Heart of Stone - Book 2: Hearts Collide
Chapter 21 - Aubree (Part 1)

“Hey, there’s my girl,” Alistair called from the couch in the living room as Aubree and Stone came down the stairs together.

He was flipping idly through a men’s fitness magazine, while Gunner sat across from him on the opposite couch reading a book with a pair of plastic reading glasses on. Both were dressed in workout shorts and black cotton tees.

She smiled back at him, while Stone refrained from scowling.

Alistair turned his gaze to Stone after that and gave him a slight nod of his head. “Good morning to you too, Alpha.”

“Wow, you greeted me for once,” Stone grumbled as he walked past him to the kitchen.

“Fine, I won’t next time with that attitude,” he yelled to Stone’s retreating form before turning back to Aubree with a wink. He patted the seat next to him on the couch. “Come here, babygirl. Big brother wants some cuddle time.”

Gwen ran in from the sunroom and smacked him upside the head. “Goddess, you sound like such a perv!”

He gave Aubree the big puppy-dog eyes. “Do you see the abuse I have to endure here? Where’s the love?”

“Just because Mamaw let you get away with it doesn’t mean you can with Aubree,” Gwen argued. “She’s human.”

“What?” he asked in bewilderment, although there was a hint of humor behind it. “Human males don’t love and shower their little sisters with affection? What’s wrong with them? They might end up like that one in there.”

He jabbed his thumb toward the kitchen when Stone walked out with a glass of water in hand.

“What was that you were insinuating?” Stone asked in a monotone voice, his face expressionless.

“See!” he pointed before looking up at Aubree with—was that supposed to be an innocent look? He looked like he was trying to keep himself from laughing. “Cold! Stone cold! My babygirl deserves more love than that!”

Stone came up behind him and smacked the back of his head.

“Ow!”

Alistair looked over his shoulder at Stone. Neither one said anything, as a mental exchange must have been taking place. Then, Alistair threw his head back with a boisterous laugh, while a hint of a smile tugged on the corners of Stone’s lips before he sipped at his glass of water.

Catching Stone’s eye, Aubree perked an eyebrow at him quizzically, which only made his hint of a smile broaden, although somewhat shyly before he turned away and went back into the kitchen.

Was she supposed to follow him?

She looked to Alistair for clarification. He smirked and jerked his head toward the kitchen.

Okay, follow him it was.

Walking into the kitchen, she found Stone peering into the fridge, the door held open in one hand and his glass of water in the other.

“There’s nothing to eat in here.”

“Yeah, that will happen when no one’s bought groceries for a while.”

He closed the door and turned to face her. “After dinner, we’ll go out and buy some.”

Her eyebrows quirked up again. “Dinner? With what?”

“Gavin will bring some food home. I’ve already asked him when he makes his way back.”

“Oh.” She didn’t know what to say. “That sounds nice. What are we having?”

He shrugged. “Whatever you want.”

“Pizza.”

Now it was his turn to arch his brows. “Again?”

“What?” she scoffed. “It’s been two weeks since the last time I had pizza. This time, I want a Chicago-style deep dish pizza. They have those around here, right?”

He rubbed the back of his neck the way Gavin had so many times before. “Uh, perhaps?”

She smirked. She was just giving him a hard time. “I’m sure whatever he brings back will be good. Just tell him to follow his nose.”

That earned her a grin.

He set his glass down on the counter before encircling her in his arms and nuzzling the top of her head. “It’s good to see you like this. Everyone else is relieved too, that’s why Alistair is back to his usual playfulness. He was worried about you but didn’t want to intrude. It’s hard to not know what’s troubling you. We’re all used to being open and honest with each other since we can read each other’s minds.”

“Wait a sec,” she said pulling back and staring at him with wide eyes. “You mean, there’s no privacy?”

“Some. Not much. We all know when to mind our own business.”

“So, let me guess... They heard everything upstairs, and that’s what that mental exchange between you two was all about?”

A rosy hue pinched his freshly shaven cheeks. “Perhaps.”

She pressed her palms to her heating face. “Oh, god.”

“You don’t know the worst of it. He made that... that sound.” He scrunched up his nose and looked away.

“What sound?”

“Don’t make me repeat it.”

"Bow-chicka-wow-wow!" hollered Alistair from the living room.

Oh. My. God.

Aubree wanted to crawl into a hole and die of embarrassment.

Stone’s entire face reddened, right down to his ears and neck. “Excuse me.”

Marching past her to the living room, there was dead silence for a few seconds before a sudden commotion broke out, followed by laughter.

She was tempted to go see what was going on, but at the same time, worried that whatever she might witness, couldn’t be erased from her memory. Curiosity getting the best of her, she soon found herself standing in the entryway between the living room and kitchen.

Pinned to the ground, Stone was straddling Alistair’s torso with his arm wrapped around Alistair’s throat in a headlock. Alistair was still laughing, even though his face was beet red. When he coughed, only then did Stone release him.

What really tickled Aubree though was the fact that Gunner was still sitting calmly on the couch, completely engrossed in his novel, and not paying any attention to the pair.

Gwen was leaning against one of the sofas, watching the two men scuffle with amusement as she chewed on a rough fingernail. She caught Aubree’s gaze, smirked, and shook her head as if to say, ′Those two...′

Stone climbed off him and helped pull him up to his feet. There wasn’t a single word exchanged between them, but Alistair gave Aubree a quick smirk and wink when Stone’s back was turned.

With a loud snap, Gunner closed his book, removed his glasses, and set both of them down on the coffee table before he rose to his feet. Gwen turned and headed toward the door with Alistair and Gunner trailing behind her.

It was as if a silent order had been given to send them all on their way.

“See ya in the morning, Bree,” Gwen called before she opened the door and stepped out.

“Goodnight, Luna,” Gunner said before he disappeared.

“Night, sugarplum.” Alistair made a kissy face before he closed the door behind him.

The house fell quiet.

It always did feel homier with everyone around, laughing and carrying on. It felt almost odd to be alone in a big empty house.

Well, not quite alone.

“Here’s your privacy.” Stone stepped toward her. He took her hand and pressed his lips to her knuckles, making her face heat up once more.

She looked around nervously, trying to make sense of everything before turning back to him. Her eyebrows pulled together in confusion. “What about you? Aren’t you going out with them too?”

He shook his head. “The Spirit Walker gave me a warning. Everyone agreed that I should sit this one out. I’m all yours tonight.”

Butterflies burst within her as he stepped closer to her. He draped her arm around his neck and slowly trailed his fingers down her wrist to her elbow and then her shoulder. She shuddered as tingles danced across her skin. His hand graced over her shoulder and down her back, pausing above her jeans. Leaning into him, she looked up and caught his heated gaze. She lowered her eyes to his lips as she locked her fingers around the nape of his neck.

Her thoughts flitted back upstairs to his hungry kisses. To the hot, desperate need that coursed through her. How he managed to pull away from her, she had no idea.

Was this an invitation to finish what they started?

“Stone?” she murmured.

“Yes?”

“Please don’t start, unless you intend to finish it.”