Finn looked around Val, who tottered on what had to be five inches of stiletto. He caught a glimpse of a dark-haired man sitting at the bar. Even from here, Finn could see he was dressed in an expensive shirt and slacks. Then he turned as though looking for someone, and Finn got a look at his face.
Damn it. Julian Lodge. Why did he have to be here?
Finn felt his face flush and averted his eyes before Julian could catch him gawking. This was the reason he’d stayed away from Dani all these years. A man like Julian walked in and Finn couldn’t help but want him. He didn’t want to admit it, but maybe Lucas was right. Lucas went on and on about how submission was in Finn’s nature and how attracted he would be to strong Dominants. Julian Lodge was proof of that.
This morning, it had taken every bit of courage he had to face the man. When he’d opened the door, the first thing Finn wanted to do was stare and maybe drool a little. He’d stood there in the doorway wearing nothing but a pair of black slacks, his elegant face a mask of irritation. Finn had taken one look at Julian’s muscular chest and his perfectly defined abs and wanted to ask if Julian would take him, too.
Dani would have loved that.
“Oh, now that is just one gorgeous man. And he looks rich, too.” Val was practically licking her chops.
“He’s a billionaire.”
Val turned, her mouth dropping open, eyes wide. “You’re kidding me.”
“Nope.” A little kernel of evil joy lit in his breast. “He’s my firm’s richest client. He’s also the man Dani ran away with. That was his car she hopped into.” And his bed. Damn, but Finn wished he’d been there.
Val was spewing some serious venom about how lucky Dani had always been, which was pure bullshit, but Finn was thinking. Dani was attracted to Julian, no question about it. He’d talked in length to Lucas as he’d sat on Dani’s porch, and he’d found out a little bit about the infamous club owner. Julian Lodge liked it both ways. Lucas had explained that Julian liked to keep a male and female slave. Slave. Finn wasn’t sure he liked the word, but that was the word Lucas had used.
Finn had to wonder how far he would go to stay close to the woman he loved.
He might not be the most aggressive man in the world, but Finn would be damned if he didn’t do everything to get what he wanted.
“Oh, wow, he’s coming this way.” Val patted her hair and pulled down on the neckline of her shirt. “Introduce me.”
Finn gasped, the breath shocking into his system. Julian was walking his way, and there was no question who he was coming for. There was an almost gritty look to the man’s face that had Finn’s body vibrating with anticipation.
“Finn,” Julian said, not an ounce of friendly greeting in his voice. It was a challenge.
“Sir.” Finn did what came naturally. He allowed his eyes to slide away. He gave the man in front of him the greeting Lucas warned him he required. If Finn wanted Dani, he was going to have to go through Julian. When he’d come up with the plan during the long, lonely hours of waiting for Dani, he’d realized he wasn’t going to be sacrificing much. Getting into Julian’s bed alongside Dani would be a pleasure. And a way to make damn sure he was there to clean up the mess Julian was sure to leave behind.
Julian leaned back as though regarding him seriously. “A different approach? Well, this one is bound to work better than attempting to decapitate me.”
Val elbowed him.
“Oh, uhm, this is Val. Val, this is Julian Lodge,” Finn managed to mumble. His eyes darted between Julian’s trim waist and the dance floor where Dani seemed to be trying to grind some redneck asshole to dust. “Julian, this is Valerie Bay, Dani’s sister.”
Finn was completely satisfied with the disinterest Julian showed in Val. His eyes held no heat as he glanced over her and dismissed her entirely. His focus immediately came back to Finn.
“You allowed Danielle to leave the house dressed like that?”
The forbidding tone in Julian’s voice had Finn standing up straight. “She didn’t give me a choice.”
Julian’s arms were crossed, his eyes flaring. “Your choice should have been to pick her up and tie her down if she chose to disobey you.”
“What the hell is he talking about?” Val asked, hand on her hip. “Why does he care what Dani wears? I mean, she looks like a stuffed sausage, but that’s her damn choice. The girl never did have a lick of fashion sense.”
Now Julian was interested. “You’re Danielle’s sister?”
She shrugged, but inched closer. She thrust her chest out, and her voice took on a breathy, little girl quality. “She’s my older sister. Much older, if you know what I mean.”
“I don’t. I didn’t ask Danielle for her birthday, much less yours, before I went to bed with her.” Julian turned back to Finn. “Does Danielle live with…this?”
It took everything Finn had not to laugh. “Yeah.”
“She needs to move.”
“Yes, Sir.” Finn believed that more than anything. She needed to leave Willow Fork. If Julian Lodge could get her to pack her bags, Finn was good with him.
“You slept with my sister?” Val’s shrieking could be clearly heard over the loud country-western music.
Julian’s gray eyes became positively arctic as he turned his attention to Val. Finn watched as she lost her seductive posture and shrank back. “Go away.”
Val took a sharp breath. Her well-shaped brows came together in a V. “Well, I never.”
“I couldn’t care less what you have or haven’t done. Leave my presence.” Julian’s eyes found Dani on the dance floor. His mouth turned down sharply. “I don’t like what she’s wearing. She’s showing too much skin. Her breasts are going to fall out of that shirt. Damn it, is she wearing a bra? She better be wearing a bra.”
Val huffed and stomped off, her body vibrating with a rage that gave Finn a deep satisfaction.
“I tried to get her to change, but she ignored me.”
The world seemed to flow around Julian as though he had his own plane of existence and the rest of reality moved to make way for him. People walked all around him, moving through the small area, but hugging the walls as though in deference to his space. Finn himself was jostled and shoved, but Julian remained unmoving, untouched.
“And you expect to take care of her in this manner? By allowing her to dress as a hooker and ignore your reasonable requests?”
Finn wasn’t sure what Julian expected him to do. “She’s not a child. She’s an adult. I can’t just tell her what to do.”
Julian shook his head, all that dark brown hair shaking like handfuls of silk. “Can’t you see that is exactly what she wants from you? She is not behaving as an adult should. She is acting out. I’m not questioning her intelligence. I’m not saying she is immature. I am pointing out that most of us act out when we want attention. Even the most rational human will push the boundaries to really test the people around us. Danielle was given a harsh blow today. She is going to push you away in an attempt to see if you will go. She will shove and fight and scratch at your soul to see if she can get you to leave her because she would rather hurt now than later. Are you going to allow her to do that?”
Finn felt Julian’s words like a physical blow to his body. “No. I won’t leave.”
An almost soft expression came over Julian’s gorgeous features. His hand came out, cupping Finn’s left shoulder. “It’s all right. I can teach you how to take care of her. You might not like how I do it, though. Are you willing to learn?”
Finn’s head was nodding before he could get the words out. “Yes, Sir.”
“Good. Let’s start now.” Julian turned and began to walk toward the dance floor.
Finn hurried to follow.