Page 43 of Burned in Stone
“Haven’t what?” I ask, stroking her back through my shirt.
“I’ve never wanted someone so bad I dry humped them.”
I tilt her chin up, taking in the messy satisfaction in her eyes. “Good,” I tell her. I mean it. “Because I plan to make you feel like that a hell of a lot more.”
Her cheeks flush deeper. “We should probably get cleaned up, huh?”
“Yeah, we should,” I say, smiling at her flushed cheeks. “And I know just the place we can do that uninterrupted.”
“Inside the clubhouse?”
“Yes, in the clubhouse. Grab your stuff,” I say, brushing her hair back. “I have something to show you.”
Mercy raises an eyebrow. “My stuff? Where are we going?”
“Just get your shit together and come with me.” I stand up, adjusting myself as discreetly as possible before I take the duffel from her hand. “Come on.”
Mercy grabs her small bag of toiletries, looking both flustered and amused. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going, or is this one of those ‘trust me’ moments?”
“Definitely a trust me moment,” I say, leading her out of my room and up the stairs. When I push open the door to the guest apartment, she steps ahead of me and looks around.
“What is this place?”
“Our place. For as long as we need it.” I set her bag down so she can explore, watching her face for any sign I’ve overstepped. “Stone had it built for Emma, but she likes the family house better. So now it’s the guest suite. Full apartment, totally private, best security in the clubhouse.”
She walks through slowly, taking in the leather furniture, the kitchen, the massive bed visible through the bedroom door. “This is insane. This place is nicer than most hotels I’ve been kicked out of.”
“You’ve been kicked out of hotels?”
“Haven’t you?” She grins over her shoulder. “What kind of boring life have you been living?”
“Um…what kind of crazy life haveyoubeen living?”
She pauses at the open bedroom door and peers inside. “When I was young, before you-know-who, I was wild.” She turns back to face me and leans against the frame.
“Wild, huh?” I step closer. “What kind of wild are we talking about?”
She smiles, and there’s something mischievous in it, something that makes me want to discover every secret she’s ever kept. “The kind your MC brothers couldn’t keep up with. I’ve calmed down since.”
“I’m not sure I believe that.” I move closer still, crowding her against the doorframe. “The calming down part.”
“Believe it,” she says, spinning away from me and heading toward the couch.Tease.
I follow her, watching the sway of her hips in those cut-offs, the way my shirt hangs loose on her frame. She’s teasing me by putting distance between us, but both she and I know there’s nowhere to go in this apartment that I won’t follow.
“So, who is Emma?” Mercy asks, running her fingers along the leather couch. “I’ve heard Kya mention they grew up together. But I don’t know much more than that.”
“She’s Stone’s daughter—Lee’s kid sister. She and Kya were best friends growing up.”
“MC princess, huh? Where is she now?”
“She’s a prima ballerina in New York.”
“Get out.” Mercy spins to face me. “Stone has a daughter who does ballet? Stone? The guy who looks like he eats nails for breakfast?”
“She’s kind of a big deal, actually. Performs at Lincoln Center and everything.”
“That’s...” Mercy shakes her head. “I can’t picture Stone at a ballet recital.”
