Page 75 of Stolen Temptation

“I said, I know.” Only Finn’s allowed to be short with his father.

Shane leans back in his chair, seemingly satisfied with this plan. “Keeping the girl locked up here means we can use her if things get dicey.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, Da, things are already dicey.” Finn shoves away from the table and stalks toward me.

Maybe there is something wrong with me after all, because I just want to get back to Kiara.

Finn drops his hand on my shoulder, his sharp eyes piercing like nails.

“My office. Now.”

Chapter 19

Rory

As soon as we’re through the door of Finn’s office, he turns the full force of his investigative powers on me. His cold, sharp gaze is a knife sinking into my flesh. He doesn’t bother sitting down, so I follow his lead.

I can already tell this is a conversation that best takes place standing up.

“Rory.” A vein in his jaw twitches, like he’spissedbut holding his own chain so he doesn’t pounce. “Tell me everything about this I don’t already know.”

“There’s no more to tell.” Uneasiness adds iron to my spinal cord, prompting me to stand a little taller. “You know as much as I do.”

“Bullshit.” Finn backhands a mug on his desk, which tears through the air before shattering against the wall, white ceramic chunks and old brown coffee creating a stale-smelling mess all over the floor. “Do you honestly believe that I can’t tell when you’re lying to me? We grew up together. Or have you forgotten?”

Irritation blazes in my chest.

Being accused of lying when I’m telling the truth pisses me off eleven times out of ten…though I suppose I am lying by omission.

Maybe the real reason for the anger boiling in my gut is how Finn’s acting like a nosy hypocrite right now.

Is he seriously accusing me of lying to him just because I haven’t been up-front about touching Kiara? It’s not his business.As a dutiful member of this family, I’ve told him everythingwork-related. Why does it matter if Kiara and I shared a few non-work-related orgasms?

Finn was in a similar predicament just a fewmonths ago,with his now-fiancée. Not like any of us were up his ass about whether he and Riley had anything going on, even though they one-hundred-percent did.

No, for the most part, I kept my mouth shut when Finn was going through it with Riley. I could tell some romance-related shit was happening, but I didn’t stick my nose into their business. Finn can handle himself, the same wayI can handle myself.I was even the one he vented to when Cian went off the rails about Harper.

I have always been the damn voice of reason in this friend circle, but suddenly I’m the bad guy just for attempting to keep my professional and personal escapades separate?

Standing here grinding my teeth isn’t going to make this moment go away.

“I’ll report when I know more.” Gritting the words out, I struggle to keep my temper from wrenching out of my careful, controlled grip.Nothinggood will come of the two of us losing it in a room this small.

“You fucked her, didn’t you?”

Rage slams against the inside of my ribs, bucking to get out andcutFinn for treating me like this. “No.”

“You’ve been acting unprofessional ever since you and Darren went to that auction.” Finn folds his thick arms across his chest. “This is worse than sex, isn’t it? You’re falling for her.”

“Well, you would know.” I spit the words at him before I can stop myself.

Finn’s face goes blank, then his eyebrows lower into a scowl. “Say that again.”

“I guess you and Cian are the only ones allowed to fall for women you’re assigned to protect.” I’m squeezing my fists so tightly I hear a knuckle pop. “Right? That’s how it works. One set of rules for you and another a set of rules for?—”

“So, youhavefallen for her.” The smug expression Finn sports makes it appear as if his scar is smirking at me.

Heat sears the back of my neck and pinches at my heart.