Page 60 of Savage Blooms
“We’re always on the rocks,” Finley scoffed. “But yes, we made up. Multiple times.”
“I hope you aren’t upset with me for what happened.”
“You mean you fingering my girlfriend, who happens to be my employer, three feet away from me? I’m not, actually. So long as you aren’t upset with me for taking liberties with Nicola.”
“Nicola can do what she likes, and we’re all grown,” Adam replied, in the voice he used to try to make himself sound worldly and experienced. “I think we know how to share.”
“And have you talked to Nicola about that?”
Deciding that was as good as any cue she was going to get, Nicola walked through the kitchen door as though she had just arrived.
Finley was leaning against the island pouring some coffee into a glazed mug, looking rumpled and touchable in a green T-shirt and soft plaid pajama bottoms. Adam was wearing one of his traveling Henleys over gray sweatpants and, judging by the imprint of his half-hard cock against the fabric, no briefs.
Nicola was momentarily dazzled by the sight of them both, feeling very spoiled for choice.
“Hey there,” Adam said.
“Good morning,” Finley chimed in pleasantly, and thank God, he wasn’t making anything weird. Nicola didn’t think she could stand it if anyone tried to make last night weird. She was utterly earnest about sex, and had always been terrible at playing the cool girl-who-can-pretend-they-care-less game, even in casual flings. “Want some coffee?”
“Yes please,” Nicola said, eyes following the way Finley fixed Adam’s coffee just the way he liked it, without having to be asked. Had he been paying that close attention to their tastes?
Finley poured Nicola a hot cup of coffee with plenty of milk and a tiny spoonful of sugar, just enough to take the bitterness away, and leaned down to kiss her on the cheek while he pressed it into her hands. Nicola turned her face at the last moment, offering him her mouth, and Finley gladly kissed her on the lips, as sweetly as though they had known each other their entire lives.
Adam watched with raised eyebrows, a small smile on his face. Nicola couldn’t help but kiss him too, pressing her lips right over that smile. Adam blinked at her, looking twitterpated and so, so cute.
“Hi,” he said, like he hadn’t said hello to her moments before.
“Hi,” she said back.
Finley looked through the window above the sink, and said with a sigh, “There she goes.”
Sure enough, Eileen was trudging up over a distant hill, shoulders hunched against the gray drizzle, wrapped in a coat that didn’t look remotely warm enough.
“Is she all right?” Adam asked, one hand drifting up thoughtlessly to rest on Nicola’s waist.
“She does this sometimes,” Finley muttered, draining his coffee. “Gets a bee in her bonnet about taking the air,or trying to climb a tree or swim the loch. She doesn’t know her own limits. I’ll call her back.”
“I can catch up with her,” Adam said brightly. And then, suddenly self-conscious, “If that’s okay with you. It’s just that you seem to spend a lot of your time making sure she’s all right. I don’t mind splitting that load with you, if you trust me to watch out for her.”
Finley looked startled, like such a thing had never occurred to him. But he nodded, slowly at first and then more resolutely.
“Yes. That would be very nice, actually. No need to lecture her. Just make sure she’s not catching her death out there, and try to convince her to come back inside quickly, will you? She isn’t supposed to go out in weather like this.”
“On it,” Adam said, stealing one more greedy kiss from Nicola before pulling his jacket off the coat hook and trotting out the kitchen door.
As soon as Adam was gone, Finley plucked up Nicola’s hand and brought it to his mouth.
“Thank you for last night,” he said, pressing his lips to her knuckles.
Nicola smiled at him, feeling warmer than summer.
“It was a lot of fun. We should do it again sometime.”
“I agree. But I would like to take you out on a proper date too, if you would let me. Consider it an apology for being an ass and fending you off for so long.”
“Are you done fending me off, Mr Buchanan?”
Finley gave her a lopsided smile.
