Everything I Want (Everything #3) - A.K. Evans

Table of Contents Acknowledgements 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 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 About A.K. Evans Other Books by A.K. Evans Connect with A.K. Evans

Everything I Want A.K. Evans

Published by A.K. Evans Copyright 2017 A.K. Evans This is a work of fiction. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without the express written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Dedication To dancers around the world, everywhere. I tell my stories using words; you do it with movement…and it’s nothing short of amazing.

Table of Contents Acknowledgements 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 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27

Chapter 28 Chapter 29 About A.K. Evans Other Books by A.K. Evans Connect with A.K. Evans

Acknowledgements The first half of Everything I Want flowed from my fingertips effortlessly. While attempting to write the second half of it, I had a lot of outside distractions that were doing little to help my writing process. The story was in my head, demanding to be told; yet, it seemed every free opportunity to write was being robbed from me. Through it all, my husband held my hand, dried my tears, and cradled me in his arms. I could write a thousand books and put my thanks to him in each one; however, I’d remain unsure that I’ve done justice in thanking him for just how much his unwavering support in all of this means to me. Thank you, Jeff, for lifting me up when I was down and for pushing me to continue to do what I love. I love you. One day, a few weeks before this book was published and released something profound happened. Sometimes, when it comes to writing, I question myself. Should I be doing this when I could be spending that time with my boys? Sometimes, I wonder if they will resent me for not spending every free moment I have with them. One evening, more than a month after my second book was released I had my single most successful day in book sales (not counting pre-orders and release days). When I say something profound happened, I am not referring to the book sales. My oldest, and now nine-year-old son (who was eight at the time this happened), heard me from the other room as I delivered this news my husband. Jeff didn’t have a chance to respond before my son cheered, “That’s great, Mom. Congratulations. I’m so proud of you.” My heart swelled. Hearing my little man tell me that he was proud of me solidified for me that it’s okay for me to do something that makes me feel happy and fulfilled. So, to my beautiful boys, J & J — you’re nine and six right now. Please know that no matter how many books I sell or if your dream of me becoming famous ever comes true, it will all pale in comparison to the joy I feel at being your mom. It’s not always rainbows and sunshine, but boy do the good days make it all worth it. Gosh, do I sometimes wonder what I did so great in my life to deserve the privilege of being your mom. I love you both so much.

Chapter 1 Monroe “This is why you shouldn’t have left California.” “No, Vaughn. This is why I shouldn’t have ever listened to you, Remi, and Deacon. I should have kept my Boxster and I wouldn’t be in this predicament.” “Yeah, Monroe, you’re right…because a Porsche Boxster would have done really well in the snow. And sorry to say, kid, but you likely drove over a nail and that’s why you have a flat now. It has nothing to do with the actual car you are driving.” Ugh. I hated when he made sense. Vaughn was the second oldest of my three older brothers. Remi was the oldest and Deacon was the youngest. My brothers and I were all very close, but they were some of the most overly protective guys I’d ever had the pleasure of knowing. It came as no surprise then that when I told them I made the decision to move to Rising Sun, Wyoming they completely lost their shit. They were worried about me and I understood their concern; however, I needed the change I believed moving here would bring. I loved my brothers, my parents, and my job, but I was missing something in Ventura. I had a feeling that if I hadn’t found it there yet I wasn’t going to find it sticking around. A few weeks ago, I was overjoyed at my decision to move. Then, I did something really, really stupid and immediately regretted the decision. Unfortunately, I’d already signed the lease transfer papers on the condo that my best friend, Nikki, and I would be taking over from our two other best friends, Charley and Emme. In addition, Nikki and I had both already signed the lease on the building that would now be home to her new salon and my new dance studio. Despite the embarrassment I faced a few weeks ago when I’d done that really stupid thing, I knew that I’d never hang Nikki out to dry. So, as it stood, I was stuck here for at least the next two years. Once I signed the leases and made it official, my brothers finally gave in. They didn’t like it, but they accepted my decision and did their best to respect my choice. This isn’t to say that they didn’t insist on a few things happening before I made the move. One of those things was that I had to get a car that would be practical for the snow. So, I went from my beautiful Porsche Boxster to a GMC Yukon. I loved my Boxster and was so sad to see it go, but I really thought the benefits of moving would have made it all worth it. Being humiliated three weeks ago made me rethink my logic. My current predicament was that I was now sitting on the side of the road about two

miles from my new studio, which wasn’t exactly new in the literal sense, and I had a flat tire. The only upside to the Yukon up to this point was the fact that I could comfortably drive the roughly one-thousand-mile trip from Ventura to Rising Sun and fit almost all of my belongings in the vehicle with me. Having a flat tire after owning this thing for just over a week now was plain ludicrous. I called Vaughn hoping for a bit of guidance on the situation. If I were still in California and this happened, one of my brothers would have come to where I was and changed my tire. One of them would have just taken care of it and I wouldn’t have needed to give it a second thought. Unfortunately, I no longer had access to their unwavering help in situations like this. I figured that if I called Vaughn he could walk me through what I needed to do to change the tire. I wasn’t so lucky. He decided it would be better to give me a lecture on this and explain further why moving was such a bad decision. I wasn’t going to tell him that not long after I signed the lease I regretted my decision. That would lead to an even bigger lecture that I was in no mood to deal with, so I kept my mouth shut on that topic. “Are you going to help me and tell me what I need to do to change this or are you going to keep lecturing me on my decision to move?” I asked. Then, and because I wanted to avoid more lecturing, I added, “I am standing out on the side of the road in the freezing cold right now, so I’m hoping you’ll choose to help me.” He stayed silent a moment. “I hate you being out there alone, Monroe. Fuck. Alright, I’ll help you. You need to get out the tire changing tools. They’re in the back of the car. Go open the back gate of the Yukon and pop out the compartment next to the cup holder on the driver’s side next to the third-row seating. The tools are located under there.” “Okay, hold on.” “We should just call roadside assistance, I think,” Vaughn speculated as I walked around to open the back of the Yukon. “Yeah, but who knows how long I’ll have to sit here waiting for them to show up. I should at least try to do this first. Besides, I need to meet the guy who is dropping off the supplies I ordered for my studio soon,” I replied as I climbed in and popped the compartment out of its place. Sure enough, the tools were under it. I pulled them out. As I set them out, I eased my way back out of the Yukon. “Okay, now what?” I asked. “You’ve got to pull the cover off the middle of the rear bumper and put your ignition key in to unlock the pin for the spare.” I did as he said and pulled out the pin. “Alright, done. Now what?” Vaughn explained how to remove the actual tire. I inserted the tool he told me to use and began turning it to lower the tire. Unfortunately, I hadn’t realized how heavy the freaking tire would be. “Hang on, Vaughn. I need to put my phone down a minute so I can use both hands to pick this tire up.”

“Be careful.” I set the phone down and pulled the tire out. It was heavier than I thought it would be and I struggled a bit. Eventually, though, I managed to stand it up and lean it against the back of my new mammoth vehicle. I picked the phone up again and said, “I’ve got it. Next?” “You need to jack up the vehicle,” he declared. He then told me which tool was the jack and where I needed to put it under the car. As I walked to the driver’s side rear tire and was about to bend down to use the jack I heard something off to my right side. I looked to my right to see a truck had pulled up directly behind me. “Wait, Vaughn, someone just pulled up. Maybe they can help me.” “Close the door and get in your car, Monroe. Lock the doors and we’ll call roadside assistance.” The door to the truck opened and I saw the boots as they stepped out and on to the ground. The sun was practically blinding me that I couldn’t see behind the windshield when the truck pulled up. When the door to the truck closed, I saw him. Xander Stone. The most beautiful man in the world. The man I moved here for. The man I thought would be the man with whom I’d fall in love. The man I thought would give me my happily-ever-after romance. Of course, this was all before my failed attempt to seduce him at Emme’s birthday party a couple weeks ago with a karaoke rendition of Toni Braxton’s You’re Making Me High. Did I mention it was a failed attempt? Remember that stupid thing I alluded to earlier? This was it. After my performance that night, which was directed right at him, Stone got up and walked out without a word. I haven’t seen or spoken to him again since that night. That is, until now. “Monroe?” Vaughn’s voice filtered in my ear. As I stared at Stone stalking over to me, I said, “Yeah, Vaughn?” “Are you in the fucking car with the doors locked?” he asked. “No.” “Get your ass in the car and lock the doors,” he demanded, no patience left in his voice as Stone came to a stop right next to me and looked down into my eyes. Damn him and those baby blues. I turned toward him and stood there silently staring at him. Every time I’ve ever looked in his eyes I always noticed a hardness in them. Now, I was seeing that hardness

mixed with a bit of something else I couldn’t quite put my finger on. “Monroe?” Vaughn bit out, now slightly more impatient. “Yeah, Vaughn?” I asked as I continued to stare at Stone. Stone’s eyes narrowed. “Are you alright?” Vaughn questioned. Without a word, Stone took the jack out of my hand and bent down to jack up the car. “Yes, I’m okay. I’ll call you in a little.” “No you fucking won’t. Is someone there?” “Remember I told you about Charley and Emme’s fiancés?” I reminded him. “Yeah.” “One of their best friends is here. He’s already started changing my tire for me. I’ll call you back. I’m okay, I promise.” “You sure?” “Yes, Vaughn. I’m sure,” I insisted. “Ok. Please let me know once you are back on the road,” he requested. “I will. Thanks for the help,” I added. “Miss you, kid.” “I miss you, too.” With that, I disconnected the call. When I looked back down at Stone I saw that he had already jacked up the vehicle and was removing the flat tire. “Thank you,” I offered, after he removed the flat and replaced it with the spare. He didn’t say anything. He just continued tightening the lug nuts on the wheel. When he finished, he stood and put the tools away for me. Then, he took my flat tire and put it in the bed of his truck. When he walked back to me, he finally spoke. “Luke’s brother has an automotive shop. I’ll have him fix your tire and then I’ll get it back to you. I’m assuming since you are out this way you are heading to your studio?” I nodded. He knew where my studio was because Nikki and I told everyone about it back when the group of us went out for breakfast the morning Emme and Zane announced their engagement. That was also the day before I made a fool of myself in front of Stone. “Going to be there a while?” he asked. I nodded. “Anyone else going to be with you?” he continued. I shook my head. “I have a guy delivering a bunch of supplies I ordered for the studio that I need to meet there in thirty minutes, but otherwise, no.” “Go ahead and get in your car out of this cold. Luke’s brother’s garage is a couple

blocks down from your studio. I’ll go get the tire taken care of and bring it back to you.” “If you want to just give me the name of the shop I can take it later,” I proposed. I didn’t need to be seeing him again. This was already incredibly awkward and I wasn’t sure how much more I could handle. “Was already heading there anyway,” he shared. “Oh. Well, you don’t have to bring it back for me. I can just pick it up afterward,” I offered. “I don’t want to inconvenience you.” “It’s not a problem. I’m going to have to drive past your studio to head back home anyway.” I wasn’t going to win this battle and I was really beginning to feel the effects of the cold on my body. “Okay,” I acquiesced. “Thanks again, Stone.” A look I couldn’t read washed over his face and he didn’t walk back to his truck. I didn’t move either. “Get in the car, Monroe.” I stared at him a moment before I turned and walked to the driver’s side door. I opened the door, took one last look at him, and climbed in. I let out a breath as soon as I got in. That was fucking brutal. I felt this unimaginable attraction to Stone. I couldn’t explain it. I hadn’t ever felt this way around anyone…ever. My belly would get these uncontrollable nerves, my heart would start beating a little quicker, my body temperature would rise, and my nether regions would begin to tingle every single time I was around him. It was a completely new experience for me. It should be noted that I was roughly two weeks away from turning twenty-five and I was part of what my friends sometimes joked as a rare, dying breed. I was still a virgin. When I was around Stone and my body reacted the way it did, I thought for certain he was the man with whom I’d fall in love and give my virginity. Apparently, I was wrong because after my humiliating performance Stone made it very clear that he had no interest in me. Unfortunately for me, I couldn’t help but remember the way I felt wrapped in his arms a week prior to my performance when Emme was kidnapped and assaulted by her ex-boyfriend. That night was one of the worst nights of my life; I was consumed with worry and fear for my best friend and I spent the night crying my eyes out. Stone wrapped me in his arms that night and held me until the morning. Despite the anguish I had been feeling about Emme’s kidnapping, I’d never felt more content in my entire life. Stone gave that to me. I looked up in my rearview mirror and realized he was still behind me, waiting for me to drive away. I turned on the car, put it in drive, and drove to my studio. Stone stayed behind me the entire way there, but then continued down the road in the direction toward what I assumed was Luke’s brother’s garage. I parked, grabbed my purse, stereo, and bag filled with some of my music, snacks, and other random necessities, and made my way

into the studio. After letting myself in, I set my things down and pulled out my phone to call Vaughn. I knew if I didn’t he’d completely freak out. It rang once. “You okay?” he asked in greeting. “I’m fine. I just got to my studio,” I answered. “Thanks for calling me back.” “I knew you’d send in a search party if I didn’t.” “It’d be a hell of a way to get us to come out and visit you because you know we’d be the search party, right?” I took in a breath and let it out. I had to smile into the phone. I loved how much my family, particularly my brothers, cared for me. “I know,” I said softly. “I’ll let you get back to your studio then. Stay safe, kid.” “I will. Thanks, Vaughn.” I disconnected the call and set my phone down. I still had about fifteen minutes before the delivery guy was scheduled to arrive so I took to getting my stereo set up. Dancing was my life and if I was going to be spending the next couple of weeks sprucing up the place and putting my personal touch on it I needed to have music. I was hoping I’d be able to officially open for business within the next two or three weeks, but I was one person needing to paint the entire space plus add mirrors in all four of the rooms, and a barre in at least two of the rooms. This, of course, didn’t include the chairs, coffee table, end tables, and decorative pieces I needed for the reception area and throughout the rest of the space. I also wanted to replace the toilets because, well, I was just weird about stuff like that. I got my stereo set up and popped in a CD, but kept the volume low so that I’d hear the delivery guy come in when he arrived. I walked through my new space. It had, amazingly enough, beautiful light wood floors throughout that were perfect for my usage. The front reception area was spacious and would allow for lots of seating for parents who stayed while their children were getting lessons. I had four separate rooms for teaching dance, which I intended to decorate based on the type of dance I’d want to do in each room. The colors and feel of the rooms needed to be such that they’d only add to the beauty of each and every piece into which my dancers would pour their heart and souls. As I stood in the middle of one of the rooms I heard the door chime notifying me that someone had walked in. Finally, the delivery guy was here and I could start making this place my own. I turned around and walked out of the room. I made my way down the hall and began talking before I even made it out into the reception area. “I’m coming. I was just down here at the back of the…Oh,” I stammered and halted in my tracks. Stone was standing in my reception area. “I’m sorry. I thought you were the delivery guy.” He shook his head indicating that he was not, in fact, the delivery guy. I stared at him. Damn, he made me weak in my knees. Unfortunately, now he also made me want to run and hide.

“Need your keys,” he said. My brows drew together. “I have your tire fixed and want to get it back on the car,” he explained. “Wow. That was fast,” I began as I walked over to my purse. “How much do I owe?” “Don’t worry about it.” “What?” “Nothing. Don’t worry about the cost,” he repeated. “Okay, so should I just stop down to the garage and pay them?” I wondered, pulling the keys out of my purse. “You should definitely not do that,” he started. “I already took care of it. I said not to worry about the cost.” He took care of it? “You can’t pay to fix my tire,” I insisted. “Monroe, it’s the least I can do right now considering I was dick to you a couple weeks ago.” Fuck. There it was. Now I really did want to run and hide. Fortunately or, maybe, unfortunately, I heard the chime again. Saved by the delivery guy. “Delivery for Miss Archer,” he announced. “That’s me,” I claimed, walking over to him. “Need you to sign this and then I’ll bring everything in,” he explained as he stretched out his arm to hand me a clipboard with a piece of paper attached to it. “Sure.” Stone immediately took it out of his hand and advised, “How about you bring everything in and then she signs once she’s certain everything is here?” The delivery guy looked to Stone and, for a moment, I thought he was going to say something, but he must have realized that Stone could easily mop the floor with him. At that, the delivery guy nodded and went back out to get my supplies. I stood there motionless. “Don’t ever sign for something without making sure they’ve actually delivered what you’ve purchased. It’d be very easy for them to take advantage of you,” he cautioned. I swallowed and nodded my head. “Noted.” He held his hand out and reminded me, “Keys?” I gave him the keys and he handed me the clipboard. He then turned and walked out the door. I watched him as he walked back out into the cold, knowing he was going out there to do something for me. On that thought, I felt warmth spread through my body. I stood and waited while the delivery guy and another worker who was with him

came in and out of the studio bringing in my two new toilets, several five-gallon buckets of paint, a refrigerator, and all the necessary tools for painting. They also brought in my mirrors. Lots and lots of mirrors. Once they had everything inside, I confirmed it was all there and signed the paperwork for the delivery guy as Stone walked back in. The delivery guy took the clipboard and left. Stone handed me my keys and confirmed, “Truck is all good.” “Thank you. I’m completely unimpressed with it thus far.” His brows drew together. “That enormous vehicle out there,” I went on, pointing toward the front door. “I had to get rid of my baby that I drove back in California so that I’d be able to survive the weather out here. Needless to say, I’ve owned the thing just barely over a week and it leaves a lot to be desired.” “The flat tire doesn’t haven’t anything to do with the vehicle. You know that, right?” I dipped my chin in acknowledgement. Was he going to lecture me on this, too? It wasn’t that I believed this was a bad vehicle; I just missed the Boxster. “It’s a good vehicle for the snow. What did you have to give up?” I took in a deep breath and let it out. “My Porsche. I miss it so much and it hasn’t even been that long. I loved driving that thing around. This monstrosity is just…ugh, I don’t even know the word to describe it.” His head tilted to the side and he looked at me funny, but said nothing in response. He turned his gaze from me, looked around the reception area, and asked, “You have someone coming to help you with all this?” I shook my head. “I mean, I’m sure the girls will come over and help me here with painting if I ask, but I didn’t ask them to come this weekend since it was a bit last minute.” “New toilets?” he began. “I thought you were leasing the place?” “I am, but I wanted new toilets so I sprung for them. The landlord didn’t have a problem with it.” “Do you have a plumber coming to install them?” he questioned me. “Not yet. That was first on my list today. I’m just hoping I’ll find someone who can do it for me soon.” “Don’t call anyone; I’ll do it for you,” he offered. “You know how?” I confirmed, shocked at this news. He nodded. “It’s really okay, Stone. I appreciate your help with the tire today, but I can’t ask you to install the toilets here.” “You didn’t; I offered. I’ll help you this morning with whatever is next on your list and when we go out for lunch we’ll get the tools needed so I can change the toilets for

you.” “I’m sorry. What?” “Did you not hear me or are you confused about something?” “You are talking about helping me and going out to lunch. I’m sure you’ve got plenty of other things you could be doing right now not to mention that the last time I saw you, well, you weren’t exactly thrilled to be around me.” He shook his head. “Didn’t have anything important planned this weekend. And, I told you a little while ago that I was a dick to you at Emme’s party. You didn’t deserve it and I’m trying to make it up to you.” Every time he brought it up I felt more and more humiliated; though, I guess this time I was the one who brought it up. My eyes welled up as I recalled finishing the song that night, looking to him, and seeing him walk out of the saloon like it was nothing…like I was nothing. I turned my head away from him and begged, “Can we not talk about this?” “Monroe, look at me.” I brought my eyes to his. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for walking out and hurting you.” “Stone, please. It’s humiliating. Just let it go.” “No. I want you to know that what you did that night undid me. I wanted nothing more than to walk up on stage, throw you over my shoulder, and take you back to my place so I could fuck you senseless.” My eyes rounded and my lips parted. “I’m not shittin’ you, babe. From the first time I met you, I’ve wanted nothing more than to sink myself between these gorgeous fuckin’ legs of yours,” he said as he brought one hand out to squeeze my thigh. His hand was on my thigh. I felt the wetness immediately pool between my legs as a shiver ran through my body. Stone noticed my reaction and pulled his hand back. I swallowed hard and barely rasped out, “You have?” He nodded and continued to torture me with his words. “The way you dance, the way you look, the way you sing, the way you smell, these fucking legs, and your pouty, pink lips…fuck me, Monroe, I’ve thought about taking you every single day since that night.” Oh. My. God. “So why did you walk out?” I asked softly. “I’ve heard things you’ve said, babe. It’s not lost on me that you’re looking for love — the kind of love your girls have found. You want something serious and you should have everything you want. Unfortunately, that’s not something I can give to you. I walked out not because what you did on that stage was a turn off. Fuck, Monroe — I couldn’t get my ass home fast enough so that I could jerk off to the images now burned into my brain of you singing that song to me while you danced and touched your body.”

My jaw dropped. Literally. Curiosity killed the cat. Stone chuckled and continued, “Two of your girls are in serious relationships and engaged to my best friends, men who are like brothers to me. As a result, I expect we will be seeing each other on occasion now that you’ve moved out here. I’m not going to do something to create tension in the group. I realize what I did that night created tension. I’m hoping you’ll be gracious enough to accept my apology, forgive me, and be my friend.” Well that stung. I’m not sure if I was a glutton for punishment or what, but I continued to ask stupid, freaking questions. “So, let me get this straight. You want me, but you don’t?” “Oh, I fuckin’ want you, Monroe. Make no mistake about that. I just don’t want a relationship. And since I can’t offer that knowing that’s what you want, I have enough respect for you, your friends, and my friends that I’m not going to cross that line.” I swallowed hard past the lump in my throat and nodded. “Okay,” I murmured as I looked away trying to blink back the tears. I moved over a thousand miles away from my family thinking there was more here. I guess in a way I was right since he admitted his attraction to me, but if Stone refused to act on how he felt it didn’t matter. My brothers were worried about me being out here alone and now I knew they had every right to be. I had Nikki, Charley, and Emme, but there was a void in my life that not even those girls could fill. “Fuck,” I heard Stone mutter under his breath. My eyes came back to his and I saw pain in them. “I’m sorry, Monroe.” I shook my head attempting to regain my composure, but it was useless and my mouth seemed to have a mind of its own. “I feel like an idiot.” “Don’t say that. You shouldn’t feel bad at all. I know this is the worst thing to say to someone, but it really isn’t you. It’s me.” My voice was just a hair over a whisper when I looked him in the eyes and admitted, “I left my family behind to come here because I thought there was more here for me.” I watched as Stone went solid. Trying to get some control over my emotions, I took in a deep breath and let it out. Once I felt I had everything under control I attempted to brush it off. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. I need to get to work. Thank you, again, for the help with the tire.” I walked over to my purse and threw my keys back in. Then, I went back to the first five-gallon bucket of paint and tried to lift it. It was heavier than I expected. Shit. I started to drag the bucket. I was struggling and I probably looked like a complete fool. The funny thing is that I didn’t care. I’d already embarrassed myself enough in front of Stone so it’s not like this could be any worse. As I was bent over trying with all my might to move the paint, I felt one of Stone’s strong hands wrap around my tiny wrist.

God, I loved his hands. “I’ve got it, Stone. I’m fine. Really,” I insisted, really wishing his hands were wrapped around my body. “Let me help you,” he replied gently. “Listen if you need me to say that I forgive you for what happened at Emme’s party, then I forgive you. I’ll be nice if we’re ever in the presence of everyone else and I won’t make it awkward, but I can’t have the pity party,” I explained, all while not looking at him. “Monroe? Look at me,” he pleaded. I was too fired up. I was too angry. I was too hurt. I refused to look at him. If I did I’d burst into tears. Thankfully, at that moment, my phone rang. I let go of the bucket and walked over to my phone. I was in so much of a state that I didn’t even look at the display to see who was calling. “Hello?” “What’s wrong?” Remi’s voice filtered into my ear. Shit. Shit. Shit. “What? Nothing,” I said trying to play it cool. “I called to make sure your delivery went okay. Vaughn called me earlier and told me about your flat tire. I didn’t expect to call and hear you on the verge of tears. What happened? Are you okay?” I shook my head, but said nothing. “Monroe?” “Yes, Remi?” “Talk to me,” he urged. “It’s nothing. I’m fine.” “When a woman says she’s fine it means the exact opposite. I know you aren’t fine. What is wrong?” “Remi, the delivery went well. And you are right, but I don’t want to talk about it right now.” Or maybe ever. “We were worried before you even left here. Hearing you upset like this does not make me worry less.” I needed to give him something. “I miss you. It’s not easy, but I’m sure it’ll get better soon,” I assured him, knowing I wasn’t telling him the real reason I was upset, but I wasn’t lying either. If Remi, Deacon, or Vaughn were here they’d take care of my toilets, move my refrigerator, and carry my buckets of paint. I really did miss them. “We’ll come visit soon,” he promised in response.

“I know.” “Call me later, okay? Want to know you are doing alright.” “I will.” “Love you.” “I love you, too.” I disconnected the call and tossed my phone back in my purse. I turned around and saw Stone watching me with that same look I couldn’t read on his face. He lifted the paint like it weighed no more than a feather and asked, “Where do you want this one?” I let out a frustrated sigh and answered, “Down the hall, first room on the left.” With that, Stone turned and walked down the hall. I grabbed the bags that had the paint brushes, rollers, paint trays, and tarps. Then, after taking a deep breath, I followed behind Stone into the first room.

Chapter 2 Stone Two weeks. It was funny how time worked. When preparing for a snowboarding contest, two weeks felt like two days. The time passed so quickly when I was training, and before I even had an opportunity to consider how many days had actually passed, it was already time for the contest. But when the world’s sexiest, most beautiful fucking woman walked up onto a stage to seduce me with the hottest fucking performance and I walked out, the following two weeks were absolute, fucking torture. It felt like years had passed. Every night before I went to bed and every morning before I started my day, I was playing that fucking performance in my head. And I’d see it playing in my mind throughout the entire day. I felt like I was walking around with a constant hard-on. I knew it was wrong to walk out on her that night and that she had to have felt embarrassed, but it would have been more wrong for me to take her up on what she was offering knowing I could give her nothing in return…at least, not what she really wanted. If she were just some random chick in the bar I’d have no problem picking her up and taking her home for the night. I had done just that many times with women over the years. I never offered more than just a night of fun and they were willing to take it. I couldn’t do that to Monroe. We shared a group of friends and I didn’t want to make that awkward. More than that, a few weeks before she and Nikki came out for their two-week visit, Wes and Charley had flown them out for one night so the girls could get together with Emme. It was learned then that Emme’s ex was stalking her and Emme shared a bunch of new information with the girls. While Monroe knew that her best friend had been physically, verbally, and emotionally abused for several years she hadn’t known how bad it was; none of the girls did. When Nikki and Monroe were out here that day, Emme shared with them that she had been raped repeatedly for the last year of her relationship with her ex. Monroe felt that deep and took it hard. I spent quite a bit of time talking with her about it that day. Then, one week before delivering that phenomenal show, I spent the night with Monroe at Wes’ house. Unfortunately, the reason for spending the night with her wasn’t one I would have preferred. Emme was kidnapped by her sick and twisted ex-boyfriend and Monroe was devastated. Charley and Nikki were also a mess. While Wes gave Charley what she needed and Luke saw to Nikki, I did what I could to try and offer Monroe something in the way of comfort. It was difficult to watch her go through that turmoil. It was several hours after Emme was taken when Zane finally called to let us know they located her and

were on their way to get her. It was roughly another hour and a half later when Wes received a text from Zane letting us know that he had Emme in his arms and they were bringing her home. That night, Monroe became something else. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I knew she was too good to be just some casual hook-up. She wasn’t just some random chick in the bar. It just about killed me to walk out on her that night at Lou’s. I knew if I didn’t walk out of there when I did that I wouldn’t be able to hold back and that I’d give her exactly what she asked for that night. The problem was that I knew she wanted more than just a one-night stand and, sadly, I couldn’t give her more than that. What sucked even more was that ever since that night I’ve tried to get her out of my mind. I went out in search of random hook-ups. I found several willing participants, and no matter how many women I fucked over the last couple of weeks I couldn’t get off unless I let my mind wander to those images I had in my mind of Monroe. This morning, as I was making my way over to Luke’s brother’s garage to check on the progress of my summer toy, I saw a Yukon pulled over to the side of the road with a spare tire leaned up against the back of it. The closer I got, I realized it was her. Monroe Archer. The woman I couldn’t seem to get out of my head. It was the first time I saw her since I walked out of Lou’s that night a few weeks ago and, after I took in just how beautiful she looked, I instantly felt angry. She had a flat tire and was attempting to change it herself. It was still extremely cold outside and she wasn’t exactly dressed appropriately for it. If I hadn’t been driving out this way who knows what could have happened to her. I didn’t understand why it bothered me so much. When I walked up to her and heard her on the phone talking to someone named Vaughn I wanted to rip the phone out of her hand and hang up on the guy, whoever he was. Instead, I took the jack out of her hand and changed the tire. As I removed the flat and put the spare on, I heard her conversation and, before she disconnected, she told the guy she missed him. I felt my jaw instantly clench. I had no right to feel the way I did, but for whatever reason I couldn’t control it. Jealousy coursed through me. The feeling only got worse when I got back to her studio after having her tire fixed. After I switched the tires and the delivery guy left she told me about how much she hated her new vehicle. I never expected her to tell me that she drove around a Porsche back in California. During the summers, I spend my time at the track, racing. I have both a Porsche GT2 and a Porsche GT3. Both cars are purpose built so depending on what event I’m racing at I’ll use one or the other. Hearing Monroe talk about how much she missed her Porsche made me want to scoop her up and take her to my place so she could at least sit in mine until it was nice enough out that she could drive it. It’d be easier to take her to the one I had at the garage right down the road, but the guys would, no doubt, be checking her out and I was not okay with that. What the fuck was happening to me? I then learned she was going to be at her studio all day working by herself. She had new toilets and a refrigerator that I knew she wasn’t going to be moving by herself. Naturally, when I offered to stay and help her, in an effort to ease my guilt and apologize for walking out on her a few weeks ago, she questioned it. I gave her an honest answer

because I felt she deserved at least that much from me. Seeing her reaction to my answer, though, was almost impossible to watch for two reasons. First, I saw the heat in her eyes when I told her how much I wanted her. Second, her reaction only grew more intense when I put my hand out and squeezed her thigh. She had a physical reaction to my touch and it made me want to take her right then and there so I could bring her to an orgasm and watch her come apart. Needless to say, that fantasy was squashed real fast when I watched her expression change from lustful to sadness. When I went on to tell her that despite the attraction I felt to her I would never cross that line, she fought to keep the tears at bay. The feeling it gave me to see her hurt knowing I was the cause is one I can’t describe. I hated myself for doing that to her. Monroe tried to shake it off and distract herself with the tasks she had planned for the day, but she struggled to move the five-gallon bucket of paint. When I offered to help, she wouldn’t even look at me and that fucking stung. I tried apologizing, but I’m not sure it mattered. Her phone rang and she walked away without looking at me. I stood there and watched her, waiting for her to finish her call. Bad idea. I had to hear her tell some guy she kept calling Remi that she missed him. Before she finished the call, she told him she loved him. That feeling of jealousy spread through my body again. I may have felt it, but I wasn’t going to act on it. When she turned around I held up the paint and asked her where she wanted it. She begrudgingly told me. I turned around and took it down the hall for her hoping I’d have a few minutes to pull my shit together. How many guys did this girl have and if she missed them all why the fuck did she seem so devastated when I told her I couldn’t be in a relationship with her? I spent the morning painting one of the rooms with her. The room was large, but we managed to get on two coats of paint before lunch. When we finished painting the room, I took her out for lunch. She was a bit hesitant and her mind seemed a little preoccupied. I tried to be understanding and didn’t push her to share. Ultimately, we had lunch together and then we stopped at the hardware store to pick up a couple of tools. I had everything I needed back at my place, but the drive out and back would have taken too much time. While we were out, Monroe pissed me off when she attempted to pay for lunch insisting she owed me for helping her all morning. Then, she pissed me off further when she attempted to buy the tools needed for the toilet replacement. She quickly realized I wasn’t going to give in and let out a frustrated sigh. It was the third time I’d seen her do that and I thought it was fucking adorable. I was now in the bathroom at Monroe’s studio replacing the toilet; she was in the second room and had started painting. I told her I’d come in and help her as soon as I finished switching out the toilets for her. I had just finished up the second toilet, washed my hands, and started walking down the hall toward the room Monroe was in when she screamed. Panic seized my body at the ear-piercing sound and I ran the last few steps into that room. I walked in to find her back to me and she was slowly and carefully walking backward. “Monroe?” I called as I took a few steps toward her. “Are you okay?” She turned her head to look at me and panic was written all over her face. She ran right to me and leapt into my arms. She wrapped her legs around my waist and her body

was trembling. “Oh my God,” she yelled. “You have to get it. Please.” “What?” I asked. She turned around and pointed to the opposite side of the room. “The spider. It’s huge and black and gross. Oh my God, please you have to get it!” I couldn’t help myself; I burst out laughing. My forehead dropped to her shoulder as the panic I had been feeling left my body. I laughed harder than I had in ages and was surprised at how good it felt. “Stone,” she said, panic and fear still filling her voice. “This isn’t funny. I’m scared for my life here and you’re laughing about it?” I tamed the laughing, pulled my head back from her shoulder, and I looked her in the eyes. Spider forgotten, it was then I took the time to assess the situation. Her scent was assaulting me. Monroe’s body was pressed up against mine and her gorgeous legs were wrapped around my waist while I had one arm wrapped around her back and the other at her ass. I’m pretty sure Monroe realized the same thing in that moment because the look in her eyes went from fear to intense heat. Her eyes were a mix of gold and green and they dropped from my eyes to my mouth. Then, she licked her lips. I was instantly hard and felt my fingertips beginning to squeeze her ass. Fuck. I couldn’t do this to her. “Have to put you down if I’m going to save your life. You okay to stand over here?” I asked. Disappointment flickered in her eyes, but she nodded. She slid down my body avoiding my eyes until she felt the evidence of what she had done to me. Her eyes shot back to mine, questioning. It was a look of pure shock at realizing I was just as hot for her as she seemed to be for me. I walked to the other side of the room and located the spider. After taking care of that for her, she got back to painting and I helped. We managed to finish the first coat and get a second coat of paint on the walls in that room. It was odd. We didn’t talk a whole lot; I’m sure we were both feeling a bit off balance after what had happened. That said, it didn’t feel awkward. In fact, it felt comfortable. We had some conversation, mostly her talking about dance and her studio back in California while I talked a bit about snowboarding. “Thank you so much for your help today, Stone. I really appreciate it. You’ve put me way ahead of schedule. I don’t know how to thank you.” I could think of a million ways I wanted her to express her gratitude, but instead I shared, “Told you I didn’t have anything else important planned for today. It was no problem at all. When are you planning on officially opening?” “I was hoping to have a grand opening within three weeks. I might actually be able to do it much sooner than that now.”

“What’s next on your list?” I wondered. “Well, I’d really like to get the mirrors hung in these two rooms because then they’d be one hundred percent complete. After, I’ll move to painting the last two rooms, then hanging the mirrors there, and then adding the barre in both of those rooms.” “The bar?” I asked. She laughed. Damn, she was beautiful. “Not that kind of bar. A barre…B-A-R-R-E. It’s used in ballet.” “Ah, okay. Now I know what you are talking about,” I said. “I really do appreciate your help. With all the stuff we got done so far today, I’m thinking I might be able to dance a little over the coming days.” “What do you mean?” “If I had been by myself today I would have been lucky to get two coats of paint on just that first room. Now that there’s still time left in the day and we’ve already painted two rooms it leaves me time to dance. I didn’t expect I’d be able to dance for a couple weeks. That, for me, is pure torture.” I let out a bit of chuckle. “It’s funny. You not dancing is torture for you while seeing you dancing is pure torture for me.” She grimaced. “I mean that in the best way possible, Monroe. I know nothing about dance but, from what I’ve seen, there’s no doubt in my mind that you know exactly what to do with your body.” “Well, I guess if it’s that difficult to watch I’ll remember to not invite you to any recitals or shows.” “I didn’t think the instructors danced.” “My dancers are my top priority and they steal the show, but I always put on my own performance. I love it too much not to do it.” “You interested in coming to a snowboarding contest ever?” I asked. She tilted her head to the side, cocked an eyebrow, and challenged, “Are you asking me to come to one?” Feisty. Fuck. “Sure.” “Well, if that’s an official invite then yes, I’d love to come to a snowboarding contest to watch you ride.” Damn it. “Okay. It’s a deal then. You come to one of my contests and I’ll go and watch you dance.”

“I didn’t invite you,” she retorted, fighting to stay serious. “Are you saying you don’t want me there?” “I’m saying I don’t think I could handle watching you walk out on me again,” she clarified. I winced. “I’m sorry,” she said immediately. “I shouldn’t have said that.” “I deserved it,” I admitted. She stayed silent a moment and watched me, almost as if she was assessing me. “I would be very happy to have you come and watch me dance sometime. And I promise I’ll keep it G-rated. Maybe PG.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Sounds like a plan,” I started. “So, you want to hang those mirrors?” She pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth and nodded. “The sooner those are up, the sooner I dance.” I groaned as I turned and walked out to where the mirrors were stacked. Monroe and I spent the next couple hours hanging the mirrors in the first room. Unbeknownst to me, somewhere in the middle of it all Monroe ordered pizza. I think she knew that if she had said something to me about it ahead of time I wouldn’t have let her pay for it. I let her have this small victory. After we ate, we finished the rest of the mirrors in the first room. The smile that spread across her face when she looked around the completed room was breathtaking. “I think this is enough for today,” she sighed happily. “You sure? I don’t mind staying a little while longer.” “Stone, I am so far beyond where I thought I’d be today thanks to you. I’m a bit exhausted now, but could you do me one favor before we call it a night? “What do you need, angel?” I replied without hesitation. She stayed quiet a moment and just looked at me. Eventually, she spoke. “Would you mind bringing the other buckets of paint into the last two rooms for me?” she asked. “I hadn’t realized how heavy they were.” “I can do it now if you want, but I can also just do it tomorrow if you are tired and want to get home.” Her brows drew together. “What do you mean you can do it tomorrow?” “I thought you were planning to come tomorrow and work on the place,” I answered. “I am.” “Okay, so what time are you planning on being here?” “Probably by ten. Why?”

“I’ll meet you here at ten tomorrow morning and we can put in a full day. We’ll probably get enough accomplished that you could be up and running within a few days.” “Oh, Stone. You don’t have to do that. Seriously, you were a huge help today. Thank you,” she said. Did she not want me here? “Is someone else coming to help you?” I asked. She shook her head. “Are you saying you don’t want me to come here to help you?” “No, not at all. I just don’t want to take up any more of your weekend. You’ve already done so much.” “I’ll see you tomorrow morning at ten, Monroe,” I persisted, giving her a wink. “But just in case something changes, you should give me your number,” I added, pulling out my phone. I handed it to her and she saved her number in it for me. I quickly called her phone, heard it ring once, and then hung up. “Now you have my number if you ever need me.” She opened her mouth to say something, but quickly stopped herself. “What is it?” Her eyes searched my face a moment before she finally asked, “Why are you doing this for me?” “I wish I had the answer to that question myself,” I answered honestly. And I did. I had no fucking idea why I was setting myself up for this. She seemed to accept my answer with a nod of her head, but then started walking toward the hall with her head down. I don’t know what moved me to do it, but as she began walking past me I stuck my hand out and pressed it against her abdomen. She stopped and looked up at me, her eyes curious. I brought my hand up from her stomach to cup her jaw. My thumb instinctively went to her bottom lip. Her eyes were now pleading with mine and I couldn’t control it. “I know I shouldn’t fucking do this, but I really want to kiss you, Monroe.” Her lips parted and she rasped out, “Okay.” I wrapped my other arm around her waist and pulled her to my body. One of her hands fisted the hem of my shirt while the other wrapped tightly around my bicep. Fuck. Was she nervous? I slowly brought my mouth down and gently brushed my lips against hers. I felt her body trembling. “You alright?” I whispered against her lips. She nodded as she whispered back, “I’m sorry…just nervous.”

“Relax, angel,” I urged her before I crushed my lips to hers. The second I felt Monroe’s lips against mine I swear the sensation shot straight to my dick. I pulled her tighter to me and brought my tongue out to tease her lips. She opened for me and I slid my tongue into her mouth while she gave me hers in return. I was nearly knocked off my feet as the kiss grew more intense, and she put a bruising grip on my bicep while she moaned. I’ll never forget that beautiful, fucking sound for as long as I live. I tore my mouth from her lips and rested my forehead against hers. “Stone,” she purred. I pulled my head back so I could look at her. Her face was flushed, her eyes uncertain, and her lips swollen. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. “You’re beautiful,” I stated. Her eyes rounded as though I was telling her something she never heard before. “What was that about?” she wondered, timidly. “You’re irresistible, Monroe. I’ve been fighting the urge to do that all damn day. I’m sorry,” I confessed. She looked at me through hooded eyes and murmured, “I’m glad you gave in. It was nice…really nice.” I closed my eyes and dipped my chin. “It was.” That was the truth, but at the same time I felt defeated knowing I couldn’t do it again. I wasn’t going to disappoint her further by telling her that despite how nice it was it would never happen again. “You ready to go home?” She nodded. With that, I followed her out of the room and down the hall to the reception area. She gathered her things, turned off the lights, armed the studio, and locked up. I walked her to her car where she thanked me again for helping her before climbing in. After closing her door, I walked back to my truck, started it, and waited to go until she drove off. I pulled away from the curb after she did and drove home. The entire way there I couldn’t stop replaying that kiss in my mind. I couldn’t figure out how the hell I was going to get through another day of being around her without wrapping her up in my arms and taking her right there in the middle of her studio. Monroe Archer steamrolled through my walls with very little effort and right into my brain. I needed to find a way to get her out of there, for her sake and for my own. So, I went home and did the only thing I could that I knew that would set me straight. I hadn’t looked at it in years, but now I knew I needed to see it. I pulled out the letter and I read it. Then, I read it again. And again. And again.

Chapter 3 Monroe My lips were on fire. It had easily been ten hours or more since it happened, but my lips were still on fire. Oh hell, who was I kidding? My whole body was on fire. I was burning up and it was all because of Stone and those damn fine lips of his. And his hands. Those hands that cupped my face, swiped my lip, and pulled me next to him. I loved those hands. Last night, when he put his hand out to stop me from walking out of the room and then swiped his thumb across my lips I swore my heart was beating so hard I was certain he could hear it. His beautiful blue eyes watched his thumb on my lips before he searched my face and then stared into my eyes. The moment he told me he wanted to kiss me I felt a tingling in my belly. Then, he pulled me close to him and I felt every solid inch of his incredible body. The feeling of excitement and anticipation was too much to control and he felt my body shuddering. When I told him I was nervous, he was so incredibly gentle. His lips came to mine and it was like I had died and gone to heaven. I had kissed guys before (not many, actually, only two), but nothing compared to kissing Stone. He had a perfect set of juicy lips and he knew how to use them. Then he slipped his velvety tongue into my mouth. I couldn’t help the sounds coming from the back of my throat at what I felt in finally having that. Stone’s mouth was finally on mine and it was everything I thought it would be and then some. When I got home last night, I had a difficult time settling myself long enough to fall asleep. I eventually managed it and got in a couple hours, but was up before my alarm this morning. I was feeling so excited at that thought of seeing him again. In fact, I was feeling so good I was planning to get to the studio this morning before Stone so that I could dance for a bit. I hadn’t done it in a couple weeks with the move, but now I was craving it. So, I got myself dressed this morning in a pair of skinny sweats and a camisole with a loose fitting off-the-shoulder top over it. I grabbed my things, walked out into the kitchen, and found Nikki strolling down the hall toward the kitchen as well. She looked like she had just rolled out of bed with all of her jet-black hair piled on top of her head, her oversized sweats and V-neck tee. “Morning, babe,” she greeted as she sat down at the island. “Good morning, Nik,” I began, smiling big and pulling my bottom lip in between my teeth. Nikki squinted her eyes ever so slightly attempting to discern my mood and finally

demanded, “Okay, give it to me.” I shrugged my shoulders as I walked over to the teapot to turn it on and feigned innocence. “I have no idea what you are talking about.” “What the hell happened? You went to the studio yesterday, right?” I gave her slow, big nods of my head. “And?” she asked. “Well, I was about five minutes away from the studio yesterday morning when I got a flat tire on that stupid truck. I called Vaughn to ask him how to change it. He gave me a lecture again about the fact that I moved out here. I made him feel guilty about me standing on the side of the road in the freezing cold to get him to stop lecturing me and start telling me how to change the damn tire. I managed to get the spare tire out and was about to jack up the car when a truck pulled up behind me. Of course, I’m thrilled because someone is coming to help and Vaughn is freaking out in my ear telling me to get into the car and lock the doors. That’s when I saw him get out of his truck, Nikki.” Her eyes rounded and she confirmed, “Stone?” “Fuck. He’s so beautiful,” I sighed. She laughed at my response. “I’m guessing he changed your tire?” “Yes. Vaughn freaked. I calmed him down and told him I would call him back. Then, I watched Stone changed the tire. He took my flat and threw it into the back of his truck before he walked back and told me that Luke’s brother has an automotive shop, which is apparently a couple blocks down the road from where our place is. I’ll admit that up to this point I’m completing freaking out because it’s the first I’ve seen him since Emme’s party. He didn’t say a whole lot, but said that he’d take the tire to get repaired and would bring it back to me afterward. Needless to say, I drove to the studio and waited for the delivery guy. I was in one of the back rooms when I heard the door chime. I assumed it was the delivery guy. Turns out, I was wrong.” “It was him.” “Yep. And he ended up apologizing to me for walking out of Lou’s that night. Then, when he found out I was going to be working on the place by myself all day he ended up spending the entire day with me. We painted two of the rooms, he installed both of my new toilets, moved and plugged in my new refrigerator, and hung mirrors with me. He also took me out for lunch and I ordered a pizza for dinner. Just before we left he told me that he’d meet me there this morning and put in a full day with me today.” “Wow, Monroe. That’s awesome. More than anything I’m just happy he apologized to you about Lou’s. That was uncalled for. Did he give you a good reason for it?” “It hurt, for sure. He said he left because what he really wanted to do was, and I quote, walk up on stage, throw me over his shoulder, and then take me back to his place so he could fuck me senseless.” I paused for a minute to let that sink in. Nikki’s jaw dropped and her eyes popped out of her head.

“So why didn’t he do exactly that?” she challenged. “The problem is that he knows that I want a serious relationship. He knows I’m looking for love and he can’t give me that. He said he respected me enough to not cross that line. Of course, this was after he said that ever since the day he met me he’s thought about sinking himself between my legs.” “Oh…my…fuck.” “I know, Nikki. Of course, I was all hot and bothered by that and then he told me how there was essentially no chance for us.” “Alright, so why are you happy now?” “You didn’t let me finish before. I didn’t get to the best part of my day yesterday.” “There’s more?” she asked, surprised laced through her tone. “Just as we were about to leave I started walking out of the room that we had completely finished and he stopped me. He put his hand to my abdomen and said that even though he knew he shouldn’t he really wanted to kiss me. I let him. Oh my God, Nikki — I know I don’t have lots of experience, but he’s a really great kisser.” Nikki’s eyes got wet as she walked over to me and wrapped her arms around me pulling me into a hug. “Seeing you like this makes me happy. I’m overjoyed for you, babe, but be careful. I don’t want you getting hurt.” “I want more, Nik. So much more. I’ve made up my mind. Stone is everything I want. I don’t know why because I don’t know him that well, but I feel this undeniable attraction to him every second I’m around him. It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced; that has to mean something.” It was rare that Nikki was ever left speechless, but I’m not sure she knew what she could say in this moment. She gave me a look that told me she hoped I got what I wanted, but at the same time she was worried. Eventually, she spoke. “Did he tell you why he can’t give you what it seems like you both want?” I shook my head. “No, and I didn’t think I had a right to ask. I mean, if he wanted to share that I’m guessing he would have.” She nodded. “My stomach is a bunch of nerves; I’m so excited to see him again today.” “Protect your heart, Monroe. Whatever you do, don’t let him hurt you.” “I’ll be careful, but…” I trailed off. “But what?” “Nikki, I want him so bad I’m not sure I’d say no if he told me he could only offer a physical relationship. That said, I’m also scared shitless of that. If it were to get to that point should I tell him?” “Okay. Don’t make any decisions on that today. I’m calling Charley and Emme and inviting them over tonight. They’re going to want to hear all about this and we’ll talk you

through it all.” “Thank you, babe. I’m going to head out now so I can get some dancing in. You heading to the salon today?” She shook her head. “I’m going to wait and go in tomorrow.” “Alright. I’ll see you tonight then.” “Love you, Monroe,” she called as I walked out of the kitchen. “Love you, too,” I yelled back before walking out the door. I walked out to the Yukon, hopped in, blasted the music, and danced in my seat as I drove myself to the studio. I felt like I couldn’t get myself there fast enough; I was so amped to get moving. Thankfully, I made it to the studio without incident. I had a good hour before Stone would be showing up, but I decided to leave the door unlocked. Once I got into dancing I knew I’d be too involved in what I was doing and wouldn’t take note of the time. Then, Stone would be standing outside for who knows how long. I walked into my completed room, connected my phone to the stereo, found the song I was looking for, and got down to dancing. I picked an upbeat song knowing I had to burn through the excitement coursing through my body, hopeful I’d tame some of it before Stone arrived. It didn’t take long for me to choreograph a routine to the song. I was feeling so much and it was very easy for me to express those emotions through my dancing. As Ariana Grande’s Into You blasted through the speakers for what was easily the fifteenth time, though it felt like the first time to me, I performed the routine once again. I was feeling incredible. I moved across the floor, hands on my body, hips shaking, booty popping, and was even down on the ground for some floor work. Just before the song ended, I spun on my feet and turned. That was when I stopped myself in my tracks. Stone was standing outside of the room watching me. I shrugged my shoulders and gave him a cheesy smile before I brought my hand up to wave at him. I turned and walked over to the stereo and turned the volume down. When I turned around Stone was still standing outside the room. I began walking toward him. “Good morning,” I beamed, a huge smile plastered on my face. The look on his face did not mirror my own. He was contemplative and looking a bit torn. Shit. Were we back here? I really thought we had a bit of a breakthrough last night. Suddenly, he spoke. “Morning. You ready to get to work?” My brows drew together. I guess what he said yesterday really was true. I didn’t know how long he was standing outside the room watching me, but regardless of how long it had been it was clear to me that watching me dance was torturous for him. I tried my best to swallow the hurt and nodded. We spent the next few hours working on painting the third and fourth rooms. It was very quiet. Oddly enough, there were moments of quiet yesterday when we were painting, but there was no tension. This quiet was completely different. We had just finished the second coat of paint in the fourth room and I decided to say something. I don’t know what came over me, but for whatever reason my mouth seemed to have a mind of its own and

got off on continuing to embarrass me. “Okay, I can’t do this anymore,” I explained before walking out of the room. Stone turned to look at me and asked, “Do what?” “What’s going on?” I retorted. “Did something happen?” His eyes held mine, but he said nothing. “Stone, please,” I pleaded. “You’ve barely said two words to me today. I don’t understand what’s going on. Is it because I was dancing this morning?” He took in a deep breath and blew it out. “No, Monroe. You didn’t do anything wrong, but what happened last night can’t happen again. I’m very sorry; I never should have kissed you.” I jerked my head back at his admission. Was I that bad? “Oh. Was it not good for you?” I asked, instantly regretting it. Shit. Why couldn’t I shut up? His face softened and his voice was gentle when he answered, “It’s nothing like that. I enjoyed it immensely. I just…I shouldn’t have done it because I can’t offer you anything else. You deserve more than I can give you.” “I feel this, Stone. I feel it so deep down in my soul and I haven’t got a clue why. And based on what you said yesterday, I thought you felt something, too. Why? Why won’t you give it a chance?” I demanded to know, also knowing I had no right to the answer. “I’m not going to talk about my reasons why. I just can’t.” I was suddenly very angry. “So then why are you here? What’s this all about? Are you still trying to make up for the fact that I made a fool of myself and you completely humiliated me at Emme’s party?” “No. I don’t know why I’m here; I just know I like being around you. I guess I’m being selfish.” “God, I’m such a fucking idiot,” I huffed as I turned and looked away. “Monroe, don’t say that. You,” he got out before I cut him off. “I think you should go.” He didn’t move. I wasn’t looking at him, but I could still feel him there. “Please, Stone. Just go,” I begged, my voice cracking. That’s when he walked out. A few seconds later I heard the door chime. I wanted to crumble to the floor and cry. I wanted to call the girls and cry with them about it. I wanted to call my brothers so they could make it better. Instead, I refused to cry. No. I was going to dance. I walked from the fourth room back to the first room and made my way over to my phone. I found the song I was looking for, set it to repeat, and cranked up the volume. I was going to need several hours to dance this out. Mercy by Shawn Mendes was playing through the speakers. It took me listening to the song three times before I

fully choreographed a routine to it. Normally, choreographing required a bit more time, but my emotions were running high and it came so naturally to me. I did the routine repeatedly. I danced the same dance, listening to the same song, for hours. I had the music so loud I never heard the door chime again, so when I ran through the dance three more times I didn’t know I was being watched the entire time. When I crumbled to the floor in tears after exhausting myself because I felt the song too deeply I didn’t know that Stone had witnessed it. And, because the music was still blaring, I never heard him leave again. Stone I was a jackass. I was sitting out in my truck, which I moved from where I had originally parked to a place where I could still see Monroe when she left, but she wouldn’t know I was watching. I wasn’t being a creep; I was worried about her. She wanted me to leave, so I left. Then, I wanted to go back in and check on her. She never heard me walk in because her music was blaring some song I hadn’t ever heard before. I watched her dance to it three times and, now, I couldn’t get the words to that damn song out of my head. Monroe was classically beautiful. Whether she was dolled up and out with her girls or whether she was in a pair of sweats painting the walls in her new studio, she was a knockout and it was effortless. When she danced, though, she was exquisite. However, what I saw today killed me. As she danced I saw the pain in her eyes and I felt it in her movements. After I watched her dance to that song a third time, I witnessed the pain she was in as she fell to the floor and cried. I wanted, more than anything, to go in there and scoop her up in my arms and make it better. I wanted to dry her tears and beg for forgiveness for hurting her, yet again. Instead, seeing her there made me realize that she was already hurting badly and all we did was share a kiss. I remembered the letter and knew I needed to get out of there. I walked out and got in my truck. I stayed and waited. I wanted to make sure she got to her car safely and that she was okay after what I had witnessed in there. I felt a deep connection with Monroe. There was no use denying it. When I first met her, it was purely physical. She was sex on legs…beautiful fucking legs. Every time I was around her after that first time, I grew more and more attracted to her. I’d watched her as she laughed with her girlfriends. I talked with her through the hurt and guilt she was feeling over Emme’s rape. I held her that night at Wes’ house when Emme was kidnapped. I listened to her and the more she told me the more I wanted to hear. Then, this morning I walked into her studio and heard her music at a deafening tone. I found her in the dance room we completed and hung the mirrors in yesterday and she was fired up. She was not fired up in a bad way, either. I had no clue who the recording artist was, but I’d heard the song before on the radio and out at Lou’s. I listened to the words as I watched her dance. It was incredible to watch the emotion she put into her dancing. As much as I felt the pull to go to her, I stayed put. There was nothing quite like Monroe when she was dancing. She was just about at the end of the song when she noticed me standing outside the room watching her. Then, in that moment, I swore it was

like I had fallen in love. The biggest, most beautiful smile spread across her face as she shrugged her shoulders and waved at me. My dick was already hard from watching her dance, but then seeing that look on her face took it to the next level. It was then that I was grateful for her music being so loud because I groaned. It took a matter of minutes for Monroe to make me forget the letter. She walked over to the stereo to lower the volume and I took that moment to get my shit in my head sorted. I was barely able to do that before she walked up to me and gave me another smile. I tried to remain unaffected and simply asked if she was ready to get to work. I saw the disappointment flicker in her eyes and hated it. Nothing, though, would compare to what I felt when I saw her reaction to me telling her that the kiss shouldn’t have happened and that it could never happen again. She was hurt and she asked me if my reason was because it wasn’t good. Was she fucking serious? She couldn’t actually believe that I didn’t think it was good. It was, by far, the best fucking kiss of my entire life. It was hours later, approaching dinnertime, when Monroe finally emerged. My stomach sank seeing her. She had her hair pulled up on the top her head and I had a clear view of her face. It was red and her eyes were puffy. She looked like she had been crying all day; yet somehow, she was still the most beautiful fucking woman I’d ever laid my eyes on. To make matters worse, the entire time I waited outside I never saw anyone deliver food. I’m guessing she spent all day dancing, crying, and not eating anything. Fuck. She climbed into her truck and, a few minutes later, started it and drove away. I then drove myself home and spent the rest of the night trying to forget Monroe.

Chapter 4 Monroe I pulled into the parking lot at the condo and saw Charley’s Jeep. This was going to suck. Nikki texted me earlier in the day to let me know that Charley was going to be picking up Emme and that they’d head over around dinner time. In the same text, she also told me that there was no rush, especially if I was busy with Stone. I never responded to her text. I didn’t want to admit that I wasn’t even remotely busy with Stone because I kicked him out of my studio. Damn it. I had no choice now; it was time to face the music. I grabbed my purse and my bag and got out of the truck. I made my way to the front door of the condo and the minute I pushed through the door I heard the girls talking. I walked into the family room and found them there with smiles on their faces and wine glasses in their hands. That was to say that they had smiles on their faces until they saw me. “Monroe, honey, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” Charley asked. “Is it that obvious?” I answered. “What happened?” Emme questioned. “What happened is that I’m an idiot. Did Nikki bring you up to speed on what happened with Stone yesterday?” They nodded. “Right. So, any advice that you were planning to give me tonight is no longer needed.” “Babe, you were so ecstatic this morning. Literally, you were on cloud nine. What did he do?” “I know I’m not normally much of a drinker, but I think I need a really big glass of wine right about now.” “Sure,” Emme said as she went about pouring me a glass. I plopped down on the couch, seized the wine glass from Emme’s hand, and took several huge gulps. “You’ve got to slow down, Monroe,” Charley began. “You don’t normally drink and you’re essentially chugging that.”

I finished off the glass and held it out to Emme. She refilled it for me and after drinking about half the glass I started talking. “I am going to be twenty-five in less than two weeks and I’m still a virgin. I will have been alive for a quarter of a century and nobody has ever had their way with me. Up until last night I had only ever kissed a total of two guys in my entire life. Two! Feeling the things I did around Stone I stupidly thought that he was the reason why. I was sure of it. Hell, it’s the reason I moved here! He is the reason I left my family back in California and came here. Vaughn, Remi, and Deacon fought me so hard on my decision to move. I was firm in my decision because I was so sure that Stone was the one for me. What I feel when I’m around him is like nothing I’ve ever felt before,” I declared. I paused to drink more wine. I continued, “Even if he couldn’t be in a romantic relationship, I told Nikki this morning that I am so far gone for him that if all he could offer was a physical relationship I was prepared to agree to it. I went to the studio early this morning because after sharing that kiss with him last night I thought for certain he was having a change of heart. I was feeling so great and I haven’t danced in so long. I got in a solid hour of dancing before I noticed him standing outside the room I was in. When I walked up to him after turning the music down, I smiled at him and greeted him. He had a look of torment on his face. He apologized yesterday for walking out of Lou’s the night we did karaoke at Emme’s party, and I guess I should have been grateful that he didn’t walk out this morning. That said, the look on his face this morning spoke volumes. We got to work on painting and he was so quiet. I couldn’t figure out what happened or what changed.” I took in a deep breath and went on, “Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and I just asked him what was wrong. Ultimately, he told me that he never should have kissed me last night and that it couldn’t happen again. I asked him why he won’t give us a chance when he has admitted to me that he’s attracted to me. He said he wasn’t going to explain his reasons. I ended up asking him to leave just before lunchtime today. I can’t be around him feeling that attraction to him, knowing he feels some of that in return, and not want to act on it. To top it off, I never even got my mirrors hung.” Emme and Charley turned their heads toward each other and gave one another a look. “What? What’s that about?” I asked. “I’m sorry, Monroe,” Emme began. “I knew better, but still pushed for this. Remember the day you and Nikki came out to visit and I told you all about what had been happening with Seth resurfacing and the full extent of what he did to me?” “Yeah. I’ll never forget that day,” I replied. “I had a conversation with Zane when we woke up. He was going to train that morning and would be coming over to Wes and Charley’s afterward. He said he was going to be training with Stone and that he’d let him know that you were going to be there. I asked him if he thought that Stone would get serious with you because, obviously, I knew you were feeling something for him. Zane told me Stone wouldn’t have a problem showing you a good time. Of course, I told Zane you are a virgin and that you deserved more than just a one-night stand. He told me that Stone’s had a rough past and that what

he went through is the kind of thing that changes a person. Zane’s advice was that if we didn’t want you to get your heart broken that we should make sure you didn’t pursue Stone. I should have said something to you then, but I was thinking about the fact that I had my mind made up about where my life was headed before Zane came along. It got me thinking that if I went through what I did and I still ended up finding a way to allow myself to love again, I thought that maybe Stone could get past his stuff with the right girl.” “So, what happened to him?” I asked. “We don’t know,” Charley started. “Emme and I were talking about it on the way here, but neither of us knows the details. All Zane and Wes have shared is that life hasn’t been easy for him, but they won’t share his story.” I finished the last bit of my second glass of wine. I held it out again for more, but Emme didn’t move to pour any. I figured I’d need to do this myself. I stood and it hit me. I fell back on to the couch from the dizziness. Realizing I needed to take this slow I sat up slowly and scooted to the edge of the couch. Standing slowly, I moved to the bottle of wine and picked it up. That’s when Charley’s hand wrapped around mine and took the bottle. She took my wine glass as well and set both back down. Then, she wrapped her arms around me, pulled me into a hug, and asked, “When was the last time you ate today?” I felt the tears stinging my eyes and I simply shook my head. “You haven’t had anything all day and you just drank two huge glasses of wine in a matter of minutes?” Nikki worried. I stayed silent. “I’ll get food warmed up,” I heard Emme call out. As Emme walked out of the room I stayed where I was wrapped up in Charley’s arms. “I’m so sorry, honey,” she comforted me. That’s when I could no longer control it and the tears flowed from my eyes. “Why?” I managed to get out through my crying. “Clearly, he’s got some other issues going on,” Nikki said from beside me as she put her hand to my back. “He’s not worth your tears, mama.” Nikki and Charley moved me back to the couch. They held me tight for a long time while I cried. It was miserable. I didn’t even know how it was possible that I had any tears left in me considering I spent the better part of my afternoon shedding thousands. Emme rejoined us with food and the girls made me eat. Halfway through I finally spoke. “Getting your heart broken sucks. My heart feels like it’s been shattered into a million pieces and all I got out of it was the most incredible kiss of my life that left me with a wet pair of panties. How is that even remotely fair? The girls laughed at me. I think they thought I was trying to be funny and make light of the situation. I wasn’t. I was serious and, if I was being totally honest, a little angry.

That’s when I decided to do something about it. “Alright ladies, I’ve made a decision. I don’t think I want to fall in love anymore. This shit is for the birds. I have a new mission. I need to have sex. I’m not sure how I can say that since I’m not sure if that’s what I really need, but I know I need something. Since I’ve got nothing else, I’m assuming it’s sex that I need.” “Monroe,” Emme said, her voice trailing off. “I’m serious. Maybe I’ve been too picky all this time. I was waiting for that feeling…the one I feel when I’m around Stone. I wanted the fairy-tale romance. Clearly, that’s not going to happen. So, I’m thinking it’s time I stop being picky and start focusing on finding someone who can get the job done.” “There’s nothing wrong with being picky, mama,” Charley began. “You are hurt right now and it sucks, but you can’t settle for less than what you want…and certainly, not less than you deserve. If you want that fairy-tale, you wait for it.” “Fairy-tales aren’t real, Charley. It’s sad that I just learned that. What’s not sad is the fact that I’m finally going to have sex. I’m planning to not be a virgin when I turn twentyfive, which means I’ve got almost no time to make this happen.” “Monroe, babe, I think you know that I’m all for a girl getting what she needs and not having any strings attached. That said, Charley is right. A no-strings-attached physical relationship is not what you want. You make the decision to go down this road, I have a feeling you’re going to regret it.” “Love you all to death, but I’m not looking for you to change my mind. What I want to know is if my best girls are going to support me with this the same way I’ve supported them? Will you all go out with me next weekend and help me?” None of them answered. “You know we’ll always support you,” Emme finally started. “If you want to go out on Friday night and try to find a suitable guy, we’ll be there for you. Just know, if you are giving up on being picky, you have to let us make sure the guy is a good choice.” I smiled at her. “I can work with that.” “Emme,” Charley called, a bit of a warning in her tone. “Charley, sweets, it’s alright. Monroe deserves this from us. We will help her make the right choice.” “You’ve got that right. Two weeks from now, Miss Monroe is no longer going to be a virgin,” I announced as I set my plate on the coffee table and brought my wine glass up to my smiling lips. “She’s hammered,” Charley said. “Yep,” Emme added. “And she’s going to feel like absolute fucking shit tomorrow,” Nikki pointed out. “I feel fantastic,” I informed them. “Thanks for the pep talk, ladies. I’m thinking I’m ready for some sleep now, though, so I’m going to head to bed. Love you girls.”

I moved to stand up and the girls all stood with me. It was a good thing because I fell forward and they caught me. I don’t remember anything that happened after that. ***** My head was pounding. I hadn’t even opened my eyes and the throbbing I felt in my brain was indescribable. When it came to consuming alcoholic beverages, I was a lightweight. I rarely drank, so when I made the decision to down more than a half a bottle of wine last night I should have known just how horrible I would feel this morning. Unfortunately, when you have your heart broken by a man you barely know, logic goes out the window and you end up consuming copious amounts of alcohol. I allowed myself a few minutes to replay the events of the past two days in my head before I made the effort to face the upcoming day. Unfortunately, I ended up considering more than just the past two days. My thoughts took me back to every single encounter I had had with Stone from the first night I met him. I’ve heard people talk about love at first sight, but never thought it actually existed. That night, I set my eyes on Stone and was instantly transfixed by him. Suddenly, love at first sight was a real thing. Every time I was around him after that, my attraction to him grew. Then, everything happened with Emme. Nikki, Charley, and I all learned well after the fact that not only had her crazy exboyfriend been beating her for years, but also that for the last year of her relationship with him he was raping her. I felt an incredible amount of guilt over what happened to my best friend. Guilt and responsibility consumed me, and I couldn’t even look my friend in the eye at the thought that I’d see that disappointment in her eyes…disappointment that I hadn’t been a better friend. Stone was there the day I learned about all of this. He took me away from the crowd of people we were with and talked with me for quite some time about it. At first, he let me talk and never once interrupted me. Even when I had to stop talking because I was crying so much, he simply held me while I pulled myself together. When I finished telling him everything, he said all the right things to help ease my guilt a bit. He encouraged me to talk to Emme and tell her how I felt. I appreciated him so much for what he did for me that day. What I felt for him only grew stronger the night Emme was kidnapped. Charley, Nikki, Emme, and I had gone out with Wes, Luke, Zane, and Stone to pay tribute to Charley’s late brother, Taj. Wes’ sister, Elle, is a singer and put together a set to honor Taj. That night, after Elle finished her set, all the girls and I went to use the restroom. Lou’s was crowded and so when we returned to the table the guys were at and Zane asked where Emme was we all knew something bad happened. As it turns out, her ex-boyfriend kidnapped her. Nikki and I were staying at Charley and Wes’ place and neither Luke nor Stone hesitated to spend the night there with us. I’ll never forget what Stone did for me that night. I remember feeling a fear like no other because it had only been a year when Emme’s ex beat and nearly killed her and he had come back to kidnap her. I was terrified for her. Stone wrapped me up in his arms and held me. Of all the things he said to offer me comfort that night, the one thing that stuck with me was his

promise. He promised me she’d be found. He wasn’t wrong and I trusted him implicitly from that point forward. I guess that’s why I had the brilliant idea a week later to sing to him at Lou’s. I thought I could trust him. I thought there was more there. Unlike Stone, I was wrong. Opening my eyes now, literally and figuratively, I knew I needed to get up and get on with my day. I’d given Stone too much of my heart already and I needed to protect what was left of it while I tried to repair what he broke. This meant dancing. I got out of bed, used the bathroom, and made my way to the kitchen. Nikki was already there. “Morning, babe. Feeling shitty?” she greeted. “My head is pounding,” I admitted, taking a seat at the island. “Here,” she said, as she set a bottle of water and some pain killers in front of me. “Take that and I’ll make you some toast.” “Thanks.” I took the medicine and drank the water while Nikki moved to put the bread in the toaster. She stayed silent while it toasted. I was consumed with a million thoughts in those few minutes. When she set the plate in front of me she asked, “So, now that you’ve had some time I’m curious if you’re still planning on finding some random hook up this weekend?” I sighed as I picked up the toast and began pulling it apart. “I want to move on, Nik. It doesn’t matter how strong of a connection I feel to Stone. He’s not interested. I can’t spend the rest of my life pining away for someone who doesn’t want anything to do with me.” She crossed her arms over her chest, tilted her head, and cocked an eyebrow. “From what you said yesterday morning, he wants plenty to do with you. He just doesn’t want the relationship. I don’t think that’s a good enough reason for you to suddenly decide that what you’ve held onto all these years means nothing. Don’t give it up to someone who, a, doesn’t mean anything to you and, b, doesn’t deserve it.” I felt myself grow sad. “My heart hurts, Nikki. I had this crazy idea of what love would be and all my thoughts about it were warm and happy and beautiful. I never thought in a million years it would feel like this. I realize it’s ridiculous that I’m saying this was love, but I don’t know what else to call it. Maybe it’s lust. Maybe I don’t know the difference. Either way, I know that the pull I had to Stone was too strong to ignore. I’m sad that he didn’t feel it strong enough in return.” “Mama…” Nikki began, trailing off as she walked over to me. “You can call it whatever feels right to you. Lust, love…it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you felt something between you and him that meant more to you than anything else has up to this point. When it doesn’t go the way you hope, that shit hurts. I hate that he hurt you, but I’m happy he was honest about where he stands from the start. He doesn’t know that he’s part of the reason you moved here or, at least, he didn’t when you made the choice. I have a feeling that if he knew, he would have said something then. That said, he broke my best

friend’s heart; and so, if that means we hate him now or I need to kick his ass, you know I’ve got your back.” I let out a little laugh. “Thanks, Nikki. I don’t want to create any tension in the group, especially since Emme and Charley are engaged to his best friends. Let’s hold off on the ass-kicking for now.” She smiled at me. “Whatever you want, babe. You dancing today?” “Yep.” “Want to ride in together?” she asked. “I want to get to work on setting up the salon.” “I think I do. How soon are you leaving?” I asked. “Within the hour work for you?” I nodded as I put the last piece of toast in my mouth. “I can do that. I’m going to go take a shower. Hopefully, I won’t feel so lousy afterward.” “Keep drinking the water. It’ll help.” “Thank you, Nik,” I said as I picked up the water bottle and went back down toward my bedroom. I didn’t wait around for a response and didn’t offer an explanation on what I was thanking her for because she already knew. Not quite an hour and a half later Nikki and I arrived at our place. She came in and checked out the work Stone and I had done on the studio before she went over to get things set up in her salon. I walked back to the fourth room Stone and I painted yesterday. A feeling of sadness began to overwhelm me the moment I stepped inside. Fortunately, I didn’t have much time to dwell on that feeling because I heard the alarm chime indicating someone had walked in. I figured Nikki needed help with something since I wasn’t expecting any visitors, especially not this early in the morning. I walked back out to the reception area and saw Wes and Zane were there. “Hey guys,” I greeted. “Are Charley and Emme okay?” “Yeah, darlin’, they’re fine,” Zane said. “We heard you needed some help with mirrors.” Crap. I was going to cry. My bottom lip quivered and my head dropped to the floor. I buried my face in my hands as the tears spilled down my cheeks. “Fuck,” I heard Wes mutter before he pulled me into his arms. As he pulled me in for a hug he urged, “Talk to me, babe.” I didn’t answer immediately because I wasn’t sure what to say. Telling Wes and Zane about what happened between Stone and me wasn’t an option. They were his friends and I wasn’t about to come in middle of their friendship. “I’m sorry. You caught me off guard. I just wasn’t expecting it, that’s all.” “Not sure I understand why you are in tears then.” I pulled my face back and stepped out of Wes’ arms. “It’s just really nice for the two

of you to do this for me. Thank you.” They both gave me looks that told me they weren’t buying my reasoning, but thankfully, they didn’t press me further. I then showed them how Stone and I hung the mirrors in the first room, so they’d know how I needed the rest done. Zane and Wes got to work immediately and within a couple hours they had all the mirrors on the walls. I spent the better part of the morning working on the décor in the reception area. After I finished, I went into the first room to put together a playlist that I’d blast and dance to as soon as the guys left. I was in the middle of that when Zane walked in. “You’ve got mirrors in all of your rooms now,” he declared. “Thanks again, Zane. I really appreciate you and Wes coming here to do that for me. Is there anything I can do for your troubles?” He smirked and shook his head. “You’re here and that makes Emme happy. I’m going to do what I can to make sure you stay here so she stays happy.” I dipped my chin in acknowledgement and gave him a small smile before admitting, “I’m not going anywhere.” “You should know, Monroe, that Emme shared some stuff with me last night. She’s worried about you. I’m sorry that things with Stone are still strained.” This was awkward. “It’s not your fault, Zane. It’s not Stone’s fault either. I misinterpreted things…it was my fault. Please. I don’t want this coming between all of you.” “Did he do anything to make you think he was interested in you?” Zane asked, his voice firm. I nodded slowly. “Then, you can’t blame yourself either. It’s not in the cards for him right now for reasons I won’t share because it’s not my stuff to share. I understand his reasons, even if I don’t agree with them. You should also know that just because he’s our friend doesn’t mean that we don’t care about you, too. Don’t think I forgot what you said to me when Emme and I announced our engagement. You want someone to love you, Monroe. There’s nothing wrong with waiting for that. I can appreciate the fact that you’re hurting right now, but don’t react to that hurt.” “Zane…” I managed to get out, before he cut me off. “No, darlin’. You need to listen to me. When all of the shit with Emme was going down I was constantly worried for her. My emotions were running high. I called her when I took a break from training one day to check in. My brother, Cruz, was with her that day while I was training. When I called, I found out that my brother, Levi, had shown up. I knew something was up. I knew Levi would not have come there if it wasn’t serious. My fear for Emme’s safety skyrocketed and I fucking yelled at her on the phone.” My lips parted in shock. I had no idea this happened. “When I got home I found Emme on the floor in our bedroom with her suitcases surrounding her. She was going to leave me not because I yelled at her, but because she

thought she had upset me. I hated myself in that moment. Watching the tears fall down her face, knowing I put them there, gutted me. I promised myself I’d never let my emotions get the better of me again. What I’m trying to say to you, Monroe, is that you shouldn’t let the hurt you’re feeling make you do something you’ll regret.” “He’s right,” I heard Wes call from the doorway. I turned to look at him. Wes continued speaking. “Said something to Charley once back before we went out to Aspen that made her think I was questioning her loyalty and commitment to me. The hurt in her face, much like Zane experienced with Emme, was gut-wrenching to witness. I said what I did to her that day because I couldn’t handle how I was feeling about something and I regretted it the second I saw the look on her face.” “Guys, I appreciate what you’re saying and I’m glad that my best friends have found you both. They deserve every bit of happiness you’ve both brought into their lives. I just need to…” I said, before I was cut off again. “Babe,” Wes began. “You deserve happiness, too. If you do what Charley told me and what I’m sure Emme told Zane you’re planning to do and I’m guaranteeing you, you’ll regret it.” I looked away. I couldn’t bring myself to look either one of them in the eye. “No need to feel embarrassed,” Zane reassured me. “We both just told you about the things we actually did when we made decisions to react based on our emotions. Everyone makes bad choices. You haven’t…not yet anyway. You’ve got something special to give to someone. Save it, and give it to the right person. If you do that, I promise you it’ll be something you won’t regret.” I took in their words and felt sad again. These two men were incredible. My friends were the luckiest women on the face of the planet. They had found men who would get up on a Monday morning, when at least one of them needed to be at work, to go hang mirrors in a dance studio for their woman’s best friend. Men who, despite the potential awkwardness, would talk that best friend out of making an idiotic decision. I wanted a man like that. I wanted a love like that. I just wondered if I’d find it anytime soon. I looked to the both of them and explained, “I don’t want to be alone for the rest of my life.” “I think I speak for the both of us when I say that I can promise you that won’t happen. You didn’t find what you wanted in California. You’ve given it almost twentyfive years there. You’ve given Wyoming about five days. I think, you give it a little time, you’ll get what you want here.” I smiled at him and said, “Thanks, Wes.” “No problem, babe. You good?” “Yeah. I think I am now.” “Good,” he responded as he walked over, kissed me on the top of my head, and walked out.

Zane did the same. After they left, I spent the rest of my afternoon dancing away my pain.

Chapter 5 Monroe It was finally Friday. After Wes and Zane left my studio on Monday I took the time I needed to dance and deal with everything I was feeling from the weekend. Their advice made sense and I was thankful for their willingness to confront me on a topic with which most guys wouldn’t likely be comfortable, at least, not with someone who wasn’t their significant other. It showed me just the kind of people they were and that while I didn’t have my brothers out here with me, I knew I could depend on Wes and Zane the same way I could rely on Remi, Vaughn, and Deacon. That realization filled me with such warmth. Following my dance session Monday, I went over to Nikki’s salon and helped her with getting some of her salon set up. I told her about Wes and Zane stopping in, but she hadn’t been surprised. It was then I put two and two together and gathered that she was in on the whole thing with Charley and Emme. My girls. I loved them. I spent the rest of the week preparing for the grand opening I was planning to have at the studio. Thanks to Stone, Wes, and Zane, all of the heavy lifting had already been done so I was simply putting finishing touches on the place. Seating in the reception area, pictures on the walls, and decorative pieces everywhere were finally making the place look like not just a real studio, but my studio. And I loved it. In fact, I was beginning to think I loved it more than my studio back in California. When I wasn’t working on the aesthetics of the studio I was working on getting the word out about the grand opening, which I was planning to have the Thursday evening following my birthday. Yesterday afternoon I had a visitor. I was actually over at Nikki’s salon helping her with some of her final touches when a girl showed up. She asked us if we knew the owner of the dance studio next door. “That’s me,” I answered, walking up to her. “Oh, hi. My name is Jenna,” she introduced herself. “Hi, Jenna. What can I help you with?” “I saw one of the ads you posted online about the grand opening for your studio. I was wondering if you were looking to hire anyone?” she asked.

I took her in. She was a young girl, maybe only just eighteen, with brown eyes and blonde hair she had pulled up on the top of her head, several strands falling around her face. She was tiny, too — maybe five foot four with a petite frame. “I am, actually. Right now, I’m looking to hire two instructors and a receptionist. Are you capable of either?” I answered. Her eyes got big and she reaffirmed, “An instructor?” I nodded and replied, “Yeah. Do you dance?” “I started receiving instruction when I was three-years-old. I had lessons for the next thirteen years. My parents both lost their jobs a couple years ago and we had to cut out everything that wasn’t a necessity. My dad has since found a job, but he doesn’t make anywhere near what he used to and my mom still hasn’t found anything.” “Thirteen years of dance?” I asked. “If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you, honey?” “I just turned nineteen last month. I still dance whenever I can, but I can’t afford lessons. I’ve gotten a few jobs hoping to use that money to pay for instruction, but unfortunately, my parents need help with the bills that stacked up. I figure since I’m living in their house, I should help.” I smiled at her and said, “Let’s go over to my studio and see what you can do.” I turned back to look at Nikki and announced, “I’ll be back in a bit.” She waved and I walked over to my studio with Jenna. Twenty minutes later, I hired my first official employee. Jenna was an incredibly talented dancer. I was blown away by her ability to throw something together right on the spot for me. She performed two pieces for me, one contemporary and one hip-hop. The contemporary piece demonstrated her years of formal training in ballet and her exquisite lines. The hip-hop routine showed me that, despite not having the funds available to afford training, she still knew what was current and could easily use those movements to tell a story. I was impressed by her and immediately hired her on the spot. She was over the moon. Thankfully, I had my reception area completed at this point and all of my paperwork was organized. I pulled out the employment forms and told her she could start on the Monday before the grand opening. She left, happy and excited, and I made my way back over to Nikki’s salon. Now it was Friday, late afternoon, and I was on my way home to get ready for a night out with my girls. Wes and Zane were tagging along, mostly acting as our escorts slash designated drivers. I was no longer going to actively pursue someone just to sleep with them; however, I wasn’t going to sit around pining for someone who didn’t want me either. Still, it was time to put myself out there and hope that I’d find love. I made it back to the condo, took off to my bedroom, and went directly into the bathroom. After turning on the shower I stripped out of my clothes, pulled the hair tie from my hair, and hopped in. Once I finished in the shower and dried myself off, I threw on a pair of panties and my pale yellow, satin robe. Figuring it was worth going the extra mile, I decided to give myself and manicure and pedicure. While I was waiting for my fingernails to dry, my phone rang. I looked at the display and saw Charley was calling; so, I carefully slid my finger across the screen to answer and tapped on the speaker button.

“Hey, babe, what’s up?” I answered. “Hi, mama. You busy?” she asked. “Just got out of the shower and I’m waiting on my nails to finish drying. What are you up to?” “About to hop in the shower myself, but wanted to call you first. Elle is performing tonight and I thought you should know.” “Okay,” I began, hesitantly. “I’ve seen Elle perform before. Why should I know about that?” “As long as they aren’t away at a snowboarding contest, or anywhere else for that matter, the guys always come to Lou’s when Elle performs to show support for her.” “Oh,” I murmured, understanding in my tone. This meant Stone was going to be at Lou’s tonight. I hadn’t seen or spoken to him since I kicked him out of my studio on Sunday. Even two days ago, when Luke stopped in to see Nikki and I at work to officially welcome us to town, I hadn’t gotten any news on Stone then either. I thought maybe Luke would have said something since Stone seemed closer to him than he did to Wes and Zane. If Luke knew what had happened, he gave no indication. Perhaps Stone never mentioned anything to Luke because it didn’t really matter to him. “You still up for going, honey?” she asked gently. “I can call Elle and explain to her that I can’t make it tonight. She’ll understand.” No way. I wasn’t going to allow that. I didn’t need to be the girl who came in from out of town and ruined what this group of friends already had going. I could be an adult about this. “It’s okay, Charley. I’ll be fine,” I assured her. “You’re certain?” “Positive.” “Okay, I’ll let you go so you can finish getting ready. We’ll be by to pick you and Nikki up around six. Wes said we can just do dinner at Lou’s before we head up to the saloon if you both are cool with that. Zane and Emme are good with it.” “Sounds perfect. See you at six.” “Great. Later,” she called out before disconnecting. My nails were finally dried so I hopped off my bed and went into the bathroom to get ready. I put my lotion on my face and let that soak in while I went about drying my hair. After, I put lotion on the rest of my body and did my makeup. I decided to go the extra mile tonight and put some curls in my hair. I rarely took the time to do anything fancy with my hair since I was always at my studio dancing and it would be thrown up on top of my head anyway. On the rare occasion I curled my hair, I always received compliments on how nice it looked and since it made me feel pretty, I decided to go with it. It was only ten minutes to six and I had just finished my hair. I was getting dressed when I heard people down the hall in the family room. I quickly finished getting my

clothes on and took off to meet them. Charley, Wes, Emme, Zane, and Nikki were all there, ready to go. “You look smokin’ hot, babe,” Nikki announced. “I’ve always loved your hair like that, mama,” Emme chimed in. See? “Ready to go, girls?” Charley asked. We all nodded in agreement and took off to Lou’s. Upon arriving, we went into the saloon and were immediately seated. For whatever reason, it always seemed that no matter how busy Lou’s was, we never had to wait. From what I could gather, Wes and Zane were hometown favorites, so Lou always saw to it that they were treated as such. In addition, when Emme was kidnapped, she was taken from Lou’s. Even though she assured him that it wasn’t his fault, I believed Lou still felt some guilt over it. Once we were seated and gave our drink and food orders, I spoke. “So, I wanted to thank all of you for your help with the studio. As it turns out, I’m just about ready to go. Nikki and I have been working on getting everything finalized at her place. We’ve scheduled the grand opening for the studio and the salon for Thursday evening after my birthday. We’re hoping you can all make it.” “Of course, honey,” Charley said. “We’d never miss it in a million years.” I smiled at her and looked to the guys. “I’m hoping you both can make it, too. Wouldn’t have been able to do this so soon if you hadn’t helped.” “Wouldn’t miss it,” Wes assured me. Zane agreed, “We’ll be there. Let us know if either of you needs anything between now and then.” “I do,” Nikki spoke up. “I’d like to invite Luke but, oddly enough, I don’t have his number. Would either of you be able to let him know about it for me?” Wes and Zane both dazzled us with their sexy grins. “We’ll give you his number. You can invite him yourself,” Wes shared. Nikki’s face lit up. “That would be great as long as you think he won’t mind.” “He’s not going to mind,” Zane reassured her as he chuckled. “Though, I’m sure he’ll be here later tonight, so you could ask him for it.” And that’s when the sadness washed over me. I looked down in my lap attempting to avoid everyone’s eyes and trying to regain my composure. Why? Why did I have to feel the connection to the one person who wouldn’t have me? “Monroe?” Emme called. I looked up. “You alright?” she asked.

I tried to swallow past the tightness in my throat and gave a downward jerk of my chin to answer her. “You sure?” No, but I wasn’t going to ruin everyone else’s night. I needed to get onto another topic. “Yeah, completely.” Our food arrived shortly thereafter and I pushed back the sadness. We ate, I told everyone about my new employee, and then everyone else joined in the conversation with their own bits of news. After dinner, we made our way up to the saloon to watch Elle perform. I had such a strong will when I was home getting ready to come here, but now knowing that I would be seeing Stone at any moment put my nerves on edge. I needed to find a way to pull it together. We walked through the main bar area and through to the next room where Elle would be performing. Locating a table toward the front of the room, we sat. It was then that it hit me. I began remembering the last time I was here — when I was up on stage and made a fool of myself. It was, by far, the most humiliating experience of my life. I just hoped that nobody here tonight recognized me from that night. I needed to get away for a minute to collect my thoughts. I leaned into Nikki and whispered in her ear, “Need to run to the ladies’ room. Will you come with me?” She took one look at my face and pushed her chair back from the table. Nikki and I took off back to the main bar room and down the hall to the bathroom. As soon as we stepped inside she turned toward me and asked, “What’s happening?” “Charley called me earlier this afternoon when I was getting ready. She said she suspects Stone will be here tonight because they all always come to support Elle. I thought I’d be able to handle it, but I’m freaking out a bit. Then, as soon as we sat down in there all I could think about was what happened the last time I was here.” “You want to go? I’ll tell everyone I’m not feeling well and that you’re going to come back home with me. We’ll call an Uber and get out of here.” I shook my head. I didn’t want to ruin her night. I saw the look on her face when she realized Luke was going to be here. “No, it’s okay. I just need a minute. Maybe I need a drink, too.” “We can definitely do that. Let’s go out and sit at the bar until Elle starts. If you want to rejoin the group then we can. If not, that’s alright with me, too. With that, we did our business in the bathroom and made our way to the bar. Luckily, since Elle was about to start soon, it wasn’t overly crowded and we managed to find two open stools. We sat and ordered drinks. It wasn’t typical for me to need liquid courage; however, I’ve never faced this type of situation before now. I figured a little wouldn’t hurt. I was nearly finished with my first drink when I heard someone come up and say,

“Mind if I buy you your next one?” I turned to my left and saw a good-looking guy had settled in on the stool next to mine. He had a dazzling smile, dark hair, and beautiful eyes. They weren’t Stone’s baby blues, but they were still captivating. I smiled back at him and stated, “Sorry, but I don’t accept drinks from people I don’t know.” “Smart woman,” he began, as he held his hand out to me. “My name’s Christian.” “Monroe,” I replied, as I gave him mine in return. “You here with anyone tonight?” he asked. “Just some friends,” I answered. Christian caught the bartender’s attention and declared, “Another of whatever she was having and I’ll take a Jack and Coke.” “I thought I said I didn’t accept drinks from people I don’t know?” “You did, but you know my name now. What else do you want to know?” “I don’t know. Why are you being so persistent?” He gave me a look like he thought I was a crazy person. “Have you seen yourself?” he asked. “Saw you walk in and knew I wanted to introduce myself and buy you a drink.” The bartender returned with our drinks and Christian paid. I picked up the drink, turned my back to the bar, and said, “Thanks.” He grabbed his drink in one hand and brought the other out to rest on my thigh before he returned, “You’re welcome.” I froze and looked down at his hand. When I looked back up at him, he squeezed my thigh. “Hey, Luke,” I heard Nikki say behind me. I turned my head to the side and saw Luke had approached. “Hey, babe,” he greeted her before he glanced over at me. “Hi, Monroe,” he acknowledged me as he also quickly took in the hand resting on my thigh before he looked to the arm and then body that the hand was connected to. He looked a bit angry for a moment before he brought his eyes back to mine and they softened. “Hi, Luke,” I offered timidly. This was mostly because standing immediately behind Luke was Stone and his eyes were burning into the hand on my thigh. His eyes came up to mine only briefly before going to Christian’s. What I saw in them then was not nice. It was a borderline-lethal glare. His jaw was clenching and he was definitely not happy. He said nothing to me, but gave me one last glance before he walked away. I watched his back as he disappeared into the crowd. “You know him?” Christian asked from beside me. I turned to look back at him and answered honestly, “Yeah. We have a couple of mutual friends.”

“There’s nothing going on between the two of you, is there?” I took in a deep breath, let it out, and admitted, “Not at all.” I felt a tap on my shoulder. With Luke still by her side, Nikki informed me, “Elle’s about to start. You want to stay here or go in there?” “We can go in. Give me a second, okay?” She nodded. I turned back to Christian and explained, “We’re here to watch Elle tonight so I’m going to head back in there with my friends.” “Sure,” he started. “It was nice to meet you, Monroe.” “Thanks for the drink,” I repeated. Then, I’m not sure where the courage came from, but I added, “If you’re around afterward, you’ll be able to find me on the dancefloor.” A sexy grin spread across his face. “I’ll see you later then.” I smiled back at him before I hopped down off the stool with my drink in my hand and followed Nikki and Luke into the next room to watch Elle. Stone This was not going to be a good night. It had already been a miserable fucking week and it seemed as though it was about to turn into a miserable fucking weekend. All week I’d been replaying one of several different scenes in my head. It was either Monroe up on stage weeks ago singing karaoke, Monroe dancing in her studio Sunday morning, me kissing Monroe on Saturday night, or worse yet, Monroe dancing Sunday afternoon until she collapsed on the floor of her studio in tears followed by her walking out hours later with a red face and puffy eyes. It was absolute fucking torture reliving any one of those moments mostly because the first three made me want to witness or experience all of them again and the last made me feel like I wanted to throw up. I couldn’t explain it; I just knew that seeing the hurt in her that I did was agonizing. If all that wasn’t bad enough, I walked into Lou’s tonight and saw her sitting there at the bar looking more beautiful than ever and Christian fucking Black had his God-damn, filthy hand on her thigh. I wanted, more than anything, to walk right up to him and physically remove his hand from her. I didn’t because I had no right. I took one last look at Monroe, loving the way she looked tonight, and walked away. It was only a few minutes after I sat down with Wes, Charley, Zane, and Emme when Monroe, Nikki, and Luke joined us. Of course, I ended up in the seat right next to Monroe. When she sat next to me, she gave me a sad smile before she looked to the stage. Fuck. Not only did she look dynamite, but she also smelled so fucking good. I tried to pay attention to Elle’s show, but couldn’t stop myself from glancing over at Monroe throughout. I fought every urge in my body to put my arm around her waist, pull

her into my lap, and kiss those pouty lips. When Elle finished her set, she came over to say hello before she took off for the night. The girls then took off to dance. I don’t think I was ever so grateful in my life. I needed a bit of space or I wasn’t going to be able to hold back what I was feeling much longer. I watched Monroe as she danced. I could watch that woman dance all day every day and it’d never grow old. Sadly, it was the biggest fucking turn on, so I’m not sure I’d be able to control myself if that ever happened. I was only thankful now that we were in public where it’d be frowned upon for me to do anything about what I felt when she danced. Of course, these are all the excuses I kept giving myself when the reality is that if I wasn’t so fucked up in my own head I wouldn’t give a shit what anyone thought about me doing what I wanted with her. It will hit you when you least expect it and you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. What the fuck? Why was that popping into my head? I brushed off the thought and continued watching Monroe. It wasn’t even two minutes later when my body seized in the chair. Monroe was dancing and there was an arm wrapped around her waist. Christian, scum of the Earth, had his hands on her and had his body pressed into hers from behind. She tensed briefly, but relaxed the moment she saw it was him. “Oh, shit,” Luke, who was sitting two chairs away from me, announced. “I’m not getting a good feeling about this. Stone’s brooding.” I looked to Wes and Zane. “You guys bring her here?” I asked. “Yeah,” Wes answered. “She does not fucking leave here with that asshole,” I bit out. “She’s a grown woman, man. And, she’s single. If she chooses to do that I can’t stop her,” Zane responded. “Seriously?” I challenged, shock in my voice. “What do you want me to say?” he wondered. “You aren’t interested in her. You think nobody else is going to look at her or that she should be alone?” “Didn’t say that. He’s a fucking player and you know he’s only going to be after one thing.” Wes interjected. “How would that make him any different than you given what you do week in and week out with all of your women?” I jerked back at his statement. “I’m up front with every woman I’m with. They all know that there won’t be more than just a night of fucking. That asshole will wine and dine and make promises of forever to get what he wants and then he’ll be gone. You and I both know it.” “Maybe. At least, that’s who we know him as. Maybe he’d change for the right

woman. Perhaps she could be that girl for him; she’s not exactly the typical girl you’d pick up in a bar that goes home with a different guy every night.” “I don’t know if I’d go that far.” “Bro,” Luke piped up from beside me. “What the fuck did you just say?” “That girl has got so many fucking men in her life, it’s unbelievable,” I retorted exasperatedly. “Monroe?” Zane asked in disbelief. I nodded. “You’re getting close to crossing a line you shouldn’t,” Wes warned. “Last Saturday, I spent the day with Monroe at her studio after finding her alongside the road with a flat tire that morning. When I pulled up she was on the phone with some guy named Vaughn who, before she got off the phone with him, she told she missed him. Then, back at her studio later that afternoon she got a call from a different guy named Remi and, before she got off the phone with him, she told him she loved him. That night, before she and I left there, I fucking kissed her. This was only hours after she told some other guy she loved him,” I explained, pausing for a minute. When I spoke again, my voice was a bit louder, “The next day I told her that I couldn’t pursue anything with her and that I shouldn’t have initiated that kiss. I did that because I thought that girl wanted a serious relationship…that she wanted to find love. I can’t give her that, so I was honest about it to be fair to her. I’m realizing maybe I was wrong, though. She had the two guys from her Saturday phone calls, me that she kissed that night, and now she’s here dancing with Christian Black. I must have misjudged her and now I’m thinking I should have taken her up on what she was offering. Had I known that all she wanted was a good fuck I wouldn’t have stepped aside.” There was an audible gasp. I looked up to see Monroe standing there with her girls, tears immediately filling her eyes. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. “Monroe…” I said, trailing off. She held her hand up and interjected, “It’s fine, Stone. At least now I know what you really think of me. Please, don’t say anything else.” She looked to her friends, fighting to keep the tears from falling. “I think I’m going to call it a night. I’m going to go see if I can pick up a guy at the bar to take me home. Hopefully I won’t have to offer him too much of myself in return.” She looked back to me and held my eyes a minute before she turned and walked to the door. Charley’s eyes went from a retreating Monroe to Wes. “Wes, we have to get her and take her home,” she pleaded. Wes was already standing when he looked to me and promised, “You don’t know it

yet, but you just fucked up…big time.” With that, he walked out with Charley and Nikki. My eyes drifted from their departing bodies to Emme, who was now sitting at the table across from me with tears in her eyes. “I would never judge you for making the decision you have to not pursue a romantic relationship. You know that I understand that more than anyone else here. I was at a place where I swore I’d never be with someone again and I had valid reasons for that. Zane bulldozed through the walls I had up and I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my whole life. I hope that you can work through whatever you are dealing with and can get to a place where you find a way to love someone. I say this because it’s worth it. As hurt as I am about what you said about my best friend tonight, I still want you to find not only the happiness, but also the peace that comes along with having a love like I have with Zane. I don’t know your story, Stone, but you know mine. The peace that love will bring you will not only make your life full in ways you couldn’t even imagine existed, but it will also heal you.” Emme turned to Zane and he pressed a kiss to her forehead. She melted into him and he took her weight as he stood with his arm around her shoulders. “You know I’d take a bullet for you, man, but what you just said about her…fuck, you’re going to regret it,” Zane added to Emme’s sentiments. Zane and Emme walked out and I sat there with Luke. Was Emme right? Could finding love heal you? No. I knew it couldn’t. Love fucking destroyed you. Maybe that’s why right now I felt like absolute shit. The look on Monroe’s face when she heard what I said eviscerated me. I wanted, no, I needed to make it up to her. Regretful wasn’t even the word to describe how I felt right now. I heard a noise from beside me and looked to see Luke, the asshole that he was, fucking smirking at me. “What’s your deal?” I asked. “I’m not the one with the deal. Seems to me that you’re just as gone for that girl as she is for you.” “Bullshit,” I scoffed, not wanting to admit it. “You can say what you want. I know you are…you just need to admit it to yourself and then do something about it. Hopefully, it doesn’t take you too long and that by the time you get your head out of your ass she hasn’t already moved on.” “Forget doing something about it, Luke. Did you not just hear what I said about Monroe right in front of her? I’ll be lucky if that girl ever fucking looks at me again,” I confessed. “Maybe you should try apologizing to her,” he suggested. “I don’t think it’s going to be that easy.” “Nothing worth having ever is, but it’s a start.”

“Okay, Mr. Philosophical,” I said, rolling my eyes at him. “You ready to get out of here?” “Yeah, man. Let’s go.” Luke and I walked out. I got in my truck and drove away. Only, I didn’t go home.

Chapter 6 Monroe I was numb. My mind couldn’t stop replaying over and over the words I heard Stone say. He thought so little of me. No wonder he wanted nothing to do with me. Tears streamed down my face. I stopped drying them because they came right back anyway. Wes, Charley, and Nikki followed me when I walked out of the bar and we were just now pulling into the parking lot at the condo. Wes parked and came around to open Charley’s door to help her out. I had already opened my door and was halfway out when Wes held out a hand to make sure I got down safely. He did the same with Nikki who followed behind me. Then, the four of us walked to the condo. Charley and Nikki walked on one side of me while Wes walked on the other side and kept me pulled tight to his body. We approached the front door and I saw someone walking away from the door toward us. As we got closer and I realized who it was, I completely broke down and lost it. “Monroe, babe, what’s happening?” Wes asked as he now had both arms around me and pulled me even tighter to him. “Monroe? Is that you?” “Vaughn?” Nikki called. “What happened to her?” he asked, now standing next to me and putting his arms around me. Wes was hesitant to let me go. “Honey, Vaughn is Monroe’s brother. It’s okay, you can let her go.” Wes loosened his hold and turned me toward Vaughn’s arms where I cried even harder. Vaughn held on tight. “Let’s go inside,” Nikki said. “She can talk to you in there.” Nikki opened the door and we all walked in. Once we were inside, Charley took that time to introduce Wes and Vaughn. I took that time to try to stop crying and pull myself together. “We aren’t going to stay unless you want us to, mama. We’ll give you some time with Vaughn. You okay?”

I nodded. “Thanks, Charley.” She pulled me into a hug and then Wes came up and put his hand on the top of my head. “I’m sorry for what he did to you tonight. You didn’t deserve that.” “It’s not something you need to apologize for, but thank you, Wes.” “Charley will check in with you tomorrow, okay?” I dipped my chin in acknowledgement. Wes kissed the top of my head, put his arm around Charley, and they left. “It’s good to see you, Vaughn,” Nikki began. “She misses you and you’re probably the person she needs the most right now, so I’m going to head to bed.” “Nice to see you, too. Good night, Nikki.” “If you need me, mama, you yell. Okay?” “I will.” “Love you, babe.” I gave her a small smile. Nikki walked down the hall to her bedroom and left Vaughn and me in the family room. I turned to look at him and saw concern in his face. “I’m so happy you’re here, Vaughn. I’ve missed you so much,” I sighed as I took the two steps to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. I took in a deep breath; he smelled like home. When I pulled back from him I asked, “Can I get you something? Do you want anything to eat or drink?” “No. What you can do for me is tell me why I flew here to surprise you and spend the weekend with you only to get here to find you shredded and in tears. What happened?” “We should sit,” I suggested. “And you need to not lose your shit when I tell you.” “You aren’t making me feel better right now, Monroe,” he informed me as he wrapped his hand around the back of my neck. “Vaughn…please?” I asked, my voice laced with despair. He squeezed the back of my neck and nodded. “Okay.” We sat and I gave it to him. I was very close with all three of my brothers, but it was different with Vaughn. The two of us were super close and he always got all the details of everything. He always gave me all the details of his situations, which mostly consisted of girl troubles. Regardless of the situation either of us was in, we were always there for each other. I knew I could tell him about this and he’d be there for me the way he always was. So, I told him everything. I told him about how Stone was there for me when Emme was kidnapped and when I learned about Emme’s rape. I told him about the karaoke night and how Stone walked out on me. I told him about my flat tire situation since he didn’t know what happened after Stone fixed the tire, and then I told him how Stone helped me with the studio on Saturday. I did not tell him that Stone told me he wanted to fuck me

senseless. I did; however, tell him how Stone kissed me Saturday night and then crushed my heart into a million pieces the next day when he told me he couldn’t do it ever again. Then, finally, I told him what happened tonight. By the time I finished, I could see Vaughn struggling to keep it together. “He called you a whore?” Vaughn asked. “He didn’t use that word exactly, but he might as well have.” “Come home, kid.” “Vaughn, I can’t do that. I have a two-year lease agreement that I signed, I just got my studio all set up, and I even hired my first employee who, I might add, really needs and deserves this job.” There was a knock at the door. “That’s probably Emme and Zane. I walked out of Lou’s a mess and they likely just want to check on me,” I explained, as I stood and walked to the door. I opened the door and froze. Stone was there and the look of torment on his face was clear as day. “I’m sorry.” Two words. That’s all he said and the tears spilled down my cheeks. His hand came up to swipe at them when he stopped mid-air. His eyes were now narrowed and focused behind me. “You touch her and we’re going to have a problem,” Vaughn advised from behind me. Stone dropped his hand and looked to me with his brows drawn. “Are you Stone?” Vaughn asked. Stone nodded. “Then I’d like to know why the fuck I flew here to surprise my sister this weekend only to get here and find her in tears over the fact that some asshole treated her like a piece of shit.” “Vaughn, relax,” I warned, knowing he was getting worked up. He was very protective of me and this wouldn’t end well if I didn’t calm him down. “Vaughn?” Stone repeated, confusion in his voice. “Vaughn is your brother?” “Yeah,” I answered, my voice small and timid. “Please do not tell me that Remi is also your brother,” Stone pleaded. I pulled my brows together, but nodded. Stone’s expression changed and the remorse was written all over his face. He dropped his head and brought his hand up to run through his hair. When he brought his eyes back up to mine, they were pleading with me. “Angel, I’m so fucking sorry.” I couldn’t control it. I brought my hands up to cover my face and I burst into tears. Vaughn was immediately beside me pulling me into his arms.

“You need to leave,” Vaughn demanded of Stone. “Monroe,” Stone called. My face was still in my hands, which were pressed up against Vaughn’s chest as he held me in his embrace. I pulled my face out of my hands and looked to Stone. His voice was rough when he said, “I was wrong. I never should have said what I did tonight at Lou’s. I’m sorry for hurting you.” I stared at him. I didn’t know what to say. He seemed genuinely remorseful and I knew it had to be difficult to not only admit to what he had said and done, but to have to do it in front of my brother as well. Despite all of that, I still couldn’t forget what he said about me. My eyes dropped from his and I stared at his throat. I couldn’t look him in the eyes anymore. Vaughn brought his hand up behind my head and pulled me toward him. My face landed back in my hands, only my cheek was pressed to them as I continued to stare at the muscled column of Stone’s neck. “I need to take care of her now and you need to go,” Vaughn persisted. “Monroe,” Stone called. I didn’t move. I didn’t look him in the eye. I simply snuggled in further to Vaughn’s hold. “Right,” he continued. “Okay, I’ll go. Good night, angel.” And then, he was no longer there. I was staring into the empty space where he once stood. Vaughn reached an arm out to close the door. He held me a minute longer before he worried, “You okay?” I shook my head, but said nothing. “Come on. Why don’t you go change and get ready for bed? I’ll make you your favorite tea and we can watch TV for a while.” “Thanks, Vaughn,” I responded before I walked away from the front door and down the hall to my bedroom. ***** I woke the next morning snuggled up in my bed. The events from last night came flooding back to me. After Stone left, I changed and got myself ready for bed before joining Vaughn on the couch where he already had my favorite green tea made and the television turned on. I asked Vaughn about the rest of my family, wanting to make sure they were all doing well but, other than that, I didn’t say much else. He knew I needed his quiet presence and was more than happy to give it to me. I fell asleep on the couch and Vaughn must have carried me to my bed last night. Now, I was here wondering what I was supposed to do next. I’d never been through

anything like this before and I didn’t know what to do. Part of me thought that there was no going back from what he said while the other part of me wanted nothing more than to tell him I forgave him. I believed he was genuinely sorry, but the rational part of my brain kept me from giving in to what my heart wanted most in the world. I needed to talk to Nikki to get some guidance from her. I might even need to bring Charley and Emme into the mix for some advice. It was getting late so I got myself out of bed, used the bathroom, and then made my way out to see if anyone else was awake. Not surprisingly, Nikki and Vaughn were both already up and having coffee. “Morning, babe,” Nikki greeted, as I walked into the kitchen. “How are you feeling?” “Like a squashed bug.” “Monroe, what the fuck does that mean?” Vaughn asked, chuckling. “I don’t know for sure, but I’m guessing if I were a bug and I got squashed, this is what it would feel like.” “I’m guessing if you were a bug and you got squashed, you’d feel dead,” Nikki said. I looked at her a moment and sadness washed over me before I confirmed, “Then yes, I definitely feel like a squashed bug.” She gave me a sad look and Vaughn looked a little angry. We heard a knock at the door. “If that asshole came back here, I swear to God,” Vaughn warned, as he got up and walked out of the kitchen to the door. “Did he tell you about last night?” I asked Nikki. She nodded. “What do you think about it all?” I shrugged my shoulders. I honestly had no idea what to think. If she’d asked me how I feel about it, I’d have a million things to say. “Tea?” she confirmed. “Yes, please.” Not even a minute later Vaughn came back into the kitchen with a beautiful bouquet of red and white roses. “Who are those for?” I questioned. Vaughn gave me a look, set the flowers on the island, and handed me the card. My eyes rounded. “Nobody has ever sent me flowers before,” I announced, as I opened the envelope and pulled out the card. I’m sorry, my angel. Please forgive me. — Stone My angel? What? “What does it say?” Nikki asked.

A lump had formed in my throat and my nose began to sting. I couldn’t read it out loud; I’d have a total breakdown. I held the card out to her. Nikki took the card from me and read it. When she looked back up at me her eyes were wet. Her eyes searched my face as though she was trying to gauge what my thoughts were. I’m not sure if she found what she was looking for before Vaughn walked over and pulled the card from Nikki’s hand. He read it and I immediately saw his jaw clenching. “He doesn’t deserve you, Monroe,” Vaughn declared. The hope inside me died. Why couldn’t Vaughn have said that he believed Stone was sincere in his apology? I wanted to believe there was good in Stone. I had already witnessed and experienced it. “He made a mistake,” I responded, my voice small. “No, he didn’t make a mistake. He made a lot of fucking mistakes. Making you think he was a good guy that was interested in you and then humiliating you more than once is inexcusable. He isn’t worthy of your forgiveness.” Vaughn reminding me of the humiliation and embarrassment I felt, on more than one occasion, only made my heart break a little more. “I don’t like what he did to her, especially last night at Lou’s, but he’s apologized more than once. I don’t believe he’s an evil guy,” Nikki claimed, challenging Vaughn. “Not saying he’s evil,” Vaughn retorted. “I’m saying she’s too good for him.” A tear slid out of my eye and down my cheek. “Mama…” Nikki trailed off, noticing I was despondent. She walked over, set my tea in front of me, sat down next to me, and put her arm around me. “I don’t know what to do,” I confessed. “Should I call and thank him for the flowers? Should I forgive him?” “No,” Vaughn answered immediately. I looked to him. “You think I should ignore him?” “You’re a fucking treasure, kid. If he didn’t know that the moment he met you and treat as though you were just that, he doesn’t deserve you. If you need to forgive him for your own peace, you make him work for it. You do not forgive him after one bouquet of flowers.” “It doesn’t seem very nice to do that to someone once they’ve apologized to you,” I pointed out. “Maybe not, but it also wasn’t very nice for him to do and say what he has either. And I’m sorry, but I don’t really give a shit if you are nice to him or not. What I care about is that my baby sister wasn’t even in a serious relationship with someone and somehow managed to get her heart trampled on. That doesn’t make me happy and it doesn’t make me want to consider how the guy is feeling.”

Nikki surprised me when she broke in, “You know, he is right. I mean, Stone walked out of Lou’s at Emme’s birthday party. He apologized and you did the right thing by accepting his apology and forgiving him. The fact that he said what he did last night only a week after he apologized for the first time he hurt you makes me wonder how soon he’ll hurt you again if you forgive him. And that makes me worry how much more invested your heart will be in this.” She had a point. I didn’t like it, but it was true. If I forgave Stone, would he just squash me again? If so, how long would it take? But if not, what would I miss out on? “Can we go out for breakfast?” I asked. “Whatever you want,” Vaughn answered. “I wish matters of the heart were that easy,” I said sarcastically. His face warmed and he reassured me, “It will be. With the right person at the right time, it will. I promise you, Monroe.” “Thanks, Vaughn.” I got up and made my way back to my bedroom to get ready. Once I finished, I let Vaughn use my bathroom so he could shower and change. Not long after, Vaughn took Nikki and I out for breakfast. Nikki drove separately since she was planning to get some work done at the salon today. I wanted to show Vaughn my new studio, but since he was in town I didn’t want to spend my day there. My brother and my best friend spent the morning at breakfast distracting me from the miserable events of the last week by talking about anything and everything unrelated to Stone. Following breakfast, we drove to the studio and salon. Nikki went to the salon and I told her we’d stop over before we left. “This is it,” I beamed, as Vaughn and I stepped through the front door and into my reception area. “Looks great, kid.” “Thanks. I love it. I actually love it more than my spot in Ventura. The only thing that makes the Ventura spot better than this one is the fact that I know when I’ve got my recitals you, Remi, and Deacon are always there to support me. That, and every so often when you knew I’d been putting in long hours at the studio at least one of you would walk through my door and bring me dinner. That’s what I’m going to miss about the old place. It’s what I miss about home…” I trailed off. “It’s been, what, two weeks? It’s not the same at home without you. We all miss you. Mom and Dad are devastated. They both keep asking why their only girl had to move and why it could haven’t been Remi, Deacon, or me. Earlier this week, Dad grumbled, “Got three sons to spare, yet it’s my baby girl that moves away.”” I pushed out my bottom lip and made a sad face. My brothers were overly protective of me, no doubt about it, but I was the definition of daddy’s little girl. I knew he was distraught over the fact that I left and I hated making him feel that way. I only wished I’d be able to make them see that moving was the right decision for me because I had finally

found my love. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem as though that would be happening. This would only make their hearts hurt harder for me. Vaughn continued, “So, show me the rest of the place.” I loved him. He wanted me to hear about my family, but he also knew it’d hurt to dwell on it too long. With that, I took Vaughn through the rest of the studio and showed him everything. The only thing I hadn’t done yet was put up my barres, so he did those for me while he was there. After he finished, we went over to Nikki’s salon so Vaughn could check it out before we took off. We said good-bye to Nikki and did some sightseeing in Rising Sun. Since I was new to town I didn’t know much about what was around. It was fun to explore and experience that with Vaughn. We found a great little café to have lunch in that afternoon and I got calls from Charley and Emme. Charley wanted to check in to see that I was doing okay after everything that had happened last night. I told her I was doing alright and that I had things to share, but I’d talk with her later about them. I wanted to tell her about the flowers, but did not want to get into all of that while I had very little time to spend with Vaughn. Emme also called to check in on me. Apparently, Charley called her last night and let her know that my brother came in to visit. She and Zane ended up inviting us over to go snowmobiling with them tomorrow. I figured it would be good for Vaughn to not only have some fun while he was here, but also for him to see that I had good people around me. It would help set his mind at ease a little, so I told her we’d be there. Vaughn and I spent the rest of the day together catching up until Nikki came home and the three of us had dinner together. After the night I had last night and knowing we were going to be spending the day with Emme and Zane tomorrow, I ended up calling it an early night. It was when I finally got into bed and no longer had any distractions that my mind drifted to thoughts I’d successfully avoided having all day. Thoughts of those baby blue eyes filled with a pain and hardness I wanted to take away, that spiky blonde hair I wanted to run my fingers through, those lips I could still feel against my own, those hands I loved feeling against my skin, and that bouquet of red and white apology roses begging me for forgiveness. My angel. It was on that thought, those words, that I fell asleep.

Chapter 7 Monroe There was a knock on my bedroom door Monday morning that woke me. “Come in,” I called out. I rolled over toward the door and saw Nikki walking in with a new bouquet of flowers. This would be the third bouquet I was receiving in as many days. Yesterday morning, like Saturday morning, had me sitting at the island in the kitchen eating breakfast with Nikki and Vaughn when the second bouquet of flowers was delivered. They were different, though. A short, round, glass vase filled with violet hyacinths preceded Vaughn as he walked into the kitchen. My lips parted as the fragrant flowers were set in front of me. I pulled the card from the envelope and read it. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, Monroe, but I’m going to ask for it anyway. I’m sorry, my angel. Please forgive me. — Stone My stomach felt funny after reading his card. It wasn’t a good feeling either. I didn’t know why, but for some reason this felt worse than hearing what Stone said about me. Reading his words made me feel like he was hurting and remorseful for what he had done and I wasn’t doing anything to let him know that I forgave him. I had. I forgave him the moment he said he was sorry as he stood in my doorway the night before. I forgave him, but I wasn’t sure I’d so easily forget. Nikki and Vaughn both read the card. They took one look at me and knew that if they spoke about it I’d be a mess. In that moment, I was grateful for their willingness to let it go for the time being. So now, watching as Nikki walked into my bedroom with another vase filled with flowers I knew I was going to be in for a discussion with her about it. Vaughn left last night to go back to Ventura. As much as I adored Vaughn, he took his job as big brother seriously and I knew he’d insist, once again, that I was too good for Stone. I was going to need some time to sort this out without his overprotectiveness guiding me. “At least he’s persistent,” Nikki pointed out. She brought the vase filled with white tulips over to me as I sat up in the bed. I took

the flowers from her and set them on my nightstand. As I pulled the envelope from them I looked back to her and confessed, “I’m not sure I can handle any more of his words.” “I’m certain you are too curious to not open that envelope,” she countered. I nodded as I confirmed, “You’re right.” I pulled the card out of the envelope and read it. Thinking of you always, my angel. I’m sorry. — Stone My eyes filled with tears as I looked from the card to Nikki. I couldn’t do this much longer. How long was I supposed to put someone through this? She took the card from me and read it. “Oh, mama…” she said, as her voice trailed off and she pulled me into a hug. “I can’t keep doing this to him,” I cried, tears spilling down my cheeks. Her brows pulled together. “What? What are you doing to him?” “I feel like he’s gone well over the top to apologize to me and I keep ignoring him. Between the flowers every morning and the text last night, I’m beginning to feel like a real jerk by not even thanking him for them or telling him that I forgive him.” “Text?” she repeated. “Yeah, he sent me a text last night,” I informed her as I reached over to grab my phone. I pulled up the text and read it to her, “I can’t stop thinking about you. I can’t stop thinking about how I hurt you and the look on your face when I said those words. I fucked up, Monroe. I’m sorry.” “He delivered these flowers today,” she stated. “I know, that’s what I’m saying. I don’t want to keep punishing him.” “No, babe. I mean, Stone personally delivered these flowers himself today. When I saw him at the door, I didn’t know what his expectation was. He asked if you were here. I told him you were still sleeping and that I didn’t think it’d be wise for him to be here waiting when you got up. He handed me the flowers and asked me to see to it that they were the first thing you saw when you woke up. He said he wanted you to have something beautiful to look at when you opened your eyes.” “He brought them here?” I asked, still in disbelief. She nodded. “What should I do?” “What do you want to do?” I looked to the flowers, took in a deep breath, and let it out before I looked back to her. “I want to forgive him. No, that’s wrong. I already forgave him, Nikki. He hurt me, but he’s apologized. A lot. I believe he is sincere. I know he could hurt me again, but I moved here because I felt something there with him. I don’t have it in me to shut him out.”

“Then don’t. Take some time this morning to consider everything and then if you’re still feeling that this is what you need to do, reach out to him. I hate that he hurt you, but I agree that he’s making a valiant effort in asking for your forgiveness. I mean, having every single flower that he’s had delivered be so meticulously planned is a testament to the remorse he’s feeling.” “What are you talking about?” She looked at me in disbelief. “Monroe, these aren’t just flowers for the sake of flowers that he’s been sending you. When someone gives white tulips and violet hyacinths they are asking for forgiveness. Even the roses, the red mixed with the white. He’s sorry for what he did to you and the flowers were a big part of that sentiment. He was thoughtful in choosing the ones he did.” I swallowed hard at this news. I had no idea. “I don’t think I need the morning to think about it. I already know what I want to do,” I noted, my voice rough. “I knew you would. It’s who you are and it’s okay to want and hope for more with him. My only piece of advice, especially considering all that has happened, is that you guard your heart until you have no doubts that he’ll do everything to protect it.” “I’ll try,” I answered. “Going to go make breakfast. You want some?” she asked. I shook my head. “I’ll grab some tea and a piece of toast on the way out. I need to dance this morning and figure out how I want to do this.” “Okay. Let me know if you need anything.” “I will. Thanks, Nikki.” “No problem, babe,” she finished as she walked out of the bedroom. I knew I’d be able to work through everything I was feeling much better if I got to the studio and started dancing. On that thought, I shifted, got out of bed, and got myself ready to go to the studio. Before getting dressed, I used the bathroom and brushed my teeth. Then, I threw on a pair of black V-waist dance shorts with a lavender sports bra. I put on a pair of sweats over my shorts and a V-neck tee over my bra. After tying my hair back away from my face and off of my neck, I grabbed my sweatshirt and took off down the hall to the kitchen to grab some tea and toast. Twenty minutes later, I was letting myself into the studio. I wasted no time in getting down to business. I went to what I had officially dubbed the heartbreak room since it was the last room I was in with Stone before I kicked him out a week ago. Cranking up the music, I tore off my tee and sweats and began dancing. I ran through a couple of numbers that I was looking to start teaching once I officially opened. This week I’d start accepting signups for lessons. I didn’t know how quickly people would realize I was here, but with any luck I’d have a decent turnout and could start teaching again immediately. I had been dancing for a solid hour when something caught my eye in the mirror. There he was. Standing in the doorway to the room, Stone was looking at me. I stopped

dancing and turned around so that I was no longer looking at his reflection. Stone’s heated eyes traveled the length of my body before coming back to my eyes. Then, he walked into the room and stopped about a foot in front of me. I held his gaze a moment before I dropped my eyes from his. It was difficult to look at him knowing what he thought of me. He held something out to me. It was then I noticed he had more flowers. It was a bouquet of primrose flowers; I wondered what they signified. “Wanted to personally give you flowers today. Stopped by your place this morning, but you were still asleep. Decided I wanted you to have those when you woke up, but that I’d need to get more so I could give them to you myself.” My lips parted, but I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. I was too nervous. And, I was still so uncomfortable standing there with him as I remembered what he had said a couple nights ago. I still couldn’t look him in the eye. Either Stone didn’t notice or he didn’t mind because he wasn’t finished talking. “I’m sorry, Monroe. I am so fucking sorry and I have no clue where to begin telling you everything I want to say to you.” Shit. I could feel it starting already. That funny feeling in my belly was coming back and it was becoming awfully difficult to swallow past the overwhelming tightness in my throat. I took the flowers from him, walked to the stereo to turn off the music, set the flowers down, and walked back to where Stone was standing. “Many years ago, I made a decision about how I’d live my life. I’ve been successful in following through on that decision all these years. Then, a couple of months ago, I met you for the first time. There is no denying how much I was attracted to you. I won’t lie. At that time, it was purely a physical attraction and I would have had no issues with making you another notch on my bedpost. That didn’t happen since you weren’t in town for very long and, well to be honest, I’m glad it didn’t. You see, the more you came out to visit the more you became something else to me. I didn’t want to admit it…not to myself, and certainly not to you. After everything that happened with Emme, I saw a side of you I’d never seen before. You were so vulnerable, but completely okay in it knowing that, no matter what, there were people around that would get you through it. The way you feel for those you love and care about…fuck, anyone would be lucky to have someone like that in their life.” “Then, there was karaoke night at Lou’s. I’ve already told you what that did to me. I’ve thought about you every single day since that night. I’ve done things I’m not proud of to try to put you out of my mind. None of it works. Most recently, I see you for the first time after Lou’s pulled over on the side of the road with a flat tire. You know everything that’s happened since then, but Monroe, let me make something very clear to you. That decision I made years ago to live my life a certain way involved making sure I didn’t form new attachments to people. I can’t seem to do that with you. I spent an entire day with you a week ago painting walls, hanging mirrors, and changing toilets here and it was the best fucking day of my life.”

He paused a moment. When he spoke again his voice was warm and gentle. “I was wrong. I am sorry. I want the chance to fix what I broke inside you. More than anything, I want you to look at me and smile again.” I brought my wet eyes to his and whispered my question. “What do they mean?” His brows drew together, confusion marring his features. “Come again?” “The flowers. They all have a special meaning based on what they are and their color. What do these stand for?” I asked, gesturing to the primrose bouquet. He struggled with this. I could tell he wanted me to know, but didn’t want to say it. “I can’t live without you,” he finally bit out. I sucked in a sharp breath and felt a single tear trail down my cheek. Stone watched as the tear fell before he brought his pleading eyes to mine. They were begging me to say something. “I forgave you that night when you came to my place to apologize. I’m sorry for not telling you sooner…” I managed to get out before I was cut off. Stone immediately wrapped his arms around my waist. He pulled my body tight to his and held me without words for a long time, nuzzling his face in my neck. I held him back, just as tightly. “I need to know you understand how sorry I am, Monroe. I never should have said what I did Friday night. I rejected you last weekend and then saw you looking better than ever that night. You looked beautiful and your hair was…God, your hair was incredible. Despite that, all I could focus on was the jealousy I felt in seeing Christian’s hand on your thigh at the bar and then his body pressed up against yours on the dancefloor. I had no right to feel the way I did when I made you believe I didn’t want you. I want you, angel. I want you so bad I can’t think about anything else right now. Please tell me you understand and you know that I regret every horrible thing I said about you.” “I believe you, Stone. I understand.” Just then, my phone rang. Horrible, horrible timing. “Excuse me a minute,” I sighed, upset by the interruption. Stone nodded as I walked over to my phone. Even though I couldn’t see him and I refused to look in the mirror, I could feel his eyes on me the entire time. I picked up my phone, looked at the display, and answered. “Hey Deacon.” “Why didn’t you call me?” he asked his greeting. “I’m sorry?” I responded, caught off guard by what sounded like anger in his voice. “Just got off the phone with Vaughn a few minutes ago and he told me what happened. Why didn’t you call me?” “For what? What would you have done?” “I would have been there for my sister is what I would have done. Monroe, I can’t

fucking believe some guy essentially called you a whore and you didn’t call your big brother.” “Vaughn was here; I was fine.” “Not according to Vaughn, you weren’t. And, if he hadn’t been there I’m not convinced you would have called us anyway. All the shit that happened leading up to this weekend and we didn’t know anything about it. Hell, Monroe, some shit happened before you even fucking moved and you didn’t tell us. What the fuck, kid?” “I’m sorry, Deacon. It’s all new stuff to me and I’m doing my best trying to figure out how to handle it all. You know I don’t have much experiencing dealing with this type of thing, mostly because I’ve never been given that opportunity, no thanks to the three of you. I need to try to clean up my own messes.” “This isn’t a mess, Monroe. And you shouldn’t have to worry about cleaning anything up. You should be home with us so we can make sure this doesn’t happen to you.” Damn it. If Deacon was this fired up I was sure to be getting a call from Remi later. I was totally going to kick Vaughn’s ass the next time I saw him. “You can’t protect me for the rest of my life, Deacon. I’m going to be twenty-five this week; don’t you think it’s time I fight my own battles and take care of myself?” “No. I think it’s time someone treats you like the princess you are.” “Deac…” I whispered as I trailed off, not knowing what else to say to that. “I mean it. You deserve way more than it seems like you’ve been getting in the last few weeks. Had I known before you left that this was happening, I’d have brought your ass out there myself and made sure it was known that nobody makes my sister cry.” Yep. That was Deacon. He used intimidation to make sure nobody messed with me. I went on two dates ever in my life and each date was with a different person. I never got a second date because the guys were too scared of my brothers. Deacon was usually the ringleader of Operation Scare-All-of-Monroe’s-Potential-Suitors-Away. “That’s life, though,” I stated, knowing it was a lame excuse. “Not yours, Monroe Archer. The dreamer who has had stars in her eyes since she was a little girl wanting Prince Charming to come and sweep her off her feet. You’ve always been a princess, kid. Don’t settle for anything less than your prince.” It seemed like he needed a lesson in fairy-tales, too. I knew, though, that this wouldn’t be a wise thing to address now so I kept my mouth shut on that subject. “Okay. I’ll try to remember that.” “You better call me.” “I will,” I promised. “I’m fucking serious, Monroe. If I find out that someone makes you cry again and you don’t fucking call me, I’m not going to be happy.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll call you next time.” “There better not be a next time.” “I hope there isn’t either, but I promise to call you if there is,” I repeated, hoping I was reassuring him. He stayed silent so I continued talking. “Remi’s going to call me, too, isn’t he?” I asked. “I’m guessing that’s a safe assumption,” Deacon answered honestly. “Shit.” “We worry about you. You’re going to have to let him have his words. We aren’t calling to upset you. It just doesn’t feel good to us to know we aren’t there for you when you need us. And considering you don’t call us when shit happens it makes us even more pissed. I’ll reach out to Remi after I hang up with you. Tell him to give you some time before he calls you.” “I’d appreciate that. And, I understand your concerns, Deacon. I’ll call next time. Thank you for looking out for me.” “Love you, kid.” “I love you, too.” I disconnected the call and dropped my head back to look up at the ceiling. I closed my eyes and took in my conversation with Deacon. “I’m sorry for that, too.” I whirled around. I was so caught up in the lashing I was getting from Deacon I forgot Stone was standing there. I pulled my brows together at his statement and instead of asking him what it meant I began defending myself. “Just so you know, Deacon is my brother.” He winced. “I figured that much.” “I didn’t want you to get the wrong impression so I thought it best to tell you.” “I’m sorry for what I said, Monroe. I know it may not seem that way after what you heard me say, but I don’t think that of you.” Since I was already having a hard time keeping it together I looked away. If I continued to look in his sad, blue eyes I knew it’d make me cry. I hated that the thought ever crossed his mind enough for the words to ever be said. “That’s what hurt the most,” I admitted. “What?” he asked. “When you walked out of Lou’s after karaoke, I felt like I was nothing. That hurt. Last weekend, when you told me you couldn’t pursue anything with me after you kissed me, that really hurt. But, when you basically called me a whore Friday night in front of

everybody, that was like shoving a knife in my heart and twisting it. Anyone else, I wouldn’t have cared. But you? I hate that you think that of me.” “I know. I’m sorry. I feel like I keep saying that, but I don’t know what else to say. I don’t think you’re a whore, Monroe. We aren’t together, so who you sleep or slept with is none of my business. I’m no saint, trust me. It was wrong for me to make assumptions when I heard you on the phone with your brothers, obviously not knowing that that’s who they were, and as a result I made a huge mistake.” What was I supposed to say to that? “So, what now?” I quizzed him. Stone’s eyes searched my face a moment before he shared, “I’d like you to do something with me that I’ve never done with a woman before.” My heart rate picked up. “Will you let me take you out for dinner tonight?” he pleaded. I froze. My body was immobile. Xander Stone just asked me out to dinner. Tonight. “You mean, you want to take me on a date?” I asked, the shock in my voice obvious. “Yes, Monroe. I want to take you out on a date.” I tilted my head to the side, contemplating what he said before he asked me, and realized I was intrigued. “Wait, you’ve never gone on a date?” I challenged. He shook his head and explained, “Not on a pick-the-girl-up, take-her-to-dinner, and make-out-in-my-truck-afterward date.” I bit my lip. The promise of making out with him again had all my senses firing. “And you are sure you want to do that with me tonight?” I confirmed. He dipped his chin in acknowledgement. And because I was a sucker for punishment I continued asking questions. “All of that?” He nodded again. This time, his blue eyes were swirling with an intense heat in them. “If I say yes, will you promise to not rip my heart to shreds again?” I asked, really hoping he didn’t take offense to it. “I ripped your heart to shreds?” he countered, incredulously. “Would you prefer I said shattered it into millions of tiny pieces?” I answered. A look of defeat washed over his face. “I’m sorry for that. I can’t promise what will happen down the road, but I will promise you that I will do my very best to treat you the way you deserve to be treated. I won’t intentionally hurt you.” I needed to protect my heart. He had already hurt me, Nikki told me to be careful and guard my heart, and I really didn’t want to have to make good on my promise to call Deacon if Stone made me cry. Even though I knew there was the chance that I’d

experience more heartbreak the possible reward of finding a real love made the risk worth it. “Okay. Then yes, I will go out on a date with you tonight.” He ended up blinding me with his smile next and, I couldn’t help it, I smiled back at him. “Fuck,” he began. “It feels good to see you smile again.” “It feels good to have something to smile about,” I responded. “But I have a question.” “Sure, what’s up?” “What should I wear tonight?” He smirked and expressed, “I’d be more than happy seeing you in this the rest of the night.” I looked down at myself and back up at him. “You aren’t serious?” Stone chuckled and maintained, “Well, yeah. I’d love to see you in that the rest of the night. You look fucking amazing and though I might spend most of the night in pain, I’m certain it’ll be more fun when we get to the making out in my truck part of the date.” “Why would you be in pain?” He cocked an eyebrow and questioned, “Seriously?” “Yeah,” I answered honestly. “Angel, I’m in pain right now just standing here seeing you like this. Not only do you look hot as fuck, but the innocent act is too fucking adorable.” He snaked an arm around my waist and pulled me next to his body. I felt his arousal between us. It was the second time I’d ever felt that. Realization dawned on me and I understood what he meant. “Oh,” I whispered. “Yeah. Oh,” he began. Keeping me pressed to his solid body he explained, “I think it might be frowned upon in most respectable restaurants for you to show up in your underwear.” I gasped. “This isn’t underwear! These are dance shorts.” “Right,” he said as though he didn’t believe what I was saying. “Okay, then I don’t think they’ll go for dance shorts either. Wear whatever you are comfortable in. If you go casual, I’ll take you to a laidback restaurant. You want to get dolled up, I’ll take you somewhere fancy.” “Alright, then. I would like to get fancy. I won’t ever get the opportunity again to be your first. I think that means it’s worth making it special.” He grinned at me and revealed, “Fuck, you’re cute.” I gave him a big smile.

“Can I kiss you before I leave?” I nodded. Stone brought his mouth down to mine and teased my lips with his. Both of my hands were pressed against his chest, so I slid one up and wrapped it around the back of his neck. I pushed up on my toes and kissed him. My other hand took the same journey and met with the other at the back of his neck before sliding further up into his hair. I wasn’t sure if I was doing any of this right, but it felt good to me. Stone’s arms, which were both wrapped around me, separated. One hand traveled up my back to the back of my head. The other began traveling south. I loved the feel of his hands on my body and was seriously turned on. As our tongues tasted each other and my body reacted to everything I was feeling, I moaned. That must have been encouragement for Stone because his hand that had been resting just above my ass drifted down to cup my ass and squeeze it. That’s when he groaned. This was incredible. It was the most wonderful thing I’d ever felt in my entire life. I was thoroughly enjoying kissing Stone when he tore his mouth from mine. His intense eyes looked at mine and he promised, “Looking forward to more of that tonight.” “Yeah,” I whispered. “Me, too.” Stone gave me a quick kiss on the forehead and advised, “I’ll pick you up at your place at six.” I nodded. With that, he turned around and walked out. The minute I heard the door chime indicating he walked out, I turned and ran to my phone. I found the number I was looking for and tapped on the screen. It rang three times. “Hey, babe, what’s up?” Nikki answered. “Where are you?” I asked, panicked. “At the salon. Aren’t you next door?” I was talking a hundred miles a minute when I explained, “Stone was just here. He brought me a bouquet of primrose flowers, told me he was sorry again, told me he couldn’t live without me, and then asked me if I’d do something with him that he’s never done with another woman.” “Which was?” “Go out on a date. A real date, though. The kind where you pick up the girl, take her to dinner, and make out with her in your truck afterward.” “What did you say?” “Yes.” Nikki gasped. “When?” “Six o’clock tonight.”

“Get your ass home. I’ll call Charley; you call Emme. Tell her to meet us at the condo for an emergency meeting. Tell her what you just told me. She’ll bring chocolate, I’m sure, to help with this. I’m following right behind you.” “Okay, Nikki. Thanks.” “Love you, babe. See you at home.” “Love you, too.” I disconnected with Nikki, threw my sweats, t-shirt, and sweatshirt back on, grabbed my things, and locked up. The minute I got to the car, I put my earbuds in, called Emme, and drove to the condo. I told Emme what was happening and she said she’d be there in less than an hour. I pulled my earbuds out of my ears, cranked up my music, and tried to remain calm about the fact that I was going to get to make out with Stone in his truck tonight. It didn’t work.

Chapter 8 Monroe “So, what is the consensus on the sex talk? Do I tell him I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing?” I was sitting in the family room of the condo surrounded by my three best girls. Fifteen minutes after I arrived home, Nikki walked through the door. Ten minutes after that, Charley and Emme showed up. I told them everything that happened today. Of course, they all already knew what happened last Friday and Emme got a bit of an update on the flower deliveries yesterday when Vaughn and I were over snowmobiling with her and Zane, but I brought them up to speed on the text from last night, the flowers from this morning, and the talk I had with Stone at the studio. “I think you should tell him,” Emme suggested. “What?!” Nikki shrieked, outraged. “He should know. If he doesn’t know and things start to get out of control, he could hurt her,” Emme retorted. “I agree,” Charley chimed in. “We want this to be good for her. If it’s painful, it’s not going to be enjoyable.” I was getting nervous. “How much pain are we talking here?” I asked anxiously. “That all depends,” Nikki answered. “Factors to consider in the pain department are how tight you are, how large he is, are you wet enough—” “Okay, stop,” Emme cut Nikki off. “We don’t want to freak her out.” “I know I don’t have anything to compare to and I haven’t actually seen anything, but I felt him today…and last Saturday,” I started. “I’m thinking there’s enough there to make it painful.” “So, tell him,” Charley offered. “Don’t make a big deal of it and start talking about it in the middle of dinner, but if things start to get heated you should tell him.” Nikki started again. “Normally, I’d not agree with this, but the more I think on it the

more I’m leaning toward it being better for you to tell him. With everything that has happened up to this point between you two, I don’t think it’ll be good for him to learn he’s hurt you yet again.” “Right, okay. So, when the moment is right I’ll tell him. What about…” I started, trailing off. “What about what?” “I don’t know what I’m doing. What if he thinks I’m awful? Oh my God, what if he thinks I’m bad in bed? I mean, I can’t exactly be good, or even half decent, considering I’ve never done it before. What if it’s not good for him? I really, really want it to be good for him.” Charley spoke to try and settle me down. “It will be good for him. You don’t have to plan it out, honey. Just do what feels right to you…whatever comes naturally. Stone will let you know if he likes something you’re doing.” “Yep,” Nikki chimed in. “If you do something to him and you hear moaning and groaning, that’s indication you should keep doing whatever it is. Use your hands and mouth to explore him; he’s not going to not enjoy that. You’re a dancer, you know how to use your body…use that to your advantage.” “Aside from that, let him take the lead. I believe he’s a good guy, Monroe. If he knows your inexperience going into this he’ll guide you and make it good for the both of you,” Emme added. “You think?” I worried. “We don’t think, mama, we know. Just relax and enjoy tonight for what it is. If it’s just dinner and making out in his truck, enjoy it completely. If it’s more than that, and it’s what you want, go for it and relish the experience. I don’t think you’re going to be disappointed either way.” “I hope you’re right.” She winked at me and asserted, “I am, trust me.” “Thanks, girls. I’d be lost without the three of you,” I admitted. “Don’t sweat it, honey. Besides, you’ve been there for each of us at one time or another, which reminds me that I need to ask you all a huge favor,” Charley said. “What’s up?” Nikki asked. “Wes and I set a date for the wedding. We wanted to wait until the season was over and it’s going to be at the end of June.” “There’s not much time left.” “I know,” Charley responded. “That’s why I was hoping we could all go wedding dress shopping in two weeks.” “I’m in,” I answered. “I’m so happy for you, babe. You’re going to be married in a few short weeks; that’s crazy!”

Nikki and Emme agreed to wedding dress shopping next weekend after which the four of us had a late lunch. I didn’t eat a lot since I was going to be leaving soon for my dinner date with Stone. After we ate, talked for longer than we should have, and cleaned up, I realized I didn’t have a whole lot of time left before Stone would be there to pick me up. I told the girls I was going to take a shower and needed them to pick something out for me to wear. They got to it while I hauled my ass into the shower and did my business. It took longer than I had wanted, but I figured it was crucial that I shaved everywhere considering the possibilities that were ahead of me this evening. When I got out, I put my lotion on, wrapped my satin robe around me, walked back into my bedroom, and saw that the girls had everything ready. They didn’t give me much time to analyze their selections because Nikki immediately went about the business of hair and makeup while Emme took to giving my nails a fresh coat of polish. “He liked my hair on Friday,” I told Nikki. “Of course he did. You always look smoking hot, but when you actually fix your hair you’re a knockout. I’ll get you sorted, babe. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure his dick’s hard the moment he sees you. Now shush and let us work.” Nikki. The girl had no filter. I laughed inwardly at my outspoken friend. It’s one of the things I loved most about her. She was who she was and made no apologies for it. Roughly an hour later, I had my nails painted, my makeup done, and my hair fixed. Nikki gave me an ultra-sexy look with the makeup, but it wasn’t overdone. She put the curls in my hair, which gave it a bit of volume. Charley had sorted my outfit and picked out my heather gray, boat neckline, off-the-shoulder, dolman-sleeved, body-con mini dress. It ended just above mid-thigh and she paired it with my over-the-knee black stiletto boots. “You have five minutes before he gets here. You’ve got to get dressed,” Emme informed me. “Shit. I only have five minutes left?” I asked, starting to panic. “Relax, honey,” Charley began. “You don’t want to be in a state when he arrives.” We heard a knock at the door. “Make that zero minutes before he arrives,” Nikki laughed. “No worries. Get dressed. We’ll entertain him until you are ready.” “I feel sorry for him already,” I mumbled. The girls walked out of my bedroom while I rummaged through my panty drawer. I wanted to wear a pretty set in case Stone was going to see them. I may not have ever had a reason to wear pretty or sexy undergarments, but that didn’t mean I didn’t own them. Nobody was seeing them, but I knew what I had on and they made me feel good, so I always bought them for myself. I still had a bit of a tan from when I lived in California, so I went with my white satin and lace-trimmed bra and panty set. After, I put on my dress, got on my boots, and put a pair of diamond studs in my ears. They were my

favorite earrings; my parents gave them to me on my twenty-first birthday. I went and stood in front of the mirror to give myself one last look before I took off down the hall. As I approached I heard Stone saying, “You have my word.” When I stepped into the family room I took in the scene. Nikki was standing in front of Stone, her back to me, Charley and Emme were standing off to the side. They were able to see both Nikki and Stone, as well as me. Stone’s eyes left Nikki’s and came to mine. They traveled the length of my body. “Fuck,” he muttered under his breath. Nikki turned and winked at me. “She looks hot, doesn’t she?” Stone’s eyes never left mine when he whispered, “Fire.” I felt my face flush at his admission that I looked good. And, it seemed he had no issues with admitting it in front of my friends. “Ready, angel?” he asked, his voice sweet. I nodded, grabbed my coat, which one of the girls must have pulled out for me, and walked toward him. He put an arm around me and guided me toward the door. Just as we reached the door, Nikki called out, “Have fun, kids.” Stone chuckled, opened the door, and let me walk through ahead of him. We made our way to his truck, where he opened the door and helped me in before rounding the front and getting in on the opposite side. The second he closed his door and turned on the truck, he shifted in his seat to look at me. “You look beautiful, Monroe,” he complimented, as his hand reached out to grab a lock of my hair. I smiled at him. “Thank you. I had a little help.” He laughed, put the truck in gear, and pulled out of the parking lot. Stone drove us to an upscale seafood and steakhouse restaurant, a place like nothing I’d ever been taken to before. We were seated immediately, as Stone had made reservations, and quickly gave our order to the waiter. “So how bad was it?” I asked. “What?” he countered. “I’m guessing Nikki, Charley, and Emme gave you the third degree.” He smirked and shook his head. “Crazy women. Charley opened the door and greeted me. Told me I was early, but that you were just about ready. Emme walked up to me and said that she was happy that we got things sorted. She told me she hopes everything works out well for us. Nikki is something else, though. She walked right up to me and said that she was going to tell me the same thing she told Wes when he first started seeing Charley.” “Which was?”

“Nikki basically told me that if I break your heart she is going to kick my ass.” “I wouldn’t shrug that off. She’s completely serious,” I warned him. “I have no plans to break your heart, Monroe, so that’s why I’m shrugging it off.” “Oh, well, there’s that option, too.” “She asked me to treat you with the respect you deserve and I gave her my word that I would.” I couldn’t help but smile. I loved Nikki. She was a fierce little fighter and she was so protective over those she loved. “She’s good to have around,” I admitted. “Though, you should consider yourself lucky. You only had the girls to deal with. Nikki might have been a tough one, but if my brothers were here I’m not sure this date would have happened.” “They are protective of you,” he acknowledged. I nodded. Shortly thereafter, our waiter arrived with our food. Stone and I had an effortless conversation. We took some time getting to know one another. He asked me questions about my life growing up and seemed genuinely interested in learning about me. “So, dancing?” he asked as though it were a question. “Yep, the love of my life. I’ve been doing it since I was three years old. Fell in love, never stopped.” He shook his head. “What?” I asked. “Dancing is like a foreign language to me. I have no problem watching, but I’m certain I’ll look ridiculous if I do it. Besides, I’m not sure I understand what you get out of it.” “Dance is storytelling in the physical form. You find the right song to convey the message you want to deliver and you combine that with movement…it can be nothing short of amazing.” His face grew pensive, but he said nothing. “If you want to learn, I’d be happy to show you some moves,” I joked. “I’ve seen your moves; I’m not sure I’d do them justice. And, I’m definitely sure that nobody would want to see my moves.” “I would,” I answered, referring to something completely different, but certain Stone didn’t pick up on it. “Were you storytelling last Sunday?” he asked. I gave him a confused look as I thought back to Sunday. I realized he was referring to that morning when he stood outside the room while I danced. “Yeah. I was in a good mood that morning and needed to get out what I was feeling,”

I said. “It was about you, you know?” He nodded and asked, “What about after you asked me to leave? Was that song and dance about how you were feeling about me?” My eyes drifted away from his and down to the table. I thought about it. I remembered dancing for hours that day to the same song and having multiple breakdowns. When I brought my eyes back to his I answered honestly and whispered, “Yeah.” Then, it dawned on me that I didn’t dance until after he left. How did he know? I was about to ask him when he spoke, “I came back. I hated leaving you that day knowing I’d upset you. I walked in, but your music was so loud you never heard me which, by the way, is something we’ve got to discuss. I stood outside the room and watched you dance to that song three times before you fell to the floor in tears. I hated it, Monroe. I understand what you mean when you say you tell a story when you dance because I felt everything you said with your body and that song that day. I’m sorry for hurting you like that, but you’ve got to know, it was beautiful to watch you.” I sat there, unmoving. I couldn’t believe he had come back in that day and watched me dance. My eyes searched his face looking for something, though, I wasn’t sure what. “Just thought you should know. Which brings me to my next thing. You’ve got to do something about the fact that you can’t hear anyone coming into your place. You are there alone right now and it’s not safe for you to leave the door open and the music blaring. Anyone could come in and you’d never know it.” “Do you think I have something to be worried about there?” I asked. “Your studio isn’t in a bad area, but you still need to be careful. I’d feel better, and I’m sure your brothers would too, knowing that you weren’t alone in your place with people being able to just walk in without you knowing it. If you’re cool with it, I’d like to talk to Zane’s brother, Levi, to see if he can recommend something for your situation. He can probably have one of the guys come over and put in a system that will allow you to play your music as loud as you do and not miss any potential clients by having the doors locked, but also make sure that you’re safe at the same time.” I knew Levi. I’d met him once at Charley and Wes’ house the day I learned about Emme’s rape. Of course, the reason he was there was because Emme was having roundthe-clock coverage from Levi or one of the guys from his private investigations firm when Zane needed to be away from her to train for the US Open. Levi and his guys were also the reason Emme was found so quickly after her ex kidnapped her a few weeks back. I also saw Levi the day of Emme’s birthday celebration at Lou’s when I did karaoke. “Sure, if you think it’s a good idea I’m cool with it.” He smiled at me and nodded. “I’ll call him tomorrow morning.” From there, Stone and I moved the conversation to him. He told me about his snowboarding career and how it all started when he, Luke, Zane, and Wes were younger. They were all very close and it reminded me of the relationship I had with Nikki, Emme, and Charley. I loved that he had that. As it turned out, Stone had a contest he was going

to be competing in in four weeks. He asked me, if I didn’t already have plans, to go watch him. I agreed. We finished dinner and dessert. Stone paid the bill and held my hand as we walked out to his truck. It was the perfect fairy-tale definition of a first date. He helped me into the truck and then rounded it and got in. He looked over to me and my belly started feeling funny. It was better than all the other belly feelings I had experienced lately. My eyes dropped to his lips. They looked deliciously juicy and I wanted them on me. “Monroe?” he called, snapping me out of it. My eyes shot to his and even though it was dark out I could see his were smiling at me. “See something you like?” he asked. “Yeah,” I replied, my voice raspy. He reached a hand out, grabbed a lock of my hair, and said softly, “I think we’ve made it to the making out in my truck part of the date.” “I’ve never done this before so I’m not sure how it works,” I admitted. “A first-timer then? Just like me. I guess we’ll have to figure it out as we go.” “Okay.” “Come over here, angel,” Stone whispered as he moved his hand from my hair to my waist and pulled me over the center console into his lap. No sooner was I in his lap when he was crushing his mouth to mine. One of my hands immediately went to his hair while the other went behind his neck. Stone brought one of his hands behind my back while the other went to my thigh. My special spot quivered at the touch of his incredible hands on the bare skin of my leg. The kiss grew more intense as our tongues explored and tasted each other. Stone’s hand at my thigh moved up and was now resting at a spot where my dress had previously covered. As we continued to kiss, Stone’s hand didn’t stop. It continued to move up and toward the back of my leg, now resting at the spot just beneath my ass. His fingertips were so close to my special spot that I whimpered. He pulled his mouth from lips, but his face was within inches of mine. He didn’t say anything and I didn’t want him to stop kissing me so I moved forward just a bit to brush my lips against his before bringing my tongue out to tease him. He groaned. “What do you want, Monroe?” he asked. “I don’t want this date to end,” I whispered back, my statement sounding more like a plea. “You want to go back to my place?” I nodded. He kissed me quick on the lips and ordered, “Get back in your seat and buckle up.” “Okay.”

Stone helped me over the center console again before he started the truck up. I buckled my seat belt and we took off. Stone’s hand rested high up on my inner thigh, his fingers only inches away from a place where I’d never been touched by a man. He kept his hand there the whole way to his place while I struggled to remain calm about what was ahead.

Chapter 9 Monroe I loved Stone’s hands. They were perfection. One of them was also still on my thigh and his thumb was stroking back and forth. I wanted to squeeze my legs tighter together to relieve the ache I felt between them, but I didn’t. I was struggling to breathe. Stone and I remained silent on the drive to his place. The anticipation of what was to come had the both of us lost in our own thoughts. Of course, I didn’t know what Stone’s thoughts were in that moment, but I knew I had millions running through my mind. How would he react when I told him the truth? Would he still want me with my inexperience? Would it hurt? Would I be any good? What if he didn’t like it? How would it feel to have his hands and mouth on my body? Would he ever love me? Stone turned the truck into a driveway and my nerves went into overdrive. It was dark out now so I couldn’t see much. As we approached the home, Stone pushed a button to open the garage door. He pulled into the middle bay of the three-car garage with his hand still on my thigh. After the truck came to a stop, Stone turned it off, squeezed my thigh, and said, “I’ll come around to help you out.” His hand left my thigh and he was out of the truck. I couldn’t have moved on my own even if I wanted. My leg was on fire. The spot where his beautiful hand had been resting was scorching. And my belly felt funny. It was crazy to me that I had been performing dance routines on stages for twenty-two years and I never felt anything close to the anxiety I was currently feeling. My door opened and Stone held his hand out to me. I put my hand in his, shifted in my seat, and stepped out of the truck. After guiding me into the house, Stone asked, “Would you like something to drink?” I looked up at him and shook my head. He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me into his body. Stone took my purse from my hand, tossed it on the counter, and brought his hands to the front of my jacket. My jacket was pushed down my arms and ended up on top of my purse. Before I could take in any of my surroundings, Stone’s hands went under my arms and lifted me clean off the floor like I weighed no more than a feather. He set me down on the kitchen counter and went to work on removing my boots next. Once both boots were gone, his magical hands came back to rest on the skin just above my knees. He applied gentle

pressure there and said, “Open for me, Monroe.” I opened my legs. My breathing grew shallow as Stone put himself in the space between them and pulled me close to him. “Wrap your legs around me and hold on,” he instructed. I did as he requested. One of his arms wrapped around the middle of my back while the other went to support my weight at my bottom as he lifted me off the counter. His baby blues never left my eyes as he began walking. I couldn’t take in any of his home because I was so hypnotized by the look in his eyes. I only noticed the movement of him climbing the stairs. The next thing I knew I was being put down on my back in a bed and Stone came to hover over me. He kept his gaze on my face a minute before he brought his mouth to mine. And that’s when it happened. Everything suddenly became frantic. His lips on mine, his tongue against my tongue and his hands roaming my body from my outer thigh up along my hip and abdomen and over the curve of my breast. It felt incredible. Nobody had ever touched me there. I began using my hands to explore him, but hated not being able to touch his skin. I wasn’t sure if I should, but I brought my hands to the hem of his shirt and ran my hands up along the skin of his muscled back. He felt unbelievable. Stone pulled away from me and for a moment I thought I had done something wrong, but his hand went behind his neck where he pulled his shirt over his head in one swift movement. My eyes made their journey over his body. Rippling abs, a solid, muscled chest, and beautiful shoulders and arms. The sight of his half naked body had me holding my breath. I couldn’t think or react before Stone’s hands came to the hem of my dress and began sliding it up my body. Before I realized what had happened, I was there in my bra and panties with Stone’s heated eyes roaming my body. “Christ, you’re beautiful,” he said, his voice hoarse. “Stone,” I whispered, realizing I was now way beyond the point where I should have told him the truth. He must have thought my saying his name meant that I needed him to come back to me because he was back over my body again and his head was buried in my neck. His tongue came out to lick the skin on my neck before he kissed that spot. I was trying to regain some sense of control, but his naked torso against my mostly naked body was making it difficult. “I can’t wait to be inside you, Monroe,” he rasped. “Stone,” I called again. “Hm.” I forgot what I wanted. His mouth was trailing kisses down my chest and one of his hands was cupping my breast. The next instant I felt his mouth cover the other breast, only the lace from my bra

separating us. “Wait, Stone. Please, stop,” I barely managed to get out. He froze. His head came up and he looked at me. “You okay?” he asked. “I need to tell you something,” I confessed. His eyes held mine. “I want this to be good for you,” I continued. “Was I giving you any indication that it wasn’t already feeling very good?” Shit. This was difficult. “No, it’s just…I’ve never done this before.” His brows drew together and he gave me a confused look. “You haven’t done what before?” He was seriously going to make me say it? I brought one of my hands up between us and pointed back and forth between us before I admitted, “This. Us. What we’re doing now…and, um, what I’m pretty sure we’re about to do.” Realization dawned in his features and he asked, “Monroe Archer…are you telling me you’re a virgin?” I nodded. Stone’s eyes searched my face before they got a pained look in them and he pulled away from me. Suddenly, I felt very exposed and uncomfortable. I guess I got my answer. He was not okay with my inexperience. I didn’t know what to say, so I said nothing. “Fuck,” he all but roared as he sat on the edge of the bed with his legs now dangling over the side. I immediately shot up in the bed and was sitting upright. I thought I was nervous a little bit ago. Now, I knew I had no idea what nerves were because I was borderline frightened at his reaction. “I’m sorry,” I said quietly. His head snapped to me and he asked, “What are you apologizing for?” I shrugged my shoulders and explained, “You seem angry.” A look of remorse washed over his face. “Angel, I’m not angry with you. I said some horrible things about you a couple nights ago. I was already pissed at myself, but now, I feel like a pile of shit.” My voice was gentle when I spoke. “Stone, you made a mistake and you apologized.

I forgave you. Please don’t hold on to that.” He shook his head as he looked at me with soft eyes. “You really are an angel and I don’t deserve someone the likes of you.” I felt myself grow sad. Why did he think so little of himself? “They knew,” he said, softly. Confused, I asked, “What?” “On Friday, Wes and Zane both told me I’d fucked up, but just didn’t know it yet. Later that night when I came to your house and met Vaughn, I thought they knew that Vaughn and Remi were your brothers, but that wasn’t it. They knew about you, didn’t they?” I nodded. He shook his head and looked away. I felt my eyes get wet. “What’s going through your head?” he asked when his eyes finally came back to mine. “I ruined it,” I answered, my head dropping to my lap. “What?” “This. Here. Tonight. I shouldn’t have said anything and just hoped for the best.” “Monroe, look at me.” My head came up and I looked at him. “What you just shared with me is not something you don’t share. Fuck, if you hadn’t told me, I could have hurt you. Now that I know, this is going to go a whole lot differently.” Well there you go. This wasn’t going to happen. Damn. Shit. Fuck. Why’d I have to open my mouth? “You sure this is what you want?” “What?” I gasped, surprised at his question. “A girl doesn’t hold on to something like that for nearly twenty-five years to give it up to someone she doesn’t know much about. I don’t want you to do this because you think that it needs to happen. We can go slow and take our time getting to know each other. Then, if and when the time comes that you’re ready for it, we can take this next step. I don’t want you to rush this.” “I know this is what I want, Stone. I’ve never felt anything like I do when I’m around you and I want to experience this with you.” “Fuck,” he rasped out. “Can I ask you a question?” “Sure.”

“Just how much have you not done before?” “I have had two people kiss me. Once each. You and I did more in your truck than I’ve ever done with anyone else. What just happened now in this bed is a whole lot more than I’ve experienced before.” “Nobody has ever touched you?” he asked, shock in his voice. I shook my head. “Nobody but me,” I whispered. “And now, you.” “You want to be mine?” I nodded. “You know you can’t take it back once you give this to me?” I nodded again. He looked away. I gave him some time before I finally began to fret. “Are you worried?” “About what?” he replied. “That I’ll probably be bad at it.” His gaze shot to me. “Angel, there isn’t a fucking chance in hell that you’ll be bad at it.” “Then, why do you seem hesitant?” He took in a deep breath before he answered. “Aside from snowboarding, the last fourteen years of my life have pretty much been total shit. I’m having a bit of a hard time trying to wrap my head around the fact that someone like you wants me the way that you do. I’ve got some fucked up shit in my head. I know it and it’s only fair you are aware of it before anything else happens between us. I can’t make you promises of forever, angel. I won’t ever be able to give you forever. You want to hold on to the special part of you so that you can give it to someone who can give you forever, I understand that and I respect it.” I knew he was the one for me. He might not realize it or think it could happen, but I knew. I could feel it and that made me courageous. I shifted on the bed and crawled toward him. Once I made it to his side I pressed a kiss to his shoulder. I peppered kisses all along his shoulder and toward his neck. After I kissed up the side of his neck and stopped at his ear, I wrapped my arms around his chest and whispered, “I want to give this to you, Stone. More importantly, I want you to be the one to give this to me. You are everything I want.” He wrapped his hands around mine and squeezed. Turning his head toward mine, he looked in my smiling eyes a moment before he took my mouth. It was different this time. It was sweet and tender. There was no more frenzied panic to get to the finish line. My nerves were gone and I was filled with warmth. Stone twisted and gently laid me back on the bed. His body was hovering over mine

and he said, “Want to make this special for you, my angel. You trust me to give you that?” “Yes, I trust you.” “I’ll tell you what I’m going to do before I do it. If there’s something I do that you aren’t comfortable with, you tell me. If there is something you want, you tell me. Most important, and please hear me on this Monroe, if you change your mind at any point and want to stop, you tell me. Understand?” I nodded. He kissed me on the tip of my nose and said, “Good girl. Now, I want to take your bra and panties off and then I’m going to touch you and kiss you. Everywhere, angel. The first thing I’m going to do is make you come using my fingers because if it’s going to be your first time, I want to see that beauty.” I felt the wetness pool between my legs. Stone brought a hand down to squeeze my thigh. “Then, I’m going to put my face between these beautiful fucking legs, taste you, and make you come using my mouth.” My breathing grew shallow. “And last, Monroe, I’m going to put myself between your legs and make you come using what I’ve got here,” he explained as he pressed his erection against my body. “You good with all that?” My heart was beating so fast and I was burning up for Stone, but I was good with all that so I nodded. Then, I called, “Stone?” “Yeah?” “Will you tell me what I should do?” He grinned at me and insisted, “The only thing you need to do is enjoy it. Okay?” “Okay, but…” I trailed off. “But what?” “What about you? I want to do something for you. I want you to enjoy this, too.” “I plan to enjoy every single minute of this. You don’t need to worry about me. I promise you I’ll get everything I want out of this. You got something you want to do, go for it. If I’m not cool with it, I’ll tell you. Just sayin’, though, not sure there’s much you could do that I won’t be down for. Ultimately, just do whatever feels right to you.” “Okay,” I answered quietly. With that, he brought his mouth down to mine and kissed me on the lips while his hands roamed over my body. Both hands slid up my sides from my hips to my breasts. Those incredible hands moved to my back and lifted me slightly. In one quick movement, Stone unhooked my bra. He pulled his mouth away from mine and looked down at me as

his hands went to my shoulders. Stone’s fingers slipped under the straps of my bra and I began to tremble. “Are you okay?” Stone asked, his voice gentle. I nodded, biting my lip. Stone pulled the straps down my arms and removed the bra from my body. He took in my naked breasts a moment before he brought a hand up to one to squeeze it. He swiped his thumb across my nipple and then bent to suck it in his mouth. His tongue licked and tasted before moving to the other side. It felt so good; I couldn’t help but moan. Stone’s free hand trailed down the side of my body to my hip. He squeezed me there before his fingertips roamed further down my body traveling to just above my knee and very slowly back up my inner thigh. Within seconds, his hand was at my special spot cupping my sex. “Stone,” I rasped out. I began moving my hips against his hand, loving the feel of him touching me. Stone’s mouth began traveling down my abdomen. Just as he reached the top of my panties his hands went to either side of my hips and wrapped around the fabric there. I tensed briefly, but lifted my hips. Stone looked up at me as he slid my panties down my legs. It was an incredibly intimate moment for me. After he tossed my panties aside, Stone looked down at my body. I started to move my hands to cover myself when he captured me by the wrist. “What’s wrong?” “Nobody has ever seen me before. I feel embarrassed.” “Just relax. You’re beautiful, baby. There’s nobody else here but me and you don’t have to feel nervous or ashamed.” “Okay.” “Spread for me, Monroe.” I hesitated, but eventually separated my thighs a bit. Stone’s eyes went there. “Prettiest pussy I’ve ever seen. I can’t wait to taste you, angel, but first I want to watch you come apart for me.” I was still taking quick, shallow breaths. Stone’s hand came back to my sex and his fingers swiped through. “Soaked,” he said, his voice gravelly. His touch was gentle and felt incredible. I barely got used to the sensation I was experiencing when one of Stone’s fingers pushed inside me. It felt so good; I thought I would cry. Instead, I moaned. The moan that escaped from the back of my throat was loud. I couldn’t stop the moans coming from me because that finger began sliding in and out of my body. It felt too good and I thought I was going to burst at the wonderful sensations I was feeling. “Oh my God, this is amazing. I love your hands,” I marveled, completely out of

breath. Stone chuckled and carefully slid a second finger inside me. I felt fuller. I loved it. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, his free hand came up and wrapped around my breast. He gently pinched my nipple between his thumb and forefinger. “Oh,” I moaned. My hips began moving quicker. I felt a sensation building deep in my belly and knew something big was coming. I’m not sure if he realized it or just knew what was happening with my body, but Stone pressed his thumb to my clit. He worked me with his fingers not more than another minute before I moaned through my first orgasm ever given to me by someone else. The feeling that splintered across my entire body was like nothing I had ever felt before. Stone’s fingers slowed as I rode out the wave of pleasure. I began to come down from my orgasm when he spoke. “That was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” “It felt beautiful. Wow, that was amazing.” Stone brought his mouth down to kiss me. He pushed his tongue into my mouth. I took it and sucked. He groaned. When I released his tongue, he pulled his mouth away and said, “I want to taste you now. You good with that?” “Yeah,” I answered, still slightly out of breath. Stone shifted on the bed, settled between my thighs, and looked at me with a grin briefly before his head disappeared. Then, I felt his mouth on me. Oh. My. God. I thought his hands were great. They were. I really loved his hands. His mouth, though? I’m not sure there was anything better than his mouth. He kissed, licked, sucked, and tasted me. It was the biggest turn on for me to look down between my legs and see him there seeming to enjoy what he was doing to me. I didn’t know how it was possible, but within minutes I was already feeling an orgasm building. I fisted the sheets in my hands, preparing for the ride. “Stone. Your mouth. I love your mouth.” I felt him smile against my sex before he went back to work. Then, it happened again. Pleasure shot through my body and I was trying to hold back the sounds coming from me as Stone’s tongue pushed inside of me. He kept his mouth on me until I stopped writhing and my body went limp. I closed my eyes and shared, “Oh my. I really do love your hands…a lot. But your mouth. Wow.” When I opened my eyes, I saw Stone standing beside the bed in a pair of boxer briefs. I could see his arousal straining against the fabric. “Feeling good?” he asked. I sat up in the bed and took in his whole body. He had thick, muscled thighs and a strong, solid upper body. I had nothing to compare it to, but from what I could tell, he

seemed to be blessed in the manhood department. I looked up at him, my eyes questioning, and I asked, “May I touch you?” “I’ll never say no to that.” I shifted to my knees in the bed so that I was almost eye level with him. I brought my hands up to his chest and looked in his eyes briefly before directing my attention back to my hands. They roamed the solid planes of his chest and abdomen. I leaned forward and pressed kisses to his body. Not long after, I lowered myself back to rest my bottom on the heels of my feet. My hands were resting on his hips and I looked up at him. He nodded, understanding the question in my silent expression. Keeping one hand still on his hip, I moved the other to his hardened length. I wrapped my hand around him and gently squeezed. He groaned. I guess he must have liked me touching him. I slid my hand up and down his shaft and heard more noises coming from the back of his throat. It made me feel extraordinarily powerful. My hand left him and went back to his hips. I wrapped my fingers around the waistband of his boxer briefs and looked up at him. “Go ahead,” he encouraged me. I slid them down, revealing the prize underneath. He was beautiful. I got the briefs to about mid-thigh when Stone bent to help push them the rest of the way down his legs. When I wrapped my hand around him I looked back up at him. The heat in his eyes was undeniable. My gaze went back to his manhood and I saw a drop of wetness at the tip. I swiped my thumb over it as I licked my lips. Taking him in my mouth was something I wanted to do, but I was unsure of myself and of what to do. “I want that, Monroe,” he affirmed. I looked up at him. “I can see what you want to do. I want you to do that, but I’d rather do it another time. I’d like, if you are ready, to be inside you.” Another time. That sounded fantastic. The promise of more of this with him made me nod my head. I dropped my hand from him. Stone turned toward the nightstand, opened a drawer, and pulled out a gold foil packet. He tore it open and slid the condom over himself as I watched. Then, I was on my back and he was over me settling himself between my parted thighs. He brought his lips to mine and kissed me. While his hands framed my face, his tongue pushed past my lips and I tasted myself on him. When he pulled his mouth from mine, I felt the tip of him at my entrance. “You sure?” he asked, gently. “Yes.” Stone slowly pushed inside of me and stopped. This was already overwhelming. “You alright?” he asked.

“Mm hmm.” He pulled back, but stopped before he was completely out of me. “Oh, wow. That felt incredible,” I whispered. He smiled down at me. “Do you think you can handle more?” he asked. “What?” I answered, thinking all I wanted was for him to do that again. “That wasn’t all of me.” My eyes rounded. “I’ll go slow,” he reassured me. He started to push back in and stopped again. “More, handsome. I want you to keep moving.” “You’re so fucking tight, Monroe. I don’t want to hurt you. We have to go slow.” “I want to feel you move. I want to feel all of you. Please,” I begged, my voice a breathy whisper. Stone pulled back out again before he pushed forward. It wasn’t rough or fast, but it was steady and it was all of him. I let out a noise that was a combination of a cry and a moan. Or maybe, it was a cry followed by a moan. There was a mere second or two of sharp pain, but it was instantly replaced by the warmth and pleasure I felt being filled by him. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice rough and filled with concern. I brought my hands up to frame his face and as I looked in his swirling baby blue eyes I assured him, “The best I’ve ever been.” “Angel…” he trailed off. I lifted my head and brought my lips up to his to kiss him. When I pulled back he told me, “I want to move. You good with that?” “Absolutely.” And then he moved. He started slowly at first, pulling back and then pushing forward into me. It was beautiful and I couldn’t help but think that there was nobody else in this world with whom I would have rather shared this experience. Stone’s movements soon picked up from deliciously slow thrusts to slightly more hurried. It was even more amazing. How could I have been missing out on this all my life? I was completely lost in the pleasure Stone was giving me. I wanted him closer; I didn’t want him leaving me. I wrapped my legs around him and every time he pulled away I used my legs to pull him back toward me. A growl escaped him when I did this. I loved hearing it because it made me believe he was enjoying this just as much as I was. His hips began to power faster into me and I started lifting my hips to meet his. This

caused more noises to come from Stone. Unsure of how it was possible and too close to care, I was now on the verge of my third orgasm. I was moaning, my hands touching him everywhere, my legs keeping him close to me, and I loved everything about it. Stone’s thrusts picked up and one of his hands went to one of my breasts while the other rested at the side of my neck, his thumb occasionally swiping back and forth across the skin there. “Stone, oh God,” I cried out. “Take it, angel,” he demanded. I took it. I called out his name as I rode out the wave of pleasure Stone had just delivered to me and just as I finished, Stone called out, “Oh fuck, Monroe.” He came apart above me and I watched with avid fascination. He was unbelievably sexy and seeing him like that had me captivated. He collapsed on me briefly before rolling to his back and taking me with him. We stayed like that a bit, me on top of Stone with him still inside of me. My cheek was pressed to his chest and one of his arms was wrapped around my back. “How do you feel?” Stone’s gentle voice filtered into my ears. “I feel torn.” Stone’s body went solid. “Fuck, Monroe, are you serious? I’m sorry. Why didn’t you stop me and tell me I was hurting you? That’s why I wanted to go slow. Let me —” I lifted my face from his chest to look at him and cut him off. “No, handsome. That’s not what I meant. I meant that I feel indecisive. I keep changing my mind. You see, I love your hands. I’ve loved your hands since the first day I met you. Tonight, you touched me with those hands in places and ways nobody else ever has and it was the most incredible experience of my life. I was convinced they were the best part of your body. Then, you put your mouth on me and I realized that your mouth is pretty spectacular, too. So, I put your mouth in the running for the best part of your body. But now, I feel confused. I’ll be honest, I have a slight obsession with your hands, but I’m beginning to think that the best part of your body is the one that’s currently still inside me.” I felt Stone’s body vibrate beneath me. He was laughing. Seeing him like that filled me with a warmth I’d never felt before. “You are too fucking much,” he said through his laughter. He rolled to his side and explained, “Need to get this condom off. I’ll be right back.” “Okay,” I answered. Stone pulled out of me and knifed up off the bed. I watched his departing backside and realized even that was remarkable. He walked out of the bathroom a minute or two later carrying something. When he approached the bed, he sat on the edge next to me and twisted his upper body to face me. “Open your legs, angel,” he said, gently. “What?” I asked, slightly anxious.

“I want to make sure you’re okay. Let me take care of you there.” Hesitantly, I parted my thighs. Then, I saw and felt what Stone had carried out of the bathroom. A warm washcloth. An overwhelming feeling spread through my body. I watched Stone’s face as he focused his attention on tending to me. If I didn’t know or wasn’t sure before, I knew for certain now. In that moment, watching him take care of me, I fell in love. Deep, down-in-my-bones, all-consuming love. I was so sure of it because when I considered the thought of not having this, not having him, my heart ached. I felt the wetness leak from my eyes. “Does it hurt?” Stone asked, pulling me out of my thoughts. I shook my head. “Why are you crying?” “You made this perfect for me. From the second you picked me up at my place until now…it was all better than I could have imagined. Now I know why I waited this long; I was meant to have this with you. Thank you for giving this to me and for making it so special.” His face softened and, for a moment, I saw a vulnerability in his eyes I never saw before now. The hardness that was usually there had vanished. It only lasted a couple of seconds and then it was gone. “Honored that you chose me to give that to you, Monroe.” Stone tossed the washcloth to the side and moved himself in the bed. After turning out the light on the nightstand, he put his head on the pillow next to mine, rolled to the side, and turned my body before pulling it against his, my back to his front. “I want one more first with you tonight,” he stated. “What’s that?” I asked. “Having a woman spend the night with me.” I turned my head to look back at him. This information surprised me. Puzzled, I confirmed, “You’ve never had a woman spend the night?” “Not going to lie to you. Had lots of women, none of them spent the night. And, none of them were ever in this bed with me.” My body tensed at this news. I was the first woman he brought to his bed. The feeling that washed over me was indescribable. That’s when I knew. I was meant to have this with him. “Um, Stone?” I eventually called. “Yeah?” “You spent the night with me at Wes and Charley’s place back when Emme was kidnapped,” I reminded him. “I know, but that doesn’t count.”

“Why not?” I asked, intrigued. He kissed me on the shoulder and answered, “You weren’t mine then.” Heat spread through my body and I relaxed deeper into him. After several minutes of silence, I called, “Stone?” “Yeah?” “I was always yours.”

Chapter 10 Stone I was fucked. No, that’s not right. I was beyond fucked. And, it wasn’t in a good way, either. It was early Tuesday morning. I was on my side in my bed, my head propped up in my hand, and I was looking down at Monroe. She was still asleep. I’d never seen or met a woman more mind-blowing in all my life. She was incredibly beautiful, no doubts about that, but she was so much more than just a pretty face and a gorgeous body. This is precisely why I was beyond fucked. When I went to Monroe’s studio yesterday morning I didn’t know what to expect. I said horrible things about her Friday night and had been sending her flowers begging for forgiveness ever since. I’ll never forget that look on her face when she heard what I said. I’ll also never forget the way I felt when I realized what a mistake I had made. I showed up at her condo on Friday night to apologize. The moment she opened the door and I said I was sorry, tears fell from her eyes. Immediately, a cold feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. Seconds later, I saw a guy standing behind her. Seeing him took me back to the things I said at Lou’s. Was I right about her? The guy told me to not touch her. I didn’t, mostly because Monroe was upset and I didn’t want to make things worse. I ended up finding out that the guy was named Vaughn, which happened to be the name of one of the guys I thought she had been involved with at some point. Turns out, Vaughn is her brother. When I realized what I had done I wanted to kick my own ass. I vowed, right then and there, to make things right with her. I sent those flowers over the weekend, hoping she’d forgive me. I never heard from her. The look I saw on her face that night when I came to apologize is one I’ll never forget. Sadness and hopelessness. She couldn’t even look at me. I knew I needed to kick it up a notch because never talking to or seeing Monroe again wasn’t an option. After Nikki told me Monday morning that Monroe was still sleeping, I decided to leave the flowers with her. I was going to get more to deliver to her later that morning at her studio. Of course, I didn’t know for sure if she would be at the studio, but from what I knew about her, Monroe would need to dance. I was willing to take my chances. Walking into the studio yesterday morning I was greeted with blaring music. While I was concerned for her safety that she always had her music so loud, I couldn’t help but laugh to myself when I walked in. The good feeling was short-lived, though, as I walked

down the hall closer to where I knew I’d find her. I was fucking nervous. When I found her in the last room we painted together I nearly fell to my knees. She was wearing these tiny, black shorts and a purple sports bra. I had seen her in short skirts and dresses at Lou’s before, but seeing her like that in her studio threw me off kilter. Monroe’s body was flawless and it wasn’t making it any easier on me that she was using that body to dance at that moment. Monroe finally noticed me standing there. I apologized again and she admitted to me that she forgave me on Friday night. I felt such relief at hearing those words. I hadn’t planned on asking her to dinner that night, but since she seemed to be feeling gracious I decided it was best to act fast. She agreed to a date with me and I left her studio shortly thereafter. I didn’t want to give her the opportunity to back out of it. A couple hours later, on my way to pick her up, I had to admit I was a bit tense. My nerves weren’t about being around Monroe; I always felt comfortable around her. An official date with a woman was new experience for me. I never thought I’d ever have the desire to take a woman out to dinner, but as time went on I was finding that Monroe wasn’t like most women to me. I had a feeling, though, that I was setting myself up for disaster. Last night, I entered dangerous territory. After dinner, when Monroe told me she didn’t want the date to end I expected, coming back to my house, that we’d end up sleeping together. What I hadn’t expected was the bomb she dropped on me. I’d always seen little bits and pieces of naivety with her. She always seemed shocked by the fact I was turned on by her or that I found her beautiful. It wasn’t an act; her innocence was all real. I won’t lie. The minute she admitted to me that she was a virgin I had mixed emotions. Of course, the first thing that went through my mind was everything that happened on Friday night and everything I said about her. I was so fucking wrong. Once I apologized again to her for that, I ended up realizing that I needed to give her the truth. Monroe, if she chose to go ahead with things, was going to be the first woman I was with that meant more to me than just a one-night stand. I cared about her, but knew I’d never be able to give her forever. I thought she deserved to know that up front. As much as I wanted her, I would respect whatever she decided. Over the last couple of months, I always called Wes and Zane lucky bastards. They found great women in Charley and Emme. Last night, after giving her an out, Monroe still wanted to be with me. Now, I looked down at her still sleeping figure, curled up next to me in my bed, and realized I was the lucky bastard. What this woman saw in me I didn’t know, but I wasn’t going to question it. I’d give her what I could for as long as she wanted it. As I took in her delicate features, her button nose, her long lashes, and her plump, pink lips, Monroe began to stir. Her eyes fluttered open and I watched as she mentally recalled the events of yesterday. Realization dawned in her features and a smile spread across her face. She was staring at the wall of my chest and instinctively reached her hand up to touch me. Monroe’s fingers against my skin were like fire. I continued to feel her touch long after

her hands were no longer there. She closed the distance between us and shifted forward to press a kiss against my chest. Fuck. As she moved her hand up and over my side, she pulled her face from my chest and looked up at me. “Good morning, angel,” I said, smiling down at her. She gave me a huge smile before she announced, “Good morning, handsome.” Fuck. She was so damn beautiful and her morning voice was incredibly sexy. I brought my hand up to her throat and used my thumb and forefinger to hold her steady while I moved my mouth toward hers. I pressed a kiss to her lips and Monroe shifted her body closer to mine. From belly to toes, I could feel every inch of her. We continued to kiss and Monroe began rolling her hips against me. I groaned into her mouth just before pulling away from her lips. “Fuck, Monroe,” I growled, attempting to regain some control. “That’s quite the wake-up call you’ve got there.” She looked up at me, no longer sleepy. The look in her eyes were pure hunger. I wanted, more than anything else, to take this woman again, but I also wanted to make sure she was okay. “Are you feeling sore?” I asked. “A little,” she answered. “We’ll give you a day or two to recover then.” She nodded her agreement, but then a look washed over her face. She was pensive. “What’s going through your head right now?” I wondered. Her face flushed and she looked away. “Monroe?” Nothing. She wouldn’t bring her eyes to me. “Look at me, angel,” I coaxed, gently. She slowly brought her gaze to me before I encouraged her further, “Tell me.” Her eyes searched my face a moment before she spoke, “You made last night special for me. It was indescribably wonderful. I was just thinking that I’d like to do something special for you.” Fuck me. “You’ve got to know that giving me what you did last night was special to me,” I explained.

“I believe that,” she started. “But, that doesn’t mean I don’t want to try to do a little something extra for all of your efforts.” I gave her a smirk. “What did you have in mind?” I questioned. She pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth before she released it and answered, “I was wondering if you’d mind if I…explored your body a bit? I was thinking I could use my hands and maybe my mouth…if you are alright with it, that is.” “Is there some reason you think I would mind or that I wouldn’t be alright with that?” I asked. “Well, I’ve never done it before and I’m not sure I know what I’m doing,” she answered honestly. Damn it. I hated seeing her insecurity. “You were worried about the same thing last night.” Her eyes rounded. “Oh no,” she fretted, looking away. “Was it bad? I was so caught up in how good you made it for me that I didn’t even think to ask how it was for you. I…” I cut her off and turned her face toward mine. “Relax, Monroe. I wanted you to have last night. I’m thrilled to hear that you enjoyed it and that I made it something special for you. You were not even close to being bad. Honestly, and I want you to believe me when I say this, you are the best I’ve ever had.” Her lips parted in shock and disbelief. She was. I didn’t quite understand it myself considering she had no experience, but the girl was dynamite. Her body felt right, she knew how to use it, she responded to my touch, and I found myself anticipating all the rest of the ways I wanted to have her. I knew that it would only get better every time after that. “Really?” she asked. “One hundred percent serious. Blows my fucking mind, but it’s the truth.” “Wow,” she whispered, a small smile playing at her lips. A moment later she asked, “Would it be alright if I tried tasting you?” Fuck me again. “If that’s what you want to do, angel, I’m not going to stop you.” “Is there anything I should know or anything you don’t want me to do? I really want to make you feel good.” “Just watch the teeth. If you can handle that, I’m down for anything you want to give.” Her eyes, which were focused on mine, began drifting down my face, my throat, and

my chest. She brought her hand up to my chest and pushed against it urging me backward. I fell to my back as she shifted in the bed and brought her body over mine. Monroe started kissing me. First, she gave slow, closed-mouth kisses to my lips before her mouth started traveling down my body. Her tongue came out every so often to lick and taste the skin on my chest and abdomen while her hands roamed over every square inch of me. I was finding it more and more difficult to catch my breath. This woman would be my undoing. She had already accomplished that on more than one occasion, starting with that night she sang karaoke at Lou’s. I hardly recovered from that and I knew that where I was now was something I wasn’t going to get over so quickly. Monroe’s body was now settled between my thighs. Her hands were wrapped around my hips and she sat back on her heels to look up at my face. I’m sure she couldn’t miss the heat in my eyes. I wanted to feel her mouth wrapped around me and it was borderline torturous knowing she was that close and was making me wait. She gave me a sexy smile before wrapping her hand around my length. Her touch alone could bring me to my knees; I was certain that once she took me in her mouth I wouldn’t last long. Monroe lowered her mouth and covered the head of me with her lips. She pulled back and her pretty, pink tongue came out to taste me. Then, she took me in her mouth. She kept one hand wrapped around the root of my shaft while her mouth worked the length of me. I watched as she continued to suck and lick. At one point, she pulled her mouth from me, looked me in the eyes with a devilish grin and then took me back in her mouth. Fuck, I’d never had better than her. She was incredible. The best I’d ever had. I was fighting to stay in control when I heard her moan. The vibration nearly sent me over the edge, but when I looked down at her I was distracted. Monroe still had one hand wrapped around me while her other hand was on her own body. I watched as her hand moved from her breast down her abdomen and between her legs. Seeing her touch herself was too much; I wasn’t going to last much longer. “Angel,” I called, my voice rough. I’m not sure if she didn’t hear me or if she didn’t realize that I was calling her to warn her I was close because she continued doing what she was doing. “Monroe, baby, you’ve got to stop.” She stopped immediately and pulled back, but kept her hand on me. “Did I do something wrong?” she asked, innocently. “You’re fucking amazing with your mouth. I’m close to coming and don’t want to just do it in your mouth. You can use your hand and get me there, angel.” She pulled in her bottom lip and looked a bit nervous. I realized she wasn’t sure what to do. “Like this,” I showed her, wrapping my hand around hers and guiding her. She quickly took over.

Monroe used her hand and she was good at that, too. I watched as she stroked me and I encouraged her, “Touch yourself, too.” I was being selfish because I wanted to see that again. Monroe didn’t seem to have any inhibitions because the second the words were out of my mouth her hand was at her pussy. She worked the both of us and within minutes I noticed the change in her breathing. She was seriously turned on and close to coming. “Oh, God. Stone,” she managed to get out. “Come with me, Monroe.” That was it. She was moaning and coming apart as I did the same. Monroe worked us both through our pleasure and because she made it feel so good I struggled to keep my eyes focused on her. We both came down, but Monroe’s petite hand was still wrapped around me. Her hand had stilled and her eyes came to mine. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. “You are so damn sexy,” I admitted. Her eyes dropped from mine in embarrassment. I sat up and grabbed the washcloth I tossed to the side after tending to Monroe last night and cleaned myself off. After quickly taking care of the mess on my abdomen, I held my hand out to her. “Come here, angel,” I said, softly. She avoided my eyes, but placed her hand in mine and crawled back up the bed. I fell back on the pillow and took her with me. With her cheek pressed to the side of my chest and one of her legs thrown over my thigh, I kept my arm wrapped around her back. I began running the fingers of my other hand through her hair. “I’m trying to figure out why you’re embarrassed,” I shared, hoping she’d explain it to me. Her body tensed, but I continued running my fingers through her hair to relax her. “I’m sorry,” she began. “It’s just that this is all very new to me. In the moment, I’m so consumed by everything I’m feeling it’s like there is nothing stopping me from doing everything you want me to do.” “Monroe, I’ve got to know that you aren’t doing things that make you uncomfortable just because I asked you to do them. You don’t ever do anything that makes you uncomfortable, no matter if it’s me or someone else that’s asking you.” “It’s because it’s you that I’m comfortable, Stone. I don’t want someone else asking me to do any of this because I don’t want it with anyone else.” Now it was my turn to tense. Fuck. Monroe felt it because she lifted her head from my chest and looked up at me. I didn’t say anything and I saw the disappointment flicker in her eyes. There was this cold,

hard truth between us. She didn’t want it with anyone else because she only wanted me. I, oddly enough, only wanted her, but I wouldn’t be able to give her everything she wanted…everything she deserved. Looking at her sad expression I realized I wasn’t lucky; I was selfish. It’s worth it. The random thought filtered in and out of my mind quickly. “It’s okay, Stone,” she said, pushing through it and likely seeing the remorse on my face. “You were very clear about things and I understand where you’re at with this. I’m just telling you how I feel.” I nodded to her and gave her a squeeze because I didn’t trust myself to say anything. I’d hurt her enough and didn’t want to make this worse. I knew it was already going to be bad; I just didn’t know how to stop what I shouldn’t have allowed to start in the first place. “Can I ask you a question?” “Sure,” I said. “I know forever is not on the table, but I just…well, I guess I’m wondering if last night was a one-time thing for you?” “I hope it wasn’t.” “So, you want to be with me again?” “Already told you we’d give you a day or two to recover. I thought that indicated there’d be another time.” “Right. Okay. So, between now and then will you…um, actually, never mind.” I gave her a gentle squeeze again. Something was bothering her. “Talk to me, Monroe.” She hesitated and took in a deep breath. “I don’t know what to call this thing between us. Are we friends with benefits? Fuck buddies? Will you…will you have other women to fill in the days that…” I pressed a finger to her lips to stop her. She was so worried that she wouldn’t be enough, that she didn’t mean anything to me. The more she spoke the more rigid her body became. I wanted to quell that fear. “I don’t know what to call this either. I’m dealing with a lot of firsts when it comes to you and I’ve never explored anything like this before you. Told you yesterday that I’m going to do my best to not hurt you and that I’m going to try to treat you the way you deserve to be treated. Fucking other women at the same time we’re exploring what this is between us is doing the exact opposite of what I said I would do. So, if there are nights you and I aren’t spending together you don’t need to worry that I’m spending them with someone else. When it gets to a point where I feel like that’s where I need it to go, I’ll come to you first.” She let out a breath and her body relaxed.

“Thank you, Stone.” I decided to change topics. “So, when is the actual big day?” I asked. Her brows drew together. “What big day?” “Your birthday. Yesterday, I heard you tell your brother that you were going to be twenty-five this week. What day is it?” “Thursday.” “Planning anything special?” She shook her head and stated, “The girls are going to take me out this weekend, but nothing otherwise.” “Well, if you’ve got nothing else planned I’d love to spend your birthday with you,” I admitted. She jerked her head back at my statement and exclaimed, “You would?” “Are we exploring this?” I asked. She nodded. “Then, I’d like to spend your birthday with you.” A smile, the likes I’d never seen before, spread across Monroe’s face. “I’d love that,” she grinned before she rested her cheek back on my chest. We stayed like that for a while in silence. I was surprised at the fact that not only did I want to do it, but also that I enjoyed it. I held her because it felt so fucking good to have her in my arms while she ran her fingertips back and forth across a small patch of skin on my chest. I liked having her near me. There was something about her that made me feel content. After a bit, I finally spoke. “Angel?” I called. She lifted her head and rested her chin on my chest. “What do you have planned for today?” “Was just going to head over to the studio and do some dancing. I’ve been putting the word out about the grand opening and have had a lot of interest. A lot of people have emailed about classes, too. I want to be there in case anyone stops in. I hired my first employee last week, but I still need a receptionist and I’d like another instructor eventually.” “We can talk to Lexi,” I suggested. I felt Monroe’s body go solid. “Lexi?” “Luke’s sister. She’s in college right now, but about to graduate. She stayed local. Luke said she’s been looking for something in her field, but she hasn’t found anything

yet. She might be interested in working for you in the interim.” Monroe’s body relaxed. “That would be awesome.” “I’ll arrange it for you.” “Thanks.” I gave her a smirk and asked, “Do you think you could handle my mouth on you before I have to take you home so you can go to work?” “Again?” she responded, shocked. I rolled her to her back and started working my way down her body. “It’s not the kind of thing that you put limits on, angel. Besides, a man’s gotta eat,” I informed her just before I put my mouth between her legs. “Oh, Stone,” she moaned. Fuck, I loved that sound. And the way she tasted. I spent the rest of my morning eating breakfast in the form of Monroe followed by feeding her breakfast of bacon and eggs that I cooked. Then, I took her home so she could get ready and get over to the studio. After I left her place, I went to work on getting Monroe’s birthday surprise planned.

Chapter 11 Monroe I walked through the front door of my studio. So much had happened since the last time I walked through that door yesterday morning. Most notable of those things was the fact that I had fallen in love. It’s very likely I had fallen in love before last night; it’s just that last night I knew for certain that love is what it was. Stone had me spellbound. It wasn’t just what he did to my body last night; though, that was all pretty freaking incredible. What I felt for him was so much more than I could even begin to describe. I wanted to dance out everything I was feeling, so I got to it immediately. Two and a half hours later, in the middle of a routine I had choreographed, Nikki, Charley, and Emme all walked in with their arms full. One look at them and I knew why they were there. They brought food and were going to demand the details of last night. “Well,” Nikki began, clearly not wanting to wait a minute longer. “Did he give you the goods?” I bit my lip and looked at my friends. Then, I nodded as a huge smile spread across my face. The girls all started screaming and jumping up and down. Thankfully, no food ended up on the floor as they all settled down and made their way over to pull me into a hug. “When Nikki told us that you never came home last night I told Wes that graphic design at Blackman Boards was going to have to wait because I was taking a long lunch break this afternoon,” Charley said. “I had a day of editing planned, but this news takes priority,” Emme added. I laughed and ushered the girls into my break room. We unpacked the food and started lunch. “So,” Nikki started. “Was it good?” The smile that had been permanently plastered on my face grew wider and I nodded. “It was incredible,” I boasted. “By far, the best experience of my entire life.” “Did you tell him you were a virgin?” Emme asked.

“Yes,” I began. “I almost didn’t because every time I was about to say it, he’d do something to my body and make me forget. I finally managed to snap myself out of it and got his attention. Then, I told him.” “How did he react?” Charley pushed for more details. “At first, he was upset. I think it hit him hard because he realized what he had said about me on Friday night and that he had clearly misjudged me. After working through that he gave me an out.” “What?” Nikki asked. I felt myself grow somber. “He told me that he’d never be able to give me forever. He knows that I want forever, so he said that if I wanted to save that special part of me to give to someone who could give me forever he’d respect that.” I took a moment to recall the words he said to me last night. Stone’s words made my heart feel full, but they also broke it. He made me believe that he thought he wasn’t worthy of me. I didn’t know why, but I hoped I’d find out and make him realize he was wrong. “Monroe, honey, are you okay?” Charley asked, snapping me out of it. I looked to my friends and blurted, “I’m in love with him.” They stared back at me, their faces expressionless. “I know that probably seems crazy and you might think it’s just because he is the first guy I’ve had sex with, but I can feel it. I am in so deep with him it’s like I’m drowning. The thing is, I don’t want to come up for air. Last night, after Stone gave me that out I told him that he was everything I wanted. He gave me what I wanted and he was so gentle about it. He didn’t rush it and he did everything he could to make it special for me. Then, he took care of me afterward.” “Oh, mama,” Emme started, tears filling her eyes. “I’m so happy for you. And, I’m even more relieved to know that Stone gave you what you deserved last night. I know deep down he’s a good guy. I hope that in the same way he took care of you last night that you’ll be able to take care of him and get him through whatever he’s dealing with.” “I want to do that for him more than anything else. I just don’t want to push him. Maybe he’ll need some time to open up to me about whatever it is.” “Love this, babe. I really do,” Nikki insisted. “And, I really want to see you get your fairy-tale ending, but we need some juicy details. Was he good? Did it hurt? How many orgasms did he give you?” “Three last night, two this morning,” I bragged, giving them a coy smile. “I mean, I know he’s really great at snowboarding and has had an incredible career thus far, but when it comes to sex, that man would get a gold medal from me.” “Now that’s what I like to hear,” she responded. Charley and Emme broke out into fits of laughter.

“Okay, give us more.” So, I gave them more. The girls spent the next hour and a half with me eating lunch and getting all the details of my night with Stone. After we got the fun stuff out of the way, Charley turned the conversation serious again. “Hearing how well he treated you and how he made the night all about you, I’m hoping for a really great ending for you, but are you prepared, Monroe? Believe me when I say I don’t want to take away the happiness you are feeling right now and I know how much your heart is already in this, but I’m worried about what will happen to you if what he said is true and this doesn’t last forever.” “I know. I expect it’s going to feel like the end of the world to me if that happens, but I don’t want to focus on it. It’ll be like I’m sitting around waiting for him to tell me that he’s had his fill and he’s moving on. I want to have hope. I know he might not get there, but I want to believe that deep down he wants more than he’s allowing himself to have.” Just as I finished speaking, the alarm chimed indicating someone had arrived. “Oh, maybe I have someone coming to sign up for classes,” I guessed. “Okay, mama. We’re going to get going and let you get back to it. Besides, Charley needs to get back to work. We’ll follow you out,” Emme responded. The girls followed me out of the break room, down the hall, and into the reception area. To my surprise, I had an unexpected visitor. Levi, Zane’s older brother and the owner of Cunningham Security, was standing there. “Hi, Levi,” Emme beamed, walking up and giving him a hug. He wrapped an arm around her and kissed the top of her head. Levi was going to be Emme’s brother-in-law since she and Zane recently got engaged. The guys at his firm were responsible for finding Emme after she had been kidnapped and I loved to see that she had this close relationship with him. “Hey, babe. Didn’t expect to see you here,” he admitted. She shrugged her shoulders, “Long lunch for some girl talk.” “Should I come back?” he asked, looking a little nervous about the fact that girl talk could be on the agenda. “No. Nikki, Charley, and I were just leaving, but what are you doing here?” she asked, looking a bit alarmed now. “Got a call from Stone. He told me Monroe needed some security or, at least, something better than what’s here now. He said something about her not being able to hear when people walk in.” Emme, Charley, and Nikki all shot looks my way. “What is he talking about?” Nikki asked. “I dance,” I started, informing them of something they already knew. “I turn my music up…loud. Stone has walked in here a few times when the music was blaring and I

never knew he was here. He thinks it’s a cause for concern for my safety and he suggested that we try to see if there are any options to remedy that situation. I think he knows that I don’t want to have to turn my music down. He asked me if I’d consider allowing Levi to come in and check it out. I agreed.” “He might say he doesn’t want forever, honey, but he can’t deny that he feels something for you.” “What?” I questioned, turning to Charley. “If a guy doesn’t give a crap about you he’s not going to take notice to the fact that you can’t hear people coming into your studio and then want to have you do something about it. I’m just saying, he cares more than he’s leading you to believe.” “Really?” Charley didn’t answer. This was because Levi spoke up instead. “She’s right,” he began, as I turned my attention to him. “And to add to that, if a guy doesn’t give a shit about you he isn’t going to suggest all of that be done and then tell me that you don’t get a bill for it.” “Oh no! He isn’t paying for this, too,” I insisted. Levi shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve got specific instructions to give you the best there is for your situation here and to send the bill to him. He’s the one who hired me, so I’ve got to do what he says.” “It’s my studio, though!” Just then, my cell phone rang. I looked at the display and saw Stone’s name. Perfect, I could take this up with him. “I’ve got a bone to pick with you,” I greeted him. “Excuse me?” he retorted. “Levi just got to the studio and told me that you want him to send you the bill for the work he does here.” “Yeah. So?” “So?” I countered, exasperatedly. “So, you can’t pay for this, too. You already paid to fix my tire.” He laughed. He actually laughed in my ear. “The tire repair was peanuts, angel. You just moved here and you are trying to get your studio set up. I saw everything you ordered; you’ve spent a lot of money making the place what it is. Security is not going to be a cheap expense. Levi is going to give you the best, which is what I want you to have. You should always have the best. I’m covering this for you, Monroe.” “I have my own money, Stone.” “I never said you didn’t, but I suggested this so I’m paying for it. If it bothers you

and you want to do something in return, buy yourself something sexy to wear for me when you stay at my place on Thursday night. I’m planning on fully celebrating your birthday with you, so if you want to make it a little more visually pleasing, I can work with that.” A shiver ran through my body at the mention of staying with him on my birthday and celebrating it in naughty ways. I bit my lip and pressed my thighs together. “Okay,” I answered, my voice a hair over a whisper. “Good girl. Now, I was calling to tell you that I had planned to be there when Levi arrived, but obviously I’m not. Had some shit to take care of and won’t make it. Do whatever he suggests; I don’t care what it costs. I’ll call you later after I finish what I’m doing, though. Okay?” “Yes.” “Okay, angel. Gotta go.” “Bye, Stone.” I disconnected the call and stared straight ahead. “Monroe?” Emme called. I blinked my eyes and looked to her. “You okay?” she asked. “I think I need to go buy lingerie.” “Jesus Christ,” Levi said as he dropped his head back to stare up at the ceiling. Nikki chimed in. “For when?” “Thursday.” “I’ve got you covered,” she assured me. “Let’s go girls. Monroe needs her security system checked, Charley needs to get back to work, and Emme and I have lingerie to purchase. Levi, good to see you. Monroe, I’ll catch you at home.” With that, the girls walked out, leaving me with Levi and my thoughts. The two of us spent roughly the next hour doing a walkthrough of the studio. Levi asked a bunch of questions as we made our way in and out of each room. Once we finished, he told me that he had the perfect system that would work for my location and use. “Are you going to be here tomorrow?” he asked. “That’s the plan.” “Two or three guys will stop in tomorrow to get it all set up for you. I will give Stone a call later today and let him know who will be coming so you know who to expect.” “Thanks, Levi. I appreciate you taking the time to come here today.” “No problem. Stay safe.” Levi took off and I got back to work. I’m not sure how long it had been, but I knew I’d been dancing for quite a while when I was startled. Stone had just walked in to the room I was in and he had food with him.

Okay, so it was safe to assume it was dinner time. I gave him a big smile, walked over to turn down the music, and then walked over to him. I couldn’t help myself. The second he was within touching distance I reached out to wrap my arms around his waist, pressed up on my toes, and kissed him good. I hadn’t realized until he was standing in front of me, my mouth pressed against his and the scent of him filling my space, just how much I missed him. I considered it, but thought it best not to tell him. When I pulled my mouth away from his, I found his eyes were shining. They still had that hardness to them, but he was definitely in a good mood. “Hey, handsome.” “Angel.” I smiled back at him and said, “I thought you said you were going to call.” “Changed my mind. Decided I wanted to see you, so I grabbed some food and now I’m here. You hungry?” he asked. I nodded. I figured I’d let him think I was agreeing to food. I was feeling hungry, but food wasn’t exactly what I was in the mood for. Stone and I made our way to the break room to eat. “Did you have a good day?” he asked. “Yeah. The girls stopped by with lunch earlier. I got the third degree.” 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 shook 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. After Luke walked out of the studio, Lexi and I sat on the couch I had in my waiting area at the front of the studio. She talked to me about school, which she was planning to finish within the next three weeks. Her major was in public relations and communications, so she was an even better fit for my studio. I figured she’d be able to help get the word out and know the best ways to accomplish it. Lexi had a relatively light schedule at school and could start working right away since her classes were scheduled for first thing in the morning. She told me she’d be able to make it to the studio by one o’clock in the afternoon every day. That worked perfectly for me since I knew I’d be busiest in the evenings. Roughly thirty minutes after Luke left, I had officially hired Lexi. She was excited, however, to get over and meet Nikki. “Okay,” I started. “So, you’re officially hired and I’ve got my first dance instructor hired. Her name is Jenna. She’s going to start on Monday and help with preparations for the grand opening next Thursday. If you are good with that, I’d love for you to start on Monday as well.”

“That sounds great. I’ll be here,” Lexi said as her eyes slid to the side and she looked beyond me. I watched as her eyes turned liquid. My brows drew together and I turned to look behind me. Cruz was standing there, frozen on the spot. His eyes mirrored Lexi’s. Liquid heat. My gaze went back and forth between Cruz and Lexi. The longer I stood there, the more I felt like a third wheel. “Um, so have you two ever met?” I asked. Lexi shook her head slowly back and forth. Cruz’s gaze grew even more heated and a sexy grin spread across his face. “Really?” I asked, dumbfounded. It seemed odd to me that the guys knew each other, but that Lexi and Cruz hadn’t ever met. “Lexi, this is Cruz. He’s Zane’s younger brother. You know Zane, right?” She tore her eyes from Cruz and looked to me before she nodded. “Okay,” I continued, turning my attention to Cruz now. “Cruz, this is Lexi. She’s Luke’s younger sister and my new receptionist.” Realization dawned in his features. Lexi turned my attention back to her when she spat out, “It’s nice to meet you, Cruz. I’ve got to get going. Monroe, thank you so much for the job opportunity. I’ll see you next week.” She flew out the door while I turned back to Cruz. He was staring at the empty space where Lexi once stood. I silently laughed as I began walking toward him to go back to one of the dance rooms. Just as I was about to pass Cruz, I brought my palm up to rest on his chest and joked, “Welcome to my world.”

Chapter 13 Monroe It was Thursday morning and it was early. It was also my birthday. I was awake and getting ready to spend my day with Stone. He called me last night after I had gotten back from the studio to give me the details of our day today. He didn’t exactly give me full details; rather, he called and said that I’d need to be ready to go by eight-thirty this morning because we had an hour and a half drive to the location of the start of my birthday celebration. He did not tell me where we were going, but did tell me that he had checked the weather and was happy that the slight warm-up that had started two days ago was going to continue through the weekend. Apparently, the weather being nice was a big deal. My outfit for the day was casual. Stone also explained to me during our phone call last night that I needed to keep it laid-back for the day and that sneakers were a must. I had to admit that I was intrigued and couldn’t wait to see what he had planned. I went with a pair of light wash blue jeans, a black, long-sleeved, V-neck tee, and a pair of cute sneakers. I didn’t curl my hair, but I took the time to make it look decent instead of just throwing it up in a messy bun on the top of my head. I had just finished the final touches on my make-up, which I kept natural for the day, when my phone rang. I looked down at the display and saw Vaughn’s name on the screen. “Good morning,” I said, holding the phone up to my ear. “Happy birthday, kid!” “Thanks, Vaughn. I’m twenty-five now, definitely no longer a kid.” He laughed into the phone and expressed, “You’ll always be a kid to me. How does it feel being a whole quarter of a century now?” I smiled as I thought about everything that had happened over the last couple of days before I answered, “It feels fantastic.” “What did I miss?” he asked, instantly sensing something was different in my tone since the last time he spoke with me. “Nothing,” I responded, immediately. I knew he’d probably give me a lecture if I told him about Stone.

“Monroe Allison Archer, don’t lie to me.” So, I knew he’d give me a lecture if I told him about Stone, but I also knew he’d be persistent and not let me off the hook if I didn’t explain my mood. “Okay, then you have to promise to be nice to me because it’s my birthday. Yelling at me today would be highly inappropriate and very, very mean.” “Spit it out,” he demanded. I let out a sigh. “I forgave him. He sent more flowers. He hand-delivered flowers. He asked me out on a proper date. I accepted and I had a phenomenal time. When he found out it was my birthday today he asked me what I had planned. I told him the girls were taking me out this weekend, but nothing else, otherwise. He wants to spend the day with me today.” Vaughn stayed silent. “Vaughn?” I called after too much time had passed. “I’m here,” he said, quietly. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Don’t want you getting hurt, Monroe. You were shredded when I came to visit and you hadn’t even been in a relationship with this guy. I could tell when you talked about him how deep that feeling is for you. Do not let this guy destroy you.” “I can’t help how I feel,” I admitted. “I know that,” he maintained. “I’m not going to upset you today and I hope you have a great time. Just try to proceed with a bit of caution, okay?” “I’ll do my best. Thank you, Vaughn.” “I’m not pushing for it immediately, but I’m looking forward to hearing about your day. I want to know he treated you right and at least made the day special for you.” I felt my insides warm. I knew this wasn’t easy for Vaughn being so far away. It hadn’t dawned on me until this moment just how much he was affected by me leaving California. I guess I continued to tell myself that family all had each other to lean on, but the reality is that even though Vaughn had our parents, Remi, and Deacon, he and I were the closest and the separation was just as tough on him as it was for me. I wanted to reassure him so I insisted, “He will, Vaughn. Trust me. I’ll call you tomorrow.” “Love you, kid.” “Love you, too.” I disconnected the call and heard a knock at the front door. Stone. My insides started trembling because I was so excited to see him. I made my way to the front door and opened it. When I saw Stone standing before me, looking as good as

always, I broke out into a huge smile. Stone stepped inside, closed the door, wrapped his arm around my waist, and pressed his lips to mine. After giving me a very sweet birthday kiss, he pulled back and breathed, “Happy birthday, my angel.” His angel. I loved that. He could do nothing else for the rest of the day and I would have had the best birthday ever just hearing that one little word from him. “Thank you, Stone.” “You ready?” he asked. “Yep.” “Is your overnight bag packed?” I raised my eyebrows in question. “Monroe. I told you I planned to have you stay at my house tonight. You need to pack an overnight bag.” “Oh,” I murmured, feeling foolish. “I didn’t think about that.” “It’s alright. Show me to your room and I’ll help you pack.” I narrowed my eyes at him before I challenged, “Are you sure this isn’t just a ploy to get yourself in my bedroom?” Stone laughed and countered, “It’s not, but do I need to come up with an elaborate scheme to get into your bedroom?” I relaxed my face and dropped my shoulders. “I’m afraid not,” I answered honestly. His lips quirked up into a half-grin that was incredibly sexy, so I turned and threw him a bit of sass as I began walking away, “You don’t need to rub in the fact that you’re hot. Follow me.” He laughed as he followed behind me to my bedroom. Fifteen minutes later, my bag was packed. Stone carried my bag down the hall toward the front door. As we passed the kitchen I realized I had nearly forgotten something. “Wait!” I yelled out, as I grabbed his forearm to stop him. “What’s wrong?” he asked. I snuck off into the kitchen, grabbed the bag, and came back. Holding the bag up between us, I noted, “I almost forgot this.” He took in the bag and his now smoldering, baby blue eyes came to mine.

“What’s in the bag?” I grinned up at him and tempted him, “Just a little something fun for later.” “Show me.” I shook my head. “No way. You are not getting a preview. You’ll have to wait until I’m wearing it.” “You have me considering rearranging our plans for today. Maybe I should take you to my place first or, perhaps, back down the hall to your bedroom.” Now my eyes heated. I swallowed hard. When I spoke again I almost didn’t recognize my own voice. It was filled with lust. “I’d be totally okay with that.” Stone held my eyes a beat before he swore, “Fuck. No, we’re doing what I planned for the day. I’m just going to struggle to try and stay focused.” I made a sad face. Stone laughed, threw his arm around my shoulder, and informed, “I think you’ll like what I have planned, Monroe. Come on.” We walked out the door and to the parking lot. I was searching for Stone’s truck, but it wasn’t in the spot he typically parked. Stone began guiding me to the back side of the lot where I finally spotted his truck. A huge enclosed trailer was attached to it. I stopped walking and turned to him. “What’s in there? What are we doing today?” I asked, feeling excited. “If I’ve got to wait until later to see what’s in the bag, you’ve got to wait to see what’s in the trailer,” he teased, giving me a wink. I was too curious to wait. “Okay, I’ll show you what’s in the bag,” I offered. “Too late. I’m beginning to like the idea of waiting to see it on you.” I harrumphed. “I’m reconsidering putting it on for you at all right now.” He smirked and gloated, “No, you aren’t.” He was right. I wasn’t. I wasn’t going to admit that to him, though. “Can I at least have a hint?” Stone thought for a moment and just when I thought he was going to give it to me, he denied me, “Nope. I’ve got to wait until tonight; you can tough it out for an hour and a half.” I rolled my eyes at him, audibly let out my frustration, and stomped off toward the passenger’s side door of the truck. I heard Stone laughing as he followed behind me. After helping me in the truck, he rounded the front of it, got in, and turned to me.

I was still pouting. Stone’s hand came up and wrapped around the back of my neck. He pulled me toward him and pressed his lips to mine. I suddenly forgot why I was pouting and kissed him back. It was hard, wet, and deep. When Stone pulled his mouth from mine, he asked, “You over being grouchy now?” “Almost,” I admitted on a whisper. A blindingly white, beautiful smile spread across his face. I was over being grouchy. I was not going to tell him that, either. He gently squeezed the back of my neck, turned in his seat to look out the windshield, and mumbled, “Good to know that works.” “What?” I asked. He shook his head while grinning and snickered, “Nothing.” An hour and a half later, Stone was turning the truck on to a long, narrow road. We hadn’t even really started my birthday and I was already having the best day ever. Stone and I spent the entire ride laughing and joking with each other. I spent so much time laughing, my stomach was beginning to hurt. On top of that, I received multiple calls and texts from my parents, Deacon, and my friends wishing me a happy birthday. Stone continued down the road to a gate. I had no idea where we were, but it seemed like the middle of nowhere. Once we were at the gate, which was closed, I looked out my window to see an older man walking out of a little white building toward us. “Where are we?” I asked, turning back to Stone. He just looked at me and smiled. The man made it to the gate, opened it up, and waved to Stone. Stone waved back and pulled through the open gate. He continued to drive to a big, empty parking lot. The only thing I saw was that there were bleachers. When I looked to see what the bleachers were facing, I realized we were at a race track. Stone parked, turned off the truck, and ordered, “Stay put. I’m going to open up the trailer and then I’ll come around to get you.” I nodded my acknowledgement of his request. He exited the truck and I spent what felt like the next five hours waiting for him to come open my door. When he materialized at my door and opened it, I was thankful he was quick on his feet because I practically fell out. Stone caught me before I crashed to the ground and put me upright again. He held on to me with his arms wrapped around my waist. “Ready to start celebrating your birthday?” he asked. “I thought the celebration started when you came to pick me up this morning and kissed me,” I answered, honestly.

I felt Stone’s arms tighten around me before he whispered, “Yeah, angel, it did.” My eyes were glued to his and if it weren’t for the fact that he began to shift and walk us toward the trailer, I would have stayed like that all day. Stone stopped next to the side door on the trailer and opened the latch. “Want to see what’s inside?” he asked. I nodded, biting my lip. He opened the door, I looked inside, and my jaw dropped. Literally, it was on the floor. I slowly turned to look at Stone and then back into the trailer to look at the beautiful sight in front of me. When I looked back to Stone, I could see his eyes were dancing. “You have a GT3?” I asked. Shock was the only thing that accurately described my feelings at that moment. Stone’s head jerked back a bit and he countered, “Good eye. Figured you’d know it was a Porsche, but didn’t realize you knew your cars so well.” “Handsome, I don’t. But, it’s a Porsche 911 GT3. How could you not know what this is?” I asked, surprised that he’d think anyone wouldn’t know what this was. I missed my baby from back home in California. Sure, I only had a Boxster, but it didn’t matter. I loved it all the same. “You okay?” Stone asked, noticing my mood had shifted to melancholy. I brought my eyes to his and nodded. Then, I turned back to look at the car a moment before I whispered, “Holy crap, it’s so beautiful.” “Monroe,” Stone bit out. “Yeah?” I called, not taking my gaze off the beauty that was before me. “Angel, you keep drooling over my car like that and I won’t be held responsible for what I do next. Didn’t think you could possibly do anything else to be any sexier and yet, here we are. You keep it up, though, I’m unfortunately going to have to do something about it and that’ll delay taking you out for a ride in it.” “You’re going to take me for a ride?” I gasped, my eyes cutting to him. “Well, I didn’t bring you here just to open up the trailer and show it to you,” he began. “After I take you around the track a couple times and you get the lay of the land, it’s your turn to get behind the wheel.” “What?!” I shrieked. “Are you serious?” “Why would I joke about something like this on your birthday, Monroe?” I took two steps to close the distance between us, brought my hands up to his chest, and made a request, “Can I kiss you right now?” “Baby, you don’t ever have to ask if you can do that with me. I’m never going to say

no to you.” Baby. That was only the third time I heard that. I liked it. A lot. I pressed up on my toes as my hands slid up Stone’s chest, over his shoulders, and around his neck. He wrapped an arm around my waist as my lips just barely touched his. The second he pulled me against his body I felt him, firm between us. I smiled against his lips, feeling delighted that I did that to him, before I gave my mouth to him. He took it. Devouring me. Tasting me. I loved every single second of it. Somehow, we managed to separate our mouths. We were both breathing heavily, staring at each other. “You going to take me for a ride or what?” I asked, trying to regain some sense of control. “Absolutely,” he answered. There was a hint of teasing in his tone and I had a feeling he wasn’t simply referring to the ride in the Porsche on the race track. Stone pulled the car out of the trailer, got out, tossed me a helmet, and then we got strapped in. He drove through the lot toward the track. Just before he pulled out onto the track, he turned to me and asked, “Ready?” Even though he couldn’t see my mouth, I smiled big and answered, “Yes.” As soon as I answered, Stone gave me another great birthday present. He revved the engine and took off. It was spectacular. The sound of the engine as Stone kept his foot on the throttle going down each straightaway was enough to make my heart race. He took the corners with ease and even though I knew my Porsche would have never performed as well as Stone’s, I wished I would have had the opportunity to do this with it. Stone took me around the track several times and I watched closely to what he did at each turn or straightaway. If I was going to have the chance to do this in one of the most badass cars around, you better believe I was going to make the most of it. We made our way back to the spot where we entered the track and Stone shut the car off. We both took off our helmets and then I turned to look at him. “That was the third most amazing experience of my entire life,” I admitted. He grinned at me and said, “Happy to hear that. What were the first and second?” “Second most amazing experience was holding the first recital, for which I choreographed the entire show, for my dancers at my studio back in California.”

“And the first?” “Being with you two nights ago,” I began, without hesitation. “Nothing will compare to that…ever.” Stone’s eyes became guarded and he quickly changed topics. “Ready for your turn behind the wheel?” I was a bit disappointed that he didn’t feel the same about our first time together, but I knew I needed to push past that disappointment. He was making this birthday something special for me and I didn’t want to ruin it by sulking. “I’m ready,” I admitted. We both exited the car and switched sides. I strapped myself in, put the helmet on, and looked to the passenger’s seat. Stone nodded to me, indicating I was good to start the car. I turned it on, felt the engine roar to life, and looked back to Stone. “Drive it hard, baby,” he encouraged me. Since he called me baby for the fourth time ever and that felt good, I did exactly as he asked. I put my foot on the gas and took off. For the first lap around the track I took it easy. I didn’t want to wreck this beautiful piece of machinery and I wanted to make sure I was comfortable handling it. As soon as I completed that first lap, though, I opened her up. It. Was. Fabulous. As I approached the end of my fifth lap I yelled out to Stone, “Can I do just one more?” “Whatever you want,” he replied. It was what I wanted, so I made one final lap. Being in control of the car, taking the turns and straightaways at high levels of speed, and doing it all alongside Stone was an experience I knew I’d never forget. When I pulled off the track to where Stone had gone earlier after he drove, he told me I could drive it back over to the trailer. He wasn’t going to have to ask me twice. I drove us over to the trailer, turned the car off, and took off the helmet. “What did you think?” he asked. “I lied,” I confessed. “Come again?” “Before, when you drove me around the track I said it was the third best experience of my entire life. I lied. I wasn’t intentionally lying, but if I don’t tell you the truth now it would feel like lying. Sitting there next to you while you drove was amazing, but it’s a smidge better being able to sit behind the wheel and be in control of this gorgeous car. Wow, Stone. Thank you so much for doing this for me today. I absolutely loved it.” “I’m glad you had a good time, angel. Do you think you’re going to want to go back

out again now and drive or can I feed you lunch first?” “Is it lunch time already?” I asked, incredulously. “Yeah.” I sat there thinking. Now that Stone mentioned food, I was feeling a bit famished. As much as I wanted to drive the car again I thought it was best to not push my luck. “We can have lunch,” I decided. “You sure?” “Yes,” I answered, giving him a smile. “Alright, let’s go.” With that, Stone and I folded out of the car and I followed him into the trailer where he put the helmets away. He then ushered me out of the trailer and to the truck where, much to my surprise, he pulled a cooler out of the back seat. “You packed a lunch?” “Need to eat. Figured you’d might want to drive a little while longer so I brought reinforcements. We can eat and then go back out if you want.” I loved him. I loved him so much. Because I couldn’t tell him this I warned, “I want to kiss you again.” Stone’s eyes warmed and he chuckled. “Already told you that you if you want to do that you don’t need to ask me.” As I took the steps toward him I explained, “I wasn’t exactly asking you, handsome. I was just informing you.” “Fuck,” he hissed. “Love it when you’re feisty.” “I’ll have to keep that in mind,” I admitted just before I pressed my lips to the skin of his neck. Stone’s free hand came around to cup my bottom. I moved my lips and tongue along his neck toward his ear. I reached his ear lobe, pulled it between my teeth, and gently bit down. Once I released it I moved my mouth back along his jaw toward his mouth. I captured his lips and kissed him good. He squeezed my ass and once again I could feel his hardness between us. Realizing he liked feisty, I decided to play a little. I brought one of my hands, both of which were resting on his hips, to the middle of his abdomen and began trailing down to my prize. The second my hand came to rest over top of him he groaned. As I gently squeezed him, I pulled my mouth back just enough to whisper against his lips, “I want this so bad, Stone.” “You’ll get it, Monroe,” he returned, his voice rough. “I want you now, though.” “I’m not taking you in the middle of a parking lot.”

“You said you’d never say no to me,” I whispered back, continuing to rub my hand over the length of him. He growled. “Not saying no, angel. Just not here. You deserve way fucking better than a parking lot fuck.” “I’m so wet for you, handsome. Please. I want to feel you again,” I begged. “Christ, baby. You’re undoing me. Not here, please. I’ve got a loose hold on this right now; you’ve got to give this to me. Not here,” he pleaded. He was struggling and it was clear he didn’t want to do this here. I decided to give in. I gave him one final squeeze, kissed him closed-mouth, and acquiesced, “Okay, Stone. Not here.” He let out a breath and dropped his head. He kept his eyes to the ground for a good minute before he looked back up at me. When he did, Stone leaned forward, kissed me on the forehead, and praised, “That’s my good girl.” I gave him a small smile. “Let me feed you now.” “Okay.” Stone and I walked over to the bleachers where we sat and ate lunch. I was still feeling very worked up, but he did a really good job keeping my mind occupied on other things. Amongst many other things, he explained to me when I asked about it that he knew the track owner well and even though it was too early in the season to be running the cars on the track, the guy did Stone a favor. That worked for me. I was also snapped out of my hot and feisty mood when I got a phone call during lunch from Remi. I told him I was having lunch, but didn’t elaborate that I was out with Stone. I figured Vaughn did me a solid and didn’t mention anything to my other two brothers. I was going to roll with that for as long as I could. I loved them all so much, but didn’t want to ruin my day by getting lectures from them about how I chose to spend it. After lunch, Stone and I went back out on the racetrack. I had an absolute blast and hoped that one day he’d bring me back here so we could do it again. We both drove a couple more laps on the track before we went back to the parking lot where Stone loaded the car into the trailer and strapped it down in the trailer. He clicked the lock on the trailer and started guiding me to the truck when he said, “When the weather really warms up and after we’ve given you a bit more time behind the wheel of this, we’ll get you in the turbocharged one. It’ll be done in the shop by then, too.” I stopped walking. Stone turned around to look at me. His brows drew together and he asked, “What’s wrong?” “You did not just tell me that not only do you have a GT3, but also a GT2.”

Relief swept through his features before he confirmed, “I did.” “Handsome, that’s just not fair. I’m so freaking jealous and I’m not ashamed to admit it.” Stone stalked back over to me, wrapped an arm around my waist, and brought a hand up to wrap around the side of my throat. As his thumb brushed back and forth across my jaw he murmured, “Don’t be, angel. Any time you want to go for a ride, you tell me and I’ll take you. Okay?” I nodded slowly and rasped out, “I’m going to kiss you now.” “Informing me again?” he questioned. “Yep.” “Alright, but take it easy. I’m not sure how much more I can handle before I lose my control.” I gave him a coy smile, pressed a kiss to his lips, pulled away, and insisted, “Then you better get me out of here.” At that, Stone helped me into the truck and got me out of there.

Chapter 14 Monroe “Oh my God.” That came out as a whisper as I stood in front of the mirror in Stone’s master bathroom, staring at myself. Nikki and Emme had gone out shopping for lingerie for me and I trusted they knew what they were doing, so I never looked at any of it. As I stood there staring at myself, I had no doubts that they knew exactly what would look good on me, but seeing myself like that was something else. Since I went more innocent two nights ago with the white bra and panty set I figured I’d go with something more sexy and seductive tonight. I was in a black-lace, halter-neck teddy. A piece of soft mesh fabric wrapped around my neck from which two delicate strips of lace fell over my breasts and abdomen and connected to the mesh fabric that ran around my hips. My sides were completely exposed other than the scrap of fabric resting on my hips. The space between my breasts down to my lower abdomen was also completely exposed. There was a thin piece of satin under my breasts that wrapped around to tie in the middle of my back. Other than the clasp around my neck, the thin satin bow at the middle of my back, the mesh just above my ass, and the sliver of mesh fabric that sat nestled between my ass cheeks, my entire backside was exposed. This was, altogether, a new experience for me. Sure, I had given Stone my virginity two nights ago, but I hadn’t ever worn lingerie like this before for a man. I didn’t know what to expect; I was feeling a bit nervous, but also a bit excited. So, I stood staring at myself in the mirror and wondered what he’d say. I wondered whether he’d like it. I took in a deep breath, tried to swallow down the nerves, and walked to the bathroom door. I turned the handle and pulled the door open. Stone was standing across the room with his perfectly sculpted body in just a pair of jeans that sat low on his hips, looking out at the mountains. He was so beautiful. When he heard me open the door, he stayed put, but turned to look in my direction. I stepped out of the doorway and onto the plush carpet. As I felt the softness between my toes, I watched Stone’s eyes travel the length of my body. His gaze lingered on my legs a bit, his jaw clenching. I gave him a moment, but before his eyes began traveling up my body I slowly turned. If I was going to get his opinion on this, I thought it prudent for him to see the whole thing. My back was now to Stone, so I turned my head and looked back over my shoulder to

him. He was no longer standing by the windows. He was stalking over to me. He was a man on a mission. A man with a purpose. I could see all of that in the way he moved across the room. “Stone,” I whispered breathily as he wrapped his arm around the front of me. His forearm was resting between my breasts and his hand was splayed across my throat. Stone’s solid body was pressed up against me from behind. “You’re not feeling sore still, are you?” he rasped against my lips. “No,” I breathed as I arched my back. Stone’s other hand came around my other side and settled low on my abdomen. It slowly began traveling south. “Do you like it?” I asked. He grinned before he admitted, “Angel, I’m getting ready to buy you a security system every week. You’re perfection.” His hand reached my special spot and my legs nearly came out from under me. “Two days,” I murmured, leaning my head back onto his chest. “I’ve been craving you for two whole days now. More than I’ve ever craved anything else in my life. Will you satisfy my hunger and give me everything I want? Please, Stone, will you give me you?” “Baby…” he croaked, his voice rough as he trailed off. His fingers began moving against my sex. My eyes were focused on his, with his other hand still at my throat. I shifted my hips searching for what I’d been longing for for days now. As my ass moved against his length, Stone said, “As phenomenal as you look right now, Monroe, I need to take this off you. I’m taking you from behind tonight. You alright with that?” A shiver ran through my body and I answered, “Yes.” “Good girl,” he returned. Then, I lost his hand. I wanted to cry. In fact, I let out a whimper. Stone couldn’t miss it. He reassured me, “I’ll take care of you. Don’t worry.” His hand traveled up my body and over the strip of lace on one side. The hand at my throat slid down the lace on the opposite side. Both hands stopped at my breasts and squeezed. I leaned forward ever so slightly while pushing my ass back into his lap. Now it was Stone’s turn to feel frustrated. He moved his hands to my hair where he gathered it and pushed it to the side. After unhooking the clasps of the teddy that sat at my neck, Stone’s knuckles gently brushed

down to the middle of my back. The satin bow was untied and Stone’s hands traveled back up to my neck. He separated the fabric, removed it from my throat, and slowly pulled the lace down my body. When my breasts were freed, he let go of the material and brought his hands to my hips. His fingers gripped the mesh and slid it down my legs. I felt him lower his body to the ground as he pulled the teddy from my body. The moment he got to my knees he released it and it pooled at my feet. I stepped out of the fabric and was about to turn around when Stone’s hands wrapped around my thighs. I was thankful for his fingertips digging into my legs because when he brought his lips to my thighs I thought I would crumble to the floor. Stone trailed kisses up the side of my thigh, over the cheeks of my ass, and up my back. Once he was standing behind me, he brought his hands to my shoulders and gently turned me around. He took in my naked body and I felt myself flush under his stare. “You’re so fucking beautiful, Monroe.” I reached my hand out to the waistband of his jeans where I unbuttoned them and slowly dropped the zipper. My hands went to his waist and pushed the jeans down his legs. He didn’t give me the opportunity to remove his boxer briefs because he lifted me up, forcing my legs to wrap around his waist, and carried me to the bed. Stone lowered me to my back from the side of the bed, while he remained standing. He bent down to capture my mouth with his. I was burning up at the feel of his skin next to mine. My hands moved along his back, my hips bucked underneath him. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could control my desire for this man without finding some release. Certain he could sense my impatience, Stone pulled his mouth from mine. The second his lips separated from mine I rasped out, “Please, handsome. I want you now.” Stone swiftly removed his boxer briefs, grabbed a condom from the nightstand, and sheathed himself. He brought one hand to my hip and I watched as he used his other hand to guide himself to my entrance. As he slowly pushed inside of me, he brought his hand up to my other hip. He pulled back slowly before pushing forward again. A low, guttural sound escaped past my lips. It was a sound of pleasure mixed with relief. Stone lifted my hips off the bed and held me firmly in place while he powered into me. I watched his face as he looked down to where the two of us were connected. His eyes would occasionally come to mine, but he stayed mostly focused on the spot where our two bodies met. “So sweet,” he muttered. “Never had anything so sweet in my life until you.” God, I loved him. That did it for me. I was teetering on the edge when I tried to offer Stone warning. “Stone,” I began, my voice just a hair above a whisper. “I’m going to come.” “I know, angel. Come apart for me.” I did. I exploded around him, calling out his name, moaning through the pleasure he was

giving me. Stone slowed his thrusts as I fought to catch my breath. He bent over and kissed the indent at the base of my throat. He worked his mouth up along my neck to my lips. His tongue slipped inside and played with mine. After playing a bit, I pulled my tongue from his mouth and questioned him. “I thought you wanted to take me from behind tonight?” I probably should have felt ashamed to ask, but I was curious and really wanted to try being with him that way. “I do. I’m not done with you yet, Monroe. Not even close.” He pulled out of me and ordered, “Turn over. On your knees, hands at the headboard.” I immediately did as he asked. Stone joined me in the bed. He came up behind me, gently rubbed one of his hands on my bottom, and praised, “Such a good girl.” I felt him hard against me. I pushed back into him. He growled, “You ready to experience it this way?” “Yes,” I answered. Not a moment later, Stone was inside me. He started slow, giving me an opportunity to adjust to the new sensation of being filled by him this way. It was magnificent. He began increasing the pace of his thrusts. “Oh my God,” I moaned. “It’s too much. I can’t take it.” Stone immediately pulled himself from my body. I whimpered at the loss of him. “Monroe, look at me,” he demanded. I stayed in my position and looked back over my shoulder to him. “Did I hurt you?” he asked, horrifying worry in his voice. “Why did you stop?” I questioned. “You said it was too much.” “It felt so good. The sensation was too much,” I admitted. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin it; I was thoroughly enjoying everything you were giving me.” Stone’s eyes went liquid and his fingertips dug into my hips. I shifted my hips slowly from side to side and begged, “Please come back to me.” A grin spread across his face and as he pushed back inside of me he announced, “We’re going to have to work on your choice of vocabulary when we’re fucking.” He was thrusting into me and it felt so good that I just agreed, “Okay, handsome, whatever you want.” It was unbelievably wonderful feeling Stone in this position. The way he moved

inside of me, how deep I could feel him, and the enjoyment I could hear he was getting out of it made it shoot right up to the number one spot on my list of best sex positions with Stone. I wanted more from him. I let go of the headboard and dropped down to my elbows, my ass now up in air. The moment I settled into this position, Stone’s grip on my hips grew tighter. “Oh, Stone,” I murmured. “I want more. I want it harder.” “Fuck, baby,” he hissed. “You were made for me.” My breath caught in my throat at his admission, but I couldn’t take the time needed to process it because he did what I asked. And he didn’t disappoint. He gave it to me harder. With each hard and delicious stroke, I felt myself growing closer and closer to that happy place. My breathing grew shallow, my moans louder. It was coming and it was going to hit fast and hard. “Angel, I feel you there. So tight, so sweet,” Stone said, continuing to give it to me. I couldn’t hold back any longer. “Don’t stop,” I begged. “Take it, Monroe. I want you to take it all.” And that’s when I let go. “Stone,” I belted. “My good girl,” Stone began, his voice rough. “Use that sweet, tight pussy and milk me.” It wasn’t even seconds later and Stone found his release while inside me. After coming down from his orgasm, Stone pressed a kiss between my shoulder blades and pulled out of me. He went about disposing of the condom while I fell to my side, spent and sated. I felt the bed depress with Stone’s weight not long after and suddenly I was being turned to my other side to face him. Stone pulled me close to him and I relished the feel of his warm, hard body. We stayed like that in silence for a long while. I had a million things running through my mind, namely what he said about me being made for him. I wished I could have brought it up and said something to him, but if there was any chance that he was going to have a change of heart, I didn’t want to say anything that would make him rethink it and remember whatever it was that was holding him back. Even still, I wanted to say something. “Stone?” I called, quietly. “Yeah, angel?” “This has been the best birthday of my life.” He gave me a gentle squeeze and responded, “The day’s not over yet. Still have dinner and a couple hours of fun planned for later.”

I bit my lip thinking about more fun with him. “That was number one,” I admitted. “I’m sorry?” he asked, confused. “That position,” I started. “It’s number one right now. I don’t want to make a definitive statement on it, though, because I’m guessing I’ve got several others to try still.” I felt Stone’s body vibrate with laughter. Full-blown laughter. I loved it. Hearing it and feeling it, knowing I typically saw so much caution in his eyes, I think I loved hearing his laughter more than anything else in the world. It made me believe I was giving him something to grab onto for a moment. Something that allowed him to let his guard down. Something that he could trust and believe in. “Baby, how the fuck do you do this?” he asked, still trying to regain his composure. “Do what?” I asked, pulling back to look at him. “Completely throw me off guard with the shit you say sometimes,” he explained, looking down at me. I shrugged my shoulders and answered, “I’m not trying to be funny, Stone. I’m just being honest.” “I know. That’s the whole point.” I cuddled further into him. Stone held me a bit before he suggested, “I think it’s time I feed you dinner and dessert.” “Mmm. What’s for dinner?” “You’re the birthday girl, so you decide. I made sure I had enough here so you could choose what you wanted. If you want fancy, I can make steaks. You want something light, I’ll do Caesar salads with either chicken or salmon, whichever you prefer. Or, if you want something middle of the road, I can do burgers and fries.” “Burgers and fries,” I answered, without hesitation. “Really?” I nodded before I explained, “We did fancy two nights ago, so no need for fancy tonight. I’d probably normally choose the salmon salad, but considering the activities from just now and the activities planned for later tonight, I’m guessing I’ll need sustenance. Besides, sometimes, you just want to eat a nice juicy burger with a side of greasy fries. Right now, that’s exactly what I want. If only we had milkshakes to go with it.” Stone’s arms tightened around me when I heard him barely whisper, “Made for me.” As much as I wanted to say something, I stopped myself. Thirty minutes later, Stone and I were eating juicy burgers and greasy fries. They

were delicious. Much to my surprise, he had milk and ice cream, so he made me a vanilla milkshake as well. It was the perfect birthday dinner. Following dinner, Stone ushered me into his living room where he made me sit on the couch and wait for him to return. When he came back he was carrying a rather large wrapped box. He bought me a birthday present. Stone set the gift down in front of me and said, “Happy birthday, Monroe.” “You bought me a birthday present?” I questioned, shock in my tone. He laughed as he sat down next to me on the couch before he replied, “Isn’t that what you do when it’s someone’s birthday?” “Yeah, but…I don’t know. This is a lot. You’ve already fixed my tire, changed my toilets, bought me a security system, took me to a fancy dinner, rented out an entire racetrack to let me drive one of your Porsches, and you made me dinner.” “It’s a birthday present. I didn’t buy you your own Porsche, so relax. It’s just something fun.” “Alright.” I turned to the gift and began pulling the wrapping paper off. When I had completely uncovered what was underneath, I snapped my head back to Stone. He was fighting now to stay serious. “Well?” he asked, attempting to suppress a grin. “Do you like it?” “I’m not sure yet,” I answered honestly. “I was hoping we could have a do-over. I want to make sure you get the reaction you deserve, the one you should have gotten that night.” “I see,” I began, a small smile playing at my lips. “Well then, handsome, you better get to work and set this up.” Stone let out a breath and got to work on setting up my new karaoke machine. My insides filled with warmth at the thought that Stone wanted a chance to make up for the night at Lou’s. He didn’t want me to have a bad memory associated with karaoke and I loved that he thought it was worth replacing that memory with a good one. “When’s your birthday?” I blurted out as he came back to sit next to me on the couch. “June fourth.” I took in that information and sat there, contemplating. I was snapped out of my musings when I felt Stone’s finger pressed to my temple. “What’s happening up here right now?” “Nothing,” I responded. “I’m just trying to figure out how much time I have to come up with a birthday present that’s going to top everything you’ve done for me.” “Monroe, I bought a karaoke machine. It’s not anything crazy.” “No, Stone. It’s so much more than the karaoke machine. I love that you put that

thought into this and got me that, but I didn’t need anything else. I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but you gave me my gift two nights ago.” I felt him grow tense. I continued talking. “Do you remember that Sunday when you came to my studio to help me finish the painting on those last two rooms? The day that I asked you to leave.” He nodded, but stayed silent. “When I went home that day Charley, Emme, and Nikki were already there. Nikki called Charley and Emme earlier that day to tell them what I had shared with her about my night with you the previous night. The girls were planning to talk to me about what my next steps should be with you considering my experience level to that point was zilch. Obviously, when I got home they knew something was wrong and, as I’m sure you can guess, I spilled the details. What you don’t know is that I made a decision that night. It dawned on me that perhaps I was being too picky or I was holding out for something that wasn’t going to happen. I drank a half a bottle of wine that night and I made a vow to lose my virginity before I turned twenty-five. When I woke up the next morning, I realized how silly that was, but it didn’t change the fact that my heart was hurting and that I wanted to find someone who would want me.” I paused a moment, trying to hold back my emotions. “Monroe, I…” Stone got out before I cut him off. “No, Stone. Listen to me. Today has been one of the best days of my life and I don’t want it filled with unhappy thoughts or memories. I just want you to know that when you showed up at my studio on Monday and told me you wanted to take me on a date, that did something to me. When you brought me back here that night and still wanted me, despite my inexperience, that did something else to me. But, Stone, when you learned the truth and you took your time with me, being gentle and careful with me, that was it. What you did for me that night was so much more than me just having sex for the first time. It was beautiful and special. If all you did today was wish me a happy birthday and maybe give me that kiss you did this morning, it still would have been the only thing I would have wanted today. All of this other stuff you’ve done has just been a bonus and makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world.” I sat there watching Stone and I could tell he was struggling with something. I didn’t want to ruin the day so I spoke again. “I don’t want you to say anything, handsome. I just wanted you to know how I felt. And now, if you are ready, I’d like to take the opportunity to seduce you by giving you a little performance. Are you up for it?” “Just hearing that you want to seduce me this way has me up for it,” he answered. I looked down at his lap. He wasn’t lying. There was a bulge at the crotch of his jeans. I licked my lips. “Angel?” Stone called.

I brought my eyes to his. He gave me a look that said he needed me to not be sitting next to him, looking at his manhood, licking my lips. “Right. Okay, so did you want me to do a repeat performance with the same song or should I try something else?” “It’s up to you, but I’m liking the idea of you singing that song to me so I can have better memories of it. You want to do something else, I’m sure you won’t disappoint.” “How about a two-for-one special?” “Not going to say no to that. Show me what you’ve got, baby.” I got up off the couch and got Toni Braxton’s You’re Makin’ Me High ready. As I waited, I realized I was looking forward to doing this again knowing that what I was going to be asking for was exactly what I was going to get. The music started and I danced. Much like I did when I performed at Lou’s I danced a slow, sensual dance to the instrumental part in the beginning. Stone’s gaze was burning and he was already readjusting himself as he watched me dance. The moment I started singing, something changed. It wasn’t bad; it was just different. The way Stone was looking at me told me that he had just had a revelation of sorts and he was trying to process it. I continued the song and dance, not letting whatever was going on in his mind affect my performance. As the music faded, Stone spoke. “Turn off the machine, Monroe,” he demanded. I quickly did as he asked, but was a bit worried about the change in him. After flipping the power switch off, I asked, “Is everything okay?” “Come here.” I walked over to him cautiously. Once I was standing in front of him he leaned forward, put an arm around my waist, and pulled me down on top of him. I was now straddling him. “You’re going to have to save the second performance until later. Need to have you now and I want you working me with this incredible body. You okay with being on top?” My eyes rounded. A new position. Yes. Heck yes, I was okay with it. So, I nodded. Stone took my mouth. His hands went to the hem of my shirt. He pulled his mouth from mine to remove my shirt. Then, bringing his hands to the waist of my pants he directed, “Lift up.”

I put my hands to his shoulders and lifted. Stone slid my pants and panties down my legs and over my feet. He tossed them to the side before he used one hand to unhook my bra and remove that, too. I quickly removed his shirt and put my mouth to his while my hands traveled down between us to his jeans. Stone took my tongue as I worked to unfasten the jeans. Once I had successfully undone them, I lifted up to allow Stone to slide them down his legs. Then, I settled over top of him. My naked body against his. He was so warm. My mouth went back to his. My hands were everywhere. In his hair, on his shoulders, down his arms, and on his chest. Stone couldn’t seem to get enough of me, either. His hands. His incredible hands were at my hips, my ass, my breasts, and my thighs. I wanted him. I was so ready for him. I reached my hand down between us again and wrapped my fingers around him. I lifted and moved to position him at my entrance when Stone gripped my hips tight. “Wait,” he said, his voice rough. I froze and looked to him, confused. “Condom.” “I’m on birth control,” I practically panted. I did not want to wait to have him inside me. “For my periods. They were irregular. The doctor said the birth control would fix that.” Stone’s fingers tightened on my hips. “Another first,” his strained voice muttered. Now my fingers tightened around him. I was going to be the first person he was with like this. That filled me with warmth. I looked at him through hooded eyes, waiting for him to indicate what I should do next. “Let me feel you, Monroe.” I slipped him inside of me. Stone let out a groan. I hadn’t moved yet and this was already at the number one spot on my list. No doubt about it. Not a question in my mind. “Oh my God, Stone.” “Angel,” his husky voice filtered into my ears. “Baby, can you move?” I took in a breath, let it out, and started to move. As I moved, I let my senses take over me. I couldn’t comprehend how it was possible that with each roll of my hips I was being assaulted by multiple sensations. Touching his heated skin under my fingertips,

tasting his lips and the skin at his neck and shoulders, smelling his masculine scent mixed with aroma of sex, and hearing the sounds coming from the back of his throat were all overwhelming me. I could have been content experiencing just one of those. It was my sight that did me in, though. Seeing the look in Stone’s eyes as I moved my body over his. There was something there I hadn’t ever seen before. I didn’t know what it was, but I knew it was big. I loved the look; I loved what I saw. I only wish I knew what it meant. I continued to move, alternating between rolling my hips and lifting and lowering myself on him. The feel of Stone’s hands as they moved over my body had me burning up. “I love your hands,” I rasped out. “They feel so good on my body.” “Fuck, Monroe. These fuckin’ legs,” he started, with his hands on my thighs. As they traveled up my thighs, one hand stopped at my hip while the other went to my breasts. “These tits,” he continued before taking one in his mouth. He lavished my breasts with attention before he pulled his mouth away and brought his hand down to my core. “This pussy. So sweet, all mine. Say it, baby.” I was so turned on. Hearing him talk like that as his hands moved, all while I continued to ride him, was too intense. “Angel,” he warned. “Tell me.” “It’s yours Stone…it’s all for you,” I managed to get out, barely able to catch my breath. Stone had one hand on my thigh and the other at my hip now. Both tightened on my body. “Nobody else gets this, Monroe. You’re fuckin’ mine. Understand?” “Yes, handsome. I’m yours. Meant for you. Only you.” “My good girl,” he announced just before he held my hips in his hands and powered his hips up, thrusting into me. “Oh, Stone.” My hands went to his shoulders to brace myself. He kept at it. “You like this, baby?” “I love it, Stone. I’m so close. Please,” I begged. Stone gave it to me harder. It was just what I needed. I came apart over him, throwing my head back as the feeling of pleasure shot through me. “So fuckin’ sweet. Fuck, Monroe,” Stone shouted as he, too, found his release. I was done. Exhausted. Spent. Sated. I slumped forward, my head going to Stone’s shoulder. “Number one, handsome. Number one.” “What?”

“This position. Number one. No doubt about it.” “There are still more, angel. You sure you want to make that statement now?” Stone teased. “For now, yes. I’m not sure you could possibly top this one. Getting it from behind was magnificent, but seeing your face and feeling your hands on my body while I feel you so deep inside me is the bee’s knees.” Stone burst out laughing. I listened to the sound and felt his body vibrate with the joy he was experiencing. All I could do was smile inwardly. It made me feel even better than I already did to give him that. “Hope you enjoyed your birthday today.” I lifted my head from Stone’s shoulder and looked at him. “I loved it. Without a doubt, the best birthday I’ve ever had. Thank you.” He kissed the tip of my nose and admitted, “Happy to give that to you. It was one of the best days of my life, second only to the one I had on Monday.” My face softened as my heart squeezed at his admission. “I’m happy I gave that to you,” I replied. Stone pulled me in for a hug and we stayed like that a while before he carried me upstairs. Once we got there, we celebrated my birthday again before going to bed.

Chapter 15 Monroe I woke up the next morning feeling warm and loved. I was on my side facing Stone. He had his arm draped over my waist and had me pulled tight to his body. When I looked up at his face, I saw that he was still asleep. He was so content and peaceful. I loved that for him. All too often, I would look in his eyes and see the hardness that I hated. More and more now, I was seeing a vulnerability. I hoped we’d get to a point where he’d finally be able to fully let his guard down. It’s interesting, though. Stone unequivocally told me earlier in the week that he’d never be able to give me forever, but what he said last night made me believe otherwise. I couldn’t sit there and say that I thought he was in love with me. I knew I fell for him, hard and fast, but I didn’t expect that had happened with him. That said, his words last night meant too much for me to be nothing to him. They were claiming and I hoped like hell he meant them because I knew deep down in my bones that I was exactly what I said I was last night. I was Stone’s. My heart belonged to him. I only hoped he felt like he belonged to me. If I had been given the opportunity to make a birthday wish, it would have been to know, without a single doubt, that I was everything Stone wanted. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get the answer to that and as much as I wanted to talk to him about what he said last night so that I’d have a clearer picture of what was happening between us, I was too scared that if I did it would send him packing. Somehow, the uncertainty of what was happening between us was easier to deal with than the possibility of having him walk away if I pushed for more. I wasn’t sure how long that feeling would last for me but, for the time being, I was willing to settle for what he was offering. On these thoughts, I reached my hand out to his chest. As I moved my fingertips along his skin, I tilted my head back to look up at him again. God, I loved him. I loved him so much I thought I would burst. I shifted myself closer to him, hoping for maximum contact with his body. The moment I pressed my lips to his chest I felt his arm tighten around my waist. I smiled against his heated skin. After I gave him one more kiss I looked back up to see him

smiling down at me. “Good morning, handsome.” Stone angled his head toward me, kissed the top of my head, and uttered a sleepy, “Good morning, angel.” “I want to teach you how to dance,” I blurted out. “Excuse me?” “You said you don’t know anything about dancing. I want to teach you. Tonight is my birthday celebration at Lou’s. I want you to be there. I would love for you to dance with me.” “I don’t dance, Monroe,” he retorted. “Maybe not yet,” I asserted. “But, with a little practice you could easily do it. Trust me, Stone. As someone who teaches dance for a living it’s my job to spot someone who can use their body properly. And let me tell you — from what I have witnessed and experienced, you know just how to use your body.” “Appreciate the compliment and the vote of confidence, but fucking does not equate to dancing.” I nudged Stone’s shoulder and pushed him to his back. Then, I moved so I was half on his body looking at him before I explained, “Of course it does. Look, before Monday night I couldn’t make this statement, but now I feel I’m qualified to make this judgement. You told me that night when I had doubts about whether I’d be good at it that there was no chance I’d be bad. I’m not being arrogant, but I know I’m a damn good dancer. After we slept together on Monday night you told me I was the best you’ve ever had. If you were being honest when you said that, what do you think the reason for that is?” Stone froze as something flashed in his eyes. Uh. Oh. He quickly recovered and conceded, “Maybe you’re partially right. Being a dancer gives you an edge when it comes to sex. I’m not convinced it works the other way around, though.” “I am,” I pressed on. “You’re really, really good. You have control over your body, you know how to move, and you seem to be able to deliver more than is expected every single time. I’m confident in your capabilities. You won’t just try it out? We can do it here, with nobody else around.” Stone gave me a sexy grin and sat up in the bed while keeping me pressed up against his body. “I’m really, really good?” he asked, his eyebrow cocked. I rolled my eyes at him. “It’s spelled H-U-M-B-L-E, Stone.” He burst out laughing.

Again. I couldn’t help but let a huge grin spread across my face. Stone moved quickly and got out of the bed while holding me. He carried me into the bathroom and gently set me down on the bathmat. After turning on the shower, he looked to me and advised, “I’m thinking we should confirm my skills with shower sex.” I swallowed hard at the thought. Shower sex. This could be fun. “You’re avoiding answering the question and trying to distract me,” I informed him. He smirked and asked, “Is it working?” My shoulders sagged, I let out a sigh, and answered honestly, “Yes.” Then, I put on my pouty face. Stone’s crooked finger came to rest under my chin while his other hand went right between my legs. He took my mouth with his as he slid one finger inside me. I forgot why I was pouting. The hand that had been at my chin was now cupping the back of my head. The finger between my legs was slowly sliding in and out of me. I moaned into Stone’s mouth and brought my hands to his shoulders to prevent myself from falling. I was getting hot. The bathroom was steaming up. Stone was relentlessly torturing me. In a very good way. He eventually pulled his mouth from mine, but continued to slide his finger in and out of my sensitive body. “You still upset with me for distracting you?” he gently questioned. I closed my eyes, dug my fingers into his shoulders, and just felt what he was doing to me. At the same time, I slowly shook my head in answer to his question. And that’s when I lost him. He pulled his fingers from between my legs. My eyes shot open and I whimpered. “Shower,” he ordered. I stepped in under the spray and Stone followed behind me. He wasted no time. Stone brought his hands under my arms and lifted me. I wrapped my legs around his waist and the next thing I knew my back was against the wall of the shower. Stone claimed my mouth again, one hand at my ass, the other at my breast. His fingers dug into the flesh of my bottom while his tongue slipped between my lips and into my mouth. I ran my fingers through his hair and took what he was giving. I hoped I was giving back as good as I was getting.

When Stone pulled his mouth from mine, we locked gazes. My eyes boring into his. Neither of us daring to look away. I felt his hardness at my tingling and sensitive core. Finally, I quietly pleaded, “Dance with me.” Stone pushed inside and I let out a mewl. He swallowed the sound by capturing my mouth again with his. His movements were effortlessly controlled. Slow, unhurried thrusts built me up in no time at all. “Stone,” I panted as I pulled my mouth from his, surprised at my ability to say his name. “So good…you feel so good.” His mouth went to my neck, nibbling the skin there. His fingers at my breast slid across the hardened peak of my nipple. “Oh,” I moaned. “You’re going to come for me, aren’t you, baby?” I nodded. I was. There was no use denying that it took him a matter of minutes to bring me there. I didn’t care. “I feel you quivering inside, angel. Take it now because I want to give you more.” That’s when it happened. I took what he gave me. I wanted it. I wanted to feel every ounce of pleasure this man was delivering. It was overwhelmingly satisfying. I barely had a chance to come down from my orgasm when the speed of Stone’s thrusts picked up and he was building me up again. “Oh God. I can’t,” I begged as my head fell to the side. “Look at me, Monroe.” I brought my eyes to his. “You can because I’m going to make sure I get you there again,” he assured me, his voice full of promise. Sure enough, Stone did just that. After a whole lot more tasting, claiming, nibbling, and touching, Stone got me there again. Only, this time, he was right there with me. Following our morning sex session in the shower, Stone and I made our way to the kitchen for breakfast. It should be noted that before we made our way downstairs for breakfast and were throwing on some clothes that I informed Stone, following said sex session, that I had some reorganizing of Monroe’s-Top-Sex-Positions List to do. Last night’s sex on the couch, with me on top, was still in the number one spot. I wasn’t sure anything was going to top that. I was having a hard time with shower sex, though, and I asked Stone for clarification. “So, is wall sex the same as shower sex since that was against the wall? Or is different since wall sex can be had without the shower?” I inquired, genuinely looking for

a serious answer. Stone doubled over in a fit of laughter. I stared at him, my face deadpan. When he glanced up and noticed my seriousness, he tried to reign in the laughter, but I could see a smile tugging at his lips. “You’re serious?” “Yes!” I exclaimed. He walked over to me, pulled me in to hug, kissed the tip of my nose, and answered, “They’re different. You want to experience that, I’ll show you tonight after Lou’s. You want to be at my place or yours?” My eyes rounded. “You’ll stay at my place with me?” I asked. “Why wouldn’t I?” he countered. I didn’t know what to say. There were a million reasons I could think of as to why he wouldn’t stay with me at my place, but I didn’t choose to share any of them with him. Instead, I shrugged my shoulders and answered, “I’d like to have wall sex at my place tonight.” Stone broke out in a full-blown grin. “I’ll have to see what I can do then,” he said. “Come on, let me make you breakfast.” Stone made me breakfast and I spent a good part of our breakfast conversation trying to convince him to allow me to give him dance lessons. I wasn’t looking to give him formal dance lessons, but I really wanted to dance with him at Lou’s tonight. He wasn’t budging. Stone did his best to let me down gently and moved the conversation to other topics. We had just finished breakfast when my phone rang. I took a look at the display, saw it was Nikki, and answered. “Hey, babe.” Stone, who was standing on the other side of the island loading dishes into the dishwasher, brought his eyes up to mine. They narrowed. “Listen, I know it’s probably going to be torture for you to pry yourself away from Stone today, but we’ve got shopping to do before tonight,” Nikki declared in my ear. “We do?” I asked. “Birthday celebration tonight, mama. We’re making you look hot. Hotter than usual, that is.” “Okay,” I answered. “Are you free to go in the next hour?” “Well, considering I have nobody to offer dance lessons to this afternoon yes, I’m free to go.”

Stone balled his hands into fists and rested them on the countertop as he stared me down. I gave him a wink and smiled. “I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume you’re referring to dance lessons for Stone. Not surprised that’s not happening, but looking forward to the details of that later.” “You would be correct. I’m going to agree with you, though, that you’ve got the right idea. I want to get something that’s going to make me look hot. Really hot. I’m thinking lots of leg. Maybe I can be enticing that way,” I said into the phone, knowing I was teasing Stone to a point he was probably not going to like. He began walking around the island toward me. “Of course, he loves the legs,” Nikki responded as Stone came up behind me. He pressed his body into mine, brought a hand to my thigh, and wrapped his other arm across my chest. I was in a pair of shorts and a lightweight tee. His hand began traveling slowly up my thigh, while the other cupped my breast and squeezed. “Monroe?” Nikki called. “Um…yeah, Nik…I’m here.” “Oh my God, is Stone there? He’s attempting to get in your pants while you’re on the phone, isn’t he?” I let out a moan. Oh shit. I was on the phone with my best friend while the man of my dreams was putting his hands all over my body. I just moaned in my best friend’s ear. “I’m sorry, Nikki. I’m listening.” “You’ve got to be kidding me. Go get some, mama, but your ass better be here in an hour.” “One hour,” I promised before I disconnected and dropped the phone down on the counter. “Who are you trying to entice?” Stone whispered in my ear. The tickle of his breath there sent shivers down my spine. “You,” I whispered back before I turned my head and kissed his jaw. “How are you planning on doing that?” His hands were still moving all over my body. It was incredibly difficult to concentrate on anything, so I was extremely proud of myself when I managed to get out, “Shopping with Nikki for an outfit for tonight’s birthday celebration.” “Planning to show off your legs?” I nodded. “Fuck,” he hissed.

“Will it work?” I asked, my voice full of hope. “Not dancing, angel. But if something was going to work, it would be the legs,” he assured me before he turned me around, lifted me up, and set me on the island. “Feeling hungry still so I’m going to eat you. You good with that?” Another shiver ran down my spine. I nodded furiously. Stone chuckled and brought his hands to the waistband of my shorts. I leaned back on my palms and lifted my hips so he could pull them off. Then, my shirt was off and Stone’s head was between my legs. After he filled up on me and gave me an orgasm using his mouth, he dropped his jeans and showed me what kitchen sex was all about. When he finished with me I was on my back on the island and I announced, “I think it’s good I’m going out shopping with Nikki this afternoon.” Stone was bent over my body. He framed my face with his hands and inquired, “Oh yeah? Why’s that?” “My sex positions list is a mess. I’m going to need a couple hours to get it sorted.” Stone’s body vibrated with laughter as he dropped his head and nuzzled his face in my neck. “You’re fucking crazy, Monroe.” “No, I’m serious. If I’m around you, you’ll end up having your way with me again and you’re only going to add to the confusion. I don’t know what I like anymore…it’s all so good.” “That’s not a bad problem to have. Come on, go get cleaned up and changed and I’ll take you home so you can go shopping. Try not to kill me with the dress tonight.” I gave him a coy smile and said, “I’ll do my best.” With that, Stone helped me off the island and I went to get cleaned up and changed so he could take me home.

Chapter 16 Monroe “That’s the one!” Nikki shouted. I was currently standing in a fitting room with a pile of dresses and outfits for tonight’s festivities. I was on the seventh outfit change and Nikki had declared what I was now wearing as the one. “Are you sure it’s not too much?” I retorted. I then continued, “And by too much, I mean the exact opposite. This dress is barely there, Nik.” “It’s perfect, Monroe. You’re all legs with a hint of cleavage. Stone is going to have a heck of a time keeping his hands off you.” I stared at myself in the dressing room mirror. I was wearing a plum-colored dress that was seriously short, form fitting, and showed a lot of leg. I would normally be okay with this; however, the top of the dress had thin, spaghetti straps and a plunging neckline that stopped just above my bellybutton. “This isn’t a hint of cleavage. This is a dress that doesn’t allow me to wear a bra. I’m not as blessed as Emme, but Nikki, I’m still a small d-cup. This dress could be catastrophic.” “If I had the cleavage you and Emme do, I’d wear dresses like that all the time. Rock it, mama.” “You really think so? I feel like it might be too over-the-top,” I stated, as I turned around to face her. Nikki held up her phone and snapped a picture of me. “Guaranteed that Charley and Emme are going to agree with me. We’ll ask them. In the meantime, talk to me about Stone. How’s it going?” A feeling of warmth spread through my body at the thought of him. “I know I told you and the girls before that I loved him, but it’s worse now. Nikki, I love him. I’m so confused, though.” “About what?” “Okay, so I told you on the way here about everything he planned for my birthday yesterday with going to the race track and letting me drive his Porsche. It was so heartwarming. He put so much thought and effort into the day. So last night, after we ate

the dinner he made, he gave me a gift. It was a karaoke machine. He wanted me to recreate the night at Lou’s where he walked out on me. I did and then he reacted the way I had hoped for the night at Lou’s.” “Oh, see? This is the stuff I want to hear about,” she started. “Charley just replied, by the way. She said that it’s hot and insists that you get this dress. Better start changing into your clothes. So, what happened with Stone?” I started removing the dress as I continued the story. “We tried a new position. Well, it was a new position for me, that is. On his couch, I was on top. We were in the throes of it when he started talking about the specific parts of my body. He told me they were all his and he wanted me to repeat that to him. I did. Then, he said that he was the only one who would have me and that I was his.” “This sounds like what you’ve wanted, babe. I don’t understand what the problem is.” “It is good. It’s great, actually. It’s just that earlier this week before we slept together for the first time he told me he’d never be able to give me forever. Now, with what happened last night I’m not sure I understand what he’s hoping for with me. I want to bring it up, ask him, and talk to him about it, but I’m terrified he’s going to walk away from me if I do.” “Why?” “Every time I look in his eyes I see it. He’s closed off, protecting himself from something. Then, sometimes when he is with me, there are brief moments of vulnerability. I’m certain that whatever the reason was he said he couldn’t give me forever is what causes that hardness. I don’t want to ruin the chance to be with him longterm if there’s a possibility he can get there, but at the same time I hate feeling so confused.” Nikki sat on the bench taking in what I just told her. She knew I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. “This is tough, babe. Even though I don’t know his reasons, I do understand his position. I get what it’s like to do what you’ve got to do to protect yourself from getting hurt. That said, I know you’d never hurt him. For that reason, it hurts my heart that he’s stuck in this place and can’t give the both of you what it seems like you both really want. Give him some time to get used to the idea of you, or more importantly, the two of you. If nothing else, I think he’s proven that he’s not an asshole and I believe he deserves a little bit of understanding. I mean, look on the bright side — at least while you’re giving him that time he’s delivering mind-blowing orgasms regularly. That’s got to count for something.” I nodded and smiled at her. “You’re right. I can tough it out for a bit and give him the time he needs to sort this out in his head.” Nikki’s phone chimed alerting her to a text. She looked down at it and read the text, “What I would give for those legs. Monroe better get that dress! Stone was right — our girl is fire.”

“Alright, I’m getting the dress,” I conceded. “But, if Stone loses his shit I’m holding you three accountable.” “It’ll be fine. What’s the worst that could happen?” “Oh, I don’t know. How would Luke react?” I asked, mostly because I wanted some details on what was happening with the two of them. Nikki’s face twitched and her head jerked back. “What does that mean? Luke doesn’t get a say.” As we walked out of the fitting room, I answered, “He’s into you, babe. Are you telling me there’s nothing going on between the two of you?” “Nothing that gives him a right to say anything about what I’m wearing.” “But there’s something?” I pressed further. She shrugged her shoulders and joked, “Hey, a girl has got to get what she needs. If there’s a hot guy who can deliver who’s also cool with no strings attached, why not?” “Oh, Nikki. Why didn’t you share this with us?” “There’s nothing to share, mama. It’s purely physical.” “Does Luke know this?” “Of course.” I shook my head at her. She deserved more than she was giving herself. Nikki was tough on the outside and never let you see what was going on deep down, but I knew there was a part of her that wanted what Charley had with Wes and Emme had with Zane. She just wasn’t ready to acknowledge that. I didn’t want to go there with her, so I moved the conversation to a topic I knew she’d have no problem discussing. “So, tell me then, how good is he in this purely physical relationship?” She stopped walking, turned to me, and with a look that told me she just figured something out, she admitted, “It’s explosive. He’s the best I’ve ever had.” Okay. I could handle this. “I’m paying for this dress and then we’re stopping to get you a drink.” She nodded her head slowly. Two hours later, Nikki and I were back home after we stopped to get her a drink. She didn’t talk about Luke, but I knew she was grateful for the silent support I offered her that afternoon. We were now getting ready for our night out. I hadn’t known it earlier, but my girls set everything up so that Wes, Charley, Zane, and Emme would all meet Stone, Luke, Nikki and me at Lou’s. Apparently, they arranged for Luke and Stone to pick Nikki and me up at the condo to take us. Luke was going to be driving the four of us that night. If this were going to be just a normal night out with the girls I’d have thrown on something I had in my closet, put on a bit of make-up, and made my hair presentable.

This was my birthday celebration, so I figured a little bit of effort was worth it. Besides, I did plan to lure Stone out on to the dance floor and, if nothing else, that was enough to make me want to put in the extra effort. Nikki came to the rescue and gave me good hair. Really good hair. She also did phenomenal make-up. When she finished, even I had to admit I was looking pretty freaking fantastic. I was putting a few things in my clutch when we heard the guys at the door. “I’ve got it,” she shouted from halfway down the hall. I grabbed the rest of my things and took one last look in the mirror. I mustered up some confidence and gave myself a quick pep talk before I walked out of the room and down the hall. The instant I walked into the family room I could feel the heat rolling off Stone. He didn’t move; he simply stood there staring at me. All of me. I stared right back hoping for some indication of what he was thinking. Unfortunately, I didn’t get that because Luke, who had been standing next to Nikki, walked up and pulled me into a hug. “Happy birthday, babe,” he said. When he pulled away from me I replied with a quiet, “Thank you, Luke.” My gaze shifted back to Stone, who now had his hands balled in fists and his jaw was clenching. “Luke and I will be outside when you guys are ready,” Nikki piped up as she pulled Luke by the wrist out of the family room. The second the door shut Stone stalked over to me. “What are you doing to me, Monroe?” he muttered. I slowly closed my eyes for a moment. When I opened them, I looked back to him and whispered my confession, “I want you to dance with me.” “And you thought you’d accomplish that by not wearing a bra?” “Okay,” I said as I swallowed hard. “I really, really want you to dance with me.” “Baby…” he trailed off. “Already told you I don’t dance. Even if I wanted to dance with you I wouldn’t be able to, seein’ as how I’m going to have to spend most of the night making sure nobody else is looking at you. You’re fire, angel.” “I’m only looking at you, though.” “Yeah, but that doesn’t change the fact that I wanted to knock Luke out when he came over and hugged you.” My eyes rounded. “He got a free pass because I know he’s seriously into your girl. Anyone at Lou’s

that’s looking at you is fair game.” “So, you like my dress?” “I like you. With or without the dress. And, just sayin’, it seems like you’re making things easier for tonight when I take this dress off you.” “Wall sex, right?” I reaffirmed as I felt my body get hot at the idea. Stone bent his head to mine, captured my mouth, and kissed me good. “Fuck. We need to get outside now before you miss your birthday dinner and fun at Lou’s tonight.” With that, Stone ushered me out of the condo and out to Luke’s Tahoe. By the time we arrived at Lou’s, Charley, Wes, Emme, and Zane were already seated and waiting for us. We approached the table and I removed my jacket. Everyone stood and began making their way over to me. “I’m so happy you got the dress,” Emme said loudly as she pulled me in to a hug. “You look fantastic, mama. Happy birthday!” Charley approached next and said, “Happy birthday, honey. You’re seriously smokin’ hot. I was going to be so disappointed if you didn’t get this one.” Stone was standing beside me, looking at Charley and Emme, and asked, “You guys encouraged her to buy this?” “Yeah,” they answered in unison. Charley continued, “She’s got the perfect set of legs, a nice ass, and a great rack. This dress was made for her body. Why wouldn’t we encourage her to buy it?” “Jesus Christ,” Stone mumbled. Zane walked up with a grin on his face, gave me a kiss on the head, and said, “Happy birthday, darlin’.” Wes followed and also gave me a hug and kiss before he stated, “Happy birthday, Monroe.” Then he pointed to Stone as he kept his eyes on me and admitted, “You look good, babe. Don’t worry about this guy.” I nodded and we all took our seats. Dinner was amazing. The food was incredible and the conversation easy, but it was the people who made it unforgettable. Earlier in the week, after I was with Stone for the first time, it was the first time since moving to Rising Sun that I was beginning to feel good again about my decision to leave home. As the week went on, that feeling grew stronger. Tonight, it was solidified. These people were good people, and one of them was someone with whom I had fallen madly in love. The only thing that could have possibly made this any better would have been hearing words from Stone that he was having a change of heart, that he thought there was a chance for forever with me. I didn’t need any guarantees, but knowing the possibility existed would have made my day. We finished dinner and made our way up to the saloon on the second floor of Lou’s

restaurant. Unfortunately, Elle wasn’t performing that night, but thankfully, there was no karaoke either. The last thing I wanted to do, even though Stone had made it up to me yesterday, was to feel even the slightest bit of pressure to get back on stage for karaoke right now. So, it was almost the perfect scenario with music, drinks, and dancing. The guys found a place to sit and after the girls and I had two rounds of shots we were off to the dance floor. I was never a good judge of time when I was dancing, especially if I was slightly inebriated, but I knew the girls and I had been out a while. We went back to where the guys were seated for another round of drinks, except for Emme. Ever since she had to have her kidney removed when he ex-boyfriend beat her just over a year ago she’s had to watch how much alcohol she takes in. So, Emme downed some water while Charley, Nikki, and I had a third round of shots. Charley ordered a fourth round and we waited. I was feeling good, it was my birthday celebration, and Stone was currently looking at me like he wanted to devour me. I decided to have a little fun. I settled my booty in his lap and felt his arms immediately come around me. Twisting my body at my waist so that I was facing him, I put my hands to his shoulders, leaned forward, and pressed a kiss to his lips. He took my mouth. Consumed me. When I pulled my mouth from his I brought my lips to his ear and tried to tempt him, “Are you sure you won’t come and dance with me?” “I’m sure, angel.” I gave him a sad face before I decided that if he was going to torture me by not dancing with me, I was going to leave him here thinking about what was to come. So, I brought my mouth back to his ear and teased, “That’s such a shame. You see, I know we made plans to allow me to experience wall sex tonight, but I was thinking that it’d be okay to change our plans to drunk sex. I’ve heard that drunk sex can be a whole lot of fun.” Stone’s arm tightened around my waist while I felt his hand sift through my hair. He gently pulled my head back so he could look me in the eyes. The heat in his was undeniable. With his lips brushed up against mine he shared, “Don’t need to dance to show you what drunk sex is like.” “Maybe not,” I countered. “But I was thinking a preview of my drunk moves against your body on the dance floor where we can’t actually take our clothes off would have made it sweeter.” His grip in my hair tightened. “You’re such a feisty piece of work. Every time with you is always sweet, Monroe. If you still want to dance, you better get your ass up and go do it. Otherwise, if you continue to wiggle your ass in my lap and be a tease, we’re leaving.” I narrowed my eyes at him before I ranted, “You know, you’re only fun when you’re giving me the goods or when you’re letting me drive your Porsche. I’m only letting this slide because you’re really good at what you will do to have fun.” “Sorry to be such a downer,” he joked. “It’s okay. I still love you,” I blurted.

The instant the words slipped from my mouth, I gasped. How did I get them back? Stone’s face changed; his body was frozen solid. He said nothing. He stared at me and I stared back. Hardness. Pain. Both in his eyes, but otherwise, nothing. Easily thirty seconds of nothing from him. Fuck. Fuck. Triple fuckin’ fuck. “Monroe!!” I heard Nikki shout. I turned to look at her. “Your fourth round is here, mama. Drink up!” I grabbed the shot glass from the table in front of me and put the glass up to my lips. I tilted my head back and let the liquid burn down my throat. I noticed another glass in front of Emme that remained untouched. I looked to her and asked, “You having that?” She shook her head with a confused look on her face. I stood, wanted to cry at the loss of Stone’s arms around me, and reached for Emme’s glass. I threw the shot back, savored the slow burn, and announced, “Dance floor, ladies.” They moved from the table with me and I never looked back to Stone. I knew I wasn’t prepared for whatever look was on his face, so I figured it was best to not know what that look was. We were nearly at the dance floor when Emme grabbed my wrist and guessed, “Something happened. You alright, mama?” I couldn’t do this. If I spoke about it, the night would be an absolute total mess. I heard the song that just began filtering through the speakers and lied, “Perfect, babe. I just need to dance.” She gave me a slow nod, indicating that she didn’t believe me, and let me off the hook. As the sounds of The Chainsmokers’ It Won’t Kill Ya piped through the saloon, I danced. I always felt the music when I danced, but this was different. This song. This moment. This feeling. Was this the beginning of the end for us? It had only just started, but I knew after seeing that look in his eyes that what was ahead was not good. What a perfect song to mark the occasion. I didn’t know what else to do, but since I could dance and feel that’s exactly what I did. I poured my feelings into each movement. Every ounce of pain, every ounce of lost hope — I let it show in my dancing. Before I was ready for it to be over, the song ended.

The music flowed right into the next song, so I continued to dance, but not nearly with the same ferocity. The last song, mixed with the five shots I had in my system, had taken everything out of me. I was moving still, but it wasn’t the same. If I stopped, though, I’d have to face my reality. I wasn’t ready for that. My body swayed to the music and I closed my eyes briefly. That’s when I felt an arm wrap around my waist from behind and a hand settled low on my abdomen. I tensed immediately. I would know Stone’s touch anywhere and this was not one of Stone’s hands on my body. I turned around and stepped away. Christian. I gave him a small smile and thought he’d get the hint, but he wrapped his arm around me again and pulled me into him. “Christian,” I gasped, as I put my hands to his chest and tried to push away. “I just got here and saw you dancing to that last song. Watching that, watching you practically begging me to come on the dance floor with you, I couldn’t possibly not come out here.” I stopped struggling against him. Why couldn’t Stone have seen me dance and joined me? Christian was compelled to slide right in and wrap and arm around me, but the man I just professed my love for, the only man I wanted, refused. As the thoughts filtered through my head I knew it wasn’t about the dancing. It was about something bigger. Something so much bigger than dancing. “Christian, please. I appreciate the compliment, but I’m not interested.” “Oh, but the way you were moving on the dancefloor in this dress — tell me you aren’t looking for some fun.” I shook my head and pushed my hands against his chest again, “I’m sorry. No, I’m not.” Christian’s hand dropped lower and squeezed my ass before he said, “Come on, kitten. I’ll show you a good time tonight.” I barely had a second to react before Christian’s hand was no longer on my ass and I was being hauled back out of his grasp. “What the fuck, man?!” Christian shouted. Stone’s lethal expression didn’t seem to bother Christian. “Did she ask you to put your hands on her?” Christian turned his gaze to me. “I thought you said there was nothing going on between the two of you.” Stone’s eyes cut to mine. Shit. “I asked you a fucking question,” Stone roared. “Did she ask you to put your hands on her?”

“What’s it to you anyway?” “I won’t repeat myself, Black.” “The way she was just dancing to that last song, I’m going to have to say she was definitely asking me to put my hands on her.” “Motherfucker, you’ve got about two seconds to get your ass out of here before I lay you out.” “Why the fuck do you care?” “Because she’s fuckin’ mine, that’s why.” I gasped. Christian must have had a death wish, because he laughed. He actually laughed in Stone’s face. I looked to the girls who were watching in horror at the events unfolding before us. Where were Wes, Zane, and Luke? Looking back to Stone, I could see the anger rolling off him in waves. The tension was so thick. “Yours? Since when is someone yours? “Since she woke up in my bed this morning.” Christian’s expression changed. I couldn’t read it. There was a moment of silence between them. “Your bed? Now that’s a surprise,” Christian retorted as his eyes shifted to me. “Tell me, kitten, what’s so special about you that you got through the devastation of Mommy and Daddy?” My brows drew together, but before I could take in what Christian said and try to understand what it meant, Stone’s fist connected with Christian’s jaw. Thankfully, Luke was immediately there and pulling Stone away. Wes and Zane ushered the girls and me off the dancefloor, past our table to get our bags, and toward the front door. We all made our way outside as Wes stopped to have a word with Cliff. My guess is he was filling him in on what happened. Nikki and Zane stayed close, flanking each of my sides as we walked toward Luke’s Tahoe. Stone was walking quite a distance ahead of us, his hands in fists, his shoulders tense. Luke was only two steps behind him. We made it to the Tahoe. Luke turned and helped Nikki in the front passenger’s seat after she said good-bye to everyone. Stone was already in the vehicle sitting in the back seat. Charley and Emme pulled me into a hug next. “Call us, honey. We want to know you’re okay,” Charley offered gently. I nodded as my eyes got wet. Zane pulled me in for a hug next and his voice went soft, “Sorry about your birthday, darlin’. You don’t owe him anything, but if you can find it in your heart to offer him a bit

of understanding and patience, I think it’ll go a long way.” “I’ll try,” I answered honestly. With that, Luke opened my door and helped me in to the truck. As soon as he closed the door, said good-bye, and rounded the vehicle, Wes rejoined Charley, Emme, and Zane. Luke pulled out of the lot and drove to the condo. The ride back home was filled with silence.

Chapter 17 Monroe Luke pulled into the parking lot of our condo. Nobody had spoken a word the entire ride back from Lou’s. When Luke parked, he turned off the Tahoe, and moved to get out. “You spending the night here, Luke?” Stone asked. My head snapped to him. He was looking toward the rearview mirror waiting for a response from Luke. Luke looked to Stone in the mirror and moved his eyes to Nikki. When they went back to the mirror he said, “What’s going on, man?” “Need to get home. If you’re staying, I’ll call an Uber.” “Stone,” I whispered, feeling the tightness in my throat. His eyes cut to mine, but despite the well-lit parking lot I couldn’t make out the look in his eyes. I’m not sure if he could see me, but I begged with my features for him to stay. “Please stay,” I rasped. “Can’t, Monroe. Not tonight.” The tears that had filled my eyes before were now spilling down my cheeks. I let out a sound as I tried to stop myself from completely breaking down and sobbing. “I’ll call you,” he stated, no emotion in his voice. Before this became more uncomfortable and awkward, I put my hand to the door handle and opened it. Then, I stumbled out of the car. I closed the door and began walking toward the condo. I got a few steps away when I heard Nikki yell out to me. I didn’t stop, but I slowed my pace so she could catch up to me without running in her heels. Nikki caught up to me and wrapped her arm around me. Not even twenty seconds later, Luke was on my other side wrapping me up in his strong, one-armed hold. It seemed as though so many people were willing to be there to comfort me, but the one I wanted to wouldn’t. That’s when I stopped walking and broke down. Luke held on to me as I cried. He wrapped his other arm around me and pulled me in to his chest.

“I’m sorry,” I cried. “It’s okay, babe. Let’s get you inside.” “We were supposed to have wall sex tonight. Then, since I was drinking, I thought it might be fun to have drunk sex.” “Fucking hell,” Luke muttered. I looked up at Luke and admitted, “I don’t have much experience. Stone is it. After having shower sex, I thought wall sex would be fun. Considering I don’t usually drink and I was throwing a few back tonight I thought drunk sex would be even more fun.” “I know you don’t, Monroe. And it will be. He just needs some time.” “No. He doesn’t. I did something really fucking stupid, Luke. I told him I loved him. I told him I loved him tonight and he said nothing to me.” Luke’s hold tightened and he hissed, “Fuck.” “Oh, mama. I’m so sorry,” Nikki’s tender voice filtered in from beside me. Liquid courage had clearly taken over at this point because I began threatening Luke. “Don’t hurt Nikki. She’s my best friend and she’s like a sister to me. Don’t ever make her feel the way I feel right now. If you do, I’ll never forgive you.” “Okay, babe. No need to worry.” “Promise?” I asked. He looked to Nikki, his eyes softened, and he confirmed, “I promise to be good to her.” “Thank you,” I said as I pulled away from him. “Sorry about the breakdown. I’m good now.” “You’re fine, Monroe. No need to apologize.” I began walking to the door. Nikki and Luke followed. He saw us safely inside and explain, “I’m going to head out and get him back home. Maybe I can help him sort out the shit in his head.” “I’ll give you two a minute. Sorry if I ruined your plans for the evening. Hopefully you weren’t planning on wall sex, too.” “Already did that, babe,” Nikki admitted. I looked to her and my eyes rounded. “Was it good?” I asked. “Blazin’ hot,” she answered with a wink before turning her gaze to Luke. I looked to see his eyes had heated. “Okay. I’m walking away now so you two can make out. Thanks again, Luke.” He chuckled and assured, “No problem, babe.”

With that, I turned and walked out of the doorway into the house. I walked down the hall toward my bedroom. Once inside, I slid my feet out of my shoes and stripped out of my dress. I threw on a pair of sweats and a V-neck tee before I made my way into the bathroom to wash my face. After I did my business in the bathroom, I walked back out into the bedroom and climbed in my bed. As soon as I was under my blankets, the tears flowed. I hadn’t been there more than five minutes when I heard my door open. My back was to the door and before I had a chance to roll over I felt the bed depress as someone slipped under the covers with me. Nikki’s arms wrapped around me. She held me as I cried myself to sleep. ***** I woke early the next morning to find Nikki still in my bed, asleep. I loved this girl. She knew what I needed last night and she gave it. I couldn’t imagine my life without her. My cell phone dinged and alerted me to a new text. I reached over and grabbed it off my nightstand. Charley. Hey, honey. Just wanted to check in on you. I replied instantly. I’m OK. Stone didn’t stay with me last night. It’s a slightly longer story, but the short of it is that I told Stone I loved him. I think it freaked him out. The issue with Christian happened after the fact and added fuel to the fire. She replied. I’m sorry, mama. Did he say anything when you told him you loved him? Me: No. He just stared at me with a pained expression. I’m so stupid. Charley: You aren’t stupid. You fell in love. Nobody, not even Stone, can fault you for that. You want some company today? Me: Nikki stayed with me last night. I’m going to head over to the studio today since I haven’t been there for two days. Charley: OK. Call me if you need me. Love you. xo Me: Thanks. Love you too. I set the phone back down on the nightstand and looked over at Nikki. She was awake and staring up at me. “Was that him?” she asked. I shook my head and answered, “Charley.” She nodded her understanding. “I wish I knew what it was, Nik.” “He’s never mentioned anything to you?”

I thought back and realized one crucial thing. “No, he hasn’t. That comment Christian made last night about his parents, though. It has to do with them. He’s never talked about them. In fact, he’s never talked to me about any of his family.” “Maybe he’s estranged from them. Whatever it is, I didn’t get a good feeling about it last night,” she confessed. “Did Luke give you any indication of what Stone’s dealing with?” “No, babe. I wish he would, but he didn’t. I have to respect their friendship enough to not push for that.” I understood that. I’d never want someone to pressure me to give details of my friends’ lives, no matter what the situation. “I will say this, though. As soon as you stumbled out of the car and closed the door last night, Luke told Stone that he was trashing the best thing that’s ever happened to him.” “What did Stone say?” “I wish I knew. I was worried about you so I got out of the car before he answered. I did glance back at him before I got out of the car, though. He was watching you walk away and he had a tortured look on his face. I think it kills him to hurt you, but he’s dealing with feelings that he just can’t manage well right now.” It pained me to hear Nikki’s thoughts on it. Why is it that when I felt like my world had been ripped to shreds, I was simultaneously feeling awful for whatever heartache I was causing him? “What are you going to do?” Nikki asked. “I’m going to wait. Zane told me to try to be patient with him. Luke said Stone needed time. Stone said he’d call me. The ball is in his court. I’ve clearly done enough talking. I need to wait for him to figure it out and come to me. I’m just not sure how much waiting my heart can handle and I hope he can figure out whatever it is that’s distressing him. I hate to see the pain in his eyes.” “Want me to call Charley and Emme? We can do something together today.” I shook my head and answered, “No, it’s okay. I think I need some time alone to dance. I have to figure out what I’m going to tell Deacon.” “Why is that? What do you need to tell Deacon?” “He made me promise him that I’d call him if someone ever made me cry again. I don’t want to call him, but I made a promise. Besides, it might be good to talk to him.” Nikki laughed. “Are you sure about that?” I couldn’t help but smile at her. “I know, I must be crazy thinking that he isn’t going to lose his shit when he finds out someone made me cry and it’s the same guy that did it the last time.” “I have no advice for that one, so all I can do is wish you luck.”

I sat for a while in silence with her thinking about everything. Hating where I allowed myself to end up, but also wondering if I needed to go through this to help Stone get through what he was attempting to cope with. “Thanks, Nikki.” “You’re welcome, mama. You want breakfast?” I nodded. At that, Nikki and I made our way to the kitchen and made breakfast. After we ate, I got ready and left for the studio. I spent my entire day there dancing. I only stopped a handful of times when I had visitors. My visitors consisted of four new clients who signed up for classes and Emme. She stopped in to check on me around lunch time. She brought lunch with her, so I sat and ate with her. She left after lunch and I got back to dancing. I called Deacon and filled him in because I promised him I would. He was not happy to hear that my heart was, once again, broken. He had the expected response and told me I needed to move on and find someone who would treat me the way I deserved to be treated. It was relatively late, well after dinnertime, when I left the studio. I think there was a part of me that was hoping Stone would show up. I was disappointed, to say the least, to admit that not only didn’t Stone stop in to see me, but he also didn’t think I was worth a phone call. My heart broke a little more that night as I locked up, drove home, and went to bed without a word from him. The next morning, I woke up late. Since the grand opening of the salon and studio were scheduled for Thursday and I had my two employees starting tomorrow, I decided to take the day off and relax. By relax, I mostly meant not going into the studio to dance. Instead, I spent what was left of the morning cleaning and doing laundry. I had lunch with Nikki, who told me that she was going to be going out with Luke that night and that she didn’t know when she’d be home. Of course, she insisted that I call her if I needed her. I spent my afternoon reading since my to-be-read shelves were filling up and I hadn’t escaped from reality in quite a while. I fielded phone calls throughout the afternoon from Remi and Vaughn, who had both gotten the scoop from Deacon. Thankfully, they didn’t lecture me, but merely wanted to check in to see how I was holding up. For dinner, I curled up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and watched a movie. I was halfway through the movie when I heard a knock at the door. I didn’t think Nikki would have been back so early and she had her own key, so I wasn’t sure who it could be. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t secretly hoping it was Stone. I paused the movie, walked to the door, and slowly unlocked it. When I cracked the door open to see who was on the other side, I felt the air rush out of my body. Stone. Standing there in all the beauty that he was, he looked tortured. It broke my heart. I opened the door fully and allowed him to come inside. Stone said nothing and

waited with me by the door while I locked it. I silently moved past him into the family room where the television was still paused on the movie I had been watching. I turned it off and looked back at him. “Hi,” I uttered, my voice just a hair over a whisper. “I’m sorry about Friday night. It was your birthday celebration and it didn’t end well.” I nodded in acknowledgement of his apology. I tried to remain expressionless, but I was too hopeful and I’m sure my body and my facial features gave me away. I missed him so much. I missed seeing him and talking to him. I missed hearing his voice and his laugh. But, mostly, I missed feeling his hands holding me. He was struggling to speak. His hand came up and ran through his hair, indicating there was a major internal battle with which he was dealing. “Fuck. I just need to say it because it’s going to hurt like a bitch, regardless,” he bit out. Oh. No. No. No. No. This wasn’t going to be good. “Monroe,” he began. “I’m so fucking sorry for this, but I can’t. I can’t explore this with you anymore.” The second the words were out of his mouth, my body went cold. My eyes filled with tears that began to slowly trickle down my face. I felt my lip quivering and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to keep it together much longer. “Why?” I whispered. “It’s not something I want to talk about.” I probably shouldn’t have continued to ask questions I had no right to get answers to, but apparently, but my mouth had a mind of its own these days. “Is it about them? Your parents?” Pain, the likes I’d never seen before in anyone, flashed through his eyes. He didn’t answer, but he dipped his chin affirming that it was about them. “I’m sorry,” I rasped out. “Why are you apologizing?” he asked. The tears were relentless, continuing to spill down my cheeks. “First, I’m sorry for whatever it is that’s eating you up inside,” I started. “I’m also sorry for this. I knew where you stood with things, but I couldn’t help what happened. I didn’t mean to say it the way I did, but I guess I lost my inhibitions on Friday night. Somehow, the words I’ve been wanting to say to you for so long slipped past my lips and there was nothing I could do to get them back. I hate that I said them to you and have

caused this, but I don’t regret falling in love with you. Even knowing the outcome, if I had to do it over again, I’d still wait all these years for you.” Stone dropped his head to the ground. I could see the muscle in his jaw working. When he lifted his head and brought his eyes to mine, the hardness was gone. “My angel,” he said, his voice rough. “Stone? Will you hold me just one more time? Please.” Stone reached his hand out to me. I put my hand in his and the next thing I knew he hauled me up against his body. His arms were around me instantly, his face nuzzling my neck. As much as I needed this, I knew he needed it, too. And that just made my heart break more. My knees buckled, but Stone took my weight. I wanted to break down and give in to the sobs threatening to take over, but I needed this. I needed to memorize the feel of him because I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I’d never in my life ever feel again with anyone else what I felt with Stone. Beyond this moment, I knew that if he was ending this there was no way I’d be able to be around him anymore. At least, not for a good while. It would be too painful for me. Stone held me for a long time. I think it was just as difficult for him to let me go as it was for me to let him go. When I finally dropped my arms and stepped back, I knew I had something I needed to say to him. “I’m devastated right now. I hoped that I would have been enough — that I’d have been able to help you through your heartache. I am destroyed, Stone, that you believe there is no hope for us together. You know what hurts more than all of that, though? My heart feels like it’s stuck in my throat and my stomach gets this cold feeling in it when I look in your eyes and see the pain that you’re in. If I could take that pain away from you, I would and I wouldn’t have to think twice about it. For the last week, whenever I’d say something and you’d burst out laughing, I always felt proud. I felt honored to have done something that, even if only for seconds at a time, made you forget what cut you so deep. That’s how I know that this was love. That this is love. I would sacrifice myself so that you wouldn’t ever have to feel an ounce of the pain and agony I see you in every single day.” “Baby…” he whispered, as his voice trailed off. “I never meant to hurt you like this. I never meant to hurt you at all.” “I know, Stone. It’s okay. After you walk out the door and out of my life tonight, I want you to know that I love you. I will always love you. You are the only man I’ve ever loved, and I’m certain, you’re the only man I’ll ever love. Thank you for giving me the chance to experience that.” “Fuck, Monroe. You’re standing here being the strongest woman in the world and I don’t know how you’re doing it.” I looked away when I admitted, “I’m not strong at all. The second you walk out the door I’m going to fall to the floor in a fit of tears and cry myself to sleep.” “I don’t think I want to walk out the door then.”

We stood there in silence, minutes passing, with neither of us making a move. Finally, I let courage and a bit of selfishness take over when I held out my hand and asked, “Will you come with me? I want you to listen to something before you go.” “Okay.” I took his hand and walked him down the hall to my bedroom. I found my phone, scrolled to the song I wanted him to hear, and pushed play. The piano started playing and then Adele’s magical voice came through the speaker as she sang All I Ask. I stood there in front of Stone, his hand in mine as I watched him while he listened to the words. At some point in the song, I squeezed his hand a little tighter and his eyes came to mine. He realized what I was asking him to do for me in that moment. The song had just nearly finished when he took the phone from my hand. He set it down on the nightstand and turned back to me. His face softened and his eyes were vulnerable. His hand came up to cup my cheek as his thumb stroked back and forth across my jaw. “Angel, are you sure this is what you want?” “Yes.” He searched my face looking for something. I’m not sure what and I don’t know if he found it, but the next thing I knew his lips were on mine. It was slow and sweet. Stone’s tongue slipped into my mouth and moved against mine. I brought my hands up to his shoulders and pushed his jacket off them. It fell to the floor as I reached for the hem of his shirt and lifted it. His mouth left mine to move the fabric out of the way. With his torso bared, Stone took my shirt up over my head. I had no bra on. His fingertips traced patterns delicately over my skin. His mouth followed. I savored this. Every touch of his hands, every swipe of his tongue, every kiss of his lips. I was committing every one of them to memory. I never wanted to forget what this felt like. Stone’s hands traveled further down my abdomen to the waistband of my sweats. They were loose fitting, so a simple push down over my ass and they fell to the floor. My panties went down at the same time. My hand came to the belt at his waist. I worked the leather and opened the buckle before I moved my fingers to the button and zipper of his jeans. I pushed both his jeans and boxer briefs down his legs. When they settled at his feet, Stone kicked off his boots and socks before stepping out of the clothes. Stone wrapped a hand behind my back and another behind my knees. He picked me up and carried me over to the bed where he gently laid me down on my back and settled himself between my parted thighs. Stone filled me. He began moving, slowly, in and out of me. Then it happened. The fear crept in. I was scared.

Afraid of never feeling this again. Never having him again. Terrified that this was the last I’d ever be like this with him and that I’d forget what it felt like. The worry overwhelmed me and the tears leaked from my eyes. Strong hands framed my face and Stone’s gentle voice begged, “Monroe, please don’t cry.” “I’m scared,” I admitted. Stone continued to move while he asked, “What are you scared of?” “What if I forget?” “Forget what?” I closed my eyes, trying to memorize the feel of him moving in me. When I opened them I confessed, “You. This. What if I forget what you feel like?” A look of sadness spread across his face. “I don’t want to forget you, Stone.” “You won’t, my angel. I promise you won’t.” “Will you forget me?” “Never, baby. Not ever.” That was it. We didn’t say any more words. Stone moved slowly, drawing out this time together. Making it last, making it memorable. He built me up, unhurriedly. The closer I got, the quicker my breaths came. There was so much emotion, I couldn’t hold back any longer. “Let it go, Monroe.” “I don’t want it to end,” I admitted as my tears continued to fall. I wasn’t referring to what was physically happening right now, and I think Stone knew it. “I know you don’t, angel. You’ll be okay, though. Just let it go.” When it hit, I couldn’t control what came out of my mouth. “Oh God, Stone. I love you so much.” He dropped his head to my face and took my mouth. As he kissed me, he groaned through his orgasm. Stone quickly rolled to take his weight off me and went to his back. He slid out of me, but pulled me into his side. We stayed like that a long time, catching our breath and coming down from the physical pleasure we both had just experienced. I was exhausted. Emotionally and physically I felt like I had been through the wringer. I could barely hold my eyes open when I whispered, “Don’t leave me, Stone. Don’t make me say good-bye to you. Please…just stay with me.” I was nearly asleep when I heard him respond, “I can’t, baby. I’m so sorry.” The fight left me and I gave in to the exhaustion.

When I woke the next morning, Stone was gone and I was alone.

Chapter 18 Monroe I never understood what was wrong with those women who made it seem like their lives had ended when they broke up with a boyfriend. Moping around and pouting because some guy decided to break things off. I always used to think that it was crazy to give that much effort and emotion into feeling bad about someone who clearly didn’t deserve it in most cases. I mean, if the guy couldn’t realize that you were someone worth being with, then that was his loss. Right? What a judgmental bitch I was. It was now Thursday morning and I still felt like my life had ended. And I guess, in some ways, it did. My love life pretty much died so there was that. My sex life died and that was such a shame considering it barely had a chance to even grow. Mostly, though, my chance at a fairy-tale romance died. The worst part about all of it was that I knew this was going to happen and I threw myself into it anyway. Stone told me there would never be a forever. I should have heeded his warning and not allowed this to happen, but I couldn’t fight my attraction to him. Deep down I also believed that I would be able to help him get past it. That I could be his cure. I was wrong. Unfortunately, because of my desperate attempt to find a happily-ever-after ending, my week leading up to today was total shit. When I woke up Monday morning to find that Stone had officially left me sometime in the middle of the night after I had fallen asleep, I wanted nothing more than to stay in my bed the rest of the day. I wanted to remember making love to him the night before. Yes, making love. I’m certain he wouldn’t have called it that, but I was because that’s what I had been doing. Making love to him while trying to memorize every bit of him. Sadly, as much as I wanted to stay in the last place I had been with Stone, I couldn’t stay in my bed. My bed. My bed that now smelled like him.

On that thought, I broke down into tears and cried. As good as it would have felt to do nothing, I couldn’t. I had my two new employees that were starting their jobs with me and I needed to get to work. So, I managed (just barely) to get myself out of bed so that I could get ready and leave. Monday at the studio was brutal. I tried to stay distracted with preparations for the grand opening, but my heart hurt too much. My thoughts kept drifting to Stone. By late afternoon, I sent Nikki a text. Me: Hey. At the studio now. You going to be around later tonight? Nikki: Yes. Got in early this morning so I didn’t make it to the salon. Want to get there early tomorrow, so I’m staying in tonight. Me: Stone came by last night. Need you. And the girls. Nikki: You’ve got me, babe. You’ve got them too. We’ll be here when you get home. Me: Thanks. Nikki: I can order in or make something for dinner. What do you want? Me: I have no appetite. Nikki: Oh, mama. Alright, I’ll see you later then. I finished my day at the studio and was so grateful for Lexi and Jenna. They were a tremendous help. To add to it, they got along great. We had a couple of walk-ins who signed up for classes and Lexi took care of getting them situated after I showed her what needed to be done. We left the studio around dinner time. I drove home and when I pulled into the parking lot I immediately spotted Charley’s bright orange Jeep. I felt my eyes already getting wet. I parked, got out, and walked to the door of the condo. I stuck my key in the lock, opened it, and pushed through the door. The minute I walked in and closed the door behind me, I looked up to see my girls standing there in front of me. I completely lost it. They instantly wrapped me up in their arms and held on tight. I must have stood there with them crying for a solid ten minutes before they ushered me into the family room. After a bit of encouragement, I managed to tell them everything that had happened with Stone. I cried through most of my story and they cried right along with me. “I tried everything I could think of to get Wes to tell me,” Charley began. “He’s not talking. He knows I’m going to tell you and he doesn’t think it should come from me.” “Same here,” Emme said. “Zane rarely tells me no. In fact, he always complains about the fact that he can’t ever say no to me, but he’s not budging on this. All he did say was that what Stone went through was traumatic. He said that he doesn’t think it should stop Stone from pursuing something with you, but when whatever it was happened Stone felt it deep. Ever since it went down Stone’s been guarded. Zane did say that, up until Friday’s turn of events at Lou’s, he’s seen Stone smiling more in the last week than he ever has in the last fourteen years.” “I really didn’t want to put Luke in a bad position, but after you texted me earlier

today I called him. I told him what I knew from you, which obviously wasn’t much, and he let out a frustrated sigh. He told me he wasn’t going to betray Stone by sharing his story, but he said Stone was like a brother to him. Luke said he really thought you were the key to helping him get past what he went through and it kills him to see Stone with anguish in his eyes every day. He said he’s seen that same look in him since Stone moved in with Luke and his family years ago.” “He moved in with Luke and his family?” I asked, shocked at this news. “Yeah. Luke said they were still kids, but didn’t tell me anything else.” “He’s never talked about his family?” Charley asked. I shook my head. “I get where he’s coming from,” Emme added. “I mean, I don’t know what happened, but I understand him not wanting to talk about it. When bad stuff happens, you don’t want to relive it. Look how long I kept what was happening to me from the three of you. Zane started tearing down my walls and the last thing I wanted was the ugliness from my past tarnishing the beauty that I eventually saw I could have with him.” “The first night we slept together he said something that bothered me. After he found out I was a virgin, he was upset by what he had said about me that night we were at Lou’s. I told him that he had already apologized for it, that I forgave him for it, and that I didn’t want him holding on to that. He looked at me and said that I really was an angel and that he didn’t deserve someone like me. It broke my heart to hear him say something that indicated he thought so little of himself. I wish I knew why.” Nikki put her hand on top of mine and said, “Unfortunately, you might not get that answer, babe. You’ve not heard anything from him today have you?” My eyes filled with tears again. Fuck. Was it going to be like this every single time I thought about how much I missed him? “No. I don’t think I will either. It was pretty final last night. I don’t know how to get past the pain, though. It hurts so bad.” “You need time, honey. You’ll get there.” “I can’t see him. If I see him when I feel like this…I can’t see him.” “Okay, mama. We’ll make sure that doesn’t happen,” Emme reassured me. The girls spent the next few hours with me before I decided to call it a night. They tried to get me to eat, but I couldn’t. The thought of food really turned my stomach. Tuesday and Wednesday were much of the same. I spent both days with Jenna and Lexi preparing for the grand opening. They were incredible and the studio looked fantastic. Nikki and I took the girls out in my massive Yukon on Wednesday to pick up the hors d’oeuvres and refreshments we needed. My mind stayed distracted throughout the day, which helped immensely. The problem for me came both evenings when it was time to go home. The minute I was

alone, my mind was consumed with thoughts of Stone. I missed him terribly and I couldn’t eat. To top it off, I barely slept over the last few days. So now it was Thursday morning and tonight was the grand opening. I needed to try to find a way to put on a happy face. Inside I was dying, but I made a choice to start a new life out here and that was what I was going to have to try to figure out how to do. As I was contemplating how I was going to accomplish this feat my cell phone chimed with a text. I picked it up, looked at the display, and couldn’t breathe. A text from Stone. Nothing for the last three days. Now this. Wanted to wish you luck at your grand opening tonight. I hope it goes well for you. My chest was burning. My eyes were filling with tears. He wasn’t going to be there. I knew that already and didn’t think I could have been around him anyway, but for some reason the confirmation from him that he wouldn’t be there hurt like a bitch. Why? Why was it that at the exact moment I had made the decision to try to find a way to move on he had to contact me? I couldn’t feed into this. It would only make it worse for me. I loved him, but I needed to love me more if I was going to heal myself. So, despite how badly I wanted to respond, I ignored his text and it made me feel like total shit. I could still just barely smell Stone on my sheets and I didn’t want to leave the comfort that it brought me. His scent was fading, though. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t give to bring him back to me so I’d never have to think about what I’d do when I no longer had that aroma to soothe me. The more it faded, the worse I felt. It was difficult, but I finally managed to get myself out of bed. Lacking motivation for anything I took my time getting ready. I wasn’t planning to head over to the studio until lunchtime, so I had no reason to rush myself. I took a shower and after I got out I put on a pair of panties and a t-shirt. Then, I climbed back in my bed. I stayed there for another half hour crying. Was this ever going to get easier? There was a knock at my bedroom door before I heard it open. When I rolled over, Nikki was walking in. “Aw, mama. I heard you in the shower a little while ago; I thought you were in here getting ready,” she said as she walked over and climbed in my bed with me. “He’s not here anymore.” “I know, Monroe.” Her voice was gentle and comforting. “No, I mean his scent. My bed smelled like him. I can just barely smell him now.”

Nikki grabbed my hand and held it tight before she confessed, “I’m so angry with him. I know that’s probably not fair considering he was honest with you up front about where what you two had couldn’t go, but I hate that he’s done this to you. He gave me his word that he would treat you with the respect you deserve and that he wouldn’t break your heart. Maybe he wasn’t disrespectful, but he has absolutely broken your heart. Oh, I’m so angry I could scream.” “He texted me this morning.” Nikki bolted up in the bed and her eyes were nearly popping out of her head. “What?” she practically shouted. “What did he say?” “He wanted to wish me luck tonight at the grand opening. He said he hopes it goes well for me.” “What did you say back?” I shook my head and answered, “Nothing. I can’t. It hurts too much and it’s going to make me hopeful. I can’t do this again, so I’m not setting myself up for it.” “Okay, whatever you want. Can I make you breakfast this morning?” “No thanks. I feel sick thinking about food.” “Babe, you’ve got to eat something. When was the last time you ate?” I shrugged my shoulders. “The toast you made.” “That was yesterday morning!” “I know, but I have literally no appetite.” Her eyes were pleading with mine when she begged, “Please, Monroe. You’ve got to have something.” “Not now. I can’t. Maybe later. Tonight, at the opening.” “Promise?” “I promise to try.” She nodded and asked, “Want to ride over together this afternoon?” “Yeah. I probably shouldn’t be driving in my condition today. I’ll be ready on time, too. I just have to scrape myself out of this bed.” “Alright. I’m going to go get myself ready. Love you, babe.” “I love you, too, Nikki.” With that, Nikki got up and walked out of the room. I did as I said I would and forced myself out of bed. I did my best to try to make myself look half decent by fixing my hair, putting on a smidge of make-up, and wearing clothing that didn’t consist of dance shorts or sweats. Before I knew it, it was time to go. Nikki drove the two of us to the salon and studio. I unlocked and went in while she made her way to the salon to get things ready there. Twenty minutes after I had arrived, Jenna showed up. Another thirty minutes later, Lexi

walked through the door. We did all our last-minute preparations and then walked next door to see if Nikki needed any help with the last bit of her stuff. Fifteen minutes before the start of the opening, I was back in my studio and my people showed up. Well, most of them anyway. Charley, Wes, Emme, and Zane all walked in. They informed me that Luke had arrived, but that he was next door with Nikki. I didn’t have much time to chat with them because minutes before the grand opening was set to begin, people were already showing up. Apparently, I had made such a name for myself with my studio back in Ventura that when the word got out that I moved here and opened a studio, people wanted in. Lexi was a rock star getting people signed up for classes. Jenna talked with a lot of the girls who had come in and were waiting in line to sign up. She was so friendly, she knew her stuff, and she was making the girls comfortable while they waited. I made my rounds trying to connect with as many people as possible and told them all that they needed to head next door to Nikki’s salon to check her out. I knew that with one look at her they’d have no doubts about her talent. There was a large rush when it first started, but two hours later the crowd had died down. Only a few girls remained waiting to sign up for classes. My people were also still around. I was just about to take a seat when I heard the new alarm system indicate that someone had walked in. Not wanting to miss the opportunity to bring more dancers in, I stood and looked to the entrance. I nearly collapsed right there on the spot, but something else had taken over me. I don’t know what it was. All I knew in that moment was that I needed to not be standing where I was anymore. I ran toward the door and threw myself into safe, protective arms. Then, I cried my eyes out. I was held in silence for several minutes while I attempted to pull myself together. I wasn’t quite fully there mentally when I heard, “Feels so good to see you and hold you, kid, but hearing you cry like this is not making me happy. It’s not making any of us happy.” Deacon. Deacon, Remi, and Vaughn were all standing here with me at the entrance to my studio on the day of my grand opening. They came out here for this, for me. I still had tears running down my face when I cried, “You’re here.” “We wouldn’t miss this for the world, Monroe,” Remi responded, as he pulled me out of Deacon’s arms and into his. “Of course, we’re going to come out and support you.” As I wrapped my arms around his waist I shared, “Oh my God, I’ve missed you so much. How long are you staying?” “Leaving Sunday afternoon,” he answered. I let out a sigh. Time. I was going to get time with them. This was exactly what I needed right when I

needed it the most. “Come here, kid,” Vaughn said, as he wrapped his arms around me and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. The tears spilled down my cheeks. “I’m such a mess, Vaughn,” I whispered. He rubbed my back and comforted me, “We’ll take care of you. I’ll make sure you’re okay before we leave. If I need to send Remi and Deacon back without me so I can stay here to do that, I will. Okay?” I nodded into his chest. When I pulled away, I looked to my big brothers and said, “I want you to meet everyone.” I introduced Remi and Deacon to Wes and Zane. Vaughn met both of them the last time he was out to visit. Of course, Charley and Emme were given lots of love from my brothers, too. My brothers treated Charley, Emme, and Nikki just the same as they did me. They were very protective of us. I had filled them in on what Wes did for Charley and how Zane made it his mission to protect Emme from her abusive ex, so Remi, Vaughn, and Deacon approved of them very quickly. We had just finished introductions and greetings when the door opened again. I looked over to see Nikki and Luke walking in. “Oh my God,” she yelled out as she ran over to my brothers. Luke stood there slightly confused and had a look on his face that told me he was not okay with seeing Nikki being held by another man. Uh oh. Time for damage control. I walked over to Luke and grabbed him by the hand. “Come and meet my brothers, Luke.” Realization dawned in his features and he visibly relaxed. I introduced Luke to my brothers, who had no issues telling him that he better take good care of Nikki. He didn’t seem bothered by their request and I think that sat well with them. We all stood around chatting a while and I introduced my brothers to Jenna and Lexi. A little while later, the last of the crowd had left. Nikki told me that everything went really well for her at the salon and that she appreciated all of the people I sent over to check her space out. Nearly all of them got on her books. Overall, the night had been a huge success. “I’m going to head over to the salon and get my things together. You riding with me or are you going to go with these guys?” she asked pointing toward Remi, Vaughn, and Deacon. “I’m going to show them the rest of the studio and catch a ride with them. Thanks for

driving me today, Nikki, and for all of your help to make this day successful.” “No problem, babe. I have some appointments scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, but my morning is free so I think I’m going to crash at Luke’s tonight. This way, you’ll have our place to yourself and can catch up with your brothers.” “Thanks, Nik. Have a good night.” I gave her a hug and said good-bye to Luke. He gave me a soft smile before he pulled me into a hug, knowing my heart was hurting. Charley, Wes, Emme, and Zane followed next. They all congratulated me on the turnout and wished me the best of luck with the studio moving forward. After a round of hugs from the girls and top-of-the-head kisses from the guys, the foursome took off. Jenna and Lexi left minutes later. I told them both to take the day off tomorrow and to enjoy the long weekend because we officially started classes next week. They were both incredibly excited. Finally, I was there in my studio with three of my biggest supporters and the men I knew I could always count on to never let me down. Even though Vaughn had already gotten the grand tour when he came out to visit a few weeks ago, he tagged along while I showed Remi and Deacon the rest of the studio. “So proud of you, kid,” Deacon shared. “You’ve worked really hard and you deserve all of the praise you’ve received tonight.” “Thanks, Deac. That means a lot.” “When did these get put in?” Vaughn asked, as he walked over to one of the miniscreens set up in the dance room we were in. “I don’t remember seeing them here when I was out for a visit a few weeks ago.” My mood shifted and I instantly grew somber. “Monroe,” Remi started. “What’s wrong?” A single tear trickled down my face as I answered, “He had them put in.” “What?” Deacon asked. “Stone. He had a brand-new security system put in here a little over a week ago because every time he would stop in I never knew he was here since I was playing my music so loud. Even though I’m not in a bad area here, he said he didn’t like that anyone could just walk in without me knowing it.” My brothers all looked to each other and gave looks that I couldn’t read. When they looked back to me, Remi disclosed, “I know what this is and it had to have cost you a pretty penny. Who did the work?” “Zane’s brother, Levi, has a security firm. Cunningham Security. Levi came over and checked out the place after Stone called him. The next day, Levi sent his brother, Cruz, and two of his other guys over to install everything.” “I know the firm. Solid guys. They are the ones who found Emme, right?” Vaughn confirmed.

I nodded my head. “They aren’t cheap,” he added. “I wouldn’t know. Stone told Levi to give me the best there was for what I needed here and that I was not to get a bill for it. He paid for everything. I tried to fight him on it, but he said that because he suggested it and because he wanted me to have the best available, he was going to cover the costs. I don’t know what he paid for it?” My brothers looked to each other again. They gave each other that same look I couldn’t read. “Monroe, this cost thousands,” Deacon began. “I’m not talking one or two, either. We’re talking about ten to twelve grand.” My eyes rounded at the news Deacon had just shared with me. “Are you kidding me?” I retorted. “Not at all.” Ten to twelve thousand dollars. Stone spent that much money on a security system for me. For someone he never planned to even attempt to get a forever with. Suddenly, I felt dizzy. I was hot. Sweating. My legs wouldn’t move and I knew I was going to fall over. I put my arm out trying to steady myself. “Monroe?” Remi called. I couldn’t speak. I began blinking my eyes trying to focus, but I couldn’t. The last thing I remembered, everything went black.

Chapter 19 Monroe “Jesus Christ. What the hell is happening to her?” Vaughn’s voice yelled in the darkness. “Monroe,” I heard Remi say. “She’s burning up.” I was on my back on the floor and I could feel them trying to wake me up. My eyes wouldn’t open, though. “Nikki,” Deacon bit out, panic evident in the tone of his voice. “Something is wrong with Monroe. She just collapsed here at the studio. Where’s the closest hospital?” Hospital? I collapsed? It started coming back to me. I felt dizzy and sweaty. Stone. The security system that he spent ten to twelve grand on. “Are you fucking serious?” Deacon roared. “What did that motherfucker do to my baby sister?” Oh no. Deacon was pissed. A pissed-off Deacon was not a good thing. He’d just incite Remi and Vaughn and then I’d really have trouble on my hands. “Monroe.” The next thing I knew I felt something wet and cool on my head. It was refreshing and a welcome relief. “What’s she saying Deacon?” Vaughn asked. Somehow, I started to move. My eyes fluttered open. “Hey, Monroe. You with me?” Remi was looking down at me with such concern in his face. I gave him small nods of my head. “She’s awake, Deac.”

Vaughn looked away from him and back to me. “You scared us, kid. Can you talk to me?” “She’s awake, Nikki. Need to go.” Silence. “No, it’s alright. We’ve got her covered. At least now I know what we’re dealing with. I’ll reach out later and update you.” “Monroe?” I looked back to Vaughn and begged, “Don’t let Deacon go bonkers.” A blindingly white smile spread across Vaughn’s face. “I’ll try to keep him in check.” I moved to sit up. Remi and Vaughn were on either side of me keeping me steady. As soon as I was sitting upright, I moved to stand. “Stay sitting, Monroe,” Deacon demanded, as he knelt in front of me. “Deacon, I’m alright.” “No, you aren’t fucking alright. You just scared the shit out of the three of us by passing out here on the floor and I had to find out from Nikki just now that you’ve not been eating since Sunday. She told me that the last she knows you ate something was yesterday morning. You ate a fuckin’ piece of toast over the last two days, Monroe. What the fuck?” he thundered. My bottom lip began to quiver as tears filled my eyes. I was so upset and emotional that I screamed back, “Stop yelling at me, Deacon! My fucking heart is broken. Shattered into thousands of tiny pieces.” Vaughn immediately scooped me up in his arms and insisted, “Deacon, relax. She’s been through enough already.” “She’s not fucking eating over some asshole.” Remi chimed in, “I’m not fucking happy about it either, man. Don’t make this worse than it already is for her. Let’s lock up, get her home, and feed her.” With that, Vaughn ushered me to the front door while Remi and Deacon followed behind us turning off the lights. I gave Remi my keys to the studio, told him the code, and he locked up while Vaughn took me out to their rental SUV. I was helped into the SUV and Vaughn joined me in the backseat. He had worry written all over his face, but he remained quiet. Remi and Deacon filed in not two minutes later. I told Remi where to go to get to the condo and we took off. The entire ride back to the condo was silent. I was trying to figure out how I was going to break the news of everything going on with Stone to them, so talking now was not my top priority. Besides, I figured I deserved a free pass considering I had just passed out minutes ago. I think they remained silent because they knew that I was dealing with something that they couldn’t protect me from and they didn’t like how that felt.

We finally arrived at the condo and after Remi parked, he hopped out and made sure I got out without falling to the ground. He stayed close to my side as we walked to the front door. I dug the key out of my bag, unlocked the door, and went inside. “I’m going to go change,” I said, before I walked down the hall to my bedroom. “Five minutes, Monroe, or I’m coming in there,” Deacon warned. Shit. He was still in a really bad mood. I hustled down the hall to my bedroom and quickly found a pair of sweats and a tshirt. I changed out of my clothes, into my sweats, and washed my face. When I finished, I took a deep breath and decided to face the music. I wasn’t going to get out of this conversation. I made my way down the hall back to the family room. I barely took two steps into the room when Deacon walked over to me, a plate in his hand, and ordered, “Sit and eat.” I looked to the plate and saw that one of them had made up a turkey sandwich with lettuce and tomato. There was also a bunch of grapes and a side of baked potato chips. This was way too much food and I wanted to hurl just looking at it. “Deacon…” I trailed off. He didn’t allow me to say anything further when he cut me off and expressed, “You can stop right there. This is not optional. You haven’t eaten any food for at least two fucking days. A piece of toast does not count. Sit and eat.” My voice was small and quiet when I answered, “My heart is broken, Deacon. I have no appetite.” His voice went soft when he responded, “We are going to deal with your broken heart in a minute, kid, but I need you to eat something first. Not really looking forward to spending the next few days sitting beside you in a hospital because you aren’t taking care of yourself.” Realizing I wasn’t going to win this battle, I sighed, took the plate out of his hand, and sat on the couch. Deacon sat on the couch next to me. Remi and Vaughn sat in the chairs opposite the couch. They all sat silently, watching me. I pulled a grape off the stem and put it up to my mouth. I chewed, swallowed, and popped another one in my mouth. When I finished chewing that, I picked up the sandwich, held it to my mouth, and before taking I bite I begged, “Please don’t tell mom and dad about this.” “Not looking forward to mom having a canary and dad ranting about his baby girl being zillions of miles away with a broken heart, Monroe. We’ll keep it between the four of us as long as you promise to take better care of yourself,” Vaughn assured me. I let out a sigh of relief and continued to eat. I managed to finish the bunch of grapes, three quarters of the sandwich, and half of the chips. I set the plate on the coffee table. “That’s not enough,” Deacon said.

“Please, Deacon. I’m going to be sick,” I pleaded. The muscle in his jaw was working for a bit before he nodded and insisted, “Tomorrow morning, I’m making you breakfast. You’ll be eating with us.” “Okay,” I agreed. “Monroe?” Remi called. “Yeah, Rem?” “Tell us what’s going on.” My eyes shifted from his and I looked anywhere but their eyes. I took in a deep breath and I started, “I fell in love. Then, I was out on Friday celebrating my birthday with the girls, Stone, Wes, Zane, and Luke. I had a few drinks and accidentally let it slip. I told him I loved him. He said nothing back to me. It hurt. I had two more shots and went out on the dancefloor with the girls. I danced one song and then this guy, Christian, I met a few weeks ago came up behind me and started dancing with me. I turned around and stepped away from him. I told him I wasn’t interested. He didn’t listen to me and pulled me against his body. I pushed against him trying to move away and he just pulled me tighter to him and grabbed my ass. Before I could react to that, his hand was gone and Stone was in his face asking him if I had asked him to put his hands on me. When Christian asked him why he cared, Stone told him that I was his. I thought this was a good thing and maybe Stone needed a minute to come to terms with the fact that I had told him I loved him. Christian kept pushing Stone’s buttons and then turned to ask me what was so special about me that I could get past the devastation of Mommy and Daddy. That’s when Stone punched him in the jaw, Luke hauled Stone out of there, and Wes and Zane ushered me and the girls out.” I paused and looked up around the room at each of my brothers. None of them looked happy. In fact, they all looked downright angry. “Um…guys?” “What the fuck?!” Deacon shouted. I jumped. I couldn’t even begin to respond because I wasn’t sure what he was so angry about, what they were all so angry about. Thankfully, Vaughn spoke. “Deacon, you’ve got to get a grip on it, man. I’ve got a loose handle on it right now, too, but scaring the shit out of her isn’t helping.” “Where does this Christian guy live?” Deacon asked. “I don’t know; I’ve only ever seen him twice at Lou’s. Why?” I replied. “Because I think he needs to know that if he ever puts his hands on you again he’s going to be answering to me.” Oh shit.

Fuck. I should have left that part of the story out. Worry, I’m certain, spread across my face. Remi interrupted, “So, you tell Stone you love him, some asshole assaults you on the dance floor, Stone stakes a claim to you, knocks the guy out, and you all leave. What happened next?” Remi was so level-headed. This is not to say that he wasn’t probably feeling just like Vaughn with a loose hold on his emotions, but he at least made the attempt to get all the facts before losing his shit. I finished the story and explained what happened from the time we left Lou’s until the time I crawled in my bed that night. I told them how I spent my day Saturday hoping to hear from Stone, but never did. Finally, I told them what happened on Sunday. Well, I told them most of what happened on Sunday. I didn’t think telling them about how I played a song and basically asked Stone to be with me one more time was a good idea. They were already dealing with enough emotionally. I’m not sure that would have gone well. “That’s it. Now you know the story. I fell in love and the feeling wasn’t mutual. In his defense, he did tell me that he’d never be able to give me forever. I ignored that, thinking I was special enough to make him see things differently.” “You are special enough,” Vaughn insisted. “I just don’t understand why you’d set yourself up for this.” I didn’t know either. I just knew how he made me feel when I was around him. That was something I couldn’t ignore. Of course, now I had no choice. I had to do my best to put him out of my mind. That thought devastated me and I couldn’t control what happened next. Body-wracking sobs took over me. I was immediately hauled up into Deacon’s arms since he was sitting right next to me. I fisted my hands in his shirt and cried in his chest. Despite his earlier anger, Deacon was now gentle and comforting seeing me in a fit of tears. “This is the worst pain I’ve ever felt,” I admitted through my sobs. Deacon’s arms tightened around me and he gently explained, “That’s because you are who you are, Monroe. When you love, you love deep. You give yourself completely to those you care about and that sets you up for this type of heartache. Not everyone will love the way you do because not everyone is capable of it. You’ve got the biggest heart in the world.” “Did he give you a reason?” Remi asked. I shook my head and added, “Not really. Well, not a specific reason. I know it has something to do with his parents, but I don’t know what it is. He won’t share, but I know that whatever it is has cut him so deep. The pain he’s in is there every single day. I see it just looking in his eyes.” I thought back to when he stood in the family room with me on Sunday and I asked

him if this was about his parents. The anguish that flashed in his face is something I’ll never forget. It hurt me to see him so tortured. “I love him so much. I would have done anything to take that suffering away from him,” I whispered. “Christ, kid, you’re such a treasure,” Vaughn declared. “I’m sorry he couldn’t see that in you.” “Yeah,” I nodded. “Me too.” I felt my eyes close as my head rested on Deacon’s chest. Between the grand opening, passing out, and all the crying, I was tired. “You’re worn out,” Deacon stated. I didn’t respond because it wasn’t a question. He knew I was beyond exhausted and was simply stating a fact. I was just barely asleep when I felt arms wrap under my knees and around my back. Remi’s voice at my ear whispered, “Going to get you in bed, kid.” He carried me to my bedroom and set me under the blankets. I felt him press a kiss to the top of my head before he left the room. ***** I woke up Monday morning feeling extra sad. The weekend had gone by so fast. As overprotective as they were, my brothers meant the world to me. Considering the sad state of affairs surrounding my love life, it felt good having them there to help pick up the pieces of my shattered heart. They made me laugh and, for a couple days, they made me forget my pain. The four of us took a trip to Grand Teton National Park on Friday followed by a trip to Yellowstone National Park on Saturday. Emme told me about her trip there with Zane a couple months ago and showed me the pictures. They were beautiful and ever since I saw them, I had wanted to visit. Since I had my brothers here and I hadn’t really done much sightseeing since moving, I figured it would be a great day trip for us. We had a phenomenal time. The four of us snapped a bunch of pictures and sent a ton of them to our parents. Mama and Papa Archer were over the moon to get such beautiful shots of their four children having a great time. Of course, throughout the entire time they were here, Deacon was making me eat regularly. That whole situation really pissed him off and I knew that even after they were back home he was going to be checking in with me regularly to make sure I was still eating. If I was being honest, I still didn’t have an appetite. I didn’t want Deacon, or Remi or Vaughn for that matter, to not be able to enjoy the time here so I did what I had to do. Obviously, I didn’t want to have another passing out episode so I’d try to continue to eat regularly, but I knew it wouldn’t be in the quantities that Deacon had been shoving in front of me.

Remi, Vaughn, and Deacon left yesterday afternoon. I spent most of my time with them over the previous two days laughing, smiling, and enjoying them. Saying good-bye to them yesterday had me in tears. They’d done such a good job of keeping me distracted and making me feel loved that I didn’t want them to leave. They did their best to reassure me and let me know that they’d be back soon to visit me. I was told to call if, in the meantime, I needed them for anything at all. I already knew this, but it was still nice to hear. After they left, I tried to keep myself distracted and busy. I took a quick trip to the studio to pull the schedule for the week along with the sign ups we received at the grand opening. I had planned on doing that over the weekend, but obviously never expected my brothers to show up. My plan was to make sure I was prepared for the upcoming week. Since I had such a busy weekend, it was not much past dinnertime when I decided to call it a night. As I climbed in bed last night, Remi sent me a text letting me know they made it back to California safely. I thanked him again for coming out, spending the weekend with me, and being there for me when I needed him the most. So, now as I was here in bed on Monday morning after I had slept in a bit, I started thinking about how much I missed my family and how much I missed Stone. I wanted to see his face and hear his voice. Most of all, I wanted him to wrap his arms around me so I could feel his hands on my skin. The smell of him was no longer on my bedsheets, which I admittedly decided to change yesterday. That broke my heart. Realizing that the longer I stayed in bed, the worse my mood would become, I got up. I planned on being at the studio by no later than eleven this morning so that I’d be able to run through some routines. Jenna was going to be meeting me there at that time so I could teach her the choreography for one of the routines. We did have a period of time where two classes would be overlapping. I had originally struggled with this, but after being around Jenna and seeing the way she interacted with everyone at the grand opening, I realized I needed to give her the opportunity to prove to me that she could handle it. I took my time getting ready, walked out into the kitchen to grab a banana, and took off. As soon as I pulled up outside the studio, my phone rang. When I looked at the display all I could do was smile and roll my eyes. “Good morning, Deacon.” “Did you eat this morning?” he asked. “I just woke up two hours ago. As I left the condo this morning I grabbed a banana. I’ve got a full day at the studio today. Classes are officially starting.” “Did you eat?” “I just told you I grabbed a banana.” “Precisely, Monroe. You didn’t say that you ate it. I’m not going to get into the fact that a banana does not equal breakfast, but if you eat at least that I’ll be happy.” Ugh.

I leaned over and grabbed the banana out of my bag. After opening the peel, I took a bite and answered him with a mouth full of food, “I hadn’t eaten it yet, but I am now. Is this how you want our conversations to go from this point forward? You know, me talking in your ear with a mouth full of food.” “I’ll take that over wondering if you’ve passed out somewhere and are in trouble. Don’t make me worry more about you than I already do.” My heart melted. “Thanks, Deac. I just got to the studio and Jenna just pulled up. I need to go open up and get to work.” “Make sure you take care of yourself, Monroe.” “I will.” “Good luck today, not that you’ll need it. I’m so proud of you.” “Deacon, stop.” “What?” he asked. “I’m going to cry. I can’t possibly shed anymore tears. I’m surprised after all of the crying I’ve done over the last week that I don’t have puffier eyes.” He chuckled. “Alright, I’ll let you go. Love you, kid.” “Love you, too, Deacon.” With that, I disconnected the call, grabbed my things, and hopped out of the truck. I opened the studio and Jenna and I immediately got to work. I showed her the choreography for the class I was going to have her teach. “I love it,” she announced when I finished. I smiled back at her and stated, “Well, then let me teach it to you so you can share it with your class today.” Her eyes filled with tears. “What’s wrong?” I asked. She shook her head and answered, “It’s nothing. I’m just being silly. I just…hearing you tell me that I can share it with my class is overwhelming. Thank you so much for this opportunity, Monroe. It means absolutely everything to me.” Hearing that made my heart swell. “I wouldn’t have given it to you unless I thought you could do it, kiddo. You’ve got real talent and I think you’ll do very well here.” Hope filled her features. “You ready to learn this?” She nodded furiously.

The two of us got to work. Jenna immediately picked up the choreography and we ran through it several times to make sure she was comfortable with it. Afterward, we ran through the schedule. We were going to be instructing the classes together, other than that one later in the evening, so I knew she’d have an opportunity to see how I run my operation. She was a quick learner and I had no doubts that she would eventually become someone I could rely on if I ever needed her. Just then, Lexi arrived. This meant that our first class, a group of college-aged students, would be arriving within the next thirty minutes. I went over a few details with Lexi and gave her an update on the competition I would be doing an exhibition at in a couple weeks. I wanted to, after seeing how my students performed, give them the opportunity to showcase their talents. Lexi needed to reach out to the organizers to see if that was even going to be an option. Jenna was thrilled to hear that this was a possibility. Before we knew it, our first class had arrived. I couldn’t have been more pumped to finally start teaching again. We dove right in and got to work. The first group of girls that had come in were all supremely talented and I made a decision right then and there that if we could enter the girls into the competition, I’d push to get them there. The first class ended and the girls for the second class arrived. The time flew by all day long. The next thing I knew we were ushering the last class out the door and getting ready to lock up for the night. After the last group left, I turned to Lexi and Jenna with a huge smile on my face. “Girls,” I began. “We killed it today. Absolutely freaking rocked it.” “This was the best day of my life,” Jenna admitted, her voice dreamy. That’s when Lexi gave us another bone. “So, I talked to the organizers for the competition. They said it’s too late to enter for the competition itself, but are looking for another two groups to exhibition at the show in addition to the set you personally were going to offer. They were more than willing to allow us to fill all the exhibition spots if we wanted them.” “That’s fantastic news.” I looked to Jenna and said, “That first group of girls has to go. They were incredible.” She agreed, “They were, I think they’ll be thrilled to hear about this, too. What other group are you going to have perform, though? The organizers said they were looking for two groups.” “I’m not sure that any of the other classes are ready for that kind of thing, but I know that you are more than capable of putting together your own choreography and doing a solo act,” I surprised her with a wink. Her eyes rounded and her jaw dropped. “Are you serious?” “One hundred percent. Jenna, you are amazingly talented. Don’t be afraid to show the world what you can do. I’m giving you this opportunity. Lots of dancers are going to see it and they are going to pay attention. If they like what they see, it brings them here.

I’m depending on you to do me a solid and blow them away.” The next thing I knew, Jenna was wrapping her arms around me, sobbing. “Thank you for believing in me, Monroe.” I held her tightly and explained, “I’ve seen you dance, kiddo. That’s all it took.” At that, the three of us gathered up our things and left. I rode the wave of having a successful first day of classes all the way home. It wasn’t until I got home and walked through the door that I realized I hadn’t eaten anything since the banana. I didn’t need that lecture or guilt, so I ran into the kitchen, pulled out a couple slices of turkey and some veggies, and ate. After I finished, I showered and got in bed. I had another long day of classes ahead of me tomorrow and I couldn’t wait. Just as I closed my eyes, my thoughts drifted to Stone. I had had such a great day and the only thing that could have made it any better was knowing that when I finished I could have come home to him. My chest tightened, my heart ached, and my belly grew cold. Damn, but did I miss him.

Chapter 20 Monroe Another week was gone. I managed to survive a full two weeks without Stone. Other than the text he sent me the day of the grand opening, I heard nothing from him. And I didn’t see him. Maybe he told me what I had wanted to hear that night he left me. He said that he’d never forget me, but this didn’t feel like he hadn’t forgotten me. I realized stuff like this happened all the time. People got together, spent time together, and relationships ended sometimes. Continuing to be a presence in each other’s lives after the fact didn’t make sense in many cases and, to be honest, I knew I wouldn’t have been able to handle that. Despite knowing this, it didn’t change the fact that my heart yearned to be with his. The harsh reality was finally beginning to set in. Stone and I were over about as quickly as we started. My heart hurt, but now it also felt jilted. Feeling rejected can leave a sour taste in your mouth and I hated knowing that this experience had hardened a piece of my heart. I think in the process of getting over this I had moved on from feeling sad and depressed to abandoned and numb. Regardless of how I was feeling about Stone, I had to put that aside because it was Saturday and I was going wedding dress shopping today with Charley, Nikki, and Emme. I was looking forward to spending the day with my best girls. The last time the four of us were together was at the grand opening, but that wasn’t time spent together. The last time I had that was the night I told Stone I loved him. They all had checked in on me individually over the course of the last two weeks, but it was going to be nice to finally have some time together with just them. We were all meeting up at Charley and Wes’ place and from there the four of us would go together. Nikki and I were going to drive over together, but she ended up needing to stop in over at the salon early this morning. We decided to go separately. I had just driven down the driveway to their home and parked. Zane’s truck was already parked outside as was Luke’s. My stomach started to feel a bit unsettled and it was at that moment I was thankful I hadn’t had breakfast. Zane had become overly cautious and hated when Emme traveled anywhere alone. I understood it, so it wouldn’t have surprised me that he’d bring her here and drop her off. What I didn’t understand was Luke’s truck. Maybe the guys were going to be spending the day together today. On that thought, it occurred to me that Stone could have ridden with Luke.

Oh my God. What was I going to do? There was no way I could see him. I couldn’t handle it. Maybe it was childish, but instead of going to the front door I pulled out my phone and sent Emme a text. Hey Em. I just pulled in at Charley’s. Who’s here? She responded almost immediately. Me, Zane, Charley, Wes, and Luke. Why are you texting me from outside? I let out a rush of air and tilted my head back on the headrest. I closed my eyes. Stone wasn’t here. My stomach twisted. I didn’t want to see him, but I was also a bit disappointed that I wouldn’t. What sense did that even make? I opened my eyes and moved to get out. Then, I screamed. My door opened and I yelled. “Holy shit, Luke. You scared the crap out of me.” He just smiled at me and said, “Sorry, babe. Emme said you were out here texting her instead of coming inside. Just figured I’d come out to make sure you were alright.” I felt myself grow sad. My voice was quiet when I offered, “I saw your truck and didn’t know why you were here. I didn’t know if he was with you.” Luke shook his head and gave me information that I’m not sure I wanted to hear. “I’m here because the guys and I are going riding today. Wes is going to hang out and have a good time since Charley is going to be with you girls, but Zane, Stone, and I are training for a contest we’ve got next weekend.” My heart broke a little more and my eyes welled with tears. A single tear fell from each eye as I recalled, “He asked me to go to that contest.” “I’m sorry, babe. If it makes you feel any better, I can tell you that you aren’t alone in your misery. He’s a disaster right now.” My head jerked back and I asked, “What?” “I’ve known the guy my entire life. He’s had a lot of rough moments, but the way he is now…fuck, he’s a mess. He’s training, but his concentration and focus is shit. He’s struggling to land anything.” I didn’t know what to do with this information. I had no right to any information on Stone, but I pressed for it indirectly anyway. “I’m not sure how that translates into him feeling the way I do about this whole situation, Luke. This is what he wanted.”

Luke laughed and divulged, “He might have put all this into motion, but I know he’s going to regret it. He’s holding on to bad shit and is letting that stand in the way of him having what he really wants. And, Monroe, trust me when I tell you that you are what he really wants.” I swallowed hard at this news. “I have to get out of here, Luke.” He nodded, understanding my sense of urgency, and helped me out of the car. “Let’s get your girls and get you out of here. Nikki should be here any minute.” I stopped walking, looked up at him, and smiled. “What?” he asked. “I’m not going to get involved in what’s going on with you two since it seems you are both happy with your arrangement, but I like you for her. Long term.” Luke gave me a warm smile that reached his eyes before he escorted me into the house. A round of greetings later, Nikki walked in. It was then I suggested we get moving so we had a full day to find the perfect dress for Charley. I’m certain everyone knew that I was more concerned about Stone arriving while I was still there, but they didn’t call me on it. The four of us said good-bye to the guys, piled into Charley’s Jeep, and left. Six hours later, Charley was standing in her wedding gown. She was exquisite. My beautiful best friend was finally getting goodness in her life after experiencing one heartbreaking tragedy after another. It was all thanks to Wes. He saw her, pursued her, and gave her what she needed. Stability. Family. Love. Lots of love. With tears threatening to fall, I announced, “You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, Charley. I’m so happy for you, babe.” Charley didn’t hold back her tears when she admitted, “I don’t know how I’m here in this room with the three of you standing in the dress that I’m going to marry the man of my dreams in. How did this happen to me?” Emme pulled her into a hug and explained, “Wes gave you the chance to see what you deserved. He knew you were worthy of so much more than you were giving yourself and made sure you got that. I love that he found you and gave this to you, sweets.” “You’re impeccable, babe,” Nikki added. “Now that we’ve got the dress figured out, we need to get your wedding night attire situated.” Charley bit her bottom lip and said, “I think that sounds like a fantastic idea.”

Just then, her cell phone rang. I dug it out of her purse, saw Wes’ name on the display, and handed it to her. “Hey, honey,” she answered. Silence. “It’s going great. In fact, I’m standing in my wedding gown. I can’t believe I found it this quickly, but I put this one on and the girls all agree that it’s ‘the one.’ I hope you love it.” Silence again. I watched as Charley’s face went from excited as she was telling him about the dress to ecstasy as she listened to whatever Wes was saying to her. I loved that for her. “Yeah, I have the dress, but we’re not done yet.” Silence. “Nikki reminded me that I need to get some stuff to wear for our wedding night, so I need a little more time. Then, I’d like to take the girls to dinner. Are you alright with that?” She paused again listening to his response. “I figured you wouldn’t mind me doing a little more shopping since that’s what I’m purchasing. Thanks, honey. Enjoy dinner with the boys. I’ll call you when we’re headed home. I love you.” She waited while he, I’m assuming, told her he loved her and then she disconnected the call. I took the phone from her and put it back in her purse. “Alright, ladies,” she began. “Time for some lingerie and then food.” Not quite two hours later, we had gotten Charley’s wedding night apparel figured out, were seated in a booth at a restaurant, and we had just ordered our food. “Okay, mama. We’ve focused on Charley all day today, but now it’s your turn,” Emme said. “My turn?” I asked. “My turn for what?” “What’s happening? You know, everything with you and Stone. How have you been? Have you heard from him?” I shook my head and answered, “There’s nothing happening. He’s not reached out to me and I’m coming to terms with the fact that I’ve lost my first love. Sorry, Em, but you’d get more fun and exciting stories out of Nikki at this point.” “Oh, don’t worry,” Charley started. “She’s next because we want details on what’s going on Luke, but we’re taking care of you first.” “There’s nothing to share. He doesn’t want me and I’m beginning to accept that. It’s the reason I didn’t come in to the house earlier this morning. I was worried that he had ridden there with Luke. I can’t see him because I know it’s going to put me right back at square one.”

At that moment, I felt my purse vibrate next to my leg. I opened it up and pulled my phone out. After looking down at the screen and feeling my throat get tight, I revealed, “I lied. I haven’t heard from Stone since he texted the morning of the grand opening…that is, until now.” “What?” Nikki said. “What did he say?” “Need to see you. Tonight,” I answered. I looked up at my friends. Their faces were littered with trepidation. “What are you going to say to him?” Emme pressed. My throat was tight and my belly was in knots when I whispered, “Nothing.” “Nothing?” “I can’t. I’m hanging on now by a thread. A really frayed thread. I’ve accepted that he doesn’t want forever and that I won’t ever have that with him. I know he was honest with me about that from the beginning, but I can’t go through this again. I just can’t.” Our food arrived and my plate was put in front of me. A burger and fries. It was the largest meal I would have consumed in the last two weeks and I simply stared at it. I felt sick. Stone made me a burger and fries. My birthday dinner with him. One of the best memories I had with him. “Mama?” Nikki said from beside me. I just looked up at her and broke down into tears. Nikki wrapped me up in her arms and held on tight. I didn’t need to ruin their dinner, so I struggled to pull myself together. When I pulled out of Nikki’s arms and dried my tears, I told them about burgers, fries, and milkshakes. I didn’t eat my dinner. And I never sent Stone a reply. ***** Stone I never thought that I’d ever in my life feel worse than I did fourteen years ago. If you had asked me as recently as two months ago, I’d have told you that there was no way I would ever feel worse than I did those days so many years ago. And yet, here I was

feeling like absolute total fucking shit. I had spent the last two weeks training for a snowboarding contest I had coming up next week and I couldn’t fucking concentrate. I was riding like shit. Two weeks ago, I made the biggest mistake of my life. I ended what had barely started with Monroe. I stood in front of her and told her that I could no longer explore what was happening between us. While I ripped her heart to shreds, she stood in front of me and continued to tell me how much she loved me. She accepted what I told her needed to be because she was giving me what she thought and what I thought I wanted. After all of that, though, she played that fucking song for me. A song that told me what she wanted from me before I left her. I probably shouldn’t have done it, but I’d never had someone as sweet as Monroe. The thought that I’d never have her again played in the back of my mind, so when she asked me to give her one more time together, I gave in. And I savored it. But with each slow thrust into her I felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. When she cried and told me she was scared she’d forget me, my stomach twisted. Then she asked me if I’d forget her. As much as I now wished that I could so this wouldn’t hurt so fucking bad, it wasn’t fucking possible. That woman was burned into me. I missed every fucking thing about her. Her smile when she was being goofy. Her constant dancing. Her pouty lips. Her sexy legs. Her sweet pussy. But most of all, I missed the way she made me feel. The way she made me forget about the things that were the very reason I pushed her away. I couldn’t get her off my mind; yet, I couldn’t seem to bring myself to fix what I had trashed. To top it off, I was getting grief about it from all angles. Luke tried to talk to me when he drove me home the night of Monroe’s birthday celebration at Lou’s, but I didn’t want to hear anything. When I was out training on the pipe I was with Zane, so he’d been giving me shit about this whole thing with Monroe for two fucking weeks now. After having another shitty day of training today, I was now out to dinner with Luke, Wes, and Zane. Wes had just hung up the phone and shared, “Looks like the girls are still going to be a while.” “Fucking women and shopping,” Luke bit out. “It sounded like you said she found a dress, though,” Zane added.

Wes nodded and looked to Luke, “She did but, apparently, Nikki insists on Charley finding something special to wear for our wedding night.” Luke gave Wes a look and asked, “And you’re complaining about this?” “No,” Wes answered. “But it makes me wonder why you aren’t locking shit down with that one.” “It’s not for lack of trying, man. She’s stuck on this whole thing being just physical. I’m not going to complain, but that’s not to say I haven’t thought about more with her.” “That’s a shame,” Zane piped up as he directed his attention to me. “It’s tough when people won’t get out of their own fucking way to let something good happen.” “Alright, Zane. Let it go.” He shook his head at me, disappointed, and turned his attention back to Wes and Luke. “I know the girls have been doing their best to watch her without it turning into mothering since her brothers left, but she didn’t look good today.” My body froze. What the fuck was he talking about? “Excuse me?” Zane turned his attention back to me and asked, “What?” “Her brothers were here and the girls have been watching her? What do mean she didn’t look good?” “Are you sure you want to know?” Zane retorted with attitude. “Zane,” Luke warned. What the fuck? I turned to Luke. I was close with all three of these guys, but Luke was like a brother to me. Had he been keeping shit from me about Monroe? “Need you to talk to me, brother.” Luke took a pull of his beer, set it down on the table, and looked to me. “She’s not doing well, man. Monroe’s brothers showed up the night of the grand opening. She seemed to be in good spirits, all things considered. Nikki and I left and had just gotten back to my place when she got a call. Monroe’s brother, Deacon, was on the phone asking where the closest hospital was.” I felt like someone had just punched me in the stomach. “What happened to her?” I asked, my voice strained. “She passed out. Nikki stayed on the phone with him until Monroe came to, but I talked to her in more detail after she was off the phone. Monroe wasn’t eating. She passed out Thursday night and the last she ate before that was a piece of fuckin’ toast Wednesday morning. Prior to that, Nikki didn’t know how much or, more so, how little she had been eating.”

“Jesus Christ.” “She’s lost weight, Stone,” Wes added. “According to Charley, Monroe’s brothers were on top of her making sure she was eating when they were here that weekend, but it looks like it may have stopped after they left on Sunday.” Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. This was love? Love was destroying her. I needed to see her. I needed to know she was alright. “Stone?” Zane called. I looked to him. “I can see your mind working. She’s a good girl. Don’t do something to hurt her more than you already have. I understand where your head is at with your stuff, but if you aren’t going to be in it for the long haul with her, let us help her through this. I didn’t know until I saw her this morning how bad it was. Let it be known now, though, that if you don’t have plans to make it right with her permanently that I’m going to do whatever I need to do to make sure she gets through this. I’m not betraying you, but this is Emme’s best friend and when she hurts, Emme hurts. I don’t like when Emme hurts.” Son of a bitch. “I’ve got to see her,” I admitted. Wes cautioned me, “Zane’s right. If you can’t get past your stuff, we understand that, but don’t make it worse for her. We’ll take care of her, Stone. I promise you that.” “She’s mine,” I confessed. “And I’m going to be the one to take care of her. From now on. I just fucking hope she lets me.” “Be sure about it,” Luke urged. “Before you do anything, be one hundred percent sure because I think you know she deserves that.” I clenched my jaw, balled my hands into fists, and nodded. Roughly two hours later, when I was back home, I sent Monroe a text telling her I needed to see her. Two hours after that I still hadn’t heard from her. I called Wes to ask him if Charley had gotten back yet. He told me she had just called to say they were on their way back and that she’d be there in ten minutes. That meant I had roughly twenty minutes until Monroe was home. At that, I got in my truck and took off. Twenty-five minutes later, as I sat in my truck in the parking lot outside Monroe’s condo, I watched as she pulled into the lot. She parked right where she always did and I waited for her to get out of her Yukon. The door opened and she stepped out holding a paper bag and her purse in one hand.

Fuck. The guys weren’t lying. Even in the dark, illuminated only by the lights in the parking lot, I could see it. She had lost weight. I felt sick. I had done that to her. My beautiful angel. She closed the door and beeped the locks on the SUV. As she started walking away from her vehicle to the door, I got out of my truck. As I got to within a reasonable distance I yelled out, “Monroe.” Her body froze. She kept her back to me. I continued to close the distance between us. I think she knew I was getting closer because she started to twist her neck to look behind her. She saw it was me and stumbled. Thankfully, she caught herself before she fell and two strides later I was standing in front of her underneath one of the parking lot lamps. I looked at her. I took in every feature that I’d craved for the last two weeks. Even though I could see the exhaustion in her face and just how much weight she lost everywhere, I still thought she was the most beautiful thing I’d ever laid my eyes on. When I looked in her eyes, though, I struggled to breathe. They were dead. Nothing was there. No anger. No hurt. No pain. No love. “Is that your dinner?” I asked, nodding to the bag. She looked to the bag in her hand and back to me. She didn’t answer. “Monroe, baby, I need to…” I got out before she held her hand up. “Please, Stone. Don’t.” “Angel, please. Let me,” I managed to say before she cut me off again. “No. You can’t do this to me. I was wrong for thinking I could handle being with

you without a chance for a happily-ever-after. That’s my fault. You were honest about it and I don’t blame you for that. I was wrong for thinking I could change your mind about that. That was also my fault. It was wrong to fall in love with you when I knew you’d never love me back. That was your fault. You made me love you. I have some good memories with you, Stone. Please go and let me remember it as that. I don’t want to hate someone that I used to love.” Used to love. Fuck. I lost her. When I heard those words, I knew. As she walked past me, I knew. I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, I loved Monroe Archer. I’d give her the weekend, but I wasn’t letting her go.

Chapter 21 Monroe “Hey you.” “Vaughn,” I cried into the phone. “What happened?” he asked. I sobbed into the phone. “Monroe, I need to know you are okay. Please…are you safe?” “I’m safe,” I managed to get out in between my sobs. “In bed,” I sniffled. “Just relax, kid. Take some deep breaths,” he urged, gently. It took me some time and some soothing gentle words from Vaughn, but I began to settle down and relax. “I wish you were here,” I admitted. “Me too, Monroe. I’m sorry. I hate that you need me and I’m not there. Tell me what’s wrong?” I took in a deep breath and let it out. “I was with the girls. We went shopping for Charley’s wedding dress. She found one and she looks so beautiful. She’s going to be the most beautiful bride in the world…” I trailed off. “Not taking anything from Charley because I’m sure she’s going to be beautiful, but I have to disagree. My money is on you for that.” “I’m never getting married,” I said into the phone. He laughed softly and insisted, “Of course you will.” I remained silent a minute, trying to let that sink in. It hurt to know I wouldn’t experience that same joy Charley did today shopping for her wedding dress. “He came here,” I practically whispered. “Stone?” “Yeah. After we found Charley’s dress and took her shopping for lingerie, she wanted to treat us to dinner. I ordered a burger and fries.”

“I’m happy to hear that. I’ll be sure to pass that message along to Deacon — and I’m referring to the burger and fries, not the lingerie.” “Don’t tell him because I didn’t eat any of it. No sooner did our food get set down in front of us and my cell phone vibrated with a text from him. He said he needed to see me tonight. Getting that text and remembering my birthday when he made me a burger, fries, and a milkshake made me burst into tears. The girls got me settled and we left. Charley drove back to her place, I picked up my car, and drove home.” I paused a moment, taking in another breath. “Nikki is coming right behind me. She had to stop at Luke’s to grab something on her way. So, I got here, parked, and was walking to the door when I heard him call my name. I knew instantly that it was him. I was in shock. Part of me felt like I was physically there, but my mind wasn’t. He started to talk and I cut him off. I told him he needed to leave. I told him I wouldn’t allow him to do this to me again. Then I walked away from him. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I’ve missed him so much these past two weeks and the moment he was in front of me I pushed him away when all I really want to do is be held by him.” “Did you ever let him tell you why he was there?” Vaughn asked. “No. I was afraid of what he would say. I don’t want to set myself up for getting back into it with him and having him put me through this again. I don’t think he set out to hurt me, but I know I won’t survive getting in deeper with him and having him walk away a second time. I’m not saying he was here to get back together with me, but I didn’t even want to give him the chance to say that because I would have jumped in his arms without a second thought. I didn’t think that would be smart.” “I’m proud of you for taking care of yourself and doing what you felt was best for you in this situation.” “Is it really what was best for me?” Vaughn stayed silent a moment, but eventually said, “I’m sorry, Monroe. Only you can answer that one. I know I don’t want him trampling all over your heart again, but I can see how badly you have been hurting. I know how hard you have fallen for him, and if you felt that you needed to try to explore it further, I wouldn’t stand in your way. That said, I think I’d need to have words with him before you’d revisit this because it guts me to see or hear you in tears.” “Thanks, Vaughn.” “Anytime, kid. You know you can always call me.” “I know. Love you.” “Love you, too.” I disconnected the call and set my phone on the nightstand. Seconds later, I heard Nikki shouting my name from the hallway. I was barely able to roll over in my bed when she barreled through the door and switched on the light. “Are you okay?” she asked.

I stared at her. “I just saw Stone out in the parking lot,” she continued. “He told me he saw you. I’m sorry, babe. I should have just come home when you did. Are you okay?” “I wasn’t, but I called Vaughn.” She came over and sat on my bed. “Did he talk to you?” I asked. Nikki nodded. “He said he was giving you the weekend, but he’s going to talk to you. I told him that you don’t want to see him. I explained how badly he hurt you and I told him that he needed to leave you be so you could heal.” “What could he possibly want to talk to me about?” “Honestly?” she asked. “He fucked up, mama. He knows it. He wants you back.” My belly felt funny. I couldn’t tell if it was a good or bad feeling. “He told you that?” She shook her head and said, “No, but he told me that you were his and that it was his job to heal you.” My bottom lip began to quiver and I cried out, “I miss him so much. When he stood in front of me tonight I just wanted to press my cheek to his chest and wrap my arms around his waist. I wanted to feel him, smell him, and be held by him. Do you think he’s for real this time?” Nikki shrugged her shoulders and admitted, “I don’t know, babe. I do know that deep down he’s a good guy; he’s just got this one issue that he needs to be up front with you about. I’d say, if he gives you that and can trust you with whatever it is, he might be serious about a future with you.” “I’m so lonely. I want to be held and I want to be loved. I want him to love me. Will he ever love me?” “There’s only one way for you to find out, Monroe. If he comes back for you, you’re the one that has to decide based on what he says if you think there’s something more there for him.” I closed my eyes and nodded. “I’m so tired, Nikki.” “You going to be alright or you want someone with you tonight?” she asked. “I’ll be alright. Thank you for being the world’s best best friend.” “Right back at ya, babe. Night, mama.” “Good night.” I woke up Monday morning ready for my second week at the studio. After Saturday night’s run-in with Stone, I spent my entire day yesterday in bed. I did absolutely nothing

but stay in bed and think about what I wanted. If Stone told Nikki he was giving me the weekend, but that after he was going to talk to me I needed to have my thoughts organized. Now, it was Monday morning and I’m not sure I knew what I’d do if, and when, Stone reached out to me. I needed to get to the studio this morning and get in some time dancing, on my own. I got ready and left as quickly as possible. After I spent some time dancing, Jenna showed up. She saw I was in my zone and left me to it. She went to work in another room on the piece she was working on for the exhibition. It seemed like it was minutes later when Lexi showed up followed by my first class. From there, my day flew by and when the last class ended I was exhausted. “What a day,” Jenna announced, walking into the dance room. “Tell me about it. I’m wiped,” I agreed. “Yeah,” she said. “I’m going to head out, unless you need me for something.” “No, I’m good, kiddo. I’m heading out in five anyway.” “Alright, Monroe. See you tomorrow.” She took off as Lexi walked in. “Hey Lex, busy day.” “It was crazy. We had a bunch of new sign ups today, so I think it’s imperative that you get another instructor to handle the load. I did some work online putting the word out so hopefully you’ll be able to get someone qualified in here shortly.” “Thanks, Lexi. I agree; I’m happy that the word has gotten out and we’ve got the demand, but Jenna and I are drowning right now.” “We’ll get someone soon, I’m sure. Anyway, I’m going to get going. I’ll see you tomorrow.” “Alright, babe. Sounds good.” She walked out of the room and left. I started in the back and began shutting off the lights in every room. I made it to the first dance room and walked over to the stereo to grab my phone. When I turned around to walk out of the room, I screamed. I bent over and clutched my chest. “How did you get in here?” I asked Stone, who was now standing not even five feet away from me. “Lexi was walking out as I arrived. She let me in.” “Oh.” “Monroe, please listen to me.” I stared at him, waiting for him to speak. He said nothing for a long time. I noticed a change in him, though. His breathing grew quick and shallow. “Will you come with me back to my place?” he finally asked.

No. No way. I shook my head and said, “I can’t. I can’t set myself up for this again.” “Angel, I promise you it isn’t going to happen again, but I can’t do this here. Please come with me.” “I’m sorry, Stone, but I can’t. You told me before that you were going to do your best to treat me with the respect that I deserved. Not even a week later you walked away from me without a reason. I realize that you have stuff you are dealing with and I have no right to it, but if you don’t ever talk to me about it we’ll never have a chance because I can’t see that pain in your eyes every day and not know how to help you.” “I was thirteen years old when my father died,” he blurted out. Oh my God. I stood frozen letting the images of a thirteen-year-old, blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy broken by the death of his father flash through my mind. I wanted to cry for him. “My dad was my best friend and biggest supporter. He died and I was lost.” “I’m so sorry,” I mumbled as I took a step toward him and instinctively wrapped my arms around his waist. He engulfed me in his arms and held me tight. His face was immediately in my neck, nuzzling. I squeezed him with a ferociousness like never before. My heart beating rapidly against my chest at the love I felt for this man, all while breaking for the loss he suffered. “Baby, I want to give you the rest. I want to give it all to you, but I really need to not be here to do that. Please come to my place with me.” I slowly nodded and agreed, “Okay, Stone. We’ll go to your place.” With that, I slipped out of Stone’s embrace and he followed behind me as I finished turning off the lights and grabbed my things. The two of us walked out and I locked up. “Ride with me, please.” “Okay.” The drive to Stone’s place was filled with silence and tension. I tried to remain calm and unaffected, but that was a joke. My nerves were on edge. I was the closest I had been to Stone in two weeks and I didn’t just mean that in the physical sense. Something changed for him. Something that allowed him to open up to me. He shared only two sentences of information with me, but they were huge. And he wanted to give me the rest. I wanted it. I wanted all of it. And after he gave it to me, I was going to fix it. I was going to do whatever I had to do to make this better for him.

To lessen the pain. To heal the wounds. To give him all the love he missed out on. We finally arrived back at his house, where Stone parked, rounded the truck, and opened my door. After helping me out of the truck, the two of us went inside. Stone walked me into his family room and sat on the couch. I kicked off my sneakers, sat on the cushion next to him, and pulled my feet up to rest underneath me. Then, I watched him. He stared at the ground for a very long time. His hands were in fists and the muscle in his jaw was working. My heart hurt to see the struggle. I wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do, but I reached my hand out to his. His eyes came to mine. There was so much pain. His hand wrapped around my fingertips and squeezed. “We used to work on cars together when I was younger,” he started. “My dad had a 996 Porsche 911 Carrera. He taught me everything about cars back then. He taught me that and so much more.” “What happened to him?” I asked gently. “He was a police officer. Killed in the line of duty.” My hand squeezed his. “I’m so sorry, Stone.” “Monroe, I never meant to hurt you,” he lamented, his voice rough. “I know that. It’s okay,” I tried to assure him. He shook his head and I saw his eyes were wet. “It’s not okay. My father always talked to me about finding the right woman. He’d always do it in a way that was appropriate for a kid and he did it in ways that made me remember the lesson. I’ve known from a very young age what makes a good woman. I was taught how to treat a good woman. You, my angel, are a good woman. I look at you now and I see what I’ve done to you. It breaks my fucking heart to know that I’ve caused you so much pain. In addition to the fact that I know I’ve disappointed my father, it kills me to know that I’ve disappointed you. You gave me something so precious and I didn’t cherish it. Your love, Monroe…you gave me your love and I let it slip away.” I hated that he felt such guilt over this. I’m not sure if he wanted me to, but I crawled into his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck. He held on to me like he never wanted to let me go. I whispered in his ear, “He wouldn’t be disappointed with you, Stone. You’re his son. Our parents do everything they can to teach us and raise us right, but sometimes, we need to make our own mistakes. Maybe he wouldn’t have liked the choice you made, but I have to believe that he couldn’t be more proud of you for everything you’ve become.

You’re a good man. He raised you to be one. Even if you made mistakes and never learned from them, your father would still love you. But, Stone, when you make a mistake, you apologize and you fix it. There’s no shame in being a work in progress, handsome. We all are.” “Not you, baby. You’re perfect.” I pulled back and looked at him when I announced, “I am not perfect.” “You are for me.” Oh my God. “Stone,” I whispered. “You’re everything I never knew I wanted, Monroe.” Oh my God. “I want you back, angel,” he continued. “In my arms, in my bed, in my life. I don’t want to fuck it up, but I don’t know what I’m doing. And love destroys people. Look what it did to you. Baby, you’ve lost so much weight. I heard about the night of the grand opening. I’m so fucking sorry, Monroe. So sorry for hurting you like that. The last thing I ever wanted was to let love in. That’s the reason. It’s destructive and it leaves cuts so deep you’ll never heal from them.” I framed his face with my hands and declared, “You’re wrong. Love heals people. Look what Wes’ love did for Charley. And Emme. Look what Zane’s love did for her.” “She was right,” Stone said, a look of understanding flashed in his face. “What? Who?” I asked, confused. “My mom,” he answered. “She said it would hit me when I least expected it and I’d wonder how I ever lived without it. She was talking about you and your love.” “Tell me about her,” I encouraged. His eyes flashed with something different. Something I couldn’t pinpoint. Stone kept me wrapped in his arms as he stood. He held on to me as I steadied myself on my feet. Then he let go and held his hand out to me. “Come upstairs with me.” “Talk to me, Stone.” “I can’t talk about this, Monroe. It’s too much.” Disappointment is all I felt. I looked away. Stone’s hand was immediately at my chin. He brought my face to his and explained, “I can’t talk about it, but I’m going to show you something so you understand. Something that nobody but me has ever seen. Okay?” I hesitated a moment, but eventually agreed, “Okay.” Stone took me by the hand and walked with me upstairs to his bedroom. Once we were there, he ordered, “Sit on the bed.”

I sat. He opened the bottom drawer of his nightstand, pulled out a book, and opened it. Inside, there was a white envelope with the name Xander written on the outside. He handed it to me and put the book back. My belly began feeling funny again. This was not in a good way. I looked to Stone and he nodded at me, encouraging me to open the envelope. So, I did. I pulled out the piece of paper and unfolded it. Dearest Xander, When your father and I met many years ago I never imagined that I would find a love so incredible. Xavier Stone swept me off my feet and showed me the greatest love of all. I never met a better man in all my life. Not long after we were married you came into our lives. I’ve never seen a person more full of pride than your father was at the honor and privilege he felt in being the person responsible for raising you and teaching you all of life’s lessons. He took the job very seriously and he loved you with all his heart. He had so many plans for the two of you; things he wanted to show you, teach you, and experience with you. When you started riding and were winning contests at such a young age he always said, “My boy is going to be something special.” He was so proud and he had every reason to be. That day you came home from school and were finishing your homework when we heard the knock at the door was the worst day of our lives. Two uniformed officers, one your father’s partner, delivering the worst news we could ever imagine hearing. Your father had been killed in the line of duty. Each and every day before he walked out of the house to go to work I’d say a silent prayer that he’d be safe and would always come home to us. My prayers went unanswered that day and I’m sorry. I’m sorry he left us. He is the bravest man I know. He is not just an American hero; I know that he is your hero, too. He is also my hero. It’s been nearly two years since he was taken from us and the pain is still so fresh for me. Xavier Stone was my world, Xander. He is the only man I’ve ever loved and I miss him terribly. I can’t live without him anymore. I’m so sorry to leave you, my beautiful boy, but my life without your father just isn’t worth living. I’ve never felt such sadness and I can no longer cope with the loss of him. It’s too much to bear. My greatest wish for you is that you’ll one day find a love like ours. One that is allconsuming and deeply fulfilling. It will hit you when you least expect it and you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. Go after it. Cherish it. Keep it. It’s worth it. Always remember what your father said, Xander. You are something special. You deserve all the happiness life has to offer and I hope you find it. Keep riding and keep winning. Make your father proud. Keep pushing to be the best you that you can be. Follow your dreams and never forget the love that your father and I both have for you.

Please forgive me, Xander. I love you and I’m sorry, my son, so very sorry for leaving you. All my love, Mom With tears streaming down my face and a tightness in my chest that made me feel like I was suffocating, I looked up at Stone. I never thought it was possible for my heart to experience pain worse than it did two weeks ago when Stone left me, but now I knew that it could. He had endured the pain of losing his father at thirteen years old. That was unimaginable. It all made sense to me now, though. Two years after his father was taken from him, his mother took her own life. She loved his father so much that she left her son behind with nobody. I didn’t know what the right words were to use in that moment. The shock of learning what he had gone through left me speechless. I crawled from the middle of the bed to edge where Stone was sitting, watching me. I climbed into his lap, wrapped my arms around him, and hugged him. Then, I cried harder. Through my sobs, I managed to get out, “I am so sorry, Stone. So sorry for everything that was taken from you.” “Love destroyed her,” he croaked out. “And then, because I loved her, it destroyed me.” I pulled back to look at him. His eyes were wet. “I went through that and I felt it every single day,” he continued. “Until you came into my life.” A single tear fell from his eye. “Monroe, baby, I miss them so much. Every day without them I have felt either depressed or angry. When I’m with you, I don’t feel that…ever. The pain is still there, but it’s different and it’s less. These last two weeks without you have been miserable. Worse than anything I’ve ever felt before. I lost both of my parents. I had no control over that. I don’t want to lose you, angel. Please tell me it can happen again and that I can get it back.” My brows drew together. “What? Get what back?” “Your love. You said the other night that you didn’t want to hate something that you used to love. Please tell me I can work to get you to love me again.” There was no use trying to swallow past the lump in my throat. It was impossible. Why did I say such a horrible thing to him? “Stone…handsome, I never stopped loving you.”

The instant the words came out of my mouth, Stone crushed his mouth to mine. His kiss was hard and deep. It was different than anything I had ever experienced from him. He claimed me with this kiss. His hands roamed over my body. Over my back, my legs, and my chest. I loved the feel of his hands on me again. I tore my mouth from his and rested my forehead against his. I brought my hands up to frame his face and I whispered, “I’m going to replace the pain, Stone. I’m going to love you so hard that all you ever feel is love and peace and happiness. There won’t be an ounce of space left in you for any pain. I’m going to heal you and I’m going to make it better. Whatever it takes, I’m going to do it. You said love destroys people. I’m going to show you differently. You’re going to not only see what my love does for you, but Stone, you’re going to feel it. You’re going to feel every ounce of love I have for you and it’s going to heal you.” “My angel,” he rasped out. We sat in silence staring at each other. “Baby, it’s been too long. I’ve missed you so much. Will you let me make love to you?” he asked. I froze. My whole body went rigid. “I’m sorry, Monroe. I should have realized that you’d need some time until you were ready for that,” he got out before I pressed my finger to his lips to silence him. “I don’t need time, Stone. You said you wanted to make love to me.” His eyes warmed and the hardness was gone. He nodded. “I did. Because I love you, Monroe Archer.” A small cry escaped my lips before I asked, “You do?” He smiled when he answered, “So fucking much.”

Chapter 22 Monroe Strong, masculine hands roamed over the curves of my body. Stone’s solid body was underneath mine, his hips nestled between my parted thighs. My hands were resting on the firm planes of his chest as I lifted and lowered my hips over his. Stone was letting me take the lead for this round. He had just made slow, sweet love to me and it was the most incredible experience of my life. The pleasure he dealt to the both of us had us panting, out of breath, and feeling fantastic. I wanted more. I wanted to give him more. So, I gave us a few minutes to come down from the high of our orgasms before I climbed on top of him, positioned him at my entrance, and lowered myself over him. With Stone filling me, I began moving. I loved being with him like this. Stone always made it good, but I loved giving him the opportunity to not have to do all the work. I liked being able to give us both pleasure. Of course, Stone couldn’t sit back and do nothing. He knew what his hands did to me and he used them to make the experience that much more rewarding for me. The more he touched me, the faster I moved. “Oh, Stone, I missed this so much. I missed you so much,” I panted. “Me too, angel,” he rasped. One of his hands came up to caress my breast while the other went directly to my clit. See? He refused to let me do all the work. I continued moving while his hands assaulted my sensitive spots. It built quickly and Stone knew it. “Come apart with me.” I came apart with him, moaning through the beauty I was experiencing being with him again. It was too much to bear and I collapsed on his chest. He slowly thrust his hips up drawing out my pleasure. When he stopped, I felt the wetness leak from my eyes onto his chest. “Monroe?”

I lifted my head so that my chin was resting on his chest and looked at him. His voice went soft when he asked, “Baby, why are you crying?” “Since I was a little girl, all I’ve ever wanted was to find love. I’m overwhelmed right now with how I feel about the fact that someone loves me…that you love me.” Stone rolled me to my back and settled over me. His hands framed my face and he admitted, “That night, when we were at Lou’s for your birthday, I shouldn’t have let you say that to me and not said it back. I didn’t know, angel. I didn’t know that this is what it was. I felt something for you and I knew you meant a lot to me, but I didn’t know. I’m sorry that you gave that part of yourself and got nothing in return that night except a broken heart. I was shocked to hear you say it and then worried that if I gave in to what I felt for you, you’d be taken away from me.” “I’m not going anywhere, Stone. I know it’s going to take you some time to trust in my love for you, but I promise you, I’m not leaving. That first night I was with you I told you that you were everything I wanted. I meant that, my love.” Stone dropped his head to mine and pressed a sweet kiss to my lips. “Want to spend the rest of the night with you in my arms, but I need you to answer one question for me first.” “What’s that?” I asked. “Please know that I think you’re beautiful, Monroe; but it kills me to see how much weight you’ve lost. When was the last time you ate something?” I looked away. “I haven’t had much of an appetite.” “Baby…when?” “I had some fruit this morning before I went to the studio.” His expression changed to a pained one before he questioned, “And before that?” “Saturday night when I went out with the girls. I ordered food, but then you texted me. When my food arrived I just cried. I ordered a burger and fries and all I could think about was how I wanted to have that and milkshakes with you.” “That’s what was in the bag that night, wasn’t it?” I nodded. Stone lifted off me and pulled me up next to him. “Let’s go downstairs so I can make you some food. I have everything we need for burgers, fries, and shakes. We’ll have a late dinner together, okay?” “Okay,” I agreed. He pressed a kissed to my temple and said, “That’s my good girl.” I couldn’t help but smile hearing him call me that again. It felt so good to be his again.

At that, Stone and I threw on some clothes and went downstairs so he could make burgers, fries, and shakes. He wouldn’t let me help and insisted, “I want your ass on the stool talking to me while I make you food.” So, I sat my ass on the stool at the island and talked to him while he made me food. He asked me about the grand opening and how things were going at the studio. Of course, he knew how things ended the night of the grand opening, but was curious about the turnout I received. I told him that it had been a successful night and that I was so busy at the studio now that I needed to find another instructor fast because the demand was too much. I explained that this was also part of the reason I was not eating regularly. Throughout the day, I was so busy working that I didn’t take the time to sit and eat. “You said you don’t have any students coming in for classes until just after lunchtime. You have plenty of time to eat, Monroe. If your heart wasn’t hurting, you would have been eating. I am responsible for this.” “Don’t hold on to this, Stone. Please.” “I’m not because starting now, you eat. I love your body, Monroe. You have full days of dancing. You’re burning tons of calories and need to fuel your body throughout the day. At night, I want you in my bed where you’re going to burn even more calories. So, starting now, you eat and you eat regularly. Understood?” I nodded. Then, since he was giving out orders I figured it’d only be fair to give out some of my own. “So, are you going to get your head out of your ass now or what?” I countered as he set the milkshake in front of me and began plating the food. “Come again?” “You told me your concentration has been shit. I’ve also heard through the grapevine that you’ve not been focused when you’re training. You’ve got a contest this coming weekend, one that I hope I’m still invited to come and watch. I’d hate for my first experience watching you ride in a contest to be one where you can’t get out of your own way.” Stone stalked around the island with the food and set the plates down. He brought a hand up to cup my jaw and admitted, “I love it when you’re feisty.” Then, he kissed me on the nose and sat down. “That didn’t answer my question.” “I’ll be fine as long as you’re eating throughout the day and are in my bed at night.” I turned to face the food and looked at the burger and the mound of fries in front of me. “Stone…this is ridiculous.” “It’s fine. Eat.” “I’m just saying, I won’t be able to finish all of this. You made too much.”

I picked up the ketchup and squirted some on my burger before drizzling it all over the fries. I popped a fry in my mouth, chewed, and swallowed. Then, I lifted the massive burger to my mouth and took a huge bite. It was amazing. I continued taking bites of it and had gotten more than halfway through it when I turned to look at Stone. He was staring at me, dumbfounded. My mouth was filled with food when I mumbled, “What?” “No appetite, my ass.” I swallowed, brought the milkshake up to my lips, took a huge gulp, and retorted, “You make a mean burger.” He smiled and said, “I fuckin’ love you.” “I love you, too.” I continued eating and suddenly had a thought. “Does it always have to be your bed?” I asked. “Pardon?” “You said you’d be fine as long as I’m eating and in your bed at night. Does it always have to be your bed?” “You don’t like my bed?” I rolled my eyes at him. “I love your bed. Honestly, I do. You were in my bed two weeks ago, though. When I woke up the next morning without you there, I could still smell you on my sheets. I liked that. I was so upset when I finally had to change the sheets. Your scent had already faded, but I liked it there. I’m just wondering if you’d mind switching it up a little and spending a night or two with me at my place.” “Don’t plan on spending many nights away from you, but if you want that I can give you that. Training this week, so I’d like to stay here if you are okay with that. After the contest this weekend, we can stay in your bed. That work?” “That works.” He grinned at me. “You sure you want me here while you’re training?” I asked, eating more fries. “Baby, not only do I want you here, but I need you here. I’m going to go train tomorrow and I know it’s going to be different. I’m going to be better because I have you here with me. It’s been so long since I’ve had someone who loves me there to watch me ride. I’m motivated now and I want to make you proud.” I slowly finished chewing, swallowed, and confessed, “You’re going to work hard the rest of this week and you’ll be fine. I know you will, but you should know that I’ll be proud of you regardless of how you do this weekend.” At that, I pushed my plate back a bit and grabbed the milkshake. I drank the rest of

the shake, set the cup down, and gave Stone a look. “What’s up?” he asked. “I think I ate too much food,” I admitted. “I feel like I’m going to explode. I am pretty certain that if you had any bedtime activities planned for this evening that I might need some time to let this food digest.” He laughed. It was the laugh that I had missed hearing so much. “What’s so funny?” I inquired. “Bedtime activities?” he repeated through his laughter. “Fuck, Monroe, I almost forgot about your ability to dazzle me with your vocabulary. I really fucking missed that.” “Well, that’s what it’s called. What else should I call it?” “Seriously, angel? I don’t know…you could say, having sex, making love, fucking — there are plenty of options.” I thought on it a moment. Then, I gave him a coy smile before I retorted, “Okay. I’m going to need some time to allow this food to digest before we start fucking again and you put your beautiful, hard cock in my sweet, tight pussy. Is that better?” Stone stared at me a moment, flabbergasted. “Maybe you should go back to your old method because if you keep saying things like you just said I’m not going to be able to stop myself. Jesus Christ, Monroe. My dick can’t handle the surprises from you.” I grinned at him. “I thought that’s what you wanted,” I teased. Stone reached over, wrapped his arm around my waist, pulled me into his lap, and kissed me. His voice was soft when he pulled back and admitted, “It is, baby. It’s everything I want and more.” “I love you, Stone.” “I love you, too, my angel.” Stone’s hand moved along my side, up my rib cage, and stopped just underneath my breast. His thumb swiped across the fabric covering my now hardened nipple. He pressed a soft kiss to my lips and wondered, “Now that you’ve got a full belly and aren’t ready for bedtime activities, what do you want to do?” “Hmmm…I think I’d like to shower and then spend some time with you holding me. I’ve missed that.” “Are you showering alone?” he inquired. I shrugged my shoulders and joked, “I wouldn’t mind some company, but only if you agree to a hands-off shower. No funny business. Got me?” Stone gave me a sexy grin and nodded before he confirmed, “Just so I’m clear —

you’re saying I’m not allowed to touch you in the shower, right?” “I’m afraid so.” “Okay,” he agreed and his grin turned wicked. “Promise?” “I promise,” he quickly replied. I narrowed my eyes at him before I hopped off his lap and moved to clean up the dishes. “Let them go,” he started. “I’ll take care of them tomorrow morning.” “It’s two plates and two cups. I can just do it now so you can concentrate on giving me some love in the morning before you go train for the day.” He thought on it and must have liked the idea because he didn’t stop me from cleaning up the dirty dishes. After I finished, we went upstairs and I made my way into the bathroom. Stone followed behind me and turned on the shower while I stripped out of my clothes. I was thankful for the fact that I still had my bag here at his place from when I stayed the night on my birthday. At least I’d have clean clothing to put on afterward. I was completely divested of my clothing when I turned toward the shower and saw Stone watching me. This was going to be fun. “Don’t forget the promise you made me,” I reminded him as I stepped past him and into the shower. Stone’s shower was magnificent. It had dual shower heads. I stood under the spray, wet my hair, and then began working shampoo through my strands. Stone had finally removed his clothing and joined me. While I shampooed my hair, he stood opposite me and I watched as the water ran down his naked body. Damn. He was one fine specimen. A broad chest, muscled arms and shoulders, narrow hips, and muscular thighs. My eyes roamed over his beautiful body. When I looked back up at him, he had an eyebrow cocked. “What?” I asked. “No touching. Remember?” I ignored him and stepped back under the spray to rinse my hair out. My eyes were closed as I cleaned the shampoo from my hair. When I opened my eyes, I nearly came on the spot. He was standing across from me with his hand on himself, stroking. I bit my lip. “What are you doing?” I questioned, finally coming out of my stupor. He gave me his wicked grin and shared, “You said I wasn’t allowed to touch you, but you didn’t say anything about touching myself.”

Okay. Two could play this game. I acted unaffected and went about conditioning my hair. After rinsing the conditioner out, I found Stone was still watching me and continuing to pleasure himself. I was so turned on watching him that I burst out, “I don’t understand how it’s possible.” “How what is possible?” “After all that food, I suddenly feel so hungry,” I confessed as I walked to him. I sat on the bench in the shower next to Stone and put my hands on his body, one on his thigh, the other at his hip. “What happened to no touching?” “I changed my mind. A girl can change her mind, you know.” He chuckled. I moved my hands, putting one on his wrist and the other at the root of his cock. When I removed his hand, I brought it to my breast. I looked up at him. His eyes were intense and the blue was swirling. I leaned forward slightly, parted my lips, and took him in my mouth. He groaned. “Monroe…that feels so fuckin’ amazing.” I was surprised at how ravenous I felt for him. I brought my other hand up to massage his balls. The sounds coming from the back of his throat grew louder. That only encouraged me further. I worked him harder — sucking, licking, and tasting all of him. I felt his hand cup me behind my head. My mouth was still on him when I pulled back to just the tip, tilted my head back slightly, and looked up at him. Keeping my eyes on him, I sucked him back into my mouth. His grip in my hair tightened. “Baby,” he growled. “I’m going to come. You want to stop, now’s the time to do it.” I pulled my mouth away, saw the disappointment flicker in his eyes, and quickly admitted, “I don’t want to stop, my love. Let me have this.” His face changed just before I wrapped my mouth around him again. A few seconds later, I felt him swell in my mouth, where he let me have his pleasure. The moment my lips were no longer around Stone, he gently laid me back on the shower bench. His body came over mine and his face went into my neck, where he began licking and kissing. Stone moved his mouth down my body, stopping to pay special attention to my breasts before continuing toward the special spot between my legs. He pressed gentle kisses there, teasing me. “Handsome,” I panted. “Please.” Stone didn’t give me what I wanted. I felt him smile against my sex before he

continued to tease me with kisses. I let out a frustrated sigh and angled my hips up trying to get closer to his mouth. I was unsuccessful. “Stone,” I begged. “What’s the matter, angel?” I lifted my head to look down at him. “You aren’t being very nice right now,” I answered, frustrated. “What if I do this?” he asked as he slid one finger inside me. My head fell back and I moaned. Slipping a second finger inside me, he questioned, “Is this any better?” “Can I have your mouth, too? Please,” I begged. “Of course you can, my greedy girl. Anytime you want it, you can have it,” he claimed just before he put his mouth on me. With all the teasing he had done, it didn’t take long for me to be in the throes of an orgasm. It was pure bliss and Stone didn’t relent, drawing out my pleasure for as long as he could. He kissed his way back up my body and brought his lips to mine. He took my mouth. “Sorry for breaking my promise,” he said against my lips. “It’s okay. You made up for it,” I teased. “Let’s finish up in here and get in bed. I want to hold you,” he admitted. I nodded my agreement. With that, Stone helped me up and we finished in the shower. After we stepped out and dried off, I wrapped a towel around my body and quickly dried my hair. I’d normally do this with my earbuds in and my music on, but I was looking forward to climbing into bed with Stone so he could hold me. With my hair mostly dried, I walked out of the bathroom to meet Stone in the bedroom. I located my bag and found a pair of panties. After pulling them up my legs and over my hips, I looked to the bed to see Stone watching me. He pulled back the blankets, silently inviting me to join him. I crawled into bed and cuddled up next to him, my front to his. Stone’s arms wrapped around me and held me tight. After basking in the feeling of being held by him like that, I tilted my head back to look up at him. “I’m so happy,” I whispered. He pressed a kiss to my head before he responded, “Me too, angel. Happier than I’ve been in a really long time.”

I gave him a big smile. “Love you, baby.” “I love you, too,” I said softly. Minutes later, feeling happy, sated, protected, and very much in love, I fell asleep. Stone woke me up a couple hours later for some middle-of-the-night activities. I learned that middle-of-the-night activities could be a whole lot of fun.

Chapter 23 Stone “Holy shit, he’s back!” Zane yelled from the bottom of the pipe when I landed my final trick in my run during Tuesday morning’s training session. After giving me shit for the last two weeks because I seemed to have lost my ability to ride, he was now blown away by my riding. I unstrapped my foot from the board and walked over to where Zane was standing. Luke had just joined him. The second I was standing in front of them, Zane stated, “The way you’re riding I’m going to guess you worked things out with Monroe.” “Yeah, we worked it out.” “You give her all of it?” he asked. He was referring to my parents. I’d been very tight-lipped over the years about my parents. People knew about my dad. He was a well-known and well-liked officer in Rising Sun, so when he was killed the entire community felt it. I was lost without my dad. As devastated as I was over the loss of him, I tried to get on with life as best I could. I still had my mom and thought the two of us would always be there to help each other get through the pain of losing my father. Unfortunately, my mom couldn’t deal. She was incredibly depressed and I hated seeing that day in and day out for her. When she committed suicide, I felt like I had nothing left. No family. No support. No love. If it weren’t for the unwavering support of Luke and his family, I’m not sure where I would have ended up. They took me in and treated me like a member of the family. Zane, Wes, and their families were also there for me in ways for which I knew I’d never be able to repay them. Even with the three guys who had become like brothers to me, particularly Luke, and their families having my back and always being there for me, deep down it did little to heal me. I always held on to the anger I felt over being left alone. No amount of counseling helped to relieve the anger, either. My father’s death hit me hard. As I told Monroe, he was my best friend. I didn’t

cope well at all, but held on to the fact I had my mother. That is, until I no longer had her either. That’s when I went from depressed to angry. My dad had no choice; it was always a known risk of the job. My mother chose to leave. The fact that she chose to leave me left me so unsettled. I understood, better than anyone else, her love for my dad, but I didn’t understand where it left me. Why wasn’t I enough for her? From that day forward I vowed to myself that I’d never grow so attached to someone. I never wanted to experience that type of pain again. The kind of pain left as a result of knowing that you weren’t someone for whom it was worth sticking around. The kind of pain that burns in you every single day. Monroe shattered that vow. Try as I might to not get close to her, she refused to let that happen. Oddly enough, she didn’t know what she was doing, but she managed to pull it off. The last two weeks of my life brought me an understanding of what it was like for my mother to live without my father. The scars left by her still feel raw, but I get it now. If my mom felt for my dad even half of what I felt without Monroe over those two weeks, I can finally appreciate her suffering on a different level. The only question remaining in my mind was why I, a part of my father, didn’t matter. My face went soft as I thought about Monroe’s reaction to me finally giving it all to her. “All of it,” I started. “She got the letter, too.” The guys would know how big that was. I had been the only one who ever knew what that letter said. They knew it existed and had an idea from things I said years ago about what was in that letter, but they never read it. Nobody but me ever had. That is, until now. “How did she handle it?” Luke asked. “Like I fucking champ,” I admitted. “She cried a lot initially, but she quickly pulled it together and was all about helping me from that point forward.” “So, talking to her about it was worth it considering you can actually get in a decent run now?” Zane joked. I shook my head and answered honestly, “No. Talking to her about it was what I needed to do to get her back in my life. I went to see her Saturday night after the girls got back from shopping with Charley. I tried to talk to her that night and that was when I realized how badly I fucked up. Not only seeing how much weight she lost, but also the fact that she looked right through me. I cut her deep, I knew it, and I fucking hated it. It was then, when she walked away from me, that I knew I needed to give it all to her so she’d never look at me again like I was a ghost.” Luke put his hand to my shoulder, squeezed, and shared, “Happy for you, bro. She’s a good girl and she loves the shit out of you. Every time I have talked with her since the night at Lou’s when you laid out Black, I’ve seen just how far gone she is for you. I think she’s good for you.” I looked up at the mountain when I responded quietly, “Made for me.”

“Emme’s been worried about her, especially with everything that went down the night of the grand opening.” My eyes went to Zane and I offered, “She ate. Of everything that I’ve dealt with ever in my life to this point, that was the hardest. To know that she felt so deep for me that she put her health at risk and lost that much weight killed me. I fed her last night. Overdid it. Burgers, fries, and a shake. She was heartbroken over the situation between us that she couldn’t think about food without feeling sick so she just didn’t eat. The way she ate last night…fuck, it gutted me. She had basically starved herself.” “Fuck,” Zane hissed. “Made her eat breakfast this morning, too. I’m going to call her this afternoon and make sure she’s had lunch, but I made it very clear to her last night that that shit stops and she needs to eat regularly. I’m pretty certain this isn’t an issue anymore, but I’m keeping a close eye on her until I know for sure.” “If either of you needs anything with regards to that or anything else, you know we’re here.” I nodded. “Ready to make up for two weeks of shitty training?” Zane asked. I laughed. “Yeah, man. This weekend is the first time she’s coming to watch me compete. I’ve got a good impression to make.” Luke chimed in as we made our way over to the lift, “You could probably fall on your ass every single run and she’d be impressed with you. I think, you really want to impress her, she’s interested in having drunk sex or wall sex.” My eyes cut to Luke. “How the fuck do you know that?” I demanded. He laughed at me. “That night that you sat in the truck while I walked the girls to the door. She cried in my arms telling me how much she was looking forward to that with you. She was devastated, no doubt, but the girl had at least five shots that night. She was still tipsy and had no inhibitions.” “Jesus Christ.” “I’m busting your balls, bro, you know that. It was pretty comical, though. She apologized to me and Nikki saying she hoped she hadn’t ruined our plans to have wall sex that night. Nikki told her that we’d already accomplished that and Monroe was genuinely interested in whether it was good or not.” “Are you fucking serious?” “Get used to it,” Zane warned. “These girls talk a lot and there isn’t much they don’t share.”

“Yeah, seriously. Nikki told me about the sex talk they had with Monroe before your first date.” Zane laughed and admitted, “I heard about that one, too.” “Come again?” “Apparently, Monroe freaked out about you two going on a real date that she called Nikki in a panic. The girls all met over at the condo and talked her through it,” Luke shared. “Mostly, she had been unsure about whether to tell you she was a virgin, but they were very open with her about what to expect if things went there with the two of you,” Zane added. “Fucking women,” I bit out. Luke and Zane both laughed. “It’s alright, man. Wes, Luke, and I all know that you’re a gold medalist now.” “What the hell does that mean?” Luke explained, “Monroe shared with the girls that she’d give you a gold medal in the bedroom.” “Do they always share this much fucking detail?” I asked. “Yep,” Luke answered as we all sat on the lift. “Like Zane said before…get used to it.” “Yeah, but the problem I have is that they don’t just share with each other. They’re coming to you afterward. No offense, but I’m not sure I want to have Monroe coming to me telling me about your sex life.” “I know, Stone,” Zane agreed. “I feel the same way, but trust me you’ll get over it. When you’re in deep with her, you’ll let her talk about whatever the fuck she wants to talk about. Then, when you can’t stand to hear it anymore, you’ll find a way to make her stop talking about it.” I rolled my eyes after which I sat silently as we made our way to the top of the mountain. That’s when it dawned on me. Sure, I admitted to the guys that I thought it was ridiculous the women shared so much, but when it really came down to it, I didn’t give a shit. If it made Monroe happy to share with her girlfriends, I really didn’t mind what she told them. Her happiness was all that mattered to me anymore. And if she chose to share any of that stuff with me, I’d tolerate it for as long as I could stand it and do exactly what Zane said. I’d get creative and figure out a way to silence it until the next time. The chair lift arrived at the top and we all got off. The three of us then put in a full day of training. I was relieved to finally have my first successful day of training in two whole weeks. When it was over, I realized that I was more than ready to get home and see my girl. When I arrived home, I called Monroe. The phone rang four times before she

answered and I heard her yell out, “Great job, ladies. Let’s take five because we’re running through it another two times before you leave.” Peace settled over me just hearing her voice. “Hello, my love,” she said softly into the phone. “Hi, angel. How’s it going?” “It’s been a long day, but I’m finishing up with my last class now. Another fifteen minutes and I’ll be done.” “You’re coming here when you done, right?” I asked, already knowing the answer. “Handsome, you were with me when I packed my bag this morning at my place before you dropped me back off at the studio. Of course, I’m coming.” “Just checking,” I began. “I’ll start dinner in a little bit; it’ll be ready by the time you get here.” “Okay. I’ll see you soon.” “See you when you get home, baby. Love you.” I could have sworn at that moment I heard her gasp, but she quickly returned, “Love you, too.” Monroe disconnected the call before I could ask her if everything was alright and as much as I wanted to call her back to make sure, I really wanted her home more. I figured it was best to leave it until later. During the week leading up to a contest, I typically prepped meals ahead of time and used the microwave when I got home. Surprisingly, I had no desire to do that now. Even though I’d normally not have the desire to make food after a day of training, I was a little shocked to find that it didn’t bother me at all right now. The only thought in my mind was that my girl had a long day at work and needed to eat. I was going to make sure she was fed. It was difficult to wrap my head around, but I had this overwhelming urge to take care of this woman. On these thoughts, I went about making dinner for us. Just as I was pulling the garlic bread out of the oven, I heard a knock at the door. Fuck. That needed to be fixed. I walked to the door, opened it, and pulled her into my arms. Monroe wrapped her arms around my waist and pressed her cheek to my chest. I kissed the top of her head and pointed out, “Perfect timing; dinner’s ready.” I turned, kept one arm wrapped around her shoulder, and began guiding her toward the kitchen. “It smells amazing in here. What did you make?” “Fettuccini alfredo with chicken and broccoli,” I answered as we made it to the

kitchen. Monroe stopped walking. I looked down at her, my brows drawn. “Is something wrong?” “Fettuccini alfredo with chicken and broccoli?” she asked. I nodded and added, “With garlic bread.” She stared at me. “I’m sorry, Monroe. I didn’t even think to ask. Do you not like that? I can make you something else, baby.” She shook her head and replied, “Stone, it’s fine. I do like it…well, I mean, I like the dish. I’m not sure yet if I like yours. My concern, though, is that fact that you made that. I knew you could make burgers, but I didn’t realize you knew how to really cook.” I plated the food, put a couple pieces of garlic bread on each plate, and volunteered, “Learned from my mom. I was her only child and she loved to cook. I’d spend a lot of days in the kitchen with her making dinner while we waited for my dad to get home from work. After he died, she lost her love for cooking…hell, she lost her love for everything. She had some good days where she’d make dinner; but mostly, I spent the next two years doing most of the cooking.” Monroe’s face changed. It hurt her to hear this. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I didn’t think when I said that.” I jerked my head toward the dining room, both plates in my hands, and indicated she should follow me. “No need to be sorry about it, angel. I’m happy she gave me that, especially now that I have someone I want to feed. Sit and eat with me, Monroe.” She sat at the table and I put the plate in front of her. When I sat next to her, I noticed she was staring down at the plate with rounded eyes. I reached my hand out and wrapped it around hers, which was resting on the table next to her plate. “You okay?” I asked. Her eyes came to mine and she countered, “Are you trying to make me fat?” I grinned at her. She was on to me. “Not trying to make you fat, Monroe. You lost a lot of weight. I’m just trying to make sure you get back what I took from you. Then, I’ll ease up if you want.” “I can’t eat all of this, Stone.” “You said the same thing last night, angel. You ended up eating most of what I put in front you then. Eat what you can tonight, please.” “Okay,” she agreed.

“That’s my good girl,” I said, giving her a hand a squeeze before I let it go so she could eat. I ate and watched as Monroe ate. After she ate roughly half of the pasta, chicken, and broccoli she put her fork down, picked up the garlic bread, and took a bite. She chewed, swallowed, and announced, “I’ve hit the jackpot.” “Pardon?” I asked. “How did I manage to snag myself a guy who’s a deliciously handsome, successful snowboarder that knows how to cook?” “Don’t forget I’m a gold medalist in the bedroom,” I added, teasing her. Her eyes narrowed at me, while she tried to figure out how I’d know such a thing. “Apparently, the guys all knew about my talents, even though I hadn’t yet. Can’t say I’m mad about it considering I got the gold, but I guess you sharing with your girls meant Zane, Luke, and Wes also found out.” She stared at me. “Regardless, I have to agree that you’ve won quite the prize with me,” I added with a wink. Monroe didn’t respond. She simply ate more garlic bread. I finished my food, pushed my chair back, and watched her. I had been teasing Monroe just now, but as I sat and looked at her finishing her food I couldn’t help but think about how lucky I was to have her. She finished eating and looked over to me. “What?” she asked cautiously. “Belly full?” She nodded. “Good,” I said as I held out my hand. “Come here, baby.” Monroe stood, put her hand in mine, and walked the two steps toward me. I pulled her into my lap, wrapped my arms around her, and kissed her on the nose. “I hope you know I’m teasing you,” I offered gently. “In this whole thing that is me and you, I’m the lucky one. I thought you were something special the moment I met you. When I helped you at the studio that weekend after you moved out here, I knew you were something special. The night you gave yourself to me was the night I no longer had any doubts about the fact that I was one lucky bastard. Even if I had only ever had that one night with you, I’d never think any differently. Last night, something else happened. I gave you something that nobody else has ever gotten from me and the moment you knew what my life had been to this point you made it better. I’ve got shit in my head that’s fucked, baby — told you that before, but I want you to know that it’s already starting to feel better. No doubt in my mind that you are the reason for that.” Monroe’s eyes filled with unshed tears before she nuzzled her face in my neck and

hugged me. I held her tight and felt a peace settle over me that I hadn’t felt in so long. I knew having her with me was the explanation for that peace. A woman like Monroe could only ever bring peace and happiness. “Let me kiss you, angel.” Her head shot back, she put her hand over her mouth, and she shook her head. “Did you just tell me I couldn’t kiss you?” I asked. With her hand still over her mouth, she nodded. Fighting to stay serious with the silliness that was sometimes Monroe, I pressed, “Is there a reason for that?” She nodded again, but offered no explanation. I couldn’t fight the laughter much longer, so with a smile tugging at my lips I went on, “Care to enlighten me on what that reason is?” She pulled her hand no more than an inch from her mouth when she answered, “You made garlic bread. I have garlic breath. I can’t kiss you until I brush my teeth.” I burst out laughing. Fuck. This woman could cure disease with her spirit. I wrapped my hand around her tiny wrist, pulled her hand away from her mouth, and watched as she pressed her lips together. “Kiss me, Monroe.” She shook her head. “Baby, I don’t give a fuck if you have garlic breath. I want you to kiss me.” She didn’t budge. Okay. Two could play this game. I brought my hand to rest on her thigh. I let the other travel slowly up her back to rest behind her neck. The one on her thigh made its journey up toward her breast. The pad of my thumb swiped across her already hardening nipple and in that very instant, her lips parted. I captured her mouth and kissed her. She tensed a moment, but within seconds gave in. After kissing her good, I pulled my mouth from hers and ordered, “Don’t deny me kisses from these pouty lips, angel. I don’t care if you have garlic breath, morning breath, or minty-fresh breath. Got it?” With hooded eyes she answered, “Got it.” “Good girl.” I smiled at her and asked, “Ready for a shower and bedtime activities?” She indicated with a dip of her chin that she was, so I picked up my girl and carried

her upstairs where we showered. After, I gave her a medal-worthy performance in the bedroom. If I was being honest, she was the one who deserved the medal.

Chapter 24 Monroe It was finally Friday night. The week had passed quickly, which I chocked up to the fact that there was very little downtime each day. I stayed with Stone every night that week since Monday night. I briefly filled Nikki in on Tuesday since I never went home Monday night. I didn’t get into all the specifics with her because there was just not that kind of time with her having a full schedule at the salon and me feeling the urge to completely change my routine for the exhibition. I was spending my mornings at the studio working on my piece and then once classes started in the afternoon, I didn’t have a moment of free time. When classes finished, I went to Stone’s place. He made dinner every night since he was finished with training and home before I even left the studio. The great thing about this was that he was a fantastic cook and he made certain I went to bed every night with a full belly. At this point, it was safe to say I had put on the weight I had lost over those two weeks I was without Stone. Charley and Emme checked in throughout the week, but with everybody’s schedules being so hectic we all resorted to the fact that we’d see each other at the snowboarding contest. The girls knew that Stone and I had worked things out. Once Stone had shared everything with me and told the guys he had done so, they delivered the relevant parts of Stone’s story to the girls. He seemed to have fallen into this relationship thing relatively easily considering he didn’t have any experience with it nor had he ever planned on having it. Prior to me even leaving the house on Tuesday, he handed me a key and a garage door opener. “What’s this?” I asked when he placed them in my hand. “You’re staying here right now, you need to be able to get in. I don’t want you standing around outside waiting for me to open the door for you. Besides, if you ever leave the studio early and get back here before me I want you to be able to come in.” I figured this all made sense, so I didn’t fight him on it. So now, I was here at Stone’s place. He had just fed me dinner, showered with me, and made love to me. I was in his bed watching him get his gear sorted for tomorrow. The excitement I felt at finally seeing him compete was something I couldn’t describe.

After we worked things out earlier in the week, he told me he had gotten his head on straight and training was going really well. I could not wait for tomorrow to arrive so I could cheer him on. My phone rang from beside me on the nightstand. I leaned over, looked at the display, and saw that Deacon was calling. “Deacon,” I greeted as I put the phone up to my ear. “Hey, kid. How’s it going?” “It’s going. I’ve had a busy week. You?” “Haven’t had an opportunity to call you all week, which has bugged the shit out of me. I was unavailable, though. You eating still?” I smiled. He worried too much. “Yes, I’m eating.” “And your heart? Is that any better?” This was the other thing about being busy. Not only had I not had an opportunity to update any of my brothers on the status of things with Stone and my no-longer-broken heart, but I also did not have an opportunity to consider how I’d tell them. Vaughn would have been my first choice for being the one to whom to break the news. He’d deliver it to Remi and Deacon and talk them down from an outburst. I decided to go short and sweet with my answer to Deacon. “Mended.” “I’m sorry, did you say mended?” “Yeah.” “Christ, Monroe. What do I not know now?” he bit out, slightly irritated. “We worked things out,” I answered, quietly. My eyes went to Stone, who was now looking at me. His eyes had warmed and his face was soft. Vulnerable. This was something I was seeing more and more as time went on. “We? We, as in you and the guy who fucking shattered your heart?” “Deacon, please calm down,” I pleaded. Stone’s face changed and he stopped getting his gear together. He merely stood and watched me. “Can’t fucking calm down when my baby sister, who passed out from not eating because of this guy, is somehow now telling me that she worked things out with him. Care to explain to me how you worked things out?” Shit. “He apologized and we talked. There was a lot that I didn’t know. It’s good now, Deac. Please trust me on this.”

“I swear to God, kid, if this asshole hurts you again I’m not going to be happy. I can’t believe you’d ever be the kind of girl who’d accept the type of treatment you’ve been dealt from him. Essentially calling you a whore weeks ago to making you fall in love with him only so he could walk away from you. You don’t deserve the shit he’s put you through.” I could feel myself grow more and more upset. A lump had formed in my throat and tears were threatening to fall. I looked down at my lap and stayed silent. I was trying to take deep breaths to control the emotions I was feeling. I hadn’t come close to accomplishing that when the phone was taken out of my hand. Shocked, I looked up to see Stone was putting up to his ear. “Deacon?” he called. Silence. “Xander Stone here. It sounds like you’ve got an issue with the fact Monroe and I have worked things out.” Silence again. Fuck. This was not going to end well. “Understand your concern; I’d feel the same, all things considered. But you need to know now that Monroe and I are together in a way that I’m not going to allow you to spew whatever shit you’re spewing to her, which is putting the look on her face that’s there right now. You’ve got a problem with us being together you’re going to have to deal with me on that.” Oh no. Deacon was not going to receive that well. “Yeah, and I fucking know I broke her heart. That’s why I’ve been busting my ass to put it back together. None of that changes the fact that I’m not going to allow you, or her other brothers, make this harder for her. The way she feels for the three of you, it’s going to cut her deep to hear negative shit about the two of us. So, you got a problem with it…I get it. You talk to me about it and you don’t bring that shit on her.” Oh my God. Nobody. Nobody had ever stood up to Deacon. I had to wonder if Stone would have had the same reaction if Deacon were standing in front of him. “Fine. Until then, you got something to say on the subject of Monroe and me that doesn’t result in her being fucking ecstatic, you don’t say it to her. You keep a handle on that and we won’t have an issue when I do finally meet you.” Silence. “Looking forward to proving that to you.” Stone pulled the phone from his ear, tapped on the screen, and set it back down on the

nightstand. Tears fell from my eyes and, the minute he looked at me, I burst into sobs. He immediately settled over my body and let me hold on to him for a long while. “It’s going to be okay, Monroe. I promise,” he whispered softly in my ear. I took a deep breath and rasped, “I want them to love you. I want them to love you as much as I do.” “I know, angel.” “Deacon’s the toughest. They’re all overly protective, but he gets angry. Remi’s rational. He likes to get all the facts first before he makes judgements. I’m close with all three of them, but I’m closest to Vaughn. He’ll cave first. Vaughn will love you because he loves me. Remi will take time, but he’ll get there. Deacon is a toss-up.” Stone framed my face with his hands and shared, “He has good reason for feeling the way he does. They all do. I don’t like that he’s upset you, but his feelings are justified. We can’t control his feelings toward me, but I’d like to think he loves you enough to not make the situation difficult for you. No matter what, I love you and I’m going to do what I’ve got to do to make sure nobody brings any negativity to you surrounding the situation with us.” “I don’t want him to not like you,” I murmured. “I know, baby. I don’t either. And that’s only because I know how much it means to you to have the support of all of them. Don’t worry about it now and let me handle it for you. Okay?” I nodded. Stone pressed a slow, sweet kiss to my lips. When he pulled back I suggested, “We should probably get to sleep. You’ve got an important day tomorrow.” “Yeah. I’ll take care of the rest of the gear in the morning,” he replied. Stone lifted off of me and rolled to the side. He hit the light on the nightstand and pulled me against his body, my back to his front. After pressing a kiss to my naked shoulder, he asked, “You sure you’re okay, angel?” I shifted back against Stone’s body before I answered, “I am for now. Thank you for taking care of me.” “I always will, Monroe. I know we had a rough start, but I’m here to stay. I will always take care of you.” “I love you, Stone.” Stone’s arm tightened around me as he replied, “I love you, my angel.” ***** Saturday morning came quickly. It felt like I had just snuggled in with Stone to go to

sleep and the alarm was already going off. He shifted in the bed and turned off the alarm. I turned toward him, put my head on his chest, and draped my arm across his abdomen. “Good morning, my love.” “Morning, baby. You sleep okay?” “Yeah. Wish I had more time in bed with you, but I’m so excited for today. I cannot wait to see you ride in a contest.” “Love that you’re going to be there. It’s the last contest of the season that any of the Blackman Boards’ riders compete in, so you’ll have more time in bed with me moving forward.” I lifted my head to look at him. “I can’t wait for that,” I admitted. “Unfortunately, that won’t be happening next weekend.” “Why not?” Stone asked. “I’ve got my exhibition at a local dance competition next Sunday. I didn’t register for the competition because I wasn’t sure if I’d have enough dancers signed up for classes by then. The hosts of the competition have agreed to allow me to fill all three of the exhibition spots. I’m taking one of my groups of students to do one and Jenna is going to do the other.” “Are you going to be the third one?” I nodded. Stone gave me a look that I couldn’t read. “What?” I asked. “Nothing. Just waiting for you to ask me to come and watch you.” “Do you want to?” “Angel, you’re coming this weekend to support me. Of course, I want to come and watch. Just don’t do anything X-rated.” I laughed. “I promise. I had something planned a few weeks ago and completely changed my mind earlier this week. I’ve been working on choreographing a piece that’s really beautiful. I would love it for you to be there; I just hope you’ll enjoy what I do.” “Not a doubt in my mind that I’ll love it.” I gave him a grin before he gave me a squeeze and said, “We need to get up and get moving. Want to feed you breakfast before we leave.” “Can I do it?” I asked. “Do what?” “Breakfast. My man has a big day ahead of him today. I want to do my part to contribute to making that a success. So, can I make you breakfast today?” “Just being there with me today is you doing your part for me. If you want to make

breakfast, though, I’m not going to say no. Just give me a kiss first.” With that, I gave him a kiss before we got up to get ready and have breakfast. Not long after, we were on our way to Parks Ridge for Stone’s contest. “There’s our girl,” Charley shouted as she saw me approach with Stone fifteen minutes later. The rest of our group had already arrived and the girls were already huddled together with Wes standing nearby. When Stone and I were standing next to the girls, he tugged my arm to get my attention. I looked to him and he explained, “I’m going to go get a few practice runs in before it starts. Stay with the girls and Wes. Emme, Charley, or Wes will let you know what’s happening as it does.” “Of course. Good luck and kick some ass today, my love.” Stone chuckled and bent his head to mine. “Kiss me, Monroe,” he whispered. I figured it was best to give him everything he wanted on a day like today, so I kissed him. It wasn’t just a peck, either. Finally, Nikki yelled out, “Now I know why she hasn’t spent a night at home in nearly a week. Damn, girl. You’ve been holding out on us.” I couldn’t help but laugh. Stone smiled against my lips. “I’m sorry,” I apologized. “She has no filter.” “It’s okay. Got to go, baby. Love you.” “Love you, too.” Stone gave me a peck on the nose and took off. I turned toward the girls and Wes. Charley and Emme had dreamy looks on their faces while Nikki had a devilish grin. I glanced at Wes to see him giving me a warm smile. I think he knew that I was finally getting what I had searched for back in California for nearly twenty-five years. He had promised me that I’d find what I was looking for if I just gave it a little bit of time in Wyoming. He hadn’t been lying. I gave him a small smile and a nod of my head before I turned my attention back to the girls. “Nikki’s right,” Charley piped up. “You’ve definitely been holding out on us. We’re going to need details now, mama.” I coy smile spread across my face. “He’s so fucking hot, isn’t he?” I asked. “If the kissing is always that heated, I can only imagine what the sex has been like,” Nikki declared. “We’ve been working on my list.” “Your list?” Emme questioned. “My list of favorite slash best sex positions with Stone. I get a lot of my number one

and two.” “Which are?” Charley inquired. “Number one is me on top followed very closely by number two, which is Stone giving it to me from behind.” “Jesus Christ,” Wes bit out. “I knew that one day I was going to find the downside to running my own business and getting out of competitions. I think that day has come.” Oops. I sort of forgot that Wes was within earshot and could hear everything we were discussing. “Honey,” Charley called as she looked to Wes. “You can’t interrupt sex talks. We don’t have much time before the contest starts and we need to catch up.” “Funny how that works, gorgeous. When I catch up with the guys, it never turns into us comparing our sex lives.” “Really?” Emme asked. I found this interesting. “Wait,” I interrupted. “You mean to tell me that you guys don’t talk about your relationships ever?” “Relationships, occasionally. Sex lives with women like the four of you, never.” “Why not?” I pressed further. “For me, I’m not real keen on them knowing what Charley is like in bed. I’m certain Zane, Stone, and Luke feel the same about each of you. The problem is, all too often, you four can’t seem to keep a lid on the shit you do behind closed doors and then we all end up hearing about it anyway.” “I find this fascinating,” I announced. “You shouldn’t,” Nikki offered. “Haven’t you noticed the possessive nature of these guys? Stone exudes macho-man mentality.” I rolled my eyes. “Tell me about it. He stood up to Deacon last night on the phone.” “What?” Emme practically shrieked. “What happened?” I went on to fill them in on last night’s feud between Deacon and Stone. This ultimately led to me filling them in on how Stone managed to mend my broken heart. I did this as we walked to where we could watch the guys ride. Emme brought her camera and was capturing shots for Blackman Boards. I asked her if she wouldn’t mind getting a shot of me and Stone later that day. I didn’t have any pictures of just the two of us together and I really wanted one. Since Emme was the best photographer in the world, I knew she’d be able to make that happen for me. Not long after we arrived at the spot we’d be watching from, I realized how nervous I was. I watched as the first couple of riders dropped in and did their runs. We were

watching the qualifying rounds. The riders would need to do well here so that they could be one of the top sixteen to advance to finals. “My stomach is full of knots,” I blurted. “There’s nothing to worry about, mama. It’s only qualifying. He’ll be fine. Besides, Wes told me the guys couldn’t believe the difference in Stone’s riding from last week to this week. Being with you has changed something in him.” Stone finally made his run. I watched in awe as he dropped in to the pipe and made his way up each side performing an incredible trick each time. It was amazing to watch. Stone and Zane both did well in qualifying and were sitting in the number one and two spots going into the finals. Finals were like qualifying in that the riders would each have three chances to make their best runs. After the first two runs, Stone was sitting just behind Zane on the scoreboard. The third round of finals was underway and my stomach was no closer to being settled. The wait wasn’t helping either. Part of me wished that Stone had been first because I couldn’t handle the mounting bundle of nerves in my belly. “Oh, I think I’m going to be sick,” I announced. “Are you okay?” Nikki asked. I shook my head. “I’m so nervous for him. Why is it taking so long for him to get his turn?” “Zane’s up,” Wes interjected. “Stone’s immediately after. He’s the last to go. He’ll be fine, Monroe. Just relax.” I turned my attention to the top of the pipe and watched as Zane made his run. Holy smokes, he made incredible run. There was no doubt in my mind he would hold on to the top spot. Moments after he finished his run, Zane’s score was posted. Just as I predicted, he was sitting at the top of the leaderboard. I began shifting back and forth on my feet, anxiously awaiting Stone to drop in. Charley must have noticed because she leaned into me, grabbed my hand in hers, and shared, “This is normal. Zane and Stone are always neck and neck. They usually score within tenths of each other. He’s going to do really great, honey.” Hearing this news made my heart swell. I didn’t have much time to process the feelings hearing it gave me because I saw Stone turn on his board and start riding down to where he’d drop into the pipe. I stopped breathing and squeezed Charley’s hand. Stone dropped into the pipe on one side and rode up the wall on the opposite side. He flew so high out of the pipe and did the most incredible trick. I had no idea what it was, but I knew it was amazing. He landed that trick and moved to the other side where he did another trick. Stone did this several times all the way down the pipe and it was the most magnificent thing I had ever witnessed. It was even better than all of the previous runs I had witnessed him make. Other than today, I only ever saw him ride one time a few months back when Nikki

and I came out to visit Charley and Emme. We all came to Parks Ridge to have a day of fun riding, but eventually the girls and I took a break while the guys showed us their moves on the pipe. This was completely different. Stone landed his final trick and the crowd erupted with cheers. I screamed right along with them. I was so happy for him. I didn’t care what the result was; I couldn’t have been prouder of him than I was in that moment. It seemed like hours had passed while we waited for Stone’s score to be posted. Logically, I knew that it hadn’t been that much time that we stood anticipating the result, but it was undoubtedly taking longer to get his score than anybody else’s. Finally, there was an outburst of screams. Stone’s score had been posted and his name was sitting in the number one spot. I looked down to the end of the pipe where I saw him standing. Zane had just walked over and pulled him into a hug to congratulate him. My eyes filled with tears. Suddenly, I heard Wes’ voice in my ear, “He’s going to want you, babe. Come on… I’ll take you to him.” The girls and I followed Wes. Apparently, we were going to be watching Luke compete in big air next, so we needed to move anyway. After what felt like a torturously long hike down to the bottom of the pipe, I spotted my man. He was being interviewed. His gaze slid to the side where he spotted me and instantly his eyes heated. Stone quickly finished his interview and stalked over to me. Once I was within arm’s reach, he stretched his arm out, wrapped it around the back of my neck, and crushed me to his body. He held me tight. Stone’s mouth was at my ear, “I could have won the gold medal in the Olympics before today and it wouldn’t hold a candle to this. Winning this small event with you, my angel, here to love me and watch me…nothing, baby, nothing compares to this moment.” I pulled back slightly from him and brought my hands to either side of his neck. “I’m so proud of you,” I started. “There isn’t anywhere else I would rather have been today than here to support you. You were amazing.” Stone pressed a kiss to my lips and said, “Let’s go. Big air is starting soon and we need to support Luke.” “Okay, but…” I trailed off. “But what?” he asked. I pressed up on my toes and whispered in his ear, “Can we celebrate later?” Stone’s eyes heated and he questioned, “How did you want to do that?” I gave him a sexy smile and murmured, “I was hoping we could see if there was a new position to add to my list.” “I was already planning on that,” he shared through his laughter. I bit my lip. Stone continued, “If memory serves me correctly, I owe you some time against the wall.”

My eyes rounded. Stone winked at me. At that, he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and walked me over to where the big air event was taking place. We stayed long enough to watch Luke take the win and congratulate him. Then, Stone took me back to his place where he paid his debt. I was left trying to reorganize my list.

Chapter 25 Monroe “Who the heck could that be?” Another week had passed. It was Saturday morning and Stone and I had spent the night at my place last night. After his win last Saturday, we spent the next two nights at my place. Then, we were back at his place. Since my exhibition was this weekend, I used that to my advantage and asked Stone if he’d mind spending the next couple nights at the condo. It had nothing to do with the exhibition. Secretly, I just liked having him in my bed. I am convinced that the only reason I managed the nights without him mid-week was because I could smell him on my sheets. It was almost as good as being wrapped up in his arms all night. Stone and I had dinner that we cooked together last night and settled in for a quiet, relaxing night with a movie. We followed this up with lots of bedtime activities. We woke up not long ago, had morning-time activities, and had just made our way out into the kitchen to make breakfast. This morning’s breakfast, like last night’s dinner, was a joint cooking effort. I worked on the eggs and bacon while Stone tended to the toast, fruit, and beverages. He wasn’t a coffee drinker, which I thought was further indication that we belonged together. I hated coffee. Stone liked orange juice with his breakfast; I preferred hot green tea. While we were making breakfast, there was a knock at the door. Nikki spent the night out with Luke and had her own key, so I knew it wasn’t her. I moved from in front of the stove and started walking to the door. “Can you keep your eye on the bacon?” I called to Stone as I walked out of the kitchen. “Got it.” When I opened the door, my internal organs simultaneously shifted their position in my body. My heart was in my throat; my stomach at my feet. On one hand, I was thrilled to see Vaughn standing in front of me; however, I had a feeling there would be repercussions from him finding Stone here first thing in the morning. It should be noted that I was expecting my entire family to come out and visit me this weekend. They knew I had my exhibition on Sunday and wanted to come out to support

me. In addition, my parents hadn’t seen me since I moved weeks ago. Stone and I had planned to go out to dinner with them so he could meet everyone. I suggested dinner out because I figured there was less chance of anyone losing their shit in public. The problem now was that they weren’t set to arrive until sometime later this evening; yet, Vaughn was standing at my front door. “What are you doing here?” I asked, shocked. Vaughn laughed, took two steps inside, and replied, “Good morning to you, too.” I gave him a hug and responded, “I’m sorry; I just wasn’t expecting you guys to arrive until tonight. What’s going on?” “I knew everyone was planning to come out tonight, but after the week we’ve had at home I thought it would be good to come here early and prepare you.” My eyes rounded and my body tensed. “It’ll be alright,” Vaughn started as he put his arm around my shoulders. “I didn’t want you getting blindsided, though. Figured we could come up with a plan.” Something not good was going on. A bit of relief flooded through me at the knowledge that Vaughn had come out early to prepare me for whatever it was. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around his waist and said, “Thank you, Vaughn.” The minute the words were out of my mouth, Vaughn’s body went rigid. I pulled back to look at him when I saw that he was looking past me toward the direction of the kitchen. His expression was impassive. I turned and saw Stone standing there looking at us. When I looked back to Vaughn, his eyes came to me, held mine a moment, and went back to Stone. Shit. “Um, Vaughn,” I barely croaked out. Vaughn completely ignored me when he narrowed his eyes and asked Stone, “Did you spend the night here with her last night?” “Yep,” Stone answered. Double shit. “What is your endgame?” Vaughn pressed. “Not a game to me, but I’ll tell you the same thing I told Deacon. We can discuss my intentions with your sister if you’d like, but that discussion is one that does not result in her ending up in tears. If you can manage that, the three of us can have the conversation over breakfast. If not, you can join us for breakfast after which you and I can have a talk while Monroe goes to take a shower.” Vaughn’s eyes lingered on Stone’s a minute before he brought them to mine. “You’re lucky I came out here early and on my own, Monroe. Deacon was set to come with me, but I talked him out of it, thankfully. I’ve got to admit I’m relieved I had the forethought to come out and give you a heads up. You guys are going to need me on

your side, so we better go have breakfast and figure out if we can make that happen.” I let out the breath I had been holding and said, “Thanks, Vaughn.” We all went back out into the kitchen where I saw that Stone had finished cooking the bacon. I quickly threw on a bunch of eggs for the three of us while Stone made more toast. Vaughn was a coffee drinker, so we turned the pot on. A few minutes later, we were sitting down for breakfast. Stone and I sat on one side of the table while Vaughn was on the other. Nobody spoke for quite some time and my nerves were on edge. I couldn’t handle the silence anymore so I simply declared, “Okay, give it to me straight. What are we dealing with, Vaughn?” “Mom’s over the moon; nothing to worry about there. Remi is quiet…pretty sure he’s processing everything. You likely won’t know anything for certain with him until he comes out and gets the meeting out of the way. Dad and Deacon, though? Not good.” Alright, so that was pretty much what I had expected. “And you?” I muttered. “I love you, kid. Wasn’t expecting to find what I did here this morning and, I’m not going to lie, it has thrown me a bit. I think it’s finally hit me that you’re no longer a little girl; that’s not an easy pill to swallow. I want what’s best for you. That includes whatever is going to make you happy. If Stone makes you happy then I’m going to do what I can to get to know him.” Vaughn turned his attention to Stone. “She’s precious. Not just to me, but to our entire family. I’m not happy about some things that I’ve heard you have done or said to or about her, but if you two have talked through those things and she forgives you, that’s all that matters. I’m willing to do my part to support her…to support the both of you in what’s happening between the two of you, but I’m asking that you respect what she is to us. I want you to understand that there isn’t anything we wouldn’t do for her and when she hurts, our family feels that deep. I need you to give me your word that you plan to treat her like the gem that she is and that you’ll protect her and her heart as fiercely as we would.” My eyes had filled with tears and I couldn’t swallow past the lump in my throat. God, I loved my family. “You don’t have to tell me how lucky I am to have someone like Monroe in my life. I know what she is; I know just how special she is. As I’ve already said to her, I know we’ve not had the best start, but I’m not going anywhere. I love her more than I could even begin to tell you. You have my word that she will always be my top priority and that I am going to do everything I’ve got to do to make sure she has everything she wants. Guarding her heart and protecting her spirit are of the greatest importance to me. I promise you, she’ll be safe with me.” Now the tears were spilling down my cheeks and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. God, I loved Stone, too.

A small sound escaped my lips and two of the most important men in my life turned their attention to me. One of Stone’s arms was immediately wrapping around my back while his hand on the other arm came up to swipe at my tears. “Angel, the goal was for you to not break down into tears during breakfast.” Stone pulled me into his chest. I managed to say, “I’m so happy. They’re happy tears.” I heard Vaughn mumble, “Women.” Stone’s body vibrated with laughter. “Okay, I’m fine now,” I stressed to them after a minute. “Good. Finish eating your breakfast, baby,” Stone urged. I turned back toward my plate, picked up a piece of bacon, and took a bite. The rest of breakfast went off without a hitch. Stone and Vaughn took some time getting to know each other, but mostly, I couldn’t concentrate on their conversation. I was too worried about what would happen when the rest of my family arrived later that day. Vaughn, Stone, and I spent the afternoon together and Stone offered to have Vaughn come over to his house. I think he wanted to make sure someone in my family knew where I was spending a lot of my time and that it was a safe place. By late afternoon, Vaughn took off to check into the hotel. Afterward, he was picking up the rest of my family at the airport. He said he’d take them all to the hotel to get settled and ready for our dinner that evening. Following Vaughn’s departure, Stone got ready. This was only after he had his way with me. After, he took me back to my place so that I could get ready. Stone and I had been spending a lot of time at his place, but most of my cosmetics and things for making myself look pretty were still at the condo. When I explained this to him he told me I needed to bring them over to his place, or that I needed to buy another ‘set’ for when I was with him. “That would be crazy. The makeup alone would run me a fortune, Stone.” “What?” he asked. “Makeup isn’t cheap. I never know what mood will strike me when I do put it on, so if I bought duplicates of what I have now, it would cost a couple hundred dollars. I’ll just try to cart it back and forth when I know that I’m going to need it.” “Two things, baby. First, you don’t need it at all. You like how it makes you feel, I get that. Don’t wear it because you think you need to, angel. You’re just as beautiful without it. Second, it’s a pain in the ass to pack your stuff and carry it back and forth between each place. I’ll get you what you need and I don’t care what it costs.” “You are not buying my makeup, too. You’ve already purchased too much stuff as it is.” “You said it was a couple hundred dollars, Monroe. It’s not a big deal.”

“Maybe not to you, but considering you spent what you did on the security system for my studio, I think you’ve already purchased plenty for me.” “How do you know what I paid for the security system? If Levi shared that with you…” he trailed off. I quickly chimed in, “No, Levi didn’t tell me. My brothers knew. The day of my grand opening after everyone left I showed them around the studio. Vaughn had already seen it when he came out to visit me the first time, but Remi and Deacon hadn’t. We were standing in one of the rooms and Vaughn noticed the monitor on the wall that wasn’t there originally. They were asking me about it and were concerned that I had spent so much money. I explained to them that I had no clue what it cost because you are the one that insisted on paying for it. They informed me that it was somewhere between ten to twelve thousand which, by the way, is something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.” Stone shook his head with a grin on his face and wondered, “Oh yeah? What did you want to talk about?” “You have to let me pay you back for that. I don’t have all the money now, but I can make payments to you. I’ve done okay for myself, but I don’t have that kind of cash sitting around.” “I don’t want your money, Monroe. Besides, we already worked out payment on the security system. Don’t you remember the lingerie you wore for me?” “That lingerie didn’t even cost a hundred dollars. That’s hardly an even payment.” “The lingerie might not have been worth a lot, but it was on you. I can’t put a price tag on you, angel. If you ask me, I’m the one that made out in that deal.” My heart melted. “Stone…” I whispered. “I mean that, Monroe. I don’t give a shit about the money; your safety is more important. There isn’t any amount of money that I wouldn’t pay to make sure you were safe. To that end, I can spare a couple bucks on makeup, especially if it means you’ll be in my bed more often.” I had no response to that, so our conversation on money and makeup ended there. So, now we were back at the condo and I was getting ready. Stone, thankfully, stayed out in the family room watching television while I did my thing and got ready. I got dressed, did my hair, and was putting on the final touches of my makeup on when I started feeling funny in my belly. Nerves were taking over. This was my family and I knew they loved me, but I didn’t want my dad or Deacon making him feel uncomfortable. I took one last look in the mirror, took a deep breath, and walked out of my bedroom. “Ready to face the music?” I worried as I stepped into the family room. “You look beautiful, angel,” Stone commented as he stood off the couch and walked over to kiss me. “Thank you.”

“Ready?” “Yeah.” With that, we locked up and left to go to meet my family. We arrived on time and found that my parents and brothers had not yet arrived. Stone and I went in and got seated at a table. We weren’t even seated for a full two minutes and I was already fidgeting in my seat. “Relax, Monroe.” “I can’t. I just want tonight to go well. I want them to see you the way that I see you.” Stone’s face softened and he pulled me into him. He kissed the top of my head and held me tight. That’s when we heard someone clear their throat. I immediately pulled my head away from Stone and looked up to find my mom, dad, and brothers standing at our table. Stone and I both stood as I went over to hug my parents. I hadn’t seen them in several weeks and I missed them terribly. My mom wrapped her arms around me and whispered, “It’s so cold out here; it’s nothing like home. I’m happy you’ve found someone who looks like he can keep you warm. That kiss on your head…I can see that he loves you, darling.” “Thanks, mama,” I whispered back. “Shelly, you think you can give me a chance to hold my baby girl?” I couldn’t help but smile. I pulled back from my mom and looked to my dad. He didn’t give me a chance to say anything. He simply wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his chest. “Missed you so much, baby girl.” “I’ve missed you, too. I’m so happy you are all here.” A moment later, my father loosened his hold on me and I took a step back next to Stone. “Mom. Dad. This is Stone. Stone, these are my parents, Michelle and Logan.” “It’s nice to meet you,” Stone said as he held his hand out to my mother. She didn’t take his hand. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. I saw his shoulders tense. I knew my mom well enough to know she was very likely whispering something to him. Seconds later, his shoulders relaxed. Yep. She said something to help rid him of the tension. When he pulled back from my mom, Stone looked to my father. He held out his hand and said, “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Archer.” My father held Stone’s eyes a while before he finally stuck his hand out to shake

Stone’s. He had been sizing him up. I didn’t like it. I wanted to avoid any further silent scrutiny of Stone, so I moved along. “Stone, you obviously remember Vaughn.” He nodded. “This is Remi, my oldest brother.” Remi shook Stone’s hand and nodded to him, but stayed quiet. “And this is Deacon,” I announced. Stone stuck his hand out to Deacon and greeted him, “Nice to finally meet you.” Deacon didn’t accept Stone’s hand and merely retorted, “Wish I could say the same.” “Deacon,” I muttered. His eyes came to mine, he wrapped an arm around my shoulder, and kissed the top of my head. “It’s good to see you, kid.” This was awkward. Extremely awkward. Thankfully, my mom spoke up and got everyone’s attention. “After that flight and a day of traveling, I’m starved. Let’s sit so we can order.” Everyone moved to sit. My eyes shifted to Vaughn’s. He gave me a look that told me he tried to work on this before they arrived, but clearly hadn’t had much luck. We all spent the next couple minutes perusing the menu and finally placing our orders. After the waitress brought us our drinks, my father asked me how things were going at the studio. I filled everyone in and told them how fortunate I had been to have such a great turnout the night of the grand opening. My parents were thrilled to hear that my reputation had preceded me and that I had so much success after only weeks of being here. Our food arrived and everyone, with the exception of Deacon and my dad, talked about things at home. My mom filled me in on all the latest neighborhood gossip. Remi talked a bit about work, but not in detail. Vaughn added to that, but tried to steer the conversation into a place that would hopefully lighten the tension. He gave us his latest female drama. It worked to help lighten the mood for me, but Deacon was still brooding. Finally, my mom said, “So, Stone, I hear that you are a snowboarder?” “That’s right, Mrs. Archer.” “Oh, please, dear. Call me Shelly. Mrs. Archer is his mother,” she teased as she pointed toward my dad. Stone dipped his chin at her request. “How long have you been doing that?” my mom pressed.

“I started riding when I was a little kid with a couple of my friends. We all went from being amateurs to professional riders pretty quickly. My friend, Wes, opened his own company that now manufacturer’s boards and accessories. He’s engaged to Charley. Zane, who’s engaged to Emme, rides halfpipe like I do. Our other friend, Luke, does big air.” “Wow,” my mom marveled, even though I knew she had no idea what Stone was talking about. “Stone just won a contest last weekend that was right here in Rising Sun. The season is over for him now, but you’ll have to come back out next season to watch him ride. It’s amazing.” “I’d love to come back out and watch. I can’t wait.” I heard a noise from the end of the table where Deacon was seated. We all turned our attention to him. “Is something wrong?” I asked him. He shook his head, “No. I just think it’s comical that you and mom are sitting there planning a trip for next winter.” “Deacon,” Vaughn warned. “What’s so funny about that?” “Monroe, you’re assuming this guy isn’t going to walk out on you before then.” I gasped. “Not sure why you’re shocked, kid. It’s not like he hasn’t had you in tears and broken your heart several times already.” My eyes welled with tears. I could appreciate that Deacon was worried about me, but I hated that he wasn’t even trying to give Stone a chance. I didn’t have a chance to think of a response before Stone spoke. “Was hoping it wasn’t going to get to this point, but I’ll tell you again what I said to you on the phone. You have issues with me, you deal with me on them. You do not put that shit on her. I can respect the fact that you are protective over her, but I’m not going to allow you to be protective in a way that hurts her.” “You mean like you did?” Deacon retorted. “If you cared about her so much, why did you pull the shit you did before? Allowed her to fall in love with you only to walk away from her. She deserves better than you. How do we know you aren’t going to walk away and break her heart again?” “You don’t, but she’s all that I’ve got.” Oh God. “She’s so important to me that I’m going to give you, someone who doesn’t fucking deserve it right now, something that nobody other than Monroe has ever gotten from me because I think you need to understand just how much of an angel she is to me.”

Oh God. “Stone,” I murmured, putting my hand to his forearm. When his eyes came to mine, I insisted, “You don’t have to do this.” “Yes, I do, angel. If this is what it takes, then this is what it takes.” Stone turned his attention back to Deacon and continued, “When I was thirteen years old, my father died. He was a police officer and was killed in the line of duty. Two years later, my mom decided she couldn’t hack life anymore without my father so she swallowed a bottle of pills and took her own life. Apparently, I wasn’t fucking enough for her. I realize Monroe is a big part of your family, but she is it for me. She’s all that I’ve got. My biggest fear is that she’ll wake up one day and realize what you said is true. She’ll see that she settled for someone who wasn’t worthy of her love. I’m scared shitless that I could go my whole life trying to express to her how much she means to me and I’m afraid she’s never going to feel it all. She’s your sister, Deacon, and your daughter, Mr. Archer, and I realize your only concern is her. I’m fucking over the moon that she’s got the support of a good family to take her back, but you’ve got to know, she’s the only one I’ve got to take mine. I’m not giving her up. I wasn’t with her for two weeks…two weeks, and it was then when I understood. For the first time in my life I finally understood the pain my mother went through without my father. I’m sorry, but I’d rather be dead than live my life without Monroe.” I sucked in a sharp breath. Stone stood, threw a bunch of bills on the table, and turned to me. He pressed a kiss to my forehead. When he pulled back from me, he cupped my jaw and finished, “Baby, you want to stay and spend time with your family I understand, but I need to get out of here. Call me when you finish and I’ll come back to get you.” I shook my head, put my hand to his bicep, and answered, “I’m going with you.” Stone’s body went solid. My eyes went back to the table and I looked at each member of my family. I felt the tears threatening to fall as my throat got tight. “Mama, thank you for being happy for me. Vaughn, I love that you support me no matter what. Remi, I’m glad you didn’t jump to any conclusions about Stone before meeting him. I wish you were more welcoming to him, but I hope now that you see that he loves me. Daddy, I expected more from you and now I’m left feeling disappointed that you have no faith in me to make good choices in my life. And Deacon…I’m sorry, but I don’t know what to say. You are so worried about Stone breaking my heart, but right now, you and dad are the ones who are doing it.” I looked back up at Stone and requested softly, “Please take me home, handsome.” He nodded and put his hand to the small of my back. Then, we left the restaurant and my hopes for a smooth meeting with my family behind.

Chapter 26 Monroe My heart hurt. Stone and I were in his truck on our way to his place. I had asked him at the restaurant to take me home, but as soon as we were in the truck I told him I wanted to go to his house. The ride to this point was filled with silence. As I stared out the window, Stone’s hand wrapped around mine. He didn’t say anything, but I knew he felt for me. I gave his hand a gentle squeeze. I was upset and embarrassed. It was no surprise that Deacon and my dad were having a hard time accepting my new relationship before meeting Stone. I completely understood that, but for my father to continue giving him the silent treatment and for Deacon to be as rude as he was broke my heart. Stone deserved better than he got from them. Stone turned into his driveway and pulled into the garage. After he shut down the truck, he got out and came around to open my door. We went inside and, without any words, walked right to the stairs. Once I was in Stone’s bedroom I walked through it to the bathroom. I went in, stripped down to my bra and panties, washed my face, and brushed my teeth. When I walked out of the bathroom back into his bedroom, Stone watched. I crawled into his bed and he eventually went into the bathroom. Mere minutes had passed when the bathroom door opened again and I felt the bed depress with Stone’s weight. He instantly turned me toward him and hauled me up against his body. That was all it took. The tears fell from my eyes. “I’m so sorry, baby. I know that’s not how you hoped it would go tonight.” “No, but you shouldn’t be apologizing to me,” I rasped. “I’m sorry for how they treated you.” Stone rolled to his back and took me with him. “I’m two and a half for five. That’s not terrible.” “Two and a half?” I asked as I lifted my head from his chest. “Your mom and Vaughn seem good with us. Couldn’t read Remi; I figure that counts as a half until we know for sure. Hopefully, he swings our way. If not, as long as I’ve got you, I’m still okay with two out of five.”

I nodded and put my cheek to his chest again. I took the next few minutes to replay everything that had happened that night in my head. My thoughts lingered a bit longer on the words Stone said to Deacon. We stayed in silence a while before I spoke quietly, “You’re enough for me.” “What?” I lifted my head and looked at him. I held his eyes a beat and explained, “You are enough for me. I love you so much, Stone. You need to know that. I’m not leaving; I don’t ever want to leave. You are worth every ounce of love I have and then some. You’ll always be worthy of my love. Always, my love.” “Angel…” he trailed off. I felt my throat getting tight. I hated that he thought he wasn’t worthy of love. A single tear fell from my eye and dripped down onto his chest. “You’re enough, Stone,” I croaked out. His arms grew tighter around me. I didn’t want him to have any doubts, so I repeated, “You’re enough, handsome.” His fingertips pressed into my skin. Another tear landed on his chest. “You’re enough.” I barely got the words out of my mouth when Stone lifted his head and quieted me. His lips captured mine. His hands roamed over my body. “I love you, baby,” his husky voice filtered into my ears before his mouth went to my neck. Stone used one hand to unhook my bra, while the other rested on my ass. He removed my bra and tossed it aside. His hands went to my waist and pushed my panties down my legs. I shimmied my legs back and forth to help remove the fabric from my body. Stone quickly removed his boxer briefs. I settled back over his body, my legs straddling his hips. My hand went between us where I wrapped my fingers around him. I was positioned over him and slowly lowered myself onto his shaft. “More than enough,” I whispered. “God, you’re beautiful.” “Touch me, Stone. Love me.” “I love you so fucking much, Monroe,” he responded as his hands came to my thighs. “I know,” I quietly admitted. “I love you, too.” “Show me, angel.” I showed him. I brought my mouth down to his and kissed him while I slowly moved

my hips over him. One of his hands traveled up my thigh and around to my ass as he kissed me back. The kissing was slow and unhurried, just like the movement of our bodies against each other. It wasn’t long before Stone’s hands were moving over every inch in my body and we rolled in the bed several times. First, I was on top, then him, then me again. The sensations built and with my emotions running high, I was soon close to an orgasm. “Stone,” I uttered. “Come with me, Monroe.” As we came apart together, my eyes held Stone’s. “All I have and everything I want,” he breathed. “More than enough, my love. Always…forever,” I returned, as I tried to catch my breath. I collapsed on top of Stone’s chest. He took my weight and wrapped me up in his arms. “I could stay like this forever,” I announced. “Can’t say that I disagree,” Stone admitted. I tensed at his words. “I realize that’s not what you expected considering things I said at the start of this, angel,” he began. “I had some thoughts in my head before anything happened between us, but things have changed for me. What I said tonight was the truth. I don’t want to be without you. Not ever.” I lifted my head and looked him in the eyes when I quietly responded, “You won’t.” He held my gaze a bit before he asked, “Are you okay?” I gave him a small smile and answered honestly, “I wish it had gone differently, but I’m with you and I’m happy about that. I know Remi will come around. I just don’t know about my dad and Deacon. That breaks my heart.” “I’m sorry it wasn’t what you hoped for, but I’ve got to tell you how much it means to me that you left with me. I’m not happy that we walked out on your family, but it felt good to hear you say you were coming with me. Never had that, baby. Until you said you were leaving with me, I never knew it was everything I wanted to hear.” “I love you,” I whispered softly. “I love you, too. You tired?” I nodded. “Let’s get some sleep, then. You have a big day tomorrow,” he reminded me as he began shifting us in the bed. When I was finally tucked in next to him with his strong arms wrapping me up tightly, I mumbled, “I hope you love my piece tomorrow.”

“It’s like the lingerie.” “What?” I asked. “Wouldn’t matter what the piece was, the fact is that you are doing it. Can’t help but love it for that reason alone.” My heart warmed and my belly got a funny feeling in it. It was one of the good feelings. “Did I ever tell you how much I love you?” Stone’s body vibrated with a bit of laughter when he answered, “You might have mentioned it once or twice.” “Good night, Stone.” “Night, my angel.” Minutes later, I was asleep. The alarm went off early the next morning. I wasn’t scheduled to perform until later that day, closer to one o’clock, but I planned to arrive early. I wanted to check out the dancers that were competing. A competition like this could always serve as inspiration for choreography I’d eventually put together for my students. Stone leaned over to the nightstand, turned off the alarm, and fell to his back in the bed. I rolled half on to him, pressed a kiss to his lips, and said, “Good morning, my love.” “Good morning, baby.” “I’m going to get up, shower, and get ready. You can stay in bed a little while longer if you want more sleep. After I’m ready, I’ll make breakfast for us.” He gave me a sexy grin and advised, “You are going to be naked in the shower; I’m not staying in bed.” “I’m naked now, Stone. I need to be ready on time; so, I’m not sure about sex this morning.” “I am. You let me love you in the shower this morning and I’ll make breakfast while you finish getting ready.” “Hmmm,” I thought. “What are you going to make me?” “You let me make you come twice this morning and I’ll make whatever you want for breakfast.” “Well, I mean, if you’re going to twist my arm,” I teased. Stone laughed as he put his arm around my back, knifed up in the bed, put his other arm under my knees, and carried me to the bathroom. We made our way into the shower where Stone made me come twice before he delivered a third mind-blowing orgasm. Not even thirty seconds later, with him still inside me, my back against the shower wall, and my legs wrapped around his waist, I instructed, “I want a bagel, toasted, with lots of cream cheese and a side of watermelon.”

Stone burst out laughing and pointed out, “Fuck, Monroe, I’m convinced there is nothing better in this world than hearing you talk to me immediately after we have sex.” I shrugged my shoulders and admitted, “I’m hungry.” He kissed the tip of my nose and gently confirmed, “Alright. I’ll finish showering quickly and go make you breakfast.” At that, Stone finished showering, toweled off, and walked out of the bathroom. I stepped out of the shower a few minutes after Stone. After drying off, I threw on a pair of dance shorts and a cute sports bra. I then grabbed my phone, plugged in my earbuds, popped them in my ears, and cranked up the music. Music and dancing. That was how I typically got ready when I wasn’t just throwing on clothes to head to the studio. So, I set my phone on the counter at the sink, plugged in the hairdryer, and started drying my hair. Of course, I did this while shaking my booty. My hair was nearly dry when I saw movement out the corner of my eye. I turned to see Stone standing there with a plate in his hands. It had a huge bagel loaded with cream cheese and a side of watermelon on it. Stone was grinning at me. I turned off the hairdryer and the music. “What’s got you so happy?” I inquired. “Nothing, I’m just admiring the view.” I rolled my eyes at him. “Your breakfast,” he offered as he held the plate out to me. I took the plate and walked back into the bedroom with him. I was about to sit on the bed when I stopped and asked, “You don’t mind if I eat in your bed, do you?” “Why would I mind?” I shrugged my shoulders and explained, “I don’t know. I’ve heard there are people who have a strict no-eating-in-the-bed policy. I wanted to make sure you weren’t one of those people.” Stone took a few steps toward me and asserted, “I recall eating you in this bed many times already; so no, I’m not one of those people.” I swallowed hard as I let thoughts of Stone eating me in this very bed filter through my mind. Then, noting he didn’t have a second plate in his hand, I asked, “What are you having for breakfast?” “Carried your plate and a cup of tea up for you,” he said, nodding in the direction of the nightstand. “Was going to go back down and get my plate, but I’m not sure you want me to eat that for breakfast now.”

“Maybe not, but we don’t have time for that at the present moment, Stone. Besides, I like my bagel warm and toasty with cold cream cheese. If you eat me for breakfast, my bagel will no longer be warm and toasty.” He chuckled before he ordered, “Tonight, then. I made you breakfast this morning; tonight, you feed me dessert. That work?” I nodded. “Good girl. Get in the bed and eat. I’ll be right back up.” With that, I climbed in the bed and ate my breakfast. For the record, Stone made a mean warm-and-toasty bagel with cold cream cheese. A couple hours later, I was set to take the stage for my exhibition piece. Stone impressed me with his willingness to sit and watch the other dancers perform their routines. I knew dancing wasn’t his thing, so the fact that he sat and watched for hours that morning overwhelmed me. My group of dancers and Jenna both performed their exhibition routines at the midmorning break. The students were dynamic and had done extraordinarily well. I had numerous compliments from other dancers at the performance my kids put on. It filled me with such a sense of pride. I didn’t think I could have been any happier, but then Jenna took the stage and blew those thoughts to smithereens. She was exquisite and everyone knew it. When she finished, she received an outpouring of love from the crowd. My heart was ready to burst at how happy I was for her. When she came off the stage, she walked over to me, and hugged me fiercely. “Thank you so much,” she cried. “You were incredible, kiddo. Everyone loved it.” “I don’t know how to thank you for this,” she went on. “Jenna, that was all you. You choreographed that routine and you made everyone cheer for you. All I did was believe in you. You are an incredible dancer and I’m glad you’re part of my team. You did me proud today.” “My family is here. I’m going to go over and see them. Good luck when you go up there.” I nodded to her and looked to Stone. “You’re amazing, angel.” “Why?” “You make people feel good about themselves. She’s a great dancer, but you helped her realize her potential by believing in her. You made me believe in things I never thought were a possibility before now. I’m just saying that she’s lucky to have someone like you to see her talent and push her to do something with it.” “Thank you for saying that, Stone,” I said as I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed up on my toes to kiss him. My family showed up just before I was supposed to perform. Vaughn came into the

auditorium, found me, and asked if I’d step outside of the auditorium with him. I told him that I needed to be on stage soon and that we’d need to keep an eye on the time. “Stone’s coming with me,” I announced. Vaughn grinned at me and explained, “Didn’t expect that he’d prefer to stay here and watch the dancers, kid.” We walked out of the auditorium and I found the rest of my family waiting for me outside. I took in their faces. Melancholy. Anxiety. I walked up to my mom and greeted her, “Hey mama. Sorry about walking out during dinner last night. I needed to be with Stone.” “Don’t worry about it, my darling. I would have done the same thing in your shoes. Your father and Deacon have both gotten an earful from me. What they did last night was unacceptable.” “She’s right,” my dad said from beside us. I looked to him and noticed the remorse in his face. “I’m sorry. It’s not easy, baby girl. Seeing you grow up and having to come to terms with the fact that you are no longer a little girl anymore has not been easy. I’m proud of who you have become and what you stand for. I can see you love Stone and that he’s very much in love with you. I’d be wrong to stand in the way of that for my own selfish reasons.” “Daddy,” I murmured, turning toward him and putting my arms around his neck. He hugged me tight. “It was like a knife through my heart last night when you told me I left you disappointed. I love you so much, Monroe, and I’m not willing to lose you because of my ignorance to what you want in your life.” “I love you, too.” My dad held me a minute more before he loosened his hold on me. I stepped away and watched as his gaze shifted to Stone. “Part of me wants to stay mad at you,” he started. “I want her to come to me or one of her brothers when she needs something. Seeing you with her last night…the way you kissed her on the head and the way you look at her, I know you’d do anything for her. I was the same way with Shelly. She won’t need us anymore like she used to and I don’t like that. I also have to accept it. You’ve got the most important job in the world now, Stone. Please take care of my baby girl.” Stone nodded, held out his hand to shake my father’s, and said, “Absolutely, Mr. Archer.” “Call me Logan, son,” my father responded as he took Stone’s hand in his and pulled

him in for a man hug. My eyes welled with tears at the sight. “I’m sorry to interrupt this, but I have to go on stage in less than ten minutes. I need to get in there. This is super important to me, though. Can we finish after?” I asked, my eyes sliding to Deacon. He gave me a small smile and nodded. Stone took me by the hand and walked me backstage. Before he walked away, I said, “Wish me luck.” “You don’t need it, angel.” “Okay, then kiss me before I go out there.” He grinned and did as I asked. I found my way backstage, waited until I was called out to perform, and took a deep breath before walking out on stage. When I got to my spot at the center of the stage, I looked around the auditorium. I found Stone and, much to my surprise, I found he was not alone. Charley, Wes, Emme, Zane, Nikki, and Luke were surrounding him. Sitting just behind them was my family. All the people I loved, so close together, were here to support me. I took another deep, calming breath. This piece was going to be difficult to get through as it was; I didn’t need anything else breaking my concentration. I gave a nod to the side indicating I was ready. The music started. I no longer needed to concentrate on focusing. It just happened. Lukas Graham’s You’re Not There piped through the auditorium and my body took over. I moved my body to tell the story I needed to tell. I wanted, more than anything, to tell Stone’s story in a way that moved me. In a way that would move him. A story of love and loss. A story of tragedy. A story of anger and sadness. A story that needed to be heard. I moved across the stage, using a mix of technical dance and my own style to express what I was feeling. What I thought Stone had felt for much of his life. The music eventually came to an end and so did my performance. Noise. All I heard was noise.

Screaming and cheering filled the auditorium. I let out a breath and relaxed only a bit. I brought my eyes to where all of my favorite people were sitting to see they were no longer sitting. Every single person was standing and cheering for me. The girls had taken it to the extreme. Looking at them, though, I realized Stone was no longer there. My heart sank. Not again. He walked out again. And this time was worse than that time at Lou’s when he walked out. I thought telling his story was a good thing. Clearly, I was wrong. I felt my nose beginning to sting. I dropped my head, feeling defeated. Just as I was about to turn and run off the stage, I saw boots standing in front of me. My eyes traveled from the boots up the legs, abdomen, and chest to the eyes staring back at me. Stone’s eyes. Eyes that were filled with unshed tears. I tried to swallow past the lump in my throat. Stone took my hands in his and squeezed them. “Baby…” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “Stone…I,” I got out before he cut me off. He dropped his mouth to mine and lifted me. I instantly wrapped my legs around his waist and heard the cheering grow louder. Somehow, though, the audience didn’t matter. I kissed Stone back with every emotion in me. When he pulled back from me he said, “Loved it, Monroe. Thank you, my angel. Thank you for giving me that.” “You’re welcome.” He stood there holding me, staring at me, searching my face. After a while I pointed out, “Stone, we have an audience. Maybe we should get off the stage.” “Don’t give a fuck about the audience. I’m memorizing this moment. Keep these legs wrapped tightly around me and let me have the beauty you gave me for just another minute.” “Okay, handsome,” I whispered. People continued to cheer for me as Stone finally walked me off the stage a minute later. When we made it backstage, Stone set me down and I was immediately approached

by tons of dancers who had seen my performance. They all loved it and wanted to see more. Stone told them about my studio and many of them expressed interest. Some said they’d be stopping in during the upcoming week. Stone and I made it through the crowd backstage and went in search of our people. As we reentered the auditorium and approached them, my girls ran over to us. “Honey, you were amazing! Wow, that was so beautiful,” Charley exclaimed, pulling me in for a hug. “You know I try to be the tough one, but that moved me to tears, babe,” Nikki added, as she shimmied herself between me and Charley. “You totally rocked it.” Emme put her hand on my forearm next and brought my attention to her. Tears had filled her eyes. “Mama, I’m blown away by you,” she said, before she turned her attention to Stone. Then, she said to him, “I’m so sorry to hear about your parents, Stone. I know one thing is true, though. A couple weeks back I told you that Zane brought down my walls and loved me harder than I could have ever imagined possible. He healed me and I can see it already happening for you. Monroe is going to take away your pain and letting her do it will be the best thing you ever did for yourself. I’m so happy you opened yourself up to her love.” Stone gave Emme a hug and responded, “Thanks, Em. I should have listened to you back then.” She shrugged her shoulders and said, “It’s okay. You figured it out and that’s all that matters.” I felt a hand touch my shoulder. I turned to see Luke standing there. “You killed it, babe. I know zilch about dance, but that was awesome.” Luke leaned down toward me, wrapped an arm around me, and pulled me close to him. With his mouth at my ear he whispered, “Couldn’t be any fucking happier about what you just did for him. He needed that.” “Thanks, Luke,” I rasped, my throat tight. Wes came over and put his hand on top of my head. “That was unbelievable, Monroe. I’d imagine you’re going to be getting a lot of new clients after what you just did.” “A group of dancers already attacked her backstage and said they’d be stopping in this week,” Stone shared. “I’m not surprised,” Wes said, giving me a wink. Zane gave me a quick hug and pointed out, “Congratulations, darlin’. Stone’s a lucky man that has thankfully gotten his head out of his ass. What you did just now was nothing short of amazing.” “Thank you.” My dad’s voice bellowed over everyone. “My baby girl deserves a celebration. I’d like to take you all out for lunch before we have to head back to California tonight. Can one of you tell us a great place to go and

then join us?” I looked to my girls and we all shouted in unison, “Lou’s!” “Sounds great to me. Stone, we can follow you and Monroe if that’s alright?” “No problem,” he answered. Emme, Zane, Nikki, Luke, Charley, and Wes started walking toward the door. My family surrounded Stone and me. “Darling, you were incredible,” my mom said. “Not that I had any doubts.” “Thanks, Mama.” Vaughn came up and gave me a kiss on the cheek next and said, “So proud of you, kid. For what you did last night and what you did today.” “Thank you, Vaughn.” Remi took a step forward and looked to Stone. “She’s wanted the fairy-tale since she was a little girl. I think you can give that to her, but more importantly, I think you want to give it to her. Please, whatever you do, always treat her like the princess she is.” Stone nodded and offered, “You have my word. Thank you for your blessing. It means a lot to me.” Remi nodded and said, “I’m sorry about your parents. I can’t imagine what that must have been like.” “Thanks. I’ve had good people around me, so I managed to get through it alright.” Remi’s eyes came to me and he said, “Spectacular as always, Monroe. Happy to have been here to see that today. Love you.” I gave him a hug and murmured, “Thanks, Remi. I love you, too.” I pulled out of Remi’s arms and looked to Deacon. Guilt was all I saw on his handsome face. “I’m so sorry, Monroe,” he rasped. “I want to protect you from everything and always keep you safe. I feel like dad does. You’re always going to be my baby sister and it’s hard to see you as a grown woman now. As long as there weren’t any guys around, we all felt like you’d still call us when you needed something. Now there’s a guy around you and he’ll be the one you call. My tactics in trying to get him to move on didn’t work because he doesn’t scare so easily. That’s what you need, though. Someone who will stand up for you, protect you, and always do right by you. I acted like an ass yesterday. You deserved better from me, kid.” Then, Deacon’s eyes drifted to Stone. “You both did. All I can say is, I’m glad my sister found you because I believe now that you’ll always put her first. That’s all I want for her. I’m sorry, Stone. I’m sorry for how I treated you and I’m sorry about your parents. Like Remi said…I can’t even begin to imagine what you went through. I want you to know that you don’t just have Monroe. You take care of her and I promise you that

if you ever need us, we’ve got your back, bro.” “Deac…” I trailed off, tears streaming down my face. Stone immediately pulled me into his side and held his other hand out to Deacon. They shook hands and all was forgotten. It was then Stone announced, “Don’t want to rush anyone, but she hasn’t eaten since I made her breakfast at the crack of dawn this morning. Would like to head over to Lou’s now so I can make sure she gets some food in her stomach.” “I’m fine, Stone.” His eyes softened and filled with love when he claimed, “Love you, baby, but when it comes to taking care of yourself, you’re shit at it. You need to eat now.” I rolled my eyes. Vaughn said, “I told you he was good for her.” The rest of my family laughed and we walked out of the auditorium together. Not much later, the seven of us joined my girls and their men at Lou’s, where Stone made certain that I ate. He also made certain that I had an incredible afternoon with him, my family, my girls, and their men before my parents and brothers had to leave. I loved him even more for it. After a late lunch that last several hours because we were all having such a great time, my family had to get going so they wouldn’t miss their flight back to California. I gave them all hugs and wished them a safe trip back. Of course, I cried a lot. They all promised to come and visit me again as soon as they could. Stone said that since the season was over we’d make a trip or two out over the summer to visit with them in California. Just before they walked out of Lou’s, Vaughn walked up to Stone. “This is my third time going home after coming to visit her. I never felt good about leaving her here the first two times. She’s my sister, but she’s also my best friend. I’ll always worry about her; I know that’s not ever going to change. You should know, though, that I feel good leaving this time because I’m confident she’s in good hands with you. Protect her and love her, and I promise you she’ll be the greatest thing that ever happened in your life.” Vaughn and Stone did the manly, slap-on-the-back hug that guys always did and I cried again. Vaughn hugged me once more and said, “So happy for you, Monroe. Love you, kid.” “I love you, Vaughn. Thank you for everything.” With that, my family left and Stone held on to me. I thanked our friends for coming out to support me earlier in the day and then Stone took me back to his place. We spent the rest of the night with each other. Much later, well after dinner, I made good on my promise from that morning and made sure Stone ate dessert.

Chapter 27 Monroe Life had returned to normal. Or, the normal that I had grown accustomed to in the last few months. My family returned to California, but they continued to call and check in with me weekly. The studio was busier than ever. Following the exhibition routines my dancers, Jenna, and I did a few weeks ago, business had increased tremendously. I was actively searching for another instructor because Jenna and I wouldn’t last long teaching at the levels that we were. Lexi was constantly on the phone fielding calls from new students or their parents. When she wasn’t doing that, she was putting the word out about our need to hire an instructor. Stone and I were very much in love and living in the moment. We saw each other nearly every day. Since snowboarding season had ended for him, he insisted on making dinner for me all the time. It was now June first and three days before Stone’s birthday. I managed to come up with what I thought was going to be a great birthday gift for Stone. After talking to Charley and Emme, I learned that Wes and Zane both immensely enjoyed the photos they received from the girls’ boudoir photo sessions. Stone, I thought, would be just as appreciative. Today was the day. I told Stone that I wasn’t going to be able to see him today because after a full day at the studio I had plans with the girls. He was bummed, but ended up planning a night out with the guys. When I learned that he and the guys were going to be hanging at Zane and Emme’s house, I asked him if he’d mind if the girls and I stayed in at his place. He had no problem with that. In fact, he preferred it because he knew that once he got back home I’d be there. I just finished my day at the studio, sent text messages to the girls letting them know I was heading to Stone’s, locked up the studio, and made my way over to see my man. I was hopeful I’d get a few minutes alone with him before the girls arrived and he needed to leave. I got lucky. I arrived at Stone’s and had several minutes of hugging, kissing, and touching with him before Wes arrived with Charley and Emme. He was dropping them off and then Stone was riding with him to Zane and Emme’s place. Just as Stone and Wes were leaving, Nikki arrived. The girls wasted no time with me. Nikki immediately ushered me off to the bathroom where she started on my hair and makeup. Emme got her camera equipment ready and

Charley cranked up some tunes for me. She knew the way to my heart. Of course, then she went a step further and brought everyone a glass of wine thinking it’d help me get loose for the shoot. The fact is, I was a determined girl and I had no issues with doing whatever I needed to do just to be certain that Stone would love this part of his birthday gift. Yes, I had other parts to his gift. I hated, more than anything, that Stone felt like he didn’t have anyone but me to take his back. I knew that this wasn’t the case. Wes, Zane, and Luke would have been there for him in a heartbeat if he ever needed them. To that end, I knew my girls would also always be there to help him in any way that they could. On those thoughts, I decided to have a birthday party for him. I assumed after his parents died that birthdays were no longer a big deal. I managed to chat with Nikki about it one day while she was at the salon and she ended up doing some research by talking to Luke about it. He confirmed what I already knew. Stone never celebrated special occasions because he felt like he had nobody there with whom to celebrate. It broke my heart to hear this so I knew that all of that was changing now. He was getting a birthday party. A goofy, cheesy birthday party. The kind you have when you’re a little kid. One with cake and ice cream. One with balloons and streamers. One with lots of presents. One with family and friends. Those friends, the ones who had become his family, were going to help me pull it off. One other part to his gift was going to be the redecorating I was going to do for him. It wasn’t going to be anything too crazy, but I managed to have Emme send me all of the photos she had ever taken of Stone while he was snowboarding. I also had her send me the ones she snapped of Stone and me at the event he won at Parks Ridge. I ended up getting several of the shots blown up and framed. My plan was to hang them for him all over his house while he slept so that he’d wake up to the surprise. For now, though, the focus was on preparing the gift he was going to receive from me the moment he woke up on his birthday. Nikki gave me great hair. It was super sexy and matched the ultra-sexy makeup that she gave me. “Pretty soon you’ll be the one sitting here while we fuss over getting you prepared to have your picture taken,” I informed her. “Not happening, babe.” “Why not, Nikki?” Emme asked. “Luke is so totally into you. You really don’t think you’d ever settle down with him.” “Things are good between us just the way they are. We get along great and, behind

closed doors, we can fulfill each other’s physical needs. There’s no need to complicate that. Look at us now. We can be in the presence of our friends together and there’s never any tension or drama. We don’t have to worry about anyone’s heart getting broken.” “Honey, I have a feeling that one day your heart is going to get broken if you keep this up,” Charley admitted. “I’m the one who wants it like this; I’m not going to end up heartbroken. A broken heart is precisely the reason I’m not even considering the possibility of a romantic relationship.” Charley, Emme, and I all gave each other worried looks. We knew she was setting herself up for disaster and heartbreak. It was only a matter of time. “I see the looks you’re giving each other,” she announced. “Stop. I’m fine. Today is about our little mama getting sexy for her man. Hair and makeup are finished. Let’s get you dressed or, more accurately, undressed for your photos.” I got undressed and put on some sexy lingerie. I made several changes to my attire throughout the process and even suggested a little creativity. I wanted Stone to have good thoughts or, more precisely, naughty thoughts of me no matter what room he was in in the house. So, we started in the bedroom and Emme took tons of shots of me in his bed. I moved from the bed to the floor-to-ceiling windows in the bedroom with the amazing mountain view. Emme got a bunch of silhouette shots there. Then, we left the bedroom and I took shots in the kitchen, the family room, the dining room, and every other extra room in the house. We ended in the bathroom. We decided on that last because I planned on using the water and didn’t want to ruin my hair and makeup before I knew we were done with all the other shots. Emme showed us a few of the pictures she got and I knew that this was going to be it. Sexy and seductive images would now be present in Stone’s mind regardless of where he was in his house. I couldn’t wait for him to see them. With the boudoir photo session out of the way, the girls and I spent the rest of the night having one of our girls’ nights like we used to have back when we were in California. We ordered pizza for dinner. Then, we spent the rest of the night drinking wine, eating chocolate, and talking about hot guys. Of course, this time was so much better for me because I was able to participate on a level that I never used to be able. To top it off, the hot guys in this conversation were far better than the hot guys in any of our previous conversations. It was getting late and I was feeling good. All four of us were. We drank a lot of wine. Copious amounts of wine. I decided to get frisky. I grabbed my phone and called Stone. It rang twice before he answered. “Hey, angel. Everything okay?” “Helllooooo, handsome.” “Oh, that’s the perfect name for him,” Charley said. “He’s so handsome.” “I think I should change your name,” I told him. Then, I looked to the girls and said,

“I should change his name, don’t you think?” They nodded their heads at me. “Monroe? Are you drunk?” “Lucky. I’m changing your name to Lucky. Do you know why?” “I have a feeling you’re going to tell me,” he laughed. “Because tonight you’re going to get very lucky.” “Creative, baby. You girls at the end of your rope now?” “Can you put me on speakerphone?” I asked. “I’m not sure I want to do that,” he admitted. I tapped the speakerphone button on my phone. “Ladies, say hello to Stone.” In unison, they all sung, “Hello, Stone.” “Jesus Christ, you’re all drunk,” he concluded before we heard him speak to the guys. “The girls are hammered.” “Stone?” Emme called. “Yeah, Em?” “Would you mind telling Zane that I’m very much looking forward to him picking me up tonight so that we can go back home and have fun on the chaise in our bedroom?” “I’m not telling him that.” “I told you to put the phone on speaker, Stone. Emme could have told him herself.” Silence for a moment. “You all have two minutes. Better talk quick.” “Wes, honey?” Charley called. “Yeah, gorgeous?” Wes returned. “I know you dropped Emme and I off together tonight, but I’m thinking it’s a wise idea for you to come alone to pick me up. I’ve got a hankering to put my mouth all over your body and I don’t want to have to wait.” “Fucking hell,” Wes bit out. “Zane, baby, I told Stone I wanted to you to pick me up so that we could go back home and have some fun on the chaise. Do you remember that time we…” she got out before Zane cut her off. “Sweetheart, I remember. You don’t have to announce it.” “The girls already know about it,” she confessed. “I know, Em. Wes, Stone, and Luke don’t, though. I’d prefer to keep it that way.”

“Oh,” she said softly. “Hey, handsome?” I called. “Yeah, Monroe?” Stone answered. “Can we work on my list tonight?” “What list, angel?” “The best sex positions list. I want to see where drunk sex fits in.” Silence. “Stone?” I eventually called. “Getting my shit together and coming home. Be there in ten minutes.” “Wait,” Charley yelled out. “What’s wrong, Charley?” Wes worried. “Honey, can we work on a list tonight, too?” We heard laughter from the guys. “Okay, gorgeous. Whatever you want.” “Hey Luke,” I called. “What’s up, Monroe?” “Nikki drove here on her own and while I’m beyond inebriated, I’m still sober enough to be certain she’s not in any position to drive herself home. Do you think you could come over here and take care of my girl?” His voice was soft when he answered, “Yeah, babe. I’ll come and take her home.” “Maybe he could take me home and then come,” Nikki suggested. Charley, Emme, and I all burst out laughing. When we settled down, I went on, “Thanks, Luke. By the way, I never would have thought about this on my own, but you’ve lucked out with Nikki. She’s got great hair. Tonight, when I heard about some of your rendezvous with her, I realized you hit the jackpot. I’d imagine nobody else could deliver as well as Nikki can with sex that involves hair pulling. I feel like I might need to add that to my list at some point. Stone, my love, can we try that out some time?” “Monroe, baby? I’ll give you anything you want if you stop talking to Luke about his sex life with Nikki and if you stop announcing to the rest of the guys what you’d like me to do with you.” “Okay, handsome. You better hurry up and get back here. Emme just opened a new bottle of wine and has filled up my glass. I’m a lightweight, so I’m guessing you’re going to be extra lucky tonight.” “Christ, Monroe. I’m hanging up now.” “I love you,” I practically shouted into the phone.

“Love you, too, angel.” Stone disconnected the call and I set my phone down. The girls and I burst into fits of laughter. Ten minutes later, the door opened and the guys walked in to find us all still having an incredibly good time. We were all still on the couches in the family room while the guys were standing there watching us. Nikki spoke first. “Hey, blondie,” she called to Stone. “You just wait. You have no idea what we did with your girl tonight. She’s going to give you the best birthday present anyone has ever received.” “Oh yeah? And she worked on this gift tonight?” Nikki nodded. “Hopefully it’s not a train wreck considering how smashed she is right now.” “We took care of it before we got to this point,” Charley admitted. “You’re going to love it.” Stone nodded like he wasn’t sure if he should agree. “Don’t take our word for it, Stone. Just ask Wes and Zane. They received similar gifts a couple months ago.” Stone’s eyebrow shot up and he looked toward Wes and Zane. Zane nodded and confirmed, “Yep. I’ve got to agree with the girls on this one.” “You’ll be very appreciative of it,” Wes added with a grin. Then, he turned to Charley and asked, “You ready to go, gorgeous?” She scanned him from head to toe, bit her lip, and nodded. “We have to go, too,” Emme announced. “Monroe really needs to experience drunk sex, Zane, so the sooner we leave, the sooner that happens for her.” “It doesn’t end,” Zane mumbled as he dropped his head to the floor and chuckled. Luke walked over to Nikki and helped her up off the couch. I watched and saw the adoration in his face when he looked at her. She seemed to be oblivious to it. In that moment, I said a little prayer that Nikki would soon realize the goodness that Luke could give her and that she’d grab hold of him in a way that wasn’t just physical. Everyone moved to the door. We said good-bye and Stone closed the door. I stood behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist. I hugged him a moment before I slipped my fingers underneath the hem of his shirt. My fingertips traced over the skin of his chest and abdomen briefly before I bunched the shirt up in my hands and began moving it up to take it off of him. When I got my hands to just under his arms, Stone helped and pulled the shirt the rest of the way off of him body. I pressed my lips to the warm skin of his back, right between his shoulder blades. My hands, which had been resting on his front at his chest and

abdomen were now both traveling down toward the waistband of his jeans. I continued to kiss along his back while my hands found and roamed over the length of him, the material of his jeans separating us. He groaned. One of his hands was resting against the door to support his weight while the other reached back to grab my ass. “I missed you,” I whispered in between kisses. I undid the button and zipper of his jeans and slid my hand underneath, the fabric of his boxer briefs the only thing separating us now. When I placed my hand over the hardened length of him I continued, “I missed this.” “Baby,” he growled. “I really want you to have your way with me tonight, Stone. Will you give me this? I need to feel you now.” He slowly turned, brought a hand up to cup the side of my neck while the other wrapped around me and pulled me tight against his beautiful body. He took my mouth with his and lifted me. My legs immediately bound together behind his back. Stone walked back into the family room. “The bedroom is too far away right now,” he declared. As he continued walking, he moved his hands to my ass, and demanded, “Take off your top, angel.” I did as I was told. I threw my shirt on to the floor and, seconds later, tossed my bra not far from it. I was wearing a pair of loose fitting shorts, so the moment Stone sat on the couch one of his hands immediately went to my thigh and traveled up underneath my shorts. With my hands at his shoulders, Stone’s head dipped toward my breasts. He covered my nipple with his mouth and his tongue teased the hardened peak while his fingers simultaneously went under my panties and straight to my soaked core. I moaned. He growled before he rasped, “You’re so fucking wet, baby.” “I want you, handsome. Please don’t make me wait any longer,” I begged. Stone didn’t make me wait. He shifted me off of his lap and onto the couch. I was on my side when he ordered, “Shorts and panties off, Monroe.” While he removed the rest of his clothing I squirmed out of my shorts and panties. I just barely got them off when his hands came to my hips. “Turn,” he urged. I turned so Stone was now behind me. He kept one hand planted firmly on my hip while the other ran along the cheek of my ass toward my special spot. Once there, he applied a bit of pressure and I was instantly moving my hips against his hand trying to create a bit more friction.

One minute he was helping me out giving me what I wanted and the next his hand was gone. I whimpered. I heard a small chuckle escape past his lips before I felt the tip of him at my entrance. I looked back at Stone over my shoulder and as soon as he caught my eyes, I pushed myself back onto him. His fingers dug into the skin at my hips. “Love you, Monroe,” he said, his voice hoarse. “I love you so fucking much.” “I love you, Stone,” I panted as I rocked forward and pushed back against him. “I will always love you.” I continued to rock back and forth, moving myself slowly over his shaft. The sensations were building and I wanted more. “I want more,” I pleaded. “Can you give it to me faster?” Stone held me in place and gave it to me faster. My fingers dug into the arm of the couch. My desire was evidenced by the sounds coming from me. My body was being assaulted by the unimaginable pleasure Stone was giving to me. I never wanted it to end. Apparently, Stone wasn’t through giving me satisfaction because one hand came around to find my clit while the other grabbed my breast and lifted me so I was upright in front of him, my back still to his front. His hands played with my body as he continued to give it to me from behind. “I want to feel you come, baby. I want this pussy to clutch my cock so hard that I can’t help but give you every last drop.” “I want it, Stone. I want all of it. I can’t wait anymore,” I warned. “Take it,” he encouraged. “I want you to take it.” I took it. I came hard. If it weren’t for Stone’s hand being wrapped across my chest I would have collapsed forward. As he drove into me, I felt myself clenching tightly around him. “Oh, God, you feel so good,” I cried. I needed something to hold onto because my orgasm was ripping through me. One hand went behind me and gripped Stone’s thigh while the other went between my legs and massaged his balls. “Oh, fuck,” he roared. “Don’t fucking stop that, baby.” His hips thrust only a few more times before he slammed hard into me one last time and groaned through his pleasure. I could still feel my insides quivering and squeezing his shaft. We stayed there, sweating, silent, and struggling to catch our breath. Neither of us dared to move. Stone’s forehead was resting on my shoulder, while mine dropped back to

rest on his. His hands were still at my clit and on my breasts. My hand was still cupping him between his legs. I finally spoke. “You are a magnificent lover, Stone. I think we should change my name to Lucky instead of yours.” His body shook with laughter. “Christ, Monroe. I don’t think I’ll ever grow tired of hearing the things you say after you’ve been treated to a round of good lovin’ and I’m still inside of you. That sweet innocence is adorable and it makes me hard just hearing it.” “Okay, handsome. I’m up for another round, but I think I need a minute. If you weren’t still holding me I’d not be upright. As it is, I think I’m going to have to sleep on the couch tonight.” “You aren’t sleeping on the couch. I’ll carry you upstairs, angel, but first, I’m going to need you to let go of my balls.” “Sorry,” I answered, timidly, as I let go of him. “Don’t fucking apologize for that. Fuck, Monroe, that felt incredible.” “Duly noted.” Stone pressed a kiss to my shoulder, slid out of me, and carried me upstairs where we commenced with round two of drunk sex. Needless to say, before I fell asleep that night I was rearranging my list in my head once again, but I really didn’t mind.

Chapter 28 Monroe I had accomplished what I thought was going to be an impossible feat. It was early Sunday morning and it was Stone’s birthday. I managed to wake up while he was still sleeping and went through his entire house hanging pictures that Emme had captured from all the events she shot and, most importantly, the event he won a few weeks ago. Emme was a superstar and delivered some of the most incredible pictures I had ever seen. I’m sure the fact that Stone was the subject of said pictures is a big part of the reason that I was in love with them all. It was still pretty early in the morning, but I was too excited to get his birthday celebration started. I snuck back into the bedroom, stood on the bed, and started jumping. Stone’s eyes immediately shot open. He took in his surroundings, likely came to the conclusion that I was crazy, and then asked, “What the hell are you doing, Monroe?” I continued to jump and shouted, “It’s your birthday! We have so much celebrating to do. I don’t want you sleeping the entire day away.” His eyes shifted to the nightstand, where he lifted his phone, lit up the display, and set it back down. “Seven in the morning is hardly sleeping the day away.” I stopped jumping and looked down at him. “Aren’t you excited?” I exclaimed. “It means I’ve lived another year, Monroe. What is exciting about this?” he retorted. My shoulders dropped. “This is the day you were born, my love. It’s a big freaking deal and we are celebrating it in a very big way today. You can try to act mopey all you want, but I’m not allowing it. The love of my life was born today. Do you understand how important that is?” His face softened. “Okay, no moping today. What do I have to do today?” “You have to get up.”

“Considering you’re standing there in a pair of purple panties showing off your fantastic fucking legs and a white, mostly see-through tank top that’s not an issue. Let’s not forget that rising to the task was heightened by the fact that while you are wearing that outfit you were jumping on my bed making all sorts of good parts bounce.” I gave him a disbelieving look. “That’s not what I meant when I said you need to get up, handsome.” “I thought it was my birthday. Shouldn’t I get a say in what happens? I want to give you some good lovin’ right now.” I crossed my arms in frustration. This only intensified Stone’s gaze on my chest. “Ugh, Stone,” I cried out, annoyed. I put my hands over each of my breasts and continued, “Focus and stop looking at my boobs!” He laughed. “Kind of difficult to not look at them when you’ve got each of your hands holding one. It’s fucking sexy, angel.” I gave up and collapsed on the bed. I shoved my face in the pillow and tried to breathe deep to calm myself down. I wanted this day to be perfect for him and it was not going as planned. I could feel the tears threatening to fall, so I squeezed my eyes shut as tight as I could. It didn’t help that my emotions were running wild. I felt Stone roll toward me. He pressed a kiss to my shoulder, which only made my belly clench further. I let out a sound. Stone heard it. “Baby, you aren’t crying, are you? I was just teasing you,” he lamented, his voice full of concern. I shook my head, but didn’t answer otherwise. “Look at me,” his gentle voice requested. I shook my head again. “Angel, please.” I turned my head to the side so he could only see half of my face. “Monroe, why are you crying?” “I want this day to be perfect for you. It’s important that you know just how special you are to me.” “Baby, I already know,” Stone stated. “You’ve been making sure of that for weeks now. I’m getting older, but I’m not losing my mind yet. You show me every single day what I mean to you. I didn’t mean to upset you, angel. It’s hard not to tease you when you’re so fucking adorable. I’m sorry.” “No, I’m sorry. It’s your birthday and if you want to stay in bed this morning and have sex, we can do that instead.” “I want to do whatever you had planned.”

I lifted my head and stated, “You’re just saying that now. You can’t tell me you’re giving up sex for whatever I have planned. That could be a bad decision.” “First, I’m not giving up sex. Second, I’m pretty sure even if we delay having sex that if your goal was to show me how special I am to you, there’s going to be sex mixed in the day somewhere. Lastly, I said I was teasing you before. Not that I’d mind having a piece of you this morning, but I was mostly just giving you a hard time. You’re cute when you’re frustrated.” “That’s not nice.” “If I kiss you will that make it better?” he asked. “It won’t make it worse,” I confessed. With that, Stone kissed me. It totally made everything better. “Alright,” he started, smacking my ass. “What’s the plan?” “Well, to start, look at the wall over there,” I beamed as I pointed across the room. There was a twenty by thirty framed photo of Stone and me at the event at Parks Ridge a few weeks ago hung on the wall. Emme managed to capture a candid photo of us. Neither of us was looking at the camera. We were staring into each other’s eyes and the smiles on our faces were magnetic. Nothing, but unadulterated love was in that photo. “Angel…” he trailed off in a whisper as he stared at the photo. “Do you like it?” I asked. “I fucking love it,” he rasped. “In the last fourteen years, I haven’t received a birthday gift from anyone. That’s the first thing I’ve gotten in all these years and, baby, if I had to wait another fourteen years before I could get that, it would be worth the wait. Thank you, Monroe.” The smile spread across my face before I bubbled, “Well, let’s get out of this bed so you can get the rest of your gift.” His eyes came to mine with his brows drawn and he questioned, “There’s more?” “Told you your birthday was a big deal, Stone. Of course there’s more and, if you think that gift is good, just wait until you get the rest.” “You’re going to have a tough time topping that one.” I just gave him a sexy smirk and bragged, “No, I won’t.” We moved off the bed and Stone followed me out of the bedroom. As soon as he stepped out of the bedroom he saw the walls outside of the bedroom and down the hall were covered in framed photos of him riding. He froze a minute and took in the scene. After giving himself a minute to recover, Stone slowly started walking. He stood in front of each photo and looked at it a moment before moving to the next one. We eventually worked our way down the stairs, where Stone was able to take in the framed photos littered all over the walls, countertops, coffee table, and end tables in just about every

room on the first floor of his home. I hoped in seeing this he realized that he had every reason to be proud of who he became and that there was no justification he could come up with to deny displaying these photos. If nothing else, I hoped he saw a fraction of what I saw in him. We finished walking around the house and ended in the family room. “I have something else I want to give you,” I muttered, breaking the silence. Stone’s eyes cut to mine and he noted, “Angel, this is too much.” “You don’t like it?” I asked, worried he didn’t like what I had done. “I love all of it, but this is already a lot. I don’t even know how you hung all of these without me hearing and without there being a huge hole in at least one of the walls.” “I didn’t use a hammer and nails, Stone. I used those fancy frame holder things that stick to the walls. It took some time, but it was easy to do. The best part is that I wouldn’t make any noise using them, nor would I demolish your walls. But, all that aside, I have the best gift still waiting to be opened.” “Okay,” he began. “Where is it?” I walked over to the entertainment stand and opened it. I pulled the gift box out, closed the door on the stand, and walked back over to where Stone was standing. “I think you should sit down before you open this,” I suggested as I handed him the gift. He took the present from my hands, walked to the couch, and sat. Very slowly, he tore the paper from the box. He pulled the lid off and removed the leather-bound book. Before he opened it, I placed my hand over it. His eyes came to mine and I practically sang, “Happy birthday, my love.” “Thank you, Monroe,” he rasped, emotion etched in each word he said. “Open it,” I encouraged him. Stone looked down at the book and opened it. The second he saw what was inside his body stilled and he mumbled, “Oh my God.” He stared at the first picture for a very long time before he turned the page. He took his time going through the book. The look of adoration on his face with each turn of the page grew stronger and stronger. He got to the end of the book, closed it, and looked at me. His eyes were wet when he whispered, “Marry me.” I jerked back at his words. “What?” I asked, shocked. “Made for me, baby. You are perfect; you are so beautiful. You are everything to me. So precious, so exquisite. Everything I could ever want. Let me give you your forever, angel. Please, Monroe, say you’ll spend the rest of your life with me.” Tears fell from my eyes and spilled down my cheeks.

“Are you serious?” I asked, still unsure if he was for real. He nodded and assured me, “Completely.” I dropped my head in my hands and cried. I only ever dreamed of the fairy-tale. When I met Stone, I knew I wanted to be with him, but resorted to the fact that I might not ever get the happily-ever-after ending I had always fantasized about. Now he was asking me to marry him. Stone was going to make my dreams come true. I felt his arms wrap around me as he pulled me into his chest. “Hope to God you’re crying tears of joy; otherwise, this is going to be awkward.” I couldn’t help but smile. I pulled back from him and pleaded, “Ask me again.” He grinned at me. “Monroe Archer, will you marry me?” “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you, Xander Stone.” “My good girl.” He pulled me toward him again and kissed me. It was possessive and claiming. I was officially his…forever. When he tore his mouth from mine, he stood and instructed, “Wait here. I need to get your ring.” “You bought me a ring?” “Baby, do you think I’m going to ask you to marry me and not have a ring for you? When a man asks his woman to marry him and she says yes, he gives her a ring. Yeah, it’s a symbol of love and women like jewelry and shit but, for a man, that ring is there to let every other guy in the world know that his woman is off the market. You, Monroe Archer, are officially off the market.” Stone walked away, but came back quickly carrying a little black box. He sat next to me, opened the box, pulled out the ring, and slid it on my finger. It was breathtaking. A round-cut, solitaire diamond with a band that was littered with diamond stones. “It’s beautiful, Stone.” “Even more now that it’s on you. I love you, Monroe.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and gushed, “I love you so much. You’ve made me the happiest woman alive.” “And you’ve given me the best birthday I’ve ever had in my life. Your pictures in that book? Fuck, I’m not going to be able to go in any room in this house without thinking of you like that. They’re beautiful, angel. Absolutely perfect.” I smiled at him and shared, “That’s what the girls and I were doing here on Thursday when you went to Zane’s.” “I’m happy you have them here to do things like that with you.” “Yeah, me too. Now, if only we could get Nikki to change her mind about a

relationship with Luke he might be able to get his own pictures.” “She’ll come around. He’s persistent.” “She’s stubborn.” “I’m sure he’s up for the challenge. If he likes her enough, it won’t matter how stubborn she is.” “I hope you’re right.” “I am. So, what now?” “Well, you threw me off a bit with the proposal here. I’m thinking I need to rework my plans slightly. I think it’s crucial for us to continue celebrating your birthday with the addition of commencing a celebration on our engagement…that is, if you’re up to it.” “Are you referring to me being physically up for a celebration?” I bit my lip and nodded slowly. “That’s never a problem with you,” he admitted. “I think it’s a perfect time to celebrate.” With that, Stone took my mouth and we celebrated. We celebrated with several orgasms for his birthday and a couple more for our engagement. Needless to say, our morning was spent tangled up in each other. After our morning love-making session marking two very special events, I told Stone I wanted to make him a special lunch. I knew that our friends were set to arrive at any time, so I needed to make sure we were no longer having sex and that we were fully clothed. Since he was always concerned with me eating I told him how hungry I was and he immediately insisted we have lunch. I moved slowly around the kitchen hoping the doorbell would ring any minute. Stone noticed this and asked, “What are you doing?” I shrugged my shoulders. “Nothing. I’m just trying to figure out what I want to make.” “You haven’t eaten yet today, which is partially my fault. Why don’t you let me make you something?” “No, Stone. It’s your birthday. I…” I managed to get out before the doorbell rang. Talk about saved by the bell. “Who the hell is here?” Stone asked. I gave him a look that indicated I had no clue who could possibly be at the door. He walked to the door and I fell into step just behind him. He opened the door and there stood Nikki, Charley, Emme, Luke, Wes, and Zane. The girls yelled out, “Happy birthday!” Stone’s shoulders tensed. Nikki, Charley, and Emme were carrying gift bags and balloons while the guys were

carrying the food. I ordered the food for the celebration, but they helped me out by picking it up. I put my left hand to Stone’s back and advised, “I think you should let them in.” He stepped back and everyone walked through into the house. Stone still hadn’t said anything to anyone, so I spoke. “You can take everything out into the kitchen. We’re coming right behind you.” I think everyone knew that this was a bit of a shock to Stone’s system, so they nodded and went out into the kitchen. Stone shut the door and turned to me. “What’s going on?” he asked. “I wanted you to have a birthday party. A real birthday party. I know that you haven’t had one since you were a kid and your parents were still around. I thought you deserved to have a birthday party with cake and ice cream, presents and balloons, and friends and family. Nikki, Charley, and Emme are your friends. Luke, Wes, and Zane are your friends, too, but they’ve also become your family. You know that’s the truth. Family is there for each other and they celebrate special occasions in each other’s lives. They are here to celebrate you today. All of them. And it’s because they love you, Stone.” Stone’s eyes warmed as he looked at me. “Back when I told you about my parents and we officially started this thing that was me and you, you told me you’d love me so hard that I’d never have room for any pain. You’ve got to know, Monroe, I’m feeling it. I’m feeling your love deep. So deep the pain is barely noticeable anymore.” “Stone,” I whispered. “Need you to let me do something in there. I want to tell them about us. I figure my family should know. You okay with that?” Oh my God. He was finally seeing it. He was finally realizing that while his parents might no longer be here, he still had people who cared about him. He was finally understanding that he was enough. “Yes, my love, I’m okay with that.” He kissed me on the tip of my nose, wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and walked me into the kitchen. Everyone looked to us when we walked in. They were a bit nervous. “Sorry, guys. Monroe gave me a present this morning and…” he trailed off. Zane, noticing Stone’s struggle, said, “I get it, man. I couldn’t even turn the fucking page. Emme had to do it.” “What?” Luke asked.

“Yeah, Charley initially only blessed me with one of them. I demanded the rest. Brought me to my knees.” “What the fuck are you guys talking about?” Luke pressed again. Stone shook his head. “I’m not talking about that present…though, fuck me.” Wes and Zane smirked and nodded. Poor Luke was utterly confused. The girls were narrowing their eyes. I could tell they were trying to figure out what Stone was talking about. Stone looked down at me and noted, “Monroe gave me something marginally better than that gift.” “Is there something better?” Zane asked. Stone looked to him and admitted, “Yeah, there is.” Everyone stayed silent waiting for more information. Stone continued, “She agreed to spend the rest of her life with me. Monroe and I are engaged.” The girls screamed. Ear-piercing screams. My girls came over and wrapped me up in hugs. “Let’s see the ring,” Charley announced. “Apparently,” I began as I held out my hand. “This means that I’m off the market to any other guy in the world.” “As if you would have given another guy the time of day anyway,” Nikki shared. She did have a point. They all wished me congratulations and then moved to do the same with Stone. They also wished him a happy birthday. I was given a round of hugs, congratulatory words, and top-of-the-head kisses from Wes, Zane, and Luke. Wes and Zane each gave Stone the slap-on-the-back man hug and offered him congratulations and birthday wishes. Luke was different, though. He started by offering Stone his hand. Stone went to shake Luke’s hand, when Luke pulled him into a hug and said, “I’m so fucking happy for you, brother. Fucking thrilled you met her and gave this a chance. Never seen you more content in all my life than when you are with her. Congratulations.” “Thanks, Luke.” When he pulled back, Luke said, “Happy birthday, old man.” Nikki chimed in, “You know what I want to know. Why is it that as men age they get

hotter, but we women struggle to remain looking half-decent?” “Preach, sister,” Charley stated. “What the hell is wrong with you women?” Wes asked. Nikki added, “The four of you will just become more distinguished and handsome as you age. We have to deal with sagging breasts, wrinkles, belly fat, thigh fat, ass fat — I could go on forever. I’m just saying; it’s unfair.” “Babe,” Luke called. When Nikki looked at him, he went on, “You don’t have any of those issues.” Her eyes softened only briefly before she gave him an eye roll. “Yeah, not yet.” “Wouldn’t matter if you did down the road either,” he continued, his voice soft. My heart melted. He loved her. I knew it. Luke loved my best friend and she was blind to it. I looked to Charley and Emme. They knew it, too. The guys all knew it as well, but saw Nikki getting uncomfortable. “Well, in my old age I get cranky if I don’t eat,” Stone started, distracting everyone from Luke and Nikki. “What are we having?” I turned to look at him and mouthed a thank you. He gave me a wink. We spent the rest of the afternoon and into the evening celebrating Stone’s birthday. After eating, the guys insisted on having Stone open the gifts they got him. Apparently, the girls insisted on normal gifts, which they all got him, but Zane, Luke, and Wes still needed to do something crazy. They each got him a gag gift. It was freaking hysterical, too. Wes got him a set of brass knuckles and told him that he could use them the next time someone tried to dance with me. Zane got him a pair of noise-cancelling headphones and said that Stone should have them on anytime I came back from a night out with the girls since he’d be guaranteed to have a more than an earful about the sex lives of his friends. And last, Luke gave him a gold-medal. The winter Olympics were next year, which they were all looking forward to, but this medal was engraved specifically for Stone. He was given a gold medal for his stellar performance in the bedroom and delivering orgasms. Throughout it all, Stone was relaxed, happy, and enjoying himself. Everyone had the best time and I loved that Stone finally let his guard down enough to realize that the very people here with him would always be there for him. He wasn’t alone and never would be as long as he kept us close.

Chapter 29 Stone Family. I had no living biological family left. No blood relatives. I still had family, though. Today, I’d stand up next to a guy who had become like a brother to me and be by his side as he committed himself to the love of his life. And I’d stand there beside him with two other guys who were also like brothers to me. Wes was getting married to Charley today. Zane, Luke, and I were going to be there to support him during this momentous time in his life. I had to look at Charley and Wes’ relationship as the start of the good that finally seeped into my own. That good came in the form of her. Monroe Archer. The love of my life. The most beautiful woman in the world. Inside and out. She is my remedy. My cure. My angel. My fiancée. In a million years, I never would have thought that I’d ever get to a place where I’d be engaged. I also never knew, though, that a woman like Monroe existed in the world. I had said it to her several times before, but it was an almost unbelievable reality that she was made for me. She pulled me out of a torturous hell that I lived in for fourteen years. The pain that I lived with day in and day out had slowly dwindled the more I was around her until, finally, it ceased to exist. It didn’t mean that I didn’t miss my parents. It also didn’t mean that I didn’t sometimes wish I had more time with them or ask myself why I wasn’t enough for my mom. It just meant that my focus each day had shifted. It no longer centered around the loss of them. Instead, my focus was now on my girl and the peace and happiness she

brought into my life. “Looking forward to this day when it’s you who’ll be waiting at the end of the aisle for your bride?” Zane asked while we waited in a room at the church until it was time for the ceremony to begin. I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Monroe dressed in her wedding gown walking down the aisle to me. “If it were up to me I would have married her already. She wants the fairy-tale wedding with all of her family there. I’ll give that girl everything she wants, so if it means I’ve got to wait to marry her, I’ve got no choice.” “We’re ruined, aren’t we?” “I’m afraid so,” I answered honestly. “But, they’re worth it. She is worth it, Zane. I don’t know how I got so fucking lucky.” He laughed and confessed, “I ask myself that same question every single day.” Wes and Luke walked up to us. “Is it showtime yet?” I asked. Wes shook his head and said, “Not yet, but I wish it was. I can’t wait until this wedding madness is over.” “Par for the course, isn’t it?” Luke added. “Maybe, but I’d have been happy with getting married by the Justice of the Peace. I just want her to be my wife. I could do without all the bells and whistles.” “Tell me about it,” Zane chimed in. “Emme, my mom, and her mom are going crazy with the planning.” “Have you set a date yet?” Wes asked. “She’s considering waiting until her father retires and her parents move out here. That’s not happening for nearly another whole year. I told her I’m not waiting that long, so she needs to figure it out and it needs to be sometime before the end of this year. With the Olympics next winter, I’m not sure how it’s going to all work out with the intense training schedule.” There was a knock at the door. I walked over, opened it, and saw Wes’ mom there. “Hey, Mama B,” I said as I gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Are they ready for us?” “Just about, but I wanted a quick moment with my son if you wouldn’t mind.” “Not at all,” I answered. “Zane, Luke,” I called and jerked my head toward the door. They followed behind me and we stood outside. We were joined shortly thereafter by Wes’ fourth groomsman, Greg. Greg was Charley’s friend she met when she worked at the diner. She grew close to him while she worked there and insisted on having him in the wedding. It worked out well since Charley would have Monroe, Emme, Nikki, and Wes’ sister, Elle, all standing with her. “God, you guys are so much calmer than the five women in that room,” Greg

announced. “Love them all, but damn do they drive me crazy.” Zane, Luke, and I all laughed. That sounded about right. A few minutes later, Wes and his mom stepped outside of the room. Wes looked to Greg and asked, “Is she ready?” Greg nodded and added, “Wes, our girl looks fabulous.” Normally, someone calling Charley their girl would have sent Wes over the edge, but he knew he had nothing to worry about. Greg was gay and in a serious, committed relationship for quite some time now. He and Charley were close and Wes supported their friendship wholeheartedly. We were told it was time to get started. Music was being played on the organ. The guys and I all walked in and took our places next to Wes at the altar. The music changed and the girls were making their way down the aisle. Elle walked in first. Nikki followed behind her. I was standing between Luke and Zane, and the moment Luke saw Nikki I heard him make a noise. They may not have made anything official between the two of them, but he was just as ruined as the rest of us. Nikki made it to the altar and my eyes went back to the end of the aisle. My lungs stopped functioning at the sight of my beautiful angel. I knew she wasn’t the bride, but she was a sight to behold. Watching her walk down the aisle, all I wanted to do was walk over to her, pick her up over my shoulder, and take her home to make sweet love to her. I knew these were inappropriate thoughts to be having in a church, but I couldn’t control it. She was a masterpiece and she was mine. When she made it to the altar, her eyes slid to mine. I winked at her and her eyes heated. I laughed to myself. At least I wasn’t the only one with inappropriate thoughts in the church. Monroe was supposed to be the good girl, so if her mind had wandered there, I didn’t feel so bad. Emme made her way down the aisle next and just like Luke and I when Nikki and Monroe walked down, Zane didn’t have much luck in remaining unaffected by the sight of her. The music changed. Everyone stood. Charley stood at the end of the aisle. Wes dropped his head to the ground. He made no attempt to hide the fact that he was getting emotional over seeing his bride. Normally, we weren’t the type of guys to get emotional, but there was something about these women that gave them the ability to bring us to our knees. Charley kept her eyes on Wes and made her way down the aisle. Charley, much like me, had no family left. Her parents were killed in a car accident when she was fifteen and just over a year ago her brother was murdered by Emme’s ex-boyfriend. When Charley got halfway down the aisle, Wes left his spot at the altar and went to her. She stopped walking and her face grew concerned. I knew what he was doing. This was his woman and she had nobody there to walk her down the aisle. Wes was going to make sure she didn’t have to walk alone. He held his arm out to her, she smiled up at him, and slipped her arm through his. Then, Wes walked his woman the rest of the way down the aisle.

I glanced over at Monroe during this. She had tears in her eyes. I loved this about her. Monroe had the most genuine heart of anybody I had ever met. She felt deeply for those she cared about and for her to see that Charley, one of her best friends, had the love of a good man moved her. The ceremony began. While I paid attention to what was happening between Wes and Charley I couldn’t help but glance over at Monroe. God, I loved her. Even though I knew she agreed to marry me and wanted to be with me forever, I still struggled sometimes to accept the fact that she wouldn’t just wake up one day and be gone. That thought made me feel sick, so anytime it popped into my mind I’d quickly try to move it out with other thoughts of her. Good thoughts. Before I knew it, the ceremony had ended and Wes was being given permission to kiss his bride. After they did the deed, they walked back down the aisle toward the back of the church. The rest of the bridal party followed. I finally had my angel back by my side. As soon as we stepped outside of the church I kissed her and told her how beautiful she looked. She then showed her appreciation of me being dressed in a suit by insisting that we find a place for me to wear one again. Several hours later, pictures had been taken, bridal party announcements into the reception were made, dinner had been served, and speeches had been delivered. The girls spent a lot of time dancing and having a good time. I wanted to give Monroe one more thing, so when the next slow song came on and she began walking off the dance floor with her head hung low, I stopped in front of her. “Excuse me, Miss Archer, but may I have this dance?” Her eyes rounded and she asked, “Really?” I gave her a small smile and nodded my head. She put her hands on my chest as I wrapped one hand around her waist and the other at her back. “You are so getting lucky tonight, handsome.” “I thought I was getting lucky simply because I wore this suit today.” “You were, but now you’re going to get bonus rewards. Big time bonus rewards. The kind of rewards that involve my mouth in unmentionable places.” I laughed so hard it’s a wonder I didn’t fall over. “Have I ever told you how much I fucking love you, Monroe?” She nodded and gave me a goofy smile. I fucking loved that, too. I pressed a kiss to her forehead and continued to dance with her. As the song was about to end I felt Monroe’s body go solid. “Angel, are you okay?” I whispered. She shook her head.

“What’s wrong?” She looked at me and then looked toward the back of the ball room. My eyes followed where hers were directed and I saw it. Nikki and Luke were having words. They weren’t being loud or interrupting the festivities, but it was certainly not a happy interaction. “What’s the story there?” I asked. Monroe’s sad eyes came to mine and she shared, “I think Luke is in love with my best friend and she’s either too blind to see it or, more than likely, sees it, feels it, and refuses to give into it.” “Any idea why that is?” I pressed. Monroe nodded. “She’s experienced things that have hardened her. Betrayals and disappointments by people she put her trust in. She doesn’t want to get hurt so the best way to prevent that from happening is to not let herself be vulnerable. It breaks my heart because I can see it. I can see how much he cares for her.” “Baby, listen to me,” I said, gently. “You know Luke is like a brother to me. You are right; he loves her. He hasn’t said it to me, but he doesn’t have to. I just know it. It may take time, but I know Luke. He isn’t the type to give up. If he wants her, he’s going to do whatever he’s got to do to have her in a way that is meaningful to both of them. When you love someone, particularly someone who is hurting, you’ll do whatever you have to do to show them that there’s good out there for them. It’s what you did for me, angel. You were patient, but persistent, and you showed me what love is. You gave me everything I wanted. Everything I never knew I wanted and now we are here, engaged and dancing, and I know I’ll spend the rest of my life doing whatever I’ve got to do to give you everything you want.” “Thank you, Stone.” “For what, my angel?” “For already giving me everything I want. You gave me you. All the other stuff is just a bonus.” “Baby…” I trailed off. “I love you.” “I love you, too. Don’t worry about Nikki and Luke. They’ll get their fairy-tale soon enough.” “You think so?” “I know so,” I said as I pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “Stone?” “Yeah?” “Tonight, after I give you your bonus rewards, will you make slow, sweet love to me?

I really feel like I need that.” “Whatever you want, baby. Always.” She smiled up at me before she put her cheek to my chest. Several hours later, when we got home, Monroe insisted on giving me rewards in unmentionable places. Afterward, I did as she had asked and made slow, sweet love to her. In giving her that, I realized I had everything I wanted. ####

About A.K. Evans A.K. Evans is a married mother of two boys residing in a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania. After graduating from Lafayette College in 2004 with two degrees (one in English and one in Economics & Business), she pursued a career in the insurance and financial services industry. Not long after, Evans realized the career was not for her. She went on to manage her husband’s performance automotive business and drive the shop race cars for the next thirteen years. While the business afforded her freedoms she wouldn’t necessarily have had in a typical 9-5 job, after eleven years she was no longer receiving personal fulfillment from her chosen career path. Following many discussions, lots of thought, and tons of encouragement, Andrea decided to pursue her dream of becoming a writer. Between her day job, writing, and homeschooling her two boys, Evans is left with very little free time left. When she finds scraps of spare time, Evans enjoys reading, doing buti yoga, watching NY Rangers hockey, dancing, and vacationing with her family. Andrea, her husband, and her children are currently working on taking road trips to visit all 50 states (though, Alaska and Hawaii might require flights).

Other Books by A.K. Evans The Everything Series Everything I Need Everything I Have Everything I Want Everything I Love - Coming Winter 2017/2018 The Cunningham Security Series Obsessed - Coming Winter 2017/2018

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