Thirty-Six

Friday, February 16, 2024

"And that's where I'm at," Stone finished, watching his parents, waiting for someone to say something.

He'd spent the past half hour laying out the proposal he would present to his aunt and uncle while his mom, dad, CJ, Donovan, Brady, and Reilly listened on with interest. The only person missing from the table was Tate because he was on shift. Or rather, he was the only regular attendee since Chelsea and Paul weren't close enough to have dinner on a weekly basis.

"Sounds to me like you've got it all figured out," his father said. "Now you just need to present it to Curtis and Lorrie."

Stone exhaled heavily. "I still need to talk to Zane."

His mother frowned. "Why haven't you?"

"He won't take my calls."

"Then track him down," Donovan said as though it was that simple.

"Looks like I'm gonna have to," he told his brother in order to avoid an argument. He didn't want to admit that he was frustrated to the point of exhaustion. His two weeks were now up, so he had to sit down with his aunt and uncle, and he was ready to do that without Zane's blessing. As far as he was concerned, his cousin was being a dick.

"Why's he avoidin' you?" Brady asked.

"Hell if I know."

"He has to have a reason," Reilly noted. "Zane's as cool as they come. I think D's right. You need to track him down. Find out what his issue is."

Stone never expected the voice of reason to come from his sister.

"So?" Reilly stared directly at him. "Are we done talkin' about you?"

He choked on a laugh because he should've known she was merely trying to tie his conversation up in a neat little bow so she could move on to more important things.

Stone waved a hand over the table. "The floor's all yours."

She smiled and pretended to take a bow from her chair. "Thank you, kind sir." She cleared her throat and looked at all the faces around the table.

Stone had always thought of Chelsea as the dramatic one. And that made Reilly the theatrical sister. She liked to build up a moment until the air expanded with expectation. Which was what she did, her smile growing wider by the second.

"On with it," CJ grumbled. "Some of us have plans after this."

Reilly laughed. "We're gettin' married."

Everyone looked at each other.

"That's not exactly news," Donovan noted with a grin.

Her next sentence had even more flair. "We're gettin' married … in Vegas!"

"Vegas." Owen stared at his daughter before shifting his gaze to his future son-in-law. "Really?"

Brady nodded, his expression neutral. "It gets better."

Deborah chimed in. "How so?"

"It's gonna be a double wedding," Reilly announced, her eyes locked on their mother.

Stone waited to see how Deborah would react. With her, it was impossible to predict. She was one of the most laid-back people Stone knew, but there were times when she put her foot down.

The pregnant pause from earlier returned. This time, it expanded until Stone thought for sure the walls would blow out from the anticipation.

"Mom?" Donovan frowned.

Deborah sniffled.

Uh-oh.

Stone was prepared to put his arm around her and console her, but it turned out that it wasn't necessary.

"That's wonderful," she sobbed, a tear leaking from her eye.

"Really?" CJ and Stone said at the same time, twice the amount of skepticism dripping from the word.

"Yes. I've always wanted to go to Vegas. Plus, my babies are gettin' married."

For the record, the babies in question were Reilly and Tate. For as long as Stone could remember, Deborah had seen Tate as one of her own.

"And why're you cryin'?" CJ asked their father.

Owen pretended to wipe away a tear. "Because I won't have to mortgage the house to pay for it."

Laughter erupted.

"When's this takin' place?" Owen asked when everyone calmed down.

"April sixth," Donovan said. "We'll let you all know when we finalize where."

Stone felt like a bug under a microscope when his mother turned her full attention on him, her eyebrows lifting. "And do you think we'll possibly get to enjoy the celebration with Stevie and Nico by then?"

His mouth opened and closed. He wasn't sure what to say to that.

"Maybe you should let him start with dinner first," Reilly said.

Deborah was still staring, so Stone managed to smile and nod. "Dinner would be better."

"Good. When?"

"I say Sunday," Reilly added cheerfully. "Tate'll be here, too."

Stone huffed a laugh. "You gotta give us a minute. I've only been back for a few weeks."

"Five," Reilly clarified, her smile wide as she glanced at their mother. "And he's only been seein' them for ninety percent of that."

He glared at her and mouthed, "Tattletale."

"What?" She giggled. "Just helpin' things along."

He looked at his mother again. "Soon, Mom. I promise."

She didn't need to say anything for Stone to know his mother was rooting for them. The fact that she didn't question that he was with both of them was a bit awkward. Then again, he wasn't the first in the family to venture into this sort of relationship, and he doubted he would be the last.

Two hours later, Stone was at Nico and Stevie's house, sitting on the couch with Stevie perched on his lap. If it weren't for the fact J?ger was camped out on her lap, he would've initiated something more than conversation.

However, he hadn't come over for sex, although he certainly wouldn't turn it down if the opportunity arose.

"When do you meet with Curtis and Lorrie?" Stevie asked, bringing up the subject Stone had been avoiding for the past half hour.

"Supposed to be tomorrow afternoon."

"Supposed to?" Nico asked.

"I haven't talked to Zane yet."

"He still avoidin' you?"

Stone nodded.

"Maybe you should just talk to them anyway," Stevie suggested. "Everything else is in line, right?"

"Almost."

Nico frowned. "What else are you waitin' for?"

"A final answer."

Stevie shifted, staring into his face. "From?"

"The two of you," he said pointedly.

Silence descended for a moment, expanding to the point of discomfort.

Finally, Nico spoke up from where he was leaning back on the other end of the couch. "Maybe I missed somethin', but I didn't realize there was a question."

He was partially right because Stone hadn't asked him directly if he would go into business with him. When he'd had the discussion, he'd laid it out with Stevie in mind since he intended to incorporate her dreams into his grand plan.

"Stone?" Stevie tapped his chin. "What's the question?"

He took a deep breath and looked at Nico. "I'd like the three of us to do this together, so I need to know whether you're on board with that."

"I already have a business," Nico stated.

"You do, and I'm not askin' you to turn your back on it. I'm just lookin' for your support. If either of you has a problem with it, I need to know."

"You don't need our approval," Stevie said.

Stone looked at her. "I do, actually."

"Why?"

"Because I'd like to take this"—he waved his hand between the three of them—"to the next level."

More silence. More discomfort.

Again, Nico cut through it. "What is the next level?"

Stone heard the confusion in his tone. It matched the expression on Stevie's face.

"Forever," he stated bluntly, then held his breath, waiting for either of them to say something.

They didn't.

And then they still didn't.

"Or maybe I'm jumpin' the gun," he drawled, suddenly self-conscious about bringing it up.

Stevie looked at Nico.

Nico looked at Stevie.

"Okay, now it's just awkward." Stone shifted to move Stevie off his lap, prepared to leave so they could talk about whatever they needed to talk about. Obviously, they weren't on the same page as he was.

Stevie moved quickly, putting J?ger on the cushion between them and Nico. She resisted his efforts to move her off his lap.

"You don't get to run away, Stone."

"I'm not runnin'." He exhaled heavily. "I'm just … tired."

"Good."

His eyebrows rose. "Good?"

"Mmm-hmm. Because there's nothin' you need to do but sit down."

"Mentally tired," he clarified.

He knew building a business took effort. It took hard work and dedication. Stone had never expected it would be easy. But he also hadn't anticipated that merely getting to the point where he could possibly start a business would be so taxing. He'd spent the past two weeks coming up with a projection for the future. At this point, it was conjecture, and he had nothing to show for it except for a fucking PowerPoint presentation. He'd only had seven boxes to check off and hadn't even completed that task. Perhaps he wasn't cut out for this like he thought he was.

"I can't speak for Nico," Stevie said, her tone soft, almost comforting. "But I'm in this with you. If that's still what you want."

Stone attempted to relax, placing his hands on her hips when she straddled his legs, facing him. "More than anything."

But he wasn't talking about the business plan. "I want it all, Stevie."

Her eyes implored him to continue.

"I want to build a future with the two of you." He glanced at Nico. "I've wasted too much time already. I've missed out on fifteen years because I was too stupid to realize everything I wanted was right in front of me."

Nico continued to stare, not speaking. Hell, Stone wasn't sure the guy was even breathing.

"If it feels too fast"—he looked at Stevie—"you need to tell me."

"It doesn't."

He pressed his fingertips into her hips. "Are you sure?"

It was clear from her expression that she was confused.

"If this business plan doesn't work," he explained, "then I'll find somethin' else. The only thing I know for certain is that I'll be here." He held her stare for a moment. "I need to know you trust me when I say that."

She hesitated, and Stone instantly knew they weren't on the same page yet. Before he could tell her he'd give her some space to think about it, Stevie leaned forward, cupping his face.

"I trust you, Stone."

She didn't. He knew she didn't. She'd said that as much for his benefit as for her own. He hated that she was trying to convince herself he was telling the truth.

At the same time, he wasn't willing to upset the balance of what they were building. It took time. He knew that. And he had a lot to atone for. He was willing to commit to making it up to her if it took the next sixty years.

But right now, he was tired. Too tired to fight, too tired to argue, and too tired to defend himself.

He broke eye contact with her and sighed. "I should probably head home. It's gettin' late. Y'all have to work tomorrow."

"Stay," they said at the same time.

Stevie cut her gaze to Nico. "Jinx, you owe me a cock."

Stone snorted in disbelief. That was not how the game was played, but he had to give her points for creativity.

Nico's eyes flashed with lust. "Darlin', you don't even have to ask."

And for a moment—albeit brief—the tension disappeared, and Stone felt at peace.

***

Nico wasn't sure how they'd gotten ontothis subject.

Not the cock part. That he expected because Stevie was the sort of woman who went after what she wanted. Her little faux pas hadn't surprised him, which said a lot about how well he knew her. Stevie had a way of shifting the difficult conversations to a topic she was more comfortable with. And sex was one of her go-to's.

"I think I'm gonna take a bath," she said now, sitting up straight and stretching. When she put her arms down, she planted her hands on Stone's broad chest. "But only if you promise to stay."

Nico felt Stone's gaze when it swung toward him, so he nodded. "Stay."

"It's settled." Stevie hopped up off the couch. "If I come back to find you gone, I'll hunt you down and kick your ass."

Stone held up his hands in surrender. "Don't wanna risk that."

She flashed a grin at Nico as she pranced out of the room. J?ger trotted along behind her, content to go wherever she went.

Nico knew how the puppy felt. Being with Stevie was a comfort he'd never expected. One he'd gotten used to over the past several months.

When her footsteps receded down the hall, Stone looked his way.

"I do need an answer."

Nico had wondered if they would be having this conversation. Not the business one. He honestly wasn't sure what role he could play in Stone's plan, but he was willing to pitch in however he needed because they were on the same page when it came to the direction their relationship was going. Forever was his end goal, and as long as Stevie and Stone were moving in the same direction, Nico intended to match their pace. Fast or slow, he didn't care. As long as he had forever.

But rather than explain it as it pertained to business terms, Nico pounced on a different one. "I love you."

Stone's eyes slammed into his face and remained there as the seconds ticked by, the rapid thump of his heart the only sound in the room.

The tension ratcheted, growing taut with every breath. Stone didn't say anything, but he didn't look away. Nico wasn't sure what that meant or what to expect. He wished he could read Stone's mind, know what he was thinking.

It felt like an hour, but only a few seconds passed when everything came into focus as Stone moved. Nico's gaze was fixed in portrait mode, blurring out everything in the background except for Stone's face, the hard line of his jaw, the slight slant of his nose, and the desire that burned brilliantly in his hazel eyes.

Before he knew what was happening, he was flat on his back, Stone laid out over him, half his body covering Nico's while the other half lay on the cushion beside him.

Stone's finger pressed firmly into his jaw, urging him to look at him. Nico expected something with a sexual connotation to come out of Stone's mouth. The man was good at spotlighting the moment, drawing it out for long minutes.

Instead, his voice was ragged and soft when he said, "I love you, too."

They remained like that, staring at each other, Stone's warm body heavy on top of him. Nico's chest felt tight, the words—and the sentiment with which they were delivered—surprising in their intensity.

Stone leaned forward, their lips pressing together. Softly, gently. There was no tongue, only a brief moment that stood still as Stone's hand flattened on his cheek, and they shared the same air.

"That's all I need," Stone whispered. "The rest is easy as long as I know where I stand with you."

Nico was shocked to think Stone didn't already know. Maybe they hadn't said the words aloud, but the moments they'd shared these past few weeks had come with their own soundtrack, a ballad that connected past to present to future. Nico had let himself fall into them without reservation because he'd always suspected he could love this man. He did. He knew that as well as he knew the sun would rise in the morning.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you and Stevie," Stone continued.

Nico touched him, wrapping his arm around Stone simply so he could feel more of him. He put his free hand on Stone's face, his thumb brushing the stubble on his jaw. Neither moved, but the tension, weighted with passion and need, grew thick around them.

"Love me, Stone," Nico whispered.

Stone lifted his head, his eyes dark with arousal and something else. Something more powerful. Nico felt it in the depths of his soul.

A second later, Stone was getting to his feet. He took Nico's hand and pulled him up, then dragged him down the hall to his bedroom. The moment they stepped inside, time sped up. Stone crashed against him, holding him, kissing him. Their mouths sought the other, teeth clashing as their clothes disappeared.

"Nothin' between us," Stone whispered, but Nico could see the question in his eyes: condom or bareback?

"No barriers," Nico agreed, desperate to feel Stone.

The only time they paused was so Stone could prepare them both. And then Stone was leaning over him on the bed, his cock pressed right where Nico needed him. Their eyes locked and held as Stone pushed inside him. Inch by inch, Nico accepted everything the man was willing to give him.

It was everything Nico had ever imagined and so much more. The two of them together as one. Rough and dirty, taking a backseat to sweet surrender. The lack of aggression did nothing to lessen the intensity. It was brutally beautiful in its simplicity, and Nico wished it would never end.

"I want to love you like this forever," Stone whispered, his voice rough, his hands gentle even as he manipulated Nico's body, contorting it so his cock went deeper.

Nico knew Stone wasn't referring to the physical act because that was secondary at the moment, a way for them to be connected, but it wasn't what was pulling them together. Sex didn't feel this good. It just didn't. This was far more than their bodies joining.

"Every day," Stone whispered, pushing in slow and deep, retreating just as languidly.

The pleasure consumed him, taking over not only his body but also his mind. It was exquisite torture.

"For the rest of my life, Nico. You and Stevie … with me … it's all I want."

Nico felt the same. With the two of them, he was finally complete.

Stone shifted again, lifting up, maneuvering Nico's leg to the side so that his torso was twisted. Then Stone was leaning over him again, his fist planted into the mattress beside Nico's head, the other between his legs, stroking him as he fucked him.

"I wanna wake you up like this." Stone's voice was ragged and choppy, his eyes glittering.

"Yes," Nico rasped, digging his fingers into the hard muscle of Stone's ass, urging him deeper.

"Come for me, Nico," Stone grunted, his breath hot against his face as he drove them both closer to the cliff's edge.

"Tell me again," Nico pleaded, needing to hear the words.

"I … want … you," Stone whispered, his words punctuated by the thrust of his hips.

Those weren't the words he wanted to hear.

"I … crave … you."

"Stone…"

"I … need … you."

He was getting warmer.

Nico's spine tingled as Stone drilled inside him, fucking him deeper than he'd ever been fucked before.

"Stone … please…"

"I … love … you."

Nico let go, soaring into the ether as his release shattered him.

"Fuck," Stone growled, his forehead resting on Nico's temple, his cock sinking in one final time. "I love you."

Nico gasped, gripping Stone's arm as he felt the pulse of his cock deep inside him.

"I love you, too."

When oxygen returned to his cells and he could breathe easier again, Nico knew everything had changed in that moment. There was no questioning anymore. He was in love with this man as deeply as he was in love with Stevie. He felt complete for the first time in his life.

And while he was willing to accept it, there was still a niggling of doubt that he couldn't erase. He prayed it wasn't a sign of what was to come but merely an echo of the past that hadn't been erased completely.

Nico slept that night, soundly with Stevie and Stone in his bed, completely oblivious to the invisible hand that gripped the proverbial rug, eager and ready to pull it right out from under them all.