by Lowe, Fiona
Annika recalled the numerous times she’d slipped on ice, tripped on curbs and stumbled on sidewalks. “Soft tissue injuries can take a long time to mend.” As she spoke, the sound of her words crashed into her, suddenly making the situation crystal clear. With a shudder, she realized that her promised accommodation was no longer available to her. She glanced at Finn and opened her mouth, but Bridey spoke first.
“I think Dana’s being totally amazing letting Mom stay. I’m just going back to check on her now. Come with me, Finn, and say hi.”
Not wanting to intrude, and suddenly seeing an escape route, Annika reached out her hand with a smile. “Hey, boss, if you give me the keys to the truck, I’ll get out of your way and see you in the morning.”
Finn jerked around and looked at her as if he’d just remembered she was there. His eyes narrowed. “You’re not going anywhere.”
Sean strode out of the kitchen looking thunderous but he seemed to give himself a shake when he saw Annika. “So you made it for the cookout after all, Anni?”
Confused, Annika waited for Finn to explain about the now-defunct guesthouse plan but he stayed unexpectedly silent. She didn’t have to fake her surprise when she said, “Hello, Sean. I thought the cookout would be done by now.”
Sean shook his head. “We’ve been delayed with my ex-wife’s unexpected arrival.”
Finn made a strangled sound.
Bridey gave her father’s arm a squeeze.
“Dad, I think Dana’s being amazing given the circumstances.”
Sean’s smile was stiff. “That’s one way of looking at it, not that Kathleen will thank her for it.”
“Do you really expect her to?” Finn’s voice was polite but distinctly cool.
Sean suddenly looked unaccountably weary but his voice was one of command. “Go visit your mother. She won’t want to see me.”
“You’ve got that right,” Finn muttered quietly, dragging his hands through his hair though his feet stayed still.
Sean shrugged. “Sadly, yes.”
Bridey immediately swapped arms from her father to her brother in an action that spoke of peacemaking. “Come on, Finn. Let’s go see her.”
Finn leaned in close to Annika. “I need you here when I get back because China’s just getting up.”
She interpreted that as code for “don’t even think about leaving me here with my family.” Although it could have been “I’ll haul you out by your sweet ass if you stay at the warehouse.”
“Food first, Annika. China can wait.” Sean graciously opened the sliding doors for her and ushered her out onto the terrace. She snuck a glance at Finn, whose taut expression made him look like she’d just abandoned him on a sinking ship.
* * *
“Whatever was she thinking painting these walls this color?” Kathleen’s gaze touched everything in the room with a critical eye.
The age-old spasm of tension that coiled through Finn every time his parents got within a mile of each other, settled in with its iron grip. Even on neutral territory it made his chest tighten and Kylemore was so far from neutral it qualified as a war zone. How had his ordered life—the one where he controlled the amount of time he spent with his family—manage to turn to into a nightmare in the space of ten days? Excluding Sean’s second wife, he now had his entire immediate family in the same place, and to add insult to injury, he’d just lost the one place Annika could stay.
He ran both hands through his hair, welcoming the discomfort at his scalp as his fingers snagged and pulled.
“Finn?”
He glanced around abruptly to see Bridey looking at him from her place on the bed.
“What?”
“I was just saying to Mom that she needs to look at the sprain in a positive way.”
“How’s that exactly?”
She smiled. “We get to spend some time together. Mom’s accident has a sort of serendipitous air to it given we’re both up here at the lake for the first time in years.”
He fixed his sister with a glare that said “I know your plan” before asking his mother, “Are you sure Bridey didn’t trip you?”
“Finn,” his mother reproved. “What a dreadful thing to say.”
Bridey grinned. “See, it’s just like old times.”
Kathleen’s mouth tightened. “Except, I’m a guest in what was once my own home.”
Bridey fluffed the pillows behind Kathleen’s head. “Think of it as a vacation in your own private villa. You have to admit it’s much better than the B and B. Tomorrow morning Esther will be back to fuss over you and once you’ve had her French toast, life will be brighter. Then you can sit on the deck in the sunshine with your leg up, with a view of the lake, and we can go through the bridal magazines.”
“But it’s not my private villa, is it? Staying here will never feel like a B and B, and Esther will be far too busy at the main house. I’ll be left here alone.”
His mother’s unusually tremulous words sparked a brilliant idea. An idea which would solve a massive problem for him. “My P.A. can stay here with you so you’re not alone at night.”
Bridey gasped. “Finn, you can’t just tell Annika she has to stay.”
He rolled his eyes at his sister’s horrified look. “This has nothing to do with me being her boss. Two hours ago I promised her the cottage after hers got sublet out from under her.” For some reason he didn’t quite understand, he closed his mouth before mentioning her rent arrears and the eviction.
Sympathy settled on Bridey’s round face. “I’m really sorry to hear that’s happened to her but she can’t stay here. After the day Mom’s had, she needs the cottage to herself.”
Kathleen flinched. “I’m quite able to make decisions for myself, Bridey.”
Hope flared and Finn smiled at his mother. “I knew you’d prefer to have someone here with you, especially overnight. I’m on the island so I can’t get here quickly if you need anything.”
“There’s an intercom.” Kathleen’s tone was back to being firm. “If I need anything, which I doubt I will, Bridey can get it for me.”
Finn pressed on. “But if you fall no one will be right here.”
“I’m fifty-five, Finnegan, not eighty,” Kathleen snapped. “I’ve already negotiated the bathroom and I’m not having a stranger staying here with me.”
An amended brilliant plan evolved. “Then I’ll stay with you.” And Annika can have the cabin.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Kathleen shifted on the bed. “I know how much you value your own space and after working all day you need the quiet of the cabin.”
His phone beeped.
His mother’s hand shot out and an imperious forefinger pointed. “And I don’t want your phone here going off every three minutes.”
“It’s settled then,” Bridey soothed. “I’ll make up a schedule so there’s always someone available.”
Kathleen flinched. “Not Dana or your father.”
“Mom, they might want to help.”
Kathleen’s hand fisted on the edge of the light blanket that covered her legs. “Bridey.” The warning tone could have triggered an earthquake. “Let things be.”
Finn sighed. “I’m working, Bridey.”
Bridey threw him a look that brooked no argument. “You’re on the schedule.”
He knew there was no point disagreeing. “Fine. Make it midafternoon because that’s usually the quietest time of day.”
He sto
od up, giving it one more shot because he knew if he and Annika had to share his cabin, he’d be permanently hard and having at least five cold showers a day. “Mom, are you sure you’re going to be okay overnight, alone?”
“For heaven’s sake, Finnegan. I’ve never known you to fuss and now isn’t the time to start. I’ll be perfectly fine and I have Bridey not far away. Now both of you, please go. My ankle’s throbbing and I just want some peace.”
Stifling a sigh, Finn leaned down and kissed his mother on the cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
She nodded silently and closed her eyes as if to say the discussion was over.
He stepped out onto the large deck and stared out at the lake wondering how he’d get through the next few days. The sun was dropping but there was still enough light in the sky for water play. He heard Logan’s shout of “watch me” drift across the air and he turned to see his little brother execute a fair dive off the platform. The same platform he’d learned to dive off at much the same age under the tutelage of his grandfather because his father had always been too busy. Lucky for Logan, Sean didn’t appear to be too busy now.
He heard Annika’s cheer before he saw her. He brought his hand up to shield his eyes from the sun and his eyes scanned the beach and the lake. When his gaze finally found her, she was climbing out of the water and pulling herself up the steps of the platform. Water sluiced around the soft curves of her breasts, across the womanly swell of her belly and down her long, lithe legs.
His whole body tightened and his palms burned to outline her body, following the exact same path as the water.
“Now it’s your turn,” Logan instructed.
Annika laughed. “I think you’re the champion diver here. You don’t need to see me dive.”
Logan crossed his arms and his bottom lip pouted. “None of the grown-ups ever dive.”
Annika ruffled his hair. “I tell you what. I’ll give it my best shot.”
Finn instantly went on alert. Surely she wasn’t going to try and dive off the platform. Hell, she couldn’t even walk in a straight line without falling over.
He heard her throaty laugh ring out as she ran the length of the platform and threw herself off the edge. The loud thwack of her belly hitting the water had him running as fast as he could toward the lake.
* * *
Wrapped in a towel, in the bow of a small aluminum boat, Annika tried not to lose her recently regained breath while she watched Finn row.
“What possessed you to try and do a flip?” Finn asked the question she knew had been hovering on his lips for a good ten minutes or more, while he’d waited for her to recover from being badly winded.
A black curl fell across his eye and he tossed his head to move it. “Actually, I think I know. It’s always important to give it your best shot, right?”
Her head jerked up as she reluctantly pulled her gaze away from watching the ripple of muscles across a taut chest. She met dark-chocolate eyes that glinted with something close to begrudging admiration. He’d just quoted something she’d said to him the first night they’d met. “Actually, Logan dared me.”
His eyes widened with surprise. “And if I dared you to do something stupid, would you comply?”
A shiver of anticipation skated through her as her mind went immediately to the memory of his kiss. “That would depend on the dare.”
“Is that so?” His lips tilted in a wicked smile that made her acknowledge that if he asked her to kiss him right this minute, she’d be just as reckless as she’d been with Logan.
She hastily returned the subject back to the little boy. “He’s a kid in an adult’s world and he’s desperate for a friend.”
“So you, who have the coordination of a giraffe on ice, decided to act like an eight-year-old?”
“No.” She tilted her chin trying to feign indignation because at least she was putting some effort into playing with the boy. But she failed, grinning as she lost out to the reality of the situation. “More like a twelve-year-old, really.”
He laughed, and for a moment his usual deep worry lines vanished, making him look far less uptight. Making him look way too gorgeous, approachable and friendly, which was far too dangerous for her peace of mind.
She tugged the towel around her, needing to do something with her hands so that they didn’t reach out and touch him. “Seriously though, that kid needs someone his own age to play with.”
“Not my problem and not yours either.” The brusque businessman was back. She should be pleased because he was slightly easier to resist, but the traitorous woman inside her sobbed, longing to see the relaxed man again.
“Thanks for picking me up but I would have been fine to swim back after a bit of a rest.”
He shrugged as he continued to pull at the oars. “No problem.”
She’d been so mesmerized watching him row that she only just realized he was heading away from the shore where the family was gathered. Instead he was rowing toward an island in the lake. She thumbed behind her. “Um, Kylemore’s that way.”
“I’m well aware of that.” He kept rowing.
Perhaps he wanted the exercise. “How’s your mom?”
“Cross, sore, cranky and impossible to help.”
“A severely sprained ankle hurts.”
“Talking from experience?”
“Totally.” She gave a wry smile. “Growing up, Dad bought me my own pair of crutches because he said it was cheaper than renting them all the time.”
He shook his head gently as a lazy smile roved across his cheeks and she let that delicious image wash over her along with the gentle sound of the lap of the oars slicing into the water. The high-pitched chirp of an osprey made her look up and she watched the magnificent bird flying above them. “He’s heading home for the night.”
Finn tilted his head toward a huge tree on the island. “He’s home. He swoops in every night at this time.”
“I love these birds.”
“Do you want a closer look?”
“Sure.”
He rowed around the other side of the island and the boat hit the pebbly beach with a thud. Finn stowed the oars before vaulting over the side. Annika didn’t even try to hide her admiration for his easy athleticism.
Gripping both sides of the boat and spreading her feet wide, she prepared to stand but before she’d pushed up, Finn’s hand hovered in front of her. She thought of how her knees turned to jelly whenever he touched her. “Thanks, but I grew up around boats and I’ll be fine.”
He quirked one brow and his hand stayed put. “You grew up around sidewalks too but they still trip you up.”
His teasing held an absolute truth and did she really want to end up facedown looking like she was kissing his feet? It wouldn’t be a good look on so many levels. She took a deep breath and slid her palm against his. His firm grip held her and his strength flowed through her, along with the pop and fizz of tingling and enticing heat. It spread through her limbs and then raced to a sweet spot between her legs. She pressed her thighs together to try and stop the wondrous throb.
“Ready?”
Very ready. The part of her that had been deeply asleep since Ryan’s betrayal—the part that had stirred and had been drowsy from the moment Finn’s lips had touched hers last Saturday night—woke right up with a pant of longing. Annika tried to send her straight back to sleep by thinking of the long list of reasons why getting it on with Finn Callahan would be a seriousl
y bad idea but the twinkle in his jet eyes sidetracked her. She somehow managed to nod her reply.
Dimples carved into the black stubble that graced his cheeks. “That means you have to stand up.”
“Right.” Get it together, girl. She forced liquid legs into an upright position but as she stood, the boat tipped and despite his steadying hand, she wobbled. “Ohh.” She tried to lean back as a counterweight, but fell forward and the next moment her free hand was clutching his shoulder and her bikini-clad chest was pressed firmly against his. Her nipples puckered in anticipation and the rest of her sighed in bliss. God he felt good.
His laugh rolled around her and the deeply textured notes thrummed through her, adding to the wildfire of need that already burned brightly and threatened to race out of control. Then his arms wrapped firmly around her waist and he lifted her out of the boat.
As her feet hit the beach, she looked up at him trying to sound as normal as possible despite the fact that her heart hammered as fast as a hummingbird’s, and her body was quickly melting into his. “Th-that seemed to go fairly well.”
He stared down at her, his gaze not quite as focused as normal and when he spoke, his voice was unusually husky. “Technically, you didn’t fall.”
“No. Just into you.”
His thumb grazed her bottom lip as his eyes held hers. “Do you want to go and see the nest?”
His touch detonated a million tiny explosions of lust. It took every ounce of willpower not to moan, and the effort drained her reserves completely.
She’d spent four days around Finn in a constant state of heightened awareness and sexual-sensory overload, and she was exhausted. She wanted him to kiss her to defuse the tension. She wanted one moment in her truly crappy day just for herself, and this was it. One kiss and then she’d worry about where she was spending the night and the rest of the summer. One kiss and then she’d worry about Nicole and brides, Whitetail and industry, and the future.
Ignoring the forest of red warning flags that shot to attention in her mind, and turning two deaf ears to the piercing tornado-siren that screamed in her head, she raised her palm against his rough cheek. “I do want to go and see the nest.”
