No Longer Lost: Secrets Of Stone: Book Nine Read online

  “It’s a hospital, baby,” I stressed. “I guarantee, in a place like that, every law is followed to the letter. We live in a litigious world, and hospitals are always ripe for the picking.”

  “You have a point,” she conceded. “But still…” She trailed off in thought for a moment and then quickly rebounded. “It doesn’t seem fair. Would they be okay if they knew he was stalking me? That he used medical records to find my personal address and showed up on my doorstep? Uninvited?”

  She was getting riled up and fast. While her distress was the last thing I’d intended or liked, I was increasingly touched by watching her turn into Firestarter in my defense. I enjoyed the feeling for a few seconds more before launching into the point that would likely switch it off.

  “I think you should consider filing a police report, Taylor.” I’d been thinking about it all afternoon, and I finally decided to push the point.

  As predicted, her reaction was a pout that stretched down to tight brackets at the corners of her lips.

  “Listen to me. This way, if he starts really acting stupid, it’ll be on record from the beginning.”

  She waved her hand again. “I really don’t want to get involved in all that.” She made a sour face. “I’ve had to deal with the police more times than I want to admit. You know that, Mac.”

  “Yeah.” I took a heavy breath. “I do.”

  “So why are you push—”

  “They put me on a ten-day suspension without pay as disciplinary action.”

  Maybe dropping that bomb would change her mind. For several seconds, it looked like it would. She popped tall, sitting straight between my legs, though remained unusually still and quiet.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “Wish I was, love.”

  Finally, she turned to face me. Then said with a shaky voice, “I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. I should’ve never had lunch with him. Even though I know with certainty that I didn’t lead him on, I just should never have gone in the first place.”

  “Okay, now you’re really going to listen.” I scooped one of her hands into mine. “It’s not your fault, baby. It’s my own. I’m the one who threatened him in the elevator. I could’ve just left last night be where our interaction ended. But I just didn’t feel like he really got the message, that he was taking me as seriously as he needed to be. But confronting him at work was stupid. I’ve ruined my chances for department head for sure, but I have no one to blame but myself.”

  I drained my beer while the gravity of the situation sank in. What a fucking mess.

  “Such a load of bullshit. He’s getting away with everything he did.” Her voice wobbled as she ducked her head back in against my chest. “It’s not fucking right.” She even mewled a little as I tucked a heartfelt kiss against her temple, still crimped with frustration. And there it was. Yet another thing I loved about my streetwise, sassy girl. She believed in justice. But justice for all.

  “Hey. I have an idea. Hear me out before you say no.” It was well past time to explore the silver lining in these storm clouds.

  “I hate when you start conversations with conditions. It makes me nervous.” Her skeptical look was as adorable as her contemplative look.

  “Not conditions.” I bussed her forehead again. “Necessities.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I know you, lady. In some ways, better than you know yourself. You’re always ready with the contrary.” I was only half teasing. She definitely was a professional devil’s advocate.

  “I am not,” she protested. Adorably, I might add. And I could’ve sat there all night, basking in the fun of bantering with her—but I was getting to a point here.

  “So seriously…I was thinking.”

  “Always a dangerous thing,” she quipped. I let her have the win, knowing I might need to collect on the other side of the tally.

  “Why not take these lemons and make lemonade?”

  “I’m not following.” She squinted her eyes in suspicion.

  “I have ten workdays off.”

  “So you…what? Want to open a lemonade stand?”

  Again, I let her have her fun with the banter. “Ten days off,” I emphasized. “That never happens, even when I take a scheduled vacation. They said I can’t even log in to the hospital’s computer system while I’m suspended, so I won’t even be able to catch up on case notes or anything.”

  “Oh shit. They’re really making an example out of you, huh? I am so sorry, Mac.”

  “Stop apologizing. You have zero blame here. But yeah, there is a zero-tolerance policy on violence in the workplace.” I put my hand up, already stopping the regret in which she wanted to keep wallowing. “But here’s my proposal.” With my other hand still wrapped in hers, I tightened my hold. “Let’s take a vacation.”

  Her mouth slowly parted. Clearly, she’d expected me to really proposition something like a lemonade stand. “Uuhhh…”

  “Just you and me,” I rushed on. “Maybe somewhere adventurous. Or exotic. Somewhere you’ve always wanted to go.” I stiffened the hand I already had in the air, knowing her first obstacle before she uttered a word of it. “All expenses paid, baby. My treat. Stop.” I extended the “stop” hand right into her face. “I won’t hear of it any other way. You know I have the money. I make an excellent living fixing brains, and I inherited a shit ton from Killian’s father when he passed. So don’t stress about it.” I added my most dashing grin, the one I’d used to twist Helen’s panties this morning, for the perfect linchpin of persuasion. “Let’s just get up and go somewhere.”

  She slowly shook her head. “I…can’t just drop everything and leave, Mac. I have a job. It may not be as important as fixing brains”—she mimicked my voice, making it impossible not to chuckle—“but I have bills to pay. No work, no money.”

  “Yes, but don’t you get vacation days? If I had to wager a guess, I’d bet you have a ton accrued and probably donate days to other people who need them instead of taking them yourself.” I tilted my head, daring her to deny my assessment.

  She looked sheepish when she answered. “Well, not every time, but yes, I’ve done that.”

  “Do you have at least ten days?” I really wanted—needed—her to say yes. I hadn’t even realized how much until this second.

  Gradually, a smile spread across her lips. “I do.”

  “See? This sounds like a good idea, doesn’t it? Where do you want to go? Tahiti? Hawaii? Where?” I pressed as soon as she let her grin brighten every inch of her doll-like face. “Come on. Tell me.”

  I dug my fingers into her sides, making her squeal with laughter. As soon as I relented, she bit one edge of her lip and then murmured, “Well…”

  “Yeah?” I prodded.

  “I have been watching the Travel Channel a lot lately. So don’t think I’m just stark crazy.”

  “I already know you’re crazy, girl.”

  She giggled. The sound resonated through my chest like a fucking angel had landed there. And maybe she had.

  At last, she ventured, “If you’re serious…”

  I kissed her. Not for long but definitely for impression. “I’ve never been more fucking serious in my life.”

  A new giggle. Another angel in my chest. “Well. I’d…love to go to the Dominican Republic.”

  “Done.”

  My one-word answer made her smile even more prominent. “Just like that?” she practically stammered. “That easy?”

  “Of course. I asked you where you wanted to go, and if my baby wants to go to the DR, then we go to the DR. Wait.” I flung out a mocking glower. “They have indoor plumbing, right?” Not that I wouldn’t piss in the jungle for a week alone with her. Of course, that meant she had to wear a seashell bra. And I’d find the smallest damn shells on the beach…

  “In most places.” She giggled while I tickled her again.

  “Okay. The Dominican Republic it is.”

  “Well, let’s not get too excited. I have to ch
eck in with Killian.”

  “Ahhh, of course. My cousin. The puppet master of all San Diego.” I rolled my eyes at the thought of having to ask his permission for anything. We’d been getting along better since I moved to San Diego, but my natural instinct was still to bust the man’s arrogant-as-fuck balls. Then again, maybe it just took one to know one.

  Taylor smacked my chest and then rolled her eyes. I grabbed her little hand so fast she didn’t have a second to pull back.

  “Did you just smack me?” I widened my eyes.

  “It was a knee-jerk reaction. Maaaccc.” Her whining came from her lips at a downward angle across my lap as I pulled up the yards and yards of material of her skirt.

  “Jesus Christ,” I spewed.

  “Hold on. I’ll go page him.”

  “Fuck that. Where the hell is your ass in all this? You need a spanking, woman. If I could find some flesh first!”

  “No!” she exclaimed. “No, I do not!” But then she stilled and said with a sexier-than-sexy husk, “Okay, maybe I do. But really, I need to call my boss first if your wild off-to-the-DR plan is going to fly.” She barked out a laugh. “Ha! See how I did that?”

  “Oh, dear fuck,” I muttered. “But you have a point. So up you go. But remember, I’m keeping track, sassy girl.”

  “Of course you are. My phone is downstairs in my bag. I’ll be right back.”

  I watched her until she disappeared from view. Looking back out over the white caps on the breaking waves, I felt like the luckiest bastard alive. Forced to take a break, getting to share it with the woman I loved, and more happiness in my heart than one man deserved.

  Life was good.

  And only getting better.

  Chapter Seven

  Taylor

  We had one stop in Atlanta with a pretty short layover, and then we were on our way to our final destination. So despite the nearly twelve-hour journey, we were both wide awake when we arrived in Punta Cana.

  I was more excited than I ever remembered being in my life.

  I had traveled around the United States for my work with Stone Global, but the international experience was completely different. My passport was brand-new and now had its lone stamp proudly emblazoned on the first page. Mac explained we would have to go through customs again on the way back into the United States, regardless of the fact we were citizens, and I realized how little I knew about life outside my own little bubble in San Diego.

  He had been to twelve other countries outside the US, but he had never been to the Dominican Republic. I was even more thrilled that my first time would be his as well. I’d packed a lot on the agenda, everything from lounging on the beach to snorkeling and jeep excursions, and I wanted to start it all as soon as possible. I’d barely slept on the plane, and I wasn’t convinced I’d be able to sleep once we got to the hotel either. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning.

  No. Better.

  In the world of Janet Mathews, Christmas was never much to look forward to.

  Our hotel was the best Mac could find, and we were fortunate to be able to book something on such short notice. Since so much of the country was unknown to us, the only thing Mac insisted on was a top-of-the-line hotel. The rest of the trip was all my planning—and there was a lot on the schedule. I wasn’t sure we’d really get to see it all.

  The bellman wheeled his cart ahead of us along the winding outdoor path, finally stopping when we got to the end of the building. Our room occupied the entire corner of the top floor, and when he opened the door to the suite with a grand flourish, it was…

  Breathtaking.

  “Wow.” I probably repeated it twenty times before switching up to my next favorite.

  “Oh, my God!”

  I rushed over to the window and pulled the heavy drapes back as far as they’d go. “This view!” Such paltry words for an experience I could only describe as a miracle. Our room overlooked a small piece of paradise, complete with flowers and streams and swimming pools, with the sparkling Atlantic just beyond. The staff members at the registration desk had said we would be especially impressed in the morning as the sun rose over our balcony.

  A special energy in the air inspired me to turn back around. There was the man of my dreams, looking rugged and stubbled and carved and perfect, gazing at me with glittering adoration in his eyes.

  “Fuck. Me,” he growled with low appreciation.

  I flashed back a coy smirk. Murmured only for his ears, “In what position, exactly?”

  Though his gaze gained the smoke of pure lust, he went on. “You are the most beautiful thing when you are this excited. There is life in your eyes like I’ve never seen before. Remind me to whisk you off on impromptu vacations more often.”

  I crossed to him, wrapped my arms around his neck, and stood on my tiptoes to kiss him. And then deeper, darting my tongue between his lips. And then—

  “Hold that thought, baby,” he husked. After tipping the bellman and sending him on his way, he came back over. I’d moved back to the window again, needing another hit of my gawking awe of the view.

  “I’m thrilled we did this.” He pressed up behind me, snaking his arms around my waist. “I may have to thank John personally when I get back to the hospital.”

  “No!” I snapped. “You stay far, far away from that loser!” I wrapped my hands atop his and leaned back into the solid strength of his broad chest. “But I’m glad we did this too. Thank you so much for making all of this possible. It’s literally a dream come true. I…I seriously don’t know how to thank you enough.”

  He ground his swelling crotch into my backside and then leaned down to kiss my ear. “Oh, I can think of a few ways.”

  “Really?” I teased him by pressing my ass back into his cock.

  His rapidly surging cock…

  “Definitely.” His voice was dark with promise, and his scruff tickled my neck.

  “Wait.”

  “Huh?”

  I turned in his arms and ran my fingertips through his spiky stubble. “I need to freshen up. Way too many hours in the same clothes. I’m going to shower, and then maybe we could go exploring the property?”

  “I’d like to explore you first.” The tigerlike gleam in his greens matched the primitive power in his growl. “But if you insist. Showers and then exploring. We’ll see whose version of that comes out on top.”

  The smoldering grin with which he finished made my stomach flip more wildly than the stunning surf against the beach. I tamped down my ensuing flood of lust while deepening my caress along his jaw. After I did that for a good minute, studying him in earnest, Mac finally laughed out, “What?”

  As he raked that intense stare across my face, I framed both sides of his. “I kind of like all this. Have you ever had a beard?”

  “I have a few times. It gets freezing in Chicago in the winter. Sometimes a beard serves a purpose higher than racking up hipster points.”

  “You are the furthest thing from a hipster, Dr. Stone,” I drawled. “I think you’re safe, even with a bit of facial hair.”

  A shower had never felt so glorious. I had barely slept the night before. My excitement and nervousness about the trip had me tossing and turning most of the night. Now, after standing under the warm spray for much longer than necessary, exhaustion crept in. The high of the travel buzz had worn off, and my arms and legs felt like lead weights hanging from my body.

  I strolled out of the bathroom and wound through the suite to the bedroom. Soft snores came from Mac, asleep in the huge bed. The warmest feeling spread through my chest as I climbed in beside him, leaving the plush, white, spa-like robe thrown on the bench at the foot of the bed. I tugged the covers up over the both of us and settled in against his side. Within minutes I was asleep, the day’s activities taking their toll on my consciousness.

  The next morning came quicker than my sleep-deprived body would’ve liked—but since my “alarm clock” was Mac’s mouth calling my senses to attention, I was cured of any desire to s
leep in further.

  My eyes fluttered open to see the top of his head on a downward trail over my body. I spread my fingers through his damp hair and realized I must’ve slept through him getting up and taking a shower. The suite was large enough that I’d been insulated from his noises.

  “Hmmmm. What a lovely wake-up call, Dr. Stone. You on morning rounds?”

  He grinned up at me after nibbling the soft flesh of my belly. “Glad you approve, Miss Mathews.” He licked a taunting circle around my navel before adding, “You know, you could wake up this way every morning.”

  “Don’t get ahead of yourself, Clown. We just revived this circus.”

  “I still think you should move in with me.” He kissed a very wet path toward the apex of my thighs as I wondered where the hell that proposition had just come from. Was this just the vacation high talking, or had he been rolling the thought around for a while? How serious was he?

  And despite my staunchest effort not to give in to the mental dodge-and-duck, I did. Dodged. Ducked. As fast as I could.

  “Less talking,” I decreed, though I sighed more than spoke the words. “More licking.”

  He grinned wider before sinking his teeth into my thigh. He stayed that way, clamping deeply into my trembling flesh until I dropped my head back and moaned.

  “Maaaac.”

  “Hmmmm?”

  “Please!”

  He pressed his tongue to the abused area after releasing his jaws, spreading the pain into a wildfire that ignited every damn nerve in my pussy. When I felt the bed dip under his weight, I lifted my head and watched him shed the towel that had been wrapped around his waist. His long, swollen cock bobbed out in front of him.

  “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of looking at you,” he growled.

  I smirked as a light blush warmed my whole body. “That’s a good thing to hear at the start of a ten-day vacation, mister.”

  “Spread your legs.” His voice was deep and gravelly, fuel to the fire that replaced the flush. That burned, torrid and tormenting, inside me. “Let me see what’s mine.”