“I hated that,” said Finn. “Hated fighting with you. Hated being away from you. Then, I was partly at fault. But this time, I’m not. So I’m staying put.”

His girl growled and squirmed and got nowhere.

“Your logic escapes me. Get your f**king fingers out of me.” Her hands shoved at the kid’s thick shoulders, not moving him at all.

“Finn!”

“My f**king fingers aren’t in you. Yet. Be patient.”

“Daniel …”

“He does have a point,” Daniel said, relishing the whole scene more than a little. “You do seem to be starting a fight for no reason.”

Her mouth twisted and those familiar twin spots of red lit her cheeks. So pretty.

He sighed, dramatically. “Hon, it’s not real y fair to expect me to get involved in a fight between you and your other boyfriend.”

“Get him off me,” his girl gritted out.

Finn looked at him, eyes fierce, daring him to do it.

“Easy, tiger. This is between you two.” Dan held up a hand in surrender, grinning broadly. “So long as you’re not hurting her, I’m not interfering.”

The tirade this set loose from his babe was mighty. They both ignored it.

“I would never hurt her,” Finn snapped, fingers still busy between her legs.

“I know,” Dan said, shifting his hard-on to a more comfortable position. “That’s why I’m not interfering. So … what happens next?”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Frustration had her fit to fight.

She wanted to stay mad. Mad felt safe. Instead she was moving against his hand, ostensibly to get away, but it wasn’t working. Her sex was slick and far too willing. A moan escaped her, and she almost sobbed at the betrayal.

Being wet didn’t play into her mood. But she was panting, out of breath and overexcited.

And the real problem was that she was going to cry, f**k it.

Her eyes were gritty. Her heart going rabbit crazy in her chest. The fluffy white menace was going to break a rib in its bid to run away this time.

“Don’t. Finn, please.” Her voice caught, which she hated even more. “Stop! Just stop.”

“Stop what? This?” His hand stilled against her pu**y, cupping her sex. Oh man, the ache it left behind. The bastard. “You don’t want this?”

“I don’t want you touching me when you’re angry at me.”

Finn smiled. It wasn’t comforting. “I’m not angry at you, Al. You’re angry at me. Doesn’t matter though. I’m not going to play this game with you anymore.”

“What game?”

His beautiful face dipped, firm lips aiming for hers.

She turned her head aside. There Daniel lay, twirling a strand of her damp hair around his finger. His face was impassive, concentrating on her damn hair without meeting her eyes.

She was on her own as promised. The wanker.

Finn rested his forehead against her cheek, his breath warm on her skin. The heat of his body pressed her into the mattress and everything became good and right. He made breathing an effort.

“Look at me.” He rubbed the tip of his nose against her cheek, waited. Sighed and kept on when she didn’t comply. “The game I’m referring to is the one where you start a fight when you’re scared. The same game where you don’t say what you mean. Those kinds of games, Al. Do you love me?”

“What?” Ali tried to turn her face back to him. She needed to gauge his feelings, figure out where he was going with this. But now he didn’t let her move. His face pressed against hers, lips sliding along her skin, stopping near her ear.

“You heard me,” he prodded. The feel of his mouth moving against her skin sent shudders through her. Resisting him was doomed to failure, she should have learned that by now.

“Finn.”

“Answer the question. Truthfully.”

Her mind reeled. The rabbit fought harder than ever, rattling the bars of its cage like a lion. “You know I do.”

Finn said nothing, lifted his head. His face eased and he nodded. Nothing more.

She swallowed hard. Stared back up at him. “I mean it.”

His angel’s lips curved into a smile. “I believe you. Now tel me what the real problem is.”

She turned her face to the other side, eyebal ing the bulge of his bicep. He was so strong, willing and able. His strength set the perfect example. They both were perfect, and they were far more than she deserved. Not that she would give them back.

The rabbit kicked hard, frantic. Letting them down terrified her. It was a nasty little knot inside herself. Being petrified of everything all the damn time made her sick to her stomach. Up on the roof she’d sworn to sort al this out and she would. Right about now.

Ali shut her eyes tight and opened her mouth. “What if this crap against me involves you two? What if they go after you, if they hurt one of you? I couldn’t … I can’t be the reason for one of you getting hurt. It was all I could think of last night. What if you tried to come get me while it was dark? You would have died.” She couldn’t look at them without her eyes going hot with tears. It felt like there was a stone in her throat, but she had to tell them everything. There was no turning back now. “And this place. I’m not sure I like it, but you two love it. You’re like local gods here. You fit right in. What if I never do? Some ass**le here already wants me dead or infected. And what if I get pregnant? How do we protect a child? Let alone the lack of modern medicine. I’m not sure I could do that without drugs.