Page 47 of Flirting in Traffic

Hearing about Julia’s selfishness always irritated her but hearing about what she’d done to Finn got her really boiling.

He shrugged. “She’s got a high-profile job. Apparently having a partner who fits her image is more important to her than I’d ever imagined. That’s how it is sometimes. You never really know what a person is really made of until the bombs fly.”

Esa scowled in the semi-darkness.

“But Julia hasn’t given up the hope of being with you, despite the fact that she doesn’t want to marry a guy who works in construction. Am I right?”

“I can’t control what Julia does or thinks, Esa.”

“No, I don’t suppose you can,” Esa conceded.

That still didn’t answer all her unasked questions about how he really felt about Julia, her betrayal…or relationships in general for that matter. But did she really need to ask? It seemed pretty obvious Finn was still nursing some pretty raw wounds—certainly significant enough injuries to keep him well out of the dating arena.

They sat for a moment in thoughtful silence.

“Traffic’s still pretty bad, huh?” he observed, an obvious attempt at breaking the weighty silence.

Esa exhaled tiredly as she shifted the car into drive. Even the word “traffic” seemed to drain her of energy nowadays.

“Uh uh,” Finn said sharply when she started to take the restricted ramp back onto the overpass so that they could merge onto the Dan Ryan. “Keep going on this road.”

Esa stared at him wide-eyed. “But it’s not even finished yet, is it?”

Finn’s eyes gleamed in the semi-darkness. “As of yesterday, one driving lane as well as the emergency lane are finished and cleared. We’ll open up the extra express lane come Monday but tonight…it’s wide open.”

Esa braked, bringing the car to an abrupt stop.

“You mean this road is clear sailing all the way into the city?” Esa asked, excitement making her voice tremble slightly.

“That’s my surprise to you.”

Esa just stared at him for a few seconds. Suddenly she laughed and pressed her foot to the accelerator.

The thought struck her as they blew past the cars moving sluggishly in traffic to the right of them that Finn had just given her a gift. And even though she hadn’t known him for that long, it was the most intimate, exhilarating…wonderful gift she’d ever been given.

“I felt like I was flying,” Esa exclaimed ten minutes later as she came to a neat stop inside of Finn’s parking garage.

“That’s because we were.”

For the first time Esa realized he looked a little pale.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Was I going too fast?”

“Going fast was the whole point, I suppose.”

He looked a little surprised when she unsnapped her belt and leaned across the console to hug him tightly.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she repeated as she pressed feverish kisses against his neck and jaw.

“I guessed that driv

ing fast and free on the Dan Ryan would be the equivalent of foreplay for you. I’m just glad the feeling is transferring to me,” he chuckled.

“Oh, it transferred to you all right,” Esa assured him with a soft growl as she bit at his earlobe. “You have no idea what you just unleashed.”

He grinned broadly but his hand on her jaw was firm as he gently pushed her back so that he could look into her eyes.

“I had an idea. But let’s get one thing straight, honey.”

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