Lane (Made From Stone Book 1) Read online

  “I know. But the last thing I want is a kid,” I say. She’s heard my reasons for being completely careful a million times; I will never need to be in a pussy so badly that I won’t cover up.

  “Do you ever want them?” she asks, and I groan aloud this time.

  “Years from now, maybe,” I answer quickly, deciding this conversation doesn’t need to go any further. It will only ruin my night if it does.

  I spread her legs further apart, as I drop to my knees in front of her, and go to work with my hands before letting my tongue take over. She wanted me all over this apartment, but she knows that I can give her what she wants without ever leaving my position on the floor.

  Wouldn't you know it my ploy was effective! She stopped talking and dug her freshly manicured nails into my shoulders, as I gave her the first orgasm of the evening.

  Mallory

  I’m walking toward the football field for cheerleading practice and I’m a nervous wreck. Chad has continued to sit with me at lunch, and I think some of the girls on the squad are mad. It’s funny because he hasn’t even asked me out. In fact, we only talk about college. He seems to actually be interested in my plans and me, not just hooking up. The moment I see Chad, I can’t help but smile. He must’ve screwed up, because Mr. Stone is in his face. I can’t hear what he is saying, but whatever it is has Chad cowering. Not wanting to embarrass him by witnessing this exchange, I jog over to the rest of the squad and start warming up. No one says anything to me, but they start whispering right off the bat. Frustrated, and frankly not giving a damn, I decide I should be the one to clear the air.

  “Is there anything that anyone wants to say to me?” I ask, addressing the entire squad. They all look at each other, and I know someone will speak up. I cross my arms and sit back, waiting.

  “You know Chad and Tiffany just broke up, right?" says Kelsey with a snippy tone. I roll my eyes. Kelsey is the ultimate mean girl cheerleader.

  “I didn’t know, but Chad and I are not dating.” I rush to defend myself.

  “Well, just watch out. Chad likes to take his time; he pretends to be interested in your life plans and then he says, ‘Be my girlfriend.’ The next thing you know, you’ve slept with him and he dumps you,” says Tiffany.

  I sit stunned by what she just said. Is that what Chad's trying to do?

  “Thanks for the heads up. If it makes you feel better, I won’t sit with him anymore,” I reply. I mean, it’s been nice having company at lunch, but if she is telling the truth, I won’t be losing anything except possibly a broken heart.

  “I’m just looking out for you,” says Kelsey, trying to sound genuine. I know she’s full of shit, but I let it go.

  “Thanks.”

  “Would you like to try flying today?” Tiffany asks.

  I miss being at the top of pyramids and the feel of the free fall.

  “Yes. I’d like that.”

  Lane

  I had planned to have my players work on focus today, but those girls on the sidelines are nothing but distractions. The team was in the middle of practicing running plays, and it was Chad's turn to run the field with the ball. He was doing great, not letting anything get in the way of him making it to the end zone, and wouldn't you fucking know it. Mallory Carter came walking toward the field, and the ball was stripped from Chad at the two-yard line. I was furious, so I rushed over to give him a good ass chewing, but even I was struck silent for a moment.

  Her hair was blowing in the wind, her pale skin glowing in this late October sun. I see the draw, I mean, she’s beautiful, but not worth losing a game over. Chad’s lucky this happened at practice, because he’d be running several miles a day holding a sign saying “No pussy is worth a loss!” for weeks.

  My annoyance is interrupted when I hear a scream coming from the sidelines. It’s an ‘I’m in so much pain’ kind of scream, so instinctively I take off running towards the sound.

  I see some players gathering around the group of cheerleaders, and I start moving them to the side. I stop when I see Mallory holding her knee. She isn’t crying, but I can see the pain in her eyes.

  “What happened?” I demand.

  “We dropped her. It was an accident,” one of the girls says, trying to sound concerned.

  I look at the group of girls and some are concerned, while some are holding back laughter. This was obviously no accident.

  “Where’s your coach?” I ask, wondering where Ms. Stovall is. They shouldn't be here practicing by themselves.

  “She had to leave early, but we wanted to practice a little more,” says another cheerleader.

  “Mallory, are you ok?” Chad asks while sitting next to her.

  “I think so. I heard something pop, but the pain is easing,” Mallory says, trying to get to her feet with a painful wince.

  “Here, let me help you,” Chad says, getting to his feet and offering her his hand. I immediately go to their side.

  “Chad go back to practice, all of you, back to practice. I said go!” I shout, looking to the rest of the team.

  I address Mallory, “Don’t stand! I’m going to pick you up and take you inside. We can have you looked over in the locker room.” I hear a girl whisper under her breath, “Lucky!” and I throw a nasty glare over my shoulder at the vindictive girls.

  “Honestly, Mr. Stone, I think I’m fine,” she says. I ignore her and place one arm under her back and another under her knee, and lift her with ease. I accept her near non-existent weight comfortably as I pull her close to my body so she can rest easily.

  “Well, better safe than sorry. Trust me, you don’t want a small injury turning into a big injury later. This kind of thing can affect you the rest of your life.”

  She must accept my words, because she lays her head on my chest. I can feel my heart start working overtime at the nervousness I suddenly feel. Why the fuck am I nervous?

  “Mr. Stone?” Mallory questions.

  “Yeah?”

  “If you get tired, I’m pretty sure I can walk. I mean, I know I’m heavy,” she says softly, and I can’t help but laugh.

  “I’ve got you, Mallory,” I reply, unconsciously pulling her in closer to my chest.

  After I get her into the locker room, I lay her on the massage table our physical therapist uses to treat players. Doc Thompson comes in and looks her over. He helps Mallory move her knee and assists her as she stands up.

  I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding when she starts to walk. She seems fine except for a slight limp, so he wraps her knee, and tells her to take it easy for a few days.

  “Thanks, Mr. Stone, Doc Thompson,” Mallory says with a warm, gracious smile. It's the first time I notice the slight gap between her two front teeth. It's adorable! That makes twice today that I’ve stopped to enjoy her beauty.

  “Glad to hear you’ll be fine,” I reply awkwardly, as she limps out the door and is on her way. I’m going to ask Ms. Stovall to start practicing indoors. Mallory Carter is a distraction and not only to Chad.

  Chapter 3

  Mallory

  Chad Jones is hot. Even though I've been avoiding him at lunch, he asks me out constantly, but I always say no. My dad always warned me about the distraction boys can be, which is the last thing I need, and for some reason Tiffany's words felt sincere. Still, I do like the view from the sidelines. Well, there are two views if I’m telling the truth—Chad in his tight football pants that hug every, and I mean EVERY feature. Then there’s Mr. Stone, I can still feel his strong arms around me as he carried me with such ease and I can’t help but wonder what it would be like if he were to carry me off to his bedroom instead. I almost drool at the thought of him, especially on Friday nights.

  He has two different sides: there’s the passionate and fiery 'Coach Stone' who radiates 'alpha male' off every inch of his body, and then there's the gentle side who has been the first responder every single time there has been an injury. He shows such honest concern, not just concern that they lost their starting q
uarterback, but concern that they’re truly hurt. It's the same look he gave me when I was hurt.

  God, it felt so good to be in his arms, to feel the way they wrapped around me. When my head was on his chest, I swore I could’ve lived in his scent. It was like a forbidden Stone cologne mixed of sweat, aggression, power, and warmth. I didn’t know those personality traits could have an aroma but they do, and it envelops Mr. Stone. If someone were ever to find a way of bottling his scent, I’d be first in line to buy it.

  The cheerleading squad turns to watch the final few minutes of the final game, and I can’t help but feel sad. Am I sad this is all ending, or am I sad because it’s the last time I get to see Mr. Stone’s personality so exposed? I kick myself mentally because I know I’m being silly. He’s too old for me and I think, but I’m not certain, that he and Miss Conley have a thing going. I try to force my eyes to Chad, but every time I hear Coach Stone's whistle, my attention breaks and I find myself lost all over again. All right Mallory, focus on Chad. Focus on Chad. Focus. On. Chad.

  Lane

  We are in the last few minutes of what appears to be our last game of the season. I can't lie, I’m a little upset we didn’t make it further but I’m proud that we got our first district champ title in over twenty years.

  “We have nothing to be ashamed of boys! Look how far we’ve come. I couldn't be more proud. It’s been a good year, now let's go back out there and play our hearts out! Go show them who we are and what we’re capable of!” I say to my team that is looking increasingly disappointed. We’re trailing by twenty-one points to last years state champions, and it looks like the Riverview Tigers will win this year as well.

  “Don’t walk off this sideline with your heads down. Hold them high! Hold them high, boys!” I say, trying to motivate my team. They do as I ask and put their game faces on before they head back onto the field.

  As I stand on the sideline in this freezing November weather, I feel a stab of disappointment that football season has ended. I rush out onto the field to shake Coach Moore’s hand and congratulate him and his team on their success this season. While running back to the sideline, I look to the stands and see some of my family. It always reminds me of my high school and college football games; someone was always there to watch me play. I can see my dad clapping and even though we just lost, I feel very proud of what we accomplished this year. I wave to the stands in thanks for all of their support. As my eyes sweep back to the sideline, they meet Mallory’s. I can’t help but stop and look her over. Beautiful. All the other cheerleaders have walked off but she’s still standing there clapping. I nod in her direction to acknowledge my appreciation.

  We head into the locker room so I can give words of encouragement to graduating seniors and motivation to the young men who’ll be returning next year. It’s always hard to say goodbye to the seniors. They’ve become family to me throughout the daily practices and the hard-fought battles we faced during the season. I can only hope they stay on the right path. Who knows, maybe one of them will make it to the NFL.

  After I get my speech out, I decide to wait a little longer to let the crowd dwindle. I’m usually bombarded with fathers telling me what positions their sons should play and single mothers who’ve made me some sort of bake goods, and I’m not in the mood to deal with either of those situations tonight.

  I’m meeting my brothers and cousins at Hansons, an old bar my parents still hang out in. My Aunt Kerrigan bought it a couple years back and revamped the place to what she referred to as its "former glory." She refused to change the name because it holds so much meaning to her and my Uncle Maddox. It's where they first met and fell in love. I glance around the locker room and as I start walking toward the door and overhear a couple of the guys talking.

  “Is Mallory going?” Chad asks.

  “I doubt it. She never shows up to those things,” says another player.

  “That’s too bad. I gotta get her nose out of the books and her mouth on my dick,” Chad replies.

  Rolling my eyes, I think to myself, that’s probably why we lost tonight. All they ever think about is getting laid. I guess I can’t complain too much because it’s exactly what I did in high school, hell, what I’m still doing now. Miss Conley, or Jill I should say, and I aren’t an exclusive couple but who knows, it looks like it’s headed that way. I stay at her place more than my own. I guess the next step is moving in together. She’s hot, she’s a freak in bed, and she’s incredibly smart, which is what I find most attractive in any woman. I’m not sure what’s holding me back from asking her if she wants to officially date.

  When I no longer hear anyone, I head out to the parking lot and see Mallory, in tears, standing by her car in the freezing cold. Worried something has happened to her, I run over.

  “Hey Mallory, what’s wrong?” I question.

  “My car won’t start. I must’ve left my lights on,” she replies sniffling. She still has on that cheerleading skirt that distracts all my players. Admittedly, it's distracting me tonight too, but who could blame me? The way that full-moon light is reflecting off of her long and perfectly toned legs; she's stunning and completely beautiful. So why do I feel like throwing her on my bed like a whore?

  “Well, I can give you a jump. Here, take this,” I say as I shrug out of my jacket and give it to her.

  “Thanks, Mr. Stone.”

  I run the few rows over to where I’m parked and fire up my Jeep. I pull in front of her car and grab my cables. Popping both hoods, I connect the jumper cables and after a couple of minutes tell her to start her car. It starts right away and I see her smile with that adorable gap in her teeth.

  “Leave it running a few minutes,” I tell her, turning away.

  “Ok, I will. Here you go,” she says as she removes my jacket.

  “Why would you stand out in the cold? Why not wait inside your car?”

  “Well, I was talking with some people and lost track of time. When they left, I came to my car and tried to start it. It wouldn’t start and the windows were frosted over so I got out and, seeing only one other car left in the parking lot, I didn’t want to miss whoever it belonged to because I couldn't see through my windows.”

  What the fuck? This girl is incredibly naive. Here’s this young girl in a desolate parking lot pinning her hopes on the one car that’s left?

  “You should’ve called someone. It’s dangerous to pin your hopes on one car, not knowing who the car belongs to or what their intentions may be.”

  “I don’t have a phone,” she whispers between shivers.

  “Make sure you don’t forget it the next time,” I scold her in a protective manner, questioning myself for caring so much.

  “I didn’t forget my phone. I don’t have a phone,” she says slowly, like she’s talking to an idiot.

  “You don’t have a phone? Why?” I ask stunned. Everyone has a phone.

  “Because some people can’t afford it,” she explains and it confuses me. She has a nice car for an eighteen year old but she can’t afford a phone? Curious again, I have to ask.

  “But you can afford this car?”

  “Thanks for the jump and the jacket, Mr. Stone,” she says while climbing into her car and slamming the door. All right then!

  By the time I rush back to my Jeep, my balls have shriveled to the size of peanuts. I turn the heat to high and put my jacket back on. Once heat begins to invade the Jeep, I smell something amazing. It smells like vanilla coffee and... cinnamon? Whatever it is, it smells delicious. Then I realize this smell is Mallory Carter.

  Mallory

  Driving to school on Monday, I’m embarrassed that Mr. Stone had to rescue me, and I worry about facing him. I didn’t yell at him. I could’ve acted more gracious since he had helped me, but I was offended when he insinuated everyone has a cell phone. Maybe offended isn’t the right word. I was embarrassed. I’ve been able to keep up the charade with my classmates. If a guy asks for my phone number, I simply say no, I’m not interested. If a girl
is going to ask for it, I beat her to it and ask for hers. Thankfully, that’s only happened once when I was partnered with Olivia in bio chem. She’s a sweet nerdy girl who gets picked on way too much. I’ve tried being her friend but I can only offer her so much. I can’t invite her for a sleepover and I can’t afford to take her to dinner. So, I just try to be there as much as I can during school hours. We have a few classes together and I make sure I’m sitting next to her in every class we share. I don’t understand why people are so mean. She’s a super-cool chick in my book. A fan of anything 80’s, she wants to become an astronaut. Well this week anyway, that girl is always changing her mind. But it’s cool. No one expects us to have our lives figured out yet.

  My life wouldn’t be planned out, but unfortunately, I don’t have the means to change my mind often. I get one shot at making a life for myself. Scholarships don’t cover people going to college and changing their minds often so I need to make a decision soon. All my scholarship applications have been sent and so have my college application letters. Fingers crossed I’ve done well enough to compete with the others applying.

  When I get to class, I see Olivia is already there and I hurry over. She looks upset and immediately I’m pissed off, knowing someone has said or done something to hurt her. If I were a violent person, I’d kick their ass.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Super-glue this time,” she says, pointing to her curly brown hair.

  “Who did it?” I demand, scanning the room for the culprit.

  “Lewis and his sidekicks,” she cries.

  I tap my foot and wait for the rest of the class to file in. I see him and rage takes over. I’m not going to kick him in the nuts like I want, but I plan to humiliate him in front of this class. I storm over to him and shove him out the door.

  “You think it’s fucking cool to put glue in someone's hair?” I yell.

  “Not cool, just funny,” he says laughing.