Christ, she was sweet.
“What are you doing?” She braced a hand on his chest but didn’t push him away.
“I call it giving in to the inevitable.”
“Fin, this is wrong.”
“I don’t think so. Nothing this good could be wrong.”
“We never wanted this before.”
“Oh, we did, we just didn’t act on it.”
The kiss was deep and demanding. He wanted something from this woman, he just wasn’t sure what that was yet. It was niggling in the back of his head and deep inside his chest. It would make itself known soon, he was sure of that. Especially if he kept touching her.
Easing her closer, her slid his hand inside her open jacket and stroked her back through the wool of her sweater.
He’d kissed her before, but not like this. The total consuming need to have her lips beneath his. He wanted to strip her, lose himself in all those lush curves. Needed it like his next breath.
“Fin?”
Pulling his mouth from Maggie’s, he looked to the doorway and at who now stood there. If he’d been doused in icy water, the shock would have been no more severe.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
Chapter Fourteen
Wowsers! was Maggie’s first clear thought. The man could kiss. His hand on her back had felt pretty special too. Looking at his face, she saw his jaw was clenched and anger radiated off him. Looking over her shoulder, she found the reason for his change in mood.
A tall man with graying hair stood there. Behind him were a woman and girl. She knew who the man was with just a look and why Fin was bristling. Stepping forward, she smiled when Fin didn’t introduce her.
“Hello, I’m Maggie Winter.”
“Jonathan Hudson. I’m Fin’s father.” He shook her hand, and the smile on his face was like his son’s. “This is my wife, Ellen.” He stepped inside, and the women followed. “And daughter Mallory.”
The woman shot Fin a nervous look.
“Hello.” Maggs shook her hand, then turned to the girl who was hanging back. “It’s nice to meet you, Mallory.”
She had Fin’s eyes and hair color. It was long, and she wore it in two braids. On her head was a red wooden hat. She would be tall too, like the rest of her family. She was nervous, also like her mother. Her eyes shot to Fin, then away.
“Why are you here?” Fin growled to his father.
“We’re staying at the lodge. We thought to spend a few weeks here and Christmas with you,” Jonathan Hudson said.
The tension was thick in the air and Maggie wasn’t sure what to say or do to break it.
“W-we’ve heard there is a great deal to do here in Ryker Falls at Christmas,” Ellen Hudson said. The smile on her face strained. “We thought we’d see Fin before we settle in there.”
“Yes, it’s a lovely place to visit this time of year,” Maggie added. Fin remained silent.
“Well then, we will go and settle ourselves in now. But we’d like to have dinner with you tonight, Fin,” Jonathan Hudson said with sad eyes.
“I’m busy,” Fin’s tone was cold.
“That went well,” Maggie said, after the door closed behind his family.
“Why the hell did he come here?” The words were shot at her like hail stones.
She faced him. Maggs had never been frightened of this man. Aware, nervous, but never scared, even considering the thunderous look in his eyes.
“I don’t know, but on a wild guess, to see you. Did Mallory do something to you, Fin?”
“What?” Her question surprised him.
“Mallory, what did she do to you?”
“This hass nothing to do with you.”
“Possibly not, but answer the question. Because the man you just became is not the man I know. I don’t know what’s between you and your father—and his wife, for that matter—but clearly it’s not pretty. But I’d never have believed you’d ignore a young girl who clearly has nothing to do with what happened before you came to Ryker Falls, as you were here before she was born.”
“It’s complicated.” He looked uncomfortable now. “And you have no idea the cause of it or my family dynamics.”
“Most families are complicated, but she’s your blood.”
“How do you know she is?”
“I see you in her. The shape of her eyes and chin, and the hair color. Am I wrong, is she not your sister?”
“She’s my half sister, and I don’t even know her.” He blew out a loud breath. “My father and I don’t get on, Maggs. Don’t try and get in the middle of that. He makes me act ugly.