Page 100 of Stirring Up Love
The music had cut out, bringing her words into sharp focus, captured like a photographer’s high-speed lens.
Snap.He’s no one special to me.
Snap.There’s nothing between us.
Snap.If anything, he’s a liability.
Snap. Her eyes met his. Wide. Startled. Unsure.
But before she could speak, Alisha’s voice rang out, calling her sister to the dance floor for the bouquet toss. Simone half turned, and then the DJ repeated the call, coaxing her to the floor. A wall of women, young and old, eager and stoic, encircled the bride, waiting for Simone to join their ranks.
Decisive this time, she pivoted and wound her way through the tables, clapping her hands overhead as she swung her hips to the rhythm of Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies.” Brushed him off like she had at their first meeting. Turned him into a nobody. He’d entered some alternate universe where they’d never gone from jagged, biting words to tender touches. A world wheretheynever existed at all.
He watched her jokingly jostle for position among the women, her lips turned up in a grin that didn’t even have the decency to look forced. Alisha counted down from ten to the accompaniment of whistles and cheers. And then the bouquet was arcing overhead as a blinding series of flashes filled Finn’s eyes with stars.
When he blinked, Simone was clutching the bouquet, petals scattered around the long skirt of her dress, jaw slack in surprise. She’d been tossed another future she didn’t want. Just like the deal.
Just like him.
He backed away, driven by a need to hold fast to his composure before it flew away.
And it would fly away, desert him in a moment if he unclenched his jaw, let his chin fall. So he retreated—one step, two—until his back hit a door and he spun through it, out into the carpeted hallway. He had to get away. But he needed a minute to collect himself, to breathe.
Darting a glance behind him to check that no one had followed, he yanked open the nearest door and skidded to a halt on humid tiles. Everyone else had deserted the kitchen to go enjoy the open bar and packed dance floor. The remains of the cake lay on a prep table, only crumbs and frosting left. Too busy playing his role, he’d missed the celebration.
Alone, in these familiar surroundings—this refuge—all the mistakes of the past week crushed down on him, gravity amplified. Trusting too much, wanting too much, falling too soon.
His fault. He hadn’t heeded his own heart’s warning. Ignored years of experience that told him he wasn’t someone people chose. Not for the long haul. Not for forever.
After surviving breakfast with her grandparents and pulling off this dinner, he’d deluded himself into thinking he might have a place with Simone.
But she’d never wanted him here. Never wantedhim, at all.
The door swung open, and he darted over to the wall and flattened himself against it, next to an apron hanging on a hook. He held his breath, hoping it was just a cook looking to nab an extra piece of cake.
But Simone stepped into the room, bare feet soundless on the tile, the velvet skirt of her dress bunched in her hands to raise it off the floor. Her hair was braided close against her scalp and twined through with gold threads, the rest twisted into a knot at her nape. The maroon dress was cut down to just above the curve of her hips, accentuating the smooth sweep of her back.
His fingers tightened on the apron strings hanging next to him, and the hooks jangled.
She spun around. “Finn?”
No more holding his breath. No more hoping. “Surprised you came looking for me when I’m just a random nobody.”
Her face fell. “I didn’t mean for you to hear that.”
“Didn’t mean for me to hear it, or didn’t mean it?”
“Both.” She frowned. “If this was just nothing, do you think I would’ve let you come to Alisha’s party? Let you meet my friends and family? I risked a lot having you here.”
So had he. She’d risked her reputation. Her image. But he’d risked his heart. And he wouldn’t be chancing it again. From here on out, it was all business. “And the deal? Did you mean what you said about that? I’m a liability?”
“Why do you keep asking about the deal?”
How could he not, when hundreds of thousands of dollars hung in the balance? When money and career and hopes and dreams were stewing in the stockpot of their relationship, ready to boil over?
“It’s what you’ve been after all along.” She challenged him with the statement, but he’d already answered; he didn’t reply. “Is that why you stuck around?”
“I came for you. Like I told you.” She would never believe him; he saw that now. Too convinced everyone was out to get her. “But younever wanted a part of this deal in the first place. And I’m done waiting on you to make up your mind. Are you going to sign the merger, or not?”
