Page 4 of Smoke

“Fuck you, Tenley.” Oriana steps forward, jaw clenched, lips curled back and baring her teeth. She’s about to lash out, but Stone slips his arm around her waist and pulls her back into him.

“I see you’ve not changed either, little sis. Guessyou’re still a pretty princess with a mouth like a sewer full of rat shit.”

“Let me at her,” Oriana hisses from between gritted teeth, arms flaying as she struggles to free herself from Stone's hold. “I’m gonna kill her.”

“Get her out of here,” I instruct Stone. “Take her back home but don’t let her back into the house until she calms the fuck down. Don’t let Sasha see her acting like a banshee.”

“What about her?” he flicks his head towards Tenley.

“I’ll handle her. You just get your woman home.” Oriana is still putting up a fight; her stamina for someone going up against Stone’s bulk is commendable, but she’s no competition. Especially when Stone takes control by scooping her up and throwing her over his shoulder before making his way out of the room.

“Now you,” I grab hold of Tenley’s arm, pull out the chair in front of my desk and push her towards it. “Sit the fuck down and tell me exactly what the fuck has gone on between you two, to cause Oriana to lose her shit.”

Chapter

Two

Stone

“Ouch!” she yelps as I nip at her ass with my teeth. I’ve already given her cheeks a couple of slaps after she’d nearly kicked me in my junk while trying to wriggle out of my hold. “Jesus, put me down, will you,” she grumbles. I don’t think she actually minds the playful smacks or the biting, but hanging upside down over my shoulder for so long while I frog march us back up to the house is no doubt making her light-headed and maybe a little nauseous.

“If I thought you’d stay put and not scarper off back down the hill so you can beat the crap out of your sister…”

“Half-fucking-sister,” she interrupts with a snarl. “The bitch!”

“See, you’ve just proved my point. I’m not releasing you until I’ve got you safely inside and the front door lock is firmlyin place.”

She must be able to tell by the movement of my shoulders and slight pitch to my voice that I’m finding this hilarious and doing my best to stifle the need to laugh. I’ve never seen her like this before. Back up and hissing like a cornered alley cat. I’m betting not many people have, as it’s quite out of character for her. Then again, our relationship is relatively new, and I’m sure I still have a lot to learn about her. Like the fact she has a half-sister called Tenley and a history with her that seems anything but loving.

“She just… Argh!” Oriana screams out like a petulant child, which is all it takes for me to lose control and let out a raging belly laugh. I’m laughing so hard that it has me coming to a sudden halt in front of the door to the house. With one hand braced against the wall for support, I double up with laughter. Oriana takes advantage of my semi-prone position and slides herself down my body until her feet hit the floor.

“It’s not that funny,” she reprimands me harshly. When she wriggles to get completely free of my hold, I’m not having any of it and tighten my hold around her waist and pull her close to my chest. Her eyes tilt up to mine, and when I see the storm of rage in her eyes, I shut the fuck up. She’s pissed. Really pissed. I have no idea what history she has with Tenley, yet by the storm that is raging within her, it must still haunt her.

“Baby, I’m sorry.” I reach out and entwine my fingers with hers before bringing her hand up to my mouth and placing a kiss against the soft skin on her wrist. “It’s just that you took me by surprise. I know you’re no shrinking violet, but wow, I never realized you were a hell cat.”

“Only when it comes to her. Who does she think she is, anyway, turning up like that out of the blue?”

“Smoke had mentioned that there was a journalist on his ass a few weeks ago, still I’m sure he had no idea that they were connected to you. As far as we were aware, you didn’t have any family.”

Back when Oriana met with us about the position as a nanny to my niece, Sasha, she’d told us that both her parents had passed and she had no family.

“And I don’t.” she pulls her hand from mine. “Not any that I acknowledge anyway,” she responds as she goes to open the door. I place my hand back over hers and stop her from pushing it open.

“What’s behind this feud between you and your sister?” She casts me another dirty look. “Stepsister,” I correct myself, holding my hands up in submission. “It must be something serious though, baby, if it’s got you this riled up.”

“It’s just… stuff.” That’s all she offers.

“Come on baby,” I coo, “Talk to me.” I hook my arm around her waist and bring her in close again.

“No fucking way,” she curses. “The only thing I want to do right now is go beat the ever-loving shit out of her, and seeing as you’re not about to let me do that, I’m not going to compound my anger by wasting words on that bitch.”

“Aw baby,” I lean further into her, just forceful enough that she’s forced to take a step back until her back is against the door. “You all wound up, baby?” I let the arm that I have looped around her waist slide down until my hand is cupping her ass.

“Too right. I’m livid. How dare she just turn up like that and…” she sucks in a breath when I tip my head down to her and skim my lips across her jawline. “What are you doing, Stone?”

“Well, I was just thinking of what I can do for my woman that is guaranteed to erase all her built-up anger and tension.” I trail tiny kisses up the side of her face until I reach her ear. I nip the lobe between my teeth before adding. “And I have the perfect solution.” My hand has already slipped below the waistband of her yoga pants and is palming her bare ass cheek.

“Stone,” she glares at me, her hand coming flat against my chest as if to push me away, but there’s no force behind it. “This is not the time or the place. Besides, someone might look up from the clubhouse and see.

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