Page 58 of Dr. Stone
“It’s very nice to meet you,” I said politely.
“I have to know…” Dorian leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. “What everyone here has been whispering tonight.” He paused deliberately, waiting for me to fill the silence.
“Which is?” I asked, though my stomach knotted.
His eyes darted toward Titus, then back to me. “How the hell you managed the impossible withthatman?”
“We’re just very good friends,” I answered honestly, the words out before I could second-guess them.
I had no idea if Jace and his brother were close—or if their family carried the usual tangle of drama and secrets that came with this kind of wealth—but one thing was certain: I wasn’t about to let anyone believe I was Titus’s girl when my heart already belonged elsewhere.
“That’s what they all dream to say, sweetheart,” Dorian teased. “But if Titus decides to act like the Titus we all know and love, hit me up.” He winked, then turned his attention to three beautiful women who had just approached. “I’ll help mend the broken heart.”
“That won’t be necessary,” I replied, shutting his bullshit down immediately. “Trust me.”
As the women clustered around Dorian, Titus returned, sliding his hand into mine with quiet authority. “Come,” he said. He gave Dorian a nod, his voice warm but firm. “We’ll talk later, hermano.” Then, with a polite glance at the women: “Ladies, enjoy yourselves.” He dismissed us without apology.
“I’m sorry for Dorian’s lack of manners,” Titus said as he steered me away. “He’s a good friend and a fun time, but a shark when it comes to women.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I smiled. “Are he and Jace close?”
“Not really,” Titus admitted. “Not from jealousy—just a lack of common ground. Jace has no interest in this lifestyle, and Dorian is obsessed with it. They manage each other in small doses, and the rest of us break them apart before it goes too far.” He gave a low chuckle. “But out of respect for you, and for Jace, there was no way I’d let his brother talk to you like that.”
“That’s nice of you, and I appreciate it,” I said. “Jace will have to thank you later.”
Titus grinned. “Jace always has to thank me later, love. Especially when those idiots start saying Dorian’s the wiser ofthe two and dismiss Jace’s profession as some kind of insult to their family legacy. Dorian feeds that narrative, but I’ve always said those old men with their money and arrogance will change their tune the day Jace is the one holding their life in his hands.”
“Well, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” I laughed.
“It is probably impossible anyway. Most of them don’t have a heart to speak of,” Titus laughed. His gaze softened on me. “Listen, you look radiant tonight, and I have cherished every second of having you on my arm, but please don’t feel forced to stay and mingle with these people. If you’d rather retreat to your villa and relax, I’ll make sure you’re not missed.”
He glanced around the pool deck before chuckling. “I would suggest you rejoin your friends, but it looks like every last one of them had better plans with their spouses.”
“Well, at least they’re not wasting their time,” I laughed at how quickly they’d vanished. “I don’t want to leave you, though. If you need me out here, I’m all in. If not, I’d be just as happy soaking in the last of this night in my villa.”
“You’re a beautiful soul, Andie,” Titus said, eyes softening. Then his smile curved into something wry. “Jace is one lucky bastard. If he doesn’t know it now, he’ll learn soon enough.”
I grinned, tilting my head. “Oh, he’ll learn. I’m a very patient teacher…but not that patient.”
Titus chuckled, shaking his head. “God help the man if he’s slow.”
The night had been more eye-opening than I expected, and maybe I needed that. Seeing this world Jace came from only made me admire him more—for walking away from it, for choosing to save lives instead of chasing legacies and money. Somehow, it made me feel even luckier that after just one night, he still wanted something real with me.
But right now? Time dragged. I missed my son and my dog, and most of all, I ached for Jace—aching for the chance to see where this thing between us could go.
TWENTY-SEVEN
Jace
A high-speed rideup the coast was exactly what this doctor needed after a long-ass weekend on call. Saturday—my so-called “day off”—hadn’t been nearly enough to recover.
By Monday evening, Jake, Collin, John, and I decided to burn out the stress the only way we knew how—aggressive throttle therapy on our Ducati bikes. After a brutal stretch of hospital chaos, the open road was the cure. Poor Cam Brandt wanted in, but the unlucky bastard was stuck on call for three straight nights in pediatrics. As always, whoever got left behind just had to settle for our stories later.
John was the luckiest of us. With his wife also working OB, she could cover his shifts without breaking stride. The rest of us? We’d been ground down to bone and nerve.
The engines growled as we carved the last bend of Pacific Coast Highway, the ocean flashing like molten gold in our mirrors. The four of us rode in perfect formation, a familiar rhythm since leaving the city behind. When we finally pulledinto The Sunset, that laid-back spot just outside Zuma, it felt like the best damn idea we’d had in months. For a few precious miles, the bikes had burned the weight off our shoulders, leaving our heads clear, our bodies humming from adrenaline.
We rolled to the curb, parked side by side, and I killed the engine. Silence crashed in. I yanked off my helmet, and the salty air hit, warm and wild, blowing through my hair like freedom itself.
