“It’s all right, Finn. It’s just coffee.”
I let my gaze drop to the wet splotches staining his dark slacks...and swallowed again at the way his body, beneath the finely tailored cloth, created interesting swells of muscle and...well yeah.
I couldn’t help the blush that rose to my cheeks, and I gazed hastily away.
Tamsin used a finger to raise my chin, a slight smirk curving his mouth. “Set the tray on the table and come with me.”
To the ends of the earth? Gladly. I followed in his wake like an acolyte as he led the way to a door I didn’t remember from my earlier tour.
“I have some towels in here.”
We entered a luxurious bathroom with a small walk-in closet attached to it. While I was still gaping at the gleaming tile and granite, Tamsin had disappeared inside the closet. From its depths, he said, “Grab a towel and dry yourself off. I’m just going to change into a new suit.”
My hand shook as I took a hand towel from the counter. I caught my reflection in the mirror and sagged. I looked like a lovesick puppy—maybe one of those Chinese crested things—my dirty blond hair standing on end and my hazel eyes wide. Not exactly the professional impression I’d wanted to make. I hastily began wiping at the splotches on my pants, not that it was much help.
I was just realizing I would have to let the coffee dry on its own when Tamsin walked out of the closet, his pants still unzipped as he tucked his shirt back in. God to be his hands at that moment. When I raised my gaze to his, he had one brow arched. He turned slightly away to finish dressing, and I felt my cheeks heat. Busted. If I didn’t get my errant thoughts under control, I’d find my ass back out on the street.
“Would you care to borrow some slacks?” Tamsin asked, now eyeing my still-damp pants. “I might have something that will come close to fitting you.”
I shook my head. “It’s all good. You have a blow dryer?”
“Under the sink. Join me when you’re through.”
He brushed past me through the doorway back into his office.
I was so fired. Heart pounding, I used the blow dryer as quickly as I could, drying off the worst of the wet and calling it done. When I stepped back into Tamsin’s office, he was standing near one of the windows, gazing out at the spring sunshine. It was a very solitary image that made me wonder if a man like him was ever lonely. His head turned my way, though I thought I’d been quiet.
I was ready for him to let loose, to tell me it just wasn’t going to work and I needed to get my ass out of his office and out of the building.
“Are you all right, Finn?” His expression was relaxed.
I could breathe. “Yes.”
He crossed the room and rested his arm across my shoulders again. “Then why don’t you make some more coffee, and we’ll try this again. Hmm?”
I still had a job. Thank fuck.
4
Tamsin
The redo on the coffee might have taken a bit longer than strictly necessary. As I reviewed case notes while I waited, I suspected what my new intern had really needed was a chance to regain his composure.
This time when he returned, I made sure to be seated where he could see me, so there would be no surprises.
“Why don’t you take the tray to the coffee table in front of the couch,” I suggested.
Finn immediately turned toward the end of the room where the fireplace was located and quickly placed the tray on the low table. As I watched him move, I was struck by how graceful he was, which came as a bit of a surprise after our initial collision.
I crossed the room to him and found him just finishing my cup, prepared exactly as I liked it. I sat and let him hand it to me.
“Nice job,” I told him. “You’ve made it just the way I prefer.”
Finn’s lean cheeks turned slightly pink. Interesting. I waited until he was seated, nervously perched at the opposite end of the couch.
“Gabby informed me you are still an undergraduate. Tell me about your major.”
His face brightened. “It’s history.”
“Any particular timeframe you find to your interest?” I kept my tone casual and my posture relaxed. It was easy to see from Finn’s tendency to startle and blush at any faint praise that he was not extremely confident. I certainly didn’t want to startle him more. He cradled his cup in both hands.
“I’m really interested in American history...mid-eighteenth century through the American Revolution.”
As he explained why it was fascinating, I studied him. This was obviously where his passion lay, which made me curious.
“So why do you want to study law?”
Here he hesitated. As he stumbled through an explanation my years in law told me wasn’t entirely accurate, I finally let him off the hook. “Well this internship should give you a wonderful opportunity to see if studying law is the path you truly wish to take.”
Finn smiled. “That’s exactly what I thought. Of course, I also needed a good job this summer to help my dad.”
“Oh? What does your father do?” Maybe now I was hearing his real reason for wanting the internship. It offered more regular hours and better pay than a lot of positions.
To my surprise, Finn’s eyes misted over. When was the last time I had worn my emotions so openly for anyone to see?
“Not much right now. He’s in a rehab facility. He was partially paralyzed in an...accident. I try to help with his bills.”
I steered the conversation to more general topics, often finding my gaze locked on Finn’s generous mouth or his beautiful, hazel eyes. It took every ounce of my willpower to stop myself from tracing the outline of his Cupid’s-bow upper lip with the tip of my finger.
So inappropriate. Would he blush? His timidity immediately brought my protective nature roaring to life. I wanted to wrap myself around him and tell him he was in a safe place.
An hour after his disastrous arrival, I watched him leave my office and couldn’t help the grin that lifted one corner of my mouth. As the door shut, I absently reached for the Rubik’s cube on the corner of my desk, flipping and spinning it through my fingers.
Finn was a surprise in more ways than one. I hadn’t been happy initially to hear that Gabby’s search had landed me with an intern who wasn’t actually even a law student yet, and my first sight of him hadn’t bolstered my confidence.
Through the rest of the day, at moments when my mind wasn’t fully engaged in reviewing case notes or talking to clients, I found myself wondering about Finn. In addition to his love of history and his concern for his father, he had revealed the fact his parents were divorced. From the shortness of Finn’s answers, I had to assume he had little to no contact with his mother, although he hadn’t hinted why that might be.
Then there was the look he had given me as I stepped out of the walk-in closet in my bathroom while tucking in my shirt. I had been around too long to mistake the heat in his stare and the embarrassment he had felt at being caught looking for anything other than what it was—sexual attraction.
Interesting but off-limits. However, that inconvenient fact still didn’t stop my wanting him and wondering just how he might respond to a firm, guiding hand.
Later that evening, I sat down to dinner with Walter Rogue and Arlo Stone in the dining room at the Club. Monsieur liked to keep things classy, providing members with a full range of experiences from carnal to cuisine.