Page 48 of Once Bitten

Chapter Eighteen

“Damn, I knew we should’ve ended the meeting a little earlier,” Finn sighed as he held me up as we stood by the sidewalk waiting for our car. It was late evening the next day and we’d had two days of non-stop meetings, both of us falling into bed together at midnight the night before after a dinner with the executive team and then back in the boardroom by 8am this morning.

“I’m ok,” I barely managed to get out, as I rested my head on his shoulder, completely exhausted. “Just a little jet lagged, that’s all.”

“No, you’re not.” Finn frowned as he looked at me, and I tried to crack a smile to ease his worry.

“Yes, I am, don’t worry, now we have two whole days off, plenty of time for rest.”

Finn wrapped his jacket around my shoulders and pulled me in close, his hand rubbing up and down my back, easing the tension in my body. “Where is that car, already?” He rumbled impatiently, holding me tight.

In the circle of his embrace, as the city of Paris revolved around us, I felt in no rush to go anywhere.

***

“In you get, easy.” Finn gripped my hand as I stepped into the bath he’d drawn for me.

“Ohhhh, yeah.” The water engulfed me, soothing every sore cell as it sank into the almost scalding hot water.

Finn sat on the edge of the bathtub running his fingers through the water and I smiled up appreciatively at him. The events of the last few days on top of the time change had wrung every last drop of energy from me, and he’d taken care of everything, calling the car, getting me up to the room, helping me undress and now was watching me as I soaked in the comforting hot bath.

“Sorry I was such a, you know, blergh face.”

Finn’s face scrunched up. “What is God’s name is a ‘blergh face’?”

“It’s a scientific term for...you know, a face that’s blerghy!”

“Oh. Informative.” He flicked his wet fingers at me. I poked my tongue out at him.

“I just meant, I was all,” I made a limp puppet type gesture, “and you took care of everything. So, thank you.”

“You’re welcome, blergh face,” he leaned down and kissed my temple, and brushed the hair from my face. “Ok, I’m going to take a shower, and order up some food, how’s that sound? Or do you want to go out?”

“No, staying in sounds good.”

“Any preferences?”

“Yes!”

“Oh, ok, what?”

“Large!”

He laughed and shook his head, starting to unbutton his shirt which made a part of me underwater twitch awake.

“A large what?”

“I don’t care, just make it LARGE!”

He continued to laugh as he walked out of the bathroom, yelling over his shoulder, “I knew you just wanted me for my body.”

I swallowed the urge to tell him, it certainly helped sweeten the deal.

***

“What is that smell and why isn’t it in my mouth?” I groaned as stepped out into my bedroom, the scent of something delicious filling my nostrils and making me salivate.

“Ugh, I’ve never been so jealous of food since you came back into my life,” Finn replied pouting.