32. Stone
STONE
Step-monster
Stone!!! Please call me!!!
I stare at the text from a week ago. I didn’t answer it. Didn’t bother coming up with an excuse. I have no doubt it’s about my father’s birthday party, which is probably coming up soon.
Actually.
Before I can think better of it, I dial her number.
“Oh my gosh, Stone!” Her voice is sugar-sweet. Enough to give me a mouthful of cavities. “I was just thinking about you. I expected your call a few days ago.”
She’s polite enough not to say a week ago. Or more. Since I’ve been dodging her texts and calls since the start of the school year.
“Sorry.” I clear my throat. “It’s been busy. Adjusting to a new school and team, all that…”
“Of course, of course. So, are you able to make it?”
“To the party?” I put her on speaker and scroll through the texts. She never mentions a date. “When is it, again?”
She makes a tsking noise. “It’s tonight. Starts at six. And you know you’re welcome to spend the night before returning to school.”
Fucking hell.
“I’m bringing a guest,” I tell her. “I, uh, just wanted to make sure that was fine.”
“Of course! Is it Evan?”
“No…”
She gasps. “A girl?”
“Yeah, my girlfriend.”
I set my phone down on the kitchen counter and turn to open the fridge. As she continues gushing about how great a girlfriend will be for me, and how I’ve been single for too long, with too much of a focus on hockey, I contemplate slamming the door shut on my head.
Beer is out of the question. It’s eight o’clock, everyone else is asleep, and I can’t get drunk first thing in the morning. As much as this conversation is driving me to do so.
“Hey,” I interrupt, “it’s at the house, right?”
“The party? Yes, of course. We have caterers…” She keeps talking.
I shake my head and grab my phone, bringing it with me back to my room.
I take her off speaker and set the water bottle I don’t really remember grabbing on the nightstand.
Wren’s still asleep, and she looks too fucking peaceful like this.
She’s star-fished in my absence, her hair spread across the pillows.
She’s left no room for me…except on top of her.
I pull the blankets down, pinching the phone between my ear and shoulder, and drag off her panties. It’s amazing she even got them back on after last night, but she must’ve gotten up to go to the bathroom while I slept.
Either way.
They get tossed behind me, and I kick off my shorts, too. It doesn’t matter what my stepmother is yammering on about—something about the decorations now—I’m already hard as a rock for Wren Davis.
I climb over her and notch my dick at her warm entrance. She’s already wet, even asleep, and I hope that she’s been dreaming good things. About me.
“Martha.”
Wren’s eyes snap open, and I quickly cover her mouth. Her eyes narrow into slits, but they widen when I push into her.
“Sorry,” the step-monster breathes. “I get carried away. I know you don’t really care about all of that.”
Wren feels too fucking good.
“I just wanted to say thanks for letting me bring a guest tonight. And I’ve got to get going…”
“Okay. Oh! Don’t forget, it’s formal. Black tie, long dresses only.”
“Of course.”
Wren’s teeth scrape my palm, and I grin at her. I pull out and thrust back in, and I very nearly groan. She does, the sound reverberating against my hand, and I smirk at her.
“Well, we’ll see you tonight!” Martha says.
“Great. Bye.” I hang up and throw my phone onto the floor.
Wren shakes off my hand. “What was that? And why are you—?”
I kiss her. My teeth catch her lower lip. She kisses me back harder, winding her arms around my neck. She moves across my jaw, nipping my earlobe.
“Are you trying to distract me?” she whispers.
“I’m trying to distract myself.”
“From what?”
I shake my head and shift to the side, slipping my hand between our bodies. I find her clit and play a familiar tune. One that has her writhing in minutes, while I continue to fuck her slowly.
As soon as she comes, her body trembling and her expression blissed, I slip out of her and flip her onto her stomach. She makes a little squeak. I shove a pillow under her hips and keep her legs together, straddling the backs of her thighs.
“What are you—?”
I slide back into her. It’s tighter and hits a new, deeper angle. It steals my breath, and judging from the way she abruptly stops talking, it takes her by surprise too.
“Fuck,” she groans. “What the fuck?”
I pick up speed. She braces her hands against the headboard, her nails digging into the wood while I take what I need from her.
It doesn’t take me long to come. Hard . I see stars, and I don’t bother pulling out of her. I just collapse on top of her, rolling us to the side so I don’t crush her. But my dick stays semi-hard inside her, and I band my arm across her waist to keep her from shifting away.
“Stay,” I order. “We get to sleep for a little while.”
And then I’ll break the news about the party. And my father.
* * *
“Where’d you go?”
I tilt my head. “What?”
“You left before I got out of the shower.” Wren leans on the doorway into the kitchen, her arms crossed.
She and Evan had some sibling bonding lunch or something. They were going to talk to his parents and make sure everything seemed okay with them. And she’s right—I had shit to do, so I left while she was taking an extra-long shower.
I close my laptop and hop up from the table. “I’ve got something to show you.”
“Okaaaay.” She narrows her eyes and follows me upstairs. “Is it a surprise that requires being naked?”
I chuckle. “I mean…kind of.”
“I like those surprises.”
Pretty sure she’s not going to love this one.
I stop outside our room, with my hand on the knob, and face her. “We’ve got to go to a party.”
“Right.”
“My father’s birthday party.”
Wren sucks her lower lip between her teeth, contemplating. Like she has a choice in the matter. She doesn’t—I already know I have to be there, and I don’t think I can go through with asking my dad the questions I have to without her by my side.
“And that’s tonight?”
“Yeah.”
“You just found out about it?”
“Something like that,” I hedge. I don’t want to admit that I’ve been dodging calls left and right.
She nods carefully. “And you want me to meet your parents?”
“My dad and stepmom,” I correct. I take her hand and squeeze. “Plus, a million other people will be there, so it won’t be weird. I mean, maybe Martha will make it weird—”
“She’s who you were talking to this morning.”
My face is getting hot. “Yeah. Just RSVPing.”
“Uh-huh.”
I open the door and lead her in. I point to the black garment bag hanging on the back of the closet. “This is for you.”
“Oh. Stone.” She turns from it to me. “I don’t think I can—”
“Please don’t make up some excuse out of fear.” I force a laugh. “It’s just a party. Okay? Can you just try it on…”
“Fine,” she whispers.
“Great. I’m ninety-eight percent sure it’ll fit. And you’ve got three hours to get ready.” I steal a kiss from her lips and backpedal before she can hit me. “See you later.”
“Stone!”
I slam the door and hurry away. The dress I got her is formal, one the step-monster would approve of, black and glittery with a halter top and plunging neckline. Oh, and it’s backless.
Ally shows up less than twenty minutes later, glaring at me as she sweeps by and up the stairs. I chuckle to myself. I showered earlier, and my tux is in Evan’s room.
I hit play on the latest game tape—this one of a recent game between Bexley Wolves and Crown Point Hawks, who we’re playing next weekend—and settle in on the couch to pass the time.
Three hours later, I’m dressed and ready, and I wait for Wren at the bottom of the stairs.
In a way, I feel more nervous for this than I did for my high school prom. Of course, Wren was also there, haunting that moment. I took some girl who followed around the hockey team—I don’t even remember her name, except that one of the guys set me up with her. That was inconsequential.
This feels much more serious.
“I can’t believe you’re taking Wren to meet your parents,” Taylor says from the couch. “It’s ballsy, for sure.”
I flip him off.
It is ballsy, especially since my dad will probably take one look at her and know exactly who her father is. I can’t imagine he’s represented Jessie Davis all this time and not known about his daughter. The daughter who was fostered with my best friend’s family.
Jesus.
It’s all sorts of fucked up.
“What’s she doing up there?” Taylor asks.
“Getting ready.” I shift. “I don’t fucking know.”
“You’re fancy as fuck, dude.”
I glance over my shoulder. Evan and Grant drop their bags in the living room, grinning at me like they’ve never seen me wear a freaking tuxedo.
Okay, yeah, I had to go rent one when I picked up Wren’s dress. I’ve got suit jackets for the away games, but nothing that would qualify as black tie.
The sacrifices we make.
I sigh and shoo them away.
Upstairs, a timer goes off. I hide my smile at Wren’s distant, “ Shit !”
I pace the foyer until she appears at the top of the stairs.
The skirt of her gown is in her hand, keeping her feet clear to go down the stairs.
First her sparkling, strappy, silver heels come into view, then her toned legs.
Then the glittering gown that fits her like a glove.
She paired it with gold jewelry. Earrings, bracelets, a few slim necklaces that dangle down between her tits.
God.
I fold my hands over my groin and will myself not to get fucking turned on like a teenager at the sight of her.
Her hair is up in some sort of elaborate bun, with pieces pulled out and curled to frame her face. Dark-red lipstick, dark eyeshadow with gold on the lids.
She gets down to me, and she’s a good deal taller than she usually is. Not as tall as me, but still.
“You look perfect.” I kiss her cheek. Her skin is warm under my lips.
“Thank Ally,” she murmurs. “She was a magician.”
I glance up at Ally, who’s coming down the stairs slower with her supplies.
“Thank you, Ally.”
She grins.
I hold out my arm to Wren. “We’ve got a drive ahead of us. Ready?”
My girl nods. “Yep.”