The Devil's Bargain (Bad Billionaires Book 2)

by Kira Sinclair

Turning her attention to them, Genevieve immediately began cataloging them both. The man was a couple inches over six feet. Just like Finn, he was obviously fit beneath the layers of polish and expensive clothing. His facial features were sharp, and not simply because he had an aristocratic heritage. His personality and demeanor added even more of an edge. Without the smile on his lips and the crinkled edges at his eyes he could have been austere and intimidating.

  Genevieve had no doubt there were times that’s exactly how he came across. Because he could be when necessary.

  But not with Finn.

  The woman standing beside him was stunning in a girl-next-door way. Tonight she was wearing a couture gown that was simple even as it showed off her petite frame. She didn’t need beads, sequins or crystals because they would have appeared garish next to her elegant beauty. Her blond hair was pulled back into a demure knot at the base of her head. She could have come across as aloof and snobbish, except that her eyes glowed with joy and genuine interest.

  Separately they would have been intimidating. Together, their love for each other was so obvious that you couldn’t help but want to bask in their happiness so some of it could rub off.

  Genevieve was about to introduce herself so she could learn who they were to Finn, but he beat her to it.

  Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled Genevieve against his side.

  “Genevieve, let me introduce you to Stone and Piper, two of my closest friends.”

  By his own admission Finn allowed few people close enough to call friends. So it was easy to make assumptions about who Stone was. Not that she’d needed the deduction once she’d heard their names.

  Anderson Stone and Piper Blackburn had been in the news several months ago. Genevieve might not know the intimate details of their situation, but she understood enough.

  Holding out a hand, she said, “Wonderful to meet you both.”

  Stone accepted her offering, giving her hand a squeeze. Piper, though, didn’t bother. She moved straight past Genevieve’s outstretched hand to pull her close and wrap her in a tight hug. Pulling back, she gave Genevieve a brilliant smile. “We need to get together for drinks and dinner soon. I want to get to know you better.”

  In that moment, Genevieve decided that she really liked Piper. “That would be great.”

  Piper drew her a few steps away from the men, sharing a little about herself and asking questions of her own.

  “How’s your son?”

  At first Genevieve was taken aback that the other woman seemed to know more about her than a stranger normally would. Until she continued.

  “I’ve seen pictures. He’s adorable, by the way. And heard plenty of stories. Noah is one of Finn’s favorite topics. He’s such a proud daddy.”

  Placing a hand on Genevieve’s arm, Piper leaned closer. “I know it’s none of my business, but I just want to say that from a professional standpoint, I admire your ability to separate your personal issues with Finn and let him be a father to Noah. I have plenty of patients still dealing with the aftermath of an absent father.”

  Genevieve blinked, uncertain how to respond.

  Piper pulled a grimace. “I’m sorry. Stone’s always telling me I need to keep my psychologist firmly locked away during these events. I just know it couldn’t have been easy at first to let Finn back into your life given the history between you. I’m impressed. And it says a lot about you as a person and a mom.”

  Well, okay. “Thanks?” Was that the proper response when someone praised you for being a decent human being? “I admit I wasn’t thrilled and tried to stop Finn from being involved at first. But once I had no choice...finding a way to interact became important for Noah’s happiness. And the first time I saw Finn with him...”

  How could she not have allowed him into Noah’s life? No matter what else happened, Genevieve knew Finn loved their son and would do anything to protect him.

  That was all she could ask of him.

  Waving a hand to change the subject, Piper said, “No more of that. Finn said you’re a jewelry designer. Did you make the pieces you’re wearing?”

  “Yes.”

  “They’re stunning.”

  “Thank you. Finn bought them from one of my consignment clients.”

  Genevieve couldn’t stop her gaze from dragging across the space to find him. At some point he and Stone had moved several more feet away. At the edge of the room, they were standing half in shadows, heads bowed together in conversation.

  Finn was relaxed. Stone, on the other hand, was frustrated and irritated. Leaning into Finn’s personal space, he was attempting to make a point with whatever words he was using. While Finn was clearly unswayed.

  “What are they talking about?” she found herself asking Piper.

  The other woman shrugged. “Who knows. Those two are the best of friends, but Finn delights in irritating Stone. I’m pretty sure it’s a game to him. One I keep pointing out to Stone that he’s letting Finn win.”

  Piper shifted, turning her back to the men again. Genevieve couldn’t pull her gaze away from them, though. Something about the conversation made her uneasy. To anyone else watching, Finn most likely appeared to be unaffected by what his friend was saying. But Genevieve knew him better than most.

  He was upset.

  “I wish Gray was here. He’s usually the peacemaker between them. I’ve learned from experience not to get between them when they get going. It doesn’t do much good.”

  “Gray?”

  “The third member in their little trio. All three met in prison, but I assume you already knew that.”

  Genevieve nodded.

  “Gray was convicted of embezzling forty million, although all three of the guys contend he was framed. They’ve been working together for months to try and find proof to back up their claim.”

  “Any luck?”

  “Not so far.”

  “Because there isn’t any evidence or because they haven’t been able to find it?”

  Piper’s gaze cut to hers. Her head tilted sideways as she studied Genevieve for several moments. Genevieve fought the urge to squirm beneath the sharp, intelligent, all-too-seeing gaze.

  After several seconds, she finally said, “My money’s on they just haven’t been able to find it. Yet. Everyone in prison claims to be innocent...except Stone and Finn. They both readily admitted to doing what they were convicted of. Gray’s always maintained his innocence.”

  Twelve

  “You brought her with you to rob the place?” Stone asked, a frown pulling his brows into an unhappy V.

  “No, I brought her to a benefit gala for a charity I’m happy to support.”

  “Bullshit.”

  Finn shrugged his shoulders. “You asked me to take on this project. Let me do it.”

  “Oh, I have no qualms with your ability to successfully complete the assignment. I do, however, question your judgment in bringing Genevieve into it.”

  “Really? She’s the perfect cover for a little theft.”

  “Sure. Until she figures out you’ve used her and then she’s gonna be pissed.”

  “She’ll never know.”

  “Uh-huh. Man, if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that women always find out.” Stone sent a sardonic expression in Piper’s direction. If Finn was a better friend, he might ask questions about what Stone was talking about.

  But he wasn’t a good friend.

  Finn shrugged. “I’ll take my chances.”

  “You’ll have a preliminary report tomorrow?”

  Business concluded, Finn was eager to get back to Genevieve. He wanted to enjoy the party for a little while longer before using the cover of the crowd to slip off and see what he could haul home with him.

  Returning to the women, the four of them chatted for several minutes. Piper invited Genevieve out for lunc
h next week and he was happy when she agreed. Lackland had isolated her so much that she’d never really had the opportunity to build strong friendships.

  Piper was the kind of woman who liked to take on the wounded and lost. While Genevieve didn’t quite fit into that category, he had no doubt Piper would sense her need for friendship and attempt to fill the role. If for no other reason than she liked him and Genevieve was important to him.

  Leaning into her personal space, Finn drew her close. “Dance with me,” he murmured against her temple.

  Her answering nod was slow and deliberate. Leading them out onto the floor, Finn spun her around and into his arms.

  Together, they moved with smooth, sure steps. The melody of the music pulsed beneath the surface of his skin. Finn relished the brush of her body against his. The delicate feel of her. The rough brush of lace as his palm slid across her hip. The heat of her melting deep into his blood.

  Finn closed his eyes, soaking up each moment.

  Which was why he missed the sneak attack.

  “I’ll have to speak to Hunt about his guest list. Obviously, he doesn’t realize that he’s let the serpent into the garden.”

  His arms wrapped around her, Finn couldn’t miss the way Genevieve’s body stiffened. She couldn’t even see the man standing behind her, but it didn’t matter. The voice was obviously enough.

  Finn tightened his grip on her, maneuvering them both so he could tuck her protectively against his side.

  “Grandfather,” Genevieve finally spoke, her voice cool and remote.

  “Granddaughter,” Lackland countered, his snide voice full of disdain. “I see you haven’t gotten any smarter. I can’t imagine why you’d let this man anywhere near you given what he did the last time you spread your thighs wide.”

  Finn took a menacing step forward. Lackland didn’t flinch. In fact, he moved closer, raising his chin in a taunting invitation to make a spectacle in the middle of the crowded ballroom.

  Genevieve was the one who stopped Finn. A cool hand on his arm, she squeezed. “He isn’t worth it.”

  Finn’s gaze was hot when he turned to look at her. Her face was pale and drawn, her jaw tight from grinding her teeth.

  “Maybe not, but you are and I won’t have him making malicious remarks about you.”

  “Nothing malicious about my remark, DeLuca. You seduced an innocent woman to gain access to my family vault, stole from us and then left my granddaughter alone and pregnant.”

  “Every sin you just named was mine, not hers.”

  “She let you do it. I raised her to be smarter than that.”

  “You raised her to be an obedient servant. But she isn’t. She’s a human being with feelings and needs.”

  “And you had no problem exploiting those needs.”

  Seriously, if Lackland didn’t get out of his sight, Finn was going to deck the man. Spectacle be damned. “You better watch your words, old man. Speak that way about her again and you’ll regret it.”

  “The only thing I regret is that you didn’t spend more time behind bars. But I’m certain you’ll land yourself back there soon enough. A leopard doesn’t change its spots.”

  Finn balled his hand into a fist. Genevieve yanked hard on his arm. “Walk away, Finn. He’s goading you into making a scene.”

  Logically, he knew Genevieve was right. But he wasn’t certain it made a difference. Someone needed to put the bully in his place and Finn had been itching to do it for a very long time. If they’d been anywhere else, he wouldn’t have hesitated.

  But he still had a job to do.

  “Fine,” he ground out. Turning to Genevieve, he cupped her face in his hands and brought her close enough that he could stare straight into her eyes. “You and Noah do not need this man in your life. He’s poison and has nothing to offer anyone. You, on the other hand, are one of the kindest, most talented and beautiful people I’ve ever met. I have no idea how you managed to flourish when this man did everything in his power to snuff out your light, but I’m grateful that you did.”

  Genevieve’s eyes widened and her mouth opened and closed. He didn’t wait for her response, mostly because he didn’t want one. What he’d wanted to do was replace her grandfather’s toxic words with something more uplifting.

  Arm around her waist, Finn turned his back on her grandfather and led them both across the ballroom and into a hallway off the far side.

  The first few rooms had blazing lights and knots of people inside. A game room, a drawing room. What he wanted was a few quiet minutes with her.

  Farther down the hall, the noise of the party faded. The bright lights were replaced with muted lamps and sconces. Peeking into a room to the left, Finn found a sunroom. Another door down was an office with an imposing desk and a tufted leather sofa.

  He made a mental note to come back in a bit, assuming this was the perfect place to hide a safe.

  Another two doors down revealed a smaller, intimate room. The far wall was floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the rolling lawn of the estate. The other three walls contained soaring shelves of books with several groupings of furniture clearly designed to curl up and relax.

  Tugging on her hand, Finn pulled Genevieve inside and shut the door behind them. This was perfect.

  A few feet in, she pulled to a stop. “We shouldn’t be here.”

  “Yes, we should.”

  “No.”

  Finn reeled her in, using his hold on her hand to draw her to him. So small, she settled into the shelter of his body. Even reluctant, she didn’t hesitate to let herself relax against him.

  Her trust was a gift, one he never wanted to screw up again.

  Bending his knees, Finn brought his mouth to the naked line of her shoulder. Placing gentle kisses along her skin, he followed the curve up to that sensitive spot on the side of her neck.

  The sharp inhale of her breath when he nipped right there sent a surge of need thundering through him. The erection he’d been fighting since she walked out of that bathroom came back full force.

  Genevieve’s fingers, buried beneath his suit jacket at his hips, curled into his body. Her head dropped sideways, giving him better access to tease her with his mouth.

  Finn wasn’t the kind of guy to let an invitation like that go unaccepted.

  Walking backward, he pulled them both farther into the room until a patch of moonlight, streaming through the gigantic windows, fell across Genevieve’s pale skin.

  Dropping to his knees at her feet, Finn looked up at her. She was gorgeous, but what sent his heart fluttering was the unguarded way she watched him, her eyes filled with hope and something deeper.

  Hands braced on his shoulders, she waited.

  Slowly, Finn began to gather the hem of her dress in his hands, revealing her ankles, calves and thighs.

  But the real jewel was the dark apex of her sex.

  “Lean back and grab the table behind you,” Finn ordered. He didn’t wait for Genevieve to comply before moving in, murmuring, “I’ve wanted to do this since you stuffed those panties in my pocket.”

  Spreading the lips of her sex wide, Finn found her warm center glistening with the evidence of her desire. Genevieve’s body rocked backward when his mouth latched on to her. Licking, sucking, using every part of his mouth, Finn relished the explosion of her taste across his tongue. The muffled sound of her whimper as she tried to be quiet.

  Her hips moved in time with his motions, rocking harder against his mouth, trying to find more. But he wasn’t ready to let her go.

  Finn kept her teetering on the edge of release, bringing her close and then moving back. He relished the way her wild hands found his hair, tangling in the strands and using the hold to try and get what she wanted.

  “Finn,” she finally breathed. “Please.”

  He couldn’t deny her anything.


  Adding a finger deep inside her body, Finn ran the flat of his tongue across her clit several times. Adding a second finger, he pulsed them in and out, finding the spot that had her whimpering.

  Her body drew tight right before the explosion of her orgasm erupted around him. Finn rode it out, milking her body for every speck of pleasure she could give him.

  But the moment she went lax, he shot to his feet and began undoing the fly at his pants. His cock pulsed with the need to feel her warm, wet heat. He wanted to be buried inside her. As close as he could possibly get to her.

  Picking her up, Finn flicked the tail of Genevieve’s gown out behind her as he set her onto the surface of the table. She hissed at the unexpected cold, but didn’t stop him. Instead, she took up the task of freeing him.

  Her palm was hot as she stroked up and down his throbbing shaft. “I’m not going to last long if you keep doing that,” he breathed.

  “Who said anything about lasting long?”

  She scooted to the edge of the table. Spreading her thighs wide, Genevieve drew him closer to the waiting heaven she was offering.

  Finn bit back a belly-deep groan when he sank inside. She was so wet and warm. Her body fit his like a glove, opening up and welcoming him home. Every time he touched her, he wanted more. Tonight, the need for release was pounding against his brain, but he would have been just as content to stay like this, connected to her in the most primitive and fulfilling way.

  But she had other plans.

  Hands on his waist, she started guiding him in and out. Finn let her set the pace...for a minute or two. But then it became too much.

  Using his grip on her hips, Finn held her steady as he began to pump in and out. Long, even strokes that made his eyes want to cross.

  “So damn good,” he whispered.

  Urging her backward, Finn placed his hands on the tabletop. His thrusts became harder, a rhythmic snap accompanying each as the table tapped the wall behind them.

  “Someone’s going to hear,” Genevieve protested.

  “Let them. I want everyone in that ballroom to know you’re mine.”

  Genevieve’s eyes sharpened and glittered like the jewels circling her throat. Dropping her head, she exposed the tender underside of her jaw. Finn leaned forward, finding the pulsing vein running along the side and sucked hard.