Falling for Finn (Maplewood Falls #1)

Chapter Nine

CHAPTER NINE

OAKLEY

As soon as we walk into Finn’s house, I’m ready to collapse. But since we took dessert to go, I decide to eat it before passing out.

Although the initial introductions to Aspen’s fiancé were awkward, the rest of the dinner wasn’t so bad. Once Finn settled his nerves and he remembered our mission, things went smoothly. Aspen may annoy the hell out of me with her passive-aggressive politeness, but I don’t think she means any harm.

Or maybe she’s good at acting like she doesn’t.

Either way, we survived her drilling us with questions, and I’m glad to be at Finn’s.

“I’m gonna change, then crash. Gotta be up at the ass crack of dawn again,” he says.

“Okay, I’m gonna try some of that Boston cream pie.”

“It’s to die for,” he tells me.

“I bet it is. If you hear me having a foodgasm down here, mind your own business.”

He makes a choking sound as he climbs the stairs, and I snicker at how easy it is to get a reaction out of him.

“Good night, fake boyfriend,” I singsong.

“Night, Miss Pain in my Ass.”

I smirk, knowing how much he adores my ass. I’ve caught him checking it out several times this past week. So while he pretends I’m a nuisance in his life, I know damn well he’ll miss me when I’m gone. If he thought of me like his annoying little sister, I wouldn’t wake up with his erection poking my back every morning.

Once the lights are off upstairs, I quietly go up there and grab some comfy clothes from my suitcase. Finn’s passed out, and though I’m tired, I decide to watch some TV while I eat.

Oh my God .

My eyes twitch after swallowing the first bite of pie.

“Fuck. I need a cold shower after that one,” I muse, then curl up on the couch and flick through the channels. There aren’t many options, so I settle for I Love Lucy.

My eyes grow heavy, but the food baby in my stomach makes me too tired to walk, so I surrender to his uncomfortable couch.

I don’t know how long I’m in dreamland before I’m being lifted. His hard, bare chest presses against my body, and I instinctively wrap my arms around him so I don’t fall.

“What are you doing?” I mutter as he carries me upstairs.

“Shut up and go to sleep,” he says, laying me down.

I flash a lazy smile. “I knew you liked me in your bed.”

He scoffs, pulling the blankets around me. “I didn’t wanna hear your whining tomorrow about a stiff neck.”

“Mm-hmm, I’m sure that’s it.” I roll onto my side and get comfortable. “If you wanted to spoon me, you could’ve asked.”

“You’re making me regret this,” he murmurs, sliding in next to me.

Suppressing my laughter, I wiggle closer to the middle because I know it won’t be long until his body wraps around mine.

I fall asleep quickly, but sometime later, I wake up with his palm pressed against my stomach, right above my panties. My back is plastered to his chest, and if anyone were to walk in, they’d assume we were a real couple.

By his cock jerking behind me, I know he’s also awake. Or maybe he never fell back asleep.

“Touch me,” I whisper, then add, “ Lower .”

“Oakley…” He hisses my name like it’s painful to say. “Don’t tempt me more than you already do.”

“What’s stopping you?”

He swallows hard, his lips faintly brushing my ear. “Go. To. Sleep.” He harshly emphasizes each word. “ Please ,” he adds, softer this time.

When I realize he’s struggling with his feelings, I drop it.

DAY 7

He’s already left for work by the time I wake up. After being here officially for a week, I’m finishing my first commissioned painting today. I feel proud and accomplished.

It still needs eight hours to dry before being presented at the centennial in two days.

Finn picks me up for brunch. Neither of us mentions last night, and we barely speak until we run into Aspen at the inn.

“Hey! How’s the happy couple?” She beams, glancing at me before her gaze lands on Finn.

“We’re great!” I answer even though she’s ignoring me.

“It was so wonderful dining with you two last night,” she says, meeting my eyes. “Austin and I had a fantastic time.”

Finn’s jaw clenches as if he can’t stand hearing her voice, and I’m starting to feel the same.

“Could I have a quick private moment with Finn?” Aspen asks me with a phony smile plastered on her face.

I awkwardly nod, then grab Finn’s face and smack my lips to his. His brown eyes widen, and I flash him a wink. “I’ll be over at the buffet.”

“Okay, save me a spot.”

“Will do, baby,” I singsong, then walk away.

When I grab a plate, I glance over my shoulder and see Aspen nearly glued to Finn as she talks his ear off. Seeing them so close nearly has me dry heaving. She never deserved a man like Finn, and now she’s here, flashing her engagement ring and new man in his space.

“I never liked her,” a voice next to me says. I’m relieved when I see Jessa. She’s leaning against the buffet as I scoop diced sweet potatoes onto my plate. “You’re way better for him.”

“We aren’t a couple,” I remind her, keeping my voice low so no one else overhears.

She flashes a mischievous smirk. “Maybe you should be.”

I snort, piling some fruit next to my potatoes. “He can hardly stand pretending .”

“Finn doesn’t show emotion well, but I see the way he looks at you. He’s fighting every urge he has. I can tell,” she says confidently. “He never looked at Aspen the way I’ve caught him staring at you.”

Pfft. “I find that hard to believe,” I tell her. “We’re at each other’s throats more often than not.”

Not to mention, I asked him to touch me and was denied.

She waggles her brows. “Sounds like foreplay to me.”

Finn breaks free of Aspen, fills a plate, and joins me at the table. I’m tempted to ask what she wanted, but it’s not my business. If he wanted me to know, he’d tell me.

“What did the Wicked Witch of the West want?” Jessa asks, sitting across from us. Apparently, she has no problem asking, and I’m thankful.

The corner of her lips condescendingly tilts up, and I shove food in my mouth so I don’t laugh. Instead, I glance at Finn, who shoots her a glare.

“What? She’s evil.” Jessa shrugs, stealing a piece of bacon from Finn’s plate.

“Don’t you have to go take a selfie or something?” he barks.

She chews loudly to annoy him, I’m sure. “As a matter of fact, I do need to take some photos for our social media accounts today. We’re in peak season after all!” She beams, not at all offended by his question, which I find hilarious. Jessa seems easygoing and gives it as much as she takes it.

“You two always bicker like this?” I ask.

“Oh, this is nothing. Should’ve seen us when we were kids, constantly getting into trouble with my brother and ratting each other out. Though it’d ended with all three of us getting scolded.” Jessa chuckles, then looks at Finn. “Remember when you and Sebastian pushed the trampoline against the barn, then dared me to jump off the roof?”

My eyes widen in horror. “That sounds so dangerous.”

“Oh yeah, I broke my arm,” she says casually. “The boys were grounded for a month.”

“It’s not my fault you don’t know how to land properly.” Finn shrugs. “Sebastian and I did it dozens of times without getting hurt. You’re being dramatic.”

“I was seven !” Jessa defends, and I burst out laughing. “You were a little instigator, calling me a baby and making me feel like I had to keep up with you two.”

“That’s mean,” I admit. “How old were you?”

“He’s six years older than me, so he would’ve been thirteen. My brother was only nine but did whatever this little asshole said.” She nods toward Finn.

“I bet you have tons of stories from growing up here,” I say, genuinely curious.

“Dozens. Too bad you aren’t staying longer. We could hang out with some hard cider, and I could tell you all about it.”

“We might need to make that happen…” I glance at Finn, who’s shaking his head.

Finn and I finish eating, and Jessa excuses herself. Aspen’s long gone, and then it’s the two of us.

“Ready? I gotta get to work, and I assume you do too.”

As soon as Finn delivers me to his house, I dive into my painting.

I blast some instrumental music and hyper focus on finalizing the piece. Once I’m happy with all the final touches, I set it aside to dry and immediately begin another. I want to paint the inn because the architecture intrigues me. Since Finn is keeping the sunrise I painted this morning, I’ll give this one to his grandmother as an extra thank-you.

After several hours, I’m covered in paint and sweat. While the main canvas dried, I decided to add some extra colors to the leaves, then return to the inn painting. I add the apple orchard behind it and as many details as possible. I’m pleased with it and can’t wait to present it to her.

Deciding to take a shower, I strip off my clothes and turn on some calming spa music. I have no idea when Finn will return, so I take my time exfoliating, shaving, and relaxing under the hot stream. The window fogs up, but when I wipe it with my hand, I can see the beautiful line of trees behind his house.

My heart jumps into my throat when the bathroom door bursts open. Next, Finn barrels in through the shower curtain and then closes it behind him, maneuvering himself under the water.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I quickly cover my chest as I lower my eyes down his sculpted body, admiring every inch of his hard muscles and the tattoos on his arms.

“You’ve been in here for almost an hour, and I had no more patience. Other people need to shower, too.” He lowers his head, then scrubs his hands through his hair.

“And nicely asking me to hurry up wasn’t an option?”

“You’ve used enough of the hot water.”

“Like I said, you could’ve knocked and let me know you were waiting. I had no clue you were home.” My anger brews as I watch him lather soap and wash across his broad chest.

“Well, now you do, and you can help yourself out of my bathroom.”

Is he fucking kidding me right now?

I drop my arms, no longer feeling the need to cover myself. “What’s your damn problem? Why are you hot and cold with me? Why do you treat me like a nuisance one second and then carry me into your bed the next? You hold me all night and then tell me I’m a pain in the ass by morning. I’m so tired of your games!”

“This isn’t a game,” he snaps and meets my eyes. They’re dark and hooded, like he’s ready for a fight.

He steps toward me until my back presses against the shower wall. With his palms on either side of my head, Finn cages me in. “I didn’t want you sleeping on the couch because I know it’s uncomfortable, and I like having you sleep next to me. Even if you’re a pain in my ass, I crave your warmth and being close to you. And for whatever fucking reason, I can’t get you out of my goddamn head. You’ve embedded yourself under my skin, and now I think about kissing you every time I’m around you. Not only for the sake of keeping up appearances but because I need to taste you.”

My breath hitches as his lips brush mine, and he whispers softly, “And even though I shouldn’t, I’m losing the willpower to keep my distance.”

His erection jabs into my lower stomach, but when he palms his shaft and strokes himself, it pushes against my clit.

“Tell me to walk away, Oakley.”

I can hear the strain in his voice, but I can’t do it.

“Or you could give in to what we both want and need,” I suggest, moaning when the tip of his cock rubs over my clit again.

His other hand cups my breast and plays with my nipple. “Fuck.”

I’m not about to let him walk away now.

“ Touch me ,” I beg.

“You’re leaving soon,” he states.

“Yeah, so maybe we should make the most of what time we have left. Whatever this is between us is undeniable, Finn.”

I reach down and touch him, loving the way he reacts and knowing he can’t deny the truth. When I look up into his eyes, he’s staring at my lips.

“You’re sure about this? Once you give me permission?—”

Increasing my pace, I stroke him faster, giving him my answer.

“Fuck, Oakley.”

Cupping my face is the only warning I get before he slams his mouth to mine.