“I want to return the favor before I go.”
“Absolutely not.We can pick up where we left off later tonight—we have a horde to feed.”
I’m not sure if that was the royal “we” or if he’s being serious.He must read my mind because he says, “I want to help.It’s my family, after all, my horde of locusts.”
He helps me down from the counter, and we walk together into bedroom.Out of the corner of my eye I see that the bedroom door is open.My hand flies to my chest.
“Jasmine’s still at Tiffany’s, right?”
“Yeah, and it’s a good thing, too.You were kind of loud.”
I put on my bra and panties and grab my shirt.I struggle to get the buttons lined up, and if I can’t even dress myself I don’t know how I’ll prepare and serve a full-course gourmet meal to the MacLaines.
“Again, whose fault is that?”I slip on my denim skirt.“I have to pay better attention, because I’dneverhave done that if Jasmine was in the house.”
“Never?”Finn’s already dressed in a pair of tailored khakis and a form-fitting blue button-down shirt.He absentmindedly runs his hand through the loose curls of his thick black hair, and I long to touch it.But then I catch his reflection in the mirror, a look of alarm in his violet eyes as they’re fixed on me.
We’ve agreed to the no-sex-while-Jasmine’s-in-the-house rule, so I’m sure I haven’t said something wrong.Was it the “never” word?
Is he asking about the future?Ourfuture?But he doesn’t continue the conversation.It’s part of the new baseline awkwardness that’s all my fault.Finn kisses the top of my head and walks toward the door.
My after-sex fog is gone.I can think clearly again.Nothing like a jolt of remembered anxiety to sober me up.I follow him downstairs to the quiet house.I head right for an apron hanging in the laundry room.
“I can make spaghetti if you need it,” Finn offers.“Country French means easy, right, because we don’t want to spoil my brothers.We’ll never get rid of them.”
I smile to myself.I’ve been organizing and planning this dinner party for a week, so I don’t think that “easy” is how I’d describe it.The dishes themselves may be made of only fresh ingredients simply prepared and combined, but the overall effect will be one I want the whole family to remember.Filet mignon,ratatouille, green beans almondine, andla pomme de terra pave.It will end with the palate cleanser of fresh herb salad with crumbled blue cheese, and for dessert we’ll have an apple tart and ice cream, and a separate cheese and fruit plate for Jamie.
I’m even creating a signature cocktail I’ve namedLa Mystere de Mira, after Finn’s new filly.I’m going to knock their socks off.
I don’t want to disappoint Finn.He says he wants his family to stay clear, but I know him well enough by now to see that he wants to impress them.Maybe even show me off a bit.
“No spaghetti, unfortunately, but I appreciate the offer.”I pop up on my toes to leave a sweet kiss on his lips.I’m hoping this will be his cue to leave the kitchen.It’s not.
Finn grabs a chef’s knife from the magnetic strip and holds it in front of him.“I can chop.I had intensive knife training in the Navy.”
“Kitchen training?”
“No, hand-to-hand combat.But it’s the same skill, right?”
“Give me the knife, Finn.”He places it in my palm.I need to think quick.I’ll never get all this done unless he leaves me in peace.“There is something very important I need your help with, though.Something that will take a lot of physical strength.”
He perks up.
“I need ice.I’m really worried that I won’t have enough ice.”
He frowns.“We have an icemaker in the freezer and another icemaker in the butler’s pantry.”
“Yes, but I’ll need a lot more than that,” I lie.“I need… two hundred pounds of ice.”
It’s a big lie, but this dinner will crash and burn if I can’t stop Mr.Sexy from waving around knives and standing so close that I can barely bend my arms.
“Two hundred andfiftypounds,” I correct myself.Finn can probably carry two hundred pounds of ice easily.I need to slow him down however I can.
He squints at me.“Emma, you can’t possibly need that much ice.For what?”
I smile at him.“I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.”
He laughs and wraps me in his arms.He looks down at me, still laughing.“Please don’t.I’m enjoying life way too much lately.”
