Waiting for Finn to come back is even more nerve-racking than my coding interview.
I’m pacing in his living room—it’s big enough that I can really work up some speed—trying not to think up worst-case scenarios. Which is silly, because what are they gonna do to him, take him to some secure facility and torture him? He’s one of the richest, most famous men in the Valley. At worst they’ll call the cops, and then he’ll talk his way out of it.
But what if he doesn’t? What if he’s arrested and convicted? And sent away, just like Ray?
I shake out my hands, increase my pace. This is ridiculous. Why am I so anxious about this, inventing stories that will never happen just so I can worry about them?
Because I’m worried about him. The realization hits me with a cold shock, stopping me dead. I mean, of course I’m worried about him, but really I’m worried about him. Because I like him. In a warm and fuzzy, you-make-my-heart-happy-I-want-to-spend-time-with-you kind of way. A romantic way.
Oh hell. I wasn’t supposed to fall for him. I have more than enough trouble in my life—why am I doing this to myself?
I rub my hands over my face, my cheeks cold beneath my palms. Maybe I never had any choice. I’ve never felt like this about anyone before—like I’m strapped to a roller coaster I can’t control but I’m also having the time of life while also being terrified out of my wits. It’s head spinning.
This line of thought is making me crazy; I need to think of something else. Obsessing over how I feel about him isn’t going to solve anything.
I catch sight of the Go board, the pieces still left from the game we were playing last night. We went for hours and decided to leave the rest for later. Finn’s ahead by several points, but I can see a way to nullify his advantage and take it for my own. Although maybe it’s not fair for us to keep playing this game. I’ve been staring at the board all day, thinking up strategies, and he’s been breaking into Corvus, stealing their data and fixing their toilets.
I sink down onto one of the cushions, my attention caught by the game board. Finn really is a great player, and he’d be deadly if he would just settle down and focus on long-term strategy. But maybe he doesn’t want to. Maybe he’s perfectly happy with the way he plays. And the way he lives.
God, that’s a depressing thought.
I start to pick up the pieces and put them in their proper bowls. I’ve suddenly lost my taste for beating him in this match. I only want him to come back, safe and sound.
When the front door finally opens, I nearly jump out of my skin. This isn’t my house, and while I’m supposed to be here, it still feels weird to hear a strange front door open when I’m all alone.
When Finn appears in the doorway, I sigh with relief. “Are you okay?” I ask. “Did they catch you? Did anything happen?”
He smiles his arrogant smile. “You don’t want to know what I got first?”
I roll my eyes. “I’m sorry I was concerned about you. I won’t let it happen again.”
“No, it was nice. You should definitely do it again.”
My breath gets caught in my throat. Is he asking for something more? Or is this more of his flirty teasing? “I’m not going to get many opportunities after this, am I?” I ask with painful casualness.
He goes still, for so short a moment I almost miss it. “Well,” he says, as casual as I was, “we might pull off another heist in the future. You never know.”
Oh. My breath whispers out of me, then gets caught on the lump in my throat. He… This sounds like he’s talking about us being together in this hypothetical future. He’s being offhand about it, but I think that’s his way of protecting himself when things get deep.
Which means… things are deep. For him and for me.
I wet my lips, thinking about how to answer him without spooking him. “Maybe,” I say, letting some of my feelings for him leak into that. “We make a pretty good team.”
A look pulses between us, heavy with emotion and more than a dash of lust. Oh boy. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, what are we doing here? Is it what I think we are?
Then he grimaces and the atmosphere dissolves. He looks like he’s hurting.
“Are you okay?” I walk over to him, imagining the security goons working him over and leaving bruises everywhere. “You haven’t told me what happened.”
He shifts uncomfortably. “Everything went fine. I got in with no issues, got the data, and fixed the toilet. I ran into Minerva though.”
“Oh no.” I put my hand over my mouth. That’s bad. She saw me, she saw him—she’s going to know something’s up.
Finn shrugs. “She seemed suspicious, but I think she treats everyone that way. At any rate, they never found the USB drive.”
“Where is the drive?”
A strange look crosses his face. “I’ve gotta go into the bathroom to get it.”
My mouth drops open.
“It’s just taped to my dick,” he says.
I blink at him. “The USB drive… is taped… to your penis?”
He guffaws. “Yep. I figured that was one place they wouldn’t check.”
Heat rises in my cheeks. “Didn’t that hurt?”
“Like a bastard,” he agrees cheerfully. “But maybe I can find someone to kiss it better.”
The air between us goes hot and thick. I’m imagining kissing his cock, rubbing my lips over it, the skin smooth and hot, and I can tell he’s imagining the exact same thing. It’s like our hearts are meeting as our minds twirl out the same fantasy.
“I think,” I say weakly, “you could probably find someone. You’re a handsome guy.” I’m trying to make a joke, mostly out of habit, but it doesn’t land.
“I don’t want just anyone.” He’s wearing a seriousness I’ve never seen on him before. Or maybe it’s just the lack of a beard—he can’t hide his expressions behind it anymore.
And then he winces again and the moment is gone.
“I’m sorry, but I’ve got to get this off,” he says. “I’m not going to have any skin left on my dick if I don’t.”
“Eww.”
“Never say that hacking isn’t physically dangerous.”
“You’re definitely a martyr for the cause.”
He shifts again. “Ouch. Once I get this off and dunked in some hand sanitizer, we’re taking off.”
I frown. “Taking off? For where? The secure facility?” That seems the best place to start sifting through what we’ve grabbed.
“Nope. I’m gonna need to do some serious thinking on this if there’s encryption to crack, so we’re going to my place in Baja. The jet’s already waiting at SFO.” He says it offhandedly, like it’s no big deal to just leave the country on a whim.
“I can’t… There’s work, and I don’t even have my passport.”
“I already cleared it with January and sent my assistant to pack a bag for you and grab your passport.”
Someday his tendency to arrange everything without telling me is going to really, really annoy me. But not today. Suddenly all I can think of is pristine beaches and fresh ocean-caught fish and taking all the time in the world to dig into that data.
“You talked to January?” I ask. “What did she say?”
God, she probably giggled the whole time, thinking we’re going on a sex trip. Which… there’s likely to be sex and a lot of it, so she’s not wrong.
“I asked pretty please could I borrow you for this project I’m working on. She said fine.”
I’m betting she said more. I guess I’ll hear about it when we get back.
“When is the plane supposed to leave?” I ask. “I need to make sure someone feeds the cat.”
“The plane leaves when I tell it to. So take your time.” With that, he disappears into his secret hallway.
The plane leaves when I tell it to. Everything arranges itself the way he wants it to, and I suddenly have a bright realization—he’ll arrange for Ray’s release with this data. Because he’ll will it into being.
Maybe falling for him wasn’t such a bad idea. Maybe if he can will a happy ending for Ray into being, he can do the same for us.