‘Not far.’
‘Would you mind if I walked with you?’
I didn’t mind. In fact, I thought it would be rather lovely. But my door was where it was ending tonight.
‘I can hear your cogs whirring. I promise I’m not after anything other than reassuring myself you’re home safe.’
‘I know. Besides, I haven’t had enough alcohol this evening to think you’re that hot.’
‘Fair enough.’ He looked down at me and grinned, immediately disproving my previous statement. We walked in companionable silence to my door.
‘Greg seems very keen on Colette,’ I said as we reached the house, giving myself the explanation that I was asking for the benefit of my friend rather than merely finding an excuse to keep Finn’s company a moment or two longer.
He gave a short laugh. ‘That’s putting it mildly. He’s crazy about her.’
‘Is he?’
Finn leant against the door jamb of my pale pink front door. ‘Completely and utterly. I’ve known him a long time and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this gaga for someone.’
‘You don’t look too pleased about that.’
‘Don’t I?’
‘No, your nose went all wrinkly when you said it.’
‘Well, that’s something no one’s ever told me before.’
‘It wasn’t a criticism.’
He gave a shrug, as though it wouldn’t have mattered if it had been. I, on the other hand, probably would have spent the next three days turning the comment over in my head.
‘You should get in and change out of that dress.’
‘I bet you say that to all the girls,’ I replied before my brain had had the chance to filter the words.
‘Not really.’
He fixed me with a look. And then it struck me. ‘Oh! God, sorry. You must be chilly!’ I began hurriedly taking off the jacket he’d put around my shoulders and that I’d shoved my arms into during the short taxi ride, cosy in the oversized clothing that held the scent of the aftershave he used. Hints of cedar wood mixed with something else I couldn’t name but combined to suit him perfectly.
‘No.’ He placed his hands on my arms as I made to hand the jacket back to him, his face serious now. ‘That wasn’t why I was hurrying you.’
‘No… but still. You probably ought to get home.’
His mouth flickered a brief smile. ‘Yeah.’
‘Thanks for walking me back.’
‘My pleasure.’
Then my mouth butted in, once again without asking permission from my brain to speak. ‘Do you want to come in for a coffee?’
Finn hesitated and I panicked. ‘No, sorry. Of course you don’t. I’m sure you had a long day too and now you’ve come out of your way and probably just want to get—’
‘I’d love to.’ And then he smiled that ‘what just happened to my knees’ smile and I felt something inside me melt a little.
No, Lizzie. That can’t happen again.
‘Not for sex though!’
