Page 87 of Stone: The Precursor

“I already fed him.”

That makes me plop down in my seat. “Uh…You did?”

“Yeah. Gave him some donuts and cheese.”

“You what!?” I screech. My fork clatters on the plate.Stone laughs, bending at the waist. “You asshole! He can’t eat that!”

His bellows only get louder, and as much as he’s annoying me, I like the gruff sounds. His face is even sexier when he laughs, showing his teeth.“I’m serious, Stone! Jagger has a very specific organic diet!”

“So he’s prissy like you, huh?” My eyes roll again, and before I can correct him, he interrupts me. “Relax. I went to the pet store and got him some mealworms.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “You’re a jerk you know that?”

“No thank you, Countess? For feeding your precious pet?”

“Thank you. Asshole.”

He chuckles again. “You’re welcome. Brat.”

The teasing feels good. Different from what we’ve done before. This man is dangerous to my body and mind. Something teases at my brain about what he said. “When did you go? To the pet store?”

He observes me when I answer. “When you were asleep.”

I remember it. When Stone watched me from the doorway. Unspoken words between us. I wanted him to sleep with me again, hold me, and curl that big body around my much smaller one, but he left me there. “And how did you know what a beardie eats?”

“I have pets.”

“You do?” He looks at me funny, and I wonder why. He has a pet. I can’t picture him with one.

“Yeah. They are voracious eaters.”

“They?”

“Hmmm.”

He picks up his cup, and from the look on his face, he won’t elaborate. I hold in my sigh. “Aren’t you going to eat?” I ask around a bite of bacon.

“No.”

“Then it’s weird that you’re watching me.”

He slowly lowers his coffee cup. “You don’t like me watching you?”

Those dark orbs lock on me, and it should be unnerving, but I’m determined not to let him intimidate me. Fine. He wants to watch me? I make sure to lick my lips after each bite, and hiseyes follow my every move.His watching feels good. I like his complete focus on me. It reminds me of what Barry said about him watching his partners fuck each other.

“You like teasing, Countess?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t done it much,” I murmur. My voice sounds husky to my own ears. I pick up my own coffee and sip, hoping it helps my voice return to normal. The blaring sound of his phone breaks the spell between us.He doesn’t take his eyes off me as he answers in a gruff voice. “Stone.”

I see the second his body changes, getting more tense. The easy, relaxed set of his shoulders disappears. He listens raptly and nods. “Give me 20.” His voice is deadly. My confusion increases when he simply gets up and walks away to another part of his apartment. I watch his retreating back, wondering about the phone call. Who is it? Whatever he heard pissed him off. My appetite is gone now, and I push the remaining breakfast away and finish my lukewarm coffee.

Minutes later, he returns, and the first words out of his mouth piss me off. His face is closed off. There are no more hot, teasing looks.

“You need to go.”

“What?” I choke on the sip I just took. “Why?”

“Don’t ask questions. Let’s go.”