Stripped Bare (Vegas Billionaire 1)

Finn smiles and pulls me into his arms, crushing me. “You called us a family.”

His words hit me square in the chest. I hadn’t meant to, but it slipped out and he’s picked up on it and it makes him, dare I say, happy. He’s happy that I referred to us as a family?

Finn sets me down and continues taking us to the kitchen where he sets Morgan up at the island with a glass of milk and some cookies.

“Stay here, we’ll be right back,” he tells her as he takes my hand and drags me back to the room where his father is.

“Dad, I have to know something.” This time we stand in front of Mr. McCormick, who hasn’t changed his position in the past few minutes. “Did you know Macey was pregnant with my baby? She came here and spoke to Mom. That’s what was in the letter you found, the one I read last night, the one that you should’ve sent me a year ago instead of setting on my desk. So tell me, did you know? Did you know that I had a daughter out there whose mother was struggling to make ends meet?”

Mr. McCormick sits back in his chair and I prepare for the words that he’s about to tell Finn, that he knew and didn’t care because of where I’m from. I close my eyes and squeeze his hand, praying that I’m wrong.

“I didn’t know, Finn. When your mother was dying, she kept saying you needed help, but I thought it was about school or dealing with her death. I had no idea you had a child. If I did . . . well, you would’ve been responsible for her.”

Finn lets go of my hand and hugs his father. Their embrace makes me jealous because I don’t have that connection with my mother and I have no idea who my father is. Morgan was leading that same type of life until a chance encounter with Finn and an offer I couldn’t refuse were thrown at me.

“As much as it pains me to hear you say the things you said about your daughter, Finn, I’m happy she has you. That she has us.” His dad pats him on the back, forcing me to look away so they don’t see me cry. When they separate, the clearing of a throat causes me to look up. “Is there anything I can do for you and . . .”

“Morgan,” Finn injects.

“Yes, Morgan.” Mr. McCormick smiles. “Is there anything I can do for you both?”

I shake my head, knowing that she has Finn now.

“We’re going to take the yacht out. Do you want to come?” he asks his father, much to my surprise.

“Yeah, I’d like that. Let me go tell . . . nah, you know what, I need a day with my son and I’d really like to get to know my granddaughter.”

With a flurry of motion, I’m back in the kitchen packing sandwiches and anything I can find, and let’s face it, I can find everything in this fully stocked kitchen, while Finn, his father and Morgan are outside hooking the Jet Skis up to the truck.

Finn comes back to the kitchen, his smile so bright. I’ve never seen him this happy. In Vegas he was brooding, always moody, and kept a businesslike demeanor, but now, he’s different.

“Are you ready?” he asks as he picks up the basket that I’ve been packing.

“Where’s Morgan?”

“With Dad.”

“Finn?”

He drops the basket and puts his arm around me. “Macey, it’s fine. He’s excited and Morgan loves it out there. He’s been telling her stories and she’s asking him all sorts of questions.”

“It’s just . . .” I want to finish with “she’s mine,” but I don’t. He has to understand that I can’t compete with the McCormick pocketbook and fear that he’ll demand that I do.

“It’s just what, Macey? Are you scared that my dad is going to hurt her?”

I nod. “In a way, yes. Or she’ll hate me because I can’t give her this type of life.”

“You will, don’t worry.” He kisses me on my forehead as if that is supposed to make everything okay. It doesn’t. It only increases my anxiety that my life is about to implode thanks to him.

He takes me by the hand and leads me out of the kitchen and into the garage, where I find Morgan standing in the back of a truck.

“Hi, Mommy.”

“Hi, little miss. Are you having fun?”

“I am. I get to go on a boat today, look.” She moves her dark hair and shows me a sticker behind her ear. I look at her with question and she shrugs.

“Seasickness patch. I have one for you too,” Finn says, coming up behind me and placing something behind my ear. “It’ll help, just in case you need it.” I absentmindedly touch the sticker behind my ear and thank him. I can’t believe he thought of everything. This Finn, the one who is making sure everything is perfect, is not the Finn from Vegas, and honestly I think I like this one much better.