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  I took that to mean she ran her property as a cattle ranch. There were a few in the area.

  Stone nodded and released the break with a nod in her direction. I bid them both a hasty wave as Stone reversed out of the drive and Fredi and Jenny disappeared through the heavy gate.

  ***

  When we finally reached the university, I gratefully collapsed on my bed, sprawling out wide as I savoured the feeling of being back in my own bed. Well, the bed the university had provided me with. I groaned in protest when Stone picked me up, but he settled down onto the bed and let me lie on top of him. We both groaned in unison when his phone rang. He slipped it from his pocket and his finger moved toward the cancel button. His eyes caught on the screen though, and with a sigh he accepted the call.

  “BB,” he grunted. My eyes widened as I realised Briar was calling from Sydney. I heard the faint sound of her perky voice jabbering away excitedly, obviously describing all the fun she’d had re-celebrating her eighteenth with her family. Stone sent me a small, wry smile as he leaned his head back against the pillow and listened silently.

  Finally, Briar must have asked about us, because Stone grunted, “We’re home.”

  “Fredi and Don,” he said a few moments later. He frowned as more excitable chatter came through the line, before handing the phone off to me. I looked at him blankly.

  “Talk,” he told me, closing his eyes.

  “GG? GG!” I heard Briar yelling when I pressed the phone to my ear, “Answer me Grant Graham!!”

  “Hi Bri,” I said softly.

  “Evie!” she responded brightly, “How was the trip?”

  “Uh…”

  “How were the nights?” she added with a cheeky purr, giggling a little. I blushed.

  “Nice,” I whispered. Stone’s eyes opened and looked at me curiously. I blushed again and he chuckled softly, before closing his eyes once more.

  “Only nice?” Briar asked with a laugh, “Details!”

  “No,” I said softly, but steadily.

  “No fair!” Briar complained with some more giggling. Then her giggles stopped and she demanded what had happened between Fredi and Donny.

  My breath whooshed out and I tried to find the right words. I wasn’t sure how Briar would react. She’d been growing closer to Alec, and I’d sensed an attraction growing there, but I was pretty sure she’d still be upset about Donny.

  “They had too much to drink,” I said softly. There was silence on the other end of the line.

  “Just tell me Evie,” Briar whispered, “I’ll find out anyway and I’d much rather no one see my expression when I do.”

  Fair enough.

  “They had sex,” I admitted, my voice barely even a whisper. Stone’s eyes snapped open and he watched my face steadily.

  “Fuck,” Briar’s breath caught and she said nothing for several moments.

  Then, “And they regretted it?”

  I winced. “They were screaming at each other when I woke up.”

  “Shit,” she sighed and then I heard her snapping at her brother in the background.

  “Hey Beautiful!” his low voice greeted me after an obvious tussle for the phone.

  “Hi Liam,” I said shyly. Stone sat up, his eyes narrowing on the phone.

  “How’s the big man been treating you?” he asked with a husky laugh.

  “Good,” I whispered with a blush. Stone reached out and took the phone from me, turning it off and tossing it onto Candy’s bed.

  I opened my mouth to protest his rudeness, but the fierce look in his eyes cut me off and then his hungry kiss stole my breath. His arms wrapped around me and he lay back down, hauling me up his body so that he could kiss me more deeply. I pressed my hands into the mattress on either side of his head as I fought to maintain some balance. His tongue stroked mine in firm, savouring laps as his hands moved under my dress to grasp the bare skin at the back of my upper thighs. I felt him harden steadily against my legs, before he spread them across his abdomen.

  I groaned into his mouth and tried to wiggle down his body. I wanted to feel that hardness snug against my core. I wanted to rub against it and hear him moan for me. But then I’d have to release his mouth…His kisses intensified as if hearing my thoughts and I forgot all about moving. I ground myself against his hard abs instead as he fisted one hand in my hair and took my mouth even deeper. I thrust my hands beneath his shirt and quivered against him as I felt his hot, taut skin and the soft scattering of hair. He pulled the top of my tube dress down in one swift tug and I pushed his shirt higher so that our chests could touch, skin to skin.

  Stone’s growl was quiet, but raw as his mouth left mine and latched onto my neck. His teeth scraped gently as he licked his way along my pulse and I whimpered with sudden desperateness for more.

  The door crashed open and Candy and Mason tumbled in, passionately locked in their own embrace. Stone quickly tugged a loose sheet over me before I recovered enough to squeak in alarm.

  “Mason,” Stone growled, making the pair jump and Candy squeal. They took one look at us, before Mason tugged Candy back out of the door. She shot me the thumbs up before it closed.

  Stone slumped against the pillows with obvious frustration as I emerged from the sheet blushing. I tugged my dress back into place, wiggling a little against his hard lap by accident. He sucked in a harsh breath and groaned quietly.

  “Sorry,” I murmured, before crawling off the bed and moving toward the bathroom for a shower.

  ***

  After a long, hot shower, the last of my hangover dissipated and I re-entered the bedroom in just a pink, fluffy towel. Stone was sitting up against the headboard, shovelling Smarties into his mouth. I looked at them with amusement and he scowled.

  “I need a smoke,” he said gruffly, as if that statement explained it all.

  I smiled and moved toward my dresser to find some sleepwear, but Stone reached out and grabbed my hand, tumbling me back onto the bed so that I lay beside him. I clutched the towel tightly as I squeaked and adjusted my position. I glared up at him, but he simply looked down at me innocently, shoving another small handful of Smarties into his mouth. Suddenly, his eyes darkened, narrowing on a strip of exposed skin on my stomach. I quickly covered it, but Stone tugged the towel open and stared down at me. I blushed and tried to cover myself with my hands, drawing my legs up and together. He chuckled and pinned my hands above my head with one hand. With the other, he upended his box of Smarties over my stomach, the cool, shock of them against my skin suggesting he’d recently taken them from my mini-fridge.

  My chest heaved with my rapid breaths, drawing his eyes as one, cold, purple Smartie slid down the curve of one breast, leaving a faint trail of sugar and food die behind it. His eyes, shimmery silver, watched it fall, before he moved over me and licked it up. I gasped and jerked, causing more cool pebbles of sugar-coated chocolate to bounce and slide across my skin. With an amused twitch of his lips, he lapped them all up, his mouth moving over every inch of my body in a slow, torturous exploration.

  I was writhing by the time he reached my inner thighs, desperate for more pleasure. He spread my legs with his shoulders and I stiffened in alarm as I realised his intentions. We’d not done this yet. I’d been too impatient last time. It was incredibly intimate and I blushed as his heated breath tickled my folds. I forced myself to relax, only to clench tightly in response as Stone slid his tongue along the edge of me.

  Damn, that felt amazing!

  I moaned and raised my hips toward him as I eagerly awaited the next stroke. He chuckled and blew on me, withholding the pleasure of his lips and tongue as I whimpered with need. He circled my clit with his tongue, not quite touching it the way I needed as he teased his way around it. His lips pressed a hot kiss to my thigh and his hands moved up to stroke my sides, teasing the underside of my breasts.

  “Grant,” I groaned, my voice breaking with both pleasure and frustration.

  He obeyed, finally applying pressure where I needed it
and sending my hips bucking off the bed. Strong hands of steel banded them down, keeping me pinned to the bed as his shoulders pressed my thighs wider and he slid his tongue inside. I heard him release a small moan against me as he increased his efforts, the pressure building inside me with such intensity that I forgot all inhibitions and grasped my breasts. I rolled my nipples between my thumbs and forefingers, experimenting with small pinches and gentle twists until it all became too much and I had to grasp the headboard for support as I came with a silent scream.

  My hands slowly released their tight hold of the board as the ripples faded and Stone’s mouth left me. My eyes fluttered open and I stared down at him, still perched between my thighs. The expression on his face was dark and intense - not smug - just incredibly hot and focused. Focused entirely on me. My heart pounded as, eyes not leaving mine, he leaned forward and licked the last Smartie from my belly button.

  That quickly, I wanted him again.

  TWENTY-FOUR

  Stone wasn’t in my bed when I woke the next morning, but he appeared at my door at 0600, dressed to join me on my morning run. I presumed he hadn’t been able to sleep again last night and had gone for a walk in the early hours of the morning. He often left the bed before I woke, but sometimes he slept much later than me – usually because he’d finally become tired enough to sleep mere hours before. Briar and I had once discussed it, but she hadn’t known the cause of his sleeping problems. I suspected it was merely from too much sugar before bedtime.

  I grudgingly left the bed and pulled on some gym clothes, blushing a little as I changed in front of him. He leaned back against the door and watched me with hooded eyes. I was torn between trying to dress more slowly, more sexily…and pulling my clothes on as fast I could. In the end, I settled for trying to appear normal and unfazed as I tugged the last of my work out gear into place and bent to tie my shoes.

  Stone stumbled back a little as the door behind him opened, nearly falling on little Candy. He turned and glared at her and I saw the confident woman tremble a little as she hurried past him into the room, whispering a low apology. I shook my head. Stone intimidated everyone it seemed.

  “What are you doing up so early?” I asked her with a frown. It was still break week and Candy never rose before 1100 unless she had to.

  She blushed and looked down at the floor. I started to worry. Candy never blushed and she rarely held back anything she wanted to say. I glanced at Stone, wondering if it was his presence that made her silent. He gave me a small nod and left, closing the door behind him. I hadn’t exactly asked him to leave, but I appreciated it all the same.

  “Candy?” I asked softly, sitting nervously on her bed. She sat down beside me and rested her head on my shoulder. Her shiny, bright red locks spilled over my shoulder and I ran a hand through some of the soft strands as I waited for her to talk. I usually felt uncomfortable prying into other people’s business, so I didn’t. Even my family members I tended to leave alone if they didn’t want to share something. Candy was different though. She had been my friend months before Briar and the others had welcomed me into their group. She’d taken me under her wing the very first day I arrived at the university, nearly eight months ago. Now it was her time of need, so I was going to have to swallow my discomfort and help her out.

  “Mase and I had a fight,” she said with a sigh, picking at a loose thread on her sheets.

  “Oh,” I said in surprise. Candy and Mason never seemed to really fight. They were always happy and smiling. Always either partying or…getting it on. When they did fight, it was fiery and passionate – usually caused by Mason thinking Candy was being too flirty with other men, or by Mason cancelling on something he’d promised Candy. They always made up quickly though, and I was careful to make sure I was never around when that happened.

  This didn’t seem like an angry-hot sort of fight though. Candy was quiet and solemn. This fight looked to be a big one – a potential break-up fight. It was hard for me to imagine Candy without Mason. She’d met him very soon after we’d arrived at the beginning of the year. She’d gone to a toga party at the uni club during Orientation Week celebrations and Jamie had introduced them. Mason hadn’t gone to the boarding school Candy, Briar, the band, and most of the other students had attended, so he was one of the few guys at the university Candy hadn’t known prior to starting. They’d hit it off straight away and I hadn’t seen her this dejected even once in that entire time.

  She hadn’t said anything else, so I tentatively asked, “What happened?”

  She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, “I told him I loved him and wanted him to come meet my family in the Christmas holidays.”

  My eyes widened. I’d assumed the L word would have been said months ago. They’d always seemed like a committed couple to me.

  “He didn’t want to meet your family?” I guessed.

  She shook her head and sobbed a little, “No, but that’s not a big deal.”

  “What’s wrong then?” I asked in confusion.

  She broke down, wrapping her arms around me and crying softly. “He doesn’t love me,” she gasped, her shoulders shaking as her body trembled.

  “Of course he does!” I protested, “Maybe he just didn’t feel comfortable saying the words…some men don’t. Or maybe he was distracted about the whole meeting the family thing and forgot to say it back.”

  She shook her head, “He said – He said….He said that he thought we weren’t anything serious. That we were just having a good time. That he doesn’t want to be tied down so early in his life!”

  I bristled. What an asshole! No girl liked to hear that. But…I’d really thought Mase had loved her. He missed her when she was away, he went to most of her Netball games, he was always willing to lend her a hand with anything she needed, he was possessive of her, and there were moments that I’d seen him smile so softly at her that it had made me shiver with happiness for them.

  “It’s not as if I was asking him to marry me!” she said angrily, wiping her tears, “I just wanted to know he loved me! That he cared about me!”

  “I’m sure he does,” I told her, “I know he cares about you. He’s just a stupid man. Give him some time to swallow his pride and he’ll come crawling back, begging for your forgiveness. That’s what my brothers do.”

  She shook her head.

  “We’re over,” she said softly, before she got up and walked to the bathroom, shutting the door quietly behind her.

  I flopped down on her bed.

  Fuck.

  ***

  Stone was waiting for me at the gym when I finally made my way there. We worked out in silence as usual and then returned to our separate rooms to shower and dress. He sent me a text telling me he had to pick up Donny and Alec from the bus, and I sent him one back, explaining that I was going to spend the day with Candy.

  Candy and I spent the day watching movies on her laptop, eating chocolate and talking about everything but Mason. I told her all about our trip to Darwin and my interfering family. She laughed and gushed at all the appropriate moments and tried to pry more information than I was willing to give about sex with Stone.

  Stone didn’t come to my room that night and so Candy and I stayed up until the early hours talking.

  ***

  Briar didn’t return to campus until the night before classes resumed. She came straight to my room, kicked Stone out and then demanded to know everything about our trip away. I shyly demanded she do the same and learned that she had started trying to put Donny behind her. She’d confided that she was planning to find someone else to lust after. I’d felt like shaking her and getting out my camera to show her the pictures of her and Alec I’d taken.

  Clueless I tell you!

  Stone had returned before I’d had a chance to think of a way to shove her at Alec. He had managed to get Briar to leave with the mere twitch of his lips…and then he’d backed me toward the bed, pulling his clothes off as he went.

  ***

 
; By the time I’d walked into my afternoon class the next day – Digital Media – everyone was talking about Stone and Chloe. I’d noticed the number of people staring at me steadily increase over the course of the day, and now, as I hesitantly walked into my last class, everyone fell silent.

  Great.

  All day I’d been fielding questions about Stone and his fight with Chloe’s boyfriend. Well, ex-boyfriend. Apparently Chloe and her friends had spread word that Stone wanted her back. That he’d been overcome with jealousy at seeing her in the arms of another man and had been nearly impossible to stop. Usually, people didn’t ask me questions, too nervous about inciting Stone’s anger. Now that it looked like he was loosing interest in me…the gloves were off.

  I shuffled to my usual seat with a blush, keeping my eyes fixed to the floor.

  “Hey,” the girl I always sat next to greeted. I blinked. She’d never spoken to me before. She didn’t talk to anyone. That’s why I always sat next to her…to stay invisible.