by Marie Force
“Of course.” He came over to unlock the case and withdrew a tray of rings that he placed on the glass countertop. “Let me know if you’d like more information about any of them.”
“I will. Thanks.”
The clerk went to help another customer while Riley picked up the ring he had pointed to initially. “I like this. It’s not so big that it’ll get in her way, but it’s not puny either.”
“It’s really nice. She’d love it. But she’d probably love anything you gave her.”
“She’s easy to please. That’s one of many things I love about her.”
“I’m really happy for you guys, Ri.”
“Thanks. You know she loves you almost as much as she loves me.”
Finn smiled. “The feeling is mutual. Let’s face it, you couldn’t marry her if she didn’t love me.”
“No, I really couldn’t.” Riley laughed. “I can’t believe I’m actually about to buy an engagement ring.”
“I know. It’s crazy.”
Riley looked over at him. “I really, really love her, Finn.”
“I know you do. You guys are perfect for each other.”
Riley continued to study the ring from all angles. “What’s up with you and Chloe?”
“I’m not sure yet. We’re hanging out, having fun.” Finn shrugged, playing it cool even as he continued to churn over their conversation from the night before.
“I like her a lot, and Nik does, too.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“After we left you guys last night, Nik said something that’s been bugging me all day.”
“What’s that?”
“She thinks you might be more into it than Chloe is. Nik is worried about you getting hurt.”
“I can understand why she might’ve picked that up. Chloe is cautious and more reserved than I am. She has good reasons to be.”
“What kind of reasons?”
“Stuff I can’t really talk about, but it’s part of who she is.”
“Does it have to do with why her hands are so swollen?”
“Partially.” He should’ve known Riley would wonder about that.
“You’re being careful, right?”
“Trying to be, but I’m totally into her. Like you were when you first met Nik.”
“Whoa, really?”
Finn nodded. “You were right that night at Janey’s. She’s my Nik, Riley.”
“You already know that?”
“I knew it the minute I met her. Everything about her is different.”
“Wow, that’s awesome. Does that mean you’re sticking around after the lease is up?”
“Yeah. I was going to text Nik today to ask her if I can still have the garage apartment.”
“She’ll tell you it’s all yours. She fixed it up for you, hoping you’d take it.”
“That’s really nice of her.”
“For some reason that I can’t fathom, she really loves you.”
“I’m a lovable kind of guy.”
Riley snorted. “Whatever.” He held up the ring to capture the light coming in through a window. “I think this is the one.”
“I approve—of the ring and the girl.”
“Thanks, man.” He signaled for the clerk. “I’ll take this one.”
“Very good. I’ll ring it up for you.”
Riley handed over his credit card and exhaled. “Here goes nothing.”
“Here goes everything.”
“Yeah, true. What about you? Are we going to be ring shopping again before long?”
“I don’t think so. Chloe said she doesn’t want to get married.”
Riley’s brows lifted. “Seriously? Like ever?”
“Yeah, and again, she has good reason to feel the way she does.”
“What about what you want?”
“I want her. I’ve never felt this way before.” There, in two brief sentences, was the heart of the matter as far as he was concerned. “When I’m with her, it’s just… It’s like lightning in a bottle.”
“I know that feeling. There’s nothing else quite like it.”
“I’m sorry if I was an asshat when you were first seeing Nik.”
Riley cracked up. “You were a total asshat, but I’d expect nothing less from you.”
“I’ve grown up since then.”
“That was five months ago.”
“I’m a changed man.”
“Whatever you say, bro. Any more nonsense from Missy?”
“She called me the other day, but I hung up when I realized it was her calling on a borrowed phone.”
“I cannot believe she booked a wedding venue and came here to confront you the way she did. That’s some crazy shit right there.”
“No kidding. I never saw any of that coming. What part of us being broken up for two years says I want to get married?”
“Nothing. The girl is a nut job. I’ve tried to tell you that for years.”
“I know, and I should’ve listened to you and Dad and everyone else.”
“Let that be a lesson to you, little brother. I am older and wiser and always know best.”
“Jeez, I walked right into that, didn’t I?”
Smiling, Riley said, “I’m just glad you’ve seen the light where Missy is concerned. I always thought you could do better. Not that she’s a bad person…”
“Um, hello? She punched me in the face. Twice.”
“I’ve wanted to do that for years. But I digress. She’s a little unhinged, but not a bad person. She’s not the one for you.”
“I get it. I’ve known that for some time. Why do you think I jumped at the chance to move out here for a while? She was smothering me, and when I told her I wanted to take a break from everything and come here, she lost her shit. That should’ve been the end of it, but I made the mistake of keeping in touch with her, and that gave her hope that when I came home, we’d pick up where we left off.”
“Don’t beat yourself up for being a good friend to someone who’s been part of your life for a long time. Hopefully, she’s gotten the message after a few hours in jail.”
“I don’t know. She’s still calling me.”
“Tell Blaine. He can give her another warning. And if that doesn’t work, you need a restraining order.”
“God, I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“I know. That’d suck.”
The clerk returned with the charge slip that Riley signed and the small bag he handed over. “Congratulations. I hope you’ll both be very happy.”
“Thank you,” the brothers said.
“He’s talking about me and Nik, you idiot.”
“I know that, you idiot.”
They walked out of the store into warm sunshine and a cool ocean breeze.
Riley pulled the sunglasses from the top of his head down over his eyes. “So what’s the plan with Chloe?”
“I don’t have a plan.”
“You probably ought to get one. Quick.”
“Yeah, I’m working on that. What’s the plan for popping the question?”
“When she gets home tonight, I’ll be ready for her.”
“Send me a text and let me know what she says.”
“She’s gonna say yes,” Riley said, exasperated. “You don’t buy the ring until you’re sure of the answer. So much to teach you, little brother, and so little time.”
Finn gave him a shove that sent Riley in the direction of his truck. His brother had it all figured out. Finn wished he could say the same.
* * *
Chloe went through her day feeling as if she was wading through a muddy swamp. Finn’s heartfelt words from the night before played through her mind on automatic rewind, torturing her again and again with the possibilities if only she could find the courage to try.
Her hands ached almost as badly as her heart did, and as she dried the hair of her final customer of the day, she looked forward to going home, putting on comfortable clothes and taking to her bed to snuggle with
Ranger.
Hopefully she would hear from Finn, but she wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t. At what point did someone become more trouble than they were worth?
Chloe cashed out her customer, walked her to the door and was stunned to see Finn standing on the sidewalk. She held the door open for him and waited for him to come up the stairs. As he brushed by her, every nerve ending in her body seemed to go haywire. She fumbled through the locking of the door as well as the turning of the sign from Open to Closed. Taking a deep breath to calm the nerves that had gone bonkers at the sight of him, she turned to face him, preparing herself for whatever he might say.
He picked up the broom and swept up the hair on the floor, scooping it into the dustpan and dumping it in the stainless-steel trash can she’d paid far too much for online because it seemed classier than the plastic options available on the island. And why was she thinking about that now? Because it was better than thinking about the possibility of him having come there to tell her they were over.
She didn’t want to hear that. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Thank you.”
“No problem.”
Ugh, they were so freaking polite! Is that what it had come to? Awkward conversation full of platitudes?
“Finn—”
“Chloe—”
Leaning against the broom handle, he flashed that devastating smile that rendered her stupid in the head. “You first.”
“I’m sorry about last night and the way I tossed such a big thing into the conversation without any warning. I handled it all wrong, and I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong. You told me how you feel, and I respect that.”
“You do?”
“I do.” He laughed. “No pun intended.”
She laughed, and that simply, the ice was broken. “I’ve thought about what you said all day, about how it would be with you, and I can see it so clearly.”
“I meant every word I said.”
“I know you did.”
He leaned the broom against the wall and came over to her, placing his hands on her hips and a gentle kiss on her lips. “Can you believe everything that’s happened since my head smacked into yours right about here?”
“No, I can’t believe any of it. I feel like I’ve been living a dream ever since then.”
“It’s a dream come true. Here’s what I think we ought to do, and feel free to tell me if this isn’t going to work for you. We both seem to want more of this.” He kissed her again. “And everything that goes with it, but there’re significant challenges standing between us and what we both want. So I’d like to propose something I never in my wildest dreams thought I would suggest to anyone ever.”
Breathless with anticipation, Chloe said, “What?”
“I want us to spend some time with my dad in a professional capacity. I want us to put all the concerns on the table and pick them apart until there’s nothing standing between what we both want and having it. What do you think?”
“You…you want us to go to therapy. Together?”
“Yes.”
“With your dad?”
“Since he’s the only game in town, yes.”
“And we would talk to him about…”
“Everything but the super-personal stuff. That’d be off-limits.”
“Would it be a conflict for him to counsel his own son?”
“Yes, so that’s why we’d keep it casual and not official. He’s the best at cutting through the BS to get to the heart of an issue and finding solutions. Riley and I spent most of our lives resisting that, but the reality is, he’s very good at what he does, and with that kind of help available, I can’t see a downside to trying it. But if you’re not game, then it’s off the table.”
Chloe bit her bottom lip and tried to get her head around what he was suggesting.
He bent his knees to bring himself lower so he could look into her eyes. “What’re you thinking? Air it out with me. There’s nothing you can say to me that I wouldn’t want to hear.” He paused, tipped his head adorably. “No, wait. That’s not true. I don’t ever, ever want to hear the word goodbye from you.”
Chloe wrapped her arms around him and held on tight, breathing him in. “I thought maybe I’d driven you away with what I said last night.”
“I’m not easily driven.”
“I see that.” The fact that he’d shown up and had come with a plan to fix what was wrong between them made him ten thousand times more than any man she’d ever known. He was a man of substance. She’d known that from the outset, but he’d proven it to her repeatedly since then. “You’re extremely special to me, Finn McCarthy. I don’t ever want you to think otherwise.”
“That makes me very happy to hear, sweet Chloe.”
For the longest time, they stood together in the waning daylight, arms around each other in the middle of her shop, where anyone walking by could see them. Chloe didn’t care who saw them or who knew that she was falling madly in love with this extraordinary man.
“I’m willing to talk to your dad if you think he can help.”
“I really do, or I never would’ve suggested it.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll talk to him about it tomorrow.”
“You haven’t already talked to him about it?”
“Not until I ran it by you. If you weren’t into it, there would be no point in discussing it with him.”
A rare and special man, indeed.
His hand slid down her back to cup her ass, giving a gentle squeeze. “In the meantime, how about we grab take-out, go home to check on Ranger and hang out?”
“I would love that.”
“Then let’s get going.”
Leaving her car at the salon, they picked up salad and a pizza from Mario’s and headed to her house in his truck.
Chloe was relieved that they’d cleared the air and made a plan, although she wasn’t completely sure that involving his father would help. But Finn seemed convinced, and she trusted his judgment. After spending most of the day thinking she’d completely blown it with him, knowing there would be more was enough for now.
He followed her into the house, carrying the pizza and the bag with the salad.
While she let Ranger out, Finn filled his water and food bowls.
“Are you starving?” she asked him.
“Not really. Are you?”
She shook her head. “Give me ten minutes, and then come find me.” Trailing her finger across his rigid abdomen, she left him in the kitchen with a stunned expression on his face that made her smile.
Chapter 27
Holy shit. Sexiest woman ever. For a few minutes after she walked away, Finn stood there reliving the way she’d left the room, knowing he would never forget what she said or how she’d looked at him as she’d said it.
She scrambled his brain and made him so hard, he was lightheaded from the rapid flow of blood to his cock.
Had it been ten minutes yet? He had no idea how long he’d stood there being stunned by her.
Get yourself under control. Act like you’ve done this before.
He’d done this before. Lots of times. But it had never meant what it did with her. Why that was, he couldn’t say. All he knew was that from the instant his skull had connected with hers, he’d been a goner. Life as he knew it would never be the same, and that was just fine with him if it meant that life would now include her.
Finn took a series of deep breaths to calm himself that had Ranger looking at him as if he thought Finn was crazy. Maybe he was. Squatting, he gave Ranger some attention and was rewarded with a tongue to the cheek. Laughing, Finn used his shirt sleeve to wipe up the dog spit and stood, glancing down the hallway for some sort of clue as to what might be awaiting him. But with the bedroom door closed, he couldn’t see anything but darkness.
He took another deep breath and went down the hallway to knock on the door.
“Come in.�
�
If he lived to be a hundred years old, Finn would never forget the sight that greeted him when he opened that door. Chloe, bathed by candlelight, wearing a sexy, silky thing that clung to her curves as she knelt in the middle of the bed.
For the longest time, he could only stare, feasting his eyes on the most magnificent sight he’d ever beheld.
“Finn? Are you okay?”
“I’m completely dazzled.”
Her smile lit up her face. “Do you want to come in?”
“I most definitely want to come in.” He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him, so Ranger wouldn’t interrupt them.
Chloe scooted to the edge of the bed and held out a hand to him.
Finn tried not to notice the swollen knuckles that followed a long day of working with her hands, but his attention was drawn to them anyway. He took her hand and pressed gentle kisses to the sore areas. “You have rendered me speechless, and that’s not easy to do.”
Her low, sexy laugh traveled through him like a live wire, sending a shiver of need down his spine.
Flattening her hands on his chest, she began unbuttoning his shirt and pushed the two sides apart to place hot, openmouthed kisses on his chest.
Finn sucked in a sharp deep breath and buried his fingers in her hair. “You make me so crazy, Chloe. I never knew it could be like this until I met you.”
She twirled her tongue around his nipple, and his brain went completely blank. The only thing he knew was need, pure and simple.
His head fell back in surrender as her lips and tongue spun a magical web of desire, entrapping him completely. “Chloe… Christ, you’re killing me.”
“I don’t want to do that.”
Smiling, he said, “In the best possible way.” He tipped her chin up so he could kiss her with the pent-up desire that had him ravenous for more of her. Though she fully participated in the kiss, he sensed her discomfort with the position and eased her down onto her back to give her knees some relief. Hovering over her, he studied every detail of her exquisite face before dropping a light kiss on the stud in her nose. “I hope you know you could ask me for anything in this world, and I’d give it to you if I could. I’d give you anything if it meant I got to continue feeling the way I do when I’m with you.”