by Marie Force
What a dilemma.
“Hey.”
How could one word become the sexiest thing he’d ever heard? Jesus, he had a bad case for this woman, and it was getting worse all the time. Worse had never felt so good. “Morning. Did you sleep well?” Finn tried to keep his voice normal, to mask his panic over what he’d discovered about the medication.
“Better than I have in ages, thanks to your bedtime remedy.”
He grinned. “My remedy is available on demand.” Only because he was gazing at her gorgeous face did he see the exact moment when she remembered all the reasons why this couldn’t be anything more than it had already been.
To hell with that. Did she think he couldn’t see the way she looked at him? As if she wanted something she couldn’t have. Well, she could have him. She could have all of him, and he was going to find a way to convince her to take what was right in front of her. Whatever was wrong, they would deal with it together.
“Let’s go out to breakfast.”
“I, um, I need to get to work.”
“The salon opens at ten. It’s not even eight. We have plenty of time, and besides, I have to take you back to get your car anyway.” He rubbed his belly. “I’m a growing boy, and you wore me out last night. I need my protein.”
She looked at him in a way that told him everything he needed to know. Last night hadn’t been enough for her, either. He could work with that.
“Come on…” He stuck out his lip. “You don’t want to send me off hungry to face the day, do you?”
She rolled her eyes. “Does this nonsense work for you?”
“Every time.”
That made her laugh, which had been his goal. He loved her laugh.
“All right. Fine. Breakfast. But that’s it. After that…”
“One step at a time, sweetheart. One step at a time.” He bounded out of bed, stretched dramatically and opened his eyes to find her staring at him. “See something you like?”
She looked away, wrapped the sheet around her body and dragged it with her into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
“Take your time, babe,” he said, loud enough for her to hear through the closed door. “I’ll let Ranger out and feed him.” Looking down at the dog, who eyed him warily from his bed on the floor, Finn said, “I think that went very well. Don’t you?”
* * *
What the hell was she thinking agreeing to go to breakfast with him? Why was she prolonging the agony? This was supposed to have been one and done. She’d had her one night and had been well and truly done. Going to breakfast with him just made her greedy.
It was his fault for being so ridiculously hot and sweet and nice. He was so damned nice. She found that quality more attractive than all the other attractive things about him. Unlike other guys she’d dated, he didn’t play games or have trouble taking no for an answer. He approached her with the kind of respect and understanding that she’d craved in a partner and had never found until him.
Figured, right? At a time when she had no business getting involved with anyone, she met the man of her dreams.
“You can’t have him.” Chloe looked at herself in the mirror as she said the words. “You. Cannot. Have. Him. So knock it off. Right now.” She turned on the shower and let the heat soothe her aching joints. A warm shower had become critical to getting her day started. As she moved through her morning routine, she tried to ignore the pervasive aches and pains that were, as she knew they’d be, worse today than usual. The shower had barely made a dent on the pain.
Every inch of her body hurt, but she wouldn’t have traded her night with Finn for a pain-free day. Not for all the money in the world. It had been everything she’d known it would be, which made it that much harder to do what needed to be done today.
After breakfast, she would thank him for a great night and say goodbye. It would hurt like hell, but it was the right thing to do for both of them.
It’s not the right thing for you. He’s the right thing for you.
Damn that voice inside her that just had to be contrary. She rinsed conditioner out of her hair and got out of the shower, grimacing at the pain in her hips. It’d been worth it. So incredibly worth it. She’d agreed to allow herself one night with him. She’d had that and now it was time to move on.
At this point, she’d started over so many times in her life that it ought to be as easy as breathing.
This time, though… This time, it wouldn’t be easy. It wouldn’t be easy at all.
When she thought of never seeing him again, she ached deep inside, the pain reminding her far too much of how she’d felt after losing her parents so suddenly. If she had her way, she’d never feel like that again, and if it was this painful after one night with him, she was doing the right thing by ending it now.
The pain wouldn’t get better with more time with him. No, it would become excruciating, and she had enough pain to deal with as it was.
She rushed through drying and styling her hair and applying the makeup she wore every day to work, wanting to “look the part” of a together, stylish woman who could make other women look beautiful. At least her exterior would look put together. Her customers wouldn’t know that she was crumbling on the inside.
Opening the bathroom door, she saw that she had her bedroom to herself and got dressed in one of the many black-pants-and-sleeveless-top combinations she wore to work. She liked having her gorgeous ink on full display. It had started many a conversation with clients, who always commented on it. Some were disapproving, but none could deny the beauty of it.
Rather than fully straighten her hair, she put it up with a few strategically placed pins that would keep it out of her way for work.
She grabbed her phone off the charger and headed for the kitchen, stopping short at the sight of the six-foot-something man sprawled on the floor wrestling with Ranger, who had never looked happier.
Ranger liked to wrestle? Who knew? He was nothing but sweet and gentle with her, but with Finn, he growled and pounced playfully as if having the time of his life, despite his usual aches and pains.
Chloe glanced at her meds on the windowsill and moved to the sink to grab them and drop them into her work bag to take after breakfast. They wrecked her stomach, so she never took them without food. Even then, sometimes they still made her sick. But that was a small price to pay for the relief they offered.
“I’m ready when you are,” she said to Finn.
He patted Ranger and got up off the floor. “I’ll let you win next time.”
Ranger barked, clearly not ready to end the game.
Finn laughed. “You’re a devil.”
“Not usually. You bring it out in him.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet of you to say. I’ve always been a bit of a devil myself.”
“That might be the understatement of the decade. You’re the devil himself.”
“You flatterer.”
“You would take that as a compliment.”
“My brother and I always say we’ll be in good company down there.” With the blazer he’d worn last night flipped over his shoulder, he held open the door to his truck and helped her up and into the passenger seat.
She appreciated his manners and the way he subtly helped her without making a big deal out of the fact that she needed the help in the first place. Who was she kidding? She liked everything about him.
“You’re kind of doing the walk of shame going out to breakfast in the same clothes you wore last night.”
“I’m not at all ashamed of my walk of shame. I got to spend last night with you. Best night of my life.”
“Finn…”
“What?”
“You shouldn’t say things like that.”
“Why not? It’s the truth.”
“This was a mistake.”
“No, it wasn’t.”
“Yes, it really was. I still can’t—”
“Because you’re sick?”
If someone had punched her in the g
ut, Chloe wouldn’t have been more surprised or knocked breathless than she was by his question.
“It’s none of my business. I know that. But I saw the meds, and I was curious. I’m sorry, but I want to understand, and if that’s the reason you think this can’t happen, it doesn’t matter to me.”
“How can you say that without even knowing what it is?”
“The only thing that matters to me is that we do whatever we can to beat it, so we can spend as much time together as possible.”
Do whatever we can. We. As in the two of them. Together. Was he for real?
“I’m not going to beat it.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s not something I’ll ever get rid of. It’s something I’m learning to live with.”
“What is it exactly?”
“Rheumatoid arthritis.”
“Oh.” He released a deep breath. “That’s a relief. I thought it was cancer.”
“It’s not cancer, but it’s going to eventually be an even bigger deal than it is now.”
“Okay.”
“Okay what?”
“Okay, we’ll deal with that when it happens.”
“Finn, you need to hear me when I tell you that’s not how this is going to go. We had a nice time last night, but that’s all it’s ever going to be.”
“Why are you lying to both of us?”
“I’m not lying.”
“Yeah, you are. What happened between us last night wasn’t a one-night stand, Chloe. It was the start of something much more significant.”
“No, it wasn’t!”
“Yes, it was!”
They didn’t say another word to each other until he parked outside of Rebecca’s diner. He shut off the engine but made no move to get out. After a long, charged moment of silence, he said, “I have never felt this way about anyone. Ever.” He looked over at her. “If you don’t feel the same way, I can live with that. But don’t lie to me, Chloe. Please don’t lie to me. I was there last night. I know you feel the same things.”
“I do, but—”
“No buts. We will deal with this together, and we’ll figure it out together.”
She shook her head. “I can’t do that to you.”
“What are you doing to me besides giving me what I most want? A chance to be with you.”
“You don’t know what you’d be taking on.”
“Then tell me.” He released his seat belt and turned in his seat to face her. “Tell me what you’re so worried about.”
“For one, there will come a time, possibly sooner rather than later, when I can’t work anymore.”
“Okay.”
“It’s not okay! If I don’t work, I don’t have insurance. If I don’t have insurance, I’m totally screwed.”
“I’ll put you on my insurance. What’s your next concern?”
She stared at him, incredulous. “It’s not that simple.”
“It can absolutely be that simple. What else have you got for me?”
Returning his mulish look with one of her own, she said, “RA could just be the start. I could end up with other conditions.”
“Okay. What else?”
“I could have fertility issues.”
“Okay. And?”
“The meds that work so well right now could stop working.”
“Okay.”
“My hips hurt all the time. That could make sex difficult at best, impossible at times.”
“We’ll work around it. Anything else?”
“I may need care that can’t be provided here. Infusions and stuff they can’t do at the clinic.”
“So we’ll go to the mainland or move there if that’s where you need to be.”
“Finn, honestly, you’re very sweet, but—”
He leaned across the console to kiss her and then, keeping his face very close to hers, looked her dead in the eyes. “I haven’t heard one thing that has changed my mind about what I want. I’m all in with you, Chloe Dennis, and with Ranger. I want you. I want him. I want us.”
“You could have anyone, Finn. Why in the world would you want to take this on?”
“Because I’m crazy about you, and I have been from the second you smacked your head into mine.”
It was all she could do to hold it together when she wanted to bawl her head off. Was he for real? “Um, you smacked your head into mine.”
Finn dragged a finger over her cheek. “It was all you.” He kissed her again. “Are we all straight now?”
“No, we are not straight.”
“I want you to know—it means a lot to me that you talked to me about this. At least I understand now why you thought we couldn’t happen.”
“You’re moving back to the mainland,” she reminded him.
He took her by the chin. “Sweetheart, as long as you’re here, I’m not going anywhere.”
* * *
Chloe felt like she was dreaming. He had systematically dismissed every reason she had given him for why they shouldn’t be together. Her emotions were all over the place as she tried to process the last ten minutes.
Sweetheart, as long as you’re here, I’m not going anywhere.
Hearing those words out of his sexy mouth as he looked at her with affection and desire had been among the greatest moments of her life. Hell, it had been the greatest moment. It would take a lot to top that.
He guided her into the diner with his hand on her lower back. She loved the way he touched her, as if he couldn’t be near her and not touch her.
When they were seated across from each other in a booth, he continued to study her in that particular way of his that made her feel more seen than she’d ever been by anyone. “What’re you thinking?” he asked as they studied their menus.
“So many things.”
“Such as do I want an omelet or French toast? Those kinds of things?”
Could he be any cuter? “Among other things.”
He tossed his menu aside and leaned in, giving her his full attention. “Like what? I want to hear all the thoughts.”
Finn McCarthy’s full attention would overwhelm the strongest of women. Chloe was off her game after the emotional conversation in his truck and definitely not at her strongest.
“I want you to know… I appreciate everything you said.”
“Don’t you dare add a ‘but’ to that statement.”
Rebecca came over holding two coffee mugs in one hand and a pot of coffee in the other. “Morning. Coffee for both?”
“Please,” Chloe said.
Finn nodded. “Me, too. Thanks.”
Rebecca put the pot on the table and pulled out her pad and pen. “Take your order?”
He gestured for Chloe to go first.
“I’ll have the egg white veggie omelet with an English muffin, please.”
“I’ll do the bacon and cheddar omelet with white toast, please.”
“Coming right up.”
Chloe turned up her nose. “White toast? I knew there had to be something about you that wasn’t perfect.”
“What can I say? I’m a Wonder Bread kind of guy. Don’t change the subject. You were saying you appreciated what I said in the truck.” He rolled his hand to encourage her to continue.
“One thing I need to ask of you…”
“You could ask me for anything.”
“Please don’t tell anyone about the RA. I’m afraid it will hurt my business if the word gets out. People might stay away.”
“I won’t say a word. What else are you worried about?”
She sat back against the booth, sighing. “It’s just that it’s a lot, Finn. A lot a lot. I really do appreciate that you said all the right things—”
“I meant every word I said. I wasn’t just saying what you wanted to hear.”
“I know, and that means so much to me. But you should really take some time to think about this, to look into it and to fully understand it before you decide anything.”
“Before I decide
anything about you? Too late. I’ve already decided.”
“Finn—”
“You son of a bitch!” The shrieking female voice came from Chloe’s left, and the woman was upon them before she could begin to process what was happening. The blonde was punching Finn and tearing at his shirt.
Acting without thinking, Chloe stood to pull the woman off Finn and fell backward, landing hard on the same hip she’d landed on in the grocery store and then gasping when the woman came down on top of her and began smacking the shit out of her.
Chloe held up her arm to ward off the blows. What the fuck was happening?
Then Finn was there, lifting the woman off her. “Missy! What the hell is wrong with you?”
“You’re such a liar! You said you didn’t have someone else. You promised me things, and this is what you’re doing? Having breakfast and God knows what else with this whore?”
By now, the diner had come to a halt and everyone was looking at them.
Who in the hell was this woman who’d left Finn with a bloody lip and a rapidly swelling eye and was calling her a whore?
“I’ll take it from here.” Blaine Taylor pulled handcuffs from his back pocket and slapped them on the woman so quickly, she never saw it coming. “This is Missy, I presume?”
Missy continued to scream and flail against the restraints, but she was no match for Blaine.
“Yeah.” Finn bent to help Chloe off the floor. “That’s her.”
When Chloe was standing, he kept his arms around her as if he feared she would run away from him if he let go of her. Maybe she ought to. This was so not her scene.
Blaine effortlessly contained Missy, who struggled the entire time. “I’ll need you both to come in and make a statement.”
Missy shrieked all the way out of the diner.
Rebecca came over with a bag and two coffees in to-go containers. “Breakfast is on me.”
“I’m so sorry that happened here, Rebecca,” Finn said.
“You didn’t do anything. You were minding your own business.”
“Still. I’m sorry it happened.”
“No worries. I’m just glad you’re both okay.”
Finn took the to-go bag from her while Chloe accepted the coffees.