Finn took a long pull on his beer and smirked.
Finn: Truth. But I promise best behavior when u visit. I turned u down the other night, remember? This isn’t an attempt to get u in a compromising position.
Liv: So now I’m not worthy of compromising? Whatever, Dorsey. *Flips hair*
Finn groaned despite knowing she was only playing the game and joking around. Just the thought of her on the other end of the line had warmth gathering low. Liv curled up on her couch after work, legs tucked under her, hair loose around her shoulders. Was she laughing at his jokes, picturing him in her mind like he was picturing her? How would she be if he were there next to her having this conversation? Would she still flirt so boldly? Would she blush when he teased back? Would her body react to his words the way his reacted to hers?
He shifted on the couch and adjusted his jeans, painfully aware of just how easily her words could get to him, but he didn’t want to make it awkward. He could play this game. He could pretend this wasn’t affecting him.
Finn: I would compromise u so hard, Arias, u wouldn’t be able to compromise w/ anyone else for weeks
Liv: Weird. I found that oddly hot.
Finn: Oddly Hot is my FBI code name
There wasn’t a response for a few seconds, and he wondered if he’d taken it too far. But just when he was about to type something else to shift the conversation, her message appeared.
Liv: Sorry, just spit water on my screen & my coworkers are looking at me like I’ve lost my mind. I shouldn’t text w/ u at work. UR going to get me in trouble.
Finn: UR still at work?
Liv: I’m always at work.
Finn: How’s the weekend looking?
Liv: Not great. Been nuts here. Crisis w/ a big account & my boss has been out most of the week so had to pick up slack. I can’t see getting caught up by Friday. But next weekend is a good possibility.
Finn frowned. Three days had passed since he’d dropped off Liv at the hotel. He’d been worried that it’d been a bad idea to invite her to stay across the driveway. But now that the possibility seemed to slip further away with her back in her real life, he found himself itching to make it happen.
Finn: Sounds good. No pressure. Just need to
know if I should clean out the room over the pool house next.
There. That sounded neutral enough, he hoped.
Liv: Outlook is good. Freshen away. I expect mints on my pillow.
Finn: Don’t have mints but do have a Costco-size bag of Starbursts because…priorities.
Liv: Score! Leave me the pink ones. Burn the lemon.
He laughed again and rested his head against the arm of the couch, feeling better than he had in a long-ass time.
Finn: Get back to work & stop slacking. I want u here next weekend & those websites aren’t going to build themselves.
Liv: Websites are lazy bastards. And u get back to not working, which for Recluse Dude means what? Beer & porn?
Finn: You. Don’t. Want. To. Know.
He said it as a joke. But based on the suddenly tight fit of his jeans, it was more accurate than he wanted to admit. He was turning back into a teenager where just a few flirty words from the beautiful Liv Arias had him pent up and hard.
Pathetic. He needed to get that shit under control before she got here, or he was going to embarrass himself.
Liv: See u soon, Batman.
The screen went dark, and Finn blew out a breath, staring at the ceiling and willing his body to behave. If a PG-rated text conversation did this to him, what was it going to be like knowing Liv was just across the driveway? He closed his eyes and drained the rest of his beer.
Masochist. He was a goddamned masochist.