"What about high school?"
Finn shook his head."I studied all four years to get a scholarship to college, and when I got to the next step, it was to graduate."
"And now that you're so close?"Prince asked, reaching for a fry and devouring it.
"It's my internship, then maintaining a job," he said thoughtfully.
Finn's focus on his goals was one thing Prince liked about him.However, the kid was young and should enjoy his life."You know what they say about all work and no play, Finn?"
"I guess many would say I lead a dull life, but I'm good with it.Once I get a stable foundation, I'll think about falling in love."
Prince tilted his head to the side and observed Finn.From what Bevin had mentioned, the kid was shy but self-assured and knew what he wanted.Prince knew that Bevin protected Finn, and he could see why.With his quiet beauty, it was surprising that Prince was only now beginning to notice.
When he was introduced to Finn years ago, Prince had been knee-deep in expanding the company and might have seemed dismissive.Over the years, he had only taken time off from work to spend it with Bevin, mainly around the holidays, when Finn came once or twice.During those times, Prince paid more attention to his son's needs than to his friend's.But now that Bevin wasn’t around, he could see Finn's beauty for the first time.
And gorgeous he was, with a smooth, elegant, almost poetic softness that blurred the lines between masculine and feminine.It added to the calm, steadfast grace in the way he carried himself, giving him a more mature aura, as if he belonged in another era, setting him apart from his peers.
Prince openly admired Finn while he ate, not missing a single detail.From the dark hair that fell around his face, framing eyes that held emotions he might never speak aloud, to his flawless peach complexion, straight nose, and heart-shaped lips that any man or woman would find hard to pull away from.
Fuck, what the hell am I thinking?Prince questioned himself when he realized his thoughts were veering into territory they should not enter.This is Bevin's friend.I can't be thinking of him in that manner.
"Your happiness is all that matters," he said, reaching for his cellphone.
He sent a few instructions to Monroe, expecting them to be completed without fail.He also sent a message to his special assistant.Then he opened his email to distract himself.Prince scanned through his messages.His family's business was mainly hotels and resort properties.Once he took over the company, he’d expanded its reach by investing in airlines, booking and travel agency platforms, cruise lines, theme parks, and entertainment ventures.
To strengthen his personal financial investments, Prince invested in wineries, breweries, and high-end couture fashion.He also held a ten percent share in a technology company that Bevin started a few summers ago.Prince had never forced his son into the family business.However, he knew it was only a matter of time before Bevin took the reins from him.
Unlike his father, Prince wanted Bevin to pursue his own happiness rather than worry about family obligations.So he was surprised when Bevin approached him just after his freshman year with a business proposal for a tech startup.It was a solid proposal, but before Prince agreed to invest, he asked his son why.Bevin said it was something he had to do, and that surprised Prince.
It took the company two years to find its footing, with Bevin dedicating time to it during school and over his summers.Prince had never seen his son work so hard, and he wondered just how much his friend knew about Bevin's endeavors.
"I'm done eating."
Prince looked up from his phone and noticed the kid had cleaned his plate.He nodded in approval, then stood, slid his phone into his pocket, and grabbed his coat."Come on, let's go."
"Mr.Sullivan, you really don't have to show me to the cabin.I'm a big boy.I can find my way.All I need is the room number and the key."
"I'm not going to the room just because of you.I'm old, and it's my nap time."Prince shrugged and walked away, though not before hearing the kid mumble something under his breath.
CHAPTER THREE
Old?Who is he fooling?Finn couldn’t stop thinking about it.How can Prince Sullivan think he's old?
The man was in his forties, and his platinum-blond hair was natural, not dyed, with not a gray hair in sight.It made Finn wonder why there wasn’t a line of men and women begging to spend a second with him.He recalled the disappointed expression on that guy's face when Prince told him their night out was canceled.Finn didn’t know about Prince's relationship with the man, and it wasn’t his business, since Prince never bothered to introduce them.Besides, Finn's only focus was on shedding his strict demeanor and having some fun.
"Oof," Finn groaned softly, his nose suddenly burning as a clean, warm masculine scent surrounded him.It smelled so good that for a moment, he almost wanted to purr and rub his face against it.
"Are you alright?"a soft, sexy voice whispered near his ear, drawing Finn's attention upward until he met a pair of silver eyes ringed in black.The scent from earlier seemed to intensify, and those striking eyes held him captive for a second longer than they should have.
"Huh?"Finn asked, clearly confused.
"Your nose," Prince murmured, his gaze dropping briefly."It's red."
That startled Finn enough to snap him back to his senses.He quickly glanced around, remembering they were on their way to the car and were now outside, standing almost chest to chest with Prince Sullivan.From this close, Prince seemed even bigger than Finn remembered.Had he always been this tall, with broad shoulders, solid chest, and those sharp silver eyes looking down at him with quiet concern.Finn had to tilt his head back slightly to meet his gaze, which only made him more aware of how close they were standing.
"Um," Finn said, stepping back and lightly touching his nose, which still had a slight sting.He was fairly certain it had nothing to do with the cold or the fact that he had just collided with a very hard human wall."Mr.Sullivan, I'm…"
"Get in the car," Prince instructed softly.
