Stone (Knights Corruption MC Series Book 2) (23 page)

See? I hit the nail on the head.

Deciding it was the best opportunity I would have to take it all the way, I indulged myself. “Yeah, sure I do. I think you should dress up in a nice suit and pick me up for a proper date, complete with flowers and a nice, fancy restaurant.” I couldn’t help myself, a small smile giving everything away.

Never in a million years could I imagine Stone dressed in anything other than his normal day-to-day attire. He was rugged and sexy, not refined and polished. If I’d wanted a man like that I would have dated any one of the doctors at the hospital who’d asked me out.

No, Stone was exactly the type of man who revved my engine. Even though he drove me insane sometimes, he also drove me out of my mind with lust. One look from him and I was a total goner for sure.

Something he was totally taking advantage of right then.

Pulling me in to him, my breath escaped on a strangled hiss, our bodies pressed so close I had to tilt my head back in order to see his face. Lowering his mouth, he kissed me. Sweetly. His lips skimmed over mine, but he never took it further. A slight flick of his tongue was the only action that told me he would delve deeper if I gave him access. But I was too enthralled with whatever game he was playing to completely give in. And rest assured, he was up to something—I was sure of it. Any other time Stone was able to get his hands on me was a rushed effort to bring us both pleasure.

This was something different. Did he feel bad about berating me over the phone? Was he trying to calm his reactions when it came to his daunting ways of handling things? Was he trying to apologize for his craziness earlier?

I had no idea, but I was about to find out.

Pulling back, he gazed deep into my eyes. The look was overwhelming, allowing me to see a part of his soul. The connection between us had always been undeniable, but it was times like these which told me he was it for me. Better or worse, Stone Crosswell was the man I was meant to end up with. Despite everything.

A pang of hurt crushed me. Would I be able to give him all of me in return? Would we grow old together? Would we share the joy of the child growing in my belly?

Would we be happy?

Dismissing my fears, I focused back on the gorgeous creature staring at me.

“Did you trim your beard? It doesn’t look as long as usual.” Yeah, that was where I chose to focus. Everything else pinging back and forth inside my head was too much.

“Yeah, I did. It was getting a bit too much. You like?”

“I approve.” I smiled and playfully yanked on his trimmed facial hair.

He’d gone quiet for a few seconds, something obviously on his mind enough to not talk right away. When his lips finally parted, he said something I never would’ve imagined.

“If you’re serious about me wearing a monkey suit and taking you to a fancy restaurant, I will. I would do that for you because you deserve it, Addy.” He kissed me gently again. “You deserve everything.”

I was floored.

I was completely playing with him, but I guessed it backfired on me.

Well, not backfired, per se, but it was definitely unexpected. That was for sure.

“While the idea is tempting, how about I hold onto that one, calling it in whenever I want?”

“Deal.”

“Deal,” I repeated. “So, where are we going?”

“I thought we could grab some takeout and head back to my place,” he said, linking his fingers through mine and pulling me toward my bedroom.

“Where are you going?” I asked, thinking he wanted to ravage me before we left. And to be quite honest, I wasn’t about to object.

“You have to get changed. You’re not goin’ outside dressed like that.” He waved his hand over my body, drawing my attention back to the fact I was barely clothed.

Adelaide

Strapped to the back of his impressive ride, my arms wrapped tightly around his strong body. I relaxed and allowed myself to revel in the moment. There was a certain freedom which came from being on the back of a motorcycle. Allowing the open road to possess me. The wind whipping all around, making me aware I was part of something bigger.

It was intoxicating.

I understood why the men chose to take their bikes when they had to go on long runs. There was nothing like it, and although I was sure they were tired after the long distance, it must have been well worth it, an escape which was sometimes definitely needed.

I’d closed my eyes as soon as we hit the stretch of highway away from my house, but I’d immediately become alert when I noticed we were traveling toward the club. I knew the distance and turns like the back of my hand.

The roar of the engine was too loud for him to hear me, never mind we were both wearing helmets. I decided not to freak out, though; I was sure there was a good explanation why he needed to stop there. But that didn’t stop me from tensing up the closer we approached, hoping and praying my uncle wasn’t anywhere near the place.

When we finally arrived, Stone backed his bike into his appointed spot like he’d probably done thousands of times before. Swinging my leg over, I came to stand beside him, pulling off my helmet before he even shut off his engine.

“What are we doing here?” I asked, my lip quivering in uneasiness the longer he remained silent. Tearing off his own helmet, his strong thighs continued to straddle his ride. He didn’t answer me, instead reaching for my hand to pull me close.

“Addy . . .” he started, giving me a look of apology as well as intent.

“No, no, no.” I shook my head and pulled my hand from his grip. “We can’t do this now,” I pleaded. “I’m not ready.”

Dismounting, he stalked me as I backed up with each step. “Yes, you are,” he affirmed, a thread of steel to his voice I was all too familiar with. “There’s no time like the present. We have to get this over with if we’re gonna move forward. And if that means dealing with Trigger, then so be it.”

He seemed so sure of himself, standing before me like a mountain of strength. My uncle was going to flip out, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. I hated that I was going to upset him, but I was even more distressed at the potential harm he would inflict on Stone. And while Stone wouldn’t technically feel the physical effects of my uncle’s wrath, it could most definitely be life-changing.

My uncle was
that
crazy protective when it came to me, and I had no doubt he would threaten Stone’s very existence, no matter what pleas fell from my lips.

After some more back and forth between the two of us, I gave in. I tried to walk in front of him to scope out the club and see who was present, but he pulled me back, grabbing hold of my hand and forcefully gripping it in his. He wanted there to be no doubt we were together, and if seeing our hands entwined was the first start, then so be it.

I continued to struggle, but that only earned me a tightened grasp as well as an annoyed look.

“Stop trying to get away from me,” he warned. “It’s happenin’, so the sooner you get onboard the better.”

If he wasn’t afraid of what was going to happen, then why was I? While I tried to relax and let everything play out as it will, I couldn’t escape the fear inside me. This was the last thing I needed to deal with right now. I still hadn’t told Stone anything about being pregnant or sick, and there he was, adding another thing to my plate I just didn’t need to deal with.

As we walked across the expansive lot, I noticed a few members milling around. First, Hawke came into view. His head was down, looking at something displayed on his phone. When he heard us approaching, he picked his head up, staring at our combined hands before a knowing look appeared on his face.

“‘Bout fuckin’ time, brother,” he acknowledged, addressing Stone before looking my way. “Hi, Addy,” he gleamed, his smile telling me everything. How the hell did he know we were together? Had Stone announced our business to people before I’d even agreed to be his?

Before I could ask, Stone answered my silent question. “He guessed.”

That’s it?

Hawke wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but I had noticed he liked to people-watch. Was that how he’d picked up on whatever was between us? Were we that obvious? How many other people had taken notice?

The next people I saw were Ryder and Tripp, huddled around the fighting ring toward the back of the lot. Jagger and Zip were sparring, Jagger’s skill outweighing his opponent at every turn. All four men were too engaged with what was going on to pay us any mind. That was until they heard their president’s voice.

“Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me right now, Stone? This is the last goddamn thing we need, messing things up inside the club.” Marek briskly walked toward us, fists clenched at his sides and an incredulous look painted across his face.

“I’m not hidin’ it anymore, Prez. She’s mine, and I want everyone to know it.” Stone stood tall next to me, challenging his friend—and leader—with a simple look.

“Fuck!” Marek shouted, coming to stop directly in front of us. Looking back and forth between us, he finally focused on me, realizing his friend was too far gone with determination. “Addy, is this something you want to divulge right now? Your uncle’s inside, but he’ll be out here any second.”

I never got the chance to speak before Stone spouted off at the mouth. “What the hell, Marek? I told you it’s what’s happenin’. Of course Addy’s scared of Trigger’s reaction, but she wants this as much as I do.” Stone tightened his hold on my hand on the last word.

“Is that true?” Marek asked me again, completely ignoring his VP.

It
was
what I wanted. I just didn’t want to do it right then. Thinking we had some more time before anything about us being together came to light, I’d pushed the notion from my mind until I was ready to do it. I never thought he was going to force me into it so early after I’d accepted to be with him.

But it looked like I had to make a decision and quick. Or rather, give my response—my decision had already been made for me, the man holding my hand hostage unwavering in his resolve.

“Yes,” I whispered, averting my eyes from Marek’s intense stare and quickly glancing around, looking for any signs of my uncle. Thinking maybe it would be easier for him to hear the news without us touching, I continued to struggle out of Stone’s hold, but he was relentless.

“Stop it. I mean it,” Stone grumbled, yanking on my arm. “It’s either you continue to hold my hand, or I’ll shove my tongue down your throat as soon as I catch sight of Trigger.” He continued to stare straight ahead. “Your choice.”

I had no doubt he would do exactly as threatened, so I stopped fidgeting. And no sooner had I stilled when I saw my uncle walking toward us. Marek was blocking the middle of us, where our hands were joined.

Breathing in and out deeply did nothing to calm me. Shit was about to go down, and I was hastily trying to think of ways to calm the situation as soon as it erupted. I could beg and plead with him to be rational, or I could stand strong. Remind him I was grown and could make my own decisions, including who I was going to share my bed with.

Okay, maybe I shouldn’t say anything referring to us having sex.

Everything happened so fast. First, my uncle was smiling at me then he was staring at our hands, the look on his face switching in a split second. Confusion danced over his features before fury took hold.

Coming to stand next to Marek, he glanced from Stone to me to our hands again. His entire body tensed and, rising to his full height, he became quite an intimidating force. Disappointment and anger dueled behind his eyes, and I felt awful that I was partly the cause of his anguish.

“What. The fuck. Is this?” he seethed, pointing toward us with a sharp gesture. His focus wasn’t on me, however, but on Stone. He was impatiently waiting for an answer when I began to speak.

“Uncle Trigger, please let me explain before you start yelling,” I pleaded, trying to step closer to comfort him in some small way. But I couldn’t move because Stone was still tightly holding onto me.

My uncle’s gaze never wavered. It was as if he never even heard me speak.

“Why are you touching my niece?” he bit out, advancing closer, menace pouring off him in waves. When Stone didn’t answer, my uncle shoved him. Hard. Finally breaking our hands apart. “Answer me, you bastard! Why the fuck are you touching my niece?” he repeated, stepping dangerously close to him again. All the men surrounding the ring heard the commotion and came rushing over. A firm hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me back. I tilted my head to the side and saw it was Tripp. Pulling me further away, he said, “You might not want to see this, Adelaide.”