Twenty-four hours later, Finn couldn’t get that kiss out of his head. Passion had never been their issue. In fact, from the moment he laid eyes on Genevieve, he’d wanted her.
Which had ultimately been his downfall.
At first, he’d been drawn to her in the same way he’d fallen in love with a Rembrandt when he was a teenager or a glorious ruby the size of his fist ten years later. Incidentally, he’d eventually owned both.
He’d always had an affinity for beautiful things. And there was certainly something ethereal and wholesome about Genevieve. So different from the jaded world Finn had lived in for his entire life.
Early on, he’d convinced himself it was an act. It had to be. No one was that naive and trusting. Especially knowing her grandfather, Lackland Reilly, and his influence on her life. But Finn soon realized she was that trusting.
Or she used to be.
He’d ruined that about her, and right now he hated himself for stealing the clear innocence that had shone from her eyes. He might have replaced the Star, but he couldn’t fix the other damage he’d caused.
Although watching her with their son...he might even be more attracted to her now than he’d been before.
Lackland had worked hard to keep Genevieve sheltered and unaware of how the world really worked. He’d homeschooled her, surrounded her with nothing but adults who did and said what he demanded. And he’d expected the same of Genevieve, to follow his commands without question. Treating her more like an employee than a family member. A commodity.
And that had pissed Finn off. It wasn’t the first time he’d encountered that kind of dictatorial sense of entitlement in their world. And hell, he’d never given a damn about how anyone else was treated.
Until Genevieve.
He’d always sensed an inner strength, hidden deep. Like the roughest uncut diamond, just waiting for the skill and patience to bring out the sparkle and fire.
Why did it bother him that he hadn’t been the catalyst that had brought her fire forth?
Although maybe he could take some of the credit. The way she’d stormed into his apartment yesterday, her eyes blazing, ready to go toe-to-toe with him... The Genevieve he’d known before wouldn’t have had the backbone to do that.
Even now, Finn felt his sex stir at the memory. He’d been unable to control his reaction to her. His physical need to touch and taste, to capture that energy and make it his own.
But he couldn’t give in to that need. Not without jeopardizing what he really wanted. Getting distracted by Genevieve had cost him before...he wasn’t willing to make that mistake again. Their attraction was dangerous. It made him sloppy and stupid.
What really mattered was that she’d said he could visit Noah again. A step in the right direction, but he wanted more. He wanted to be able to show his son the world.
Finn needed to move slowly with Genevieve. Convince her that he was different from the man who’d seduced her for his own purposes three years ago. Because he was.
Or he wanted to be. For his son. For the family he’d never thought he’d have again when Sawyer died.
The phone on the table in front of him buzzed, rattling against the wooden surface. Scooping it up, he punched the green button to answer.
“Stone.”
“I’ve got the equipment you asked for. Please tell me you’re not doing anything illegal with it. No, wait. On second thought, don’t tell me a damn thing. Deniability is a beautiful thing.”
Finn laughed. One good thing about Stone, he always managed to make Finn smile.
“I’m not doing anything illegal.” Exactly... Although perhaps he was walking a fine line. Genevieve probably wouldn’t agree to the surveillance equipment he was about to install outside her studio and home, but that was only because she didn’t understand how vulnerable she really was.
He, on the other hand, knew exactly where her security weaknesses were hiding. And he intended to patch a few of the holes...until he could convince her to give him access inside to cover the rest. No way was he going to let something—someone—important to him remain needlessly vulnerable. He robbed idiots like that and he refused to be an idiot.
On this, he’d risk asking for forgiveness instead of permission. Genevieve and Noah were important to him. Her business and designs were important to her. So he was going to protect them.
“Uh-huh,” Stone’s skeptical voice ghosted down the line. “You’ve got enough cameras, microphones and storage capacity here to make the Met envious.”
“That’s a nasty exaggeration.”
“Fine, just tell me you’re not going to do something stupid.”
“I’m going to set up external surveillance at Genevieve’s studio and home. Her security leaves a lot to be desired.”
The silence that followed practically screamed Stone’s disapproval. His friend was fully aware of the history between Finn and Genevieve. He was also privy to the six-month fight Finn had just engaged in to get access to his son.
No doubt Stone thought this was asking for trouble. And maybe he was right, but Finn was going to do it, anyway.
Finally, Stone said, “I’m going out on a limb here and guessing she has no idea her every move is about to be recorded?”
“Uh...” Finn really didn’t want to answer that question.
“Jesus,” Stone swore. “You’re gonna end up back in jail, aren’t you?”
“No.” Finn had no intention of getting caught, either with this, or with anything else. “Can your team install everything? And set up the feed on my computer and phone?”
Stone sighed. “Yeah. I’ll send someone over tomorrow. Let them know how you want it all set up. It should only take a couple hours.”
“They’ll be discreet?”
“You mean, they won’t tip your baby mama off that she’s being watched?”
Finn had to bite back a retort at Stone’s words. He knew the man had used them on purpose, hoping to get a rise out of Finn.
“Yes,” he ground out.
“They’re skilled at being unseen when I need them to be.”
Perfect.
Genevieve stared at the jewels sparkling on the table in front of her. They were gorgeous. Something about them made her chest tighten with joy and anticipation. Her blood thrummed faster in her veins, sort of like it did the minute Finn got close enough for her to smell his spicy, tempting scent. Whatever shampoo or soap he used, she wanted to have it banned in all fifty states...as a lethal weapon.
Nope, she wasn’t going to think about him right now. She’d spent the last couple days trying to wipe out the memory of her tirade at his apartment...and the kiss that had sent her scurrying for safety.
Because she was a damn fool. And her body epitomized the definition of weakness.
Even knowing exactly the kind of man he was and the deception he was capable of...she’d wanted him. So much. Where had her libido been the last three years? Because it certainly had been MIA.
Even now, the damn man was messing with her life. She’d come into the studio to work. She really needed to get this piece finished...which was a problem since she couldn’t even seem to get it started.
She’d been staring at the stones, moving them around on the table, as her mind ping-ponged ninety miles an hour on everything except her work. No, that wasn’t true. She knew exactly what her mind had been focused on.
Flipping her cell phone over, she glanced at the screen and registered that it was close to midnight. She needed to head out and let Nicole go home. She didn’t have class in the morning, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t looking forward to crawling into her own bed.
Frustrated that she’d wasted several hours and accomplished nothing, Genevieve gathered the stones and locked them back into the state-of-the art vault where she kept her loose stones and finished pieces.
That was one thing Nick, her only employee and head of security, had insisted on. He’d allowed her to scrimp in other areas in exchange for an expensive-as-hell vault. His rationale was that anyone just knocking over the place would be outclassed and leave empty-handed. She’d been around the business long enough to understand the value of protecting the investment she’d made in materials.
But at the end of the day, even if this was her livelihood, the gemstones were just things. Certainly, they were beautiful, but so was the sound of her son’s laughter. At least to her.
Locking the back door, Genevieve took several steps outside when an unexpected shiver snaked down her spine. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end and she paused midstride. A burst of adrenaline shot into her system.
But she had no idea why.
Gaze darting around the empty parking lot, Genevieve attempted to find something out of place. But everything was quiet and still. Shadows shifted, but they were leaves from the grand oak trees at the back of the property rustling in the late-night breeze.
It was her imagination. She was being paranoid, that was all. Quickening her pace, Genevieve grasped her keys, unlocked the door to her SUV, slid inside and quickly locked it again.
Her heart was beating way too fast considering nothing had happened. Shaking her head, Genevieve cranked her car and headed home. She needed sleep, that was all.
She’d take another crack at the alexandrite tomorrow. Maybe during the day. A change of scenery might be what she needed. In the meantime, she was going to head home and spend some time with her sketch pad. Maybe brilliance would strike.
Finn stared at the computer screen open in front of him. His loft was pitch-black, the only light coming from the glow in front of him. His feet were kicked up onto the coffee table, a glass of red wine close to his elbow.
Anyone who walked in would probably assume he was completely relaxed, watching a movie or something.
In reality, he was desperately trying to control his temper.
It was his turn to want to race across town, barge into Genevieve’s home and read her the riot act. What was she thinking, working alone that late at night? The neighborhood her studio was in was decent, but any place could be dangerous after midnight.
Especially when you added the temptation of pricey gemstones.
And from what he’d gathered, her late-night foray to the studio wasn’t an anomaly. She hadn’t even bothered to call in the yahoo she’d hired to handle her security.
Oh, you better believe he’d had the idiot checked. And while on the outside he appeared capable of handling the job, it was obvious he wasn’t. Or Genevieve never would have been at the studio alone at midnight.
Clearly, he’d gotten the job because she’d known him from her time at Reilly. And, from watching the man for the last few days, Finn did not like the way his gaze followed Genevieve. Finn’s gut told him more than loyalty had what’s-his-name following Genni when she left the family business.
Finn sat up straighter in his chair when Genevieve’s car appeared on the right half of the split screen. Maybe he needed to ask Stone to put a tracker on her car so he could monitor her on the way home. Although that was probably crossing a line, the dead space between her leaving the studio and arriving at her place made him nervous.
Genevieve parked in her driveway, pulling in beside the old sedan her babysitter drove. She disappeared inside only to reappear on the front stoop as the other woman left.
Nicole’s hair was pulled up into a knot on the top of her head, but at some point it had gotten a little off-kilter. Her eyes were heavy-lidded and she moved sluggishly, as if she was half-asleep.
In contrast, Genevieve was wide-awake.
She gave the other woman a hug, asked her a question, which was answered with a definitive nod, and then watched as she drove away. Crossing her arms over her chest, Genevieve stood outside for several seconds before slipping back inside.
Finn watched the progression of lights as they went dark throughout her house. He had no doubt she stood at Noah’s doorway for several seconds before disappearing into her own room. Not only because there was a pause before the hallway light was extinguished, but because that was the kind of mother she would be.
It took about fifteen minutes for all the lights in her home to flip off. He should follow suit and go to bed, as well, but he couldn’t. Not merely because of his irritation at Genevieve’s lack of self-preservation.
He wanted to be there with her, slipping into bed beside her. Yes, touching and tasting her, but also pulling her close and tucking her into the shelter of his body. Falling asleep to the quiet sound of her breathing. The heat of her skin sinking deep into his own.
Genevieve made him want things he shouldn’t.
Nope, he wasn’t going there.
Finn was about to close the lid of his laptop when something made him pause. His hand rested on the top of the lid as his gaze sharpened on the left side of his screen.
Right there. Again. A flicker.
His heart kicked inside his chest, ticking into a faster rhythm, one that was comfortable and familiar. He lived for the heightened physical state, that hit adrenaline gave during high-stress situations.
Something wasn’t right.
Pulling the feed at Genevieve’s studio up full screen, Finn zoomed in tighter and waited.
It didn’t take long for one of the many shadows to move against all the others, materializing into a dark figure skulking at the back door.
Shit.
Before he could react, Finn watched it open wide enough for whoever was there to slip inside.
Vaulting up from his position on the sofa, Finn juggled the computer in one hand while he snatched up his phone with the other. The first call he made was to the police. The second was to Stone.
The third was to Genevieve.
Genevieve tossed and turned for about twenty minutes, her brain simply refusing to settle. Finally, in that space right before falling asleep, her body had just begun to sink down into the bed when her cell phone rang out from the bedside table.
The noise startled her, jolting her upright. Her brain was sluggish enough that it took her a couple seconds before registering what the sound was. Snatching up the phone for fear the noise would wake Noah, she didn’t recognize the number before hitting Accept. Telemarketers didn’t call after midnight, so it really didn’t matter. But if this was a wrong number she was going to get cranky.
“Hello,” she whispered, resituating herself in bed so she could rest against the headboard.
“Genevieve?”
Her eyebrows beetled. “Finn?”
“Yeah, listen—”
She cut him off. “What the hell are you doing calling me this late? Whatever you have to say can wait until in the morning.”
“Genevieve.” Finn’s voice was urgent and demanding, much different from the unconcerned billionaire she knew. “Someone broke into your studio. I’ve called the police and a friend, but you should get over here.”
Blinking, she didn’t even know how to respond to what he’d just said. “What?” was about all her brain would spit out.
“I’m so sorry to call this way,” he responded, his voice going soft and apologetic.
Her grandfather’s snide voice sounded in the back of her mind. Use your head, girl. It isn’t a coincidence this is happening just days after he’s back in your life.
She hadn’t spoken to her grandfather in three years. She’d avoided any chance encounter by cutting ties with anyone in his life. And it pissed her off that even now his voice could invade her mind. Influence her thoughts.
But, dammit, he wasn’t wrong.
“Is this your fault?”
“What? No. Why would you even ask that?”
Why wouldn’t she? He was guilty of breaking into her grandfather’s vault...and most likely a hundred more. Although she couldn’t for the life of her figure out his angle for calling and telling her.
But that didn’t mean he didn’t have one.
“The police are on their way,” he reiterated.
For some reason, that statement made her stomach dive straight to her toes. He was serious if he’d called the cops. She couldn’t fathom Finn DeLuca voluntarily communicating with the authorities.
Dammit.
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.” Genevieve didn’t bother waiting for Finn’s response before hanging up.
Vaulting out of bed, she raced to Noah’s room and gently scooped him up, blanket and all. He barely stirred when she strapped him into his car seat, mumbling a couple nonsense words before his half-opened eyelids closed again.
The streets were deserted as she raced across the city to her studio. Several stoplights caught her, red only to make her impatiently wait while terrible thoughts spun through her brain.
Her show was ruined. Every single one of her pieces was inside the safe in her studio. She was an idiot for leaving them all there, but considering she had nowhere else to secure them...it had been her only choice.
Turning the corner, Genevieve wanted to scream and cry when she saw the trio of police cars parked haphazardly in the street outside her studio. Blue-and-red lights flashed across the empty pavement, bouncing off the brick facade of the buildings surrounding them. The revolving lights made her dizzy.
She had no idea why she bothered to park inside the lines of the space in front of the sidewalk, other than habit.
Genevieve was half out of the car when a figure appeared inside her opened door. She yelped before realizing who was standing beside her.
Finn’s hand cupped her elbow, supporting her as she stood. A zing of electricity shot up her arm and across her chest.
She couldn’t deal with him right now.
Shaking him off, Genevieve maneuvered away, rounding the back of the car to the other side.
“I don’t need this right now, Finn. Please go away.”
Without waiting for his response, she opened the back door and ducked inside so she could gently extricate Noah, hoping the whole time that he might remain asleep. Although that probably wouldn’t last long.
She had the buckle undone and the straps off his arms when she felt Finn’s heat at her back.
Seriously, she just couldn’t right now.
But before she could say anything, his hands were over hers, stopping her from finishing what she was doing.
Strong hands grasped her and hauled her backward out of the open doorway.
That’s when he made a huge tactical error. Finn positioned himself between her and her son.
“What the hell are you doing?” she angrily whispered. “Get out of the way. This is not the time.”
“No.”
“Excuse me?”
“I won’t let you wake him up. Noah should be home, asleep in his own bed right now.”
“No joke, asshole. And the sooner you get out of my way, the sooner I can speak to the police, figure out what the hell is going on here, just how much damage has been done, so I can go home and put Noah back to bed.”
“Why didn’t you call Nicole back?”
Had he really just asked her that? “Because it’s almost one o’clock in the morning.”
“Maddie, then.”
“Because that would make it better? I’m not calling anyone in the middle of the night to take care of my son. I’m perfectly capable. I’m not happy about his sleep being disturbed, but it’s not an everyday occurrence. Shit happens, and as a single mother, I do the best I can to handle the obstacles.” Her voice began to escalate, until it was loud enough to echo off the walls beside them. “I’m damn good at it, because I’ve been doing it for a long time. Noah and I can handle this. We don’t need you here.”
His entire face pulled tight, aristocratic features sharp and pinched. His dark coffee eyes flashed with an unexpected fire that had breath backing into her lungs.
“Tough. I’m here, anyway. I’m not judging your decisions as a mother, Genevieve. You’re a damn good one and I didn’t need the report sitting on my desk to tell me that. I never doubted you’d be anything but a good mother. You have an uncanny ability to put everyone else’s needs before your own, a trait that motherhood has only enhanced. You need to go inside, speak to the police and tell them what’s missing. I can’t do that for you. What I can do is take our son home and put him back to bed. Because there’s no reason he has to be here.”
Genevieve stared at Finn for several seconds. A lump formed in her throat, but she refused to let it build into the emotional breakdown that threatened.
Was she an idiot for contemplating letting him take Noah?
Probably. Finn DeLuca was selfish, egotistical and too charming for his own good. But there wasn’t a single part of her afraid he wouldn’t take care of their son.
The man had fought too hard to get access to Noah to screw it up by doing something stupid.
“You don’t know anything about taking care of a toddler.”
“True, but I think I can handle unhooking the harness and getting him back into bed. Unless you expect he’s going to wake up and want to throw a rave?”
Unexpected laughter burst out of her. She could totally see Finn throwing a toddler techno party, complete with funneling chocolate milk and popping fruit snacks like they were pills.
She was clearly exhausted and punch-drunk.
Her gaze drifted behind Finn to where Noah sat in his car seat. His little head was lolling against the headrest, completely oblivious to the blue-and-red lights flashing intermittently across his face.
She didn’t want him here.
“Fine,” she found herself saying before the decision had even fully formed. “The gold one is the key to the door from the garage.” Grabbing his hand, she slapped her keys into Finn’s palm.
Before she could pull away, his fingers closed around her wrist, trapping her in place. Digging something out of his pocket, he gently uncurled her fingers before placing a single car key in her palm. Instinctively, her hand closed around the hard plastic, still warm from his body heat.
“I parked by the back door. I’ll text you when we get home and he’s back in bed.”
Nodding, Genevieve took a huge step back. “Thanks.”
Her mind was a jumbled mess as she watched Finn fold his tall, muscular body into her small SUV and back away. She stared at his brake lights until they disappeared around the corner.
And only when an officer walked up beside her saying, “Ms. Reilly? I need to ask you a few questions,” did she shake herself back into focus on what was going on around her.