Dedication:

 For Mom, who told me that my spice, despite being open door, is "pretty tame" and the ACOTAR Shitposting gang, who showed me just how right she was. Here's hoping Book 2 brings it a little hotter and a little weirder! 

  Through the door, Alex couldn't suppress the grin tugging at her lips, especially upon noticing the pout forming on the young woman's face as they made their exit.  Finn laughed beside her as they stepped into the chilly air. “I didn’t expect you to be so possessive, Alex.” 

Alex's mouth formed a perfect “o” of surprise, her mind racing for a witty comeback to his teasing accusation. But before she could unleash her feigned outrage, Finn mock growled at her, then, quick as a flash, reached around to pinch her sharply on the ass. 

“Owww!” she yelped, more from surprise than pain, jumping a little off the ground. Reflexively, her hand shot out to flick him on the nose. Their laughter mingled as they continued towards Alex’s Jeep, each nursing their injuries.  

As Alex unlocked the vehicle, she turned to Finn, still chuckling. “You want to pull up the directions or just tell me where to go?”  

But before she could open the door or step in, Finn was behind her. She hadn’t even noticed him move. Caught off guard by his sudden closeness, Alex felt his hands at her waist, his grip firm, as he pressed his body against hers, pinning her to the side of the Jeep. 

The unexpected contact sent a jolt through her, sparking a reaction that was anything but fear or surprise. Warmth spread from where his hands held her, igniting a trail of electricity that coursed through her veins. The firmness of his chest, the subtle brush of his breath against her neck—each detail heightened her awareness of him. Her heart raced, pounding a rapid rhythm that she was certain he could feel against his own. 

Every inch of him pressed into her back, while his fingertips reached into the tops of her pants and flexed against her hips, sending a shiver down her spine that seeped into the deepest core of her body. Alex found herself leaning back into him, tilting her head to the side, granting him more access to the curve of her neck. 

“I liked it, Alex.” He whispered, before nipping her ear between his teeth. “That you wanted me, like that.”

 And just as she was about to turn around and have her way with him right there in the fucking parking lot, he stepped back, calmly walked to the other side of the jeep, opened the door, and sat down. The sudden absence of his heat left a cool rush of air in its place, leaving her panting and wet.

“Fuck,” she moaned, before opening her own door and sitting down next to him.