Page 83 of Intense (Beneath The Blaze #3)

STEPHANIE

I can’t believe I’m driving a Rolls Royce. In London. The skyline is sparkling as we make our way past St. Katherine’s Docks. I’ve always dreamed of visiting this city.

“It’s beautiful here, Finn.”

“Hmm. It is,” he rasps.

A blush spreads up my neck as I glance at him. He isn’t looking anywhere else other than at me.

“Smooth,” I tease.

We’ve all taken separate cars. Each of us with our own time slot to enter the party from different entrances.

It feels like a military operation, and I am the rookie with no experience.

“How are you feeling, Stephanie?”

I tap my nails against the steering wheel as I stop for the traffic.

“Uh. Nervous. But still kind of excited?”

He gives me a sharp nod.

“The plan seems good. I’ll be relieved once it’s over,” he tells me.

I frown, placing my hand on his thigh.

“Why? That doesn’t seem like you.”

“I’ve never had to worry about the safety of my wife before. Or my own life, really. Now, I have something to live for; it feels heavier. I’m not sure what to feel.”

That raw honesty in his voice makes me smile.

“I promise I won’t get in your way. But I do like that you have concern for your own safety now. Because you’re important too, Finn. I need you.”

He glances at me and grins.

“You need me? Huh? Or just my dick?” He plants his hand down on my thigh and squeezes hard.

“You are more than just a big dick, Dr. Quinn.”

He leans in, and I suck in a breath.

“I did tell you in Vegas you were missing out on him.”

I let out a giggle.

“You did. But I’d still have to try out alien dick if I ever get the chance.”

He tuts and removes his hand.

“Look, if my wife really, really wants it, I might let it slide, just once.”

“Aw. That’s so sweet of you, letting me go after my dreams.”

His eyes darken.

“I don’t share, love. Please don’t ever ask me to. My only fucking hard limit here.”

I smile and run my fingers along his cheek.

“I don’t want, need, or desire anyone else other than my husband. You complete me.”

The cars start to move ahead, and I shift into gear. Driving on the wrong side of the road feels weird, but I’m getting the hang of it.

I take a left, and the huge, very old-looking building is in my sights. Almost like a royal estate like you see on TV.

“Keep going round the building and park around the back,” Finn directs me.

Once I find a space, I cut the engine.

“The man you’re going to see me be in there, he’s the one who has to protect his family. Okay?”

I thread my fingers through his.

“Finn, I want you to show me every version of you there is. I’m not scared.”

His gaze meets mine, and his face softens.

“Perhaps we will have time to get a dance in,” he says.

My heart races.

“I thought Dr. Quinn doesn’t do dancing?” I tease.

“I don’t. But, for you, I will. If it makes you smile.”

I lean over, and his lips capture mine.

“I’ve never been happier, Finn,” I tell him honestly.

“Me neither, love.”

The second Finn opens my door, the cool London night cuts into me. I place my hand in his, expecting the same warmth from the car, but what I get instead makes me falter.

His grip isn’t tender now. It’s firm and commanding, like he’s guiding me into enemy territory. Which, I guess, he is.

I step out, my heels crunching against the gravel, and my chest tightens as I take in the scene. The mansion looms like something out of a gothic fairytale, grand and lit to perfection, but its beauty feels like a trap. Like every chandelier inside is waiting to shatter to pieces.

Finn closes the door behind me, his shoulders squaring as he straightens to his full height. And in that instant, he changes.

The husband who teased me about chocolate strawberries and alien dick is gone. His face hardens, his eyes turn to ice, and I can practically see him slip into his role. The cold, calculating, and untouchable version of him is here. And I love him just as much.

My pulse stutters because I realize this is what he meant. The version of him that has to exist to keep me safe.

“Temptress.” His voice is dangerous. “Do not leave my side. If anything feels off, it probably is. And, remember, every single one of my men is there to protect you.”

I nod, my throat too tight to answer.

He leads me forward, his presence radiating like a shield and a warning all at once. I hold my purse tighter against me; knowing what I’ve got in there makes me nervous too.

And as the grand doors open, spilling gold light into the night, I understand something better than I have before.

My husband isn’t just a man. He’s a deadly weapon.