“Finn?”
I turn toward the sound of Rissa’s voice. That’s what woke me up. My mind is still muddled from dreams and the pills. But I’m not so out of it that I don’t realize that she shouldn’t be here.
“I’m in the back. Just a second,” I call out finally before attempting to stand.
Hours of sitting have turned my knees to jelly and as soon as I’m upright, I list to the side, crashing into the dresser. Bottles of cologne shake and rattle on the top and something crashes to the floor. I grab at the wood awkwardly to keep myself upright.
“Damn it!” I want to scream at my own weakness. But this is something I’ve had to learn to deal with. My body is unpredictable now and it betrays me regularly.
Then I feel strong arms slip underneath me, supporting me. Rissa’s arm curls around my waist and she takes my weight against her as she helps me to the bed. She has me sitting before I can protest the help. It doesn’t mean I don’t resent needing it though.
“Rissa? What are you doing here?” I’m aware that the question comes out grumpy as hell and not at all the appreciative thank you that I should be sending her way.
It doesn’t seem to faze her. Once she’s convinced that I’m steady, she takes a step back. “I heard you fall.”
“I’m okay. I was just sitting for too long. But actually that wasn’t what I meant. I meant, why did you come back? Unless my sense of timing is really off and it’s tomorrow morning already.”
She smiles slightly. “No, I left some of my supplies here. Then I heard the noise. Well, I was worried about you.”
I’m not too weak to feel ashamed as her gaze roams over the scars on my chest and my bare leg revealed by my boxers. The thought that she might feel sorry for me is almost too much to bear. I’d rather have her fight me, yell at me, or even walk away before I’d ever have her look at me with pity.
“You remember what I said would happen if you stepped foot in this room?”
Her eyes suddenly turn wary. Her hands are still on my shoulders so she snatches them back. I snag one of her wrists and pull her closer. She stumbles and lands against me.
"You should have listened."
Then I yank her against my chest hard and take her lips in a bruising kiss.
Despite her initial surprise, her lips part immediately for the thrust of my tongue. If I thought that I was going to dominate and take over, I was wrong. Rissa melts against me like whipped cream and she's twice as sweet. She leans against me using my body to support her so she can curl one leg up around my waist. Then she straddles my lap and I can't stop myself from grinding against her. I nip down her neck, breathing in her fresh scent. Just the way she smells brings up so many memories. I take her lips again and our tongues duel before she finally pulls back, her hands in the center of my chest to hold me back.
"Why are you doing this, Finn?"
“There was a time when I believed that we were meant for each other. You told me that you’d always be mine and that together, we'd make our way in the world. Well, those days are long gone but the time has come for you to make good on at least some of that. I want what you promised me. I want you to make this place a home.”
She looks horrified by what I’m saying and there’s a part of me that knows this is exactly what I deserve.
“So you’re doing this to punish me?” she gasps.
“Yes. But I'm doing this just because I want to." Then my hands travel down over her back to land on her full curvy ass. As I squeeze the round globes, she whimpers into my mouth.
The sound seems to wake her up because she pulls away and stares at me. "I wish I knew if this was real or if it’s just one more way for you to hurt me." She disentangles herself from my grip and then hustles from the room.
"I wish I knew too, angel."
CHAPTER FOUR
RISSA
Several unopened boxes of wet wipes fall from the shelves above me, pelting my arms and neck. With a curse, I bend and pick them all up before stuffing them back in their storage container. For the first time in a year, I have a chance of being able to find what I need in the crowded storage room without a map, a prayer and three wishes from a genie.
“Uh oh. You only organize like this when you’re upset.”
I pause in the act of stacking the boxes of rubber gloves by size. “I’m not upset. This place is just filthy.”
And I need to do something to take my mind off vengeful millionaires and mind-numbing kisses.
“Did Andrew call again? You'd tell me if he did, right?” Tara’s voice is hushed. It’s after six in the evening and I’d assumed there was no one else in the building. Apparently I was wrong if Tara is still here.