Finn's Shot (Eden's Odyssey Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

amazing color you still
manage to shine bright enough to dim the rest.”
    My cheeks heat with
embarrassment a little as I respond, “I don’t think anyone has ever said
something like that to me.” Most men acknowledge the sex, but don’t notice the real me underneath that. God, that makes sending him on his way that
much harder, but I know his type. Straight-laced and slightly closed off. If he
got a hint of my life outside of the art world, he’d freak out and run or just
assume the absolute worst. I can’t imagine having to deal with the aftermath of
letting a man like Finn into my heart and having to clean up the damage when he
realizes I’m not what he wants or who he thought I was.
    Unable to meet his gaze, I
turn my head and lock mine on a picture of the ocean I painted last year on the
adjacent wall and share, “Look, we had a good time the other night. I won’t lie
and say that I’m not still attracted to you, but there are things you don’t know
about me and that’s not going to change. So, I don’t see the point of going any
further.”
    “Why can’t you just tell me
and let me decide for myself if they’re things I can live with?”   
    He doesn’t understand, and I
could shock him by blurting it out, but I don’t want to witness his
disappointment or horror first hand. I give an exasperated sigh and say, “It
doesn’t work like that. Been there, done that before and I ended up hurt worse
than I thought possible.”
    I pull my feet from his hands
and place them on the floor. My elbows rest on my knees as my hands cup my
face. I don’t know what else to say.
    “Okay, I get that you aren’t
going to tell me. Can I at least take you out sometime? It’s not like I’m around
a lot anyway. During the season I’m either out of town for road games or in
town but at the rink. It’s rare I have one day off much less two in a row. We
don’t have to be anything serious, but I really enjoy your company, and I’d
like to take you out.” His eyes plead with me to say yes.
    Damn. My heart starts a war with my mind. I
guess going out on an occasional date with him wouldn’t hurt. I just need to
make sure things stay that way. Deep down, I chastise myself. It’s a bad
decision keeping him around for occasional dates. He’s the kind of man who
doesn’t do occasional and the one who will probably tempt me to want more than
occasional. I’m so screwed, but I can’t seem to cut him off completely.
    “Okay, I guess we can go out
from time to time. Just don’t expect much,” I warn.
    “I’m not trying to move in
and marry you, Darcy. I just want to take you out…” He scoots closer, his eyes
simmering with lust. “Treat you to a nice meal or take you somewhere fun, and
maybe if I’m lucky, get you between the sheets again.”
    A boyish grin stretches
across his face as he places his pointer finger under my chin and lifts until
we have eye contact. I take a deep breath and swallow hard.
    “Okay, I’m down with that.” I
don’t get a chance to say another word. He’s on me in a hot and needy kind of
way. His lips fuse to mine, and his hands grow possessive as he lifts me in his
arms and stands. I wrap my legs around his waist and kiss my way up his neck to
the tender spot just below his ear. The soft curling hair along his collar
tickles my nose as I lick him.  
    Moments later, he tosses me
on the bed, unbuttons his shirt, and removes the cuff links and tosses them to
my dresser. Haphazardly, his shirt is flung across the room. Then with his
strong grip on my ankles, I’m yanked to the edge of the bed and his warm hands
reach under my dress to locate the top of my tiny bikini panties. He hooks his big
fingers around the elastic and he scoots them gently down and off, leaving my thigh-high
nylons in place. It’s obvious the moment he spies the lace border of my thigh
high stockings, because he groans so deep it vibrates through both of us. He settles
my legs over his shoulders and