Stupid Hearts (7 page)

“Holy shit, Finn. This is…” I couldn’t speak, my orgasm building faster than I wanted it to.

“Joey, your ass is so fucking tight. You feel amazing.”

Only a few more minutes was all I could take. “Finn, I’m fucking coming,” I cried out.

“Good, baby. Come for me.”

His body quaked under mine as he pulled out and let his warm come shoot onto my back, my orgasm crashing over me like an electric wave.

I turned off the vibrator and started to get up.

“Let me.” Finn scrambled to his feet and got a dampened hand towel from the bathroom.

He sat on the bed behind me, kissing my shoulder as he cleaned my back. “You’re incredible.”

I turned to look into his gorgeous honey eyes. “So are you. I’m sorry I doubted you.”

“It’s ok.”

“Can you stay tonight?”

He pulled me into him and laid back onto my pillows. “There’s nowhere I’d rather be.”

Chapter11.

The next morning I rolled over to find that I was alone in my bed. A sinking feeling started to creep into the pit of my stomach as I heard my front door slam shut. I grabbed my robe from the floor and made my way into the living room to see Finn setting coffee and a bag of bagels on the dining room table.

“Morning, love.” He made his way over to me, planting a kiss on my forehead. “I took Dozer on a little stroll and grabbed breakfast on the way back.”

“You didn’t have to do that.”

He handed me my favorite coffee. “I know. I wanted to.”

We sat down for our breakfast, Dozer chomping on his rawhide in the living room.

“When is your next shoot?” Finn looked across the table at me.

“Actually, today at your hotel.”

“Brilliant, I’m working at noon.”

I took the last sip of my coffee. “I have to be there at four.”

“Hopefully I’ll be able to see you, as long as we’re not too busy.”

“Will I see you after?”

“You’re not getting away from me that easily, not after last night.” He winked and I blushed.

“Good.”

The large ballroom was packed with excited guests as they filed into the rows, awaiting the ceremony. I was busy snapping candid shots of everyone while my partner for the day was off with the bride doing her first look shots with her dad. Usually that was my favorite part, but I had been brought onto this shoot last minute because the original second photographer had broken his hand in a rollerblading accident while I was in Nashville. So, I didn’t have much say in what I did, I was just along for the ride.

An all too familiar voice broke my concentration and I got rigid. “Joey? Is that you?”

I turned around and, to my horror, saw Seth standing there in an expensive suit, without his wife on his arm or a ring on his finger. “Where’s the wife and baby, Seth?”

He rubbed the back of his neck, taking a step closer. “She left me,” he whispered.

Shocker.

“Good for her. Now if you would excuse me.”

“I’ve missed you.”

“I’m working.”

He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Alright.”

Thankfully, he took his seat—right next to where I was standing, but at least I could move away from him, which I did in a heartbeat.

The night rolled into the reception. Finn must have been really busy because he hadn’t made his way into the ballroom to check on things like he had planned.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Seth standing next to the bartender, staring at me while he sipped on his martini.

“I’m going to run to the restroom.” I looked over at my partner for the evening. She gave me a quick nod and I bolted to get a little bit of privacy. I heard the door close behind me as I came face to face with a sloshed Seth. He was standing inches from me, his hand wrapped around my wrist.

“You’re so pretty,” he slurred.

“You smell like a bar. Leave me the fuck alone.”

He threw me into the wall, his body weight pinning me in place while I squirmed to get free. He tried to kiss me and I reached up with all my might and slapped him across the face.

“Oh yeah, baby. I know you like it rough.”

He shoved me again and I screamed, “Seth, you’re a fucking dirtball and you need to get the hell off of me right now!” Panic started to break into my words.

The door to the bathroom opened, revealing an enraged Finn flying across the room and connecting his fist to Seth’s jaw. A few seconds later security guards burst through the door and started to restrain Seth.

“What do you think you’re doing interrupting me and my girl?” Seth grumbled, trying to break loose.

“She’s never was and never will be yours.” Finn was seething.

“Who the hell do you think you are?”

“The man that loves the woman you just tried to rape, you filthy fuck.”

I slouched to the floor, heaving hysterically, tears flowing down my cheeks. Without a word, Finn scooped me up and carried me down the hall into a vacant room.

He cradled me in his arms and sat down on the couch, never letting me go. He wiped the tears from my eyes. “You’re safe, Joey. I promise.”

“Did you mean it?”

Finn looked at me questioningly. “Mean what?”

“That you love me.”

His kissed me tenderly, pulling me closer to him. “Yes. I know it’s fast but there’s just something about you that I know I never want to live without.”

“I love you too, Finn.”

“Wait here.” Finn started to get up from the couch, handing me the remote.

“Where are you going?”

He kissed my lips quickly. “To let them know why you’re not working the rest of the night and to get excused from the rest of my shift.”

I started to follow him. “I should really go home to Dozer.”

Finn spun around and shook his head. “Call Brett, see if he can let your dog out. You’re not leaving this room until I know that dirtball is far gone.”

I nodded, sent a text to Brett, and slumped down onto the couch.

Finn returned in less than an hour, Styrofoam containers in hand.

“Hungry?” Finn’s honey eyes were tired and worried.

“Famished. What’d you bring me?”

“A grilled chicken sandwich. Is that alright?”

My stomach growled. “Anything would be alright at this point.”

We sat on the king size bed and chowed down on soggy cold French fries and mediocre sandwiches.

“Everything alright with Dozer?”

I nodded, swallowing my last fry. “Brett’s staying the night at my place.”

“Perfect. Then we can stay here.” Finn gathered the empty containers and pulled down the sheets.

“Are you sure this is ok?”

He grabbed my hand, helping me under the covers and into his arms.

“Joey, I promise this is alright. You had a rough night. Get some rest.”

I shifted to try to get comfortable but my clothes kept bunching up. I sat up and started to undress.

“What are you doing, love?”

“I’m not going to be comfy with all this on.”

He unbuttoned his shirt, pulled his undershirt off and handed it to me. “Here.”

I yanked it over my head. “Thanks.”

Once our pants were thrown onto the floor, Finn’s arms secured around me again. “Goodnight, Jolene.”

I kissed his smooth cheek. “Goodnight, Sir Wallace. My knight in shining armor.”

He chuckled.

“What’s so funny?”

“William Wallace didn’t wear armor.”

I shoved him gently with my elbow. “Whatever!”

“I’ll still take it as a compliment even if your knowledge of history is shit.”

“Night, Finn.”

“Sleep well, my love.”

EpIlogue.

one year later

“Baby, wake up.” Finn’s brogue broke into my dream-filled sleep.

“Five more minutes?” I tried to turn away from him, pulling the blanket onto my shoulders.

“We’re about to land, Joey.”

“Are you going to tell me what we’re doing going to Nashville anyway?” I rubbed my eyes and returned my seat to its upright position.

“I told you, it’s a surprise.”

After Finn’s photo shoot in Boone, his modeling career took off. He had been traveling all over the world doing magazine ads and was even starting to break into television commercials. With his busy schedule and mine, we were lucky to get one or two weekends a month together. When he mentioned that he wanted to take me on a surprise trip, I was thinking something more like Costa Rica or Italy, not Nashville. Don’t get me wrong, I was very happy to have five whole days of quality time with Finn, no matter where in the world it was.

We grabbed our luggage, rented our car, and started to drive into the middle of nowhere in the mountains.

“Come on! You know I hate surprises!”

Finn glanced over at me from the driver’s seat. “It’s just down this road. We’re almost there, beautiful.”

We made our way down a long winding gravel road until Finn parked the car in front of a house that was clearly under construction.

“We’re here. Come on, I want you to see something.”

I climbed out of the car and followed Finn toward the unfinished home. He led me into the wood-framed structure and up the stairs.

“Are you sure this is safe?” He was leading me out onto a balcony that didn’t have a railing set up yet.

“Trust me, I called the builder and asked if this was ok.”

“How do you know the builder of this place?”

He grabbed my hand and turned me to look out at one of the most breathtaking sights I had ever seen. The rolling hills were covered in lush greenery and ran into a gorgeous mountain range off in the distance. There was a small garden in the backyard with tons of purple, pink, and white flowers of all kinds.

“So to answer your question, this is our new home.”

I was shocked. I froze. I didn’t know if I was mad that he had made such a huge decision without me or thrilled because he was finally helping me live out a dream of mine.

“I don’t know what to say.”

With that, he got down on one knee.

“Joey, I love you. I have since the moment I saw you in that bar. There is something about you that I never want to be without for one more second of one more day. Please, spend the rest of your life with me. Marry me, Jolene.”

I heard grunting and sniffling coming from behind me. I turned to see Brett, Kathy, and Dozer standing on the balcony behind us, videotaping the proposal.

“Well, I think that handsome man asked you a question, cous.”

I jumped into Finn’s arms. “Yes! Of course.”

He slipped the ring around my finger and pulled me into him. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“For what?”

“For making all my dreams come true.”

I kissed his soft lips and muttered, “Thank you for being my dream come true.”

the end.

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