I FILTERED OUT with the rest of the room and took Nat’s elbow in my hand, leading her directly into my office.“Nat,” I sighed, then hugged her. “You know you’ll be the end of me, right?”“Good Lord, this is the end of you? This room is fucking heaven on earth!” She raised her hands and walked toward the corner of my office that had floor-to-ceiling windows.She stepped forward, leaning into the way the windows were fashioned to slant outward, giving an optimum view of the garden area located next to a small boutique mall and cafe.“Speaking of—”“Gloria’s!” she smiled back at me. “We’re shopping there. I’m sure you can use some leather and lace in your wardrobe. It’s expensive, but…” she paused, and her coy smile spread on her lips when she looked at my door.“I’m sure that since we caught thieves in Stone and landed the Sphere account,” Alex said, stepping in behind where I stood, “Breanne could afford to purchase some of that fine Italian clothing for all of us.”I pursed my lips a
C H A P T E R T W E L V EALEXBree and I sat quietly while Spencer and Jim made these bottomfeeding thieves confess their wrongdoings through tears or out of fear of the police being called.It was quite enjoyable to watch Spence and Jim play good cop, bad cop, but I could see that this shit was taking its toll on Breanne. I tried to empathize with her, but since I was the guy who caught the assholes and not the victim of their maliciousness, I struggled to give a damn about how these sneaky fuckers felt.Breanne was face-to-face with the people who’d all but bankrupted her, believing that she was to blame for her company not paying its bills. That’s the main reason I was enjoying watching Jim and Spencer ream these pathetic losers. The woman who sat stiffly by my side couldn’t pay her bills because she thought she needed to protect these sons of bitches, so these people deserved every ounce of karma that was about to crash down on them.Any other day, I would have happily jumped in
Jim eyed me as if I’d fucked the woman and sent her packing directly after. Being businessmen who dealt with dirtbags daily, both of us were trained to read people. It was vital to make sound business transactions, and Jim knew what I was currently picking up on. The woman didn’t want to be in this room another second.“Breanne Stone,” Spencer walked up right before Breanne could squeeze in another exit attempt. “It’s nice to meet you finally.” He reached his hand to shake hers.Breanne’s eyes carried a hint of a sparkle in them, and thank God for that too. She and I were both given a little insight into Spencer, who had the ladies worshipping at his feet with just a friendly wink. One of his admirers being Breanne’s very forward friend, Natalia. How on earth he managed to answer the phone while fucking her, I’d never know. I thought I was a dickbag when I had a fling, but I’d never pull that number on someone, even if they were terrible in bed. One thing was for sure: Spicy Spence wa
Hell, if this was the answer to finally gaining her trust, I was doing it like a fucking champion. I loved holding her, smelling her, and feeling her trust me enough to cling to my back while she let out the last of her shitty week.“We’re going to get through this. I promise you that. I could kill a mother fucker for hurting you like this,” I said without thinking, lost in this trance that’d come over me.I felt her laugh. “It looks like we’re both going to jail for murder, then.” She briskly rubbed my back and pulled away.Fuck. As if I hadn’t already fallen into the sap-trap, she finished me off with the dimpled-smile.“That smile will be the death of me, you know?” I grinned.“Great. Then add another dead body to my list of casualties.”I chuckled. “I’m serious, though. It’s over. They’re gone. It’s you and me now, and we’re going to kick ass together as partners.”Her eyes were glassy as she smiled up at me. “You’re damn right we are,” she said. “Sorry I ruined your expensive sui
Then there was Alex, a man who seemed to give a shit suddenly. I didn’t expect to see that expression on his face, the sympathetic one. It was as if he saw how personal this was for me—it was my dad’s company, and no matter how stiff a businesswoman I became to run it, I’d failed my father. Somehow, Alex seemed to care in one way or another. Feeling his empathy made me lose it, and I sobbed in the comfort of his arms as if he were Theo. That cryfest was not meant to happen around the man who seemed to only witness the worst in me; that was meant for the drive home.The defenses I put up in his presence came down when he pulled me in his arms, and I felt the comfort of the powerful businessman holding me. Alex Grayson may have been flirty and somewhat playful, but there was a reason he wore that thousand-dollar, three-piece suit like he owned all of Southern California. He held himself with an air of power, unreadable in every way, and he was a man who seemed to ooze domination and bus
"The alternator is most likely the problem. When’s the last time this was serviced?”“I have no idea. Obviously, my friend has been too busy selling real estate to take it to the shop.”Good God, Natalia. I thought you had someone servicing these goddamn things.“Right,” Alex chuckled. “Your friend probably hasn’t even brought it in for its first oil change.”“That’s a huge statement,” I countered.“She seems like she’s a busy woman.” He shrugged and eyed me over the rim of his sunglasses. “You know, being the fastest and most brilliant woman in real estate. It’s why I hired her. A woman who puts business first.” He reached in and grabbed my briefcase. “It doesn’t matter. Let’s get you something to eat and get you home, and then I’ll loan you a car—that is if I can trust you not to blow up the poor thing.”“I don’t need your charity,” I remained firm. “This is a nice neighborhood. I was planning to head to my favorite bakery so I could buy a chocolate cupcake and then round out the d
C H A P T E R F O U R T E E NALEXIt had been a week from hell, trying to shake the last of the rotten apples from the Stone company’s family tree, firing ahandful of employees from Brooks who couldn’t be trusted to do their jobs efficiently, and dealing with the fact that something was undeniably in Breanne’s perfume because no matter what I did, I couldn’t shake her delicious scent.She was hypnotically beautiful and carried herself well as a businesswoman, especially since she’d been on fire all week after dealing with the last of her scandalous employees. If Breanne’s no-nonsense demeanor were the only turn-on for me, I’d probably be safe from her charms. Unfortunately, that damn dimpled smile of hers was going to be my undoing if I wasn’t careful.She was entirely off-limits for a man who had no limits, cares, or concerns about a woman’s feelings when it came to him achieving what he wanted. Instead of saying that Breanne Stone wasn’t my type, it was the other way around—I was
I WALKED into Roux’s after ensuring my name was on the list, and I sat next to the youngest man in our group, and the reason we were all meeting up at this place tonight.“Cameron Brandt, this place is garbage,” I teased, opening my menu. “Obviously, Jim and Spence seemed to have come and gone.” I glanced over to the empty seats at the table.“Too loud for your precious ears?” he smirked, sipping vodka on the rocks.“You should know more than all of us that sensory overload can cause nervous breakdowns or something.”“He’s a pediatric neurosurgeon, dip-shit,” Jake, my good friend, and chief cardio surgeon at Saint John’s, said as he took a seat next to me.“You are a sight for sore eyes.” I smiled at my best friend’s younger brother, feeling like it’d been forever since I’d seen the guy.“Well, since Jim made sure Collin and I make improvements on our hospital wards, you’re lucky you see my ass at all.” He opened his menu and wrinkled his nose. “Cam,” he called out to the hot-shot pla
I walked out to the comfortable waiting area, and Jim was the first to stand when he saw my approach. “We heard mommy and babies are healthy?”“A new and very handsome dad didn’t pass out?” I heard Jane as she walked up to me, smiles worn all around the room while the children were occupied in the learning and games corner of the room.“Jane, I’m happy as hell that you’re here,” I said as she stepped back and smiled up at me.“Well,” she patted my cheek, “I’ve heard you’re doing well from my sister-in-law. I texted Bree and congratulated her on your nuptials since your response was some BS thumbs-up emoji.”“I am.” I grinned at how well my sister appeared. Her blonde, curly hair was loose around her shoulders, and she was dressed casually. She didn’thave her usual stiff military look. “I’m happy you’re here.”She jabbed me in my side. “You better be. Now, let’s go,” she said.“Give us a second,” I smiled at the group as Jane walked in to meet Breanne and our children for the first ti
WITH ALL OF Breanne’s hard work, she safely delivered our sons. Both boys were instantly rushed to their warmers after I cut their umbilical cords, and just as Dr. Allen suggested, Bree’s thirty-eight-week pregnancy could likely deliver two healthy baby boys. He was right.Both babies passing the APGAR score made me exhale in relief at our two beautiful sons, who were now crying loudly for their mother. The group had all texted that they’d wait outside when Bree’s contractions were more brutal, and it was only Cameron who had the balls to peek around the curtain to check on her before heading into surgery.The nurses quickly wrapped both sets of dark-haired boys in their burrito-style blanket and handed them to Breanne after I walked to my wife. I kissed her on her forehead, her tired eyes peering up at me and her beautiful, dimpled smile lighting up the entire room.“You did so well, baby,” I kissed her forehead. “Our sons are healthy and on their way to you.”I watched, mesmerized,
“Yes. Fuck me hard.” She walked over to a wall in the living room, sighed in annoyance, and spread her legs.“I have to admit, everything you just demanded of me can be a man’s dream come true. However, this isn’t exactly romantic.”“Fuck romance, Alex,” she snapped into that gear again. “The romance is dead right now, and you’re going to be dead if you don’t get over here and help me get this going.”“Well, the doc said it was the sperm that triggered the pregnancy, so why don’t we do this where it’s a tiny bit more comfortable for you?” “For me?” she turned back, and evil-Bree was in full swing. “Comfortable? I can’t sleep—I don’t even remember the last time I slept. I’m hotter than hell all of the fucking time, I fart when I least expect it to happen, my indigestion is killing me from all those tacos I can’t stop eating, and as if all of that isn’t bad enough, I pee myself when I laugh, cough, or sneeze. So, I ask you,” she flashed her most challenging expression, “why would I give
“There is an upside for Alex in all of this,” Nat said as the girls all grabbed their slender bouquets of lilies. “There shall be no periods throughout the entire honeymoon, and of course, I hear that as time goes on, you get hornier, so the first six months of your marriage should be fantastic. All thanks to you getting knocked up right before your wedding.”I exhaled, feeling the nerves now. “Let’s worry about getting through this day. My aunt has been faithfully attending that wedding book, and I’m going to dodge her. I can’t cry.”“Ha,” Elena chuckled. “Good luck with that. In addition to what Nat said, your hormones can kick in at random intervals, and you could be the blubbering bride up there with Alex today.”I eyed all of my bridesmaids as they chuckled. “Aren’t you guys supposed to be my support crew or whatever it is that bridesmaids do on the wedding day?”“We support you telling Alex when you’re standing in front of that priest,” Cass teased.“All right,” the door flung o
I was not the bridezilla Nat was sure I’d be. Instead, I was going with the flow, filled with gratitude that I was about to become Alex’s wife officially. After the wedding, he and I were set to travel on the yacht he and Jim jointly owned—Maiden Stone, the one he’d named after me. He was incredibly proud of himself for naming the ship now because he said it represented our relationship—Made in Stone. The only thing we needed to do now was get to the boat after the wedding, which was anchored in the Sea of Cortez.Alex still held an iron fist at work and with our employees, but this softer side of him led him down some silly romantic roads, so much so that I teased him that if our marriage was made in stone, he should probably take my last name and not the other way around.“You look so goddamn beautiful,” Nat said, walking into the room where I was dressed and fully prepared to walk down that aisle and become Alex’s wife. “You’re never going to believe what that gorgeous young doctor
“It counts for something, right?” he asked. “But I can watch our movie with you a hundred times, Dorothy, with my new heart you’ve insisted the wizard give me. I will gladly watch that movie with you.” He kissed my ring finger. “But only if you put my outward expression of love on your finger.”I sniffed as I started to cry, officially caught up in the moment with the man I loved more than anything, and I felt more solid about marrying him than I felt about anything else in this world.Alex returned to bended knee in front of me. “I humbly ask you to marry me or at least start over and date me until the day comes that you feel confident enough to become my wife.”“What if I told you that I felt confident enough that I would marry you now if I could?” I knelt in front of him.“Well, that would put us all back on the plane and off to Vegas as your birthday evening stop, doing that Titanic experience,” he looked back atAvery’s grin, as she leaned into Jim’s side, “and Elvis handling our
“What the hell are you two doing?” Alex said when he turned, and I laughed softly with the rest of the women who’d found the two men’s humor just as entertaining.“Well, I’m humming the tune for Coll to sing on key,” Jake said, acting extremely serious. “Trust me. It takes a lot to keep Collin at that angelic level. And of all the songs he has to sing, it’s got to be Celine Dion’s song —the one we had to hear when we were forced to sit through the movie so we could learn more about the ship.”“I never told you idiots to watch a movie about this ship,” Alex answered in confusion. “What movie?” He glanced between the two men.“Titanic. Kate Winslet?” Collin stopped singing and answered. “Elena told me that you insisted we watch that three-hour movie.” He looked around Alex and at me. “Speaking of which, I now will add my expert opinion. Leonardo DiCaprio’s character was an absolute idiot, and that’s why he didn’t make it.”“Really? We’re doing this?” Alex said. I could hear him trying t
“Whether she knew they were stealing from her or not,” Alex said.I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard his voice as he finished speaking for Cass. I turned back and stared at his brilliant smile and his lighter expression, looking more handsome than I remembered.“You’re here?” I said, confused and in utter shock that Alex was here and joined by his closest friends.“Well,” he held up a boarding pass and pulled his sunglasses off to read the pass, “according to this, I’m not.”Did he go through this attraction too? Wait, this was Alex’s idea. All of it, and my girlfriends did well in acting like it was theirs.I smiled. “Third class passenger and didn’t get a boat?” I tried to guess.His eyes locked with mine. “No boat and my passenger gave up his life jacket. He was reported to be preaching to the ones who were going down with the ship.” He read the information with a broad grin.“Preaching?” I cocked my head to the side. “What passenger were you who selflessly gave up your li
“We’ll be sure to do that,” Cass said. “Go lay down and sleep this off because when we land, we’re going directly to the attraction we set up for Bree. The rules were to drink, but don’t get drunk, and now look at you?”“God,” Nat rubbed her forehead and meandered through the leather seating where we were in, “you owe me for this, Bree.” She turned back to me. “Trust me, flying to an attraction in Missouri was not my idea of a thirty-something birthday party.”“No,” I smiled, “I know exactly what your plans would’ve been. I’m glad we’re going to Missouri instead.”“Wake me when the wheels are safely on the ground, please,” Nat said.WE’D CONSUMED plenty of food and water to soak up the cocktails we’d enjoyed on our luxurious flight, and after the plane landed in Springfield, Missouri, we loaded up into a party limo that was waiting for us. I should have been drawn to the party lights of this massive SUV, but instead, seeing the lime green grass and how beautiful the countryside was in