Page 58 of Give Me a Reason

The couch dipped in Finn’s direction, and I found myself leaning against him. I should have pulled away, but it felt too good to be near him. I soaked in his warmth and resisted the urge to rest my head on his chest.

I could barely watch the movie or laugh in any of the right places because my head was all over the place. I remembered the feel of him inside me, the press of my back against the bar wall. Then I’d get a flash of his naked chest and the enticing droplets the shower left on his skin.

I wouldn’t survive spending any more time alone with him.

Finn leaned over to whisper. “Relax. You’re not on duty tonight. We’re hanging out as friends.”

I tried to relax. I forced each muscle to release and settle, but all it did was press me closer to Finn and his alluring body.

When Finn’s chest rumbled with laughter, I settled deeper against him. When my eyelids felt heavy, I gave in and rested my head on his shoulder. It felt too good, and I was too tired to resist.

At some point, I felt like I was flying through the air as my brain registered that he was carrying me up the stairs and into the guest room I’d stayed in last night. He set me carefully on the bedspread, and he kissed my forehead.

“I’m supposed to be taking care of you.”

“This is a two-way street. Sleep.” He kissed me one more time before I drifted off again.

The next morning, I woke to light streaming through the windows. Finn hadn’t closed the curtains, so I was getting the full blast of the sun. I stretched my sore muscles, wondering why I’d let myself get so comfortable with Finn that I fell asleep on top of him and let him carry me to bed. He was the one who was weak with an illness. He shouldn’t have been caring for me.

Feeling guilty, I washed my face, finger-combed my hair, and used the spare toothbrush I’d found last night under the sink. As fresh as I could make myself, I headed downstairs, intending to leave as soon as I could sneak out. But Finn was at the counter, a bright smile on his face.

“Feeling better?” I asked, dismayed to find him bare-chested again.

“I feel like a new man. Even my throat is better.” He scratched his chest, drawing my attention to it.

I licked my suddenly dry lips.

“I made some coffee and was thinking about eggs. Would you like some?”

I shouldn’t. I needed to get out of here, where everything smelled like Finn. “We have a wedding today.”

“Well, not ours, but a wedding,” Finn teased.

My face heated. “That’s what I meant.”

“Coffee?” he asked, his smile warm and his eyes knowing.

“Yes, please.” I needed to get my wits about me. I wouldn’t be able to resist a healthy Finn. I couldn’t think about that night at the rooftop bar. Finn was my one weakness, like chocolate or ice cream, and I needed to avoid him.

He grabbed two mugs from his cupboard and poured the coffee. “Cream or sugar?”

“Just cream if you have it.”

“Ireland likes the frou-frou stuff, so I keep it stocked for her.”

“That’s good for me,” I said softly as he poured the creamer into my coffee and pushed it across the counter toward me. It was a good reminder that we still had Ireland to think about.

He rubbed his hands together as I cradled the still-warm mug. “Now, what do you say about eggs?”

“I wouldn’t turn them down.”

He gave me a crooked smile before grabbing the egg carton from the fridge, along with veggies and cheese. “Is there anything you don’t like in an omelet?”

“Nope. I’m easy.”

He smiled wider as he cracked the eggs into a large bowl. “That’s good to know.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” I said lamely.

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