His Secret Heart (Crown Creek)

by Theresa Leigh

  “What?”

  “I asked J.D..”

  “Jesus Christ, Finn."

  "I know Rocco's the oldest, but I didn't feel like dealing with him."

  "You asked my brother’s permission?”

  “Nah,” He looked sheepish. “I mean I meant to. But it came out wrong.”

  “How’d it come out?”

  “‘Hey Knight, I’m taking your sister out this Saturday, and if you have problem with it you can kiss my ass,’” he quoted. As I laughed, he blew out a sigh. “I’m working on it.”

  “You are. And honestly, if you’d done it any other way, I would have told you no and slammed the door in your face.” I ran my hand down his cheek and he closed his eyes. “Okay, Finn,” I said softly. “See you Saturday?”

  His eyes gleamed with pleasure. “Yeah. It’s a date.”

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Finn

  Joey’s Pasta House was as fancy as it got around here, and they did a surprisingly good steak. I called to make a reservation and Joey laughed and told me to say hi to my Dad.

  I really hoped that meant I had a table.

  I did every single thing my brothers had rattled of that night at the Crown. “Bring her flowers,” was Jonah’s best advice. “Shave that thing on your face,” was Gabe’s. But Beau’s advice wasn’t as easy to follow.

  “Give her something she doesn’t even know she needs.”

  I’d thought I had that covered with the DVD collection. But when I picked her up that Saturday night and saw the way her eyes were shining when I bent down to kiss her, I knew it wasn’t enough.

  “Should we order a bottle of wine?” I asked her, once Joey himself had made sure we were seated.

  Sky looked down at her hands and her shoulders started shaking.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, alarmed.

  “We’re on a date!” She was laughing. Thank God.

  “I told you. I wanted to start over.”

  “You did.” She took a sip of her water. “And then you disappeared for two weeks.”

  “I had to figure out how. You deserved the absolute best I could do.”

  “Joey’s Pasta House?” There was a dimple on her cheek. I'd just noticed. It seemed I would never run out of things to learn about this girl.

  I raised my water glass. “Only the best for my girl.”

  “Am I your girl?”

  “I really fucking hope you will be.” The candle light made the pink in her cheeks look even more delicious. I leaned over and covered her hand with mine. “Tell me three things you fear the most.”

  “What the hell?”

  “It’s from a dating website,” I sighed. “‘Conversation starters for first date success.’”

  She looked impressed. “You really are trying to do the best you can do.”

  “You deserve it,” I promised her.

  She tapped her finger against her top teeth. And then launched into a passionate speech about how she didn’t care how silly it sounded, whales were fucking terrifying. “They could swallow you whole!” she cried.

  Her fear of whales led us to all the things we knew weren’t going to happen, but were on the lookout for anyway. “I’m waiting for the day my parents’ dog sits up and reveals that he could actually talk this whole time, but was too polite to interrupt. He had to wait to get a word in edgewise," I sighed. “I swear that dog has seen some shit.”

  Sky laughed and started wondering what would happen if animals could be credible witnesses to crimes. Which led to me imagining a squirrel detective with a 50s-noir accent. “She had these amazing gams, and walnuts to make a man weep," I sniffed, miming taking a drag from a cigarette, then nibbling.

  And then we were off, trading animal voices and arguing about whether cats had squeaky voices or super chill surfer dude ones.

  We were so wrapped up in our discussion that it took a second for us both to realize someone was standing over our table. Sky trailed off her ‘kangaroo cop punches a suspect” impression and looked up at the intruder with a polite smile. “Hello? Can I help you?”

  I felt frozen to the spot. And then I was angry as fuck that out of all the people in the world to show up on my perfect date, it was Grace Knight.

  “You don’t remember me?” she asked Sky. I glanced around and saw Ethan Bailey sitting at a table, watching, and wondered if my sister knew about this.

  But there was no time to think of that now. Because, judging by the way Sky’s expression was changing….

  She remembered.

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Sky

  “Yeah. I remember.” I cleared my throat and looked into my sister’s eyes. “Last time I saw you, you were cursing me out. And preventing me from going to see my Dad’s grave.”

  Grace seemed to be expecting that, because she only pressed her lips together. “I - I’m sorry for that. It's not your fault. None of this is any of our fault. The only person who's fault it is is lying in Crown Creek Cemetery."

  Just as quickly as my anger blazed up, it drained away again, leaving me feel hollowed out inside. “Yeah. You’re right.”

  “You’ve met all my - our - brothers already, I know. And I’m sorry it took me so long to say anything. I was just… I was pretty fucked up.”

  I felt my smile tug upward. “Same.”

  Grace laughed. “J.D. told me you were a little badass. He’s the only one I listen to.” She sighed a world weary sigh. “I love that giant group of knuckleheads. But it gets to be a little much sometimes. And somehow, with all this hate I have for Dad over what he did, I have to be grateful to him too. He gave me something I always wanted."

  "What is that?”

  She smile sadly. “A sister."

  I clenched my fists, and then released them. I was ready for her hate. I didn’t know what to do with her understanding. “He gave me a family,” I said slowly. “I just - had to find them myself.”

  Grace shook her head. “I’d love to sit him down and find out just what the fuck he was thinking.”

  “Me too,” I sighed. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Finn watching us both intently.

  Grace caught the direction of my glance. “Well I’m sorry for interrupting,” she said, stepping back. “I just - I guess I wanted to say,” she lifted her fingers. “Hi?”

  I laughed and lifted mine in return. “Hi!”

  She waved one more time. And then scurried away, looking relieved.

  I turned back to Finn. “Well!” I heaved a huge sigh. “So that happened.” He looked pensive and far-off. I leaned in. “Are you okay? Sorry if that ruined our date.”

  He shook his head. “It didn’t ruin anything. In fact, it gave me an idea.”

  “Yeah? What kind of idea?”

  He grinned. “You’re going to have to wait and see.”

  I leaned in, making sure he was watching as I played with the neckline of my dress. “What if I don’t want to wait?”

  He threw down a credit card. “Let’s go,” he ordered as he grabbed my hand.

  “Don’t you want to wait for the check?”

  “Nope!”

  Finn broke every rule of the road, but it still took forever to get back to my apartment. I fumbled at the lock as he peppered kisses down my neck, and finally burst through the door in a tangle of limbs. I stumbled up the stairs trying to kiss him while climbing backwards, and he growled and swept me up into his arms before going up them two at a time.

  “Nice place,” he murmured against my lips. “You need a rug though. This floor is way too hard to fuck you on.”

  I pressed my hands to his chest, curling my fingers just to feel him solid and real under my touch.

  Then I raked them downward. “I’m not waiting until I get a rug delivered, Finn. I’ve been waiting long enough. I’ve been playing it your way, with the waiting and the dating. Now I want it mine."

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Sky

  The curve of his mouth tipped up into a d
angerous smile. "That sounds perfectly fair to me."

  I'd missed his kisses. The ones that bruised my lips and made my limbs go weak. That all consuming assault on my senses that canceled out anything that wasn't him. I'd been so afraid of it, but now I welcomed it because I knew I could handle the oblivion.

  "Sky.” His mouth made the shape of my name against my lips, and then his hands were in my hair. Tugging back to expose my throat, he bit down on the sensitive place where my neck met my shoulder. I squirmed, then retaliated, pulling his shirt up and over his head in one quick motion, and dragging my nails down his back.

  "So glad that part of you hasn't changed," he growled appreciatively before walking me backwards until the back of my knees caught the bed.

  He landed on top of me, crushing me under his weight. And I gloried in it because I suddenly realized something. “Finn, this is the first time we're going to do this face-to-face."

  He paused a moment, the emotion on his face crystal clear.

  Then he smiled again. “Being face-to-face with you sounds so good, baby. But I’ve really missed being face-to-pussy."

  My shocked gasp at his crude language dissolved into a gasp of pleasure when his tongue found me. I was just as primed for the explosion as I was the very first night he’d done this to me. But instead of losing myself, and pulling away, I stayed connected to him, sinking my fingers into his hair, and grabbing at his shoulders and hands. Any bit of skin, any part of him that I could hold onto was enough.

  "Missed this," Finn murmured between my legs, moving his tongue in slow lazy circles. "I could do this the rest of the night."

  I arched up onto my elbows. "Don't you dare," I chided him.

  He chuckled, and those hazel eyes peering up at me from between my legs nearly knocked me flat back on my ass. "Then you'd better come for me, sweetheart. I'm not stopping until I can feel your greedy little pussy grabbing at my fingers."

  "Oh my God, it does that?" I gasped.

  Then Finn did something with his tongue that made my world explode.

  I panted, and bucked, and swore until I could speak again.

  Then looked down at him sheepishly." "Well then. I guess it does."

  "God, I fucking love you," he sighed. "Come here." He yanked me upright, and claimed my mouth.

  He tasted like me, my scent lingering in his beard, and it drove me out of my mind. "Now, Finn. Don't make me wait any longer."

  "I don't think I could,” he panted against my mouth. "One more second, baby girl, just hang on one more second.” He fumbled with the condom wrapper, and rolled it down his length at light speed. I spread my legs wider, urging him on.

  He sank into me. And finally, finally, Finn King and I were completely connected.

  "Shit," he mumbled against my skin. "You feel… shit.” He seemed incapable of words. His hips moved in a slow rolling rhythm that touched every part I’d known about myself. And some parts that had still been secret.

  “Finn.” My breath was coming faster now… desperate… keening. "Finn, oh my God, I love you. I love you!”

  He groaned, gathering me up into his arms and holding me so tightly I could barely breathe, but it was so overwhelming that I lost control anyway. "Sky, you're it. I love you, I love…” His words dissolved into a long animal groan.

  And he gave himself to me. Completely.

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Finn

  “Jesus!” Sky fell back, collapsing in a tangle of hair and limbs.

  I studied her, still panting. But not satisfied. Not even after an orgasm so powerful I almost blacked out.

  Because it hadn’t been how I'd envisioned it. It had been too fast. Too rough.

  It seemed like I’d always need to start over with her. Try again and again. Until it was perfect… like she deserved.

  Luckily, with her, I knew that I could.

  “Come here,” I said, gathering her to me.

  She closed her eyes and tilted her head to kiss me. Her fingers wandered over my chest and down to -.

  Her eyes flew open. “Again? Seriously?”

  “Over and over again. Until I get it right.”

  “That felt good enough for me.”

  I pressed her back onto the bed, already wanting her so badly I was shaking with it. “Can't hurt to practice though, right? You make me a better man, Sky. I need to get better at… everything.”

  “What are you talking about? You're good, you're incredible you're…oh!”

  I'd finally figured out how to get her to stop asking me questions.

  After I’d worn her out a second time, she looked up at me with a sleepy smile. “You’re the only one,” she murmured, her voice thick with sleep.

  “The only one who can make you come like that? Good to know.”

  “No!” she pouted. “I’m being romantic.”

  “I am too.”

  “Finn.”

  “Sorry. You were saying?”

  She heaved a sigh. “I feel like, there’s this break in my life. Like it’s got these two parts. The before. And the after.” She yawned. “The before? That was my life on the road, with no roots and no family. And the after?” Her smile was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. “Well now I have an apartment, and friends. And a family.”

  “And a boyfriend,” I reminded her.

  “Yes, but, that’s what I was saying.” She pressed her lips together. “I don’t have anyone from the before anymore.” Her fingers brushed down my cheek. “You’re the closest I’ve got.” She smiled. “You’re actually the person who has been in my life the longest.”

  I blinked. And then blinked again. The germ of the idea that had come when I watched her with Grace took shape and was suddenly fully formed.

  “I”m honored,” I told her, leaning in to kiss her eyes shut. “Now go to sleep.”

  “Are you in a hurry for me to shut up or something?” she mumbled.

  “No, I’m in a hurry to make a phone call.”

  “Who-mmmm?” She was asleep. I kissed her gently and slipped from the bed. I’d taken my brothers’ advice. I’d brought flowers and shaved.

  Now, I hoped I could give her the thing she didn’t even know she needed.

  A history.

  When Dinah picked up on the first ring, I had to smile at her excitement. “What, are you bored without me?” I teased her.

  “It’s sure quieter,” she chuckled. “But I’m not saying that’s a good thing.”

  “Well, if you’re looking for something to do, I have a favor to ask.”

  “You know you can ask me anything, Finn,” she said firmly. “Anything.”

  I smiled. How had I ever thought I had no one who cared? “Hey,” I said, lowering my voice so as not to wake Sky. “Remember how you told me you have a lot of people?”

  “I do.”

  “Do you think you could help me track someone down?”

  “I’m your girl,” she bragged.

  “Even if it’s someone from Reckless Falls?”

  “You just leave it to me.” Dinah promised.

  Chapter Fifty

  Sky

  Growing up, I learned that love can survive long separations.

  I’d yearned for my father to stay home, to be with me every waking moment. The long droughts between the times he visited me weren’t healthy.

  I’d done the opposite with Finn at the campground. I’d gorged myself on spending every second with him that I could.

  That hadn’t been healthy either.

  Now I was learning how to love someone without letting it take over my life.

  “Have a nice day,” I murmured, as he kissed me goodbye. I could smell the cup of espresso he’d already prepared for me.

  He was really good at coffee. We already knew that. But we were finding out that I was a much better cook. Willa had made good on her promise to teach me.

  Finn had acted as my taste tester as I tried out a menu for my first dinner party. On the day of, he'd helped me cho
p the veggies for the appetizer tray, pour the drinks and wash the dishes.