by KB Winters
“Morning,” he drawled. “Well, afternoon.”
“What time is it?” I asked him. Right under the layer or hormone fueled lust was a layer of aches and pains that had more to do with the nearly three bottles of wine I’d consumed the night before. I didn’t want to move or even open my eyes all the way.
Finn sank down on the bed and held out his hand. “Three o’clock. Here, take these.”
I reached out and he dropped three more pain killers into my hand. “Thanks.”
“I’ve got hot coffee and breakfast stuff in the other room. You want me to bring it in here?”
I shook my head slightly. “No, I need to get up.”
I swallowed the pills down with a swig from the bottle of water at the side of the bed and then sat up. The sheet fell forward and I quickly jerked it back again. Heat flushed my cheeks. I’d completely forgotten that I was still down to my skivvies. And had been the entire time…I winced. “Is there a robe somewhere on the floor?”
Finn chuckled. “Yeah, here.”
He jumped up and went to the bathroom and came back with a fuzzy white hotel robe. He handed it to me and then left me alone to get out of bed. I took my time, finding that slow movement kept the pounding in my head from hammering out of control. When I finally stumbled into the living room, I found Finn at the round table and a spread of food in front of him. English muffin sandwiches, coffee, bottles of orange juice, and a tray of fresh cut fruit.
“Wow. You went all out.”
“I take breakfast very seriously.” Finn laughed and popped a ball of cantaloupe into his mouth.
“Even when it happens at three in the afternoon?”
He shrugged. “Works for me.”
I rubbed my temples and lowered into the chair beside him. “Thank you for getting all of this. I hope your boss isn’t too pissed at you skipping out on work.”
Finn shook his head. “Don’t worry about that. I have more vacation and sick time saved up than I know what to do with.”
I smiled. “You never did know how to slow down.”
“Hey now. I happen to remember two very nice vacations,” he countered, still grinning.
I took a helping of fruit and chugged back some coffee. He was right. I’d shoved the memories as far to the back of my mind as I could manage, but they were still there. Our first vacation had been a four-day trip to Hawaii. Then, a year later, we’d gone to Cabo san Lucas for a three-day weekend.
Finn seemed to sense I didn’t want to reminisce and moved quickly to the next topic. “What’s the plan? You seriously don’t want me to go with you and get your stuff?”
I shook my head and immediately regretted it. “I don’t want to do anything but stuff my face and go back to bed. God, I haven’t drunk that much since…I don’t know that I’ve ever had that much to drink. Room service really should put a limit on the amount of booze a party of one can handle…”
Finn chuckled softly. “Not when they’re getting what, fifty bucks a bottle and an eighteen percent gratuity charge on top? Easy pickins baby.”
Baby. Oh God. A new flood of memories swallowed me at the word. I’d always loved it when he called me that. In every circumstance. Even when he was mad. There had been one exception: I can’t drag you through a war knowing the feelings aren’t there for me anymore. Baby, I’ll come home and we’ll be in the same place. I think we should end it now and we can both move on.
“Lyss?”
I started and sat up a little straighter. My stomach swooped and I pushed away my plate. “Maybe just coffee for now,” I said, reaching for my cup. I guzzled half the contents in one swallow.
“You have any extra clothes or anything?”
I shook my head. “No. I’ll have to run out and load up on supplies. Maybe get a few groceries. The mini-fridge is pretty decently sized or I could have them move me to a suite with a kitchenette…”
Finn leaned forward, bracing his forearms on the edge of the table. “You’re really gonna stay here?”
I shrugged. “Where else am I gonna go? I’m not going to go crawling back to Rafe just to have a roof over my head.”
Finn reeled back. “I would sure as hell hope not!”
“I don’t have a lot of friends right now. Well, that’s not true. I have friends but they are all by association. Rafe’s hoity-toity world required a certain level of commitment. Between running my business and keeping up with his social circles, there wasn’t a lot of room left over. The people I talk to the most are the employees at Hearts & Paws but I can’t ask any of them for a place to stay.”
“Why not?”
“It wouldn’t be professional, first of all. And secondly, I wouldn’t be comfortable. Here it’s safe. I have everything I need and I can take as much time as I need to get an apartment or something lined up.”
Finn glanced around the room. “But how long can you really afford to keep this up…”
“What do you mean?”
He returned his gaze to mine. “I mean these digs are pretty steep, aren’t they?”
I shrugged. “I’m not worried about that.”
Finn’s grey eyes flashed and he shrugged. “Right. Forget I asked.”
I frowned. “I’ll figure it out. I’ll give Rafe a couple of days to contact me and when he does, I’ll ask for a peace treaty long enough for me to go and get my stuff.”
“You need to call me before you go over there.”
“Finn…”
“What? This isn’t up for a debate. He hurt you once. You can’t be alone with him.”
I sighed. There was no point in arguing. “Fine. I’ll call.”
He inclined his head. “Good.”
I grabbed a strawberry and took a bite. Finn stared for a moment, his smile widening before he tore his eyes away.
“I should probably get going,” he said, not looking my way at all. “Let you get to your shopping.”
My heart squeezed. I didn’t want him to go. I also knew that I couldn’t ask him to stay.
Finn lifted his eyes back to mine and I nodded slightly. “I really am sorry about all of this. I appreciate you coming though. It helped to have a familiar face beside me.” I reached across the table and laid my hand on his. “More than you know.”
He flipped his hand over and wrapped his fingers around mine. “Anytime, Lyss. I mean it.”
“Um, what are you going to do…today…I mean? Are you going to drive back?”
“Eventually. I told Miles I was starting my weekend early. He didn’t have any objections.” Finn leaned back in his chair, one hand still holding onto mine. He glanced down at them, then dragged his eyes back to mine. “Thought maybe I’d come see Peanut this weekend.”
I smiled. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
“I think he’d like that.” Under the table, my knee bobbed up and down. I took a long sip of coffee and then glanced over at Finn as I set the cup down. “You know, I’ll probably go by the shelter tonight, after closing. I’ll need to get my laptop. Thank God I left it there last night. You could um, you could come with me. To see Peanut, I mean.”
Finn smiled. “Works for me.”
“All right.” I jumped up from the table and started for the bedroom, only to stop halfway there. “Shit!”
“What?”
I turned back to Finn. “I need to go get my car.”
“Where is it?”
“Back at the garage where…where all this happened. I was driving my car last night. I don’t even have my keys. Rafe took them and drove back to our building.”
“Is there an extra set?”
I shook my head. “I lost them a while ago. I never ordered another set because I didn’t need them.”
“We can take my bike over there and get your stuff and your car. There’s no reason to drag it out.”
I paced back and forth a couple of times, weighing my options. I knew I’d eventually have to face Rafe again, but the idea of doing it so soon…
My eyes drifted back to Finn and calmness combated my nerves. “You sure?”
He nodded, without hesitation.
“Okay.”
Finn stood and crossed the room. Wordlessly, he gathered me into his arms, one hand going to the back of my head as he held me close. “It’ll be all right, Lyss. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
I nodded against his solid chest. “Okay.”
After what felt like ages, Finn backed up a half step, but kept his hand at the back of my head for an extra moment as he looked down into my face. Those grey eyes drifted to my lips and all the breath in my lungs evaporated in a puff of a sigh. Before I could coax them into drawing another breath, Finn’s lips crushed mine and swallowed up every thought and urging except for one. The one that told me to give myself over to Finn.
No matter what the cost.
Chapter Twenty
Alyssa
Being in Finn’s arms was an intoxicating blend of safety and danger. The allure of the forbidden and wrong. My heart took a backseat as my body responded to his every look, touch, searing kiss. Before I could even process what was happening, I was in the thick of it. My pulse pounded frantically against his chest as I reached for the bottom of his shirt. Seeing his torso on display this morning in bed had me aching to touch all the smooth skin and feel my way over every ridge and muscle.
Finn tugged his jacket and shirt off and my eyes feasted on his exposed skin. I traced the lines of his tattoo, coloring in the lines with the tip of my finger. A question formed in my mind, but Finn stole it away with another sizzling kiss. His hands were all over me, exploring my curves like he was a blind man trying to recreate the image of my body in his mind.
“Lyss,” he groaned when my hands went to his belt buckle.
I persisted. “Don’t make me stop. I want to. I want you.”
His eyes flashed to mine, scanning and searching for answers. Whatever he found must have satisfied him because he crashed back against me with renewed fervor, tugging at the tie on my robe as I stripped away his belt. His jeans clung to his narrow hips and I stared down at the deep V-lines carved there as if etched in stone. My fingers trembled with anticipation and I fumbled my way through undoing his fly.
Finn’s hands slipped under the open robe and I moaned softly as his rough warm hands moved over my skin. My eyes fell closed as I dropped my head back. He explored the side of my neck with fire-hot kisses as his hands roved up to cup my breasts. My nipples went hard, poking at the padded bra cups, desperate to be freed. The sensation of the fabric against my tender nipples sent a bolt of heat between my thighs. My panties were already soaking wet.
Flames licked over every inch as Finn pushed the robe from my shoulders, his eyes locked with mine. Only when the garment fell to a pool at my feet did he break away and look down at me. “Damn, Lyss, you’re so fucking sexy. You have no idea how many times I’ve dreamed of you like this.”
His words made me tremble, aching even more for his touch. “You dreamed about me?” I purred, wanting—craving—more.
He nodded, a wicked grin played at the edges of his full mouth. “When I saw you, at that charity dinner, all decked out…all I could do was think about how damn beautiful you looked. Course, I also wanted to tear that dress off of you. I always liked you au natural.”
“Is that code for naked?”
Finn’s eyes sparkled as he laughed. “Something like that.”
I dropped a look down at myself. “This is pretty damn close.”
He pulled me close, his hands moving around to my back, and with one flick, the clasps of my bra were undone. “Not nearly close enough, baby.”
I sucked in a breath as he pulled the straps down my arms, in slow motion, and then let my bra fall to join the robe on the floor. Finn cursed again and immediately dropped his head to capture one of the aching buds between his lips. He sucked gently, teasing me with a swirl of his tongue. I clung to him, my hands roaming over the strong, flexing muscles in his back as they rolled and moved under my fingers.
He moved to his knees, laying down more open-mouthed kisses as he moved south. His hands braced my hips and when he sunk down, he applied his lips to the waist of my panties, all the while looking up at me. I quivered and clenched every muscle to keep upright.
“I can’t wait to taste you again, Lyss.”
I swallowed hard and bit down on my lower lip. What he was doing to me was so freakin’ hot.
He carried me to the bed and took off the rest of his clothes. I watched, transfixed, as he stepped out of his boxer briefs. He was even better than a dream because he was real. He was mine. At least for now. His eyes were filled with dark desire and lust for me.
My breath caught in the back of my throat as he took smooth, even strides to the bed like some kind of panther. Powerful and strong but graceful at the same time.
He moved over me and kissed me until I couldn’t be sure of my own name. “God, baby, I missed you so damn much,” he groaned into my hair.
I arched back, desperate to feel every inch of him against me. I couldn’t get enough of his skin, I needed more. But just as I clung to him, he pulled away and climbed down my body. I shivered, knowing exactly where he was headed, but I gasped all the same when he tugged my panties down with his teeth, over my hips, leaving hot kisses on my thighs, and then discarded them to one side of the bed. I barely got a full breath before his mouth was on me, his tongue parting my slit and plunging inside me. A moan escaped my lips, echoing through the room as he licked all the way up my soaking wet pussy and tangled around my swollen clit. He sucked it between his lips and his tongue danced lightly as I swore and cried out.
Finn’s back muscles moved and knotted together as he moved between my thighs. With a gentle touch on the insides of my trembling thighs, he pushed them farther apart and went deeper into me with his tongue. My hands dug into those beautiful, sculpted muscles and clenched, holding on for dear life as stars lit up behind my eyes. The tightness coiled around and around, tighter and tighter, until I was whimpering for relief.
My eyes slid shut. “More, Finn, more,” I begged.
Without hesitation, he slipped two fingers deep inside me and brushed up against the sweet, secret spot and every muscle, nerve, and cell went taut and then released in one, convulsive motion. I grasped onto Finn like he was the only life raft in the ocean as I crashed over the edge and was set adrift. Finn kissed me gently, his fingers still buried inside of me, as I came down from the intense climax and finally sagged back against the pillows. My chest rose and fell rapidly and from somewhere deep inside, an insane sounding laugh broke free.
I wiped my brow and shook my head, my eyes still closed tight. “Holy shit…”
Finn moved up my body. “Don’t tell me you forgot how good it is,” he growled in my ear, one finger lazily circling my erect nipple.
My eyes fluttered open. “No, I didn’t forget. But reality is a whole helluva lot better than my memories.”
“Tell me the truth, you’ve thought about me when you touched yourself at night.”
My cheeks warmed but I nodded. “Many, many times.”
He groaned into my hair. “Fuck that’s hot.”
“You wanna know my favorite memory?”
“Yeah…” he whispered in my ear. His warm breath giving me the chills.
“You remember that first time we took your old truck out to that field, next to that creek we used to skinny dip in?”
He smiled. “How could I forget?”
“That’s where I always go…when I’m alone…” The confession felt like a lover’s secret.
Finn grabbed my hip and rolled to his back, taking me with him. I straddled his hips, my pussy brushing his firm cock. I shivered at the fluttering of sensations and then rocked against him again.
“If I recall, it started out like this,” Finn teased, his hands going around to cup my ass cheeks. “You were wearing that pink thong. I remember catching a peek of it all night and by the t
ime I got you in the back of the truck bed I was ready to tear the damn thing off of you.”
I laughed at the memory. We’d been in such a delirious state. “I wouldn’t have cared if you did.”
“It was a clear night and the moon was like a spotlight,” he continued, tracing his fingers over my breasts then down my side and back to my ass. “I could see your every smile, every gasp…”
His cock pulsed against me and I moved forward to slide down onto the hard shaft.
“You look even hotter now,” I confessed, moving slowly up and down on him. I moaned when he guided me into a faster rhythm. My clit rubbed against him with each stroke and a new climax twisted and grew deep in my belly.
“Look at me, baby. I want to see those beautiful eyes while you fuck me.”
My lashes fluttered open and I locked onto his gaze. We moved as one, a careful dance of give and take until we both tensed and clung to each other for relief.
We fucked and moved together, hard and fast, then slow and grinding, pushing his dick deeper inside me, feeling every move of his hips. I let out a curious moan as we fell over the edge together, my own release quickly following the heels of his. I thrashed on his hard prick, my orgasm taking over my whole body again and again. Finn held my hips tight as he released inside me.
“Fuck!”
When he finally stilled inside me, I fell forward, resting against him as I caught my breath.
When both of our breathing patterns returned to normal, I listened to his heart beating and traced my fingers over his smooth, sculpted pecs. “Can we just stay right here,” I murmured. “I’m not ready to deal with the rest of the world. Not today.”
A soft rumble of a laugh vibrated against my cheek. “I’m not gonna argue with that.”
****
“Is that clock right?”
Finn chuckled, the sound thick and husky, like a rumble of thunder. He draped an arm over my waist and drew me back against him. My skin pressed against him and waves of desire rushed over me. “Afraid so…” he answered.