Page 12 of Heart of Stone (Dark Billionaires)

When Warren opened the front door, Kate died a little inside when she saw columns proudly adorning the front porch. Because of course they did.

Her brow furrowed when she looked past the columns. A pink and white ice cream van was parked in Warren’s driveway, complete with childlike illustrations and photographs of the different ice creams available. “Why is there a Mr Whippy van here?”

Warren’s grin was a thing of beauty. A crooked reminder of the adoring crush she’d had on him as a twelve-year-old girl. “It’s here for you.”

The middle-aged ice cream man leant his elbow on the window. “What’ll it be?”

“A double ninety-nine for me.” Warren turned to Kate expectantly. “With two flakes.”

“A ninety-nine for me, please. Just a single one,” she said, a sense of shyness coming over her.

“With a flake?” the ice cream man asked.

Kate nodded, remaining silent as Warren’s hand slipped into hers.

“Just like old times?” he murmured.

“When you used to pick me up from school,” she played along, pretending that his touch wasn’t jumpstarting her heart. Warren would wait for her at her school’s back gate; come rain or shine, he would be there. Aaron would usually be bunking off somewhere, up to no good, but she could always count on Warren. “And in summer we’d stop at the ice cream van on our walk back home.”

Warren took their ice creams, passing hers over. Their fingers touched again for a moment, and she couldn’t help her breath quickening, thinking of how he’d touched her on the first night. The feelings he’d elicited when he’d pressed her up against the wall, his erection grinding into her stomach.

ThatWarren had seemingly disappeared after he’d realised she hadn’t been involved in her father’s activities. Instead, she’d fallen back into the platonic ‘best friend’s younger sister’ territory.

They followed the stone path she’d seen from the window, walking past the picturesque pond full of orange-and-white koi. The fish clustered to the side of the pond when they approached, their mouths bobbing open in the search for food.

“Have they been fed?” she asked Warren, walking past the tall hedge circling the pond. “They look ravenous.”

“They’re lying bastards,” he assured her, making quick work of his enormous ice cream. “Don’t trust a word they say.” Warren walked through an archway built into the hedge, leading into deeper woodland, down a winding path where the scent of earthy moss pervaded and pine needles littered the soft ground.

After a few minutes of silent walking, a large tree came into view, and Kate realised why Warren had brought her here.

A swing hung from one of its branches, swaying gently in the summer breeze.

Warren took hold of the frayed ropes attached to the thick block of wood acting as a seat, darkened splotches scattered across his knuckles. “One push. For old time’s sake.”

Too spiritless to argue with him, Kate sat. “Cone?” she offered him, holding it up.

“Do you still not eat them?”

Kate mumbled vaguely aboutsugar-scented cardboard. It was a hill she would die on.

His eyes creased, but he took it without a word, consuming it in three quick bites. “You’re a philistine,” he chided her, placing his first push on the small of her back.

The ropes were harsh against her palm, but Kate held on as she began to swing. The tips of her faded trainers disturbed the fine layer of soil beneath the swing, but all she could focus on was the intermittent pressure of Warren’s hands on her back.

“Didn’t you say one push?” she chided him softly.

“Mm, one push for old time’s sake,” he agreed. “I didn’t say what the rest would be for.”

She almost had the energy required to roll her eyes. A businessman through and through. “I’m surprised you didn’t go into politics with that attitude.”

“A boy who went straight from foster care into prison for manslaughter. Yes, I’m sure I’d do well rubbing shoulders with the Old Etonians who’ve barely had to lift a finger to wipe their own arses.”

She thought back to the call he’d been on earlier. “Were you not discussing buying a company for £120 million only this morning?”

Warren’s pushes stopped coming, and Kate let her feet drag her to an untidy stop. “I didn’t think you were listening.” He came around the swing to lean against the tree’s thick trunk.

She shrugged. “I wasn’t. Not really.” Kate pressed her lips together with a sigh. “How did you get so much money?”

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