Gabe grinned sheepishly and shrugged. “Busted,” he admitted.
Eddie asked if they wanted coffee, but Alex declined and told them she thought they would wander over to her place and watch some TV. Fin perked up at the idea of having her to himself. While he had enjoyed the company, he was here because of Alex. He had accepted earlier in the evening they were doing a double date, but now found himself eager to be alone with the woman who had intrigued him since their shared flight.
Fin shook hands with both men and thanked them for the wonderful evening. As he and Alex walked outside, he looked back at the two men deep in conversation, Eddie talking nonstop and Gabe smiling at whatever he said. They seemed happy together.
The sky had growndark during their meal, and Alex realized she’d forgotten to leave her porch light on. She took Fin’s hand to guide him along the path, and thought how perfectly hers fit in his. They walked quietly, listening to the neighborhood sounds.
“That was lovely. Your friends are wonderful,” he said out of nowhere.
“Yeah, they are. I’m glad you enjoyed them. I didn’t think you would mind, and they aren’t ones to fawn over you like other fanboys might.”
He chuckled. “I still can’t believe you knew who I was this whole time. I thought I had gotten away with being plain old Fin.”
Alex let go of his hand and pulled open her door. “MaybeIshould be an actor.” She laughed. “I don’t know if you genuinely want to watch TV, but I thought the timing was good for us to escape before they started feeling a little too comfortable with you.” She caught his slight nod and knew he understood he had just been rescued.
Fin followed her in. “Whatever you want to do. By the way, I both appreciate and approve of your exit strategy.” He smiled at her.
Alex pointed at her couch and offered him a drink. “I’ve got soda, iced tea, and wine. Or water. The non-fizzy type.”
“Whatever you’re having, thanks.” He sank into the massive sofa while Alex collected two glasses and a bottle of wine, which she set on the coffee table in front of Fin.
She then plopped down beside him and promptly rolled towards him, sinking into the soft cushions. “Whoops!” she cried. “It’s been a while since I shared my couch, and I forgot how it sucks you in.” She could feel her face turning bright red as she disentangled herself from him. She put her hand on his chest and pushed away. He placed one hand on her shoulder to hold her steady and the other hand hovered around his lap.
As she got herself more stable on the couch, she looked from his lower hand to his face. “Did you just protect your manly bits from me?” She burst into laughter.
He smirked. “Sorry. Instinct.”
She covered her mouth and tried not to giggle. “That reminds me of the time on the ranch when my friend decided he wanted to ride one of our bulls. He was wearing gym shorts, which have absolutely no protection for manly bits.” She told him the story of her high school friend attempting—and failing miserably—to ride one of their younger animals, and how he needed an ice pack afterwards.
Fin laughed and shared a few stories of him and his mates’ misadventures in that department.
As they talked, Alex poured two glasses of wine. They slipped right back into the easy camaraderie they had shared on the plane.
Except this was different. They were in her home… her space. And yeah, the chemistry between them sizzled. On the plane she had written it off to the excitement of meeting someone famous, but here in her comfort zone, she couldn’t explain away the heightened awareness of his every movement. While they talked, an occasional brush of fingers or an innocuous touch while one of them changed positions caused undeniable heat to zip along her spine. They weren’t even sitting particularly close. They both sat sideways on the couch, facing each other with at least a foot separating them. Even with the space between them, Alex was acutely aware of everything about him.
While laughing at Fin’s rendition of a scene gone wrong in one of his movies, Alex was abruptly struck by a yawn. “Oh, gosh. Sorry.” She yawned again. “I guess I’m still recovering from jet lag.”
“And you have to wake up early tomorrow for work. Unlike this guy,” Fin pointed to himself, “who is now officially on vacation. I better go.”
He stood up and pulled her along with him. “I can’t tell you how wonderful this has been. I had the crappiest day yesterday, and today it’s all behind me.”
Alex raised her eyebrows in question.
“No, not tonight. Let’s not ruin it,” he answered her unspoken question. He typed something on his phone. “Since I didn’t know how long the evening would go, I told Blake to stay close, so it shouldn’t take him long to arrive.”
“Blake?” Alex asked.
“My driver.”
“Oh.” Reality crashed back in. He had a driver. He was a movie star. He operated in a different world.
“Listen, Alex…” Fin interrupted her thoughts. His gaze sharpened and she stared up at him until he cleared his throat. “What time and where is volleyball on Tuesday?”
Alex snapped out of it and switched into planning mode. “Where are you staying?” Ignoring his raised eyebrow, she continued, “It might be easier for me to pick you up depending on what part of town your hotel is located.”
“Oh, I see. I’m at the Hotel Granduca… ehm, in the… Gallery Area?”
“Galleria,” she corrected. “That’s perfect, as I have a meeting Tuesday afternoon at our Post Oak office. I’ll be right up the street from you and can swing by and get you. Say around five-ish? That gives us time to get there and eat something before my first match.”
