Page 57 of Stone Promises

“Never,” I promise her. “Never again.” We sink down into the bed and I spoon her from behind as she falls into sleep. I rub my hand across her flat stomach. I don’t tell her that no way in hell would I ever get a girl pregnant. Not ever. Not unless that girl was her.

Chapter Eighteen

Mallory

Forty-eight hours we’ve been holed up in Chad’s hotel suite. Forty-eight incredible, romantic, blissfully happy hours. We’ve christened every room and every surface. My body is so deliciously sore, I may never recover. I didn’t know it could be like this. I never even had an orgasm at the hands of a man until this weekend. And now I’ve had ten. He’s so proud of them that he’s keeping count.

Tonight, however, we’re having company. Julian is going out to dinner with us. It was Chad’s idea. He’s determined to get his support for our relationship. Quite frankly, I’m not sure why Julian is being so negative about it. I get that he doesn’t want to see me hurt, but it’s kind of hypocritical coming from him seeing ashehurt me. But deep down, even if Julian had never cheated on me, I know it wouldn’t have worked out. It never felt right. Being withanyguy never felt right until now.

Julian arrives right on schedule, his head shaking in disapproval as he enters the Presidential Suite. “Seriously?” he asks Chad. “Show off much?”

“Let’s get something straight right fucking now,” Chad says, closing the door behind Julian. “I’ve got money, Julian. Lots of it. I inherited ten million from my dead grandparents; and as of late, I’m making half of that for every film I do.” He motions his hand around at our surroundings. “This is nothing to me, a drop in the bucket. I’m sorry if you think I should be staying at a goddamn Motel Six, but that’s not going to happen. This isn’t to show off. I’m not playing any games here. So get over yourself and deal with it.”

I try to pick my chin up off the floor. Oh, my God. I knew he was rich, but hearing him spell it out like that, it’s more than I can even fathom. I make fifty-eight thousand dollars a year. He probably makes that in interest alone every month. My head is spinning.

“So if you are going to belittle me for something,” Chad says to Julian, “there are a whole lot of other things you can choose besides my portfolio.” He walks over to the minibar. “Now do you want some ridiculously overpriced champagne or don’t you?”

“Sure.” Julian shakes his head, laughing as he walks over to greet me. “Hey,” he says, pulling me in for a hug.

I peek at Chad to see his jaw twitching at our embrace.Boys. That man has nothing to worry about. He branded me as his from our first kiss a few weeks ago. He’s ruined me for anyone else.

Cole knocks on the connecting door and sticks his head through as Julian and I get handed glasses of champagne. “A word, Thad?”

“Make yourself comfortable,” Chad says, motioning to the couch. “I’ll only be a minute.” He walks through the door to Cole’s room, closing it behind him.

“Are you staying here with him?” Julian asks, cutting right to the chase.

“I am, yes.”

“So you’re sleeping with him.” He sucks in air between his teeth, producing a hissing noise. “Boy, that didn’t take long. Not evencloseto a year, huh?”

“That’s not fair, Julian. Things were different then and you know it. I’m twenty-four now and perfectly capable of making responsible decisions.”

“Have you told him why we broke up?” he asks.

“I’ve told him everything. I don’t have any secrets from him.”

He snorts. “Has he toldyoueverything?”

“We’re getting there,” I say. “He has a lot more to tell than I do.”

“So that’s a no,” he says, punctuating his words with a swig of his drink. “What are you going to do when everyone finds out about this? There’s already buzz about some mystery woman in his life, but the press still keeps printing stories about him and Courtney Benson. Is he with you or not?”

“Yes. Of course, he’s with me. I . . . I love him, Julian.”

He runs a hand through his dark hair. “Youlovehim? It’s only been a few weeks, Mallory. You’re setting yourself up to get hurt.”

“A few weeks and ten years,” I remind him. “It’s not like I met him yesterday, Julian. And he loves me, too. This thing is for real.”

“Then why doesn’t he have the balls to admit it in public?” he asks. “Why is he keeping you a secret? If it were me, I’d be shouting it from the damn rooftops. What does that even tell you?”

“He’s trying to protect me,” I say. “Once we go public, our relationship will be scrutinized. People will want my picture or an interview. He doesn’t want me to have to deal with that.”

“Hmmm,” he gruffs.

“You need to give him a chance, Julian. He hurt me back then. He hurt you, too. But his parents moved him across the country. He had no control over that. Can we really blame him for losing touch? Is that really worth holding a grudge? Haven’t worse indiscretions been forgiven?” I raise my brows at him, giving him an accusing stare.

He looks guiltily at the ground. “You’re right. I know you’re right. It’s just hard for me, Mallory. You have to know that. It’s hard for me to see you withanyman, let alone Chad.”

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