My heart jumped into my throat. “What are you doing?”
He shot toward me, wrapped a hand around my wrist, and pulled me into the shadows near the storage closet. A heartbeat later, he caged me in. One hand braced beside my head, the other tight around my wrist. “I can’t do this anymore.”
“Finn.” We agreed.
“You said you were drunk.” His jaw worked, the muscle popping twice before he spoke again. “But you said you didn’t regret it.”
“I don’t.” Oh god.
“I can’t stop thinking about it. About you.” His thumb traced circles on the inside of my wrist. “It’s driving me crazy, Bree. Seeing you every day and not being able to touch you.” He leaned in closer. “Not being able to kiss you.”
“We can’t.”
“Why?” His exhale brushed my cheek. Broad shoulders blocked me from view, but a thrill shot through me. “Tell me why we can’t.”
“Because the whole town would turn on me. They’d call me a slut. I’m not good enough for the golden boy.” I bit out each word. “I wasn’t that drunk, Finn.”
“What?”
I licked my lips and tried to explain. “I wasn’t that drunk. I was in complete control the whole time. I lied so I wouldn’t have to admit the truth.” I couldn’t look at him and talk, couldn’tstand the possible rejection. “I want all of you, but we can’t be together.”
“Again, why?” His brows crimped together.
“No one would understand!” My voice rose, and I took a second to calm myself. “You’re too old for me, and I’m a nobody. I’m the daughter who ran away and came back because she had no other choice.”
Finn cupped my face, the gentle touch easing my chin up. “Stop.”
“It’s true. You know it is. They’d never accept us. To them, I’d be nothing more than the woman who spread my legs for you because I’m not the kind of person who stays.”
“Bree, stop.” His grip on my chin tightened. “I don’t give a fuck what people say.”
“But I do.” My eyes burned, but I refused to let the tears fall. “I have to live here and deal with their judgment.”
“Then we’ll keep it a secret. I don’t care. I’ll lie to the whole damn town if that’s what you want. I’ll walk out there right now and tell them to fuck off if that makes it easier. Whatever it takes, Bree. That’s what I’ll do if it means I get to be with you.”
My heart cracked.
He brushed his nose alongside mine. “You’re perfect, and I will do anything,anythingfor the chance to be with you again.”
Well fuck. He made a compelling argument, and any chance of arguing fled when his whispered “please” brushed my lips.
“I want to kiss you again.” His thumb skimmed my bottom lip. “Just one more kiss.”
How was I supposed to say no to him? I closed my eyes and tried to remember all the reasons I should say no. I nodded. “Okay.”
His lips slammed into mine. This was Finn. Pure hunger and fire. He locked his arms around my waist and pulled me flush against him.
My ears rang with the sudden jump in my pulse, and I gripped his shoulders to keep my balance. Finn took advantage of the shift and pushed my back into the wall, pinning our bodies together. He nipped my bottom lip, then sucked it gently.
Good god. My body erupted with heat and a deep need only he could fill.
15
RONAN
The wrench slipped from my grip, skinning my knuckle against the pipe. I swore under my breath and wiped the blood on my jeans, catching sight of the time on my watch.
Ten p.m. I’d been working on this damned bathroom for twelve hours straight. Had to if I wanted to meet Maeve’s three-month deadline. I couldn’t afford to lose time. I’d already lost a week thanks to the snow, and more mental energy than I could afford thanks to the mental gymnastics it took to keep Bree off my mind.
