16

The first thought that came to mind after my shock was to shut the door in his face, race upstairs, throw my clothes into suitcases and get the hell out of New York with Finn.

But that would be a fool-hardy thing to do. I'd only just gotten a job and life was really looking up.

Tch, what a lie. Life was turning out to be a very bad bitch.

His eyes roamed past my shoulders into the sitting room as he shuffled his feet awkwardly. “Is Cora inside?”

“No — yes,” I mentally facepalmed, moving out of the way so he could pass. His cologne — a heady mix of raspberries and blackcurrant took over my sense of smell as he brushed past me, oddly filling up the room with his presence. He glanced around the furniture fittings and the ceiling-high windows. “You have a nice place, Miss Matthews. Moved in recently?”

“Yes,” I placed Finn down, grumbling when he ran off to hug Manny's legs. Manny squatted so he was face level with him and pinched his cheek. “I'm so sorry, Sir. He can be...a lot to take on