Page 16 of Dr. Stone (Billionaires’ Club #9)

FIFTEEN

Jace

I turned off Via Marina onto Strand Street, the city’s noise fading with every block. The road narrowed, the air cooled, and the ocean took over. By the time I reached my place, the driveway was lined with towering palms, framing the house like a private retreat.

Glass and stone rose ahead—a modern fortress, clean lines catching the last slant of sunlight. At the far end of the block, the sand began its quiet takeover, and the horizon opened into endless blue.

The black iron gate slid open with a whisper. I eased the Aston past the main entrance, down the side where the garage stayed hidden from street view. The front might’ve been designed to impress, but the real indulgence was underneath.

Motion sensors flicked on as the underground garage opened, bathing polished concrete in warm light.

My cars sat in neat formation like an exhibition: the Ferrari 296 GTB, a vintage black Porsche 911, a McLaren that could outrun a heartbeat.

The Aston slipped back into its spot like it belonged there.

A little over the top? Sure. But after spending my days cutting open chests and racing death in the OR, I needed my own brand of therapy—fast cars, open water, anything that reminded me I was still alive.

And when I wanted peace instead of adrenaline, I turned to the ocean.

Via Her —my sailboat—was my one constant, named as a quiet nod to the only lady I’d ever truly commit to.

I stepped out into the salt-heavy air. Waves rolled just beyond the dune, steady and unhurried, nothing like the pace of my days. I was finally home.

And my next move? Call Andie.

I’d let a week pass since inviting her out on my boat—long enough, I figured, for her to get Titus out of her system.

Truth was, I’d never really done the whole dating thing.

And I sure as hell had never found myself in a pissing contest with Hawk.

If I was being honest, it felt a lot like setting myself up to lose, maybe even on purpose. Like I wasn’t sure I deserved to win.

What I couldn’t figure out was why I hadn’t just told Titus to back off. I knew he would if I asked because that’s the kind of friend he was, but something about doing it didn’t sit right with me. Who the hell was I to decide who Andie could date?

I almost wished I didn’t have a conscience. Shit would be easier and much more predictable. But then again, my entire life and career were anything but predictable. I thrived in the realm of the unknown; I wasn’t scared of it.

The second I walked through the door, I loosened my tie and shrugged off my blazer, slinging it over the back of the nearest chair.

After twelve straight hours in the office, seeing patient after patient and analyzing chart after chart, I was damn glad to be home.

And even more grateful I got to call this place mine .

The house greeted me with its usual silence, allowing only a faint echo of Pacific waves beyond the glass. I unfastened the top two buttons of my shirt, rolled my sleeves up, and made my way to the kitchen.

All I wanted was a fucking beer and the chance to finally make my move. It was time to call Andie and arrange to take her out on my sailboat.

God only knows how her trip to Catalina went with Titus, and I wouldn’t ask.

I didn’t want to think about that. Jake even tried to pry through his wife, but Ash wouldn’t say a damn word about it.

The one time I needed those women to bring up their drama and gossip was the one time their lips were sealed like a damn vault.

I was sure that if Ash knew Titus had me beat and there was no chance for me, she would call me off. She wasn’t the type to let anyone hang out to dry.

I popped open the fridge, grabbed a beer, and twisted the cap off without breaking stride. My backyard unfolded like a well-kept secret—a sleek stone patio, glass railings, and an infinity pool that looked like it spilled straight into the ocean.

No fences and no neighbors. Just raw coastline stretching endlessly in both directions, the soft crash of waves rolling over the sand far below.

My place stood high above my own private slice of shoreline, something I never took for granted. It was one of those special places that are nearly impossible to find, even for people with a fortune to blow.

I sank into one of the teak loungers at the edge of the pool, took a sip of beer, and pulled out my phone.

Here we fucking go…

My heart picked up its pace, waiting for this sex goddess to answer, but to my dismay, the call went to her voicemail. I wished she would’ve answered and put me out of my misery, but I had to leave a brief message instead, hoping she’d call me back.

Five minutes later, the phone vibrated, and we were in business. At least, I hoped.

“Hey, gorgeous,” I said, feeling more relaxed.

“Gorgeous would be the exact opposite of what I look like on the other end of this phone,” she said with an exhausted laugh.

“Uh-oh,” I said, sitting up some. “Everything okay?”

She softly sighed, and I could sense she was at the end of her rope for whatever reason. “Well, this might completely turn you off and save you the trouble of asking me out, but I haven’t told you yet that I have a son?—”

“A one-year-old named Brandon, right?” I smoothly and confidently cut her off.

“Oh? I guess I should’ve known my one-night stand would not only be a stalker who shows up unexpectedly at my job but also a man who knows the names and ages of my family members?”

I smiled at the sassy humor in her voice. She wasn’t as bold and dominant as she had been all night with me on Jake’s yacht, and I had to admit that I liked this casual side of her.

“Well, it’s not hard to stalk your sexy ass since our bosses are married,” I answered.

“True,” she laughed.

“So, what’s your main man doing to wear out his mama tonight?” I asked with a smile, imagining my golden sun goddess with her hair a mess, dressed in sweats and an oversized shirt, chasing her son around the house.

“Well,” she sighed, “my parents were on their way down here to get him for the weekend when he threw up all over the gown that Titus bought for me to go to the opera with him in San Francisco tonight.”

Fucking hell, Hawk. Still interested after two dates? How was that man latching on like this? This was completely unlike him, but it was also completely unlike me.

What was this woman doing to both of us? I mean, it’s like she was the billionaire playboy whisperer or some shit, and Titus and I were being brought to our cocky knees by her.

“Your silence speaks volumes,” she chuckled while I heard bathwater in the background.

I ignored her comment and decided to bring up a better topic that had nothing to do with another man, “It sounds like you’re enjoying a nice hot bubble bath. I can imagine your sexy ass reclined back, hair pulled up, and your soaking wet body?—”

“I’m giving Brandon a bath,” she laughed. “Sorry to destroy your sexy visual.”

“Trust me, nothing can destroy my sexy visuals of you,” I said. “Listen, I don’t want to interfere with anything. I can call back tomorrow?”

“Nah, you’re good,” she said. “I’m getting him out of the tub now, giving him some meds for his fever, and putting him to bed.”

“A fever? What’s he sick with, the flu?”

“I think it’s his ears,” she said. “He’s been teething and might have an ear infection.”

“If you want, I can head to your place and take you both to see Dr. Brandt. He’s a top pediatrician at Saint John’s, and he is my buddy. I’m sure he owes me for something anyway.”

“While that sounds enticing, I wouldn’t want to?—”

I smiled. This was my in, unfolding so perfectly it felt like the angels had orchestrated it.

I had the chance to prove I was great with kids—with her kid.

Brandt would definitely give me some points for stepping in while he was on call tonight.

But the real win, and the reason I knew God was throwing me a bone in this dogfight, was that her son had unknowingly canceled Hawk’s opera night in San Francisco.

Divine intervention had never looked so fucking good.

“It’s already done,” I said. “Give me your address, and I’ll take you to see Cam. He’s working on-call in pediatrics. I saw him before I got off work tonight.”

“I hate doing shit like this, though, getting favors from people,” she said. “And for God’s sake, I hardly know you…”

“Well, at the rate you and Titus are moving, you’ll never get to know me. I can’t believe that bastard already secured another date with you.”

“ That bastard ,” she mocked me, “was going to have me meet him at his place where his private chopper would whisk us away.”

I rolled my eyes, “All fine and good, gorgeous, but money can’t get you in to see the best pediatrician in the state when your son needs antibiotics.”

“Awe, you’re definitely playing the Prince Charming role, aren’t you?” she teased. “All right, I’ll text you my address and accept your generous offer. You’re saving me from calling in sick on Ash tomorrow.”

“See? Another reason Titus can’t compete. How’d the guy respond when you told him you had to cancel for your sick son?”

“He was completely understanding,” she said.

“It figures,” I teased as I heard her son start to whine.

“Okay, I think I need to get a move on. You don’t need to drive all the way here to get us, you know?”

“I know I don’t need to. I want to. Text me the address, and I’ll head there as soon as I lock it into my GPS.”

We hung up, she texted her address, and my dumbass walked into my garage and stared at all my two-seater sports cars. Like a moron, I’d fucking insisted on picking up Andie and her son, but I didn’t have one goddamn vehicle with more than two seats.

Think, Jace…

“Hey Siri, call Jake,” I said.

“What’s up, dude?” he answered the call.

“Hey, can I borrow Ash’s Range Rover? I’ll meet you at your house, and you can take my car.”

“Only if you’re bringing the McLaren.”

“Really? The one car you know I won’t let anyone drive or even touch?”

“That’s the one,” he said. “You know that’s the only reason I’d choose it. What do you need Ash’s car for anyway?”

“I’m taking Andie and her son to see Brandt in the ER.”

“Is everything okay?”

“It’s probably just an ear infection or something.”

“Ha, nice savior move, man,” I heard him say with a laugh. “Okay, let me make sure it’s cleared out, and I’ll wait for you to get here.”

I ended the call, adrenaline pulsing through me as excitement took hold. I’d confirmed with Brandt, and he’d be ready when we arrived.

Now came the part I had no experience with, acting like a parent and rushing a sick kid to the hospital for an ear infection.

As weird as it sounded, the thought thrilled me even more than the idea of taking her sailing for the first official date I’d been planning.