Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
I waved my fingers between us. “Isn’t this going to muddy those waters?”
“No. My private life is that. Private. Who I date has no significant impact on the hotel. I will rarely be in the building. I don’t make the decisions—Connie does. I won’t be directly supervising you. What happens between us stays between us.” He held up his hand. “And before you can ask, yes, Connie knows we’re involved. She is married to the manager and there is no issue there, so all is good, Una.”
“Involved?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “It’s our first date.”
He waited until our appetizers were set in front of us. He cut into his sizzling shrimp, taking a bite and chewing slowly, a pleased expression on his face. “Delicious.”
I tried my baked feta, spreading it on the warm toast, humming at the taste. “Agreed.”
He leaned closer, meeting my eyes, his serious. “The first of many,” he insisted.
“You’re so certain,” I mused.
“There was something the very moment I met you,” he replied. “You were too young and there was no way I would have acted on it, but I felt it again when I saw you at the funeral.” He paused. “I have never been able to move past that feeling, Una. Move past you. And this time, I didn’t want to take a chance and lose you.”
We were silent as I mulled over his words. I ate more of my appetizer, enjoying the saltiness of the feta and creamy garlic on the toast points. I saw Finn eye my plate, and with a smile, I handed him one of the delicious morsels. He ate it with gusto, placing a shrimp on my plate in return. It was garlicky and spicy, the shrimp bursting with flavor.
“I felt it too,” I admitted quietly. “Young or not, I felt something for you.”
“Then we’re on the same page.”
Dinner was smooth and enjoyable. Talking to Finn was easy. He listened to me. Really listened. He asked questions, answered mine honestly, thoughtfully.
“So do you still like to run?”
I nodded. “I do. It clears my head. I sometimes run in the park across from the hotel after work, but there’s another park by the house.”
He frowned. “Is it safe?”
“Yes. Lots of runners, bikes, and people taking their dogs for a walk. The paths are well lit, and I only run in the daytime,” I replied, my heart warming a little at his concern.
“Good. I wondered after they tore down the school.”
“You knew it was torn down?”
He sighed, wiping his mouth. “I worried, Una. About you running there in the evening.”
“You didn’t have to worry, Finn. They actually hired a security guard. He was there every…” I trailed off, something on his face giving him away.
“That was you?” I asked.
He nodded. “I had to stay away, but I had to make sure you were okay.”
“Finn,” I murmured.
“You already meant something. I needed to protect you.”
I blinked at the feelings he evoked. I felt warm, protected, and seen. My dad had been caring, but once he’d shown me how to defend myself, he seemed not to worry. Brian never noticed or cared what I did or where I went. Neither of them thought of my safety the way Finn had. It made me feel loved in a way I didn’t know I needed.
“Thank you,” I murmured, laying my hand over his. He smiled and squeezed our fingers together, then lifted my hand to his mouth, kissing it.
“I’ll always look out for you, Una.”
The warmth deepened.
Our entrees came, and Finn changed the subject. We talked about other things—books, the headlines, music. Any question I asked, he answered. Any opinion I gave, he listened.
“I’m still worried,” I admitted over dessert.
He ran a hand over his face. “I know, but Una, things are not the same as they were in your father’s early days. I know you saw a lot of ugly events. But I run a tight ship. I promote peace, as do others of my generation. We work together for the most part. None of us want our loved ones dead or living under a cloud of fear all the time.”
“There is still violence.”
He sat back, resting his ankle on his knee. “And there always will be. Whether we’re together or not. I try to control the violence. I know sometimes it rears its ugly head, but it’s less than it used to be. Things have changed, Una. What we do, how we do it, has changed. I have more legal businesses than not. I oversee and keep peace in my territory. My crimes involve other worlds. Art. Currency. Machines. And those profits feed the ones I use to keep peace.”
“I swore I would never date anyone in your world. I wanted to get as far away from it as possible.”
A frown marred his face, and furrows deepened on his brow. “So, you’re changing your mind?”