Page 32 of Moore to Love

Her excitement made it easy to share what had been going on between us without the racier details. Although, judging by the knowing look in her green eyes, she had already guessed some of it.

“It sounds as though he treats you well.”

“He does, Mama,” I confirmed with a smile. “The kids, too. Whenever he does something thoughtful for him, it melts my heart.”

“You have no idea how happy I am to hear that, Ellie. I was so afraid that after what happened with Thad, you were going to be too afraid to try again. That you were going to close off your heart to anyone except your family. And I didn’t want that for you.”

Her concern was valid since that’s exactly what I’d done for the past couple of years. “Something about Finn is just impossible to resist.”

“I owe him my gratitude for helping to bring my baby girl back to life.” She pressed her fingers against her lips, kissing the tips before tapping them against the screen. “You were always full of so much joy and mischief as a child. Seeing that spark diminish without being able to do anything to stop it was difficult to watch.”

As a mother whose son was struggling, I understood her pain. “I’m sorry I put you through that.”

“Don’t be, dear. You owe me no apologies. What happened wasn’t your fault, and I’m so proud of how you handled it all.”

I’d heard her say the same before, but I’d never been in a place to truly take it in before. “Thank you. It was your voice in my head that helped me keep a brave face throughout it all. Which is why I need your advice now.”

“I only have these words of wisdom for you now, my dear. Be bold.” She leaned closer to her camera, her gaze locked on mine through the screen. “You’ve already faced the worst with everything that went down with Thad. You hit rock bottom and came out of it all with grace. What do you have to lose?”

My pulse raced as I thought about the power Finn already had over me. “My heart?”

“If you’re already worried about losing it to him, then you definitely need to give Finn the chance to show you that he’ll treasure your heart like your father does with mine.” She pressed her hand against her chest. “The man you’ve described to me sounds as though he’s more than worth the risk. Take a chance on the beautiful life you could build together. For you and the kids.”

Getting my mom’s blessing alleviated some of the lingering doubts I had about what was happening between Finn and me. Trusting my own judgment was hard after how wrong I’d been about Thad, but Meghan had been right when she said that I’d been young when I fell for him. I was more cautious now. Older and wiser.

And I knew what I wanted—Finn.

Ever since he took me out on our first official date and left me on my doorstep with only a kiss—no matter how amazing it was—I couldn’t stop thinking about having sex with him. I knew he was trying to make sure that I understood he was serious about building a relationship with me, but I wanted more orgasms like the one he’d given me on his desk. And the exam table.

We really needed to try a bed the next time around. I could only imagine how mind-blowing the orgasms would be if we had more room to work with.

Which was why I was taking my mom’s advice to heart. I was going to be bold tonight. From the outfit I chose for our date to telling Finn what I needed from him if he tried dropping me off at home again with nothing more than a kiss. Especially since I had the whole house to myself for the weekend again since Thad had picked the kids up for his weekend an hour ago. Without Penny in the front seat this time, which gave me hope that he’d actually taken my concern for the kids to heart.

So much had changed in a short time for me. Only two weeks ago, I had been devastated enough by the idea of a weekend alone that I’d drunk an entire bottle of wine. But this time, I had a date with Finn to look forward to…without a children-imposed curfew.

I took a long shower, being sure to shave and exfoliate so my skin was extra soft. Then I selected a set of matching bra and panties that I hadn’t worn in years. The pretty pink color was feminine and pretty. And the way the lace cupped my breasts made me feel sexy.

After putting them on, I padded into my walk-in closet to dig out a dress from the back. It was something my mom had convinced me to buy a few years ago, but I’d never worn it. The plunging neckline was more daring than what I normally wore, but it matched my bold mood.

I slipped the dress over my head and stood in front of the mirror, turning from side to side to study my image. With my glowing skin and curves that Finn wasn’t shy about appreciating, I finally saw myself the way he did. It had been years since I’d felt this confident—more than I was willing to admit.

I had a lot of regrets, but my relationship with Thad wasn’t one of them because then I wouldn’t have Benjamin and Madison. And I wouldn’t give them up for anything. But I was thrilled to finally be rediscovering myself after years of dimming my light for a man who hadn’t deserved it.

Finn made the extra effort even more worthwhile when his gaze raked down my body after I answered the door. “Damn, you look gorgeous.”

It was impossible to miss the masculine appreciation—and heat—in his dark eyes.

“I hope this is okay for wherever you’re taking me.”

“You’re so fucking sexy in that dress, it’s almost a shame that nobody else is going to see it,” he rasped, leaning down to brush his mouth against mine.

I bit my bottom lip. “They aren’t?”

“Nope.” He tugged my lip free with his thumb before swiping it over the tender flesh. “I know the weekends without Benjamin and Madison are hard for you, so I thought you might prefer to have dinner at my house.”

This man was so darn thoughtful, it was no wonder he was more than halfway to stealing my heart. “That sounds like the perfect plan to me.”

“You may want to withhold that judgment until after you see if my ability to make a steak and baked potato is as decent as my spaghetti and meatballs.” Holding his arm out to me, he added, “Especially since my dad is the one who taught me to grill, and his skills in the kitchen are questionable. It was a good thing my mom knew how to cook, or else my brothers and I might have starved when we were growing up.”

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