Chapter Three
“So, you’re definitely for sure going to call me tomorrow, right? I mean, you’re way too sweet to be one of those assholes who swears up and down that they’re going to call you but then never do. So you be sure not to spoil the very good impression I have of you, okay?”
Finn smiled lazily at the raven haired beauty who’d shared his bed last night, tucking a glossy strand of that jet black hair behind her ear. “I wouldn’t dream of it,” he replied teasingly, even though he knew she’d be cursing his name vividly within the next few days. “So does this mean you had a good time last night?”
“Mmm, I’ll say,” she purred, sliding her arms around his waist and pressing herself against his naked torso. “The best time I’ve had in forever. Too bad I have to dash off to work now, or we could have ourselves an even better time. But I guess that will have to wait. I’m free tonight, by the way. And tomorrow night, too. Or really any night at all that you might want to see me again. So don’t disappoint me, Finn, okay? Promise me that you’ll call.”
“I pride myself on never disappointing a beautiful woman,” he replied suavely, effectively sidestepping his bedmate’s pointed question. “And since the last thing I want to do is make you late for work, give me a goodbye kiss, hmm?”
The slender female in his arms complied eagerly, winding her arms around his neck as she gave him a kiss that was almost desperately pleading. Finn wasn’t that much of an uncaring bastard not to feel at least a little bit guilty that he would not, in fact, be calling her again. But Serena - he’d made damned sure to get her name straight - simply wasn’t worth a second go-round in his opinion. She was pretty enough, with her trim figure, almond-shaped eyes, and straight, shoulder length hair. She’d told him over their second round of drinks last night that her mother was of Chinese descent while her father was an amalgamation of French, Dutch, and Polish. Serena worked as a paralegal, with aspirations of going to law school, but the fact that she was smarter and more sophisticated than most of the women he dated didn’t seem to matter much when it came to her eagerness to get into his pants.
And while the sex had been good it definitely hadn’t been spectacular, and Finn had half-wished that she would turn out to be the sort who didn’t like to sleep over. Unfortunately for him, not only did Serena insist on sleeping over but she was also a cuddler. He’d never much cared for snuggling after sex, and found it a little claustrophobic when a woman insisted on doing so. One of the reasons he’d bought such a big bed was so that he could have plenty of space to stretch out while he slept, and having someone practically on top of him more or less defeated the purpose.
He’d offered up silent thanks when Serena had slightly overslept, and then had to rush around to get ready so that she wouldn’t be late to work. She’d been so busy showering, dressing, and doing her makeup that she hadn’t had much time for chit chat, something that Finn really hated, especially during those awkward “morning after” times. Anxious for her to take her leave, he had gallantly fixed her a cup of coffee, apologizing for not having any food in the house. But Serena hadn’t seemed to mind the latter, insisting that she rarely if ever ate breakfast anyway, and thanked him profusely for being such a sweetie to make her coffee. Her gratitude, however, hadn’t made him feel any less like a dick for already knowing that she wouldn’t be hearing from him again.
“Hey, you’d better head out,” he reminded her gently, taking a step or two back. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I got you in trouble with your boss or anything.”
Serena grinned at him wickedly. “Oh, but you’re so much fun to get into trouble with, Finn,” she teased. “God, I have never been so tempted to call in sick in my life! In fact - ”
“No.” He shook his head firmly. “Don’t risk your job over me, okay? Besides, I have to head out to a business appointment in another hour or so myself, so I can’t really stick around.”
She sighed, the disappointment evident on her pretty face. “Okay. You’ve convinced me to be a good girl and not play hooky. Even though you’d be totally worth losing my job over.”
Finn laughed, giving her a pat on her tight ass. “You’re a very good girl. At least you were last night.”
Serena batted her eyelashes at him flirtatiously, but whatever provocative comment she made in reply was totally lost on Finn when he glanced up just as the door to the condo across the hall was being firmly shut. And when he got his first look at his new neighbor, the one he’d heard a whole lot about but hadn’t really believed all the hype, he could only stare at the breathtaking vision in stunned disbelief.
The unit across the hall had actually been sold more than two months ago, with the former occupant - another young techie millionaire - having been recently married and then making the decision to move to suburbia. In the following weeks Finn had observed a veritable army of construction workers, painters, electricians, and plumbers in and out of the condo. He’d learned, courtesy of the overly friendly and very gossipy building concierge, that the new owner was having pretty much the entire place remodeled.
Finn had been out of town when his new neighbor had finally moved in a couple of weeks ago, and thus far hadn’t run into her. But several of his friends in the building most definitely had, and they had tried their best to describe her to Finn.
Tried being the operative word, he thought faintly, as he continued to stare at the most strikingly beautiful female he’d ever seen in his life, because mere words really couldn’t do this woman’s looks justice. His friends had failed miserably in their feeble attempts to accurately describe her - not, of course, that Finn would have really believed that such a woman existed outside of one’s imagination.
Even with the four-inch heels that encased her tiny feet, she was petite, probably no more than five feet tall without the sexy stilettos. Her dark brown hair gleamed like spun silk, falling in loose waves well past her shoulders, and Finn could imagine tunneling his face into those luxurious tresses, or wrapping a lustrous strand around his hand as he pulled her in close for a kiss. She had a small, heart-shaped face, with sculpted cheekbones, an adorable little nose, and just the tiniest hint of a cleft to her chin. Her big eyes were a deep chocolate brown, fringed by long, curly lashes, and framed by daintily arched brows. Her makeup was expertly but tastefully applied, though he knew instinctively that someone with her looks would be equally stunning without even a lick of cosmetics.
And that mouth of hers. Christ, what he’d love to do to that deliciously full mouth, which was glossed over in a luscious shade of pink. He wanted to do very, very sinful things to that pretty mouth - wanted to claim it in a long, dirty kiss, wanted to nibble seductively at those plump lips, wanted to guide his cock between her lips and watch as they moved up and down on him, taking a little bit more of him inside her mouth with each thrust.
He swallowed with some difficulty, forcing himself to tear his hungry gaze from her mouth. But when his eyes began to travel down her body, he literally had to bite down on his tongue to stifle a low groan. For such a tiny little thing, she sure as hell had curves in all the right places - and then some. The form fitting dress of rose pink linen looked as though it had been custom sewn to flatter her full breasts, tiny waist, and gently curved hips. The V-neck of the ultra feminine dress displayed a tasteful amount of cleavage, while the hem ended an inch or two above the knee. She looked both classy and provocative, elegant and hot as hell. It wasn’t a combination Finn was used to seeing in a woman, and to say he was intrigued by her was grossly understating the instant attraction he was feeling.
He was so mesmerized by his new neighbor that he more or less forgot about the woman who still had her arms entwined around his neck. Or that fact that he looked particularly disreputable this morning - clad only in a pair of faded, ripped jeans, with no shirt or shoes, his overlong hair a rumpled mess, and his face unshaven. The contrast between his disheveled appearance and his beautiful new neighbor’s sophisticated, perfectly put together one couldn’t have been more glaring. And judging by the look of distaste that crossed her perfect features, and the slight wrinkle of that pert little nose, it was evident that she was very well aware of that disparity.
She looked away immediately when he made eye contact, as though she found the mere sight of him repellent, and walked away without a backwards glance. Though walk was probably a poor choice of words to describe the way she strutted confidently in the direction of the elevators, the graceful curve of her back ramrod straight and her hips swaying slightly to and fro. The sky high heels of her nude colored pumps didn’t seem to impair her ability to keep up a brisk pace in the slightest.
Finn’s gaze followed her progress down the hall, his eyes falling automatically to the high, tight curves of her ass. As expected, the back view of this sexy as fuck woman was every bit as spectacular as the front. A sudden image of how she would look naked and kneeling on all fours, wiggling that round, tempting ass in his direction, was almost violently arousing, and he had to take several steps back from Serena so that she wouldn’t get the mistaken impression that she was the reason he was getting hard.
Serena frowned when she noticed his attention was directed elsewhere, and glanced in the direction of his rapidly retreating neighbor. “Who’s that?” she asked crossly, her formerly pretty features suddenly looking decidedly unattractive as her eyes narrowed and her mouth turned downwards in a scowl.
“I’m not exactly sure,” was all Finn said in response, while thinking to himself ‘But I’m sure as hell going to find out.’
***
“Hey, Armando. How’s it going today, man?”
The slim, dark-haired young man, who was standing in his usual position behind the concierge desk, looked up from his computer monitor immediately at the sound of Finn’s voice. He smiled warmly, his expression one of genuine pleasure and not simply of politeness. In his profession, he had to deal with all manner of requests from the well-heeled tenants of this building - most of them fairly routine but others that were more than a little on the outlandish side. Finn rarely asked for anything out of the ordinary, and was probably the most low-maintenance of all the residents here. He was also friendly and appreciative of everyone on the concierge staff, and extremely generous with his gifts to them at Christmastime as well as other gestures of his gratitude throughout the year. It was why Armando and his fellow employees were always more than willing to help out Finn on the rare occasions when he asked for something - whether it was hailing a taxi, signing for a delivery, or providing him with information.
Finn had learned that if he wanted to know what was going on anywhere in the building - who was moving in or out, who was having renovations done, who that snazzy new BMW belonged to - Armando was definitely the quickest and most accurate source of information. Oh, the impeccably groomed young man, who favored dark, tailored suits, dress shirts with French cuffs, and conservatively patterned ties, certainly gave the impression of being the ultimate in discretion. He was quiet, polite, and perhaps took his job just a bit too seriously, but the residents of this building trusted him implicitly, both with the tasks they requested him to do and with the information they imparted to him. Finn figured that he was probably the only one in the building who knew just how much the deceptively discreet concierge loved to gossip.
“Mr. McManus. How are you this morning, sir?” the thirty-something concierge greeted brightly. It was obvious from his tone and the wide grin on his face that he had a real fondness for this particular tenant, unlike most of the others who lived here. For those residents, he acted much more formally, his face a mask of tightly controlled politeness.
Finn clapped the younger man on the shoulder. “Hey, I’ve told you like a thousand times now, dude. Call me Finn. Jesus, I’m already feeling like an old man these days, so calling me Mr. McManus makes me sound like my father.”
Armando chuckled. “You certainly don’t look or act as I imagine your father would. But while I appreciate your offer - as always, sir - it just wouldn’t be right for me to be so familiar with a resident here. Was there something you needed this morning? A taxi or an Uber, perhaps? Or would you like me to make dinner reservations somewhere this evening?”
Finn waved a hand in dismissal. “Nah, nothing like that. I’ll be heading to the gym in a few minutes, but as you know that’s just a couple of blocks from here, definitely walking distance. Before I head out, though, there is something you can do for me.”
Armando nodded eagerly. “Of course, Mr. McManus. Anything for you, sir. What can I assist you with?”
Finn gave the concierge a conspiratorial wink. “You can tell me everything you know - and I do mean everything - about my new neighbor across the hall. You know, a few of my friends here in the building were going on and on about her recently, but I figured they were exaggerating, that this woman they were raving about couldn’t possibly be that hot. But then I saw her leaving her place an hour ago and - damn! If anything, their descriptions didn’t even begin to do her justice. So, tell me, Armando. Who is this gorgeous babe and what do I need to know if I’m going to ask her out?”
The normally reserved concierge grinned broadly, his eyes twinkling with shared amusement. “You must be referring to Ms. Ferris. And, frankly, sir, I’m surprised that you haven’t asked about her until now. After all, she moved in three whole weeks ago. It’s hard to believe that you didn’t notice her until this morning.”
The grin on Finn’s face widened. “Well, I have been out of town as you know. And, uh, I’m usually not awake quite this early. My, uh, houseguest had to leave for work, so it was when I was showing her out the door that I saw my new neighbor for the first time. Her last name is Ferris, you say?”
Armando nodded. “Yes. Delilah Ferris.”
“Delilah, huh?”
It shouldn’t have surprised Finn in the least that his sultry, alluring neighbor shared a name with the infamous Biblical temptress. With a face and body like hers, she could most assuredly lure a man into her web and convince him to do whatever she bid. Finn had a feeling that he would be no exception to succumbing to her feminine wiles.
“Correct. Ms. Ferris is twenty-eight years old, single, and she’s a fashion designer of some sort. In fact, as I understand it, she owns the company, and the headquarters aren’t far from here in Mission Bay. And based on what the selling price of her condo was, not to mention all of the renovations she had done before moving in, I’d say that business was very, very good. I had to deliver some documents to her place not long after she moved in, and the changes she’s made are remarkable.”
“Beautiful, talented, and rich,” mused Finn. “Hmm, I’m surprised with everything she has going for her that the delectable Delilah is still single. Does she have a boyfriend?”
Armando didn’t seem in the least surprised by this question, nor did he hesitate to offer up an opinion. “I’m usually not on duty in the evenings or on weekends, of course, but I understand from my counterparts that Ms. Ferris has been seen in the company of several different men since she moved in.”
“Ah.” Finn nodded. “So the lovely lady likes to play the field, does she? Hmm. Well, since it doesn’t sound like she has a steady boyfriend, there’s no reason at all why I can’t ask her out, is there?”
Armando cleared his throat, no doubt choosing his next words very carefully. “I suppose not, Mr. McManus. Though I understand her, er, companions have all seemed to be of a certain type. Tall, dark-haired, sophisticated, and wearing suits and ties.”
Finn smirked. “And you’re too polite to tell me that I only fall under one of those four categories - the first one.”
“Well…” Armando’s voice trailed off weakly. “Perhaps, given that she seems to have a certain type, you might want to - well, get a haircut for starters. And maybe wear something a bit more, er, sophisticated.”
Finn ran a hand carelessly through his admittedly overlong hair, then grimaced when he noticed the workout shirt he was wearing sported a couple of holes. And he supposed his scuffed athletic shoes could do with a cleaning.
And while he was obligated to wear a suit and tie when he taped shows for the NFL Network, he usually avoided such attire otherwise. He had always been more of a jeans and T-shirt kind of guy, despite the fact that he could easily afford to buy a hundred designer outfits without even looking at the price tags.
But it was beginning to sound like the fashionable Ms. Ferris liked her men to be as elegantly attired as she was, and that Finn was going to have to clean up his act a bit in order to get her attention.
“I’d be happy to give you some, er, tips, Mr. McManus,” offered Armando hesitantly. “Or perhaps you could ask your friend who stops by to visit every so often. The British gentleman - Mr. Wainwright. The men that Ms. Ferris has reportedly dated recently sound quite similar in appearance to your friend.”
‘Yeah, and she’d probably adore Max,’ thought Finn dourly. ‘Just her type from the sound of it. And even though old Maxie’s been living like a monk these past few years, even he probably wouldn’t be able to resist a woman like Delilah. Good thing he’s going to Texas for a couple of weeks. The last thing you’d need right now is for the two of them to meet up and decide they’re soulmates or something.’
“You’re probably right about that, Armando,” admitted Finn. “But Max is headed out of town for a couple of weeks or more on a business trip, so he won’t be around to ask for advice. No worries, though, I’ll figure it out on my own. I may dress like a bum most of the time, but I clean up real nice when I make an effort.”
Armando gave him a reassuring smile. “Of course, Mr. McManus. Though I’m happy to offer an opinion, or make a suggestion. That is,” he added hastily, “if you ever need a second opinion. You, ah, don’t seem to have any difficulties in attracting women, so I’m sure Ms. Ferris would be delighted if you were to ask her on a date.”
Finn sighed regretfully. “Yeah, well, here’s the thing, Armando. Most of the women I, er, date aren’t quite as - let’s call it refined - as Ms. Ferris. Even though I only saw her for less than a minute, something tells me she isn’t the sort of woman who hangs out in bars or clubs waiting for the first available guy to pick her up.”
Armando nodded. “Yes, I’m fairly certain about that, sir. I know that she likes to attend the theater and the ballet, since I’ve signed for ticket deliveries a couple of times since she moved in. And I’ve made dinner and brunch reservations for her a few times. Places like Gary Danko, Bix, and Quince. I don’t know if you’ve been to any of those restaurants, Mr. McManus, but - well, let’s just say they’re typically not patronized by the singles bar crowds.”
“I figured that,” replied Finn resignedly. Then he grinned at Armando. “So does that offer you made a few seconds ago apply to dating advice as well as fashion?”
Armando gave him a returning grin. “Absolutely, Mr. McManus. I’m happy to help in whatever way I can. I can even tell you,” he added slyly, “what Ms. Ferris’s favorite flowers are, since she has a fresh arrangement delivered twice a week.”
Finn gave the concierge’s outstretched hand a hearty shake. “Good. Because I’ve got the feeling that for once in my life I’m going to need all the help I can muster in order to get a girl. I’m not too proud to admit that this one just might be a little out of my league.”