Stripped Bare

by Heidi McLaughlin

  I groan, but start moving slowly as my cock perks up.

  “You’re not tired?”

  She shakes her head. “And neither are you.”

  “That’s true,” I tell her, as I continue to move inside of her.

  Macey pulls my face to hers and her mouth opens slightly from the sensation of my dick growing inside of her.

  “I love you, Finn.”

  “That’s good to hear because I don’t go around kissing just anyone on the mouth.” I kiss her again for good measure, sealing our fate.

  Epilogue: Macey

  It’s been seven long, tortuous months since Finn kissed me. Yes, it’s the kiss I’m counting and not the fact that he declared his love for me. It was the kiss that meant everything, the moment that our fate was sealed and we became one. The declarations of love that followed were icing on the cake.

  Morgan and I waited until she was done with school before we moved to Las Vegas with Finn. Mostly because I needed him to be sure that this was what he wanted, that Morgan and I were what he wanted. He proved himself by relentlessly working in Vegas for three days a week and taking long weekends to come home to us. Not that it was much of a home in my dinky apartment, but it was paid for and I wasn’t willing to give it up quite yet. And when he couldn’t leave Vegas, we came to him, although our trips were much shorter due to school.

  I also felt like Morgan had been through enough in the year that I didn’t want to disrupt her schooling. Finn agreed. But that also left my schooling in limbo. I started taking classes, only to find myself skipping them when Finn came to town. It seemed pointless to continue to waste the time and money when I was only going the three days a week he was back in Vegas, so I quit. Much to his and Steph’s displeasure, but I promised them both that once I got settled in Vegas, I’d start up again.

  After my return trip to Vegas with Morgan, I finally confided in Steph about Finn being Morgan’s dad. She was angry that I let him get away with being absent for so long and actually stopped speaking to me for a while. I get it, my life could’ve been different, but that doesn’t mean I would’ve ended up with Finn. He could’ve been married to someone else, had a family, and I would’ve meant nothing to him. I like the way things are now. I like how he loves me and how he wants to be with me, how he worships Morgan. He’s protective, authoritative, but at the same time he tucks her in every night that he’s here and takes her to school in the mornings. One minute he’s a dad and the next he’s my lover. I have the best of both worlds at my fingertips.

  Right now we’re living in a suite in Allure while renovations are being done on the apartment. Finn asked if we wanted to buy a house, but after we ran the list of pros and cons, namely security and him not being an elevator ride away, we decided the hotel is where we wanted to live. We can have everything here that a house can, minus a yard, but it’s Vegas and grass doesn’t grow, so Morgan isn’t missing anything there.

  With Finn’s third hotel open, he finally has time to take a vacation. He asked Morgan where she wanted to go and, of course, Disney is what she said. He took it one step further and booked us for ten days in Disney World. The thought of park hopping doesn’t appeal to me, but I’ve been promised lots of beach time and Finn time which, let’s be honest, is worth any vacation.

  As we move through the airport, Morgan walks alongside Finn while he holds my hand. She’s turned into exactly what I didn’t want, a spoiled child, but I can’t blame Finn. She’s still very well mannered, respectful and gets good grades. However, she’s now a technology kid and constantly looking at her phone.

  Finn taps her on the shoulder and points. The airport walls have the Disney characters everywhere, making her face light up.

  “Let’s put this away while we’re on vacation, okay?” He takes her phone from her without any protest on her part and slips it into my purse for safekeeping. After we claim our bags we spot the driver holding a sign with our name and head toward him. “I’m Finn McCormick,” he says, shaking the driver’s hand.

  “Welcome to Orlando,” he says, motioning for my bag. We follow him out to the waiting car and climb in.

  “How come we couldn’t take the bus? Stacy’s family took the Disney bus.”

  “I thought you’d want to get to the hotel faster,” Finn answers Morgan’s question. “Getting there quicker means we can go to a park tonight or go sit on the beach. At night the hotels play movies.”

  Morgan doesn’t say anything as we pull away from the airport. It takes us about thirty minutes before we’re pulling into the hotel and the valet is immediately at the door helping us out.

  “Whoa,” Morgan says when she sees a giraffe off in the distance. Finn went all out and booked us at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, securing the presidential suite. I told him it would be too much and that we didn’t need a lot and he blew me off, saying he was treating his girls to the experience of a lifetime. He doesn’t get it, though, because for Morgan and me, waking up to him every day is what makes us whole. He’s all we need for the experience of our lifetimes.

  We’re escorted to our suite and once the door is open, Morgan is off exploring. I walk around slowly, taking in the massive space that could sleep eight. Looking out one of the many windows, we have a direct view overlooking the Arusha Savanna, where more giraffes are grazing.

  Finn comes behind me, locking his arms around my waist. He kisses my neck, from my shoulder to my ear, showing me what will come later.

  “This is beautiful, Finn, but it’s too much. You don’t need to lavish us with expensive gifts all the time, you’re enough.”

  “Not nearly as beautiful as you,” he says against my skin. I melt into him and wrap my arms around his. Only once has he said something mean to me and it was the night he came over to ask about Morgan. I let him get away with it because I deserved it. I kept her from him when I could’ve easily told him that day in the casino. He’s apologized repeatedly and promises to never say anything harsh again, and I trust him.

  “Besides, while you’ve been admiring the view I checked my email one last time before I shut my phone off and something caught my attention.”

  “What’s that?” I ask, even though I know he’s going to share his news. That is one thing he’s done since we’ve been together, tell me everything about his business, hiding nothing from me, including the money he makes.

  “I added three zeros.”

  “Huh?” I question.

  “As of this morning the numbers are in on MaMo.” The gleam in his eyes tells me he’s up to something. Much like when he named his third hotel the ridiculous name of MaMo, after Morgan and me.

  “Spill, Mr. McCormick. I don’t like waiting.”

  He laughs and shakes his head before getting serious again. “You’re looking at Finn McCormick, billionaire.”

  My mouth drops open and his eyes widen with excitement. I squeal and jump into his arms. “I’m so proud of you.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re still cocky, though,” I point out. Only a man like Finn would be excited about reaching billionaire status.

  “You have no idea how cocky,” he says, waggling his eyebrows. “Come on, I have something to show you.” He sets me down and takes my hand, leading me down the hall, pausing at what I assume is our bedroom door. He kisses me quickly before opening the door and stepping aside. The bed is covered with rose petals, along with a thick trail leading out to the balcony. I follow them out, catching sight of the giraffes as they eat from the trees outside our room.

  The roses stop at a small table where a bottle of champagne rests on ice, with two flutes.

  “What’s this?” I turn to ask, immediately covering my mouth. Finn is down on one knee with a black velvet box in his hand.

  “Macey, we may have started out on the wrong foot so many years ago, but these past eight, almost nine months have been the best of my life and that is because of you. You’ve shown me what unconditional love is and how fucking good it feels to kiss yo
u.”

  I half laugh and half cry, causing him to stop.

  “I love you, our life that we’re building and our daughter, and I honestly can’t think of another way that I want to spend the rest of my life except as your husband. Will you marry me?”

  I nod, letting the tears flow. “Yes,” I whisper, falling to my knees and kissing him.

  “You didn’t even see the ring,” he mumbles against my lips.

  “I don’t need to see it. I already know it’s gorgeous because you chose it for me.”

  “Did she say yes?” I hear Morgan yelling from the other room.

  “She said yes,” Finn yells back.

  “Woohoo.” Morgan comes out of her room with a huge smile on her face.

  “You knew?” I ask her and she nods. “For how long?”

  “Well, Dad asked if I had his permission to marry you before we even moved to Vegas, so a month or so.” She beams. Her smile is infectious.

  “You asked Morgan?”

  “Of course I did. It’s important that I have her permission.”

  “Finn,” I say, covering my mouth.

  He pulls me into his arms. “I love you, Macey, and I want to do this the right way.”

  “I love you, Finn, more than I have words for. Now let me see that ring.”

  Both he and Morgan laugh as she comes and stands next to him. Together they open the box and show me the most beautiful diamond ring I have ever laid eyes on. He takes it out of the box and asks for my hand; he effortlessly slides the ring onto my finger, sealing it with a kiss.

  “Forever,” he says.

  “Forever,” Morgan and I repeat.

  To Marisa & Sue

  Remember that one time…in Vegas?

  Acknowledgments

  Acknowledgments are tricky because inevitably someone is left out. If you feel you should be here, please pat yourself on the back and know that I’m thanking you.

  First and foremost, I have to say thank you to my agent, Marisa Corvisiero, because without her, none of this is even possible. The friendship we share means the world to me.

  Second, I have to thank you, Sue Grimshaw, for asking me to change the original story we had planned. You were right, as much as I hesitated. I love Finn and Macey’s story so much. Thank you for taking a chance with me.

  Third, I have to give a mega huge shout-out to Yvette and Amy for keeping me on track and double-checking all my work. Without you both, I don’t think this story would be what it is.

  Fourth, KL Grayson, the nightly check-ins to get Stripped Bare finished were amazingly helpful. I’m so happy that you love Finn and Macey as much as I do.

  And finally, to my family, who know my deadlines, help with storylines and understand the creative process.

  Honestly, the final thank-you goes out to all the authors, readers and bloggers: thank you for being you.

  BY HEIDI MCLAUGHLIN

  Virtuous Paradox

  Blow

  Bang (coming soon)

  The Beaumont Series

  Forever My Girl

  My Unexpected Forever

  Finding My Forever

  Finding My Way

  My Kind of Forever

  The Archer Brothers

  Here with Me

  Choose Me

  Save Me

  The Boys of Summer

  Third Base

  Home Run (coming soon)

  Grand Slam (coming soon)

  Society X

  Dark Room

  Viewing Room

  Play Room

  Reality Series

  Blind Reality

  Twisted Reality

  Vegas Billionaire Novel

  Stripped Bare

  PHOTO: SARA EIREW

  HEIDI MCLAUGHLIN is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont with her husband and two daughters. Also renting space in their home is a hyper beagle/Jack Russell, Buttercup, and a highland west/mini schnauzer, Jill, plus her brother, Racicot. When Heidi isn’t writing, you’ll find her sitting courtside at her daughters’ basketball games.

  Sign up for her newsletter at the website below.

  heidimclaughlin.com

  Facebook.com/​AuthorHeidiMcLaughlin

  Twitter: @HeidiJoVT

  Instagram: @heidimclaughlinauthor

  Read on for an excerpt from

  Blow

  by Heidi McLaughlin

  Available from Loveswept

  Prologue

  The crowd chants an abbreviation of our name, over and over again. VeeP…VeeP…VeeP…echoes throughout the venue as Brayden, Carson, and I stand side by side with our arms raised high in the air. We exit stage left with me bringing up the rear of the three-man train, and I stumble into Carson when he pulls up short.

  “Let’s go back out there,” he says with a shit-eating grin on his face. I shake my head and bypass him, heading right for my assistant, Aspen.

  “Come on, man. One last time,” Carson pleads. I roll my eyes, but Aspen is the only one who can see my face. “Listen to that audience. We sold the fuck out. Let’s give them one more song.”

  Aspen has what I need. I can see the little brown bottle filled with white powder resting in the palm of her hand. It beckons me. Calls my name, ready to invade my system. The nose candy that keeps me awake and able to perform is within arm’s reach, and I have to have it.

  I extend my arm to Aspen, who drops the vial into my waiting hand. Even holding it gives me a thrill, although the feeling is short-lived when I’m instructed to turn around and get in line.

  I turn, ready to give Carson a piece of my mind, but our manager, Rebel Van Zandt, is standing right there, eyeing me. Rebel’s the baddest bitch in show business and you’re risking your life if you dare to disobey her. Given the opportunity, she’d rip me from limb to limb and watch me bleed out slowly just to get her fucking kicks.

  Virtuous Paradox was an unlikely group at the beginning, but we’ve taken the world by storm. What started out as a test quickly turned into a phenomenon. Rebel chose me, along with Brayden and Carson, to form this band. One hurdle back then was I’d never performed in public aside from the yearly Christmas party my Hollywood director father and movie star mother threw. Rebel had seen me sing and apparently was sold. I thought it was a joke until she put the three of us up onstage, took our photo, and asked us all what we saw.

  To me, it looked like two dudes with amazing talent, plus me. Yeah, I have charisma, sex appeal, and striking blue bedroom eyes. But that’s not talent. When I saw myself standing next to them, I felt like I didn’t belong. Rebel vowed to prove me wrong.

  And she has.

  She made promises that I thought could never be reached: number one hits, music videos, the female population lining up to have their picture taken with us, fathers lining up to buy our concert tickets and posters of our ugly mugs soon to be plastered on every teenage girl’s bedroom wall.

  We’re household names. Everyone has heard of us. They may not like us, but when our songs come on the radio and they’re alone in their cars, they’re singing along. I know they are. They move their shoulders to the beat, hold their hands up in the air, and shake their asses like they’re the ones performing our songs. When it’s over, they go back to hating us, and that’s okay, because for every one person who doesn’t buy our music, there are ten others buying every copy.

  I owe it to the fans to go back out there one more time. There are thirty thousand screaming, horny women all begging for a piece of the action, and we’re going to give it to them.

  “What the fuck ever,” I say as I stand in formation. We’ve been touring for a year, nonstop, and this is our last show. I’m exhausted, sore, and ready for this to be all over. We’ll have a month off before we start recording our next album. We get thirty fucking days to rest and get back to work. What’s the point of being the best if you can’t take time off to enjoy it? How about a trip to Cancun
, where I can entertain some co-eds? Anything?

  The lights dim and the band starts up, causing a level of screaming that I’ve never heard before. Carson looks back at me as if he’s telling me that he was right. He’s excited. I get that, but I’m also ready to be done. I’m fucking ready to go home and sleep in my own bed. As soon as he turns I bend down and pop the lid off the vial, insert it into my nostril, and breathe in deeply. I pinch my nose shut, letting the coke work its way into my system, while looking around to see if anyone noticed me. The last thing I want is for someone to see me snorting coke and get all righteous on my ass. I’m not addicted. I can quit anytime I want. I just don’t want to. Being high and performing under the lights is a fucking trip. Why would I give that up?

  Everything about my performance is robotic. I’m going through the moves, singing the lyrics, and doing what I need to do so I can get the fuck out of here. If Carson, Brayden, or even Rebel wants yet another encore, they’re on their own. I’m ready to party and put this tour behind me. And with Aspen waiting in the wings, a night of getting fucked up is inevitable.

  Soon we’re once again standing in the center of the stage with our arms raised. We take a bow, wave, and take another bow. I’m waiting for Brayden to move toward the exit, but he’s not going. He’s standing there, waving like a fucking fool.

  “Yo, Bray,” I say, trying to get his attention, but he’s lost in the moment. I get it, I do. But this isn’t our first show. The high of performing has worn off; it’s time to drop the curtain and get fucked up.

  Chapter 1

  Bodhi

  As I crack open my bedroom door and look around the room, I barely see the people standing there. They’re mingling, thinking they’re at a celebrity’s house to party. When Aspen has people over I tend to stay in my bedroom, away from prying eyes and cellphone cameras. The last thing I need is for people to see me doing a line, because they’d put that shit all over social media in a blink of an eye, and that’s a headache I don’t need.