Twenty-Five

Sunday, February 4, 2024

Stone woke up early on Sunday, feelinginspired for the first time in a long time.

He'd spent all day Saturday working on his proposal, ignoring the urge to slack off. He would've preferred to spend the day with Stevie and Nico, but he resisted the urge, reminding himself that his future was riding on this, and he wanted to get it right. There would be plenty of time to spend with them once he got his life back on track.

And that was the real goal here. To find a track and stay on it. Stone wanted to stop looking toward the future, outlining his existence with words like eventually and in the long run. He was finally living in the now, measuring success on what he did today rather than what he would do one day.

Not only was he out to prove to Nico and Stevie, as well as his family, that he was someone they could rely on, but he also wanted to prove to himself that he had it in him to make the hard decisions.

At the moment, nothing was more difficult than spending time away from them, but he was making it work. He'd kicked off the tough decision-making on Friday night when Stevie and Nico had come over for dinner. He'd been a gentleman the entire night. They ate, they talked, they laughed. He played with J?ger for a little while, and then he'd graciously escorted them out to their truck and sent them on their way.

He knew he'd surprised Stevie when he didn't make a move. The boy she used to know would've coerced them both into staying the night, then let the tide take them where it may. But Stone wasn't that boy anymore, and though he ached for them in a way that he'd never experienced before, he was trying to be good. He wanted to slow down this train to ensure it didn't derail before they reached the end of the line. They had their entire lives ahead of them.

He laughed, shutting off the water and grabbing a towel. Like he was some sort of saint who would've turned Stevie or Nico down if either of them had put the moves on him. He couldn't resist them if he tried.

Thankfully, they hadn't put his resolve to the test that night.

And fine. He hadn't been quite so good yesterday, but he had remained focused for the entire day. The only reason that was possible was because he'd holed up in the barn, communicating with them via text message. He'd nearly caved when Stevie got sassy and started taunting him. Apparently, after a busy day—which she said they'd had—she preferred some extracurricular activities to reduce stress. Since Stone could think of a few dozen things he'd like to do to help her out, he'd wanted to rush right over to deliver. Hell, he'd gone so far as to put on his boots and grab his keys. But he'd glimpsed the laptop on his way to the door and knew he had to put work before play. At least for a little while.

But today was a new day, which was why he was getting ready to go see Stevie and Nico. His business proposal was complete. To the best of his ability, anyway. Now it was time for Stevie to review it. He'd put a lot of effort into mapping out a plan for them, and he was hoping it would be enough to convince her to take a chance on him.

Stone finished getting ready, then stopped in the kitchen to down the rest of his coffee before rinsing the cup and putting it in the dishwasher. He grabbed his iPad and pulled up his proposal, wanting to make sure he was prepared. With one final deep breath, he resigned himself to tackling the hardest part: getting Stevie on board with the plan.

Ten minutes later, Stone parked in the lot in front of the D S Landscaping office. He hesitated because he didn't see any of the company trucks parked anywhere. Not in front of the office or near the other buildings on the property. Stevie's little Bronco was there, but that didn't necessarily mean she was.

He got out and looked around, getting a feel for how large their lot was. It was part of the tract of land he was looking to get from his uncle. In his proposal, Stone had left it exactly as it was—the fifty-year lease in place—but he'd added an option for expanding if the company needed additional space.

Although he hadn't notated it anywhere, he'd also considered relocating them to a spot closer to the central part of town to increase walk-in traffic. He didn't intend to bring it up because the last thing he wanted was for Stevie to think he intended to take over what they'd already built for themselves. He didn't, but he was willing to help them in whatever way he could.

His only hope now was that Stevie saw this as a positive opportunity and not as Stone attempting to steamroll over all that she'd built for herself.

The humidity had increased, warming the morning significantly. According to the weather channel, another cold front was moving in sometime in the next few days, but the potential for precipitation was low. He had nothing against cold weather. It was the rain and shit that he wanted no part of.

"Good morning. Welcome to D and S Landscaping," the woman at the desk said before looking up.

"Mornin'," he greeted, looking at her for the first time.

"Stone Jameson." Her dark brown eyes flashed with what looked to be recognition, but he knew he'd never met her before.

He moved toward her. "That's me."

She stood up quickly and thrust her hand in his direction. "Tara. Tara Chadwell."

"Nice to meet you." He shook her hand, wondering why she seemed nervous. "I'm sorry. Have we met?"

Tara shook her head, causing her long, reddish-brown curls to bounce on her shoulders. "I'm a … uh … a friend of CJ's."

Ah. Well, that explained it.

"He's told me all about you," she added. "Not that we talk about you all that much. He just…"

Stone chuckled. "No need to explain. My brother likes to talk. Whatever he told you, I'm sure it was a lie."

She giggled, looking more at ease. "Only good stuff. I promise."

"Then we're not talkin' about the same CJ." He glanced toward the offices at the end of the building. "Is Stevie in?"

"She is." Tara sat back down, reaching for the phone receiver.

Stone stepped back from her desk to wait as Tara pressed a button on the phone. A second later, she was talking—presumably to Stevie—explaining someone was there to speak to her.

"It's Stone Jameson," Tara whispered, ducking her head as though that would make it impossible to hear.

He smiled, looking around the room, taking it all in once again.

"She said you can go on in," Tara said, hanging up the phone.

"Thanks."

He could feel her watching him as he walked away, but Stone didn't look back. He would have to ask CJ how he knew Tara. She didn't seem like his type. Tara was on the voluptuous side. Big boned, he believed, was how Chelsea had always described women of her stature. Whatever you wanted to call it, it wasn't an issue for most men, Stone included, but CJ had always leaned toward the women with little meat on their bones. The kind who sucked back health shakes and picked through a salad when they weren't spending time at the gym or climbing rocks or strolling through nature. Not that Tara wasn't one of those women. Just because she was bigger didn't mean she wasn't in shape.

But her size wasn't the only thing that differed from CJ's usual type. Despite Tara's initial shyness, she was far more outgoing than the women CJ had dated. Like she had nothing to hide. The few women his brother had introduced him to had been the exact opposite: quiet, shy, and, yes, rail-thin.

Thankfully, he wasn't here to figure out whether or not CJ had expanded his tastes to include smiling redheads. He was here to see Stevie.

Taking a deep breath, Stone rapped his knuckles on her office door before opening it. The first thing he noticed was Stevie's fingers flying over the keyboard, her full attention on her computer monitor. The second was the little fluffs of white on the carpet near the dog bed. J?ger's head popped up, his little eyes wide with curiosity. There was a puff of white dangling from his mouth and he looked guilty, but not sure what to do about it now.

"You've got to at least hide the evidence, little guy," he told the dog as he walked over.

Stevie stopped typing. "Oh, man. J?ger. Dude. Come on." She huffed. "That's the second toy he's chewed up since yesterday mornin'."

"He's actin' out," Stone told her. "We're gonna need to find him a job. Somethin' he can focus on. That way, he'll want to chill in his downtime."

Stevie's forehead creased. "Why does that sound like a good idea?"

"Because it's a good idea," he said with a laugh. "Dogs, especially his breed, need somethin' to focus on. That's why they're often used as service animals. They're smart. They enjoy havin' tasks to complete."

Her wide-eyed stare remained on him.

"That or he simply missed me, and he wants you to hang out with me more," he said, glancing back at J?ger. "Right, buddy?" Stone rubbed his head. "At least that's the story we should go with."

Stevie brought over the small wastebasket so he could dump the toy's innards in it.

"The question is, did you miss me?" he asked, peering up at her.

She was watching him as though she hadn't seen him in a month rather than two days. Stevie pursed her lips and shook her head. "I didn't really notice you weren't there."

He rubbed the puppy's head before standing tall and turning toward her.

"Liar," he whispered, tipping her chin up. He lingered there for a moment, ensuring she knew he was going to kiss her. When she didn't pull back, he closed the distance and brushed his mouth over hers.

It took tremendous effort not to fall into the kiss and make up for lost time, but he managed.

"Well, I missed you." He caressed her cheek with his thumb before dropping his hand. Touching her was far too much temptation for him.

"I might've missed you," she said softly. "A little."

Stone took a step back. "Is Nico around?"

Stevie walked back to her desk. "No. He went to talk to a client in south Austin. Won't be back until lunchtime. Why? You miss him, too?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," he admitted as he took a seat in one of her guest chairs.

J?ger joined him, planting his front paws on Stone's knee. His little tail wagged as he watched him, hope glittering in his eyes.

Stone set the iPad on the other chair and picked up the dog.

"Seriously though," he said, looking at Stevie. "I came here to talk to you."

"About?"

"The future."

***

It should be illegal for a manStone's size to cuddle a little puppy the way he was right now. The action was extremely heartwarming, filling her with a weird, fuzzy feeling.

"What … umm … about the future?" Stevie asked, doing her best to hold his gaze and not watch as his big, work-rough hands gently petted J?ger's head.

She was kinda jealous. No, make that a lot jealous. Since Friday night, she'd been jonesing to feel this man's hands on her. She'd gone so far as to declare that the next time she was in the same room with him, she was going to ensure he had the opportunity.

Of course, she hadn't intended to see him in her office. But, hey, no one ever said this place was off-limits.

"I finished the business proposal." He reached for something beside him, then held out his iPad.

She took it from him and placed it on the desk, surprised by the disappointment that filled her. He'd honestly come here to talk business, and she was already undressing him with her eyes.

"I was hopin' you'd look it over. Change what you think needs to be changed. Maybe give me some advice."

She shoved down the disappointment and resigned herself to being an adult for a little while. "This is the one for Curtis and Lorrie?"

"Yeah."

Stevie tapped the screen, and it brought up the keypad for his password. She held it out to him.

He looked up. "I've got nothin' to hide. The password's the date of the night the three of us were in the barn."

Her eyebrows snapped up. "Seriously?"

He smirked. "Is that you stallin' because you don't remember the date?"

"No," she blurted. "It was May fifteenth."

"Two digits of the year," he added when she started to type the password.

She keyed in the number, including 09 for the year, and found the presentation was already pulled up. It surprised her. She'd expected to see a half-finished Word document outlining a few things he intended to accomplish if he got the land.

That wasn't what she found.

Stone had put tremendous effort into compiling this information. His business acumen was far more developed than she would've given him credit for.

"It could probably be more in-depth," Stone noted. "But I was considering my audience. I didn't want to overwhelm my aunt and uncle at the beginning. I figure my best option is to give them enough information to make a decision, but then I'll keep them in the loop as I move forward."

"No," Stevie said, still staring at the screen as she flipped from one slide to the next. "This is actually… wow. It's really good." She looked up. "And these numbers are accurate?"

"Based on my calculations, yeah. Start-up will be slow, obviously. Crops take time, but I thought we could offset the lack of revenue by building the farmers' market and allowing people to rent space. It won't supplement all the potential revenue, but it's something."

Stevie wasn't sure what to say. She wasn't even sure why he wanted her to review it. The man had created something far more in-depth than anything she'd done before.

She flipped to another slide, and a gasp escaped her.

"Did you draw this?"

Stone stood up, leaning forward to look at the screen. "Yeah. There are several pages. It was just my initial idea of what it could look like when we're done."

Forget building a farmers' market; the guy needed to do something with his drawing skills. He'd created a 3D mockup of the farmers' market and the surrounding land. He'd even incorporated D S in the drawing since they occupied a portion of the land he would acquire.

She squinted before remembering she could zoom in on the image, which she did. This allowed her to see a smaller section adjacent to the property she and Nico were leasing from Curtis Walker.

"Are these…?"

"Greenhouses," Stone supplied, once again sitting with J?ger in his lap. "I thought that would be the best location for them. Depending on what you wanted to grow, you'd also have access to them for the landscaping company."

Her head snapped up, her eyes wide. "You're serious about this? About me partnering with you."

His expression sobered. "I am. And Nico, if he wants to be part of it."

"Why?"

He looked surprised by her question, but Stone took it in stride. "Because I want to build a life with you, Stevie. And I want you by my side."

She frowned. "You don't need my help." She lifted the iPad. "You've got an eye for business. You could do this by yourself."

"Maybe. But I'd prefer to have your help."

Stevie wasn't sure what to say. Hell, she wasn't sure what to think. She felt as though the tornado sirens were blaring, and she was being forced to decide which shelter to take. On the one hand, there was the safety and security of what she knew—the business she'd built with Nico—or the other option, which involved venturing into the unknown with a man who'd broken her heart once already.

The logical side of her brain said she needed to politely decline because there was too much risk. Not financial because, based on this outline, Stone wasn't seeking any capital from her. No, the risk was to her emotional well-being. If this didn't work, if they hit a snag that directly conflicted with this well-thought-out plan, what would happen? Would he up and leave again? Would she be left stitching herself back together again?

"You don't have to give me an answer right now," Stone said. "I can send you the proposal. I'd like Nico to look it over, too. He might see somethin' I didn't. Y'all have seen the ups and downs of the small-town economy over the past eight years. You'll have insight that I don't."

He was being so logical about it all. It didn't suit the memory of the man that was still rooted deep in her brain. Stone had been impulsive and reckless back in the day—traits she'd found incredibly sexy because she'd been young and naive. This man … he was putting tremendous thought and effort into what came next.

Strangely, that was ridiculously sexy to the older, grown-up version of herself.

Stevie set the iPad down. "What you've got is impressive. I won't lie. And it's tempting. But I do need to mull it over a bit. And yeah. I want to talk to Nico."

His smile lit up his entire face. "That's all I was hopin' for."

Stone rubbed his knuckles on J?ger's head one more time before setting him on the ground and standing tall.

"I'll let you get back to it." He stared down at her. "I'm gonna move forward and talk to my cousins. See if I can't get their approval. You'll let me know?"

She nodded.

Stone came around the desk. He waited until she turned in her chair before he leaned down and pressed another quick kiss to her lips. She wished he would linger because she missed the warmth of his body. The other night, she'd been anticipating staying the night with him. That hadn't happened, and while she didn't want to admit it, her patience was running thin. He'd generated a welcome heat inside her, and it continued to churn—more so with his proximity—so it wasn't easy to do the adult thing and let him walk away without exploring that a little more.

But she did because that was the correct response. She wasn't that impulsive young girl who would follow this man anywhere, and it was important that he knew that.

"I'll call you later," he said as he started toward the door. "Maybe we can have dinner again."

She nodded. Not so much because she agreed but because she knew it was necessary. Especially if she was supposed to keep it together. What it was about this man, she didn't know, but he had the uncanny ability to make all common sense flee.

Stevie figured the best bet was to sate those urges before they turned into a wildfire that burned out of control.

***

"How about dinner tonight? Our house. We'llinvite Stone?"

Nico grinned because it was unusual for Stevie to answer the phone with questions rather than some sort of pleasantry. He'd called her to check in and to let her know he was heading back after the morning from hell. But he didn't get the chance to because she was focused on other things.

"You miss him, huh?" he asked.

"I just saw him," she said, her tone a bit higher than usual. "Why would I miss him?"

"He was there?"

"Yep. Dropped by unannounced and then dumped this brilliant business proposal on my desk."

"Brilliant business proposal," he echoed. "That sounds like a positive."

"It's not," she drawled. "Here he is, mappin' out a future, and the only thing I can think about is gettin' him naked."

Nico laughed. She sounded forlorn and a bit testy. He was used to Stevie pretending she wasn't going up in flames. However, he'd known the woman long enough to see every side of her. Even those she tried to keep under wraps. Stevie Shepherd was a hot-blooded woman with a libido that burned out of control all the time. He knew because she didn't have a problem sharing those little nuggets of information. At one point, he'd been as much her sounding board as his sister had. So much so that Nico worried she was relegating him to the friend zone.

"I'm more than happy to sign up for the job," Nico noted while driving into the Coyote Ridge town limits. "I'll be back in ten minutes."

"I got you naked last night," she countered.

She had. And it had been fucking incredible.

Although he'd stated his desire to have her in his bed every night, Nico had expected Stevie to pretend it never happened. To his surprise, she was the one who brought it up after they'd gotten home from Stone's on Friday night. He wouldn't pretend not to notice that her desire was ramping up whenever she spent a little time in Stone's company. That was to be expected. After all, it affected Nico in much the same way. And it was working out for both of them that they had each other to lean on.

Which they'd definitely done.

"So? Do you wanna invite him, or should I?" Stevie asked, interrupting his memory of the past two nights.

"I will. I can do it now."

"No," Stevie blurted. "Wait until you get here."

He frowned. "Why? Somethin' goin' on?"

"Nope."

"Stevie?"

"Just wait until you get here," she said, her tone holding a hint of determination. "I've got an idea."

"Why is it that I always fear there's gonna be trouble when you say that?"

She giggled. "Maybe because you know me so well. Now hurry up. Tara's goin' to lunch, so we don't have much time."

Before Nico could ask her what that meant, Stevie hung up on him. His curiosity had him pressing the pedal closer to the floor.

Ever since Stone's reappearance, and especially since the night he stayed at their place, Nico had noticed a shift in Stevie. As he said, she'd always been open about her desires, and yeah, he'd allowed her to seduce him more than once simply so he could be with her on her terms. However, Stone brought out a different side to her. The hot-blooded woman he knew now smoldered at all times. And yeah, he was as hot-blooded as she was, so he was curious what she had in mind.

As he was pulling down the driveway leading to the office, he saw Tara driving toward him. When she slowed, he did, too. She lowered her window and waved up at him. "I'm takin' J?ger with me to grab some lunch. I thought I'd walk him through the park, get him a little exercise."

"You're gonna spoil him."

"That's the plan." She waved again and pulled away.

Nico turned his attention to the building directly in front of him. There was only one vehicle out front—Stevie's—because the crews were all out taking care of clients today. Sundays were busy for them. Their non-commercial customers appreciated them working on weekends because it worked better with their schedules.

Nico parked the truck and got out, his phone in hand. He considered calling Stone to warn him that Stevie might be up to something but decided against it.

As usual, the office was empty when he walked in. Saturdays were busy with walk-in traffic, but Sundays were hit or miss. Since they weren't close to town, most people didn't venture out this way. Only those who knew they were here or those who stumbled upon them accidentally while out for a leisurely drive. Except for their word-of-mouth customers, their clients tended to be businesses—apartment complexes, new-build communities, etc.—because of it. Nico hoped to change that because he wanted nothing more than to cater to his hometown.

"Stevie?" Nico called out as he headed toward his office.

He was about to stop at her open door but didn't have to because she came racing out, grabbing him by the hand and dragging him with her into his office.

"J?ger's with Tara."

"I saw that."

She stopped long enough to close his office door. "Did you call Stone yet?"

"You told me not to."

"Good." She stopped in front of his chair, then turned, still dragging him along. "Sit."

Evidently, she was serious because she shoved him, causing him to fall back into his chair. "What is goin'—"

"Call him," she demanded. "Actually, no. Let me."

Nico stared at her wide-eyed as she took his phone, held it up to his face to unlock it—a trick she'd learned from his sister—then began tapping the screen. A second later, he heard it ring because she'd put the call on speaker.

"Hey," Stone greeted. "I just left your office. Sorry I missed you."

Nico felt a flutter in his chest. One of those weird sensations you couldn't quite name. The kind that was rife with anticipation and pleasure.

"Nico wants to ask you somethin'," Stevie said into the phone, then passed it to Nico.

Stone chuckled. "Okay."

"I have no idea what she's up to," Nico told Stone. "I just walked in and—oh, goddamn."

"What?" Stone asked.

"Fuck. Stevie. What're you doin'?"

The woman was kneeling in front of him, her hands sliding up his thighs, inching higher. She cupped him through his jeans before continuing until she reached the button.

"What's she doin'?" Stone asked.

"Tell him," Stevie insisted as she worked to free him from the confines of the denim.

"Right now she's … fuck me. She's takin' off my pants."

A soft growl sounded from the phone. "Tell me, Nico. Tell me what she's doin'."

Oh, damn. That gravel-rough baritone was something he'd heard in his dreams for so long. He'd fantasized about Stone for years after that night. Enough that hearing his voice now made his dick thicken even more.

"I don't know what to say," Nico said honestly. "I called her on my way back, and she asked if I wanted to invite you to dinner. Next thing I know, she's draggin' me into my office and—"

Nico stared at her as she jerked his jeans down his hips. He couldn't do much to help her because the chair had wheels, and when he tried, it moved him farther from her.

Not that Stevie seemed to notice. She was a woman on a mission, working diligently until she got his jeans and underwear around his ankles.

"Oh, shit," he groaned, dropping the phone on his desk so he didn't risk crushing it as Stevie took his cock in her mouth. He grabbed both armrests, gripping tight as pleasure annihilated him.

"Nico," Stone growled through the phone. "Tell. Me."

"She's got my cock in her mouth," he said, sliding his fingers into her hair so he could guide her. "Goddamn. She's good at this."

Stevie peered up at him, releasing him from her mouth briefly, her brown eyes glittering with intent. The little minx knew exactly what she was doing.

"It could've been you, Stone," Stevie noted, then licked her lips and set her attention on his dick once again.

"Damn, baby. Why didn't you say somethin'?" Stone asked.

"Oh, fuck me," Nico groaned when she deep-throated him again. "I think this is her way of punishin' you. Or me. Or both."

Stone chuckled. "Sounds to me like it's one helluva punishment."

"Oh, it is." Nico tightened his grip on her hair, trying to wrangle control of the situation. "She's a feisty one."

"Always has been," Stone noted.

"Yes, she has. God, Stevie. Suck me. Shit, yes. Her mouth…"

"Tell me," Stone urged.

"She's so fuckin' good at this." Nico couldn't look away as she held his stare, her mouth working him up and down with exquisite precision. "She might need a spankin' after this."

Stevie's eyes widened, and Nico saw the intrigue that lit her brown eyes.

"I think you should come over tonight and deliver it," Nico told Stone.

"I can definitely do that."

"Is that what you want?" Nico asked Stevie. "For him to come over and paddle your ass?"

To his surprise, she nodded, her hand curling around the base of his dick as she began stroking while she sucked. She knew he loved it when she did that.

"She said yes," Nico told Stone.

"What time works for y'all?" Stone asked.

Stevie paused, his cock still lodged deep in her mouth. She held up six fingers.

"She says six."

"I'll be there. Want me to bring somethin'?"

"A bottle of wine," Nico told him, grabbing Stevie's head with both hands. "And a belt."

Her eyes flashed hot.

Stone's groan echoed through the phone. "Wine and a belt. I'm game." He paused. "But I'll only deliver if she can make you come in the next minute."

It was Nico's turn to groan as the suction of Stevie's mouth intensified.

"Damn, girl. That's it," Nico urged, guiding her up and down on his cock. "Make me come, Stevie. Make me come while Stone listens."

Her eyes closed, and he could tell she was spurred by the request. This might've been her idea, but they'd taken control from her, which was all Stevie ever wanted.

"I'm gonna come, Stone," Nico warned. "I'm gonna come down her throat."

Stevie bobbed faster, her hand stroking firmly.

He was so damn close.

"Oh, fuck yes. Stevie … I'm comin'. Swallow," he grunted. "Swallow all of it."

"Fuck," Stone crooned.

Nico grunted and growled as he came, loving that Stone was on the phone to hear this.

When his dick finally stopped pulsing, Nico flopped back in the chair, completely spent.

"A bottle of wine and your belt," Stevie reminded Stone. "At six."

"I'll be there, baby."

"Promise?"

"You couldn't keep me away."

Stevie reached over and disconnected the call. As soon as she did, Nico pushed his chair back and got to his feet so he could right his clothing. He noticed a hint of caution in Stevie's eyes as she sat back on her heels and watched him.

"I got carried away," she said. "I'm sorry."

With his jeans back on, he reached for her, helping her to her feet. "I'm not. That was…" Nico leaned down and kissed her, cupping her head so he could stroke her mouth with his tongue. "I'm a big fan of spontaneity."

She smiled, peering up at him. "Me, too. I'm also a big fan of spankings," she said, her words followed by a giggle as she backed away from him.

"Noted."

Nico was still smiling as she left his office to get back to work.

In fact, the smile remained firmly affixed to his face for the rest of the day.