“Are you crazy?”
Emmie stared at the man across the bar from her, the invoices and other figures she had been going over forgotten on the scarred top. She loved the bar, it had such personality. While still not much of a drinker, the atmosphere and people were amazing. She was still debating on putting in a new bar top, asking the man who just suggested something freaking insane, to make it for her.
Said man, freaking sexy hot man of her dreams, leaned casually against the counter across from her.
“Nope. This is part of the upkeep and maintenance for the bar.”
She shook her head and picked up the glass of ice water and took a big drink. Wiping the back of her hand over her mouth when she’d finished, she thumped it on the bar top. The top she still thought about him taking her over. On. Sitting her there and pushing between her spread legs while he lowered that chiseled jaw with that scruff to her thighs and…
“Emmie?”
Shit. Had been moaning as that fantasy played out in her mind? She shifted on the stool and lifted her gaze. He watched her but she couldn’t read his expression.
“What?”
“Did you hear anything about what I just said?”
“No. I was imagining,” he lifted one eyebrow even as he darted his sharp gaze between her and the solid wood between them, “I was imagining falling off the roof.”
“Is that so.”
God, even she could taste the disbelief in his statement. Bastard didn’t even bother making it a question, just a dubious statement.
“That’s so,” she remarked with all the primness of a woman who wasn’t sitting there with a fucking slick and needy pussy.
Finn grunted.
Even that was fucking sexy.
“I mean, you even commented on it a few days ago when I was looking up with my eyes closed. If I’m like that down on the ground where it’s safe, what the hell do you think I’m going to be like up there?”
“I’ll keep you safe.”
Problem was, she didn’t want safe with him. She wanted wild and uncontrolled. With him.
She rolled her lower lip in her teeth and mulled it over. When she exhaled sharply and looked back up at him, he had zeroed in on her mouth. Ignoring that for a moment, after her internal happy dance, she drummed her fingers on the table.
“Fine. But if I die, know you’re not safe. I’ll come back and haunt you.”
The corners of his bright blue eyes twinkled. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.” He pushed away from the bar. “I’m getting used to having you around, Emmie. Go change, I’m guessing you don’t want to be climbing up there in a skirt. Although, I wouldn’t object.” He winked.
“I don’t even think you’d notice.” She hopped off the stool, praying she didn’t have a wet spot on the back of her skirt or the seat cushion, and retreated upstairs to change into jeans and a white tank top.
What did one wear roofing? Not a question she had figured she would need to know because her ass preferred to keep her feet on the ground. God didn’t give her wings, so he wanted her grounded. She liked being there herself, if she were to be honest.
After she tied on her shoes, she hurried back down to find Finn facing the kitchen which would be gutted soon. She flexed her hand around a flannel long sleeve shirt that she rapidly tied around her waist. Another subject she had to speak to him about. She didn’t want to close but they had to get that kitchen back to a working place. As nice as her dreams about Finn were, her nightmares about that kitchen were as scary.
“Ready?”
How the fuck did he know she was there? She didn’t walk loud and hadn’t said anything.
“Nope, but I’m guessing that doesn’t matter.”
“Let’s go then.”
His voice was lower and bit gruffer. Unsure what crawled up his craw, she was the one freaking out here, she walked to the door and out into the beautiful Irish day. Tilting her head up, she closed her eyes and just stood there for a moment, embracing the sun on her face, and the peace being here brought her.
Never thought that this place would feel more like home to me than a city I spent my entire life in.
And she hadn’t. This had been a whim, one she was like going to come see just to be able to say she did, then she was going to point the toes of her shoes right back to Pittsburgh and run home. But Pittsburgh was no longer home.
Hadn’t been since the first night she woke up here, in this place, with leaky roof and crappy kitchen. There was a mist that surrounded the pub in the mornings when she woke, it had become a ritual for her to sit outside, embracing the cool bite of the hour, until it slowly rolled back leaving nothing but the start of a beautiful day.
Even the rain couldn’t dampen her rising emotions to this place. All the varying shades of green made it all worthwhile.
“Were you hoping I would carry you up to the roof, Emmie?”
There it was. That low sexy rasp that conjured up fantasies she couldn’t ever have come true.
“I was hoping you would let me stay on the ground.”
His chuckle reverberated through her. Finn moved up behind her and braced his hands on her hips. Briefly. Completely non-sexual in nature but to her mind, it was how he would grab her before taking her from behind.
“Not a chance. Come on, up you go. You first.”
She looked over to the stainless steel ladder that mocked her. Even with the distance she was from it. She needed to postpone this. It was probably trying to kill her, waiting until she was halfway there, then it would snap shut and send her to her death.
“Is this where you pat my ass and say ‘get in the game’ and hope I don’t fuck up?”
He bent close, his lips grazing her ear, warm breath fanning along her hypersensitive skin. “Trust me, Emmie. My hand lands on your ass, the word fuck will be a good one to remember, and pats more like spanking. But no game.”
She shuddered. “All talk.” Emmie strode off, determined not to lean back into him and ask him to make good on that promise. He could smack her ass all he wanted so long as he filled her full of that large cock, she knew he had.
For all her false bravado she made it halfway up before her nerves caught up to her and she gripped the rails until her knuckles bled white. I can’t do this.
“Keep going, Emmie. You’re doing fine.” A brief moment of silence. “I’m right here. Nothing will happen to you.”
She wanted to turn around and make sure he wasn’t lying to her and about to kick said ladder so she fell to her death, but she knew if her gaze hit the hard packed earth, she would be following suit. So she gulped back her fear and pressed on.
At the top, she once again paused. Apparently, her fear hadn’t been gulped back as far as she’d believed. Or hoped. Either way, it was now right there. In front of her. Taunting her. Mocking her.
“You’re almost there. Just climb up.”
Her teeth chattered. Why the hell had she ever begun to think this was going to be a good idea? How did she let him push her to this? “I will fall through.”
“Baby, that roof has been holding me just fine and I’m a damn sight heavier than you. Just step up and slide to the right. I’ll be right there and will take the lead on where we need to go.”
She listened.
Nausea churned as she waited for him, unwilling to gaze around and take a look from this lofty perch. Pretty sure all her color had leeched out of her, she tried to make do with small shallow breaths, nothing jarring and not fast that she would become even more lightheaded. Which would lead to falling and that equated death.
His presence was there before he even spoke. It surrounded her with warm and a feeling of security.
As they had on the ground, his hands settled upon her hips.
“Open your eyes, Emmie.”
His breath gave her the courage to pry one then the other open. He was before her and those blue eyes snared hers. Not that she put up a lot of resistance, hadn’t since she first had been drawn in by them. The scruff on his jaw tempted and she was just fucking in awe of his body. It wasn’t fair.
“Look around you.”
A quick glance over each shoulder of his and she was back to his eyes. He quirked his lips and shook his head while he moved. Panic surged and she dug her nails into her hands so hard, she knew those half moon marks would linger.
He stepped up close behind her, his stance wider than hers, drawing her back to settle against that defined torso she loved staring at every chance she got. His fingers flexed a few times on her sides before he murmured, “Trust me.”
Problem was, she did. And knew deep in her heart and mind, this man could hurt her. In so many ways. He directed her body where he wanted her to look. Arm over her shoulder with one hand still on her hip, he pointed.
“Look at that, you can see into the village.” A bit of turn and another explanation.
Finn walked her in a full circle until they were once again facing the direction they needed to go.
“Lying up here on the clear nights is amazing. The stars are so perfect, and the cool breeze makes it some of the best times I’ve ever had.”
“I’ll take your word on that. You can see the stars from the safety of the ground, too, you know.”
His laugh reverberated through her because he still pressed against her. “I’ll have you up here one night, Emmie. You’ll see.”
Because her mind was as it was, especially when it came to this man. To her she took his statement as he was going to fuck her on the roof and that was acceptable in her mind—no surprise there.
“Right.”
He shifted to her left and she felt the loss right away. “Follow me.”
Before the rising protest could escape, his hand grasped hers and he tugged her behind him. eyes lingering over his firm ass she was careful to step where he had and he finally got her to a place and situated. Then he moved a bit away and hooked on a tool belt.
Shouldn’t have worn panties because Finn alone is hot. Finn in a tool belt as he works, scorching.
Finn swore under his breath and shook his hand. Four times. Four fucking times, he’d smashed his thumb because his concentration was for shit.
Okay, so it was ninety-five percent his fault for insisting she come up on the roof with him. Surely, she could claim five percent for being so fucking hot.
She’d relaxed for sure, since coming up. Right now, she lay back on the shingles, her tight tank top riding up and exposing that flat toned stomach of hers. One he wanted to lick caramel sauce off, or honey.
As if the vixen knew he stared, she shifted, stretching her arms out over her head as she released the sexiest little moan. His cock got any harder and he wouldn’t need to use the hammer because his dick would be more than adequate.
“I didn’t bring you up here to be lazy, Emmie.”
“You told me being up here was part of the job. You didn’t say anything about physical labor once I got up here.”
“You’re the owner. What are you going to do when there’s a problem?”
She sat up, tipped her sunglasses down and stared at him over the rims. “Hire you.”
The laugh ripped out of him, shocking him and most likely her from the way her eyes widened.
“Always with a quick response aren’t you?”
Emmie didn’t lay back but continued facing her as she sat there. “Not even close.”
“I find that hard to believe. You are fitting in well here.”
“Some think I shouldn’t be here.”
It was a matter-of-fact statement and not one she asked for sympathy.
“Some in the village don’t think I should be either. More people like you than me, Emmie and I grew up here.”
He slid the hammer back in his belt and beckoned to her. grateful for his sunglasses to keep his eyes hidden because he was fairly certain he would have burned her up if she could see them, he couldn’t hide the hunger. Unable to look away from her as she moved, cautiously, to his side, he swallowed and forced himself to remember they were on the roof and it wasn’t good manners to tumble her down and fuck her until she couldn’t even scream his name.
“On your knees.”
She dropped. Fast and with zero hesitation. Made him wish one hundred percent he’d tried that inside so that luscious mouth would be lined up to his groin and he could just undo the button and zipper of his jeans, lower them and…
Christ, he was going to fall over from being lightheaded.
With a hand, that wasn’t as steady as it should be, he handed her his hammer. Then followed that up with a roofing nail.
She lifted her head, flicked her tongue over her full mouth—more blood on that one directional path to his cock—and waited.
“I need nails here, here, and here.”
He made sure to point out where she needed to put them as he talked. Then he dropped a few more by her.
“I’ve never done this.”
“I know. That’s why you are doing it now.”
He watched her in silence for three swings. “Let me help.”
“You could just do it yourself,” she groused.
“What fun would that be for me? I wouldn’t be able to do this then.”
He moved behind her, groaning as her ass settled against his dick. Smoothing his hand down her bare arm to where she held the hammer.
“You’re choking up on it. Move your grip down toward the end of the handle.” He pulled it from her grip until her hand sat in a better location. “Hold the nail near the top.”
“Isn’t that going to hurt when I miss?”
“You’re more likely to miss holding it down at the bottom. Trust me, Emmie.” He demonstrated the motion for her. “Go for a few well placed hits. Watch the nail head, not the hammer. Have most of your force come from your elbow and shoulder. Not with a bunch of wrist action.”
“I’m not one who does a lot of wrist action.”
He dropped the nail in his hand. All he could see now was her plunging her fingers in and out of her pussy, moving them with her wrist.
“Comments like that, Emmie,” he paused. “Make me wonder if that’s not a cry for help.”
She didn’t reply and he felt a stab of disappointment by that. Instead, she picked up a nail and tried again. He watched and offered pointers but soon, she had the hang of it and was nailing down her own shingles.
They passed the time up there exchanging stories. She told him a bit about her life back in Pittsburgh and he regaled her with stories of growing up here. Together they finished and he helped her to her feet, smiling as he watched one spread over her face.
“That was amazing.”
He guided her over to a spot in the shade and pulled two water bottles from the cooler up there. Not speaking until he’d had about half, he leaned against one of the chimney’s. Emmie rested against another side of the brick column. He could see her in his periphery.
“You’re good. A bit more practice and you could make a living doing this.”
Her lighthearted laugh coaxed another smile from him.
“No, I don’t think home owners would be good with coming up on the roof with me, to make sure I don’t die from fright.”
“Any man would happily follow you up any ladder, Emmie.”
She waved him off and he didn’t push. Instead he asked a question that had been bothering him for a while.
“Why didn’t you tell me of the problem with William Foley?”
“Didn’t know there was one.”
He pivoted around so while she still rested against the brick, he faced her directly. “The bit where he didn’t want to work with you.”
“Oh, that.”
Anger churned once more. He hated that people would be rude to her. “Yeah, that.”
“You know your accent gets heavier when you’re irritated.”
“Deeper and thicker when I’m aroused too.”
“So talking about William Foley arouses you?”
He chucked her under the chin. “Not even close. Just thought you’d like to know. Similar to how you asked about my eyes.”
Her fingers flexed on the water bottle but she didn’t reply.
“Answer me.”
Her sigh was full of exasperation. As he waited, she fiddled with the cap.
“I didn’t speak on it because it wasn’t important. I know he was a friend of yours and wanted to offer him the money but,” she shrugged, “he didn’t want to work with me.”
“He told you not to tell me.”
“I wouldn’t have anyway.”
“You should have. Fucking right away,” he growled.
“Why?”
The question threw him. Emmie stared at him, straightforward in that way of hers, as she waited for a response.
“Because you shouldn’t ever have to put up with that shit.”
“That shit is a way of life for me. I’ve dealt with it my entire life.” She put the bottle between her legs, inadvertently drawing his gaze to her crotch. “I’ll deal with more racists before I die. They come and go but it’s how I deal with it that defines my life. He said no and I moved on. I’m not going to be pissy that he refused to work with me. It’s his right. Just like it’s mine to not recommend him for business or go to him when this business picks up and I need more materials.” She looked up at the sky for a few moments then back to him. “It’s all about choices. He made his and I’m making mine.”
“You’re a unique woman, Emmie.”
The smile she sent him didn’t reach her eyes and that was a dagger to his heart. What made her sad now?
Once they finished their water, he decided it was time to get down off the roof. Heading down first, he anchored the ladder as she made her way back to the Irish earth. Her entire body relaxed as her tennis shoes touched the grass.
Making sure to block her in before she could let go of the ladder, he pushed up against her back. “You kicked ass up there today, Emmie. Think of how good you’ll be tomorrow.”
She shook her head. “Oh no, Finn Brannon. I learned but I’m not going back up there.” She turned so they were face to face and gripped the sides of his shirt so she didn’t fall into the aluminum of the ladder. “Besides, I already know how good I am.”
His cock pushed determinedly against the denim confining it. He gripped her waist and drew her closer, angling his head to kiss her when he heard people coming. She slipped away and walked inside, out of his line of sight and the sun.
Fuck, he wanted to kiss her. Sample those full lips and drink from them.
Soon, he promised his dick.
So fucking soon.