Page 39 of The Location Shoot
“I love you too.”
He kissed her lightly and said, “I’m going to grab some fresh clothes. Keep the shower hot.”
WHEN FINN AND ELLA BOUNCEDinto the dining room, the whole group turned and started clapping, dopey smiles across their faces.
“Oh my God,” Ella mumbled, looking down and shaking her head. “I’m mortified.” Finn grabbed her hand andpulled her to the table, ignoring the laughter. They slid into the booth next to Jean.
Ella looked up, her face a deep crimson. “Charlotte, I would have expected more from you.”
“Sorry,” Charlotte said. “They made me go along with it.”
“So, what have you two been up to?” Albie teased.
The group exploded with laughter.
“Working your way through the ideas in Ella’s book, are you?” Jean asked.
Everyone laughed so hard, they nearly fell off their chairs. Finn looked down, blushing, but he couldn’t help but laugh too.
“Okay, okay. You’ve all had your giggle. I’m begging you, can we please talk about something else?” Ella pleaded.
“We’re just having a little fun,” Willow said. “You guys are the cutest ever. I said you make a great-looking couple, like you were made for each other.”
“And don’t worry, we know the score: what happens on set, stays on set,” Michael said.
Ella winced, but everyone was too preoccupied laughing to notice. Finn draped his arm around her, and the conversation moved on. Ella smiled along, but Michael’s words hung heavy in the air.
AT THE END OF THE EVENING,as everyone meandered back to their rooms, Finn turned to Ella and said, “How about I see if I can wrangle another key to your room? I could grab some things from my room and meet you.”
“Okay,” she said softly. “I’ll leave the door unlocked.”
He kissed her forehead. “I’ll be there soon.”
A little while later, Finn walked into Ella’s room and dropped his bag in the corner. Ella was standing at the far side of the room, gazing out the window. He came upbehind her and slipped his hands around her waist. “Hey,” he whispered. She reached her hand up and touched the side of his face. “Are you okay?” he asked.
She nodded silently.
“Ella,” he said softly, turning her in his arms to face him. “What’s this in your eyes? You look like you’re a million miles away.”
“It’s just . . .”
“What, baby? Did they get to you? They were just teasing. I’m sure they didn’t mean anything by it. You have a great sense of humor; you’d have done the same if it were any of them.”
“Probably,” she said with a half-hearted smile.
“Everyone’s so happy for us. I bumped into Willow on my way up, and she said that they’ve all been secretly wondering when I’d have the courage to make a move.”
“Is that what it is?” she asked. “Making a move?”
“That’s not how I meant it, only that it was obvious to everyone there was a spark between us from the moment I laid eyes on you.”
She looked down. He touched her chin and raised her gaze to meet his.
“Since we left our little bubble here, I think you’ve forgotten what it’s like between us. Maybe you need a reminder.” She smiled faintly, and he leaned forward and lightly pressed his lips to hers. They began kissing heatedly, tearing off each other’s clothes. He knelt before her and put his mouth on her so gently that she squealed. She took his hand and led him to the bed, climbing onto it and lying down on her stomach. He moved her hair, ran his hands across her shoulders, and blew on her neck.
“I need you,” she whispered.
He slid inside her and she moaned with pleasure. Finn pounded intensely until he screamed out in ecstasy, his bodyquaking. His weight pressed against her, he whispered, “I love you. God, I love you.” He rolled onto his side and ran his finger down the length of her spine. They settled onto the pillows and crawled under the covers. Wrapping her in his embrace, he said, “I love you so much. Tell me you love me too.”
