by Shirley Jump
“That sounds good,” she said. “Thank you.”
“We don’t have much time before they arrive,” Finn said. “And a lot to do. So let’s get to work.” Finn grabbed a box that she hadn’t noticed beside his feet. “I brought a few more of my things to put around the house, so it looks more like I’m living here. I didn’t bring enough before.”
“Good idea.”
“I was just trying to think through all possible angles. People will expect us to have commingled belongings. I brought some clothing, the two photographs I have of myself, and a six-pack of beer.”
She laughed at the beer. “That sounds like a typical male.”
“That was my intent. I want to make sure we have maximum plausibility.”
Disappointment drowned out her hope. This whole thing wasn’t about Finn being thoughtful, it was about him being methodical and thorough, covering all his bases. Just when she thought the Hawk had disappeared…he came to the forefront again. She wondered again if this was true help, or a calculated move to help his business.
She’d focus on the adoption, and worry about the rest later. Linda would be here soon and Ellie only had this one shot to convince her and the social worker that Jiao would be happy here.
“You should probably put your things in my bedroom,” she said.
“Yeah.” His gaze met hers in one long, heated moment. She turned away first, sure that if she looked at him for one more second, she’d forget all the reasons she had for not getting involved with him.
“Why don’t I help you?” She turned on her heel and led Finn up the stairs, trying not to think about how surreal this all was. She was taking her husband to her bedroom, for the sole purpose of pretending she shared the room with him. In the end, he’d pack up his things and be out of her life. Forever.
“I already moved the things you left behind in the guest room into here,” she said. “I didn’t know if you’d be here today and I guess I wanted to set up maximum plausibility, too.”
“We think alike.” He grinned. “Maybe that’s a good thing.”
“Maybe.” She opened the door to the master bedroom, then followed Finn inside. Then she turned back and laid a light hand on his arm. “If I don’t get a chance to tell you later, thank you.”
He shrugged, like it was no big deal. “You’re welcome.”
“No, I mean it, Finn. This is huge for me, and I really, really appreciate you helping with this.”
His eyes meet hers, and she felt the familiar flutter in her chest whenever he looked at her. “You’re very welcome, Ellie.”
The moment extended between them. Her heart skipped a beat. Another.
Behind her, Ellie was painfully aware of the bed. The wedding rings on their hands. If this had been any other marriage, they would be in that bed together, every night, making love. If this had been any other marriage, she would have stepped into Finn’s arms, lifted her face to his and welcomed another of his earth-shattering kisses.
If this had been any other marriage…
But it wasn’t. And she needed to stop acting like it was.
She spun around and crossed to the closet. “Uh, let me shift some of my clothes over, and we can fit yours in there.” She opened one of the double doors and pushed several dresses aside, the hangers rattling in protest, then she turned back to Finn. He was smiling. “What?”
“Hootie & the Blowfish.” He pointed at her closet.
She turned back and saw the concert T-shirt hanging in her closet. It had faded over the years, but still featured the band’s name in big letters on the front. “Oh my. I forgot that was in there. That was oh, almost fifteen years ago.” She pulled out the hanger and fingered the soft cotton shirt. “I don’t know why I hung on to it for so long.”
“Did you hear them in concert?”
“Yep. Me and two of friends went. We were both hoping to marry Darius Rucker. They were my favorite band, and I figured I could hear Hootie songs every day if I married the lead singer.”
He chuckled. “I guess that didn’t work out.”
“Kinda hard to catch his eye when we’re in the fortieth row.” She laughed, then clutched the shirt to her chest. “Do you like Hootie & the Blowfish?”
He nodded. “I went to a concert, too, one of their last ones before Rucker branched out on his own.”
She propped a fist on her hip. “Yes, but do you have the T-shirt to prove it?”
He dug in the box and pulled out a threadbare brown T. Laughter exploded from Ellie when she read the familiar name on the front.
“I saw them at the Boston Garden,” he said.
“Providence for me.” She flipped over her shirt to show the concert information. “We could go out as twins.”
“Uh, yeah…no.” He laughed. “I think that would be more damaging than anything. People would think we’re crazy.”
“Oh, it might be fun. And get people talking.”
She remembered the first time she’d said that. It had been back in the office, on their first day as a married couple. They’d shared lunch in the outdoor courtyard, and for a little while, it had felt so real, as if they were any other couple sneaking in an afternoon date. And the time they had spent in her house, had seemed real, too. Had they been pretending? Or had a part of it been a true marriage? And why did she keep hoping for the very thing she told herself she didn’t want?
Finn moved closer to her, and the distance between them went from a foot to mere inches. Ellie’s heart began to race. Damn, this man was handsome.
“They already are talking,” he said.
“Really? And what do you think they’re saying?”
His gaze locked on hers. Ellie’s pulse thundered in her head and anticipation sent a fierce rush through her veins. She held her breath, waiting on his words, his touch.
A slight smile curved across his lips. “I think they’re saying that they can’t believe I married you.”
“Because I’m such a bad match for you?”
“No. Because you are such an amazing woman.” He reached up and drifted his fingers along her jawline, sliding across her lips. She nearly melted under that touch, because it was so tender, so sensual. “Smart and funny and sexy and a hundred other adjectives.”
“Finn…” She drew in a breath, fought for clarity. Every time she thought she understood Finn and his motives, he threw a curveball at her. Was he here for business, or something more? Was there anything between them besides an architectural alliance? A contract? Because right now, it sure as hell felt like something more. A lot more. And oh, how she wanted that more. She was tired of being afraid of falling in love, afraid of risking her heart. She did want the whole Cinderella fantasy, damn it, and she wanted it with Finn. The trouble was, she didn’t know what he wanted.
“Every time I see you, I stop thinking—” he leaned in closer, and her heart began to race “—about anything but how much I want to kiss you again.”
“Really?” The hope blossomed again inside her. Lord, she was in deep.
His fingers did a slow dance down her neck. Her nerves tingled, chasing shivers along her veins. “Really.” Then finally, when she thought she could stand the wait no longer, he kissed her.
This kiss started out slow, easy, sexy, like waltzing across the floor. Then the tempo increased, and the spark between them became an inferno, pushing Ellie into Finn, searching, craving, more of him. She curved her body into his and the inferno roared down every part of them that connected. His hands roamed her back, sliding along the soft cotton of her T-shirt, then slipped over the denim of her jeans, sending a rush of fire along her back, her butt. Oh, God, she wanted him. She arched into him, opening her mouth wider, her tongue tangoing with his. Insistent, pounding desire roared through her veins. More, more, more, she thought. More of everything.
>
“Oh, God, Ellie,” he said, his voice a harsh, low groan. Then, one, or maybe both of them began to move and in tandem, they stepped back, two steps, three, four, until Ellie’s knees bumped up against the bed and they fell onto it in a tangle of arms and legs.
Finn covered her legs with one of his, never breaking the kiss. His mouth had gone from easy waltz to hot salsa, and Ellie thought she might spontaneously combust right then and there if she didn’t have more of Finn. Of his kiss, his touch, his body. Damn, his body was hard in all the right places, and on top of hers, and sending her mind down the path of making love. His hand slid under her T-shirt, igniting her bare skin. She moaned, rose up to his touch, then gasped when his fingers brushed against her nipple. She gasped, arched again, and his fingers did it again. Oh, God. Even through the lacy fabric of her bra, she could feel every touch, every movement.
She murmured his name, then wrapped a leg around his hips, pressing her pelvis to his hard length. God, it had been so long since she had been with a man, so long since she had been kissed. She wanted Finn’s clothes off. Wanted his naked body against hers. Wanted him inside her.
Finn seemed to know everything about her. Every touch stoked the fire inside her, every kiss added to the desire coursing through her veins, clouding her every thought. Then as she shifted to allow him more access, the clock downstairs began to chime the hour.
Ellie jerked back to the present. What was she doing? Where was she going to go with this? Was she letting her hormones overrule her brain again? She shifted away from him and scrambled to her feet. “Why are you doing this?” she asked.
“Because I want you. Because you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. Because—”
“No. Why are you helping me? Why are you here today for the home visit?” The clock downstairs chimed ten, then eleven times, and fell silent.
“Because I made you a promise.” His sky-blue eyes met hers and when he spoke his voice was quiet, tender. “And because when you were telling me about Jiao at the animal shelter, I saw how much you loved her. Every child should have a parent who loves them like that. Who would move heaven and earth to provide them with a safe and loving environment.”
“Is that all there is? No hidden agenda to steal WW out from under me?”
He looked surprised. No, he looked hurt, and she wanted to take the words back. “You think that’s why I did all this? Really? After everything?”
“You told me yourself that your company has had a bad year and that you were desperate to recoup the business you had lost. Desperate enough to marry the daughter of your competitor?” She bit her lip, and pushed the rest out. She didn’t want him here if in the end he was going to take away the very thing her father treasured. Nothing was worth that price. “Like you almost did before?”
“Is that what you think? That I go around town marrying the competition to try to build my business up? That the Hawk swoops in and drops engagement rings to lure them in?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t know, Finn. You tell me.”
“I don’t. The fact that you and Lucy both work in the industry is a coincidence.”
“Is it? Because it seems to me that marrying me has given your business an advantage and I want to be sure my father’s company is protected.”
He cursed. “Ellie, I didn’t marry you for your father’s company. And I have no intentions of stealing it.”
“Is that what you told Lucy, too?”
The doorbell began to ring. Linda was here. Ellie cursed the timing. “We’ll have to finish this later.”
“Okay.” He turned to the box and quickly stowed the rest of his clothes in her closet. Finn finished hanging up his clothes, then turned to the dresser and nightstand to put out a few of his personal items. Ellie crossed to the door of the bedroom and took one last look at the closet that held the incongruity of her life. Finn McKenna’s dress shirts and pants hung beside her dresses, making it look like her husband was truly a part of her life.
When that was as far from the truth as could be.
* * *
Two hours later, Linda and the social worker finished their visit at Ellie’s house. As they were heading out the door, Linda leaned her head back in and shot Ellie a smile. “This went great. Thanks to both of you for being available on such short notice.”
“You’re welcome. It was our pleasure,” Finn said. He shook hands again with Linda, then took his place beside Ellie, slipping an arm around her waist. Still playing the happy couple, and after a couple hours of it, it was beginning to feel natural. Hell, it had felt natural from the minute he’d said “I do.”
“We’ll get the report off to the orphanage in China and from there it should only be a few days.” Linda beamed. “I’m so excited for the two of you. I’m sure Jiao will be very, very happy in her new home.”
Ellie thanked Linda again, then said goodbye. After the two women were gone, she closed the door and leaned against it. Finn stepped back, putting distance between them again. The charade, after all, was over. He should have been relieved.
He wasn’t.
He realized that this was it. They had finished the preliminary drawings for the hospital project and save for one more meeting to go over a few details, the business side of their alliance was done. And now, with the social worker gone and the home visit over, the personal side of their partnership was over, too. He had no other reason to see Ellie again.
And that disappointed him more than he had expected.
“Thank you again,” Ellie said. “You were fabulous. Really believable.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I loved how you managed to slip in that thing about us sharing the same favorite band, and the stories about how we both saw them in concert. I think it’s the details that really make a difference.”
“Yeah, they do.” That damned disappointment kept returning. Was it just because they’d shared an amazingly hot kiss—and a little more—back in the bedroom? Or was it because they’d been pretending so well, it had begun to feel real, and now he was mourning the loss of a relationship that had never really existed? One that he had been doing his best to avoid? “I, uh, should get going.”
Her smile slipped a little. “Okay. I’ll, uh, see you Monday. At the meeting.”
“Sure, sounds good.” He picked his keys up from the dish by the front door—another realistic touch that he had added—and pressed the remote start for his car.
“Do you want to take your stuff now?”
“Maybe I should leave it. In case they come back.”
“Oh, yeah, sure. Good idea.” She paused. “Are you sure there isn’t anything you need?”
“No, I’m good. Oh, wait. I left my wallet on the nightstand.” He thumbed toward the stairs. “Is it okay if I go up and get it?”
“Sure. This is your house, too. At least for show.”
He chuckled, but the sound was empty, the laughter feigned. This wasn’t his house and even though he’d pretended to for a little while, he wasn’t living here anymore. He headed up the stairs and into her room.
He paused inside the doorway and took in the room one last time. A fluffy white comforter dominated her king-sized bed. Thick, comfortable pillows marched down the center of the bed, ending with a round decorative pillow in a chocolate-brown. Sheer white curtains hung at her windows, dancing a little in the slight breeze. In one corner a threadbare tan armchair sat beside a table with a lamp. Close to a dozen books stood in a towering stack on the table. Finn crossed to them, smiling at the architectural design books, then noting the mysteries and thrillers that filled out the pile. Two of them were on his own nightstand.
They listened to the same music. Read the same books. Worked in the same field. Everything pointed to them being perfect for each other.
Ex
cept…
His gaze skipped to the bed. There was a fire between them, one he couldn’t ignore. It made him crazy, turned his thoughts inside out and made him do things he had never done before—like elope.
Risk.
That’s what marrying Ellie had been. A huge risk. And Finn, the man who never made a move that wasn’t well thought out and planned, had taken that risk with both eyes wide-open. He glanced at a picture of Ellie posing with a smiling, gap-toothed two-year-old girl with dark almond eyes and short black hair. Jiao. The two of them looked happy together, already resembling the family they would soon become.
A part of him craved to be in that circle, with Ellie and Jiao. Wanted to form a little family of three. That was the biggest risk of all, wasn’t it?
He’d taken it in the last few days and realized that every time he was with Ellie, he felt a happiness he’d never known before. A lightness that buoyed his days. Was he…falling for her?
And was he doing it too late?
Finn grabbed his wallet and turned to leave. Ellie stood in the doorway, watching him. “You never answered my question.”
He sighed and dropped onto the bed. Did she really think the worst of him? That he was the Hawk, through and through? “I didn’t propose to Lucy with the intention of stealing her company. I proposed to her because I thought she was the right one to settle down with.”
Ellie hung back by the door. “The love of your life?”
He snorted. “Far from it. She was the one who met all the mental pros and cons I had listed in my head for a relationship. She fit my little checklist, so I told myself we’d be happy. And you know what?” He shook his head, and finally admitted the truth to himself. “I was never happy with her. I was content.”
“Is that so bad?”
“It’s horrible. Because you never have that rush of joy hit your heart when you see the person you love.” His gaze met hers, and a whoosh ran through him. “You never hurry home because you can’t wait to see her smile. You never catch yourself doodling her name instead of writing a contract. You never feel regret for leaving her instead of staying to the very end.” He rose and crossed to Ellie. “The most impetuous thing I did was propose to Lucy—I rushed out and bought the ring at the end of the day. After I’d compiled a list of pros and cons.” He shook his head and let out a breath. “Who does that? Pros and cons?”