Trigger Warning: Mild Sexual Content below!! Feel free to skip over the scene if it doesn't interest you or you dislike reading scenes like this!!

I sit in front of my computer watching the cursor blink. After my little afterwork side quest with the wallet, I'd driven straight home, showered, changed, and returned to The Blue Moon Café. I'd spent the last forty minutes editing what I wrote the other day and trying to come up with a name for my main love interest. Nolan isn't going to work. If he ever reads it...

Honestly, he probably won't read it. I doubt Nolan is the kind of guy who reads steamy romances. If, and that's a big if, I ever manage to get published in the first place. Still, just in case, I should figure out an alternative.

I open the internet and search for the most popular baby boy names in 2023. Liam. Noah. Oliver. Elijah. I nibble my bottom lip as I type a different name into the search bar:

Finnegan Hayes.

I'm instantly bombarded by news articles about burglaries and carjackings and drug deals gone wrong. His mugshot is plastered over every page. I'm surprised to find the photograph alluring. He looks sexy in a rugged, I-might-drive-my-getaway-vehicle-off-a-cliff-to-evade-the-police sort of way. He has chestnut colored waves of hair and light hazel eyes rimmed with dark lashes. He's definitely dreamy...for a criminal.

I shake my head, taking a sip of my iced coffee. Wow, Vi. Way to stay on track. At this point, you're just stalling.

I click out of the browser, deciding to stick with the name Nolan until I finish the story. I can always change it in the end during one of my rounds of edits. I open my manuscript I've titled Entangled, ready to face the blinking cursor, and begin to type:

The nightclub is blasting with music and flashing lights. I'm bobbing in a sea of sweaty bodies, but I feel his eyes on me.

Only me.

I danced to catch his attention, and it worked. I know I look good. This dress feels like sex. It's backless and short. Scandalously short. Every time I sway my hips, it flirts with the air, exposing my thighs, accentuating the curves of my ass.

Nolan watches me from the VIP booth, his dark eyes sliding over my body before connecting with mine. He smirks because he knows I'm here for him. I want to slap that smirk right off his smug face. After the mind-blowing sex we had in the shower, I expected him to call right away. To come crawling back on his hands and knees, begging for more.

Most men do.

The fact he hasn't makes this a challenge, and I'm always up for a challenge. This time I'll make him drop to his knees.

I ignore Nolan as he approaches me, giving him the cold shoulder. He seems to like a challenge, too. His hand settles on my lower back and I still as he whispers huskily in my ear. "Come with me, Vi."

"No." I meet his gaze. "You follow me." I grasp his hand and lead him through the crowd to the bathroom. We burst through the door, already tearing at each other's clothes, his tongue in my mouth, his hands hiking up my dress. He lifts me onto the sink, my ass nudging the faucet on and getting us both wet. I rip open his shirt as his fingers dive past my scarlet panties and explore my folds. He uses his other hand to unbuckle his belt, but I stop him. "No," I say in a stern voice, pointing to the ground. "Kneel."

Nolan follows my command, his eyes locked on mine. He continues to watch me as he drags my panties down with his teeth and trails kisses up the length of my thighs. I moan as his warm tongue presses between my folds, exploring just as his fingers did. I grip his hair, wrapping my legs around his head, pulling him closer. The water splashes all over the ground. We're both so wet. "I'm going to make you come so hard," he groans in between my legs. He pushes them apart. "Spread them wider for me."

A shadow falls over my screen and I gasp, slamming my computer shut. The action sends the large cup on my table crashing into my lap, an explosion of ice, coffee, and milk.

"Cold!" I yelp as the freezing liquid soaks into my clothes. The blue straw sticks into my moist bra, poking me in the ribcage.

It's Emily's brother, Finn. The man I just Google stalked less than an hour ago. He stands beside the table, a mixture of genuine surprise and concern on his face.  "I am so sorry," he breathes, brushing ice cubes off me. He hurries over to the condiment counter, yanking napkins from the dispenser, and pats me dry. "I didn't mean to scare you."

I sit frozen in place, watching him as he tries to wipe the spilled coffee from the table. There's not much. A single puddle. A few ice cubes. Most of it fell on me. I jolt upright, grabbing my things and stuffing everything into my bag. "Bathroom," I murmur, swinging my bag over my shoulder and charging in that direction. Everyone is looking at me. I can feel my cheeks turn red.

I step inside the unisex bathroom and quickly lock the door behind me. My hands are shaking as I peel the soaked fabric from my skin. I'm covered in goosebumps, the coffee dripping down my legs as if I've pissed myself. I'm going to need to clean this up before I get into my car or else my seats are going to be sticky. There's a knock at the door, and I startle.

"Hey, it's just me," Finn calls from the other side. "Again, I'm so sorry. I feel...awful. At least let me buy you another drink."

I don't answer because I'm too busy grunting as I wrestle with my blouse. It feels ten times heavier and thicker now that it's wet, and I'm pretty sure it's stuck to my earring. "And you can have my jacket," he offers, interpreting my silence as anger. "If there's anything at all I can do to make it up to you."

I continue to wrestle, working my fingers into my blouse to try and untangle the earring. The fabric tugs at my ear. It feels as if the piece of jewelry is about to tear right through the lobe. I curse, staring at my ridiculous reflection in the bathroom mirror. I look like a crazy woman with the pulled-up blouse concealing my face, my arms bent and stuck up like I'm dancing in a rave, and my coffee stained bra on full display. I release a groan and unlock the door, but before I open it, I call, "Um...Finn? Are you still there?"

"Yeah. I'm here."

"I do have something you could help me with, but you have to promise me you'll never tell anybody what you see here, okay?"

"Sure." Finn chuckles, but his laughter dies in his throat the moment I open the door. "Oh."

I can't see his face well. My vision is too obscured. But I'm glad he's not laughing. I'm already completely mortified. He frowns as he steps into the bathroom and looks me up and down. "I'm caught," I explain softly, my voice muffled. "It's my earring."

"Here, let me help you." He tries to free me from the blouse in the same way I had done, only gentler. When that doesn't work, his warm fingers find my earlobe, sending more goosebumps down my spine. "I think I've got it," he says as his fingers work to untangle me.

"Ow!" I gasp as he pulls.

"Shit, you're really caught, aren't you?" He steps away from me and searches his pockets. "Hold on. I have an idea."

My stomach churns anxiously. "And what's that?"

I don't receive an answer, but my blouse suddenly splits open and I can see again. A pocketknife glints in Finn's hand as he saws the fabric from my ear. "There you go," he says, grinning devilishly as he slips the knife back into his jeans and balls up the shreds of my blouse in his hand.

I'm too stunned to speak. From the way he so expertly used that blade and from the way the door unexpectedly swings open, Nolan stopping short in the doorway. My heart slams against my sternum. I reach out, bracing myself against the sink, afraid my legs might give out. Nolan takes one look at me in my bra and Finn standing so close to me we're practically intertwined before apologizing and shutting the door again.

My insides are vibrating. It's not what it looks like. I'm not hooking up with some random dude in a coffee shop bathroom. I'm not that adventurous. And even if I was, I'd want to be in here with you. Not him!

God. That did not just happen.

I practically pounce on the knob, locking it. I spin around and glare at Finn. "You didn't lock the door?"

Finn rubs at the back of his neck. "It slipped my mind," he admits.

I catch another glimpse of my crazed reflection in the mirror and quickly cover myself, trying to conceal my breasts with my arms. "Why are you here? Are you following me?" Finn removes his jacket and lays it over my shoulders. I wrap it tighter, zipping it up to my chin, and breathe a sigh of relief. "Thanks..."

"Don't mention it." He shrugs. "Look. I didn't follow you. When you came by earlier to drop this off..." He pulls Emily's wallet out of his back pocket and holds it up for me to see. "You had 'Bob's Plumbing Services' printed on your shirt. It doesn't take a detective to call up the company and ask for you. Short girl. Straight brown hair. Pretty blue eyes." Finn steps closer and I hold my breath. "Turns out you're the boss's daughter. Found his home address after a quick online search. Your mom said you might be here. She's real charming, by the way. I liked her a lot."

I glance at the wallet, crossing my arms. "What do you want to know?"

"Why do you have it?"

"Does it matter? I returned it."

"There's blood on it," he points out, flicking the dark blotch on the leather. He rips a paper towel from the dispenser, wets it, and scrubs until the blood comes away. He shows me the brownish-pink stain, coming closer. "So I know you didn't lift this off her before she was killed, and judging by the size of your folks' house, I doubt you'd need the money, anyway." He points an accusing finger at me. "You were there."

Suddenly the bathroom seems very small. For the second time today, I back up into the door, bumping my spine into the knob. It occurs to me that this man is a total stranger. A criminal. I know what he's capable of. I read about it in those articles when I researched him. All the shady things he's been involved in. There's a good chance he's violent.

I widen my eyes, careful not to sound too defensive. "You don't think I killed her, do you?"

Finn chuckles, clearly amused. I relax as he turns away from me and shakes his head. "You? No. You wouldn't hurt a fly."

For whatever reason I'm offended. Maybe it's his blatant amusement or obvious certainty I'm harmless. I should be relieved he doesn't suspect I murdered his sister. But somehow I become even more defensive than before. "Oh, yeah?" I say, placing my hands firmly on my hips. "What makes you so sure? I could be dangerous. I could be a serial killer and you wouldn't even know it."

Finn grins at me, his light eyes crinkling. In the harsh bathroom lighting, the irises are tinged with gold. He almost looks like a big cat cornering its prey. "You? A serial killer? No way." I scrunch up my face at him. "What? I know a killer when I see one. Trust me. They have this...look...in their eyes." He studies my face. "Your hands are clean. Besides, if you killed my sister, then why would you return her bloodied wallet to the family? Because you..." He holds out a hand, waiting for me to finish.

"Forgot to turn it into the police," I supply. "I was there when she died. I witnessed the whole thing." I squeeze my eyes shut and shiver, trying to force out the bad memories. "I'm sorry. I would have cleaned it if I'd noticed the blood." I lower my head, my jaw quivering from emotion. "I tried helping her, I swear. But there was nothing I could do. I held her in my arms until the ambulance arrived."

Finn stares at me, his lips parted in quiet shock. Then he does something that surprises me. He pulls me in for a hug. I stiffen in his arms, wondering if he thinks I'm lying and he's about to strangle me to death in a café bathroom. But once I realize this is just a harmless hug, I melt into his broad chest, comforted by the embrace. It's crazy how natural this feels. As if I've known him for ages already.

"Thank you," he says before pulling away. "For being there." He clears his throat when we part. "And sorry. For the hug."

"Don't apologize. It was...good." We exchange a smile. I snuggle into his jacket. "You don't mind if I borrow this for a while, do you?"

"Keep it as long as you need it. You did send us flowers. The white lilies, right?"

"How did you know?"

Finn grins wider. I can't help noticing he has a great smile. His teeth are white and straight. I like that it never fails to reach his eyes. "I didn't. But now I know. You're anonymous."

"Touché, Mr. Hayes."

"Call me, Finn."

"I assume you already know my name."

Finn shrugs easily. He leans past me, his eyes not leaving mine, and unlocks the bathroom door. "Hell, I've already met your mom. She thought I was your boyfriend. She invited me over for dinner Saturday evening."

"What?" My mouth drops open as I collect my bag and follow Finn out of the bathroom toward the counter. "And what did you say?"

"I told her I'm busy this weekend, but that we'd work out another time." Finn orders me another iced coffee, making sure he gets the order right. We wait in silence until it's prepared, and Finn pays. Then we walk into the parking lot together.

I trail after him, stopping in front of his grey truck. "What did you mean by 'another time'?"

"I'd like to talk to you."

"About what?"

Finn nods at my bag. "Let me give you my number."

Curious, I fish out my phone and hand it to him, watching as he types in his number and saves it to my contacts. He looks up at me, meeting my gaze. "I want to find out who did this to my sister. It wasn't someone random on the street, and it wasn't an accident, either. Somebody planned this. Carefully. And I'm going to find the son of a bitch who did it."

He returns my phone and I grip it tight in my palm. "And then you'll turn them into the police?"

"Yeah." Finn smirks at me as he slides into his truck. "Something like that." He shuts the door and rolls down the window. "Call me if you're willing to talk."

I watch as he drives away, his jacket like a dress on me, my neck and hair still wreaking of spilled coffee. I'm walking back to my own car when I notice a black van with tinted windows sitting on the other side of the parking lot. I set my drink on the roof and fumble for my keys. My stomach starts churning again and acid bites at the back of my throat. There's someone in that van, but I can't make out who it is. All I can see is the faint glow of a cigarette butt.

Are they...watching me?

A/N:

So this chapter is a little longer than usual. Let me know if you prefer the longer or shorter chapters!! :)

Thank you everyone for reading!