“It’s…” She chewed on her lip for a second. “Really pretty. Fairytale level beautiful.”
“I got a salesperson to help me pick something out,” I said, grateful for a topic to expand on. “I remember you said you enjoyed making your surroundings cute. It didn’t feel right picking something common. We narrowed it down to three in the end and asked other customers what they thought. This model won out and also was my favorite of the bunch. I took photos of the other ones in case you didn’t like it and wanted something else. I have them if you want—”
“Finn.” Her soft voice made me stop short.
I took a breath. “Yeah?”
She stared at me with those beautiful brown eyes. I licked my lips, trying to do something about my dry mouth. Since it was the end of the day, she looked exhausted. There was a stain on her untucked work tee and one of her earrings was missing. I’ve never seen someone so beautiful.
“I’d never want another,” she said. “This is perfect.”
“I’m glad you like it.” I nodded, not looking away from her. “Um…there are keys, too.”
The box came with a matching set. I handed them both to her. My fingers brushed her palm during the exchange, sending a jolt through my veins. She’d stepped closer to take the keys. Her eyes never wavered from mine as she slipped them into her back pocket.
“Thank you, Finn.” Her voice was low. Maybe she wanted privacy, or maybe it was because it’d been a long day. Either way, I adopted the hushed tone, too.
“No problem.”
“Yes, problem.” She laughed. “This must have cost a fortune. I want to pay you for the knob if you won’t let me pay you for your time installing it.”
“Actually, there was a sale going on, so I got a great deal.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. People named Naomi got one hundred percent off. So, I name-dropped you. Told them I knew one of the best Naomi’s.”
She snorted, and I felt drawn to the sound. I moved closer.
“Is that so?” she said through fading laughter.
“It is. She did almost break my nose when we first met,” I teased. “But I figured out she was nice real quick. Hard-working, talkative, energetic, and kind. Definitely deserving of the sale. They seemed to agree.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Show me the receipt, Finn.”
“They ran out of ink, so I didn’t get one.”
“Not even an e-receipt?”
“Nah, my inbox is full. It would’ve bounced.”
“You do know you left the bag on the counter, right?” She pointed over my shoulder. “The receipts flapping like a flag.”
I turned around to find she was correct. My receipt was being blown by the AC, trying to show off every dollar I spent.
“It’s not,” I said and hurried over to the counter.
Naomi was fast. She almost beat me to it. I pressed my back against the granite as she took a swipe at the bag.
“Just tell me the number.” She refused to back down. We were closer than we’d been since that night doing crafts. In the shuffle, her chest briefly pressed against mine. I bit my lip when I felt my cock stiffen. Naomi was none the wiser, still trying to reach behind me as I switched the bag from one hand to the other.
“Half. I’ll settle for half,” she promised while laughing. “Please?”
“It was free, Naomi.”
“No, it wasn’t.”
“Fine, a gift then. A birthday gift.” I stopped switching the bag around because she stopped moving.
