Page 56 of Dr. Stone
His hand slid over my collarbone, warm knuckles trailing to my shoulders. My breath caught.
“After Mexico, I was mesmerized by you, Andie,” he said, and the sound of my name on his lips nearly undid me. “From the moment you stepped off my jet, I saw it—you weren’t impressed. Not by the driver, not by the champagne, not by the resort. None of it lit you up. And it hit me…that was my mother. My father gave her everything, except the one thing she wanted most—his undivided smile.”
A lump thickened in my throat. “I’m glad you’re beginning to recognize this,” I managed. “Because I was worried…worried success might keep you company, but not give you love. Or intimacy. Or peace.”
“I won’t let that happen. Not anymore.” His voice roughened, desperate. “I want more than another deal, another hotel. I want to feel what I saw in you last night, Andie—laughing, alive, untouchable. I wantthat.”
Oh, shit.
“Well…” My smile wavered, heart pounding with guilt.
How do I tell him my heart is already with someone else—while I’m standing here, with him?
“Your thoughts are with him even now, aren’t they?”
“I know that you know about Jace,” I said. “And I want you to know that I’m not trying to play any games here, or maybe I foolishly was. Listen,” I said, flustered at this sudden turn of emotional events, “I was just enjoying the company of two cool, fascinating gentlemen. I guess Jace and I sort of have…”
Hell. How do I tell him what I want to tell him? Or do I?
While my thoughts shuffled in my head, my eyes turned to find the answers out in the sea beyond where Titus stood in front of me, but it was only a moment before I was in the man’s arms.
He pulled me firmly into him, kissing me with a voracity that erased any thoughts from my mind about him being uninterested in me romantically. His kiss was raw, urgent, and as powerful as he looked in every room he walked into.
Titus kissed like it was the only language he spoke.
The moment his mouth met mine, everything else vanished—the ocean, the breeze, the low hum of music from the event behind us. It was just him and me. His lips were warm and firm, moving over mine with unrelenting precision. Titus didn’t ask, he took like he already knew I’d give.
He tasted like heat and spice, dark rum, and something smoky. When his tongue brushed mine, my knees almost buckled. My body leaned into him like it was under his spell. His scent wrapped me further into this moment—sandalwood, amber, and a hint of something primal. It was dizzying.
Titus’s hand slid up my spine, then curled behind my neck, tilting my head just enough for him to deepen the kiss. And dear God, he kissed deeply, like he was pouring every unspoken promise and buried need into that moment. He devoured me, hungry, slow, and controlled.
Suddenly, my mind was ripped from the pleasurable moment.
Jace.
I saw Jace’s eyes. I heard his voice and that memory of how he touched me like he knew me on Jake’s yacht. My breath caught.
I pulled back fast, chest heaving. “Titus…” my voice cracked. “I can’t.”
His hands loosened around me reluctantly.
I gently pulled away and offered the man a smile of gratitude and happiness.
“I really messed it up,” he said.
“No,” I smiled faintly. “That was… unforgettable. You kiss like a man who doesn’t leave women standing.”
A low, humorless chuckle left him. “Not that, love,” he said, sadness crossing over his features. His voice softened, “The kiss told me everything. It wasn’t mine—it was his. The way you gave,the way you pulled back…I’d have to be blind not to see that it already belongs to Jace. I’ve known him most of my life, and I’d sooner cut off my own hand than steal what belongs to him…”
I swallowed hard and paused momentarily, “How can you see that in my eyes when I’m just now figuring it out?”
He smiled the sexiest smile that lit up his beautiful eyes, “Because a woman has a certain look when she’s in love, like she’s looking at you but sees someone else. It’s actually very beautiful, and you are even more beautiful with it. I saw it last night and knew my good friend was a most fortunate man.”
“You like him a lot, it seems,” I said, curious about how Titus really felt about Jace.
“As if he were my own brother,” Titus said. “However, my love for the man only goes so far, and if he dares to neglect or hurt you the same way I have proven to be capable, then I will kick his ass and work to ensure you are mine. I don’t mind second place if it means I might still have the privilege of securing you for myself should the first-place winner screw everything up,” he winked. “Now, let’s rejoin the others. I’m sure Jim, Spence, and Alex are already complaining about their appetites, and I’d like to enjoy dinner with the loveliest woman I’ve ever known.”
And that was that. No drama. No punches thrown. No best friends turned enemies over me. Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better way to close the chapter on whatever complicated thing Titus and I had been circling. The best part? Realizing we might actually make better friends than lovers.
