Page 178 of The Prince of Broken Crowns

“You might like it,” Finn starts to say, his grin magnifying.

Knowing he’s about to say some dirty remark, I push him out of the way as I step off. He slightly stumbles and lets out a shocked laugh.

“What the heck, bro?” he says through his laughter.

“Stop teasing her.” I move beside Maddy then look at Finn. “Are you heading somewhere? Because I need a favor.”

“Actually, it’s a favor for me,” Maddy chimes in. “And if you’re busy, you don’t have to do it.”

“Ignore her,” I tell Finn, eliciting a dirty look from Maddy. “You do have to do it.”

“River,” she starts to protest, but I place a finger against her lips.

“This isn’t a favor for you. I’m the one asking him for help.”

Her eyes narrow, and then she opens her mouth and bites my finger. Not hard, but enough that it sends a pulsating zap through my body.

I’m so turned on I damn-near lose it right then and there.

Finn’s eyes widen in surprise, and then he impishly grins. “You know, Mads, that probably didn’t have the effect you thought it did.”

She steps back, a crease forming between her brows. “What?”

“You think biting River’s finger is like some sort of revenge,” Finn tells her with his arms crossed. “But it isn’t. In fact?—”

“Don’t,” I talk over him.

But he continues.

“It probably turned him on.”

I shove his shoulder, and he busts up laughing. My face feels a bit warm. Maddy’s cheeks are flushed, as well, but she keeps her composure.

“One of these days, I’m going to pay you back for all of these jokes you make on my and River’s expense,” she informs him haughtily. “I’m much more calculating than you, and I’ll wait until you least expect it.”

When Finn’s laughter fades as he assesses her, attempting to tell if she’s joking, Maddy winks at him. I snort a laugh at the dumb look that crosses Finn’s face. He promptly recovers, though, his mouth opening.

“So, about that favor,” I say before he can continue to push Maddy’s buttons. “I need you to come to northside with me and Maddy so we can get her stuff out of her mom’s apartment, and then we can put it into the storage place here.”

All the humor in his expression fizzles. “Why? What’s going on?”

Maddy blows out a heavy sigh. “My mom decided to move out without telling me, so my stuff is lying around in the apartment. If I don’t get it out soon, the landlord will probably toss it.” She says it so matter-of-factly that it makes my chest ache.

I reach for her hand, lace our fingers together, and skim my thumb along the back of her hand. “We’ll get it taken care of.”

I know she doesn’t like the we part, but she doesn’t protest. I’ve never met anyone who refuses to get help like Maddy does. But knowing what I know about her family, I kind of understand.

“Yeah, I can blow off what I’m doing tonight.” He winks at Maddy. “For my bestie.”

She makes a big show of rolling her eyes. “I’ll let the bestie remark slide, but only because you’re helping me.”

Finn is beyond amused, but that look fizzles as he frowns at me. “Totally off the subject, but Dad wants to have breakfast with us tomorrow morning.”

I shake my head. “I’m not doing that.”

“Dude, you know if you don’t, he’ll just have one of his minions track you down.” Finn presses me with a look while sliding his hands into his back pockets.

He’s right. But that doesn’t make it any easier just to go. I know he’s going to bother me about dating Maddy. I’ll just need to stay firm and not allow him to push me around.

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