“Flowers? Chapel? Caterers?” Beah pushed the words out.
“For someone who wasn’t going to help with the wedding, you have become very involved.” Finn linked his fingers against his flat stomach. “Why?”
“Because I don’t trust you not to get involved in some research and leave everything to the last minute. Or for you to run off on one of your adventure trips and leave their wedding un-arranged,” Beah snapped.
“That’s not fair, Beah. I readily admit I wasn’t the best husband, but I never shirked my responsibilities or broke my promises.”
But he had. He’d promised to love her until they died but when their marriage no longer worked, when it got too much to handle, he bailed. His need to be free had been more important to him than she was.
And it still hurt, dammit. It shouldn’t, but it did.
But what she wouldn’t do was rehash their old arguments or fling blame. They were divorced. Their marriage was long over, so it shouldn’t matter anymore.
But it—
No, enough. Move on, Beah. Stop flogging this very dead horse.
Before she could change the subject, Finn spoke again. “Are you trying to help Ben and Piper because it reminds you of what you went through with your mom?”
She was trying to keep perspective but she couldn’t help the surge of anger and resentment. No, he didn’t get to mention her mom, not now. How many times had she tried to talk to him about what she went through watching her mom die? But every time she reached out, he shut her down, changed the subject, distracted her with sex. “Subject closed, Finn.”
“Why?”
Beah sent him a hard look. “You couldn’t talk to me about her when I most needed you to, Murphy. I worked through my issues around my mom’s death—and my dad leaving—on my own, without help from you. Or anybody. Why would I want to rehash now and why would I want to do it with you?”
Beah thought she saw regret in his eyes, remorse on his face, but the light was too low and the emotion too subtle for her to be certain. Besides, it didn’t matter—this conversation was over.
She lifted her hand and pointed a finger at Finn. “Don’t go there, Murphy. We might still be attracted to each other and, yes, I was quite keen to sleep with you just minutes ago. But chemistry is all there is between us. I have no interest in talking about the past, yours, mine or the brief time we shared together.”
Instead of responding, Finn just stood up, picked up a folder off his desk and walked over to the door. He turned the lock, opened the heavy door and stepped back before gesturing her to take the lead.
Beah started to walk toward him, annoyed by his lack of response and confused by the thoughtful expression on his face. It didn’t matter; she’d made her point and also put up a strong barrier between them.
Shrugging, she walked into the hallway, thinking she had to go back to ignoring Finn Murphy because nothing good came of being in the same space as him.
Beah turned to see what was keeping him and winced when she saw him picking up her tote bag and her coat from where she’d tossed them before she’d started kissing him. Beah rubbed her temples with her fingers. Finn still had the ability to mess with her head, to knock her off her stride...
To make her lose control.