(I'm No) Saint Nick: Stone Bros. (Pure Escapes) Read online

  I clench my thighs around his hips, forcing him deeper yet, and holding him inside me as my sheath contracts, milking the last of his release. “Nick,” I say. I want to say something else, something like he’s mine, but I can’t find the words. He’s silent as well, but I swear his eyes are reflecting the same message I’m thinking: You’re mine.

  4

  Nick

  After last night, I can’t imagine letting her go. My curvy little elf is dynamite in bed—and on the kitchen counter. More than that, I’m convinced I’ve fallen for her. It should be way too early to feel like this, but I can’t deny I’m drawn to her in a way that I’ve never experienced before.

  I bring her breakfast in bed, and she stretches as her eyes flutter open. I get lost in the warm brown color, and I have to lean forward to kiss her. Our lips meet, and it’s just as passionate as the many times I kissed her last night.

  She tastes as wonderful as she did then, and I savor the recesses of her mouth with my tongue as I plunge inside. Her tongue strokes against mine, and if I hadn’t knocked against the tray, we probably would’ve gone for round…five? Or is it six?

  Instead, I pull back and lift the cloche to reveal eggnog pancakes and warm maple syrup. There’s a crisp side of bacon as well.

  She looks at it, licking her lips and inhaling deeply. “I’m starving after last night, and this looks and smells amazing. What is it?”

  “Eggnog pancakes and bacon.” She starts to look impressed, and I quickly lift a hand. “Don’t give me the credit. My housekeeper, Mrs. Lenz, left them for me to reheat. I can’t really cook.”

  She grins. “I know a few techniques, but I don’t usually have the time to fiddle around with them.” She takes a bite, and her eyes close. Her expression resembles the orgasmic ones she wore last night more than once, and my dick hardens again. Once more, I want to sink into her soft body, but I hold myself back, even when she moans her pleasure at the flavors bursting on her tongue.

  “That’s amazing.” Her eyes open again, and she quickly makes short work of breakfast. I have a few bites, but I’m more interested in watching her than eating. I’m hungry, but not for pancakes.

  When she’s done with the tray, I’m counting down the seconds until I can whisk it away. I wait until she’s definitely finished before I place it on the bedside table and turn back to her. I have to have her again already, and she clearly realizes that. She didn’t make any effort to dress when I brought in breakfast, but she had the sheet tucked above her breasts. Now, she lets it fall to reveal them, and I reach for her, losing myself in her once again.

  Afterward, I’m content just to hold her. I’m also more convinced than ever that I’ve found the woman I’ve been looking for. She makes me feel things I haven’t felt in a long time, if ever. Just feeling is a new novelty in a way. I’ve been so focused on business and keeping the company running that I’ve slowly lost interest in dating and sex over the last couple years following Mom’s death.

  I haven’t really focused on any kind of personal connections. I’ve had sex, but it’s been empty and all about physical satisfaction. There hasn’t been any emotional engagement in years, until now, with Holly.

  “I’m keeping you.” I tell her that matter-of-factly as she turns over to face me. I put my arm over her hip and cup her ass. “I’m not letting you get away.”

  She frowns at me. “You can’t just keep someone, St. Nick.”

  I don’t mind the teasing nickname, even now. I might not appreciate it during sex, but it’s starting to become our thing. “Maybe not, Elf, but I want to keep you anyway. Can you tell me you want me to let you go?”

  She frowns, chewing on her lower lip in that adorable fashion. “It’s not that. It’s just—this is crazy. We barely know each other.”

  I shrug a shoulder. “We can figure that out as we go. Why don’t you stay with me, at least for now? You can always find your own place, but this gives you the time to do so.” I gesture around the room. “I have plenty of space in the apartment, so if you want your own room, you’re welcome to have that, or you can sleep in my bed.”

  She snuggles closer. “If I agree to do this, I’m happy right here in this bed.”

  I chuckle. “What a coincidence. I’m happy to have you in my bed.”

  She hesitates for another moment, and then she nods. “If you really don’t mind, I will stay for a few days while waiting for my next paycheck. Then I’m out of here, because I don’t want to impose.”

  I want to tell her she won’t be imposing, and that I mean it when I say I want her to stay, and not just for a few days. I’m afraid I’ll scare her off though. Maybe she doesn’t feel this connection as intensely as I do. That idea makes my chest hurt, but I struggle to hide any discomfort.

  I go for sanguine instead. “That sounds like a good plan.” I don’t mention that I could help her find an apartment. I could set her up in her own instantly. I own two more apartments just in this building, and one of them is between tenants. I could be helpful in that fashion, but it would mean letting her go that much sooner. I don’t want her to leave. I’m confident I can get her to come back even if she moves out, but it will make things easier to have her by my side without an unnecessary separation.

  I just have to convince her to see the wisdom of that, and I think I’m well on my way to doing so. She has to feel this connection between us. It’s so strong that I can’t believe it’s only on my side.

  5

  Holly

  Monday morning comes before I know it, and we spent all weekend in a haze of passion in his bed. I had tentative plans to look for a place of my own on Sunday, or at least see what was on the market, but he kept distracting me with sex or conversation.

  That’s another surprise about Nick. I can spend long hours talking to him just like I can spend long hours not talking with him as we explore each other. Both are fulfilling in different ways.

  I suspect I might be falling for him, which seems utterly insane and way too fast, but do I really want to deny a chance at being happy just because the timeline is unconventional? Like I have been doing since I met Nick, I decide to go with my instincts and see what happens.

  His apartment is conveniently within a block of the Stone International building, so he and I walk together. As we get closer to the first floor, I tense. I’m a bit embarrassed about the idea of walking in with one of the executives, but it’s clear Nick has every intention of delivering me to the door. I can’t even justify why I feel that way, other than I’m sure everyone viewing us has reached the conclusion we don’t fit together with our differences.

  Since when do I care what others think? That has me straightening my spine and walking proudly beside him.

  “This is me,” I say as we reach the daycare center. I realize we didn’t really discuss what we do at Stone International. I know he’s an executive, and he knows I work with the kids, but we haven’t delved deeply into the topic.

  We talked about so many other things this weekend, but not that. I wonder why it never really came up. I guess we were too busy getting to know each other’s preferences, both carnally and more chastely.

  He frowns for a moment before walking over with me to hold open the door to the daycare. As I start to slip by, he puts out a hand to keep me from doing so, bending his head. I lift mine, understanding he wants a kiss before he’ll let me pass. He can be such a barbarian, but I kind of like that about him. I like that he’s protective, though I could do with a littlest bossiness that he displayed upon occasion over the weekend—mostly in the bedroom though.

  I kiss him passionately. When I pull back, because he shows no inclination to do so, he’s clearly reluctant, but he eventually drops his arm and lets me pass.

  “Have lunch with me.”

  I roll my eyes as I turn to face him. “Maybe if you ask instead of command.” I wink at him.

  He heaves a long-suffering sigh. “Will you please have lunch with me, Holly?”

  I nod
. “I’m not sure what time I’ll be able to get away though. Hours can be a little erratic here. Why don’t I text you a few minutes before my break?”

  He frowns. “I don’t like the idea of you not eating regularly.”

  I can’t help laughing. “It’s okay, Nick. I’m not diabetic, and I’m not going two days without eating. I just might not be able to get my lunch hour at the traditional time. If you still want to have lunch with me and you’re free at the time, I’ll let you know when.”

  With another sigh, he nods and steps back. “I see. Please do. Bye, Holly.” He seems on the verge of saying something else, but then his mouth closes, and he turns and walks away.

  I watch him go for a minute before entering the daycare center. Angela is nearby, and she looks troubled. I frown. “Is everything okay?” Has she heard more about the daycare being moved? I really hate that the new CEO wants to relocate us six blocks away, because the daycare doesn’t fit in with the ambience of the rest of the Stone International building. Talk about shortsighted and shallow.

  Angela hesitates, but she’s still frowning. “I guess I shouldn’t say anything.” She seems wary.

  I arch a brow. “Say anything about what?”

  “It’s just… I’m surprised to see you with him.”

  I frown. “With Nick? Why? What about him?”

  She shrugs. “I’m just surprised you’re fraternizing with the enemy since you are as passionate about keeping the daycare here in the building as I am.” She looks confused. “I have a hard time seeing you with someone like Nicholas Stone.”

  The world tilts around me for a moment, and I have to reach out and grab a nearby counter to keep myself upright. “That’s Nick Stone?” Over the weekend, I become convinced his name really was Nick, and that he was born on Christmas Day as part of a set of triplets as he claimed, but I hadn’t made the connection that he was Nicholas Stone, the new CEO who was driving the idea to relocate the daycare six blocks away from the parents.

  It all fits, including him having two brother, Noel and Claus, though he called one Oz. Aiden Stone left the company in the care of his three sons. How did I not make the connection before? Was I willfully blinding myself to the connection, because I wanted to explore what I felt with Nick?

  I’m confused, but I don’t doubt what Angela is saying. My stomach churns with nausea. “No.”

  Angela nods. “You didn’t know he was Nick Stone?”

  I flush, embarrassed by how little I know about him after spending the weekend with him and agreeing to move in with him. “I… We never exchanged last names.” I can’t help flushing with mortification. That’s so unlike me.

  Angela looks concerned. “Do you think he was avoiding telling you?”

  I shake my head, instantly rejecting that notion. “He’d have to be pretty manipulative to do so and have a good reason for not wanting me to know his last name. I don’t think he was directing me away from asking. It just didn’t come up.”

  Lots of other things had come up, including his cock on multiple occasions, but we hadn’t really discussed last names, and family had been a cursory mention in passing. He hadn’t given me enough details to put together who he was, but I hadn’t overly shared either. We had been more consumed with passion than sharing information.

  “I’ll be back.” I am suddenly overwhelmed and angry, and I have to confront him. Without waiting for a reply from Angela, I spin on my heel and rush from the daycare center, moving to the elevators. They allow access to all the floors except Executive, so I have to get off on the eleventh floor and approach the receptionist.

  I show her my badge as I say, “I need to speak with Nick Stone.” My voice is shaking.

  She’s the perfect blonde, with high cheekbones and exquisitely detailed eyebrows. She arches one of them in my direction as her mouth lifts in a sneer. “You have to have an appointment to see Mr. Stone.”

  I’m not really surprised, but I am angry at this latest impediment. Then I recall his number is in my phone, programmed in by him this morning before we left his apartment. With hands shaking, and not moving away from the receptionist desk, I dial his number. He answers on the second ring. “Nick, can you please authorize me to come up? The receptionist,” I lean closer so I can read her name tag in an obvious fashion, “Heidi, is refusing to let me up.”

  Heidi still looks smug, but there’s also a hint of uncertainty in her expression.

  “Hand the phone to her,” says Nick.

  I pass it to her. “Nick would like to speak with you.”

  She sneers at me as she takes the phone. “Who is this, really?” She must get an earful, because that smug expression melts away a moment later, and she starts to look worried. “Of course, Mr. Stone, I’ll send her right up.”

  She hands back my phone, looking considerably less assured. “You can take elevator one to the top floor.” She doesn’t say anything else, and she doesn’t bother to apologize, but she’s certainly more chastened than she was when I first approached.

  I don’t really care about Heidi or her attitude though. Right now, I’m focused on getting to Nick, so I turn and rush to the elevator that’s a few feet away. It opens just as I arrive, and I step inside so it can carry me upward.

  When it opens again on the executive floor, I spend a moment acclimating. The rest of the building is elegant and neatly structured, but it has nothing on the executive level. There is black marble flooring, and I wonder if the specks of gold are actual gold. It wouldn’t surprise me.

  There’s no receptionist up on this level. Just a long line of offices with name plates attached to the black wooden doors. The closest one is labeled “Nicholas Stone, CEO,” and I approach it briskly. I don’t bother to knock before entering. I just turn the knob and step inside.

  Nick is waiting for me just a few feet away. He’s eager, and his tie appears loose. He clearly assumes I’m here for something other than the reason I’ve come. He gives me a slow grin. “Is it time for lunch already? I can certainly go for dessert.”

  I close the door behind me, ensuring it’s locked as I lean against it and cross my arms over my chest. His ardor is quickly cooling in the face of my body language. “Why didn’t you tell me you’re Nick Stone?”

  He frowns. “Why would I? I assumed you knew.” He seems genuinely surprised at my surprise. I don’t think he was hiding who he is from me.

  I take a deep breath, sighing with a little bit of relief. “I didn’t know who you are, and it would’ve change things. I didn’t know you were the one in charge of the company, and the one who is pushing to move the daycare six blocks away.”

  He frowns. “What difference does that make? It’s only six blocks, and why would that have changed things between us?”

  I glare at him. “It makes a big difference, Mr. Stone. The parents who work in this building appreciate having the convenience of visiting their children during their lunch breaks. If you move the daycare six blocks away, that’s a big chunk of time they lose traveling back and forth. A lot of parents won’t have the opportunity to eat lunch with their children as they enjoy doing now. A lot of busy, working parents have a finite amount of time with their kids. Having them in this building increases the time they can spend together. So, yes, there’s a huge difference between here and six blocks. That you dismiss that is what would have changed things between us.”

  His frown deepens. “It’s not that crucial, and to be blunt, the daycare just doesn’t fit in with our corporate image. We lease our free offices to some of the most exclusive companies in the world, including the Diamond Exchange. The tacky daycare on the first floor with its child-drawn pictures on the windows just doesn’t fit.”

  I scowl at him. “Who cares if it fits? It’s a necessary component for working parents, and you’re depriving them of more time with their children just because our decor doesn’t fit with your building? How heartless can you be?”

  His arms cross over his chest, and he’s glaring at me now a
s well. “I’m afraid I don’t see it that way, Holly. I’m not trying to do away with the daycare. I’m simply relocating it. I don’t understand why that’s such a problem.”

  I let out a sigh of exasperation. “I just told you why it is. If you don’t have the empathy to understand, then I guess there’s nothing more I can do.” I reach for the doorknob, letting my other arm fall to my side as I do so. “We’re done here, Mr. Stone.”

  He seems bewildered as he reaches out for me. “You’re leaving?”

  I nod, not quite looking at him. I’m too livid at the moment, and I might say things I’ll regret. They’d be the truth, but it doesn’t seem like the truth will get through to him, so why bother? I can’t believe I started to fall for someone so callous. “Goodbye, Mr. Stone. I don’t expect we’ll run into each other again, especially after you relocate the daycare six blocks away.” I turn to face the door, opening it.

  His hand shoots out, reaching for my wrist. “You sound like you’re leaving me, not just the office.”

  I look over my shoulder, trying to hide any sadness in my expression, or any reaction at all. “There would have to be an us for me to leave you. What we had this weekend was an aberration and nothing more. It’s clear to me now that I could never have a relationship with someone like you. Thank you for dinner and an unforgettable weekend, but that’s all it’s ever going to be. Happy holidays, Mr. Stone.” I say the last coldly and pass through the doorway, closing the door behind me before he can intercept or keep me from doing so.

  Then I walk away, struggling to blink back tears. I enter the executive elevator, and a few slip down my cheeks. I manage to wipe them away before I reach the ground floor, and I’m able to bypass the eleventh floor entirely now. It’s a relief not to have to face Heidi, and I wish I hadn’t had to face Nick.

  How could my St. Nick have turned out to be the same stonehearted Nick who wants to separate kids from their parents for more time during the day? All because we didn’t fit his aesthetic? I was a fool, and I never should’ve trusted my instincts. Not trusting them led me astray and doing so did as well. Maybe I’m just doomed to make bad choices and have terrible relationships.