Chapter Twelve
Prince sat in the coffee shop across from the main building of Hamilton Conglomerate, waiting for Finn to get off work.
They had been back for a little over a week, and although Finn was staying in the dorms, he was praying to all the gods his little lover would change his mind and move into the apartment he had rented to stay close to Finn.
Prince was sticking to his promise of giving Finn time to adjust to them being in a relationship, but the minor distance was killing him when he was used to living with Finn, even if it was for those short weeks.
Prince's schedule had not changed much since leaving the resort. He still conducted business remotely and spent a little more time in the gym before picking Finn up from work, where they spent the evening together going out to dinner or taking a walk near the shore, even though it was still cold. He would drop Finn off at his apartment, where they would have heated kissing sessions in the car for what seemed like hours without taking things too far. Prince admitted to himself that he was having fun slowly courting Finn, which was something he hadn’t done with any of his lovers before.
A smile graced his face as he realized he was falling into Finn's daily schedule.
But he was going to shake things up a bit, breaking Finn's cycle.
He would keep one thing, which was taking him out for a romantic dinner, but it would be somewhere unexpected.
Grabbing his cellphone, he brought up a number he had not called in months.
"Old Sull, what have you been up to these days? Word on the street is you quit teaching."
Prince rolled his eyes at the nickname Lucas had been calling him since they were kids.
"I didn't quit, just took some time off. I needed time for myself. I’m still looking after the company until Bevin takes over."
"About damn time. Maybe now you can settle down and fall in love."
"I'm working on that. It's why I called you."
"Ohh, are you looking for love advice?" Lucas chuckled.
"Hardly," Prince answered. "I need you to give my lover two days off."
"Lover? What lover? Who's your lover?"
Prince cracked a grin when he heard Lucas's rambling questions. "Finn."
"Finn! My Finn?!"
"Hey, watch it. I don't want your FBI hubby coming after my baby."
Lucas cleared his throat. "I stand corrected. But seriously, how did you end up with my extraordinary intern? He's a hard worker. I can't wait to see what he does in the future."
"I thought you knew he was Bevin's best friend."
"Really?! Fuck, that guy keeps secrets better than the damn CIA."
Prince snorted, holding back his chuckle.
"How long have you two been together?"
"It's new, still has the wrapper on it," Prince told him.
"I see. Alright, have him back in time for work on Monday."
"You got it. And do me another solid. Don't let him know I called."
"You're asking for too much, but I'll come up with something."
"That's a good man." Prince smiled.
"Hey, Prince," Lucas said just before he was about to end the call. "Don't be a stranger. I'm sure Smother is dying to mother you."
Prince nodded, feeling a little choked up. "I won't."
He hung up and thought about Marilyn, the matriarch of the Hamilton family, with the sweetest heart Prince had ever known.
After his mother died, she took him in as her own.
Marylin became a sounding board not only for him but also for his father, who Prince assumed had harbored a little crush on Marylin before he met his current wife, whom Marylin had also introduced to him.
The Hamiltons had done a great deal for Prince and his family. He really did owe them a lot.
Maybe I will pay them a visit.
Prince glanced at his cellphone when it vibrated in his hand. Tapping his earpiece, he answered when he saw Roderick's name on the screen. He hadn’t spoken to him since he left the resort weeks ago.
"Roderick, what's going on?"
"Where are you? I came back to the resort and found out you were gone."
"I'm in Shoreline."
"What the fuck are you doing there? Is it for business?"
"Where my man is, I follow." The widest grin appeared on Prince's face, and it was not just for what he said. In the short distance, he saw Finn walking toward the coffee shop. Prince didn’t look away from his boy, but he frowned when he saw his coat open and his scarf casually draped over his shoulders.
Getting up from his seat, he had completely forgotten he was on a call, too enthralled by his lover, especially when Finn smiled after spotting him and they met halfway.
"Have you been waiting long?" Finn asked, leaning up to kiss him on the lips.
When he went to lean back, Prince lightly gripped his waist and held him in place. "Waiting for you is never long."
He leaned in for another kiss but stopped when a throat cleared, and he remembered he was on a call. "Shit, Roderick, I'm sorry about that." He didn’t release Finn.
"I gotta go," Roderick said, and hung up before Prince could say anything.
Not thinking about his friend, Prince focused on Finn. Taking his hand, he led him back to his table. "Are you hungry?"
"Not right now," Finn said as he sat down. "Guess what?"
"What?"
"My boss gave me two days off," Finn told him excitedly.
"Really? That's great."
Finn tilted his head, staring at Prince suspiciously. "I'd be suspicious that you cooked something up with my boss to get me those two days off, if it wasn't just me but a couple of the other interns too."
"I…"
Finn pressed a finger to his lips. "Don't lie to me," he smiled. "I'm not angry about it. So since I don't have to be at work until Monday, I assume you have something planned."
Prince lightly kissed his finger, then gently removed it from his lips. "Is your passport up to date?"
"Yes."
Prince smiled. "Good, then let's go."
He stood and grabbed Finn's hands, pulling him from his seat.
"Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise."
Finn started to speak, but Prince cut him off with a peck on the lips. "A surprise is a surprise, so no questions."
"So bossy."
"Admit it, you like it when I'm like this."
Finn grabbed his coat collar and pulled him down for a lingering kiss. "I find it extremely sexy," he said between another sweet kiss.
Prince had to keep his hands at his sides to stop himself from pulling Finn in, or he would forgo all his plans to court Finn the right way. Breaking their kiss, he sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm his racing heart. "You're tempting, Finn Turner."
"I know." He wandered away, leaving a trail of enticing scent that left Prince no choice but to follow.
Give him time, Prince.
When Prince had asked him if his passport was up to date, Finn was curious. Hell, who wouldn’t be? But he never guessed that Prince would bring him to Bermuda for the few days he had off.
He stood on the balcony of their hotel room, looking out at the clear blue water. Just like the cabin, they were in one suite with two bedrooms and a bathroom between them. He wasn’t sure if Prince had planned it that way, but it made Finn chuckle when he was shown to his room.
But before getting to the island, they had a romantic dinner on the plane, starting with champagne and fresh oysters with mignonette, followed by filet mignon with truffle butter for the main course, and ending with fresh strawberries and whipped mascarpone cheese.
Finn had caught Prince watching him more than once during the meal, a small, amused smile tugging at his mouth every time Finn took another bite.
"Why are you staring at me like that? Do I have food on my face?"
"No." Prince smirked. "I like watching you eat. It tells me I did a good job planning this."
"Oh," Finn said, suddenly a little more aware of Prince's gaze as he returned to his meal and took his time eating.
The meal was filling, the conversation was delightful, and to top it off, all Finn had to do was sit back and enjoy it.
Since starting their relationship, Finn had noticed that Prince had been following his lead and had not pressured him into anything. He was respectful of Finn's feelings and emotions, which Finn greatly appreciated.
Each night, they separated. Finn wished they wouldn’t, because he was left with a yearning he had never experienced before.
Although Finn was impressed with the clear blue water and beach that could be seen from the balcony of his bedroom, what he wanted was to experience sleeping and waking up in Prince's arms. Not just sleeping next to him, but being ravished by the man.
Maybe he was asking for too much. After all, he and Prince had gotten this far.
"Finn."
He turned when his name was called, followed by a knock, and smiled when he saw Prince leaning casually against the doorframe.
"Are you all set?" Prince asked.
Finn nodded. "Yeah."
"Good. Come on, it's a beautiful night. Let's go for a walk."
"Sure. Let me grab a sweater."
"Okay."
Finn went over to his closet and grabbed a sweater.
Prince helped him button it up, then clasped their fingers together and pulled him out of the room and into the hallway.
They held hands as they got on and off the elevator and walked through the elaborate hotel, only releasing for a brief moment to remove their shoes and roll up the cuffs of their pants before stepping onto the sandy white beach.
Once there, they joined hands again and continued walking without a word passing between them.
Prince's thumb brushed slowly over the back of Finn's hand as they walked.
They enjoyed the soft moonlight, the light breeze carrying the salty air that tickled his nose, and the gentle crashing of the waves hitting the shoreline before rushing back out.
It made Finn lean closer to Prince, feeling his warmth and safety.
And it was that safe feeling that made him speak up about what had been on his mind and bothering him.
"I want to sleep with you," he blurted out.