Page 115 of I'm Looking for a Man in Finance
“Don’t be,” he said, his voice fierce as his grip tightened, holding me close. “I missed this. I missedyou. I’m sorry I didn’t reach out to you. To let you explain sooner. It felt like I had the rug pulled out from under me, like what happened last time with Cassidy. That wasn’t fair to you.”
I tilted my head back to look at him. His eyes were full of everything we hadn’t been able to say.
Was he going to kiss me?
God, he had to kiss me.
But he didn’t move right away. He justlookedat me, as though memorizing every detail, every piece he thought he’d lost. My heart pounded so loud I thought for sure he could hear it.
And then, finally, he leaned in.
Soft at first, tentative. But after a few moments, everything we’d been holding back finally broke free. The kissdeepened, slow and consuming. Longing poured behind every movement. The world narrowed down to just this—the smell of his cologne, the press of his mouth, the way his hand slid up to cup my cheek like he was anchoring himself to the moment.
The cheers startled me.
We pulled apart, just barely, and realized the entire bar had erupted around us.
Even the guys I’d attempted to get dates from—Graham, Mark, even Henry—were lifting their glasses. Regulars at the far end of the bar were clapping. Joey winked at me from behind the counter and mouthed,finally.
I blinked through the laughter and surprise, then turned back to James. His eyes were still on me, unwavering.
“I want to make this clear, Hal. Ilikeyou. A lot,” he said, when we pulled apart. “These past couple of weeks have been awful without you. But this? Seeing you tonight? It’s reminded me how much better everything feels when you’re part of it. You make me excited to go to build something new. To come home to someone who actually gets it—getsme.”
I laughed softly, teary-eyed. “James … I don’t just like you. I think I’m in love with you.”
“Damnit,” he whispered, pulling me closer. “I wanted to say that first.”
His thumbs brushed my cheeks, and he looked at me like I was everything.
“You didn’t need to,” I told him. “You showed me. In every way that matters.”
And then he kissed me again. Long and slow. As if he had all the time in the world.
The cheers echoed in the background. But I didn’t hear a single thing. It was only me and him in the middle of the bar where it had all started.
Because as far as perfect moments go, I couldn’t think of a better one. After months of searching, I’d finally found my man in finance.
Epilogue
James
A Year Later
“James!” my aunt exclaimed as Hallie and I walked through the door. “We have your usual table ready.”
“You need to stop saving that table for the two of us, Aunt Maria,” I said, leaning across the hostess stand to kiss her cheek. “There’s a line out the door.”
“We will always save your table, James. The two of you are family.” Aunt Maria reached over to squeeze my chin between her thumb and forefinger. “I’ll let your father and Tony know you’re here. And you look as gorgeous as ever, Hallie.”
Without hesitation, she pulled Hallie into a hug, and Hallie melted into her arms like she’d always belonged. After we’d made up, the Rossi clan had welcomed Hallie back without hesitation. They’d seen the magic between us and kept their faith in us when it looked like there was no coming back. They claimed her as one of their own from the start and the Rossis never gave up on family.
“Is Nonno in?” I asked, as Maria led us to a small table nestled near the window between the dining room and the kitchen.
It was the only one draped in white linen. The others all wore our famous red-checkered cloths. A single candle flickered at the center of our table, casting a soft glow.
“I thought we said no candles,” I teased as I pulled Hallie’s chair out for her.
“Your Nonno insisted,” Maria said, her voice sweet and a little smug. A twinkle shone in her eyes that made it clear this had been planned long before we arrived.
