“You look beautiful,” he compliments as we walk to his truck, opening the door for me.
I smile and step up into the cab of his truck, careful not to flash him. I watch Finn walk confidently around to the driver’s side, holding in my squeal. He’s ruggedly handsome with his mussed dark hair and scruffy beard. His brown eyes always dance with mischief. Finn is the definition of fun. I’ve known him since I was a little girl, and there never was a time where he let a sour mood affect him. He’s always enjoyed life, looked at the positive.
I’ve always hidden in my own cave, reading books and opening up to the people I knew I could trust. Since I can remember, I’ve been shy. I’m not even sure why. Introvert blood runs through my veins.
“Where are we going?” I ask as Finn pulls out of the driveway.
“Well, last night, I originally thought we’d have dinner, but I was driving through downtown this morning and saw a flyer that would be a lot more fun than dinner alone.”
He glances at me with a wide smile as he stops at an intersection.
“Am I dressed okay then?” I run my hands down the skirt of my dress.
“More than okay.” He nods in appreciation before turning left onto the main road that leads to town.
My feet tap against the floorboards in an attempt to control my jitters, but Finn chuckles knowingly.
“Relax, Abbie, it’s just me.” His hand reaches for mine, our fingers intertwining as if this were second nature for us. The butterflies in my stomach awaken at the feel of his touch.
Taking a deep breath, I turn slightly toward Finn and ask a pressing question that’s been driving me crazy all day.
“Why did you ask me out?”
“What do you mean?” His eyes flicker toward me quickly before going back to the road, and his eyebrows pinch together as his lips purse. It’s a cute look for him, I’m not going to deny it.
“Why did you ask me out?” I repeat. “We’ve always known each other, and there’s never been anything between us, so why now?”
“I could ask you the same thing. Why’d you say yes?” One side of his lips lift.
“Don’t turn this around on me.” I point at him. Finn chuckles, shaking his head.
“You want the truth?”
My heart skids to a stop while my brain begs me to say no, and my stomach drops. Despite all that, I whisper, “Yes.”
“I never took the time to notice you, and I’m not sure why. You’re beautiful, kind, and creative. You’re shy, but not usually around me. I guess it’s because you’re friends with Averly, and I’m an idiot that was looking in all the wrong places.” He shakes his head softly and continues speaking before I can gather my response.
“I hated to see you question what’s wrong with you because a guy didn’t like you. That’s not right, Abbie. I meant everything I told you that night. You snuck into my mind, and I couldn’t get you out of there. I tried, trust me I really tried, because I don’t want to fuck this up. You’re not some random girl I met at a bar.” His hand squeezes mine as I stare at him.
“Thank you.” I think that’s the right thing to say.
Finn chuckles. “Anyway, I should’ve told you in person instead of that stupid plan to open an account on Perfect Match and not tell you it was me. I wasn’t sure how you’d react, to be honest.”
“I guess I can also confess that I’ve noticed you, too. You’re handsome, that’s no secret, but I’m not exactly your type,” I shrug, pinching my lips to the side.
“Don’t say that.” Finn shakes his head, pulling into a parking spot near the town square. “Abbie, maybe you’re exactly what I need.” His free hand cradles my face, his calloused touch a contrast to my soft cheek.
“I’ve seen the girls you date, Finn.” My eyebrows lift. “None of them dress like this.” I sweep a hand down my body. “They’re tall, curvy, totally made-up.”
“And after an evening with them, I’m bored.”
I give him a pointed stare. “Yeah, an evening…” I let the meaning trail off with heavy innuendo.
Finn chuckles nervously as he leans back, scratching his short beard. His eyes move around the cab, ignoring mine. I bet he’s never been put on the spot this way by a woman he’s taken out. I’m proud of myself for speaking my mind, actually.
“Abbie, this has nothing to do with my past dates.” He waves a hand between us. “I’d much rather leave the past where it belongs. You know I’ve dated a lot, I’ve never hidden that, but this is a fresh start. Something new between us, and I’d like a real chance where I’m not condemned before I have an opportunity to prove myself.” He reaches for my hands and stares into my eyes. “Can you do that?”
“I’m not the type to play games.”
“Don’t you think I know that? I wouldn’t have asked you out if I weren’t aware that this is serious, a lot more than fun between the sheets. If, after tonight, you decide you don’t want to see me again, I won’t bother you anymore, but let’s go out tonight and have fun. I want to see where this could go.” His easy smile calms me.
I swallow and nod. “I do, too.” There’s nothing else I’d want to do at this moment than spend time with Finn. Maybe we’ve both been looking in the wrong places for the right person. A lump forms in my throat at the thought of that. Is Finn Cooper the guy?
“Come on, then.” His smile brightens the cab of the truck and eases some of the tension.
“Are you going to tell me now where we’re going?” I ask before opening the door and stepping out. Finn meets me in front of the truck and holds my hand, no hesitation or worry about who will see us.
“The library has one of those painting classes, and I thought it would be fun to try.”
My eyes light up as a smile splits my lips. “I’ve been wanting to try that.”
“Looks like I hit the jackpot,” he winks.
As we walk into the room the library has set up for the painting class, every pair of eyes turns to us with curiosity. Finn doesn’t seem to notice, walking up to the teacher and asking where we can sit. I ignore the whispers as we find our spot.
“Do you know what we’re painting?” I ask Finn as I tie the apron around my back.
“Nope. It’s supposed to be a secret until the evening of, so we’ll find out soon. Here.” He motions for me to turn around and grabs the straps, tying them for me.
“Thanks.” I take a seat on the stool, looking at the different brushes and paint colors. A canvas sits in front of us on a tabletop easel.
“Let’s guess. What do you think it’ll be?” Finn smiles.
“Hmmm… A sort of flower?” I shrug. “I have no idea,” I giggle.
“I’m thinking a mountain view.”
“That’s quite ambitious.”
The door opens, and my eyes widen as I cringe when I see Ainsley and Knox walk in. Ainsley waves enthusiastically until she catches Finn next to me, and her mouth drops. A sly smile appears on her face as she makes her way over to us.
“I had no idea this was a thing,” she waves between us before hugging me.
“It’s a new thing. As in, this is our first date.” I bite my lower lip.
“So no one knows,” she nods, catching my drift.
“Exactly.”
“Right. You got it. Hi, Finn.” She winks at him.
He chuckles and says hello. Then, he shakes Knox’s hand.
“We should find a spot before they start,” Ainsley says. “Have fun. These classes are always a blast.” She smiles and walks toward an empty set of chairs with Knox.
“We got caught,” Finn chuckles into my ear.
“I’m pretty sure the moment we stepped out of your truck, we were busted.” I lift my eyebrows. “People were already staring when we walked in.”
“Let them talk,” Finn says just loud enough for those nosy people around us to hear.
I widen my eyes and slap his chest. I want to tell Averly about this rather than have her find out through the gossip mill. Thankful
ly, as the class begins, their attention is on the canvas in front of them instead of on Finn and me.
The teacher reveals an owl on a branch and begins to instruct us on how to begin. We spend the next two hours painting, laughing, and making fun of each other’s terrible drawings. I’m pretty sure Penny could make a better painting than me.
“Your owl looks lopsided,” I tease Finn, laughing.
“Oh yeah?” My eyes widen when he brushes the tip of my nose in blue paint.
“No, you did not,” I gasp. I grab my paintbrush, but he moves away, so I only get his apron.
I wipe my nose with my hand. “Did I get it all?” I ask him.
His shoulders shake with laughter. “Let me help you.”
I step back. “And let you add more paint.”
“Trust me.” He grabs a piece of paper towel and dips it into a clean cup of water. He gently wipes my nose as his other hand holds my neck. I bite my lower lip as I watch him intently. Suddenly hot, I feel my cheeks flush, and I blink rapidly.
“There.” Finn’s voice is low and husky.
“Thanks,” I whisper, turning back to my canvas. It really is a terrible owl.
We finish the class with crackling tension between us. Every brush of the hand, tease, and stare is fueled by something…new.
“Let me see yours,” Ainsley says beside me as we walk out of the class. I show her my canvas, and she laughs. “Mine isn’t much better.” I take a look, giggling. “It’s what makes this fun, though. Knox and I come when we can.”
“It was a lot of fun. I had never come to a class but always wanted to.”
Ainsley leans in and whispers. “It looks like you had a great time. You guys were adorable.” She smiles conspiratorially before saying goodbye.
I bite down my own smile and look at Finn, wondering if he has more planned. The sun still hangs in the air, illuminating the town in golden hues.
“How about we go to dinner?” Finn asks.
“I’d like that.”
We put the canvases in the back seat of the cab before walking to the restaurant. No matter how I could’ve tried to imagine this, never in my wildest dreams would being on a date with Finn feel so effortless.
Finn
I’m doing everything in my power to take things slow with Abbie. I want to do this right, which means throwing away every move and generic compliment I’ve used with any other woman. Watching her paint, seeing her reaction when I brushed blue paint on her nose, it captivated me. She’s letting loose, and having fun with me.
Abbie isn’t like other women, she was right about that, but I don’t want more women like those. Not anymore. I want this woman, and I have to play my cards right to gain her trust.
I look over at her as we walk through the center of town. “Is Romano’s okay?” I ask her about the Italian restaurant in town.
“God, yes,” she moans, and my cock takes notice. Down boy, not tonight.
“I’m just hitting all the right marks tonight, aren’t I?” I grin.
“Keep it up,” she encourages me with a pat on my chest.
I move away from her, keeping our hands locked and twirl her around. “Finn,” Abbie giggles. Her cheeks turn pink as I pull her toward me, my other hand landing on her waist.
“I like making you smile.” Her smile becomes wider. “Now, let’s go get you food.” I wink, tightening my hold on her waist before releasing her. She’s sweet torture, and I want a taste of her.
As we walk, her dress flows around her, exposing more of her legs. I’m tempted to feel her skin, trace the line where the hem ends on her thighs. See if she’ll squirm.
I give our name to the hostess at Romano’s, taking the pager from her when she informs me it will be a twenty-minute wait. It’s clear it is summer in Everton with the number of tourists and townspeople out on a Sunday evening. Everyone wants to soak up the last bit of sunshine before summer rolls to fall, and the drastic change in weather hits the area.
“Do you want to have a drink at the bar while we wait?” I ask Abbie.
“Yeah.” She nods and guides the way, stopping between two couples each on their own date. I press into Abbie’s back and wave down the bartender.
“What do you want?” I lean down and whisper in her ear.
“A chardonnay.” She turns her head just enough to catch my gaze. I smirk, wanting to kiss her full lips, but I don’t want an audience for that, and I’m not stupid enough to think no one is noticing us. I’m going to have to talk to my sister first thing in the morning before she catches wind of this through someone in the grocery line.
I order a chardonnay for Abbie and a beer for me. While we wait for our drinks, Abbie turns around to look at me, her back against the bar. She has no idea how beautiful she is. I hand her the wineglass when the bartender serves our drinks and grab my own beer glass.
“Cheers.” I tap my glass to hers.
I keep my eyes on her as she tips her head back and takes a sip of wine, the slope of her neck begging for my lips to trail kisses down to…
I shake my head. Focus on the date, man. “Good?” I ask her.
Abbie nods.
“Do you have any photo shoots this week?” I ask.
“I have three. Two families wanting summer photos and an engagement shoot.”
“That’s great.”
“Yeah, I’ve also been dying to try that new thing where photographers are choosing two strangers to do a shoot with. The chemistry in those photos is amazing.” Her face lights up.
“I haven’t seen that.”
“What?” Her mouth drops open. “Oh, man.” She fishes her phone out of her purse and opens something. “This is just one of them.” I shift so I’m standing next to her and begin looking at the pictures she’s scrolling through.
“They’re strangers? They didn’t know each other?” I’m impressed. I would have guessed that they were in a long-term relationship or engaged.
“Nope. Total strangers. They first saw each other when they showed up for the shoot. If only someone in Everton would be willing to do this. I think it’d be a blast, even if it didn’t turn into a relationship afterward.”
“It’s the new online dating,” I state.
“Oh, my goodness, it totally is. More like, the new blind dating.”
“There have to be two willing people in town,” I say, taking a drink of beer as I sort through a list of people I know. “We’ll come up with someone.”
Abbie smiles as if I just gave her the best gift. “Thank you.” She tenses with excitement. “I shared this idea the other night with that Nick guy, and he didn’t think it was that interesting.” She frowns.
Even though she already told me about her date, and I don’t really want to hear about her with another guy, I appreciate her not holding back.
“Well, his loss is my gain.” I wrap my arm around her waist as I pull her into me.
“And mine, too,” she says quietly, biting down a shy smile.
I beam and kiss her temple. Yeah, this was a fan-fucking-tastic idea. I’m a genius. “Right on time.” I hold up the buzzing pager.
“Good, I’m hungry.” Abbie finishes off the last sip of wine and places the glass on the bar top. I take my beer with me and hold her hand on the way to the hostess podium.
Dinner goes smoothly. This is the first time I don’t feel like I need to take on a role to interact with a woman because Abbie is easy to talk to. I can talk to her about the ranch without thinking she’ll get bored or turn her nose up at me. I don’t have to put on this Cowboy Casanova act to get into her panties.
I plan to take it slow, show her I can have a real relationship, and be more than a serial dater like she called me.
After dinner, I drive her back home. We both sit quietly in the car as I make my way out of town. I know the weight of expectations hangs in the air, but I want Abbie to feel comfortable.
Breaking the ice, I reach for her hand and say, “I had fun tonight. Thank you.”
“When can we do it again?”
“Oh, straight to it. I was expecting the three-day rule, call me or text toward the end of the week to make plans.” I can tell she’s teasing by the gleam in her eyes underneath the muted street lights.
“Nah. Why torture us both?” I turn right onto the long driveway that leads to her house.
“I agree.”
I park the car and take off my seat belt so I can turn to face Abbie. “I did have a lot of fun tonight. I like you.” I emphasize in case her mind’s twirling with conflicting ideas.
“Is it weird to say I also had a great time? It feels like it should be, but it isn’t at all.”
“I understand.” I nod. “Think about it and tell me when you want to see me again.”
“How about this?” She scoots closer, and I’ll be damned, shy Abbie is flirting with me. “You come over on Tuesday, and we have dinner here—”
“I don’t want you to think…” I interrupt her, shaking my head.
“Not for that.” She gives me a, Come on, glare. “You can help me think of ways to find two strangers to do that shoot. I’d love to get it done before summer ends.
I smile, mentally kicking myself. “I’d love to. On one condition, you let me bring dinner.”
“Deal.” She nods once.
Standing by her front door, she says, “We should probably tell Averly, too. We both know people will be talking tomorrow. Heck, they’re probably already talking.”
“I was thinking the same thing earlier. I’ll call her in the morning.”
“Okay.”
I hold her face with my hands and tip my chin down, touching my lips to hers. When Abbie’s hands hold my back and a low gasp leaves her, I deepen the kiss just enough to stroke the tip of her tongue with mine. A rush moves through me, and I know if I don’t stop now, there’s no telling what I’ll do.
“Wow,” Abbie breaths out when I release her lips.
“I know.” I touch my forehead to hers. If this is an innocent kiss, I can’t imagine what I’ll feel when I hold her to me, kiss every inch of her body, and feel her around me.
You Make It Easy: A best friend's brother romance (Love in Everton Book 5) Page 9