CHAPTER3
Stone
I'm hummingas I pull up to Jeremy's place. I get out of the car and practically skip up his steps, feeling lighter than I have in years. California is turning out to be great so far.
I ring the doorbell, and a second later, my buddy opens the door, grinning from ear to ear.
"Stone! Good to see you, man. It's been too long."
We've kept in touch via text and phone calls, but it's been a good minute since we've seen each other in the flesh. Jeremy has filled out some, as I know I have. All that time alone gave me the opportunity to work out and buff up for lack of anything else to do.
"Man, all that working out is going to help you land the babes," Jeremy says with a wink as he appraises me frankly. "You're built like a brick shithouse."
I give him an affectionate push. "Speak for yourself, man. You're not quite as scrawny as I remember."
Jeremy thrusts his chest out and practically struts like a peacock. "I hit the gym every day. Like I said, the babes out here love a muscled chest." He wiggles his eyebrows at me suggestively, and I chuckle. Same old Jeremy.
"What do you say we hit the club together later?" Jeremy asks.
I shake my head, opening my mouth to tell him that there'll be no clubbing in my imminent future because I met the girl of my dreams earlier. My mouth snaps closed when I hear a suspiciously familiar voice floating down the hallway toward us.
"Jeremy? Is he here yet?"
Her voice sounds adorably whiny, and my breath catches as she saunters into the room and then stops dead in her tracks, her eyes widening.
"Mia," Jeremy begins, "I want you to meet my buddy—"
"Stone," she finishes.
His eyebrows furrow as he looks between us in confusion. "Wait. You two know each other?Howdo you two know each other?"
I hurry to answer his question before he gets the wrong idea and goes apeshit. Holy hell,Jeremyis the overbearing, overprotective brother. It makes total sense because if there's one thing I know about Jeremy, it's how protective he is of his little sister. He talked about her all the time when we were roommates in college. In all those years, I never saw a picture of her or knew anything about her beyond her name. How the hell I’ve never put it together before this is beyond me.
Mia has the same name as Jeremy's sister Mia. Why didn't I see it before? My best friend'slittlesisteris my next-door neighbor.Fuck!
"I met her this morning when I was moving in. Her puppy assaulted me." I crack a half-smile at her to try to break the ice.
Jeremy grumbles, "That dog is a menace. I tried to get her to let me put the little mutt in obedience school, but she won't do it."
"Hey!" She frowns at him. "Trixie is a free spirit."
I fight back a grin at her response.
"Disobedient, more like it," Jeremy mumbles with a frown.
Mia sticks her tongue out at him like a child, making me chuckle. God, she’s adorable. It only makes her more endearing to see her act like a brat to her brother. They're true siblings—something I never had.
Jeremy cuts a look at me. "You know, this is perfect, bro. Since you're living right next door to my sister, you can keep an eye on her for me. Let me know if any dudes come over."
Mia cuts daggers at her brother, "You do realize I'm nineteen, Jeremy, and you're not my father? I can date whoever I want, whenever I want."
Jeremy gives her a hard look. "Not until they go through me first." His eyes soften. "I want to make sure nobody takes advantage of you, Mia."
I interrupt them. "She's safe with me." Jeremy doesn't even have to ask. There's no way in hell I'm letting another man into Mia's house.
Jeremy looks at me approvingly and claps me on the shoulder.
My conscience pricks at me. Jeremy would be upset if he knew why his best friend was so willing to watch out for his sister.