Page 11 of Three Bossy Boyfriends (Honeysuckle Harbor #3)

Evan

“It was so nice to meet you, Evan,” Finley’s mother says, squeezing my hand as we make our way to the door. “I hope we see you again soon.”

“I hope so too,” I answer honestly.

Dinner with the Anderson family and friends was chaotic and loud and fun. Not just because they’re funny and unfiltered and clearly all love each other dearly and unconditionally, but because they truly treated me like I was one of them.

I’m not used to that at all. My family consists of several lawyers. They’re quiet, sophisticated, and “proper.” Tonight was a little overwhelming, but I loved almost all of it.

I didn’t like that Finley seemed tense throughout some of it.

She sat back and watched, didn’t say much, and rolled her eyes a lot.

The eye-rolling isn’t new. I’ve seen a lot of it around the office, and it always makes me grin. The woman should never play poker. It’s always very easy to read exactly what she’s thinking. But tonight, with her family, something felt off. Like she wasn’t fully comfortable.

Until I put my hand on her leg under the table and squeezed.

She’d looked up at me, smiled, then threaded her fingers with mine. And I’d literally felt some of the tension flow out of her.

Fuck, that had felt good to be able to do that for her.

It had been like the other night at the charity event, except she’d been the one making me feel less tense. Being there with her had made a stuffy social event fun, and I’d really enjoyed our talk with Christopher out on the balcony.

I make myself focus on the conversation with her family on the porch as we say goodbye. This is not the time to get distracted by thoughts of…

“Still wish you’d given me a heads up,” Greg tells Finley as he pulls her into a hug.

“It’s not like you talk to Mary Grace every day,” Finley says, hugging him back.

“What if she’d called me before you told me you were dating Evan?” Greg asks.

She pulls back. “You would have thought quickly on your feet and had my back.” She kisses his cheek. “You’re a lawyer. You know how to give a very convincing non-answer.”

He rolls his eyes, and I realize exactly where Finley gets that from. She looks just like him in that moment.

“Why do you always make everything more difficult than it has to be?” he asks.

He looks at me. “Not that you two dating is a problem exactly. And I’m happy to go along with the story that you’ve been dating for a year and we thought everyone knew.

It’s fine. I probably won’t even run into Charles or Mary Grace before July, when Finley’s done with the job.

But you could have waited to ask her out. Or kept it under wraps.”

I really like Greg. I respect him. I enjoyed working with him before he retired. But I don’t like the way he makes it sound like Finley is so difficult.

“Well, I asked him out,” Finley says.

A lie, of course.

She slips an arm around my waist. “So, it’s not his fault. And I might be leaving South Carolina in July after I pass the bar. We wouldn’t have time to be together at all if we’d waited.”

Greg sighs. “Okay. You’re right. Just…don’t flaunt it.”

“Don’t worry, I already told Mary Grace I don’t like having sex on desks. It looks sexy in movies and stuff, but it’s very uncomfortable.”

I have to literally bite my tongue to keep from laughing.

Greg rolls his eyes again, then looks at me. “She’s a handful. I hope you’re up for this.”

The thing is, Finley is so not my type. Yet, I’m having a hell of a good time, and I think I’m very up for this.

“I appreciate your concern,” I tell him with a grin. I hold out my hand to shake his. “It was good to see you.”

He takes my hand. “You too. You’re welcome back anytime.”

“Thank you.”

I escort Finley to my car. She apparently caught a ride to her brother’s house with the hope that I’d take her home.

“Can we go somewhere?” She asks as I pull out of Harrison’s ridiculously long driveway.

“Sure. Like where?” I ask, looking over.

She looks tired.

“Anywhere. I don’t want to go to my sisters’ place right now. I’m kind of peopled out.”

“I’m people,” I say with a grin.

She smiles. “You’re people I want to be with.”

I fucking like that. It’s such a small, almost toss-away comment, but it makes me feel good.

“You okay?” I ask.

“Yeah. I’ve just been away for so long that I feel like I’m not in the groove with them.

They’re not used to having me around. And I’m not used to being around.

I’m not in the flow with everyone. I’m not in on the little jokes, the routine.

I feel like the odd man out, and it’s…weird.

I’ve always been different from my sisters.

I’ve definitely given my parents more headaches than Frannie or Fi ever did.

Now, with moving back and the bar and my dad having to get me a job…

” She sighs heavily. “It just feels heavier right now.”

“Do you want to get a drink? We can just talk. Relax.”

“A drink sounds great,” she says.

“You have a bar you like?” I assume she doesn’t want to go to her brother’s restaurant.

“Do you have liquor at your place?”

I look over at her. “You want to go to my place?” My heart thumps.

“I do. Is that okay?”

“Very okay.”

She gives me a sweet smile. She wants to be with me. She feels good with me.

“Yes, I have liquor. And wine. And beer.”

She sighs, but this time it sounds contented. “Perfect.”

We make the short drive without much talking. At one point, she reaches over and links our fingers again, like at dinner.

I run my thumb over the back of her knuckles, content just to hold her hand.

We park and I walk her into my building, and we take the elevator to my apartment. I realize that I should feel nervous, or something, about taking a girl like Finley to my place, but I don’t.

I want to take care of her. I want her to be able to relax. To feel happy and accepted exactly as she is. I want her to smile and laugh and just be herself.

I lead her to the couch. “Kick your shoes off, make yourself at home.”

“Thanks.” She sinks onto one end and immediately does just that.

Finley is definitely more herself when she’s barefoot.

“Red or white? Or do you want something stronger?”

“You’re not going to say something about how much I’ve already had?”

“I’m not your father or your babysitter.”

“Are you going to say something like you can’t kiss me or make out with me if I’ve had too much to drink though? Because I would hate that.”

God, I want to kiss her. I tuck my hands into my pockets to keep from reaching for her. “Do you want me to kiss you or make out with you?”

“Very much.”

With her sitting in front of me, she would only have to lean slightly to get her mouth level with my cock, and I can’t stop thinking about that.

Maybe it’s inappropriate. Or maybe it’s perfect.

There is definite chemistry between us, and Christopher is the one who basically turned this spark into a flame.

“I will give you whatever you need tonight, Finley.” I tell her.

“Or any night. If you want to drink, I’ll supply that.

If you need to be kissed, I’ll be very happy to do that.

If you need someone to tell you that you are amazing and incredible and that you could have five more sisters, and I still would be completely enraptured whenever you’re in the room and unable to tell you what color dress either of them had on tonight because all I can think about or focus on is you, I am also that guy.

I don’t know everything that’s going through that gorgeous head of yours, but I’m here for you. ”

She looks stunned for a moment, then she wets her lips and says, “You.”

My heart gives an extra hard thump. “What?”

I need her to be very explicit here.

“That’s what I need tonight. You. More of you.

Having you at dinner tonight was perfect.

My brother has always been perfect at everything, and things always work out for him.

My sisters are awesome. Funny, sweet, beautiful.

They’ve never really had to work to convince anyone that they are worth their attention and time. I’m not like any of them.”

“You are gorgeous, intelligent, interesting. Fascinating, even,” I tell her.

“And that’s why I like you,” she says with a small smile.

“You really think that. I think my time away from Honeysuckle Harbor let me grow up and grow into who I am. Now I’m back, and it’s hard to get people who’ve known me forever to see that I’ve matured.

You’re new to the Finley experience. So you just see me now.

That is so refreshing. And I definitely need more of that. ”

“Do you want me to sit down on this couch beside you and just sing your praises for another hour or so?” I ask her. “Because I can do that.”

She laughs lightly, and the sound punches me in the gut. I want to hear so much more of that. Tonight at dinner, she was very quiet. Very unlike the Finley I’ve gotten to know.

This woman, who is smiling up at me, her face soft, her expression open, is the woman I know, and the woman I want to know better.

“Well, that sounds pretty great,” she says. “But could we maybe do it naked?”

My cock reacts to her question a few seconds before my brain catches up. “We can do absolutely anything you want. Anything you want naked, too,” I say.

Now she gets a mischievous glint in her eye to go with her grin. “ Anything I want?”

For just a moment, I consider if there is anything she could ask me for that I would say no to. I come up blank. Period. “Finley, I’m not sure it’s a good idea to confess this to you, but I don’t think there is anything you could ask me for that I would not say yes to.”

“Oh, Evan Young, you are quickly becoming one of my very favorite people.”

I reach out my hand. “Well, if I’m going to worship and praise you completely naked, I have a better place to do that than this couch.”

She takes my hand immediately and lets me pull her up from the couch. “Lead the way.”