Now that he knew how she tasted, how she kissed, how incredibly good she felt in his arms, could he really sleep a few feet away from her and pretend it never happened?
You have to.
Yeah. He had to.
While he waited on the pizza, he walked over to get their milkshakes. It wasn’t something he would have ordered on his own, but once she mentioned it, it sounded too good not to get one for himself.
She had a way of doing that to him–making him do things he didn’t normally do and try things he wouldn’t normally try, and for the life of him, Finn didn’t know if it was a good thing or a bad thing. All he did know was he was too tired to think too deeply about anything right now.
He gave himself another stern pep talk while he paid for the food.
And all the way up in the elevator.
By the time he stepped out on their floor, he felt mildly in control and knew they could do this. They had their moment of weakness while out on the Strip and now it was over. It was back to reality, and he was fairly certain that now that they were back to normal, Grace would see he was right. Sleeping together wasn’t the right thing for either of them. End of story.
Pulling the keycard from his pocket, he opened the door and froze.
Grace was standing in the middle of the room in nothing more than the red lace thong and a matching red bra.
Finn’s mouth went dry, and he forced himself to step farther into the room and let the door slam shut behind him. No doubt his jaw was on the floor and he knew his eyes had gone painfully wide.
Along with the rest of him going painfully hard.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” she said softly, seductively.
And all of Finn’s plans went right out the window.
5
Never in her life had Grace felt this nervous, but the look of pure desire on Finn’s face made it all worth it.
All night she’d thought about this–ever since she stepped out of the bathroom earlier and saw him standing by the window looking down at the Strip–Grace knew this was what she wanted. And it had nothing to do with Jared and getting even or rebounding; this was about her attraction to Finn Kavanagh and wanting this one reckless night with him.
She had promised herself that tomorrow, everything would go back to the way it was, but she wanted this night–needed this night. And she needed it with Finn.
He placed the pizza box and their drinks on the dresser before slowly stalking her. She thought the way he moved was incredibly sexy, the way he was pursuing her–like she was going to move or try to get away. Just the thought of that almost had her laughing out loud.
But there was nothing funny about this.
What was going to happen here was very serious. Grace didn’t take sex lightly, and she’d never been the kind of woman to have casual relationships or hookups. Back when she first met Jared, it took almost three months before she agreed to sleep with him. That was her usual time limit before taking a relationship to the next level. But there was something about Finn that made her feel like she never had before.
Safe.
Everything about him made her certain he wouldn’t be flippant about this either. His earlier refusal to let things go any further proved that. After all, there they were alone in a completely private room on the observation wheel with thirty minutes to kill. He could have taken advantage of her multiple times over and she had no means of escape.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he had seen to her pleasure–which she had not been shy about seeking–and took nothing for himself. To be honest, Grace didn’t think men like Finn even existed. Like it was some kind of myth–like unicorns or Big Foot–or the sort of thing you only read about in romance novels. In her entire dating life, she’d never met a man like him, and she had a feeling she never would again.
This was a risky move–waiting for him wearing next to nothing. She’d never done anything like this before–never felt the need to. By the time she stepped into the elevator, she knew she’d have to do something drastic to change his mind. She braced herself for the rejection or at least for his explanation as to why this wasn’t a good idea. When they were toe to toe, she stiffened her spine and waited.
But his hand reached out and gripped her hair as he claimed her mouth and all she could do was say a silent prayer of thanks.
Yes!
His kiss was wild and frantic and oh so good. This is what she wanted–to feel Finn lose control. He tugged at her hair to tilt her head back for better access to her, and Grace was completely on board with that. She’d never been kissed like this–like she was vital and necessary for a man’s existence. And yet, that’s exactly the way Finn was kissing her, and she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to settle for anything less ever again.
There was a need for breath–her lungs felt full and she knew all she needed to do was break the kiss for a moment–and yet she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Not yet. Just one more taste. One more duel with his tongue. Finn must have felt the same because he abruptly broke the kiss, gulped for air and then dove right back in.
And again, she said a silent prayer of thanks because his lips were back on hers and it was just as glorious and all-consuming as the last kiss. Her hands raked up and down his back before she let herself be bold and simply squeezed his ass.
Damn. It felt even better than she imagined.
And there had been several times tonight when she had imagined it quite vividly.
Then they began to move. A few steps to the left, a few to the right, and a couple back until they landed on one of the beds. She didn’t know which one and really didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was how he was kicking off his shoes as he climbed up her body. When he stretched out on top of her, Grace almost wept with relief. His body was so lean and warm and wonderful, and it felt amazing to simply wrap herself around him.
Finn lifted his head and looked down at her, his expression fierce, and she feared it was going to happen now–now he was going to give her the lecture and rejection. His eyes scanned her face and she could read his every emotion–the desire, the uncertainty. The silence stretched until she thought she’d go mad. Then, with nothing else to do and too afraid to say anything and risk ruining the moment, she simply held her breath and prayed she was wrong.
“You drive me crazy. You know that, right?” he growled. “This should not be happening.”
And yet he wasn’t moving away, she realized. Maybe he just needed to say this for his own benefit and as long as he didn’t move off of her, she’d gladly listen to whatever dialogue he needed to get out.
“We just met,” he said, part wonder, part anger. “There’s no way we should feel like this.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to counter that comment with all the ways they were feeling like this and how it wasn’t a bad thing.
But again, she was too afraid to say the wrong thing and then all of this would go away.
Her hands skimmed up his spine, and she wished his shirt was off. She wanted to feel his skin, taste it, scratch it. Just the thought of it had her letting out a soft moan as she arched underneath him.
How was it possible she was ready to have an orgasm just from the feel of his body lying on top of her?
Although really, who was she to complain? Any orgasms she didn’t have to give herself were a bonus, weren’t they?
Slowly, Finn leaned in close. He kissed her lips, her cheeks, even her eyelids before moving along to nuzzle her neck. She was so certain he was going to keep going when he suddenly lifted his head. “Be sure, Grace.”
And that was the thing, she had never been more certain about anything in her entire life. She’d been with other men, loved other men, and almost married another man, and yet none of them made her feel the way Finn did.
It was like she’d been searching for something that was always just out of reach, and his kiss made everything clear. She’d been searching for a feeling–for a connection to someone–and it
pained her how she had been willing to settle for Jared without it. Had she loved Jared? Sure, but not the way a woman marrying a man should. She knew that now.
Wait…how can I even be thinking like this?
“Grace?” Finn whispered, and she knew he wouldn’t touch her again, wouldn’t kiss her again, until she told him she was sure.
Her hand raked up into his hair as she guided his lips back to hers. “I’ve never been more sure,” she said quietly and then wanted to shout with joy when he kissed her again. It went on and on and on, and it felt even more intimate than what they were about to do. Tightening her legs around his waist, Grace pulled him as close to her as they could get with Finn still fully dressed. And as much as she wanted to nudge him along and get him naked, she didn’t want this moment to end.
It didn’t take long for each of them to grow restless, and this time when Finn lifted his head, he sat up and began to unbutton his shirt.
“Finally,” she said with a small laugh. “I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to take that off.” And with each inch of skin he revealed, her hands began to twitch with the need to touch him.
He grinned down at her and he had the sexiest smile, she thought. It was boyish but confident, and everything about him was just so damn appealing. Dark hair, dark eyes, strong, slightly stubbled jaw…God, if ever there was a man to have a wild night with, this was him.
His shirt fluttered to the floor and he placed one hand on her stomach. He was all tanned and rough skin against her own smooth and creamy belly. Even if she didn’t know what he did for a living, she’d know by the touch of his hands that he worked with them. They felt so damn good against her–a little rough and scratchy–and she wished he’d touch her everywhere right now.
“Finn…”
“I know,” he said gruffly. “I know. I want it all and I don’t know where to begin.”
“Losing your pants would be a good start,” she teased softly and was relieved when he stood up and did just that. Standing next to the bed in a pair of dark boxer briefs, he was magnificent. His body was exactly as she envisioned, and her mouth actually began to water. Holding out a hand to him, he was back on the bed beside her, his hands lazily skimming up and down her body.
“Your turn,” he said thickly, toying with the straps on her bra.
Without breaking eye contact, she reached behind her back to unclasp it, and that’s as far as she got because Finn finished peeling it from her body. Her skin felt chilled and heated at the same time until he lowered his head and took one nipple into his mouth and gently suckled.
This just keeps getting better and better…
He licked and kissed first one breast and then the other, and Grace wasn’t sure how much more she could take. She never considered herself a foreplay kind of girl, but that was mainly because no man had ever taken his time with it like this. Part of her knew she should lay back and enjoy it, but she wanted more–wanted to explore his body like he was exploring hers. She wanted to touch and taste every inch of him–to find out what he liked, what turned him on. But before her thoughts could go any further, he was moving down her body and taking her panties with him.
Oh, my…
If she thought she was close to having an orgasm before, she was teetering on the edge now. It took less than a minute for her to come apart, crying out his name and she wanted to shout how it wasn’t fair–she wanted more–but she needn’t have worried. Finn was one step ahead of her.
Lifting his head, he grinned up at her. “More,” was all he said, and she was more than willing to oblige.
“Can I ask you something?”
“As long as it doesn’t require too many brain cells, sure.”
Finn chuckled, his fingers gently playing with her hair. She was curled up beside him, one leg tangled with his and completely naked.
And Grace looked fantastic naked.
She felt even better.
“I know you couldn’t get a flight home last night, but…why not fly home today or tomorrow?”
Her hand was tracing small circles on his chest and he felt her slight shrug. “It would have been easy to do–to just grab a hotel room somewhere and all that.” Then she let out a mirthless laugh. “I could have made arrangements to get my luggage sent to me too.”
When she paused, he didn’t push, but he was still curious as hell as to why she’d choose to drive cross country with a stranger when she didn’t have to. Finn knew why he was doing it, but he really wanted to hear her story.
“I thought the drive would help me clear my mind or at the very least, help me figure out what the hell I was doing with my life.” She moaned. “God, I made such a mess of things.”
He really hoped she wasn’t referring to him or what they’d just done.
As if reading his mind, she lifted her head and looked at him. “Not this,” she clarified, “but with Jared and the wedding.” Her hand was resting over his heart, and even though Finn knew he had gone into this tonight knowing it was wrong, right now, he couldn’t really believe that.
“You’re not the one who made the mess, Grace,” he began, but she stopped him.
“I should have gone into that room and confronted both of them and ended things like an adult rather than running away.” She rolled away from him and looked up at the ceiling. “The outcome still would have been the same, but…I could have left with at least a sliver of dignity rather than looking like a drowned rat doing some weird version of a walk of shame in a Walmart.”
He couldn’t help it; the memory of how she looked made him chuckle and she elbowed him in the ribs for it. “Sorry.”
“You don’t have to be. I looked ridiculous and you have no idea how much that bothers me. I’m not someone who enjoys looking foolish.”
That actually surprised him because everything he’d witnessed in the last twenty-four-plus hours told him Grace Mackie was a confident woman who didn’t give a damn what anyone thought–which is what he told her.
“It’s all a façade,” she explained. “In my work as a career coach, I’ve learned to master the art of always looking confident–never let anyone see you sweat. Fake it till you make it. Blah, blah, blah.” She turned her head and looked at him. “I’m really good at what I do. Maybe a little too good.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I’m so used to being polished and perfect in front of people that no one can see how I really feel.”
Finn rolled onto his side and studied her. “And how do you really feel?”
“Right now?” she said with a sexy grin. “Pretty damn good.”
While he appreciated the stroke to his ego, it wasn’t what he was looking for. “That’s not what I meant.”
She groaned. “Okay, fine. I feel like an idiot. Like, how could I have been involved with someone for so long and not known what he was really like?”
He hated to point out the obvious, but… “Maybe you taught him a little too well.”
A long, weary sigh was her first response. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
There wasn’t anything he could say to that because he didn’t know her ex, other than the fact that he was a douche who cheated.
Probably not a helpful observation right now.
“So, what happens now?”
She shrugged and rolled onto her side, so they were face to face. “I’m going to have to deal with the aftermath. Luckily, we didn’t live together or going home would be a nightmare.”
“What kind of aftermath? It seems to me like you two talked things out. If you didn’t live together, what else is there?”
Frowning, she was silent for a long moment. “There should be more to it than this, shouldn’t there?”
He was afraid to agree or disagree, so he waited her out.
Then she sat up. “You’d think after eighteen months together and canceling a wedding there’d be more to breaking up but…I don’t think there is.” She turned her head back toward him. “I kept my
apartment because it was easier to think about slowly moving into his place–especially after the spur-of-the-moment change of wedding dates.” She paused and explained further. “Jared handled all the wedding stuff because it was his idea and a last-minute thing he wanted to do.”
Now Finn sat up. “Seriously?”
She nodded. “Yup. I wanted a big family wedding next spring, but Jared insisted we should do this now. I only realized yesterday after hearing his conversation with Steph that he just wanted to secure a promotion.” Rolling onto her back again, she flung one arm over her eyes. “Ugh! I’m pathetic!”
Pulling her arm away, he stared down into her face and offered a small smile. “You are not pathetic, Grace. He is. You did nothing wrong here.”
But she didn’t look reassured. “You can’t know that, Finn. You don’t even know me.”
Unfortunately, she was right. Tonight wasn’t supposed to be about deep conversations and getting to know each other; it was supposed to be about sex and need and want and then more sex. One night. Did he really want to ruin it by getting all deep and psychological talking about life and the mistakes she made with her ex?
They were going to have plenty of time to talk over the next several days while in the truck together.
Wait, weren’t they?
“One more question and then we’re done talking,” he said, doing his best to keep his distance because what he wanted was to crawl back on top of her and feel her silky limbs wrapped around him again more than anything else.
“O-kay…”
“Now that you’ve talked to Jared and your family and friends, do you still want to drive all the way to Atlanta, or would you prefer to get on a plane in the morning and head home?” He did his best to keep his tone neutral because he didn’t want to sway her. Well, he actually really wanted to sway her, but he was trying to be a good guy here and put her needs first.
Drive Me Crazy Page 8
