Weak for Him (16 page)

"I'd like that."

Turbulence and terrible food
fueled the flight. No amount of mini bottles of booze or Dramamine
could help it, but I kept dreaming about Paris, and Luke, and the
semi-secrets I shared with him on the way home. No one knew
personal things about me in Vegas. Granted, he didn't know the
whole story, but just enough to get him in trouble. A simple Google
search would give my parents' deaths and me away. Nothing was
private these days.

Once on the ground, fatigue and
hunger blanketed my body. The weather was colder and different from
Texas, and I wanted nothing more than a hot shower and a handful of
aspirin. I felt like we time traveled from the airport to Felton's
and to the moment that Luke escorted me to the front door. I waited
for him to speak.

"Thank you for the wonderful time.
It was nice being your boyfriend for the weekend. Send my regards
to Julie."

He laughed and tried walking
away.

"I don't think so. Not so quick."
I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged. Then, I kissed him on
the cheek and pulled away. "Thank you."

"I'm already planning Paris." His
finger trailed the outside of my jaw and then he walked away. The
Volvo zoomed down the driveway.

Once inside, I leaned against the
door and closed my eyes, hoping my head would stop swimming. Too
many emotions happened too quickly.

I dragged the suitcase up the
stairs and changed into some running clothes. Breaking myself down
physically usually helped clear my mind. My parents, the house,
tattoos, Texas rendezvous, and the heart of Paris, I couldn't
concentrate.

The weather was too nice for me to
ignore the opportunity to release all the tension through my body.
I pulled my hair into a tight ponytail, jogged down the stairs, and
grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge.

"Where do you think you're going?"
Jesse asked as she sipped a cup of tea.

"Out for a jog. Gotta stay fit,
you know. It's in the contract."

"Yes, we wouldn't want your ass
any bigger than it already is."

"And I don't want a flabby granny
ass like yours," I said and then mumbled "bitch" as I walked
away.

I did a few quick stretches
outside. The temperature had dropped, and the cool air stung as it
entered my lungs, but the fresh dryness relaxed me.

Fall, finally.

The slow pace down the long drive
would help me warm my muscles. I knew that it was a mile to the
country road and a mile back so I would get in two miles, maybe
four if I felt up to it.

My feet hit the pavement, but I
stayed light on my toes. When I ran, I felt free, strong, and
unstoppable.

My heart beat hard, and I picked
up the pacing, almost to a full sprint. Air flowed in through my
nose and out my mouth, and halfway to my checkpoint, I wished for a
pair of gloves. Although my blood pumped fast, and my body felt
warm, my fingers and toes stayed cold. But I continued
forward.

At the end of the driveway, I
checked my time, nine-minute mile, not bad, but not my best.
Warm-up lap. I tapped the gate with my fingertips and then took off
again. I pushed harder, and faster, with hopes to beat my personal
best. The wind carried me to the house as it flowed with me instead
of against. I ran to the front steps and tapped the front door,
eight minutes and twenty-nine seconds.

"Yes. In your face," I said to
myself between breaths that I could almost see.

"What's in my face?" Finnley stood
in a pair of running pants and matching windbreaker.

"I cut my time down. Just
celebrating."

"Congratulations. Want another
go?"

I clicked my heart rate monitor
and took off running.

Eat my dust, suckaaaa.

I pushed myself harder than I did
the last run. The newfound pace was above my comfort level, but I
refused to slow down and dug deep inside. My fingers grazed the
gate at the end. The normal break I usually took was skipped when
Finn kept running.

"Hey! Don't cheat," I yelled at
him and then forced myself to run at his speed.

"Haven't you learned yet?" His
breathing was heavy and sexy as he spoke between breaths. I tried
not to ball my fists and concentrated on relaxing my body, and
moving as a well-oiled machine.

"It's all about pacing, Ms.
Downs."

I laughed as I tried to sprint
ahead of him, but he was faster, stronger. Neck and neck, we ran
beside one another until he left me in his tracks. He stood with
his shoulder against the wooden door as I sprinted to catch
up.

"I will outrun you any day," he
said.

I checked my watch: thirteen
minutes.

"Woohoo! Two miles. At seven and a
half minutes. That's the fastest I've—"

"Go again?"

"Nope. I'm done. I've beaten my
personal record."

Sweat dripped into my eyes, and
burned, but I wiped it away.

"Come on, have another go. I'll
slow down to your level if you'd like."

The smirk that spread across his
face drew out the competitive side in me. I exhaled, but gave in to
the challenge. But this time, I didn't race; I took it slow and
steady as he instructed. From my peripheral, I could see his body
flexing with each movement. His hair, messy and flat from sweat,
was tucked behind his ears.

Pure sex.

"How long have you been running?"
I asked.

"Since Uni. I ran on the varsity
team."

"No wonder I'll never beat you.
You're body has been trained. Not fair."

"Very good. I pick up the pace,
and you follow. Not the first time I've guided you."

The thoughts of Finn touching my
body and speeding up and then slowing down, gave me a bolt of
adrenaline. I took the shot with pleasure and doubled my speed.
Second wind, just what I needed.

As I ran past him, I thought I
heard him chuckle. And as he passed me, I knew why. It was cute
that I really thought I could beat him. I tapped the front door and
checked my time: twelve minutes and fifty-six seconds. I actually
squealed in excitement over my new record. Sweat dripped from my
face onto my shirt, but I didn't care. I wasn't that kind of
girl.

"I've never been that fast," I
said.

"It seems as if I bring out the
best in you." His raised eyebrow was such a simple seductive act
that begged and drew me closer as he leaned on the
doorframe.

"Maybe you do," I
whispered.

He opened his arms, and I
hesitated. I couldn't allow him to hold me. As I walked closer, he
grabbed me and pulled me into him. Warmth flooded me and I wanted
to stand there forever, but I had to jerk away. Get away from him
before he smothered me in his scent, the one that melted my
emotions so easily.

Click. Click.

The door swung open, and Finn fell
backward pulling me with him. Jesse stood over us as we lay on top
of one another on the cold marble floor.

"Your timing is incredible," Finn
said directly to Jesse.

She tightened her fists, and her
nostrils flared.

"The final bids are in, thought
you'd be happy to know the outcome," she said dryly.

I stared into Finn's greens, and
his didn't leave mine. We were stuck in a moment together, and
neither one of us wanted to break free. He apologized with his gaze
as he helped me from the floor. My body ached for him and his
touch, but I withdrew.

Jesse handed over the golden
envelope, and he took it without any emotion.

It was really happening. I would
give myself to someone, someone who wasn't Finnley
Felton.

The destiny of my virginity rested
in his hands.

Who would be the lucky
bidder?

He opened the envelope and pulled
out the golden letter.

"Of fucking course," he whispered
as he handed it over for me to read for myself.

LUKETON BRAND

The words should have shocked me,
surprised me in some way, but I knew better. I
knew
Luke, or
at least thought I did. The smile that wanted to form on my lips
vanished as Finn walked up the stairs and slammed his door. Jesse
gave me her typical, "are you fucking happy now" look and a smirk.
I turned and went upstairs, making sure to slam my door just as
loud.

Knock. Knock.

"Hey, Jen." Lori stood on the
other side of the door.

"Come in."

She greeted me with a smile and
sat beside me on the edge of the bed.

"Did you hear what happened while
you were gone?"

I shook my head.

"Jesse is pissed at you and wants
you fired. Felton and her got into a huge argument over it, and he
called her a bitch and left. He didn't return until you came
back."

"I… I had no idea."

"You should watch out, Jen.
Seriously. Felton has never treated any of his girls the way he
treats you. He's always been all business. If you get in too deep
with him, Jesse
will
fire you. She has the legal right, and
boy is she pissed. Oh my god. You should have heard her screaming
at him. I've never heard her use that tone. Everyone was home, too.
It reminded me of my parents before they got a divorce."

"Why is she so upset?"

Lori looked at me,
dumbfounded.

"Wait. You don't know?"

I shook my head.

"Jen. She has been in love with
Felton for years. Since she became his right hand
woman."

"That's against the rules," I
protested.

"One must first admit he or she is
in love and then act upon it," Lori said as if she were reciting
the Pledge of Allegiance.

"Have you seen the way she looks
at him? It's kind of the way he looks at you," she said.

I had no words. I never noticed
the way she looked at him.

"I don't know what you're talking
about."

"Jennifer. He looks at you like
you are, like… you're the sunrise in the morning. The light of his
day that greets him from the darkness."

"Always so poetic."

"Just watch out, okay?" She stood
and hugged me. "And please try to have
fun
when you have sex
for the first time."

"Okay."

"Promise me."

"I promise. Hey, Lori?"

"Yeah?"

"Will it hurt? You know, when I
finally do it."

"You'll be fine. I think you'll
enjoy it, you little sex kitten. You're ready."

She winked at me and gave a tight
squeezed hug. When Lori left the room, she left me with a mind full
of questions.

I pushed open the window and let
the cool night air kiss my skin.

Greets him from the
darkness…
Her words echoed in my mind.

Seventeen

T
he next morning I woke to
curtains being ripped open and sunlight being forced in.

"Time to get up." Finn seemed
aggravated.

I rustled in bed, throwing my arm
over my face. He ripped the covers from me, and I gave him the
dirtiest look I could muster.

"You are so annoying," I
mumbled.

"Stand up."

I did what I was told, but didn't
want to.

"What will we do today,
sir
?" I asked so calmly, so sweetly that he almost smiled,
but didn't.

"Don't call me that
anymore."

"Yes,
sir
." I batted my
eyes in his direction. He lightly grumbled, and I saw his body
slightly loosened.

"You will be going shopping today.
Luketon agreed that Friday would be perfect for him. He has a big
night planned for you, and you need to be ready."

I moved closer to Finn, not taking
my eyes from his. Once closer, I rubbed my hands down his arms and
ran my lips across the outside of his.

"Stop that. Do you think you can
just wake up one morning and do whatever the fuck you
want?"

With force, he grabbed my wrists
and lifted my hands above my head then slammed me against the wall.
My breathing increased as he parted my legs. With light nibbles up
my neck, he kept my arms tight above my head and whispered in my
ear. "I told you not to call me
'
sir' anymore. So don't
fucking do it again."

He slammed my wrists against the
wall, taking his anger out on me.

"You have to listen to me,
Jennifer."

He stressed between gritted teeth.
His breathing increased as did mine.

"What will you do to me if I
don't, sir?"

"You don't know how to fucking
listen, do you?"

Finn bit his bottom lip, and
tightened his grip on my wrists as he held my arms up with one
hand. With the other, he ran his fingers through my hair and then
popped the buttons from my shirt and ripped my panties off my body.
The slight pain felt good. He parted my legs wider, and I leaned my
head against the wall.