Hold Me (Hart of Stone Family 2)

“Keller.” His name sounds rough leaving me. My fingers move to my lips, where I can still feel the tingling sensation caused by what we were just doing.

“Lana, you can’t say my name like that, not right now when I’m trying to be good, showing you just what you mean to me, while my boy is in the other room, a boy who’s not known for taking naps. Which makes me think Jace is faking it and was helping us out, so we gotta stop before I have to explain to him another situation I’m entirely not ready for.” My eyes move from his dark hair, which is longer than he normally wears it, to his green eyes full of confidence, down his face full of stubble that has left more than my lips tingling to the tight cotton shirt molded to his chest and athletic shorts that are showing off what kissing me did to him.

“Oh, yeah, that probably wouldn’t be a good thing. But the ice cream is almost done, so maybe while you’re, um, taking care of that situation, I can go get Jace?” I point to his raging hard cock while trying not to get down on my knees and beg for it. God, being strong is not always easy, not when all I want to do is be wrapped up in Keller any way I can have him.

“Good idea. Anything I need to do?” Jace’s arms is in a sling, injured shoulder and all, but it’s not stopping him from doing anything he can. Especially standing there. If anything, he looks even hotter in a smoldering way, full of temptation.

“Nope, the machine is off, sitting in ice and ready for us to eat.” Jace couldn’t make up his mind which flavor he wanted, so we made two different ones with him helping me, standing on a stool, pouring the ingredients in, his little tongue out while deep in concentration.

“Doesn’t mean I don’t want another kiss, though.” I don’t respond. Instead, I make like I’m passing him while walking away. His arm swoops out, pulling me close to him. My arms band around his waist, head going to his chest for a moment, soaking it in, if only for a moment.

“You okay?” Keller’s lips skim over the top of my head in a kiss. I let out a sigh. It’s that down-to-your-bones good sigh, a relief almost.

“Never better.” My head pops up. Keller leans down, grazes my lips, once, twice, a third time, then pulls away before it gets hot and heavy. I know myself enough to put the brakes on this. If not, I’ll give in to all types of temptation, possibly putting us back in that same position we were in before, and I definitely don’t want that.

“Alright, temptress, go get our boy.” He swats my ass playfully, not even realizing that he said ‘our’ and the effect it has on my heart.

“I’m going, I’m going, demanding man,” I tease. Meanwhile, I’m excited to get Jace and have an impromptu ice cream party for three.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

keller

EIGHT WEEKS LATER

“You’re lost in thought tonight,” Alana says. We’re on my couch after a night of having dinner since today was a cause for celebration. That was Alana’s doing entirely, after I was released for light duty today. My girl is beside me, and it’s been a great couple of months. And Jace is with my parents tonight.

“Yeah, we should talk.” Alana’s body locks up at those words. God, son of a bitch, I’m being struck down for saying those words together, but I have a sister, so I know what those words coming out of my mouth can mean coming from some men.

“Okay.” She lifts her body rather quickly. Her head was on my lap, my fingers gliding through her hair as we watched a cooking show on the television.

“Fuck, not like that, never like that, okay?” I resituate us so she’s straddling my lap and I’m cupping her cheeks so she can see the truth in my eyes.

“Well, you kind of can’t blame a girl, though.” She still has a look of worry on her face.

“No, I can’t, not when I haven’t verbalized where I see this going between the two of us. Before I do that, though, I need to let you in on my past. The reason I was so closed off in the first place, well, it’s mine and Jace’s. Shit that still comes up at night for Jace, too.” I watch as her body softens and a look of concern and empathy takes over.

“What do you mean? Is he okay?” How I ever thought Alana was just another woman, I have no idea.

“He is now. It wasn’t always that way. I’m not proud of the man I was when his mom was pregnant. We were off and on, trying to make it work, hating each other in the process. I lost a big part of myself along the way, buried myself in work. You know that about me already.” I take a breath before getting to the heart of the problem, fucking worried this is a major deal breaker in Alana’s eyes.