“Nice to meet you.” He smiles. “How does everything look?”
Sharon’s eyes rake over her husband seductively, and he blushes all the way to his ears. “Delicious.”
He kisses Sharon’s cheek one more time, and as he turns to go, she smacks him on the butt and bursts out in cackling laughter.
***
“I did it!” I barge through Finn’s office door with a squeal, and he swivels his computer chair and jumps to his feet. Practically vibrating with excitement, I grab his tie and yank him toward me.
He wraps me in that safe, protective shield I love, and I let myself burrow into it. “Holy shit. I knew you could.”
I shake my head against his chest. After weeks of worry and stress, a weight has been lifted from my shoulders, and I can finally breathe all the way in. My thoughts are all jumbled after lunch with Sharon, but gratitude pumps through my veins like adrenaline.
My arms squeeze tighter. “I know you wanted to tell Sharon about Kyle, but it feels so good to know I got the job on my own.”
He presses a kiss to the top of my head. “You’re perfect for that job, and I can’t wait to watch you shine.”
“Thank you.” I pull back and meet his eyes. “Apparently, Kyle had to be escorted out of the museum after yelling at the panel that I was only interviewing because we were sleeping together.”
“What?” he croaks.
A small grin plays on my lips as I remember my conversation at lunch. “Sharon said she never even entertained the accusations.” I narrow my eyes. “She saidyoutold her you had feelings for me when you dropped out of the interview process.”
Finn’s cheeks turn pink. “Maybe I did.”
“You told our boss that you had feelings for me weeks before you actually told me?” I shake my head in disbelief.
He cups the back of my head and brings my lips to his. “Yeah,stella mia. I had to make sure she knew the truth and never thought we were trying to cheat the system.” He nips at my bottom lip before he pulls back and adds, “She was all over that, by the way. Told me to go for it.”
My chin quivers. “Thank you for supporting me even when you didn’t know you were doing it.”
“I always will,” he says, his mouth coasting over mine and tickling the sensitive nerve endings.
He groans as I part my lips and let him claim my mouth. Our arms tighten around each other as he kisses me thoroughly and hungrily, and I wish we weren’t at work right now. I force my movements to slow, and we settle into a languid pace before I pull my swollen lips away.
His voice is breathless as he asks, “How should we celebrate?”
“Want to go to Fern River with me?”
He smiles wide. “Absolutely. The girls have been begging to go back.”
Pulling my phone out of my back pocket, I shoot off a quick text in our group chat.
Oaks Folks
Millie:Any cake left from last night?
I peek up and find Finn watching me with a serene smile and soft eyes. I’ll never get over how I used to only see scowls from him but now get to seethis.
My phone buzzes with a response, and I drag my eyes away.
Dad:You know your mom always makes twice as much food as necessary.
Millie:Mind if we come visit?
Mom:Only if you bring Ave and El.
Finn comes to stand behind me and drops his chin to my shoulder, laughing as he watches the replies come through.
