Page 33 of Love and Order

She pulled on her sweatshirt quickly and battled the urge to smile at him.

“Me too. Your friends are interesting. It’s nice you’ve all been through so much together and kept in touch.”

He nodded, but the look in his eyes was different from his usual confidence. He seemed unsure of what to say or do next. She was captivated by it, holding her breath to see what he would decide.

“Can we pretend for the next hour we’re not colleagues or just friends? Let’s be Hailey and Finn spending time together because we want to figure out what this is between us.”

She gulped. “Okay.” Her response was out before she could overthink it.

His serious face broke into a proud grin.

“Great. Come on, I know a place I think you’ll love.” His hand settled on the small of her back to guide her toward a crosswalk. Then he wove his fingers with hers to hold her hand. Downtown Alexandria was filled with old cobblestone streets, row homes with colorful flowers on their brick stoops, and several blocks of shops and restaurants. They were both quiet as Finn guided her to a blue awning a block away. There was a bright neon dumpling moving in the window.

“Dumplings?”

“Only the best dumplings I’ve ever had in the States.” He opened the door for her.

She couldn’t help but think they were crossing a serious threshold, an imaginary line where nothing had to keep them apart. As colleagues, she knew it was a bad idea to get involved. As competitors for the same promotion, it was idiotic. But those were rules she created to stay focused and avoid being viewed as anything other than a serious and dedicated attorney. Now she was setting all of that aside to spend time with a man that made her heart pound, skin tingle, and she couldn’t stop thinking about. In that moment, she had to admit to herself that she wanted to be closer to Finn, in every sense of the word.

A hostess ushered them to a booth with red bench seats. Hailey was surprised Finn chose to sit on the same side with her, as if he knew she wanted his nearness. His thigh pressed against hers, and her arm rubbed against his. But the strangest thing was, her instinct wasn’t to create space between them. If anything, she craved to be physically closer to him.

Finn opened the menu on the lacquered wooden table and set it between them.

“Are there any allergies or aversions I need to know about?”

“No.”

The energy between them was palpable.

“Do you want to look at the menu, or should I just order what I know is good?” he asked.

“Why don’t you just order? I like the idea of not having to make any decisions.”

“Done.”

The waitress arrived with water and took the order from Finn, and then they were alone again. He leaned back along the cushioned bench with his hands on the edge of their table. But his head was turned toward her, and she met his stormy eyes.

“Hailey, I’m extremely attracted to you,” he said, not breaking eye contact but pausing to give her time to digest what he’d said. “But I’m also crystal clear that you don’t date people you work with. I was just hoping you might consider making an exception. I think you must feel this connection between us, or you wouldn’t be here right now.”

With more bravery than she knew she had, she laced her fingers over his. He moved their locked hands below the table to rest on her thigh, her slender hand safe in his strong one.

Tracing the lines of their intertwined fingers with her other hand, she took a deep breath.

“I’m open to suspending reality tonight,” she whispered before meeting his searching eyes.

His free hand moved up to cup her chin, and she turned her cheek into his touch on instinct.

“I want to kiss you, but I don’t want to push my luck.”

“You won’t,” she whispered.

He closed the space between them. His full, firm lips pressed hers gently as his thumb ran over her cheek. A kaleidoscope of sensations flowed through her. Pleasure, need, excitement, and fear of the unknown bounced around in her mind, now muddled with the yearning Finn was unraveling inside her. His lips were gentle and coaxing, but an urgent wish to feel more of him rose inside her. She opened her mouth to taste him and was rewarded with the pressure of his tongue against hers. His hand caressed her with care, like she was a piece of glass that might break in his hands.

The sound of several dishes being placed on the table broke through their bubble. She could feel him smile with his lips still pressed to hers, and it was the most intimate and sweetest moment she’d ever experienced. He pulled back, and his eyes twinkled like green gems.

“Let’s eat fast so we don’t squander our hour,” he said.

Hailey avoided the server’s eyes. She knew her cheeks were several shades of red.

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