Page 43 of Daring to Love

10

Finlay

My fingers fly across the keys on my laptop as I turn my notes into something that resembles an article about Amelie.

It’s been two weeks, and despite her busy life, we’ve managed to meet up every couple of days. Blood buzzes in my veins whenever I think about her, which is often, and I can hardly believe how strong my feelings for her have grown in such a short amount of time. It’s like she’s lit a fire inside me, and it flares up whenever she’s near.

I hardly know everything there is to know about her, but I don’t care.

I know she prefers strawberries to ice-cream, but, if hard pressed, she loves Italian sorbet.

I know that she gets up at five a.m. each morning to study before her classes start because most of her evenings are spent at the dance studio. I found her one morning at her dining table, books and notes on practically every surface, but that isn’t what made me stop and stare. No, but the fact she was wearing glasses was a sight that instantly made me hard…she looked so perfectly serious and sexy at the same time, I had to go to her and kiss her.

That was the time we both learned that neck kisses make her grow wild in my arms.

My breathing speeds up as images of her bent over her table, me behind her, flash through my mind, and I look away from my laptop and just stare out the window in my small office. Grinning, I shake my head at the almost lovesick fool I’ve become.

But it’s more than lust that has me completely captivated.

No, it’s so much more than that.

It’s the fiercely protective side of her that I’m slowly starting to see in the way she doesn’t often talk about her family, but when she does, she grows soft and warm…

And then there’s the funny sides of her that has me grinning like a madman whenever I think about them. When she admitted she reads her horoscope each week, I burst out laughing.

I rub my right fist against my heart. She can throw a mean punch when she sets her mind to it.

And then has to go get cute as she scrunches up her nose when she watches her British crime shows, her knowledge about real criminology shining through each time. I can never stop watching her more than the telly. I fucking love she doesn’t believe the crap TV producers want her to believe, yet still seems to be addicted to them.

But most of all, I now know what a passionate woman hides underneath her shy demeanour, and that I’m the lucky sod who brings it out of her.

Only me.

She makes me feel alive. As if there’s been a vital part missing inside me, even though I didn’t realise it until I met her.

My phone vibrates on my desk, interrupting my thoughts, and I glance down at it lying next to my laptop. It’s yet another one of Erik’s calls, but I let it ring. It’s the third time today I’ve dodged his calls, but I don’t give a flying fuck. I don’t want to speak with him, or to hear him shouting at me.

Avoiding him has become my top priority next to being with Amelie whenever I can. While I know I can’t avoid him forever, I need more time with her.

I want to dig deeper into her life. To find out why her family wants her to come out of her hiding place and why she’s so she’s reluctant to do it.

Tonight, I hope I’ll find out her reasons.

And I fucking hope my world won’t shatter to pieces when I do.

* * *

“Is this really me?”

I move from my leather armchair and walk towards her. She asked to see my office the moment she arrived, and I’ve been enjoying watching her take in my workspace for the past twenty minutes. I like having her here – to watch her interest in me and my life. This place is as much my office as it is my sanctuary: the bookshelves look a mess to most people, but I know where everything is.

Right now, she looks down at a one of the photographs the freelancer sent to me earlier. I couldn’t resist printing a few of them.

I embrace her from behind, loving the way she fits against me, and rest my chin on her shoulder.

“Yes. You look formidable, sweetheart.”

She raises her hand, and I can’t help but notice it trembling as she runs her pointer over her profile in the photo.