Hunter, but for me that is a huge deal.”
“So you’ve never been in love?” he asked almost eagerly. I kind of hated that his expression softened with his question, as if he already knew the answer. Shoot, his entire body relaxed.
What was I supposed to do with that? Why did he seem relieved that I had never been in love?
He was so dangerous.
What had I gotten myself into?
“No, I’ve never been in love,” I finally admitted.
“But you thought you could love Colton? Eventually?” he pressed.
“Honestly, no. Probably not. I wanted to, but mainly he was good to me. Or, I guess I thought he was good to me. And he pissed my family off,” I joked quickly just to cover how stupid I was to think he was a decent boyfriend all the while he cheated on me.
“And there it is,” Fin grinned smugly at me.
“There’s what?” I demanded, forgetting all about my pizza, or my work, or even my debt.
“You,” his grin grew, becoming wicked and delicious all at the same time. I glared at him to cover my desperate need to drool instead. Eventually he continued. “You’re rebellious Ellie. And strong and stubborn. You’re not at all the complacent, people-pleasing, rule-follower you have everyone believing you are.”
I gaped at him.What?
“You are so, so…. so wrong,” I stammered weakly.
More of the grinning, twinkling eye thing from him. Damn it, he didn’t need to be so cocky about being wrong!
And I meant dang it.
“Sure, Ellie,” he murmured, turning his attention back to his pizza. With his attention on his computer and his pizza in one hand, he lifted his other arm, letting his hand run over my shoulder to the back of my neck where he cupped my nape in his giant grip. His fingers weaved themselves into my hairline, holding on tight. I stifled a shiver, remaining completely unmoving while the heat of his skin tested every instinct I possessed not to lean into him. “I just can’t wait to uncover what other secrets you’re hiding.”
My bottom lip dropped open again.
“Now, back to work, slacker. Time is money. Especially for you,” he demanded and then dove into his work like I didn’t exist anymore.
I eventually closed my mouth and fought for control of my motor functions. When my eyesight had cleared so that I could actually see what was in front of me, I followed his example and buried myself in the work he gave me. I resented this debt he believed I owed him, but right now anything was better than giving Fin more of my attention. I needed a distraction, and it was hard to find a better one than thoroughly Facebook-stalking ten people I didn’t know.
I wiggled my fingers greedily and then opened another Internet tab.
Sometimes being a girl sucked, like when every instinct inside of me demanded I obsess over every word, look and touch from the gorgeous boy sitting right next to me. But sometimes being a girl was awesome, like when I got to unleash the hungry gossip-hunting bloodhound drooling over the profile pictures of people I didn’t know spread out before me like a Thanksgiving feast.
