by Lila Kane
He still had expert hands, tracing my shoulders and running down my spine until I shivered. I wrapped my arms around his neck and gasped when he hauled me on his lap.
Straddling him, I ran my fingers across his shoulders and down to his chest, where I bumped into buttons. I bypassed those. I couldn’t—not yet.
This was a test, a taste. I couldn’t let it go beyond that.
So I returned my hands to his face, brushing the slightest bit of stubble on his cheeks and jaw.
Finn groaned like the touch of my hands almost hurt. “Charlotte,” he murmured. “It’s been too long.”
I buried my face in his neck. “I missed you.”
“Really?”
He stopped kissing me, and I chanced a glance up to his eyes.
“You missed me?” Finn asked.
“I did.”
“I thought it was just me,” he said.
“We were friends,” I said, almost offended.
“More than friends. We were everything. Even though I ruined it, we were everything, Charlotte.”
He was right. Finn was my whole world. Day and night, good and bad, everything. Our worlds collided and then stayed together. For an entire year, we were everything to each other.
“You know it’s true,” Finn said, eyes dark.
He captured both wrists in one hand and leaned me back on the couch, kneeling over me. With my hands bound in his grip over my head, a thrill of excitement rolled through me. Finn took a kiss, and then another, his tongue gliding along my lip before he traveled lower. His kisses rained down my throat. I arched back, saying his name once, and then again.
His free hand slid up my thigh, my dress rising higher and higher.
“Finn,” I whispered once more.
“Yes,” he breathed, lips poised at the neckline to my dress.
My heart raced out of control, my whole body bowing against his in an effort to get more. But my mind slammed on the brakes.
“Not yet. It’s too soon,” I said.
He lifted his head, eyes cloudy, and stared at me like I’d spoken a foreign language. I could feel his cock straining against his pants, pressing into my hip. His hands loosened on my wrists.
“I’m sorry,” I said, “but I need more time.”
His mouth opened but nothing came out. After another moment of indecision, he eased off of me and smoothed his hair before helping me up. “Don’t apologize. It’s—you kind of make it hard for me to stay away.”
To my amusement, he tugged the hem of my dress back down to my knees and cleared his throat before meeting my eyes again.
“I can be patient,” he said, voice pained. “If that’s what you need.”
My lips curved. “You have good self-control.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I want you now. All of you. Here on the couch, and then in the bedroom. Maybe even in the shower if I could change your mind about the bathroom.”
My cheeks warmed. “Finn. We haven’t seen each other in a long time.”
“You’ve been in my head every day for the last few years,” he said, voice hoarse. “So I’m not going to ruin it by rushing.” He grinned at me. “I like the anticipation.”
My gaze flicked to his pants and back up. “Sure you do.”
With a laugh, he pressed a kiss to my cheek, and then clasped my hand in his. “Don’t tease. That’s not playing fair.”
“You’re absolutely right. No more kissing or anything until I decide where to go from here.”
“Let’s not go that far,” Finn said, eyes flicking to mine again. “I can romance you while you decide. It might help speed up your decision. And trust me, romancing involves plenty of kissing.”
I shivered when he ran his finger down my arm.
He smiled. “You can’t tell me you don’t feel it, too.”
“Feel what?”
“What we have. It’s still there.” He squeezed my hand. “But better.”
He was right. But admitting it felt like a capitulation. Like I was giving in to something I didn’t want to give into. Sure, we still had chemistry. But that didn’t make for a good relationship or a smart partnership. Which made this sound like it was business again.
Finn pulled me to the door. “You can tell me later. One of these days, Charlotte, you’re going to open up to me. And you’ll probably feel better because of it.”
I glared at him. I didn’t want him to be right about this, too.
“You don’t need to walk me to my apartment,” I said.
He entered the elevator with me, pressing the button before I could even reach for it. He kept my other hand firm in his. “No arguing.”
“But—”
“I’d do it anyway,” he said, his face going serious. “I’d do it because I want to and because you deserve to have someone walk you to your door. But I’m doing it now because I’m worried about you.”
“You don’t have to worry about me. I’ve taken care of myself this long.”
“You have.” He tugged on my hand when the elevator stopped, pulling me out to the hallway. “You’ve done a good job, too.”
“Kind of condescending.”
“I didn’t mean it that way. You’re…even more than I expected when I saw you again.” He grinned. “Lucky me.”
I rolled my eyes but smiled anyway.
When we stopped at the door, he faced me, serious once more. “But it seems like you have demons from your past that won’t leave you alone. I don’t want you hurt again. Not if there’s anything I can do to help it.”
And it seemed he was talking about himself hurting me as well as Mark. God, Finn had it all covered in his mind. I had to admit, it felt good to be around someone who knew so confidently what he wanted—especially when part of that involved making sure I wasn’t hurt again.
“I need you to be honest with me on this, Charlotte. I need to know if something else happens, or even if you’re worried for some reason. Even if you can’t explain it.”
“I’m not worried.” Just a small lie.
He blew out a breath. “You were this morning. You’ve got a level head, Charlotte, you don’t get scared for no reason. It might have been a coincidence. But what if it wasn’t?”
He was worried about the what-ifs just like I was. It still didn’t mean I wanted to drag him into this.
“I’ll let you know if something happens,” I said.
“Good.” He glanced down the hallway. “And your friend. Maybe you should ask her to keep an eye out.”
“That isn’t necessary.” I turned and slid my key card into the door. It clicked and opened.
“You don’t want to tell her,” Finn surmised. He ran a hand over his eyes. “Of course not. Have you told anyone? The police? Your mother?”
I dropped my purse on the table by the door. “This is a terrible way to romance me,” I said. “Insulting me.”
“I’m not insulting you. I’m pointing out what would be rational behavior in this situation.”
“I left him,” I snapped. “It was the most rational—and the scariest—thing I’ve ever done. So don’t you dare imply I’m not being rational about this.” Through gritted teeth, I said, “You need to go now.”
Finn snapped his mouth shut and propped his hand on the door frame.
“Finn,” I warned.
“I didn’t mean to insult you.”
“Well, you did. Good night.”
“Charlotte.” He reached for me, but I stepped back. “I shouldn’t have said that. I—I was worried and…”
Seeing my stony expression, he nodded. “You’re right, I should go. Please, just…be careful. And you can think I’m an asshole, but please let me know if something happens.”
“Thank you for dinner,” I said quietly, grabbing the door.
After he left, I slammed it closed and huffed. What the hell? One minute he said he’d give me space and be patient and the next he insulted me? Just like men.
Huffing some more, I walked to my ro
om and started undressing. Lame. Thinking I can’t take care of myself? Of course that’s what he thought.
I tossed my shoes in my closet, and then couldn’t stand to see them crooked and returned to straighten them. Remembering my phone, I retrieved it from my purse and saw a text.
From Finn.
I almost didn’t open it, but finally gave in.
You are the most capable woman I know. You could take on the world if you wanted. I’m concerned because I care about you. Please understand.
Sighing, I sat on the edge of the bed. All the anger seeped away. If I made myself, I could see it from his point of view. If I thought of this happening to Christie or even Paige, I’d probably be reacting the same way as Finn. I’d want to help, no matter how capable the other person was.
I typed back I understand before I finished getting undressed. I heard my phone chime again when I got under the covers. Finn’s message made me smile.
Sweet dreams.
I slid under the comforter, relaxed once more. Instead of thinking about our argument or Mark, I thought about Finn’s very capable hands trapping mine in his. I thought about his kisses and his hand roaming up my thigh. I thought about more, too, and by the time I fell asleep, I had no doubt I’d have sweet dreams.
CHAPTER EIGHT
In some ways, the week had gone by in the blink of an eye. But in others, in my thoughts and in my fears, it had taken forever. I hadn’t had any strange calls on my phone, I hadn’t met up with any strange men or voices anywhere else. However, I hadn’t gone anywhere else—not even the gym this morning.
All I had to do was get through today and then I’d have the whole weekend to wind down. I didn’t doubt, however, that living so near where I worked, that work would probably follow me home. At this point, I didn’t mind. Something else to keep me busy. To keep my thoughts far from Mark.
I organized my desk, stacking loose papers in the bin on the corner and sliding the keyboard so it was parallel with the edge of the desk. Nice and tidy.
“It’s like a puzzle,” Tucker said from the doorway.
I glanced up with a sheepish grin. “I like things organized. The messier the world gets, the more composed I can make my life.”
“Makes sense,” Tucker said. “You’d die if you saw my place, though. It’s a pig sty.”
I smiled. “Well, maybe your world is cleaner than mine, so it’s okay to keep your personal space a little messy. Balances things out.”
“Interesting way of looking at it. My life is in transition right now—but it’s organized chaos, so I’m good.”
I leaned back in my seat, rolling a pen between my hands. “Now your job is a little more permanent. That should help the transition.”
He shrugged, crossing one ankle over the other as he leaned in the doorframe. “My apartment still doesn’t feel like home. I’ve still got boxes in the spare room because I didn’t know how long I was going to be here. And my personal life…forget about it.”
For some reason, that made me think about Paige. We were all in a transitional period right now. It wouldn’t hurt to get together and commiserate.
“You should meet my neighbor,” I told him. “I think you’d like her.”
“Her?” He straightened, grinning. “Are you trying to set me up?”
“Why would I do that? You seem to be doing just fine on your own. It’s…new. All of this. Friends will help.”
He nodded. “Friends.”
“Besides, it’s our job to make sure this place is running how it’s supposed to. I heard Torque is opening in the Entertainment Community this weekend. Maybe next week we can get a table and all go out. Pretend like work doesn’t run our lives.”
He laughed. “I’m good at pretending.”
I got up from the desk and stretched, thinking I might surprise Paige for lunch, see what she was up to.
“Do you know how many invitations went out for the gala?” I asked Tucker.
He pointed behind him. “You’d have to ask Leslie. She’s all over that.”
“Thanks.” I left my office door open behind me but took my phone to Leslie’s desk. She smiled at me and held up a finger as she listened to a caller on the other end of the phone.
I ventured a peek inside Finn’s office. He paced in front of the window, his Bluetooth in his ear. He spotted me and beckoned with a wave of his hand.
I ignored him. I didn’t have time for anything personal with him right now. I wanted to get through this week without any other hitches.
Leslie hung up the phone. “What can I do for you?”
“The gala. Tucker said you had all the details.”
“Oh, sure.” Leslie reached into a cabinet under her desk. She passed me over an envelope. “Here’s the invitation for time and theme. It’s a masquerade ball, so don’t forget your mask. I can write down the rest for you and have it done by the time you get back from lunch if that’s where you’re going.”
I nodded. “That would be great.”
That way I could coordinate with Curtis and make sure he had all the details. I didn’t relish the thought of masks, of not knowing who was who, but if it helped Oasis and the businesses here, I couldn’t complain too much.
“Have you gotten your dress yet?” Leslie asked.
“No.” I sighed. “I’ve been preoccupied.”
“I know all the best places downtown. I could go with you.”
“That would actually be…great. I’ve got too much on my mind to figure out where I’m supposed to shop. Will you be bringing your boyfriend to the gala?”
Leslie smiled. “Absolutely. Greg in a tuxedo. Champagne. More play than work. Sounds like a good deal to me.”
Her phone buzzed and I turned for the elevator, casting her a wave. Leslie’s voice caught me as the door opened.
“Charlotte?”
I held the door with my hip as I turned. “Yes?”
“Mr. Moore asked to see you in his office for a moment.”
Squeezing my phone tight in my hand, I debated. It could be work-related. It could be. But I doubted it.
“I have a meeting,” I lied. “Please let him know I’ll stop by after lunch.”
Her eyebrows lifted, like she didn’t think I really wanted to blow off the boss. I flashed her a smile and got in the elevator before she could say anything.
The doors closed and I sighed, leaning against the wall. If I didn’t keep my focus, I wouldn’t get things done. Finn knew that.
A moment later, my phone buzzed with a text. Finn.
Are you avoiding me?
I smirked. No.
The elevator dinged on the bottom floor and I waved at the security guard before walking to the Commons. My phone rang.
I debated for a moment when I saw Finn’s name but finally answered. Maybe he did have business to discuss.
“Hey,” Finn said when he heard my voice. “At least you’re not ignoring me, too.”
“I’m not avoiding or ignoring you. I’m busy.”
“Too busy for lunch?”
“I’m getting lunch.”
“I thought you had a meeting,” Finn said.
“I do. Sort of.”
He laughed, and it eased the ball of stress in my stomach. “You’re avoiding me for a ‘sort of” meeting?”
The hair on my neck stood on end and I stopped on the path to the new security headquarters in the Commons. Glancing around, my fingers squeezed on the phone.
A man in a business suit walked by. He gave me a smile, but I couldn’t bring myself to smile back. When he continued on without looking back, I turned the other direction. There were a lot of trees now that I thought about it. And connecting paths. A sort of maze where people could hide or watch.
“Charlotte?”
Words caught in my throat as I turned again, scanning the path once more. I’d thought…I’d felt something. Something was off.
“Charlotte?” Finn asked again, concern in his voice. After a moment, he said, “
You’d better answer me right now or I’m coming down there.”
“N—no,” I struggled out. “I’m here.”
I started toward security, walking faster than before. I kept glancing over my shoulder, but no one was there. My imagination. It had to be. I’d done this before. Been a little paranoid. Been a lot paranoid.
I’d made a mistake. It was normal for me to be on edge. No problem.
“Where are you?” Finn asked.
“In the Commons.”
“Are you okay? Did something happen?”
I drew in a slow breath. “No. Everything is fine.”
“You never were a good liar.”
I reached security and glanced behind me again. There! Behind the tree. A man in dark clothes. Maybe a hoodie?
“Finn, I have to go.”
“Charlotte, don’t—”
I ended the call and ducked behind the building. Pressing myself flat against the wall, I ventured a peek around the corner and gasped.
Curtis stood there, eyebrows lifted. “Ms. Evans?”
“Oh, God.” I slumped against the wall, my heart racing. “You scared me.”
“I saw you come up the path and then disappear. Is everything okay?”
I peered around him, but the path was empty again. “I thought…I thought I saw something.”
“Something or someone?”
“Someone.”
He gripped my arm gently, pulling me to the entrance. “Where?”
“Back on that path.” I pointed. “But I think I was just…being paranoid.”
“No problem, Ms. Evans. It doesn’t hurt to take a look.” He opened the door and set me inside. “Stay here, please.” He nodded at a man wearing a uniform in the corner. “Dustin.”
Dustin inclined his head and walked to me. I watched Curtis through the door as he ventured down the path. I spotted the bulge against his side under his jacket. A gun.
My heart picked up speed. He had a gun? I bit my lip. Of course he did. But that didn’t mean he was going to use it. After a moment, Curtis vanished.
My phone rang again.
“Ms. Evans, right?” Dustin said, taking my arm. “Why don’t you have a seat?”
