Page 15 of Flirting in Traffic

Esa started out of her Finn-induced trance at that. Did he really think she was that promiscuous? A bitter defense rose to her tongue but she stilled it when she saw how his eyes glowed with arousal as he stared down at her mouth. Obviously Finn wanted her to be a loose, unprincipled sort of woman, so what right did she have to deprive him of his fantasy?

Never mind the fact that it was beyond thrilling to have him look at her like he was about to eat her up in one bite.

“Occasionally. A girl’s got to keep up her energy,” she informed Finn as she watched him through lowered eyelids. She wasn’t sure if he bought her seductive act or was just laughing at her when his white teeth flashed in his tanned face. Her heart seemed to pause in her chest when he ducked his head and used those sexy teeth to nip at her lower lip, gently prying her open.

When his attack came, however, it was anything but subtle.

He cut off her shaky moan by covering her mouth, penetrating her lips with his sleek tongue and kissing her hard and thoroughly. The lights that flashed behind her eyes looked like colorful blooming flowers. When he released her from that total onslaught on her senses her eyelids remained closed.

“Who taught you how to kiss, anyway?” she mumbled.

He took his time answering her question as he tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. “Let’s see…that probably would have been my cousin Dina.”

She opened one eye. “Kissing cousins? Isn’t that a bit of a cliché?”

His low, rumbling laughter made her want to press her cheek to his chest and absorb the experience with another sense organ besides her appreciative ears.

“She’s only a cousin by marriage, but then again just about everyone in Bridgeport is and the ones who aren’t are the real thing,” Finn said, referring to the South Side neighborhood where he grew up. He grabbed her hand. “Come on. How about a picnic? It’s a nice day. We might as well enjoy it while we get you fueled up for action.”

Esa opened up her mouth to protest his crudity—sex kitten act be damned—but then she noticed the gleam of mischief in his blue eyes. Her already escalated heartbeat skipped into double time as he pulled her out of Rachel’s office.

Dangerous. The alarming sort, warning-was-not-sufficient, run shrieking for the hills and hide all the valuables—most especially your heart—kind of d

ownright dangerous.

That’s what Finn Madigan was.

Chapter Six

She had to admit, Finn knew how to do a picnic right. They’d stopped at a French restaurant on Walton Street where the man standing behind the empty bar greeted Finn by name. When Finn explained what they planned the middle-aged gentlemen—who appeared to have a genuine French accent—bustled about preparing their outdoor feast. He’d made eye contact with Esa when he drew down a bottle of Bordeaux from the wine rack, and winked.

“He really likes you, doesn’t he? You must come here a lot?” Esa had whispered to Finn.

He’d shrugged. “I used to come several times a week.”

“Don’t you anymore?”

Finn had shaken his head. “Nah. I used to work across the street. Now that I’m at 63rd and the Dan Ryan it’s a little far to drive for lunch, even for Paul’s food.”

Esa had opened her mouth to ask him more about his previous job but Paul called out at that moment, holding up a partial round of cheese. Finn nodded his approval and Paul added it to the paper sack already filled with a crusty loaf of bread, a package filled with marinated olives, a bottle of wine, a plastic wine opener, cups, napkins and two enormous fresh peaches.

After parking Rachel’s car in the parking garage at Finn’s condo, they’d strolled lazily down Lake Shore Drive to Millennium Park. Since the day was so beautiful and the park was fully decked out in brilliant autumn regalia, they’d walked a bit before settling down to eat lunch.

They’d paused to watch a group being supervised in park-sponsored pumpkin carving. One particular pair of participants had caught Esa’s eye—a five- or six-year-old chestnut brown-haired girl accompanied by what appeared to be her grandmother. The older lady had successfully traced the pattern for the jack-o-lantern onto the pumpkin but she was wincing in discomfort as she tried to use a razor-type knife to carve out the meticulous design.

“No, it’s too sharp for you, Melissa,” Esa heard the grandmother tell the girl gently when the child tried to take the knife from her.

“Do you mind?” Esa asked with a friendly smile at the gray-haired lady as she nodded toward the hand that held the cutting tool.

The older lady looked confused by Esa’s request but she held up her hand nevertheless. Esa took the woman’s thin hand and removed the knife. Her fingers expertly massaged and soothed the arthritis pain that was clearly plaguing the elderly lady’s hand while she tried to enjoy a golden afternoon with her granddaughter.

The woman was grinning broadly by the time Esa released her hand a moment later. “Thank you!” She flexed her fingers and her smile widened. “It feels so much better. You have a gift there, young lady.”

Esa returned the woman’s smile. “It was my pleasure. You two ladies have a wonderful day.”

* * * * *

Kitten avoided his puzzled stare and headed quickly down the path away from the pumpkin carvers.

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