“‘S ‘at a fact?” Esa wasn’t quite sure why, but for a split second she was sure that Finn had growled the question.
“Yes. It just slipped my mind until that moment.”
“I hope you made it on time.”
“Just the teeniest bit late,” she replied sweetly. She came around the desk, trying to hide her trepidation at the idea of no longer having such a reassuringly solid object between her and Finn.
“So you had a good time on your date?” he inquired warmly.
“Hmmm?” Esa asked, losing the thread of their inane conversation when he suddenly turned and matched her pace as she fled the room. Her heart hammered so hard in her ears she almost couldn’t hear her own voice.
From the corner of her eye she saw how crisply white his t-shirt looked against his tanned skin and the gray flannel shirt that he wore casually over it. If the pair of faded jeans that he wore fit his lean hips, long thighs and tight butt any better he’d have jean companies shouting out offers for him to advertise their product while he sauntered down the city street.
Yeah, Carla had pretty much been dead-on in her assessment. Finn Madigan was downright delicious.
The fact that he, like his brother Jess, was undoubtedly used to having sexy young things throw themselves at him on a regular basis didn’t surprise Esa a bit. What infuriated her was that he clearly thought she was one of those vacuous, disposable creatures. He was only pissed off because she’d punched a leak in his swollen male ego. She’d dared to walk out of the line while most females were taking numbers and patiently waiting to get on the Finn Madigan ride. Most of them probably guessed correctly that he gave one hell of thrill while the ride lasted.
The thought pricked at her pride and made her draw up short just feet from the door.
“You know,” she began with a condescending smile. “I had a really great time last night. But I wouldn’t want you to get the wrong impression. I’m not interested in anything permanent.”
“You drive a red sports car with license plates that read SXKITN69. Apparently you’re the publisher of a magazine that my brother has decided is the holy bible for hooking him up with women that are as single-minded in their expectations as he is. You had sex with me on my foyer floor after dancing with me once at a bar. Why the hell would I think you were interesting in anything permanent?” he deadpanned.
Esa closed her slack jaw with a click of her back teeth.
“Of course you aren’t,” she said after a moment. “It’s just… Well, why did you show up here then?”
He leaned down until she felt his warm breath ghost her forehead. His scent—a mixture of fresh air, the spicy remnants of his aftershave and the well-recalled singular smell of his skin—pervaded her awareness. Her nostrils flared as though to capture more of his essence greedily.
“I told you,” he said gently but firmly, as though he was indeed dealing with a recalcitrant five-year-old. “We have business.”
“You want to…to…hook up again?” Esa asked, embarrassment heating her cheeks at using that particular phrase in reference to herself.
He frowned. “What…you stick religiously to the definition of ‘one-night stands’, is that it?”
“Of course not, I just—”
“Look, the last thing I’m looking for is anything serious either so stop acting so jumpy. But the fact of the matter remains. I wasn’t finished with you last night.”
Esa met his stare, stunned by his quiet intensity.
Why had she fabricated that particular lie about not wanting anything permanent in a relationship? He already thought it of her, but it made her sound so unappealingly mercenary to have actually said it. And she suddenly wished—very, very much—that Finn Madigan would have gone to so much trouble in order to locate regular, boring Esa Ormond instead of the silly fantasy she’d created for him.
Now that she’d lied though, she felt foolish for taking it back. Especially since he’d indicated he was just out for a no-strings-attached good time.
Her gaze dropped to the hard line of his well-shaped mouth seemingly of its own accord. Still, there were so many benefits to the fantasy. The imposter woman had been allowed to kiss Finn’s lips, to taste his smooth, golden skin…to burn beneath his long, lean body.
“What are you thinking?” he rasped.
Esa jumped. Had he just moved closer to her? The mouth that she’d just been fantasizing about was now only inches away from her own. She licked her lower lip nervously and froze when she watched his vivid blue eyes trace the movement.
“I-I was wondering if you thought one more night would do the trick?” she croaked.
Finn blinked and met her stare. His slow smile made heat unfurl in her lower belly. “If you promise to stay put and let me have my way with you all night…it just might.”
Esa swallowed convulsively.
“So, do you ever allow one of your lovers to actually take you to dinner?” he asked.