“Probably because you were previously married to Mr. Grumpy Face over there, who decided not to share a meal with us.”
Her gaze tracked where he was staring. Mitch was currently introducing Allison to some people Finn didn’t know.
“Other lawyers.”
“You know them?”
“I know of them. I went to enough legal functions when I was married to Mitchell that I recognize the faces.”
Finn looked over the group, all talking and nodding with their noses in the air. He knew a few lawyers, but the ones he knew were all easygoing, fun people. Clearly not the case with that group, though.
“Bunch of tightasses, just like your ex.”
She sputtered out a laugh. “You summed him up in a single word.”
“We had a few words earlier, actually.”
“You did?” She tilted her head back and gave him a curious look. “About what?”
“You. He thinks I’m beneath you.”
Flames of ire fired up in her eyes. “He’s full of shit. He doesn’t even know you. Or me, for that matter. That was half the problem in our marriage. I’d like to go over there and give him a rundown of all the ways he doesn’t know me. In fact . . .”
She’d started to make a turn but he held on to her arm. “Okay, feisty, rein it in. I wanted to shove my fist in his face, too. I took a walk outside instead.”
“You did? You wanted to hit him?”
“Of course I did. He’s an asshole. Who wouldn’t want to hit him?” He swept his hand down her arm. “Besides, how could any man not want to know everything about you?”
He felt the tension leave her body.
“Let’s go dance,” she said, taking hold of his hand.
“Sure.”
They joined the throng of dancers bouncing around on the dance floor. Finn had already discarded his suit coat, and the air conditioning was cranked to a nice cool level, so it wasn’t too bad while he hopped around and tried to keep up with Brenna. But he was happy when a slow song came on and he pulled her into his arms, her body against his.
“Now this is more like it,” he said.
“You just like having your hands on me.”
He swept his fingers along her back. “No lie.”
Her lips curved. “I will admit that it feels good when you touch me.”
“I could do a lot more touching.”
When her eyes widened, he added, “With your permission, of course. And in private.”
“We haven’t even had a date yet.”
“We will. Besides . . .” He rubbed his fingers over the ring she wore on her left hand. “We’re engaged, remember?”
“Only for one more day.”
“Which means, what? That I don’t get to touch you like this after tomorrow? Or lean in and kiss you on the neck like this?”
He pressed his lips to the side of her neck, felt her whole body shudder as he wrapped his arms around her and drew her closer while they swayed to the slow strains of a love song.
He thought she’d object, pull back, but she held tight to him, and he breathed in her tangy lemon scent, wishing he could run his tongue over her neck, her collarbone and all the other sweet parts of her body. He wanted to explore her, to learn everything there was to know about her body, her mind, her thoughts and what she wanted and needed.
But for now, the way they fit together was damned perfect.
He could do this all night.
* * *
• • • • • •
BRENNA SANK INTO the lull of the music, the feel of Finn’s delightfully hard body pressed against hers. He smelled crisp and clean and just a little bit like something she wanted to take a bite out of, so maybe something a little dangerous, too.
When had she ever done anything dangerous in her life?
Uh, never.
Mitchell had been the safe choice, the expected choice. She’d known within six months of marrying him that she’d made an epic mistake, but she’d hung on for another six months until she couldn’t take his constant criticisms and never-ending phone calls and disappearances in the name of work anymore. She’d tried so hard to engage him in their relationship, in the two of them, until she’d realized that she’d been the only one putting in the work.
But that was in the past, and it was done and over with.
Now—tonight—she was being held by a seriously hot man who smelled good and felt even better and she wanted so many things she couldn’t even put words to them. She wanted him to keep smoothing his hand down her back and pressing his hard thighs against her, and humming to the music with his amazingly good voice.
Sure, it was all a fantasy, but wrapping herself up in a fantasy for a little while wouldn’t hurt anything, would it?
“Hey,” Finn whispered.
She looked up, mesmerized by his beautiful face with all its chiseled angles. He had an amazing jaw, and what woman could resist a square jaw like that? Or his angular nose? Or those eyes that always seemed to hypnotize her.
“Mmm-hmm.”
“Song’s over.”
She blinked and stepped back. “Oh. Of course it is. I should go do . . . something.”
He took her hand. “Do you have something specific to do?”
She looked around. Esther and Brock were visiting tables, and all the other bridesmaids had disappeared.
“Not right now.”
He took her hand. “We’ll grab something to drink and sit at my table. You can meet all the fun people I’ve been hanging out with.”
He seemed excited about her meeting his new friends, so she smiled and nodded. “That sounds fun.”
She got a glass of wine and he ordered a beer, and then they went to the table. Everyone was laughing and having fun. She noticed Mitchell two tables away, sitting with Allison. There was a lot of nodding and talking, but no laughing or smiling.
After thirty minutes at Finn’s table, she was laughing, too. Finn was right—this was a fun group of people. Sue had a bawdy sense of humor, and she’d already bonded with her girlfriend, Andi, over their shared love of books and reading.
And the entire group raved about the wines, so how could she not love everyone at the table?
Finn and Johan had discovered a mutual passion for whiskey, so apparently they were now lifelong friends.
The group was animated and boisterous. Several of the groomsmen and their wives and dates made their way over, and soon they had their own party going.