Page 28 of Hidden Shadows
“No. You didn’t put the skate there. I did. I fell onto it. It was an accident. You would never intentionally hurt me.” She might not have known this man for long, but she knew that.
His gaze shifted between her eyes. “You’re right, I wouldn’t.”
Her heart thumped.
When the bandage was on, he swiped his thumb across her forearm. “Have you eaten?”
She shook her head, any words getting lodged in her throat. Stuck.
“Let’s go get dinner.”
He wanted to have dinner with her? As in, something other than room service? Where had her broody protector gone? “Where are we going to go?”
“I heard the restaurant downstairs is pretty good.”
She tilted her head. “You want to eat at a fancy resort restaurant with me?”
“Yes.” The word came so quickly, and with so much certainty, that her breath caught.
“Because I’m upset?”
“Because we both need to eat, and I want to do that with you. Plus, I’m getting sick of eating in here.”
She laughed, not believing him for a second. The room and room service were amazing.
“Okay. But I must warn you, I’ll probably order eggnog.”
He made a face of disgust. “Why would you do that?”
“Because it’s less than a week before Christmas, and it’s the only time of year they serve it.”
“Maybe this place doesn’t—”
“They do. I already checked.”
He shook his head, obviously trying to look unhappy about it, but she saw the ghost of a smile on his face. “You’re something else, Finley.”
Before she could ask if that something else was good or bad, he headed into his room. “I’m just gonna change.”
The second he was gone, she pulled off her sweatshirt and rummaged through her clothes for something pretty. She tugged out a pale blue knit shirt with a high neck and some tight jeans. Perfect.
Once she was dressed, she threw on a bit of makeup, then looked at her reflection. Her eyes were still a bit red rimmed, but they were also wide and bright.
She’d just slipped her feet into heels when the knock came.
A small shiver ran down her spine at the sight of Nixon. He only wore jeans and a dark sweater, but the guy could wear a potato sack and still be the most handsome man she’d ever seen.
When they stepped into the hall, he placed a familiar hand on the small of her back, his fingers spread wide. Immediately, her skin turned hot and her belly did a little flip. She liked having this man touch her. And that kind of scared her. Because their days together were numbered.
* * *
Nixon tried notto cringe as Finley sipped her eggnog. Even if hewerea fan of Christmas, he still wouldn’t drink the stuff. It was raw egg and milk. The only part of the drink that sounded appetizing was the bourbon.
“How is it?” he asked as she lowered the glass to the table.
“Amazing. Tastes like home. The Hunter home, that is. My mother didn’t care to do anything for the holidays, so Andi always invited me to her place.”
“Why didn’t she celebrate the holidays?”
