Their gazes locked and held for a long beat, like maybe he was taking her pulse from across the room, absorbing the fact that she was drenched and breathless. The corners of his mouth twitched. She’d amused him again.

What drew her into O’Riley’s like a bee to honey was the six-foot, broad-shouldered, dark eyes, dark smile of Finn O’Riley himself.

She was thinking of his mouth on hers. Which seemed only fair since he’d given a lot of thought to the same thing.“’Night,” she whispered.“Night,” he whispered back.And yet neither of them moved.

Finn was different.And he was different because she wanted him in her life in a way she hadn’t wanted anyone for a very long time.Maybe ever.

Finn?”“Yeah?”“Remember how you said the ball was in my court?”He pressed his forehead to hers for a beat, like he was working on control. She knew she should be as well but she didn’t want him to leave, didn’t want to be alone in this. ”Don’t go,” she whispered softly.

Yes. This. It was just what she needed, because here, held by him like this, her guilt, her regret, her fears . . . all of it gave way to this heady, languid sensation of being desired and she didn’t want it to stop.Any of it.

If she’d thought the oncoming storm outside was crazy, it was nothing compared to what happened between her and Finn every time they so much as looked at each other.

And now he had her in his arms, this amazing, prickly, suspicious, hardheaded woman that he was falling for in spite of himself because she was also sweet and kind and had the biggest heart of anyone he’d ever met. Falling hard. It was going to take a lot to convince her that he was a good idea, although he was pretty sure her body might’ve already made its decision. He had no idea what it would take to persuade the rest of her.

I’ve learned that life is a crapshoot, and at any moment someone can walk into it and change it forever.