Page 23 of Falling for Finn

“I’ll bemore thanhappy to drop you off.” I shoot her a smile, but I’m pretty sure she sees right through me.

“Thanks for taking me on the orchard tour. Never been to one before, so it was fun and educational.”

I snort. “Yeah, Roy has a good time with it.” He’s great at making the guests laugh at his corny farm jokes.

As soon as I pull my keys from my pocket, I spot Aspen chatting with someone. Her gaze quickly averts to mine.

“Shit,” I mutter, stepping closer to Oakley even though we’re already holding hands. “Aspen.”

Oakley smiles in her direction and slowly speaks between gritted teeth, “Kiss me.”

I blink hard but keep a straight face. “What?”

“She’s watching,” she says above a whisper. “Before you open my door,kiss me.”

She can’t be fucking serious.

But I’m not about to argue. As soon as we’re close to my truck, I press Oakley against the passenger door and cup her chin. Before either of us can change our minds, I lean in and slide my mouth over hers.

She tilts her head, and when she opens wider, I deepen the kiss. She brushes her tongue between my lips and though I’m tempted to give her more, I pull away before it’s too late. My fingers dig into her hips as my cock pushes against the fabric of my jeans.

Oakley glances over to the side. “She’s gone.”

Quickly, I step back and cover my groin. “Thank God. I knew she’d randomly appear.”

“Maybe she’s still into you,” she offers, and I bark out a laugh.

I open the door and motion for her to get inside. “Unlikely.”

Once she’s seated, I climb in and start the engine.

“Maybe she regrets ending it. I can’t imagine why anyone would willingly go to where their ex lives tohelp out his family,” she says, using finger quotes.

I shrug, not wanting to think about it. Aspen and I dated for years, and it took months to get over her. Though I’m glad she ended it before I proposed, she still shattered my heart. After going through that, I vowed I’d never commit to another serious relationship. Although it was said in anger, I still doubt I’ll ever trust a woman again.

“Even if that were true, I’d never give her a second chance after what she did,” I tell her truthfully.

“Hmm…could be fun showing her what she’s missing.”

I furrow my brow. “And why would you want to do that?”

She shrugs with a smile. “You’re not the only one who’s gotten hurt by an ex who said they wanted one thing but suddenly changed their mind and wanted something else.”

“What’s the story there?” I ask as we drive closer to my house.

“I’ll save that for another day.”

After I park, she hops out, but I stop her before she closes the door. “After work, I’m meeting up with a buddy. So I’ll be back around ten.”

“Oh. Alright. I’ll probably be painting until then anyway.”

I give her a nod, and she shuts the door. Once she’s inside the house, I leave and head toward the bakery. My mom needs me to look at something, and I text Levi as soon as I arrive.

Finn

Wanna meet for a beer later?

We didn’t have plans prior to me telling Oakley, but I needed a reason to stay away for a while. Between trying to keep my distance and pretending to be a couple, things are beginning to get confusing.

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