Third Degree (The Lust List: Devon Stone #3) Read online

  Copyright © 2015 Mira Bailee

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  NoMi Press

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  The Lust List Series

  by Mira Bailee and Nova Raines

  The Lust List: Devon Stone by Mira Bailee

  First Taste (The Lust List: Devon Stone #1)

  Second Chances (The Lust List: Devon Stone #2)

  Third Degree (The Lust List: Devon Stone #3)

  Four-Letter Words (The Lust List: Devon Stone #4)

  The Lust List: Kaidan Stone by Nova Raines

  One Condition (The Lust List: Kaidan Stone #1)

  Tangled Trust (The Lust List: Kaidan Stone #2)

  Stolen Desire (The Lust List: Kaidan Stone #3)

  Scandal Exposed (The Lust List: Kaidan Stone #4)

  For everyone who hasn’t yet experienced

  their fifteen minutes of fame.

  The perfect remedy for a Devon Stone hangover involves gourmet cupcakes with edible glitter and a best friend—not that it was an easy feat getting to this moment.

  Last week, I walked away from Devon, and I still stand by the idea that it was for the best. After I called Maddie from the bus station asking her to pick me up, she spent the entire trip back to our little apartment giving me the third degree.

  In one quick breath, as though each question was fighting the others to escape Maddie's lips first, the words plummeted out. "Where were you? What were you doing? And how did you misplace a Stone twin in the process?" Never mind that she spent more time watching me than looking at the road.

  I tried my best to summarize it without making Devon look horrible. I explained how we went to Bandon, Oregon in search for his mother who he’d always been told was dead. Unfortunately, she really was. And more unfortunately, we discovered the existence of Lex, Devon’s long-lost half-sister who wants nothing to do with him.

  “She slammed the door in our face. Twice,” I told Maddie while watching the road on her behalf. It was like her car was equipped with some sort of force field. The woman drove like a stunt driver, seamlessly switching lanes and ignoring her speed, yet everyone made room for her—a very abnormal occurrence in LA traffic.

  “Ouch,” Maddie said. “Did that cause you two to fight after or something?”

  Or something. I remembered the previous night and all the pleasure Devon had brought me. We’d collided as though we’d been starving from lust. Our legs intertwined, and our bodies connected as though we’d been created only for each other. How could such a passionate night transition to a dark, ugly morning?

  “Devon is a drug addict,” I said bluntly, letting my gaze drift out the window. Saying it felt foreign. He’s so powerful. He could do anything. Why does he think he has to do drugs?

  Maddie made a quick turn onto our road and shrugged. “I’m sorry. Unfortunately, it was already pretty obvious by what the tabloids all said. I mean, ScandalLust—”

  “I don’t care what ScandalLust reported. I care that he told me he wasn’t doing that stuff anymore. He promised.” I took a deep breath. “He lied.”

  We pulled into our complex in silence. I retrieved the duffle bag from the trunk as a thought occurred to me. Holding Maddie’s bright pink bag she’d loaned me, I looked from it to her and asked, “If you knew about him, then why were you so eager to have me go away with him?” She’s always first to stand up for me. She could have prevented all this trouble by speaking up.

  She let us into the apartment, stopping in the living room. “Because a bad decision isn’t the end of the world. He’s been through a lot. You’ve been through a lot. I think you two could help each other. But you have to confront the bad before you can both heal. You’d be his new drug. He’d be your therapy.”

  Philosophical Maddie. Always the romantic.

  Now, one Monday later, we’re camped out on the sofa, eating breakfast cupcakes—yes, I’ve determined that’s a “thing”—and watching the highlights of the HIT Awards Maddie recorded over the weekend. The sometimes funny, sometimes cringe-worthy comedian, Jamal Mason had hosted the music awards show, and the recap we’re watching is listing his best and worst jokes of the night.

  “We should’ve come up with some sort of drinking game before watching this,” Maddie says. She’s wearing pink flannel pajamas, thick-framed glasses instead of her contacts, and her blond hair is in a knot on her head.

  As if it’s not already obvious, I remind her, “It’s only 10:00 a.m.”

  “Yeah? And we’re eating cupcakes.” She pokes at the icing and licks it off her finger. “Delicious, delicious cupcakes.”

  I glance toward the box on the coffee table. White with a gold cupcake logo. I’d brought home a half dozen, and two remained.

  “You said you got these for free?” Maddie asks.

  I’d gone in with the intention of getting two, one for each of us. I came out with the box and didn’t have to spend a penny. Usually, six of these gourmet bad boys would’ve been as much as a tank of gas. “Yeah, it was awesome. The girl behind the counter got all excited when she saw me. Then she called her boss to the front. It was the owner who insisted.”

  “That’s so weird.”

  “Nah. Devon said this kind of stuff would be normal from now on.” In the car ride up to Oregon, he’d mentioned it was just part of the lifestyle. Apparently, people know who I am now.

  Maddie sighs. “I want to be a celebrity.”

  “I am not a celebrity.” I point to the TV. “They are.”

  The camera switches from the crowd of big name Hollywood elite back to the main stage. A single spotlight lands on a guy with a guitar—Ethan Beckham.

  “Olivia! You have to watch this. He’s so damn hot.”

  His dark hair and tattoos make him look rough, but his glasses—which look just like Maddie’s—bring him back to “hot, next door neighbor” status. He has a band of people behind him, lit up in red. The effect makes it all seem so sexy, so mysterious. But the stories about this guy aren’t too kind. He’s known for being egotistical and rude. And the fact that I know this is a little alarming. It means I’ve been holed up in this apartment too much the past few days. I’ve been binging on bad TV and junk food.

  I look around the place. A few dirty dishes on the counter, but it’s otherwise clean. There’s still hope for me yet. Note to self: Get the hell out of the apartment…soon.

  Maddie stares dreamy-eyed at the TV, watching Ethan Beckham strum his guitar and make eye contact with the camera.

  “I heard he’s an asshole,” I say.

  She doesn’t miss a beat. “Aren’t they all?” It doesn’t stop her from practically drooling on her German chocolate truffle cupcake.

  Her comment sends one image into my head—Devon. His sexy smirk, his messy hair, his strong hands gripping my hips. I shake my head to evict the thought. “I can’t think of any instances that have proven otherwise. Take it from me, you need to find a nice, down-to-earth guy who’ll treat you well and not hide all his baggage.” I stuff my last bite into my mouth as though it’s the final point to my argument.

  She laughs. “Y
eah…because that doesn’t sound boring. Take Corey, for instance—”

  “You’re still seeing him?” I think back to when he was wandering around the apartment in his underwear. He’s a good-looking guy, though a little dense. I hadn’t seen him since, so I’d assumed he’d been a one-night tryst.

  “I am. Is that a problem?”

  “Not at all. I just haven’t heard much about him. He hasn’t been here since…” Since the day Devon showed up asking me to go on a trip with him. Dammit. All roads lead to Devon. This is precisely why I’ve been hiding out here. I can’t even hang out with my best friend without everything reminding me of him.

  “We’ve gone on a few dates, and I stayed at his place the other night. You should see his condo. It’s double the size of this place—huge!”

  That’s how these people roll. They live large with, seemingly, no care in the world.

  “Look. It’s your boyfriend’s brother.”

  “Let’s not throw the B-word around.” I look up at the screen to see Kaidan in the audience.

  “What? Brother?” Maddie gives me a mischievous grin, and I chuck a pillow at her. It hits the hand holding her cupcake, smashing it into her chin. Her icing beard sets me off into a giggle fit as Maddie rushes over and gives me an overly enthusiastic hug, leaving cupcake remnants in my hair. Now that we both look like hot messes, she settles in next to me as they continue to focus on Kaidan Stone.

  “Aren’t highlight shows supposed to get to the point and show the actual, you know, highlights?” I ask, more of a criticism than a query.

  “I don’t know,” Maddie says. “Look at him in that tux. He looks like a highlight to me.”

  I laugh as we watch Devon’s twin stand up. The shaky camera footage zooms out to show a girl from that show, Werewolf Chronicles, looking pissed off. I don’t know what she does in the music industry—if anything—but she looks like she missed out on an award and is ready to retaliate. The camera pans over to someone else, a blond woman.

  “Hayley Wade,” Maddie states.

  “Kaidan’s girlfriend,” I confirm.

  Hayley’s wearing a spectacular gown that looks like it came from another era. But before I have time to truly admire it, the Werewolf chick stomps over and dumps a glass of wine on her head.

  “Whoa!” Maddie and I shriek in unison. We’re glued to the TV now as Calvin Stone steps in. His fury permeates through the screen and right into our living room. What the hell is going on?

  Hayley looks mortified. The angry blond looks like she’s about to pounce. And Kaidan Stone is quickly removing his tux jacket to cover Hayley. Oh hey, there you go. Proof that they all don’t act like assholes all the time. What’s with these guys? They bring about so much trouble and uncertainty, yet in the next instant, their entire focus is on you and defending your honor. Kaidan and Hayley leave the building, flanked by security detail. The camera tries to get closer to Calvin, but the head of Stone Records gives an icy glare, and the camera cuts off.

  Back to the recap hosts. One is covering her face as though she just lived through that embarrassing experience while the other laughs and says, “The attack they didn’t want you to see. That footage was never going to make the final cut, so you saw it from us first.” She turns to her co-host and they try to dissect the details, but with only brief footage to work from, their theories are forced. They come to the assumption that Kaidan’s been dating both women, and the HIT Awards is where the truth came out.

  “And you thought your relationship had too much drama,” Maddie says.

  I nod in agreement. I guess that’s one point for Devon. At least he’s never humiliated me in front of the entire world.

  “You should reach out to her.” Maddie peels her gaze from the drama on TV to look at me. “You could start a Stone brother support group.”

  “No way. We’re on entirely different levels. She actually belongs in the Stone world with her rock star dad and money and all. Me? I…”

  “Belong with Devon.” Maddie looks at me seriously. She managed to get most the icing off her face, but a tiny spot remains. I focus on that in order to avoid reality right now. “You should call him.”

  Call him…And then what?

  “I’m not calling him. It took everything for me to stick up for myself. I can’t be with a liar. And I won’t be with someone who’s so irresponsible when it comes to coping with his problems. Think of my problems?” My anxiety, my depression, my inability to find closure after my brother’s death. “You think his habits would have a positive effect on me?”

  Maddie sits in silence. I wish it were easier. I wish I could call him, forgive him, and move on. But it’s Devon’s turn. He’s the one who has to decide what our relationship is worth.

  “Then hopefully you’ll hear from him soon,” she says.

  My phone rings.

  We both jump and stare at each other.

  “If you have creepy mind powers I don’t know about, you should warn me now.”

  Maddie laughs as I grab my phone. The screen says “unknown”, so I answer.

  “Olivia Margot?” a woman’s voice asks.

  “This is she,” I say. It must be another random job offer. Being connected to the Stones isn’t all that bad.

  “My name’s Natalia Vorhees. I don’t know if you remember me. We met on the bus, very briefly. I was sitting a row behind you and asked about you and Devon.”

  I did remember. She’d shown me her computer screen with the ScandalLust headline of the day. She’d told me how lucky I was to be Devon’s girlfriend. I still wasn’t feeling that lucky though.

  “How’d you get my number?”

  “I know, I know,” she says. “This is really bizarre. I work with people who make it easy to get ahold of who I need to contact. I promise, this is genuine. I need to meet with you.”

  Seriously? This can’t sound crazier. Like hell am I going to meet up with some random fan girl who tracked me down after ten seconds of talking to me.

  “Your silence tells me you’re feeling skeptical,” she says.

  Yeah, no crap.

  “I’m not sure it’s a good idea. I—uh—I don’t have a lot of free time.” I look around my apartment again and back at the TV where Bia is front and center, looking gorgeous on the red carpet. “I’m pretty busy.”

  “I can work around your schedule. Whatever you’d like. I just need five minutes of your time to talk to you about something.”

  I begin to object again. “Thanks, but—”

  “It has to do with Jared.”

  I swear my heart leaps from my chest, right into my throat. My words catch. Who is this woman? How does she know about my brother? Why does she want to talk to me about him?

  “Fine,” I say. “We can meet tomorrow. Where?”

  Natalia gives me the name of a cafe in downtown LA. I tell her I’m bringing a friend, and I’ll see her at noon. She says she’ll buy me lunch, and I hang up, a lump still caught in my throat.

  “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. What’s wrong?” Maddie looks concerned, but I can’t comprehend what just happened. “What is it, Olivia?”

  “I’m not sure.” I take a deep, calming breath. “But we have lunch plans for tomorrow.”

  The next morning, my heart is racing. My alarm goes off to tell me it’s time to leave. Maddie is being extra supportive by not asking questions, but I sense the excitement emanating from her. She loves mystery and adventure. This is a field trip for her. For me? I hate the unexpected, and Natalia was all too vague on the phone.

  I let Maddie drive, and halfway there, Natalia calls again, requesting a venue change.

  “Bella’s is even closer to you and has great Italian food. I hope you don’t mind. I’ll order us a bottle of wine to be our icebreaker.”

  Wine sounded good at the moment—something to settle my nerves. I tell Maddie the new location, and fifteen minutes later, we park. I take a quick look in the visor mirror and fix an eyeliner smudge. Aside from
running quick errands, this is my first time out in public since walking away from Devon. I think I was scared I’d be recognized and then questioned about our relationship. I didn’t even have those answers for myself.

  “You look good. Let’s go.” Maddie opens her door and gets out. She’s wearing a long-sleeve shirt with a short skirt and boots. I opted for jeans and a tank top, with my tan blazer thrown on for a professional feel.

  We waltz into the restaurant, and I’m worried I won’t be able to recognize Natalia. I’d only seen her those few seconds, and I was pretty distracted at the time. She had straight black hair and bright blue eyes. That’s all I remember.

  We stop at the concierge and tell him we’re expected. He leads us outside to the garden villa, as he calls it. It’s quiet and soothing, a few tables filled with early lunch-goers. We turn a corner, following the concierge to Natalia when I stop in my tracks.

  Two tables away.

  Staring at a phone with a plate of ravioli in front of him.

  Devon.

  I keep walking.

  Maddie grabs my elbow, which tells me she’s spotted him too. Fortunately, he’s turned away from us just enough that I can sneak past without—

  Maddie shoves me directly into his lap. I squeal. Devon almost jumps up but sees it’s me fast enough that he doesn’t send me toppling to the ground.

  My first instinct is to strangle him. I want to kick him and yell at him for not rushing off, getting help, and running back to me ready to commit. No, instead he’s dining on Italian comfort food, soaking in the California sun.

  “Hi,” he says.

  “Hi.”

  I stand up and smooth out my jacket as I glare at Maddie. She continues to follow the concierge to a table where a dark-haired girl waits.

  “You stalking me?” Devon asks.

  I narrow my gaze at him. He’s dressed in a button down shirt and jeans. His hair is styled smoothly, and he looks delicious. I push the thoughts of him naked out of my head as I answer. “No. I’m here for a meeting, thank you very much. A meeting you’re about to make me late to.”