Page 32 of Dr. Stone
What I couldn’t figure out was why I hadn’t just told Titus to back off. I knew he would if I asked because that’s the kind of friend he was, but something about doing it didn’t sit right with me. Who the hell was I to decide who Andie could date?
I almost wished I didn’t have a conscience. Shit would be easier and much more predictable. But then again, my entire life and career were anythingbutpredictable. I thrived in the realm of the unknown; I wasn’t scared of it.
The second I walked through the door, I loosened my tie and shrugged off my blazer, slinging it over the back of the nearest chair. After twelve straight hours in the office, seeing patient after patient and analyzing chart after chart, I was damn glad to be home. And even more grateful I got to call this placemine.
The house greeted me with its usual silence, allowing only a faint echo of Pacific waves beyond the glass. I unfastened the top two buttons of my shirt, rolled my sleeves up, and made my way to the kitchen.
All I wanted was a fucking beer and the chance to finally make my move. It was time to call Andie and arrange to take her out on my sailboat.
God only knows how her trip to Catalina went with Titus, and I wouldn’t ask. I didn’t want to think about that. Jake even tried to pry through his wife, but Ash wouldn’t say a damn word about it. The one time I needed those women to bring up their drama and gossip was the one time their lips were sealed like a damn vault.
I was sure that if Ash knew Titus had me beat and there was no chance for me, she would call me off. She wasn’t the type to let anyone hang out to dry.
I popped open the fridge, grabbed a beer, and twisted the cap off without breaking stride. My backyard unfolded like a well-kept secret—a sleek stone patio, glass railings, and an infinity pool that looked like it spilled straight into the ocean.
No fences and no neighbors. Just raw coastline stretching endlessly in both directions, the soft crash of waves rolling over the sand far below.
My place stood high above my own private slice of shoreline, something I never took for granted. It was one of those special places that are nearly impossible to find, even for people with a fortune to blow.
I sank into one of the teak loungers at the edge of the pool, took a sip of beer, and pulled out my phone.
Here we fucking go…
My heart picked up its pace, waiting for this sex goddess to answer, but to my dismay, the call went to her voicemail. Iwished she would’ve answered and put me out of my misery, but I had to leave a brief message instead, hoping she’d call me back.
Five minutes later, the phone vibrated, and we were in business. At least, I hoped.
“Hey, gorgeous,” I said, feeling more relaxed.
“Gorgeous would be the exact opposite of what I look like on the other end of this phone,” she said with an exhausted laugh.
“Uh-oh,” I said, sitting up some. “Everything okay?”
She softly sighed, and I could sense she was at the end of her rope for whatever reason. “Well, this might completely turn you off and save you the trouble of asking me out, but I haven’t told you yet that I have a son?—”
“A one-year-old named Brandon, right?” I smoothly and confidently cut her off.
“Oh? I guess I should’ve known my one-night stand would not only be a stalker who shows up unexpectedly at my job but also a man who knows the names and ages of my family members?”
I smiled at the sassy humor in her voice. She wasn’t as bold and dominant as she had been all night with me on Jake’s yacht, and I had to admit that I liked this casual side of her.
“Well, it’s not hard to stalk your sexy ass since our bosses are married,” I answered.
“True,” she laughed.
“So, what’s your main man doing to wear out his mama tonight?” I asked with a smile, imagining my golden sun goddess with her hair a mess, dressed in sweats and an oversized shirt, chasing her son around the house.
“Well,” she sighed, “my parents were on their way down here to get him for the weekend when he threw up all over the gown that Titus bought for me to go to the opera with him in San Francisco tonight.”
Fucking hell, Hawk. Still interested after two dates?How was that man latching on like this? This was completely unlike him, but it was also completely unlike me.
What was this woman doing to both of us? I mean, it’s like she was the billionaire playboy whisperer or some shit, and Titus and I were being brought to our cocky knees by her.
“Your silence speaks volumes,” she chuckled while I heard bathwater in the background.
I ignored her comment and decided to bring up a better topic that had nothing to do with another man, “It sounds like you’re enjoying a nice hot bubble bath. I can imagine your sexy ass reclined back, hair pulled up, and your soaking wet body?—”
“I’m giving Brandon a bath,” she laughed. “Sorry to destroy your sexy visual.”
