by Roxie Rivera
Pissed off and conflicted about what to do, Finn returned to the table. He slid into his seat and smiled at Hadley who shot him a curious look. Could she read him that easily? He ignored her questioning gaze and focused on his dessert. Hadley was pulled into a conversation with Pips, and he finally read through the glossy program that he had been handed earlier that night.
On the last page, he found the list of donors. It didn't surprise him that Hadley's family was at the very top of the list. The key at the bottom of the page gave a range of donation amounts to earn bronze, silver, gold or platinum status. The minimum amount for the platinum table where he now sat was three times what he earned in a year.
Hadley plucked the program from his hand and dropped it onto the table. "Would you like to dance?"
Had she seen him staring at the donor amounts? Was she worried about their conversation in the truck? Not wanting to ruin her night, he grasped her hand and tugged her onto the dance floor. She giggled excitedly and followed him in the sea of bodies twirling around them. He gathered her close and dipped his head to breathe in the alluring scent of her.
Dancing on a prosthesis had been one of the hardest skills for him to master. He still wasn't as smooth or comfortable on the dance floor as he had been in the past, but Hadley didn't seem to mind one bit. The slow two-step was easy enough. She grinned up at him and slid her hand from his shoulder to the back of his neck, gently stroking him as the danced.
For a moment, he allowed himself to get lost in her beautiful face. He let himself forget about Nikolai Kalasnikov, the Ghost and the Guzman cartel. He didn’t worry about the simmering tension between his father and Jack. He only cared about Hadley and this perfect moment with her.
Closing his eyes, he pulled her in even closer and silently thanked God that she had been saved by Dr. Manning. There was something about this girl, something so special, that he was certain they were supposed to cross paths. He'd gladly brave another assassin for the chance to dance with her one more time.
But when he opened his eyes, he found himself looking right at Eddie Rivera's glowering mug. The older man didn't like him one bit. Of all the enemies Finn had at the moment, Hadley's father might be his worst.
* * *
As we entered my penthouse later that night, I couldn’t figure out where the night had gone wrong. Something had happened when Finn had left the table during dessert. He had returned with a scowl on his face. Then I'd caught him looking at the donor page in the program. It was so terribly gauche to post the amounts donors gave to the hospital, but I understood that was the best marketing technique out there for the fundraisers. Houston's elite all wanted to outdo one another.
Finn followed me into the living room. "What's wrong, Hadley?"
Surprised by his question, I gawked at him. "What's wrong with you?"
"Me?" He looked taken aback. "There's nothing wrong with me. I thought—I thought we had a nice evening."
"So did I until you came back from the bathroom looking all pissed off and then you were scowling at the donor page." I removed my heavy earrings and placed them on the coffee table. Working on my bracelet and necklace, I said, "I thought we were okay about the money thing, Finn."
"It wasn't about the money, Hadley." Irritation laced his voice. "I wish you wouldn't automatically jump to that conclusion."
My face grew warm as I realized he was right. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult you like that."
He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "I ran into someone I would rather not have seen while I was on my way back from the restroom. I shouldn’t have let it bother me, but it did."
A painful sensation twisted my belly. "Was it an ex-girlfriend?"
As soon as the words left my mouth, I hated myself for being so weak. I didn't have any business asking a question like that. Finn wasn't mine. He didn't belong to me. And yet…
He let loose a short laugh. "No."
"I'm sorry." I apologized for the second time in as many minutes. "I shouldn’t have asked that. It was rude."
"It wasn't. If you had come back looking like that, I might have thought the same thing."
Feeling a little guilty, I confessed, "You sort of met one of my exes tonight."
His mouth settled into a tight line. "Which guy?"
"Do you remember the blond who offered me a flute of champagne after we danced to the Robert Earl Keen cover?"
The sour look on his face told me he did. "Yes."
"We dated last year."
"He's a lawyer, right?" Finn seemed to be trying to remember every detail he could about that brief interaction.
I nodded. "He works at Vonny's firm on the international law side of things."
"I see."
Now I suspected Finn was actually thinking about money and position. Needing him to understand how I felt, I stepped toward him but didn't get close enough to touch him just yet. "I don't care about things like that, Finn. Having a degree or whatever? It doesn't matter to me."
"Not to you," he allowed, "but to your father? That was one frosty shoulder he kept turned my way."
"He'll come around." Please, God, let him come around. "But it's not your job that bothers him, Finn. I promise."
"How can you know that?" His eyes narrowed. "I'm sure he's thrilled by the prospect of his baby girl dating a wounded vet who never attended college and who works in a gym."
"You co-own a gym. There's a difference," she corrected. "And he respects you for your service. Daddy fought in Vietnam. He did three tours over there, Finn. He knows all about sacrifice."
Finn's surprised expression told me he hadn't been aware of that fact. "I didn't know that."
"He might talk to you about it. He's pretty tight-lipped about his experience. It wasn't good. That's about as much as I know. He had a hard time when he first left the Army, and he was in his early thirties before he finally found Mama and settled down."
"She's younger, I noticed."
"Eleven years," I said. "She was in college when he met her. She was Texas royalty, and he was a groundskeeper at the country club where Papaw played golf."
Now Finn's eyes were really wide. "Are you serious?"
"As a heart attack," I replied dryly. "Papaw wasn't happy with the match, but Mama wouldn't be swayed. By that time, Daddy had already invested in some cell towers. Like you, he was a simple guy. He lived in a tiny little house and had no debt so he tossed all his extra money into the stock market or found smart investments."
"Like cell towers?"
"Yes. So, you see, Daddy is a self-made man. In fact, since the first time he realized I was interested in boys, he told me not to date a trust fund baby. He practically begged me to find a nice mechanic or a doctor—"
"Or a lawyer," Finn interjected with a frown.
I rolled my eyes at the thought of Harry. "Sure, a lawyer would be fine too." I moved closer and grasped the tucked end of his bowtie. With a tug, I loosened the knot and removed it slowly. "But I'm pretty sure a Marine who owns a successful small business is more along the lines of what he had in mind."
Finn swallowed as I pushed his tuxedo jacket off his shoulders and tossed it onto the couch. As if looking for a reason why we couldn't be together, he said, "My family is a mess. My dad was a gambler and an alcoholic. He used to beat the shit out of us when were kids. I don't think that's the sort of man your dad wants connected to your family."
My heart ached for Finn. I tried to imagine him as a scared little boy cowering from the blows of a drunken, enraged man. The vision made my eyes prickle with heat, but I didn't cry. "Vonny's mother is a madam."
His jaw actually dropped. "What?"
"Have you heard of Alina's?"
"The high-end brothel hidden away somewhere in the city? Yeah. Why?"
"Alina is Vonny's mother."
"Are you—?"
"Yes, I'm serious, Finn. My parents weren't ecstatic about the idea of being tied to Alina, but she runs a quiet business and her customers like to
keep things on the down low so it hasn't caused any problems. Honestly, I think my parents were more upset about Carlos and Vonny getting pregnant in high school than what her mother did for a living."
I thought Finn might fall over that revelation. "Carlos and Vonny were teen parents?"
"My niece is having her quinceañera next Saturday. Would you like to come?"
"I—well—yes." He stammered over the words as he tried to make his decision. "You realize your father is probably going to snub me again."
"Probably," I agreed sadly, "but you're braver than that. Prove to him I'm worth fighting for, Finn."
He cupped my face. "You are worth fighting for, Hadley."
Feeling anxious, but desperate to know, I touched his jaw. "Do you see me, Finn?"
Confusion furrowed his brow. "What do you mean, sugar?"
The pet name inspired a secret thrill. "I want a man who sees me for me. Not the money or my bestselling books or even this wonky heart of mine. I need a man who wants me." I swallowed hard. "Do you see me, Finn?"
He gathered me up in his powerful arms. "I see you, Hadley. Ever since the day I met you, I see you everywhere I look. I see you when I'm running in the mornings. I see you late at night when I'm drawing in my room. I see you right now." He shook his head in wonder. "And you don't even know," he murmured. "You don't even realize that you're the brightest fucking star in my sky."
With a burst of passion that rivaled any supernova, Finn kissed me. He drank from my mouth like a man thirsting to death and seeking succor. His tongue danced with mine, his lips branding me and the heat of his body making me melt against him. We kissed until we were panting and breathless, both of us shaking and clutching and hanging on for dear life.
Showing me just how strong he was, Finn hoisted me up and carried me to the nearest couch. He placed me down so gently and grasped the fluttery skirt of my dress to drag it up around my thighs. A quiver of excitement ripped through my belly. He left my panties covered by my dress but nudged my legs apart before he crawled over me and claimed me in another steamy kiss.
I wasn't used to this. The guys I normally dated were all so scared of my father they rarely made moves like these. Finn clearly had some doubts about the way he would be received by my family, but he wasn't about to let that stop him from enjoying our time together. He wanted me, and the heady knowledge of this outrageously sexy man's desire for me left me throbbing in all the right places.
"God, you're so beautiful," he breathed against my neck. "Your skin is so soft, and your eyes are so damned pretty. I can't," he dotted kisses along the swell of my breast, "get enough of you."
"Finn," I sighed his name and ran my hands over his muscular arms, all the while wishing he wasn't wearing the shirt. "Take this off. Please."
He laughed at the hastily tacked on courtesy but pushed up onto one knee to remove his cummerbund, waistcoat and shirt. I licked my lips as his incredibly toned body was finally revealed to me. He had pecs and an abdomen worthy of a fitness magazine cover. The tattoos on his upper arms and back rippled when he twisted to shoot his balled up clothing into a nearby chair. I wasn't at all surprised to see the eagle, globe and anchor or a quote about marksmanship inking his skin.
"Now, where were we?" He asked with a mischievous smile and dropped back down to cover me with his hot body. "I think," he whispered against my collarbone, "I was right here."
"Oh." I closed my eyes and reveled in the erotic heat of his tongue licking my skin. A thrumming pulse between my thighs drove me crazy. Finn's skilled hands skimmed my curves, gliding over the fabric of my dress and teasing me with the promise of what would soon come. His wicked mouth made me whimper and moan until I had my thighs wrapped around his waist in search of something, anything, to assuage the ache surrounding that special spot.
Understanding my silent plea, Finn planted a hand next to my head and thrust against me. The rigid outline of his rock-hard cock grazed against my sensitive area. He thrust against me again and again until we were both smiling and panting like a couple of teenagers making out in the humid backseat of a car.
Wanting him buried deep inside me, I flicked at his bottom lip. I was ready for this, so damned ready to finally go all the way. I wanted it to be Finn. I trusted that he would make it good for me. I parted my lips to tell him what I wanted and to let him know that I was still a proud member of the V-Club when I felt it.
My heart flip-flopped in my chest. A second later, my heartbeat kicked up the pace. It was as if someone had punched the accelerator on my heart. Finn must have seen that flash of panic in my face because he instantly lifted up and cupped my face. "Baby, are you all right?"
"I'm fine," I replied weakly. "It's just…it will go."
He moved off of me and helped me sit up. Holding my hands, he studied me intently. "Should I do something? Call an ambulance? Take you to the emergency room?"
"No, they told me that I only need to go in and be seen if I'm having chest pain, trouble breathing or if the episodes last longer than twenty minutes. I was cleared to keep going to Zumba and the gym as long as I self-limit when I'm too winded or having a fast heartbeat."
He glanced at his watch to mark the time of onset. "Would you like something to drink?"
"No." Embarrassment gripped me as Finn rubbed my back and tended to me like a nursemaid. No wonder I was still a virgin at twenty-three! I couldn't even make out with Finn without my stupid heart going into a crazy rhythm.
"It's all right, Hadley." He kissed my temple and hugged me against his side. "We needed to stop anyway."
My heart was finally starting to slow down to a normal rate. "Why?"
Please don't say because of your heart.
"Because this is only our second date," he explained.
"It's not because you're freaked out about my heart?"
"Well, I'm worried about you, but if your doctor said that it was safe for you to keep exercising then I'm pretty sure that means it's safe enough for us to have fun together." He kissed me so tenderly. "Just not tonight, sugar."
"You're so old-fashioned." I said it sweetly and without a hint of censure.
His big hand curved along my cheek. "No, I just want it to be different with you. Real," he added. "I want it to mean something."
Realizing I had to come clean with him, I confessed, "It will always mean something to me, Finn. I haven't ever had sex. I mean, obviously, I've enjoyed intimacy in my past relationships, but I never went all the way."
He didn't seem the least bit fazed by my admission. "Until me?"
"Until you," I confirmed with a smile. Touching his hand, I asked, "Stay with me?"
"I'm not going anywhere."
"Tonight?"
"For starters," he said quietly.
He helped me off the couch, and we gathered up his clothing and my jewelry. He followed me to my bedroom and unzipped my dress for me. While I ducked into the bathroom to remove my makeup and slip into some comfy sleeping shorts and a tee, he stripped down to his boxers. We brushed together in the doorway of the bathroom when he took his turn. He stopped me by placing his arm against the frame and boxing me in place. After a lingering kiss, he let me go. I made sure to tell him where he could find the extra toothbrushes and toiletries that I kept in my travel drawer.
He rejoined me a short time later and sat on the reading chair I kept in the corner of the room. Wearing only his boxers, he gave me my first unobstructed view of his prosthesis. It was the type of prosthetic I had expected to see, with a piece that covered his thigh and a metal knee socket. The fake foot attached to the metal stem held my attention. How in the world did he manage to balance so easily on that?
"I can put my pants back on and wear my leg while we sleep."
Finn's resigned tone surprised me. Glancing at his face, I realized he had misinterpreted my stare. "I wasn't thinking about it like that, Finn. I was wondering how you danced so perfectly."
His shoulders visibly relaxed. "It's a skill you learn like any
other. You have to practice." He gestured to his leg. "Should I leave it on?"
"No, I want you to sleep comfortably. It doesn't bother me." I had a sinking feeling some other woman in the past had said something ugly to him about his injured leg. It made me want to punch this unknown woman right in the mouth for hurting him.
Taking it off wasn't as complicated as I had expected. A series of cloth and silicone sleeves attached his prosthesis to his thigh. The surgeons had taken everything from the knee down. The scars on his thigh were puckered and thick. I could see the indentations of shrapnel wounds on both legs. Knowing the pain he must have experienced saddened me.
After propping up his prosthetic, Finn crossed the room with four practiced hops and slid into bed next to me. He switched off the lamp and reached for me in the darkness. I snuggled in tight and happily surrendered to his minty kisses. With my head against his chest, I let the strong, steady heartbeat beneath my ear lull me to sleep.
Please let me hear this every night. Forever.
Chapter Six
Clad in only his tuxedo pants, Finn quietly left the bedroom and made his way to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. It wasn't quite eight yet, but he couldn't stay in bed a moment longer. He had been awake for two hours but had been content to simply watch Hadley sleep. Enthralled by how peaceful and sweet she looked, he had traced her jaw and bottom lip before finally sneaking a quick kiss and leaving her bed.
After that strange episode last night, he was concerned about her. While he trusted that it was all right for things to get hot and heavy between them, he didn't want to put her at risk for a tumble between those designer sheets. Not that making love to her could ever be called something as simple as a tumble.
He found the coffee maker. It was the type that brewed a single cup at a time. He couldn't understand the appeal of these contraptions. When he wanted coffee, he wanted a whole pot, not one tiny cup at a time, but when in Rome…
A few minutes later, after hunting down some sugar and cream, he grudgingly admitted the coffee was some of the best he had ever had. He crossed the dining area to the closest balcony and unlocked the sliding door. Out in the damp but cool morning, he enjoyed his coffee and the incredible view of the city.