Page 86 of Seas the Dating Coach

Finn leads me to a quiet bar so entrenched with plants it resembles an elegant jungle, ordering us both waters after we’ve sat in a secluded corner. “Tell me everything.”

I love the way Finn’s eyes glint with amusement as I recount the evening. I want every night to end this way, with us telling each other about our days, listening to the little details.

“I’m so glad it was everything you wanted.” Finn leans back in his plush chair, one ankle crossed over his knee, the picture of sophisticated decadence.

It’s not until this moment that I register that Finn is wearing a tailored three-piece suit, black as his hair. He’s still missing the tie, the dip between his tanned collarbones prominent. My gaze lingers on his neck, noting the uptick in his pulse.

“Where are you staying tonight?”

“I’m not.”

My brows knit. “What do you mean?”

“This is your trip with your sister and friends. I’m not staying and interrupting that. I just knew how important this concert was for you and wanted to hear about it directly.”

My heartbeat skitters in my ears, nearly blocking out the unintrusive jazz in the background. “You’re telling me you flew all the way across the country just to have a conversation with me?”

Finn’s eyes flash, his fingers tightening on the arm of the chair. “I would do anything for you, Vivian.”

It’s impossible not to kiss him, not to carefully set my glass aside and shift from my lounge chair to his lap. Finn watches each slow motion, his chest rising and falling in short irregular breaths. My fingers slip through his hair before firmly framing his jaw. I’m mere millimeters from touching his lips with mine when a crazy thought occurs to me.

“Want to get married? I hear people do it all the time in Vegas.”

Finn’s hands shift from the chair to my waist, squeezing.

“No,” his gritty voice rasps against my lips before giving me a kiss so passionate I forget to pout over his refusal.

When we finally break apart, Finn’s earnest gaze meets mine. “We’re getting married in Wilks Beach, on the sand at sunset, in front of everyone you love, after I’ve proved I’m worthy of you.”

My shoulders slump. “You’ve already—”

Finn silences me with another devastating kiss. “Let me have this.Please.”

I can’t deny Finn when he asks like that, so I only nod, brushing my lips against his temple. When Finn exhales, gathering me to his chest in a snug hug, I smile. We relax like that for a long while, my fingertips trailing up and down his neck.

“I don’t want you to leave yet,” I say, leaning back to catch his gaze. “I’ll tell everyone that we’re spending the rest of the evening together, and I’ll see them back in the room later.”

I return to my seat to grab my clutch, texting the group chat we created for this trip. Cade sends me a winky emoji followed by a thumbs up. Brynn doesn’t respond, but she’s probably still sucked into that slot machine. Geneva hates texting, so I’m not surprised when it’s radio silence from her.

Once my phone is tucked away, Finn interlaces our fingers. “What do you want to do?”

Since I’ve already kissed him until we’re breathless, I rack my brain. “It sounds boring, but can we stay here and talk?”

There’s a tug at the corner of his mouth. “Nothing is boring with you. This is perfect.”

A soft smile slips over my face as my gaze drifts around the room. My fingers buzz with energy when I see the decorative stones across the room, eerily similar to the ones used in the landscaping around Wilks Beach Library. I shoot up from my chair, collecting a flat white rock from a trendy planter display. When I plop back down, I leave my shoes on the ground, criss-crossing my legs on the chair and giving Finn a peek of my black bike shorts.

“I had it all wrong. I thought my wish had come true because I spoke to Atticus,” I say, turning the stone over in my fingers. “But it was you.”

“What do you mean?” Finn’s forehead wrinkles adorably. How can this man be sexy and endearing at the same time? It should be illegal.

“I wish I could talk to the man of my dreams.” I recite the words I’d written in black permanent ink before tossing the stone into the sea on my birthday.

My heart pounds in my chest, but the rest of my body almost sighs with comprehension.

Of course.

It’d been Finn all along.

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