Promises of Forever

by Celya Bowers

  “I haven’t danced with you yet. At least not like that.”

  “Hope springs eternal.”

  She laughed. “Yeah, there’s always tomorrow.”

  * * *

  The next evening, Kayleigh rummaged through her closet looking for something causal to wear on her date with Finn. Inviting him to Manny’s party had been a mistake. Instead of Finn quaking in his conservative shoes, he’d embraced the party and had a good time. Too good.

  Kayleigh’s body shuddered every time she remembered dancing with him. Their bodies touching, his hands gliding, and what that man could do with his tongue should be against the law. She finally decided on some denim capris and red and white tank top. She was slipping on her flat sandals when she heard the doorbell rang.

  Finn was punctual as always; she grabbed her purse and headed for the front door. She opened the door and Finn stepped inside and kissed her quickly on the lips.

  “Sorry, I’m a little early,” he said, walking to the living room. “I had a meeting with a client.” He was dressed in a dark suit that seemed tailor-made for his athletic body.

  “You’re only about thirty minutes early. I’m glad I decided to get dressed early.” She had promised to send Harley pictures of what she had on.

  Finn nodded. “Are you ready?”

  “Sure.”

  On the ride to his house, Kayleigh wondered what kind of house Finn had. He didn’t seem like the pretentious type, but one could never tell. He waved at the guard as they drove through the entrance.

  “That’s Kyle. He works most Saturdays. He’s going to college during the week.”

  “Oh.”

  “I know, pretty boring stuff, huh? I like to know the people responsible for my safety. Besides, you never know when he’ll have to save your life.”

  Trust him to be practical. “Very true.” She took in the sight of the very exclusive gated community. Mini-mansions lined the one street. “These houses are huge! I’ve read about this community in the newspaper.”

  “I got a good deal on the house,” Finn said. “I like the privacy of it. It has a lot of amenities, like a housekeeper. She comes in about twice a week.”

  She’d never dated anyone with a maid before. “I’m impressed. Is she here today?”

  “No, my weekends are for me. I rarely do client meetings, but I have a jittery client who needs hand-holding right now. That’s why I was at your place early.”

  “Is this the same client from other day?”

  He nodded. “Unfortunately.” He pushed the button for the garage. “Against my advice, he went to another broker with a bad tip. He thinks I can recoup his money for him.”

  She watched the garage door rise and was shocked at the sight of a black Mercedes sports car parked in his garage. “Do you have company?”

  He chuckled. “No, that’s my other car. I don’t drive it much, because it’s so small. It’s probably two years old. I don’t think there’s ten thousand miles on it.”

  “Why did you get it?”

  He parked the truck and released the garage door. He opened her door for her and helped her out. “You’re going to laugh.”

  Kayleigh figured it had everything to do with his penis. “No, I won’t. Promise.”

  “I guess I was feeling old. I’d just turned forty-three. I wanted to feel young again.”

  Kayleigh smiled, but she kept her word. She didn’t laugh. She wanted to, God, had she wanted to, but she hadn’t. “Did it work?”

  He shook his head as he opened the door leading to the house. He motioned her ahead of him. “No, it’s too small and it’s not practical for my lifestyle. I usually drive my truck everywhere.”

  He led her inside the house and Kayleigh was impressed. She felt she’d just walked onto the set of a designer’s showcase. His house was immaculate. She glanced up at the ceilings, took in the spiral staircase and the oversized living room.

  “Would you like a tour?”

  She’d wanted to say no, but felt her head nodding.

  “Let’s start upstairs.” He took her hand and they headed up the stairs.

  Kayleigh followed him willingly. They toured each of the five bedrooms, including his. Finn’s bedroom was beautiful. The king-sized bed looked inviting standing in the middle of the room. A large TV was mounted to the wall. There was nothing out of place. Even his bathrobe was hanging on the door leading to the bathroom.

  She had to check it out and she was glad she did. She’d never seen a fireplace in the bathroom before, but it was the bathtub that claimed her attention. It was definitely built for two and the faucets were in the middle. This place was a romantic’s wet dream.

  “Ready to see the downstairs?” Finn called from the other room.

  “Yes. Your bathroom is beautiful.” She walked out of the bathroom.

  “You don’t think the fireplace was too much? I bought this from some famous romance writer going through a divorce, so there’s lots of romance in the house. My mom loves it.”

  “I thought the fireplace was incredible. Outside of a few chick flicks I’ve seen with Harley, I’ve never seen one in a bathroom.”

  He motioned her out of the room, and they went to the living room. She noticed the pictures on the fireplace mantle. “May I?” She wanted to investigate the pictures more closely. Maybe it would give her some insight to Finn.

  “Be my guest. I’m going to change clothes while you’re checking out the photos.”

  “Okay.” Kayleigh walked to the mantle and begin checking out the pictures.

  She jumped as her cell phone buzzed to life. She knew it was Harley. Kayleigh thought about not answering, but that wouldn’t deter Harley. She answered on the third buzz.

  “Kayleigh, where are my pictures?” She was supposed to send Harley pictures of the clothes she intended to wear on her date.

  “There wasn’t time. He showed up early.”

  Harley erupted in laughter. “Well, I guess he’s ready to get the show on the road.”

  “He said he’d been with a client.”

  “Like he’s going to say he’s hornier than a toad. I saw what you guys were doing on the dance floor last night.”

  Harley would make a great prison guard. “How on earth did you see? Besides, we were just dancing.” Kayleigh was thankful Finn hadn’t taken advantage of her loose hips the night before.

  “Where was this restaurant he was going to take you to?”

  “I don’t know. He wanted to change clothes.”

  “Is his car in or out of the garage?”

  Sometimes she really hated Harley and her know-it-all tone. “Inside.”

  “Honey, you guys are in for the night.”

  “Shut up.” Kayleigh ended the call and resumed her picture-looking. “Damn that Harley. One of these days, I’m going to get her.”

  CHAPTER 12

  “Who are you talking to?” Finn asked, walking down the stairs.

  Kayleigh turned toward him. “Just cursing the day Harley was born.” He was dressed in shorts, polo shirt, and no shoes. Not quite the attire for going out.

  “Did you get to look at the pictures?” He walked toward her and wrapped her in a hug.

  “No, I was talking to Harley, and, besides, I don’t know who these people are. Now you can tell me who’s who.”

  He laughed. “True.” He walked to the fireplace. “Okay, the first one is my mom and dad. Moira and George.” He pointed to the middle-aged white couple. “This is a family portrait. I think it’s about five years old.”

  “You have a large family.” There had to be at least thirty people in the picture.

  “Yeah, that’s the Irish way. There’s six kids in our family, six in my aunt and uncle’s, and the rest have larger families.”

  “I’m an only child,” Kayleigh added for no apparent reason. “Both my parents were only children.” She thought about her parents. She missed them. “They wanted more, but it didn’t happen.”

  He sensed he
r mood change. “Don’t worry, you don’t miss much. With a large family, there’s no such thing as a family secret. Everybody knows your business and then you have to explain everything at least five times. Then there’s the call to Ireland to Grammy.”

  She laughed. “You call her Grammy?” Kayleigh thought that it was very sweet.

  “She likes it.” He pointed to another picture. “This is my Uncle Kieran and Aunt Amelia. He’s really my dad’s cousin, but we’ve always called him uncle. They co-own the bar with my parents.”

  Kayleigh glanced at the picture. At first she’d thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, but no, Finn’s aunt was an African-American. She looked to the right of that picture and his aunt and uncle were surrounded by their six kids. Well, that explained a lot, she mused.

  He chuckled. “I know you’re surprised, right?”

  “No,” she lied. “I dated Manny, remember.”

  “Yes, I do. Uncle Kieran married Aunt Amelia before it was considered hip and cool. They had their share of problems, but it only made us stronger as a family.”

  “That’s nice. I’m sure life was hard enough. It’s good they could turn to family in time of need.”

  Finn nodded. “Ready for dinner?”

  Maybe Harley had been wrong after all? “Sure, where we going?”

  “I told you.”

  “You said the best steakhouse in town.”

  Finn took her hand and led her to the back of the house. “I am taking you to the best steakhouse in Arlington. We’re walking to the kitchen, and I will make you the best steak you’ve ever had.”

  She felt like she had a “stupid” sign on her forehead. “Why didn’t you just tell me that last night? I’d have still agreed to the date.”

  He stopped just inside of the kitchen. “I didn’t say my place because I didn’t want to scare you off. And I wanted to surprise you. Is that some kind of sin?”

  “I’m sorry, I guess I’m a little on edge.” She walked inside the kitchen and her jaw dropped. “Wow! I feel like I’m on a set of a cooking show.” He had just about everything a chef could want.

  “Yeah, I think I went a little overboard with the remodel. I like cooking, so I had it equipped by a professional. The stove has a grill, so we can grill inside if you want. Or we can do it by the pool.”

  “You have a pool?” Kayleigh walked to the patio door and slid it open. The water shimmied in the receding sunlight. “You keep surprising me, Finn.”

  He was standing at the counter. “The night is young. Just wait until you taste my steak.” He walked to the stainless steel refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of wine. “Would you like a glass?”

  She nodded, closed the patio door, and took a seat at the small table. “Yes. I’ll get the glasses. Where are they?”

  He pointed to the see-through cabinets. “Guess.”

  “You have got a sense of humor.” She retrieved the glasses and he poured the wine.

  He held his glass out to make a toast. “To surprises.”

  Kayleigh knew that night was going to be one surprise after another, probably ending with them in bed. She couldn’t wait.

  * * *

  After a quiet and cozy dinner, Finn and Kayleigh settled on the leather couch to watch a movie. Kayleigh sighed. Fighting all the possibilities of the evening, she finally gave into her heart and snuggled next to him.

  “Are you comfortable?” Finn asked, drawing her closer to him.

  “Yes. The meal was wonderful. You’re right. You cook a really good steak.” She linked her hand with his.

  He leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. “I really enjoyed your company.” He kissed her again. This time a little more pressure, and his hands got into the act.

  Kayleigh was riding a cloud of passion and didn’t want to come in for a landing. Finn’s very experienced tongue slid past her lips and dueled with hers. Kayleigh knew where this was leading and was helpless to stop the train wreck that was looming ahead.

  She ran her fingers through his curly hair and tried to inhale his face. She was panting when they reluctantly separated. “I’ll say this again, you’re an awesome kisser.”

  He chuckled. “How about we continue this upstairs?”

  She nodded.

  He kissed her again. “Are you sure?”

  She kissed him with a fierceness she hadn’t thought possible. “I’m not on the pill.”

  “Not a problem. Still game?”

  She gave a timid nod, and stood up. “Are you?”

  “I guess I’ll have to show you.” He rose, brushed her lips with his, and then led her upstairs.

  Once inside the room, Kayleigh’s nerves of steel deserted her. It had been a long time, and she wasn’t sure what to do next. As usual, Finn solved the dilemma for her.

  “Just relax, and I’ll take care of the rest.” He wrapped her in a tight embrace and, little by little, her fear subsided. She’d expected Finn to pounce on her the minute they were in the room, but he’d just caressed her gently.

  But Kayleigh was ready to get the show on the road. She started taking off his shirt, revealing a well-developed chest. “I knew you’d look like this,” she whispered.

  He slipped off her blouse and her bra. “Beautiful.” He kissed her lips, throat and breasts.

  Kayleigh’s legs threatened to give out with the sensations he was creating, but she didn’t want Finn to stop. As he eased her to the bed, he unzipped her capris.

  He settled on top of her and continued kissing his way down her body. Kayleigh was getting lost in those heated kisses when she felt him free her of the rest of her clothes. Her body felt like an inferno, and only Finn could put it out.

  He rose and took off the rest off his clothes and stood before her in his birthday suit. He was all sculpted muscles pulled tightly over lean, tanned skin. He was also very well endowed and very erect. She’d begun to question logistics.

  He slid next to her and kissed her. If his kisses before were good, these were off the charts. Kayleigh’s whole body was screaming for something she couldn’t quite put a finger on.

  In a passionate haze, she noticed Finn putting on a condom and rising above her. He pushed inside her a little at a time, letting her get used to him. She relaxed, he pushed. He leaned down and kissed her hard and long, making her body hungry for anything he had to give her. He surged forward. She relaxed when he pulled pack. Then he pushed forward all the way home. They both moaned, and the tug of war began. Every thrust sent Kayleigh deeper into the mattress and closer to the moon.

  She didn’t think she could take one more plunge or she would shatter into a million pieces. Then it happened. She felt a tingle in the lower half of her body and it was sneaking up. Finn grabbed her waist and increased his tempo and Kayleigh gasped at the sensation, but it was too late to do anything but sing his praises. “Oh, my God, Finn.” But he didn’t let her go, he grunted and surged deep inside her body and yelled in her ear. She was probably going to be deaf tomorrow, but she didn’t care.

  Minutes later they both lay side by side in bed, panting like marathon runners. Kayleigh was having a hard time catching her breath. Finn turned her on her side and rubbed her back. “Easy. It’s okay, baby. Just take it easy.” He pulled her back in his arms so that they were lying spoon fashion. His hands alternatively caressed her back and thighs, not in a “I want more sex” way, but in a comforting way. “Just relax, we’ve got all night.”

  Kayleigh wanted to say something, but her body was too tired to do anything but fall asleep to Finn’s soothing baritone voice.

  * * *

  As Finn watched Kayleigh sleep, he wondered what was going on with her. True, the evening had taken a positive turn, and he didn’t regret it one bit, but Kayleigh’s breathing had him concerned.

  Maybe physical exertion wasn’t her thing. It wasn’t one of his best efforts; he wanted to show her a good time. But now she was asleep in his arms. Again, the end result was what really mattered.
/>   He should just take the win. Something in his brain was telling him there was something bigger going on, but he had no idea what.

  When she started snoring, he knew a repeat performance wasn’t coming anytime soon. He smiled at his thoughts. The bedside phone rang. Not wanting it to wake Kayleigh, he leaned over her and reached for the cordless. She never moved. Maybe she was a sound sleeper? He answered the phone on the second ring. “Hello?”

  “Finn,” Beth said.

  “Hey, sis. What’s wrong?”

  Beth laughed. “There’s nothing wrong. I wanted to call to see how things were going with your client.”

  Finn looked down at Kayleigh’s sleeping form. “Pretty good.” He wouldn’t dare tell his nosy sister that Kayleigh was lying in bed next to him. It’d break her romantic’s heart.

  “She’s there, isn’t she?”

  “Why would you say that?”

  “It’s Saturday night and you’re home.”

  Busted. How’d his little sister get so smart? “Okay, you got me. Can I call you later?”

  “Sure, I just want you to know the old folks were coming up for Memorial Day. Your little phone stunt has Mom’s curiosity piqued.”

  “That’s over a month away. Mom’s going to be nuts by then. How’s Dad going to handle that?” He absently ran his hand across Kayleigh’s warm back.

  “Well, thank goodness they’re busy at the bar,” she said, referring to the bar their parents owned with relatives. “Uncle Kieran and Aunt Amelia are going on vacation in a few weeks. So that brought you some time. It’s the earliest they can get here.”

  “Oh, well, at least I have a month to get ready for their visit. I was thinking of doing something when they visit. It’s around their anniversary. But we can talk about that later.” Kayleigh shifted and the bedcovers slipped down, revealing her naked body.

  “Yes, I’m sure you want to get back to your date,” Beth said sarcastically. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  Finn laughed as he set the phone on his nightstand. Now Beth would hound him for details. Hopefully, he had some good news to tell her.

  He snuggled next to Kayleigh. There was something about being in bed with a beautiful woman, he mused as his eyes closed.