Let Me (O'Brien Family, #2)(40)

He raises his head slightly, the muscles along his spine feeling more like stone than flesh. “Don’t you feel sorry for me,” he rasps.

“I don’t,” I repeat, surprised by how husky my voice becomes as I tell him the truth. “I just really need you to kiss me right now.”

I’m not ready for his speed, or how quickly he lunges at me, gluing his body to mine. Those lips . . . those I’m ready for. Just as I’m ready for the way his arms pull me closer.

I didn’t fully believe he wanted me as much as he claimed. But as his mouth devours mine, all those insecurities that have kept me up at night disappear, leaving me and Finn, and reminding me how much our bodies crave each other.

His lips and tongue move fast. It should be an awkward kiss based on our position and how aggressively he charges. Yet it’s not, the glide of his hands through my hair making it sweet, steamy, romantic, stirring my moans and making him hard.

His erection jabs me in the belly as he yanks my shirt up. My head lolls to the side, sliding against the cool glass of my window as Finn nibbles my throat. I don’t want him to stop. But he does.

“We can’t stay here,” he says, wrenching away from me and falling back into his seat.

Like some reckless teen, I’m about to say no one can see us, point out that this office building emptied out hours ago and that my car and his are the only ones that remain. Instead my inner adult reminds me we’re in public―and wasn’t I just bitching about being embarrassed?

“All right,” I say.

Finn shakes his head as if I missed something he’s trying to tell me. “Those kids are too close. It’s not a bad area, but it’s dark.” He looks at me then. “Will you come back with me? To my place?”

I want to answer yes, but I can’t. “Not tonight. I have to stay with my mother. She’s not―I can’t leave her unattended,” I add quickly. I glance at the clock on my dash, groaning when I realize what time it is. “I have to get back,” I say, my voice growing quiet.

“Okay,” he says. “I’ll follow you home.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Yeah, I do,” he responds in a way that tells me there’s no point in arguing. “I need to make sure you stay safe.”

“All right.”

Finn doesn’t say anything more. He simply slips out of my car and shuts the door. I wait for him to crank the engine of his truck before pulling out of the lot. I’m not sure what he’s thinking. Nor do I know if I’m making the right choice. What I do know is that as angry and hurt as I was, I can’t deny how much Finn means to me.

I pull into my neighborhood twenty minutes later, parking directly in front of my house. Finn parks on the opposite side a few houses down, but by the time I gather my things and reach my stoop, he’s already there.

He’s not smiling, but neither am I. He shoves his hands into the pockets of his jacket. “I’m opening and closing the gym tomorrow. I’m also training during and in between classes for my upcoming fight.” He sighs. “I should be done by ten-thirty. Will you stop by my house for a late dinner?”

“You’re making me dinner?”

He frowns. “Hell, no. I’m picking up take-out from that Italian place you like.”

I laugh a little, holding onto my smile when I see his. But my smile dwindles as I realize that he’s not just inviting for dinner, or to talk. Oh, no, not by the way he pulls me to him for another long kiss.

He lifts his hand, his thumb stroking my jaw as he loosens his hold. “I want to make things right between us. Will you let me?”

I want to say something poignant to assure him that I’m here for him in whatever way he needs me to be. But those words I so need fail to form in my mind, so instead I borrow them from my heart. “I’ll let you do anything,” I answer.

He leans back on his heels, realizing what I’m offering. “Good,” he tells me.

He bends to give me a quick kiss, watching me as I make my way inside. I hurry to the window to catch one last look at him, but as I spread the curtains and poke my head out, I realize he’s already gone.





CHAPTER 16


Finn



I took a quick shower the minute I arrived home the following night, throwing on a pair of basketball shorts and a sleeveless T-shirt in my rush to set the table. Had I known what Sol would wear, I’ll admit, I would have tried a little harder.

I give her a kiss before helping her out of her coat. But as she steps away from me, and I take a long hard look at that shapely dark purple sweater dress she’s wearing, I’m no longer hungry for food, and want to do a hell of a lot more than kiss her.

She covers her mouth as she laughs, but then drops her hand away and straightens. “I wanted to look good for you,” she says.

Say something nice, before you rip that dress off her. “Nice,” I say.

Close enough.

I put her coat away and reach for her hand, leading her into the kitchen and to the table. She pauses to take in the glasses of wine, the cloth napkins, and flatware placed between the sealed containers of take-out. Based on how smokin’ she looks, thank Christ I didn’t set out the sporks and paper napkins they included with the food.

“Classy,” she says, motioning to the candle at the center.