Page 37 of Once Bitten

“Er, no, just wondering where you were. You could’ve left a note. I almost overslept.”

“Oh,” he just shrugged, “I didn’t think it was a big deal. We still have over an hour left before we have to go to meeting.”

I tried to smile, in vain.

He came over to the bed and sat in front of me, taking my hands in his. “What’s wrong?”

“I was just, it was just a bit weird waking up alone when you said you’d be here. And then you didn’t leave a note, so...yeah. No biggie.” I tried to shake it off.

He squeezed my hand, “ok, from now on if I leave, I’ll leave a note, how’s that?”

“Perfect.”

He winked at me and reached out and squeezed my cheek, “I know, I’m just soooooooooooooooo adorable, you just can’t be without me for a minu-...”

The end of his sentence was muffled by the giant pillow I threw at his head.

***

“So that should be all for today?” Finn turned to the French team and they all looked at each other and agreed. “Excellent, I think we’ve more than surpassed what we thought we’d get through, and I think Mademoiselle Sinclair here deserves a night on the town.”

“And you are the one to show it to her, O’Reilly?” Michel, one of the other PAs grinned at Finn, “Or would you like to spend the night on the arm of a man who really knows Paris?” He turned his handsome face to me and winked.

I giggled, unaccustomed to the forward way the French men approached their flirting.

“Er, I’m sure Ms Sinclair thanks you for the offer, Michel, but I am the best of both worlds, I know Paris but don’t have those pesky rude French ways,” Finn replied for me, a little testily.

“Hey, it works for us,” Michel laughed as he walked out the door, signaling for me to call him with his fingers.

I blushed as I gathered up our files, tidying up the room ready for tomorrow’s day long meetings.

“Hey, um, I didn’t...I mean, you didn’t want to go with him, did you?” Finn asked, a little nervously, something I’d rarely heard from him before.

“I didn’t really have a chance to think about it.” I shrugged, secretly thrilled that he sounded even a little unsure.

“Oh. Um, I didn’t realize...” He looked at me and then towards the door.

“You are an idiot of monumental proportions, Finn.” I laughed and grabbed my bag on the way out to the elevator.

“Wha?”

“Nothing. I like that you’re an idiot, it evens things out a bit.”

“Ok...” I could see him trying to process what I meant before shrugging and giving up. “Hungry, greedy guts?”

“Yes! How did you know?”

“I’m a very intuitive idiot,” he nodded seriously, pointing at his head.

“Ah, then Monsieur Idiot, what do I want to eat?” I goaded him.

He grinned as he pushed me into the open elevator door, “that’s easy. But we’re in public!”

“Finn!” I gasped at his bravado.

He chuckled as he leant over and gently kissed me on the cheek, his scent making me heady, “just kidding. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you enjoy your meal. And dessert.”

That time I didn’t protest, I just fell headlong into the fantasy.