admit it…hurt. But really, what had he expected? She’d been right. She wasn’t his girlfriend. The usual rules didn’t apply. And if he’d found the whole experience somewhat more intense than he’d anticipated, then it was his problem, not Anna’s.
In fact, he’d realized the morning after she left that he had two choices: either he made it a big deal, or he let it go. It wasn’t much of a choice. She’d made it clear which way she wanted it to go, and he just knew that if he pushed, he risked alienating her. He couldn’t face that. The past six months of her not being around had been tough, and it wasn’t worth jeopardizing their friendship for the sake of some hot sex.
Jo laughed at something Chris had said, her gaze meeting Finn’s. She raised an eyebrow in a “so are we going or what?” look. Finn lifted a hand, spreading his fingers to indicate he’d be five minutes. Then he hit the button for his voicemail to listen to Anna’s message. She sounded quiet, subdued, her “call me” message uncertain. But even so, the mere timbre of her voice made him catch his breath.
No. Not going there.
Growling to himself, he jabbed at the phone.
“Finn?” Anna answered on the second ring, sounding out of breath.
His whole body went tight, the memory of her saying his name in a wholly different kind of context flooding through him. Gritting his teeth, he ignored the feeling. “Yeah, sorry, been filming this morning. You wanted me to call you?”
“Uh, yeah.” A small pause. “I really need to talk to you.”
Of course, he knew exactly what she wanted to talk about. And perhaps it was time he got over himself and made the first move. He scrubbed a hand over his face, turning away from the crowds around the ramp, going around the corner of a building where the noise wasn’t quite so loud. “I know. Anna, look, I owe you an apology.”
“What?” She sounded taken aback.
“Yeah, I was a prick last week. I’m sorry. I’m not used to women cutting and running after sex like that and I kind of… “ He stopped. “I shouldn’t have said those things to you.”
“Oh.” A surprised silence. “Well…uh…” Another silence. Then she gave a soft laugh. “Crap, Finn, now I don’t know what to say.”
He leaned against the wall. “You don’t have to say anything.”
“Yeah, I do. I shouldn’t have left the way I did. I’m sorry, I just needed…”
“Some space to handle it. I get that. It’s okay, Anna, it really is.”
She let out a sigh and it sounded like relief. “Thanks, Finn. I mean, really, thanks. I should have called you sooner, I know, but this has been stressing me out.”
As if she needed that on her plate at the moment. “Well, don’t. We’re good. I mean that.”
“Oh my God, I was so hoping you’d say that.” Anna gave another relieved-sounding laugh. “Perhaps we should just draw a line under the whole episode. Pretend it never happened.”
His fingers gripped the phone tight, ignoring the dull ache that had taken up residence inside his chest. She wanted to dismiss it? All that passion. All that heat. All that rightness. He couldn’t help himself. “You really want to do that?”
“Yes, of course I do.” No hesitation. “Finn, I don’t want anything to get in the way of our friendship. Especially some ill-advised sex.”
Ill-advised sex. This got better and better.
He turned around, resting his back against the wall of the building, fighting the anger coiling inside him. Anger he shouldn’t feel. “No problem, Green Eyes.” Pleased with how neutral his voice sounded. “Consider it forgotten.”
“Phew! I think you just made my day, Mr. Shaw.” She sounded so happy.
And he felt like shit. Stupid. Pathetic. Loser.
“Glad to hear it,” he said blankly. “Well, I gotta go, okay? I’ll call you later.”
But something in his voice must have given him away, because she said, “Finn? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. It’s all
In fact, he’d realized the morning after she left that he had two choices: either he made it a big deal, or he let it go. It wasn’t much of a choice. She’d made it clear which way she wanted it to go, and he just knew that if he pushed, he risked alienating her. He couldn’t face that. The past six months of her not being around had been tough, and it wasn’t worth jeopardizing their friendship for the sake of some hot sex.
Jo laughed at something Chris had said, her gaze meeting Finn’s. She raised an eyebrow in a “so are we going or what?” look. Finn lifted a hand, spreading his fingers to indicate he’d be five minutes. Then he hit the button for his voicemail to listen to Anna’s message. She sounded quiet, subdued, her “call me” message uncertain. But even so, the mere timbre of her voice made him catch his breath.
No. Not going there.
Growling to himself, he jabbed at the phone.
“Finn?” Anna answered on the second ring, sounding out of breath.
His whole body went tight, the memory of her saying his name in a wholly different kind of context flooding through him. Gritting his teeth, he ignored the feeling. “Yeah, sorry, been filming this morning. You wanted me to call you?”
“Uh, yeah.” A small pause. “I really need to talk to you.”
Of course, he knew exactly what she wanted to talk about. And perhaps it was time he got over himself and made the first move. He scrubbed a hand over his face, turning away from the crowds around the ramp, going around the corner of a building where the noise wasn’t quite so loud. “I know. Anna, look, I owe you an apology.”
“What?” She sounded taken aback.
“Yeah, I was a prick last week. I’m sorry. I’m not used to women cutting and running after sex like that and I kind of… “ He stopped. “I shouldn’t have said those things to you.”
“Oh.” A surprised silence. “Well…uh…” Another silence. Then she gave a soft laugh. “Crap, Finn, now I don’t know what to say.”
He leaned against the wall. “You don’t have to say anything.”
“Yeah, I do. I shouldn’t have left the way I did. I’m sorry, I just needed…”
“Some space to handle it. I get that. It’s okay, Anna, it really is.”
She let out a sigh and it sounded like relief. “Thanks, Finn. I mean, really, thanks. I should have called you sooner, I know, but this has been stressing me out.”
As if she needed that on her plate at the moment. “Well, don’t. We’re good. I mean that.”
“Oh my God, I was so hoping you’d say that.” Anna gave another relieved-sounding laugh. “Perhaps we should just draw a line under the whole episode. Pretend it never happened.”
His fingers gripped the phone tight, ignoring the dull ache that had taken up residence inside his chest. She wanted to dismiss it? All that passion. All that heat. All that rightness. He couldn’t help himself. “You really want to do that?”
“Yes, of course I do.” No hesitation. “Finn, I don’t want anything to get in the way of our friendship. Especially some ill-advised sex.”
Ill-advised sex. This got better and better.
He turned around, resting his back against the wall of the building, fighting the anger coiling inside him. Anger he shouldn’t feel. “No problem, Green Eyes.” Pleased with how neutral his voice sounded. “Consider it forgotten.”
“Phew! I think you just made my day, Mr. Shaw.” She sounded so happy.
And he felt like shit. Stupid. Pathetic. Loser.
“Glad to hear it,” he said blankly. “Well, I gotta go, okay? I’ll call you later.”
But something in his voice must have given him away, because she said, “Finn? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. It’s all
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