Chapter 8 Sexcapades #2
I carried our drinks while Finn and Noreen brought the platters filled with food to the table. The four of us dug in, devouring the delicious meal, keeping the conversation light as we filled our bellies.
“What are your plans for the day?” Joel asked when we began cleaning up.
“If Waverly’s game, maybe a hike later. Other than that, I hadn’t thought about anything besides getting away from the noise for a couple of days.”
“Speaking of noise, have you seen my phone? I should check in real quick.”
Usually, I kept better track of the device. It was my lifeline. Shockingly, I hadn’t thought about it once since we’d arrived.
“I plugged it in to charge when I took our bags upstairs last night. Do you want me to grab it for you?”
“No. That’s okay. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Excusing myself, I climbed the stairs and located my phone next to Finn’s on top of a long cedar dresser. No surprise, there were a multitude of messages waiting, mostly from Shayne.
Shayne: Don’t be mad. That sexy man of yours is hard to say no to.
Shayne: You deserved a break.
Shayne: I did it for your own good.
Shayne: When you pass out from orgasm overload, you’ll thank me.
Shayne: Seriously? Helloooooo? Stop ignoring me.
Shayne: Fine. Be pissed all you want, but I require proof of life or I’ll be forced to interrupt the sexcapades.
In between was one from Duncan. It was short and to the point.
Duncan: I’ve got you covered. Enjoy.
Looking at the time stamp, I saw Shayne’s last message was sent a few minutes ago. Deciding to put her out of her misery, I typed out a response.
Me: I’m alive, traitor.
Three dots appeared on the screen.
Shayne: On a scale of one to ten, how pissed are you?
Me: I’m not. This place is heaven.
Shayne: Of course it is. Do you know how much money your boy is worth? He wasn’t going to take you to a shack in the woods, for fuck’s sake.
Me: Money isn’t everything.
Shayne: Says the princess to the pauper.
Me: Whatever, bitch.
Shayne: You love me, asshole. Don’t deny it.
Me: Most days.
Shayne: Have fun. Hydrate. Drinks next week.
Me: Will do. Stay out of trouble.
Shayne: Never.
Shayne and I met a few years back when our paths crossed during an investigation.
Her partner, Matt, had been killed eighteen months prior when a drug bust went terribly wrong.
Shayne being Shayne, tried to take down his killer on her own.
If Keaton and my team hadn’t intervened, being suspended would’ve been the least of her worries.
I read her the riot act for putting herself in danger—which she found hilarious—then before I knew it, we were hanging out almost every week. Misery loves company and all that jazz.
We became fast friends, bonding over our tawdry pasts and our desire to right the wrongs of the world. If we could rip a chapter or two out of the rule book along the way, all the better.
The low hum of a private conversation had me pausing in the middle of the staircase. Making noise would’ve been the polite thing to do; however, my interest piqued when my name was mentioned more than once. Eavesdropping it was.
“I adore her, Finn. Don’t do anything to screw it up.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Finn responded with a hint of amusement in his voice.
“Her job’s dangerous. You okay with that?”
That was Joel.
“Psh. Walking across the street is dangerous. Leave my boy alone.”
It was official. I was in love with Noreen too. The relationship between all three of them teetered toward parent and son rather than boss and employee. It was clear how important they all were to each other. This interaction only proved how much.
“I’m just saying, being with someone in law enforcement isn’t easy.”
“If I wanted easy, I’d stay single.”
“Right answer.”
“I didn’t realize this was a test, Joel.”
“I’m protecting my family, which now includes Waverly.”
“We love her. Don’t you?”
Time was up. I didn’t want to hear the answer to Noreen’s question. Not like that. Not with an audience. And not when I’d only realized my own feelings a short while ago.
Jogging down the last few steps, I rounded the corner to the kitchen, going straight to the coffeepot for another cup.
“Are you dead set on a hike?” I asked him, a plan formulating in my mind.
“No. What did you have in mind?”
Finn
There was no way I heard her right. But as I stood fifty yards from a fence while she set up a single row of water bottles along the top, I knew my ears hadn’t deceived me.
“Your aim is shit, Finn.”
“When have you ever seen me shoot?”
“I’m basing my assessment on your ax throwing ability. Am I wrong?”
Joel took me to the gun range on more than one occasion after the first threat. Why he thought the results would be different was beyond me. I couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. It’s the reason he carried a gun and I didn’t.
Instead of telling her she was right, I flipped the script.
“Why do you think you’ll succeed where others have failed?”
“I’ve got the perfect incentive.”
“Yeah?”
Waverly stepped into me, plastering her delectable body against mine.
Our height difference had never been more noticeable than it was right then.
Probably because she was several inches shorter without her fancy heels on.
She went up on her tiptoes, kissing me soft and sweet.
It wasn’t enough. It would never be enough.
“Sexual favors,” she breathed against my lips.
My ears perked up. So did my dick.
“Tell me more.”
“If you hit fifty percent of the targets, you can have anything you want.”
My hands swept down to cup her arse. “Anything?”
She nodded; a shy grin spreading across her tempting lips. “Within reason.”
“Let’s do this.”
Sex was a powerful motivator. Or perhaps it was Waverly’s attention to the finer details. She studied me like a hawk; adjusting my stance, grip, and line of sight. Twenty minutes later though, I still hadn’t hit a single bottle.
“You’re tensing up.”
“Kinda hard not to. Recoil is no joke.”
“All right. New tactic. Close your eyes.”
She moved behind me, running her palms up and down my spine. The motion was meant to soothe: however, one particular part of my anatomy didn’t get the memo. In fact, it was becoming more and more rigid by the minute.
“Focus on breathing.”
“I’m trying, baby, but more than the gun is going to shoot off if you keep touching me.”
“Finn,” she chided, even though I could hear the amusement in her voice.
“Okay. Okay.” I cracked my neck from side to side. “I’ve got this.”
“Open your eyes and line up the target.” She stepped to the side, keeping one hand on my back. “Deep breath in, then out. Good, again. This time, count to ten as you’re exhaling. Gently squeeze the trigger when you get to four.”
“One. Two. Three. Four.” I pulled my finger back slowly. “Five. Six. Seven. Eight.”
Bang.
Water flew in every direction when the bullet ripped through the base of the bottle.
“Feckin’ hell. I did it.”
“Good. Now do it four more times.”
We spent the remainder of the morning out in that field.
Believe it or not, the sense of pride I felt, after sending six of the ten water bottles to meet their maker, closely compared with how it felt when I broke away from my father to start Lachlan Industries.
Scary, yet satisfying. It wasn’t all sunshine and roses, but a win was a win.
I’d take them in any form they came. Including the gorgeous woman at my side.
Waverly was the biggest win of all.
She didn't give a damn about the money or the power that came along with being the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar company. She saw me. The real me. Finnian Kier O’Lachlan; loving brother, protective uncle, and loyal friend.
In return, she afforded me the same. No games. No bullshit.
The fierce, take no prisoners FBI agent she presented to the world was part of an elaborate act; a shield she wielded like a weapon to protect her vulnerable side.
Only a select few were allowed past her defenses.
Shayne and Duncan had gotten there for certain.
To a degree, her team of agents had as well.
For some reason or another, she included me in that short list. More so, she dropped the facade completely.
It was a privilege I’d never take for granted.
Waverly was gorgeous, with her auburn locks and emerald eyes, but looks could be deceiving. Beneath the surface, that’s where the truth hid from view. Except her truth held more than beauty; it bled pain. Feck…so much pain I wondered how she could breathe at all.
The losses she suffered were buried deep; cast aside in order to survive from one day to the next. It changed her in ways I couldn’t even imagine, but it didn’t break her will and it most certainly didn’t break her. I’d never met anyone stronger.
The sun was high in the sky when we finished packing up our makeshift gun range and started the trek back to the house. My arm was tossed over her shoulder and her hand was tucked in my back pocket.
“What are you thinking about so hard?” she asked, flexing said hand against my arse cheek.
“You. Always you.”
She stopped mid-stride, slipping out from under my arm. “What about me?”
The writing was on the wall from the moment I caught her staring at me on the beach. Even then, the pull was too great to ignore. She ran, I chased, like a hunter obsessed with his prey. The only thing left to do was claim my prize.
So I did.
Threading our fingers together, I tugged her into my chest; barely hearing her sharp inhale over the roaring of blood in my ears.
“You’re a thief, Waverly Mitchell.” I rested my forehead against hers. “You stole my heart in the Caribbean, and I hope like hell you never give it back.”
Not able to wait any longer, I took her mouth; pouring every ounce of my soul into the kiss. I may not have said those three little words yet, but I hoped she felt them with every stroke of my tongue.
Her breath whispered across my lips, “I never stood a chance against you, Finnian O’Lachlan.”
“You didn’t. I love you too much to let you go, baby.”
“I’m scared to death, but I…I love you too.”
In the biggest plot twist I never saw coming, fate led her to me. It only took one infinitesimal moment in time to know that she was my beginning…
…and she would be my end.
Full stop.