Stone Cold Surrender (25 page)

up
not
to
go
there,
she
couldn’t
help
but
ask.
The
need
to
know
was
too
strong.
“And
each
of
the
times
you
kissed
me,
who
were
you?”

He
glanced
over
at
her.
“Stone.”
He
then
pulled
off
the
road,
stopped
the
car
and
turned
to
her.
“Maybe
I
need
to
explain
things,
Madison.
I
don’t
have
a
split
personality.
I’m
merely
saying
that
a
lot
of
people
read
a
book
a
person
writes
and
assume
they
know
that
individual
just
because
of
the
words
he
or
she
puts
on
paper.
But
there’s
more
to
me
than
what
is
between
the
pages
of
my
novels.
I
write
to
entertain.
I

enjoy
doing
so
and
it
pays
the
bills
in
a
real
nice
way.

Whenever
I
finish
a
book
I
feel
a
sense
of
accomplishment
and
achievement.
But
when
all
is
said
and
done,
I’m
still
a
normal
human
being—a
man
who
has
strong
values
and

convictions
about
certain
things.
I’m
a
man
who’s
proud
to
be
an
African-American
and
I’m
someone
who
loves
his

family.
I
have
my
work
and
I
have
my
privacy.
For
my
work
I
am
Rock
Mason
and
for
my
private
life
I
am
Stone.
I

consider
you
as
part
of
my
private
life.”
With
that
said
he

started
the
car
and
pulled
back
on
the
main
road.

Madison
blew
out
a
breath.
The
very
thought
that
he

considered
her
part
of
his
life
at
all
made
her
heart
pound
and
parts
of
her
feel
soft
and
gooey
inside.
“So
tell
me

something
about
the
private
life
of
Stone
Westmoreland.”

Her
request
drew
his
brows
together
as
he
remembered
the
last
time
a
woman
had
asked
him
that.
Noreen
Baker,

an
entertainment
reporter
who’d
wanted
to
do
an
interview
on
him
for
Today’s
Man
magazine.
The
woman
had
been
attractive
but
pushy
as
hell.
He
hadn’t
liked
her
style
and
had
decided
when
she’d
tried
delving
into
his
personal
life
that
he
hadn’t
liked
her.
But
she
was
determined
not
to
be
deterred
and
had
decided
one
way
or
another
she
would
get
her
story.

She
never
got
her
story
and
found
out
the
hard
way
that,

although
on
any
given
day
he
was
typically
pretty
nice
and
easygoing,
when
pissed
off
he
could
be
hell
to
deal
with.
Instead
of
giving
her
the
exclusive
she
had
desired,
he
had
agreed
to
let
someone
else
do
a
story
on
him.

“I’m
thirty-three,
closer
to
thirty-four
with
a
birthday
coming
up
in
August,
single,
and
have
never
been
married
and

don’t
plan
on
ever
getting
married.”

Madison
lifted
a
brow.
“Why?”

“It’s
the
accountability
factor.
I
love
being
single.
I
like

coming
and
going
whenever
I
please
and,
with
being
a

writer,
I
need
the
freedom
of
going
places
to
do
research,
book
signings,
to
clear
my
mind,
relax
and
to
be
just
plain
lazy
when
I
want
to.
I’m
not
responsible
for
anyone
other

than
myself
and
I
like
it
that
way.”
He
decided
not
to
tell
her
that
another
reason
he
planned
to
stay
single
was
that
he
saw
marriage
as
giving
up
control
of
his
life
and
giving

more
time
to
a
wife
than
to
his
writing.

Madison
nodded.
“So
there’s
not
a
special
person
in
your
life?”

“No.”
But
then
he
thought
she
was
special
and
he
had
pretty
much
accepted
that
she
was
in
his
life…at
least
at
the

present
time.

“What
about
your
immediate
family?”

“My
parents
are
still
living
and
doing
well.
My
father
works
with
the
construction
company
my
grandfather
started
years
ago.
He’s
a
twin.”

Madison
had
shifted
her
body
in
the
seat
to
search
her
pockets
for
a
piece
of
chewing
gum
and
glanced
over
at
Stone.
“Who’s
a
twin?”

“My
father.
As
well
as
my
two
brothers,
Chase
and
Storm,
and
my
cousins,
Ian
and
Quade.
They
are
Durango’s

brothers.”

“Are
they
all
identical
twins?”
she
asked
fascinated.
She’d
never
heard
of
so
many
multiple
births
in
one
family
before.

“No,
everyone
is
fraternal,
thank
God.
I
can’t
imagine
two
of
Storm.
He
can
be
a
handful
and
considers
himself
a
ladies’
man.”

Madison
smiled,
hearing
the
affection
in
his
voice.
“How
many
brothers
do
you
have?”