Free Badlands: The Lion's Den by Georgette St. Clair Page B

Jennifer.”
    “Jennifer?” Finn snapped at him. “What does she have to do with it?”
    “Come on, man,” Liam chimed in, impatience lacing his voice. “Open your eyes. She’s pissed off that you’re with Flora, so she’s deliberately messing with your head. I’m putting her on a different shift than you.”
    “No, don’t. I can handle it,” Finn said quickly. He couldn’t be that weak. He had to be able to handle it. Marybeth hadn’t sacrificed her life just so he could screw up his.
    “You’ve got a good thing with Flora,” Jose said to him. “I’ve never seen you like this before. You should try to keep her around.”
    “So now you’re giving out relationship advice? When are you going to grow a pair and tell Krystle how you feel?” Finn growled, and stormed off without an answer.
    Even as he did, he knew that he was being an asshole. He’d apologize later. Right now, it was all he could do to keep his lion caged within his skin.

Chapter Eleven
     
    Flora worked late at the club, bussing tables and washing dishes…and waiting for Finn. He had apparently gone out on patrol. She didn’t mind the extra work; being busy helped keep her mind off things. Like, was Krystle all right? And why was Finn avoiding her? Was it something she’d done?
    She tried to ignore Jennifer as much as possible. Blair had assigned her to work in the play area, and when she kept wandering into the bar area and deliberately bumping into Flora and almost knocking over the trays she was carrying, Blair had finally sent her home and told her to take the week off. Jennifer had stomped out, cursing and muttering threats under her breath.
    Finally, at two a.m., Flora got tired and headed upstairs. Finn still wasn’t back. After she took a quick shower, she went and curled up on the couch. It was truly ridiculous for a big guy like Finn to fold up his body and sleep there.
    She didn’t even know what time it was when he finally tromped through the door.
    “Hey, gorgeous,” he said, as she sat up groggily. “Go on, take the bed.”
    “No. It’s just silly, Finn. The couch is tiny,” she insisted.
    “I’m not having you sleep on the couch. Go on, woman – move your gorgeous ass.”
    She folded her arms across her chest. “I’m not going anywhere.”
    “Oh yeah?” He scooped her up in his arms, ignoring her squealed protests. “What’s that you were saying?”
    “Put me down, you big ox!” she yelled as he carried her into the bedroom. “I am not sleeping in here! Jerk! I’ll kill you! I swear to God—”
    He dropped her on the bed, breathing hard. As soon as he turned to go, she leaped up.
    He quickly pinned her down on the bed. “Do I need to tie you down?” he said, with a gleam in his eye. “Because that can be arranged.”
    She was sopping wet with arousal, and her breath came in pants. “How, exactly would you do that?”
    “All right, you asked for it. And your safe word is ‘clementine’.”
    He leaned over her, pinning her with his weight, and his mouth descended on hers with a crushing, possessive pressure that had her gasping for breath and twining her arms around his strong neck. She could feel his heart thundering against hers. Her lips parted on a breath and he darted his tongue into her mouth, nipped playfully at her lips, then returned for a soul-deep kiss that sent trills of pleasure running across her skin, painting shivery tracks of gooseflesh down her body.
    He cupped her breasts in his palms, fingers working the plump flesh, thumbs grazing over her nipples and drawing them into exquisite points of sensation. She mewled kittenishly and was too overcome with the pleasure of the moment even to feel embarrassed.
    She tried to catch her breath when he withdrew from her, but he was only gone for a moment.
    He grabbed a handful of cloth from the bedside table, and she realized with a little thrill of surprise that he was holding a bundle of silk scarves, which he snapped onto the bed beside