“Bear Grylls doesn’t use a lighter.”
“He sure as hell would if he had one. Survival tip number one, use the resources available to you.”
I sat on the floor holding my skewer in one hand and trying to teach kitty to sit while Finn grabbed the wood, cleared my fireplace of candles, and then got to work building a fire. I didn’t have much in the way of kindling, so it took some effort.
“Look, I think she’s getting it.”
“You can’t teach a cat to sit,” he argued without looking.
“Not a normal cat, but you can with Bengals.”
“There.” He stepped back and admired the fire. “I think it’s finally going.”
He grabbed the takeaway and drinks and brought it all over so we could eat by the fireplace. It was so cozy and intimate, and I wanted to be uncomfortable with it all, but I was enjoying it too much. Roasting marshmallows in my living room… my house had never seen this much excitement.
“Now, this is very important. How do you like your marshmallow?”
“Charred.”
He grimaced and shook his head. “Wrong answer. Light to medium is the best. Everyone knows this.”
“Nope, we’ll have to disagree on that. Respectfully, of course.”
We sat close together in front of the fire, holding our skewers with the marshmallows just over the flame. Kitty was between us, entranced with the fire.
“Light to medium may have to do, this skewer is getting hot.” I moved my fingers so I was just barely gripping the warm metal. It was getting hotter by the second.
“Oh shit.” He moved his skewer to his left hand and reached for mine. Warm fingers wrapped around it and he leaned closer. “I got it; you can let go.”
Holding my breath, pulse racing, I was temporarily rooted in place and forgot all about my burning fingertips.
“Adele?”
“Hmm.” I looked up into his confused face.
“You can let go.”
“Oh, right.” I scooted back so fast I startled kitty. With some distance between us, I steered the conversation back to something sure to stop my heart from fluttering. “Are you excited about moving into your new place? When’s it ready? Monday?”
“Saturday, actually. The building manager was able to move things up a couple days for me.”
“Saturday,” I repeated. He’d be gone when I got back from New York. “That’s great.”
“Yeah.” There was a hint of uncertainty in his tone, but then he nodded and said more confidently, “Yeah, of course. It’s time kitty and I get out of your hair.”
“The place won’t be the same without you two, that’s for sure.”
“Right. Hopefully we didn’t disrupt your life too much. I appreciate it, sincerely. The past two weeks could have gone a lot different if you hadn’t taken us in.”
“Right place at the right time.”
“Are you always so obstinate when someone tries to thank you?”
I pressed my lips together.
“Anyway, thank you and I’m sorry if I did or said anything that wasn’t on the up and up. Those first few days are a bit of a blur, but I’m certain I was an arsehole on at least one occasion.”
“Just one or two come to mind, huh?”
He smiled. “These are done.”
The marshmallows were only medium not charred how I preferred. He must have read it on my face.
“Try it this way and if you don’t like it, then I’ll burn the shit out of the next one.”
He assembled the s’mores, handed one to me, and then held his up in the air between us. “Cheers.”
He watched as I took a small bite. There was really no ladylike way to eat a s’more. Melted marshmallow and chocolate stuffed between two pieces of graham cracker was messy and not the least bit sexy or romantic. Or at least I’d have sworn to that fact before Finn stared at my mouth while I chewed. He still held his in one hand, perhaps waiting to see my reaction before diving in, but his throat worked, and I found myself blushing.
“How is it?”
Mouth full, I nodded my approval. He leaned forward and used the pad of his thumb to catch a crumb at the corner of my lip. Instinctively my tongue swept my lips and I swallowed. His eyes locked on to mine and I was caught in the darkening pools of blue as he slowly brought his mouth to mine.
He kissed me so tenderly and softly, but it felt like the force of a thousand tons slammed into me. I forgot to breathe or think or be. I was soul and lips alone and they’d both been claimed by Finn.
His tongue swept in for just a second and then he pulled back slightly. The next kiss was harder, hungrier. His thumb continued to trace along my bottom lip and then he nipped at it playfully.
“Adele,” he whispered my name, gruff and needy.
I was on my feet with reflexes that would have made kitty proud. I pressed two fingers to my lips. “I’m so sorry.”
Finn stood in front of me looking calm despite the panic thrumming inside me. “I think that’s my line.”
“No, this was my fault.” I walked to the kitchen and tossed what remained of the s’more into the trash. “I have a boyfriend.”
He’d abandoned his at some point as well and shoved both hands in his pockets. “Yeah, I know. Kissing you might have been a jerk move, but I just had to know.”
“Had to know what?”
“If it’d be as good as I thought.”
I wanted to be mad or outraged… anything, but what I felt – curious. Was it as good as he thought?
“It was better,” he said and came closer. “My life feels somehow fuller having met you. God, that’s cheesy right? But it’s true. I forgot what it was like to have someone cut through all the bullshit and just be with me.”
“I’m not with you.”
“See, right there. Most people in my life wouldn’t dream of calling me on some technicality, but you… you don’t give a shit if you hurt my feelings. The past two weeks I’ve been a mess, but I’m not too screwed up to see that there’s something between us.”
He was wrong. So wrong. About all of it, but especially about not caring if I hurt his feelings. I cared, it’s just that I worried about protecting myself more.
He placed a hand under my chin. It would be so easy to give in, to let him kiss me, fuck me. But no one willingly walked into the fire. I wouldn’t let him burn down my life just to satisfy some curiosity. In two days, he was going back to his real life.
“I have to go.” I stalked into my room, grabbed my suitcase and purse, and in a very uncharacteristic move, I didn’t even do a last check to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything. I’d worry about that if and when it happened. Right now, I needed to get the hell out of here.
Adele
I was a big, fat coward. And a tired one, too. I was going on maybe fifteen minutes of sleep. Every time I’d drifted off on the plane, I’d woken with the feel of Finn’s lips pressed to mine.
Richard waved from his table, dark hair perfectly in place and crisp white button-down shirt. He smiled and I took a deep breath for the first time today. Everything was fine. I was right where I was supposed to be.