Chapter Fifteen

 

May

 

If someone had even hinted three months earlier that he would have managed to keep a relationship going with the same woman for more than a few days, Finn would have laughed hysterically at the very thought. He’d been more than content with his life back then, being free of any and all commitments, and especially any sort of emotional ones. His life had been an endless string of one-night stands, casual fucks, and generally meaningless sex. If he’d had to actually name any of the women he’d slept with back then, he would have to guess at their names - and chances were high that he wouldn’t get a single one correct.

But he knew that he would never, ever forget the woman who slept peacefully beside him - not just her name but every single detail about her, no matter how small that detail might be. They hadn’t even been together for two full months as yet, but Finn realized that Delilah had already changed his life in too many ways to count.

There were the more obvious changes, like the ones to his physical appearance. He got regular haircuts now, at a salon rather than a barbershop, and was either clean shaven or made sure his stubble was neatly trimmed. With Delilah’s help, he’d purged almost half the contents of his wardrobe - with her turning up her nose at the condition of some of his rattier jeans and T-shirts - and replaced those items with more upscale, higher quality ones. He had cut back even further on his drinking, and hadn’t had a hangover since well before meeting her. And while he would never be able to completely give up his beloved junk food - greasy burgers, hero sandwiches, and pretty much anything that could be deep fried - his eating habits had gradually become healthier. He grinned now as he recalled the shocked expressions on Jordan’s and Max’s faces when he’d actually ordered grilled salmon and vegetables for lunch a few days ago instead of his usual cheesesteak sandwich and fries.

But the ways in which Delilah had changed him - for the better, he acknowledged - went far beyond his hair and clothes and food choices. Being with her made him feel better about himself, made him feel that he wasn’t just a former jock who wasn’t especially bright. Or an infamous party boy who was featured weekly in the tabloids. He’d started reading again, something he had always enjoyed doing as a boy but that hadn’t exactly fit his wild and crazy image, and currently had half a dozen new books on his e-reader that he was eager to delve into. He read two newspapers a day, no longer relying on just the internet to keep up on current events. He had begun to think about a career beyond broadcasting, realizing that the network might decide to replace him with a younger, fresher face sooner than later. Same with his current endorsement deals. And while he had plenty of money to live comfortably for the rest of his life, Finn knew that he’d get bored sooner than later without some sort of employment to occupy his time. He’d even started asking Max to teach him more about the stock market and investing, and had vowed to be far more responsible about his personal finances than he was used to doing.

Perhaps, though, the biggest impact that Delilah had had on his life was the fact that he was so damned happy. For a long time, he hadn’t realized that he’d just been putting on a good face, pretending to the rest of the world as well as to himself that he had the greatest life imaginable. He’d always been laughing and joking, acting as though he didn’t have a care in the world beyond what bar or club to hang out at that evening, and which lucky lady to pick among the dozens willing to go home with him.

It had been after his first date with Delilah - the night he’d taken her to dinner and the symphony - when Finn had admitted to himself that he’d only been pretending for years now. In reality, he had been far lonelier than even he had comprehended, his so-called fantastic life little more than an empty, meaningless existence.

Now, however, he felt truly alive, in a way he hadn’t since his days in the NFL. His days were filled with a variety of activities and projects - hitting the gym daily, reading his books and newspapers, making sure to call his parents at least three times a week. He’d recently bought a mountain bike and had started taking it on rides through Golden Gate Park and the Marin Headlands. With Delilah’s advice he was continuing to re-decorate his condo, and had also bought a bunch of plants for his terrace which he tended to faithfully. And he’d even begun trying his hand at cooking - an announcement that had been met with mingled shock and hysterical laughter from Jordan and Max.

And, naturally, the very best parts of his day involved seeing Delilah, even if it was just for an hour or so. They spent most nights together, switching back and forth between their condos, since re-doing his bedroom had been the very first project he’d tackled. He walked or drove her to work nearly every day on his way to the gym, frequently stopped by her studio to take her out to lunch - or bring food or coffee to her, depending on how busy she was. On the evenings she had to work late he made sure to have dinner waiting for her, either something he’d thrown together, keeping his fingers crossed that it would be edible, or getting takeout from one of her favorite restaurants.

He texted her at least two or three times a day, trying to be mindful of her workload but also needing that regular contact with her. It had startled him to realize that for the first time in a relationship he was being the needy one, the pursuer rather than the pursued, and that he was willingly taking a backseat most of the time to Delilah’s job. The role reversal he was experiencing with her hadn’t escaped his attention, nor the fact that the whole situation was probably the very epitome of irony. Finn had made it his life’s mission to avoid commitment or clingy, demanding females, and now here he was the one left wanting more from this relationship.

Delilah gave a little sigh and snuggled deeper under the covers, burrowing her face against the new pillows she’d helped him select, along with the sheets, duvet, and the bed itself. Finn propped himself up on one elbow as he reclined on his side, watching her quietly as she continued to slumber. She’d worked late last night, and had been so tired when he’d picked her up from the studio that she had barely been able to keep her eyes open. And even though he seemed to be in a near-constant state of arousal whenever she was nearby, he’d been enough of a gentleman to let her get some sleep instead of expecting sex.

Watching her now, though, it was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the demands of his body. The fact that she was covered up to the neck, with only her face visible, didn’t matter in the least to his dick. Finn was well aware of what was beneath the thick duvet, knew that she was only wearing a sheer, barely there pink lace nightie that revealed far more than it concealed. His tongue had been hanging out when she’d emerged from the bathroom in that cockteasing slip of fabric, but Delilah had only managed to give him a quick kiss good night before falling into a deep sleep.

Fortunately, it was finally Saturday morning, which meant she could sleep in awhile longer. Finn had intentionally not made any specific plans this weekend, especially after Delilah had promised him she wouldn’t spend even an hour on anything work related for these two days. He was more than happy to let her call the shots over the next forty-eight hours, make all the plans. Provided, of course, that those plans included lots of hot and heavy sex.

He couldn’t help himself from tucking a long strand of hair behind her ear, then running his knuckles over her flushed cheek. She murmured something in her sleep but otherwise didn’t stir, allowing him to continue looking his fill. Without her makeup and jewelry and sophisticated clothing, Delilah looked younger, more vulnerable, more innocent. There was little to no trace of the capable, confident businesswoman right now as she slept so peacefully. And the way she looked at the moment, with her pinkened cheeks and softly parted lips, it was almost impossible to believe what a controlling, demanding little wildcat she could frequently be when it came to their sex life.

Finn chuckled to himself as he recalled exactly how outspoken and almost domineering she could be between the sheets, and marveled at how easily he ceded control to her. He would never in a million lifetimes have considered himself to be the tiniest bit submissive, though it had admittedly been exciting at times to allow a woman to seduce him - if for no other reason than to spice things up sexually. With Delilah, though, it went far beyond mere seduction and had begun to venture into something more. She liked being on top, had no qualms whatsoever in telling him exactly what she needed or was in the mood for, or even letting him know when she wasn’t in the mood at all and preferred just to cuddle that night.

He’d never taken a psychology class in his life, had zero experience with most things emotional, but even a novice like himself had quickly realized that Delilah’s need for control was very likely a result of her father’s actions years ago. She had seen with her own eyes the way her mother had been hurt from her father’s constant infidelities, and had suffered through the aftermath of her mother’s suicide and father’s abandonment. It was little wonder, he mused now, that the sort of emotional trauma Delilah had endured would make her determined not to fall victim to the same sort of heartache. And one way to make certain of that was to take control of her life in as many ways as possible - including her sex life.

Finn realized with some level of surprise that he really didn’t care. Allowing Delilah to take the lead most of the time when it came to their intimate activities didn’t bother him in the least - most of the time, anyway. There were definitely times when he took the upper hand, times when he even dominated her, and oddly enough, those were the encounters when she’d been the most passionate and responsive, and when she’d come the hardest. At those times it felt as though she struggled mightily to give up control, but that when she finally did it was with a sense of mingled relief and bliss, as though she’d been longing for someone to swoop into her life and take her over.

He would very happily take her over as often as she wished, thought Finn, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead, and smiling when she twitched in response. Nothing would give him greater pleasure than to coddle and spoil and protect this fiercely independent woman who was curled up in his bed fast asleep like a young, innocent girl. But he was well aware that Delilah would fight him every step of the way if he ever even hinted that she needed a champion, or even someone to give her advice. She was so strong and self-sufficient, in fact, that oftentimes Finn didn’t feel as though she even needed him in her life. He wasn’t used to being with a woman who was this low maintenance, or who made so few demands of him. And he especially wasn’t used to taking a back seat to a woman’s job, as he often found himself doing with Delilah.

The latter, he acknowledged ruefully, was mostly because the women he’d dated in the past were largely of the bubble-brained, party girl sort, and the majority of them had worked in relatively undemanding professions such as a cocktail waitress, sales clerk, Uber driver, or aerobics instructor. None of them, to his recall, had ever turned down a date with him because they had to work late or prepare for an important staff meeting. And none of them had ever been so devoted to their business that he actually felt jealous of their damned job. Finn had never been jealous of another man, had never needed to feel jealous because he was always the guy who got the girl, so being envious and resentful of the time Delilah devoted to her job instead of him was definitely a foreign emotion for him.

She’d gently but firmly refused his plea to attend a golf tournament last weekend in Palm Springs sponsored by the network, pointing to all the work she still needed to get done for the fall catalog, as well as her upcoming meeting with Bloomingdale’s. He’d been a little miffed at her refusal, not wanting to acknowledge that his feelings were hurt because she had deemed her job that much more important than his. Nor had he wanted to admit that he was more than a little nervous about attending one of these events solo, given all of the many temptations that had been sure to await him in Palm Springs.

But the thought of Delilah waiting back in San Francisco for him, and the surefire knowledge that he would totally and completely ruin everything good between them if he slipped up even a fraction, was more than enough to keep him on the straight and narrow. His friends and associates attending the golf tournament had been shocked speechless when he’d shown not the slightest interest in any of the attractive women hanging around, and when he had flat out refused to go singles bar hopping that evening. He had kept the drinking to a minimum, and made sure to send Delilah frequent texts and call her twice daily during his absence. Finn had patted himself on the back for having resisted the urge to fall back into his old ways, and had been pleasantly relieved to discover that doing so hadn’t even been all that difficult.

And coming home to her had been the best feeling in the whole world, he reflected. He’d skipped the champagne brunch on Sunday morning to catch a flight leaving at seven a.m., and made it back to his condo in time to take Delilah out to their own private breakfast. He had been so damned happy to see her, had been so thrilled to pull her into his fierce embrace and kiss her like a starving man, that he’d very nearly blurted out the three little words that had popped into his head seemingly out of nowhere - “I love you”. They were words that he had never in his life uttered to anyone besides his parents, grandparents, and siblings, and ones that he had never imagined himself ever saying to a woman.

But he’d controlled himself just in time, had told her instead how much he had missed her, and tried like hell to maintain his composure after that. And in the six days since his near miss, Finn hadn’t permitted himself to examine his feelings for Delilah in more depth, scared shitless that he would indeed discover that he was crazy about her, head over heels in love, and most likely hopelessly, too. Because he knew without having to ask that she didn’t return his feelings - at least not yet - that while she enjoyed his company and especially enjoyed having sex with him, love didn’t factor into her side of the equation. They would both be much better off, therefore, if he kept his feelings for her - whatever they actually were - to himself for the foreseeable future, and concentrated instead on the intense chemistry that they most definitely did share.

Delilah stirred sleepily, stretching her arms above her head and yawning like a small, soft kitten. She blinked, gazing up at him with half-shut eyes, and then smiled lazily.

“Hey,” she murmured, her hand reaching up to cup his stubbled cheek. “How long have you been staring down at me that way?”

Finn captured her hand and pressed a kiss to the palm. “Not long. I didn’t want to wake you up, knew how exhausted you were.”

Her smile deepened. “So instead you watched me sleep. Not sure if that’s romantic or borderline creepy.”

He tugged playfully at the top of the duvet. “It was actually pretty damned gentlemanly of me, considering that what I really wanted to do was pull off these covers and see if that flimsy excuse of a nightgown you put on last night was as sheer as I remembered. But since I’ve never pretended to be a gentleman before, I say what the hell.”

Delilah shrieked as he yanked the duvet down below her waist in one swift motion, and then gasped as his hands immediately cupped both of her breasts.

“Yup,” he grinned, his thumb brushing over a nipple. “Just like I remembered - short, sheer, and sexy as fuck. Babe, I’m not even sure why you bothered wearing something like this, given that you might as well be naked right now. So why don’t we take this pretty little scrap of lace off before it accidentally gets torn or something?”

She didn’t resist as he gathered up the short hem of the nightgown and carefully pulled it off over her head. Finn gazed down at her nude body appreciatively, then shook his head as if in a daze.

“Christ,” he swore softly. “You are so damned fine, Delilah. You might be a tiny little thing, but you’ve sure got curves in all the right places, babe. Like these pretty tits.”

“Mmm.”

She expelled a long sigh of pleasure as he pushed one of her breasts up high enough to meet his tongue. He sucked on the nipple, then gave it a gentle love bite, before repeating his actions on the other breast.

“You have a magic tongue, you know,” she murmured in a husky voice as he flicked his tongue over each distended nipple. “The things you can do with it should be illegal.”

He grinned up at her wickedly as he began to kiss his way down her abdomen. “Probably still is in some countries. Stay still now, okay? Let me use my magic tongue on every part of your gorgeous body.”

She wriggled slightly beneath his touch, as though in protest of his instructions, but then nodded and let him proceed with his slow, deliberate seduction.

Because their lovemaking was usually frantic and wild and burning hot, it wasn’t often that he had the opportunity to linger over her like this, and Finn planned to savor every moment of such a privilege. With each brush of his lips against her soft skin, he inhaled deeply of her scent - a combination of the slightly spicy perfume she favored, the vanilla scented body wash she always used, and her own personal essence. It made for a heady mixture, one that a man could very easily become addicted to.

He stroked along the gentle curve of her hip as his lips teased her navel, smiling mischievously when she protested that he was tickling her. But her protests faded away quickly when he spread her thighs apart determinedly, his hands holding her in place as he rimmed the opening to her body with this tongue.

“Finn,” she hissed, her lower body trying in vain to lift off the bed in reaction.

But he was too strong for her, keeping her immobile as his head delved between her legs, and then proceeded to demonstrate exactly how skilled he was with his tongue.

Delilah alternated between panting, whimpering, and crying out his name as he continued to pleasure her using every trick and technique he’d ever learned about oral sex over the decades. He pushed his forefinger and middle finger deep inside of her tight vaginal channel, making sure to press the tips of his fingers against that elusive little G spot, a touch he knew would drive her wild. At the same time he flicked the tip of his tongue over and around the reddened nub of her clit, persisting with the twin stimulations until he felt the familiar tightening of her vaginal walls clench around his fingers.

He coaxed two more orgasms from her in this manner before his own body started to scream for release. He reared up onto his knees to retrieve a condom from his nightstand, his hands trembling a little as he rolled it on, and then gazed tenderly down at his woman. That soft, fragrant skin was flushed pink all over, and the insides of her thighs were shimmery with saliva and her own female juices. Her breasts bore traces of whisker burn, while her nipples were red and swollen. Her plump lips were parted as she breathed unevenly, her long hair falling in tangled curls across the pillows.

She struggled to open her eyes as she stared up at him, then ran a hand up his bare chest to his shoulder. “Finn. Let me - ”

Finn captured her hand and shook his head, already knowing what she was going to demand. “Not this time, no. I know you like being in control, like being on top. But I want to be in control this time, need to be in control. So stop being such a bossy little thing for once and just surrender. Let me take care of you, baby, okay?”

Her eyes darkened in a brief display of temper before she let her head fall back against the pillows, nodding in consent. “Okay,” she whispered, sliding her arms up over his chest to clasp around his neck.

It was all the encouragement Finn needed to slide inside her body with one smooth stroke. He forced himself to remain perfectly still, even though the sweat was already dripping from his brow, and he was so hard he had to bite down on his lip to keep from crying out in near-pain. But he knew it wasn’t always easy for her when he took her this way, knew that he was buried to the hilt inside her tight passage, and he would cut off a limb before causing her a moment’s pain, intentionally or not.

“Everything okay, baby?” he asked in concern.

In response Delilah locked her legs around his hips before pulling his head down to meet her kiss. He groaned loudly beneath her lips, kissing her with long, slow swoops of his tongue, then hissing when she bit down on his bottom lip.

It was all the encouragement he needed to begin moving in her, his buttocks flexing with each thrust of his hips. The moans and gasps she made as he gradually picked up the pace, his strokes becoming deeper and harder, spurred him on, driving him to the very brink of losing all control. He was the one to use his teeth this time, sucking the tender skin on the side of her neck hard enough to leave a mark. Her heels dug into his ass, and he winced a little as she raked her nails up and down his back. He should have known, he thought with a brief chuckle, that his bossy little spitfire would never completely give up all control.

But then he quickly reached the point where any sort of thought was impossible, because all there was now was feeling - feeling that rippled through every nerve and muscle and vein of his body, feeling that coalesced into a pleasure so overwhelmingly intense that it was the only thing that mattered. His eyes were tightly shut, his face buried against her throat as he continued to fuck her like a man possessed - something he had begun to fear had actually happened, that she was in fact a living, breathing she-devil who had succeeded in taking him over body and soul. And even though he had insisted on being in charge this time, in the end he was still the one who surrendered.

The bed shook as he came, the headboard banging insistently against the wall, but he was too far gone to realize that the pounding he heard wasn’t simply the blood rushing to his head. It felt like the longest orgasm of his life, his cock continuing to ejaculate long after he should have been empty. He collapsed to the mattress weakly when he was finally spent, though his semi-erect cock remained inside of her body.

Delilah’s fingers played delicately over his scalp and neck. “Are you going to make it?” she quizzed humorously.

Finn tried to lift his head off the pillow, but gave up as his muscles refused to cooperate. “Not so sure about that, actually,” he croaked. “You might have to give me mouth to mouth resuscitation.”

She laughed softly. “You know, as often as you joke about that, maybe we should consider taking an actual Red Cross class one of these days.”

He grinned up at her lasciviously. “Sounds good to me. You know, in addition to the mouth to mouth stuff, I think they also show you how to do chest compressions. As long as I can practice on you, I’d be game.”

Delilah trailed her fingers down his back, rubbing them over the gouges she’d left with her nails. “I’m pretty sure they have you practice on dummies.”

“Oh. Well, in that case, forget it. Besides, I’m starting to get the feeling back in my legs, so I think I’ll survive.” He turned his head just far enough to press a kiss on her lips. “You didn’t come,” he murmured with a frown.

“Seriously, Finn?” she asked in disbelief. “What did you call those three - count them, three - orgasms I had a little while ago? And what do you think I am anyway - some sort of sex robot who orgasms at the touch of a button? Believe it or not, it’s not all that normal for a woman to achieve multiple orgasms within a few minutes. In fact, a lot of women don’t often get one orgasm a day. Trust me, I am very, very satisfied right now. Okay?”

“Okay,” he agreed reluctantly. “Because I’ll just make sure you come the next time. Give me a few minutes to recover and I’ll be good to go.”

Delilah looked at him incredulously. “Ready for another round already? What about breakfast?” She sniffed the air discreetly. “Not to mention a shower.”

“Round two can be in the shower,” Finn announced cheerfully. “Two birds with one stone, that sort of thing. Don’t forget,” he added, “that you were too wiped out last night for sex. And while I was totally sympathetic and tried to act the part of considerate lover, then you had to go and put that sexy nightgown on. I almost had to take a cold shower just so I could fall asleep instead of jumping your bones.”

“Ooh, poor baby,” she clucked playfully, patting him on the cheek. “I’m surprised you survived the night.” Then, turning serious, she kissed his cheek. “Thanks, though. For being so considerate. Not just last night, but a little while ago, too. That was - beautiful, Finn. Simply beautiful. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt as - well, adored as I just did. And I know I like to be in control a lot, that’s just who I am, I suppose. But you’re right. It felt good to surrender, to let you take charge. Maybe we’ll have to do that more often.”

He was touched by the sweetness of her voice, the honesty of her words. “Anytime, babe,” he murmured, pressing a light, exquisitely tender kiss to her lips.

“But probably not today,” she declared. “I want to be on top next time.”

Finn’s chest rumbled with laughter. “Of course you do.”

 

***

 

“Relax, would you? We’re only having brunch with my sister, for God’s sake, and not facing a firing squad. You look like you’re about to faint.”

Finn grimaced. “I think I’d take my chances with the firing squad right about now. She’s going to hate my guts, isn’t she? And at first sight no less.”

“No,” assured Delilah, patting his arm. “Desi isn’t like that. She’ll give you at least ten minutes before she decides if she can’t stand you or not. Now, come on, would you? And remember what I told you - just be yourself, Finn. Don’t try to impress her - because very few people ever succeed in doing so - and hold off on the dirty jokes for now. Desi doesn’t always have a very good sense of humor. Ah, there she is!”

She tugged a reluctant, and uncharacteristically nervous, Finn through the crowded, bustling restaurant to where her sister was already seated at their table. Delilah had suggested Zazie for brunch, knowing that it was a place Finn had already dined at and liked, and also because she had a real weakness for their stuffed French toast and cream cheese coffee cake. She was hoping to persuade Finn to order a side of the coffee cake so she could steal a few bites, knowing that she’d feel like too much of a glutton to order both that and the French toast.

“You look really nice this morning,” she whispered to him encouragingly as they drew closer to where Desiree sat. “Not that you don’t look equally yummy without any clothes at all, but this outfit is perfect. And you picked it out all by yourself.”

He squeezed her hand, keeping it clasped firmly in his. “I’m learning fast. Between you and Max giving me fashion advice, I could pursue a new career as a male model.”

Delilah shook her head. “No way. Oh, not that you couldn’t pull something like that off, of course. It’s just that I don’t want any other women mooning over your photos. Speaking of which, how long has it been now since you graced the cover of any tabloids?”

Finn dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “Months. I plan on staying out of the limelight for the foreseeable future, too. Unless, of course, you’re by my side. You’re sure you can come to that party in L.A. with me next month?”

“Yeah.” She bit her tongue, not wanting to admit how much she dreaded the thought of attending some splashy, celebrity-filled event with him. “The meeting with Bloomingdale’s takes place the week before the party, so I’ll be ready to relax and unwind a little by then. Here we are.”

Desiree stood as they approached, and Delilah was grateful to note that her sister’s face wasn’t already fixed in a scowl. Or that her eyes weren’t spitting fire as they quickly but thoroughly sized Finn up. With smug satisfaction, Delilah noted the surprised look on Desi’s face as she took in Finn’s appearance - the neatly trimmed hair, clean shaven face, and classy outfit of light gray slacks, short-sleeved black polo shirt, and black suede loafers. He looked no different than any of the other trendily dressed males present this morning, except that Finn was a whole lot hotter and better looking, and attracted all sorts of attention, from both males and females. There had been any number of occasions when he’d been recognized by fans in restaurants or other locales, and been approached for an autograph or photo. Each and every time Finn had been more than gracious, and he’d happily hammed it up for the camera. Delilah had quickly realized that he adored such attention, loved being in the public eye, and that realization had made her more than an little uneasy, since she was the direct opposite.

Both Max and her new attorney Grayson Ford had cautioned her, however, that her preference to remain out of the limelight could change drastically if the deal with Bloomingdale’s went through.

“You’ll most likely be expected to do some press for them,” Gray had advised. “Your photo and bio on their website, for starters, but also public appearances at some of their stores. Not to mention attending fashion shows and receptions or other events. But I’m sure they’ll lay out all of their requirements during the negotiation process. Provided, of course, that it gets that far.”

She’d had half a thought about backing out of the whole thing at that point, but had pushed aside her silly, rather selfish fears for the good of her company. After all, she’d reasoned, she now had close to fifty employees who depended on her, and if this deal with Bloomingdale’s went through, the company would stand to profit handsomely. She would also be able to hire additional staff, and even expand their office space since the upper floor in their building had recently been vacated.

All of that, however, would be dealt with soon enough, and for now she was only focused on enjoying brunch at one of her favorite restaurants with two of her very favorite people. Oh, and making sure her sister didn’t terrorize Finn over his eggs Benedict.

Delilah gave her sister a quick hug, pleased to note that Desi had also taken some pains with her appearance this morning. Since it was a warm, sunny spring morning, Desi had chosen a floaty, floral printed cotton dress, teamed with a cropped denim jacket and cute cream ballet flats. She’d even applied some makeup, and was wearing a set of gold bangle bracelets that had belonged to their mother. Smirking to herself, Delilah guessed that her older sister had wanted to make a good impression on Finn, even though Desiree still considered him to be a pig when it came to his relationships with women.

“You look so pretty,” Delilah told her sister, lightly fingering the fabric of the floral dress. “I told you this color and style suited you. And I have a couple of dresses very similar to this in our new summer line that I think you’d like.”

Desiree shrugged. “We’ll see. I don’t have all that many occasions to wear something like this, you know.”

She paused to gaze expectantly at Finn, who was doing his damndest not to betray just how nervous he was about this meeting.

“Desi, this is Finn McManus. My, um, boyfriend, I guess you should call him. And Finn, this is my big sister Desiree. I’m so glad that the two of you could finally meet,” chirped Delilah, determined to keep things lighthearted.

Finn grinned somewhat goofily, extending his hand. “It’s great to meet you, Desi,” he replied enthusiastically. “Delilah has told me a lot about you, including all of the triathlons you’ve done. In fact, that’s sort of inspired me to take up mountain biking again.”

Desiree eyed Finn warily, and gave his hand a perfunctory shake. “The only one who really calls me Desi is my sister,” she informed him frostily. “Just like I’m the only one who ever calls her Della. And the cycling section for the majority of triathlons is done on the road, not on trails.”

Finn gingerly withdrew his hand, almost as though Desiree’s touch had given him frostbite. Which, thought Delilah tiredly, probably wasn’t too far from reality considering how cool and snooty her sister was acting. She could only hope that Finn’s natural charm would start to thaw Desiree out sooner than later. And that Finn wouldn’t dig himself into too deep of a hole in the process.

They ordered a round of mimosas to start off with, and Delilah had to resist the temptation to bolt half of hers down in one gulp. She had a bad feeling that she was going to need way more alcohol to get through this morning, especially if her sister kept giving Finn the evil eye as she was doing now.

But as their meal progressed, Delilah was relieved to notice her sister gradually beginning to thaw out, largely due to Finn’s effortless charm that could apparently melt even the coldest of hearts. Without sounding condescending or patronizing, Finn asked Desiree questions about her business, her triathlon training, and even what Delilah had been like as a little girl.

Desiree had smiled fondly at that question. “Even as a child she had to be fashionably dressed. She didn’t like wearing pants or shorts very much, as I recall, and would pitch a fit if a particular dress happened to be in the laundry when she wanted to wear it. She had an entire army of Barbie dolls, and so many clothes and accessories for them that they were kept in their own separate little armoire. Dad had it custom built for you, Della. Remember?”

Delilah nodded. “Of course I do. I still have that armoire, you know. And it’s still filled with doll clothes, along with several dolls. It’s one of a number of things from the old house that I keep stored at the studio.”

Finn grinned, giving her hand a little squeeze. “And do you take it out to play with every so often? Or is that where you get inspiration for your designs - from your doll’s wardrobe?”

Both sisters laughed at his teasing questions, with Delilah shaking her head.

“No, I do not play with my Barbie dolls,” she retorted. “As for fashion inspiration, all of that stuff is over twenty years old now, so it would be horribly out of style. Not to mention the fact that Barbie was always tall and long-legged and looked great in anything. She didn’t have the fashion challenges that Desi and I always had to deal with.”

Desiree polished off the rest of her mimosa, a faraway look on her face now. “God, I hadn’t thought about that armoire in years, Della. I guess because it feels like a lifetime ago since Dad ever did anything that thoughtful for us.” She gave Finn an assessing look. “I assume Della’s told you about what happened with our parents.”

Finn nodded. “No offense, but your father’s an idiot,” he replied calmly. “Actually, I could think of a much stronger term to apply to a man who acted so callously towards his wife and children, and who continues to neglect his daughters. But I promised Delilah I’d watch my language this morning.”

Desiree emitted a reluctant chuckle. “No need to hold back on my account. I’ve called that bastard every rotten name in the book, and often to his face. I think one of the reasons he doesn’t keep in touch with us is because he’s scared shitless of me. Sort of the way you looked when Della introduced us earlier.”

Finn’s cheeks turned red, and he stammered uncertainly, “Uh, um, well, maybe just a little. I mean, you are kind of scary, Desiree. And, well, I know what you must think of me, given all of those tabloid stories that you used to email to Delilah.”

Desiree studied him with a narrowed gaze. “Can you blame me for believing the worst of you, Finn?” she asked sharply. “Especially if most of those stories can be believed. And especially considering how closely your lifestyle parallels our father’s.”

“The difference being,” retorted Finn, “that I’m not a married man with two young children. And I’ve never, ever cheated on a woman in my life before. Yeah, I can’t very well deny that I’ve dated. A lot. And while not all of those stories you read were true, quite a few of them are, unfortunately. But ever since I met Delilah all of that’s changed. In fact, she was just ribbing me about that when we walked in here earlier - how I’ve managed to keep my name out of the gossip rags for months now. And I intend to keep it that way. Your sister means way too much to me to voluntarily screw things up. She’s too special, too extraordinary, to risk losing. Especially over something stupid like getting drunk or flirting with some bimbo. Besides, now that I’ve met you, I’d be scared to death that you’d put out a hit on me. Or worse, do the job yourself.”

Desiree grinned, something she seldom did nowadays. “Well, you’re right about that last part. As well as what you said about Della being special. And while I know she keeps insisting she doesn’t need me to look out for her, much less fight her battles, old habits die hard, Finn. I’ve been part big sister, part surrogate mother to her for a long time now, and I suppose it’s just hard for me to let go of that. Especially when it comes to dating. Della hasn’t always made the wisest choices when it comes to the men in her life.”

Delilah glared at her sister. “Oh, for God’s sake, Desi! Will you let that one drop already? I was sixteen and not the best judge of character when it came to men and their not so nice intentions. And, yes, I’ve already told Finn about stupid old Jeremy Haggert and how he took the school skank to the prom in my place because she’d put out and I wouldn’t.”

“And I’ve offered multiple times to find this Jeremy character and pound the crap out of him,” chimed in Finn. “But Delilah insists he isn’t worth the effort.”

“He’s not,” agreed Desiree. “Though she was pretty upset at the time, given that it was barely a year after our mother died and our father bailed on us. But of course Della was so pretty and popular that just about every guy in her high school was after her. She didn’t have any trouble at all getting another date to the prom, as I recall. Or dates in general, for that matter.”

Delilah gave an exasperated shake of her head. “Okay, enough reminiscing about my teenaged years. And I’ve certainly gotten a lot older and wiser since then, Desi. Which means you really don’t have to worry about the choices I make any longer. And that includes Finn. So, I’m going to say this as nicely as possible but - back off, okay? I know exactly what I’m doing, and if it’s the last thing I do I’m going to convince you that he’s just not the same person all those nasty gossip magazines make him out to me. At least, he’s not that person when he’s with me, and that’s all that should matter. Agree?”

“Fine,” retorted Desiree rather huffily. She narrowed her gaze at Finn. “But you’d better believe that I’ll be keeping a close watch on how things develop, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll treat my baby sister like a queen. Got that, McManus?”

Finn gave her a mock salute. “Loud and clear, Sergeant Major. Whatever you say, ma’am.”

Desiree smiled reluctantly. “You’re not the first person to tell me I would have made a great career officer. And now, since you offered to pay for brunch, I think you should order us another round of mimosas. Plus a big slab of that coffee cake Della loves so we can all share it.” She studied Finn for a few seconds before giving a brief nod. “And I guess maybe you’re not as big of an asshole as I figured you were going to be. If nothing else, you seem to be crazy about my sister and haven’t been able to take your eyes off of her all morning.”

Finn nodded in assent as he beckoned their server over. “I am crazy about her, Desiree. I practically worship the ground she walks on, in fact. So, tell me - does this mean I’ve passed your test?”

“Hmm.” Desiree tapped a finger against her chin as she pretended to consider his question carefully. “I suppose you could say that. At least, the first part of the test anyway. We’ll see how you progress with the next couple of parts before I make a final judgment.”

Finn didn’t bother to hide the instant anxiety he felt at her rather ominous words. “What - what do the next parts of the test involve?”

Desiree gave him a smile that could only be described as pure evil. “I’ll let you know when - and if - you manage to ace them.”