“You’re right. Thanks, Finn. I know I tend to freak when my plans get altered.”
She did, but that was just who she was, and he liked her that way. Wouldn’t be Pru if she didn’t flip a little bit.
They moved through the racks of clothing, picking a few items to purchase and noting others to add to her baby registry. They also looked at the other baby items in the store, the strollers, car seats, change pads, carriers, bathing tubs. He had no idea babies needed so much stuff. After about an hour, his head started to spin.
“What the hell is this?”
Pru glanced at him with a smile as he grabbed two baby bottles attached to some kind of funnel things with tubes leading to a small box that looked like you could order HBO off it.
She laughed softly at his confused expression. “It’s a breast pump.”
Oh. That made sense, he supposed. Curious, he placed the funnel bottles on his chest. Huh, didn’t seem too—
“What the hell?”
He tried to yank the device off as it suddenly started up, sucking his shirt and a good bit of flesh into the cups of the funnels.
“Pru!” He glared at her, and she doubled over with laughter. “It’s not funny. Ow! This really—ow! Stings! Turn it off.”
Still laughing, she slapped the button on the base, cutting off the powerful suction and releasing him from the pump’s vacuum pull.
“I’m sorry, Finn.” Pru laughed, turning down a dial that had been suspiciously set to maximum. “But you looked like you were going into full panic mode. It was a distraction.”
Okay, he probably deserved that.
“Touché.” He grinned. “You ready to go?”
“Yeah.”
They paid for the items she’d picked out. She did, anyway, because she refused to let Finn help, claiming he drove here. Whatever—a few miles of gas did not equal the hundred dollars she spent on baby stuff. But he had to remind himself, this was her show and he promised to stand back and help with anything she wanted help with. Nothing more.
It was getting harder to remember he was simply a side player in all this when he found himself wanting to be more.
They headed back to the car, where he pulled out three more bags of the nausea pops from his trunk, which he’d bought earlier that week. She might not let him purchase any of the things for the baby, but she couldn’t stop him from taking care of her. She thanked him with only a slight roll of her eyes, tucking the candy into her shopping bags.
“Thanks for coming with me today, Finn.” She turned in her seat to face him when he parked in front of her building. “And thanks for helping me through my tiny, almost, not-really freak-out in the store.”
He chuckled, knowing how much Pru hated to admit to any kind of weakness or need for help.
“You’re welcome. I’d thank you for almost ripping my nipples off, but to be honest, it still kind of hurts. I’m going to have boob hickies for a week.”
She laughed. “Oh, poor Finn. Want me to kiss them and make it better?”
She was teasing, but the thought of Pru’s lips on his bare skin again shot a bolt of desire straight to his groin. It must have shown on his face, because her laughter died. Her tongue came out to drag along her lower lip in an unconscious, sexy move that made him hard as hell.
Screw it. He needed one more taste.
He cupped the back of her neck with his palm, pulling her forward. Her hands landed on his chest, lightly rubbing over skin that was sensitive in no way due to his experience with the breast pump and in every way because of the sexy, tempting, confusing woman before him. He stared into her dark brown eyes, asking the question without using words.
“Kiss me, Finn.”
She knew what he wanted without him even having to say it, because she wanted it, too. They were both screwed up. So why not be confused together?
He dipped his head, capturing her lips with his, reveling in the soft, mewling moan of hers that filled his ears as he took the kiss deeper. She opened for him, hands sliding up his chest and neck to rub against the buzzed sides of his hair. Yes! This was what he needed. The sweet, heavenly taste of Pru was a balm to all the confusing swirling mess of emotions that had been rioting inside him for weeks.
A horn blared behind them, breaking the spell. Pru pulled away, fingers leaving his scalp to rub over her swollen lips. Lips red and plump from his kisses. A blur of motion caught the corner of his eye as someone rushed by them to hop in the very rude and loudly honking taxi behind them.
“Okay, so, that was…” Pru shook her head and quickly gathered her bags then opened the car door and hopped out. “Bye, Finn.”
Bye, Finn? She kissed the holy hell out of him, and now she was running away like his car was on fire. If it was, the firefighter in him knew how to put it out. But damn if the aching, confused man inside knew how to extinguish this burning need he’d suddenly developed for his best friend.
He watched as she hurried into the building, stepping into the empty elevator and staring back at him with hungry, questioning eyes.
“Bye, Pru,” he whispered to the empty car, watching as the elevator doors closed, wishing he knew the answers to the questions those dark eyes asked.
Chapter Thirteen
The past few weeks, Pru had been waking in the middle of the night with nausea or the urgent need to pee. Tonight, something entirely different and much more irritating was keeping her from slipping into slumber land. Grabbing her phone from the bedside table, she groaned when the screen lit up to show a time just after midnight. Her groan turned into a growl as she focused on her lock screen picture—an adorable shot of her favorite, furry, four-legged creature in the arms of the very reason Pru couldn’t sleep.
Finn.
Why the hell had she kissed him earlier? Why had he kissed her back? And why for the love of all the chili cheese fries in the world had it been so damn hot that she lay there, hours later, going over the damn thing in her mind? Replaying the kiss made her remember other kisses in other places on other nights.
“Yeah, and look where that got me.”
Her hand unconsciously rubbed her stomach. She’d noticed a slight bulging to her abdomen in the past few days, evident by the fact she couldn’t fit into any of her jeans lately. Good thing she had a drawer full of leggings. Her doctor told Pru she might start to show earlier with twins, and the doc had been right. Everything seemed to be happening faster, more intensely than she planned. She hadn’t even suspected she’d be pregnant yet but figured it would take at least two tries before she conceived.
But I didn’t even get to the “try” part, did I?
No, she had not. Which brought her right back around to her dilemma: the kiss in the car with Finn. Obviously, they hadn’t scratched their itch as well as they thought. Or she hadn’t. As much as it pained her to admit it, Pru still craved Finn’s touch. More so now, since she knew how electrifying it could be.
Shit.
What was she going to do? She had a box full of fun under her bed, a few faithful toys she’d collected over the years when good men were scarce and desires needed tending. The only problem? She’d already tried it. Before she slipped into bed, she’d retrieved the box full of fun and taken care of business. Usually after a self-care session, she’d be good for a few days. So why was she tossing and turning and wishing she had Finn conveniently stashed under her bed instead of the Butterfly Fly Flirt 3000?
“I need some tea.”
Like tea would help anything. What she really needed was a shot of vodka, but since that wasn’t happening for at least another year or so, she’d have to settle for some soothing chamomile. Tossing off her covers, she threw on her robe and headed for the kitchen. She filled the electric kettle and grabbed a mug and the tea box, all the while cursing Finn and his stupid, sexy…sexiness under her breath.
The kettle clicked over. Pru placed a tea bag in her mug, pouring the steaming hot water over it and gagging at the smell. She knew chamomile was supposed t
o calm frazzled nerves, but the stuff smelled like garden mulch. Didn’t taste much better. But since all the pregnancy books told her she needed to stay as calm as possible over the next few months to ensure a healthy growing environment for her babies, she could suck down some calming weed water. For her babies.
Didn’t mean she couldn’t try to make the best of it.
She wrenched open the cabinet by the fridge, pushing aside various bottles of herbs and cooking oils they rarely used in her search for sweetness. “Where’s the damn honey?”
“In the pantry by the peanut butter.”
Pru held back a small scream; it stuck in her throat, making her sound like Bruiser whenever a bigger dog pounced on her at the park.
“Lilly!” She brought a hand to her racing heart, glaring at her roommate. “You scared me half to death.”
One dark brown eyebrow rose. “Me? I’m not the one ransacking our kitchen at midnight, waking everyone up thinking there’s a burglar in the apartment.”
“And what exactly would a criminal want to steal from us?” Mo sauntered into the kitchen, arms stretching as her jaw opened wide with a yawn. “Our ten-year-old TV? My crappy laptop that has a battery so old it can’t keep a charge and needs to be plugged in to work? Our shoes? Wait, scratch that last one. I would totally steal your shoe collection, Lilly.”
The tall, slim woman pointed a finger in Mo’s direction. “You keep your clodhoppers away from my shoes. You’ll stretch them out, Bigfoot.”
“Ouch! Where’s the love, Lil?”
“It’s twelve eighteen in the morning. I save all my love-giving for after the sunrise.”
Only Lilly would know the exact time even in the middle of the night. Morning. Whatever.
“I’m sorry, guys.” Pru closed the cabinet, shoulders sinking in defeat. “I didn’t mean to wake you. You can go back to bed. Everything is fine.”
Her friends shared a look. Next thing she knew, Mo was gently leading her to the table while Lilly grabbed the honey from the pantry, filling two more mugs with hot water and tea bags and bringing everything over. They sat around the table like it was the middle of the day instead of pitch-black night.
“So what’s up? Besides us, I mean.” Mo grinned.
“It’s nothing.” She was just being dumb, hormonal, whatever. She had no idea. “I just…I kissed Finn.”
“Yeah, we know. That’s kind of how all this happened.” Mo gestured to Pru’s stomach.
“No. I mean I kissed Finn today. When he dropped me off after shopping and…”
Mo waved a hand in the air. “And?”
“And some flirting? I think. I don’t know. It’s all weird.”
“Of course it is, sweetie.” Lilly pushed her glasses up her nose. “You slept with your best friend, and now you’re having his baby. Babies. That would be an odd situation for anyone.”
“So is all this new chemistry because of the baby hormones or what?” Pru asked.
“I highly doubt that, considering you slept with him before you had the baby hormones to blame.” Mo shoved her riot of multicolored curls over one shoulder.
“I’m not blaming the hormones for that, Moira.”
One pale blond eyebrow rose. “Really? Cause it sure sounds like you are. And that’s fine if that’s how you want to play it, but don’t get mad at Finn for being all hot and sexy and keeping you up at night with longing.”
“I am not up longing for Finn’s sexiness.”
Her roommates simply stared at her. She raised her mug to her lips, but the steam rising from the cup warned her it was still too hot to drink. Setting it back down, she gave in to the silent treatment.
“Okay, fine! Maybe I found Finn attractive before he knocked me up, and maybe the sex was amazing, and maybe I want to do it again, but that doesn’t mean I should.”
Mo shrugged. “Why not?”
Flabbergasted, she turned to Lilly. “Could you help me out here?”
“Sorry, sweetie, but I actually agree with her.”
“Twice in the same year. That’s gotta be a record.”
Lilly sighed, ignoring Mo’s gleeful comment. “I’ll be the first person in the world to tell you that sexual liaisons can have very dire consequences.”
Lilly would know. The incident a few years ago that almost ruined their budding business still hung like a weight around the woman’s neck no matter how many times Pru and Moira assured her she’d done nothing wrong.
“Lilly, it wasn’t your—”
“No.” A firm hand rose to cut Pru off. “This isn’t about me and my past mistakes. This is about you and your current situation. The cat is already out of the bag, Prudence. You and Finn engaged in intercourse, and that resulted in a lifelong tie between you. Now, I know you two don’t plan on cohabitating or starting a romantic relationship, but you already have a connection. A friendship. And if the first time didn’t cause irreparable damage, then it stands to reason a subsequent time wouldn’t, either.”
Trust Lilly to logic sex out.
“I say bone him again.”
And trust Mo to bring it all back to basics.
“It’s your decision,” Lilly continued, giving Pru’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Well, yours and Finn’s. But as long as you both agree to what you’re doing, I don’t see why you have to deny yourselves what you want.”
They’d agreed the first time on what they wanted. Could they really pursue a sex-only relationship while keeping their friendship intact on top of her having his twins?
“I’m getting a headache thinking through all this,” she groaned.
“So don’t think.” Mo patted her hand. “Just go with what you feel.”
What she felt? She felt horny as ever, and the only thing, the only person, who could possibly satisfy her was probably snoring away in his bed less than a mile away. Jerk. Why should he get to sleep soundly while she was up? Technically, he caused her situation, at least partially, so he should take care of it.
The logic didn’t quite make sense, but she didn’t care.
“How late is too late for a booty call?”
Mo snickered. “Please, if it’s before one a.m., it doesn’t even count as a booty call. You’re still on ‘Netflix and Chill’ time.”
A smile curled her lips. “Then it’s a good thing Finn has streaming.”
Her roommates grinned, toasting her with their tea as she rose from the table and headed to her room to change. In less than ten minutes she’d put on a pair of black leggings and a large sweater—forgoing a bra since she was just going to take it off anyway—and driven over to Finn’s. Luckily, his building had guest parking, and there was one slot left. She parked, quickly making her way to his apartment and, thinking she’d need to rouse him from a peaceful sleep—ass—she pounded on the door.
The door swung open before her third knock. Finn stood there in a pair of jeans that rode so low on his waist, they were in danger of falling off. His chest was bare. Her mouth salivated, resolve in her decision firming up at the glorious sight before her.
“Pru? What’s wrong?”
“I’m horny, and it’s your fault!”
Shock and confusion replaced concern on his stupid handsome face. She barreled into his apartment, careful not to touch his naked flesh. The moment she did, all bets would be off, and she’d rather not jump him in the hallway where anyone passing could see.
“Say that again?”
The sound of the door closing and locking hit her ears. She glanced around, noticing Bruiser sleeping soundly in her fluffy doggy bed at the foot of Finn’s. The room was dark save for the dim glow coming from the television playing some nature documentary. So, it seemed she wasn’t the only one awake tonight. Good. No need for her to suffer this craving alone. No need for either of them to suffer, according to her friends.
Her very smart friends.
She turned to face Finn and repeated her earlier statement. “I’m horny, and it’s your fault.”
His eyebrows p
inched together. “Okay. What do you want me to do about it?”
“Me.”
“Huh?”
Ugh! Men could be so dense.
“Me. I want you to do me. I want to have sex. Again. With you.” Best to clarify since his cognitive skills seemed to be running a little behind tonight.
Now his dark blond brows rose, climbing up his forehead as her demand sank in.
“You want to have sex? With me?”
“No, with Trevor Noah. I thought you could introduce us.”
He grinned at the mention of her Hollywood crush, who he in no way knew or could introduce her to.
“Smartass.”
“Seriously, Finn.” She sighed, dropping all pique. “I don’t know if it’s the baby hormones, or if once wasn’t enough, or… The itch is still there. I just want you again. Do you still want me?”
He crossed the small space between them in less than two long strides. She had to tilt her head back to gaze up into his handsome face. His bright gaze burned with the same hunger, the same fire she’d seen the first time they were together.
First and hopefully not last.
Because she really, really wanted more. But the question was, did he?
“I want you, Pru.” He cupped her cheek in his hand.
Hallelujah!
“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that night since it happened. We were good together.” His other hand came up to rest low on her belly. “Maybe a little too good.”
She laughed, placing her hands over his on her stomach. Something warm and sharp, having nothing to do with the sexual need burning deep inside, filled her chest. She pushed the strange emotion away. This wasn’t about feelings. Well, it was, but not those kind. This was about physical pleasure. Nothing more.
“I don’t want to confuse anything.” He spoke the words softly. At her raised brow, he chuckled. “Any more than it already is.”
“But you want me.” A statement, not a question, since he’d just said so a moment ago.
His smile dimmed, his mouth firming the way it did when he denied himself something he wanted. Her. It dawned that what he wanted was her, and he’d been denying himself. Why?
The Best Friend Problem Page 13
