FIVE
Paige
I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel, waiting patiently for the red light to change. It was lunchtime, and I was running out to the local deli to pick up sandwiches for everyone at the clinic. This was a place we came often, and today was my day to treat, which I was eager to do.
We’d seen a few patients this morning, a sweet retriever with arthritis and a dachshund that was under the weather—all in all an easy morning, which was good considering the way Stone had left my stomach spinning last night. Sure, I’d gotten a lot of sleep last night, actually, the best sleep of my life thanks to the orgasm he’d given me.
I groaned, accelerating when the light turned green, and I flipped on my blinker for the deli. The road was a mess, midday traffic jammed up because of a construction crew working on one lane of the road. I could have walked the few blocks here, but I hadn’t even been paying attention when I’d pulled into work this morning. I’d had other, much more pressing thoughts running through my head. Tall, rugged, sexy thoughts.
I narrowed my eyes as I passed a familiar expanse of broad shoulder. The way the faded jeans hung off the hips. A flash of a dark, stubbled and steel-cut jawline.
He turned, one corded arm lifting with the hem of his damp white t-shirt as he swiped at his forehead.
Oh Jesus.
Oh God.
It was him.
Stone!
My stomach fell, my only instinct to punch the gas and get the hell out of here. And I would have, if I wasn’t already waiting in the turning lane with a dozen other cars whooshing by me on all sides.
I groaned, taking the hit and pulling into the parking lot when I had a free minute. Perhaps I could get in and out without him even noticing me. I could just keep my head down and look the other way if—
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Oh shit.
I glanced out my window, not at all surprised to find his cocky, arrogant smile looking down at me.
Stubbornly, I shook my head, refusing to roll down the window. Like a petulant damn child I sat there, a prisoner in my car under his intense scrutiny.
“Ugh.” I finally put my car into park, gathering my purse and glancing at him through the window, shooing him to back up. I was coming out.
“Fancy seeing you here.”
“Shut up,” I hissed, pushing the bag over my shoulder and walking past him.
Don’t look, don’t smell, and certainly don’t touch. All of these things would do me in. I’d melt into a foolish puddle right there on the sidewalk between his feet.
“Let me buy you lunch.” He followed me into the deli.
“Not a chance.” The door chimed as we stepped in, and I greeted Lisa behind the counter. “Three Italians, a chicken parm, and two roast beef. Thanks, Lisa.”
“Whoa, eyes bigger than your stomach much?” He chuckled beside me.
I finally turned, leveling him with my eyes. “It’s for work.”
“I know. I was just messin’ with you, Paige.”
My jaw dropped. “Wait, how did you…?”
“Dr. Paige Brennan. Saw you pull into the clinic this morning while I was prepping the site for roadwork. Quick search on my phone told me you are, in fact, Paige Brennan, D.V.M. May want to rethink company photos on the website. Anyone can find you, little bird.”
“Stone,” I huffed, feeling all of a sudden vulnerable to this man, and not for the first time. I’d been pretty vulnerable under his hands last night, too, but that time I’d liked it. “Why are you doing this?”
“Doing what? I happen to be working on the same street as your veterinary clinic. No harm, no foul.”
“Right.”
“You don’t believe me?” He held up his hands, a charming grin spiking his cheeks.
“Not for a second.”
“Now what reason have I ever given you to distrust me?”
“Oh, I don’t know, the fact that you hunted me down like a crazy person. Or maybe the fact that you have a girlfriend you’ve been banging against my bedroom wall. One whom you shamelessly cheated with, considering what you did to me, which as I told you this morning, is not happening ever again.”
“Wait, wait, wait, girlfriend?” His eyebrow arched with genuine confusion.
“I’ve heard you, a lot.” I crossed my arms, trying to stay quiet so Lisa couldn’t overhear us. She didn’t need to know about my apparently sordid personal life.
“No girlfriend here, little bird.” He stepped closer, catching my elbow in his palms and smiling down at me. “Apparently those walls are pretty thin. Didn’t realize I had someone listening in when I’m watching porn at night.”
I nearly choked on my tongue. “P-porn? You’ve been watching porn at night? In bed? Like almost every night?!” Realization suddenly dawned, the fact that it always seemed to be short and sweet, never any voices afterwards.
“I’m an active guy.” His grin crooked to one side in that sexy, irritating way that made my stomach roll.
So Stone wasn’t a total manwhore. He was a pornwhore.
I tilted my head, considering the new set of facts. Was I less bothered that his hands had been on me now that I knew he wasn’t doing another girl?
Sure. I guess. Maybe. A lot.
“And what if I said I didn’t need porn last night? I came so hard in my own hand to thoughts of you on your knees for me, sinking my thick co—”
“Order up, Paige!” Lisa called, cutting Stone off and saving me from the nasty, vile words that made me want to do exactly what he was describing, drop to my knees and sink his cock down my throat. Pleasing this man, making him shake and shudder and bringing him to his knees sounded like the most erotic thing I’d ever see.
“Thank you,” I murmured to Lisa, sliding her my credit card as she rang me up.
Stone waited quietly by my side, his chest grazing my back and reminding me of just how sexual he was. He nodded sweetly at Lisa, opening the door of the deli, letting me out first before following.
“It’s true you know. No woman has ever had the effect you have on me.” He hummed as I passed.
“Stone, that really doesn’t change anything.”
“Wrong, little bird. It changes everything.” He opened the door to my car, waiting for me to slide in. “So I’ll see you later?”
“No, definitely not.” At this rate I’d have to run home and dig through my couch cushions to find that little black bullet if I was going to relieve the aching hum between my thighs.
“Have a good day at work, Paige.”
I squeezed my thighs together fiercely to try to relieve the pressure building with every damn word out of his mouth. “Bye, Stone.”
I pulled the car door closed before he could ruin my day any more.
He shook his head, waving one last time as I backed out of the space and hit the gas, eager to get the hell out of his line of sight and as far away from him as I could.
At least until tonight.
I groaned, thinking I’d have to buy a giant box of batteries if I was going to make it through this banter-y, sexy, infuriating whatever it was he was doing.
Fucking Stone.