Bet in the Dark(38)
Author: Rachel Higginson

I blushed deeply. He would not be happy to wake up here like this.

I tried to separate myself from him, to wiggle away. I could go crawl into bed with Britte and he could sleep in my bed for the night. But as soon as I started to move, Fin’s hold on me tightened and he pressed me even closer to his body.

“Don’t you dare, Ellie,” he growled into my neck, his voice rough with sleep. “Give me this one night.”

It was a command, not a request. And I was helpless to follow it. I relaxed into him and he held me impossibly tighter to him. His fingers trailed lightly through my hair and across the nape of my neck. I sighed softly before I could stop myself and he leaned in to kiss the sweet spot just under my ear.

He groaned as if frustrated and then whispered almost so quietly I didn’t hear him, “I’m going to keep you.”

The next time I woke, it was morning. The light behind my curtain was brighter and natural, but Fin and I were still in that same position. One of my arms had fallen completely asleep and I could taste how bad my breath smelled since I hadn’t brushed my teeth the night before.

Ok, rancid breath equaled the worst case scenario ever.

I looked down at Fin, but all I could see was his mess of hair. His face was still buried into the crook of my neck, his arms still tightly around me. His body was deliciously warm, crushed against mine.

I didn’t want to leave his arms…. ever. But if I wanted to do this again, I was going to have to brush my teeth. Let’s face it; if I didn’t fix this breath problem right now, there would be no future of waking up in Fin Hunter’s arms.

I tried to wiggle free, but his grip was so tight, and his muscled arms extremely heavy. He grunted when I extracted one of my legs and then gripped me tighter when I pulled the other one free.

And then I felt it, a warm, wet kiss against my neck. I sucked in a breath, realizing he was awake and not about to let me go. He trailed more sensual kisses across my throat and my heart started to pound in my chest. His mouth went up to my ear, paying special attention to my lobe, biting, kissing, licking.

My breathing followed the frantic rhythm of my heart and soon I was clutching at his hair, fighting to hold onto sanity.

He stayed away from my mouth, probably fighting the same morning breath I was dealing with, but he kissed me everywhere else. Long, seductive kisses that left my skin burning from his touch. His leg slipped between mine again and when he moved against me, my heart actually shuddered.

Holy hell. Desire shot through me and I held onto him tighter.

He kissed down my neck on his way back to my br**sts. And I moaned something encouraging but even I couldn’t tell what I said. His hands suddenly gripped me tighter and yanked me to my back so that he hovered over me.

He lifted his lips off my chest and stared down at me with heated agony. His hair was tussled from sleep, a full day’s growth had roughened his jaw and his lips were swollen from kissing. His arms held him above me, his biceps taut with the strain. His leg was wedged tightly between mine, adding a delicious pressure.

And he looked at me like he wanted to devour me.

My bad breath was completely forgotten.

He rocked against me, his leg building pressure in between mine. I gasped and clutched at his shoulders.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered above me. My whole body reacted to those words, melting into him. He leaned down, kissing me so sweetly on the corner of my mouth. “I’m never going to be able to stay away, Ellie.”

Just as I was about to tell him not to Britte started banging on my door, causing us both to jump. Fin’s head shot up and he glared at the door like he could destroy it with the power of his stare.

“Ellie, I know Fin’s in there!” She shouted. “Beckett’s on his way over right now! I’m so sorry! I asked him last night for help with the couch my dad’s bringing just to get him to shut up about it! I had no idea you would be uh…. busy.” She squeaked the last word and I felt my skin flush bright red.

Fin looked down at me, a proud smirk twisting his lips. “You are busy,” he murmured. He went back to nuzzling my neck, kissing me again but lighter, slower kisses, the original desperation gone.

“Ellie!” Britte shouted, a bit frantically.

“Ok, thanks, B!” I called back but my voice was hoarse from sleep.

“God, you sound sexy,” Fin rumbled against my throat. His shadow of a beard was scratchy against my skin, abrading it with each movement of his face, but I found that I loved the feeling of it, loved how I could feel where his skin had been touching mine.

“Fin,” I whispered, refusing to believe he had to go.

“I’m leaving, but only because Beckett would never accept us if he found me here like this,” he sounded so responsible. So…. hopeful. “I’ll call you later.”

And then he was off me and sitting at the edge of the bed. He straightened his t-shirt and then reached down for his shoes.

“You work today?” he asked from over his shoulder.

“Yes, it’s my Sunday shift,” I explained. I was a little shell-shocked after spending the night in Fin’s arm and the morning make-out session in which I did none of the kissing.

“Get next Sunday off,” he ordered plainly, as if I wouldn’t argue with him.

“I don’t know if I can, it’s kind of late-“

“If you can’t get it off, I’ll talk to Ty.” He stood up and looked down at me with those heated eyes, his jaw fixed and his expression fixed into the one I knew better than to argue with.

“Ok, bossy,” I rolled my eyes and sat up. The consequences of what just happened seamed to roll over me in waves. I knew I had to stay away from Fin, but I kept torturing myself with him over and over.

Fin narrowed his eyes at me. “We’re going to talk later,” he promised in that same authoritative tone.

“Fin, I don’t think that’s a good-“

He cut me off again, “We will talk later.”

Stubbornly, I continued, “We just need to remember we’re friends. I think it’s safest if we-“

“We’ve never been friends, Ellie. Stop that thought right now.” He leaned down then and shut me up by kissing me quickly but passionately on the lips. I was effectively silenced. And then, forever getting the last word in, he whispered sweetly, “We will talk later.”

I could do nothing but nod, even while I wondered if I had somehow given up all control of my life to him.

Given my heart to him.

Chapter Seventeen

I walked into Bailey’s still in a daze. Beckett had come over, not ten minutes after Fin left. I wanted to feel relief that they didn’t run into each other, but I was inexplicably disappointed. I had the irrational desire to introduce Fin as “not my friend,” even though I didn’t know what that meant.

“Hi, Beckett, this is Fin. He’s not my friend. We’re going to talk about that later. Oh, and don’t mind that our clothes are wrinkled and it’s obvious we spent the night wrapped in each other’s arms. That’s just part of our non-friendship. Also, as a side note, I owe him seven thousand dollars that he thinks I lost in online poker, but I didn’t really.”

Yeah, that sounded about right.

I clocked in and put my apron on, going about my regular hostess duties. I was the only one scheduled this early in the afternoon. Two other hosts would be coming on closer to dinner service, but I had to make sure everything was set up first.

It would be an easy but busy night. Sunday’s were mostly always the same. The dinner rush was early and heavy and then it would die down and the rest of the night would drag on. Britte usually worked with me, but she requested this weekend off when she knew she would be moving this weekend.

I made sure all the tables were set up with ketchup bottles filled and salt and pepper shakers in working order. I couldn’t stop replaying last night in my head. Fin convincing me my brothers just loved me, spending the night cuddled in his arms, this morning….

Ugh. He was just too perfect. How was I supposed to remember things like my moral integrity when he confused every part of me.

I walked to the back office that was through the stainless steel kitchen. Cooks and expeditors were prepping food while the two dishwashers were stacking clean glasses precariously high. I didn’t know everyone well, but working in a restaurant was like working with extended family. We knew everything about each other and for the most part got along, although gossip flew out of control.

The cooks whistled at me while I walked past and I shot them a flirty wave. They were lecherous and brazen but they were mostly harmless. Plus, everybody wanted to be on their good side, so we all put up with it.

I found Ty alone in his cluttered office, working on the schedule. Papers were stacked in random piles on his desk; his computer was set off to the side, but covered in more papers. The shelves above the desk were heavy with training manuals and videos, and where there weren’t thick binders there were manila folders filled with more paperwork. He looked up at me and gave me a tired smile. Ty was not messy, Ty was regimented and orderly. But he shared this office with two other managers and the owner. I wondered if his exhaustion stemmed from the paperwork tornado as much as anything else.

He seemed too big for this office, his huge, broad shoulders filling out the small space and his tree trunk sized legs not fitting under the desk well at all.

“Hey, Els,” he greeted.

“Hey, Ty,” I smiled back. I didn’t even know what pulled me in here. This morning I had been determined not to let Fin get away with bossing me around. But since then, I wondered if it had something to do with the Sunday dinner I heard him talking to Ty about before. There was hope that he was taking me to meet his family before I could squelch it. And even though I’d been talking myself out of this all day, I was still here. I was still asking.

“How can I help you?” he looked down at the schedule again and frowned.

“Um, I was just wondering if I could have next Sunday off?” I tried to sound casual but Ty’s head snapped up immediately.

“Why?” h demanded.

I wasn’t expecting that question. I didn’t really think it was any of his business. “I just need it off.”

“Does this have something to do with Fin Hunter?” he asked carefully. His eyes narrowed on me and his body went still, alert. I felt like a threat, like I was an enemy or something and he was back in the army deciding how best to deal with me.

My voice shook when I answered, “Yes, it does.”

His tone was hard steel when he asked, “Is he taking you to meet his family?”

“I don’t know. He just told, um, asked me to get Sunday off.”

“Then he’s taking you to his grandma’s. He does one thing on Sundays and that’s spend time with his family.” He softened his voice just a little bit and he relaxed back into his chair. “Did he tell you about them?”

“Yes,” I answered.

“So are you a couple?”

“No,” I replied quickly. When Ty’s eyes narrowed again I realized I answered too quickly. “It’s complicated.”