by Jenna Grey
She realised that he was right. She wasn’t a coward, she really wasn’t.
“I wasn’t running away from it – I was running towards Bert to get help. I just wanted to get Bert to come and help you.”
Bert gave a sagacious nod.
“And I know that whatever we face, you’ll always stand your ground. Don’t underestimate your own strength, Polly. Your grandmother would be proud of you.”
Polly felt tears prickle the back of her eyes. She remembered what Liam had said about her grandmother watching over her and for an instant, just an instant, she felt her there. And she knew that Bert was right.
“So we carry on with our plan then?” Polly asked.
“We carry on with our plan,” Finn said, lacing his fingers into hers.
“One thing is quite certain; we must never leave Polly on her own, not under any circumstances,” Bert said. “Finn and I discussed this on our way back. We’re going to try and come up with some method of protecting you, in case we get separated. Someone must stay with her every second of the day.”
Polly gave him owl eyes.
“What about when I go to the loo?”
Bert chuckled.
“Oh well, someone can wait outside at a discreet distance, but I do think we need to swap rooms. Finn, you and Polly take the double, and we’ll go into the singles. You can sort out your own arrangements – I’m sure Finn won’t mind sleeping on the floor or in the armchair.” Bert gave Finn a pointed look, which made Polly feel a little uneasy. There were an awful lot of subliminal messages hidden in that look.
“No, of course I don’t mind,” Finn replied, just a bit too quickly. “You’re right, though, she can’t be left on her own.” He turned to Polly. “You don’t mind, do you?”
Polly shook her head – she didn’t mind in the least.
“I don’t mind if all three of you and Maisie, clutching her Liberace pillow, sleep in the room with me if it means I don’t have to face one of those things again.”
“That’s settled then,” Bert said. “I think that we could probably all do with an early night. Let’s move our things and get settled in; then we can get an early start in the morning.” He turned to Finn. “Can I just have a quick word, Finn, before you go. It will only take a couple of minutes.”
Polly tried not to let her concern show. Bert and Finn were keeping something from her, and she wasn’t happy. She’d be having words with Finn about this when they were on their own. She had lived with secrets all of her life and she had no intention of living with more.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Polly was still shaking – well, trembling now, the shaking having dulled to a ripple of disquiet, rather than out and out shock. A demon, a real honest to badness demon; she felt as if she’d suddenly slipped into an episode of Supernatural.
She and Finn moved their luggage into the blindingly gaudy honeymoon suite, both looking as if they were moving onto Death Row. Finn looked terrified – more like a man who was about to walk the Green Mile than spend a night with his potential true love. Finn’s conversation with Bert had only lasted a few minutes.
“Problems?” Polly asked, trying not to sound too hostile.
Finn shrugged.
“No, why, should there be?”
Polly shrugged back.
“Well, secret chats with your Dad and worried looked exchanged between the two of you, doesn’t really put me at ease.”
Finn’s face filled with colour, the blush rising as if someone had filled him with boiling water.
“Oh, that,” he said, laughing. “No, Dad just wanted to make sure... I well, that... it’s embarrassing.”
Polly tipped her head on one side and gave him a raised eyebrow.
“I’d still like to know,” she replied. “I don’t like secrets.”
Finn covered his face with his hands and made an assortment of embarrassed noises, but when he took his hands away, he was grinning.
“It was a birds and bees talk. Father to son, you know.”
“Oh,” Polly said. And she started laughing as well.
Polly went into the bathroom and had a quick wash down to try and clean away the fear that was still clinging to her. She changed into her baggy tee-shirt nightie. It was hardly the kind of nightwear she would have chosen for a night of intimacy with a hottie – Winnie the Pooh didn’t usually inspire desire in most hot-blooded males and if it did she’d be seriously worried about them. Finn had stripped down to his boxers, and she gave an involuntary little ‘ooh’ when she saw his body, making a perfect little ‘O’of her mouth. She couldn’t hold in the smile. He saw it and grinned at her.
“You’re the first girl that’s ever seen this much of me,” he said, wrapping his arms around himself protectively. He didn’t need to be ashamed of his body – he was slim but muscled – the body of an Olympic athlete. He must have done some serious working out, although that surprised her because he didn’t seem the type to be bothered with weight training.
“You’ve been depriving womankind of a real treat,” she said.
He pulled on a clean tee-shirt and threw a spare blanket and pillow onto the armchair, with a sigh.
Polly raised an eyebrow.
“You can’t sleep on there; you’ll never get a wink. We can share the bed,” Polly said.
“I might not be able to keep my hands to myself,” he replied, unable to suppress a little grin.
Polly looked him straight in the eyes and said:
“Then don’t.”
Polly found some hideous drinking glasses in the bedside cabinet with hearts and flowers on them, keeping in with the newly-wed theme. She poured them both a large glass of whisky. He took another swig to add to the several he’d had already, and it seemed to mellow him out nicely – at least he stopped fidgeting so much. He gave an awkward little laugh and finished the rest of the glass. He would soon be well on his way to being pissed and incapable of raising a smile, let alone anything else. Polly took the glass from him and screwed the lid back on the bottle.
Finn moved towards her, and she could see that he was shaking. It was quite warm, perhaps even a little too warm, the radiator blasting out unnecessary heat, so Finn’s quivering had to be sheer unadulterated fear. He stood just a couple of feet in front of her, his eyes locked on hers, looking for all the world as if he were expecting her to turn into a praying mantis at any second and bite his head off. Then he moved that last little distance and his mouth came to hers. He didn’t place his lips right over the top, but just kissed the side of her mouth, as if he were afraid to move any closer to it. He hesitated for a few moments and then slid his mouth across, nibbling gently on her bottom lip.
She moved into the kiss, not just letting him take it, but kissing him back. His tongue ran over her bottom lip; he tentatively pushed just the tip inside, running it over her teeth, then deeper, exploring her mouth with it. She responded, pushing her tongue into his mouth, kissing him hard, until breathless they were forced to pull apart. He nuzzled her face, his lips just over hers, not touching, his breath warm on her cheek.
“I’ve wanted to do that ever since I met you.” He moved in for another kiss, gentle this time, a tender, stolen kiss. The best kiss. She didn’t try to pull away as his hand slid down and slipped underneath the tee-shirt to cup her breast, exploring her body, rubbing his thumb over her nipple; she felt it growing hard, a wonderful tingle shivering through her body. One part of her wanted this more than anything she’d ever wanted in her life, but the other part of her was terrified, so afraid that she was being caught up in something that she could never hope to control. She was falling in love with Finn, and knew that he felt the same about her. Was she making a terrrible mistake?
“I’m scared too,” he whispered.
Polly gave him a tremulous smile.
“I know.”
Finn eased Polly down onto the bed and she didn’t resist, letting him do whatever he wanted with her; he pulled down the too-loose neckline of her
tee-shirt, slipping the fabric beneath her breast so that it was exposed.
“Just like a peach,” he said. Then he closed his mouth over her nipple and sucked on it gently, running his tongue over it tentatively, then clamping down harder. There was a tightening low in her belly, and a throbbing started to build between her legs, the first stirrings of passion, as he sucked harder. Her nipple was stinging, almost hurting, but she let him carry on for as long as he wanted, cupping the back of his head, running her fingers through his hair. He finally pulled away.
“You taste like peaches as well,” he said, grinning up at her.
His hand clamped hard around her other breast, squeezing just a little too hard as he lost himself in her, kissing her again; this time it was a hungry kiss. He ate at her mouth, almost bruising her, keeping her head trapped there, until finally, she had to ease him off because she was going dizzy and just needed air. He had a sweet smile on his face and looked so uncertain of himself; it reassured her.
She let her hand trail down to his groin; he was already hard, the thickness of him pressing into her thigh. His hand travelled down the plane of her belly, slipping into her pants and onto the soft mound between her legs, resting on her pubes for a few moments, then down until the side of his hand pressed against her opening. They were both sweating in the sticky heat, and his hand was hot over the dampness of her skin.
His fingers slipped down to tentatively explore the moistness between her legs, his eyes locked on hers. Then he looked down to watch his fingers as they slid into the crevice. Polly felt a tiny earthquake rock her body as his fingers slipped inside her, one finger, then two, seeking every centimetre of her secret places, his fingers delicately probing.
He let out a little laugh of pleasure as he found that small rosebud at her opening and explored it with his fingertips, tweaking it between his fingers ‒ tiny pinches. He rolled it between his thumb and forefinger, squeezing just a little too hard. She sucked in a breath as a bolt of white hot lightning shot through her. His mouth was on her neck then, his teeth nibbling at her skin; she felt a sharp pain as he sank his teeth in and bit, not breaking skin, but sucking hard. She was going to have a prize-winning love bite there tomorrow. He made to move between her legs, a bit too eager, but she eased him away gently.
“Sorry, not without a condom.”
“What makes you think I’ve got one with me?” he asked, looking thoroughly miserable. Polly hadn’t thought of that – well, she’d never expected to end up in bed with him this quickly.
“Haven’t you?” she asked.
“No, why would I?” he replied. They both stared at one another, deflated.
Polly wasn’t ready to give up that easily.
“Look in the mini bar. That’s the sort of thing they might have there – it’s the honeymoon suite, it’s bound to have some.”
Finn trotted over to the mini bar, desperately pillaging the contents; Polly saw a little sewing kit, some first aid bits and pieces and a packet of tissues fly through the air as he discarded them and came out triumphant, brandishing a small foil packet.
“Thank you, God,” he said casting his eyes heavenward as he came back to the bed.
Polly laughed.
“Thank Maisie.”
Polly looked down to see that Finn had well and truly gone off the boil and she pulled him in for a kiss. It was only seconds before he was hard again; he grabbed the condom, peeling back the silver wrapper and rolling it on with endearing ineptitude.
“I’m not very good at this, am I?” he said, finally managing to get it on.
“Shut up, you turnip and come here.”
He was desperate now, his kiss becoming more urgent. Polly reached down and began massaging him, closing her fingers around his hardness. She moved her hand gently up and down the shaft, and he pulled away suddenly, gulping in a breath. He looked quite terrified.
“Maybe this isn’t such a good idea...”
Polly pulled him back.
“Finn, it’s a great idea – I’m new at this too, you don’t have to be worried about it. We’ll work it out together.”
“It’s not that... I... I just don’t know if this is a good idea,” he said, and made to pull back again. Polly hadn’t got this far to let him escape now.
“I’m not going to bite you – well, actually I probably am, but you know what I mean. You really don’t need to be nervous.” She cupped his face in her hands and bent forward, giving him a gentle kiss on the lips. “We can just hold each other and touch each other – whatever happens, or doesn’t happen; it doesn’t matter. We can just be together and enjoy it. It doesn’t matter how it goes; it will still be lovely.”
Finn gave a half-hearted nod and stared at her with wide eyes as she pushed him back onto the bed and began to slowly kiss and lick down the length of his body. She kissed and nibbled down to his waist, forcing small noises from him, until her face was just above his groin; every touch of her mouth made him catch his breath and shudder. He was so hard, she was surprised that he hadn’t gone already. She looked up at him, and the muscles of his face were taut, his jaw clenched as he tried to hold himself back.
“I’m nearly coming, Polly, I don’t think I can stop if you carry on.”
He gently eased her up on the bed, moving over the top of her. Their kisses were greedy now, and Finn seemed to have forgotten about nerves, about everything; he lay pressed against the length of her, the hardness of him laid against her thigh.
“Are you okay?” he asked breathlessly, his face against her cheek.
“Perfect,” she whispered.
She was very wet; he worked his fingers up and down inside her, just widening her a little so that he didn’t hurt her. Finn moved between her legs, easing them apart and Polly lifted her knees so that she could help him to get into the right position, guiding him. The tip of him was right against her opening, just resting against it. Finn supported himself on one arm, using the other to hold himself there so that Polly could lift her hips a little to get the right angle. He was breathing heavily, his face a mixture of panic, desire and real happiness. He looked as if he was going to pass out at any moment.
“That’s it, now just push inside me,” she whispered. He pushed hard into her, hitting the back of her first time. It did hurt, she had expected it to; the first time was supposed to, wasn’t it? She tried not to let him see that it was hurting and she thought she hid it well.
“Are you sure you’re okay? Do you want me to stop?” he asked.
“No, I’m fine, really, I promise.”
She kissed him again, as he lifted himself up and braced himself on his arms so that his weight wasn’t heavy on her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and her legs around his waist, pulling him down so that he dropped heavily onto her chest. She wanted all of him touching her, every single bit of that beautiful body; she wanted to feel the heat of him next to her: his sweat on her body; the beat of his heart; his laboured breath. He began moving against her with controlled and careful movements.
She rolled him over so that he was underneath and pulled herself up to sit astride him, her legs straddling him, riding him, and that did hurt a lot. He went even deeper inside of her from this angle; she wanted all of him inside her, and it was unimaginably good. She moved up and down on him, resting her hands on his chest, letting the muscles travel under her fingers. He held her waist so tightly that she knew she’d probably bruise – she didn’t care, she just stared down at him watching the ecstasy on his face.
“Oh God, that’s amazing,” he whispered, struggling for breath. She bent forward and moved her legs down so that she was laying down the length of him. She could almost reach to kiss him like this. He closed his hands over her buttocks so that he could help her move up and down on him. He was holding back, trying not to come too soon – he was dripping with sweat – so was she, their bodies sticking together. They were gasping for breath, so exhausted they were close to collapse, but neither wanting it to stop. Poll
y felt the orgasm rising in her, trying to burst out, wanting to take her. She waited until she could sense that Finn was close, holding off, waiting until he began to lose rhythm. He held his breath so long she thought he’d pass out, then she let herself go, and she felt the spasm between her legs. Finn’s eyes widened as he felt her tighten around him, the muscles contracting and it brought him. He threw his head back and let out a sound that was part sigh, part scream and part groan. They must have heard it in the other room. He still thrust against her as he came, trying to wring every single moment of pleasure from it. Then he collapsed on top of her, totally drained and they just lay in a great, sweating, gasping heap until he found the strength to roll off of her.
“You can do that again any time you like,” Polly said.
“Was it really okay?” he asked, looking so hopeful that Polly couldn’t have told him it wasn’t great, even if it was truly awful.
“It was amazing. You’re amazing,” she said, snuggling in. Finn gave a little purr of pleasure, and they lay wrapped in one another’s arms, both content. Polly felt completely happy and relaxed now, dark thoughts of demons and dead Vikings banished from her mind – at least until morning.
“Are you asleep?” she asked, although she knew he wasn’t. His breathing was still a little ragged, and she could feel his heart thudding under her hand.
“Nope still here. I... I might get up and just read or listen to something; I don’t need much sleep, hardly any at all really. I usually just cat nap. I’ll try not to disturb you.”
“You must be exhausted!” Polly said, laughing. “You must get some sleep.”
Finn laughed as well, but he looked uncomfortable – as if he’d rather she dropped the subject. She dropped it, but it left a little worry bunny nibbling somewhere at the back of her mind. Secrets and lies. That little conversation with Bert just before they came to bed was nothing to do with Finn’s love life. What sort of father would give his son a talk about the birds and bees and not give him a handful of condoms to take with him? Something was going on, and Polly was damn sure she was going to find out what it was. For now, though, she let it drop. Finn brushed the sweat-damp hair away from her face and bent forwards, kissing her on the nose.
