Page 23 of Protecting Jess

There’d only been a few occasions she’d woken up in a man’s bed, but secretly, this was the best time.

This was a dream come true. Except, it meant nothing.

Finn was only with her because they were family.

Family.

“We shouldn’t be doing this.” The words burst out.

Confusion lit his brown gaze. “Doing what?”

“This!” Jess pointed to the bed. “Be in bed together. We’re family. In fact, we shouldn’t have kissed. What was I thinking?” she muttered.

“Whoa! Jess, let’s unpack all of that together. Okay?”

Finn’s fingers trailed up and down her arm, soothing her, and some of the anxiety threatening to swallow her settled a bit.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered after a moment.

“Nothing to be sorry for, popsicle. How about we address your concerns?”

Heat bloomed in Jess’s cheeks. She was probably bright red. “Forget it. I was being silly.”

He cupped her chin and lifted it so she had no choice but to meet his gaze. “No, you’re not. Yes, we are family. We spent a lot of time together as kids. But we’re not blood-related. My mom and dad, the ones who birthed me, were no blood relation to your dad and your late mom. My aunt married your dad, which makes us cousins by marriage. That’s it.”

Jess had thought about this many times over the years. Every time she fantasized about Finn. When she was a teenager, she’d swirled her name and Finn’s names together after she’d watched a Hallmark movie, where everyone always ended up with their perfect person at the end.

She even remembered telling her dad when she was eight that she was going to marry Finn, and he hadn’t said it was impossible. Never cautioned they couldn’t, because they were family. He’d just smiled and said, Is that right?

“What if things had been different?” she asked. “What if Mom hadn’t let Uncle Brodie and Aunt Cerise adopt you? What if we’d grown up as siblings?”

Finn shrugged. “Then things might’ve been different. We probably would’ve hated each other. But that didn’t happen. Aunt Poppy knew she couldn’t look after me and gave me to the two people who could. You know, those two weeks when I stayed with her, when you came over, was the first time I’d spent time with her in years. To be honest, I don’t think my mom or Aunt Poppy would mind if we got together. I’m sure they’d be over the moon about it.”

Jess stared. Was he serious? The guy holding her was the same one who’d ghosted her after they’d shared a kiss in New York.

She wanted to ask him why. Ask what he’d been thinking and what had changed between now and then. But she didn’t have the courage. Didn’t want to potentially wreck what was beginning to grow between them.

“Maybe, but don’t you think people will think us being together is weird and wrong?”

“Why do they have to know? I’m sure all your dad’s friends won’t worry about it. Why should you?”

Jess sighed. Maybe Finn was right. For sure, all of her dad’s friends and former teammates wouldn’t worry about it.

Also, why was she making a big deal out of something she’d wanted for so long?

I’m scared.

She couldn’t deny it. She was scared Finn would remember all the reasons why he’d turned his back on her after their first kiss. “Are you still going to take me on a tour of the Coronado?” she asked, hoping he wouldn’t question her need to change the subject.

“If you’re up to it, we can,” Finn said, after a few beats of silence.

Had he changed his mind?

Did he not want to spend the day with her?

“We don’t have to, if you don’t want to.” She pulled out of his hold and slid out of the bed. Being so close to him was confusing.

When her feet hit the floor, doubts about leaving the bed assaulted her. Now the impressive chest she’d been lying against was visible in all its glory.

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