Page 113 of Sweet, Sweet Jewel: A Sweet Treats Novel

Jewel shot her friends a backward wave and then scurried out of the house. Finn held the door of his rental open for her and she slipped in, trying to quiet her thundering heartbeat. It was so loud, she was almost certain that Finn could hear it.

When he got into the car, she teased. “We’re actually going to a restaurant, right? You’re not just going to park the car somewhere so we can make out?”

“Why? You want to do that?”

Jewel stared at her lap. “I don’t know if I can…”

“Jewel, it’s fine. I was just joking.” He took her hand in his. Jewel glanced down at his large thumbs as they soothed circles into her skin. “We’ll take things slow. I’m just grateful to be here with you.”

His assurance made her feel much better.

Finn drove to a restaurant near the seaside. They dined, talked and laughed for hours.

Four months ago, when he first contacted her, Jewel had been stunned. She hadn’t expected to hear from Finn ever again.

Then they started talking more frequently and she’d become so accustomed to hearing his voice that when they didn’t at least text or call each other for a day, she felt like something was missing.

Now, having him here felt… right.

After dinner, Jewel and Finn walked to the edge of the pier. There were benches lined up on either side. The water reflected the dark sky and moved quietly beneath them. The stars twinkled from above and a cool breeze had her clutching her arms.

Finn smoothly draped his jacket around her. Jewel smiled gratefully and then buried her nose in his blazer. It smelled like him. She was in love with Finn’s crisp, wintery fragrance.

“You wanna sit?” he asked, pointing to one of the benches.

“No, we’ve been doing that for hours. My legs almost fell asleep.”

“Ouch. Was I that boring.”

“I said my feet almost fell asleep, but my legs don’t speak for me. As first dates go, this wasn’t so bad.”

“Why do all your compliments feel like delicately-wrapped insults?” He smirked.

“Delicately-wrapped?”

“You know what I mean.”

She stopped at the edge of the pier and glanced out into the Caribbean Sea. Jewel felt when Finn came up behind her. He wasn’t touching her, but his presence alone was like a gentle caress.

She turned to him. “Why haven’t you asked yet?”

He looked down at her, his eyes unreadable. “Asked what?”

“About Kross’s baby?”

He shook his head. “I figured you’d tell me when the time was right.”

A lump formed in her throat as she shared, “It wasn’t the baby’s fault that I was raped. I figured I’d give him or her a better shot than I ever had.”

“Do you want to find it?”

“No.” She gazed at the moon. “One day, when I’m in a better place I’ll do that. Or maybe I won’t. Who knows if the kid will even want to get to know me?”

Finn turned her to face him and lifted her chin. “You did what you thought was best,” he said earnestly. “Even if your baby doesn’t understand, I do.”

Her heart swelled. Drawn to him in a way she’d never been to any other man, Jewel stood on the tips of her toes and pressed her lips to his. Finn slid his arms around her waist and held her tenderly, like she was made of glass and would fracture if he put too much pressure on her.

Jewel leaned back and chuckled shyly. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to spring on you.”

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