Page 66 of Wintertime Love (Holiday 2)

And I have a feeling this is all with the blessing of Finn’s grandmother.

I’ve never been one to play politics or scheme, much preferring a blunter approach to tackle an opponent and take them down. My lips purse, clearly displeased.

Finn looks down at me, an anxious looks on his face. “You do believe me, right?”

I blink and then wave off his concerns. “Of course I believe you.” My eyes are narrowed as I look up at him. “But I don’t intend to hand you over without a fight. You’re not the only one with a possessive streak. You’re mine.”

He stills at my angry declaration and then walks me backwards till I’m pressed against the wall, hidden behind the door, and he murmurs, “Am I really yours?”

The way he asks that question, his eyes hooded, his voice husky, it makes my heart beat faster and I glare up at him. “Now isn’t the time for your weird sex games. There’s a woman running loose out there, claiming to be your fiancé. We need to deal with this situation. You can only have fiancé at a time.” I try to slip out .his grip.

He moves me back in place, his eyes dark, his tone silky, “And that would be…?”

I am very close to kneeing him in the crotch. “Me, you moron!”

He gives me a thoughtful look, “Is it strange that I enjoy being pushed around by you?”

I gape at him. “I don’t push you—have you seen how you behave in bed?!” My voice is only slightly less than a shout and I hear scandalized gasps from the other side of the door.

Finn smirks, smugly. “Now, everybody does.”

He dances out of my reach as I try to kick him, laughing all the while.

I scowl at him, and push the door shut with my left hand, hearing sounds of discomfort from the other side. I know exactly who it is on the other end, my two nosy aunts.

Finn is grinning widely and the change in his temperament is startling.

“You need to deal with this, Finn,” I force myself to say the words. “If she’s here as your business partner that’s fine, but she walked into the diner, knowing my name and who I am to you. That means she’s done some research.”

Finn’s face morphs into seriousness, the amusement dissolving from his face. “It’s very possible that if Elaine knows, then my grandmother also knows.”

I study him, my heart tightening in my chest. “Your grandmother won’t approve of me. But you already know that. This might cause you problems.”

Finn leans against the armchair he was standing by and shoves his hands in his pockets. “Despite what kind of person she is, I do love her. But I’ve also spent the last decade making sure that I’m out of her control. The Expresso House chain is only one business that I manage. I have multiple other investments and projects that are under me. If you were to value me right now, I am worth more than the Dukedom and the fortune that my grandmother wields and she is aware of this. The only control she has over me is of the familial kind and if she pushes this issue with Elaine any further, she knows I will abandon the last bit of relation I have with her as well.” His eyes are cold as he sneers. “But maybe I’ve been too lax. Grandmother might need another reminder that I’m not longer her puppet.”

I don’t know the whole of what Finn’s suffered over the years but it’s clear to me that he has complicated emotions for his only living relative. There is both love and hate in his voice when he talks about her and I wonder what he had to go through as a child for it to be evolve to such a stage.

I swallow and push myself off the wall and make my way over to him, my footsteps steady, my shoulders squared. I walk into his personal space.

A surprised Finn parts his legs to make room for me to stand in between them.

I cup his face. “I won’t abandon you. And I won’t leave you. And I won’t hurt you.”

His expression falters between helplessness and adoration, and he wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me even closer. “I know it seems to you that I’m being hasty with regard to you, Clara. But I truly do love you. I’ve never met anybody who makes me experience such a vast range of emotions in under a minute. You completely undo me. And I want to tie your to myself before you can change your mind. If you want more time, I won’t push you. If I had it my way, I’d marry you in a heartbeat and make sure you’re completely mine with no way of escaping.”

I smile, softly, stroking his cheeks with my thumbs. “You sometimes sound like a psychopath.”

He blinks and then his lips twitch.

But before he can respond, I continue, “I’ve never been in love before, Finn. Till I met you, I always thought that I would focus on my career, and maybe at some point down the line, find a stable man to marry if I got too lonely. I had a ten year plan and then you just walked in and blew it all to pieces. You forced your way into my life and then refused to leave. I’ve always been willing to take on carefully gauged risks but this one time, when it comes to you, I want to close my eyes and follow your lead. I will marry you, whether it’s next month or next year. But I won’t let you go. I’ve had a taste of what your brand of love feels like and I don’t ever want to be without it.”

Finn’s eyes darken and he leans forward to press his lips against mine.

It’s a sweet gentle kiss, a first from him, and I find myself sinking into his touch, my knees turning weak. His hands move on my back, running along the curve of my spine till lone hand pushes up my sweater and his burning touch finds my bare skin.

I let out a soft moan as I feel his rough hands on my soft skin, reminding me of who’s laid claim ownership of my body and when he snaps open my bra, I tremble.

It’s always like that with him. He has the ability to transform me from a hot headed independent woman with a fierce personality and a sharp tongue to a quivering mess in his arms, totally under his control.

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