Exposure_A Stone Billionaire Series Novel Read online

  “Oh my god,” Ava groans.

  She hangs her head and hits it on the table, then yelps and rubs her forehead.

  “Not again. This is why I never drink tequila. I'm pretty sure it was my idea too,” Ava smiles at me.

  I realize, maybe she isn't all that pissed off at me anymore.

  That would be nice.

  “I need some air,” She excuses herself and takes her coffee out onto the expansive patio.

  I follow her, noticing that Tinsley and Noah are chatting amongst themselves and she doesn't want to interrupt.

  “What's up?” I ask as I close the door behind me.

  “Okay, so, not like you're going to say anything because if you do, your balls will spend eternity in my purse, but there’s a lot more to them than you think. Corban, you will not repeat a word of this, and you will not go telling Noah to stay away from her,” Ava demands.

  “What? After I told you not to?” I protest.

  I’m finding it difficult to be angry with her, however, if she's going to stop being angry with me.

  “Why not?” she presses me. “He's older than her but, they want each other. Leave it,” She demands. “Just because there are complications with the two of them, doesn’t mean they can’t be together.”

  I'm still listening to her explanation, but part of me is just focused on how wrong it is that she's talking about her father’s relationship with Tinsley.

  After last night, and my talk with Noah, his determination to make sure Ava is okay above all?

  I'm sure he's her father.

  I don't want her to go into detail about what she said so I just cut her off. “Whatever you said, may have worked its magic last night, because they look a little cozy this morning,” My head motions slightly over my shoulder and Ava glances back.

  Her head whips back around. “Oh my god, he's got his hand around her waist. Does that mean something?”

  “I don't know,” I tell her. “But we should probably leave them alone if you want. Besides, I want to talk.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Ava says before she swats at me playfully.

  She's wearing a turquoise bikini she borrowed from Tinsley, and a zebra cover-up that barely covers anything at all, so I get to see everything I want to see.

  I feel guilty for wanting to be with her like this, but I'm going to tell her everything, tell her about the Darlingtons, and what I did, and we're going to fix it together, because she'll understand that I was just doing what I had to do, my hand was forced.

  And if I didn't do it, if I didn't let Elizabeth force me into this?

  I would've never met her, and she would've never lit up my life, as she does now, all the time.

  Her smile is just infectious by nature and puts me in a good mood and even though neither of us says anything.

  ***

  Ava lounges beside me, watching me steer the boat, drinking water.

  We both know that something has shifted, either she's realized something, or she knows that I'm not willing to let go.

  Even though she told me she wanted nothing more to do with me, here she is.

  “You know Ava, as much as you say you don't want me, I'm going to tell you right now, that I'm going nowhere,” my voice is determined.

  I look at her as she glances at me, a surprised look on her face.

  “You can fight with me all you want, you can fight this all you want, but I made up my mind, and you're not going to change it. I want you. I want just you. You. All the time, every day. You're the only woman I ever want to fight with. You don't even have to say anything; I'm just telling you, there's nothing you can say or do, that's going to make me go anywhere,” I finish.

  Ava says nothing, but she's still smiling at me.

  I know at least, maybe I have a chance of keeping her.

  “Maybe I'm the one who should apologize,” Ava tells me, her voice not happy, but not upset. “But first, can I ask you, why you're so eager for us to fix things, when you've got a brother you haven't spoken to in ages, and you won't even consider fixing things with him?”

  I stand in front of the woman I love, my mouth hanging open because I have no real answer for that.

  “Listen I know Evan is a Stone, and not technically your brother, but you were raised as brothers. That's a relationship you have that's strong, and you're going to end it over a woman he slept with, to prove to you that she was only after your family name? He did you a favor, and you're punishing him for it? Ask yourself this: would you have wanted to be with her anyway?” Ava continues.

  “Listen you and I both know that the answer to that is no. But Evan is stubborn, and immature and…” I protest.

  She cuts me off.

  “You don't get a chance to have siblings twice,” Ava replies with complete honesty.

  “You're wrong. You have more family out there,” I remind her.

  “I'm still processing whether or not I want to go down that road, to be honest,” Ava shakes her head. “That's not the point, Corban, you have Evan and an existing relationship, and you can't throw that away if you're so willing to fix what we have in this short amount of time, you can't throw away your relationship with your brother.”

  “Damn it,” I curse under my breath.

  “What?” Ava smiles. “I'm right?”

  “You're right,” I nod with a smile.

  “Does that mean I have to apologize?” Ava asks.

  “You don't have to apologize for being angry, you had a right to be angry, but I didn't know how to tell you,” I tell her this much.

  That doesn't mean I know how to tell her the rest of the story, but I swallow and tell her anyway, because at least she should know Isa is, so I slow the boat down and drop anchor.

  “I know who Isa is,” I say quietly.

  “You do?” Ava sits up.

  “I can show you a picture when we get back, and then you'll believe me for real, but, first I'm going to ask if you've heard of the Darlington family,” I continue.

  “Not really. I mean, I've heard the name before, but I don’t know who they are,” She admits.

  She shrugs, as if this has nothing to do with her.

  “They're from England, Noah's close with them, that's how he knew who he was looking for, was Isa,” I continue.

  “How's Noah involved in this?” She narrows her eyes at me, probably wondering if she's about to get mad at me again.

  “He's been looking for Elizabeth Darlington for them for a while, and he's the one who realized she was Isa,” I explain.

  I side step the part about Noah being her father.

  “And Elizabeth Darlington is my mother?” She shrugs. “So, what? She's still deranged. I don't understand why you had to stop the boat for that.”

  Ava is not interested.

  “You don't get it,” I now understand my hesitancy to tell her this.

  Because once she gets that there is a family out there that's been looking for her, she'll know she doesn't need me, she doesn't have to have me, and that she's had family looking for her all along, she has options.

  Even if she is not a Stone, she'll always be one of the Darlingtons.

  “You're Ava Darlington; they've been looking for you, for a very long time. Since you were born,” I clarify

  “Oh,” Ava sits back in her seat, and I watch the emotions on her face, as she tries to process this. There's shock and then hesitation, like she doesn't believe it.

  “Are you sure?” She asks.

  “Noah is sure as anything. He'd seen you before, but it wasn't until he met you that he realized who you were, that confirmed it,” I tell her.

  “So, he knew her personally? Before she was Isa?” Ava asks, suddenly panic-stricken.

  I kneel before her. “What's wrong?”

  “Go back; I need to ask him questions,” She demands.

  “Ava, there's nothing you can ask him, that he's going to answer, that's going to tell you what you want to know, right this second,” I try to convin
ce her. “What are you afraid of?”

  “All these years and she never said anything? There's obviously something wrong here,” Ava says as she bites her lip.

  “I know, and you're safe with me,” I remind her.

  “Are you sure?” she asks.

  “She can't hurt you, between Noah and I, she's not getting anywhere near you,” I reply

  “I guess we're lucky Noah looks out for you,” she wipes a lone tear away from her face quickly, her hands shaking and I take both her hands in mine. “You're positive then?”

  “Listen, I won't let anything happen to you. Not today, not ever. You've got me, and I love you,” my words are slow.

  The sudden admission makes her mouth quiver for a long moment, I don't expect her to say it back, the words are on the cusp of her mouth before I silence her with a sudden kiss, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her against me, dipping her low, with the intention of making her so dizzy that she forgets everything.

  I want her to forget everything exists but us.

  Because I'm going to have a lot to make up for.

  Especially when she finds out her inheritance is worth ten times my company.

  ***

  “Maybe I'll try to fix things with Evan,” I agree as we walk back to the room, hand in hand.

  It's still early in the day, but I can tell that Ava needs a nap, and quite frankly, I feel emotionally drained.

  We lay side by side on the bed, not touching, with the fans going and the sun peeking in slightly, listening to the sound of each other breathing.

  This is it, I think to myself, the calm before the storm that is about to erupt.

  “I do forgive you,” Ava whispers, and I look over to see her eyes closed, her body on full display as she lays on her stomach, her toned back and legs, the side of her breast peeking out from the triangle of the red bikini top that accents her now tanned skin. She looks fantastic with a tan, and I'm tempted to tell her this, but her forgiveness is all I want.

  I want to get down on my knees and thank her, but instead, “I don't deserve it.”

  “You do though because it's not your fault the woman is deranged,” She laughs, for real and warmth spreads through my body.

  “It doesn’t matter, because you care about me, like I care about you,” She swallows hard, and I remember my earlier admission.

  “You care about me, huh?” I smirk at her, turning on my side to face her, to see that her blue eyes are focused on me, as she pulls the string on her bikini bottoms, first one side, then the other, making me watch with a little grin.

  I realize, that even if I lose everything to save her from me, that's all I want right now.

  “All I want is you,” I admit.

  I keep watching, she leaves the bikini bottom where it is, untied, before reaching around to undo the top, still lying on her stomach, only now I can see one of her nipples.

  I want that nipple in my mouth.

  “Really?” her voice is sultry.

  Ava isn't smiling, her head is laying on one arm, as she watches me intently.

  “But why? I mean… I'm still nothing,” She tells me.

  “You are not nothing. You are far more powerful than you think you are, and we both know that. You don't need me to help you realize that Ava,” I say.

  I’m silenced by the way she looks.

  Her eyelids are lowered, lower lip jutting out as she exposes more and more slowly and I can feel my member straining against my jeans.

  She did the work, now all I must do is please her.

  Ava is waiting.

  Waiting for me to please her.

  “Would you like something?” I ask in a hoarse voice, moving my hand across her ass, squeezing one cheek gently as she backs her ass against my hand.

  A little sigh escapes her lips.

  “Whatever you want, Mr. Winthrop,” her whisper is sultry. “I believe we've been married almost a week, and we have yet to explore an actual bedroom.”

  She's right.

  We've had sex everywhere, except for a bedroom.

  I remove my clothes, watching her eyes follow my slow motions, enticing her further with every piece of clothing removed.

  By the time I'm ready for her, she's turned on her side, revealing most of her delicious body, and the tan lines that have developed from the days in the sun.

  I will be sorry to leave this place, sad to see these days end.

  But I refuse to let this woman go.

  I move towards her slowly, letting the anticipation build as she grabs hold of my cock, climbing over me and pushing me down against the luxurious bed.

  Ava takes my cock in her mouth, running her tongue just under the head, along the sensitive spot there.

  I groan even before she takes the head in her mouth, sucking gently before she plants a kiss on the tip.

  Then my cock disappears in her mouth.

  Ava’s eyes are on me as I watch her take my shaft deeper, all the way down.

  She drags her tongue along my length as she moves upwards towards the head again.

  Jesus Christ.

  “Holy shit Ava…” I groan and I entangle my hands in her hair.

  Her mouth dips over my cock again, and I grip her hair, the sight of her lips suctioned around my length drives me wild.

  I begin to slowly guide her mouth up and down my shaft.

  Every single time Ava moans on my cock it sends my head spinning wildly.

  Without knowing it, I grip Ava’s hair harder and she looks up at me, a wicked grin on her face.

  “Show me what you want,” Ava purrs.

  I oblige her, guiding her mouth along my cock.

  I start slow at first, and pick up the pace, testing her.

  Ava’s eyes are on me the entire time.

  She’s intense and full of fire.

  Ava’s lips glide up and down my shaft, faster as the tip of my cock begins to hit the back of her throat.

  She moans again, and the vibration on my cock sends my head spinning.

  “Ava I’m going to blow…” I groan.

  She moans again on my cock and I can’t stop the orgasm from ripping through my body, from my core all the way up to my mouth, lighting everything on fire as a roar erupts from my lips.

  Ava sucks up every single drop of my cum.

  She watches me for a moment, a sly grin on her face as she bites her lip

  Ava simply smirks at me as I attempt to catch my breath.

  Then I move towards Ava slowly, before throwing her back against the bed. The sound of her laughter only urges me forward as I dip between her legs.

  She’s so wet I readily enjoy lapping at her clit, sliding two fingers inside her. Ava arches her back, moaning at my touch.

  “Oh god!” She is almost breathless.

  I suck and kiss and lick her clit as I drive my fingers deeper.

  Ava’s legs are shaking as she grabs the sheets, twisting them in her hands as she tries to remain mute.

  Then my fingers find her g-spot and Ava’s hips buck against me.

  I bury my face in her pussy, determined to hear my name, licking as I press against that spot.

  She knows what I want before she orgasms.

  “What are you doing to me! Oh god!” Ava screams, her back arches as she twists the sheets around her fingers.

  I move my fingers to slide my tongue inside her, gliding it all the way up to her clit as she continues to shake at my will.

  “Corban please!” She begs me.

  My fingers move back inside her, curling against her g-spot as I work my magic with my tongue.

  Ava bucks and screams in pleasure.

  She shakes and whines until a long scream erupts from her lips. “Corban!”

  The sound of her screaming my name has my member erect, at full attention now.

  She props herself up on her elbows to catch her breath.

  “I like you begging for me,” I whisper, spreading her legs to guide my cock inside her.<
br />
  It’s only natural that I am desperate to feel her wrapped around my cock, to see the look on her face again.

  I watch her eyes intently as my length slides inside her, filling her up.

  Ava’s eyes widen as she takes me, a gasp escaping her lips.

  Yes!

  This is what I wanted, savoring the look on her face as she adjusts to my size.

  Her toes curl as I move my hands slowly along her leg to tease her. I guide half my length inside her, before pulling out almost all the way.

  Ava begs for more. “Corban! Please!”

  In return I shock her with my full length.

  “Corban!” she calls my name; all her muscles tighten around me, and it takes all my internal strength not to let go right there.

  “God, you're beautiful,” I whisper in her ear, and cup her face. Then I cover my body with hers and claim her lips passionately, filling her to the brim with me.

  Only me.

  I want her to want just me; I want to ruin her for every other man. From now on, I decide, the only man for her is me.

  Because I want no other woman.

  “Oh my god Corban,” Ava moans into the kiss.

  I suck on her lower lip, every slow thrust driving us further into the insanity that our relationship has become.

  My hands roam all over her body, from her hips to her breasts, wrapping around her as her thighs tremble from the sheer power of the moment.

  Twisted in the sheets together we know nothing but each other.

  This is the most powerful thing I've ever felt, and it only gets better, as Ava starts to tremble.

  She shakes, her eyes meet mine as she nods, and my name escapes her lips again.

  “Cum with me,” I tell her, because I can barely hold on any longer. I leverage one of her legs upward, pressing inside her deeper as our eyes connect, and all I can see is her.

  Ava bites her lip, as her mouth opens, but no sound comes out, and then.

  “Corban…” she gasps; about to tell me what is happening, but I can already guess.

  I watch the orgasm ripple through her body as she shakes underneath me. At the same time a powerful release rips through me, and I empty everything left of me inside her with a roar of a groan escaping my lips.