Seven
Imust have dozedoff for a bit because I woke up to Dozer’s wet nose nudging my arm insistently. I groggily rubbed my eyes, threw off the thin blanket that I usually cuddled with while I watched Teen Mom 2—my guilty pleasure—and patted Dozer’s egg-shaped head. The sun was setting over Central Park and the view from the sliding glass doors to my balcony was breathtaking.
Shit!
I checked the clock on the wall: it was almost seven. I heard a knock on my door.
“Who is it?” I was too short to see out the peephole of my door. Dozer planted himself at my side, grunting and wagging his tail while he waited patiently for me to let our guest in.
“Finn, love.”
Swoon.
My palms were instantly sweating as a giddy smile raced across my face and butterflies crashed around in my stomach.
I turned the lock and opened the door, completely ashamed at my lack of preparation for our date. Finn was wearing dark jeans, an untucked light green button down, and a sport coat—a perfect look for him. He had shaved his face clean of stubble and a fresh sweet musk of cologne filled the air.
“Now I feel underdressed. Come in.”
He put his hand on my hip, brushed a kiss against my cheek, and slid inside the door. “You’re stunning just the way you are.”
Where did this guy come from?
“Want a glass of wine while I freshen up? I dozed off on the couch for way too long.”
Usually in situations like this, I would be panicking, scrambling around my apartment to get ready, and rushing out the door. But Finn didn’t make me feel nervous or late. Instead, his calmness emanated throughout the room.
“That’d be lovely.” He followed me into the kitchen.
“White or red?”
“What are you drinking?” He pressed his chest lightly against my back as I reached for a wine glass off a high shelf in my tiny kitchen. His hands gripped my hips, his lips contacting the base of my neck as he took a deep breath in, stopping me dead in my tracks.
It took me a second to register that I still needed to answer his question. “White, I guess. For now.”
I turned in his arms, his eyes piercing mine. “Then white it is.”
I grabbed the half empty bottle from the fridge, poured our glasses, and leaned on the counter. I took a long sip of my favorite pinot grigio. The sweet, crisp apple lemon took over my entire mouth as I savored the quick moment.
“So, what’s the plan for tonight?”
Finn’s lips curled up at the corners. “Don’t have a plan, really.” He leaned up against the counter, pulling me by the hand into him.
“You asked me on a date with nowhere in mind?”
“Now what’s the fun in that?” His lips brushed my ear, his breath warm on my neck and shoulder. “What do you feel like?”
I had no idea. I was expecting him to take me to his favorite restaurant where we’d sit in a poorly lit corner booth in the back, sipping on wine and losing track of time while we chatted about nonsense, lost in each other’s company.
What romance movie dreamland am I living in?
“I’m up for anything.”
His muscles flexed against me as he pulled me just a little bit closer. Finn’s breath caught as he planted small kisses down my neck to my collarbone. His fingertips dug into my hips. Goosebumps spread over my arms and my nipples stood at attention under the thin fabric of my yoga top. Trailing up under my shirt, Finn’s gentle touch landed on my bare breast.
A low growl came from the back of his throat. “I love that you’re not wearing a bra.”
“I haven’t had one on all day,” I blurted out.Smooth. Real smooth.
