Page 73 of Wintertime Love (Holiday 2)

He seats himself at the counter, ignoring the curious gazes of the people whose ears the rumors have reached, and he leans forward to play with my braid, saying idly, “I heard you had some visitors this morning.”

I shrug, indifferently. “We call them customers here.”

He shoots me a narrow eyed look.

I smile pleasantly.

“Darlin’,” he begins in that rakish tone of his after a few minutes. “If someone were to bully you, you’d tell me right? I can’t have someone coming around and upsetting my girl.”

“Sure, I would,” I reply. “But then someone would have to try and bully me first, wouldn’t they?”

He studies me, a strange emotion in his eyes.

I heat up a sandwich for him. “What have you been up to all day?”

He shrugs, tearing off a corner of the sandwich I set in front of him. “Got a call from my grandmother who ordered me to escort Elaine to the ball.”

I blink at him. “And you’re so obedient as to do that?”

He grins. “I told her I’d think about it. But I’ll be meeting Elaine here to talk about opening a branch across the road. She’s suddenly very adamant it be opened now. I, however, have other plans.”

“You’re meeting her here?” I ask, surprised.

Finn toys with my left hand and tugs on my ring finger, “What would you say is your ring size?”

I snatch my hand back. “Finn, be serious. Why’d you invite her here?”

“To settle things once and for all.”

I stare at him, not sure what is cooking in that head of his.

He leans forward and gives me a concerned look. “But more importantly, Darlin’, what broke your heart? Come, let me kiss it better.”

I see the devious look in his eyes and dance out of his reach, warning him, “Do I need to hose you down?”

He smirks. “You can try.”

Some people around us laugh, accustomed to the sight of Finn flirting so outrageously while I snipe back, trying not to give in and yet falling nonetheless.

He eats his sandwich, offering me bites every now and then, and talks to me casually about a movie he’s been wanting to see.

“We can stay in and watch it on the big screen TV in the sunroom upstairs,” I tell him. “It’ll be a little cold but we can take a blanket and order pizza.” When Finn’s eyes glint, I have to laugh, “It’s an open room, so don’t even think about trying anything.”

Just as he’s in the midst of teasing me, the sound of the door opening has me looking over and even as my face doesn’t betray anything, I feel a surge of possessiveness and a desire to hide Finn behind me.

“Finn!” a gentle voice calls from behind him.

Finn, who’s tugging my braid, glances over with a casual expression. “Elaine.” He doesn’t say anything else.

The beautiful woman looks a little awkward before she begins, ignoring me completely, “Why did you call me here? We could have met at the hotel I’m staying at or a nice restaurant.” She doesn’t hide her disgust for this place. “Anything would have been better than this dump.”

Finn looks completely relaxed except for the look in his eyes which is frosty and doesn’t meet his smile. “I like this place. In fact, I have quite a lot of hopes for it.”

His words are strange even to my ears and I wave them off, giving a chilly smile to the new entrant. “What would you like to drink?”

Elaine gives me a cold look and ignores me. “Finn, darling, let’s find a more private booth.”

I wonder where she gets such confidence to blow me off when she knows Finn and I are together. Has she tried this before in front of other women, Finn has been dating and it worked?

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