Page 5 of Heart of Stone (Dark Billionaires)

He’d driven whilst drunk and high and killed her brother.

His face remained expressionless, but his eyes were raging infernos.

Kate attempted to take a step back, but Warren grabbed her chin with a hand that dwarfed her own. His touch was rough, far from the calm, protective manner in which he’d used to care for her. Her brother’s closest friend, who was more gentle than her brother had ever been. “Warren…” she whispered, trying to push him away. “What’s wrong with you?”

“With me?” His brow cocked up as a cruel glint lit his face. Kate wriggled in discomfort as his eyes traced her body, riding her curves. Just like Talbot had done.

Except sheknewWarren. Warren had taught her how to tie her shoelaces and how to ride a bike. He had been with her through so much of her childhood, a comforting, nurturing figure she could always rely on. More than she’d ever relied on Aaron or her father.

“You’re angry,” Kate stated, just as Warren forced her back against the wall.

“I was.” His eyes shone bright with hate; an emotion he’d never before directed at her. “But now I’m just disappointed in you, kitten.”

Kate’s sharp inhale nearly choked her.Kitten.A name she hadn’t heard in years. A treasured relic that had nearly been forgotten amongst her memories.

“You’re not quite grown up to be a Kate,” Warren had said not long after they’d met. The two had been at the local park next to the children’s home in which Warren had grown up. It had been an early spring day, drowning in butterflies and bumblebees and laughter.

“I am so,” Kate giggled, squealing as Warren pushed her higher and higher on the swings. She swooped her legs, flying through the air.

Warren had kept a close watch on her, even from the beginning. “You’re not a Kat either.”

Kate leant back, her long plait dangling behind her. “Definitely not a Kat.”

He’d darted round to the front of the swings. “Jump,” he dared her. Warren braced as Kate leapt into his embrace without hesitation, but he caught her with ease. Giggling with joy, she wrapped her arms around Warren’s neck and squeezed him tightly.

Warren’s face had slackened in shock at her touch, as though it was something he’d never experienced before. But then he’d hugged her in turn, holding her close with an expression of fierce joy. A boy of 10, Warren was a giant to her then. As they stood, surrounded by the bright sunshine and the sounds of laughter and play, Kate had felt the connection between them growing. Even then.

He’d ruffled her hair, his face alight with pride. “Not a Kat, but perhaps a kitten.”

Kate leant against him, treasuring the feeling of being cared for—for once in her life. A small grumble of acquiescence left her as she accepted Warren’s name for her.

“Come on then, kitten. We should be getting you home.” Warren announced, treading the path towards Kate’s house. “But first let’s get you an ice cream cone.”

A small giggle left her. A nickname. Kate smiled gleefully; someone liked her enough to give her a nickname!

The eighteen years since then had wrought changes in them both, but Kate still reacted to her old nickname.Kitten. “What exactly have I done to disappoint you, Warren?” she asked pointedly. “Given the fact that you were imprisoned for causing Aaron’s death, I think the disappointment should be the other way round.”

Warren loomed over her, pressing her further against the wall. His hand still held her chin in a punishing grip. A jolt shuddered through her as his thumb caressed her lips. Nothing more than a gentle whisper following their contours. His nostrils flared, his eyes fixed to her mouth.

“Warren, I…”

“Shh,” he urged her quietly, his free hand beginning to outline the curve in her hip. Warren pushed his body against hers, his wide shoulders engulfing her completely. She squeaked as he reached the bottom of her breast.

A strange sensation came over her, plunging beyond the pit of her stomach. A hot, fiery warmth that called out for more. She wriggled, opening her mouth to speak—

Only to have Warren roughly cover it with his hand. “What did I say?” he said carefully.

Her attention was called to something pressing into her stomach. A long, thick length that seemed both eager and firm.Oh god.She let out a muffled squawk of alarm. He was aroused. He wasveryaroused.

“Quiet.” Warren pressed his nose into her neck, deeply inhaling. “Kitten,” he growled savagely.

Her breath sawed in and out of her lungs, the sound magnified by Warren’s hand partially covering her nose. Was this really happening? Kate was mesmerised by his eyes—as she always had been. Their green depths seemed to sink into her very soul, laying her bare for his examination.

Something that he apparently seemed keen to explore.

An inch from her face, Warren removed his hand. His thumb trailed behind, pulling her bottom lip downwards slightly as it left. He dipped his head. Kate could feel his breath against her face. The atmosphere between them hummed with energy and unspoken emotions. Kate tipped her chin upwards, reaching towards his lips. She was going to kissWarren, the boy she’d always yearned for, even at the young age of twelve. She closed her—

“Stone.”

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