by Marie Force
“You definitely don’t fight fair.” She typed her response. Ranger loves steak, and he said thanks for inviting him.
Finn replied with the dog emoji and a thumbs-up.
You need me to grab anything?
Nope. Just need you and Ranger to make it a party.
We’re coming.
She couldn’t wait to see him, and none of the reasons why she shouldn’t be going mattered as she clipped a leash onto Ranger and led him out the door.
Chapter 9
Finn had been on pins and needles all day, trying to get through a boring workday of last-minute nitpicks at the Wayfarer. They had a malfunctioning drain in the kitchen, a door that wouldn’t close properly in the hotel and paint that needed to be touched up throughout the facility. They’d also helped to haul in a ton of tables, chairs and patio furniture.
The day had dragged until Mac told them to go home at four thirty, an hour earlier than usual, which was more than fine with Finn.
He hadn’t stuck around to see what everyone had planned for the evening, not when he had his own plans to see to. After a stop at the grocery store, he’d come home to put baked potatoes and brownies in the oven, while giving thanks to his mom for teaching him the basics.
Next, he chopped lettuce and vegetables for a salad and then put out bowls of salsa and corn chips. When everything was ready, he ran for the bathroom for a quick shower and shave before Chloe arrived. She hadn’t mentioned the flowers. He hoped she’d gotten them after he’d gone round and round most of the day about whether he should send them and what kind of message to send with them.
At lunchtime, he’d said screw it and had walked up the hill to the florist to place his order. He’d gone with wildflowers because he’d seen the flowers she’d included in her sleeve tattoo and figured she must love them to permanently adorn her body with them. He hoped he’d gotten it right. It had never been more important to him that he get it right.
She was reserved, cautious, almost timid. Though she projected an aura of confidence and toughness, he’d seen her softer center. She fascinated him in a way no other woman ever had. It had taken meeting Chloe to fully realize that his relationship with Missy had been superficial—they went out, had some fun, went home, had sex and that was that. Maybe that made him shallow, but that had worked for him for a long time. Until it didn’t.
It alarmed him to realize if he hadn’t come to Gansett for Laura’s wedding and stayed afterward to keep his dad company after his parents’ difficult breakup, Finn might’ve been stupid enough to marry Missy by now.
He shuddered to think of how easily he could’ve settled for what was right in front of him rather than looking beyond the obvious. Missy was a good person and he cared about her and wished her the best, but he certainly wanted more out of a life companion than someone who was satisfied with pizza and sex.
He wanted what Riley had found with Nikki, the soul-deep connection that was obvious to anyone who spent time with them. If he hadn’t witnessed his brother falling in love firsthand, if he hadn’t met Chloe and felt the difference for himself, he wouldn’t have known what was missing with Missy. Now he knew, and he could never go back to who he’d been before.
He went out to the deck to put the steak on the grill, and as he went back inside to finish the salad, his phone began vibrating. Finn made the mistake of glancing at it to find Missy blowing it up with a furious series of texts, telling him how awful he was, how he’d made promises to her that she expected him to keep, how she’d been planning their wedding and had even reserved a venue for next summer.
“What?” Finn read the texts with a growing sense of alarm and disbelief. She’d booked a wedding venue? What the actual fuck? They had never once talked about getting married. He’d been very careful not to go there with her, knowing he wasn’t even remotely close to being ready for anything permanent with her or anyone.
The texts kept coming, faster than he could read them, the gist being he was going to be sorry for embarrassing her this way.
In a state of disbelief over the things she’d said, he shut off the phone and put it on the charger. How could she possibly think it was appropriate to book a wedding venue when they’d never so much as had a conversation about marriage? Finn wished he had time to call Riley to tell him about this but didn’t want to be in the middle of that conversation when Chloe arrived. So that would have to wait until later. In the meantime, he tried to shake off the unsettling texts. But that was easier said than done.
She’d booked a wedding venue. Dear God! His dad and Riley had warned him that they had concerns about Missy, but he’d never bought into that. Until now.
He thought about every conversation they’d had recently and couldn’t come up with a single thing he’d said that would lead her to believe she should book a wedding venue. The most he’d promised her was that they’d get together when he got home. That was it. So how did she go from getting together to planning a wedding?
Before he could process that question, a knock on the front door jolted him out of the past and into the present. He wanted Chloe to have a great time tonight and had gone all out to ensure that she would. This was no time to be thinking about Missy, weird texts or wedding venues.
He shook it off, rolling his shoulders to relieve the tension as he went to get the door. And then there she was, wearing a hot-pink floral top that left her arms bare, black pants and boots with studs. So fucking sexy. He wanted to kiss her but didn’t. Not until he was sure that was what she wanted, too. But God, he wanted to. “Come in.”
Ranger walked in ahead of her.
She followed the dog, bringing that same electrified feeling Finn had experienced every time he’d been in her presence. How did she do that just by walking in the door?
“Geez, Ranger. Make yourself right at home, why don’t you?”
Finn grinned at her. “He’s more than welcome to make himself right at home, as are you.” He led her into the kitchen. “What can I get you to drink?”
“Ice water would be perfect.”
“Coming right up.” He poured her ice water and opened a beer for himself, wondering if there was a reason she didn’t drink alcohol, not that it mattered to him. Chalk up the curiosity to his desire to know everything about her. “Let’s go outside. It’s nice out.” Tucking his beer under his arm, he carried the chips and salsa while she got the doors.
After struggling down the two stairs, Ranger went into the yard and seemed to check out every blade of grass before lifting his leg.
Finn laughed at how particular he was. “He’s funny.”
“He keeps me entertained.” She glanced at Finn. “The flowers were gorgeous. Thank you.”
“I’m glad you liked them. They reminded me of your ink.”
“Wildflowers are my favorite. I love the way they flourish outside the lines.”
“That’s an interesting way of putting it.”
She offered a small, sly smile that had his full attention. “Life is more interesting outside the lines.”
He loaded a chip with salsa and handed it to her.
When she took it from him, he noticed the knuckles on her right hand were red and swollen.
“What did you do to your hand?”
She ate the chip and dropped her hand to her lap as if ashamed that he’d noticed. “It’s nothing. Happens sometimes after a long day at work.”
Finn couldn’t say why, but he sensed there was far more to it than that, but he chose not to push her. “Looks like it hurts.”
“Not too bad. How was your day?”
So she doesn’t want to talk about her sore hand. Okay, then. “It was fine. Kinda boring with last-minute stuff at the Wayfarer.” And some insanity with an ex, not that he wanted to tell her that.
“This is a nice yard.”
“My dad gets all the credit. He did the landscaping and bought the deck furniture.”
“How did you all end up living together?”
He l
oaded another chip and handed it to her, noting that her left hand was swollen, too, but not as bad as the right. “We came out for my cousin Laura’s wedding.”
“I love her—and Owen. And their kids are adorable.”
“They really are. They’re a great couple. My parents had just split up, and it was kind of awful, especially for my dad, who was sort of blindsided by it.”
“Ugh, that’s too bad.”
“I guess things between them had been not so great for a while, but she left him for another guy, and it really threw him. When he decided to stay for a while after the wedding to spend some time with his brothers, Riley and I stuck around to keep him company. Mac offered us jobs with his company, one month rolled into another, and here we are almost two years later. Dad is remarried and expecting a baby, and Riley is crazy about Nikki. Worked out well for everyone.”
“Yourself included?”
Finn shrugged. “Sure. It’s been great to have this time with my family and to learn from my cousin, who is an incredible businessman and knows his shit when it comes to construction.”
“But?”
“No buts. It’s been great.”
“And yet you’re leaving.”
“Well, I never intended to move here permanently.”
“Your dad and Riley didn’t either, did they?”
“Not at first, but things changed for them. I get that. The lease is up here at the end of the month, and I had to decide what I wanted to do, so I told my old boss I’d be home.” What had seemed like such a good plan only two weeks ago didn’t look quite as good to him after meeting her.
“It’s time to figure out what’s next. I’ve been there. I get it.”
“Where are you from originally?”
“Outside of Boston.”
“Did you grow up there?”
“I grew up in western Massachusetts. My parents… They passed away when I was young.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“It was a long time ago.”
Despite what she said, he ached for her. “Where did you go after that?”
“A foster home. They were nice people, and I was brought up along with their kids. After high school, I went to cosmetology school and have been doing hair ever since. By the time I moved here, I was ready for a change. It feels like home.”
“I love the name of the salon.”
“Thank you. Other than the obvious meaning, it’s also a reminder that you have to keep going even when the worst thing happens. Curling up and dying isn’t an option.”
“You’re amazing, but you probably already know that.”
“No, I’m not.”
“You really are. What happened to your parents?”
Chloe took a deep breath and let it out.
Finn immediately regretted the question. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“It’s okay that you asked. They fought a lot. Always did. My dad, he had a drug problem and it had gotten really bad in the last few months before they died. He came home one night with a gun.”
“Oh my God, Chloe.” Instinctively, he reached for her hand, jolting when she winced. He pulled his hand back. “Sorry.”
“He shot her and then himself.”
Horrified, Finn could barely breathe. “Where were you?”
“Upstairs. At first, I didn’t know what had happened, but when I came down and saw the blood, I ran out of there. Someone told me later that the neighbors called the cops. I don’t remember much about what happened after I left the house. A big chunk of my memory is just blank.”
“How old were you?”
“Seven.”
He winced as his heart broke for her. “I’m so sorry you had such an awful thing happen to you.”
She smiled, but her glorious eyes were sad. “What is it about you that has me telling you something I rarely tell anyone?”
Her sadness gutted him. “I don’t know, but I’m really glad you trusted me enough to share that with me.”
“I told Katie about it the other day. You’re the first two people here who I’ve told.”
Because he needed it and thought she might, too, he moved his chair closer to hers and held out his arms to her.
She hesitated, but only for a second before leaning into his embrace.
As Finn put his arms around her and felt the silk of her hair brush against his face, he closed his eyes and breathed in her unique scent. He couldn’t identify the various elements that made up the scent, but he would forever associate it with her. “I’m supposed to be feeding you, but I can’t seem to let go.”
She exhaled and relaxed against him. “This is okay for now.”
Later, Finn wouldn’t be able to say how long they sat there, wrapped up in each other as daylight waned into dusk. Time ceased to matter. The only thing he cared about was offering comfort after hearing her heartbreaking story. He couldn’t imagine living through such a tragedy, especially at such a young age. His had been a charmed, blessed existence with two parents who’d adored him and the brother who had been by his side from the beginning. Compared to what she’d endured, he’d never had a problem in his life.
“What’re you thinking?” she asked after a long silence.
“How lucky I am to be here with you, and to have had such an easy life compared to what you’ve been through.”
“I don’t want you to pity me.”
“I don’t. I admire all you’ve accomplished on your own. You opened a business in your twenties and have made a success of it.”
“I wouldn’t go that far. It pays the bills, but that’s about it.”
“You support yourself through a business you own. I think that’s incredible. I dream about owning my own business, and you already do. It’s a huge accomplishment that most people never achieve.”
“Well, when you put it that way…”
Her husky laugh made his skin tingle with awareness and, yes, desire. He wanted her, and not just physically. He wanted all of her, and that was truly a first for him. After being with Chloe, he got why Riley had gone over the bend with Nikki. Once you’ve experienced something so magical, you’d do anything you could to keep it in your life.
“You’re making a freaking mess of me. I hope you know that.”
She raised her head to look at him, her brows furrowed. “How so?”
He caressed her face, and when her lips parted, he could think of nothing else but how badly he wanted to kiss her.
“Finn?”
“I think about you all the time. I count the hours until I can see you. I’ve never done that.”
“No?”
He shook his head. “Never.”
“I… We said we were going to keep this casual.”
“I know.”
“That doesn’t sound casual.”
“It’s not.”
She drew back from him. “Finn. Please. I can’t do this. Not if you’re leaving. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us.”
Though it was the last thing he wanted to do, he let her go, then took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair, wishing that was all it would take to get his head back on straight. “I promised you dinner. It’s all ready.”
He got up and went into the house, intent on serving dinner and trying to keep things casual with her, even as he was forced to acknowledge that his feelings for her were anything but. After hearing about what she’d been through, he better understood her aversion to risk. And the last thing he wanted was to hurt her.
He couldn’t upend his plans for a woman he’d met less than a week ago. Who did that?
Riley did, and look at where it got him.
Shut up.
Now he was having arguments with himself. Awesome.
He put steak and baked potatoes on plates and walked them out to the patio.
She greeted him with a warm smile that made him want to say to hell with his plans or anything that didn’t include her. “That looks so good!”
<
br /> “Glad you think so. Be right back with the salad.”
His hands were actually shaking. What the fuck was happening to him? Back in the kitchen, he took a minute to get himself together, to take a deep breath, to settle himself. With his hands propped on the counter, he took another deep breath.
“Finn? What’s wrong?”
Chapter 10
He seemed upset, and Chloe wanted to know why. “Are you okay?”
Finn straightened and looked at her for the longest time while she wondered what he was thinking. Had something happened in the minute he was inside?
She went over to him. “What is it?”
He placed his hands on her hips. “It’s you.”
“What did I do?”
“You exist, and knowing that is messing with my head—and my plans.”
“I don’t understand.”
He kissed her forehead.
Though she already knew, he told her again, and she already sensed she’d never grow tired of hearing their story. “I was all set to go home at the end of the month. Then I walked into your salon and my whole world got tipped upside down, and now…”
“What?” she asked, sounding and feeling breathless from the way he looked at her.
“Now I don’t know whether I’m coming or going, and it’s all your fault.”
“My fault?”
“Uh-huh. One hundred percent your fault.”
Then he kissed her, tentatively at first, waiting for her to join him—or not. She knew without question that he would stop if she asked him to. She didn’t ask him to. Rather, she wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her mouth to his tongue, losing herself one second at a time to the wild desire that flared between them.
He drew her in closer to him, until their bodies were pressed together as the kiss grew urgent and desperate. No kiss had ever been like this. And when his hand ventured under her top to rest on her lower back, his skin touching hers, she shuddered with need that had her knees going weak under her.