“I’m thoroughly terrified.”
“I can tell.” She rolled off him, pulling the quilt around her. “But maybe I’ll let you have breakfast with me tomorrow and help pack my camera gear for Kincaid’s blog shoot.”
“I’m honored.” Finn sat up, hearing her teasing tone, but seeing the seriousness in her eyes. She wasn’t kidding. She didn’t want him staying overnight. Usually that was his move. He didn’t do sleepovers either, but getting kicked out felt a little different than being the one leaving of his own volition.
He wasn’t going to push, though. They had boundaries. This was a friendly hookup. Not let’s play like we’re dating. That was important. He wanted to spend this time with Liv, and goddamn did he want her in his bed again, but his one nonnegotiable was that he wouldn’t hurt
her. Pretending this was something that it wasn’t would only tangle up what could be a fun respite for them both.
He climbed out of bed and pulled on his boxers, liking how she watched him. “Tonight was great.”
“It was.”
He hoped that was the truth for her, that she wasn’t regretting anything. Liv was generous by nature, and she’d known how long it’d been for him. He didn’t want to be her charity case. He turned to face her. “I just want it to be clear that this isn’t some binding contract. I know this wasn’t the plan. So just tell me if you need me to back off, and I will. Us doing this once doesn’t mean I have any expectations that it’s how things will go while you’re here. Hopes but no expectations.”
She gave him a get-over-yourself look. “Once again, I came on to you, so maybe I should be giving you that speech. No pressure, Dorsey.”
The suggestion was ludicrous enough that he had to fight not to laugh aloud.
“Right. Like I wouldn’t want to do that again. And again.” He sniffed. “Have you seen you?”
She grinned at her words being thrown back at her. “I have, and I am spectacular.”
He stepped around the bed and went in for one more kiss. “Understatement of the year. Now, get some rest. You’ve got pictures to take tomorrow.”
She nodded and settled under the covers but stayed propped up on her elbows. “I’m thinking you in those boxers—or out of them—will be a good subject.”
“Ha. Keep dreaming. I’m a strictly behind-the-scenes guy.”
“Shame.”
He shook his head and grabbed the rest of his stuff off the floor. There were no neighbors close, so walking to the house in his shorts wasn’t going to cause a scandal, and he was just going to get rained on again anyway. “When’d you get so dirty-minded, Arias?”
She arched a brow and tapped her temple. “It’s always been there. You have no idea the filthy things I did with you in my virgin mind back then. If only you’d dated me for real…”
The admission made his blood heat again. “Did I mention I was a stupid, stupid boy back then?”
Her lips curled into a playfully evil smile.
“I’m leaving now because otherwise you’re going to get no sleep at all.”
She leaned over and clicked off the lamp. “Good night, Finn.”
Damn she was good at the tease. “Good night, Livvy.”
He jogged back to the main house in the cold rain, fighting the urge to return to her room and launch into a campaign about how sleep was overrated. They would have time.
A summer of weekends.
With Liv.
That had seemed like forever when he’d first heard it. But now it didn’t seem like nearly long enough.
When he got to the main house, he took a hot shower and then went through his normal bedtime routine, checking all the locks, making sure nothing was tampered with, and slipping his gun in his boot. But for the first time in a long time, instead of lying there and going through the last two years or combing his memory for any evidence he might have missed, he went to sleep with a quiet mind and a grin on his face.
chapter
SEVENTEEN