Page 56 of Shattered Hearts
How did it turn out like this?
In terse commands, Finn directs the crew my father sent. As I watch the workers haul out the broken furniture, at first I think they’re helping as a courtesy. Then I realize it’s the perfect cover. The last item extracted from my apartment is a giant rug I’ve never seen before, into which an unconscious Troy Sullivan has been rolled up.
They toss the rug into the back of their van with the rest of the furniture.
Finn materializes at my side. “Ready?” Before I can respond, he hands my luggage to one of the crew guys. “Make sure this gets delivered to my room.”
His room.
Oh, right. As “Harper,” you have to sleep in there.
My stomach flutters at that thought.
When he walks away, I follow him with uncertain steps. “Um, why are they taking my suitcase?”
He twirls a key ring around his finger. “There’s not enough room.”
“In yourcar?”
“On my bike.”
I stop walking. “Excuse me?”
Finn continues, stopping only when he reaches a motorcycle. He sticks the key in the ignition.
He gives the crew behind us a whistle, and their moving van departs the alleyway, like they were waiting for his signal.
Now, it’s just the two of us and this hunk of gleaming metal.
“I…um?—”
“Put this on.” Finn offers me a bulky helmet.
“Where’s yours?”
“Only brought one.” He throws a leg over the seat and nods at me. “Hop on.”
That’s what I do.
Arms holding Finn in a death grip, I try to ignore how good his lean, hard body feels pressed against mine as my mind reels from the last several hours.
This morning, I woke up drained to the point of partial brain death, and tonight, after almost being murdered, I’m supposed to fall off to sleep in the same room as Finn, my sexy fake husband and future-brother-in-law? Plus, live with him, twenty-four seven, like a real married couple, starting tomorrow?
Un-fucking-believable.
My apprehension about a surprise motorcycle ride with Finn dies down as we tear through the city, streetlights and honking cars in every direction. Though being wrapped around Finn for the second time today feels as dangerous as the first, the advantage of this travel configuration is we can’t exactly talk…at least not easily.
Because I don’t know what I’ll say when Finn brings up that kiss. And he’s going to. I know he will. What happened at the wedding was for the sake of protecting the charade. But me throwing myself at him in my apartment?
That was reckless.
I squeeze my eyes shut against the shame building in my sternum.
What the hell were you thinking? How could you be so stupid?
I don’t know what came over me.
When I go over the events in my mind, I see myself walking into my den, seconds before Finn ended Troy. I had no idea what all Finn had done to him while I cowered in the other roomwaiting for my panic attack to subside enough for me to come out.