loosened on my wrists.
“I’m sorry,” I said, “but I need more time.”
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 in to. 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, face 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.
“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
“I’m sorry,” I said, “but I need more time.”
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 in to. 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, face 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.
“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
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