Becoming The Boss. Zuri Day
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She was so utterly perfect for him. But he was not the man for her.
In another life he would think he’d finally found The One. If he’d been a different man. If he’d made different choices and hadn’t caused so much pain. Pain he knew he’d eventually cause her again. He was too selfish. Unreliable.
He was also taking too long to answer, because she’d tugged her jeans into place and wriggled back into her T. All the while trying to school an expression made up of dejection and embarrassment.
‘I don’t do it for you, do I?’
Finn cupped her face and kissed her softly on the mouth. ‘One look and you do it for me, beautiful. You always have. But, like I told you before, it’s a bad idea. You’ll wake up in the morning and hate me even more. Regret every minute. Feel only emptiness. It’s a stone-cold feeling, Serena, I promise you.’
She stared into his eyes. ‘So what was that? Friends with benefits?’
‘Sure—why not? You needed me.’
‘You need me too.’ She dipped her head to where he was straining against denim and licked her lips in bashful invitation. ‘At least let me…?’
Finn reared back, creating some space. Hell, no. If she knelt before him, took him into her mouth, he would never get the picture out of his head.
‘I won’t take pleasure from you. That was for you, just this once. Never to be repeated.’
If they reached this point again he’d be powerless to stop.
The only reason he had this encounter under control was because they were in Zane’s office, with no condoms, flanked by secrets and lies.
Here she was, beginning to trust him, and she couldn’t. It was insane. She was forgiving him, tumbling into his arms under the influence of deceit, and he could not sink into her body, look into her eyes as he came inside her, without her knowing the full truth.
‘There are many things I’m not proud of in my life. If I take from you, if I use you, it will be one too many. Do you want a friend, Serena? Or a one-night stand that leaves you frozen? We can’t have both.’
For long moments she stared at her feet, drew patterns with the toe of her boot.
Then she glanced up and gave him a small, indecipherable smile. ‘Then I guess…a friend.’
Finn swallowed. Hard. ‘Good. Friends it is.’
Satisfied he’d taken the hard edge off his need, he grabbed her hand. ‘Come hither, Miss Scott, the night is young.’
Halfway out the door she crashed to a halt, and Finn followed her line of sight to their entwined fingers, dangling between them.
Well, what do you know? He hadn’t even realised. ‘What’s up, baby? You never held hands with someone before?’
Brow nipped, she gave a little shake of her head. ‘No.’
Finn shrugged, made it easy. ‘Me neither.’ And before she could make more of it he hauled her out of the room. ‘Now, let’s get out of here. Don’t know about you, but I’m starving.’
For a woman he could never have.
‘WHAT’S GOING ON?’ Serena tucked her bike helmet under one arm, shook the damp kinks out of her hair with the splayed fingers of her free hand and closed in on the small crowd gathered at the pits. ‘What’s the SL1 doing down here?’
One glance at her big beauty, squatting on the Silverstone circuit, looking every inch the sleek, glorious feline she was, and Serena felt her heart swell up with pride.
It wasn’t until the silence stretched that she realised several pairs of peepers were soaking in the sight of her going all goo-goo—over a car, for heaven’s sake. Sometimes you’re such a girl, Serena.
Tearing her eyes away, she glanced up at Finn and thought, Oh, great, here we go again.
The early-morning sun picked out the bronze and golden tones of his hair and his deep cerulean eyes twinkled knowingly.
‘Good morning, Little Miss Designer, how nice of you to roll out of bed to join us.’
His voice was deep and devastating, richly amused and lathered in sin. Then his delicious fresh scent whispered on the breeze to douse her body with scads of heat.
‘While you’ve been getting your beauty sleep I’ve driven fifty laps in your pride and joy.’
Tensing, she felt the hard lip of her helmet dig into her hip. ‘I don’t understand.’ The only reason he would practise in her racer was if her dad had changed his mind—
Her stomach began to fizz—which was absurd. Serena knew the kind of miracle that would take, and she didn’t think Finn had demolished every car on the fleet. Yet.
Saying that, she’d rarely seen those dark clouds of guilt overshadowing him during the two weeks since Montreal. And the thought that she’d succeeded in finagling his attention long enough for him to move on made her soul smile.
Finn swiftly dispersed the group with an arrogant jerk of his head and leaned against the car’s lustrous patina. Then he crossed his arms over a delicious cerise polo shirt and ran his tongue over his supremely sensual mouth.
A mouth she shouldn’t be staring at, hungering for. The problem was, her new BF had taken her to the heights of ecstasy, and every time she looked his way every blissful, shattering moment came back on a scalding rush.
Car, Serena. Focus.
‘So what did you think? Of my car?’ A sudden swoop of nervy fireflies initiated a frenzy behind her ribs.
‘She’s much like the woman who designed her. A fiery bolt of lightning.’
Okay, then. A few happiness bugs decided to join the midriff party. ‘She handles well?’
‘Unbe-frickin-lievebly. She pulls more G’s than a space shuttle. Her curves are divine and she worships the tarmac. She’s a dream, Serena. You’ve done an amazing job.’
The world vanished behind her eyelids as she tried to calm the internal flurry and take a breath. All the hard work, the late nights, the testing and retesting over and over, and still she waited for her dad to tell her she’d done well. But the admiration and respect in Finn’s gaze, from a man who’d driven the greatest cars in the world, was even better.
Oh, who was she kidding? It was awesome. She felt like flying. Having a real girly moment and jumping and whooping. Which was just silly.
‘Good. I’m glad.’
Finn leaned towards her and Serena was lured by his sheer magnetism. She drew forward until his husky breath tickled her ear.
‘You can squeal if you want to, baby, I won’t tell anyone.’
She jerked backwards. ‘Don’t be ridiculous.’
That fever-pitch-inducing smile widened and one solitary indentation kissed his cheek. Despicable, infuriating, gorgeous man.
‘So how did this happen, anyway? My dad said—’
‘We had it out last night. Talked long enough for him to see sense.’
From nowhere a great thick lump swelled in her throat.
Oh, honestly, he had to stop doing stuff like this. Because every time he did, another teeny slice of her heart tore free and vaulted into his hand. Serena couldn’t recall the last time someone had pushed for what she wanted. Even Tom had tended to side with their dad.
‘You’ll soon learn,’ he