by Celya Bowers
“Yeah, Kayleigh is nervous. I could feel her body tightening up. I hope she doesn’t get sick over all this,” Finn said.
“She’ll be fine. You might want to let her stay in bed most of tomorrow. Forget about touring the ocean. There’ll be another chance for that. Your first order of business is how to clean your plate with that bothersome client.”
He hated when Tucker started talking in riddles. It wasn’t that he was wrong. Unfortunately Tucker was always spot-on. In Finn’s case, his record was spotless. Just a month ago, Tucker had told him he was going to lose his heart to a woman who had the soul of Ireland. He really hated when Tucker was right.
* * *
Kayleigh didn’t know what to make of Monica. She wasn’t like any woman she’d met. She was tall, taller than Kayleigh, which was saying something. She wasn’t what most people would call California slim. She was more like Texas thick. She wasn’t fat, but she was all woman and perfectly toned. She was perfect for Tucker.
Monica had a head full of dark, curly hair that hung well below her shoulders. She was tanned, not the manufactured fake stuff, but a healthy tan. She was dressed in a body-molding shirt that revealed a flat stomach and a wraparound skirt and no shoes. She looked drop-dead sexy.
She’d fixed Kayleigh a fruity drink and then they settled in two high-back chairs. They could see outside, and Kayleigh saw Finn and Tucker talking. She hoped she wasn’t the subject of conversation.
“Now tell me about you and Finn.” Monica pulled her long legs under her bottom. “What kind of relationship do you have with him?”
“He’s my financial planner,” Kayleigh said.
Monica giggled. “Oh, honey, he’s ours, too, but we’re not sleeping with him.”
Kayleigh choked on her drink. “What makes you think I’m sleeping with him?”
Monica smiled. “For one, you’re here. He never brings women here, and two, he never brings women to meet us.”
Kayleigh nodded and took a sip. She wished there was some liquor in the concoction so she could sleep through the rest of the night. “Really? He made it sound like he came here quite often. I can’t imagine Finn not having women chasing him.”
“Oh, he does, but until you, he hadn’t dated for a couple of months.” Monica leaned back in her seat. “I know you’re wondering how Tucker and I are married if we’re doing the bi-coastal thing?”
“For some people it works,” Kayleigh said. “I don’t think I’m one of those people. I need to see that person every night, so I know they’re safe.”
“That’s true. I’ve friends who tried it and they miss the intimacy. Tucker is ex-military and I’m employed by the military. I handle PR for the service as a whole. All those ads you see, I do that.”
“So what does Tucker do?”
“Oh, I thought you knew,” Monica said.
Kayleigh shook her head. “I met him this morning. Finn has mentioned him a few times, but that’s it.”
“Oh, he’s the assistant deputy director for the FBI’s special division, in Dallas.”
“Oh.” Finn had left a lot out of their conversation. “He doesn’t want to move here?”
“No. With my involvement with the military, I entertain a lot of big brass. Tucker prefers not to be around so many officers. He says they have no regard for the real soldier.”
Kayleigh doubted those officers cared about the men’s lives they held in their hands. “What do you think?”
“Sometimes, he’s right.” Monica took a deep breath. “Don’t try to get me off topic. We’re talking about you and Finn.”
“What about us?”
“I like that. You said ‘us.’ That’s always a good sign.” Monica placed her glass on the table and rose. “We’d better get out there so they don’t burn anything. Tucker thinks he can cook, but he can’t. I just let him play.”
Kayleigh rose and followed Monica outside. And she was right. Tucker was now sitting on the chair and watching Finn grill steaks.
He looked at her. “Monica didn’t press you too hard for information, did she?”
Kayleigh’s heart swelled at his concern. “No, Finn. She just wanted to know if I loved you or not.”
“Well?” His blue eyes penetrated her soul and something welled up inside of her. If she didn’t say it, a dam was going to burst inside her soul and she’d never be whole again.
She reached out a hand and took his free one. “Yes, I do.”
Finn nodded, too overcome with emotion to speak. He didn’t say it, but she felt it. Time stood still between them. She knew he loved her, but she’d like to have heard the words.
She turned to take a seat next to Monica when she realized he wasn’t going to say it. In a move she wasn’t expecting, Finn caught her hand and pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “Me, too.”
Their hot kisses were mixed with salt from both their tears, but nothing ever tasted sweeter to Kayleigh. In the distance she heard clapping. Then the earth settled again and she remembered where she was. She tried to step away from him, but he held her close.
Monica walked to the grill. “Finn, I’ll take care of this. I know you guys would like a moment of privacy.”
Finn held Kayleigh’s stare. “I think it’s going to take more than a moment, Monica.”
CHAPTER 22
“I can’t believe we left the cookout before we ate,” Kayleigh said, taking off the sundress and throwing it across the room. “What are we supposed to do for food?” she teased.
Finn didn’t have time for teasing. After they’d declared their love for each other, he had to make up for lost time. They’d left Monica and Tucker with the briefest good-bye. Now they were back at the beach house in the master bedroom, ready to demonstrate their feelings for each other. He’d taken off his slacks and shirt, and was down to a pair of silk boxers.
Kayleigh was down to a bra and a pair of barely there panties. After he slipped out of his boxers, he got in bed beside her and pulled her slim body of top of him. His hands immediately went to her bra and freed her breasts. Her panties were going to be a problem because she felt too good where she was and he didn’t want to move her.
He did the next best thing. He ripped them from her body.
“Finn! Have you lost your mind?” Her body shook with laughter. “Slow down.”
“Sorry, baby, can’t do that. I got to have you right now.” He slipped inside her easily. They moved against each other, moans, groans, and begging filling the air.
It was hard, fast, and both exploded with an orgasm that could rock the world. Finn hadn’t felt that good since the last time they made love. He listened closely to the rhythm of her breathing, just to make sure they weren’t overdoing it. He felt her move against him again. She was ready for round two.
“Are you sure?”
She moved against him again. Oh, yeah, she was ready. He moved her so that she was on the bottom. He moved her legs further apart and adjusted his position. “Tell me if it’s too much.” He moved against her.
“Umm.”
He instantly stopped. He considered pulling out, but he was hard. And the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. “Want me to stop?”
She opened her eyes, and licked her lips with her tongue. “I want you to get the show on the road.” With that, she pulled him closer for a kiss and further inside her body. “Now, that’s more like it.”
Finn kissed her as he surged inside her. Every moan only spurred him on. He loved the way his name sounded on the tip of her lips, when she was on the verge of a climax.
She tightened around him. He tried to hold back, but it was useless. This woman was draining him of every ounce of control.
Not that he had any left. She yelled into his mouth and she rode out the wave. Finn came soon after she did. He lay atop her panting, and then slid off her body.
“Wow,” was all she said.
He heard her labored breathing, hoping it would settle soon. He hadn’t planned on twice. He’d
planned on one time. One time to show how much he cared for her, and he intended to go really slow. Once she admitted she loved him and he’d told her the same, all bets were off. His body was limp. There wasn’t anything left in him. “Right back at you.” He moved her closer to him and rubbed her back. “Are you sure you feel okay?”
“As long as you keep doing that, yes,” she said in a lazy voice. Her breathing was returning to normal.
“How about a long, hot bath?” He whispered in her ear. He couldn’t help it. He playfully bit her earlobe.
“Unless you plan on carrying me to the bathroom, it’ll have to wait. I’m too tired to walk.”
“And I’m too tired to carry you.” He caressed her nude body, his hands slowly gliding over her hips. “I have enough energy to hold you.”
She reached for his hand. “That’s just enough.” She snuggled next to him. Her back to his front. “I’m glad you brought me here.”
“I’m glad, too.” He kissed her neck. “I know we have to talk about what we confessed tonight, and we will.”
He didn’t want to tire her out emotionally as well. “Just not right now.”
“No, we can wait. We did the hard part. We admitted it to each other. The rest will be easy.”
When he heard her even breathing, he knew she was asleep. The last thing he remembered was joining her hands with his.
* * *
“Was that the doorbell?” Kayleigh asked as Finn wrapped her in an extra-large bath sheet, hours later. “Who would be ringing the doorbell at eleven at night?
Finn wrapped a towel around his waist. It had to be a sin for him to be that good-looking dripping wet. His salt and pepper hair was plastered against his skull. “Probably Tucker. Sit tight, I’ll be right back.”
She pulled on a bathrobe and tied up, hiding her towel-clad body. “Catch me waiting up here while some crazed gunman shoots you dead in the living room.”
He looked like her might refute her words, but then he smiled mischievously. “Yeah, why don’t you come down, too?”
She didn’t like it when he agreed too readily. But he offered his hand, and she took it as the doorbell sounded again.
Finn opened the front door and laughed. “I might have known it was you,” he said, laughing as he let Tucker inside.
He was carrying a large box, and, if the aromas were correct, it smelled like the steaks they were cooking earlier. “You know Monica wouldn’t let you guys starve. We know how it is when passion takes over. There’s steak, baked potatoes, salad, and lemon ice-box pie. Just nuke the steaks for about a minute or so. Oh, and Monica put a bottle of wine in there, too.”
Finn took the box and set it on the table. “Give Monica a kiss for me.”
“Already did that.” The smile on his face said the rest. “She’s actually taking a nap right now.” He headed for the front door. “I’ll let you get back to what you were doing.”
After Tucker left, Finn picked up the box and took it to the small kitchen. He heated the food, while Kayleigh poured the wine into glasses.
“I can’t believe they sent food.” She cut into her steak. “I think it’s sweet. They must really like you.”
“I think it was you they liked.” He ate his food.
She marveled at how much her life had changed in just a few weeks.
* * *
The next morning, Finn woke to an empty bed. He looked around the room. No Kayleigh. He sat up, his body protesting every single movement. This morning he felt every bit of his forty-five years. Muscles he hadn’t used in years were complaining of overuse. He slipped on his boxers and went to look for Kayleigh.
She wasn’t anywhere downstairs. She must have taken a walk on the beach. What if she was passed out somewhere? He’d have to get dressed to find her. Just as he started upstairs to put on clothes, the front door opened. Kayleigh entered the house with a large white sack. She was dressed in a tank top and blue jean shorts.
“Hey, I thought I’d get something for us to eat.” She walked to him and kissed him. “Good morning.”
He followed her into the kitchen. She placed donuts, bagels, and sausage rolls on a plate. “I know this isn’t what you’d fixed.”
He picked up a donut and took a bite. “It’s good.” It really wasn’t. It had too much grease in it. He was used to eating semi-healthy food. “Why don’t I make some eggs to go with this?” He hoped he hadn’t hurt her feelings.
“Okay. Actually they smelled good in the store, but once I bit into one as I was walking back here, they didn’t taste as good.”
She volunteered to make coffee. Finn wasn’t sure about any of her cooking skills, since he’d prepared all the meals they eaten together so far. Surely, she could make coffee. How bad could it be? “That’s great. You make coffee and I’ll take care of the rest.”
If he was a betting man he would have lost his shirt. The coffee turned out good. It wasn’t Starbuck’s, but it wasn’t the muddy water he’d envisioned, either. They sat down to breakfast like they’d been doing this for years. It was a team effort. While he cooked, she sat out plates, cups, and silverware.
“You know you’ll have to show me how to make eggs.”
It was a strange thing to say. “You can’t make eggs?” Everybody could cook something, or at least he thought they could.
“They don’t turn out fluffy like this. Mine turn boring.” She scooped up more eggs and bacon.
He loved it when she ate. It meant she was getting protein, which would help her keep lupus at bay. He stared at her as she went on and on about breakfast. His brain was working on a plan.
“Finn, did you hear me?” She was standing next to him, holding her plate and reaching for his.
“Sorry, honey, I must have drifted off. What did you say?”
She took her plate to the sink. “Nothing. It wasn’t important.”
Like hell. “Baby, what is it?”
She sighed. “What are we doing today?”
He loved it when she said we. It was like she was tethered to him. “I would say it depends on you. I don’t want you overexerting yourself. There’ll be other times for us to sightsee.” He hadn’t meant for those traitorous words to exit his mouth, but it was too late.
It took a minute for the words and their meaning to sink into her stubborn brain, but they had. She smiled and sat in his lap. “Do you really mean that?”
“Yes.” He swallowed hard. Most women would have taken those words at face value, but not her.
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Don’t play with me, Finn.”
He put his arms around her. “You should know one thing about me. If I say it, I’ll make it my life’s work to make sure it happens.”
“Thank you. I love you.” She rose and reached for his hand.
“Kayleigh, you need your rest.”
She laughed at him. “I know I need my rest. I’m tired and need a nap, and you’re going to lay next to me while I do that.”
Finn shook his head. She was so different from any other woman he’d ever been with. She challenged him constantly. She didn’t ask him if he would. She knew he would. She didn’t care how much money he had. He could be flat broke and her opinion of him wouldn’t change one bit.
He let her lead him upstairs and they laid in bed fully clothed. It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep. When he heard her even breathing, he went downstairs. He needed space to think.
* * *
Once he was sitting outside the beach house, Finn knew what he wanted. He wanted to be with Kayleigh. Forever. But it had been barely a month, was he nuts? He needed some rational thinking, but he wasn’t in the right state of mind to do it. He called Beth for some grounding.
“Hey, Finn. I called your house. Where are you?”
In his enthusiasm to get Kayleigh to California without her knowing, he’d forgot to tell anyone in his family he was going out of town. He’d broken the primary Callahan rule. “Sorry, I forgot to
tell you. I’m in California right now. I brought Kayleigh out for the weekend.”
“Oh, can this be my predictable, practical brother? Can’t be. It sounds too romantic,” she teased.
“All right, I get it,” Finn said, laughing. “I have a problem and I need your help.”
Beth gasped. “This sounds serious. How can I help my millionaire brother? It must be a problem that money can’t fix.”
“Yeah,” he said wistfully. “Yesterday, Kayleigh and I admitted we had some strong feelings for each other. I know what I want, but I don’t know if that’s what she wants.”
“Was the ‘L’-word mentioned?”
“Yes.”
Beth screamed. “I told you. Didn’t I freaking tell you? Not four weeks ago. I can’t believe this. When you guys get back, we have to have dinner, so I can check out my future sister-in-law!”
This was the downside of talking to his romantic sister about affairs of the heart. She usually took the ball and ran all the way back to Virginia. Damn the consequences. “Whoa, slow down! There are some circumstances, so I don’t know if this is possible.”
Beth grunted. “Nothing is impossible. What is it?”
He pondered answering. What if Kayleigh doesn’t want all of the Callahan brood knowing she was ill? But if she was going to be with him, his nosy family was part of the deal. “She has lupus.”
“Lupus?”
“Yeah, it attacks the autoimmune system.”
“Finn, I know what it is. How serious is it?”
He took a deep breath. “Well, if she eats right, gets the right amount of rest, and takes her medication, she’ll be in a good place. She has to avoid stress and overexerting herself. She’s taking a nap right now.”
“Finn, everybody has some kind of baggage. You have a jealous streak that borders on obsessive, but you control it. Sometimes.”
“I do not.”
“Finn, you were biting nails at the Irish festival when she was there with Manny. So sell that to someone else.”
“So you don’t think this is too soon?”
“This is why practical people do not need to fall in love. Nothing about love is practical, it’s not on a timetable or spreadsheet, and you can’t control it.”