Page 20 of Dr. Stone (Billionaires’ Club #9)

NINETEEN

Andie

I stared into Duke’s tiny, trusting eyes, and it felt like the adorable little guy saw straight into the parts of me I kept hidden.

His eyes reminded me of my sweet girl, Roxy, with the same amber color and honeyed flecks. While Roxy had been a full-sized standard Yorkie with boundless energy, Duke was smaller and carried himself with quiet confidence, making him feel like a perfectly polished little gent.

“Hi, Duke!” I set him on my lap and petted him gently. “Aren’t you the pocket-sized little prince?” I smiled, running my fingers through his perfectly groomed coat, forgetting everything around me. “Your fur is so soft, like melted caramel swirled with espresso.”

“Damn, I’ve got to step my game up now,” Jace said.

I looked over at him, where we sat on his patio. “How so?” I smiled. “You couldn’t be any higher in the running if that’s what you were going for.” I glanced back at Duke. “You are the most adorable, sweetest little man.”

“That right there,” Jace said in his usual smooth, sexy voice. “He’s already earned your trust as the perfect gentleman and the sweetest man.”

I laughed at Jace’s pitiful, playful expression. “And here I thought you’d be more jealous of another man wanting to date me, not a dog the size of my purse.”

“I just know the other man can’t steal your heart like that little fellow. Hell, I can’t even steal your heart by giving him to you.”

“You don’t know that.” I arched an eyebrow at him.

His eyes locked with mine, and my breath caught. How many times that night had I gotten lost in those blue eyes, spellbound as he groaned and moved inside me, dragging out every last wave of pleasure while easing us both down from yet another orgasm?

“What are you thinking about right now?” he asked, his voice a low whisper.

I shook the thoughts and the heat out of my head. “The dog,” I lied, smiling at him.

“No,” he said, his voice filled with the same hunger it carried that night. “You’re lying to me.”

Damn, he was so sexy as hell.

“Fine, I’m lying,” I said, scrambling for a cover.

“I was thinking about how this is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me. I can’t believe you remembered our conversation about my first dog and somehow managed to find what feels like the perfect dog.

” I turned back to Duke, who was stretched on my lap enjoying the attention. “I’m the one intrigued now, Dr. Stone.”

His expression dimmed a little, as if my answer let him down. “Well, I don’t want to lose any points here, but I didn’t necessarily go out searching for him. I suppose he fell in my lap at the right time.”

“Oh?” I said, relaxing as Duke grew calmer. “I’d love to hear how you found him.”

“A patient of mine, who has a Yorkie named Daisy, was recovering from surgery. While I was checking on her vitals one day, our conversation got around to her daughter needing to rehome that little guy,” he said, nodding toward where Duke was now curled in a ball of soft fur, asleep on my lap.

“I also think he’s already in love.” He chuckled, and my heart skipped at his boyish expression.

“Time will tell,” I answered, stroking the soft fur behind Duke’s ears. “Little dogs can be tricky.”

“I’ve heard that, but I think he’s the best little dude. He rode in my lap the entire drive from Long Beach, where I picked him up on my lunch break, and then slept quietly in my office while I saw my last three patients of the day.”

“Seems he’s trained well in obedience,” I said. “If he’s that good at a workplace, then Ash should be fine with him coming to the gallery with me.”

“I’m telling you, I’m impressed. My patient’s daughter, Renee, said he’s extremely smart and well-behaved when you need him to be. He’s got a playful side, and that’s why her kid loved him so much when she got him as a first birthday present.”

“How sad that she had to get rid of him. It’s horrible to have a dog for so long and then give it away, especially when it was a present.”

“I think she’s hit some rough times—vet bills, food, working two jobs, paying for daycare. She had to make the hard choice to let him go to a home where he’d get the attention she and her son couldn’t give him.”

“Oh, that breaks my heart,” I said, truly saddened that hardship had forced them to give up Duke. “If you keep in touch with her or your patient, will you let them know I promise we’ll give him the life they hoped he could have?”

He smiled. “Of course I will.” He stood as the breeze picked up.

A chill filled the air as the sun dipped, and beyond Jace’s perfectly lit pool the sky darkened.

“If you want to stay a little longer, I can turn on the patio heaters and light the gas fireplace to match the ambiance of my party lights.”

I nodded. “This place does have ambiance,” I said, admiring the deep blue of his infinity pool. “I love how you have the spotlights on the palms and banana leaves. I feel like I’m in a tropical resort.”

I pinched my lips to keep from smiling wider when Jace’s jaw tightened and his eyes stayed locked on mine.

“Wouldn’t be anything like what Titus Hawk demands his tropical resorts look like at night, would it?”

I decided to play along, glancing back up at the swaying party lights. “Hmm, I’m not one to compare, but if I had to, I’d need a margarita in my hand, that fireplace lit, and the sound of a live ukulele playing in the background.”

“You’ve come to the right place. I’ve got talent in all those departments,” he said.

I watched him light the fireplace before returning to me.

“Here,” he said, grabbing a remote. “It may not be live music, but the sound system I had custom installed might as well be. Let me get your music going while I mix up that cocktail inside.”

I couldn’t stop smiling. I was genuinely happy, more confident than I’d been in a long time. I liked this unexpected side of Jace. He was proving to be a quiet romantic in his own charming way, and I couldn’t help but adore that he was just a little jealous of Titus.

“So, tell me,” Jace said after we’d both had two margaritas and our minds were loose enough not to give a shit about anything, “are you the type who digs rich tycoons flying you to destinations most people can only dream of?”

“Are you jealous?”

“Absolutely,” he answered without hesitation. “I hate that the guy I’m up against is Titus fucking Hawk. Most women would kill for a first date with him, let alone a second. And here you are, what, on your fifth?”

I rolled my eyes. “If I take him up on dinner tomorrow night, it’ll be my fourth.”

“Jesus Christ, that man is blowing my mind with his pursuit of you,” he said, frowning into his margarita glass.

“You both crack me up, you know?”

“How so?”

“I don’t know if it’s because I’ve never had two gorgeous men hot on my ass, or because you’re both crazy, but it’s like you’re competing over something, and I’m not entirely sure it’s me.”

His expression sobered, the lightness fading.

“I don’t know what Titus is after. Everyone knows he’s never been tempted to settle down, so I can’t speak for him.

But for myself…” His voice grew quieter, more reflective.

“I’m following something in me that wants more with you.

Truthfully, I was just like Titus before I met you, but after the night we shared, I haven’t gotten you out of my head. ”

My breath caught at his words. I had felt the same way, but I hadn’t thought he did.

I’d assumed this was just a power play between billionaire friends, and I was along for the ride, a source of ego while they competed.

With Titus, it was all fun and surface-level.

With Jace, it felt different. There was something deeper I couldn’t explain, a pull that made me want more, even if I was afraid to admit it.

“I thought this was just some silly game between the two of you,” I said.

“It may be a game to Titus, but not to me. I want to know you better. I know I’ve wasted a lot of time working and letting Titus date the fuck out of you, but I’m done sitting back. If he wants you, he’ll have to work for it, just like I do.”

“I look forward to that, but I need to cut this short and get my son.” I grinned, stood up, and instantly realized I wouldn’t be driving anywhere. “Shit,” I muttered, head spinning. “I shouldn’t have had that second margarita.” I rubbed my temple, shifting Duke into my arm. “I have to get Brandon.”

“I’m not buzzed at all,” he said, chuckling at my lightweight status. “Let me drive you to Ash and Jake’s.”

“I would normally decline, but since I drank without eating today, I’ll take that offer.”

“I’ll get my keys,” he said, stepping closer. “I wish I could beg you to stay longer, but I can’t steal you from your boy like that.” His smile was tender, and my heart warmed that he’d consider Brandon over his own needs.

“Perfect response,” I said, tipsy and happy.

He stepped forward, eyes locked on mine with quiet intensity as his hand cupped my face.

I hadn’t realized how much I’d been yearning for his touch until that moment—the warmth of his hand, the way his eyes stayed on mine, the subtle, nervous bite of his lip wrapping around me like gravity I didn’t want to resist.

“I want more with you. I swear to God, I won’t mess this up,” he exhaled. “I may not be the best in relationships, but dammit, I’m going to try. If I can be a genius with the physical side of the heart—performing transplants and shit—I sure as hell can figure out the emotional side of it.”

He gave a tiny smile just before leaning down to seal his words with a kiss. My heart took off, and my mind went blank with the desire to feel his lips on mine.

Unfortunately, Duke wasn’t having it, and for the first time, the little gentleman rudely interrupted us. His barking sounded like he was yelling at Jace. We both laughed when my little protector decided to break the moment.

“Well, that’s going to suck,” Jace said with a laugh, looking at Duke. “The last thing I need, aside from you stopping me from kissing the girl, is you proving Jake Mitchell right about being a cock-blocking yapper.”

Duke barked again, sharp and deliberate—his way of saying if Jace planned on sticking around, he’d need to get past the gatekeeper first.

“No, Duke,” I ordered, which only made the dog go after Jace more. “Looks like you’ll need some obedience training when it comes to listening to me,” I said as sternly as I could, trying not to laugh.

“I’ll be paying for that shit, too,” Jace said with a small laugh, just as Duke gave him a look that could only be described as canine for Go fuck yourself.

I hadn’t expected to end up with this little guy tonight, and I definitely hadn’t expected the sincerity I’d gotten from Jace. We didn’t go deep, but his honesty felt real and raw.

For the first time—maybe thanks to the margaritas—I let myself consider this could actually lead somewhere if we both stayed open to it. Right now, with a little booze and a lot of adrenaline, I was completely down for that.

Maybe I’d feel differently once I sobered up, but for now, the mix of fear and excitement felt like the best part.