All the Way: A Romancing Manhattan Novel Page 20

“Okay, that’s a bit much,” she agrees. “There’s gotta be a happy medium.”

  “Exactly,” I reply, and then feel an ache over my heart. “I hurt him. I hate that I hurt him.”

  “One of the best things about life is being able to say you’re sorry,” she says. “I don’t think anything has happened here that you can’t work out.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  ~Finn~

  I’m going to spank her ass. Then I’m going to kiss the ever-loving hell out of her.

  And then I might spank her ass again.

  I’m jogging along the beach, needing to expel some of this frustration before I see her. I just got to the beach house, after the longest night of my life.

  Just as I come around the bend toward our houses, I see London standing on the shoreline, her arms crossed over her chest, her white pants and shirt blowing in the wind around her.

  Her dark hair is pulled up in a knot at the top of her head. She’s not wearing sunglasses.

  And I can’t wait to have her in my arms.

  I jog to a stop about ten feet from her, and before I can say her name, she turns to look at me. Her eyes are full of sadness and pain, and it about brings me to my knees.

  But before I can say anything, she walks confidently to me, cups my face in her small hands, and rises up on her toes to kiss me squarely on the lips. Not a quick kiss, but one that sinks in and makes your toes curl.

  The kind of kiss that says, Thank God you’re here.

  She pulls back and offers me a small smile. “Hi.”

  “I’m going to take that kiss to mean that you’re not trying to dump me.”

  She frowns and steps into my arms, hugging me tightly around my torso, her cheek pressed to my chest, and just like that the knot that’s been lodged in my throat since she walked out of my condo yesterday morning starts to loosen.

  “Let’s go inside,” she says, taking my hand and leading me into her house. She walks past the kitchen to the living room, and sits next to me on the couch. “I was never trying to dump you.”

  I brush my thumb over the skin under her eyes. “You’re bruised here, London.”

  “I’ve been crying a lot,” she confesses, and tears fill her eyes again. “My emotions have been all jumbled up for the past few days. And I have to tell you, despite being the one to walk away yesterday, I’m so glad that you’re here.”

  “Really?” I tilt my head, watching her. “I tried to get here last night, but that storm blew in and I couldn’t reach you. You’ll never know how hopeless and frustrating that felt.”

  I’ll leave out the part where I almost decked a flight attendant because he wouldn’t let me get on the last plane that did land here last night.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispers.

  “Were you okay? Last night?”

  She nods. “I was talking to Sasha for a while, and I was thinking about you. That helped.”

  “I need you to talk to me, sweetheart. I tried this yesterday, and you obviously weren’t ready. But I can’t do this. I can’t be shut out like this, I’m telling you this now.”

  “You’re right,” she says. “I was wrong to ask you to leave me be during a traumatic time. Honestly, if the tables were turned, I wouldn’t have left you either.”

  “Wow, you did a lot of thinking last night.”

  She nods. “I did. And I’m sorry for not communicating with you well. I think we both have room for improvement in that area.”

  “Agreed.”

  “The house in L.A. set off my temper, Finn, and I just can’t apologize for that.”

  “Okay, please try to explain to me again why. I’m not trying to control you with it, I’m just trying to help.”

  “I see that,” she says. “But you didn’t ask me to go house hunting with you. You did it without me and then said, This is what we’re going to do. I would have been much more receptive had you made the suggestion, and included me in the search.”

  “Oh.” I rub my fingers over my lips, remembering Quinn and Carter warning me that this would be the case, and feel like an ass. “I got so swept up in making it happen for you, it didn’t occur to me that you’d want to make it happen with me.”

  “Yes, exactly,” she says with a smile. “If we’re going to do this together, we need to truly do it together.”

  “Understood. We’ll scrap it for now, and we can revisit it when you’re ready.”

  “Really?”

  “Of course.” I tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “London, I love you. I want you to feel comfortable, and I do want you to be a part of making decisions. I just truly thought I was taking something off of your plate. I didn’t realize that I was adding stress rather than relieving it.”

  “Thank you.” She climbs into my lap and kisses me softly. “Maybe after I get out there for work, you can come join me and we can meet with a Realtor.”

  “That would be good.”

  “Okay.” She brushes her fingers through my hair, and I want to lay her back and strip her naked, but we’re not quite there yet.

  Soon, but not yet.

  “We need to talk about my brother,” she says, and closes her eyes.

  “We can talk about anything you like, love.”

  “I heard from the detective this morning.” She opens her eyes and the hurt is back. I absolutely hate that that slimy bastard has done this to her. “He’s denying that he said anything about killing our parents, and that I invited him to come to my condo.”

  “Little cocksucker,” I mutter.

  “The doorman confirmed that I didn’t know he was there, so the breaking and entering is sticking, and he had the gun, so they’re charging him with assault.”

  “Tell me he’s still in jail.”

  “He is, but he’ll have a lighter bail, and might be able to post it.”

  “I’ll make a call today. I have friends in criminal law. We’ll have the charges stick, and, London, if he does get out, I’ll have him followed constantly. He’ll never be able to get near you again.”

  “He doesn’t know where I am right now,” she says, and then shakes her head. “It’s still absolutely ridiculous to me. I mean, I know what happened. I was there. But it’s almost like it was a movie.”

  “I wish it was.”

  “Me too.” She lays her head on my shoulder. “I’m so tired.”

  “Let’s go take a nap.” I stand with her in my arms and climb the stairs to her bedroom. The covers are still peeled back from her tossing and turning in them all night. I lower her to the floor, pull her baggy shirt over her head, and let it fall to the ground, pleased to find that she’s not wearing a bra.

  I place a kiss on her collarbone and tug her pants down her legs, along with her panties. She leans on my shoulder as she steps out of them, and rather than lie on the bed, she fists my shirt and pulls it up at the sides, silently telling me that she wants me naked too.

  I’m more than happy to oblige her.

  I shuck out of my shorts, guide her back onto the bed, and kiss her until neither of us can breathe.

  “Missed you,” she whispers. “Two days feels like two months.”

  “Mm,” I murmur, agreeing. I can’t stop kissing her soft skin. Her shoulder, down to her puckered nipple, and then down her belly. I circle my nose in her navel and then bite the soft skin above her hipbone. “Do you know what I’m going to do to you?”

  “I have a pretty good idea,” she says with a smile.

  “I’m going to spank this perky little ass of yours.”

  Her head comes off the pillow and she stares at me in surprise. “What?”

  “You heard me.” But I’m in no hurry. I pull my middle finger through the crease of the back of her knee and smile when she wiggles from being tickled. “I’m going to explore every delectable inch of you. And before I’m done, I’m going to slap your bottom.”

  “Okay.” She smiles and then bites her lip when I gently graz
e over her pussy lips with my fingertip. “Oh God, Finn.”

  “You like that?” She nods emphatically, so I do it again and watch her moan. She’s always been so responsive. “Nothing turns me on more than turning you on.”

  “Yeah, well, you’re good at it,” she says, her breath coming faster now. “Sometimes all you have to do is look at me in a certain way, and my panties get wet.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Oh yeah. And when your lips twitch because I’m silly? I just want to jump you.”

  “Well, jump away, sweetheart.”

  I kiss her hip and she digs her fingers into my hair, holding on tightly, redirecting me to her pussy, but I shake my head.

  “We’re doing this my way.”

  “Why?”

  I look up at her until she meets my eyes with hers.

  “Because I said so.”

  “You know, the bedroom is really the only place that I’ll put up with that.”

  I laugh and bite her thigh. Hard. “Oh, don’t I know it.”

  Rather than give her what she wants, I kiss down her legs and tickle her inner ankles with my nose. Her legs are scissoring, her head thrashing back and forth as I nibble and kiss my way back up the other leg, but rather than plant my face between her legs, I flip her over and pull her hips up, then plant my palm on her ass with a resounding smack.

  “Fuck,” she says.

  “Did I hurt you?”

  She smiles back at me. “Only in a good way.”

  I slap her once again, and then do exactly what I know she wants the most. I spread her cheeks and bury my face in her folds, licking and sucking. I push my finger inside her and grin when her most intimate muscles clench around it, almost to the point of spasms.

  I push her back down on the bed, press her legs together, straddle her, and push inside her, groaning at the tightness that grips around my cock like a damn vise.

  “Jesus, London, you feel damn good.”

  “Don’t stop,” she replies. She can’t move much in this position, but her hands are fisted in the linens, holding on tightly as I hold on to her ass and thrust in and out, picking up the pace until I feel the orgasm begin to build in the small of my back.

  I want to see her beautiful face when I come inside her.

  I pull out and flip her back over, spread her legs wide, and slide back home, making us both sigh in absolute pleasure.

  “Let my legs go, please.”

  I comply and she wraps them around my waist, then crooks her finger, asking me to come closer to her.

  I lean on my elbows, my fingers buried in her hair, and kiss her firmly, letting my lips roam over her mouth. I bite her lip gently. She arches her neck up as the contractions in her womb begin.

  “Finn.”

  “That’s right, baby. I’m right here.” I move faster, just a little harder, and watch the flush make its way up her chest and neck and over her face. “Come for me, London.”

  “Oh my God.”

  “Come right now.”

  And she does, coming apart in my arms. I can’t hold on any longer, and join her, then hold her close to me, not ready to let go.

  “I hated sleeping without you,” she admits softly. “I was wrong to leave, Finn.”

  “We agree on that.” I kiss her forehead. “We won’t handle things like that again.”

  “No.” Her hand trails down my back to my ass, where she grips on tightly. “Have I told you that I’m rather fond of your ass?”

  “Maybe once or twice.”

  “Well, I am.” She kisses my shoulder. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  “Do you love me enough to make me breakfast?”

  I smile down at her. “Yes, but I don’t think either of our places is stocked.”

  “Right.” She scrunches up her nose. “I guess we’ll have to go out for breakfast, then.”

  “You must have worked up an appetite.”

  “You spanking my ass always makes me hungry.”

  Chapter Twenty

  ~London~

  Two weeks later . . .

  Finn should be home any minute. This might have been the longest workday on record, if the amount of missing him I’ve done is any indication. I leave early tomorrow morning for L.A. to get started on filming, and Finn had to be in court today, so it wasn’t possible for him to stay home.

  Not to mention I had meetings all day with Fiona and our attorneys, getting contracts under way so I can back her show, and we can get it set into motion.

  This show is going to change lives.

  But I haven’t seen him all day. Which I guess is fine. I mean, I’m going to see him in three days, and then he’ll be in L.A. with me for a whole week. I’ll be so busy with rehearsals and filming, I’ll hardly have time to miss him.

  But it’s not lost on me that I’m all moved in to his beautiful condo, just in time to pack up to leave.

  I have to keep reminding myself that it’s only temporary.

  I’m standing in the middle of my massive new closet, my hair wet from the shower, trying to decide what to pack and what to wear.

  “Do you like your new closet?” Finn asks from the doorway behind me, startling me.

  “I didn’t hear you.” He’s leaning there, just watching me, rubbing his forefinger over his lower lip. I want to bite him there. “I’m glad you’re home.”

  “Me too.” His lips twitch as he pushes away from the doorframe and walks slowly to me. “I see you got everything unpacked in here today.”

  “I did. And now I have to pack up to leave tomorrow. Also, have I thanked you for remodeling this for me?”

  “About a thousand times.” He smiles and kisses my forehead. I just look around at the space. It’s massive. Floor-to-ceiling shelves line two walls for shoes and bags. There is a tall dresser on either end, and so many racks for clothes I almost didn’t have enough to fill them.

  Almost.

  “I spoke with the Realtor in L.A. this afternoon. She’s lined up five houses for us to see on Sunday.”

  “That’s a lot of houses.”

  “I want you to have plenty to choose from,” he says, his eyes perfectly serious. Since the argument on his birthday, we’ve both made an effort to listen to the other and communicate our needs clearly.

  So far, we’re doing well.

  “And there’s no pressure, London. If we don’t see one that you love, we’ll keep looking. There’s no rush.”

  “Sounds good. And what do we have on deck for tonight? You were awfully vague on the phone earlier.”

  He smiles and twists a piece of my hair in his finger, then tips my face up so he can plant the kind of kiss on me that makes the gods weep.

  “We’ll be spending the evening up on the roof.”

  “What’s up there?”

  “Dinner. Relaxation. You and me.”

  “Well, that sounds just about perfect.”

  He nods, and then seems to make some kind of decision, because he suddenly lifts me into his arms and carries me to his bedroom.

  “I’m not dressed.”

  “I noticed.”

  “My hair is wet.”

  “Sexy as fuck when it’s wet,” he replies, and tosses me unceremoniously onto the massive bed. My towel opens, falling to either side of me.

  “Oops, there went my towel.”

  “Pity,” he says, making a tsk tsk sound, and then climbs up onto the bed with me, his hand gliding over my skin and setting me on fire.

  Which is what happens every time he touches me.

  “Do we have time for this?”

  “Baby, we can do whatever we want tonight.”

  “Well then, carry on.”

  He smirks and watches in fascination as he brushes his finger over my nipple, making it pucker for him. “So responsive.”

  “That’s just anatomy, Finn. You touch it and it puckers.”

  “Is that so?”

  I nod.

  “What about thi
s?” He drags his fingertips down my side, and my skin breaks out in goose bumps. “Is this anatomy too?”

  “I would think so.”

  “Hmm.” His hand continues down my hip and over my thigh, then up to the crease where my leg meets my torso. “What if I drag my finger here?”

  “Feels amazing.”

  “Anatomy?”

  “Maybe.”

  He narrows his eyes on me and finally, finally, pushes that talented finger inside me, and makes a “come here” motion, sending me right off the bed.

  “Anatomy, sweetheart?”

  “That’s you,” I gasp. “Jesus, you find my sweet spot fast.”

  He smiles happily. “That’s my job.” He pulls my knees up and tucks them against my chest. “Wrap your arms around your legs and hold on.”

  I do as he asks, hugging my legs against my chest, wondering what he’s up to. He hasn’t done this before.

  Although, Finn’s excellent at suggesting new things.

  Suddenly he’s down on his chest, and his mouth is pressed to my clit. I let my legs fall to the side, but he stops and shakes his head at me. “No, you have to hold them.”

  “I can’t hold on to anything.”

  “Then I guess this stops,” he says with a shrug, as if to say, Too bad.

  I glare at him and pull my legs back to my chest, and Finn just laughs.

  “You do know I love you, right?”

  “I think so.”

  He cocks a brow and slides another finger inside me, but I want his mouth back. There’s nothing in the world like having Finn’s lips wrapped around my clit.

  “You’re not sure?”

  “Well, you stopped what you were doing, and would someone who loves me do that?”

  “I see.” He nods and presses his lips to me once again, and I have to practically dig my fingernails into my skin to keep from letting go.

  It’s no use. When I get close to coming, I let go and he stops again, making me groan in disappointment.

  “I warned you.”

  “Your turn,” I counter, and push up off the bed onto my knees. “Lie down, Counselor.”

  He smiles and immediately complies, his dick hard and pushing against the zipper of his slacks. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Oh, I get to unwrap you like a present.”