closer to knowing about Finn the man, except that he obviously loved his family like nuts.
It only made him exponentially more attractive to her. Not that he needed the extra help in that arena.
“There’s nothing to apologize for. I grant you free rights to touch me anytime you like.” He grabbed the hand that had just been stroking him, pressed his thumb into the center of her palm so that her fingers uncurled and bent his golden head to plant a warm kiss where his thumb had just been.
Esa shivered despite the heat that flooded her.
“Is that right?” she asked with forced casualness as she firmly extricated her hand from his grasp and leaned back in the grass. She reached into the paper sack and grabbed her peach in order to busy her hands while he studied her through narrowed eyelids. Despite her ease with Finn, her intense sexual attraction to him made her wary. Her body had never responded so wholeheartedly to any of her serious boyfriends in the past. It confused her to the point of feeling downright threatened that a weekend fling evoked such a reaction from her.
Although Esa had never been a very accomplished tease, she found it surprisingly easy to flirt with Finn. Every time she began to do so quite naturally, however, an alarm started blaring in her brain, warning her that she was behaving precisely in the shallow, promiscuous manner that he expected of her. Resentment would inevitably follow.
Why did men always have to be so predictable in the type of woman they wanted?
“Yeah, that’s right,” Finn replied. His handsome mouth twisted into a frown before he took another bite out of his peach, unashamedly letting the juice run down his chin again for a few seconds before he used his napkin to wipe it off. “I’ve never known a woman who runs as hot and cold as you, Kitten.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Esa replied airily as she watched the children splash and frolic in the fountain.
“Yes you do. You’re giving me ‘come and get me looks’ one second and throwing poison darts at me with your next glance. Do you want to be here with me or not?”
Esa’s lips fell open at his forceful question. “Yes,” she replied honestly before she had the chance to censor her answer.
“Good.” Finn paused before he resumed chewing a mouthful of peach slowly. “I apologize for that…earlier.”
Esa’s mouth fell open in amazement. “What are you talking about?”
“When I got so defensive about my job.” He set the juicy peach on top of a paper sack and wiped his hands on the grass with an impatient gesture. “My fiancée just recently left me because I decided to sell my shares in the engineering firm I’d started downtown and run the family construction business after my father died. I guess I’m still a little sore about it. Didn’t mean to take it out on you.”
Esa swallowed and set down her own peach. Something about the flat, emotionless quality of his voice made her want to reach out and touch him, comfort him. Jeez, he was fresh out of a breakup from a serious relationship with a woman who sounded like a real loser. How could she have left him during such a difficult time in his life?
And this all explained why he wasn’t interested in anything but a fun, no-strings-attached fling. Finn undoubtedly was looking for an escape from the recent-breakup-blues. Esa herself had engaged in a few similar, short-lasted euphoric affairs in her past. Sex could be a terrific balm to a scarred heart and wounded self-esteem, especially great sex.
Even though the realization that Finn was definitely unavailable in any emotional sense made Esa feel a little sad, she caught his eye and gave him a reassuring smile. “It’s okay. You don’t owe me any apologies.”
He grinned. “My mother would disagree. She drilled it in to me to apologize for my occasional rudeness.” He suddenly stood. “Come on, take off your shoes and let’s go for a wade in the water. My hands are all
It only made him exponentially more attractive to her. Not that he needed the extra help in that arena.
“There’s nothing to apologize for. I grant you free rights to touch me anytime you like.” He grabbed the hand that had just been stroking him, pressed his thumb into the center of her palm so that her fingers uncurled and bent his golden head to plant a warm kiss where his thumb had just been.
Esa shivered despite the heat that flooded her.
“Is that right?” she asked with forced casualness as she firmly extricated her hand from his grasp and leaned back in the grass. She reached into the paper sack and grabbed her peach in order to busy her hands while he studied her through narrowed eyelids. Despite her ease with Finn, her intense sexual attraction to him made her wary. Her body had never responded so wholeheartedly to any of her serious boyfriends in the past. It confused her to the point of feeling downright threatened that a weekend fling evoked such a reaction from her.
Although Esa had never been a very accomplished tease, she found it surprisingly easy to flirt with Finn. Every time she began to do so quite naturally, however, an alarm started blaring in her brain, warning her that she was behaving precisely in the shallow, promiscuous manner that he expected of her. Resentment would inevitably follow.
Why did men always have to be so predictable in the type of woman they wanted?
“Yeah, that’s right,” Finn replied. His handsome mouth twisted into a frown before he took another bite out of his peach, unashamedly letting the juice run down his chin again for a few seconds before he used his napkin to wipe it off. “I’ve never known a woman who runs as hot and cold as you, Kitten.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Esa replied airily as she watched the children splash and frolic in the fountain.
“Yes you do. You’re giving me ‘come and get me looks’ one second and throwing poison darts at me with your next glance. Do you want to be here with me or not?”
Esa’s lips fell open at his forceful question. “Yes,” she replied honestly before she had the chance to censor her answer.
“Good.” Finn paused before he resumed chewing a mouthful of peach slowly. “I apologize for that…earlier.”
Esa’s mouth fell open in amazement. “What are you talking about?”
“When I got so defensive about my job.” He set the juicy peach on top of a paper sack and wiped his hands on the grass with an impatient gesture. “My fiancée just recently left me because I decided to sell my shares in the engineering firm I’d started downtown and run the family construction business after my father died. I guess I’m still a little sore about it. Didn’t mean to take it out on you.”
Esa swallowed and set down her own peach. Something about the flat, emotionless quality of his voice made her want to reach out and touch him, comfort him. Jeez, he was fresh out of a breakup from a serious relationship with a woman who sounded like a real loser. How could she have left him during such a difficult time in his life?
And this all explained why he wasn’t interested in anything but a fun, no-strings-attached fling. Finn undoubtedly was looking for an escape from the recent-breakup-blues. Esa herself had engaged in a few similar, short-lasted euphoric affairs in her past. Sex could be a terrific balm to a scarred heart and wounded self-esteem, especially great sex.
Even though the realization that Finn was definitely unavailable in any emotional sense made Esa feel a little sad, she caught his eye and gave him a reassuring smile. “It’s okay. You don’t owe me any apologies.”
He grinned. “My mother would disagree. She drilled it in to me to apologize for my occasional rudeness.” He suddenly stood. “Come on, take off your shoes and let’s go for a wade in the water. My hands are all
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