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By taking over WW Architectural Design?
Maybe his “help” was all about helping his own bottom line. “I’m sure Finn will be fine,” she said, more to allay her own fears than her father’s. Because all of a sudden she wasn’t so sure anything was going to be fine. “He’s really smart and has been a great asset on this project.”
“I’d just be very cautious about an alliance with him,” her father said. “He’s one of those guys who’s always out to win. No matter the cost.”
“He’s been very up-front with me, Dad. I don’t think he has a hidden agenda.” Though could she say that for a hundred percent? Just because she’d married Finn and kissed him didn’t mean she knew much more than she had two days ago. Every time she tried to get close to him, he pushed her away.
“Don’t trust him, that’s all I’m saying. He’s backed into a corner, and a dog that’s in a corner will do anything to get out.”
Anything. Like marry a total stranger.
And try to steal her father’s legacy right out from under her.
CHAPTER NINE (#ulink_e314e9e0-d107-512d-981d-8667b85e6422)
RILEY and Brody dragged Finn out for breakfast. The two brothers showed up at Finn’s office, and refused to take no for an answer.
“Why are you stuck in this stuffy office, instead of spending time with your hot new wife?” Riley said. “You’ve been married for almost a week now, and I swear, you spend even more time here than you did before you got married.”
Brody gave Riley’s words a hearty hear-hear. “Jeez, Finn. You’d think being married would change you.”
He didn’t want his brothers reminding him about his marriage—or lack of one. Or the fact that he hadn’t seen Ellie in a couple of days. He’d gone home after that night on the balcony, and had yet to return to her apartment, or her office.
He’d sent his senior architects to most of the meetings at WW, and only gone to one when Ellie wasn’t scheduled to be there. He conferred with his team back here at his office, and in general, avoided Ellie. Entirely. He used the excuse that the drawings were due in a few days, but really, he knew that was all it was—an excuse. An excuse to keep his distance. Because every time he was with her, he considered the kind of heady relationship he’d spent a lifetime avoiding. “I am changed.”
Riley arched a brow. Brody outright laughed. “Sure you are. Prove it and leave the shackles behind for a little while.”
Finn scowled. “I have work to do.”
“Come on, let’s get something to eat,” Brody said. Like the other McKenna boys, Brody had dark brown hair, blue eyes and a contagious smile. As the middle brother, he had a mix of both their personalities—a little serious and at the same time a little mischievous.
Riley turned to Brody. “What do you say we kidnap him?”
Brody put a finger on his chin and feigned deep thought. “I don’t know. He’s pretty stubborn.”
“We’ll just tie him up.” Riley grinned. “So there’s your choice, Finn. Either come with us or we’re going to haul you out of here like an Oriental rug.”
Finn chuckled. “Okay. I can see when I’ve been beaten.” He wagged a finger at them. “But I only have time for a cup of coffee, no more.”
The three of them headed out of the office, and instead of going down Beacon to their usual haunt, Riley took a right and led them toward a small corner diner on a busy street. The sign over the bright white and yellow awning read Morning Glory Diner. It looked cheery, homey. The opposite of the kind of place the McKenna boys usually frequented. “Hey, I really don’t have room in my schedule to go all over the city for some coffee,” Finn said. “My day is very—”
Riley put a hand on his arm. “You gotta ask yourself, what do you have room for?”
“Because it’s sure not sex.” Brody laughed. “I can’t believe you’ve been at work bright and early every morning. Haven’t you heard of a honeymoon period?”
Finn wasn’t about to tell his brothers that his was far from a conventional marriage. A honeymoon was not part of the deal. Nor was he even living with his “wife.” “Take advice on marriage from you? The eternal bachelor twins?”
“Hey, I may not be interested in getting married—ever.” Riley chuckled. “But even I know a newly married man should be spending all his time with his new bride.”
“Yeah, and in bed,” Brody added.
Damn. Just the words bed and wife had Finn’s mind rocketing down a path that pictured Ellie’s luscious curves beneath him, her smile welcoming him into her heart, her bed, and then tasting her skin. Taking his time to linger in all the hills and valleys, tasting every inch of her before making slow, hot love to her. Again and again.
He’d had that dream a hundred times in the days since he’d met her. He found himself thinking of her at the end of his day, the beginning of his day, and nearly every damned minute in between.
And that alone was reason enough to end this. He was a practical man, one who made sensible decisions. The sensible side of him said keeping his distance from Ellie was the wisest course. The one that would head off the disaster he’d created before. A part of him was relieved.
Another part was disappointed.
The part that dreamed about Ellie Winston and wondered what it would be like to consummate their temporary marital union.
Finn cleared his throat and refocused. He was in a platonic marriage, and there was no definition of that word that included having sex. “I’m not taking relationship advice from you two.”
“Maybe you should, brother.” Riley quirked a brow at him, as they entered the diner and sidled up to the counter. The diner’s namesake of bright blue flowers decorated the border of the room, and offset the bright yellow and white color scheme. “So, besides the fact that you aren’t in bed with her right now, how is it going with the new missus?”
“Do you want to talk about anything else this morning?”
Riley glanced at Brody. “Not me. You?”
“Nope. Finn’s life is my number-one topic of conversation.”
He loved his brothers but sometimes they took well-meaning just a step—or ten—too far. “Well then, you two will be talking to yourselves.” Finn ordered a black coffee, then gestured toward Riley and Brody. “What do you guys want?”
“Oh, you’re paying?” Riley grinned. He turned to the waitress, a slim woman with a nametag that read Stace. “Three bagels, a large coffee and throw in some extra butter and cream cheese. Can you pack it in to-go bags, too? Thanks.”
“Two blueberry muffins and a large coffee for me,” Brody said.
“You’re guys aren’t seriously going to eat all that, are you?” Finn fished out his wallet and paid the bill.
“Hell no. I’m getting breakfast for the next three days.” Riley grinned again.
“Yeah, and considering how often you offer to pay, maybe I should have ordered a year’s supply.” Brody chuckled.
Finn rolled his eyes. “You two are a pain in the butt, you know that?”
“Hey, we all have our special skills,” Riley said. “Except for you, because you’re the oldest. You get the extra job of taking care of us.”
“Last I checked you were grown adults.”
“Hey, we may be grown, but some us aren’t adults.” Riley chuckled.
“Speak for yourself.” Brody gave Riley a gentle punch in the shoulder.
Finn pocketed his change and followed his brothers over to a corner table. Since it was after nine, the breakfast crowd was beginning to peter out, leaving the diner almost empty. The smell of freshly roasted coffee and fresh baked bread filled the space.
“You know, I was just kidding,” Riley said. “You don’t have to take care of us. Or buy us breakfast.”
“I didn’t see your wallet out.”
Riley grinned. “You were quicker on the draw.” Then he sobered. “Seriously, sometimes you gotta take care of you.”
“Yeah, you do,” Brody said.
Finn looked at his brothers. “What is this? An intervention?”
Riley and Brody both grinned. “Now why would you think that?” Brody said, affecting innocence that Finn wasn’t buying. His brothers clearly thought he was working too much and living too little. “This is just coffee, isn’t it Riley?”
Their youngest brother nodded. A little too vigorously. “Coffee and bagels.” Riley held out the bag. “Want one?”
Finn waved off the food. He glanced around the diner. Filled with booths and tables, the diner had a cozy feel. Seventies tunes played on the sound system, while Stace, apparently the lone waitress, bustled from table to table and called out orders to the short-order cook in the back. “What made you pick this place?” Finn asked. “I didn’t even know you came here.”
“Oh, I don’t know. We thought it’d be nice to have a change of scenery.” Riley’s head was down, while he fished in the bag.
“Change of scenery?” Finn tried to get Riley’s attention, but his brother seemed to be avoiding him. “What is this really about?”
The bell over the door rang and Riley jerked his head up, then started smiling like a fool. He elbowed Brody. “Well, there’s our cue to leave.”
“What? We just got here.”
Riley rose. Brody popped up right beside him, guilty grins on both McKenna faces. “Yeah, but someone much better company than us just showed up.” Riley dropped the bag of food onto the table. “I’ll leave these. Be nice and share.”
“What? Wait!” But his brothers were already heading for the door. Finn pivoted in his seat to call after them. And stopped breathing for a second.
Ellie stood in the doorway, framed by the sun, which had touched her hair with glints of gold. She had on a dark blue dress today that skimmed her knees and flared out like a small bell. It nipped in at her waist, and dropped to a modest V in the front. She wore navy kitten heels today, but still her legs, her curves, everything about her looked amazing.
Finn swallowed. Hard.
Riley and Brody greeted Ellie, then Riley pointed across the room at Finn. Riley leaned in and whispered something to Ellie, and her face broadened into a smile. It hit Finn straight in the gut, and made his heart stop. Then Ellie crossed the room, and Finn forgot to breathe.
Her smile died on her lips when she reached him. “I didn’t know you’d be here this morning.”
“I didn’t know, either.” Finn gestured toward the door. “I suspect my brother is at work here.”
“I think you’re right. I’ve seen him in here a couple times. I recognized him from the cocktail party and we got to talking one day. I told him I’m here pretty often for my caffeine fix. I guess he figured he’d get us both in the same place.”
“That’s Riley.” Finn shook his head. “My little brother, the eternal optimist and part-time matchmaker.”
“He means well. And he thinks the world of you.” She cocked her head and studied him. “Wow. You three do look a lot alike.”
“Blame it on our genes.” Finn wanted to leave, but at the same time, wanted to stay. But his feet didn’t move, and he stayed where he was. He gestured toward the bag on the table. “Bagel? Or do you want me to get you a coffee?”
She glanced at her watch. “I have about fifteen minutes before I have to get to a meeting. I really should—” Her stomach growled, and she blushed, then pressed a hand to her gut, then glanced at the growing line at the counter. Despite the light banter, the mood between them remained tense, nearly as tough as the bagel’s exterior. “Okay, maybe I have enough time for just half a bagel.”
Finn opened the bag and peered inside. “Multigrain, cheese or plain?”
“Cheese, of course. If I’m going to have some carbs, I’m going all out.”
“A woman after my own heart.” Finn reached in the bag, pulled out a cheese-covered bagel and handed it to her, followed by a plastic knife and some butter. She laid it out on a napkin, slathered on some butter, then took a bite. When the high calorie treat hit her palate, she smiled, and Finn’s heart stuttered again.
“Oh, my.” Ellie’s smile widened. “Delicious.”
He watched her lips move, watched the joy that lit her features. “Yes. I agree.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, do you want some?”
“Yes,” he said. Then jerked to attention when he realized she meant the bagel. And not her. “Uh, no, I already ate this morning.”
“Let me guess.” She popped a finger in her mouth and sucked off a smidgen of butter. Finn bit back a groan. Damn. He wanted her. Every time he saw her, desire rushed through him.
“You had plain oatmeal,” Ellie went on. “Nothing fancy, nothing sugary.”
“No. Muffins.”
Her brows lifted and a smile toyed with the edge of her mouth. “Not ones from the floor, I hope?”
The words brought the memory of that day in her kitchen rocketing back. Their first day as a married couple. The sexual tension sparking in the air. The desire that had pulsed in him like an extra heartbeat.
He cleared his throat. “Freshly baked and boxed,” he said. “From a bakery down the street from my apartment. I rarely eat at home and usually grab something on the way to work.”
“This bagel is delicious.” She took another bite. Butter glistened on her upper lip, and Finn had to tell himself—twice—that it wasn’t his job to lick it off.
Except she was his wife. And that was the kind of thing husbands did with wives.
Unless they were in a platonic relationship.
But were they? Really? How many times had he kissed her, touched her, desired her? Had he really thought he could have a friends-only relationship with a woman this beautiful? This intriguing? A woman who made him forget his own name half the time?
And that was the problem. If he let himself get distracted by Ellie, he’d make a foolish decision. Finn was done making those.
“Why not?” Ellie asked.
“Uh … why not what?” His attention had wandered back to the bedroom, and he forced it to the present.
“Why not eat at home?”
It was a simple question. Demanded nothing more than a simple answer, and Finn readied one, something about hating to cook and clean. But that wasn’t what came out. “It’s too quiet there.”
Her features softened, and she lowered the bagel to the napkin. The room around them swelled with people, but in that moment, it felt like they were on an island of just two. “I know what you mean. I feel the same way about where I live. The floors echo when I walk on them. It’s so … lonely.”
Lonely. The exact word he would have used to describe his life, too.
A thread of connection knitted between them. Finn could feel it closing a gap, even though neither of them moved. “Have you always lived alone?”
“Pretty much. Even when I was younger, my parents were never there. My dad worked all the time and my mom …” Ellie sighed and pushed the rest of her breakfast to the side. “She had her own life. In college I did the dorm thing, but after that, I had an apartment on my own. I used to love it in my twenties, you know, no one to answer to, no one to worry about, but as I’ve gotten older …”
“It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.” He wondered what had made him admit all this in a coffee shop on a bright spring day. He’d never considered himself to be a sharing kind of man. Yet with Ellie, it seemed only natural to open up. “Though it was nice to share your space for a couple of days.”
Her face brightened. “Was it? Really?”
