Chapter 8

Eight

Jess rolled over and hit something solid. Whatever it was, it was warm, and so she snuggled closer. Immediately, a heavy arm draped over her waist and hauled her closer.

There was something that was wrong about this scenario, but she was too sleepy to figure it out.

“You okay, popsicle?”

Jess’s eyes flew open and everything from the previous twenty-four hours slammed into her, like the floor had the time she’d tripped onstage and hadn’t been able to regain her balance.

She was lying in a hotel bed with Finn.

A half-naked Finn if the expanse of hard male flesh her cheek rested against was any indication.

Scrambling back, Jess pushed her hair out of her face. “Hey. I’m good. Yeah. Good. And you?” The words tumbled out, and she wished she were a little more sophisticated, as if waking up with a man was a normal occurrence for her.

Only it wasn’t.

There’d only been a few occasions she’d woken up in a man’s bed, but secretly, this was the best time.

This was a dream come true. Except, it meant nothing.

Finn was only with her because they were family.

Family .

“We shouldn’t be doing this.” The words burst out.

Confusion lit his brown gaze. “Doing what?”

“This!” Jess pointed to the bed. “Be in bed together. We’re family. In fact, we shouldn’t have kissed. What was I thinking?” she muttered.

“Whoa! Jess, let’s unpack all of that together. Okay?”

Finn’s fingers trailed up and down her arm, soothing her, and some of the anxiety threatening to swallow her settled a bit.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered after a moment.

“Nothing to be sorry for, popsicle. How about we address your concerns?”

Heat bloomed in Jess’s cheeks. She was probably bright red. “Forget it. I was being silly.”

He cupped her chin and lifted it so she had no choice but to meet his gaze. “No, you’re not. Yes, we are family. We spent a lot of time together as kids. But we’re not blood-related. My mom and dad, the ones who birthed me, were no blood relation to your dad and your late mom. My aunt married your dad, which makes us cousins by marriage. That’s it.”

Jess had thought about this many times over the years. Every time she fantasized about Finn. When she was a teenager, she’d swirled her name and Finn’s names together after she’d watched a Hallmark movie, where everyone always ended up with their perfect person at the end.

She even remembered telling her dad when she was eight that she was going to marry Finn, and he hadn’t said it was impossible. Never cautioned they couldn’t, because they were family. He’d just smiled and said, Is that right?

“What if things had been different?” she asked. “What if Mom hadn’t let Uncle Brodie and Aunt Cerise adopt you? What if we’d grown up as siblings?”

Finn shrugged. “Then things might’ve been different. We probably would’ve hated each other. But that didn’t happen. Aunt Poppy knew she couldn’t look after me and gave me to the two people who could. You know, those two weeks when I stayed with her, when you came over, was the first time I’d spent time with her in years. To be honest, I don’t think my mom or Aunt Poppy would mind if we got together. I’m sure they’d be over the moon about it.”

Jess stared. Was he serious? The guy holding her was the same one who’d ghosted her after they’d shared a kiss in New York.

She wanted to ask him why. Ask what he’d been thinking and what had changed between now and then. But she didn’t have the courage. Didn’t want to potentially wreck what was beginning to grow between them.

“Maybe, but don’t you think people will think us being together is weird and wrong?”

“Why do they have to know? I’m sure all your dad’s friends won’t worry about it. Why should you?”

Jess sighed. Maybe Finn was right. For sure, all of her dad’s friends and former teammates wouldn’t worry about it.

Also, why was she making a big deal out of something she’d wanted for so long?

I’m scared .

She couldn’t deny it. She was scared Finn would remember all the reasons why he’d turned his back on her after their first kiss. “Are you still going to take me on a tour of the Coronado?” she asked, hoping he wouldn’t question her need to change the subject.

“If you’re up to it, we can,” Finn said, after a few beats of silence.

Had he changed his mind?

Did he not want to spend the day with her?

“We don’t have to, if you don’t want to.” She pulled out of his hold and slid out of the bed. Being so close to him was confusing.

When her feet hit the floor, doubts about leaving the bed assaulted her. Now the impressive chest she’d been lying against was visible in all its glory.

His six-pack was well-defined. His chest was hair free, just the way Jess liked it. Finn still wore the pants he’d had on the night before.

Every molecule in her body encouraged her to climb back into bed and forget all about the tour of Coronado. Jess could spend the rest of the day exploring his body instead.

Abruptly she whirled, because her face probably showed exactly what she’d been thinking.

“What did you just think about, popsicle?” Finn’s voice came from directly behind her.

He wasn’t touching her, but she could feel his warmth stretching out toward her.

“Nothing. I was thinking I need to find some clothes.”

They’d stopped by her room before heading to his. The mess had been cleaned up, but it was going to take a lot of effort for the smell to completely disappear.

No one would be using that room for a while. Fortunately, her clothes hadn’t been touched, and hadn’t appeared to have a fishy scent.

“Uh-huh. Why don’t you use the bathroom off this bedroom, and I’ll go to the other one?”

The hotel had been wonderful and offered her another room on the same floor, but Finn hadn’t liked that idea.

Jess hadn’t either. She didn’t want to be alone—then or now.

What if the person who’d entered her room was a guest on the same floor? They’d broken in once. Who was to say they couldn’t have gotten into her new room?

Finn had requested the Presidential Suite and hadn’t blinked as he’d handed over his credit card. He wasn’t one to brag about the fact he came from money. That his adoptive father was a billionaire.

Did any of the guys on the team know that about him? Or had he kept that a secret?

“Jess? Are you sure you’re okay?”

Once again, she’d allowed her mind to wander off when she should’ve been moving and getting ready. “I am. Sorry.” She winced at the repetitive apology. It seemed that was all she did around Finn.

He didn’t say anything more, just giving her a look she interpreted as, Stop apologizing. It’s just us. We’re good.

“I’ll go take that shower now.” Jess slipped past Finn and opened the drawer she’d tossed her clothes in. She picked items at random and made her escape to the bathroom.

Just like it had the previous evening, the luxuriousness of the room reminded her of how the other half lived. The taps were gold-plated and the room was three times as large as the one she’d been staying in a few floors down. The towels were fluffier than those in that other room, too.

She eyed the deep soaker bath and was tempted to fill it up with warm, bubbly water, but opted for the shower instead.

After today, she’d likely take Kaley up on the offer of staying with her, or do as she’d said, and go to her parents earlier than planned. Of course, that would mean an explanation, but maybe she could get away with saying she’d missed them and didn’t want to wait to see them.

If she did that, she’d have to be convincing, because her dad always seemed to have an inkling when things were off with her. Which was why Jess hadn’t even ventured home during the time with Bartholomew.

Why hadn’t she gone home? It wasn’t as though her parents would judge her. If anything, they’d do everything in their power to protect her. That was what she should’ve done, and maybe if she had, she wouldn’t have a permanent reminder of what’d happened.

Jess ran the loofah over the scars on her arm. She was surprised Finn hadn’t asked to see them after she’d explained everything to the police.

His anger had been palpable, and she’d suspected he’d been about to throw the chair he’d been sitting in. In all the time she’d known him, she’d never seen him so angry.

How much more had Finn changed?

Had becoming a SEAL turned him into a different person?

Was this anger something close to the surface, and would it break through if Jess did or said the wrong thing?

A fissure of fear flared in her stomach, but she quashed it. Finn wouldn’t hurt her. He was a healer. When she’d found out he was becoming a SEAL, she’d been so surprised.

Ten minutes later, she left the bathroom, dressed and ready for the day.

Finn was lying on the bed, wearing the same clothes he’d had on the previous evening.

Why had she thought he’d change? When would he have had a chance to get fresh clothes?

Her mind was a jumble, and she wasn’t thinking straight at all.

“I’m ready,” she announced unnecessarily.

“I can see.” The corners of Finn’s mouth ticked up as his gaze ran up and down her body, obviously taking in her skinny jeans and flowy top. “You look beautiful, Jess.”

Heat rose up her neck. Getting compliments from Finn wasn’t new, but because there’d been a shift in their relationship, everything seemed to take on a different meaning. “Thanks. I’m sorry you have to wear the clothes you had on last night again.”

Finn stood. “Not a big deal. You don’t want to see me after we’ve been away for a few weeks on a mission, where changing clothes and showering aren’t always options.”

There was her opening. Her chance to ask him why he’d changed, but the words remained locked in her throat.

Maybe she could ask him. Or maybe it was the reminder that he went off for weeks on end to dangerous places that kept her questions out of her mouth.

“Doesn’t sound fun,” she offered instead.

“Small price to pay to ensure you and everyone else can go about your day-to-day business, instead of worrying that you are going to be used as a human shield.” Finn shook his head, as if dislodging a memory before coming up to her and taking her hand. “Come on. Let’s get this day started.”

Jess hadn’t missed the shadows that flitted across his face. If that wasn’t a sign to keep her questions to herself, what was?