Finn pulls into a narrow road, and my eyebrows pinch together as I try to figure out where we are. A dirt parking lot opens up on the right. I have no idea where we are or what this is, but I see some kind of cave ahead of us.
“What is this?” I look over at Finn.
“You’ll see.” He hops out of the truck and makes his way around, helping me down from the cab. We walk hand in hand toward the cave, and that’s when I see it opens up to a restaurant.
“Holy…” The word falls from my lips as I take in the tables with white linens, small candles in the center, and more candles placed on ledges created by the uneven rocks that make up the cave walls. It’s open, overlooking a meadow.
“This is gorgeous.” I turn around, taking in the beauty of the mountains, the coziness of the cave.
“I thought you might like it,” Finn whispers behind me, wrapping his arms around my middle.
We walk toward the restaurant, which I assume is only open in the summer.
“Where do they cook?” I ask Finn.
“They have a stationed truck with a full kitchen around the back.”
“Wow.”
We walk to the podium, and Finn gives the hostess his name. After a few minutes, she walks us to a table with the perfect view of the meadow.
“It’s a good surprise, right?” Finn smiles at me.
“Definitely,” I nod with a wide smile taking over my face.
“Since sunsets are your favorite,” Finn winks. “You’ll get a great sunset from here.”
“God, yes,” I sigh, and Finn arches a brow.
I grimace and apologize, not feeling one bit sorry, before looking over the menu.
“No need to be sorry, darlin’, but it makes me want to hear you moan in the privacy of my bedroom.”
I take a sharp inhale, sensations from last night pooling at my core. A cocky smile adorns Finn’s face as he scans his menu.
“Do you know what you’re going to eat?” His eyes gaze up to look at me.
“I might try the chicken with the mushroom sauce and mashed potatoes.”
“That sounds good.” Finn’s eyes are back on the menu. “I’m going to have the steak. Do you want a glass of wine?”
“Sure, thanks,” I smirk, taking him in with the sun’s glow illuminating his face.
Finn grabs hold of my hand on the table and looks into my eyes. “No need to thank me.” He shakes his head.
“I want to.” I lean forward, leaning my chin on my other hand with my elbow resting on the table. “Don’t move.”
I fish for my phone out of my purse, opening my camera. I snap a photo of Finn with the orange sky behind him. The sun has begun its descent, and the sky is painted in orange and pink hues, creating a masterpiece.
I look at the picture and smile, turning my phone around so Finn can see it.
“My photographer,” he says with a smile before lifting the camera and sticking his tongue out.
“Did you just take a selfie?” My voice rings with humor.
“Yup.” He turns the phone but keeps his grip on it. I laugh at his crazy face on the screen. Then, he takes a candid of me.
“This is a good one.” He hands me my phone, and I look at the picture, my eyebrows lifting the tiniest bit. He caught me mid-giggle, my eyes crinkled. The woman in the photo looks different than the one I see in the mirror. Is this how Finn sees me? I look…happy, pretty.
I stand and walk toward him, sitting on his lap and holding the phone up. “Smile,” I whisper into his ear and snap the picture. I take another one with both of us looking at the camera and one more as I kiss his cheek. It’s our own version of a photo booth.
Finn drops a kiss on the corner of my mouth, and I return to my seat. A rush of joy fills me. It’s been so long since I’ve felt this kind of connection. It’s like Finn and I are two polar opposites that need the other in order to work properly.
When the waiter returns with our drinks, we place our food order.
“Cheers.” Finn lifts his glass of beer, touching my wineglass. Our eyes remain locked as we each take a sip of our drinks. His intense gaze stokes the fire inside of me, and all I want is to leave and go back to his place. I want more than the memory of his mouth on me burned into my mind. I want an array of experiences with this man. To think he’s been right in front of me this entire time.
I may not be the most experienced person when it comes to dating or relationships, but I can say with certainty that what I’m feeling for Finn isn’t a crush.
“What are you thinking about?” Finn narrows his eyes.
I shake my head, my chin resting on my hand, and my fingers hide my grin.
“Liar. You’ve got that smile. The one that makes you look all dreamy.”
I chuckle and sit taller, dropping my hands on the table. Tilting my head, I look at the man that’s responsible for that smile.
I shrug, and my laugh gets swept away into the evening air. “There are some things a woman keeps to herself,” I wink.
“You see, you’re not bad at dating,” Finn chuckles.
“I guess not,” I shrug again, not really sure I agree with him.
“You know what I think?” I lift my eyebrows, waiting for him to continue. “That you were dating all the wrong guys. It shouldn’t feel like work. It shouldn’t feel like you have to act differently. It should be natural, easy. It should flow.”
“Speaks the voice of experience,” I say playfully.
Finn’s face grows serious. Crap, it was a joke. “Yeah.” He nods while frowning. “Never has it felt the way it does with you, though. Some women think it’s fun to date a cowboy. Others want to change me, make me more city. Sure, I’ve had my share of dates. I won’t deny it, even if you weren’t aware of my track record, but you feel right.”
A small smile creeps across my lips. “I’m not judging you for the number of people you’ve been with. If anything, I feel inadequate. I shouldn’t, I know,” I add quickly before he jumps in to interrupt me. “It has nothing to do with you or me. It’s just… Well, I don’t have the experience you do, and that makes me a little nervous.”
“I’d trade it all if I could have had you in my life earlier.”
My stomach contracts. “How about we make a deal right now not to allow our past to interfere in our present?”
“Deal.”
I stick my pinky out in the center of the table, and Finn chuckles, hooking his with mine in a pinky promise. I don’t want the past to stain what we have and could have. There’s no point in getting jealous or regretting something that happened before he and I got together.
“Now, let’s look at that sunset,” I say, jutting my chin to the sky behind Finn.
He turns on his chair, and we get the final minutes of the sun sinking behind the mountains, and stars begin to streak the black sky. Twinkling lights over the tables turn on, and I gaze up in awe. Regardless of being up in the middle of nowhere, this pop-up restaurant has all the fixings to make it work. The candle in the middle of our table dances in the breeze, and I smile over at Finn.
“This is beautiful.” I can appreciate it more as the evening sky darkens.
“I’m glad you like it. I thought it would be a fun experience. A bonus for me to see you in that dress.” He winks.
The waiter comes with our plates, and soon we’re eating and chatting about everything and anything, continuing with our this or that questions from our car ride.
“How can you not have a social media account?” I screech and then look around at the people eating near us and apologize. Finn chuckles and shrugs. When I asked him if he preferred Facebook or Instagram, he told me he didn’t have either. Twitter either.
“I don’t need it. What’s the point? I much rather get together with my friends than chat with them on social media. We all live in the same town.”
“I guess it’s different if you don’t use it for work.” I never thought about that. If I didn’t have my photography business, I probabl
y wouldn’t post as much as I do on any platform.
“Yeah, you kinda need it,” Finn smirks. “You see.” He reaches over and laces our fingers. “I much rather do this than send you some heart emoji.”
“I’ll agree with you on that.” I lean forward, careful not to stain my dress with my empty plate.
“Do you want dessert?” Finn asks.
“Hmmm… You know what I could go for?” I waggle my eyebrows.
“Oh, me too.”
I toss my head back in laughter. “Not that. Well, yeah, but I was going to say ice cream from Sundae Bliss.” I give him my best smile.
“Are they still open?”
“I don’t know, but it’s a Saturday night, and it is summer.”
“So what you’re really saying is ask for the check and hurry up?”
“If you insist,” I shrug, rolling my eyes innocently.
Finn cackles and shakes his head. He waves our waiter over as he catches his breath. Once the waiter leaves to grab our check, Finn stares at me.
“You are very convincing.” He points his finger at me, wagging it back and forth slowly.
“It’s a gift,” I joke.
After Finn pays, I take a final look around at this gorgeous space and walk back to his truck. Finn pulls me into his side and kisses my temple.
“Let’s get you ice cream and go home.”
Home. I sigh into the night air. I like the sound of Finn and I sharing a space. It’s crazy to think about since we’ve only been dating such a short amount of time. All I know is that today I’m ready to take our relationship to the next level. Once we have sex, I’ll be in deep. I know myself. However, I feel like with Finn, I jumped into the deep end without a lifesaver, trusting him to keep me safe.
Finn drives down the mountain, and I tell him the ice cream combination I’m going to order and the toppings.
“You know what I really like?” Finn interrupts my rambling about sprinkles and hot fudge.
“What?” I shift on the bench, so I can watch his face as he speaks.
“You don’t hold back. Most women would never think about eating ice cream at this time at night.”
“They’d never admit it, but we’re all sneaking in midnight snacks,” I jump in.
“You say it, though. You aren’t embarrassed about eating in front of me or telling me what you want.”
“Am I supposed to? I’d think holding back your feelings would be a sure-fire way to not make a relationship work.” I’m introverted, but if I feel a certain way or want something, I’m not going to hide that. It may take me a while to warm up to people, but I’m going to be me.
Abbie
“Sorry that Sundae Bliss was already closed.” We didn’t make it in time for ice cream, but it’s not as if that would ruin this night. Nothing could.
“It’s okay. I can get some ice cream this week.” I shake my head. It’s not that big of a deal.
“I’ll take you.” Finn turns to smile at me. We’re stopped at an intersection, and though neither of us has mentioned anything, the unanswered question about what’s coming next lingers in the air.
“So…” Finn purses his lips and looks right then left, even though there are no cars coming.
Taking a steadying breath, I undo my seatbelt and scoot closer to Finn on the bench seat. His hands grip the steering wheel as he watches me carefully. I keep my eyes locked on his, my heart drums in my chest. With Finn, I’m more daring, more assertive.
His stubbled jaw scratches my palms when I hold his face in both of my hands. I search his eyes, flicker between both, then look down at his lips. They’re parted, waiting.
I lean in, touching my lips to his in a soft peck. I lean back and stare into his eyes again, wishing I could read his mind. Finn is patient, waiting for me to make a move.
I kiss him again, heat spiking up my spine and swirling around when I pierce his lips with my tongue. Our mouths meld and tongues dance as my hands slip from his face and around his neck, tangling with Finn’s hair.
He groans and moves his hands around me, bringing half my body over his as he takes control of the kiss. My body hums and buzzes with the need I have for him. A desperate desire I’ve never felt before. It ignites something inside of me, and I know I’ll never be the same after Finn.
He growls into the kiss, his hands gripping my hips that I’m sure will bruise. I move my lips to his jaw and neck, leaving trails of kisses before taking his earlobe between my teeth.
“Fuck,” Finn groans. “Baby…” His voice catches when I suck the skin right below his ear.
In an instant, I’m lifted and straddling him, his mouth back to attacking mine and his hips thrusting into me. He presses up into my sensitive body, creating friction against my underwear.
I moan and tighten my arms around him, kissing him fervently. Every single action fuels my desire.
“Finn!” I screech when I feel the car moving forward.
“Shit.” He slams on the brakes, and I slam into his chest. “Sorry.” He releases his hold on me and runs a hand through his hair, mussing up the neatly combed look from earlier.
“We should probably get out of the middle of the street before someone catches us and we make headlines at church tomorrow.”
“Oh, God,” I cringe. “Yeah.” I take a slow breath, inhaling deeply and close my eyes before I move off of Finn’s lap.
“I’m taking you to my place. We’re not done yet.” His heated promise shoots straight to my core, and I clench my thighs together and bite down my moan.
When we get to Finn’s house, I don’t have a chance to look around before his mouth is on mine in a demanding kiss. His tongue pushes through my lips as his hands dig into my hips and pull me to him. His hardness presses against my belly, and my body reacts to the feel of him. My nipples are sensitive as they brush against Finn’s chest despite the clothing separating us.
“Abbie,” Finn growls, as he moves his head back an inch to stare into my eyes. Before I can respond, he’s back to kissing me, leading me through the house and down a hallway to what I can only assume is his bedroom. Right now, he could take me into a tiny closet, and I wouldn’t care.
I’m wound tight. Desire flooding me. My heart ready to explode with its pounding. And then… Finn stops. I flinch at the sudden loss of contact and frown.
“Sorry.” Finn shakes his head as if trying to come to. “I want to go slow.”
I sigh and smile. Taking a step forward to close the gap again, I hook my arms around his neck. “Whatever you do, don’t stop kissing me.”
A deep groan sounds from the back of his throat, and he crashes his mouth against mine again, melding our lips as we get swept away. Our tongues dance to their own beat. The thumping of our heartbeats creates a tune I’ve never heard before. The feelings rolling through me are unfamiliar.
I whimper when his hand skims down my back and grips my butt, his fingers pressing into the back of my thighs.
Finn’s lips move to my neck, teasing me. “I’m dying to strip you out of this dress.” I tremble when his words vibrate against my collarbone.
Finn’s hands travel down and under the skirt of my dress. A wild groan comes from him when his fingers feel my bare ass.
“Tell me you’re wearing underwear,” he growls.
I giggle and nod. “Yeah, a thong.”
“Fuck, babe.” His lips move across my shoulder, nibbling my skin. Goosebumps break out down my arms.
“Finn,” I moan, tossing my head back.
“That’s right.” His lips are on the base of my throat. “I promise to make you feel really good.”
Another whimper sounds, and my hands land on his shoulders. All this, and he has barely touched me yet. This man will be my undoing.
As his hands move up and down the back of my thighs, I seek his mouth again. I take his lower lip between my teeth and tug. At that, Finn’s hands move from behind my thighs to the front, slowly running up my legs and leaving a trail of goo
sebumps. He takes my skirt with it, and I freeze for a moment, waiting to see what his next move is.
We stare at each other, our chests rising and falling at the same speed as if we’ve run a marathon. Finn’s finger sneaks under the band of my underwear, and my knees buckle. I’m burning for him, but I also know one touch will tear me apart.
When he falls to his knees, my head falls back on a quiet moan.
“I need another taste. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since last night. You in my bed, all to myself. My new favorite meal.” Finn hooks his fingers into my underwear and takes his precious time lowering them down my legs. I have no idea how he’s so patient at a time like this.
“You’re so wet for me.” I swear he licks his lips.
I step out of my underwear, and he tosses them over his shoulder blindly. I catch his eyes as I look down at him, and a devilish smile tilts once side of his lips. Before I can read his next move, Finn’s head disappears under my dress, and I cry out in pleasure when his tongue sweeps across my clit. My hands fall to his shoulders, nails biting into him.
My legs feel weak, but Finn wraps his arms around my thighs to support me. His tongue swipes again, and I throw my head back.
“Keep calling my name, babe.” I hear his muffled voice, but I still can’t see him. Instead, the vibrations of his words shoot straight to my core. When he takes my clit between his lips, I’m done for. I moan and tense, crying out as I beg for my release.
“You taste so fucking good, but I have more plans.” Finn sits back on his heels and winks up at me.
My eyes are wide as I stare at him, my head dizzy.
“Oh my goodness,” I yelp when he throws me over his shoulder on his way up. His fingers tighten around the top of my thighs.
I drop on his bed with a bounce, and Finn crawls over me.
“How are you keeping it together?” I whisper.
“I’m losing it. You make me wild, but I want this to be amazing for us.” He kisses me, his tongue moving along mine lazily.
You Make It Easy: A best friend's brother romance (Love in Everton Book 5) Page 14