glass and take a long drink, her eyes darting around the room. Whatever conflict she was fighting was etched in the frown furrowing her brow. Finn held her breath as she waited for the answer that would either fan the flame of the fledgling trust growing between them, or douse it entirely.
“In all honesty, I don’t know.” She put down her wine glass. “You seem like a really nice person and I know that sounds lame, but I think you might need help. If I can do anything, or even just if you need to talk.” She shook her head again and looked down at the tablecloth. “You said Pete has to go back to England at some point. I don’t like the idea of you being here all alone.” She shrugged again. “Like I said, I really don’t know. I’d just like to help if I can.”
“People don’t offer to help me for no reason.” Finn sipped her wine and twirled the liquid around in the glass. “They want to get closer to my father. They want to get closer to the money they think I have from him. They want me to put in a good word to him about a company, or a deal, or so many other things.” She put the glass back on the table and rested her elbows on the tablecloth. “People don’t just want to help me.” She stared deep into Oz’s eyes, trying to see anything that would give her a reason not to trust her. She needed to find something, someone, she could hold on to. Pete had been her only friend, and it wouldn’t be long before he went back to England and she was truly alone. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before she continued. “Please don’t be offended, but I don’t understand why you would. I have nothing to offer anyone, except maybe a hell of a lot of trouble.” She felt tears at the corners of her eyes. “Not to mention we’ve known each other for a day. You don’t know me. So I have to ask, why?”
“I like you.”
One of Finn’s eyebrows arched and she flushed.
“No, not like that. I mean I do like you, but that’s not what I meant. Jesus, I can’t even speak.” Oz ran her hand over her face and Finn laughed.
“Finn, you are a beautiful woman, but what I was trying to say, very badly, is that I like you as a person. You didn’t have to come to the dock today. But you did. You didn’t have to help unload the boat. But you did. You didn’t have to help me rinse all the gear. But you did. You were nice to me even after I was an asshole about your car. You’ve been really sweet and funny and open, and I like you. I have excellent instincts about people, and my instincts tell me that you’re the type of person I’d like to have around. I want to be your friend. And I like to help my friends if I can. So that’s why I want to help you. If you need it, of course.”
Finn gently placed her hand over Oz’s, liking the feel of the soft, warm skin under her own. Time would tell if Oz meant what she said, but for now, over a seafood dinner at the beginning of her new life, she was willing to allow for the possibility.
Chapter Seven
Oz waved as Finn roared the car engine and pulled away from the curb before she closed the door behind her. What the hell is going on with me? She replayed the evening in her mind: the way Finn moved, the way she looked with that tight top on, the vulnerability in her eyes when she talked about her father. I like you and I want to help my friends! For fuck’s sake, I’ve never said anything like that before.
She grabbed the phone and hit speed dial. It was the fourth ring before a sleep roughened voice answered.
“Hey, Rudy, are you near your computer?”
“Hey, Oz. Nope, but I can be. What do you need?”
“I left the file you gave me on Finn in the office and I needed to check through some stuff tonight before I start working with her in the morning. Can you e-mail me the stuff you have, please?”
“Sure thing. Everything okay?”
“Yeah. No problem. Just want to know what I’ve got on my hands; that’s all.” She clicked her laptop
“In all honesty, I don’t know.” She put down her wine glass. “You seem like a really nice person and I know that sounds lame, but I think you might need help. If I can do anything, or even just if you need to talk.” She shook her head again and looked down at the tablecloth. “You said Pete has to go back to England at some point. I don’t like the idea of you being here all alone.” She shrugged again. “Like I said, I really don’t know. I’d just like to help if I can.”
“People don’t offer to help me for no reason.” Finn sipped her wine and twirled the liquid around in the glass. “They want to get closer to my father. They want to get closer to the money they think I have from him. They want me to put in a good word to him about a company, or a deal, or so many other things.” She put the glass back on the table and rested her elbows on the tablecloth. “People don’t just want to help me.” She stared deep into Oz’s eyes, trying to see anything that would give her a reason not to trust her. She needed to find something, someone, she could hold on to. Pete had been her only friend, and it wouldn’t be long before he went back to England and she was truly alone. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before she continued. “Please don’t be offended, but I don’t understand why you would. I have nothing to offer anyone, except maybe a hell of a lot of trouble.” She felt tears at the corners of her eyes. “Not to mention we’ve known each other for a day. You don’t know me. So I have to ask, why?”
“I like you.”
One of Finn’s eyebrows arched and she flushed.
“No, not like that. I mean I do like you, but that’s not what I meant. Jesus, I can’t even speak.” Oz ran her hand over her face and Finn laughed.
“Finn, you are a beautiful woman, but what I was trying to say, very badly, is that I like you as a person. You didn’t have to come to the dock today. But you did. You didn’t have to help unload the boat. But you did. You didn’t have to help me rinse all the gear. But you did. You were nice to me even after I was an asshole about your car. You’ve been really sweet and funny and open, and I like you. I have excellent instincts about people, and my instincts tell me that you’re the type of person I’d like to have around. I want to be your friend. And I like to help my friends if I can. So that’s why I want to help you. If you need it, of course.”
Finn gently placed her hand over Oz’s, liking the feel of the soft, warm skin under her own. Time would tell if Oz meant what she said, but for now, over a seafood dinner at the beginning of her new life, she was willing to allow for the possibility.
Chapter Seven
Oz waved as Finn roared the car engine and pulled away from the curb before she closed the door behind her. What the hell is going on with me? She replayed the evening in her mind: the way Finn moved, the way she looked with that tight top on, the vulnerability in her eyes when she talked about her father. I like you and I want to help my friends! For fuck’s sake, I’ve never said anything like that before.
She grabbed the phone and hit speed dial. It was the fourth ring before a sleep roughened voice answered.
“Hey, Rudy, are you near your computer?”
“Hey, Oz. Nope, but I can be. What do you need?”
“I left the file you gave me on Finn in the office and I needed to check through some stuff tonight before I start working with her in the morning. Can you e-mail me the stuff you have, please?”
“Sure thing. Everything okay?”
“Yeah. No problem. Just want to know what I’ve got on my hands; that’s all.” She clicked her laptop
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