by A. K. Evans
His brows pulled together.
“I didn’t go home last night, Stone. They wanted details.”
“Details?” he asked.
I nodded, unsure what he was confused about.
He simply stared back, indicating that what I said was not enough information.
“They are my best friends. Nikki called Charley and Emme and told them I didn’t go home last night. They all know you and I went out on a date. Today, they wanted the details of that date or, more specifically, they wanted the details of what happened at the end of the date that caused me to stay out all night.”
“And you gave them those details?” he asked, disbelievingly.
“That’s what women do. I’ve gotten the details before on Charley and Wes as well as Emme and Zane. It’s only fair I share in return.”
“Did you want to share it or did you share it because they had done it with you?” he wondered.
I took in a deep breath and let it out before I answered, “I was happy to be able to share it with them. I’ve been on the other side of those conversations for so long; it was an incredible feeling to be the one sharing.”
I paused a moment before continuing, “Does it bother you that I shared?”
He smirked and teased me, “I don’t know. Should it?”
“Considering you were given a rave review and I think I left the girls slightly jealous, I don’t think so.”
“Jealous?”
“You gave me five orgasms in a matter of a few hours, handsome. I mean, Wes and Zane have given Charley and Emme their fair share of them and I get the feeling Luke has given Nikki the goods, too, but she hasn’t quite shared that information yet. If he hasn’t, I’m sure it’s coming soon. Either way, you outdid them all last night and this morning.”
“Well, I guess since you gave me a glowing review I’m not bothered that you shared. And, I’m happy that you’re happy you had the chance to be on that side of the conversation,” he said, with a wink of his eye.
I felt the warmth spread through my body at the eye wink. I settled into that feeling while Stone and I finished dinner. When we finished, Stone pushed back from the table and sat there looking at me.
“What?” I asked, squirming a bit under his intense gaze.
He held his hand out and urged, “Come here.”
I stood and walked over to him. I put my hand in his and he tugged me toward him. His other hand wrapped around my waist and I had no choice but to straddle his lap. The second I settled over him he brought a hand up to my neck and pulled my mouth to his. The moment our lips connected Stone’s hands were at my thighs. With our bodies pressed against each other, I was immediately consumed by what I felt for him. My hands went to his hair as my tongue slipped past my lips into his mouth. The grip Stone had on my thighs got tighter. As I began rolling my hips over his hardened length, he groaned into my mouth and slid one hand further up my thigh and around to cup my ass.
Stone disconnected his mouth from mine and buried his face in my neck.
“Fuck, Monroe. I want to take you right here in this room.”
“Do it. Take me, Stone,” I whispered back.
His mouth continued to move along my neck, up my throat, and back to my lips. With his lips against mine, his voice was rough when he reminded me, “You’re tender from last night, angel. We need to give you at least another day.”
I whimpered. I was still tender and as much as I loved that he was looking out for my well-being, it was frustrating at the same time. I wanted him again; I needed to feel him again. I pulled back from Stone and made a sad face, pulling out all the stops and pushing my bottom lip out. I was going to do whatever I could to get him to change his mind.
He chuckled as he looked at me.
“Don’t do that,” he said through his laughter.
“Why not?” I asked. “I’m feeling sad.”
“Because it’s too fucking adorable and you’re going to make me go against doing what I know is best for you in this situation. And the problem with that will not just be the fact that I’d be physically hurting you, but also that you might then be too sore to celebrate the way I want to on your birthday. I promise you I’ll make it worth the wait.”
“You already did that once,” I admitted quietly.
He gave me a half grin before he promised, “Then I’ll do it again.”
I let out a sigh. “Oh, alright. I’ll wait.”
Stone leaned forward, kissed the tip of my nose, and said, “That’s my good girl.”
I loved when he referred to me as his. His angel, his good girl. I wanted that. I wanted to be his. I could only hope he chose to keep me as his.
Chapter 12
Monroe
My phone was ringing.
I was still in bed.
I attempted to go to bed at a decent hour last night, but I was so consumed with my thoughts of Stone. By the time I finally fell asleep, it was well past my bedtime.
I rolled over in my bed and snagged my phone off the nightstand. I kept my eyes closed throughout this entire process.
“Hello?” I mumbled into the phone.
“Fuck, just hearing your sleepy morning voice makes me hard.”
My eyes shot open.
Now I was awake.
Wide awake.
“Stone?”
He laughed.
“Who else would be saying that to you, Monroe?”
“Nobody,” I answered, defensively.
“I know that, angel. I was just joking with you.”
“Oh. Sorry. What’s going on?” I asked.
“I talked to Levi last night after I got home from your studio. He told me that Cruz, Dom, and Lorsenzo would be there today to get your new system installed. I wanted to make sure you knew who to expect. I know you haven’t met Dom and Lorenzo, but do you remember Zane and Levi’s younger brother, Cruz?”
Of course, I remembered Cruz. I’d never forget him. He was the one who got to Emme first when she was kidnapped. He arrived just in time to prevent Emme from being raped. I couldn’t possibly forget the person who stopped that from happening to my best friend.
“Yeah, I remember him.”
“Good. If I had my way I wouldn’t be leaving you there alone with them coming over to do the installation, but I have something I have to take care of today. Are you going to be okay with that?”
“Why wouldn’t I be? Cruz rescued Emme. I don’t think I have anything to worry about. I mean, I’ve not met Dom and Lorenzo, but I’m guessing if they work for Levi they are trustworthy, right?”
He let out a sigh. “Of course, they are. That’s not what I meant.”
I stayed silent. What did he mean?
“Monroe, I’d trust them all with my life and yours. You don’t need to be worried about your safety. But, all three of them are single and you are fucking hot. I’m sure their eyes will be wandering, especially if you wear those shorts again.”
He was jealous. I took this as a good sign. I also wanted to reassure him.
“Oh, well, I’m sure they will be professional about it.”
“Yeah, I bet,” he scoffed, clearly indicating he did not believe they would be strictly there to work.
“I know you’ll be busy today, but will you call me later?”
“Sure. Do you need something?”
“No. I just like hearing from you.”
“Oh, well, I planned on calling you anyway. Need to give you details on what time I’m picking you up tomorrow. Just have a few things to figure out today.”
“Sounds good,” I said, pausing a moment. “And Stone?”
“Yeah?”
“Just so you know, them being single doesn’t really much matter to me considering I only want you. Always, Stone. You are everything I want. Only you.”
Stone didn’t respond. He stayed quiet for so long I thought one of two things happened. Either he was no longer on the phone or I said something I shouldn’t have.
“Stone?�
� I called.
“Yeah?” he responded, his voice sounding strained.
“I thought we got disconnected.”
Silence a moment and then, “No, I’m still here. I’ll let you go so you can get ready, though. Later today I’ll give you a call, okay?”
Now it was my turn to stay silent. We didn’t get disconnected. I said something I shouldn’t have said. It made no sense to me. In one breath, Stone was indicating he liked being around me and that he wanted to explore this with me. In fact, essentially admitting his jealousy just minutes ago made me believe he cared. On the other hand, the fact that I tried to reassure him that I was only interested in him made him clam up. This upset me.
“Monroe?” Stone called, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“I’m here.”
My voice sounded funny now. I’m certain it was because I was trying to talk through the tightness I felt in my throat.
I could have sworn I heard him curse under his breath.
“I am going to call you later today. Okay?”
“Yeah, sure. That’s fine. I’ll talk to you later,” I managed to get out before I disconnected the call.
I hated this. I didn’t like hanging up with him that way. I also didn’t like I was in so deep with him and that it seemed he would never even get halfway to the point I was. I knew, even though I tried telling myself otherwise, that whatever was going to happen between Stone and I was going to leave me completely wrecked sooner or later.
I did my best to push past the thoughts I was having and go about getting myself ready. After I accomplished that task, I grabbed my things and made my way down the hall toward the kitchen. Nikki was already up, having breakfast.
“Morning, babe,” she greeted. “That bag over there is yours,” she added, pointing to the bag sitting on the opposite end of the island.
My lingerie.
“Thanks, Nikki. I guess you were able to find something good?”
“Emme and I know you well enough to know what would look fantastic on you, but we weren’t sure what Stone’s preference would be. We decided to get you a couple different options. Some are sweet and innocent; others are seductive and sultry. Honestly, I’m guessing Stone is going to appreciate it no matter which one you choose.”
“You’re probably right,” I said.
“Did Levi get your security system figured out yesterday?” she asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. Cruz, Dom, and Lorenzo are coming over today to install everything. I’m not sure what time they’ll be there, but I want to get going so they aren’t waiting around for me to arrive. Are you going to be at the salon later?”
“Yep. I’ve had a few walk-ins the past couple of days so I’ll be there. Looking forward to the grand opening. Apparently, the word is spreading quickly because that’s how most of the walk-in clients found out I was there.”
Well that was a relief. It was good to know that people were getting wind of the salon and studio. I couldn’t wait to start teaching again and was hopeful that the grand opening would be a success.
“That makes me feel better. I am so ready to start teaching again. I found out about a few competitions I’d like to make an appearance at, so I hope the turnout next week is good.”
“It will be,” she said with a wink.
I smiled back at her.
“Alright, babe. I’m going to get going. Thanks again for getting the lingerie. I’ll pay you back for it when I get home tonight.”
“No worries, mama. Consider it an early birthday present. See you later.”
With that, I took off and made my way to the studio. Thankfully, when I arrived nobody was waiting for me.
Before I started dancing, I decided to check my emails. I had been receiving a couple each day from potential clients, so it was important to me to stay on top of them. I really needed to get a receptionist because once I started instructing, I didn’t want to have to spend my time answering emails.
A couple emails filtered in and that’s when I saw one that I had been waiting for. Late last week I found out about a local dance competition that was coming up. I wasn’t sure if I’d have enough dancers signed up to actually have anyone competing, but I wanted to get my name out there. I reached out to the organizers and explained my situation. They were more than happy to allow me to showcase my style by offering me the opportunity to do two exhibition routines. This was exactly what I had hoped would happen. I decided to get to work immediately.
After deciding on music for the first routine I got to it. Adele’s Chasing Pavements filtered through the room and I sat there listening to the song once, taking it in. I’ve always thought it was a beautiful song. After the conversation I had with Stone this morning or, more precisely, the way that conversation ended, hearing this song was just what I needed. Knowing I was in love with Stone and not knowing that I’d ever get that in return from him made me question not only my sanity, but also whether I should continue down this road chasing after something that could be going nowhere. Once the song ended, I started it again and began choreographing a routine. When I selected the song, I knew that it said everything I was currently feeling, so putting together a routine would be virtually effortless for me. Not long after I started, I had completed the choreography.
I was running through the full routine for the second time when my eyes caught something in the mirror. Two men, two very large men that is, were standing in the doorway. Immediately, I stopped dancing, turned around, and began walking backward away from them.
Shit.
What was I going to do?
Though it felt like minutes had passed, it wasn’t more than five seconds before one of the men said loudly over the music, “Monroe?”
I pulled in a deep breath. How the fuck did this guy know my name?
I nodded.
“Dominick Moore,” he started as he began walking into the room. He pointed behind him to the other guy who was now also walking into the room toward the stereo and explained, “That’s Lorenzo De Luca. We’re here from Cunningham Security.”
The music had been shut off at the same time I bent over, my hands on my knees, and let out the breath I had been holding.
“Oh, thank God. I knew you guys were coming, but I expected Cruz was going to be with you?” I informed them, attempting to explain my reaction.
“Didn’t mean to scare you. Cruz should be here shortly. Figured we could get in here and get started. Understand now why Stone wants this done. Jesus, woman, I’m surprised my ears aren’t bleeding considering the volume on the music,” Dominick teased.
I grinned at him and said, “Sorry. I like to feel the music when I dance.”
“I saw that, too. No need to apologize if what you were doing is the result,” he approved with a wink, indicating they had been standing there long enough to watch me dance.
I looked away, feeling embarrassed.
“Fucking Stone,” Lorenzo started, pulling me out of my thoughts.
When I turned to look at him, he gave me a half grin and went on, “He’s a lucky son of a bitch.”
I took everything they said to mean really good things, but wanted to change topics quickly because I had Stone’s words from earlier that day in the back of my mind.
Just then, we heard the door chime. Lorenzo and Dominick both turned to walk out of the room. I followed behind them because I didn’t want them scaring away any potential clients. They were both incredibly hot, but I wasn’t sure that they’d come across as anything but menacing. When we made it out to the reception area, we saw that it was not a potential client. Cruz had arrived.
“Hey Monroe.”
“Hi, Cruz. Good to see you again,” I answered.
“Likewise,” he responded before turning his attention to the guys. “Where are we at?”
“Just dealt with the noise concerns and are about to get started,” Dominick answered.
“Alright. Do you have any questions, Monroe?” Cruz asked.
I shoo
k my head and then asked, “Well, is it okay if I continue dancing? I have a competition that I’m going to be exhibiting my work at in a few weeks and I’d really like to have a head start on my routines. I can change rooms as you need me to and I promise to keep the music at a reasonable volume.”
He chuckled and confirmed, “Yeah, that’ll work.”
I smiled big at him and then the boys got to work. While they worked, I danced. I continued to pour myself into the dance I had choreographed that morning. Since I didn’t want to make the Cunningham Security guys crazy, I took it easy on the volume. Even still, the entire time I danced my movements portrayed my struggle and the internal battle I faced in my situation with Stone.
A little over two hours later, I was in the third room for the day, when I heard a man’s voice call out my name from the reception area. I made my way out to the front of the studio and found Luke had stopped in. He had a woman with him.
“Hi, Luke,” I greeted him.
“Hey, babe. Talked to Stone yesterday and he said you were looking to hire a receptionist. He told me he talked to you about Lexi,” he shared.
Stone didn’t waste any time, did he?
I dipped my chin to Luke.
“This is my baby sister, Lexi.”
I stuck my hand out to shake hers and greeted her, “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too,” she responded. “I’ve heard a lot about you and Nikki.”
This made my heart happy. If Lexi had heard about Nikki that meant that Luke had to have been talking about her.
“I’ll give you two time to get acquainted and figure out if it’s going to be a good fit. I’ll make myself scarce and head next door in the meantime,” Luke motioned to the door, trying to give an excuse to go see my best friend.
Lexi turned toward Luke and demanded, “I’m going to meet her next. Don’t think you are keeping her away from me!”
Luke pressed a kiss to the top of his sister’s head and teased, “I wouldn’t dream of keeping anything from you, Lex.”
Seeing that also made my heart happy. It seemed as though Luke and Lexi had a relationship very similar to the ones I had with each of my brothers. Immediately, I knew that Lexi would be a perfect fit at my place, but decided to go through with getting to know her mostly because I wanted Nikki to have some time alone with Luke.