Page 62 of Stone Promises

She sighs into the phone. “I’m not going to tell you what to say, Mallory. But it would be best if you could put up a united front. Listen, aren’t you flying out in a few days? We can sit down and talk about it then. Maybe we’ll be lucky and your name won’t become public before you get here.”

The whole way home I wonder if it’s worth it. I love him, but am I willing to be labeled the friend, at best? At worst, the other woman? People will hate me. And it looks like Chad might just be okay with that.

Chapter Nineteen

Chad

The past few days have been horrible. Not just because I miss the hell out of Mal, but because our conversations seem strained. Ever since her picture came out in that tabloid magazine, she’s been standoffish. I’ve told her everything will be okay, that we’ll deal with it together. But all she says is we’ll talk about it when she gets here. It scares the shit out of me, quite frankly. I’ve been wondering if she’s going to break up with me but didn’t want to do it over the phone. Maybe it’s all too much for her to deal with.

I can’t even go into the airport to meet her. Neither can Cole. He’s become well known as my bodyguard now and the pap knows that where he is, I’m not far behind. It would cause too much of a stir if either of us showed up to collect her, so I sit here in the back of a limo, not knowing my fate, while Kendra goes inside to get her. I know Mal will think it’s pretentious, me getting a limousine. But I didn’t want our first meeting in three weeks to be witnessed by anyone else. Plus, if sheisbreaking up with me, I didn’t want anyone to see me get on my knees and beg.

The back door opens and Mallory gets inside. Our eyes lock. A million emotions pass between us. But thankfully, one trumps all the rest. The love I have for her grows stronger each time I see her. She becomes more beautiful every time we’re apart. Her eyes tear up and spill over. I reach out to her. “Mal, what’s wrong?”

She sniffs, wiping a tear with the back of her finger. “I . . . I was starting to think this was a bad idea,” she says, tucking her face into my shoulder. “But just now, with the way you looked at me, I can’t imagine being without you.”

I wrap her face in my hands, forcing her to look up at me. “Were you?” I ask, my heart hammering in my chest. “Imagining being without me?”

She nods reluctantly as I feel the car pull away from the curb. “I didn’t want to,” she says. “But with the photo and you not wanting to admit to our relationship. I wasn’t sure . . .”

“Not wanting to admit to it?” I say, incredulously. “Mal, I want to put up billboards announcing to everyone that I fucking love you. Don’t you know that? It’s Paul. The studio. They think it’s a bad idea. He’s my manager, baby. I have to trust he knows what’s best for my career. It doesn’t mean I don’t love you. I do. I love you so much. I’ve only ever loved you.”

“I know. I’m sorry,” she says. “I guess it just took me seeing you again to understand that.”

“Well then, there’s no way in hell I’m going three weeks without seeing you again. I don’t care if I have to fly to New York for two hours and fly back. I’m not giving you another chance at second thoughts.”

“You’d do that for me?”

“You have no idea the depths of what I’d do for you, Mallory Kate.”

“Right now, I’d just like you to kiss me,” she says with a sultry smile.

She doesn’t have to ask me twice. I shift her up onto my lap, pulling her head down until her lips meet mine. She tastes exactly like I remember. Strawberries and mint. I put my hand on her thigh, a low growl escaping me at the feel of her bare skin under her skirt. “I like this,” I murmur against her lips. “Easy access.”

“It was a little chilly in New York,” she says, allowing my lips to explore her neck. “But I was hoping it would be seasonable out here and I was right.”

“We should have great weather this week,” I say. “I’m going to be able to give you that beach vacation after all.” My fingers travel up to the apex of her thighs, being met with her damp panties. I push them aside and slip a finger inside her as she gasps. “Jesus, Mal. I’m not sure I can wait. Want to live dangerously?”

Her eyes widen as she looks at me in surprise. Then she looks at the closed partition separating us from Cole and Kendra. “Don’t worry,” I say. “I may have mentioned to them not to bother us unless the damn car was on fire.”

She looks back at me and smiles.Holy shit. I never really thought she’d agree. I waste no time at all shifting her on my lap so she’s straddling me. Then I push up her skirt and, taking care not to dig into her skin, I rip the panties right off her.

“Caveman much?” she asks, laughing.

I cup her breasts through her shirt, not wanting to expose her just in case there actuallyisa fire in the limo. She feels incredible under my hungry hands. She’s been with me all of five minutes, and already I’m rock hard beneath her. Hell, just the thought of her gets me hard. These past weeks, I’ve felt like a teenage boy again, needing to get my rocks off frequently or else walk around with a constant hard-on.

She untucks my shirt and puts her hands underneath it, exploring my chest as I continue to explore hers. She unbuttons my pants and I remove my hands from her just long enough to lower them to my thighs. She takes my hard length in her hand, watching herself give me long, slow strokes. She’s taking control and it’s hot as hell.

I feel the car slow and I know we’re getting off the highway, meaning we don’t have a whole lot of time. I’ll take my time with her later. Right now, I just need to be inside her. “I’m not going to last very long, Mal. And neither is this drive.” I push two fingers inside her, circling my thumb around her slick clit. She’s so ready. I reach underneath me to get a condom out of my wallet, putting it on in mere seconds. She lifts herself up and slowly sheaths me with her tight walls.

“Oh, God,” she sighs as I fill her.

Hearing what this does to her brings me right to the edge. I do everything I can to hold off. I want her there with me. I whisper things into her ear, hoping my words will heighten her arousal. “You’re so beautiful, Mallory. I dreamed about your perfect breasts. Your soft skin. About tasting you. You can’t imagine how much I want to taste you. And I will . . . later.” I put a hand between us and rub slow circles on her clit. “I want to make you come so hard you can’t see straight. The way you make me come. Even when you’re not with me, you make me come that hard. Only you, baby.”

Her breaths come in shorts spurts as she works herself up and down on me with increasing speed. I feel my muscles tighten. “That’s it,” I say. “Jesus, you feel so good. So tight. Come with me, Mal.”

“Uhhhh . . . Oh, Chad.” She bites down on my shoulder to keep herself from screaming. The sensual pain sends me right over the cliff with her and I grunt loudly, pumping myself inside her as her walls squeeze and pulsate against me.

The car comes to a stop and I hear voices. We must be at the gate to my neighborhood. I help Mallory situate herself next to me and then I take off the condom, roll down the window and chuck it into the passing bushes.

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