The Finn Factor

by Rachel Bailey

  I rubbed my thumb over my forehead where I could feel a frown forming. I didn’t like to look too far into the future. Since my parents died, it had been all about getting Billie and Amelia to adulthood. Just survive that first, then work the rest out.

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “Prove it to me,” she said, crossing her arms under her breasts, which momentarily distracted me from her words.

  I dragged my gaze back to her face. “What do you mean, prove it to you?”

  “You know how much Billie and Amelia would love to have a dog. Especially Amelia. She lost her parents as well, and now she’s left boarding school and is home again—she’s been unsettled.” She paused, fidgeting with her seat belt. “You know she really wants you and me to be together?”

  “What?” I knew she liked Scarlett, but still, it seemed pretty random for her to have hopes about my dating life.

  Scarlett bit her lip, as if not entirely sure she should be saying what she was. “She’s mentioned it a couple of times now. Before we were together.”

  “Why would she want that?” I put a lot of time into thinking about what my sisters wanted and needed, trying to ensure they didn’t miss out on things just because they had a guardian who didn’t know what he was doing. Not once had it occurred to me this would be on the list.

  “I think it’s like a child of divorced parents wishing their parents would get back together.” She said the words casually, but I could see in her eyes she’d given it a lot of thought. “Children and teenagers like stability. Amelia wants a family unit.”

  The one thing I couldn’t give back to her. She’d had a family unit, and life had ripped it away. But I’d make damn sure she had everything else she needed. “She’ll be okay.”

  “Yep, I think she will. But she’ll be even better if you let her have a dog.” She leaned the side of her face against the headrest, gaze still on me. “It would just be that one extra support for her.”

  I scrubbed my hands through my hair. She was right. I hadn’t thought of it like that before. In fact, I hadn’t thought about it much at all before—and if I had, I’d probably been thinking that I was saving Amelia from the heartache of losing someone again, too. But I couldn’t wrap her in cotton wool for the rest of her life.

  “Having Harvey would do more good for her than the bad that will come from eventually losing him, won’t it?” I asked, already knowing the answer. Already deciding to keep the damn dog.

  “I think so.” She reached over and grabbed my hand, giving it a squeeze. When she tried to withdraw, I gripped her tighter.

  “Thank you,” I said without meeting her gaze. “I have no idea what I’m doing with my sisters half the time. Mostly I’m making it up as I go along and hoping for the best.”

  Scarlett unbuckled her seat belt and shifted so she could give me a hug in the room we had. “You’re doing great. Really.”

  I tipped up her chin, searching her eyes to see if she honestly meant that or was saying it to make me feel better, but as soon as our gazes met, all thought fled. Scarlett filled my mind. Need for her filled my body. She had me on all levels. Inch by inch, I leaned down, closing the distance, and she stretched up, meeting me halfway.

  When our lips met, tongues sliding against each other, the kiss wasn’t hungry or demanding. This one was softer, slower, yet it seemed deeper somehow, deep enough to touch my soul. I released the buckle on my seat belt, giving myself more movement, and pulled her into my lap. She came willingly and wound her arms around my neck, holding me in place, which was totally unnecessary since I was going nowhere.

  She wiggled in my lap, creating friction over the hard-on I always seemed to have around her lately, and I groaned. I never wanted to let her go. Kissing Scarlett was my touchstone—the world made sense when we did this. It was only afterward, when I started thinking too much about how we were playing with fire, that I panicked. But for now, there in the pizza place parking lot, I pushed that thought away, blocked out the world, and kissed her.

  Finn

  We finally made it out of the car and, despite being in a lust-fog, ordered the pizzas and delivered them back to my birthday party. The group had moved inside, and Billie had made a playlist of songs she thought I’d like, which was now assaulting my eardrums as everyone ate.

  I’d announced Harvey could stay, and Amelia set straight to work teaching him tricks, garnering rounds of applause from Scarlett’s parents each time Harvey picked up something new, which seemed to be every couple of minutes. Smart dog, that one.

  And with all the action and commotion and music, part of me was still back in the car at the pizza place, kissing Scarlett. Wanting Scarlett. It was as if I was in a Scarlett-induced haze. Not much else registered.

  Even when I was looking somewhere else, I could feel her across the room. Feel her looking at me. And I kept drifting over close to her without meaning to. Through the haze, I did notice Jane watching us. Seemed we weren’t being as stealthy as we’d intended. And it wasn’t just the fact I might have betrayed our secret that didn’t quite sit comfortably. They’d always been happy we were friends, but how would they react if they knew I was having sex with their daughter?

  Scarlett’s parents moved to the corner of the room and put their heads together. It looked like they were cooking up a plan, and knowing them, they probably were. The last time they’d done that, I’d ended up with a dog.

  Then Jane appeared at my side. “We have another birthday present for you,” she whispered.

  “Seriously, I don’t need anything else.”

  “I think you’ll like this one.” She winked. Then she called out, “Billie, Amelia, how would you feel about a stargazing trip? We know this great spot not too far away.”

  They were taking my sisters out for my birthday? Was this about giving me a break, or did the fact they’d left Scarlett out of the invitation too mean they were scheming…?

  Billie and Amelia looked at each other and nodded. “That sounds fun,” Amelia said. “But shouldn’t Finn get to come since it’s his birthday?”

  All eyes turned to me. Whatever the invitation had actually been about, I was desperate for some alone time with Scarlett so we could finish what we’d started in the car.

  I dug my hands into my pockets. “Even on my birthday, I need to prepare for class on Monday. You wouldn’t want the students to miss out on getting enough homework just because it was my birthday over the weekend, would you?”

  Billie chuckled. “Honestly, if that happened with one of my tutors, I’d probably buy them a drink.”

  “What about you, Scarlett?” Amelia said.

  She shook her head. “I want to do a bit of painting tonight, but you all go and have a great time.”

  Jane clapped her hands together, her entire body practically buzzing with energy. “You two get blankets, hot chocolate in thermoses, and snacks. We’ll get the telescopes and other supplies and meet you at the car in ten minutes.”

  There was ten minutes of flurry and movement, during which Jane managed to whisper to Scarlett and me, “We can give you about four hours,” and then they were all gone.

  I stood beside Scarlett, blinking at the front door, the house unnaturally quiet. “Is it too weird your parents just arranged time for us to be alone?”

  Though it did answer my question about how they’d feel if they knew we were sleeping together. They were okay with it. More than okay with it.

  “Finn, this is one of the least weird things about my parents.” She chuckled. “You know what’s interesting? A few months ago, this was what it was like for us every night. Before my parents landed on the doorstep or Amelia came home.”

  “Or Billie arrived on holidays and Harvey moved in. And it seemed natural then.”

  Impossibly large hazel eyes looked up at me. “How does it seem now?”

  “Like an opportunity.” I took a step closer, close enough I could feel the heat emanating from her skin. “You know, we don’t just have the h
ouse to ourselves. It’s more than that.”

  “We also have the leftover licorice ice cream to ourselves.” She spoke without hesitating, so clearly she’d already been giving the ice cream situation some thought.

  “Sure,” I said, my mind suddenly going in all sorts of erotic directions, despite knowing that wasn’t what she’d been thinking. “But what I meant was, every time we’ve slept together, we’ve had to sneak around.”

  A pulse at the base of her throat fluttered. “That’s true. We ducked into your office at uni when we were supposed to be somewhere else.”

  “I sneak into your room at night.”

  “Stolen kisses in the car.”

  “But now,” I said, and left it hanging.

  “Now…” Her voice trembled on the single word.

  Needing to feel a connection, I wrapped an arm around her waist, not pulling her against me, just letting it sit. “We have four hours free of interruptions.”

  “We can be as slow as we want.” Her gaze locked on my mouth.

  My pulse spiked. Scarlett being unable to look away from my mouth was one of my very favorite things in the world.

  I had to clear my throat before I could talk. “As loud as we want.”

  “You’ll never last four hours.” Her voice was teasing as she slid her hands up my arms, leaving them to rest on my biceps. I shuddered at how good that felt.

  I swayed against her. “I’ll bet you cooking duties for a night that I can last longer than you.”

  One corner of her mouth hitched up. “Well, it is your birthday. I’ll probably let you win.”

  “And all I want for my birthday is to be inside you. To feel you around me, as desperate for me as you were in my office.”

  “Without the destruction of furniture.” Her eyes filled with that same lust-fog I’d been feeling since the parking lot.

  “Preferably. Though to be honest, right now I wouldn’t care.” I laced my fingers through hers and tugged. “We have an entire houseful of locations to choose from. Where do you want to be?”

  She touched the tip of her tongue to her top lip and glanced from me to the hall and back again. “You know what? I’d really like your bed. You’ve been sneaking into my room because it’s further from your sisters’ rooms, and I’ve been dreaming about your bed.”

  “If that’s what you want, that’s what you’ll get. But fair warning, I’m going to take advantage of the empty house and make you scream.”

  She smiled, and I watched the heat in her eyes flare to bonfire proportions. When she leaned in, her breasts rubbing against my arm, until her lips touched my ear and whispered, “Happy birthday, Finn,” I nearly came in my pants.

  “Let’s go,” I said, and dragged her down the hall.

  Scarlett

  We reached Finn’s bedroom in record time and, as I spared a glance at his bed before jumping on it, I saw a thick, red book. Practically skidding to a halt, I grabbed the hardback to toss it aside, but the title caught my attention.

  “The Kama Sutra?” I held it up for him, grinning. “A little bedtime reading?”

  He frowned and reached for the book. “That’s not mine. I’ve never seen it before.”

  “Aw, Finn,” I teased. “Don’t be scared to tell me if you want to try something a bit different.”

  But his face remained deadpan. “I don’t own a copy of the Kama Sutra.”

  “Then where did it come from?”

  “It wouldn’t be my sisters, so it can only be your parents.”

  A cold chill raced across my skin. My parents? The last people I wanted involved in my sex life—even via leaving a book filled with suggested positions—was my parents.

  Dropping the book like a hot potato, I stepped back. All traces of need fled. “I’m out. Game over.”

  Finn grabbed my arm at the bedroom door. “Don’t leave.”

  “It’s too weird, Finn,” I said, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Why can’t they be normal parents?”

  “They’re not normal, it’s part of their charm.” He glanced over at the book, his hand on my arm beginning to absently caress instead of hold. “Even though I admit this is a bit much, let’s not let them ruin something between us.”

  “I don’t want to be thinking about my parents while we’re having sex.”

  His eyes flashed with challenge. “I promise, you won’t have room in your mind for anything but me. Give me one second.”

  He released my arm, grabbed the book, and headed out of the room. Within moments he was back, empty-handed.

  “Now where were we?” He laced his fingers with mine.

  I shrugged. “Planning other ways to spend four hours. Painting, perhaps.”

  He brushed the hair off my shoulder and placed a delicate kiss on the exposed skin. “What if I do this?” he murmured near my ear. “Will you still want to find another way to fill the time?”

  His voice lured me, but still, the mood had been well and truly broken. “Finn—”

  He spoke over my objection. “What if I do this?” From behind, his lips skimmed over the nape of my neck and delicious heat began to unfurl down deep in my belly.

  “That’s nice,” I said, my eyes drifting closed. “How about we make a date for later?”

  “Nice? That’s all?” He pulled me back against him, then gently bit down on my shoulder. A gasp escaped my throat at the surprise and the decadence of it.

  “Hmm…how about pleasant?” Luckily he couldn’t see me grin. I was beginning to get back into the mood, but I was enjoying myself too much to let him know. As he’d pointed out, our sex life had so far consisted of sneaking around and desperate attempts to make the most of the time we had. Being seduced was far too fun to cut short.

  He grabbed my hips and pulled my ass firmly against his erection. I’d never get used to knowing it was me who made Finn hard—and that it was all for me.

  “Pleasant?” He practically growled before sucking my earlobe into his mouth. My breath hitched and I felt him smile. “Perhaps a little more than pleasant?”

  “Let me think.” My pulse had picked up speed, but I managed to keep my voice calm. “Perhaps a little more. Do you have any other moves that might help?”

  Without warning, he grabbed the hem of my T-shirt and had it over my head, then my bra off and on the floor. He pulled me back against him, into the position I’d been in before the flurry of action, though this time he cupped my bare breasts. Those hands were made of magic, sending tingles right through my body.

  “Okay,” I conceded, my voice decidedly breathy, “that was a pretty good move.”

  He chuckled as he gently pinched the peak of each breast. “You’re hard to impress. But I have a couple of other moves up my sleeve.”

  His hands left their spot, and I almost whimpered before realizing they were snaking down my body and undoing the button and zipper on my jeans. He pushed them, and my underwear, down over my hips, and I wriggled until they hit the floor, welcoming the cool air as it feathered over my body.

  I leaned my head back on his shoulder to steady myself as he stroked up and down my sides, over my abdomen, everywhere he could reach. Slowly. Softly. It was possible I was going to melt right there on the spot.

  “How am I doing so far?” he murmured.

  I had to moisten my lips before I could get my mouth to cooperate and reply. “Not bad. Perhaps with a little practice, you’d be quite good at this.”

  His chest rumbled at my back with his laugh. “I can see I’m going to have to step this up a notch or two.”

  Suddenly I was maneuvered around and down onto the bed, Finn looming over me, fully dressed, with a self-satisfied grin stretched across his face.

  “You have clothes on,” I said, wriggling to get comfortable on his sheets. “All over your body.”

  He climbed onto the bed, prowling until he knelt over me on all fours. “Is that a problem?”

  “I like you naked.” He was close, so close, but not touching. Every cel
l in my body yearned to arch up and make contact with him, but I waited. He obviously had a plan, and I was curious what it was. Even if it was already driving me out of my mind.

  “Nothing makes me happier than to hear you say that, but my nakedness is unnecessary right now.”

  Unable to wait any longer, I reached up with arms and legs and brought him down on top of me. His mouth captured mine as soon as it was close enough, and I moaned at the glory of kissing Finn. His tongue glided along mine, and it was playful and urgent and wild and everything a great kiss could be. I was burning for him.

  When we broke apart for air, I didn’t let him go, still gripping him against me.

  “You know,” I said, when I’d caught my breath, “we seem to have different definitions of necessary. I think your nakedness is very necessary right about now.”

  He gave me a leisurely smile and broke free of my hold. “Not yet.”

  He disappeared from my field of vision. I lifted myself onto my elbows and found him kneeling on the floor at the end of the bed, between my feet.

  “What are we waiting for?”

  “This,” he said, gripping my ankles and tugging me down the sheets until my butt reached the end.

  “Okay,” I said. “That was a pretty smooth move, I’ll admit it.”

  He lifted my legs and draped a knee over each of his shoulders, then met my gaze with an arched eyebrow. “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

  Then he leaned forward and put his mouth on me, and my entire body convulsed with the intensity of the touch. He simply held me in place and stroked his tongue over every electric nerve ending I had.

  I’d known from that first kissing lesson his mouth was amazing, but its true calling was much further south. My hands grabbed as much of the sheets as they could, trying to anchor myself, because the sensation was almost too much to bear. I was alive, too alive to be still, restless with wanting more, needing everything.

  “Finn,” I moaned.

  He paused and said, “Louder.”

  I opened my mouth to comply, but at that moment his tongue stroked up in an arc so majestic I lost the power of thought. My muscles quivered; my heart beat so hard I could feel it reverberating through my body.