Page 61 of Dublin Charmer
She smiles as she looks at me. “You and your brothers seem as excited for Laine’s baby as Tag does.”
“Aye, we are. We live together, and we face the world as a united family. We’reallgetting ready for the addition to the family. I’m stoked to be Uncle Finn.”
And I want you to be around to share it with.
It’s what my heart is saying, but I can’t say it out loud. It’s much too soon. I’ve known her for less than two weeks, and more than the first week of that was as a nameless cyberpunk playing cat and mouse with my network.
My brothers’ laughter still hurts. When they found out I was crushing on Ginny, they made me feel like a fool. Tag said I was too eager, and I needed to play it cool. I’m trying with Nyx, butmy instincts are screaming that she’s special and that I’d be a fool to let her get away.
“So? Any ideas going forward?”
She shrugs, her robe slipping slightly off one shoulder. “I haven’t thought that far ahead. For years, it’s just been about surviving. First after Papa died, then keeping Gio safe. Planning for a future feels indulgent.”
“Fair enough, but in a world where Gio is safe and the two of you have the chance to make choices, what’s one thing you’d want? Surely, you’ve daydreamed about something.”
She nods and takes another sip from the rim of her mug. “I’ve often wondered what it would be like to live somewhere permanent…to have a place where I could have a little patio with a barbecue…maybe a little garden. My nona used to have the most incredible garden and when we stayed with her, Gio and I would pick tomatoes and peppers and oregano right off the plants and make tomato sauce and preserves with her. I’d love to be able to do that.”
“Do you have your nona’s recipes?”
“I do, somewhere. It’s been years since I’ve thought about that, but I had her little recipe box. It must be in my storage unit back in Milan. When Papa died, Mr. Rossi’s lawyer handled all the packing up of the homes on the estate. He put my family belongings in storage.”
“Then that’s a great place to start. Maybe after this is over, you and your brother should check out the contents of that storage unit and reconnect with your past.”
Her smile is unsure, but I can tell she likes the idea. “And maybe I could get an office job and work IT. I could use my skills for something besides crime and cyber-security.”
“Your skills would be wasted working IT in an office job.”
She tilts her head, still considering. “Maybe I could consult. For people who need specialized security.”
I smile. “I know a powerful Dublin family who would contract you in a heartbeat. You’d have job security and a salary that would afford you not only a place of your own, but the money to do anything you want with it.”
Her eyes meet mine. “Is that a job offer from the infamous Dublin Charmer?”
“It is. It’s also me wanting you to think about sticking around.”
She sets her mug down and shifts closer. When her lips meet mine, they taste like chocolate and possibility. The kiss deepens, her hand sliding inside my robe to rest against my chest. The heat between us has nothing to do with the fire.
Nyx
There’s something about Finn’s kisses that breaks down all my carefully constructed defenses. The man is guileless. He speaks his truth, and in a world where everyone around me has hidden agendas and dangerous ulterior motives, it’s both unexpected and sexy as hell.
He wants me around. As a keyboard jockey to add to the Quinn team, sure, but more so as a woman.
No man I’ve ever been with has wanted me solely for me.
He knows all my deepest, darkest drama, and he’s not fazed.
The kiss between us grows hungry, and I let hope sweep me away. The spark between us ignites like a wildfire and I wouldn’t be surprised if I suddenly burst into flames in his arms.
Ignoring every self-preservation instinct I’ve had in place for the past decade, I open myself up. This isn’t just the chemistrywe share or the desire to fuck each other senseless like earlier, this is… more.
Without breaking our kiss, I shift closer. My legs slide over Finn's until I'm straddling him, my robe riding up my thighs. His hands grip my hips, fingers digging into my flesh with a desperation that matches my own. He’s hard and ready beneath me, and I grind against him, eliciting a groan from deep within his chest.
His mouth moves from mine, trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses down my neck, his stubble rough against my sensitive skin. I gasp, my head falling back, and his hands slide up my body, untying my robe and pushing it off my shoulders. The firelight dances across my bare skin, and Finn’s eyes roam over me, his gaze as hot as his touch.
"Yer so bloody beautiful," he murmurs, his voice ragged with desire. His hands cup my breasts, thumbs brushing over my nipples.
I arch into his touch, a soft moan escaping my lips.
