Page 31 of Match Made in the Maldives

“Why’d you come here tonight?”

I give him a flat, unamused look. “To have sex. Obviously.”

“Is that what you want, or what you thinkIwant?” He pauses, letting the question sink in. “And the photo. Don’t get me wrong, that was nice. But I’ll remember how attracted I am to you whether you sext me or not.”

“I’m allowed to want to do things for you. To give you what you want.”

“Of course.” His voice is low, enticing. This would be so much easier if he’d push me back on the bed and have his way with me. “But our first time together shouldn’t be all about that. I told you I want to savor you, and I meant it. To learn about you, so I can be enough for you.”

I let his words sink in. “And how long have you wanted this?”

“I’m gonna practice some self-preservation here.” He bites back a smirk and sighs. “A while.”

His thumbs stroke my thighs in tender caresses, and my vision goes blurry.

“What’s wrong?” Finn asks.

“Nothing, it’s just…” I force a smile through my sniffles. “I’d hate to disappoint you.”

“What makes you believe you would?”

“With Tanner, I’m glad he and I didn’t work out. I am. But it’s like his infidelity has sent me down a path of second-guessing myself. I was an amazing girlfriend. Amazing.”

“I know.”

“I was branching off with my own business, wearing cute outfits and looking put together all the time, having a social life and hobbies, and—” I leave out the part about blowjobs whenever my ex wanted, since I doubt Finn wouldlovehearing that. “But I still couldn’t keep his attention.”

“Well, I promise you, I won’t lose interest in you if we’re not having sex. I could never get bored with you.”

“But what if I’m not what you really want?”

“You are, all the time. You’re flawless. When you show up for a flight with a fresh blowout and you’re crushing things at work. But also when work’s crushing you.” His comment causes me to chuckle, and he swipes away a tear trailing down my cheek. “When life’s a mess or you’re sad but you don’t want to talk about it and you want to curl up on the couch and watch those depressing movies you like so much. You’re perfect in all of those scenarios, even if you don’t think you are.”

I lean forward and kiss him—not because I think he’s expecting it, but because Finn’s genuinely the sweetest, most amazing man to me, and my body yearns for his mouth on my own.Thank you, Finn. Thank you for being you.

Our connection deepens, with neither of us pulling away. Finn treats my body with reverence, but not like I’m fragile. He kisses me as if he hopes to make a map of my body with his lips, sucking my skin, grazing his teeth down my neck, and latching onto my lower lip with a playful bite. In return, my hands roam over his pecs and his back, my fingers trail through his hair, and my body molds to his. A perfect fit—a vortex of limbs and fervor and lightness.

I moan into him as he grips my ass and gives it a squeeze. “I love that.”

“Are you not wearing underwear?” His palms open, then close again on my butt to confirm. “Fuck.” He rests his head against my shoulder, like I’ve embarrassed him with my forwardness.

“What?”

“You don’t understand what you do to me.” When he looks up, his cheeks have an adorable splash of red on them.

“You can squeeze all you want.”

“I intend to.” His mouth angles up on one side, and he admires me like I’ve created heaven and earth. “Luna, I—” Finn looks like he wants to say something, but he shifts forward and kisses me again.

I brush my fingers through his hair, enjoying this disheveled, breathless version of him. “So no sex tonight?”

“You’re wearing my resolve down with the no panties thing.”

“Not guilty,” I say, to which he laughs. “No, you’re right, it should be…We should both want it, for the right reasons.”

“If you want, we can do other things.”

“Like what?”

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