Read Online The Player's Club: Finn by Cathy Yardley - Free Book Online Page A

where he routinely pulled deals together and crushed opponents into dust. He didn’t have any big meetings that she was aware of, she thought nervously. Or was she so off this morning, she’d somehow forgotten one?
    She took a bracing breath, then pushed the mahogany doors open. “Thorn, you asked to see…”
    She stopped immediately.
    Finn was there, incongruous in jeans and T-shirt, standing next to his father, who was wearing a three-thousand-dollar dark gray suit. Despite the disparity in their attire, they wore the same look of determination.
    Oh, crap.
    She didn’t want to stare at Finn, but she couldn’t seem to help herself.
    He didn’t seem to hate her, was her first thought. He wasn’t quite smiling at her, either, but there was a gleam of mischievous devilry in his blue eyes.
    Her body went unaccountably warm before her brain noted with irritation, He’s up to something.
    She didn’t know why that cheered her up, but it did.
    “First of all, I have to congratulate you, Diana. In less than one week, you managed to get Finn here to finally face his reckless ways.” Thorn’s laughter boomed as if he were some kind of mythical god of war. “I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me how you managed that?”
    She saw Finn’s surprise, a hint of gratitude, and she simply shook her head. “Thorn, as you’ve always told me, the important thing is getting the right results.”
    “True, true.” Another thunderclap of laughter. “I guess they don’t call you the Hammer for nothing!”
    Diana squirmed.
    “Well, Finn here wasn’t too happy to do so, but he’s come to me with a proposition, of sorts, and I have to say I’m intrigued.” Thorn put an arm around Finn’s shoulders, squeezed. “Actually, I’m surprised—he’s got some of his old man’s skills when it comes to negotiation. I knew you had it in you, son.”
    “Must be in the blood.” Finn’s responding smile was grim.
    Diana felt her blood pressure spiking, her head throbbing like the bass line at a strip club. What the hell was going on here? “I see. So you’ve changed your mind, Thorn, about the Club and Finn’s participation in it?” She was proud the question sounded so mild, even though she felt like strangling her mercurial boss.
    “Absolutely not.” Thorn released Finn. “I still think the Club is dangerous.” There was a hint of steel in his voice that told her that while he might seem calm and jovial, whatever was going on between him and his son was definitely a deal of some sort. Which explained the marble room.
    Diana’s nerves tightened as she waited for the other shoe to drop.
    “You may think the Club’s dangerous.” Finn’s voice was a clear echo of his father’s, carrying the same steely, unflinching strength. “But my father is at least going to let me argue my case, and prove that it isn’t what everyone thinks it is.”
    Finn’s intensity tugged at her, made her twitch. The frisson of excitement that danced over her nerve endings was a mere chemical reaction, she insisted. Could she help it if the combination of sexy rogue and determined purpose made an impact on her?
    “So,” she said, clearing her throat and her thoughts, “he’s got a grace period?”
    “Exactly. He’s got one month to prove to me that this Club of his is as worthwhile and life-affirming an organization as he’s making it out to be,” Thorn explained.
    “Great. Glad you got that straightened out.” God save me from boys and their bets, she thought. She would never get the week back that she’d basically wasted, nor would she be able to get her weird reaction to Finn out of her head. Damn. “If you’ll excuse me, there’s some work that I—”
    “I told him that he couldn’t come up with some nonsense presentation,” Thorn said, holding up a hand to effectively cut off her exit. “I know him. He’d invent some sugarcoated theatrical extravaganza that made it appear they rescue orphaned puppies from burning