by Lila Kane
“You scared the shit out of me today,” he whispered, mouth touching my hair.
Emotion rose up, making it hard to talk. “I didn’t know what to do. I’m so sorry—”
Finn caught my chin, lifting it so he could look in my eyes. “Are you sure he didn’t hurt you?”
I nodded. “But he was going to hurt you, Finn. Or someone. I had no choice. And I knew you could find me with the phone.”
He sighed. “Good thing it worked. God, how am I supposed to let you out of my sight ever again?”
“He’s in jail, Finn.”
He didn’t answer, only took my hand. “What do you need?”
“A shower. Food. Somewhere to sleep—anywhere. I’m so tired.”
“It’s taken care of. Let me help.”
“Okay.”
He walked me to the master bedroom, another empty room that echoed when we spoke. We hadn’t had any time to move anything in today.
“It’s still home,” I told him when regret flashed on his face.
“Come on.” Finn nudged me into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Steam billowed out almost immediately.
I automatically reached for my ring, to take it off, and found nothing but smooth skin.
“Oh, Finn,” I sobbed.
He turned, startled. “What? Charlotte—”
“He took my ring. He made me give it to him.”
His eyes flashed with anger. “Son of a bitch.” He wrapped his arms around me. “Don’t worry about it. Shh, Charlotte, honey, it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. It’s not.”
He brushed my hair back and cradled my face between his hands. “I’ll take care of it. I promise. You just need to shower and relax. Let me handle it. Can you do that? Let me handle this?”
“Yes.”
He leaned in as if to kiss me, and then stopped. “Are you—is this okay?”
I lifted my mouth to his. His lips touched mine, just a breath of air mingled with tears. “Take your shower,” he ordered. “Don’t think about today. Just…let me deal with this, okay?”
“Okay.”
He left me alone and I stripped out of my clothes, wadding them in a pile on the bathroom floor. Stepping in the shower was heaven. The water burned the scrapes on my arm, but it felt too good for me to care.
Just as I realized there wasn’t even a bar of soap in the shower, I heard Finn’s voice. “Can I come in real quick?”
“Sure.”
I peered around the shower door to see him holding up a basket. “Courtesy of Paige,” he said. It was filled with toiletries. “Would you like shampoo and soap?”
“Is there conditioner, too?”
“Absolutely.”
I peeked in the basket and actually smiled. “Maybe you’d better just give me the whole thing.”
He returned the smile and set the basket on the floor outside the shower. “Take your time. I’ll order dinner.”
I did as he suggested and lingered under the spray of water so long, I almost fell asleep on my feet. After washing my hair and my body, I stepped out to find towels folded on the counter. I didn’t know when he’d delivered these, but they were oversized and fluffy and I wrapped myself in one and my hair in another.
When I stepped out into the bedroom, my mouth dropped open. Finn was lighting candles on a box next to a mattress and a box spring.
“How long was I in there?” I asked.
“Long enough to call in a few favors. Dustin and Shane were already getting the mattresses, Jake delivered a few other things we’ll need, and Paige brought up the rest.” He gestured to the bed where a plush white robe lay.
“Finn.” I stopped, waiting for the emotion to subside. “That was really nice of you to do all this. It’s…”
“Not a problem,” he answered. “Robe?”
I nodded, letting the towel slide off my shoulders. He helped me slide my arms into the sleeves and pressed a kiss to my shoulder before closing the robe.
I sat on the bed, relieved to be off my feet. “You wouldn’t happen to have any wine somewhere? Please tell me that’s what Jake brought.”
Finn grinned. “As a matter of fact…”
He turned for the door.
“Finn, wait.”
He angled back. “Yes?”
“Can you sit with me for a minute?”
He returned to the bed, concern furrowing his brow. “What’s wrong?”
I shifted to face him in the candlelight. “I just…I need to say one thing.”
“Anything.”
I clasped one of his hands in mine. “I’m…I know what John was talking about.”
Finn’s hand flexed in mine. His face went hard. “What?”
“Mark. He was talking about Mark. I think he’s coming here.”
Finn stood abruptly, raking a hand through his hair. “When? Now?”
“No. I mean, I don’t know. I just…I know he’s coming.”
“Did you tell Curtis?”
“No. I will, though. Tomorrow. Will you sit down, please?”
He frowned.
“I wanted to tell you first,” I said.
His face softened some. “I appreciate you telling me.” He sat next to me again. “We’ll figure this out.”
“Yes, we will. As long as you’ll help me.”
“Of course I will.” He smiled, touching my cheek. “I’m your fiancé.”
“We have to tell your mom. I mean, officially.”
His smile was broader this time. “She’ll love that.”
“Good. This is a good way to start our first night together in our new apartment.”
“How’s that?”
I kissed him. “Committed to each other. Engaged.”
“I love you, Charlotte.”
“Me too. Now and forever.”
Turn th
e page for a sneak peek at BREAK,
Book three in the BREATHE trilogy.
CHAPTER ONE
I still hours of work to do, and for a Wednesday night, that made me happy. It meant I had something to keep my mind occupied. It meant Oasis was fully up and running.
It meant I was fully immersed in this job—this life—and that was the most wonderful place to be right now.
And then there was Finn.
Just thinking about him brought a chill of excitement to my whole body. Since we had gotten engaged last week and I’d had my run-in with John, we’d been inseparable. Finn had hardly left my side and I’d hardly minded.
Which made me wonder why he hadn’t been to my office in the last few hours.
I rolled back in my chair, checking the time on my phone. After 6:00.
Frowning, I stood and stretched. It was too quiet in here—even Leslie had gone home already after confirming our plans for this week even though she usually stayed until Finn was finished with his day.
I exited my office and caught sight of Dustin walking into the breakroom. He paused.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“Fine. I didn’t see you come up.”
“Finn asked if I’d come up at six to escort you home.” He pulled a bottle of water from the refrigerator.
“Just me?”
He smiled. “Both of you, I mean.”
“Oh.” Relieved, I nodded. “I’ll check and see if he’s ready.”
Leaving Dustin in the breakroom, I wandered toward Finn’s office, slowing when I heard his voice. I peered inside the partially closed door and spotted Finn pacing in front of the window.
“You should be consulting with Charlotte on this,” he said, voice firm.
At the response on the other end of the phone, he pressed his fingers to his forehead like he was trying to rub away a headache.
“I’ve told you where I stand. No, where we stand. It’ll help both of us to stay professional about this—”
Finn stopped, listening. Then he sighed heavily, his strong shoulders rising and falling with the motion. The weariness on his face, i
n his stance, made me feel guilty for eavesdropping, and I eased the door open. Finn caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and straightened.
His voice grew terse again. “I’ve got to go.”
He ended the call without another word and slipped his phone into his pocket. He’d shed his jacket and unbuttoned the top few buttons of his work shirt, drawing my gaze to his collar.
But I didn’t move from the door. Something inside twisted, made me suspect his call was about more than he was going to tell me.
“Who was that?” I asked.
He smiled easily. “No one important.”
“The whole truth.”
He released another sigh. “We can’t monitor all of each other’s calls, you know.”
I stared at him, surprised. “That’s not what I’m trying to do. You said my name so it’s clearly got something to do with me.”
Finn strolled in my direction, his eyebrows lifted. “You were listening?”
Defense flickered and I straightened. “I was coming to get you. Dustin’s here. I can have him bring me back to the apartment since you’re finishing up important business—”
“Don’t do that.” He caught my hand, pulling me inside his office and shutting the door.
“Finn,” I warned. I yanked my hand away and folded my arms. “Tell me the truth.”
He rubbed the back of his neck, then turned to his desk, effectively breaking our connection. “It’s business.”
“You don’t usually look like that when you’re handling business.”
“Like what?”
“Affected. Usually you’re composed. You’re—Finn, look at me.”
He turned, propping his hip on the edge of his desk, unable to hide the flicker of amusement on his face. “Yes, ma’am.”
“This isn’t funny.”
“God, you look hot when you’re chiding me.”
I hated that the deep timbre of his voice made me hot when I was trying to get answers. “Damn it, Finn,” I growled. He was impossible.
Shaking my head, I turned for the door, my hand connecting with the knob. In a flash, he was behind me, hand closing over mine.
I gasped, my breath catching in my throat. “Finn.”
He reached his other hand around and set it flat on my belly, pulling me back against him. His breath found my ear. “Don’t be mad.”
“Don’t be secretive,” I answered in a breathless voice.
His body was like a statue behind me, hard lines and firm muscles. Immovable. But it was warm, and it molded around mine like we were meant to fit together. His cock pressed hard against my lower back, evidence of how turned on he was right now.
When his lips brushed my shoulder, I shivered. And then a thought occurred to me and I tensed. “It was Tracy, wasn’t it?”
A long breath of silence hung between us. And then, “Yes.”
I turned, faced with over six feet of pure man. “You’re an asshole.”
“Is that so?”
Pressing my hands against his chest, I tried to shove him back a step, but he wouldn’t move.
“Finn!”
“Listen to me a minute,” he commanded, gripping my hands in his and backing me to the door.
“Get off!”
“Charlotte, damn it! Cool down, okay? I was going to tell you.”
I squirmed against him when he caught my hands between us, holding me still and blocking me in against the door. “Sure, you were. You were probably going to walk straight into my office after you were done and—”
“No, I was going to tell you after dinner.”
“I not having dinner with you if—”
His hand clamped over my mouth. “That’s enough.”
Was he serious? That’s enough? I sent him a murderous glare.
“I get your point,” Finn said, rolling his eyes. “I wasn’t going to keep Tracy from you. I just didn’t want to start off our evening with a fight, which seems inevitable whenever she comes up.”
Trying to even my breathing, I relaxed in his grip.
Finn noticed the change, and his body relaxed as well. His hand slid away. “I swear I was going to tell you.”
“You make me crazy, you know that?”
His lips curved in an almost smile. “Can’t help that. If it helps, you do the same to me.”
“It doesn’t help. I’m still mad at you. You can’t just force me to stay in here with you. Just because you’re stronger—”
“Ah, Charlotte,” he whispered, touching my cheek and staring into my eyes with such intensity, I couldn’t say a word. “You’ve got my heart in your hands. You could do whatever you wanted with it and I’d be helpless. Who’s stronger now?”
I lifted my chin, and that was the only invitation he needed. His mouth was on mine in an instant. A soft moan slipped out, making Finn’s urgency heighten. He released my hands and pressed his entire body against mine, trapping me against the door in the grip of his passion.
“Finn,” I whispered, panting. “Hold on.”
His fingers flexed possessively on my hips. “That means nothing to me right now. Gibberish.”
I laughed and then closed my eyes when he kissed me again, letting his lips trail down to my jaw, then my shoulder. He smelled like soap and promises, and it wouldn’t take much to lose myself in him right now. But losing myself meant we wouldn’t get home until late, Dustin would have to keep waiting, and we wouldn’t deal with Tracy.
“Stop thinking,” he instructed, gripping my chin and lifting my mouth to his again.
“Finn. Wait.”
“No.”
“Finn. What’s going on with you?”
He released a breath. He propped both of his hands on the door above my shoulders, dropping his chin to gather himself. “It’s…”
I touched his cheek. “What?”
His eyes met mine. “A feeling. You ever get a feeling like…things are about to change? That you need to hold on tight to what you have, what you love, because tomorrow everything might be different?”
I nodded. “Yes. Finn—”
“Don’t worry about it.” He flashed a sly smile. “I can’t help it if you turn me on. Especially after a long day at work, knowing you were waiting for me in there, but there were still things that needed to get done.”
Frowning, I said, “You’re being cryptic. What things?”
He straightened, snatched my hand to kiss my knuckles, and then checked his watch. “It should be ready now.”
“What? Wait, Finn—”
But he was already turning to grab his jacket, his shoulders looking more relaxed.
“You’re not telling me anything,” I said.
“Because I have to show you. Let’s go.”
He opened the door to our apartment, murmuring something to Dustin as I walked inside, my hand over my mouth.
I turned, eyes wide. “You did all this?”
Finn shut the door, grinning. “I had help, obviously, but they needed more time so we stayed at work late.”
Turning around again, I took in the space, everything from the new curtains to the couch and chairs, to the glass cabinets in the kitchen, holding full shelves of dinnerware and wine glasses and everything else we’d need.
The fabrics were plush, soft, neutral without being boring.
“This is…” I spun in the space, my gaze taking everything in. When we’d left for work this morning, we’d still been sleeping on mattresses on the floor and using boxes for tabletops. We’d planned to finish furnishing the place, but not until this weekend, or whenever we could find the time.
Finn leaned against a column just outside the open concept kitchen, a relaxed smile on his face. “I had to steal your magazine,” he said. “The one you keep looking through for decorating ideas. I had a friend take a look and she said it was enough to get a sense of your style.”
“And she did all this?” I asked.
“She had help, but yes. If there’s anything you don’
t like, we can change—”
I walked straight to him, cutting off his words with a kiss. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I tangled my fingers in his hair and ran my tongue along his lips. “We’re not changing anything,” I whispered. “It’s perfect.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“I love it. It’s our home and we’re here together. It’s…” I swallowed a sudden flutter of emotion but my voice still broke when I spoke again. “It’s perfect.”
“Charlotte.” He brushed his thumb on my cheekbone. “Are you crying?”
“No. No,” I said more firmly, easing from his grip. “I’m happy. I didn’t think—”
I broke off, wandering to the romantic dining area, lit by the low glow of an ornate hanging light. Places were already set for dinner, wine glasses paired with slate gray plates and bowls. “Can we eat here tonight?”
“That’s the other thing,” he said, pushing away from the column and heading toward the kitchen.
“There’s more?” I asked. “I’m pretty sure my heart can’t handle it.”
He grinned. “Then we’d better get the big thing out of the way first.”
“What big thing? Dinner?”
“Tammy left something heating in the oven.”
“Tammy’s back?” She’d been out of town all last week visiting her family.
He nodded and gestured to the table. “Will you grab those wine glasses from the table for me?”
I walked over, taking off my shoes on the way and padding back barefoot.
“She doesn’t have to stay if you don’t want her to,” Finn said, stepping into the pantry.
“Tammy?”
He emerged with a bottle of red. “Yes. She’s been with me for a few years, but I understand if that’s something you want to change since it’s our place together now.”
“Does she come every day?”
“Every weekday. Just while I’m at work. To clean, cook, run some errands. She could make a trip to the dry cleaner for you—”
“Oh, she doesn’t have to do that.”
He stopped opening the bottle of wine to smile at me. “It’s not like I don’t pay her, Charlotte.”
I laughed nervously. “You’re right. Sorry, I’m just not used to this. And of course she should stay, if you want.”
“Then she should stay, but only as long as you’re okay with it. I want you to be comfortable here. I want…” He went back to opening the wine. “I want a lot of things for you, but I know it’ll take time for us to work through them all.”