Page 43 of Capture The Moment

Harper sighed. She’d given it a lot of thought over the weekend and had decided that she and Will were better off as friends. While she dreaded having to tell him that, she didn’t want to string him along.

“Never mind. I can tell you’re not into him.”

“Sorry, Jules. I really like Will, but you’re right. I’m not into him like…”

“Like you are with Finn. I get it. Those O’Brien boys are irresistible.”

Harper eyed her closely. “You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”

Julia averted her eyes.

“I knew it!”

“Knew what? You don’t know anything.”

“It’s Connor, isn’t it? You’re seeing Connor.”

“We’re not seeing each other. We’re…”

“Having sex?”

“You make it sound so vulgar.”

“I just have one question. Why have you been so secretive about it?”

Julia glanced up at her. “It was his idea. He said his brothers would give him hell if they knew he was seeing someone regularly. Besides, it’s no big deal. We’re just fooling around.”

“Having sex.”

“You already said that.”

“Wow, Jules. I’m kind of surprised.”

“Me too. Wait a minute. What part are you surprised about?”

“Well, I’m not surprised about your attraction to Connor. I noticed the spark between you two that night at the restaurant. But I am surprised that you’re treating this so casually. Since I’ve known you, you’ve had one long-term relationship. I wouldn’t expect you to settle for a fling.”

Julia stiffened. “What’s wrong with that? Lots of women do it. Why does everyone have to end up married with children?”

Harper raised her hands in surrender. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to judge.”

She sighed. “You’re right. It’s not my usual M.O., but I thought I’d try something different this time. It’s not like I’m expecting Connor to change. I know what kind of guy he is. I’m just having a little fun.”

Harper nodded and decided to keep her concerns to herself. She didn’t know Connor that well, but from what Finn had said, he was a real player. She’d hate it if Julia got hurt.

“You can’t tell Finn about this, Harper. Connor was very adamant about that.”

Bossy O’Briens! “Ok. But take it from me—secrets have a way of slipping out.”

Julia shrugged. “We might not even be seeing each other a week from now. Anyway, we should probably get back to work.”

And girl talk was officially over.

The rest of the week went by without a word from Finn. She shouldn’t have been surprised, but she was. He’d called her faithfully once a week for over a year, and now, nothing. Of course, she could have picked up the phone and called him, but she didn’t know what to say or where to begin. Thankfully, she had several photo sessions scheduled, which kept her busy through Saturday. It was only at night, when she lay down in her big, empty bed, that she replayed the kiss.

Maybe she had embellished it in her mind, but she didn’t think so. She replayed the entire scene repeatedly until she’d become so hot she had to whip off the covers. It wasn’t just the kiss itself, but the way he’d held her, the way he’d gazed at her, like he’d been just as enthralled as she’d been. It would have been so easy for him to scoop her up in his arms and take her to his bedroom, but he hadn’t. And the way she’d felt in that moment, she would have gone willingly. But Finn was respectful to the end, taking what she wanted to give without pushing her limits. He’d kept himself in complete control, while she’d almost lost hers.

She wondered if he’d been thinking about that night too, and if he wanted a repeat. But then what? She didn’t want the kind of relationship that Julia seemed to be having with Connor. She didn’t want to be anyone’s secret lover, least of all Finn’s. Their friendship had always been open and honest. There wasn’t much she’d kept hidden from him, especially after Blake’s death, when she’d poured out her heart to him on more than one occasion. He knew her so well that he’d understand that she’d need time to process what had happened. And when she was ready, she’d call him, and they’d have the dreaded conversation that Julia had alluded to.