by KB Winters
It was nearing six o’clock. That’s PM. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d stayed in bed all day. Especially not with a man. Rafe never stayed in bed past five in the morning. According to him, five o’clock is the hour that distinguishes the champions from the rest of the world. It was a sentiment I’d never agreed with. If I got out of bed at five, I would likely only end up the cereal bowl faceplant champ of the world.
“No wonder my stomach is yelling at me,” I grumbled into the pillow.
Finn laughed. “Room service?”
“Hell yes!”
He laughed and dropped a kiss to my cheek before pushing up in bed. The light on his side of the massive bed lit up the room and I heard him rustling through the papers. “Aha. Here we go…”
I rolled over and we consulted the menu together. Finn made the call and then got up. He started to get dressed and I booed him as he stepped into his boxer briefs.
“What?” he said, laughing as he dodged a pillow.
“You’re ruining my fun,” I pouted, eyeballing his every inch. “I like this view much better. Unobstructed.”
Finn pulled on a t-shirt, still grinning broadly. “I promise as soon as the room service guy is gone, I’ll let you pull it all right back off again.”
“All right.” I sat up and didn’t bother tugging up the sheet when it fell to my waist. Finn gave me an appreciative glance and my nipples went hard. “Fuck…” I groaned. “What are you doing to me?”
His grin turned wicked and dark. He leaned in, bracing his hands on the foot of the bed. “Not nearly half the things I’d like to be doing to you…”
I shivered at the spark in his eyes, my imagination took off like a rocket, zooming through a dozen possibilities. Before I could grab his collar and drag him close, there was a knock at the door. “Damn.”
Finn laughed.
I leaned back against the pillows, my breasts high in the air and Finn groaned as he padded from the room. “Stay right there. Don’t move.”
He returned minutes later, pushing a cart of food. He took the lids off the plates and my stomach rumbled at the mix of savory scents that filled the room. Finn started to sit down and I cleared my throat. “Aren’t you forgetting something, Mr. Clarke?”
He looked at the cart, a puzzled look on his face. “I think it’s all here.”
I laughed. “I meant your clothes. You promised me dinner and a show, remember?”
Finn chuckled. “Aha. A very persistent woman.”
“I seem to remember that was one of your favorite things about me,” I said, surprised to find the normal sting of recalling the past wasn’t as painful.
He reached up and grabbed the back of his t-shirt, stripping it the way that only men do, with a slow, sultry pull that got my every nerve on red alert. His tanned abs and chest and arms alone were enough to get my salivating. When his hands went to the button on his jeans, I stopped breathing. He stepped out of the pants and kicked them aside before looping his thumbs in the waist of his boxer briefs. One tug and he was naked.
And from the looks of things—dinner was the last thing on his mind.
“Much better,” I purred. A new thought entered my mind and I smirked to myself and shook my head.
Finn flashed me a quizzical look. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing.” I smiled at him. “I was just thinking about the night at that charity car auction. If someone had come along and told me that we’d end up here…I would’ve told them they were insane.”
Finn returned my grin. “You mean you weren’t picturing me naked when you dropped that flute of champagne?”
I laughed and shook my head. “I assure you, I was not.”
He crawled onto the bed, leaving the tray of dinner behind. “You know, you shouldn’t laugh when I’m in the middle of the strip tease that you requested. Might give a guy a complex.”
“Sorry,” I replied with a laugh. I hooked a finger and beckoned him forward. “Come here. I’ll make it up to you. Nice and slow.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Finn
Waking up beside Alyssa was a little like landing in an alternate reality. In the few seconds it took to actually open my eyes, I wondered if it was just a fantasy.
“Morning,” Lyss said, rolling over just in time to save me from the next stop on my train of thoughts.
I’d left the curtains pulled back the night before so the morning sun could wake us up. I loved the way she looked naked. The fresh morning light dancing across her skin. She was gorgeous anyway, but in the soft morning light, without a stitch of clothing or a trace of makeup, her hair a chaotic mess splayed out on the bed—she was an absolute goddess. An undeniable natural beauty that could steal my heart with one look.
I tucked my chin and stole a kiss as her full lips parted.
“I have morning breath,” she protested with a giggle.
I ran my fingers up the side of her face before tangling them in her hair. “No you don’t.”
She rolled her eyes but smiled up at me, her eyes full of wonder. I’d have given just about anything to peek inside her mind and find out what she was thinking about. Things had gone sideways for her, virtually overnight, and I knew there was a lot she wasn’t telling me. But there was also a small part of me that was afraid to know what she was hung up on.
Was it him? Or me.
My smile fell away when I spotted the bruises on her neck. They were lighter today and would likely be gone in another day or two but the purple marks sent my blood to the boiling point with a single glance.
Alyssa buried her face against my chest and my anger simmered to the background. I’d deal with him later. It felt too damn good to hold her, and I couldn’t hold on to the rage with her pressed against me so tight. “Mmmm, I don’t want to get up,” she mumbled against my skin.
I smiled and stroked her hair. “Who says we have to? I can think of plenty of things we can do right here…”
To emphasize my point, I traced my fingers down her bare back and cupped her delicious ass cheek. There wasn’t an inch of her I didn’t want to explore.
Alyssa nipped at my nipple. “You play dirty.”
“So do you,” I said, drawing in a ragged breath as she continued to tease me with her teeth.
“Oh, you have no idea.” She snaked a hand between us and wrapped her slender fingers around my rock-hard shaft.
I groaned as she stroked me softly, almost tauntingly. When I couldn’t take her teasing anymore, I rolled her to her back and positioned myself above her. Our lips met in a crushing kiss. I rolled my hips against her and slid the tip between her pussy lips, growling into her open mouth as I found her soaking wet. “Fuck, Lyss.”
She arched her back and dragged me back to her lips. Her thighs moved to wrap around my hips and I plunged inside her. She’d already told me she was on the pill and I’d never been so glad to not have to roll over and find a condom. I needed her. Right then. Waiting would have felt like holding my breath under water.
I kissed her once more then pulled away so I could watch the play of pleasure across her face as I fucked her deep and slow. Her eyes locked on mine and I twitched inside her. “You’re so fucking beautiful, Lyss.”
A smile graced her full lips and her hands moved to grab my ass, urging me on. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”
“Not true.”
Her eyes flickered. Something dark and mysterious.
“Lyss, I—”
She raised a finger and laid it against my lips. “You talk too much.”
I thrust into her and she sighed loudly. Her hands moved back to my ass and she hungrily clawed at the taut skin. There was more that needed to be said, more that I wanted to say, but as she clenched around me, the thoughts faded from my mind.
****
By the afternoon, somehow, Alyssa convinced me to leave the bed. She needed to go check in at the shelter and grab her work computer. I knew that we’d eventually have to go to the house she sh
ared with Rafe, but I was content to put that off as long as possible. Without a spare helmet, she refused to ride on the back of my bike, claiming the last time she’d been on the bike she’d made an exception as it was an emergency. She called a cab and we went downtown. Alyssa stopped at a couple of stores, grabbed a new pair of jeans, a sweater, and a pair of boots. While she was checking out, I ducked out and ran over across the street to pick up a second helmet. The damn things were expensive, but it’d be well worth it if it would mean getting her ass on the bike behind me.
I met her back at the shop and held up the purchase, a glossy white and silver riding helmet. “Sorry, Lyss, but you just lost your last excuse for not getting on the bike again.”
She rolled her eyes but smiled. “All right, fine.”
We took a second cab over a few blocks to Hearts & Paws. I paid the driver and climbed out after her. She stood on the sidewalk in front of the entrance. Figuring she was waiting for me, I walked up beside her and set my hand on her back.
“Finn,” she said, stepping out of my reach. “We can’t…”
“Can’t what?”
She turned to face me. “These people are my employees. I can’t have some big PDA show, all right? You’re here to see Peanut. Okay?”
My jaw tensed but I nodded and gave her a halfway-convincing smile. “Got it.”
She stared at me for a moment longer and then moved to open the door. I held it open as she walked inside. The woman I’d met a few weeks back was at the front counter, recognition sparked in her eyes. “Hello, Alyssa. I didn’t know you were coming in today. We thought you were taking a weekend off. Something of a post-Christmas miracle.”
“I left my laptop here.” Alyssa smiled. “Claudia, you remember Finn?”
“Of course! How is the car coming along?”
“It’s a heap of metal right now,” I answered, returning the woman’s smile. “But don’t worry, by the time Lyss gets the keys, it’ll be picture perfect.”
Claudia raised her eyebrows at Alyssa and I felt Alyssa tense beside me. “Finn was so taken with our little superstar, Peanut, that he wanted to stop by and see him again.”
Claudia smiled. “Oh, how lovely! We’re all quite attached to him of course, but we will be overjoyed when he finds a good home.”
Alyssa nodded. “His sister already went home with a family.”
I smiled. “That’s great.”
“I’ll stop by on my way out,” Alyssa told the woman before leading the way down the hall.
“Have fun, you two!”
Alyssa stopped at her office first and ushered me inside before closing the door. She sighed. “Finn, no one knows that we have…history. They all just think you’re reno’ing some car for me.”
“Okay…?”
“You called me Lyss out there.”
I sighed. “I don’t think she noticed.”
“Oh, she noticed all right.”
I ran a hand through my hair and cut my eyes to the wall calendar. “I don’t know what you want me to say here, Lyss. We’re not strangers. I can’t pretend that we are.”
Alyssa went to her desk and sat in her chair with a heavy sigh. “I don’t know what I want either. All of this came out of nowhere and I’m just a little…lost…I guess.”
Her words cut deeper than I wanted to admit. “Then let’s drop it. We’ll check in on Peanut, you’ve got your laptop, and then we’ll get outta here.”
She chewed on her lower lip and I could see thoughts rolling through her mind. She wanted to argue with me. I could feel it, like a crackling in the air. But at the last second, right before the storm broke, she nodded. “You’re right. Let me grab my laptop. If you want to go on back, one of my staff members can help you. I think Chelsea’s back there right now.”
So that’s how it is.
I gave a curt nod. “Right.”
I pivoted on my heel and walked back out of her office. Just as I started to go back to where the kennels were, the veterinarian from the night Peanut was brought in came walking by. She did a double-take when she saw me. “Finn?”
“Oh, hey! Gina, right?”
She nodded. “That’s right. How are you?”
I pocketed my hands. “I’m good. Thanks. You?”
“Great. Can I help you with something?”
I glanced over my shoulder and saw that the door to Alyssa’s office was still closed. “Sure, actually, you can. I’m here to see Peanut. How’s he doing?”
“Perfect timing,” Gina replied with a bright smile. “I was just on my way to see him. Wanna tag along?”
“Sure. Thanks.”
She led the way, catching me up on some of the puppy’s progress as we walked down the rest of the hall and into the main kennel area. “Here he is,” she said, stopping in front of one of the stalls. “Our little champ.”
I squatted down and smiled at the little guy. He looked completely different from the night I’d stayed with Alyssa and watched him fight for his life on the medical table. “He doesn’t even look like the same dog!”
Gina dropped down beside me and reached out as Peanut came to the door. The only evidence of the trauma he’d endured was a slight hobble in the way he moved. He wore a wide smile and his fur had nearly grown back in the places he’d had scars and scratches before. “Are you considering adoption?” Gina asked as Peanut licked my outstretched hand.
“You know,” I started, nodding. “I think I am. I work in a garage and he’d be the perfect front office mascot.”
Gina laughed. “I’m not sure he’s much with spreadsheets and emails but he’d be a big hit with your clients.”
I smiled. “That’s enough for me.”
Gina pushed up to standing. “Here, let’s take him out to the yard. I need to check him out, but we can get a little game of fetch going in the meantime.”
I stood and Gina pulled open the door. Peanut raced out and circled my legs, barking with excitement until I bent over and picked him up. “What do you think, little guy? You wanna be a shop dog? I’m sure Miles will spoil you rotten.”
The sound of someone clearing their throat behind me caught my attention. I turned and saw Alyssa had joined us.
Gina turned too. “Oh, hello, Alyssa. I was going to take these two out to the yard. Unless…”
“I can go with them,” Alyssa replied. “If you can check in with Star. Chelsea was saying they’d noticed she’s been itching at a hot spot.”
Gina nodded. “Absolutely.” She reached up and scratched Peanut’s ears. “I think you two will be very happy together.”
I looked over at Alyssa. “What do you think? Think we’ll be a good match?”
Alyssa smiled. “I do.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Alyssa
“You sure about this?”
Peanut certainly had his mind made up, clinging to Finn like they’d been separated since birth. Finn looked pretty damn happy too. The two of them together were heartwarming and overwhelming at the same time. After all, what’s better than a hot AF guy? Naturally, a hot guy with a puppy.
Which was pure trouble for me. I was having a hard enough time trying to keep myself from falling hard and fast for Finn—or admitting that maybe I’d never fallen out of love with him in the first place. Watching him cradle the sleepy pup after an hour of fetch in the yard, was irresistible.
Even more aggravating was the intense wave of jealousy that hit me as soon as I’d seen him smiling and laughing with Gina. I had no right to be jealous of anyone interested in Finn. He was a single man. Sure, it was a little more complicated than that, but at the end of the day, I knew I held no claim to him.
“I’m sure,” Finn answered. “So, load me up, whatever you think I’ll need.”
We were wandering around the retail space of Hearts & Paws while Claudia completed the adoption application paperwork. I picked out a few things and we decided on a leash and harness for him. I kept watching him out of the corner of my eye as he carried
Peanut around in his arms. It awakened some deep ache inside me that I preferred to ignore. I’d always thought Finn would make an amazing father. He was patient and fair and had seen enough of life to be full of practical wisdom. It was one of the conversations we’d wander through back when we’d been together. He’d always shied away from any of my compliments or assurances he’d be a good father. His own had bailed out on him, Kait, and their mother when he was barely in school. To some degree, I figured he wasn’t confident in his parenting ability since he didn’t have any kind of a role model in either one of his parents, but I knew, deep down in my gut—he’d be amazing.
“Alyssa?”
I jolted at Claudia’s voice. I whipped around and saw her giving me a questioning look. How long has she been calling me? “Sorry,” I said, rushing over to the counter. “I was zoning out for a second there.”
Claudia smirked. “I can see that.”
My cheeks warmed at her knowing grin in Finn’s direction. “All set with the paperwork?”
She handed over a manila envelope. “All set.”
“Thank you.”
“When will I see you next?” she asked, glancing at my laptop bag that hung from one shoulder.
“I’ll be back on Monday.”
“Okay. Well…have a good rest of your weekend.”
“Thanks.” I circled back to Finn. “We’re all set.”
“You wanna take him while I pay for the supplies?” Finn asked.
“Oh…right. Yeah, sure.”
We moved together to carefully transfer the slumbering puppy between us. Finn passed him off and then strolled over to the counter with the basket of items we’d picked out. Claudia and he chatted together as she rang up the purchase, and I felt my cheeks go warm when they both glanced over at me in unison, wearing identical smiles.
“Bye, baby Peanut,” Claudia called after handing Finn his bag.
“Don’t worry,” Finn replied. “We’ll come back and visit.”
“See that you do!”
Finn held the door open and I walked through, still holding Peanut. Finn joined me on the sidewalk a moment later, carrying the bag of supplies he’d purchased and the items that came with the adoption package. “Damn, he’s cute, huh?”