14. Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fourteen
Aria
F inn sneers at Matteo. “I can leave if I want and I’m taking Aria with me.”
I step between the two men before they can start killing each other. “Let’s just calm down and talk about this.”
“What is there to talk about?” Dante asks. “You don’t belong with him, Aria. Your father misses you. We can save you. Don’t you want to see your dad again?”
“Of course I do,” I practically cry. “But I don’t want you all to kill each other in the process. Dante, Matteo, you both know how impulsive Finn can be. Don’t tempt him.”
“She has a point,” Matteo says, taking a step back. “But Aria, you can’t leave with Finn. He’ll just end up hurting you.”
“He saved my life,” I remind them. “Were you not just listening?”
“After he kidnapped you!” Dante shouts, then begins to cough. I rush back to his side. “I’m fine. I’ll be fine.”
“I came here because I needed to see you again. Finn brought me here knowing the risks. Doesn’t that count for something?”
Dante squints at me. “Why do you care if I like Finn or not? You hate him. He kidnapped you. Forced you to marry him.”
“I did hate him.” Maybe a part of me still does. “But then he saved my life and… Dante, I’ve seen a side of Finn no one else has seen.”
“Don’t reveal too much, princess,” Finn says from across the room.
I shoot him a look before turning back to Dante and taking his hand. “I know Finn has messed things up. Hugely. But I’m stuck with him now and I’m… trying to make the most out of it.”
“But you don’t have to be stuck with him if you just stayed here.”
“But then Finn would kill both you and Matteo and your doctor. You know that.”
“So, is this just preservation then? You’re just trying to make sure he doesn’t kill us?”
I hesitate for a beat too long. “I don’t know.
I just know that I don’t want Finn to die and I don’t want you to die.
I had to see you. Had to make sure you’re ok.
But it’s obvious that you’re not ready to forgive Finn yet.
I was hoping you could because then I could come home without having to worry. ”
“Worry?”
“Worry that you’ll try to attack Finn and he’ll retaliate. I can’t risk it. I was hoping that by coming here today, you could see that Finn has the capacity for change. That you could make peace again.”
“And if I can’t make peace with that asshole?” Dante grits out. I glance over my shoulder to see Matteo and Finn glaring at each other.
“Then… I don’t know. But I have to leave with Finn. He’ll fight if you try to make me stay here and you know it. You’re in no condition to fight, so don’t be stupid. Finn came here knowing the risks. I think he wants peace.”
“Did he tell you that?”
“No,” I admit. “But I think he misses his brother. I think he’s tired of always being on the run. Just think about it. Make peace, not for him, but for me.”
“He’ll just try to backstab me again and then I’ll have to kill him.”
“If he tries that, then I understand.” And then I’ll be without Finn and for some reason that thought makes me sadder than I ever thought possible.
“But let him try to make amends. You want me back in your life. I obviously want to come home. But I can’t come home right now.
Not when you guys could kill each other. So please think about it. Please.”
“What you’re asking from me is impossible.”
“Funny. And here I thought you would do anything to help protect me.” I let Dante’s hand go. “Maybe I was wrong. I’m glad you’re alive. But Finn and I should go before he tries to shoot you or you try to shoot him.”
“Aria,” Dante objects.
I walk up to Matteo. “Are you going to try and stop me? I will stand between you and Finn to make sure neither of you shoot each other.”
“Aria, be smart about this,” Matteo says.
“I am. I’m trying to keep everyone in this room alive right now.”
Matteo slowly steps out of my way. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Do I? Honestly, I have no idea. I’m just following what I feel and right now, I feel like I’m not ready to lose Finn yet. If I’ll ever be ready.
I approach Finn’s side. “Let’s go.”
Finn glares at Dante and Dante glares back. “It would be so easy to take you out right now.”
“Finn,” I warn, grabbing his arm. “Don’t. Matteo will just shoot you if you do.”
“Then you’d be free of me, princess. Isn’t that what you want?”
“Not right now,” I admit. “Let’s just go. I saw Dante. And Dante, Finn didn’t kill you when he could have. Just remember that.” I tug on Finn’s arm until he finally budges from the doorframe.
We leave the doctor’s house without anyone getting hurt.
“Thank you,” I tell him on the drive back to his safehouse. “For not killing Dante. You actually restrained yourself. That meant a lot.”
“Well, fuck, princess, you’re doing something to me. Guess I’m not ready to make you hate me all over again.”
“I never said I didn’t hate you.”
He raises an eyebrow. “You still hate me?”
“No,” I tell the truth, not looking at him, even though I can feel him steal a glance in my direction. “I don’t hate you anymore. Not after you saved me from Sal.”
He places his hand on my knee and I don’t remove it. In fact, I place my hand over his, keeping his hand in place.
Things feel different between Finn and I when we return to the safehouse. Something has shifted and changed between us.
“You didn’t kill Dante,” I say, sitting on the couch. My body still feels a little sore from everything Sal put me through. I push him from my mind. He doesn’t get to occupy all my thoughts.
“I wanted to,” he admits.
“But you didn’t. You did it for me, didn’t you.”
He sits beside me and cups my face. “Fuck, princess. What are you doing to me?”
“What are you doing to me? I’m supposed to be disgusted by you. I mean, you kidnapped me.”
“And I was only supposed to use you as leverage against Dante. But now…”
“Now?”
Without another word, he kisses me. It’s surprisingly tender for Finn and I sink right into it. The kiss soon becomes rougher as he gently pushes me to my back. The weight of him on top of me feels perfect. Safe.
I cling to him tighter. That’s all I want to feel from now: safe. No more torture. No more pain. I know Finn is probably not the man to give that to me but in this moment, I don’t care.
Finn sits up and looks me right in the eye as he pulls my shirt off. I don’t stop him. He unclasps my bra in the process. I have a few bandages still on my chest and stomach while a couple of scars are already appearing.
Finn runs his hand over one of those scars. “I’m going to kill him for doing this to you.”
“I don’t want to talk about him right now.”
“Then what do you want to do, princess?”
“You’re the one who just took my shirt off.”
He smirks as he leans down and kisses around my breasts. Instant arousal hits me between my legs. It’s more intense than anything I’ve ever felt before.
Finn tugs my pants and underwear down until I’m naked beneath him. I’ve been naked in front of him before but this time feels different. Much more intimate.
He never touched me when I was naked before.
“I’ve been wanting to taste you ever since I first laid eyes on you,” he tells me in a gruff voice. I can’t help but swallow hard.
“Would you stop if I told you to?”
“I would. But you don’t want me to stop.”
I don’t want him to stop.
There has been something brewing between us since we first met.
And now, after everything we’ve been through, there’s no denying it.
I want Finn to touch me. I want to experience it.
Even if it’s something I can’t come back from, I don’t care.
If I’m going to hell, I might as well have fun on the way down.
Finn spreads my legs wide. It feels so vulgar and wrong and yet right and perfect somehow.
When I dreamed of sex before, it was under the covers. It was from a man who respected me. Who treated me like a queen.
But this isn’t under the covers and Finn and I hate each other but we also are starting to care about each other and he definitely doesn’t pamper me.
It’s refreshing. People have spoiled me over the years. Finn doesn’t. He treats me more like an equal than on a pedestal.
With his dark eyes boring right into mine, he lowers his head between my legs. I inhale sharply when his lips find my folds. I can’t stop the quick moan that escapes me. My hips buck up of their own accord.
Finn smirks as he licks his tongue around my folds until he finds my sensitive nub. I almost lose it right then and there. He never looks away, not once.
I begin to roll my hips around, searching for more, aching for more, desperate for more.
It doesn’t even bother me when he grips my thighs and his fingers touch some of the scars Sal left behind. Finn is making me forget all about that. He’s making me feel desired.
My core tightens from the pleasure of it. This is nothing like my own touch. My fingers pulled orgasms from me before in the dark of my childhood bedroom but Finn is consuming me with pleasure out in the open.
“Play with your nipples,” he orders before running his tongue along my most intimate area. At times, his mouth finds each of my inner thighs and gives them a kiss. Goosebumps break out on my skin.
I do as Finn tells me to do even though I want to snap at him to not order me around. I hold onto my breasts and run my thumbs over my nipples. Finn’s eyes darken as he continues to pleasure me with his mouth and watch me at the same time. This man has his mouth on me. My kidnapper.
And yet, it doesn’t feel wrong. It’s so wrong that it feels right.
He licks me harder, drawing every last inch of pleasure from me. My hips buck up like I’m a wild woman. It feels good to lose control. To not be wound so tightly.
Feeling bold, I grab the back of his head and force his face harder between my legs. It seems to excite Finn who presses his lips to my clit with more force. Friction is what I need.
Pants escape my mouth. I sound unhinged. I don’t care right now.