Finch: A Forbidden Desires Spin-Off Story

by Piper Scott

  There was a moment of silence during which Hugh looked unusually contemplative. He poked and prodded at the shredded pieces of suit encircling them until he found the inner pocket of what had once been his jacket. Finch watched curiously as he plucked something from inside, but for the life of him, he couldn’t tell what it was.

  “I’m not much of an orator,” Hugh said at last. “I’m not clever like Everard or Bertram or Reynard. I’m not learned like Geoffrey or Alistair. And I’m certainly not as strong as Sebastian. But I love you. To the very fiber of my being, I am yours and only yours, and I wager I will be until the end of time.” Hugh opened his hand, and upon it was one of Finch’s amethyst cufflinks. Finch’s heart squeezed. After the move, he’d only found one out of the pair of them and thought the other forever lost. “So will you be mine again, Finch?” Hugh asked as he held out the cufflink. “Will you come back to me? I promise to always love and respect you, and to be the best father that I can be to whatever children you give me. I’m but a dragon and can’t give you an eternity, but for the thousands of years we’ll have together, I vow to be the best me I can be. For you. Always for you.”

  Finch, who prided himself on being a bastion of professionalism, burst into tears once more. “Of course.”

  Hugh pinned the cufflink to his cuff and gathered Finch in his arms, simply holding him while Finch cried. Through their bond, Finch felt his love and reassurance. All was well, and all would be well, that feeling told him. If ever Finch doubted it, all he had to do was turn to Hugh, and he would make it right.

  “I love you,” Finch managed to say through his tears. “I love you, and I’m sorry.”

  “I love you, and I’m not,” Hugh replied with a smile.

  “Are the lot of you done gawking?” Atticus demanded. There came the sound of several more taps of his cane on the floor. “Out. Out, I say! You’ve recovered what you came for, and I have cucumber sandwiches to devour. To the entrance hall with you all. Finch and his dragon will be down to join you shortly. Or not. Who knows? Their business is their own, and your business is now elsewhere. Shoo!”

  “But what if they can’t find us?” Harrison asked.

  Everard pecked his mate on the nose. “I’m sure even Hugh can find his way home eventually.”

  “I am home,” Hugh said, though only loud enough for Finch to hear. “And I will be no matter where I am, because I am with you.”

  33

  Hugh

  There was to be no egg bed in the quiet room with the gorgeous south-facing windows and the extremely shiny floor, but there would be a bassinet. A glorious bassinet. The kind of bassinet a dragon would covet, not that any apart from Hugh would have the chance. On his way home from England, Hugh daydreamed about what it would look like. There would be oak involved, certainly, although not in the same way as the traditional slatted cribs of yore. To Hugh, they looked too much like cages. Tiny baby cages. No child of his would be made to feel like a prisoner in his lair. He wasn’t entirely certain what the alternative would be, but it would inevitably involve artistic incorporations of woodwork, gold, and cloud-like padding.

  It would be glorious.

  He intended to have it commissioned right away.

  There were other effects a human-born dragon needed that their scaly counterparts would not. Hugh was distantly familiar with them. Clothing, for one. What did babies wear? Small suits? Or dresses, he supposed, if Finch gifted him with a daughter. He’d need to touch base with his father, whose new mate was carrying Hugh’s soon-to-be sister. Perhaps he’d even know where Hugh could have bassinets commissioned.

  It was all very exciting.

  “What do you think, Finch?” Hugh asked as he flung open the door to the prospective nursery once they’d arrived back in Aurora.

  Finch peered into the room, expression unreadable. “It’s very… shiny, sir.”

  “Isn’t it just!”

  “Is there a reason why you wanted me to see it?”

  “Oh. Oh! Finch, yes, of course.” Hugh flapped his hands and almost took a step into the room, but thought better of it at the last moment. He remembered all too well what had happened the last time. “I was thinking this would be our nursery. What do you think?”

  Finch continued to inspect the room. It was, regretfully, empty. Hugh had intended to furnish it, but that had been before he’d discovered Finch’s abduction and embarked on a quest to bring him home. There wasn’t time to shop for throw pillows when there was crime to be solved.

  After a moment, Finch turned his head to look at Hugh. “I think it should do nicely. Shall I arrange to have it furnished?”

  “You shall do no such thing.” Hugh collected Finch in his arms and pressed a kiss into his soft hair. “If I have it my way, you’ll spend the next six months resting, relaxing, and living in utter luxury while I see to the household.”

  Finch blanched. “I’m not sure that would help me relax.”

  “What?” Hugh blinked. In what world would a pampered life not lead to total bliss? “Well, never mind. What I want is irrelevant. For the rest of my life, as long as I shall live, what you want will be my priority.”

  That made Finch smile. “Then let’s plan the nursery together.”

  “Of course. A lovelier idea has never been had.” Hugh kissed his hair again, then pulled away when something wriggled behind Finch’s jacket. A small pink nose popped out from around the edge of Finch’s lapel, followed by a pair of round dark eyes that peered at Hugh inquisitively. They belonged to Elizabeth, Finch’s rat. She sized Hugh up for a good moment, then leapt at him, arms and legs spread wide. Her tiny claws flashed in the light. Hugh gasped, but refrained from stepping away. The rat latched on to his shirt, scurried up his chest, and came to sit on his shoulder, where she sniffed at his earlobe.

  Hugh’s heart hammered. He’d made peace with the girls and even come to adore them over the months he’d been with Finch, but it was still slightly unsettling to be besieged by a tiny twitch-nosed beast.

  “Hello, Elizabeth,” he said as she stood on her back legs and investigated the hollow of his ear. “There are no chocolate chips in there, I’m afraid.”

  Eleanor’s head poked out from the same place where Elizabeth had emerged, but she chose to stay with Finch. Hugh couldn’t blame her—the likelihood of finding a treat was far better that way. Hugh only stocked his pockets with candy when he knew he’d be seeing his nephews. He’d yet to get used to his role as rat stepdad.

  “Come now, Lizzie,” Finch cooed. He scooped Elizabeth up and brought her to his chest, where she took to nosing a button on his shirt. “Have mercy on poor Hugh. If you’re nice, perhaps he’ll reward you with a chocolate chip a little later.”

  Eleanor ducked back into Finch’s jacket. Elizabeth, meanwhile, settled into a furry little ball in Finch’s hand. The ladies were rather cute if you could look past their claws. What a man Finch was to have taken something so frightening and turned it adorable. A smile curved Hugh’s lips. “There will certainly be chocolate chips on the menu for later, but before that, what say you to curling up together in my hoard and discussing the nursery? A paltry six months remain before our little dragonet will arrive, and I’m worried there won’t be enough time to have the room up and running.”

  Finch gave Hugh a hard look. “What, exactly, are you planning on putting in there?”

  “The best of everything I can find,” Hugh replied cheerfully, then took Finch’s unoccupied hand. “A finer nursery the world shall never see. Its opulence will be unparalleled. A young dragon deserves a hoard-worthy room, don’t you think?”

  Finch’s face flushed. “I’m not pregnant with a clutch, Hugh. You know that.”

  Hugh stepped close and slid a hand over Finch’s barely there baby bump. “The child inside you is mine, Finch, and unless I’m mistaken, I am a dragon. It’s time to cast aside the ways of the past and embrace the truth of today. Whether born as eggs or birthed as babes, the children you carry for me will alw
ays be dragons. Always. And you, born of a dragon sire, are a dragon, too.”

  Finch trembled and lowered his gaze, so Hugh gathered him in his arms once more and held him loosely.

  “And dragon or not,” he whispered into Finch’s hair, “I love you more than I love gold, or jewels, or colorful pastries. You are everything to me, Finch. I cannot live without you. Even were we to never have a child, I would keep you forever, and you would be mine. I would give up everything to spend eternity at your side.”

  Finch shivered, and in a quiet voice said, “I love you, too.”

  “Now, come.” Hugh swung Finch up into a bridal carry despite Finch’s sharp gasp and fear-rigid limbs. “The hoard bed is waiting for us, and the less time we waste, the better. There are far too many plans we have to make and furnishings we’ll need to have commissioned.”

  “Commissioned?” Finch asked as Hugh proudly carried him down the hall.

  “Oh, of course. Did you think I’d settle for furniture from a catalog?” Hugh laughed. “While we’re at it, I wonder if we should start to plan the baby’s future bedroom. Do you know if we’re having a boy or a girl?”

  “No. Not yet.”

  “I suppose it doesn’t matter. Gender is no more important than what form our child is born into. Now, what do you think about purple? Something rich and royal and deep.”

  Finch’s eyes sparkled and he smiled for Hugh again. “I think I’d like that very much.”

  Hugh returned the expression. “I think I’d like it, too.”

  Purple did, indeed, look dashing in the nursery. Finch selected a color Hugh thought looked rather like his scales and incorporated it into their plans. It was used in the padded mattress cover of their bassinet—which did not look like a cage for babies—and while Hugh had wanted cut amethysts to stud the bassinet’s golden filigree sides, Finch had insisted small gemstones weren’t baby-proof, so he’d been forced to relocate them to places children couldn’t touch. Places like the bassinet’s canopy, which was sheer white and looked stunning when accented with flashes of purple jewels. Likewise, they incorporated their chosen shade of purple into their paint choices. Finch, who had an eye for aesthetics, designated an accent wall for a pop of color in a room that was otherwise cozy and neutral. It was all very modern and impressive. Hugh’s heart was often nostalgic for times long past, but even he had to admit the nursery looked nice.

  And it looked even better when he saw Finch in it.

  His beautiful, radiant Finch.

  During the time they’d spent remodeling and furnishing the nursery, Finch had become extraordinarily round with their child. Hugh quite enjoyed the sight of it. It was a reminder of what he and Finch had accomplished together, and a promise that one day soon, he would be a father.

  “We’ll need additional staff,” Finch said one afternoon while they were cuddled in their hoard bed. Finch was nude, but had covered his legs and groin with the blankets they shared. He was immersed in his phone. Hugh, also nude but entirely uncovered, rubbed some sort of hydrating cream in small circles over Finch’s taut belly. Whatever it was smelled excellent. He wasn’t entirely convinced it couldn’t double as food.

  “Hire all the staff you need, love,” Hugh told him. “Anything for you.”

  “One extra maid should do the trick as long as I can keep our current staff on track.” Finch made a noise in his throat somewhere between a groan and a hum. The little dragonet inside him kicked. Hugh slid his hand over the spot and delighted when it happened again. “The issue is,” Finch continued, “I’m not sure how useful I’ll be after our baby is born. I don’t intend to cede any more of my responsibilities than I already have, but in the event any complications occur, it would be wise to have extra hands to help around the estate. The two months we have left before the baby arrives should be sufficient to train new talent.”

  “Hire three new staff, then, Finch,” Hugh said. The kicking stopped, so Hugh resumed smoothing cream over Finch’s skin. “We hardly have more than a skeleton staff as it is, and you deserve all the time in the world to bond with our little one after he or she is born. I’d rather have the staff twiddling their thumbs for lack of things to do than scrambling like madmen to accomplish a chore list a mile long. And even if you don’t think our current staff is overworked, I happen to think it would be good to lighten their burden. They deserve it.”

  Finch hummed in agreement, but didn’t otherwise reply. He continued to flick his thumb across the screen of his phone.

  While he was distracted, Hugh continued to massage his stretched skin. He dipped lower, following the curve of Finch’s belly to the blankets covering his groin, which he casually lowered. Finch was flaccid, but if Hugh had his way, he wouldn’t stay that way for long. While one of his hands remained on Finch’s stomach, the other dipped down to wrap around his cock. Finch gasped in pleasure, prompting Hugh to start to pump.

  “Besides,” Hugh said while he worked Finch to full stiffness, “the work you do to keep the estate in check is worth the labor of five regular employees. Without you around, everything starts to fall apart. The more hands we have on dick, the better.”

  Finch gasped and moaned, twisting slightly before pushing into Hugh’s fist. “Do you mean on deck, sir?”

  “What did I say?”

  “On dick.”

  “Oh. No. That isn’t right at all.” Hugh tightened his fist somewhat, giving Finch a tighter hole to fuck. “Only two sets of hands belong on your dick, Finch. Yours and mine. I’m quite a jealous reptile, you know. The thought of someone else touching you like that makes my dragon absolutely restless with rage.”

  A glossy bead of precum crowned Finch’s dick, and Hugh took it from Finch with a swipe of his tongue, then slowly set to work taking Finch into his mouth.

  “Sir,” Finch moaned.

  “Mm?” Hugh hummed, taking Finch deeper.

  The phone once in Finch’s hand hit the mattress, then bounced and landed on the floor. Finch grabbed Hugh by the hair to hold him in place, which Hugh took as a sign to get to work. They’d spent the last four months ensuring they were ready to welcome a child into their home, but now the bulk of that work was done, and Hugh was ready to play.

  34

  Finch

  Finch had been appalled when Hugh suggested he lie about like a pampered prince for six months while he gestated, but at seven months along in his pregnancy, he felt the time had come to hire more staff. First, a butler. Francis was a dear, but it was hard for him to properly do his duties at his age and with a gouty foot and a bad knee. Francis would be “promoted” to major-domo, thereby salvaging his pride while shoveling his work onto a younger, and sturdier, back. Finch also wanted to find a good odd-job man who could also double as a footman, and a caring and nurturing individual who could fill the role of a nanny.

  The first two positions had been relatively easy to fill. Of the many applicants, two had outshone the rest, and Finch had hired them on the spot. In addition to understanding how they were to fit into Hugh’s household, neither was squeamish around rodents and both seemed to be the unflappable sort, who would take Hugh’s more unusual whims in stride.

  The nanny, on the other hand, was giving Finch problems. None of them seemed quite right and he wasn’t sure how to pick. He thought that he might have to cast out with a greater net. The problem, of course, was that dragon nannies were used to whelps. He should have thought to ask the Dragonet Club when they’d last come to visit, but at the time he’d been suffering from pregnancy brain and hadn’t managed to do anything productive with the meeting at all apart from inquiring after Peregrine, who was absent. Again. Finch couldn’t remember for the life of him what Ignatius had said concerning Peregrine’s whereabouts, but out of all of them, Peregrine was the one who most effortlessly floated through life, so Finch was sure it was nothing to worry about. He made a mental note to get in touch with him to make sure all was well, and also to get in touch with Walter, who was the most likely to have su
ggestions as to where he might find a suitable nanny.

  The note would have to be enough for today because the firm hand, then hot mouth, on his cock made hiring staff seem like a completely unimportant task.

  “Sir,” Finch moaned. Hugh was so extremely talented in this particular department. Not that Finch had much—or any—experience with lovers besides Hugh. Maybe he was typical of the species. But somehow, Finch thought it wasn’t possible Hugh could be a typical anything.

  Hugh hummed, then did something unspeakable with his tongue. The phone fell, unheeded, from Finch’s now nerveless fingers. A sensation was building inside of him that wasn’t entirely his own, and it enhanced the pleasure Hugh gave him a hundredfold until everything was all Hugh and love and pleasure beyond his wildest imaginings.

  Finch, pushed over the edge, came easily and obediently into Hugh’s mouth. Hugh sucked on him until he’d wrung out every last drop and Finch was near to howling from the intense overstimulation. He blanked out for a few seconds, and when he came to, Hugh’s mouth had trailed wetly over his balls and down to his hole. Showing the same enthusiasm as he did when Cook made Funfetti fairy cakes for pudding, Hugh devoured Finch.

  Hugh let some of Finch’s cum slide from his mouth and onto Finch’s hot, needy hole and used that to ease the way for one of his thick fingers. As he pushed the finger smoothly in and out of Finch, Hugh lapped at the tautly stretched skin that surrounded his buried finger.

  “Want inside you,” Hugh moaned. “Need it.”

  “You are inside me, I promise you.”

  “No, Finch. Not like this. I want more.” The truth of it rang in Finch’s soul as clearly as a bell, and he knew that Hugh was sincere. Even though he was bloated and far from his best, his dragon still wanted him. All of him. No matter what. “Will you let me knot you?”

  Finch levered himself up as much as possible, which wasn’t very far. “Knot me? How? I’m huge.”