me something I didn’t already know.
I knocked on her open office door. “Hey.”
“You disappeared.”
“I needed a nap. Do you think we could talk before the kids come home from school?”
“Of course. Come in.”
I walked in and took a seat on the window seal. “You were right earlier. I have something on my mind.”
“Finally, I get to use my therapy skills.”
“Last year I was in town promoting a movie.”
“Yeah, A Day In The Life Of Me.”
“Yes, well, last year I kind of hooked up with a woman.”
“You were really busy that week.”
“I was during the week but I stayed the weekend. I just didn’t let on I was still in town.”
“Oh okay. Hooked up meaning?”
“I had sex with a woman.”
“How many times?”
“Multiple times. Why?”
“Not really a hook up.”
“We weren’t seeing each other.”
“Really?”
“It was just sex, a few times over the course of a few days and a few occasions.”
“Sounds like a relationship.”
“No, not at all.”
“Really?”
“Why do you say that, really?”
“Men are always trying to disregard women and divide them down to hook ups. When you clearly went back for more— right?”
“Yes, I did.” She gave me something to think about. Why did I go back for more? “Nonetheless, I tossed her aside.”
“You tend to do that.”
I chuckled. “I do.” The words were there but how would I phrase them. “I don’t know how to say this. This random woman got pregnant.” I turned from the window to look at Carla. Her mouth fell open.