Page 47 of Strictly Business
You cannot be serious. What does he want?
I grumble the whole way to the door, but I have to answer it because he isn't going anywhere unless I do. "What do you want, Finn?"
"I brought soup." Finn proudly holds up a plastic tub of chicken noodle soup. He’s dressed in jeans, a black T-shirt, and a black jean jacket. Damn, he looks good. So good. Besides his gym clothes from last Thursday, I haven’t seen him in anything other than a suit since he graduated high school. He needs to dress more like this. It’s so casual, but damn…I like it. It’s sexy.
No, Michaela, he does not look sexy.
Yes. He does.
“Thank you,” he chuckles. His smirk tells me I just said that out loud. Shit. “I brought soup because I thought it might help make you feel better.”
“What are you talking about? I feel fine.”
“Well, I figured you must be dead or sick since you didn’t answer my texts.”
“I don’t have to answer you anymore — that ended the day I was freed from you.”
I reach for the container, but he holds it away from me. "Can I come in?"
“Hard pass.”
“Oh, c’mon, Shortcake, just a quick in and out, I promise.”
Trust me, there is nothing short or quick about him, I promise you that.
A smirk lights up his face as Finn finally steps past me to come inside. "Nice place you got here," he says. I snatch the soup from him and take it to the kitchen. I catch a whiff, and it smells heavenly. Yeah, I’ll be eating that for a midnight snack later… Okay, time to get him out of here. Stepping out of the kitchen, I watch his eyes roam over the decor, stopping on the original trilogy posters that hang above the couch, before glancing down at my “Tell that to Kanjiclub” shirt. “Still a Star Wars fan, I see."
"Yeah, so."
"No need to get defensive, it's cute. You always were obsessed with it."
Okay, I've had enough of nice-guy Finn. He's never been this person, why is he suddenly trying to be nice to me?
"What do you want, Finn?" I huff.
"I can't come to check on a friend?"
"We're not friends."
"Sure we are, Shortcake." Finn winks, and I feel something deep inside that I haven't felt since that night in the office. I’m not supposed to think about that. It meant nothing, absolutely nothing. I haven’t thought about it one time since that night… With two steps, he’s right in front of me, and the smell of his cologne fills my senses — rich, warm scents of blue cypress and vetiver — it’s intoxicating. Slowly, he pushes a strand of hair from my face before his fingers trail down my jawline, and his thumb rubs along my bottom lip. Warm brown eyes meet mine before they flicker down to my lips.
Wait... Is he... No, he can't be.
“Finn,” my breath catches as he slowly leans in, his lips ghosting over mine, but not quite making contact. I should stop this. End it before it even starts. There’s still time to turn back, but I don’t want to. Instead, I run headfirst into what can only be a disaster, and close the space between us.
Chapter Twenty-Three
MICHAELA
“SHIT,” FINN PULLS AWAY and takes two large steps back. “Shit, I’m sorry.” He tugs at the ends of his hair before straightening out his shirt.
“Finn—”
“I don’t know what came over me, I—I shouldn’t have done that. You’re… You’re still married and—”
“Finn.” Finally, he meets my stare, fingers clench at his sides before his gaze falls to my lips, and he moistens his own. I can’t remember the last time someone made every nerve feel like it was on fire, definitely not David. My heart beats rapidly at the anticipation. “Shut up.”
That’s all it takes for him to close the gap again. His kiss is rough, contrary to the one we shared moments ago. Fingers thread through my hair giving a soft tug before he nips my lower lip. His mouth is hard and demanding, and his tongue probes deeply taking what he wants. “Strawberry,” he murmurs against me. His lips leave a burning trail from my jaw to my ear, “I always knew there was a reason I called you Shortcake.”