Stone (Knights Corruption MC Series Book 2) (8 page)

“You not talking to me now, sweetheart?” he whispered in my ear, the tiny hairs on the back of my neck springing to attention. He tightened his hold while continuing to tease me. Knowing damn well the effect he had when he touched me, he used it to his advantage, doing his best to throw me off guard, trying to make me forget about his little tirade moments prior. I berated myself for even contemplating giving in, but I couldn’t help it; the call of his body to mine was overpowering sometimes.

Thinking hard about what to say to try and make him see the error of his ways was quite the challenge indeed. Stone wanted to be my man, exclusively. The thought of me with anyone else tore him up inside. He’d confessed as much. And the thought of him touching another woman drove me insane, but there was too much at stake not to address the issue of his temper.

I was happy with the occasional sex-fest—or so I tried to convince myself, at least—but he wanted more and kept pushing. Every time he saw me, which was more and more recently.

Sucking gently on my earlobe, his tongue flicked out and caressed the sensitive spot underneath, sending shooting tingles throughout my tensed body. He didn’t play fair, and his faint chuckle proved so.

“No, you barbarian.” I’d meant for it to be an insult, but he just laughed. Of course, he would find my name for him amusing, mainly because he probably prided himself on such things. To be compared to an uncivilized, savage type of being was a compliment to Stone. If I called him a caveman, he might drag me by my hair and show me just how caveman he could be.

“You don’t have to talk to me. That’s fine,” he said before kissing my neck, his tongue sneaking out and adding to the teasing. “I just wanna hear you moan, then scream my name when I make you come,” he growled, nipping the sensitive skin between his teeth before kissing it again to soothe the quick bite of pain.

I knew right then, that if I spread my legs for him, he would never learn. Never take me seriously. Never change his ways, and if we were to continue with whatever this was between us, I needed him to put a leash on that overactive temper of his, especially when it was directed toward people who didn’t deserve it.

Aka any guy who talked to me.

Although my body screamed for me to forget everything my brain told me, I withdrew from his hold, which was hard to do because he was gripping on to me for dear life. Slapping at his hand, I finally wriggled away, putting some much-needed distance between us. He saw the look in my eyes, one of lust mixed with stubbornness, and for a brief moment, he grinned.

That was until the stubbornness overshadowed the lust. Then he knew he was in for it.

It was a rare occasion when I rejected Stone’s advances, mainly because the man certainly knew what he was doing once he got his hands on me. And his tongue . . . His tongue was lethal. Along with other body parts, of course. But if I had any hope of the man tempering himself whenever he felt threatened, I needed to dismiss him and send him on his way.

Straightening my posture, I stood firm, although I was a quivering mess on the inside. Hopefully, he couldn’t tell. I stared him in the eyes and rambled on. “If you think for one second I’m gonna sleep with you after you barged into my apartment with both guns blazing, attacked my innocent, defenseless kid of a neighbor, and then mockingly apologized for your actions, you need to have your head examined.” I pursed my lips and shook my head for added effect. I had no idea why, but it seemed to amuse him more than me telling him I wasn’t speaking to him.

Leaning his hip against the counter, he folded his arms over his chest, his muscles popping up and flexing underneath the long white shirt he wore which fit him like a glove. I’m not gonna lie—I looked. I loved every inch of Stone’s physique. But I averted my eyes before he caught me ogling him. Or so I thought.

“Stop being so damn hard-headed. Fuck that kid,” he spat when he saw my demeanor wasn’t changing. Pointing his finger in my direction, he was the one who started babbling. “Don’t tell me you don’t know ‘Robby,’” he said his name in air quotes, “wants to fuck you.”

“Not sure why you’re putting his name in quotes, dumbass. That’s his name.” I couldn’t stop the sarcasm before it bubbled forth from my lips. He clenched his jaw and continued on his little tirade.

“He wants you. Anyone with eyes can see it.” When I still hadn’t responded, he continued on. “Trust me. As a guy, I know this shit.”

“Oh, stop it. Robby’s barely twenty. He’s still a kid. And so what if he has a little crush on me? He doesn’t act on it. I’ve told him, not in so many words, that I’m just interested in being friends. So it’s no big deal.” I huffed when I saw his eyes widen, trying desperately to figure out what I’d said to warrant such a reaction. I replayed the words in my brain until it hit me.

I’d just admitted I knew he had a crush on me.

Stupid, Adelaide. Just stupid. Know your damn audience.

Pushing off the counter, he stalked toward me, and since I was in the corner of the small kitchen, I had nowhere to escape. Gripping my arms, he pulled me close, his warm breath cascading over my face. “You know he wants to fuck you? And you invite him over for dinner?” Shaking me gently to show me how serious he was, he added, “What’s that about, Addy? Huh? Tell me. My big dick not enough for you? My tongue’s no longer wanted on that pussy of yours? Huh?” I was in shock that he went there, but I shouldn’t have been. This was typical Stone. I knew it was his insecurities coming to the forefront, but I didn’t dare bring up such a thing while he was pissed off. Again.

When I remained close-lipped, he glared at me, biting his lower lip until he figured out his next move. I was at a loss for words, and nothing I said would’ve assuaged his ego or paranoia right then anyway, so I chose to say nothing.

After a few countless seconds, he gripped my hand in his, pulling me behind him toward the front of my apartment. Flinging open the door, we walked into the hallway, and before I could protest, his large fist pounded on Robby’s door.

“What are you doing?” I asked, struggling to dislodge my hand from his, but his grip only intensified. “Let go, Stone!” I hollered, hoping to pull his attention away from whatever he was thinking of doing.

Before another word left my mouth, Robby opened his door. He had a peephole handy, so why the hell did he open up? Was he a glutton for punishment? His eyes fell on me before he looked at the infuriated man standing to my left, and I prayed his actions wouldn’t be punished. There was nothing short of clubbing Stone over the head that would make him not do whatever he was about to.

“You wanna fuck my woman?” Stone yelled, moving closer to Robby.

The look on my young neighbor’s face made my heart sink. I knew he held an innocent crush for me, and the fact Stone embarrassed him about it really rattled me. I would have cried from humiliation right then but I didn’t want Robby to feel as if he had to defend me in some small way. Because if that happened, I had no doubt Stone would attack him.

“Well . . . do you?” Stone hollered again.

“N-no. We’re j-just friends. I swear,” Robby stammered, his eyes wide while short pants of breath left his mouth.

“If I so much as see you around Addy again, I’ll make you disappear. You hear me?” he snarled. Robby made the mistake of looking at me, an innocence in his eyes which made me want to give him a big hug. Stone lost it. Poking his finger harshly into Robby’s chest with his free hand, he shouted, “Don’t fuckin’ look at her.” When my neighbor’s eyes snapped back to meet Stone’s, the crazy man standing next to me growled, “Do you hear me?”

“Yes.” Robby said nothing else before quickly closing his door.

Running his hand through his hair, Stone turned toward me and dragged me back inside my apartment. He didn’t fight me when I struggled to break free from his hold that time.

I was beyond livid, irate to the nth degree. My body was flush with rage, my chest quaking to take in breath after breath. I was so angry I didn’t even know what to say.

“I know you’re pissed. I can see it written all over your face. But it had to be done. I can’t stand that he lives right next door to you,” he confessed. “I don’t like it one bit.” He ran both hands over his face in aggravation before lowering his arms to his sides, staring at me and waiting for me to speak.

“GET OUT!” I roared. I stepped away when he drew near. “Don’t you dare touch me, you ass!” I couldn’t stop my voice from going nuclear. “How dare you embarrass me like that. Robby is no threat to you, yet you acted like a complete psychopath.” Sucking in more air, I used it to help calm me. It barely worked. “You need to leave, Stone. I mean it. I don’t even want to look at your face right now.”

“Addy . . .” His voice dropped a level. “I’m just trying to protect you. You don’t know the world like I do.”

“Oh, yeah? And what danger is a twenty-year-old kid? Did it feel good to pick on someone seven years younger than you? You’re nothing but a bully.”

“Hey, watch it,” he warned, his nostrils flaring in anger. “I’m not a bully, and you know it.”

“Do I?” Feeling like we were getting off topic, I reiterated my need for him to leave. “You need to go. I don’t want to see you anymore. I can’t take your explosive temper. It’s gonna ruin me.” I had no idea I was even going to say such a thing until the words tumbled out, but there was no taking them back.

I thought he was going to explode again, but instead he looked completely shocked. His stunned expression told me that he really didn’t think there was anything wrong with the way he’d acted. In his mind, he was simply protecting what he thought was his.

Me.

But he was too volatile. I could somewhat handle him threatening Tripp or any of the other club members when he thought they were getting handsy, or flirting with me. They were all equals and could handle their own, to a certain degree; Stone was a trained fighter, so there was only so much fairness to an altercation if he was engaged. But to threaten a twenty-year-old was so far past the line, the line was nonexistent.

“What the fuck do you mean you don’t want to see me anymore?” he asked, his breath seizing in his throat while he waited for me to deliver the final blow. He was shocked and angry, but he was also afraid. I saw the emotion hiding behind his eyes. It disappeared before it battled to the forefront, but I’d seen it.

Calming myself even more because I didn’t want him to think I was spouting off irrationally in the heat of the moment, I inhaled some much needed oxygen and backed up a few paces. “Look,” I started, “we aren’t even a couple. Yes we had fun, but it’s time to end it. You need to find someone else who is better equipped to deal with you and your club life. I’m just not cut out for it. I’m sorry.” Every single goddamn word cut me like a knife. Picturing him with someone else almost made me take it all back right then, but I knew I was making the right decision. I just had to convince my heart of the same thing.

I locked up my emotions so tight I was surprised I was even still able to speak. One tiny crack and I would crumble.

Realizing Stone was too proud a man to beg, I knew he wouldn’t show that side of himself. If it even existed.

“Are you fuckin’ serious, Addy? Just because I confronted him?” He had no clue, and his words only drove home how much he was in denial.

“It wasn’t just that. It’s everything. We can’t ever be together for real, never mind the fact I can’t handle your temper anymore.” Averting my eyes, I declared, “This has to be good-bye. For real.”

An explosion of expletives left his mouth before he stormed out of my apartment, slamming the door so hard behind him I thought he’d splintered the wood. A few minutes later, I heard the roar of his bike, but I couldn’t bring myself to go to the window to watch him leave. It broke me to say good-bye, but deep inside, I knew Stone Crosswell wasn’t good for me.

Any part of me, especially my heart.

Stone

“You’ve been moping around here for days, Stone. What’s wrong with you?” Ryder asked, plopping down beside me on one of the couches in the common room, the beer in his hand almost empty. It didn’t take much to notice he was already on his way to feeling good.