Against the Rules

A shadow suddenly blots out the sun. “Is this where we sit to get a promotion?”

Next to me, Lucky stiffens and the healthy color on her cheeks fades. I cock my head to see Kevin looming over us. His hands are on his hips and an ugly frown draws his mouth down.

“This is where we sit to have lunch,” I reply mildly despite the urge to punch him in the face for his dumbass insinuation.

“Then you don’t mind if I join you, right?”

“Actually, you can just take my place.” Lucky jumps to her feet. “I’m done and I think Monica needs me.”

She runs off before I can stop her. I glare at Kevin. “You’re begging to be fired.”

“How so?” His chin comes out. “For wanting to be treated the same as anyone else even though I don’t wear a skirt to the office? No one knows it was Lucky that you carried out of the club, but it doesn’t have to stay that way.”

I don’t know how this rat fuck passed the interview process, but he’ll be toast by the end of the day. “You can pack your things,” I tell him. “You don’t have a job at O’Hare after today.”

“I’ve got my lawyer lined up. Just send me the termination papers,” he sneers. “I’m happy to take a million dollar payout and see O’Hare dragged through the mud.”

“Whoever you hired must’ve gotten their degree in the mail because that’s not how it works.”

“Maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t, but a few words in the right ears and Lucky‘s time at O’Hare will be as short as mine.”

“I’m not firing Lucky.” This guy has a can of beans for brains.

“I didn’t say you would, but she will quit because the rumors of her sleeping with the boss will make her life miserable.” He holds out a piece of paper. “Feel free to call this number and transfer five million into my account. That’s how much it’ll cost to keep my silence.”

Chapter 20

Lucia

“So.” I bite my bottom lip. The day is over and people are beginning to head out of the picnic. I don’t want to go home. At least not to mine anyway. I want to spend more time with Finn and get to know him better.

“So what?” He looks down at me. He keeps a wide space between us. He’s been doing it for the past couple of hours. Something has changed, and I can’t put my finger on what it is. I wonder if Kevin said something to him. I doubt it because it’s a sure way to get yourself fired.

“I guess I’m going to head home.” I lick my lips, remembering the way he licked me last night. I want that again. I don’t know how to handle the whole Kevin thing, but I can deal with that later. I can have tonight.

“Okay. I guess I’ll see you later.” What the hell? Now I know for sure that something is different. Has he changed his mind? My stomach begins to knot. I just nod, knowing that my scared voice would crack if I tried to talk right now.

I pull my bag over my head to go across my body before I turn to walk away from Finn. It takes everything inside of me to not look back. I almost make it all the way but I crack when I get to the end of the street. When I look back he’s gone.

Pull it together, I tell myself. I turn down the street to catch the subway. It’s the quickest way to get home. I can’t stop going over everything that happened with Finn and me today. I try to think where it all went wrong. I thought everything had been perfect. He’d gone to extremes to spend his day with me. It was the sweetest thing I’d ever seen. Finn really is something special. He’s unexpected in so many ways. Yet the way he so easily turned everything off is concerning. Great, now I’m going to obsess about what exactly went wrong all night.

I gasp when someone grabs my elbow, turning me around. “Finn.” His mouth comes down onto mine. His kiss is possessive and sweet too. I lean more into him, kissing him back, savoring his taste and needing the comfort his mouth provides.

“Get a room!” someone yells. I pull back, my face heating.

“I’ve got a room.” Finn winks at me. He grabs my hands and takes me a few feet down the sidewalk. He opens his car door.

“Get in, beautiful girl.” I hop in. He closes the door behind me, running around to the other side and getting in. I don’t know what comes over me. I fling myself at him, peppering kisses all over his face.

“You came back,” I breathe. I lean in and put one on his lips.