Page 71 of Sinning for Santa

And yeah, I fucking know I haven’t given her a better reason to think of me as anything but the monster she’s imagining, but fuck, what happened to innocent until proven guilty?

Huh. That thought has me staring at all the voicemails on her phone again.

There’s a story here. One that involves Jaxcen and her family not trusting her. Even now, they are judging a situation they don’t have any facts on. Jumping to conclusions that she must be misbehaving. Why wouldn’t their first thought be for her safety? That perhaps something bad has happened to her?

Now I don’t want her to leave here, ever.

“What’s the frown for?” Finn asks, stepping into my office and closing the door.

“Where do I start?” I mutter, reclining back in my oversized office chair.

“How about what has you so twisted up about your guest?” Finn smirks, and I shake my head, grinning back because he knows me so fucking well.

“Drink?” I ask, sitting forward and opening the bottom drawer in my desk to bring out my bottle of Glenfiddich Grand whiskey and two glasses.

“Sure.” Finn takes a seat in the chair on the other side of my desk, accepting the glass of amber liquid before I pour myself one too. “So, spill, man. What the fuck is going on?”

“It’s Christmas. I wanted a treat.” I lie and Finn rolls his eyes as he takes a sip.

“Try again. If she was a treat, you would have had her every fucking which way in your city apartment by now, not bailed up here where you actually live. You never bring your fucks here.”

Fuck it. I can never lie to my best mate.

“I can’t put my finger on it.” I admit, feeling more fucking out of sorts than ever before. “I just needed to bring her here and keep her with me. I can’t explain it.”

“How many times have you fucked her?” Finn asks, and I’d love nothing more than to dodge that question, but he must see my expression because his brows shoot up. “How many times, man?”

“None.”

For a moment, I’m not sure he’s even breathing. His eyes are open, his gaze on me, but he doesn’t blink. Doesn’t move.

“Say again.” He finally responds.

“Don’t make a big deal about it.”

“Like fuck.” Finn beams, putting his glass down on my desk. “Normally you would have banged a chick at least ten times by now. You mean to tell me you haven’t got your dick wet once, and I shouldn’t make a big deal about it?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

“You fucking like her. Like, really like her. Don’t you?”

“That’s none of your business!” I snap, and Finn throws his head back laughing.

“So when are you going to tell her?” He grins.

“Tell her what?”

“That you want to keep her.” The fucker wags his brows.

“I have bigger fucking issues right now.” I grumble into my glass before I take a sip.

“Yeahlike the fact she thinks you kidnapped her.” Again he chuckles like this is a big fucking joke. And I suppose to him, it is.

Why do best mates enjoy their friends’ discomfort so much?

“No, my issues are the fact her fiancé is a controlling narcissist. Hell her parents aren’t far off either. Did you read the messages?” I gesture to the phone sitting on my desk, and Finn nods.

“Yep. That prick sounds like he could use a good asswhooping.”

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