Page 93 of Wicked Intention

When she pivoted, Finn let her go. Damn, he wanted to hold her, reassure her, but he was too aware of her parents out in the living area. Waiting. He went to his closet, fished some socks out of the drawer, and grabbed a pair of sneakers—his new ones, not the ones he’d been running in. Finn sat on thechaise across from the bed to put on his socks. “Do your parents like waffles?” he called to Zo.

“Unlike me,theywould probably prefer a smoothie.” Her voice was muffled. “Maybe the almond flour will convince them a waffle is healthy.”

Finn tied his last sneaker and stood to tuck in his shirt. “Take your time getting dressed. I’ll go out and get their breakfast order.”

“I won’t let you go out there alone. I’ll be ready in a couple of minutes.”

He stiffened, but in the next breath, he realized Zo wanted to be there toprotecthimfromher parents. “I’ll be fine, loquita. I’ve faced some pretty difficult people in my military career. If I can deal with Jorge Torres, I can handle a couple of archaeology professors.”

She stepped out of her walk-in closet in nothing but a bra and panties. They were yellow, lacy, and barely there. Finn momentarily forgot what they were talking about. Sometimes he couldn’t believe this incredibly sexy, intelligent woman wanted him, that she’d let him live with her.

“I’m pretty sure my parents are going to be more trouble than the arms dealer ever was, but by all means, go, handle them.” She smiled, and this time, there was humor on her face. “I’ll be out to rescue you as soon as I can.”

When Zo retreated into her closet, Finn left the bedroom to start breakfast. Her parents were sitting on bar stools at the kitchen island, talking quietly. They immediately stopped when they spotted him. It wasn’t unexpected. What would be weird was if they weren’t discussing him. He donned his nice, polite, decorous personality. “Mr. Parker, Mrs. Parker. Zo and I were going to have almond flour waffles. Can I make each of you one as well?”

“It’s doctor and doctor, not Mr. and Mrs.,” Zo’s father corrected him.

“Yes,” her mother agreed with a nod. “And who are you? We haven’t been properly introduced.”

“Finn Rowland,” he said, offering his hand. They both ignored it, and he lowered it back to his side. “I’m afraid I don’t know your first names.”

“I’m Adelina, and my husband is Owen. You may call either of us Doctor Parker.”

If he hadn’t spent so much time learning to hide his emotions, Finn might have laughed. He’d never seen two more politely rude people in his life. “Doctor Parker it is,” he said easily. “Now, can I interest you in a waffle?”

The couple shared a glance. “We know Zofia prefers to eat her breakfast, but do you have the ingredients for a fruit smoothie?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Finn went to the kitchen. “Do you want triple berries or tropical?”

They agreed on triple berries but turned down his offer to add chia seeds or protein powder. With a nod, Finn took down two glasses and started working on their breakfast. It was a damn good thing he was used to performing under pressure because they were relentless in their questions.

“What do you do?” Zo’s mother asked.

“I work for the Paladin League,” Finn said, bending down to get the berries from the freezer.

“You’re an archaeologist?” her father sounded hopeful.

“No, sir.” He opened the refrigerator and took out the yogurt and almond milk.

“Oh.” There were worlds of disappointment in that one sound. “Is that how you met Zofia? At the Paladin League?”

Finn took the blender from the cabinet. “No, we met while I was in the Army.”

“The Army. You were an officer?” Adelina Parker asked. There was politeness in her tone and no curiosity, but Finn was being grilled.

“No, ma’am. Enlisted.” He started adding the ingredients to be mixed.

“You didn’t go to college then.”

Looking at them over his shoulder, he said, “I have a degree in political science.”

“Masters?” she asked.

“Sorry, ma’am, only a bachelors.” Finn turned back to the blender, put the lid on, and punched the button. The noise ended the questioning. Momentarily. It didn’t take long to make a smoothie, and as soon as he turned off the blender and began pouring into the glasses, the inquisition resumed.

“You seem right at home,” Adelina said.

The sentence wasn’t a question, but he knew a fishing expedition when he heard one. “That’s because this is my home.” He put napkins down in front of each of them and then returned with the smoothies. “I live here.”

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