Page 78 of Dare to Love Again

Since he planned to be there when she woke, and with hours to kill, he went out to his car and retrieved his laptop. Might as well get some work done.

When he came back and set up at her bar, an oversized tabby surprised him by landing with a solid thud directly across from him on the counter. The cat stared at him, blinked his big green eyes then meowed, making his presence before he walked forward and rubbed his cheek and the length of his body along the side of Keiran’s open laptop.

“Hello there, lad,” he murmured, extending his forefinger for him to sniff.

Tentative at first, it took only a minute before he started rubbing his face against his hand. Then, he nudged his head under his fingers for an ear scratch.

“You’re a friendly one,” Keiran commented, still petting the demanding feline who promptly crawled into his lap and purred loudly.

He chuckled, not offended by being claimed, mostly for a bed, and stroked a finger under the cat’s collar. When it appeared the big guy had settled in for a while, he reached for his wireless mouse and started working his way through the new client applications in his inbox. All fifty of them.

Chapter 17

THE BED SHIFTED, ANDsomething warm brushed against her, rousing her from sleep. Ignoring Phin, she burrowed deeper under the covers, not ready to get up yet. The something warm moved again, this time up her arm and over her shoulder then in a long, slow sweep down her back.

She tensed. Reality pulling her from sleep. No way could Phinny do that.

“Mo chuisle, time to wake up.”

Her eyes flew open. Finding Finn lying next to her, propped on an elbow, his head in his hand, she blinked. Her sleep-foggy brain took several minutes to reboot, but the events of the previous night and this morning came back to her. He’d dug into her past, tracked her down at the office, made it clear he wasn’t going anywhere and neither was she then kissed her until her toes curled.

She must have passed out in his car because from then until now, there was nothing. And he must have carried her to bed then stayed. She’d forgotten how nice it was to have a man taking care of her. Other than Pax, no one had since Andrew.

“If you sleep any longer, you won’t be able to tonight, and tomorrow you’ll be in the same shape, having your days and nights turned around.”

“What time is it?”

“Just past five.”

She stretched, her limbs still heavy from sleep. As close as he was, her breasts brushed his chest, and her legs, which were bare, rubbed the heavy fabric of his jeans. She’d been wearing a skirt and heels the last time she was conscious; he must have taken care of that, too.

“Are you hungry?” he asked quietly, while brushing a few tickling strands of hair from her cheek, gently tucking them behind her ear.

Their conversation from earlier replayed in her head. She could have this closeness, a man’s tender nurturing, spontaneous lunches, check-in phone calls, laughter, fun, drinks at the club, dancing in a pair of strong arms, and sex—exciting, carnal sex with a dominant just like she yearned for so long. And even more important than all of that, someone to ground her and take charge when she needed him to, and to love. That’s where this was headed, she was sure. And she could have it all with Finn if she could set aside her fears and live for the day.

Did she dare?

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