Secret: A Stone Billionaire Series Novel (The Stone Billionaire Series Book 5) Read online

“That bad?” she asks.

  Leigha bites her lip, and I’m suddenly reminded that I recently refused to make love to this woman.

  I mentally kick myself.

  I haven’t had sex in months, and now all I can think about is getting Leigha in my bed.

  “No, it’s perfect,” I tell her.

  “Really?” she asks.

  Leigha looks down at her figure, unsure.

  “You look hot as all hell,” Merc says.

  “Agreed,” I add.

  Merc and I high-five each other and Leigha laughs.

  Leigha leaves the store wearing the bikini, a pair of jean shorts and a loose top that hangs low around her bust.

  I have to actively stop myself from looking at her chest, and I’m sure Merc is doing the same.

  “So, what’s there to do here anyway?” Merc asks.

  “We could go hiking?” I suggest.

  Leigha and Merc both shake their heads.

  “Scratch my initial question, let’s just go hang by the pool,” Merc says.

  “I haven’t done that in years,” he adds.

  Leigha is splayed out on a daybed beside Merc, who’s reading Dante’s “Inferno”.

  I’m sitting at her feet, cross-legged, sipping a beer and wondering how I got so lucky.

  I can depend on my family, despite my father being a dick lately.

  My best friend came back from the dead.

  And then there’s this wonderful woman, Leigha, who I trust with my life.

  I’m probably the luckiest son-of-a-bitch in the world.

  “Remember the time Alton threatened to kick my pampered royal ass?” I ask Merc.

  “Oh, my God,” Leigha laughs.

  Merc just smirks.

  “Yeah, and then you pussied out, and we had to go ahead and do your dirty work for you,” Merc reminds us.

  “He sucker-punched me!” I defend myself.

  “The best part was Leigha kneeing him in the groin,” Merc adds.

  “He tried to beat you both up, and then he tried to hit on me. Merc was standing there in pain, bleeding, you were holding your lip like a little bitch, and he had the nerve to ask me if I was available,” Leigha explains.

  “I had to teach him a lesson, not to fuck with us,” Leigha adds.

  “Then I knocked him out,” Merc says.

  “Do you think that’s why I never had a boyfriend in high school? Because I took Alton down like that?” Leigha jokes.

  “I think everyone was afraid to piss you off after that point,” Merc laughs.

  Our laughter is relaxing.

  I glance over at my father and Tinsley, and my father is smiling at me.

  “Where’d Athena and Aidan go?” Leigha asks.

  “Athena wanted to go see something or other, and Aidan went with her,” I explain.

  It’s quite curious that they get along so well.

  Athena is not the type of woman who would normally date a cop.

  Well, ex-cop, gone rogue.

  Lucius approaches us with a tray of shots, in a brightly colored Hawaiian shirt and swim trunks.

  “One for all, and all for one!” Lucius says.

  Leigha takes one of the exciting shots and stares at Lucius wide-eyed.

  “What?” he asks.

  “I’ve never seen you in anything but a suit,” Leigha giggles.

  She’s already had a few drinks, mostly brightly-colored sugary crap.

  “Well, see it now, because it won’t be happening again,” Lucius says.

  Merc and I take a shot before Lucius takes one for himself and then brings one to my father.

  My father is waist deep in the pool with Tinsley, with little Sebastian in the water naked.

  The smile on the kid’s face would make anyone happy.

  Sebastian’s got the brightest blue eyes and a surprising amount of little blonde hairs.

  Their happiness makes me realize that this is something I do want.

  Maybe I wanted it before.

  Perhaps I considered that it wasn’t for me.

  But I want that now: a family and a wife who loves me.

  I can’t bring myself to think of Vic, and the baby we might have had.

  Thinking of what-if is only going backward.

  I need to move forward.

  The sun slowly begins it’s decent for the night, and we all head back to change for dinner.

  Lucius goes to find his fun, Aidan and Athena still haven’t appeared, and that leaves Leigha, Merc and I for dinner.

  We decide on the restaurant with the best patio and a sunset view.

  Leigha excuses herself to change into something more appropriate for dining, and Merc and I agree to meet there after we freshen up.

  I get to the restaurant before the others, and the waiter shows me to our table.

  It is a bit small, but we won’t mind sitting close together.

  I’m among friends, and for the first time in a long time, I feel like I can just relax.Merc shows up in dining attire, a snappy white dinner jacket and navy trousers.

  We hug briefly, and slap each other on the back, and then we sit down.

  The waiter brings drinks, and menus.

  Other people begin to fill up the place, and it is simply gorgeous weather.

  The tension in my body vanishes as Merc and I look over the menus, waiting for Leigha.

  “Steak?” Merc asks.

  He sips his Chivas, looking over the other patrons, professionally assessing the threat situation.

  He does this in a way that isn’t obtrusive, but he’s always in operator mode.

  I read the menu, and agree with his choice.

  “Steak. The Caesar kale salad is good here too,” I add.

  Merc doesn’t reply.

  He’s staring at something.

  When I turn around Leigha is walking towards us in heels.

  She’s wearing a short little purple dress that hugs her curves, and her luscious thighs are tinged from the golden sunlight.

  Her perky breasts are voluptuous, tightly held in place, and exposing an incredible amount of cleavage.

  “Can you believe how hard this dress was to get into?” Leigha laughs as she takes the seat between Merc and me.

  I’m speechless.

  She.

  Looks.

  Fucking.

  Incredible.

  Not a speck of make-up on her face, and her long caramel hair flows in waves down her back.

  Her eyes are amazing in the reflected light.

  Their usual grey is tinted a slight blue, almost green.

  “Hello?” Leigha says.

  “Sorry what?” I ask.

  Merc shakes his head.

  “What’s wrong with you two? Jesus!” Leigha asks.

  She shakes her head and laughs.

  “So, is the steak good here?” Leigha asks.

  She doesn’t even notice the effect she has on me.

  On us.

  I’m hard.

  Goddamnit.

  My cock is literally throbbing.

  I have to fight the urge to put my hands on her, and not just because she looks fucking incredible.

  Cherry Chapstick.

  It haunts me.

  The taste of Leigha’s luscious lips.

  I think of cherries, and then remember all of the times we used to roll around in Merc’s jeep, talking about anything and everything.

  No subject was off-limits:

  The stars, the universe, what we were going to be, our plans, politics, who was dating who.

  We traded ideas the way that stockbrokers trade commodities.

  Sure, we had other friends, but we formed an unbreakable core.

  And that particular year at prep school solidified us as friends for life.

  “Evan!” Merc yells my name.

  “What?” I ask.

  “What are we drinking?” Merc asks.

  “Whiskey?” Leigha asks.

  “Whiskey,” I answer.
>
  We all order whiskey, and then steak.

  The waiter brings Caesar salads, we let him know to just keep the drinks coming.

  “This is so gorgeous, I don’t think I’ve been anywhere lusher and tropical. I’ve been so busy, I’ve never even had time to travel, except to meetings or seminars” Leigha gushes.

  “It is pretty incredible. I might get in trouble with the big boss, if I am not careful” Merc admits.

  He checks his phone and nods.

  No plans anytime soon.

  I know he really shouldn’t be here, but I won’t ask him to leave, and he can’t bring himself to go.

  “You did too travel! Remember the time we went to Tijuana,” I remind Leigha.

  “Jesus! Yes! You had some hooker hanging off you all night, and then her boob popped out of her dress, and she dared you to lick it,” Leigha giggles hysterically.

  “Holy shit! Why was I not there again?” Merc is howling.

  “Because Tara,” Leigha says the name with disdain.

  “Tara,” Merc rolls his eyes.

  “Tara,” I scoff.

  “Oh, that was nothing, compared to my last mess of a relationship,” Leigha waves a hand.

  She takes a long gulp of her whiskey, and launches into the tale.

  “We had just moved in together, and then two weeks later he ups and leaves, with a note. He moved into my apartment, and we had plans for the future, and he leaves me a Goddamn note that he’s leaving me for his trainer,” Leigha says.

  There’s not a hint of anger in her voice.

  “I don’t know how I didn’t see that he was such a jackass,” Leigha adds.

  “Because, when you love someone, you see the good but not the bad,” I explain.

  “Truth,” Merc nods.

  He sips his whiskey, eyes darting around.

  “I see the good, and the bad, in both of you,” Leigha says.

  She sits up, and my eyes are glued to her breasts.

  Oh, my God!

  “So, I guess I must love both of you,” Leigha quips.

  I almost miss it, over the music.

  “Shut-up! You love us both?” Merc and I declare at the exact same time.

  Leigha makes a face, as though she doesn’t hear either of us.

  She exaggerates her eye roll and then bursts into a fit of giggles.

  “We love each other, and quite frankly, I think that’s why we always forgive each other, no matter what,” Leigha declares.

  Somehow, it seems to me, Leigha can be trashed and still make perfect sense.

  “No matter what?” I ask.

  “No matter what,” Leigha repeats.

  “No matter what,” Merc says.

  He raises his glass, and we all clink glasses.

  “To all of us, may we always forgive our transgressions and always remember that the love that is there, is not betrayed by mistakes,” Leigha declares.

  I reconsider.

  Leigha has more clarity than anyone I know when she’s been drinking.

  “You’re so incredibly smart, and hot, and down to earth, how the hell are you still single?” Merc asks.

  “Mike,” Leigha says.

  Merc seems surprised.

  “Mike?” he asks.

  She nods.

  “I firmly blame him for all my relationship issues. I mean, I dated here and there. But I didn’t connect with anyone that made me want to consider getting into a relationship,” Leigha says.

  She gives Merc and appraising eye.

  “Don’t you date?” she asks him.

  “Professional hazard. I don’t get involved with women. I can’t make or keep promises, so…” Merc says the words slowly,and gazes longingly at the horizon.

  The sun is behind him, and his profile is highlighted by the dimming rays.

  He looks like a god.

  I find myself thinking I may be jealous of him.

  Then, I just as quickly dispense with that nonsense.

  Merc is back!

  He’s really here.

  We are all really here!

  Merc turns his head, and spies Leigha, looking even more radiant in the setting sunlight.

  They exchange a long glance, and I wonder what is going through their minds at that instant.

  They look at me, and then I think I know.

  The Caesar salad comes, and Leigha declares it passable.

  She doesn’t like kale.

  Merc despises kale, and mostly ignores his salad.

  I get angry that something has marred our perfect time.

  I motion to the waiter, and order him to remove the offending foliage from our table.

  “Send these all back!” I tell the waiter angrily.

  Leigha tries to hide her giggle.

  The waiter cowers in fear until I produce a hundred.

  I wink at him.

  “It’s all right, we just didn’t want salads, it turns out,” I say.

  He nods, warily, but he pockets the bill nonetheless, smiling.

  “Bring us our steaks, and your finest bottle of red” I demand.

  I’m still playing the part of the offended tourist, for my friends’ benefit.

  Both of them are snickering at my performance.

  “Of course,,” he nods with a smile on his face.

  “Is there anything, anything at all, that I can get you?” he asks.

  I read his name tag.

  “Armand, would you be a dear, and bring us another round of whiskey as well,” I ask.

  He nods quickly, and is gone in a flash.

  “Why do you do that?” Leigha laughs.

  “What?” I feign indifference as to what she was talking about.

  “You don’t have to over tip and make a show of everything,” Leigha explains.

  “Oh that. Please. You know you love it,” I tease her.

  Leigha blushes, and I like the rosy color that appears in her cheeks.

  It makes her more desirable, knowing that I have that kind of effect on her.

  “She loves it,” Merc says.

  I nod at him.

  “Of course she does, just like she love both of us!” I laugh, emphasizing the word ‘both’.

  We all chuckle.

  “It’s nice to be treated like a lady for once,” Leigha sniffs.

  Then, seductively, she says something that makes Merc and I almost jolt from our chairs.

  “I’m pregnant. One of you is the father,” she says, seriously.

  Her tone is so different it catches me off guard, and I don’t even notice Annette return with our dinner.

  “What? How? Merc? Did you?” I sputter.

  “Whoa! That’s some impressive news! Congratulations, Evan, she’s joking, of course. I haven’t…” he says, then stops suddenly.

  Leigha, all innocent eyes and expression, is trying hard not to laugh at us.

  She fails, and laughs so hard tears fall from her eyes.

  “You two! Oh!” she gasps.

  “The looks on your faces…God!” she laughs.

  Merc and I stare at her, then each other.

  Then, we join her in laughing, astonished at our foolishness.

  She gets up and gives both of us huge hugs, and a warm, long kiss.

  Then, she sits down, giggling still.

  I’m feeling some major effects from her attention, and shift uncomfortably in my chair.

  My erection is making everything difficult.

  I can tell Merc is having the same problem, but he manages to hide it more smoothly, by accidentally dropping his napkin.

  I catch his eye, and he winks at me.

  The steak is superb, and we finish everything on our plates, having been made ravenous from the alcohol.

  After dinner, we move to one of the cozy seating areas.

  There’s a warm fireplace in the middle of the table, the light glinting and reflecting around the bar.

  Leigha sits between Merc and me, and for the first time, I get an inkling of wh
ere this might be going.

  I push the thought out of my head.

  I decide I am just entertaining another “Playboy” fantasy.

  Armand continues to lavish us with attention; our drinks never run dry.

  The conversation flows so naturally, it’s hard to be aware of our surroundings.

  At some point, I put my arm around Leigha to keep her warm.

  Merc doesn’t seem to mind.

  I adore the way Leigha cozies up against me.

  Merc shifts around on the couch, so that he lays his head in Leigha’s lap.

  She strokes his face, and his voice floats up towards us, as he recalls yet another story from our time together in the military.

  It’s the one about the brothel.

  We erroneously thought it was just another bar.

  Merc talks excitedly, and Leigha is fascinated.

  “So, Evan and I walk and we sit down at the bar, and ask for a drink. I thought it was a little curious that they didn’t ask us to pay. Maybe they figured we were running a tab? I don’t know. So, the bartender hands me this book, and I assumed it was a menu,” Merc howls.

  He’s enjoying telling this so damned much!

  I remember the punchline, and smirk.

  Merc has tears running down his cheeks.

  He’s speechless.

  “It was the menu for the women,” I interject.

  “Oh, my God! I was so mortified! I didn’t know what to do. We barely spoke the language,” Merc continues.

  Leigha looks slightly shocked, but I can tell she’s faking it.

  She’s enjoying Merc’s sordid little peek into our bachelor days.

  He finally regains enough composure to continue the story.

  “So, we picked two girls, and then they bring us to this bedroom after we hand over a really tiny amount of money. It’s like fifty p. I can’t even imagine! Then, we really didn’t know what to do, because we got the feeling we weren’t going to be able to leave without buying a lady for the night,” I explain.

  “So, we talked to them,” Merc howls.

  “They were so shocked that we didn’t want anything from them. I gave them all the money I had just to try to help out,” I add.

  “So, you had a chance to have a foursome, and you bored them to death instead?” Leigha quips.

  “Well, they seemed relieved to be able to take a break, I guess,” I say.

  She starts laughing loudly, I feel like she’s poking fun at us.

  “Hey, I’ve had threesomes!” I defend myself.

  “With another guy?” Leigha asks.

  I fall silent.

  No.