Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
FINN
Even days after the best sex of my life, I still had a spring in my step. I smiled more freely, laughed a little louder, and felt more relaxed.
Of course, that’d been before my partner in the best sex of my life treated me like I was a damn leper.
All week, I’d been trying to see Willow, but it just hadn’t worked out. Drew, Nola, and I had had too much on the docket to allow for much downtime. Especially now that we were dealing with bullshit regulations that somehow hadn’t been an issue until Dick had arrived back in town. But we were jumping through the hoops, adjusting the bar top height—twice, because, apparently, the first number we’d given had been a mistake —and adding more sprinkler heads for the fire suppression system—despite those being inspected and approved already—to name a few.
Busywork. All of it. It was a pain in our asses, but we’d managed to get through it all. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind Dick was doing this to try to get us to give up and leave. But what the mayor apparently hadn’t learned yet was Drew and I specialized in making our way through difficult and tricky situations.
The only thing this was in the grand scheme of things was inconvenient, especially given the forward progress I’d made with Willow. If I had managed to find a pocket of time and slip away, she’d been unavailable, so we’d had to make do with texts and phone calls. While I hadn’t been inside her since that night at my place, that didn’t mean I hadn’t made her come again in our time apart. And, from her enthusiastic response to those instances, she was having a great time.
Dumbass that I was, I’d assumed that meant things between us were fine. Good, even. But today shot that theory straight to hell.
She’d dodged me. All damn day. And not just dodged, as in kept her head down and pretended not to see me, but actually spinning on her heels and scurrying in the opposite direction when she’d spotted me. Or sitting in her office, hiding behind her shut door while her assistant made up some bullshit excuse about what she’d been doing and why she hadn’t been able to see me.
I knew what she’d been doing, all right. Avoiding. Me , specifically.
“Hey,” Drew snapped. “Based on the other shit we’re having to redo on Dick’s whim, we don’t exactly have the funds to put up all new drywall. So how about you stop being an asshole and calm the fuck down.”
I dropped the sledgehammer I’d been using to demo part of an existing wall and blew out a deep breath as I stared at the carnage I’d inflicted. Yeah, so maybe I’d taken the whole demolition thing a bit too far. But when Nash had mentioned taking down one of the side walls to open up the space and provide a perfect spot for a dance floor, I had jumped at the opportunity to pound into some shit. Better than what I wanted to do, which was storm back into Willow’s office and demand she tell me just what the hell was going on. Right before fucking her over her perfectly impersonal desk. That’d go over about as well as a screen door on a submarine.
“I’ve got it under control.” I wiped my brow with my T-shirt and tucked it back into the waistband of my shorts.
He barked out a laugh. “The last thing you are is under control. And I’d place bets on the fact that it has a little something to do with the pretty lady leaving town hall even as we speak.”
I glanced up in time to see Willow start the trek down the front steps, her gaze fixed on the opened door of the bar. There was no way she could see me from her vantage point, but it was obvious she was looking. I couldn’t figure her out. If she went out of her way to avoid being around me all day, why was she peering in my direction? Better yet, why was she purposefully walking so she’d have to pass directly in front of our door when I knew she parked on the other side of the Square?
Well, I had had my fill of unanswered questions today. It was time to set things straight.
I didn’t take my eyes off Willow as I spoke to my brother. “Do me a favor?—”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m leaving.” Drew’s footsteps carried him to the back of the space, then up the stairs to the apartment.
The rest of the crew had left about an hour earlier since they’d been starting the days at six a.m., which meant Willow and I would be alone. I waited until she was right in front of the door before I reached out, grasped her wrist, and tugged her inside.
She gasped, stumbling a little as her eyes flew to mine before darting around, then looking back out at the Square. Goddammit. That was exactly what I’d feared her issue was. She didn’t want people seeing us together. And, shit, with our history, I couldn’t exactly blame her. Didn’t mean I liked being shoved in the closet like I was some dirty secret. Like she was ashamed of being with me.
As one of the Thomas boys from the wrong side of the tracks, I’d dealt with that plenty when I’d been younger. Oddly enough, I’d never gotten it from her. Which meant I certainly wasn’t going to put up with it now. Not when I wasn’t anything to be ashamed of.
“Finn—” She cut off on a gasp as I spun her until her back hit the wall next to the door.
I stepped in close, crowding her up against the wall. So close her lavender scent filled my nose. Made my mouth water and my cock twitch. I was like Pavlov’s fucking dog around her. “Oh, so you do remember my name. I wasn’t so sure with how you’d been acting today.”
She dropped her eyes and glanced off to the side. “I’m sorry, I just?—”
“Don’t want anyone to know what we’re doin’.” I stared down at her, hoping with every ounce of my being I was wrong. Maybe I’d misread her. Maybe she had just been busy.
But instead of reassuring me, she bit her lip and finally met my gaze, her eyes wide and pleading. Fuck . I couldn’t say that didn’t hurt. Though I also couldn’t say I didn’t deserve it. I’d been the one to leave, and she’d had to hang around and deal with the aftermath. I didn’t blame her for not wanting to go through it again.
Didn’t mean it hurt any less.
“Can’t say I’m happy about this, Willowtree. Not happy about it at all.” I reached up and tugged her lip from between her teeth. “But I understand.”
Her mouth dropped open as she stared up at me. “You…you do?”
I nodded then stepped into her until there wasn’t an inch separating us. Until she could feel exactly what she did to me merely by breathing. I’d managed to go a decade without her touch, and now that I’d had it again, I couldn’t even go a week without burning up for it. I needed her. But more than that, I needed to prove to her she needed me too.
“I didn’t make it easy on you back then, and you had to live with the consequences of my choices. But things are different now. I hope you know that.”
She glanced away, the apprehension written on her face giving a one-two punch to my stomach. Yeah, I’d have to work on that with her, because I wasn’t about to let her worry I’d run away again.
Though, really, what did I think was going to happen?
The plans were still to stick around just until the bar was well on its way so Nola would be able to quit her job and work full time here. It’d been taking a bit more time than usual—especially with Dick’s interference, as well as a lot more details to iron out than any of us had anticipated—but the final goal was still the same.
Eventually, Drew and I would go back to California. And Willow? Willow would stay in Havenbrook.
The thought churned my stomach, but I pushed down the feeling. Didn’t have time to worry about that now. What I needed to do was make sure she knew I wouldn’t abandon her like before. I might be leaving, but I’d make damn sure she wasn’t in the dark about it. And I’d make damn sure she’d have a hell of a good time while I was still here.
“Okay, we’ll work on that,” I said. “That’s on me, and I’m going to prove things to you this time around. While I do, this…us…can stay quiet if that’s what you want.”
She blew out a deep sigh. “Thank you.”
“Not so fast.” I gripped her hip and tugged her into me, letting her feel how hard I was for her. “Out there, to everyone else, you can be perfect Willow Haven who doesn’t get around with the likes of one of the Thomas boys.” I reached up and brushed my thumb over her bottom lip, aching to feel those wrapped around my cock. “But away from prying eyes? You’re mine. And you’re going to give me everything when we’re together.”
She didn’t say a word, just panted as she stared up at me, equal parts apprehension and arousal written all over her face. I knew her well enough to know she was probably worried about being played for a fool. Again. But one glance at the front of her shirt told me whatever worries she had were fighting hard with her desire. I could work with that. As long as I still had her attraction, I’d prove everything else to her in time.
I’d just have to work extra hard in the little amount we had.
I cupped one of her breasts and flicked my thumb over the hardened peak. Then I leaned down, dragging my lip across her jaw until I pressed my mouth to her ear. “I’ll be giving you everything too, Willowtree. Don’t you worry about that.”
No longer satisfied with the feel of her through layers of clothes, I slipped my hand under her shirt, pulled down the cup of her bra, and brushed my fingers over her nipple. Christ, I needed to feel her wrapped around me. Needed to take her right there against the damn wall, surrounded by dirt and dust and God knew what else. I couldn’t wait another minute.
“Finn—” She let out a moan and tilted her head back as I kissed and sucked and nipped along her neck, all the while I gripped every bit of her I could reach. “The door…”
Blindly, I reached out and swatted at the main door, finally connecting with it and slamming it shut to keep out any passersby. Couldn’t do a thing about the bare windows, but from where we were, tucked a bit to the side, someone would have to walk up and cup their hands around their face to see inside. It’d have to do.
“Any more excuses for me, sweetness?” I asked against her neck, licking up one side and nipping at her jaw.
She panted against the side of my face, her grip on my forearms so tight, her nails left crescent marks on my skin. “None.”
Like music to my goddamn ears. “Good.”