Page 30 of Dr. Stone (Billionaires’ Club #9)
TWENTY-SIX
Andie
After rejoining everyone, we began eating food that was nothing short of refined culinary artistry. The menu offered a playful yet comforting nod to the culture of the resort, and the Michelin-starred chefs went aboveboard in showcasing their talents while accommodating this particular group.
It was difficult to stay focused after what had happened with Titus. Even after he’d kissed me senseless—and despite the knowing smiles on the faces of those who had clearly noticed—I couldn’t contain the restless urge building inside me. I wanted to be back in the States. With Jace.
It felt as if the moment I admitted what my heart already knew, everything inside me shifted. My emotions. My desire. That old saying suddenly made sense—you find love when you’re not looking for it.
“How’s your filet, love?” Titus asked after finishing his conversation with Jim.
“It’s delicious,” I replied, though I’d barely touched it.
I was embarrassed that my appetite had been replaced with anticipation. The best part was knowing the man I wanted apparently wanted me just as much. He’d simply been a few steps ahead of me all along.
“Very good,” Titus said, his smile warmer than ever. His eyes flicked to my barely disturbed plate. “If it doesn’t suit you, you need only say the word and I’ll have something else prepared. Perhaps pizza?” He chuckled before taking a bite of his steak.
I laughed softly. “I have no idea why I don’t have much of an appetite,” I admitted, while everyone around the table carried on in quiet conversation over their meals.
Titus smirked. “Perhaps you feel you’ve made a horrible decision, choosing the wrong man to spoil you with passion and purpose for the rest of your life?”
“Proposing marriage, are you?” I teased, laughing under my breath.
“Why the hell not?” he shot back, more playful and carefree than I’d ever seen him. “Anything to keep the girl, right?”
Once our plates were cleared, the atmosphere shifted, the dinner morphing into a more casual setting for guests to mingle. That was when I was introduced to some of Titus’s dearest, longtime family friends: the Stone family.
I had to bite back a laugh at the irony.
Instead of putting on a show that this would be Titus’s and my last appearance as a couple, which would only stir more gossip, we silently agreed to enjoy the evening as planned.
Still, the moment I was swept into Jace’s arms after tonight, everyone would have plenty of shit to say about me anyway.
“This is a most excellent tribute to your mother, Titus,” Everett Stone said as he extended his hand. Jace’s father was an imposing man, the kind who didn’t need to say much; his presence filled the space without effort.
“Everything I was hoping to hear,” Titus replied with a rare, easy smile. “Your opinions on my investments have always been held in high regard.”
While Titus continued talking with the Stones, I stayed quiet, studying Jace’s parents.
They hung on his every word about the personalization of the resort and his reconciliation with his aunt.
Their approval seemed to carry more weight than any investor’s signature, almost as if their nod alone could open the doors to the public in two days when the event was over.
Jace’s father carried a quiet command, dressed in a bespoke suit the same deep blue as the night sky.
He looked every inch the billionaire tycoon, blending seamlessly with the crowd around us.
His silver hair was combed neatly back, a sharp contrast to his sun-browned skin and piercing steel-blue eyes—Jace’s eyes.
His expression held a balance of admiration and critique.
Clearly impressed with Titus, yet too seasoned to show it outright.
Beside him, Jace’s mother was the embodiment of timeless sophistication.
Her floor-length gown shimmered with crystal embroidery, like starlight scattered across water.
Blonde hair curled and swept to one side revealed diamond drop earrings that caught every flicker of light.
She was the kind of woman who turned heads with a whisper, never a shout.
“It is all perfectly lovely,” Victoria said with poise, her voice calm but resonant.
“Isabel would be dearly impressed that her vision has been brought to life, and that her darling son made it happen.” Her icy blue eyes shifted to me, locking on with quiet intensity.
“It is always a pleasure to meet a dear friend of Titus’s.
Forgive me if I seem surprised—Titus has never introduced us to any of his lady friends.
” A smile curved her lips, softening her tone. “You must be very special indeed.”
My stomach tightened. What the hell was I supposed to say to my maybe-boyfriend’s parents while clinging to Titus’s arm like some rare ornament? If I wasn’t ready for Jace to meet my dad, there was no way I was ready for this.
“That’s very kind of you to say,” I managed, scrambling for composure. “I’m humbled he thought to invite me.”
“We’re all humbled this guy thought to invite any of us,” a tall, dark-haired man chimed in, his features a strong echo of Jace’s mother. His grin was easy, but his words carried weight, pulling every set of eyes back to Titus.
“This is Jace’s younger brother, Dorian,” Titus said with a broad smile. “It’s a good thing he lives in Madrid, because if Jace and his brother were ever in the same place, hearts would be shattered night and day.”
“You’re one to talk, my man,” Dorian replied, his amused eyes flicking toward me. “Very lovely to meet you, Miss…?”
“This is my lovely date, Andie Miller,” Titus said smoothly.
As Jace’s parents drifted away, Dorian took my hand. His gaze lingered, curious and sharp, as if he were trying to unravel who I was and why Titus had brought me here. He didn’t strike me as younger than Jace—if anything, his presence mirrored their father’s commanding gravity.
It was surreal, realizing the Jace I knew belonged to this family.
I never would’ve guessed Dr. Jace Stone had grown up surrounded by this much privilege and power.
Somehow, it only deepened my admiration for him—that he chose medicine, chose saving lives, instead of drowning in the extravagance around him.
“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 with that man?”
“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 of the 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.