A laugh shook her body under the side of his face. “Feelings aren’t my favorite. But I’d never let you suffer alone, Finny. You know that.”
Her lips taunted him, called to him, a few inches were all that separated him from kissing her until she was breathless.
Her warm breath tickled his face. Closing his eyes, he forced himself to breathe. He lifted his head from her shoulder and moved his lips toward hers. When she didn’t move, his eyes fluttered open, and he dared to inch closer still. Her breath hitched. Her pulse hammered at the base of her neck and her cheeks grew red.
Their eyes locked, and the slight knot pulling her brows together gave him pause. She reached out and trailed her fingers along his jaw sending a shiver down his spine.
The Imperial MarchfromStar Warsboomed from his back pocket in the otherwise silent room. Will’s ringtone. Will. Her brother. His best friend. The one person who had brought them together was also what kept them apart.
The heat in her eyes only a split second before, had been replaced by sadness. Neither of them moved. Will had broken the spell between them and reality crashed into the room on Darth Vader’s coat tails.
“I should go.”
Her nod was slight, but she didn’t speak. Her teeth held her blood red lip pinched tight. Her eyes swam with emotions he couldn’t decipher. And Will wasn’t relenting. The phone vibrated and rang and rang in his pocket. Did she want to kiss him too? Would their near miss make things awkward between them?
Or worse, would she think he was only intent on kissing her because his mother appeared back in his life and upended his insides? While he had wanted to kiss her from the moment they met, he didn’t want her to think it was simply a moment of emotional weakness that drove him toward her lips.
He peeled himself off the couch and stood. “Thank you.” It didn’t feel like enough but it was all he had.
“Always.” How could she make one word sound so powerful, so packed full of emotion, of meaning?
He backed away from her before he did something stupid, like grab her and kiss her until neither of them could think rational thoughts and all there was, was each other.
On his way back to the house he emailed his therapist. It had been almost a year since he’d seen Dr. Hermannsen. Finn had missed an appointment because he was sick and never got around to making another one. But with his mom back in his life and two near misses with one Miss Molly Morrison, things were escalating, and he needed an adultier adult in his life to help him adult.
His email said he’d like to chat, and asked Dr. Hermannsen’s secretary to give him a few options for available appointments. He’d never admit it out loud, but Finn was in way over his head. He needed help.
Chapter 9
Finnegan
(Two Years Earlier)
Finn’s throat closed over as Molly Morrison paraded past him toward the closet with Johnny-fucking-White. The closet. At the first frat party of the year. Molly Morrison. In college. Finn’s brain short circuited.
Wait. Johnny White?
That asshole wasn’t getting seven seconds of heaven with Finn’s Molly, let alone seven minutes. Clenching and unclenching his fists he gritted his teeth. What the hell was she playing at? Correction – what the hell washeplaying at? He’d been given the same briefing the rest of the team had received. Don’t touch Molly Morrison. Or Will would lose his shit.
JW sidled up to Molly, slipped his hand down the curve of her ass, and squeezed. Lava sloshed in Finn’s gut as Molly pulled open the closet and ducked inside tossing a coy smile over her shoulder. Johnny was right behind her, but Finn intercepted, grabbing him by the shoulder, he jerked him back, and shoved him at Russell who stood a few feet away.
“Can you remind him of the rules regarding Will’s sister please?” He jerked a head to the closet. “I’ll remind Mini Mo.”
Russell’s jaw twitched, his eyes dark, and he nodded. When Finn stepped into the dark closet, Molly fisted his shirt and yanked him toward her. Their noses were touching. He could smell her berry lip balm and her breath sent goosebumps scurrying across his skin.
She dragged her thumb across his bottom lip, down to his chin and held his jaw between her thumb and forefinger. He’d wanted her for so long. No one would know he wasn’t reading her the riot act for being stupid with Johnny. Maybe it was time to give into the push-pull they’d been fighting since the moment they met and kiss the woman at long last.
He stepped toward her. She stepped back. Another step and she’d be flush against the wall. He closed the distance, she bumped against the wall and caressed his jaw once more. Her knuckle found the scar under his chin and she tensed, switching out her digit for the pad of her thumb. Running along the scar once, twice, a third time, his name escaped her on a gasp.
He nodded, but didn’t trust himself to speak. He lowered his face to hers, she tilted her head back, sliding her hand around his neck. His chest heaved, and his heart pounded so loudly he was convinced it was telegraphing his location to Will in the other room.
Just as her lips brushed against his, something smashed outside the door. He jumped back, smacking his head on something sharp and burst out of the closet on a string of profanity. He didn’t have time to address the throbbing in his skull.
Outside the closet, a clump of people were squeezed around the door to the hallway outside. Sounds of a scuffle were almost drowned out by the cheering of the crowd. Fuck. He pushed his way through the sweaty, intoxicated group. In the hall outside, to his right, Johnny White clutched his mouth, drops of blood oozing from between his fingers and a bruise already darkening under his eye.
To his left, Will jabbed his finger around Linc’s frame – who was body blocking Will from getting anywhere near JW. What the hell?
“You knew the fucking rules, Johnny. No one goes near her.”
