Laughing, I stood. “Honestly, I’m fine. I had a bit of a falling-out with my father, but it will be fine.”
She narrowed her brows. “You’re sure?”
Taking her hand in mine, I gave it a squeeze. “I’m sure.”
“So you’re telling me that I read all of this wrong.”
I nodded. “Totally read it wrong. I know Finn mentioned wanting to spend more time with Presley, and I thought it would be a good thing for everyone. For you and Preston to have some alone time, and for Finn and I to visit with Presley.”
A wide smile crossed her face. “You know, I’ve never seen Finn with a girlfriend before. Preston was talking about it this morning. He said Finn is head over heels in love with you.”
Keep it together, Rory. Keep it together.
“I feel the same way about him. He’s opened my eyes to so many things. I’ve learned to enjoy life and not just revolve it around work.”
“That’s good! I don’t want to jinx anything, but I sure would love having you as a sister-in-law.”
Tears built in my eyes, and I quickly looked away.
“I’m sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.”
Forcing myself to get my composure together, I grinned. I was never going to make it through the rest of the weekend if I didn’t get a handle on my emotions. “It’s okay. I would love that too, Harmony. I really would. I know Finn and I haven’t been together for very long, but I love him. I love him so much, and that scares me for so many different reasons.”
Harmony laced her arm around mine and guided us back toward the house. “You know, when I first started to date Preston I was scared every single time he went to the station. I swear, my breathing nearly stopped until he walked back in through the door. But you have to know how that is, right? Your dad’s a firefighter.”
I stared down at the path. If only that was the main reason I was so scared. Finn was going to hate me come Monday. I’d promised him I’d never leave him. Biting on my cheek, I focused on keeping my tears at bay.
“I’ve never really been in a relationship before. I mean I have, but the feelings weren’t so…intense…like they are with Finn. The idea of losing him, for any reason, is scary.”
Harmony made a pesh sound. “You don’t have to explain that to me. I’ve never known a love like I have with Preston. He somehow makes me feel whole.”
“Yes! Like you’ve been found and you didn’t even realize you were lost.”
She giggled. “Exactly! Sometimes when he touches me, my whole body aches, but in a good way, if that makes sense.”
I nodded. “It totally does….My father thinks Finn will end up hurting me.”
“That’s bullshit. I see the way he looks at you. Preston tells me how Finn talks nonstop about you. No way. He may have been a player at one time, but that boy only has eyes for you.”
I wasn’t sure where it came from, but I blurted out my next sentence. “My father cheated on my mother. He admitted to it last night.”
Harmony stopped walking. “What? Is that why you were crying?”
No. I’m being forced to walk away from the man I love.
“Partly. I don’t know. I mean my mother told him she needed some time to herself and he did it when they were apart so I don’t even know if that really is cheating. I’m honestly not sure about anything anymore.”
Harmony faced me. “Rory, please tell me what’s going on. Let me help you.”
A single tear slipped from my eye and slowly traveled down my cheek. “Whatever happens, Harmony, you have to promise me something.”
“I will, but nothing’s going to happen.”
Shaking my head, I looked directly into her eyes. “Please let Finn know how much I love him. That I will always love him. No matter what. Promise me that.”
The front door opened, and we both turned to see Finn and Preston. “Hey, your girl time over?” Preston asked.
Glancing back at Harmony, I gave her pleading eyes. “Promise me?” I asked in a whispered voice.
She nodded. “Of course. I promise.”
Finn’s arms wrapped around my body while his hot breath hit my ear. “I missed you.”
“I wasn’t gone that long,” I said, attempting to sound normal.
“Anytime you’re away from me it feels like forever.”
My heart was slowly dying. Harmony watched me as I smiled and turned around in Finn’s arms to face him. “Hey, I told Harmony if she and Preston wanted to go out this evening, we would watch Presley.”
Finn’s smile grew bigger. “Hell yeah. I think that would be fun.”
I glanced over to a stunned Preston. His mouth was dropped open as he stared at us. “Are you serious? Are you guys being serious? I can be alone with my wife? Can I use the tent?”
“Preston!” Harmony cried out.
Finn let out a roar of laughter. “No you can’t use the tent. I plan on bringing my girl back to our little hideout, but yes, you guys should at least go out to dinner.”
“Or rent a hotel for a couple of hours,” Preston replied as he wiggled his eyebrows over at Harmony.
She was worrying her lip. “It does sound nice, but Preston, I don’t know. We’ve never left Presley.”
“What don’t you know?”
Finn pulled me against his body and rested his chin on my head while we listened to Harmony and Preston talk it out.
“I mean Finn and Rory?”
“Hey!” Finn and I said at once.
Harmony focused back on us and lifted her hands. “Not that I don’t think you would do a great job, but let’s face it: Have either one of you watched a baby before?”
“She’ll be asleep, right? I mean she probably goes down around seven or so? How hard could watching a sleeping baby be?” Finn asked.
Chewing on her thumbnail, Harmony looked back and forth between us and Preston. “Okay. Be at the house at seven-thirty. Presley goes down at seven. Her colic tends to flare up in the mornings, so she shouldn’t wake up.”
I smiled while Finn fist-pumped.
Harmony turned her attention on me. “But maybe you guys should come earlier, to spend some time with Presley before she goes to sleep.”
Finn replied, “That sounds like a plan. We’ll get there around five-thirty or so.”
“Perfect!” Harmony said with a look of happiness on her face. “Rory and I have a few things we didn’t get to finish talking about, so that will give us time to chat.”
Shit.
“Okay, well, hate to run but I’ve got our day planned out. You guys have a good one.”
Finn whistled and Flash came running from around the house, full speed.
“Wait for it. Wait. Now!”
We jumped out of Flash’s way before he could knock us over. Laughing, Preston said, “He is going to make a terrible fire station dog! I hope you know you’re ruining him!”
Finn lifted his hand and waved his brother off.
“You ready for our hike?” he asked with a wink.
Looking up at him, I couldn’t help but feel his excitement. “I’m more than ready.”
“Angie’s shoes fit okay?”
I nodded my head. “Yep. Like a glove. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think they were mine.”
His smile was infectious. “Good, then we can head out.”
We walked hand in hand through the woods in silence. The only sounds we heard were a stray branch breaking when one of us stepped on it and the wind blowing in the trees over our heads. The quiet was welcoming. It gave me more time to think about how I could keep Finn and not break things off between us. According to my father, I only had this weekend.
The thought of leaving Finn made me feel sick. Placing my hand over my stomach, I took in a deep breath.
“You okay?”
I nodded. “My stomach’s feeling a bit off, but I’m okay. It’s so beautiful here,” I said as I glanced up at the canopy of trees over us.
“I know. It’s differe
nt from the city. The wind blowing through the trees has got to be one of the most relaxing things I know. When I was younger, I would walk out here to my spot and sit for hours.”
“Really? For some reason I pictured you as a city guy.”
Finn laughed. “Nah. Don’t get me wrong, I love the city. But the country is where I want to live.”
His hand squeezed mine. “At least get out of Boston. Outside the city. Build a house on a few acres and raise a family.”
I couldn’t swallow from the lump in my throat. His thumb gently stroked the skin on my hand, sending wave after wave of longing through my body. “That sounds amazing.”
“What about you, Éan? Could you see yourself living in the country?”
Stopping, I turned to face him. “Yes, but only if I got to wake up to your kisses every morning.”
He drew me in closer to him. “I may have to take you up against one of these trees if you keep looking at me like that.”
My tongue ran along my lip. “I certainly wouldn’t argue. I can’t seem to get enough of you, Mr. Ward.”
His hand wrapped around my neck, drawing me in closer. My breath caught when his eyes met mine. “We’re here.”
I felt dizzy. His lips barely above mine. His hot breath tickling my senses, causing me to moan. “Where?” I softly asked.
“My favorite spot.”
I didn’t care where we were. All I wanted was to taste him against my mouth.
He must have sensed it, because he put his lips to mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck while he drew me in flush against his body. His hard-on pressed into my stomach. “Finn, I want you.”
His kisses moved from my lips down to my neck, sending goosebumps across my body. “Fucking hell, Rory. I want to fuck you so bad.”
His dirty words sent me into a frenzy. Every time we’d been together it had been passionate, but a part of me wanted something more raw. I wanted to feel how much he wanted me.
“Yes. Please, Finn. Fuck me.”
Lifting me into his arms, he walked a few steps farther, then stopped, put me down, and pushed me against a giant tree. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a small creek meandering through the forest.
Finn’s spot.
He shoved his hands under the sweater I had borrowed from Angie, and groaned when he found I was braless. He pinched my nipple between his fingers, and I groaned. I needed to feel him.
My hands fumbled with his jeans as I fought to get them down far enough to release his dick. When it sprung free, I grabbed it and slowly moved my hand over it.
“Son-of-a-bitch, I’m so damn hard for you.”
I couldn’t speak. All I could do was groan, or moan, or make some sort of whimpering sound. His free hand expertly got my jeans unbuttoned and pushed down far enough to where he could slip his fingers inside my panties. I gasped when he slipped them inside of me.
“So fucking wet. Tell me what you want.”
There was no way I could have been breathing any harder. The idea of knowing Finn would take me against this tree, out in the open, did something to me. I liked it. I wanted more. I wanted the world to know I was his.
“Fuck me. I want you to fuck me hard.”
Finn wobbled some and had to grab onto the tree above my head to steady himself. “You talking dirty is a turn-on, Éan.”
Smiling, I squeezed his dick. He hissed, then gently bit my neck.
“Get these off, baby,” Finn whispered while trying to push my jeans all the way down. I got one foot out of a sneaker while he pulled the pant leg off. “Yes. That’s it!”
Finn lifted me, positioned himself at my entrance, and pushed in hard and fast. Gasping, I gripped his shoulders.
“Oh God!” I shouted.
He instantly stopped moving. “Did I hurt you?”
“No! I need this, Finn. Please don’t stop!”
He did exactly what I asked him to do. Each thrust into me sent me closer to the edge. He moved in and out of me, fast and hard. I loved it. I wanted more of it.
“Harder, Finn. I want to feel you for days.”
His face burrowed into my neck. “Damn it, Rory.”
It wasn’t going to take me long to come. When Finn slammed his lips against mine, I lost control. He quickly followed me. With a long low growl, Finn poured himself into me, giving me every single ounce of himself, which I greedily accepted.
When he finally stopped moving, I opened my eyes. He was staring at me with a blank expression. “What’s wrong?”
His eyes filled with tears. “I didn’t hurt you, did I? I kind of lost control.”
My arms wrapped tightly around his neck. “No, you didn’t hurt me. I enjoyed every single second of that.”
He smiled. “You never cease to amaze me, Rory Adams. You telling me to fuck you about drove me insane.”
Giving him a wink, I replied, “I try to keep you on your toes.”
With a laugh, he shook his head. “Keep doing such a great job.”
Finn leaned down and helped me get dressed. When he put on my sneaker and tied it, I got tears in my eyes. I’d never be able to find someone like him again. Each thing he did for me, he did with so much care. My heart ached knowing I only had a few more hours of him left.
I hated my father.
I was never going to forgive him for trying to force me away from the only man I’d ever love.
Chapter 41
Finn
The fort and one bad dog
I watched with concern as Rory’s face constrict in anger. “Is everything okay, Éan?”
She quickly masked over whatever it was she was thinking about. “Yes. I’m sorry. I got lost in thought for a moment.”
“Well, I hope you weren’t thinking of me, because it looked like you wanted to kill someone.”
With a laugh, she stood on her toes and kissed my lips quickly. “Trust me, when I think of you it’s always good things.”
Taking her hand in mine, I replied, “Good. Now come on. You and your horny ways interrupted my hike.”
Rory walked alongside me with a huge smile on her face. So much better than last night, when she cried herself to sleep.
“Seems to me you weren’t complaining about my horny ways a few minutes ago.”
I chuckled. “I’ll never complain about that.”
Walking to the edge of the creek, I took in a deep breath of air. “Damn I love it here.”
Rory rested her head on my arm. “It’s so peaceful and beautiful. I can see why you’d come here often.”
The sound of the water trickling down through the rocks was one of my favorite sounds. “When I was younger, my mom said she had to put on white noise in my room to get me to fall asleep. She played a running creek. I often wondered if I liked coming here so much because of that.”
We stood there in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, listening to everything around us. The wind blowing through the trees. The sound of leaves slowly making their way to the ground and landing with a soft touch against other leaves. Everything about this place I loved.
“Hop up on my back, baby.”
“Huh? Again?”
The way she scrunched her nose was adorable. “I haven’t shown you what I wanted to yet. We need to cross the creek for me to show you.”
Her eyes widened in shock. “You’re walking across the creek?”
“It’s not that wide, and there’s a rock path I made years ago.”
She giggled and squeezed me with her legs. “Smart boy.”
I replied, “Not really. I had to slip and fall about ten times before I came up with the idea.”
Once I made it to the other side, I squatted so that she could jump off my back. “It’s right over here, but close your eyes.”
Rory smiled as she closed her eyes and let me guide her, no questions asked. I loved that she trusted me like she did.
The memories of being out here by myself quickly came back to me. “Open your eyes.”
Rory gaspe
d as she took in the view.
“Finn! This is beautiful! I’d have never guessed there was a view like this here. And this building is so cute!”
I nodded. “This was kind of my secret spot. Been coming here since I was about ten. I built this little fort because I needed a place to go to get away from my brothers, and somewhere to hide from Angie when she wanted me to play tea with her.” My eyes moved over the old wooden hideout. I’d made it out of fallen trees and a few left over pieces of lumber my father had.
Rory laughed and shook her head. “I’d give anything to have seen that.”
Rolling my eyes, I replied, “It was always me and Mr. Giggles at her tea parties. I have no idea why she never invited Wes or Preston.”
Rory pressed her lips together to keep from smiling full-on. “It’s probably because they told her no.”
“Probably,” I said while walking around the fort. “They didn’t care if she got upset, but I did.”
When I glanced up, Rory was staring at me and chewing on the corner of her lip. “You’re amazing, do you know that, Finn Ward?”
“Yeah, well, don’t ask me to build you a house. I’m not sure how sturdy this thing is.”
Her eyes filled with tears. She spun around, then started down the path and back to the creek. “Rory? Hey, what’s wrong?”
Reaching for her arm, I stopped her before she crossed the water. I faced her to me and lifted her chin with my finger. Those blue eyes looked so sad. “Talk to me, Rory. Please.”
“It’s…I don’t deserve you.”
My head jerked back in shock. “What? If anything, I’m the one who doesn’t deserve you. But I’m greedy and want you all to myself.”
She gave me a weak smile before saying, “I’ll always be yours, Finn. I know we haven’t been together for long, but the way I feel about you…”
Glancing at the ground and then back to my eyes, she continued. “The way I feel about you is undeniable. I love you. I promise to always love you.”