Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

F inn

I glance at Tessa, her face framed by the golden light filtering through the basement windows. Her hair’s a mess, her hands still smudged with dirt from salvaging her greenhouse, and she’s staring at the remnants of her plants with a mix of exhaustion and resignation.

“Come on,” I say, my voice rough from lack of sleep and too much emotion. “You’re staying at my place.”

She blinks, startled. “What?”

I don’t give her time to argue. Scooping her up, I feel her tense before she softens, melting into my chest like she belongs there. “You’re not spending another minute in this mess. My cabin’s warm, dry, and there’s a bed with your name on it.”

Her eyebrows lift, a spark of the feisty banter I’ve come to crave flickering in her eyes. “Oh? And where will you be sleeping, Mr. Taylor?”

I smirk, adjusting her in my arms. “Wherever I damn well please.”

Tessa huffs a laugh, but there’s no fight in it. She’s too tired, too worn out from the flood and everything else life’s thrown at her lately. I get it. I feel it too.

Shep greets us the second we cross the threshold of my cabin, his tail wagging so hard it thumps against the wall. He sniffs Tessa, then licks her hand like he’s been waiting for her his whole life.

“Looks like I’ve been replaced,” I mutter, setting her down gently on the couch.

Tessa scratches behind Shep’s ears, her smile soft and tired. “He’s got good taste.”

I grunt, pretending to be annoyed, but I can’t help the corner of my mouth quirking up. Watching her with Shep, the way she fits so effortlessly into this space, into my life... It does something to me. Something dangerous. I want her again, my cock still flexing behind my jeans ready to sink myself inside of her warmth.

I grab a few logs from the stack by the fireplace and throw them on, stoking the flames until the cabin fills with a warm, golden glow. Tessa leans back against the couch, her eyes half-closed as the firelight dances across her face.

“You always this bossy?” she asks, her voice teasing but laced with something softer.

“Only when someone needs taking care of,” I reply, settling into the armchair across from her.

Her gaze meets mine, steady and searching. “And you think I need taking care of?”

“Everyone does, now and then.” I lean forward, resting my forearms on my knees. “You’ve been running on empty, Tessa. You’re always the one taking care of everyone else at that job of yours… Let me help.”

She swallows, looking away, and for a moment, I think she’s going to push back, to throw up those walls she’s so good at building. But then she nods, just once, and it feels like a victory.

We sit in silence for a while, the crackle of the fire the only sound between us. I should be exhausted, but the weight of her presence keeps me alert, like she’s a puzzle I’m finally starting to piece together.

“You’ve got a knack for this,” I say, breaking the quiet.

“For what?”

“Making things grow. Plants, people, dogs.” I nod toward Shep, who’s curled up at her feet, already devoted to her. “You bring things to life, Tessa.”

She looks at me, startled, and I see the flicker of vulnerability in her eyes before she hides it behind a wry smile. “And what about you, Finn? What do you bring to life?”

I shrug, leaning back in the chair. “Not much. I’m more of a fixer than a grower. Mining, building, keeping things running. That’s what I know.”

Tessa studies me, her gaze uncomfortably penetrating. “You’re selling yourself short.”

I snort. “You don’t know me well enough to say that.”

“Maybe not,” she admits, her voice softening. “But I know what I see. And I see someone who cares more than he lets on.”

The air between us shifts, growing heavier. She’s right. I love her. I love every inch of her and if I’m being honest, I knew it long before tonight.

“You’ve got me all figured out, huh?” I ask, my voice low, almost daring.

Tessa smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Not yet. But I’m getting there.”

The firelight flickers, casting shadows that dance across her face. I stand, unable to sit still anymore, and cross the room to kneel in front of her.

“You’re staying here,” I say again, my tone leaving no room for argument. “And I’m taking the day off. Maybe the whole weekend.”

Her eyebrows shoot up. “The Finn Taylor, taking a day off? Should I alert the media?”

I grin, but there’s a seriousness beneath my words. “Haven’t taken a day off in years. Thought I was working for my future, but I’ve realized I was just running from my past.”

Tessa tilts her head, her curiosity sparking to life. “And now?”

“Now...” I reach out, brushing a strand of hair from her face, my fingers lingering against her cheek. “Now I’m done running.”

Her breath hitches, and I see the war in her eyes—the part of her that wants to trust me, to let me in, and the part that’s still afraid.

“Finn...” she starts, but I don’t let her finish.

I kiss her, slow and deliberate, pouring every unspoken word into the connection. She tastes like honey and something uniquely her, and I know that I’ll never get enough.

When we finally pull apart, her lips are swollen, her cheeks flushed. She looks at me like I’m both her salvation and her undoing, and I feel the same way about her.

“You’ve changed everything,” I whisper, the words slipping out before I can stop them.

Tessa’s eyes glisten, and she cups my face in her hands. “So have you.”

I carry her to my bed, the one I’ve slept in alone for far too long, and lay her down like she’s the most precious thing in the world.

Because she is.

And as we curl up together, her head resting against my chest, I realize something I’ve been too blind to see until now.

This woman—this stubborn, fiery, beautiful woman—is my reason to stop, to pause, to breathe.

She’s my home.