29. Finn
FINN
T he whole rest of the world disappeared the moment he touched her, and the second she giggled and teased him back, Finn lost the ability to give a shit about anything else. All he cared about was making her sigh and moan and murmur with ecstasy every time he buried himself deeper inside her. It didn’t even matter that cold air sneaked through the cracks between the logs and holes in the cabin. He covered her and let the frigid breeze keep him from immediately finishing the first time she teased him about only almost pleasing her. Which he knew was a lie because her muscles tightened around his cock and almost killed him.
She made the sexiest fucking sounds when she came, he didn’t even mind the sass and putting off his own orgasm and everything else that he had to do to protect her still that day. Nothing else mattered.
Lauren went limp and languid after a few more orgasms, and Finn took that as permission to finally get his. It didn’t take much: dipping his head to smell her skin and kiss her shoulder to taste her, sliding his fingers through the absolute mess he’d made of her pussy, and listening to the sighs and moans that escaped even after she’d shivered through her last climax. The ripples still worked through her channel and he felt it on every damn inch he buried in her. Finn groaned and held her hips tight enough he worried maybe they’d leave bruises, and fucked her harder.
She arched her back and reached up to hold his head, her voice throaty. “I want everything you’ve got.”
He groaned as the husky sound shot through him like lightning and almost pushed the bear into a frenzy. But it was her permission to unleash the man that did it. Finn lost himself in every sensation, every sound and whisper, the slippery slide of skin against skin. Her body, his body, where they joined, the sound of his meeting her smaller, softer curves…
Static filled his brain and it was like he left his body while enjoying every fucking inch of hers. Her fist tightening in his hair, yanking his head down as she moaned, pushed him over the edge. He thrust hard and his climax roared through him. He grunted so hard it sounded like his soul left his body, and he didn’t give a shit, because it mixed with Lauren’s breathy moan and made the sweetest music he’d ever heard.
Finn collapsed on her but managed to move to the side so he didn’t crush her. For a long time, the only sounds in the cabin were their harsh breathing and the whistle of air through the cracks in the walls. Lauren slowly uncurled her fist and released the hair she’d grabbed, then awkwardly patted the side of his head. “Perfect.”
He rested his forehead against her shoulder and laughed, stroking her side but trying not to grope her too much. “Glad you liked it.”
“Ditto.” She sighed and stretched, legs tangled with his, and relaxed halfway underneath him.
Finn chuckled and nuzzled into the hair that tangled at the back of her neck. God, he was fucking lost. What the hell was wrong with him? How had he existed before meeting her? It was like he looked back and his entire life had been gray and empty.
Which raised the question how the hell he would move forward if she didn’t stay with him. He couldn’t make her go home with him, and he couldn’t make her put up with him tagging along if she wanted to go somewhere else. He didn’t want her to feel stuck with him or like she couldn’t head out on her own if she didn’t want to be with him. She had a bounty on her head and some legal issues to clean up; what if she thought his help came with strings attached? It would kill him to know that she stayed with him from obligation or fear, instead of wanting to be with him.
Finn pushed away the uncertainty that crept in as her breathing evened out and she dozed. It was early in the morning, sure, but there was a lot to do. First and foremost was getting in touch with Simon to figure out where the fuck he and the other bears were. Second was ensuring none of the drug runners or Shotgun’s guys surprised them at the cabin, which meant going on the offensive. He could barricade Lauren in the cabin to keep her safe, then go hunting. He would have preferred to wait for the bears as backup, and having someone else to protect Lauren while he dealt with the threats, but he couldn’t risk being surrounded at the cabin and bringing the threat down on her, too. He had to deal with that bullshit aggressively instead of hoping no one bothered them.
Plus he needed more leverage on Shotgun to ensure the bastard actually followed through on the vague promise to help deal with Lauren’s charges. Going out and arresting the drug runners on his own, or at least detaining or killing them, meant being able to hold Shotgun’s feet to the fire so the fucker had to resolve the bullshit charges. Then Finn just had to pay off the bondsman to ensure Lauren was free and clear of any possible consequences for believing in a bunch of assholes.
He didn’t want to leave the warm cocoon of blankets and sleeping bags and Lauren, but he started to untangle himself and did his best not to disturb his very sleepy, sated mate. He could potentially knock out the bigger problem with the drug runners before lunch, return to the cabin for some more snuggling with Lauren, then figure out what to do about Shotgun in the afternoon, followed by more snuggling. And sex. So much sex.
Then it was just waiting for Simon to bring in a couple of trucks so Finn could drive Lauren back to the Lodge until all those charges were dealt with. Maybe they’d stop on the way to test out a couple of hotels or the back of the truck on the way. If he hadn’t wanted to ensure Lauren stayed safe, he might have been tempted to rent a car himself and drive her back. That assumed the town actually had a place to rent cars. Finn stopped the spiral of thoughts that focused on how to rent a car and have sex with Lauren again before they reached the Lodge. She was still in bed next to him and they still had a lot of people to deal with before they could relax.
Finn gathered supplies to clean up and got himself together before he checked back in on a now-snoring Lauren. Okay then. He shook his head, smiling, and retrieved more buckets of snow from the back room to melt near the fire for washing. He built up the fire again and mixed up the last of the dehydrated eggs, throwing in some beans for extra protein. It wasn’t gourmet but there was time for that later.
And then he heard something outside. The bear noted it first and told the man to get his mind on fucking business. Finn tensed and stalked to the back of the cabin so he could listen without the distraction of Lauren’s snore and the crackling of the fire. Maybe the smugglers or Shotgun or whoever saw the smoke and decided to investigate. He would never have used that much heat if he’d been alone, although it had been necessary to keep Lauren comfortable and alive. No regrets.
Finn needed to get moving, ideally without letting Lauren know that he ran into danger trying to get rid of the threats against her. Better she didn’t know that he wanted to confront Shotgun’s guys or detain the drug runners. He crouched down next to her and played with her hair. “I left breakfast here for you, and there’s water near the fire to clean up. I’ve got to go outside for just a bit but I’ll be back. Wait here for me.”
She grumbled something and brushed at his hand, still not bothering to roll over from her stomach.
Finn could have walked away, but a hint of anxiety made him pause. What if someone found the cabin before he got back? He could definitely track down the drug runners but Shotgun and his guys would come from town, which meant they’d stumble across the cabin immediately. It left Lauren vulnerable, since the bastard and his guys weren’t known for restraint.
He fished around in his bags and retrieved the satellite phone. He put it near her hand, already on, and jostled her shoulder a little to make sure she was still awake. “Hey babe. Just in case I take a while, or something…something changes, you can use this phone. Go to the saved contacts. Simon or Ethan. I’m sure it’ll be fine, but just in case.”
Why the fuck did it feel like tearing off his own skin to leave her? Obviously he had to deal with the bullshit out in the world before they snuggled up and played house.
Lauren pushed up on her elbows, blinking blearily, and picked up the phone. “How long are you planning to be gone?”
“Not long.” It wasn’t a lie; he didn’t plan on being away a second longer than necessary, but if the drug runners got the drop on him and he couldn’t return to her… “Give it an hour and if I’m not back, call Simon and explain what happened. He’ll help with your charges and everything.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked up at him, and his heart tripped. He knew he couldn’t delay much longer or he’d never leave at all. Finn ducked to kiss her again. “I’ll be back in just a little bit.”
“Promise?”
Fuck him. If anything happened to disappoint her, he’d fucking kill Shotgun and whoever stood in his way. “Promise. Now go back to sleep or eat your breakfast. Maybe pack up all our stuff so we can get out of here.”
He left before another soft question convinced him to stay and relied on the freezing air to knock some sense into him. He’d lost his edge completely. It had been dulled by time and inattention, but he needed to be at his sharpest to protect his mate. The fact that she consumed his thoughts might get them both killed. Finn breathed deep and put aside every shred of thought that might have remembered Lauren, and forced himself back into who he was before he met her. The faster he sorted this shit out, the faster they could get back to starting a life together.