Stone Promises (A Stone Brothers Novel)

by Samantha Christy

  Cole opens my door and I get out, helping her out after me. “I’ll just be a minute,” I tell him.

  I walk her up the porch stairs and she pauses as we reach the door. “You don’t want to come in?” she asks with a sad smile.

  “That’s a loaded question, Mallory Kate.” I motion to the door. “I want to come in more than you can imagine. I want to come in and take you up to your bedroom and make slow incredible love to you. I want to hold you in my arms and stare at your beautiful face until the sun rises. I want all that and more.” I put my hands on her cheeks and stare at her full lips. “But you’re drunk and your dad would probably kick my ass, so I’m not walking through that door. But I am going to make good on the text I sent you the other night.”

  I wind my hands around her neck and pull her to me, our lips inches apart—so close the air between us warms with our quickening breaths. “I’ve waited my whole life for this,” I say, just before my lips come crashing down on hers. Her lips are soft and supple and I work them gently with mine, tasting and memorizing them before I pry them apart with my tongue. When her tongue mingles with mine, doing a perfectly choreographed dance, it’s like a well-rehearsed scene coming together as if we’d practiced it a dozen times, except that it’s our first time.

  A sultry noise escapes her throat, fueling my need for her as we devour each other. I press her back against the door, trapping her with my body as I lean into her, showing her just how much this kiss is affecting me. Her hands come up and work through my hair as mine find her arms, her shoulders, her ribs, moving from one body part to the next, studying each with nimble fingers.

  When we are starving for air, my mouth escapes hers only to find its way to her neck, savoring every inch of skin between her exposed collarbone and her ear. She tastes like heaven. When I suck on a spot on her neck, a muffled cry escapes her. I smile against her skin as I record the exact location of the area for future reference.

  My mouth finds hers again and our tongues resume roaming, tasting and licking like this is the first kiss either of our lips have been allowed to have. Ever. My hands travel under her coat, around her back and down to the perfectly-rounded globes of her ass. I pull her against me, grinding myself into her. Her hands grab my shoulders and she supports herself on me as if her knees have become too weak to hold her.

  The headlights of a passing car remind me we’re still standing on Mallory’s front porch. I give her one last kiss, reluctantly pulling my lips from hers. I look into her eyes that are drunk with passion if not alcohol. “Jesus, Mal, that was so much better,” I say.

  Her fingers come up to wipe her swollen lips. “Better than what?” she asks, breathily.

  I cup her chin with my hand. “Anything I ever imagined.”

  She smiles brightly, her eyes dancing in agreement.

  “I’m warning you right now, I’m going to fall in love with you, Mallory Kate. And I’m going to fall hard.” I press her languid body back against the door so she won’t fall down when I release her. “I may already have.”

  I walk down the steps and head out to the waiting car. I turn around and shout, “See you in two weeks!” Then I watch her fall through her door and into the house.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Mallory

  I didn’t know how hard it was going to be. I didn’t realize how he’d become such an integral part of my life in the short time he was here. But being without him these last two weeks—it’s like being without air.

  Our daily texts and phone calls have kept us going, and the occasional reminders he’s sent to me from afar have been my beacons of light. Part of me loves that he has all this money yet he chooses to send me a simple bouquet of roses. Or the greeting cards he took the time to handwrite and mail. Or the pizza and champagne he had delivered from The Pizza Garden.

  I can barely contain my excitement knowing I’m going to see him in just a few minutes. He texted me when his plane landed, saying he’d be here shortly.

  Although the past two weeks have been hard without him; they’ve been anything but lonely. Between shopping with Charlie, a girls’ night with her and the Mitchell sisters, and endless cross-examination during dinners with Julian and Mel, I’ve had little time to myself. I even went to dinner at Ethan’s and got to catch up with him and Kyle a bit more. My life has become so much richer since Chad came back into it, and it has nothing to do with the enormous bank accounts of all my new friends.

  On the flip side, news has gotten out that the hot star of the upcoming release, Defcon One, has a new lady. A mysterious woman who appeared in the crowd, who accompanied him to dinner, and who was seen walking with him one night in the park.

  Fortunately, all pictures of me are obscured. Someone snapped a photo of me through the glass doors of Ethan’s building. Another person used cellphone video to tape us at the pizza place—just as he warned would probably happen. Thank goodness it was dark there. Stories of the mystery woman with long brown hair have been plastered over the tabloids, with headlines screaming of how Thad Stone has stepped out on his leading lady. There have even been rumors of him and Heather Crawford rekindling their relationship. Courtney has denied every allegation and continues to drape herself over Chad anytime a photographer is around.

  It’s been difficult, me being here and seeing his face with Courtney’s all over the media. He’s been good about calling me to prepare me every time they get photographed by the paparazzi—or ‘papped’ as he calls it. And I’ve been doing my best to avoid entertainment news and grocery store newsstands because I know it’s inevitable, them ending up on the cover. After all, their movie release is coming up soon and they were together in Vancouver for an entire week.

  I’m glad my dad is still working. I’d hate for him to see what a wreck I am waiting for Chad to show up. I changed three times. I shaved every place that needed shaving. I plucked. I moisturized. I’ve paced around the house for an hour. I wonder if this is how his fans feel when they get to meet him.

  I hear a car door shut in the driveway and my heart surges, beating a thousand times in quick succession. Then I hear the thump-thump-thump of the basketball, and suddenly, I’m not scared anymore. A few minutes ago I was wondering what it would be like to see him again. After that incredible date. After he said the things he did at my door. After our time apart. But now, I realize there’s nothing to be scared of. He’s just Chad, and I’m just Mallory. Like it used to be. Like it always should have been.

  I rip open the door to get to him. I have to refrain from running down the porch steps and jumping into his arms. Because that is exactly what I want to do. And by the look on his face when he sees me, I’m positive he wouldn’t mind in the least if I did. Instead, however, he throws me the ball as I step onto the driveway.

  No kiss. No hug. Not even a word of hello. “HORSE?” he asks, with a sinful smile.

  “What are the stakes?” I answer, nonchalantly as if my insides aren’t imagining all the possibilities.

  “I win, you pack an overnight bag,” he says.

  A warm shiver runs down my spine, all the way to my toes. “What if I win,” I ask, trying not to let my voice crack with sheer desperation.

  “Well, you can have whatever you want,” he says.

  What if I already have it?

  When I don’t speak, he says, “You don’t have to tell me now. It can be like a secret wish you can save for later.” He winks.

  “I’ll go first,” I say, not pulling my eyes from him as I take a shot and miss.

  He laughs, letting the ball roll into the bushes as he strides over and wraps his arms around me. “Hi,” he says, smiling down on me.

  “Hi,” I say, right before he kisses me.

  His hands pull me to him by the small of my back, pressing our bodies together as our mouths explore each other. He tastes even better than I remember. Two weeks of separation has heightened my senses. Every touch has my skin on fire. Every caress is like a crescendo of waves. Every murmur from his
lips is a spear to my thundering heart.

  We break apart, lips swollen but not nearly satiated. “I forfeit,” I whisper.

  We both break into laughter as he picks me up and twirls me around. Free—that’s how I feel. Free to finally feel for him what I wanted to all those years.

  ~ ~ ~

  An hour later, Cole pulls our car up in front of a very nice hotel. I turn to Chad. “We’re not going to Ethan’s? I thought that’s where you always stay when you come to town.”

  “Not anymore,” he says, reaching down to pull something from his bag. He hands me a baseball hat and sunglasses. “Here, put these on.”

  I watch as he puts on his own Yankees hat and aviator sunglasses, making him look every bit the movie star that he is, albeit somewhat camouflaged. He shrugs. “Why ruin a good thing?”

  He’s right. I don’t think people seeing us going into a hotel together is the right way to announce our relationship. I like having this secret that only we know. And as Kendra pointed out, as soon as the cat’s out of the bag, everything we do will be scrutinized. I twist my hair up into a bun and put it under my hat.

  Chad looks at me with his trademark sexy smile, shaking his head back and forth. “What?” I ask. “Do I look that silly?”

  “Silly?” He reaches up and puts his hand behind my neck. “I was just thinking about what I’d like to do to this beautiful neck of yours.” He pulls me close and kisses me on a spot that makes my whole body tingle.

  Cole clears his throat from the front seat and Chad pulls back, laughing. “Sorry, buddy. I can’t help myself around her.”

  I smile and put on my glasses. He has beautiful women throwing themselves at his feet but it’s me he can’t help himself around. It’s quite a heady feeling. What millions of women wouldn’t do to be in my position.

  A concierge opens the door for us and retrieves our bags from the trunk. Cole hands over the keys to the valet and we all head into the hotel. At the desk, we stand back as Cole checks us in. “Rooms for Mr. and Mrs. Grape.”

  I shoot a funny look to Chad. Only he can’t see it through my glasses. Cole pays with a credit card and we’re escorted to the elevators. The bellman carries our bags for us. “Mr. and Mrs. Grape,” he says. “Your suite is right this way.” He nods to Cole, pointing at a door down the hall. “Yours is right over there.”

  After our bags are placed in the bedroom, Chad tips the bellman, sending him on his way. “Do you think he recognized you?” I ask, worried about our cover being blown.

  He shrugs, removing his hat and glasses. “Hard to say. They are used to having celebrities stay here.”

  I look around the lavishly decorated suite that is so out of my price range I doubt I could afford the wallpaper. “Wow,” I say. “Do you always stay in places like this?”

  “Sometimes. When you travel a lot like we do, it’s nice to have room to move around.”

  I frown. “It must be hard being away from home so much.”

  He nods. “Yeah, it gets to the point where you forget which city you’re in.”

  “Does it ever end?” I ask him. “Do you ever get a break from it all?”

  “Not really. Not yet anyway. If I take a break now, I might stop getting offered the big roles.” He sees my look of trepidation. “It’s not that bad,” he says. “I do get weeks here and there. Like now, I’m here with you. And I’m all yours.”

  All mine. More tingles work their way across my body. “So, what’s up with Mr. Grape?”

  “Mr. and Mrs. Grape,” he corrects me with a snarky smirk. “Linda—that’s my travel agent—she’s always booking me under names that have to do with food. I’ve been Mr. Burger, Mr. Linguini, Mr. Pita. I’ve heard she also books her clients using names of clothing, cities, and marine life.”

  “But don’t they all know who you are when you go to pay with your credit card?” Then I remember it was Cole who paid. “Or does Cole always use his?”

  He gets out his wallet and shows me his credit card. “Cole uses one of my cards. It’s only got the name of my business on it for that very reason. But a lot of the time, they know who we are, especially if people like Courtney want special treatment.”

  I read his Visa card. “Treehouse Enterprises?”

  “Yup. That’s my business name. I use it for travel and purchases. Makes things easier sometimes.”

  “How long have you used that name?” I ask.

  “A few years I guess.”

  Years?

  He sees the surprise on my face. “I told you, Mal. Boyhood fantasies die hard.”

  I feel the blush cross my face and he chuckles.

  “So, Cole doesn’t have to stay in the suite with you?” I ask, wondering about the bodyguard/guardee dynamic.

  “Occasionally we’ll get a two-bedroom suite and he’ll take one of the bedrooms. But now is not one of those occasions.” He smiles at me suggestively. “But speaking of Cole. I’d like to go over a few things with you.”

  He motions to the couch and I sit. “Oh, okay.”

  He points to a door on the far side of the living room. “Cole’s room is on the other side of that connecting door. He’s been instructed that whenever I’m with you, he’s to protect the both of us, not just me.”

  “What?” I ask, incredulously. “Why would he need to protect me?”

  “Because I need you safe,” he says. Then he shakes his head in disgust. “And because there are some sicko people in this world.” He holds his hand out. “Can I see your phone, please?” I hand it to him and watch over his shoulder as he programs Cole’s number into my contacts and sets it on my favorites screen.

  He smiles up at me. “I’m on your favorites screen?”

  I nod, embarrassed.

  He whips out his phone and taps it a few times. “And you’re on mine,” he says, proudly showing me his phone.

  I read his list of favorites. Ethan. Kyle. His mom and dad. Me. And then there is a girl named Megan. I look up at him and he shifts uncomfortably. He’s obviously forgotten to wipe an old girlfriend or something. He cringes. “Sorry,” he says. “Haven’t cleaned it out in a while.”

  I want to ask who the hell Megan is. Because I’m pretty sure he claimed Courtney was his last girlfriend. But I fear Chad has a lot of skeletons in his closet and I’m just not sure I want to know about all of them. After all, does it matter what he did before me? I try to push aside my jealousy of a girl who may only exist as a memory on his phone.

  He clears his throat. “Uh, anyway, call him anytime you need to. Even when we’re not in town. He will always know where I am in case you need me.”

  A horrid grumbling sound comes from my stomach. “Oh, my gosh. Sorry about that,” I say. “I haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

  He looks at his watch. “It’s nearly six o’clock, Mallory. Why didn’t you eat lunch?” he scolds me.

  “I wasn’t hungry then. I guess I was . . . uh, nervous.”

  “Nervous?” He laughs. “Mal, you’ve seen me take a dump in the woods before. Why would you be nervous after that?”

  I cover my mouth as I erupt in giggles. “I had forgotten all about that. I didn’t actually watch you, you know. I did turn my back. I mean, gross.”

  We start reminiscing about old times, sinking into the couch, holding hands and talking until my stomach growls again.

  “That’s it, I’m feeding you, woman.” He goes over to the desk and retrieves a menu. “Room service okay? It’s not a picnic in Central Park or anything, but it means I get to keep you all to myself.”

  “Room service is perfect,” I say.

  He quickly calls in our order, not even bothering to ask what I want. He orders two cheeseburgers, medium rare. One without pickles. He also gets fries. And chocolate shakes. Because what good are fries if you don’t have chocolate shakes to dip them in? I love that he knows all this about me.

  And despite the fact that there’s a huge dining room table in the suite, we sit on the floor and eat our burger
s at the coffee table. I smile, thinking this was something we would do when we were kids. “In case I forgot to tell you, that picnic was the best picnic I’ve ever had in my entire life.”

  He ignores his half-eaten burger and catches my eyes. “Better than the one we had over in Greyson County when we saw all those horses and Julian tried to ride one bareback?”

  I laugh at the memory. “Better,” I tell him.

  “How about the one we had out at my grandparents’ place that summer when we made s’mores on the beach?”

  “Better.” I smile because he remembers. He remembers all of it.

  “And the one at the lake, when your bikini top came off—that was a pretty damn great picn—”

  “Nope,” I interrupt. “It was the best, Chad. The best one ever. I’ll never forget it.”

  He beams with pride. Then he startles me by reaching over me, grabbing me by the hips and lifting me on top of him. I’m straddling him as he stares up at me. “This,” he says, wiping mustard from my lip with his thumb and then putting it in his mouth to clean it. “I’ll never forget this or any other moment I get to spend with you. They are the best of my life, Mal.” He puts his hand on my neck and pulls me to him, mashing our mouths and bodies together.

  He tastes of ketchup and salt and chocolate. I don’t even mind that he tastes of pickles. I feel him grow hard beneath me and my body takes over, undulating on top of him as we explore each other with our mouths. “God, Mal,” he whispers, as his lips find my earlobe. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  “Me too,” I say, my head falling back to give him more room to work.

  “I think I missed you more these past weeks than the nine years we were apart,” he says against my skin. Then he suddenly pulls away from me, looking guilty. “Not that I didn’t miss you then. Because I swear I did. I thought about you all the time. But after that kiss two weeks ago. Jesus, do you know how hard it was to get on that plane and fly away from you?”