“You say that now, but once you know the whole story, you’ll never look at me the same way.”
“Try me. Maybe I’ll surprise you.”
I grab the back of her head and kiss her one last time without letting her stop me. I plunge into her hot mouth, taking out everything I need to give me courage. When I finally find the bravery she seeks from me, I pull apart from her and stand up to my feet.
If I’m going to do this, then my mind can’t be clouded by her closeness.
“Before I say a word, just know that I’m still me—the man who will always love you, even when you can no longer look at me.”
“That won’t happen,” she replies assuredly, unaware of the atomic bomb I’m about to drop.
“Yes, it will. No one can love a murderer, Stone. Not even you.”
Chapter 29
Finn
I shift from one foot to the other, biting my thumb nail as I watch Stone take it all in.
I mean, all of it.
I told her every sordid detail, not leaving anything out. She wanted the truth, and she got it.
At least she hasn’t run away screaming.
Not yet, anyway.
I begin to pace the earth, looking every once in a while at the woman I love, deep in thought. It’s been ten minutes now since I confessed to all my sins, and she still hasn’t said a single word.
“Stone?” I stutter, my anxiety getting the better of me.
“Give me a minute, Finn. It’s a lot to absorb all at once.”
“I know,” I mumble in defeat.
“I mean, it’s not every day you are told that the man you love was involved in a double homicide. Triple, if what Governor Hamilton said was true.”
“It is. Linc made sure of determining the truth. Afterward, I mean.”
“Of course he did. Damn. I don’t even know how he is walking about, acting as if that night never happened.”
“It’s been challenging. For all of us.”
“I can see that. Okay. Let’s recap, pretty boy. So, this so-called society knows your dirty little secret, but do you think they have any proof?”
My brows pinch together, realizing I never once thought of that.
“They must have. I mean, does it even really matter if they don’t? As long as they know what happened to Lincoln’s parents that night, they can snitch on us to the cops anytime they want. If The Society is as high-up and connected as we think they are, I doubt they need proof to get the police sniffing around us.”
“Hmm. That’s true,” she replies, playing with her tongue ring, considering all our options.
I pause in place and look down at her, trying to sort all of our shit out. I’ve played this scenario a million times in my head, and not once did I think Stone would react like this. Trying to solve the puzzle we’ve been working at for months on end, with no success.
I mean, she just said…
Hold up!
What did she just say?
“Wait. Did you just say the man you love?” I almost shout, gaining a huge eye roll from the love of my life.
“Good thing you’re pretty to look at, quarterback. Took you a while to pick up on that, huh?” she teases, with a huge fucking grin on her succulent mouth.
“Always the brat.” I purse my lips to feign irritation, but I’m incapable of keeping my scowl in place with such a fucking awesome revelation.
“So, what does that mean? Do you forgive me?” I ask anxiously, wanting to hear those words come out of her mouth again.
“You didn’t do anything that warrants my forgiveness, Finn. Sure, I’m not thrilled you chased me only because you were being blackmailed. But if The Society led you to me, then I guess I can’t be too angry about that, now can I?” She winks, getting up to her feet and walking toward me.
I let out a long, stuttered exhale, my body beginning to tremble. I run my fingers through my hair, my eyes starting to prick at their side.
“Finn,” she whispers as she comes closer to me.
“I thought I’d lost you,” I croak out, emotion tainting each word as I pull at my shorthairs.
“I did, too.”
“But I didn’t, did I, Stone? You’re still mine, right?” I ask on a quivered breath, desperate for her to take away my suffering.
“Yeah, baby. I’m still yours. I’ve only ever been yours, Finn.”
“Fuck,” I growl, picking her up in one fast move, her legs clamping on my hips and hooking around my thighs.
“Even after what I just told you?”
“You told me the truth. I didn’t expect it to be pretty.”
“Stone,” I mumble, holding her tightly. “How can you forgive what I did?”
She pulls at my hair, so I have no choice but to gaze into her eyes.
“Guess loving someone means you take the good, along with the bad. We might suck at everything else, Finn, but not where it counts.”
I break my restraint, pushing her against a tree to balance her with just one hand while the other holds her pretty face.
“I’ve been lost these past few weeks, Stone. It felt like hell, being without you.”
“For me too,” she admits. “As much as I tried to deny it, you’re a part of me now.”
“And you’re everything to me,” I profess, caressing her cheek with the pad of my thumb, memorizing her flawless face, and thinking to myself how I ever got so lucky in finding such a wondrous creature.
“Finn?” she susurrates.
“Yes.”
“Just kiss me already, will you?”
“Always the brat.” I chuckle, but the laughter quickly subsides when my lips finally press against hers.
My heart leaps to my throat, urging me to never stop kissing this woman. This fierce, beautiful girl, who loves and accepts me for who I am, and not what the world expects me to be. She’s the other half of my soul who, despite seeing how black and tarnished it is, still wants to cast her bright light on it and heal it from within.
Our kiss deepens until all we are is unyielding tongues, bruising lips, and clashing teeth.
“I need you,” she mewls, the desperation in her voice mimicking my own.
“Not as much as I need you, Stone. Not half as much.”
“I love you, too,” she cries on a moan, rubbing up against me, eviscerating what remains of my control.
Shit.
Unable to hold back from taking what’s mine, I push my sweats down just enough to liberate my hard cock. I raise her skirt, pushing her panties to the side, and her wet core instantly coats my fingers with her arousal.
“Say that again, Stone. Moan out that you love me while I’m deep inside you,” I growl, thrusting into her hot core, making us both gasp out at the connection.
“Ahh,” she cries out.
But that’s not what I want to hear, so I pull her hair to crane her head back, forcing her to look at me as I fuck her against the oak tree.