Chapter 14

CHAPTERFOURTEEN

Three days later, in the middle of the afternoon, while Jasna was in cabin three with Jason helping him replace a part in the toilet, Henley gasped as Finn’s hips smacked against her ass while he thrust into her from behind.

He’d met her outside the room in the lodge where she’d just finished her last appointment for the day, asking if he could talk to her. Of course, she’d said yes, and he escorted her to his cabin. The second he’d shut the door behind them, he was on her. It was almost a repeat of their first time together when he’d fucked her against the door, but he’d gained control long enough to drag her down the hall to his room and throw her down on his bed.

They’d both stripped in record time, and he’d gone down on her as if he were starving. It had been a week and a half since they’d last made love, and Henley was just as desperate as Finn.

She’d woken up three days ago next to him on the couch, only to find him staring at her with a look she couldn’t interpret. He’d seemed different since then. More settled. And the way he looked at her, as if he was two seconds away from tearing off her clothes at all times, had kept Henley in a perpetual state of horniness.

Apparently, today he was done waiting for a more convenient time for them to be together. Henley was more than all right with that.

“Yes! Harder, Finn!”

She and Finn didn’t make long, slow, sweet love to each other. Every time they’d come together, they’d been nearly frantic. The sex was hard and fast, aggressive on both their parts. And Henley had never been more satisfied.

One of his hands squeezed her ass cheek hard enough that she knew she’d have a bruise. The other held her hip as he slammed into her soaking-wet pussy.

Suddenly he moved, pulling her up so her back was against his chest. He put one hand around her neck, holding her still but not hurting her in the least. The other hand flew down her body and began to aggressively stroke her clit.

Henley jerked in his grasp, but he held on tightly.

“Finn, please, fuck me,” she begged, squirming against him.

The position wasn’t great for thrusting, and in fact he simply held still deep inside her body as he pushed her closer and closer to the edge.

“Not until you come on my cock. I wanna feel it. Want to feel you ripple around me,” he practically growled.

As if his words were what her body had been waiting for, Henley felt herself crest. He held her tightly as she shook and vibrated in his arms.

“You have no idea how amazing that feels!” he gasped into her ear, seconds before he pushed her down onto the mattress once more. She moaned as he began to pump hard and fast inside her, prolonging her already amazing orgasm.

She heard him grunt as he pushed himself into her with one last punishing thrust, then gripped her hips tightly as he came.

He collapsed over her back, but instead of crushing her, he quickly shifted to the side, taking her with him. Henley went willingly, feeling boneless.

“Holy crap, woman,” he said softly. “You almost killed me that time.”

She chuckled weakly. “You’ve got that wrong. Who was the one who dragged me into his cabin to have his wicked way with me?”

“You didn’t exactly protest,” he told her.

Henley couldn’t deny it. She felt him pull out of her, and she immediately turned before he could get up to throw the condom away. She hated losing him, both from inside her body and right after, when he had to get up.

“I need to throw away this condom, baby,” he said.

Henley refused to let go of him. She felt him sigh, tie off the condom behind her back, then roll once more until she was lying on top of him.

“I hate them.”

“Condoms?” he asked with a frown.

“Yeah. I wish I could feel you inside me without it.”

He stilled under her. “What are you saying, exactly?”

“I’m saying I want to go on the pill. Or get an IUD. Or something. I want you bare, Finn. So badly. I want all of you.”

“You have all of me,” he said with a small shake of his head. “Seriously. I’ve never given any woman so much of myself. And instead of feeling trapped or claustrophobic, I feel freer than I’ve ever been. You’re under my skin, Hen, and I already can’t remember a time when you weren’t there. Don’t want to. That seems crazy, considering it wasn’t too long ago when I wouldn’t let myself do more than stare at you longingly from across a room, but…it’s true.”

“Finn,” Henley whispered, feeling overwhelmed.

“I know this is fast, and I’m trying not to rush you…but I’m yours. For as long as you want me. I’ll bend over backward to make you and Jas happy. And safe. I want to go shopping for a bed to put in that second bedroom across the hall, but I also don’t want to do anything that might freak you out or make you think I’m moving too fast.

“When I woke up the other night and had you in my arms, with Jasna’s hand on mine… I suddenly realized how short life really is. I want to start every day with the two of you. Laughing at my table. Arguing about what Jas should and shouldn’t eat. Discussing a cow’s digestive system and why it is the way it is. Taking her to school.

“And if you want me bare, you’ll get me bare. I can’t think of anything better than filling you up with my come, knowing you’re mine inside and out. But I can wait. I want you to feel safe, to be protected. I’ll use a condom for the rest of our lives if I have to.”

“I want to fall asleep with you inside me,” Henley admitted a little shyly. “I want to know what it feels like to snuggle with you right after we both come and not have you immediately withdraw because you have to deal with a condom.”

“I want that too,” Finn admitted.

“Do you think we’ll ever make love slowly and tenderly?” she asked with a grin.

She felt Finn’s chuckle under her. “No clue. All I know is, the second I get my hands on you, I feel dangerously desperate to get inside you. Like if I don’t get inside you, I’ll simply die.”

“Dramatic much?” she teased.

“You gonna tell me you feel differently?” he asked with an arch of a brow. “I seem to remember you were the one who grabbed my cock as soon as I ripped off my underwear and begged me to fuck you already.”

Henley grinned. Yeah, she had said that. “I like sex,” she said with a shrug. “No, that’s not true. With you, I love sex.”

“I’m not a fan of sneaking around, so I have to admit I’m starting to look forward to school starting in the fall. We’ll have more time to do things like this without having to worry about being caught. Though I’ll miss having her with me, helping in the barn every day.”

“Speaking of my daughter…how long does it take to repair a toilet?” Henley asked.

“Not long enough,” Finn said with a sigh. Then he palmed the back of her head and held her still as he lifted his lips to hers.

Henley kissed him with all the love she had in her heart. She loved this man, so much it was almost scary. Too scary to admit to him just yet.

“Thank you for being there for me the other evening,” he said when he’d torn his lips from hers.

“You’re welcome,” she returned. “You seem…better.”

“I am,” he said without hesitation. “Calling Raid was a good decision. And having you there to listen to me talk about Steel forced me to remember the good times, instead of just that awful day. You know…you should be a therapist or something.” He grinned to let her know he was teasing.

“I don’t want to be your therapist,” Henley told him seriously. “I want to be your girlfriend. Your partner.”

“You are,” Finn said without hesitation. “But you wouldn’t be the woman I’m falling for if you weren’t so intuitive. You don’t have to hide your psychologist side from me. I mean, I don’t want you psychoanalyzing every move I make or every word I say, but I’m damn lucky I have you to help pull me out of the pit I fall into sometimes.”

His words meant the world to Henley. She was who she was, and she couldn’t simply turn off or forget her schooling and training when she was around him.

She felt Finn’s cock harden between her legs, and she squirmed over him. She wanted him again.

Right then, both their phones dinged with incoming texts. As much as Henley wanted to block out the world, she couldn’t. They both had responsibilities. She leaned over the side of the bed, promptly squealing when Finn’s fingers traced up the back of her thigh and probed inside her still soaking folds. She sat up with both their phones that she’d fished out of the pockets of their pants. She handed Finn his phone as she sat astride his lap, reading the text she’d just received.

Alaska: Head’s up, Jasna’s looking for Tonka. I distracted her by telling her to go look in the barn, but I’m thinking that isn’t going to stall her for long.

“Shit,” Finn said with a sigh. “My text was from Jason. Says he finished up with the toilet and Jasna’s looking for me.”

“Yeah, mine’s from Alaska, basically saying the same thing,” Henley said with a pout.

Finn sat up suddenly, wrapping his arm around her so she didn’t tumble backward off his lap. He held her against him tightly and said, “You didn’t comment on me wanting to buy a bed for my guest room. I want you guys to stay here every now and then. We don’t have to do anything, but having you sleep in my arms…it’s always a dream come true, hon. I want that as often as possible.”

“Me too,” she told him shyly.

“I’ll see about making that happen then,” Finn said. Then he scooted to the edge of the bed and stood, with Henley still in his arms.

“Finn? We need to get dressed,” she said with a grin.

He sighed and eased his hold on her. Henley’s feet dropped to the floor.

“Right. You can use the bathroom in here. I’ll use the one in the hall. Meet you in the kitchen?”

She smiled and nodded.

Finn leaned down and kissed her once more. A long, lingering, sweet kiss that made Henley want to attempt that slow lovemaking in the future. Then he leaned over, grabbed his clothes and picked up the used condom lying on the bed, gave her a sly grin, and headed for the door.

It took Henley a second to get herself together before she picked up her own clothes and began to get dressed.

* * *

They ate dinner at the lodge that night, and while Tonka wouldn’t ever be the chattiest of the men, he was finding it easier and easier to initiate conversations with the guests and with his friends. Looking across the table, he saw Henley laughing at something Alaska was saying.

“She’s really happy,” Jasna said from next to him.

“Yeah?” he asked with a small smile.

“Uh-huh. Ever since you guys started going out, she’s been more relaxed.”

“That’s good.”

“Yup.” Then, more quietly, she asked, “Finn? Are you gonna marry my mom?”

Tonka nearly choked on the corn he’d just put in his mouth. He chewed slowly, trying to figure out what to tell the girl. He finally decided to be as honest as he could be. “I want to, but it’ll be up to her.”

“She’ll say yes. I know she will.”

Tonka frowned. Jasna didn’t sound all that thrilled with the prospect of her mom marrying him. “You don’t want us to marry?”

She shrugged.

This wasn’t the time or place for a deep conversation, but since everyone else around them was busy talking amongst themselves, and she’d brought it up, Tonka decided to go for it. “What’s concerning you?”

The little girl turned to look up at him. “It’s always been just me and her. Two peas in a pod. Best friends.” She frowned a little. “I like you, Finn. You’ve been nice to her, and me too, and I really like being here at The Refuge.”

“But?” Tonka prompted when she didn’t continue.

“I’m not stupid. I know that step-kids usually get pushed to the side when two people marry. You’ll have babies with my mom, and they’ll be yours. The two of yours. I’ll be moving out and going to college before you know it and things will just change,” she finished a little sadly.

Tonka shifted to put one arm on the back of her chair, and with the other, he picked up the hand that was lying in her lap, worrying her napkin. “First of all, if your mom and I ever get married, you won’t be my stepdaughter. You’ll be my daughter. Period. I don’t know if your mom and I will have any children or not, but if we do, you will never be any less our daughter. And as much as I hate you even talking about growing up and moving away, you’ll always be important to me, no matter how old you are and wherever you go. You’ll always be your mom’s best friend too. I can’t take that place, and I don’t want to, Jas. You and your mom have a long history together and a special bond. I’d never do anything to mess with that. Yes, things will change…but hopefully for the better.”

Jasna nodded, but Tonka wasn’t sure she was completely mollified by his words.

“The other night, when I woke up and you were there…it meant something to me,” he admitted. “No…it meant everything. I love you, Jas. And I don’t say those words lightly. You’re even hearing them before your mom is, because I’m scared to death she’s not ready to hear them. Or maybe she won’t feel the same. But no matter what happens between the two of us, I’ll always love you. Always.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“I love you too, Finn.”

He inhaled deeply at hearing those words. They shared a tender look.

Then she asked, “Does this mean I’ll get double the number of presents at Christmas now? You know, because you love me and all and you’re gonna marry my mom?”

Tonka burst out laughing. Leave it to the little minx to break the emotional moment with a joke.

“Definitely,” he told her. He already planned on spoiling both her and her mom rotten, as often as he could get away with it. Starting with giving her a room in his cabin any twelve-year-old would die for.

“Cool,” she said.

Tonka squeezed her hand, then turned in his seat and faced the table once more. He caught Henley’s worried gaze. “You guys okay?” she mouthed.

He smiled and nodded at her. Yeah, he and Jasna were more than okay.

* * *

Christian was getting impatient. The summer was almost gone and he hadn’t found an opportunity to grab the girl. He’d been practicing his knife techniques on the squirrels, stray cats, and even a couple dogs he’d stolen from a few backyards. But he knew it wouldn’t feel the same cutting a person.

He couldn’t wait to see her bleed. To hear her cries. To hear her begging for her life.

He could always choose another first victim…

No. It needed to be her. Christian wanted the shrink to hurt. She’d turned him away and never looked back. Now she’d regret it.

The next chance he had, Christian was grabbing the kid. He was done waiting. He wanted to get out of this fucking town and get to Albuquerque to perfect his technique. There were millions of people in the city, including plenty no one would miss. Men and women needing a hit would be easiest to lure to a motel, or wherever he found to sleep. Prostitutes would get in his car voluntarily. There would be kids left alone in stores, in parks…even stuck at home while their parents worked.

He wanted the world to know his name.

And he couldn’t do that until he got his first kill under his belt.

He looked down and admired the array of knives and weapons he’d lined up on the floor of the abandoned cabin. The carpet smelled funky and there was mouse shit everywhere…but all Christian could see was the girl, naked, spread out in front of him, waiting for him to strike. The blood would run down her white body. It would be like a work of art.

He couldn’t decide if he’d use a knife first or the ice pick. Or maybe the screwdriver. He also had a box cutter and a tire iron. He planned on using that last one after all the other instruments. He wanted to see how the blood splattered on the walls and ceiling when he was beating her.

Smiling, Christian stared off into space, picturing the scene in his head. Yeah, he was definitely done waiting. He needed to act. He was ready.