by Leddy Harper
Just before we finished wrapping up the last shoot of the day, the heavens opened and poured down on us. Over the last forty-five minutes, the sky had gotten increasingly darker, but rain hadn’t been in the forecast, so we’d all kept our fingers crossed and hoped for the best. It seemed that wasn’t enough to keep Mother Nature on our side.
We ran back to the cabin, and in my haste, I slipped and fell in the mud.
“Are you all right?” Finn held out his hand to help me up.
It was hard to see because my hair was now plastered against my face, so after failing to actually take hold of his offered hand, I gave up and rolled onto my back. It was like an out-of-body experience, as if I were floating above myself, able to witness the ridiculousness of the situation from a different vantage point.
Apparently, my uncontrollable laughter concerned Finn, because he squatted next to me, putting his face in my line of sight. “Are you okay?”
I nodded and then laughed harder, causing his lips to curl beneath his beard. The drops of rain that fell from the unkempt hairs on his chin caught my attention until I calmed, all traces of humor vanishing. I reached up and gripped his beard in my fist, using my hold on him to bring his mouth to mine.
There was something sensual about kissing in the rain, and something even sexier about kissing Finn in this torrential downpour. The way he effortlessly moved over me to shield me from the weather as his tongue explored mine was enough to keep me on the ground, my knees too weak to get up. I moaned into his mouth when he slipped an arm behind my back and pulled my chest closer to his. But just when I thought we were about to take advantage of the wide-open space, he hauled me off the ground and planted me on my feet.
“Hop on.” Finn turned around and crouched down just enough for me to climb onto his back. When he had me secured with my arms around his neck and legs around his waist, he took off toward the cabin as the big, fat, wet droplets beat down on us.
It didn’t take long to make it back to the cabin—although, that could’ve had something to do with the fact that I didn’t want our moment to end. Once we were safely inside, Finn set me on the edge of my bed and kneeled in front of me. At first, I thought he was going to take off my shoes, but instead, he started to run his hands up and down my calves from my knees to my ankles.
“Oh, are we starting round three already?” I teased while hoping I was right.
He rolled his eyes and huffed a laugh. “No, perv. I’m checking to make sure you didn’t injure yourself when you wiped out back there.”
Well, that was mildly disappointing.
“You know…I did crash and burn pretty hard.” I fell back against the mattress with my arms stretched out above me. “It might be best if you examine my whole body.”
His hoarse chuckle floated up the bed, basking me in something akin to a warm blanket. Then he stood and held out his arm for me to take his hand. “Come on, Mads. You’re getting your bed all muddy.”
Against my better judgment, I took his hand and allowed him to pull me into a seated position. “Then I guess that means I’ll have to sleep in yours again, huh?”
“Looks like it, but not until you wash up.” He might’ve stared at me straight-faced, but amusement shined bright in his eyes. There was no mistaking that flirtatious twinkle. It was something I could seriously get addicted to seeing aimed at me.
I honestly hadn’t had this much fun in a long time.
Playfully pouting, I asked, “What happened to being concerned about me?”
“I was concerned that you’d broken something when you went down. I wasn’t sure if you twisted your ankle in those stilts or scraped your knees on the ground. But considering your one-track mind, I think it’s safe to assume you’re not hurt. Which means I’m no longer worried. If anything, I’m a little worried for myself.” He winked and shook his head, letting it be known that he was only teasing.
“In that case, should we grab a hot shower?” To really play it up, I dramatically made my teeth chatter, feigning that I was colder than I actually was. I was cold, but not to that extent. “Together?”
He hummed, acting as though he had to think about it. Then he flashed me that sexy smirk and said, “That would be nice.”
In less than twenty-four hours, Finn had managed to draw out my brazen side without making me self-conscious in the least. He made me feel wanted, as if tasting me satisfied his deepest craving. It was an intoxicating feeling. Even though he wasn’t the first person to ever make me feel wanted, he was undoubtedly the first to make me feel it in my bones.
When his lips met mine, nothing else on earth existed. Everything disappeared except the two of us. It was invigorating. And just like a lovestruck teenager, I wanted nothing but the scent and feel of him on my skin.
I was a goner.
Finn’s hands ran over my body, and I moaned. I loved the size of his palms and fingers. When they were on me, I felt small and tiny, like he had control to make me do anything. And he could. Because one touch from him fueled my fire within and unleased my inhibitions. With the way his fingers flicked and rubbed across my flesh, nothing was impossible.
“More,” I moaned and turned onto my back to urge him in the direction I needed. Why wasn’t he rubbing my clit? I put my fingers in my underwear and began to play with it myself since he was taking too long. “Come on, Finn. Do that thing.”
Suddenly, I opened my eyes and looked around the room. Sadness set in at the realization that I was back at home. Alone. The other side of my bed was empty, and Finn was no longer with me.
I settled back under the covers, my desire no longer an issue. Once I’d detected Finn’s absence from my bed, I no longer experienced that carnal craving. The light from the sun peeked through the small cracks of the curtains, but I had no idea what time it was. Nor did I care.
Finn had dropped me off late last night, after a long drive home from the dude ranch. To make matters worse, he hadn’t come in, even though I’d given him one hell of an invitation. My cheeks flushed with heat at the memory of pressing my chest against his and slowly exploring his mouth with mine, all while mewing like a cat in heat. As soon as his dick began to stir against my lower belly, he promptly ended the kiss and held open my front door, filling me with hope and excitement of continuing what we’d started at the ranch. But after he helped get my luggage inside, he said goodnight and showed himself out.
He’d left me alone in my entryway with wet panties and watery eyes.
My brain knew that he was probably just tired and wanted to get home, but my shattered heart refused to accept such sensible notions. He didn’t want me. At least, not the same way I wanted him. Going home was more important than spending the night with me.
It had taken me forever to get to sleep, and even longer to find peace in the dark. I’d woken up countless times with bad dreams and terror-filled thoughts. It was ridiculous how attached I’d gotten after only a few nights with him.
My cell began to ring, and for a few seconds, I contemplated not answering. Maybe I could just spend the day in bed…without any human contact. The humiliation I’d heaped upon myself had grown too much to bear; I had clearly formed the wrong opinion regarding my relationship with Finn. After spending a few days in his arms, in his bed, sharing stolen glances and flirtatious banter, I’d thought that meant he wanted me as a permanent fixture. But the actuality of the situation was quite the opposite.
He didn’t.
Seeing Julie’s name flash across the screen helped to pull me from my funk. I grabbed my phone off the side table before it stopped ringing. Had it been anyone else, I would’ve ignored it. But I hadn’t talked to Julie, except for a two-minute conversation, over the last week. We had some catching up to do.
“Hello,” I mumbled, hoping she would think I was sleeping instead of moping.
“Hey! I didn’t wake you, did I? I waited a bit before calling since I know you got in late last night. It’s after nine, so I thought you’d be up.”
> Julie’s familiar voice calmed my soul like a pair of loving arms wrapped around me. I’d missed her more than I realized. “No, you didn’t wake me. What are you doing today?”
“Well, I just got home from work an hour ago.” Julie worked the nightshift at a local hospital, from seven to seven. I honestly didn’t know how she managed a twelve-hour shift, overnight, and still had a life during the day, but she did. And she made it look easy. “I wanted to see if you’d like to grab breakfast, or maybe just coffee.”
“I’d love to, I really would, but I’m going to have to pass. I need to get my ass in gear and unpack, then go through my emails.” I sat up and tried to run a hand through the tangled mess on my head. I should’ve taken a shower last night.
“Would it change your mind if you knew I was here?”
“Here? As in…?”
“Your house.”
“Seriously?” I swung my legs off the bed and stared at my closed bedroom door as if I could see through it. “No you are not!”
“Yup. I am. I went to your favorite bagel place and brought you breakfast. Come open the door for me, stinkface.”
Giddiness set in at the thought of spending the morning with my friend. Stinkface was a nickname we came up with in college for each other. When we’d wake up after a long night of partying, our mouths weren’t anywhere you’d want to be near.
I yanked open the front door and practically jumped on her in a hug.
She laughed as she pushed her way inside. “I’m happy to see you, too. But if you keep this up, you’re going to strangle me.”
I squeezed her one more time and then let go to close the door behind her.
She knew me so well that it only took one look for her to know something was wrong. Rather than head to the kitchen table, like she normally would, she studied my face and asked, “Are you okay?” Concern laced her tone as she rubbed my back softly.
“Yeah. I just missed you, is all. I hate going so long without talking to you.”
“I know. It’s always hard when I have to work two or three nights in a row. It wears me out. And I can’t call anyone when I get a minute, because all normal people are asleep at two in the morning.”
I doubted she believed my excuse, but at least she went with it instead of questioning me. After taking our seats at the kitchen table, Julie opened the bag and began to sort through the selections she’d bought. I took a whiff of my everything bagel and moaned. “I needed this. Thanks, Jules.”
“Anytime, Madycakes.” She unwrapped her breakfast sandwich and then held my stare, wagging her brows. “So, spill it. What happened at the dude ranch?”
“What do you mean?”
“Mady Russo, I know you slept with Finn, so don’t even try to deny it. Tell me how it was.”
I burst out laughing and shook my head. “No way.”
“Why not? You always tell me everything.”
I took a bite of my bagel to give me more time before answering. With my mouth partially full of food, I shrugged and said, “I don’t know what happened. We had sex and…that was it.”
“Mady. Seriously. I’m going to need more details than that.”
“Fine.” I huffed and slouched in my seat. “We had amazing sex, best sex of my life. But then, last night, he dropped me off and…nothing. No kiss goodbye, no talk of doing it again. He didn’t even accept my convincing offer to come in. Nor has he called me to check in like he normally does.”
Julie stared over my shoulder in thought while chewing her food. “Maybe he’s having a hard time figuring this all out. I mean, you are his boss. He’s probably freaking out, thinking you’re going to fire him. Or maybe you exhausted him. You never know. But I definitely think you should talk to him before you jump to conclusions.”
I gawked at her. My head had been so filled with rejection that I hadn’t even thought of the boss-employee dynamic. “Yeah, I guess you could be right.”
“Of course I am!” Julie threw her hands in the air. “Seriously, Mady, you always overthink everything. You guys sleeping together throws a monkey wrench in your entire relationship. Now you’re…what? Fuck buddies? Dating? Or better yet, scrap all that and forget it never happened, just go back to the working relationship you had before last week. That would be the absolute worst for his ego.”
“That makes sense.” I took another bite, letting the new thoughts seep in and settle, but I was still scared. He’d made me feel things that I hadn’t experienced in a very long time—if ever. I was terrified that he would act like nothing happened between us. Or worse…quit.
Julie and I chatted a little longer. She made good points. Finn hadn’t called, but since we were able to get a few posts set up before we left the ranch, we’d agreed to resume work tomorrow. So either he didn’t want to bother me on my day of rest, or he was being a typical guy and didn’t think there was any reason to call since it was his day off, too.
When she left, I jumped in the shower and then quickly dressed, which made me feel human again. And almost back to my old self. It was amazing what a pep-talk from Julie could do for me. Between her and Gia, I didn’t need a therapist.
I was in the middle of making coffee, my computer reading aloud my latest email from the countertop, when a knock on the door made me jump. I wasn’t expecting anyone, but at the thought of it being Finn, I skipped out of the kitchen, not bothering to close my laptop or even pause the text-to-speech feature.
But when I peeked out the window, I groaned in disappointment. Fuck. It wasn’t Finn. It was my mother. I loved her to death, but now was not the time.
“Hi, Mama,” I said through clenched teeth as I opened the door.
“Since you were gone last week, I figured you’d need food, so I brought you some groceries.” She kissed my cheek and walked past me straight into the kitchen.
I groaned again and then closed my laptop, which instantly turned the voice off.
She opened my fridge and clucked like a chicken. “Just what I thought. You have nothing to eat! Madelynn, you’re a grown woman. You need to take better care of yourself.”
“Yeah.” I chuckled. Then I grew worried. My mom never just stopped by. She only did so when she was on a fishing expedition, which meant either Gia had told her about Finn, or Gia had told her about Finn. Thanks, Gia.
“So…tell me about your trip.” Her voice went a little higher, indicating that she was, indeed, seeking information. It would’ve made me laugh if I wasn’t so nervous, because whatever I told her, she’d tell my dad, and then he’d tell the entire family. Before I knew it, a bunch of loud Italians would be on my doorstep, each with a list of questions about Finn.
There was no getting out of this unscathed.
“It was nice. I’d never been to a dude ranch, and I can honestly say I’d go back. It was so peaceful up in the mountains. The air was clean, and the views were absolutely gorgeous from every angle.”
“And the photoshoot?”
“That went well, too.” I picked at invisible lint on my sweater to avoid making eye contact. My mom could read me like a crystal ball. “Everyone who went was so nice. We all had a common goal and were there to do a job, but it was fun.”
“So, you have a man working for you? A new assistant?”
My mother was never one to waste time getting to the point.
“Ma,” I sighed as I tossed my head back and stared at the ceiling. “Please don’t make a big deal out of this. My work has become too much for Gia. She can’t manage her full-time job and help me, so I decided to hire someone.”
“I don’t like it.”
“You don’t like what, Ma?”
“He’s trying to take advantage of you. You are young and gorgeous. And single…right?”
This woman made me groan more than getting a bikini wax.
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, I’m single. Thanks for pointing that out.”
“Then that explains it.”
“Explains what?” This conversation would go �
��round and ’round without getting anywhere.
“Why he’s interested in you. There aren’t male assistants, Madelynn. Come on. Could you see your father doing something like that?”
The idea of my dad as an assistant made me want to laugh, but the look on my mother’s face stopped the giggle in my chest. “Mama, he really is an assistant—and a good one at that. I had my doubts in the beginning, too. In fact, I almost didn’t hire him simply because he’s a guy.”
“What changed your mind?”
“He pleaded his case, and he had a very valid point, so I agreed to give him a try.”
She tsked and shook her head, disapproval wafting off her like fragrance from a perfume shop. “You think because is a valid point. You’re too gullible most times. People take advantage of that, and I hate to say it, but I think that’s exactly what this guy is doing.”
“He’s not. And while I realize that I tend to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, this time is different.” I had to admit that it was a little hard to defend him when I had no idea where we stood, but I did so anyway. Because in the end, I believed in Finn. “I heard him out, weighed my options, and decided to hire him, and it’s been the best decision I’ve ever made.”
She stared at me, not saying a word, which meant she was either thinking of another argument or giving in. I hoped it was the latter. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep this up without her recognizing my mixed feelings.
I put my hand on her arm. “I seriously can’t imagine what direction my career would’ve gone had Finn not stepped in. Trust me, Mama. This has been good for me.”
After a few seconds, which felt way longer, she finally spoke. “I believe you.”
I let out a breath.
“But he still needs to meet your father.”
“What?” My mouth fell open as I blinked rapidly at her. “What are you talking about?”
