Page 42 of Something Unforgettable

“Unfortunately, I have a lot I need to get done before we land. Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

Finn held up his phone. “I’m fine. I can entertain myself. Ev downloaded a bunch of new books for me.”

“Romance books?” Xavier asked with a teasing grin.

Finn’s cheeks went warm. “Yes. But you can’t make fun of me,” he shot back. “You like Hallmark movies.”

Xavier laughed. “Guilty.” He leaned over and pressed a kiss to Finn’s mouth, then turned to his work. Finn settled down with his phone—already on airplane mode—and pulled up the first book. It was by a new-to-him author, and Finn flushed when he realized the theme was Daddies and boys. Ev had literally no chill.

The breeze was warm on Finn’s face as he stepped off the plane and took Xavier’s offered hand. He hitched his backpack higher on his shoulder and walked toward the waiting limo.

At the back door was a tall, lean man with a tailored gray suit and perfectly styled light-brown hair. He smiled as they approached, and his teeth were very straight and very white. Was everyone in LA going to be this good-looking? Finn resisted the urge to tug on his shirt. There was nothing wrong with the way he looked. He was wearing his nicest jeans, clean sneakers, and a tee that always made him feel good. He might not dress like a movie star, but Xavi liked him just the way he was.

Maybe if he repeated it to himself enough times, he’d start to believe it. He should have asked Xavier to let him go home for some nicer stuff. His mom had sent some fancy shirt last Christmas that was still hanging in the back of his closet. That would have been better than what he was wearing now.

“Asher,” Xavier greeted as they stopped in front of the man. So this was Xavier’s PA, the man Xavier said kept his life running smoothly. Finn was determined not to be intimidated. He looked up as Xavier tugged him closer and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “This is Finn. My boyfriend.”

Finn froze. Boyfriend? He felt his face warm. It shouldn’t be a surprise. Xavier had said Finn was important, and he wanted to be his Daddy. Why was “boyfriend” the thing that threw him? He shook off the shock and held out his hand to Asher.

“It’s nice to meet you,” he said, somehow keeping his voice free of his uneven emotions.

Asher took his hand and looked Finn up and down as he gave it a firm squeeze.

“Good to meet the guy who’s been keeping the boss so busy the last couple of months.” He said it easily, but Finn detected a glint in his eyes that suggested he didn’t mean it. Finn bit the inside of his cheek and took his hand back as soon as he could, reaching for Xavier again.

“Just a few weeks, really,” Finn murmured, wondering if Xavier being in Split Rock had caused extra work for Asher.

“More like a year,” Xavier teased, leaning down to kiss Finn on the temple. “Don’t worry,” Xavier murmured in his ear. “He’s just feeling you out.” He straightened again. “Let’s get going. Have you tracked Dalton down yet?”

Asher huffed and opened the door of the limo, sliding in. “Unfortunately,” he called back. “He was holed up at a private club downtown.”

Xavier took Finn’s bag and handed it to the driver before helping him into the limo. Finn settled on the wide seat, facing the front. Asher was across from him, eyeing him as Xavier draped his arm over Finn’s shoulders again.

“Wonderful,” Xavier said, sarcasm thick in his voice. “Where is he now?”

Asher winced. “His building was swarming with press. We couldn’t even get close. It was a nightmare.”

“Ash,” Xavier prompted with a raised eyebrow.

He sighed. “He’s at your place. Last I heard, he was out by the pool, sobering up.”

Finn didn’t like feeling stupid. He knew Xavier had money from the way he dressed and some of the things he said. He owned his own company, he drove a nice car, he kept a room in Split Rock for convenience. Finn maybe should have started to put things together with the private jet and the limo, but he assumed it was just a work thing. His parents flew corporate from time to time; Finn had even flown with them on a vacation once when he was little and the owner of the jet was going the same way.

Looking up at Xavier’s home, a few things started to fall into place. The first clue had been the sprawling mansions they passed on the way up the hill. Then the huge gates blocking the ends of the driveways. The final piece of the puzzle was when they pulled through yet another gate and into a circular driveway in front of a huge, modern-looking home.

Finn’s mouth was open and Asher tapped a finger under his jaw to push it shut as he climbed out of the limo.

“I’m refraining from making a dirty comment, just so you know,” he told Finn, a hint of a tease in his voice.

“Thank you for that, Ash,” Xavier said, also amused.

Finn turned to look at Xavier with big eyes. “Your house is beautiful,” he managed to get out, pleased that he didn’t sound as flustered as he felt.

Xavier grinned and leaned in to give him a kiss. “I’ll give you a tour after I deal with Dalton. Wait till you see the view.”

Finn grabbed his bag, but Asher took it from him, saying he’d get them settled in. With nothing else to do, Finn followed Xavier into the house. The decor was warmer than he expected—lots of wood mixed in with the floor-to-ceiling windows that cast beams of light over the tile floors. They passed the biggest kitchen Finn had ever seen in his life, complete with a bar that would seat twelve—Finn counted—and walked into a living room with oversized leather sofas that looked perfect for sinking into.

The curved back wall of the room was all glass. It was one of those sliding doors that could be opened all the way, making the whole thing vanish. The doors were open in the middle, and outside, a pool surrounded by light-colored stone, plants, and massive boulders sparkled in the bright sunlight. At one end a waterfall spilled down, and at the other was a small, grassy yard with nothing but the ocean beyond it.

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