Chapter 1 Delusions

• Vanessa’s screeching voice cut through the ambient jazz, high and triumphant as a popped champagne cork. "I am officially engaged!"
• The grand ballroom burst into structured, polite applause. Crystal flutes clinked, silk gowns rustled, and a sea of high society faces beamed up at the elevated platform.
• The sound barely registered in Finn's ears. His world shrank down to the man standing beside her on the stage.
• Finn couldn't believe it. His best friend’s dad had been in a full-blown relationship, and Brian never bothered to drop a single hint. Now, right in front of him, the man Finn had spent years aching over was putting a diamond on a woman’s finger.
• Finn tilted his head, his eyes locked on the couple on stage. "Brian, why the hell didn't you tell me your dad was dating someone?" he asked, his voice low and tight.
• Brian blinked at him, a mischievous, knowing smirk spreading across his lips. "I didn't think it was necessary, Finn."
• Finn rolled his eyes, feeling a cold burn settle deep in his stomach as he stared at his childhood crush.
• Mr. Martinez had his large, callus-dusted hand resting possessively on his new fiancée’s waist.
• They were standing so close it made Finn's throat itch.
• "You knew I have been dreaming for that one day your dad would fuck me, haven't you?" Finn asked, not bothering to filter the bitterness coating his tone.
• "Jeez, Finn. Keep your voice down," Brian said, looking nervously at the crowd of polished, whispering guests around them.
• "You are such a bad friend," Finn added, the annoyance beginning to pile up inside his chest like dry brush ready to catch fire.
• Brian grabbed Finn's wrist, his grip tight as he dragged him away from the hovering caterers and into the dimly lit corridor near the back alcove.
• "Get over it, Finn. I mean, look at my dad... he's old and strict; besides, I will forever choose a woman who loves my dad over a friend who just wants to sleep with him."
• The words hit Finn like a physical slap, cold and sharp.
• "All you feel is lust, Finn. Don't ever think about those thoughts now that he is engaged."
• Finn swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded painfully, forcing his usual masked composure back into place. "Well, if I say I love him, would you let me steal your dad from her?" he teased mischievously, tilting his chin up in defiance.
• Brian rolled his eyes, resting a hand against the velvet wallpaper. "I have never seen you in love, Finn. All you feel is lust..."
• "Hey, don't say that," Finn said, pretending it wasn't the truth, pretending the hollow ache in his chest was just a game. "I mean, all it would take for me to fall in love is the right dick, you know? The right... length..." Finn winked at Brian as his friend swallowed hard, Brian's eyes dropping to Finn's mouth for a fraction of a second.
• "You are such a cunt."
• "Should I be your personal cunt?" Finn asked teasingly, taking a slow, deliberate step closer to Brian until he pinned him to the wall, Brian's shoulders backing into the hard plaster.
• Brian could barely lock eye contact with him, his breathing shallow, his pulse fluttering at the base of his throat. "You know, instead of my dad... you could try me," Brian stuttered.
• A dark, playful smile spread across Finn's face. "Your dad is richer, Brian... and you know I am quite expensive," Finn said, leaning into his ear until his lips touched him, feeling the heat radiate off his skin.
• "Finn."
• A deep, sexy voice cut through the seduction, heavy as iron, instantly freezing them both in place.
• Finn's breath hitched. He turned slowly to the side and saw Mr. Martinez standing right in front of them.
• The man commanded the hallway without trying, his tall frame encased in an impeccable black suit, those broad, imposing shoulders, his dark hair mixed with silver at the temples, giving away clearly old age.
• That face of his was chiseled, unreadable,
• commanding, the kind of face where anyone could tell he moved billions of dollars on a daily basis. Absolutely Finn's type of guy.
• "Yes, Mr. Martinez," Finn said, smoothing down his jacket and smiling as he walked toward him, Brian trailing nervously along with him.
• Mr. Martinez looked at him, his sharp dark eyes unreadable, not smiling. "It's been a year, Finn," he said, his voice a low rumble.
• "Missed me?" Finn teased, tilting his head, letting his gaze linger on the older man's jawline.
• Mr. Martinez didn't respond, his expression a tight mask.
• "I just came back from England; I transferred to Brian's school. I will be settling in at his school now."
• "Same school as my son?" Mr. Martinez said, looking at both of them, his gaze shifting back and forth across the narrow distance. "Are you guys dating or what?" He pointed in the direction where Finn had pinned Brian against the wall.
• "We could date, you know. If you want," Finn winked, testing his boundaries.
• "Dad," Brian cut in, his voice sounding slightly desperate, "please help me beg Finn to date me. He's never had an official boyfriend his whole life," Brian said.
• Martinez looked at his son, and then back to Finn.
• The heat in the corridor seemed to spike.
• Martinez's eyes traced Finn's eyes, slow and deliberate, and then looked down at his lips, holding his breath for a split second.
• There he was, doing that thing again. Feeding Finn's delusions.
• "No, Brian. Finn needs a real man to take care of him; he's fragile," Martinez said as Brian grumbled quietly under his breath. "Welcome home," Martinez added, his voice dropping an octave as he slowly walked away from them, stepping back toward the glowing light of the main hall.
• As Martinez walked away, Finn stood paralyzed, watching those massive, broad shoulders disappear into the crowd.
• A wild, electric realization hit him like a shock wave.
• He might actually have a shot at this man.
• "Brian," Finn said, his voice barely above a whisper.
• "Yes," Brian answered, adjusting his collar.
• "Do you know I am still a virgin?" Finn asked, turning his head to look at him.
• "You are lying," Brian said as he took a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, taking a quick gulp.
• "I swear, I never slept with anyone... all I do is seduce and run off."
• "You can't be serious?" Brian said, his glass stopping halfway to his mouth. "You are basically popular cause everyone assumes you've slept with everyone."
• Finn laughed, a light, humorless sound. That was right. Finn the hoe, the cunt, the gold digger. He had all sorts of names coined by men who didn't succeed in having their way with him.
• And honestly, Finn did nothing to clear the rumors.
• He loved being bad. It was easier to play the villain than to let anyone close enough to see how untouched he really was.
• Finn turned his whole body to look at Brian, stepping right back into his personal space.
• "Do you want to be my first?" Finn asked. "I am offering," he added.