The Devil's Bargain

by Kira Sinclair

  “Thank you?” he asked, pretty certain she hadn’t meant her words to be the compliment they were.

  “Return the pieces.”

  Finn shrugged. “No.”

  “You don’t want them or need them. And I refuse to take your guilt money. Noah and I don’t need it.”

  He’d been in a perfectly jovial mood until that moment. Dropping the affable facade, Finn quickly closed the gap between them. Genevieve apparently realized her tactical error because she scrambled several steps backward. However, she’d miscalculated because that move brought her up hard against the exposed brick wall.

  He heard her body hit with a thud, but he didn’t stop until both his hands were spread on either side of her head. The rough brick edges scraped across his palms. His thigh brushed against hers. And he tried not to notice the way her breath stuttered in her lungs.

  “Let’s make one thing crystal clear, Genevieve. Guilt has nothing to do with anything I’m doing. You’re raising my son and there’s no reason for either you or he to go without.”

  “I’m perfectly capable of providing for my son, Finn.”

  “Yes, I’m aware. I’ve seen your tax returns for the last three years and have a detailed financial report for your business. I know exactly how much money you have tied up in materials and inventory. I know you’re stretched thin preparing for this opening, but we both know you’ll be fine once that happens because you’re a brilliant designer. The world just doesn’t know it yet.”

  Genevieve blinked. Her mouth thinned with irritation, but he didn’t pause long enough to give her a chance to voice it.

  “However, there’s no need for you ever to be in a position to worry. I have enough money to support a third-world country.”

  “Then by all means, give them a check for a million dollars.”

  “I have.”

  She tilted her head sideways, a tell indicating he’d just surprised her. Which shouldn’t surprise him, but it did. It also hurt a little. He wasn’t a heartless monster, dammit.

  “You wouldn’t accept my help any other way, so I found a way you couldn’t refuse.”

  “I won’t let you purchase those pieces.”

  “Genevieve,” he murmured, disappointment filling his voice. “We both know I’m already in possession of the emeralds.”

  “Then give them back.”

  “No. They’re mine.”

  “What are you going to do with them?”

  “None of your business.”

  Her teeth ground together, frustration and something more personal filling her gaze.

  “I’ll simply refuse the money from Eric.”

  Finn used his height advantage to crowd even farther into her personal space. Genevieve shifted, but there was nowhere for her to go so the gesture simply had her body brushing tantalizingly against his.

  Every cell in his body lit up. The driving need to touch her, taste her, take her was a pounding tattoo deep in his blood. Instead, he gently cupped his hand beneath her jaw and brought her gaze to meet his.

  “Don’t do that,” he said. His words might have been soft; however, the order beneath them was anything but.

  “Or what?” she challenged, eyes flashing fire.

  Her mouth was so close he could feel the heat of her breath against his skin. Her lips, parted in anger, practically begged him to touch.

  A temptation Finn couldn’t deny. His fingers slipped across the silky texture of her cheek. It had been so long since he’d touched her. Too long.

  And this moment wasn’t nearly enough. Not when memories of Genevieve, writhing beneath him in pleasure, filled his brain.

  His grip on her tightened. Finn pulled her mouth to his, the driving need to steal a taste of her too much to ignore.

  The moment his lips touched hers it was all over. Heat and need claimed him. The emptiness he’d been carrying around for so long began to ache. That throb only she’d ever been able to touch.

  Any good intentions he might have been able to scrounge up burned to ash. And he simply began to take. Opening his mouth, Finn released a sigh of relief when she did the same, unconsciously letting him in. Her hands gripped his shoulders, not pulling him closer, but not pushing him away.

  He took everything she was willing to give him. Darting his tongue deep inside her mouth, relishing the sweet, spicy taste of her suffusing his senses.

  Nope, he needed to get a grip.

  Pulling away, Finn dropped his forehead to hers. He simply froze, trying to find his equilibrium...and sense. His harsh breaths mingled with her stuttered pulls of air.

  Eventually, he put a little space between them. Just enough to be able to look her straight in the eye and say, “I don’t want to take anything from you, Genevieve. I promise. I just want to give. Please, let me.”

  * * *

  Shit, shit, shit.

  She was an idiot.

  Because she wanted to believe him. But her brain was screaming at her that she shouldn’t. She knew better. He’d fooled her once with his earnest expression and slick words.

  But he also wasn’t wrong.

  She really needed the money from the sale of the emeralds. She’d been eyeing some black opals that would make an amazing choker, but she just didn’t have the capital to invest in the stones right now.

  There was a part of her that hated knowing Finn was going to be the one to own the emeralds, as well. And she refused to let herself contemplate him giving them to another woman. The expression of joy and surprise on that woman’s face as he leaned close to clasp the necklace around her slim neck...

  Nope, Genevieve wasn’t going there.

  Besides, her commission from the sale wasn’t anywhere near what he’d tried to give her a couple months ago. That check had smelled of guilt and she wasn’t ready to let him off the hook by accepting it.

  This, however, was a business exchange. Nothing more and nothing less.

  “Fine. Keep the emeralds. I’ll take the commission. As long as you promise not to buy any more pieces.”

  Finn shrugged. “I promise not to buy any pieces for the sole purpose of giving you money, how about that?”

  She couldn’t contemplate any other reason for him to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in jewelry right now, so... “Fine. Thank you. There are some black opals I’ve been coveting. I’ll be able to buy them and finish the last two pieces for my collection.”

  “Mmm,” he murmured. “Black opals?”

  Genevieve felt the excitement bubbling up inside her and couldn’t tamp it down. “They’re gorgeous. The play-of-color is...unbelievable, and they’re perfect for a choker I’ve designed but just haven’t found the right stones for. The shades of blue and purple against the black background...and they all came from the same rough stone. They’re just...”

  She hadn’t realized how gushy she sounded until she looked up to find Finn staring at her. Slowly, the excitement leaked out. Genevieve literally felt her entire body deflating.

  “I’m sorry. You probably don’t care.”

  “Don’t,” he said, stepping closer. “I enjoy seeing the fire in your eyes while you talk about stones. Your passion for what you do is one of the things I like most about you, Genevieve, and always have.”

  She shook her head, unsure how to handle what he’d said. What was she supposed to do with that?

  Sure, she missed having someone to share her enthusiasm with. That was one of the things she missed most about working at Reilly. She’d been surrounded by people who understood her stupid obsession with hard bits of minerals and rock.

  It was something she and Finn had shared before. For those few weeks he’d been a part of her life, she’d had a confidant who wanted to have a conversation about gemstones.

  Of course, that was because he’d been trying to pull information from her s
o he could steal her family’s most prized possession.

  Shifting away from him, Genevieve waved her hand. “It doesn’t matter. I hope whomever you bought the emeralds for enjoys them. Those pieces had a special place in my heart.”

  Finn tipped his head sideways and his gaze narrowed. “I’m hopeful their new owner will appreciate having them.”

  Something sharp pinched in the center of her chest. “No doubt.”

  Crap.

  “Well... I should leave.” Genevieve waved lamely toward the door she’d burst through only a few minutes ago. Where was the ball of anger that had fueled her then?

  Incinerated by that kiss.

  That stupid kiss that she was just going to pretend never happened.

  Finn watched as she backed slowly toward the door. The way his gaze followed her, the corner of his lips tipped into a telling half smile, made her itchy and uncomfortable. He had the uncanny ability to make her feel unfettered and awkward at the same time. Like he saw something deep inside her that she wasn’t sure really existed.

  Pausing with her hand on the knob, Genevieve fought against the weird desire to lock the door and stay on this side instead of walking away. “Call me later in the week and you can stop by to see Noah again.”

  There was nothing suppressed about the smile that brightened Finn’s face. “I’d like that.”

  A few days ago, she’d been worried about Finn’s ability to be a dad. But after watching him with her son yesterday, she was no longer concerned. Finn was a natural with Noah, possibly because in many ways Finn still acted like a child himself.

  Although that didn’t precisely assuage all of her concerns. In fact, it only added a couple more.

  Closing the door behind her, Genevieve found herself sagging against it, unable to walk away. Her knees were mushy and her legs next to useless.

  And she was no longer confident in her ability to be in the same room with Finn DeLuca and not want him.

  Four

  Twenty-four hours later, Finn couldn’t get that kiss out of his head. Passion had never been their issue. In fact, from the moment he laid eyes on Genevieve, he’d wanted her.

  Which had ultimately been his downfall.

  At first, he’d been drawn to her in the same way he’d fallen in love with a Rembrandt when he was a teenager or a glorious ruby the size of his fist ten years later. Incidentally, he’d eventually owned both.

  He’d always had an affinity for beautiful things. And there was certainly something ethereal and wholesome about Genevieve. So different from the jaded world Finn had lived in for his entire life.

  Early on, he’d convinced himself it was an act. It had to be. No one was that naive and trusting. Especially knowing her grandfather, Lackland Reilly, and his influence on her life. But Finn soon realized she was that trusting.

  Or she used to be.

  He’d ruined that about her, and right now he hated himself for stealing the clear innocence that had shone from her eyes. He might have replaced the Star, but he couldn’t fix the other damage he’d caused.

  Although watching her with their son...he might even be more attracted to her now than he’d been before.

  Lackland had worked hard to keep Genevieve sheltered and unaware of how the world really worked. He’d homeschooled her, surrounded her with nothing but adults who did and said what he demanded. And he’d expected the same of Genevieve, to follow his commands without question. Treating her more like an employee than a family member. A commodity.

  And that had pissed Finn off. It wasn’t the first time he’d encountered that kind of dictatorial sense of entitlement in their world. And hell, he’d never given a damn about how anyone else was treated.

  Until Genevieve.

  He’d always sensed an inner strength, hidden deep. Like the roughest uncut diamond, just waiting for the skill and patience to bring out the sparkle and fire.

  Why did it bother him that he hadn’t been the catalyst that had brought her fire forth?

  Although maybe he could take some of the credit. The way she’d stormed into his apartment yesterday, her eyes blazing, ready to go toe-to-toe with him... The Genevieve he’d known before wouldn’t have had the backbone to do that.

  Even now, Finn felt his sex stir at the memory. He’d been unable to control his reaction to her. His physical need to touch and taste, to capture that energy and make it his own.

  But he couldn’t give in to that need. Not without jeopardizing what he really wanted. Getting distracted by Genevieve had cost him before...he wasn’t willing to make that mistake again. Their attraction was dangerous. It made him sloppy and stupid.

  What really mattered was that she’d said he could visit Noah again. A step in the right direction, but he wanted more. He wanted to be able to show his son the world.

  Finn needed to move slowly with Genevieve. Convince her that he was different from the man who’d seduced her for his own purposes three years ago. Because he was.

  Or he wanted to be. For his son. For the family he’d never thought he’d have again when Sawyer died.

  The phone on the table in front of him buzzed, rattling against the wooden surface. Scooping it up, he punched the green button to answer.

  “Stone.”

  “I’ve got the equipment you asked for. Please tell me you’re not doing anything illegal with it. No, wait. On second thought, don’t tell me a damn thing. Deniability is a beautiful thing.”

  Finn laughed. One good thing about Stone, he always managed to make Finn smile.

  “I’m not doing anything illegal.” Exactly... Although perhaps he was walking a fine line. Genevieve probably wouldn’t agree to the surveillance equipment he was about to install outside her studio and home, but that was only because she didn’t understand how vulnerable she really was.

  He, on the other hand, knew exactly where her security weaknesses were hiding. And he intended to patch a few of the holes...until he could convince her to give him access inside to cover the rest. No way was he going to let something—someone—important to him remain needlessly vulnerable. He robbed idiots like that and he refused to be an idiot.

  On this, he’d risk asking for forgiveness instead of permission. Genevieve and Noah were important to him. Her business and designs were important to her. So he was going to protect them.

  “Uh-huh,” Stone’s skeptical voice ghosted down the line. “You’ve got enough cameras, microphones and storage capacity here to make the Met envious.”

  “That’s a nasty exaggeration.”

  “Fine, just tell me you’re not going to do something stupid.”

  “I’m going to set up external surveillance at Genevieve’s studio and home. Her security leaves a lot to be desired.”

  The silence that followed practically screamed Stone’s disapproval. His friend was fully aware of the history between Finn and Genevieve. He was also privy to the six-month fight Finn had just engaged in to get access to his son.

  No doubt Stone thought this was asking for trouble. And maybe he was right, but Finn was going to do it, anyway.

  Finally, Stone said, “I’m going out on a limb here and guessing she has no idea her every move is about to be recorded?”

  “Uh...” Finn really didn’t want to answer that question.

  “Jesus,” Stone swore. “You’re gonna end up back in jail, aren’t you?”

  “No.” Finn had no intention of getting caught, either with this, or with anything else. “Can your team install everything? And set up the feed on my computer and phone?”

  Stone sighed. “Yeah. I’ll send someone over tomorrow. Let them know how you want it all set up. It should only take a couple hours.”

  “They’ll be discreet?”

  “You mean, they won’t tip your baby mama off that she’s being watched?”

  Finn had to bite
back a retort at Stone’s words. He knew the man had used them on purpose, hoping to get a rise out of Finn.

  “Yes,” he ground out.

  “They’re skilled at being unseen when I need them to be.”

  Perfect.

  * * *

  Genevieve stared at the jewels sparkling on the table in front of her. They were gorgeous. Something about them made her chest tighten with joy and anticipation. Her blood thrummed faster in her veins, sort of like it did the minute Finn got close enough for her to smell his spicy, tempting scent. Whatever shampoo or soap he used, she wanted to have it banned in all fifty states...as a lethal weapon.

  Nope, she wasn’t going to think about him right now. She’d spent the last couple days trying to wipe out the memory of her tirade at his apartment...and the kiss that had sent her scurrying for safety.

  Because she was a damn fool. And her body epitomized the definition of weakness.

  Even knowing exactly the kind of man he was and the deception he was capable of...she’d wanted him. So much. Where had her libido been the last three years? Because it certainly had been MIA.

  Even now, the damn man was messing with her life. She’d come into the studio to work. She really needed to get this piece finished...which was a problem since she couldn’t even seem to get it started.

  She’d been staring at the stones, moving them around on the table, as her mind ping-ponged ninety miles an hour on everything except her work. No, that wasn’t true. She knew exactly what her mind had been focused on.

  Flipping her cell phone over, she glanced at the screen and registered that it was close to midnight. She needed to head out and let Nicole go home. She didn’t have class in the morning, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t looking forward to crawling into her own bed.

  Frustrated that she’d wasted several hours and accomplished nothing, Genevieve gathered the stones and locked them back into the state-of-the art vault where she kept her loose stones and finished pieces.

  That was one thing Nick, her only employee and head of security, had insisted on. He’d allowed her to scrimp in other areas in exchange for an expensive-as-hell vault. His rationale was that anyone just knocking over the place would be outclassed and leave empty-handed. She’d been around the business long enough to understand the value of protecting the investment she’d made in materials.