Against the Rules

by Ella Goode

  He’s saved it for me too. That makes it so much more special. I thought we were both a little crazy. Maybe it’s that crazy that pulls us together. The reason we are meant for one another.

  “Finn.” I dig my fingers into his back as he pushes up against the barrier that is keeping us apart. I watch his face which shows his inner battle. He’s scared to hurt me. “Finn.” I say his name again, slipping my arms around his neck. “It’s fine,” I say, encouraging him to take me. I lift up, brushing my mouth against his. “It’s keeping us apart. You have to do it. For us.”

  He claims my mouth in understanding as he presses the rest of the way inside me. The sharp pain is intense but quickly starts to fade away as Finn makes love to my mouth with his.

  “Lucia.” He pulls his mouth from mine as I try to lift my hips. “Tell me you’re okay.” He kisses both of my cheeks before his mouth is back on mine before I can answer. Not that I need to anyway. I'm more than okay.

  I’m lost to him. The only thing I know is that I want all of him. I love that he can’t keep his mouth off me. I’m pretty sure I love everything about Finn, in fact.

  I try to lift my hips again, but get nowhere. It’s clear being pinned under him that I’m not going anywhere unless he wants me to. That thought only makes the new throb that is forming deep inside of me start to grow more. He is going to make me come again. I had no idea that it would be this way. That I could orgasm so soon again after the last.

  “I need more.” He shifts, pulling out and pushing back in. I gasp, my back coming off the bed.

  “It’s like you’re everywhere.” I wrap my legs around him never wanting to lose this connection.

  “Good, I want to be on every part of you. You won’t know where I begin and you end.” I feel myself clench around him. I want that too. I’ve never felt so close to someone in my whole life and I never want to let it go.

  I tighten the grip my legs have around him, encouraging him to give me everything. He groans before allowing himself to finally let go.

  I watch as he continues to push into me. With each thrust he strokes something deep inside of me, bringing me closer to what my body needs. I stare up at him, wondering how I’ve only known this man for such a short time and how he knows how to work my body in ways I never even imagined were possible.

  “So tight. So perfect. I’ll never get enough.”

  “Finn. I’m going to-“ I close my eyes tight, feeling like I’m going to explode.

  “Open them. I want to see it. It’s mine.” He growls. My eyes snap open to lock with his and I cry out his name as the orgasm takes hold of me. It’s deeper than the last. I feel it roll through my whole body.

  Finn groans over me as he spills deep inside of me. His warmth marks the deepest parts of me as his. A place no one else has or ever will be. Even if fate pulls us apart I would never share this with another. Our connection could never be duplicated. If I couldn’t have him for some reason, I wouldn’t want anyone at all.

  Finn buries his face in my neck, his warm breath tickling my skin. Those three words are in my throat. They threaten to spill from my lips. I so badly want to say them.

  The only thing holding me back is fear. Not for myself but for Finn. If I give him those words it won’t be so easy to walk away from him if I have to. He would never let me if he knew I loved him. Even if it were to protect him. I might have to one day for his own good. Isn’t that what you do for the ones you love? There is no doubt now in my mind that I love Finn.

  “I love you,” he says against my skin. I close my eyes again. My eyes sting with tears. I’m not sure if they are happy tears or sad ones.

  “I love you too.” I guess I’m weak. But I was only fooling myself thinking that I’d be able to hide my feelings from him. Not after what we just shared. I don’t want there to be anything between us. He leans up, giving me one last kiss before he pulls himself from me and lies down next to me, pulling me to him. I cuddle into him. My body feels well-loved and relaxed.

  My eyes are beginning to close when I hear a little scratching noise followed by some innocent little mewls. It’s then I remember that we locked the kittens out. I try to sit up, but Finn’s muscular arm is wrapped around me. He has no plans of letting me go.

  “The babies!” He loosens his grip on me, allowing me to get up. I scoot off the bed, heading over to the door. I walk a few steps before I realize that I’m naked. I turn around. Finn is sitting on the edge of the bed enjoying the view. “I’m naked,” I point out.

  “I see that.” He smiles at me standing up. I bite my tongue from pointing out that he’s naked too. “Into the tub. You need a soak.”

  “I smell?”

  “You’re too cute for your own good.” He walks over to me, dropping a kiss on my lips. “You’ll be sore soon. A bath will help with that. I’ll see to the kittens. You start a bath.”

  “Are you going to join me?”

  “Couldn't stop me.” He drops one more kiss on me before heading to the closet.

  “You’re naked!” I point out.

  “And my clothes are in there.” He pushes the closet doors open.

  “Close your eyes, kittens!”

  I hear Finn laugh as he disappears into his closet to take care of our babies.

  Chapter 23

  Finn

  “Good morning, Cesar. Good morning, Monica.” I drop the donuts and coffee and fruit tray onto Monica’s desk. “‘Morning, Luc—“ Out of the corner of my eye, Lucky gives a tiny shake of her head to communicate that she hasn’t yet told her coworkers of her engagement and pending marriage in Vegas this weekend. “‘Morning, Lucia,” I revise as if I didn’t just drop her off an hour ago before I ran this breakfast errand.

  With an arched eyebrow, I tell her silently that she needs to hurry up on the big news so that I don’t have to watch what I say and she replies with a speaking glance that she’s only been in the office for a short time. I flash her a big grin. We’ve only spent one night together and we’re already having whole conversations without opening our mouths. We were meant to be.

  “I’m glad that you’re in a good mood because Kevin Howard from accounting wants to see you,” Monica informs me.

  “Is there an issue with our books?”

  “Not that I know of, but he’d be able to tell you more since he’s arrived.” She points over my shoulder.

  I follow her arm to see that Kevin has just stepped off the elevator wearing a smug expression—the kind that you see on people who think they know it all and are ready to tell you about it. I think that’s where the term punchable face comes from. He has one.

  “Who hired him?” I ask Monica.

  “The assistant that Lucky replaced.”

  That explains a lot. Kevin stops before me and dips his head. “After you,” he says and motions toward my door as if he’s the owner of this three-billion-dollar asset management company and not me.

  Monica coughs behind her hand while Cesar mutters something that sounds like asshole. My baby looks worried or I would’ve made Kevin wait outside my office for a few hours. Instead, I walk in, leaving the door open behind me. “What is it that you want, Mr. Howard? I’m a busy man.” I’ve got travel plans to make, a wedding ring to buy, and a honeymoon to book.

  “You have a nice office here,” he says.

  I drop into my large black leather chair and watch the man take in my space as if he’s measuring the windows for curtains.

  “Glad you think so, but I hope you didn’t come up here to give me compliments on the interior design. That could’ve been communicated in an email.”

  “You have an open door policy,” Kevin reminds me. “And any employee can ask to meet with you once a month for a half hour.”

  “Right you are.” I log in to my computer, send out an email, and start up a particular program that I have just for people like Kevin. “Whenever you’re ready then, please begin. I’m sure you know how much time you need.”

  The red light o
n the program starts blinking. While Kevin gathers his thoughts, I start looking at Vegas wedding chapels. Elvis impersonator? Yes, what’s the point of getting married in Vegas if you don’t have an Elvis impersonator? Chapel with fresh flowers? Definitely. I want all the flowers and we’ll go with roses because they seem to go with the Elvis concept. I make a few more notes until I find the perfect one. It has an opening at three in the morning on Saturday. Perfect. Now I need a jet. I send a message to Monica to book it for me. Halfway through making a reservation for the penthouse suite at the Bellagio, Kevin appears in front of my desk.

  “I want a ten figure settlement,” he announces.

  Color me unsurprised. I figured he was going this route. “For what?” I ask, pretending like I don’t know.

  “For not going to the press about how you’re harassing young female staff. You’ll probably have to resign.”

  “And what will you tell the press?”

  “I know what I saw, plus there will be corroborating witnesses from the club. Everyone saw you flirting with Sanchez in the lunchroom. I have so much evidence you don’t even know.”

  “If everyone saw all of these things, then why would I need to pay you for your silence?”

  Kevin’s dumbfounded for a second. How did we ever end up hiring a guy who isn’t competent enough to blackmail a toddler caught eating cookies for breakfast?

  “If you had any evidence of this, Kevin, maybe I would feel concerned, but since you’ve got nothing, I’m sorry that you wasted your thirty minutes with me.” I wave my fingers toward the door. “You should go now. Stop at Monica’s desk, though, she’ll have some paperwork for you.”

  The mention of paperwork perks him up. “Oh, so I’m going to add unlawful termination and retaliation to my lawsuit against you.”

  “Who says I’m firing you? Haven’t you heard? All terminations and hirings are now done by your peers. I hope your coworkers like you, Kev, otherwise I don’t know if your job will be here after you get out of prison.” I reach over and stop the recording.

  “Prison?” His brows beetle together.

  “For attempted extortion.” The doors open and in marches my assistants along with two detectives—all of whom had been listening in on the conversation. “You know my assistants, so let me introduce you to detectives Tarantino and Hervy from the fraud and burglary division. They have some questions for you.”

  “I’m the one that was wronged,” Kevin shouts, backing away. “I’m a whistleblower. I have rights! I want a lawyer!”

  “Yeah. Yeah. Come and blow the whistle down at the station. We’ll be all ears,” says Hervy. “Congrats on your engagement,” he calls over his shoulder as he escorts an unhappy and still shouting Kevin out the door.

  I cock my head toward Lucky. “You shared the good news, huh?”

  “I did.” She smiles and this time the smugness doesn’t irritate me. Instead, it turns me on.

  I stay seated but swing my legs around and pat my lap. “Come over here. We’re getting married this weekend,” I tell Cesar and Monica.

  “They know. I already told them.” Lucky slides an arm around my shoulders and settles into my lap. “Cesar is mad that he isn’t coming.”

  “You should have it here where we can all go!” he cries. “This isn’t fair. I love weddings.”

  “I hate them,” Monica replies.

  “So don’t go,” Cesar retorts. While the two start squabbling, Lucky dips her head into my neck.

  “I love you,” she says.

  “I love you, too, but we’re getting married this weekend in Vegas. Look.” I swing the monitor around. “I’ve booked us a chapel.”

  “We might have to take Cesar.”

  “I’ll give him a bonus to stay here.”

  “Sounds perfect.”

  “You’re perfect.” I grab her hair and pull her down for a kiss. Our tongues tangle and my heart soars. I wasn’t in the market for a woman, but I guess I was ready for a bride.

  Epilogue

  Lucia

  “Where are you?” I hold the phone to my ear with my shoulder as I juggle my folders into one hand. I’d just gotten them in the order I’d wanted them so I can’t mess them up now. I’ve been a little obsessive about the new hires. I just want everything to go right.

  “Hey. I called you. I ask the questions.” B.J. barks back. Someone is in a mood today. How can you wake up on the wrong side of the bed when every bed you wake up in is at a five star resort or hotel?

  “Okay. Ask away.” I make my way back toward my office. Okay. Finn and my office. I’d fought this issue for a few weeks after we got married. I should have known it was a battle I'd never win. It was a hard loss on day three when he was moving his desk out next to mine and moving Monica's and Cesar’s into his office. I took one for the team. They didn’t need to witness my husband’s wandering hands and often dirty talk. We needed the door.

  “Oh. Well, that was easy.” I snort a laugh as I step into the lunchroom. Anne sees me coming and hands me a brownie. I mouth a thank you. “If you don’t call me the second you find out the sex of the babies I will murder your husband. He already made me miss the wedding. I’ll end him.” I have no doubt Marco would fuel up his private jet and fly her back at the drop of a hat if she so much as asked.

  I bite my lip, not sure how I should move forward with this. I already know the sex of the babies. I’m only thirteen weeks along but technology has come a long way and if my husband wants to know something, he will.

  “You went and didn’t call me?” She gasps when I don’t respond. I hear Marco in the background trying to calm her down. Really he’s the only one that can do it.

  “B.J., what day do you think it is?” She knew when I was going to the doctor’s to find out.

  “Tuesday,” she says instantly. I snort a laugh. I like how Marco is with her. I wasn't sure there was a man out there that could handle her. He does and takes great pleasure in doing so. The man came along and knocked my cousin right off her feet.

  Finn did introduce the two of them. They quickly fell in love. Almost the same way that Finn and I did. Maybe not as fast. But that’s only because B.J. made him chase her a few extra days. She said she had to keep him on his toes. And make sure he was going to be able to handle her.

  “It’s Thursday,” I inform her. “And your guess was right.”

  “Marco, this is your fault,” she shouts at him.

  “I will make it up to you,” he says in the background.

  “Stop, I'm on the phone.” Then she moans as the call ends. Finn steps out of his office, opening the door for me.

  “I would have gotten the folders. Why didn't you tell me?” He snags me by the waist, pulling me in for a kiss.

  “You looked busy. I figured you were responding to the email I sent.”

  “Are you hungry too?” He ignores my question, looking at the brownie I snagged.

  “I’m always hungry.” I step into the office. “Where are Coco and Puffs?” I look around for our little fur babies.

  “Nail appointment.” Puff’s claws could easily get out of control if you don’t stay on top of them. Heaven forbid she actually bite them herself.

  “I worry about them.” Finn takes the folders from my hand, putting them onto his desk.

  “They are the most spoiled cats in the city. From what I read in some blog last year.” I can’t even disagree with him. They were our first babies. There is no denying that they are a little spoiled.

  “You read a blog?” I give him a skeptical look.

  “Cesar told me about it. Then showed it to me. It had a picture of me carrying them. The entire article was about our kittens. I had to read it.” I giggle. “There wasn’t one mention about the success of our company, our wedding or any other important part of our life.” I giggle again. I bet he has a copy of the blog post hidden somewhere.

  “I worry how they’ll be when the babies get here.” I rub my very small baby bump. “They get all our atten
tion and now there are going to be two little ones joining our family very soon.” I start to head over to my desk, but Finn snags me by the wrist, bringing me over to the large sofa and pulling me down to sit in his lap.

  “They will be fine.” He pushes my hair to the side to kiss my neck.

  “No office sex. You didn't answer the emails I sent you.” He gives my neck a small nip, making me moan. My neck is my weak spot and he knows it. “We’re supposed to be working,” I remind him.

  We have been searching to hire more people. We are going to need more hands around here. Finn seems to be working less and less lately. I can’t blame him. All he did was work before I came along. I think he worked more in the years before me than some work in their whole lives. You could see it just by looking around at what he built from the ground up.

  “Isn’t that what I pay everyone else to do?” His hand starts to drift under my dress.

  “I’m going to have to fire you,” I warn. I do own half this place. At least that’s what Finn is always saying. I enjoy making my fake firing threats so I don’t fight him on me owning half. I enjoy working at his side. I debated going back to school, but I quickly saw I could learn more working side by side with Finn than I’d ever learn going back to get my MBA.

  “Finn,” I whimper when he pulls my panties to the side.

  “Have you been walking around the office with a wet pussy?”

  I shake my head. “No, you know what gets me wet.” It always happens the second I see him. As soon as I arrived at the office I got a glimpse of him today. The look in his eyes when he had glanced up at me was all I needed. I knew where this would eventually lead.

  “I missed you.” He kisses me under my ear. I’m not going to fight him. We have months left until two little babies take over our lives. I know we need to focus on the new hires, but I also know Finn and I always handle what needs to be done.

  “I was gone thirty minutes.” I moan. This man knows my body too well. If he wants he can make me come in seconds, but usually he draws it out. I am at his mercy. Not that I would want to be anywhere else. This man was made for me.