Page 74 of Songbird
My core aches for more as Finn pistons into me, hard and fast, finding those extra hidden inches that a moment ago I would have sworn did not exist. I grip the stone countertop, arch my back, and brace myself against the hard smack of Finn’s hips, whimpering as his cock reaches nerve endings no finger ortongue or any other man could find. His hand tightens on my shoulder and the other latches on to my hip, anchoring my body against his so he can fuck me with restless, ruthless,gloriouspumps.
“Oh my God.Finn. Finn!”
My words come out choked, my impending climax making it hard to stand let alone think. Finn understands, and he loops his arm around my waist to keep me against him and upright. His thrusts turn short, sharp and shallow, and with a gentle brush on my clit, I tumble over into light and heat and pleasure so intense it explodes everywhere. All over. It drips down my thighs and leaks from my eyes and slips from my throat in a string of wordless cries.
Finn’s cock pulses inside me, his orgasm releasing in hot jets as he bows against my back. His abdominals are tight, his neck is strained, and his eyes are closed as he grunts and ruts to completion. His fingers stroke my pussy, gently guiding me back to the real world, and minutes later he gently pulls out while we’re clutching the vanity for support.
Finn kisses my shoulder, light brushes of his lips that travel up toward my neck and back again. Tender and reverent and sweet.
“Oh, Finn,” I say, twisting to wrap my arms around him and kiss him full on the mouth. “I’m so happy.”
He looks down at me, brown eyes soft and unreadable, and then he takes my hand in his so he can kiss my palm, which he then flattens on his heart. “That’s all I want.”
Finn swoops me up in his arms just to deposit me in the shower, then he joins me under the hot spray to lather me up. Under Finn’s capable hands, covered in soap and softened by warm water and multiple orgasms, I let myself be soothed by his tender touches, his whispered words, his hulking presence that make me feel safe. Because that’s all that matters. I’m safe with Finn. Always.
twenty-seven
Finn
MyphoneringsandI fumble at the nightstand to silence the tone before it wakes Rosie. She stirs, rolling toward me and nuzzling into my chest, and I scoop her closer. After two days in LA, it’s safe to say my favorite location is underneath the sheets for the simple fact that it’s one of the few places we’re guaranteed to be alone.
I flip the phone over to check the caller ID, and Drew’s name lights up the screen. My stomach jumps, and I carefully extract myself from Rosie’s sleeping form to roll out of bed, drag on a pair of sweats, and move into the master suite living room. Marissa, the protection officer on the morning shift, gives me a nod of acknowledgment from across the room, then steps out into the hallway when she sees I’m about to take a call.
“Drew?” I answer. “What’s up?”
“We’ve got a location for the user posting those social media comments you’ve been monitoring,” he says without preamble. “Sorry it took so long. I didn’t want to resort toothermeans while the client was safe and out of sight at your ranch, but now you’re back in LA, we’ve had to be more direct.”
The subtext is clear. I’m not stupid enough to use the words “illegal” and “hacker” in this conversation, and right now I really don’t care. The fact that Drew took this risk at all means I’ve had a reason to be worried.
“And?” I ask.
Drew sighs. “He’s in Los Angeles.”
“Fuck,” I curse, then louder again. “Fuck.”
“Yep. That’s all we have now, so be vigilant. Don’t take unnecessary risks. I’ll brief the team myself, but I’ll instruct them to continue to defer to you while they’re on the ground. And now that we know our suspect is in the city, we can start combing the place for his physical whereabouts. He won’t evade us much longer.”
“Thanks, Drew. I appreciate you taking this seriously.”
“It’s what Jack would have wanted,” Drew replies. “I’m only doing what he would have done.”
I fall quiet, thinking how this conversation might have gone if it were Jack on the other end of the line instead of his brother. I might have helped him through the darkest moments when we were serving together, but if I’d been there for Jack when he really needed me instead of guarding Rosie in New Orleans, my world would be very different right now. Maybeshewouldn’t be here, and I wouldn’t be having this discussion at all.
I clear my throat, and Drew seems to sense some of my struggle because he falls quiet before he says, “That’s all I’ve got for now. Reach out if you need anything and take care of yourself. I’ll be in touch.”
I end the call, check the time, and decide against going back to bed. It’s tempting to get back under the covers and delay my worry for another hour, especially knowing how warm and sweet Rosie tastes when she’s waking up, but it’s nearly seven a.m. and I want to review her schedule. My head was already spinning with the commitments she’s supposed to keep this week, andafter a wild day in LA yesterday, I’ve got a clearer idea of how messy things can get. And now I know her stalker is out there somewhere waiting for his moment. I can’t relax until I’ve found a way to keep Rosie out of his reach.
Rosie wanders from the bedroom less than an hour later, draped in my red flannel, pale legs bare, blonde curls wild, and cheeks pink. I lift my head from where I’m hunched over her printed schedule at the dining table, pen in hand, and do a double take at how much she looks like the woman who climbed down the ladder of my loft for the first time all those weeks ago. Yesterday she was a smoke show in designer heels and cosmetics. This morning she’s making my blood race in a worn cotton shirt and bare feet. How is it possible that one person can fit so perfectly in two entirely different worlds?
“Hey.” She comes to stand behind me, draping an arm around my neck and kissing my cheek before she rests her chin on my shoulder. “You’re up early.”
“Yeah.” I clear my throat. “I had a call from Drew.”
Rosie goes still at my side, then sits herself across from me. “What’s wrong?”
I considered keeping this from her, arguing with myself that there’s no point scaring her when there’s nothing she can do to help, but I promised Rosie I’d always be honest with her, and this isn’t the kind of thing I’d hide well anyway. And she has a right to know.
“The team got a hit on the location of the user making all those hideous comments about you on social media.”
