Page 26 of Dr. Stone (Billionaires’ Club #9)
“No,” I said, surprised the gossip hadn’t reached Nat’s ears by now. Then again, my life wasn’t exactly important enough for anyone in these circles to care about. “I was invited by Titus.”
“Titus fucking Hawk, you say?” Nat nearly spit her champagne back into her glass.
“Honey, that man is smooth as silk and sweeter than tea at an Alabama summer barbecue. How the hell did you manage to capture the attention of a man who never brings a woman to his own events?” Her grin was wicked, playful.
I’d forgotten how disarmingly blunt she was. The night I wandered off the yacht and into Jace’s orbit, she’d cracked me up with her lively, overly sensual commentary.
“I’m as clueless as you are,” I admitted honestly.
“You give yourself much too little credit,” she said, and Avery nodded in agreement.
“She does,” Avery added. “And what I’m about to say is really going to get your attention.”
“Go on,” Nat smirked at me, then turned back to Avery as she drained her glass with glamorous ease. “From the look on your face, Av, I’m going to need another drink.”
“Well,” Avery began, eyes glinting, “our goddess here caught Titus’s attention when she sold him a piece from Ash’s gallery.”
“As I said, you’re a pro when it comes to selling art, but now it seems you’ve managed to upsell yourself on a man whose ego has its own zip code. That’s just my style, honey,” she beamed.
“Well, she sold Titus in the gallery, and you and I haven’t spoken much since, but you remember she also sold Jace all night on Jake’s yacht, too?”
“Hell yes,” Nat said, snatching another glass of champagne.
“Goddamn, why would any of you leave me out of this ?” She looked from me to Avery, “Avery, you know very well that we’ve not had any juicy shit like this since Darcy sat Sebastian Aster on his ass and taught him how to say please ,” she chuckled, then looked at me again.
“And you, sister. Damn. You have no idea how many vicious bitches would dream to be in your shoes.”
“That’s the thing,” I cringed, “I didn’t really plan this.”
“Well, if you didn’t and it all found you, then you’re just brilliant. Jace mother fucking Stone and Titus holy fuck Hawk?” she smiled. “Baby, what a pleasurable experience you’ve embarked on with those two deliciously gorgeous delights.”
“Again, I’m just sort of seeing them. Titus and I haven’t even…” I paused, wondering if this was really the conversation for tonight.
“Don’t you dare start with modesty because we’re surrounded by people who’ve committed worse scandals than you could ever dream,” Nat said. “Go on.”
“Well, we haven’t been intimate yet, and since that night on the yacht, neither have Jace and I.”
Nat’s eyes narrowed at me. “You seem to be apprehensive about this,” she said. “But why wouldn’t you want to fuck around and soak up all the glorious joy? You’re single, babe. Single with two hot men who seem to be competing for you.”
“Jace is in it to win it, for sure,” Avery said when I had no response. “Titus, well, we’re waiting to see what the hell that man’s up to.”
“We?” Nat arched a brow. “We, as in who all knows about this shit?”
“It’s not exactly public—for Andie’s sake,” Avery said smoothly.
“But Jim and I know more than we should thanks to Ash and Jake. And before your blunt mouth barged in,” she added with a teasing smile, “I was about to get the inside scoop on how these two are stacking up while they compete for our sexy mama here.”
Nat grinned like Christmas came early. “Sounds like I’m caught up.
Except we still haven’t settled whether the rumors are true and Jace Stone is as hot in bed as a five-alarm fire.
We’ll circle back. Right now, I need details.
How do these two compare in this delicious little love triangle I apparently missed the memo on? ”
“I have no idea,” I lied, lifting my glass to cover the hitch in my chest.
Shit. Just hearing Jace’s name kept tripping my pulse, butterflies colliding in my stomach. God, I didn’t need this shit right now—not when I was already battling my own damn thoughts.
“Oh, you have an idea,” Nat chimed, wagging her glass. “So, how long has this circus been running?”
“Close to a month, maybe? I don’t know. I’ve lost track.”
“Then let’s map it out,” Nat said, clapping her hands like a teacher with homework.
“We don’t need answers tonight,” Avery chuckled, trying to redirect.
“The hell we don’t.” Nat shot Avery a look, then turned back to me with a grin that promised trouble.
“Tell me—what’s Captain Smooth over there doing besides hauling you to events that scare off half the female population?
Has he given you anything real? Something that doesn’t come wrapped in five-star service and a champagne tower? ”
I let out a shaky laugh, though my stomach was in knots. I didn’t need this shit right now, not when my mind was already a war zone of Jace versus Titus.
“Our first date was just dinner,” I said. “Then a few more nights out. He even flew me to one of his resorts in Mexico for the weekend. But nothing like this.” I waved vaguely at the sparkle and excess surrounding us. “Not a grand opening built in his mother’s honor.”
“Where?” Nat leaned in, eyes glittering.
“At Solara,” Avery answered with a grin, clearly enjoying this.
Nat’s whistle was low and filthy. “Baby girl, if you’re into the luxe life, Titus might just edge out our sexy Dr. Stone. But—” she tipped her glass my way, “I’m betting the good doctor’s the one who actually keeps you up at night.”
She wasn’t wrong. And that truth made me want to drain my champagne in one gulp.
“You’re being honest with yourself and very wise,” Nat said, angling her champagne flute toward me like a dare. “Now tell me, how’s Stone doing in the dating department?”
“He’s… different.” I adjusted the glass in my hand, trying not to fidget. “He helped me take my sick kid to the ER to see his pediatrician friend. And he remembered I once told him about my favorite childhood pet. When someone needed a Yorkie rehomed, he adopted him for me.”
Nat’s brows shot up. The woman who thrived on diamonds and gossip actually pressed a hand to her heart. “Jace did that? The playboy who usually treats remorse like a four-letter word? That man went sentimental and adorable?”
“It caught me off guard too,” I admitted, while Avery’s knowing smile stretched wider, like she’d been waiting for me to slip.
“Honey, this is simple math,” Nat declared, swirling her glass before pointing it across the room toward Titus.
“On one side, you’ve got Captain Smooth.
Yachts, private chefs, diamonds, red carpets, the whole glittering circus.
He’ll spoil you rotten, and I’d bet money the sex is a religious experience.
” She leaned closer, voice dropping to a conspiratorial murmur.
“And then you’ve got Jace Stone. World-class in the bedroom—don’t even deny it, your eyes light up at the sound of his name.
” She chuckled when my pulse betrayed me.
“But he’s also spoiling you emotionally, sweetheart.
That’s bigger than money, especially from a man who’s got more of it than most countries combined. ”
I exhaled, the weight of her words sinking in, squeezing something tight in my chest. “Right.”
Nat tilted her glass at me like she’d just solved a riddle.
“Face it. Jace already has your heart. Titus is a fairytale you’re sampling.
But Jace is the real thing, standing right behind your ribcage whether you admit it or not.
” Her grin curved slow and wicked. “And from where I’m standing, game over. ”
We all laughed as the subject moved back to Titus’s grand opening, and even though Nat was going hard tonight, I welcomed the nosy dive into my dating life. She made it flirty and fun, but underneath it, I was starting to realize I was wasting time with Titus.
I felt it the moment we stepped into his world—surrounded by people who lived for the sparkle. I didn’t belong here, and I didn’t even want to. I had a beautiful son at home, a ridiculous little dog, and a man who was offering sincerity instead of charm.
Titus and I were playing a superficial game. Fun, distracting, and filled with luxury—but still a game. What Jace was giving me felt more real, more my style. And even though his family carried the same weight as the rest of these elites, I’d never have known if Ash and Avery hadn’t told me.
Something inside me finally clicked. I needed to find out why I kept being pulled to Jace. Stringing Titus along across the Western Hemisphere was just wasting everyone’s time. I’d miss him, but we’d never gone deep enough for it to hurt.
I wasn’t sad. Just ready. After this weekend, I’d stop pretending—and finally see what could happen with Jace.