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“I probably won’t turn into a pumpkin until midnight, so I think we have some time.”
“Then the night is young,” he said.
There was a large metal bowl filled with sautéed vegetables and meat, balanced over a flame, steam baskets filled with dumplings, several sauces in small white bowls, and a large container of rice. But the hunger she felt wasn’t just for nourishment. Finn was invading her solitary life, and she liked it.
“Where do we start?” she asked.
“You might need one of your hands,” he said, giving her fingers still in his lap a squeeze. She’d had both her hands wrapped around his one strong manly hand.
Her cooling cheeks heated again. This man made her blush about eighty percent of the time she was with him. Letting go of his hand was a loss she didn’t want to admit. Then his hand fell to her thigh and settled there.
“Lucky for me, I’m a lefty,” he said.
Smiling, she reached for a pair of chopsticks and tried to calm her pounding heart. Had she just made out with a colleague in a restaurant? What had come over her? Their kissing would change everything, and they couldn’t pretend it didn’t happen.
“You’re freaking out, aren’t you?” He added a few dumplings to his plate.
“No, not freaking out exactly,” she lied.
“Well, I’ll admit I am. I didn’t think you’d agree to let down your guard this much with me, much less let me kiss you. And now that I know this spark between us is mutual and ready to combust, I’m going to need more than an hour or two with you.”
His eyes were on her, and she struggled to meet them, knowing he’d see the passion his words were creating inside her.
“I want to know the real Hailey, the relaxed version I’ve caught glimpses of. You in your natural state with no boundaries or pretenses, like we didn’t meet at work, and we’re not competing for anything more than each other’s attention.”
His hand grazed her chin, lifting it up until she met his eyes. Like two green tractor beams, he was pulling her into his idyllic world, where she could let him shower her with all the emotion vibrating between them. But what if it left her feeling more empty and alone than she already was? She didn’t have relationships based on emotions. She wasn’t sure she even knew how to care for someone properly, much less receive it in return.
“I’m attracted to you too, Finn, but the circumstances are complicated.”
“It’s not just the physical desire between us. There’s something else here. I know you don’t need me to look after you or treasure you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to. You’re all I can think about anymore. Even this case has only become a means to be close to you.”
Her heart pounded. No one had ever made her feel so wanted or special in her entire life. How could a man she barely knew have such power over her in such a short period of time? Was it even possible it was real? Fiddling with her chopsticks, she considered what to say. For the first time in her life, she wasn’t worried about what someone wanted from her, Finn was genuine and honorable. The powerful connection between them was undeniable now. She had wanted the junior partnership for so long, but the even bigger issue was, she wanted Finn now too, emotionally and physically. Even if it wasn’t going to last, she couldn’t find the will to resist him.
“We would have to agree to some ground rules,” she said. “At work we’re only professional colleagues, competing for the same promotion. No flirting, no touching, we maintain professional distance at all times.”
“I can do that. I mean, the last thing I want is the partners knowing I’m whipped or the junior associates to think I’ll be your pet when you win. I’m more than a pretty face and don’t plan on being a kept man at work.” His mouth was spread in a playful, boyish smile.
Her face ached from smiling, and she impulsively leaned over to kiss him.
“We need to take this slow so I don’t have a panic attack,” she said.
“Whatever you say. Just let me kiss you after hours and on weekends.”
He leaned forward and kissed her again as his hand gripped her thigh. When he pulled away, they were both breathing heavily.
“What a strange night,” she said.
“Don’t overthink it. Let’s just let ourselves be together.”
“Okay.”
Picking up the cooled dumpling with her chopsticks, she dipped it in the brownish-red sauce.
“Careful—that one has a bite to it, followed by a lot of heat.”
“Hmmm, sounds like exactly what I need.”
She took a big bite and let herself enjoy the moment with Finn’s eyes on her, desire rolling off him.
