Page 70 of Stirring Up Love
“I didn’t.”
“You did.”
“I like that you’re not creepy.” She blew on her tea, sending little waves across the surface. “That’s why it’s a bad thing.”
Her words swept across the small space between them. A ripple of awareness.
They drank their tea in silence, but not the kind that crackled with unspoken animosity or weighed down the air with the pressure of indecision. This was a companionable silence that stretched and grew into an iridescent bubble of happiness. One word could pop these precious, fragile feelings expanding between them, so he didn’t reply.
When she was done, she leaned over and put a wrist to his forehead. Cool and herbaceous. “Fever’s gone.” She let her arm fall, and he almost caught it. Almost smoothed his thumb over the fine green veins on the underside of her wrist. Raised her palm to his lips and kissed it.
Almost, but didn’t.
Instead, he pushed down the covers and swung his legs off the bed. “Off we go, then.”
She put out a quelling hand, fingertips brushing his thigh through the soft cotton of the pajamas, and his pulse skittered. “I already talkedto Carter and Elliot about an early checkout tomorrow. One good night’s rest. We can leave the key in the drop box and head out at dawn.”
Her hand was still on his leg, and he exhaled slowly, tentatively, but a cough still caught the tail end. He raised his elbow to cover his mouth.
What a wreck ... him. This trip. The deal.
“I’m sorry,” he said, when he could manage words again.
“You’re sorry your immune system sucks?”
He chuckled, chest burning. “Are you sure we can make it in time?”
“We’d better.” She smoothed a hand down the comforter. “I’m already the town pariah. People would never let me live it down if word gets out I missed my own sister’s bachelorette party.”
This time he gave in to instinct. Reached for her hand and squeezed.
One thumping heartbeat, another, and then she was pulling her hand away, into her lap. Twisting the silver ring on her thumb. “I should go finalize some details for the party.” She stood up and smoothed back his hair, her nails a soft scrape at his temple. “Try to sleep, so we can drive straight through.”
But how could he sleep when her touch set him aflame?
CHAPTER 24
SIMONE
Darkness fell while Finn was still napping. Simone had washed out her delicates in the sink—she’d packed for two days, not a week—then gone to the business center in the lodge to place a rush order for premade gift bags for the bachelorette party, since she wouldn’t have time to DIY.
To-do list handled, there was nothing left to do but stare at the ceiling and try not to implode from restlessness. She’d silenced a call from Meg—prompted by interference from Alisha, no doubt—and Pops—calling to ream her out for sacrificing her principles. Or so she assumed. She let both go to voice mail, too embarrassed to talk until she found a way out of this mess.
With Finn’s deathbed confession about his passion project, he’d unknowingly derailed her plans to cut him out of the deal. But keeping the idea to himself on the show raised red flags. Had he concocted the whole idea just to get her on board? Then again, she hadn’t felt comfortable pitching her plans for Hawksburg either.
She cast a glance his way. Still sleeping, like he had been most of the day, except when he was pestering her about her own hopes and dreams. Making her head spin with sappy, woozy feelings, like she was the oneon cold meds. Experience told her his altruism was a ploy, but there’d been a vulnerability in his eyes as he shared his vision.
And the kisses they’d shared ... earthshaking.
How was she supposed to make this huge decision when his body turned her brain to mush and his words turned her heart to gooey sap?
“Up for a game of checkers?” Finn asked, startling her.
She swung around and found him sitting up in bed, a bottle of water in his hands, watching her. “I take back what I said. You’re creepy as all get-out. How long have you been awake?”
“About as long as you’ve been pacing like a cornered tiger.”
She stopped, realizing that yes, she had been.
