Chapter 6

Six

Finn’s warm hand enclosed hers, and Jess didn’t want the walk back to her hotel to end.

What was going to happen when they got there? Would he want to come up to her room? Did she want him to come up to her room?

Fortunately, she wasn’t sharing with anyone. That was one of the perks with the dance company—they footed the bill so everyone could have their own room. As annoying as Madame Baxter was, she believed all dancers needed their personal space. Each person had their quirks that they didn’t want others to know about.

Jess’s mind was still whirling with everything Finn had told her about his job. How casual he’d sounded with the possibility he could get killed or severely injured.

She couldn’t imagine finding out something bad had happened to Finn. That she would never see his face again. Or that he’d never be the same after he’d been injured, because many people weren’t.

Jess had seen dancers’ personalities change in a snap of the finger when they suffered a career-ending injury.

“Here we are?” Finn’s voice broke into her scattered thoughts until they were strewn over her mind.

Maybe it would be better if she swept them all away. Then she wouldn’t have to think too much. Or contemplate what they could mean.

“Here we are.” Jess gripped the strap of her bag. Nerves fluttered in her belly, different from those she normally experienced before she stepped out onto the stage.

One of his fingers hooked under her chin, lifting it so she had no option but to look into his eyes. There was something floating deep in his gaze, an elusive emotion she couldn’t name.

Or didn’t want to name because that would give her hope.

“Jess,” he whispered before lowering his head, but stopping mere millimeters from her mouth.

Memories of the last time he kissed her slammed into her brain.

God, she wanted to make a new one. Wanted to erase the outcome of the last time they kissed.

Finn might not have said the reassurance, but this time would be different. This time he wouldn’t run as if the devil were nipping at his heels. This time he’d stay.

“Finn,” Jess murmured before she pushed to tiptoes and closed the small gap.

Their mouths fused together, and her nerves disappeared, only to be replaced with heat and need. His arms enclosed her and pulled her tight to his hard chest. His mouth moved over hers, as if reacquainting himself with her.

She welcomed it. Wanted it. Needed it.

Jess never wanted the kiss to end, but it had to. They couldn’t stand in front of her hotel, making out. It may be the early hours of the morning, but that didn’t mean they were alone.

Reluctantly, she lowered her feet, effectively breaking the kiss.

“I want to see you again, Jess.”

Her heart expanded with happiness at those simple words. “Yes.”

“How long are you here for?”

“A few days. Mom and Dad are expecting me in about ten days. I gave myself a bit of time to myself between finishing the tour and going to see them.”

He nodded. “What if, tomorrow, I take you over to Coronado and give you a quick tour of the place?”

“I’d like that,” Jess whispered.

Coronado was the training grounds of the SEALs. Would Finn show her where he trained, or was that off-limits?

She’d find out tomorrow.

“Great. How about I pick you up here at ten? Will that work?” Finn asked, his brown eyes sparkling with happiness.

“Yes.” A yawn wracked her body and fatigue swept over her. For the last couple of hours, she’d been running on the buzz from performing and seeing Finn again. Now, everything was catching up with her, and all Jess wanted was her bed.

“Come on. I’ll walk you to your room.” Finn captured her hand and led her toward the glass double doors.

“You don’t have to do that. I’m pretty sure I can make my own way there.”

He shrugged. “I won’t be able to sleep if you don’t let me do this. Besides, you know my mom and dad would be angry with me if I didn’t see you safely home.”

Jess laughed. It was all too easy to imagine Uncle Brodie and Aunt Cerise being angry with Finn. “I’m sure they’d forgive you. You’re their son, after all.”

“Maybe, but it’s a risk I’m not willing to take. Who knows what Mom would do? She’d likely send me an envelope full of glitter and I’d be sparkling my way to my next mission.”

She laughed as they entered the elevator. “I could see your mom doing that. Tell me, is Primmy still obsessed with glitter, like her mom?”

Finn rolled his eyes. “Of course. I swear, the collection of sparkly shoes those two have is enough to light up a disco.”

“Well, a girl can’t have too many sparkles,” she said. “I did a show once where my costume was covered in diamantes. It was my favorite one. I may have paid for it so I could keep it.”

“On a dancing costume, sparkles and glitter works. Every day? Not so much. I’m not sure how Primmy gets away with wearing her glitter makeup to school.”

“She’s a senior. Everyone’s more lenient with them.”

“True.” Finn nodded.

They arrived at her floor, and he held the door open for her to step out of the elevator first. The walk to her room was short ,and as Jess rummaged through her bag for her room key, the butterflies began to flutter again in her belly.

Why was she so nervous?

Especially considering the hot kiss they’d shared on the street. Not once had Finn given the indication that he wanted to take her to bed, although it hadn’t been hard to miss the evidence of his desire when it was pressed against her body.

“Here I am,” she said, awkwardly repeating what she’d said when they’d arrived at the hotel.

“We are...” He paused, his brows furrowing as he sniffed deeply.

What was he doing?

“Do you smell that?” he asked.

Jess inhaled and caught the faint aroma of something. “Does that smell like fish?” she asked.

“It does.”

“Maybe someone ordered a seafood platter from room service and left their tray out.”

Finn looked up and down the hallway, and she didn’t need to look herself to know that her assumption was proven false.

The butterflies in her belly flittered away, only to be replaced by a big ball of dread. The smell wasn’t coming from her room, was it?

Before Jess could run the key across the reader above the door handle, Finn plucked the card from her fingers.

At any other time, she’d argue that she was more than capable of opening the door herself. This time, she didn’t. Opening her door was the last thing she wanted to do.

Finn went on high alert when fear replaced the look of happiness on Jess’s face. He’d thought it was his imagination that he could smell the strong scent of seafood in the air. A scent that seemed to be coming from her room.

All his training kicked in, and he took a moment to center himself like he always did before the team breached a building.

It was unlikely that an armed insurgent was going to be sitting, waiting for them, but he wasn’t taking any chances.

He wished he had one of his teammates at his back, but he didn’t.

Finn had this.

“I need you to stay behind me, Jess.” He kept his voice pitched low.

Jess didn’t say a word, just moving into the position he requested.

“I’m about to open the door. If I tell you to run, you do it. Head for the stairs. Okay?”

“Okay,” she whispered, the fear he’d seen in her eyes manifesting in the small word.

Should I take her somewhere safe before I open the door?

The thought filtered through his mind, but he disregarded it. There was no way Jess would agree to leave now and let him come back to investigate.

Although he wouldn’t come back alone. He’d call Oak and ask him to meet him. Maybe Finn would call a couple of the other guys as well. They’d come, no questions asked, just like he would, if the roles were reversed.

“Are you going to open the door?” Jess asked against his back.

“I will, but…” Finn was wasting precious seconds, but he wasn’t going to leave her without help. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and faced her, holding his device out toward her. “Take this. Code is four-four-three-two. If I tell you to run, unlock it, and go to favorites. Press the first name and tell House what’s happening.”

“I don’t want to leave you,” Jess all but whimpered.

“You promised me you’d run if I told you to. I don’t think you’ll have to, but I want to make sure I’ve covered every contingency possible, and you’re not left without options.”

Plus, I don’t want anything to happen to you.

Finn kept that to himself. He didn’t want to frighten her even more.

“Maybe you should call your friend from the bar before you open the door. Or we could go get hotel security. Yes! Let’s do that.” Jess grabbed his hand and attempted to tug him down the hallway, away from her room.

He stood his ground. There was every chance that they were making too much out of the smell. It could be as simple an issue as a drain that got backed up.

Finn framed her face so that she had to look at him. He brushed his lips against hers. “I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Making promises wasn’t something he did. There was never a guarantee that things were going to work out the way they should, but this circumstance was different. He was positive there wasn’t a deranged madman behind her door.

“Be careful, Finn, please.”

“Always.” He pressed his lips to her forehead before he turned his attention back to the door. This time, he wasn’t going to hesitate. He was going to enter, then deal with what was behind the door in a manner that would keep Jess safe.

Finn swiped the card across the reader and the green light flashed at the same time as the lock disengaged. He twisted the handle and opened the door. The pungent smell slammed into him through the small opening.

“Oh my God, that is awful!” She threw her hand over her nose and mouth.

“I know. Stay here, and don’t follow me in.” He was no stranger to strong aromas, but what was coming from Jess’s room was enough to have even his cast-iron belly turning over. He swallowed the acidic burn of bile and turned the light on. He didn’t have to do anything more than stand in the doorway to see what was causing the smell.

A mass of fish guts and heads were strewn over the bed.

How the fuck did someone get this upstairs without it being noticed?

A loud gasp told him Jess hadn’t heeded his instructions to stay away.

Finn whirled and pushed her out, letting the door slam behind him. “I thought I told you to stay out here.”

“It’s my room. I think I have every right to see what was going on in there.”

He scrubbed a hand down his face. “Yes, but it could’ve been dangerous for you to be there.”

“Finn, you stood there for a good half a minute before I came in there. If there was a bad guy waiting for me, he would’ve shot you already.”

“Doesn’t matter. You shouldn’t have gone in there.”

“Well, I did and I saw.” All the fight seemed to drain out of Jess. Her legs gave way, but he caught her before she crashed to the ground. “Why is this happening again?”

Finn’s blood turned cold. “What do you mean... again ?”