Page 38 of For Your Love

When they returned to O’Connor Tower, Finn held the elevator for her. “Do you want to stop off at your apartment first?”

“No, I’m good.” She’d been with him last night and all day today. The wise thing to do was to go back to her apartment and prepare for her new job, but she enjoyed his company, especially that spark of attraction between them. Seeing her favorite manuscript had been special but sharing that moment with Finn made it all the more meaningful. He seemed to understand how important her research had been to her.

Finn pushed the button for the twentieth floor—the penthouse floor.

Colleen peeked at him, but he kept his eyes forward.

The elevator stopped and Finn waited for her to step out first.

Walking down the hall, Colleen asked, “How many apartments are on this floor?”

“Two.”

“They must be huge.” She approached a set of tall, dark, walnut doors. “Loft One?” she asked, glancing at the brass plaque next to the door.

“That’s me,” he answered with a shy smile, opening the door for her.

As soon as she stepped inside, interior lights automatically came on, revealing a massive space. “Wow.”

Finn made adjustments to a panel and seconds later, the steady rhythm of a blues guitar came through the speakers.

“So,” Finn said, opening the enormous side-by-side refrigerator, “I mostly have beer, but I do have a few bottles of white or red wine.”

“Red is fine.” Colleen took a seat at the breakfast bar while Finn opened a small pantry door with bottles of wine in a storage rack.

“To be honest, I don’t know a lot about wine. I asked a wine shop for some advice, and this is what they suggested. Is a cabernet okay?” he asked over his shoulder.

“Cabernet is good.” Colleen leaned her elbows on the counter. She kept her eyes on him as he worked the corkscrew in with ease, and then popped the cork free.

“Wine glass?” Colleen prompted.

“Yeah,” he said, rummaging through a cabinet, a coffee mug crashed to the hardwood floor. “Shit!”

Colleen bent down to pick up the broken pieces.

“I’ll take care of it,” Finn said. “I don’t want you to cut yourself.”

“There’s only a few pieces,” she said, noting his slightly shaky hand as he picked up the pieces of porcelain. “Why are you so nervous?”

“I’m not nervous.” He tossed the broken bits into the trash.

She took a seat again. He was nervous. And that small insight meant that her presence in his home mattered to him, but it also suggested that maybe it would be best to slow this down. “If this is too weird, I can go. I’m sure Sean will be home soon.”

“There’s no food in your apartment.” His voice was low and inviting. Finn poured a glass of wine and handed it to her.

“I think I can handle ordering a pizza.”

He took a sip of beer, fixing his eyes on her. “I’ll order us a pizza. There’s a place close by and it’s phenomenal. Interested in sharing?”

Colleen couldn’t resist his invitation. “Sounds great, but I’m particular about my pizza.”

Finn grinned. “I remember. Why don’t you take a look around while I order?” He nodded to the tall windows.

Colleen slid off the stool. Finn had an impressive bookcase filled with history books, biographies, and mysteries. A huge TV screen was on the other wall above a wide dual-sided fireplace.

Making her way to the floor-to-ceiling paned glass windows, a collection of photos caught her eye. They were nestled beside a biography of Benjamin Franklin. A small photograph in a simple, silver frame caught her attention. She picked up the frame to take a closer look. It was a photo of her father with Finn taken while fishing off the Santa Monica Pier. Her dad was cheering while a proud Finn held up a tiny fish on the line. She’d never seen this photo before and was touched that Finn displayed it in his home.

“That was one of the happiest days of my life,” Finn said behind her.

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