“If you’ll wait for a few more minutes, I’ll find a board to nail up over the window and drive you home.”
“Thanks. I’m fine to drive home. But I’d really appreciate if you’d handle the window. I just don’t have the energy. I was here late working and had just started to fall asleep when I got the call.”
Nick didn’t look happy but he didn’t argue with her, which was a good thing because she couldn’t have handled that right now. “Did you call in Nicole?”
“No.”
Nick’s eyes narrowed. “Then who’s with Noah?”
She sighed. This wasn’t going to go over well. Nick had been her friend when she worked at Reilly and was fully aware of the events surrounding her pregnancy...and the last six months as she’d fought to keep Finn out of her son’s life.
“His dad.”
Shock crossed Nick’s face, quickly replaced with an anger that flushed his skin a mottled red. “What? How the hell did that happen?”
Not that she needed to explain herself to Nick, but she felt a responsibility to do it, anyway. He’d stuck by her side, following her even before she’d had enough money to offer him a job. He was a good friend, if a little overly protective at times. Although that was sorta his job.
“It’s a long story. Let’s just say he was in the right place at the right time when I needed him.”
Nick’s entire face twisted into a sneer. “Of course he was. Hell, he’s probably responsible for the break-in in the first place. Did you think about that?”
“Yes. But it doesn’t make sense. He bought the emeralds the other day. Because I refused to take his money for Noah and he was hell-bent on getting some funds in my hands. Why would he do that only to turn around and rob me?”
Nick shook his head. “You can be so naive. I have to admit it’s one of the things I like best about you...normally. But not tonight. Who says his goal was stealing from you? Let me guess, he was the one who called the police.”
“Yes.”
“Playing the white knight is exactly the kind of con he’d set up simply to get in your good graces and earn your trust.”
Nick wasn’t wrong. Finn was definitely capable of orchestrating complex scenarios in order to accomplish whatever goal he wanted.
And he had made it clear he was hoping to become a part of her and Noah’s life, whether she wanted him there or not.
“I’m not naive, Nick. I haven’t been for three years.”
Finn was responsible for that, and not entirely because he’d screwed her over. Even before stealing the Star... From almost their first encounter, Finn had challenged her, made her question the existence her grandfather had built around her. He’d made her realize just how sheltered—and messed up—her family dynamic was. There was nothing quite like viewing your life through someone else’s eyes, especially when they thought your life was shit.
At least that was one thing he’d given her. An understanding that she didn’t have to accept the way her grandfather treated her. And the strength to demand more when the time had come...and walk away when her grandfather refused.
But that didn’t negate the negative things Finn had also done. “I’m fully aware he has his own agenda and I have no intention of letting it affect my own choices or path.”
Nick watched her for several seconds, the hard weight of his stare making her uncomfortable. She was afraid he could see right through her. She wanted the words to be true, but...she wasn’t entirely certain they were. Yet.
She let out a silent sigh when he finally said, “Good.”
Closing the gap between them, Nick wrapped his arms around her. There was something comforting about his hold. Supportive and protective, something she’d needed over the last few years. Nick had become the big brother she’d never had but always wanted.
“Go home. Get some sleep. I’ll fix the window and we can tackle the rest tomorrow.”
Nodding against his shoulder, Genevieve blurted out, “Noah and I are lucky to have you. Thank you for all you’ve done for us over the past few years.”
His arms tightened for a second before he was pushing her away. “Go home.”
Throwing him a grateful look, Genevieve didn’t hesitate. She was exhausted and wanted nothing better than to crawl into bed and collapse.
Although sinking down into the warm leather seat of Finn’s car didn’t exactly make her feel comfortable. In fact, it made her jittery. Like what she was headed for was going to be just as difficult to deal with as what she’d left behind.
* * *
Finn stood in the middle of Genevieve’s living room and stared. Her place was...adequate was probably the best word to describe it. Nothing special, other than the personal touches she’d used to make it her own, always with an artistic eye.
The artwork on her walls might not be the masters that had hung in the drawing room at her grandfather’s estate, but they were beautiful. Abstract strokes of color that made him think of calm, quiet mountains and peace.
The sofa was overstuffed and appeared pretty comfortable. A far cry from the leather monstrosity her grandfather had insisted on. Functional, not there for the appearance of a welcome with the reality of being so uninviting that whoever sat down never stayed.
He’d taken the opportunity to wander through her home. Her kitchen was spotless and the pantry well stocked with what he assumed were baby essentials. Her clothes were neat and perfectly arranged, even if her wardrobe barely filled up a quarter of the walk-in closet.
And yes, it potentially made him a pervert, but he’d opened her drawers and run his fingertips over the soft silk of her panties. At least he hadn’t stolen a pair.
Really, what he’d been looking for was something he could do for her. A chore he could take off her plate since she’d no doubt have plenty to worry about in the next couple days.
But there was nothing, not even a load of laundry waiting in a hamper.
He should have known, though; Genevieve was all about the details. He’d watched her work, not only the intricate designs she was creating now, but the body of pieces she’d created for Reilly over the years. She designed with an intensity, focus and passion that was...awe-inspiring. Not to mention tempting as hell.
Noah had barely stirred when Finn lifted his son from his car seat, carried him inside and gently placed him in his crib. He’d watched Noah’s little body burrow deep into the mattress, his tiny butt wiggling for several seconds until he’d found a comfortable position and dropped back to sleep.
Now what? Without anything else to keep him occupied, Finn stood in the middle of Genevieve’s living room, a little at a loss.
Which wasn’t comfortable at all.
He could imagine her here, curled up on her sofa, relaxed after a long day, with a glass of wine in her hand. Or in the kitchen, barefoot, a huge smile stretching her gorgeous lips as she stirred something delicious at the stove. The subtle scent of her surrounded him, making his blood whoosh faster in his veins.
This moment felt more intimate than he wanted it to be. Like he was invading her space...and she was invading his mind.
Walking over to the sofa, Finn sank down, grabbed the remote and turned the TV to some old Western rerun, hoping it would offer a distraction.
And was asleep when Genevieve walked in a little while later.
* * *
Genevieve had never felt so exhausted in her life. Not even in those first few months after bringing Noah home from the hospital, when she couldn’t afford any help and had been trying to do it all herself.
God, those first months had been rough.
But tonight...she was just bone weary. Mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted.
She wasn’t prepared to walk through her back door only to be stopped dead in her tracks by the sight of Finn stretched out on her couch, the video screen from the baby
monitor hugged against his chest like their son was there instead.
His face was turned away from her, but even in profile he appeared relaxed. Until that moment, she hadn’t realized the complete change in him.
Before, Finn had always been relaxed. The man hadn’t a care in the world. Only through hindsight had she realized nothing had been important enough to make him anxious or have him worry.
Now that the familiar expression had slackened his features, she realized Finn had been walking around carrying the serious weight of stress the handful of times she’d seen him since he’d returned.
Was it her? Noah? His time in prison? All of the above?
And did it really matter?
She didn’t want it to, but maybe it did. Crap.
Kicking off her shoes and leaving them in a pile near the kitchen door, Genevieve padded across the room on quiet feet. Leaning over, she attempted to gently uncurl Finn’s fingers from around the screen so she could take it to the bedroom with her.
Her plan was simply to leave him right where he was. It was damn late and only someone heartless would make him go home at this hour. Especially since he’d not only saved her studio, but taken care of her son so she could handle the fallout.
However, that plan didn’t quite go as expected.
One second he was clearly asleep, the next his hand was wrapped around her wrist, and before she could blink, he’d pulled and had her tumbling across his hard body.
Genevieve let out a startled gasp. Her mouth landed against the warm curve of his throat, and before she could stop herself, her tongue darted out to steal a taste of his salty skin.
The soft angles of her body melted against his solid form. The hard band of his arm snaked around her waist, even as his fingers tightened their hold on her wrist.
His dark eyes glowed as he silently watched her, making heat spread through her entire body. Genevieve stared down at him, afraid to even breathe.
Slowly, he blinked. And just as quickly as she’d tumbled onto him, she found herself back on her feet. His fingers dragged against her skin, letting her go and taking several steps backward.
“I’m sorry, Genni. You startled me. Are you okay?”
Was she? Clearing her throat, she forced herself to say, “I’m fine. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
The warmth of his throaty chuckle washed across her senses. “I guess we both got a surprise.”
That was one way to put it.
“Everything go okay with the police? They have any thoughts on who might have broken in?”
Genevieve’s throat was bone-dry, but somehow she was able to answer, “I don’t really want to talk about it right now. What I need is to go to bed. No doubt Noah will be up bright and early like always. Toddlers wait for nothing and no one, not even late-night drama.”
Instead of laughing at her lame attempt at humor as she’d expected, a frown pulled the space between Finn’s gorgeous eyes. “I’ll come over in the morning and handle Noah for you. You need some sleep.”
God, yes, she did. But that probably wouldn’t happen if Finn showed back up at her house tomorrow morning. Besides... “He’s not something that needs to be handled.”
His frown deepened. “I’m aware of that. You know what I meant.”
“You’ve already helped enough.”
“No, I haven’t.” Shaking his head, Finn started for her front door.
“Wait.” Goddammit. What was she doing? “It’s late. And something tells me whether I want you to or not, you’ll be on my front porch right about sunrise.”
He shrugged his shoulders.
“Stay. I’ll make up the guest room. It’s the least I can do after your help tonight.”
* * *
Finn had been exhausted, but it was difficult to drop into sleep knowing Genevieve was down the hall. Especially after being woken up by the feel of her soft body falling against his.
It had taken everything inside him to set her back on her feet and not strip her naked so he could explore the luscious curves of her body.
So, he’d been restless and horny as hell. Which explained why he was groggy and bleary-eyed when he finally woke up the next morning. He didn’t mind losing sleep...when it was necessary and worth it.
Rolling out of bed, he pulled on the pair of jeans he’d been wearing last night, not bothering with his Henley. If he’d been a gentleman, he would have. But that wasn’t something he’d ever aspired to being.
And maybe there was a small part of him that wanted to know if Genevieve would still react to seeing him half-naked as she’d used to. He’d never been the kind of man to ignore an opportunity.
Padding out into the hallway, he listened for noise of some kind. Didn’t babies like to cry and laugh and play?
But the place was eerily quiet.
Sticking his head inside Noah’s room, Finn registered that the crib he’d laid his son in last night was empty. So was the office and the living room as he passed through.
The kitchen was empty, as well, although there was a coffee maker with an empty mug and an assortment of pods sitting on the counter just waiting.
His eyebrows beetled in confusion—had Genevieve left? He walked across to pop a pod in and start the drip of coffee into the waiting mug. Not that it would necessarily matter. She’d have to come home at some point. He could wait.
It wasn’t until he crossed to the fridge for cream that he found her. Sitting outside on her back patio, legs curled up beneath her as she moved lazily on a swing. Her own mug was cradled between both palms and pressed against her chest, forgotten as she stared out across her open backyard.
God, he hated that expression on her face. Pensive and entirely too troubled. He recognized it from before. Usually only after she’d had a run-in with her grandfather. The man had the ability to take every spec of light that Genevieve harbored inside and snuff it out with a single well-directed, disparaging remark.
Her grandfather wasn’t part of her life anymore, though, which made seeing it now almost worse. Now, just like back then, Finn had the undeniable urge to make the expression disappear at any cost.
Stepping through the back door, he joined her outside. The morning was crisp and cool. A slight salty tang hung in the air. Genevieve’s backyard was nice, if on the small side. It was clearly set up for a child, with a swing set in the far corner and a sandbox up closer to the stone patio.
Genevieve didn’t bother turning his direction when he walked up, although he knew she was aware that he’d come out. Her shoulders tensed, as if preparing for a fight.
Which was the last thing he wanted.
Sitting down next to her on the swing, he let his legs sprawl out, crowding into her personal space. “Where’s Noah?”
“Where’s your shirt?”
A quick shot of amusement tugged at the corners of his mouth. “You go first.”
“My friend came and picked him up a little while ago.”
Disappointment shot through him. He’d been looking forward to spending time with the both of them this morning. “Why?”
“It’s our normal routine and I didn’t see a reason to change it.” For the first time since he’d walked out, she turned to him. Her gaze ripped down his body with the speed of a hummingbird’s wings before jerking away again.
Interesting.
“Besides, I thought there were a few things we needed to discuss.”
Without their son to distract either of them. Fine with him.
“I spoke with Nick this morning. He’s preparing surveillance footage to give to the police.”
“Excellent. I’ll get my footage together, as well.” Although he had every intention of keeping a couple of the cameras he’d installed to himself. The first rule of power was never reveal all your secrets.
This time when she looked at him
her eyes were narrowed, but even as slits, Finn could see the shrewd calculation behind them. Genevieve might be naive, but she was far from stupid.
“And just why do you have footage to share? How did you know what was happening before Nick did?”
Finn took a quick sip of coffee and scalded his tongue. Stalling a little longer, he leaned forward and set the mug on the ground beneath them. “Do you really think I’d leave you and my son unprotected?”
She shook her head, her eyebrows crinkling with irritation and confusion. “What exactly do you think we need protection from? You’re the most dangerous person in our lives.”
That stung, although he really didn’t think she’d meant it to.
“Obviously not, considering last night. You know better, Genevieve. You come from the world of privilege and money.”
“None of that was ever mine.”
“Maybe not, but not everyone understands. And plenty of people are aware who Noah’s father is. If they weren’t before, the public visitation proceedings fixed that. I might be a degenerate and an asshole, but I’m a filthy-rich one. And where there’s money there are always people willing to take it.”
“You’d certainly know,” she mumbled under her breath.
If her words were intended to wound, they didn’t. In fact, as far as he was concerned, she’d proved his point.
“Exactly. I take advantage of people’s weaknesses. My philosophy has always been if you can’t protect something, you don’t deserve to own it.”
“You don’t own me or our son.”
“No, I don’t. But you and Noah are the most important parts of my life. And I won’t let someone hurt you in order to get to me. I was never afraid of making enemies. I had plenty before I went to prison, and I made a few more while I was there.”
Genevieve recoiled. “Are you saying Noah and I are in danger? Is there something I should be concerned about?”
“No, I’m just not willing to take any risks. I saw vulnerabilities in your security and I plugged the holes. And it turns out I was right, wasn’t I?”
The Devil's Bargain Page 6