Page 50 of Finn Rhodes Forever

Dot nodded. “He attended my doily workshop last week. Attendance was low this year but we had a lovely time. After the workshop, he insisted on taking me out for lunch. He’s a very nice boy.” She smiled, the wrinkles around her eyes multiplying.

Sadie placed a hand on my arm, a silent way of sayingsee?I swatted her hand away.

Dot smiled at the doily before wincing and leaning in, lowering her voice. “I’ll admit he isn’t very good at making doilies, but it was nice to have the company. He loved hearing about the hiking trip my Roger and I did in the eighties.”

I stared at her. Finn went to a doily workshop? I had a sneaking feeling in my gut that he wanted to make this lovely little old lady happy. My heart tugged.

My mind flicked back to the empty doily museum and how happy Dot had been when we arrived.

“Stay for a drink,” I told her. “On the house. I’ll make you whatever you like.”

“Yes, stay!” Sadie beamed at her.

“Well, alright then.” She made her way up onto the stool. “I can’t remember the last time I had a cocktail in such an interesting establishment.” Her gaze lingered on the alien dildo hanging off the wall.

I smiled at the excitement in her eyes. “What do you like?”

Dot listed drinks she liked and I made her a New York sour—bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white, and red wine. Her eyes lit up when I slid it across the counter to her.

“Red wine reminds me of my nun days,” she said, taking the first sip, eyebrows bobbing at the flavor.

I blinked at her. “I’m sorry?”

She nodded. “I used to be a nun, but that was before I met my Roger. He was the mailman at the convent.” She let out a laugh. “They were so surprised when I ran off with him. I’ll never forget their faces.”

I stared at her.

Movement caught my eye. I turned to see Finn stepping out of the hallway that led upstairs and my stomach did a slow roll forward.

He wore a navy-blue button-up shirt, done all the way up to the collar. He should have looked like a dork with that shirt but knowing he was covered in tattoos underneath woke my brain up. The shirt stretched across his broad shoulders. His hair was damp and curling. Every time I saw him with damp hair, I thought about him in the shower, water running down his muscles and tattoos. His hand on his cock, thinking about me with his eyes closed and lips parted.

Alarm rose in me. Tonight was a bad idea. I should have made an excuse.

His gaze met mine and he shot me a wicked smile as he strode over. He stopped right in front of me and I caught a whoosh of his clean scent. He must have seen something flickering in my eyes because his eyes flashed with endearment.

I was so fucked.

“Hi,” he said, voice low and eyes on me.

“Hi.” I rolled my mouth into a line, unable to tear my gaze away.

“Nice poo shirt.”

Behind him, Sadie snorted. I shot her ashut upglare.

“Ready to go?” he asked, eyes still glittering with amusement.

“Yep.” My voice sounded small and my entire stomach was full of butterflies.

He turned and spotted Dot. “Hi, Dot, how are you?”

“Hello, Finn.” She smiled back at him and gestured to her drink. “Olivia here made me a wonderful drink. It’s called a New York sour.”

Finn glanced at me with appreciation. “She’s good at mixing drinks. I’ll have to get her to make me one of those later.”

I tilted my chin at the doily on the counter. “You’ve been busy,” I told him.

He shot me a sheepish smile and swiped it off the counter, tucking it in his back pocket. “I have.” He slipped his big, warm hand around mine and tugged me to follow him. “See you later, Dot. Come in again and we’ll have a drink together,” he called over his shoulder as he led me down the hallway and through the door to the alley.

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