He looked back at Prince, who still wore that same confused expression, completely unaware of Finn’s thoughts.
Dammit, what the hell am I doing?Prince has no idea I’m attracted to him.I’m turning myself inside out for nothing.
Finn felt he should explain himself, especially since the distance between them was his doing, but he didn’t know what to say.He had already decided he wouldn’t tell Prince about his feelings for him, yet he knew they would have to clear the air one day.Finn just wasn’t ready.
Finn scanned the restaurant, breaking eye contact with Prince.Once he spotted a table near one of the many windows and beside one of the three large fireplaces, he walked over to it, trying not to look back at Prince.Still, he could feel the other man’s eyes burning into him.
Finn’s heart fluttered at the thought that Prince’s stare was not just curiosity.
"Fuck, I need help."
Prince could not takehis eyes off Finn.Although he had caught a glimpse of him this morning, it had only been Finn running out the door the second Prince descended the stairs to the kitchen.
Fuck, I want to hold him.
"Prince, are you listening to me?"
He forced his gaze away from Finn, who had just sat down with his back to him and the rest of the restaurant.
"No, I wasn't listening," he told Roderick honestly.
"I figured," Roderick replied with a wry smile."I lost you around the time the kid entered the restaurant."
"He's not a kid, Roderick," Prince corrected, glancing at Finn.
Roderick huffed."Anyone who acts the way he did when you offered to be a business partner, not asking for anything in return, is a kid to me."
Prince had told Roderick what happened, and since then, Finn had been avoiding him.Of course, he left out the dreams and his attraction to Finn.That was not for anyone to know.
"I say cut your losses and move on."Roderick took a sip of his drink.
If only it were that easy.
"Forget about him for now," Roderick said."Let's enjoy the rest of our day."He leaned close to Prince, giving him a flirtatious smile."Did you forget I'm leaving tomorrow and you promised to spend the rest of the day with me?"
Roderick was gorgeous, with arresting brown eyes and a body that would not quit.But he wasn’t Prince's type.Not only that, if he and Roderick ever did anything, it would be a one-night stand and nothing more.
Prince leaned back from Roderick."I didn't forget."He stood from his seat, already finished with his meal, and needed a minute to himself."I'll be back."
"Where are you going?"Roderick asked, but Prince didn’t respond and headed to the restroom to wash his face and think about what to do about Finn.
Roderick huffedand crossed his arms over his chest as he watched Prince walk away.
"What the hell is so good about that kid anyway?"he muttered under his breath.
Roderick had wanted Prince from the moment they were introduced at a dinner party.He had purposely struck up a conversation to stay by Prince's side all night.At the end of the party, they exchanged contact information.Roderick thought they had hit it off well and waited for Prince to reach out to him.After three weeks of not hearing from him, Roderick orchestrated a plan to accidentally bump into Prince at another function.
This time, after the event, Roderick made sure they never lost contact.That was a year and a half ago.Since then, he had subtly flirted with Prince, hoping the man would see him as more than a friend.When Roderick learned that Prince was scaling back on some of his responsibilities and would be staying at the resort for an extended period, he rearranged his schedule so he could use the opportunity to be alone with Prince and show the man his best side.He was certain he was close, until the kid showed up out of the fucking blue.
Roderick had met Bevin a few times, but he had never heard of Finn.He recalled the sparkle in Prince's eyes on the day the kid showed up at the resort.The attentiveness was evident, as if no one else mattered, and there was a genuine smile Prince wore that Roderick had never been graced with during their entire time together.Roderick doubted Prince even realized the instant change in himself.
He stared daggers at the kid, wishing he would disappear, and grew angry that he had to leave to deal with business he had put off for too long.Roderick did not like the kid, and his innocent look didn’t fool him one bit.He had lived long enough and run his own kind of schemes to recognize it in others.But for some reason, he couldn’t figure out what game the kid was playing.
Unable to take it anymore, Roderick stood and walked over to Finn's table, then sat down in the empty seat without bothering to ask if he could join him.
"What's your deal, kid?"Roderick asked coolly.
"Excuse me?"Finn asked, looking up from the menu.Roderick caught the slight shock in his eyes when he realized who was sitting in front of him.
