~ ~ Finn ~ ~

I rolled my shoulders, riding the lift to Trixie's apartment.

Some batshit crazy stuff was going on in my guts... was I nervous?

Nah, couldn't be. Nonetheless, this felt different somehow, and I wasn't lying when I'd told Cam I'd felt a connection to this woman.

And, when we'd met up this morning for our first training session, I wanted to impress her, not act out my usual cocky, arrogant jackass self. So, I'd talked much more than I normally would as we trained.

That's not to say I wasn't thinking all sorts of depraved shit. Jesus, sue me, I'm human and that tight vest hugging those full high round breasts heated my blood. Not to mention her fitted running leggings.  Fuck, you couldn't hide any sins in those. They clung like a second skin. And don't get me started on her arse.

Her entire get-up had my blood pumping and settling right where expected—my dick. 

And I didn't even hide the fact that I checked her out, more than once.  But those fuck me baby-blues of hers were doing the same and I hoped inspiring some less than legal thoughts of me.

I wanted to see where this could go as it was pretty fair to say Trixie Anders stoked something in me, both physically and emotionally, and I needed to know if our chemistry went beyond some insane attraction. 

So, tonight was about getting to know her.  Added bonus, I would win my wager with Cam... hands down.

But what was different about her?  I dated a lot, and yeah, some of them had been clients—hence my new rule of not mixing business with pleasure.  But I'd never wanted to go past the two-date rule. I liked casual and never once had I felt the spark with a woman from her smile alone... I mean, what the fuck was that?

But lately, casual hook ups were still fun but ultimately soulless and the only one I hooked up with regularly was our friend, Melissa.  She was fun, and the sex was hot, mind blowing at times, and even better when Cam joined us.  But we both knew exactly what we wanted from the relationship, no ties, no commitment and absolutely no emotional shit.

And I'd been 100% happy with that... It wasn't like I feared commitment either.  Hell, I was committed to Cam.  True, he didn't have a clue how deep my feelings ran for him.  And he never would.

Cam... my mind flashed to this morning, in the shower. 

We had this easy routine. Hand jobs, blowjobs and kissing when'd he give up enough control and the occasional fuck, if I was very lucky, although he'd never once allowed me to top him.

But I wasn't stupid.  It was stress relief for him, nothing more. 

To me, well, that was a whole other story.  It was much more, so much more.

But if he knew, he would run a fucking mile.

Cameron Harte was the one person in my life I didn't want to mess up my relationship with.  But the one person who I'd never have completely. 

It wasn't his fault something emotionally shut him off.  He'd put his trust in someone and they'd done the unforgivable.  Which started a chain of events that he now regretted, hurting the one person he'd loved... was still in love with, although you never heard him say it out loud.

And because Cam meant a lot to me, if I could—I'd fix it. Murder that shit-stain of a human being who hurt him and find his ex and see that she knew the truth.

The lift stuttered to a stop, jarring me from my thoughts.  Doors opened, and I stepped out, looking left and right... 8F. 

Walking with a bounce in my step, I had to remain focused.  Relax, have fun, talk but no touching. 

But hold up.  Kissing? Yeah, I wasn't ruling that out of the equation. That mouth of hers was made for kissing... and other things.

Wiping the smirk from my face, I needed to quit that train of thought as my dick hardened.  I carefully adjusted before lifting my hand to knock as I was here... 8F.

Almost stumbling forward, the door flung open, and there stood her friend, Ivy.

Her smile was wide as the horizon as her eyes clearly gave me the once over... and she approved, so it seemed. 

When she'd finished checking me out, our eyes met, propping one hand on her hip, her other hand still holding the door. "You're late!"

What?  No, I wasn't, surely?  I eyed my watch.  "It's Eight."

Her tongue poked out, pushing against her top lip. "One minute past, actually."

"Don't scare him, Ivy."  A sweet voice echoed down the hallway as I glanced over Ivy's head, but I couldn't see Trixie.  "Ignore anything she says, Finn," she sassed.

Ivy stood aside and gestured with a flick of her head to come through.  "Down the hall to the right, hot stuff."

I walked in.  Wow!  This place was nice.  Truthfully, nice was an understatement.  It was straight up out of one of those house magazines that my mum loved buying and gushing about.

Here's me thinking me and Cam had a nice pad – but this.  "Do you want me to take off my shoes?"  I felt like I should ask, as everything looked shiny and new.

Ivy walked past me then twirled to face me. "You like?"  Her face was a picture of delight.  "I found this wonderful interior designer.  He brought all my ideas to life."

Her excitement was tangible. "Sweet-Jesus, I think I'm in love. You got room for a third?"

Ivy's face morphed from delight to suggestive as she stepped closer, tilting her head up.  "It would mean sharing a bed with one of us." She bit into her bottom lip.  "You up for that Finn?  Think you could handle sharing?"

Christ, this woman held a degree in flirting, but I was sure she was just fucking with me.  I swallowed, struck mute.

But sharing? Sign me up!

I opened my mouth to speak when in walked Trixie barefoot with shoes in hand.  "Hey, sorry.  I started reading in the bath and time got away with me." She looked a little flushed.

Ivy snorted, heading toward their sofa, flopping down.  "Yeah, let's call it reading?"  She threw Trixie a look I couldn't fathom, but it earned her a glare from Trixie as Ivy waved it off with an impish grin.

My jaw dropped for a second time.  Fuck me!  She really was gorgeous.  Those melting blue eyes, long thick blonde hair and luscious body.  And the way her summer dress owned each curve had my mouth watering.  Another delightful addition was the fact that she was quite tall too, at least five-seven.  I was six-two, and with those heels on, she would only be a few inches shorter than me.  

"Hair up or down?" she asked, grabbing her hair and holding it off her neck.

"Down!" me and Ivy replied, although I don't think she was asking for my input.

"Down it is." She smiled at me and my insides twisted.  She could get me to murder my mother with that smile.

Her hair fell and fuck me, didn't I want to step up to her, run my fingers through it.

Fuckin' hell, what was wrong with me?

She tilted over and slipped on her heels, but eyes slid over my body, missing nothing.  

It made me stand a little taller.  Oh yeah, she was undeniably eye fucking me. And if she kept that up—then all bets were off.  To lose a hundred would be worth every penny, and my dick twitched in agreement. 

Dial it back a notch, sunshine.  "What you reading?"

She paused, her other shoe in hand, as if she wasn't expecting that.  "Oh, I'm a sucker for the classics.  Anything historical, but at the minute I'm re-reading The Wolf and the Dove by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss."

I'd never heard of it. Cam was the bookworm.  Me, not so much. 

I only knew three authors.  Jane Austen (courtesy of my sister.)  That Harry Potter chick and Stephen King.   "I took you for a Jane Austen fan." I hoped to Christ she didn't ask me any of her book names, because I knew shit all apart from her name. 

Her smile returned as her eyes darted to Ivy's and then returned to mine.

Jesus, she was turning me inside out. 

"Jane is a firm favourite." She raised a brow.  "You surprise me, Finn. That's not a name I thought would fall from your lips."  She slipped on her other shoe, straightening up.  "I thought you would have referenced EL James or George R. R Martin."

My face must have looked completely blank as Ivy rescued me. "George Martin wrote Game of Thrones and EL James wrote Fifty Shades.  I doubt there's a man in the Western Hemisphere that hasn't heard of that!"  She winked.

Yeah, I knew alright.  Every woman I dated a few years back wanted to re-enact some part of her book. And I was more than happy to oblige. "I like Game of Thrones, but never read the books."  I hadn't read a book since college.

"It seems you're living proof. Never judge a book by its cover."  Trixie's eyes held mine.

That was a compliment... I hoped.  But I shifted off the topic of books just in case she thought I'm some kind of book nerd.  "You ready—you look ready... look amazing,  by the way?"

"Thanks. You too."  We held eye contact and I swore the air in the room was getting thinner.

"Are you two going to head out... or just stand there with the incessant eye fucking?" Ivy reached out for the remote control. "Oh, and message me if you're not gonna make it home." 

Trixie rolled her eyes. "I'll be home."

"Ladies first."  I honestly believed that term was invented so the man could check out a woman's arse. And I wasn't wasting the opportunity, watching with interest as it swayed hypnotically... fuckin' perfect!

~ ~

An hour later we sat chatting in my Dad's place.  It was a restaurant upstairs and a wine bar downstairs. 

The shine in her eyes said it impressed her. "I don't remember this place.  But then again, quite a few things have changed."

"I wasn't sure if you wanted to eat or just grab drinks.  I'm easy, either way."

"I've eaten. But I will definitely put this place on my list to try the food, it's a great spot."

I nodded.  "It's my Dads." I wasn't bragging, but I was proud of my old man taking a risk and leaving a comfortable job to try his hand running his own place.

"Well, pass on my compliments. I'm in love, the vibe is upmarket but still relaxing."

"Cheers and you'll like my dad." I said out of nowhere.

Her eyebrows raised.  "Oh, is he here?" Her eyes darted around.

"Nah, not tonight.  But you will meet him soon."  I wasn't aiming for subtle.  I wanted to make it clear. This wasn't just a one time thing.  There would definitely be more nights.   "Do you want another?" I pointed to her drink.

"I'll get these."

I shook my head.  "Nu-uh.  You won't.  I invited you out, so I'm buying."

She stiffened. "I don't expect—"

I held up my hand, interrupting.  "I'm not trying to pull some macho bullshit. Or step on any feminist toes, as I'm damn sure you can look after yourself. But I firmly believe when a guy asks a girl out for a drink, then it's my rules." I shrugged but kept my eyes glued to hers.

She relaxed. "Sooo under those rules.  If I ask you out next time.  Then I pay?"

I liked this... next time. "Sure."  I waved over to Jack at the bar. 

"Okay, we'll play by your rules... tonight."

Good.  "Excited about meeting your new team tomorrow." 

"Yes and no." Shaking her head.  "But let's not talk about it." 

"I don't mind if you want to talk about it." I enjoyed listening, her tone was sassy and a lot sexy.

"Honestly, I'll start babbling and then you won't shut me up." She looked up at Jack, who brought another round over to our table.  "So Finn. Tell me more about you. You've told me about your family and sisters."

I threw her a coy smile.  I was pretty much an open book.  "Sure, what do you wanna know?"

She pondered as her finger circled the rim of her glass.  "Have you ever been in love?"

Damn, going for the big guns "I have."

Her gaze dropped for a moment before looking straight at me with a hint of challenge and a smile teasing her lips. "Male or female?"

My answer could kill this thing between us before we're out the starter gate, but I wouldn't lie.  "Both."   Although technically, what I felt for Cam wasn't past tense. 

"Did you do the heart-breaking or were they the destroyer of hearts?"

I liked that she didn't even blink. Leaning forward, I moved one hand closer whilst keeping my other on my glass.  Jennifer Matlock was the destroyer of hearts.  She had me wrapped around her little finger.  To me, she could do no wrong... until I caught her fucking my ex-best friend and that sent me off the rails for a while. 

And I'm not proud how I handled the fallout...Drugs, alcohol, anything that would numb the hurt and only after coming close to overdosing did my family insist I get some help.  Although I didn't go through with the therapy, I'd met Cam instead.

"It was my heart ripped out and crushed underfoot. It was no picnic, that's for sure." Fuck, I'd never said that out loud to anyone other than Cam.

"I'm sorry, Finn." The depth of compassion in her eyes almost stopped my breathing, punching a hole in my gut.

"Don't be, it was years ago.  Jenny wanted an open relationship but failed to fill me in on it."

She reached and brushed her finger over my knuckles, sending goosebumps right up my arm and my body tightened in all the wrong places.  "I can relate."

"Tell me who it was, and I will have him killed."

She laughed in that low key sexy way, pushing her hair from her shoulder sending a shock wave to my mate downstairs.  "Who says it was a he?"

Oh, I like this. Not what I expected. 

"You bi?"  I had this image of her sandwiched between me and Cam, and my dick thickened, straining against my zipper. 

She sighed. "We love who we love, and I enjoy the look and feel of both." Her cheeks flushed a little.  "My last relationship." She paused.  "Perhaps relationship is stretching it.  Sean and Sadie, husband and wife.  We had an arrangement." 

Well, blow me! She was full of surprises, as I felt this monumental shift inside.  It's official. This one is a keeper! And she wasn't going anywhere without a struggle.

And I'd be damned if I couldn't wait for Cam to meet her.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A/N:  Hey All, today I've started posting Sealed Hearts.  End Game and Pearl Rising will remain my focus for updates weekly, whereas Sealed Hearts may slip and be every two weeks if I'm struggling work wise. As always, thanks for reading ❤️