Shaking his head, Eddie continued, "I handed her over a few mornings later to Dr. Manning. I gave my tiny, sick, crying baby to a bunch of strangers and prayed they would fix her. I swore—swore—that I would protect her, and I gave her to strangers who smelled wrong and looked wrong and made her cry. I made up my mind, then and there, that she would never be entrusted to anyone who didn't love her and deserve her."
Turning his head, Eddie held Finn's gaze. "No man will ever be good enough for my baby girl—but you have the best shot of any man I've ever met."
Finn gulped as the sincerity of her father's words hit him. "Thank you, sir."
"Don't let me down, Finn."
Because I'll bury you. The unspoken threat hung between them, but Finn respected the old man for it. Someday he would probably be telling his daughter's boyfriend the same thing.
Eddie's gaze skipped to something over Finn's shoulder. He glanced back and spotted Hadley watching them. He tried to soothe her nervous expression with a warm smile.
"I think my daughter is ready to leave." Eddie slowly shoved off the bench, and Finn tried to return the coin. "Keep it, Finn."
"Thank you." He pocketed the sobriety coin and wondered if he might start his own collection.
"Be careful with her."
"I will."
Eddie nodded and made his way to Hadley. She hugged her father and pecked his cheek before walking away from him. Holding her clutch in one hand, she reached for Finn. "Take me home?"
Grinning and feeling at ease, he stood and tugged her close. "I thought you'd never ask."
Chapter Eleven
My belly quivered with excitement as we neared the front door of the penthouse. Coby would be out until morning which meant we had the whole place to ourselves. The predatory gleam in Finn's eyes as I pulled my key from my clutch convinced me that this was the night. My fingers were shaking so badly I couldn't even get the key into the lock.
Embracing me from behind, Finn slid one around my waist and ran his hand along my arm to cover my trembling fingers. He nuzzled the side of my neck and made my knees weak. His ticklish kisses made me shiver, and he gently turned my hand, helping me unlock the door.
With our bodies pressed together, we entered the penthouse. He stepped away from me long enough to close and lock the door, but then he was on me again. Our mouths crashed together in a passionate burst of need. Finn clasped my face as he kissed me, stabbing his tongue against mine. One his hands slid down my neck, along my side and around the curve of my hip to grasp my backside. He gave my bottom a squeeze through the frightfully expensive cocktail dress I wore before popping my left cheek hard enough to make me gasp. "Finn!"
He laughed and nibbled at my lower lip. "You can't tell me that you aren't getting wet just thinking about me spanking this fine ass of yours."
I gulped and tried to ignore the throbbing wet heat between my thighs. "No, I'm not."
"Liar," he teased before kissing me again. His hand slipped under my skirt and rode the outside of my thigh. He moved toward my panties, but I squeezed my thighs together. Holding my gaze with his smoky, lust-darkened eyes, he pressed his stronger hand between my legs and pried them apart, almost daring me to tell him no. His lips hovered close to mine as his fingers hooked the lacy fabric of my undies.
I whimpered when he started to slowly trace the seam of my pussy. His fingers were gentle with me, gliding between my lower lips and finding my clit. He swirled them around it a few times before sliding his fingers even lower to dip into my opening. A triumphant grin stretched that sexy mouth of his when he encountered the slick wetness there. He pumped his fingers into me a few times, his pace so slow that my mouth fell open and my head dropped back against the wall.
I protested the loss of his fingers with a mewling whine. He lifted his hand to prove that I was, in fact, a liar. He painted my lips with the wetness clinging to fingers before sucking on his long, scarred digits and cleaning them. Then he was kissing me again, his wicked tongue darting between my lips in a way that made me think of a different way he might kiss me tonight.
In between voracious kisses, we slowly worked our way back to my bedroom. I lost my shoes along the way. Finn's tuxedo jacket was left near the kitchen. His cummerbund and waistcoat were dropped in the hallway. My dress fell onto the floor of my bedroom. My bra and panties were gone before my back ever hit the mattress.
Reclining against my pillows, I watched Finn strip. He had the sexiest body I had ever seen. I couldn't believe how lucky I was that all that muscled perfection belonged to me. I wanted to run my fingers and tongue all over him. Just as he planned to claim me, I wanted to leave my mark on him too.
When he sat on the chair to remove his prosthesis, Finn gave me an order. "Open your thighs, Hadley. Show me your pussy."
I inhaled a shaky breath and complied. Planting my feet on the bed, I let my thighs fall apart and bared my feminine secrets to his hungry gaze.
"More," he ordered. "Use your fingers. Show me where you want me."
It wasn't my arrhythmia making my heart do wild things now. It was all Finn. Using my fingers to separate the folds of my sex, I ran a fingertip up and down my slit. I slid one finger inside me, into the place where I hoped Finn would soon be buried. His cock would be the first I would know. The last, a thrilled voice whispered in my head. He'll be your first and your only.
I worked that one finger in and out of my tight channel and used two fingers from the other hand to rub my clit in the way I liked best. I preferred light pressure on the outside and just above that little nub. Finn watched me intently, his hands following muscle memory to finish their task while his entire focus remained on my spread thighs and my fingers doing such dirty things.
When he moved onto the bed, I was so wet my fingers were making the naughtiest sounds as they glided in and out of my core and circled my clitoris. Finn slid down onto his belly and shoved my hands out of the way. His mouth descended on my pussy, and he wasted no time enjoying me. His tongue fluttered over my clit and his fingers penetrated me. In and out, round and round, he used his mouth and hand to drive me crazy.
"Finn." I rocked my hips when he suckled my clit, tugging the swollen pearl between his lips and worrying his tongue around it. My toes glided up and down his sides until they finally settled on his naked hips. I scratched at his shoulders and scalp and tried to hold off the explosion that threatened to detonate at any moment.
But he was too good. He found that rhythm that set me on fire. My body thrummed as a coil of bliss unfurled in my lower belly. His tongue swirled and swirled and his finger nudged a spot deep inside me that made me see stars. "Finn!"
I climaxed hard, my hips popping off the bed and my toes digging into the mattress. He cupped my bottom in both hands and feasted on me. His tongue stabbed inside me before returning to my clitoris. He repeated that move until I was on the edge again. He held me there until I was begging him to let me come again. "Please. Please."
Finn groaned against my pussy, the sound encouraging me to let loose and let him have his way. So I did. He gave me exactly what I needed, but on his own terms. When he finally let me climax again, I shrieked so loudly I was sure my downstairs neighbors would be calling the cops. The powerful bursts of pleasure rocketed through me, wringing me out and leaving me limp and damn near sobbing on the bed.
Kissing his way up my body, Finn made sure to spend time on every single scar he crossed. There were puckered marks from chest tubes and drains plus a long C-shaped scar on my right side from the shunt procedure I had undergone as an infant. When he moved to my breasts, Finn suckled my nipples, laving them and teething them until they were hard little points that ached. He dragged his tongue along the scar between my breasts and pressed a noisy kiss at the pulse point in my throat.
Pushing up onto one hand, he caressed my face. "We can stop here if you'd like."
I shook my head. "I want you, Finn. I want all of you."
He gave his consent with a nod. "But
if you change your mind—"
"I trust you to stop."
"I will."
Finn rolled onto his back and reached for one of the condoms he had stashed in my bedside drawer. I plucked the foil package from his hand and pushed up onto my knees. Straddling his injured thigh, I glanced at his face to make sure I wasn't hurting him. He had explained that sometimes that leg was more sensitive, but he seemed perfectly content to have the slick softness of my pussy rubbing against him.
Leaning down, I kissed the tip of his cock before flicking at the clear beads dripping from the head. I sucked the blunt crown of him into my mouth and let saliva pool on my tongue before going down his shaft. His fingers were in my hair now, plucking free the pins and bejeweled clips that held my updo in place. He shook out the waves and gripped them in one strong hand.
Our gazes clashed as I bobbed up and down on his long, thick cock. He breathed hard as he watched me swirl my tongue around the ruddy head and then drag it all the way down to base. When I flicked at his sac, he let loose a string of cuss words that would have made a sailor blush and widened his thighs. I didn't need more of an invitation than that. I slid down in bed and made good use of the space to drive him wild.
"No more," Finn growled. "I want to be inside you."
I knelt between his thighs and applied the condom to his pulsing shaft. He grasped my hips and tugged me toward him. I was a bit surprised that he wanted me to be on top for our first time together. I had always assumed that most guys wanted to be in control and set the pace, but Finn seemed to have other ideas.
"It will be easier if you're in control. For both of us," he added. "There aren't many position I can't do as long as we get creative, but I want it to be good for you tonight." He ran a loving hand up and down my back. "You can go as fast or as slow as you'd like. You just tell me what you need."
Straddling him, I lifted my backside. He grasped his cock and pushed into place. He nudged my opening but didn’t go any deeper. Aroused and excited but experiencing a wave of trepidation, I pressed down on his shaft. I was so wet and relaxed after the wickedly wonderful things he had done to me that he slid in easily. A stinging sensation made me bite my lip, but it was nothing like the discomfort I had expected.
His cock stretched and filled me in a way I hadn't imagined possible. His fingers had felt so good inside me but this? This was heaven. I sank down until all of his erection was buried in my virgin pussy. The tight heat must have felt good to him because now Finn was the one biting his lower lip.
"Are you all right?" he asked in a husky tone.
"Yes," I sighed. "It's good. Really good."
He smiled and gripped my hips. "It gets better."
Assured and confident, Finn helped me move. Back and forth, up and down, we tried different ways until we found a rhythm that made us both cry out and groan. He cupped my breasts as I rocked atop him, grinding my clit against him and seeking a release that seemed just out of reach. Finn pinched my nipples, toying with the peaks in a way that sent shockwaves of delight straight to my pleasure spot. My pussy clenched his shaft every time he caused those little bites of pain. "Finn! Oh!"
He pushed his thumb into my mouth and waited until I had gotten it nice and wet before he pulled it free. He rubbed my clit with his slick thumb and thrust up into me. "Are you going to come for me?"
Shaking and breathless, I nodded. "Yes. Yes. Yes."
I clawed at his chest as the first powerful wave hit me. I gulped in a breath and was dragged under the current, drowning in the ecstasy of it. He thrust up into me, pounding away at me from below and making me scream his name. Every nerve-ending in my body was throbbing now. The pleasurable bursts in my belly were almost too much.
"Hadley. Sugar." Finn slammed deep, his final thrust bouncing me on his lap. Only the hand clamped on my shoulder kept me from flying off him. He jerked underneath me and grunted as he enjoyed his orgasm.
Slumped against him, I let him hold me close until I felt him start to soften. Even though I wanted nothing more than to stay like this all night, I knew we had to be careful. Finn gently shifted me onto the bed and kissed me with such love and tenderness. I turned on my side and squeezed my thighs together as he sat up and plucked tissues from the box on my bedside table.
He was busy taking care of the not so romantic side of responsible lovemaking when I felt the first flutter in my chest. No. Not now.
But my heart had a mind of its own. My throat tightened and my chest constricted. I swallowed hard and put a hand to my neck. My heartbeat was racing now. It was faster than I had ever felt it, faster even than when I used to run in high school. I licked my lips and tried to swallow, but my pulse was thundering in my throat.
Panic gripped me. I couldn't catch my breath. The pressure in my chest was too much. Realizing this was about as far from normal as it could get, I tried to speak but couldn't get a word out. Needing to get his attention, I slapped Finn's back.
He twisted to look at me. The amused, relaxed expression on his face quickly mirrored my own. He shifted toward me. "Hadley?"
*
Boneless and sated, Finn smiled when Hadley whacked his back. If she was feeling anything like he was, she probably couldn't even form a complete sentence. But when he got one look at her panicked, ashen face, he realized he couldn't have been more wrong.
"Hadley?" He touched her neck and found her pulse. His eyes widened at the wild speed of her heartbeat. It was too fast. Dangerously fast.
He spotted her phone on the bedside table where she had left it that morning in her hurry to meet her mother at the church. Holding her hand, he quickly dialed 9-1-1 and asked for an ambulance. While he gave the dispatcher the medical history he knew, he hastily pulled on his prosthetic and his pants. His shirt quickly followed.
"Have the medics wait for us in the lobby. I'm taking her down now. It'll be faster than having them find the concierge or someone at the front desk with an access key to her penthouse."
After tucking the phone into the waistband of his pants, he bent down to sweep her up into his arms, fully intending to just wrap her up in the sheet and run, but she stopped him.
"Finn…" She panted his name. "Clothes."
Understanding that she wouldn't want to be picked up by a bunch of firemen stark naked, he rushed to her closet and grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. He used the corner of her sheet to wipe away the evidence of their lovemaking. Guilt speared him right in the chest. He should've been stronger. He should have been more careful with her. They had a lifetime of lovemaking ahead of them. Why the hell hadn't he waited until after her surgery?
Because you love her and you wanted to make her happy.
As if she could sense his inner turmoil, Hadley touched his face. "It's…okay. I…wan…wanted…."
"I know, sugar." He kissed her gently. "I know."
He did. What was happening now could have easily have happened while she was dancing with her father or even sitting quietly at the reception. Her heart had a mind of its own. He wasn't going to deny her whatever pleasures she could find in life on the chance that maybe she might have an episode like this. God only knew she had earned the right to some joy.
Lifting her up in his arms, he carried Hadley out to the living room. He stormed out of the penthouse and cursed the short sixteen second wait for the elevator. The ride down was excruciating. He could feel her panicked, short breaths on his neck. Her skin was clammy and cold. He brushed his lips against her temple. "Just hold on, baby."
The elevator doors parted on the lobby floor. When he stepped out, he spotted the medics and firemen rushing in through the main entrance. The flashing lights of their ambulance and squad SUV lit up the lobby. They saw him carrying Hadley and rushed toward him with their gurney and equipment. He placed her on the gurney and stepped back while they began to assess her.
Anytime she couldn't answer a question, he answered as best he could. He remembered the medical alert bracelet she had left off that morning be
cause she said it had clashed with her outfit. He swore on everything holy that she would never do that again.
One medic hastily applied electrodes to her body while the other started an IV in her hand. They took her blood pressure and clamped a pulse oximeter on her finger before sliding a nasal cannula into place. Whatever they saw on the monitor made them exchange grim looks. Finn wanted to scream but balled up his fists at his side. One of the medics opened a box and retrieved a vial of medication and a syringe.
"Honey, we're going to give you a dose of adenosine to see if we can slow down your heartbeat. You've got a wild case of SVT." The female medic drew up the medication and plugged it into the port of Hadley's IV while the other medic handed her a syringe he had filled with saline. She pressed that needle into the port next to the medication. "This is going to feel weird so don't panic."
Weird? Don’t panic? Finn felt like he needed the medication.
He kept his gaze glued to Hadley's face, always remaining in her line of sight so she knew she wasn't alone. The medic pushed the adenosine and the burst of saline at the same time. He knew the instant the medication took effect. Hadley's flashed open wider than he had ever seen. Every muscle in her body seemed to tense—and then she relaxed.
His own damned heart skipped about twelve beats when she flatlined on the monitor. A flutter of beats appeared on the screen and then more regular, normally spaced beats followed. It was still faster than it should have been but he wasn't seeing those frighteningly high numbers flashing on the screen.
Jesus. Christ.
Finn wiped a hand down his face as the medics prepared to roll her out to the waiting ambulance and transport her to the hospital.
"Where do you want us to take you?"
"Memorial Hermann," she panted tiredly. "Dr. Rae."
One of the firemen glanced at him. "You riding with us?"
"Yes." He wasn’t about to leave her side, not after witnessing her heart literally stop before his eyes.