Stone Cold Charade (A Stone Family Novel) (31 page)

She slowly slid her tongue over her lower lip
then scraped her teeth gently over the moistened area, bringing him instantly
to life. He felt like laughing at the power she had over him without even
knowing it. This was not how he wanted to spend his first day married to Alex.
He wanted to find a secluded spot where he could keep her in his bed for the
next week at least.

Glancing at the sofa in the room had intriguing
images floating through his mind, tempting him to drag her to it and experience
each blissful fantasy, but he knew he couldn’t. He had to take care of the
security problem first. Then they could have tonight to rediscover everything
about one another.

“I need to deal with the reporters, but back up
is on its way. If you’re going to keep working in here we’re going to have to
figure some way to communicate. I don’t like you being in here where I can’t
check on you. I need to know you’re safe. Will you fork over that blackberry
number or will I have to get Ridge to blast a hole in the wall?” he asked,
running his thumb over her lips where her tongue had been just moments before.

Alex was having a hard time following the
conversation, having him so close was wreaking havoc with her thought process.

“I don’t think you’ll need to go that far. You
could always throw yourself at the door again.” Alex grinned as she pulled his
thumb into her mouth to nip at it with her teeth.

Feeling his knees threaten to give out he shook
his head to clear it, reluctantly pulling away from her luscious mouth. He
reached up sliding her glasses from her face and slipping them into her shirt
pocket. He suspected Alex had a natural sexuality about her that she hid from
the world. He hadn’t expected her to be so open after having only made love
once. He had thought it would take weeks for her to be so candid with him.

She stood spell bound as she watched him lower
his mouth to hers. When he started to trace the contours of her lips with his
tongue and teeth, she felt a blast of heat rush through her. Standing up on her
toes she pulled his head down to hers as she threaded her hand in his hair,
deepening the kiss. Ty was a craving in her blood.

She moaned a complaint minutes later as he
pulled back from her. He raised his head and reached down, placing one hand
under her legs and swinging her off her feet before advancing toward the couch.
He sat down and placed Alex across his lap. “When the men I sent for get here,
we’ll finish what we started in my bed this morning. Until then I’ve got to
keep the press out. Want to give me something to think about until later on
tonight?” Ty suggested, wagging his eyebrows before softly nuzzling her ear.

Pushing out of his arms, she stood facing him
as he raised his eyebrows at her. Smiling haughtily she placed one thigh on
either side of his, and raised herself on her knees facing him. She realized
that with Ty she would have to be herself if she wanted him to fall in love
with the real her. She gave herself over to her uninhibited nature, just as she
did when she was on stage.

He felt her lean against him, sliding her
breasts against his chest as she looked down at him. She began to lower her
head, so slowly toward his mouth, holding his eyes locked with hers. She
reached his mouth, nipping at his lips with her teeth before soothing the
slight sting of it away with her tongue. She ran her hands along his neck and
shoulders, turning her head seductively and placing small kisses along his jaw
line. Ty moaned deep in his throat and pulled her tighter against his frame.
Unable to take her teasing a moment longer, he pulled her mouth under his,
deepening the kiss. He needed to taste her, be inside her, any way he could.

He felt his control slipping away; he stood
with her in his arms, trying to resist the temptation to stretch out on the
couch with her sprawled beneath him. He slowly eased her from his embrace,
allowing her to slide down his body, to feel his growing desire as her hips
came into contact with his. Knowing how much he wanted her at that moment he
ended the kiss with reluctance. He looked down at her and saw passion blazing
in her green eyes.

“You’re more lethal than dynamite, I think I
may have created a monster. Behave and stay in here until I call. And behaving
means I don’t want to find Steven in here with you. I find his butt in here and
I’ll break his neck,” he threatened. Setting Alex aside he started for the door
when he felt her clutch his arm, bringing him to a stop.

“What do you mean? Why can’t I have Steven in
here? Ty, I work with Steven. He’s my friend and my coworker!” She was
distressed.

Pulling her back into his arms, he looked down
at her, his face going hard. “And you are my wife. I don’t want him pawing all
over you.” He knew he was being unreasonable but he just couldn’t stop himself,
he was realizing how possessive of Alex he had become. Ty dropped a quick kiss
on her forehead, and not giving her a chance to argue, marched for the door. As
her voice rang out behind him, he reluctantly came to a halt. He wasn’t ready
to explain his reasons to her. He already had enough to deal with regarding the
reporters and her grandfather.

“Ty, aren’t you forgetting something?” Alex
watched him pivot around to her, his face clearly showing his impatience. He
was obviously anxious to take care of the reporters so he could get back to
her. Alex smiled and went to the piano. She wrote her blackberry number on a
corner of her sheet music before tearing it off. She strolled toward him, her
hand outstretched. Mischief laced her eyes, amused that he had forgotten why he
had come into the den in the first place. Laughing at the minx, he pulled the
paper from her hand and dropped one more kiss on her mouth.

Her heart skipped a beat when Ty turned at the
door and winked at her before closing it behind him. She couldn’t wait until
tonight. She would show him exactly what she felt for him. If she didn’t know
better she would swear the man was still jealous. She had chosen him, not
Steven, to marry. Once he understood that, there might be hope for a future
together, she thought as she went back to work and the piano.

After seeing Alex, Ty spent what was left of
the day dealing with phone calls, and the local sheriff and his men. When their
relief arrived around six in the evening, he got them squared away in the
bunkhouse and gave them their orders.

Ty headed back to the house and ran upstairs.
He wanted to grab a quick shower before he called Alex. He couldn’t wait to see
her, but the thought of sharing a meal with Max gave him indigestion, even
before he had eaten anything. He wasn’t happy knowing Max had set him up, but
he knew Max couldn’t manipulate him into working for him. He felt satisfied
with his work life, just as it was. He didn’t need a paycheck from him. He
didn’t marry Alex for her family’s money. He married her after he claimed he
would disown her.

As he dressed, he thought about the future.
Alex might grow to miss all the luxury that went with being a Stone Girl, but
if she cared about him, she would be happy with the life he could provide for
her. What they had together was special. He had never felt for any other woman
what she made him feel, in and out of bed.

Reaching the landing, he observed Steven and
Parry with their ears pressed against the door to the den. He cleared his
throat to gain their attention and they straightened up hastily, looking
guiltily up at him for so obviously spying and trying to eavesdrop. Steven slid
away from the door casually, leaning back against the wall as he crossed his
arms and legs. Parry slumped down on the bottom step of the stairs, placing his
hands under his chin as Ty descended to the first floor.

“Dinner’s ready,” Martha hollered, walking into
the entry hall. She stood gazing expectantly at the three of them, her hands on
her hips. When none of them moved an inch she threw up her hands and headed
back to the kitchen shaking her head. “Fine, just don’t complain to me if it’s cold
when you get around to eating it.”

Ty raised an eyebrow at Steven, as he said,
“She won’t come out or let anyone in, so you might as well forget it! I already
tried pounding on the door off and on all afternoon. She just chose to ignore
it. Whatever she’s working on in there has her full attention,” Steven warned
smugly.

They both studied Ty, wondered if he was going
to accept his claim and give up. He unclipped his cell phone, flipped it open,
punched in a series of numbers, and raised the phone to his ear. Parry shrugged
his shoulders when he spotted the quizzical look on Steven’s face, letting him
know he didn’t have a clue what his boss was up to.

“Are you finished? Well, I’m starving and
Martha said dinner’s ready. Do you want me to starve honey?” he asked
suggestively.

He heard her laugh seconds before she
disconnected the line. Reaching the door just at the exactly same moment she
opened it, he pulled her into his embrace. He kissed her forehead, tucking her
under his arm to escort her to the dining room right past them. He couldn’t
help but chuckle at the astounded expressions plastered on their faces.

“Didn’t think I had it in me, did you?” he
called over his shoulder as he entered the dining room. Max sat in his usual
place at the head of the table with Sam to his left. Steven and Parry scrambled
around the table, elbowing each other and giggling like little boys as they
fought to sit across from Sam. Martha started bringing in plates, placing them
on the table before returning to the kitchen for more. Ty pulled out a chair
next to Sam for his wife, and sat down.

“Oh, I knew you had it in you. Nice job with
the security,” Max commended, digging into his meal, answering the question
that hadn’t been directed at him.

Sam shook her head at her grandfather’s attempt
to cause trouble by misunderstanding his comment. Instead of reprimanding him
for his meddling, she gave Ty an update about his men. “Martha fed Tennessee
and Ridge before they went back out.” Sam raised her water glass to her lips,
and after taking a sip she tried to ease into a subject that couldn’t be
ignore. “Maybe we should think about releasing some kind of statement to the
press? They might back off if they had some bit of information regarding the
wedding.” Sam looked at the two of them hopefully.

“Forget it! I’m not turning my marriage into
more of circus than your grandfather has already made it. That’s as far as I’m
going down that road.” Ty stated gruffly.

He didn’t want the press anywhere near them. He
would figure out some way to get them off the ranch later. Right now the only
thing on his mind was his bed with Alex in it. With Steven and her family here
he had to face the fact it wouldn’t be until much later tonight, but he could
wait. He had distinct plans for this evening.

“The reporters will just keep sitting out there
until we tell them something,” Sam warned. Stubbornly he shook his head no.
Blowing out a breath from the corner of her mouth, causing her bangs to
flutter, she tried to change the subject. “By the way, Maxine and Jack called.
They said to give you their congratulations and Grams said to call when things
quieted down a bit.” Sam told Alex with a smirk and a wink causing her to
squirm in her chair.

Alex could feel her cheeks start to heat up.
Still trying to get used to the thought of being married, she could do without
Sam rubbing it in.

“Has Jesse called? I haven’t heard from her for
a while,” she asked, trying to redirect the conversation. Struggling to finish
her meal, she discovered chewing and actually swallowing was proving difficult
with Ty sitting next to her. He was causing her mind to wonder. She kept
thinking about earlier this morning, wanting to experience his love making
again and the feelings he brought out in her. Her mind was running rampant with
possibilities of what he may have planned for the two of them.

“No, though I don’t suspect she knows yet.
She’s as bad as you when she’s dealing with her horses, the rest of the world
doesn’t exist,” Sam observed as Alex kept eating, not raising her head to acknowledge
what she had said. She suspected she hadn’t even heard her.
Whatever my
little sister is thinking about has her distracted,
Sam thought, chuckling
to herself.

After everything that had happened, Ty could
see Alex was uncomfortable being around her family. Trying to gain her
attention, he reached out and threaded her fingers through his. She raised her
head to meet his eyes and he was hit with the desire for him that lay so
plainly in her eyes. Locked within her gaze was the truth she was powerless to
hide from him. He had less reason to worry about her trepidation towards him
and her family after realizing what had taken over Alex’s thoughts. She had not
been trying to freeze Sam out, her mind was simply locked on the upcoming
night, just as his was. Smiling down at her, he shared with her the memory of
this morning and the possibilities to come. She had surprised him yet again.
His needless worries that she was apprehensive about tonight were soundly put
to rest by the blatant expression of excitement in her eyes.

“All right you two, enough. You’re starting to
melt the table cloth!” Max called out in frustration. He was getting tired of
watching them make kissy faces at each other. He just needed Ty to accept his
offer to take over the security. “When the two of you are alone you can do what
you want,” Max said waving his hand at them. “Right now, I want to talk to Ty
about him getting to work on the security for Maximillion Enterprise.” Max
finished with his meal, pushed it away to cross his arms on the table. He saw
everyone in the room freeze.