Chapter Four
Finn groaned and stretched, feeling his body slowly coming awake. He pried open his eyes, and a smile instantly appeared on his lips when he saw the sleeping kitten on the pillow next to him.
Not wanting to disturb Gray, Finn carefully sat up and reached for his cellphone.
A message from the credit card company informed him that he would receive a new card by tomorrow.
Just before going to bed the night before, he had called the company and dealt with the issue.
He had given them the resort address, so all that was needed now was to inform the reception desk when it arrived.
Finn was grateful the credit card company had not given him a hard time. He didn’t even want to imagine what would have happened if he had used his debit card, with the funds coming directly out of his bank account, instead of a credit card for the resort charges.
Finn spent a few more minutes scanning through the messages that had come in while his phone was on Do Not Disturb, rolling his eyes when he spotted Bevin's "I'm fine" text. Finn's only response was a thumbs-up, and he left it at that.
After setting his cellphone back on the nightstand, Finn pushed the blankets off and got out of bed. He stretched once more as he walked toward the bathroom to take care of his morning needs.
While brushing his teeth, Finn thought about how well he had slept the night before. He had been warm and cozy under the mountain of blankets, and he woke up feeling so energized that he couldn’t wait to burn it off.
At home, Finn usually slept with his bedroom windows open while he snuggled under the warmest blanket he owned. Bevin always complained that his side of the apartment was freezing in the winter, but it wasn’t Finn's fault. He had always been hot-blooded, as his grandma used to say.
It had snowed last night, and Finn couldn’t contain his excitement, so he went outside to play in it for a while. When he returned, he’d noticed an extra blanket on his bed and could only assume Prince had left it for him.
When Finn went to thank Prince, he saw that the other man's bedroom door was closed and figured he was either busy or still sleeping.
He looked at the door to Prince's room and thought about knocking to see if he was awake, but decided against it.
They were going to be living together for the next few weeks, and he could thank Prince when he saw him later today.
Returning to his room, Finn found the kitten awake and grooming himself. Finn left him and went to get dressed for the day.
His original plan had been to hit the slopes on the first day, but he decided instead to spend the day exploring the resort so he could get a feel for the place.
When he finished dressing and was about to leave the bedroom, he glanced back at the bed and saw Gray standing at the edge, looking down as if seriously considering whether jumping was the right decision or if he might lose one of his lives in the attempt.
Chuckling softly, Finn walked over and scooped up the little thing, carrying him out of the room and downstairs to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee.
Just as he passed the kitchen table, he noticed an envelope with his name written across the front in a neat, elegant script.
Without putting Gray down, he picked up the envelope and peeked inside, raising a brow when he saw a credit card and a slip of paper. Removing the note, he quickly read it.
The cabin is completely yours for the next couple of days.
I need to head out of town to handle some business.
The card includes the hotel refund and a little extra to tide you over until your replacement card arrives.
Also, with the card, you have access to all the VIP areas on the resort.
Gray's food is in the cabinet on the left.
It's already measured out for each feeding.
I attached his feeding schedule. I'm entrusting my cabin and kitten to your care until I return.
Enjoy your time,
Prince
"Your daddy is very thoughtful," Finn told Gray, who did not seem to care.
Finn set the paper down, then pulled out the card and noticed it was black, which Finn knew was not a resort gift card, especially since it had a well-known credit card company logo on the front.
He knew enough to recognize what a black card meant.
This one was shinier than all the others in his wallet.
Not thinking much of it, he slid the card back into the envelope and set both down on the table, then went about preparing his coffee.
Everything was easy to find. While his coffee brewed, Finn prepared Gray's breakfast. The kitten was skittish at first, but with a bit of gentle encouragement, Finn managed to get him to eat.
Once Gray was settled, Finn grabbed his coffee and carried his chair over to the window. He draped the throw blanket over his shoulders, then settled in and took a slow sip, enjoying the peace and quiet as he stared out at the beautiful snow-capped mountains.
It was rare for him to have time like this. Usually, he was rushing from class to work, or someone was yapping in his ear about this or that, sometimes even asking for advice as if he were some guru with all the answers to their burning questions.
It was a gorgeous morning after the snowfall, and it made him envy Prince, who had been enjoying this view since September. More things to add to his future must-have life enjoyment list: a beautiful cabin in the snowy mountains, maybe even one just for him.
Burying his face in the soft blanket, Finn smiled as a familiar scent greeted him. He closed his eyes, and an image of Prince Sullivan came to mind. Finn was not sure why, but he had somehow memorized Prince's scent.
He pictured the man sleeping, wrapped up in the same blanket on the couch, or doing something mundane like watching television. Finn chuckled softly at the thought of how adorable the strong, handsome man might look, especially if Gray were curled up on his chest, fast asleep.
What a picture that would make.
Yet Finn had not expected a busy man like Prince to care for a small kitten. From the stories Bevin had told him about his parents, Finn knew there had been long stretches when they weren’t around.
"You really can't judge a book by its cover," Finn mumbled as he opened his eyes.
Just as he was about to take another slow, satisfying sip of his coffee and continue enjoying the quiet morning, a knock sounded at the door.
He looked at Gray. The kitten seemed to have been in the middle of grooming himself, but had stopped at the gentle tapping and now looked back at Finn, as if asking whether he was expecting anyone.
Then a thought occurred to him. Maybe Prince had ordered room service to be dropped off but had forgotten to mention it in the note.
Finn shook his head, set his coffee aside, and got up to answer the door just as another knock sounded. When he opened it, he was surprised to see Prince's friend from the day before standing there.
"Hi, can I help you?" Finn asked politely.
"Hello, I'm Roderick. I met you yesterday with Prince," he said with a friendly smile.
"Nice to officially meet you," Finn replied.
"Yeah, you too. So you're staying here?" Roderick commented, glancing past Finn into the cabin.
"Yeah. Some shit happened, and my room got canceled," Finn said by way of explanation. "And since the resort was fully booked, Prince suggested I stay with him."
"Is that so?" Roderick looked Finn up and down, clearly not impressed by what he saw. Finn chose to ignore it. "Anyway, I've been trying to reach Prince, but he's not answering his cellphone," Roderick explained.
"Oh, he left. He went on a business trip," Finn clarified.
"That's interesting. He never told me he was going on a trip," Roderick said.
Finn shrugged. "Maybe he forgot to tell you."
"But he remembered to tell you."
Finn heard him but said nothing.
"Maybe." Roderick continued staring at him, as if searching for something. Whatever it was, Finn had no idea, and honestly, he didn’t care.
"Well, if there's nothing else, you have a good day." Finn started to close the door, but a hand stopped it. The sudden movement startled him. "What the fuck?"
"Ah, sorry," Roderick said quickly, pulling his hand back and looking very apologetic. However, his words and eyes told a different story. "I reacted without thinking."
"Oh."
"Um, the cat. Are you looking after him while Prince is gone?"
Finn smiled genuinely. "Yeah. I'm taking care of Gray."
"Gray?" Roderick looked confused.
"I named him last night. Prince told me I could."
"He did?" he asked, clearly surprised.
Finn nodded. "He said since Gray seems to like me, it's only right I get to name him."
"And all that happened in one night," Roderick commented.
"Do you have a problem with that?" Finn asked. He wasn’t sure he liked the vibe coming off the guy.
"You move fast, kid. That's all I have to say." Roderick shook his head, his eyes carrying a hint of scorn.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Finn asked, unable to keep the irritation out of his voice.
"Nothing." Roderick shrugged. "Just an observation, Bevin's friend."
Finn was about to tell the guy to go fuck himself, but held back.
He was not here for any confrontations, nor did he care enough about whatever the man's problem was to engage with it.
Not wanting to entertain Roderick any longer than he already had, Finn maintained his polite expression when he spoke.
"Well, if there's nothing else, I have things to do."
He closed the door, thanking the gods that Roderick did not try to stop him again.
"What a fucking weirdo," Finn mumbled.
Just as he turned away from the door, Gray sidled up to his leg. Finn immediately forgot about Roderick and scooped the kitten into his arms. Carrying him back over to the chair by the window, Finn returned to his coffee and the gorgeous morning.
As he sat there again, looking out at the snow-covered mountains, he realized he finally understood why Prince had chosen this exact cabin.
The quiet and the stillness were truly refreshing.
Prince unlocked the door to his cabin and stepped inside, unsure of what he expected to find.
Leaving his suitcase by the door, he headed to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water.
As he looked around the cabin, he noticed how clean everything was, as if he were still the only one staying there.
Yet a subtle hint of something new and sweet lingered in the air.
After taking a couple of days away, Prince had gained some perspective.
The bottom line was that he had been overthinking and overreacting about his sudden attraction to Finn, something he had no intention of acting on.
It hadn’t helped that he had also been stressed about the merger deal possibly falling through.
This was a major move for him, not for the family company but for expanding his personal portfolio.
If it went well, he stood to make a fortune.
Although he trusted his team, Prince was glad he had gone himself to close the deal.
Finishing his water, he tossed the bottle into the trash and took off his outer coat as he headed up the stairs to his bedroom. He dropped his coat on the bed, kicked off his shoes, and pulled off his shirt, tossing it into the hamper on his way to the bathroom, which he entered without knocking.
Prince unbuckled his belt, pulled it free from the loops, and draped it over his shoulders. He had already started unbuttoning and unzipping the fly of his jeans, but froze just before pushing them down his hips when he heard a sharp gasp.
Prince snapped his head up, his eyes suddenly landing on flushed, glistening skin, taut muscle, a light brown, peaked, penny-shaped nipple and a slender neck that led up to a soft jawline and pink-tipped ears.
His gaze swept over every visible inch before his brain fully caught up with what he was seeing.
Slowly, his eyes moved over until they met a pair of round, brown-red eyes staring back at him, wide with shock.
"Uh…" Finn started, the word catching awkwardly in his throat just as Prince spoke.
"I didn't know you were in here," Prince said.
He crossed the room to the towel warmer and grabbed one of the neatly folded towels. Walking back toward Finn, he unfolded it and wrapped it around Finn's slim waist instead of simply handing it to him.
"You're home," Finn said, adjusting the towel around his hips.
"The merger was a complete success," Prince said, stepping back.
Prince grabbed another towel and this time handed it to Finn. "Dry your hair properly." He sighed. "I'm sorry for barging in on you. We'll come up with a system."
Prince didn’t wait for Finn's response. He turned and walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
Once alone in the hallway, Prince let out a long breath and dragged his shaking hands over his face.
"He's sexy as fuck. And so my type."