Page 7 of The Billionaire's Final Treasure

A wide smile is my reward for admitting how special she is, and her eyes fill with happy tears. “Really? I really wanted to.”

I roll off her and gather her close under the stars. “Like I said, you’re a natural at being fucked.”

Her eyes widen then and she anxiously looks around. “The monitor.”

I find it just a foot away and show her everything is fine in her home. “Why doesn’t your mom live in a care facility?” I ask.

She sighs and is silent for a long time. “No money,” she finally says.

“But this place …”

“Rent control. We’re one of the last holdouts. We have a small income from my late grandmother’s estate, but we have next to nothing is left over after bills.” She seems ashamed, but has no reason to be.

“You’re doing the best you can,” I tell her. “You should be proud of yourself.”

We snuggle together, talking about this and that, both of us shocked when the sun comes up. We spend the whole night together but it seems like hardly any time has passed at all.

I carry her back down to her fire escape, hating to let her go. “I’ll see you again soon,” I promise, trying to ignore the disappointment in her eyes that she has to go inside again.

Chapter 7

Kori

Going back inside after the most magical night of my life is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. All day long I think about Finn, wondering if and when I’d ever see him again. I get so distracted I almost flunk an important dye technique test.

After school finally ends, I walk outside and head toward the bus stop, shocked when a familiar voice calls my name. Am I still daydreaming? Finn is pulled up to the curb, waving for me to get in his car. Some of my classmates look curiously between me and his luxurious sports car as I hurry over and slide in next to him.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

“I’m driving you home,” he says, almost as if it’s obvious. As if it’s an everyday occurrence.

A smile almost breaks across my face. I’m thrilled to see him again so soon, but as we drive toward my building, I wonder why he’s really here. Does he feel the same way as I do? Did he also think about me all day? My heart will be torn to shreds if this is all just fun and games for him, but he’s surely going to get bored with my limitations eventually. It may be exciting for a little while, but no one wants to hang out on a fire escape or a roof all the time.

I sneak a glance at him, admiring the way his strong hands grip the wheel, remembering the way he’d used those hands on me. I suppress a shiver. Am I really falling in love with a this man? A mysterious thief I know almost nothing about?

What he does is noble, but it’s still illegal. Even if he has enough money to afford a car like this, it can’t protect him forever. What will I do if he gets caught one day? Take our children to visit him in prison? Am I really thinking about our nonexistent children? I need to get it together.

After he pulls up in front of my building, I really don’t want to leave him, but I can’t leave my mother with the nurse she hates any longer than necessary.

“I’ll see you tonight,” he says in that commanding tone that makes me weak.

“I can’t,” I say regretfully. “I can’t leave my mom again. And I really need some sleep.”

His grin is intoxicating. “How about just dinner, then? You have to eat.”

“Finn,” I protest, yearning to give in.

He leans over to kiss me, then nudges me out the door. “I’ll see you tonight.”

I watch him zoom away, stunned. Will he really show up on my fire escape again? Will I have the will to turn him away if he does?

Inside my apartment, it’s strangely calm. Yet another new nurse hurries to introduce herself to me before she rattles off a long list of credentials. Well … That’s certainly never happened before. Even stranger, she doesn’t seem in any hurry to race out the door. Mom is sitting at the kitchen table, peacefully brushing a doll’s hair. She looks up at me and instead of instantly complaining about her horrible day with the nurse, she only nods serenely and goes back to brushing.

“Well, thanks,” I say, smiling gratefully at the nurse. “Have a good night.”

She shakes her head. “I’m the night nurse. Go on and do whatever you need to do. Your mom and I will be fine.”

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