Page 5

KENDALL

“I’m never going to fucking goddamn learn!” Stone growls as he pushes past me into the house. He drops something on the table, stomps into his room, and slams the door. A minute later, I hear the shower start.

What just happened?

I cross my arms over my waist, feeling confused as hell. Stone’s giving me whiplash. He asked me to marry him, kissed the hell out of me, then told his friend I was way too young for him, and now... I don’t know what’s happening.

On the table is a small, nondescript black box.

It must be what Stone found when he searched around my car.

I’m not a mechanic, but judging by Stone’s fury, I can guess this isn’t a normal part of a vehicle.

Which means it was probably placed there, and only one person comes to mind—Ilya.

Did he track my location and follow me? Did I put Stone in danger by coming here?

My stomach flips, and suddenly I feel sick.

That’s when my phone dings with a text. I rush over and find one tiny bar of signal. Enough to receive a single message.

Ryan: Dammit Kendall. Call me.

I stare at the words for a beat, then reach for Stone’s house phone. I can’t risk losing my brother’s call with bad cell service.

He picks up on the second ring.

“What the hell, Sis? You’re at Stone’s? If I hadn’t seen his number on my caller ID, I’d think your messages were fucking with me,” Ryan snaps. It sounds like he’s driving.

Is he for real? He’s mad because I’m with Stone?

I clench the phone feeling my heartbeat spike.

“Don’t yell at me, Ryan. I’ve been worried about you since you walked out and didn’t come back.

I had Ilya Petrova’s man driving past our house every damn minute and you wouldn’t return my calls.

What was I supposed to do when your time was up?

Wait to see if Ilya was kidding about using me to pay your debt? ”

“I told you I’d take care of it.”

“Have you?”

He falls silent.

“Did you pay him, Ryan?”

I hear a thump, like he slammed his fist on something. “No. I tried to find him, to talk to him and get more time. But he wasn’t at his usual places. I couldn’t exactly walk up and ask his people.”

When I don’t respond, he snarls, “Enough about my problems. Let’s talk about why you ran to my ex-best friend the second there’s even a hint of trouble.”

“Because I didn’t have anyone else to go to! I thought he could help us. That maybe since he’d been trying to reach you, he hadn’t completely written you off like everyone else has.”

“That’s low, Kendall.”

I sink into the nearest chair, suddenly feeling hollow. Spent. Sometimes I don’t recognize my brother anymore.

“You know why we aren’t friends. Fuck, you were there for half the fight. He wrote me off long before that party, Kendall. So don’t count on him to be there for anyone but himself.”

“Like you?” The words are out before I can censor them. They’re how I feel, but I never wanted to hurt him by saying so.

He sucks in a sharp breath. “I’m nothing like him.”

No, he’s not. Stone has done nothing but protect and care for me in the one day I’ve been here. I haven’t had that from Ryan in years. “I’m sorry.” For my words, and my feelings. Because it feels like Ryan just set fire to the last bridge connecting us.

“Tell it to my face when I get there.”

He’s coming here?

“Is that your brother?” All of a sudden, Stone is beside me pulling the phone out of my hand. “What the fuck, Ryan?” he barks. “Leaving your baby sister to a man like Petrova?”

I hear a string of muffled curses, then a click and a dial tone. Ryan hung up.

Stone tosses the phone on the counter and turns to me. That’s when I realize that he’s standing in the kitchen wearing only a towel around his waist. Rivulets of water trickle down from his damp hair, over the hard planes of his chest and the dusting of hair there.

I follow a droplet as it courses over rock hard abs, dipping in and out of the intriguing ridges in a winding descent toward a thick blue towel. The desire to catch it with my tongue is nearly overwhelming. I lick my lips.

“Kendall.” Stone’s voice sounds strained.

It snaps my attention back to him. God, I was ogling him after everything that just happened. I can’t do this. I can’t be near a half-naked Stone when I’m confused about his actions, angry at my brother, and afraid that I put people I care about in danger.

“I’m going outside.” Maybe a walk in the fresh air will settle my rioting emotions long enough to think straight.

Stone catches my wrist. “It’s not safe, honey.” He points to the black box he took off my car. “That’s a tracker. There’s an excellent chance Petrova knows exactly where you are. He might already be here.”

I tug my arm from his grip and look out the window.

Thick, dark clouds obscure the sky, promising rain.

With the storm rolling in, I wouldn’t have gone far anyway.

Now I’m trapped in a cabin with an extremely sexy man who would marry me just to protect me but doesn’t want me because I’m too young for him.

And even if he did, Ryan would see our relationship as a betrayal.

Hell, if Ilya shows up, maybe he’ll drag me away and none of this will matter.

I’ve got a headache. The pain stabs at my temple, making it throb.

“Give me a minute to get dressed, Kendall. Then we can talk, okay?”

No. Nothing is okay. But what choice do I have? “Fine.”

A strange look crosses his face. He strides into his bedroom, and a few minutes later, returns wearing jeans and a gray T-shirt that molds to his muscles and matches his eyes.

It’s unfair to be stuck with a man this hot who’s only interest is in protecting me. Somehow, that makes my head hurt more.

Now that he’s dressed, I’m uncomfortable wearing only his flannel shirt.

Last night, it felt warm and comforting, even a bit sexy.

Now I feel exposed. I hurry to the bedroom and dig through my bag, pulling out a pair of black leggings.

Unfortunately, the only shirt I packed that’s long enough to cover my ass is a frilly pink blouse I wear to work.

Looks like I’m sticking with the flannel. At least I can have leggings under it.

Rain is already pouring when I rejoin Stone. He’s sitting on the couch with a fresh cup of coffee in hand. On the small side table, I see a cup for me. One sip and I realize he’s made it exactly the way I like, with plenty of milk and a spoon of sugar.

Ryan’s lived with me for three months and has no idea how I like my coffee. I sink onto the couch beside him. The coffee soothes the tightness in my throat and my headache begins to ebb. Stone wants to talk, but I have nothing to say. These last two days have been overwhelming.

“Kendall, I’m sorry for storming in here and ignoring you earlier.

Seeing that tracker pissed me off. I should have found it yesterday.

I should have thought to look .” His eyes squeeze close.

When he opens them again, there’s a pain I’ve never seen before in their depths.

“I just hope my mistake doesn’t come back to bite me in the ass again. ”

There’s a story there causing him to doubt himself. It’s written on his face. “Again?”

“First Ryan and our friendship. Maybe if I hadn’t been so caught up in my own life…

paid more attention to what he wasn’t saying…

Then a few months ago, I almost got some friends hurt.

Wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings, and even though I used to be a fucking SEAL, some dirtbags took me down fast. They used me as leverage to draw my buddy and his woman out of hiding.

It could have ended badly. Would have, except Derek’s a badass.

He’d bury anyone who tried to hurt his girl. ”

Our gazes meet. A fire begins to burn in my veins from the intensity.

“The same way I feel about you.” He brushes a lock of hair off my cheek and tucks it behind my ear. The move is tender and makes my belly flutter.

“Stone…” I want this man so much, my chest aches. “You couldn’t have known about the tracker. And what happened with Ryan, that’s partially on him. He should have talked to you.” He seems to consider my words, then shrugs them off like he can’t give up the guilt.

“Ryan is still in trouble, Bratva is looking for you, and you’re stuck with your brother’s ex-best friend until the storm lets up.”

“At least you’ll keep me safe through the storm.”

Stone’s deep gray eyes sharpen on me. He reaches forward, grips my hips, and pulls me onto his lap, with my legs to the side. He cups my cheek in one large hand, tilting my head until I can’t help but drown in the intensity of his silver gaze.

“This storm and any others, baby girl.”

I swallow past the sudden lump in my throat.

I want him to mean that. It’s always been Stone.

I realize that now. I crushed on him as a teen, but even in college, he was there in the back of my mind, never far from my heart.

He’s a hero, and not just to me. He saved countless lives during his time in the SEALs.

How can I not look up to him? Or feel the warmth of love creep in when he didn’t hesitate to take me in yesterday, and declare he’d stand between me and the coming storm?

Maybe I’ve always been in love with Stone Colter and didn’t realize it.

My parents and Ryan will have meltdowns over it. But you know what? I no longer care. I’ve never gone after what I wanted. It’s been dictated to me. This time, I’m letting my heart decide. If that means losing the love of my family, then so be it. It’s their loss.

“What about when this thing with Ryan is over?”

He presses his forehead to mine. “Stay with me. You’re mine, Kendall. I won’t let you go without a fight.”

“Even against my brother? Being with you would probably sever any hope of rekindling your friendship. Are you willing to give that up?”

He pulls me astride his lap, holding me against his chest. “Yes.”

My heart beats harder. He didn’t even take the time to consider a response. “Are you sure? I don’t want my heart broken, Stone. We barely know each other as adults. You think I’m too young for you. What if, in a few days or weeks when you know me better, you change your mind?”

“It won’t happen. Remember that day you turned eighteen, and I came to your pool party?”

How could I forget? That’s the day I lost Stone and my brother, just in different ways.

“You wore that tiny red bikini and nearly gave me a heart attack. I thought you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.

You still are, Kendall. Only now your beauty goes beyond this long, dark hair, pretty eyes, and tiny red triangles.

” One corner of his mouth tips up as he looks down my body to my breasts and hips. “Which I want to see you in again.”

I giggle. The heat in his eyes is turning them more silver than gray, and I can’t look away. “I don’t know about that. I’ve put on some weight.”

“Mhmm,” he murmurs, voice laden with appreciation. “Now you’re perfect.”

Hardly, but it melts my heart that he thinks so.“I wanted to say yes,” I whisper.

“To what?”

“When you asked me to marry you. I know it was just to protect me, but I wanted to say yes anyway. Even if I only had you as mine for a few days, I wanted them.”

“It was never just about protection, Kendall.” He cups my cheek, feathering his thumb across my skin. “It’s you.” He nips my lower lip, then slides his tongue across it.

“I want this. I want you, Stone.” Even if it costs me everything. It’s terrifying and freeing all at the same time.

His hands tremble as they slide under the hem of my shirt. “You sure?”

I answer him with a fierce, hungry kiss full of everything I can’t put into words.

He grips my hips and grinds the hard length of his cock between my thighs. “Is this what you need, baby girl?” he rasps.

I roll my hips against his, feeling the ache between my thighs only he can soothe. “Yes.” He feels so good. “More.”

He chuckles against my neck, placing a hot kiss there. “Oh, there’s much more.” Then he lifts me into his arms and carries me to his bed.