I took the glass of wine from her hand and set it on the coffee table next to mine. “Come here,” I murmured, pulling her close. Lowering my mouth to hers, I kissed her softly. She tasted sweet from the wine and her full lips parted, granting me access to sweep my tongue along hers. A bolt of desire shot down my spine and hardened my cock.
My hand slid down from her cheek to the column of her throat, where I could feel the insistent thumping of her pulse. Her tongue tangled with mine in desperate, hungry sweeps. Everything about this moment seemed surreal, from the soft little sighs in the back of her throat to her soft yet eager lips. My cock pressed painfully against my zipper, making me aware of just how badly I wanted her.
I wanted to pin her down against the couch, feel her body moving under mine, the tilt of her hips to meet my powerful thrusts. I wanted to hear the breathy cries that were sure to fall from her lips. Instead, I continued exploring her mouth, my hands cradling her jaw.
“Stop.” Finley pulled back, her lips swollen and her eyes soft with arousal. But her tone was all wrong. She looked confused and upset.
My cock had grown rock hard, but my arousal died instantly at the word stop. I respected her need for space and pulled back, putting several inches between us. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s just that …” Her gaze drifted over to where her late husband’s portrait rested on the bookshelf.
I remembered that day like it was yesterday, despite the fact it was about seven years ago. We’d all been outfitted in our service dress blues and told not to smile. That didn’t stop Marcus, though. His grin was wide and bright and his blue eyes shone back at us. Looking at it now sent an eerie feeling creeping over me.
Glancing back at Finley, I saw an uneasy look had settled across her features. “My daughter’s asleep in the other room,” she said finally.
“I understand.” Hell, I didn’t want to rush things either, and I was ready to combust if we kept up much longer. She was just starting to come around and I didn’t want to push her too far too fast. There were so many delicacies to this situation that needed to be considered. “I should go.”
She nodded. “Yes, that’s probably a good idea.”
Was her willpower hanging by a thread like mine was?
“Okay,” I said, rising from the couch and headed toward the front door. With Finley trailing behind me, I discreetly adjusted my erection, angling it to the left of my thigh so I could fucking walk.
“You can come and see Maple since you get along so well, but that’s as far as it can go,” she added, sounding more firm.
When we reached the threshold to the door, I couldn’t resist the temptation of pulling her close. A gentle hug was what I intended, nothing more. “Whatever you want,” I murmured.
She lifted her eyes to mine and without hesitation, I pressed my lips to hers again and suppressed a groan at how good she tasted. Finley might have told me we had to stop, but that didn’t prevent her from rubbing herself against me, pushing her hips into mine. She gasped when she felt what she’d done to me. And when I ground back against her, she groaned in frustration.
She pulled back again, almost as if she was pained by this whole exchange. With her eyes locked on mine, we both fought to catch our breath. Chests heaving, we just stood there, watching each other.
We’d never done anything remotely like this, but I’d always been attracted to her, and I wondered if she was attracted to me, too. It had been a long damn time since I’d gotten any. I'd had no interest in chasing pussy while I’d been looking after Fin and Maple.
Tearing myself away, I drew a deep breath. My entire body was throbbing with need. Finley chewed on her lower lip, struggling with something internally. But what, I didn’t know. Her desire for me as a woman desires a man? Or was she interested in something more? Some deep, messy entanglement that I’d always sworn I didn’t need. But the mere idea of something more … something real nipped at me, tearing tiny holes in my armor. Coming home to baby squeals and goodnight stories and a woman who was so strong, yet so soft. …
No, I couldn’t let myself go there. I was only coming here to care for my best friend's family, to set right what I'd done wrong. She wasn’t meant to be mine. They weren’t meant to be mine.
But that didn’t stop me from picturing it. From wanting it so badly it fucking hurt.
I tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Not like this.”
She gave a tiny nod.
“Lock up behind me, okay?”
“I will.”
“And call if you need anything.”
“I will,” she echoed, her voice whisper soft.
“Night, baby.”
“Night.”
It was all wrong. But I couldn't stop myself from thinking that maybe, just maybe...this was a start.
I'd driven halfway home before I realized that I'd called her baby.
Chapter Six
Finley
“You want to take her where?” I crossed my arms over my chest, narrowing my eyes. This was not what I'd expected to hear when I opened my door first thing in the morning.
Grey shrugged. He had brought a tiny pink fishing pole as a gift for Maple. “What's wrong with catfishing?”
“Just making sure I heard you right. A toddler, fishing? Are you out of your mind? Hooks and deep water and...”
“Hickory Lake is just a small, shallow neighborhood pond. It's meant for little kids. And this thing doesn't even take a hook, only a plastic bobber.” He reached out to rest his hand on my shoulder. “Trust me, Fin. I'll watch her like a hawk. I'd sooner die than let anything happen to her.”