Falling for Flynn (8 page)

He started the car and eased into traffic, eager to grasp at a safe topic to deflect his wayward thoughts when it came to the beautiful woman at his side.

“Yeah. He’s staying the night.”

Her long, loaded glance had him wishing he could too, with her.

“Must be nice to have some time out.”

She chuckled, her low, husky laugh making him clench the steering wheel hard so he wouldn’t reach out and haul her over the gearshift and into his lap.

“A rare treat, believe me.”

“Being a full time mom must be hard work,” he said, trying to focus on any other topic but the thought of her alone tonight and how much he’d like to remedy that fact.

“It is, but I love it. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Flynn couldn’t hear any censure or judgment in her voice but plagued by insecurities of a newfound dad he wondered if she meant there was no room in their lives for a guy like him.

“Has Adam enjoyed spending time with me?”

“Yeah.” She paused, gnawed at her glossed bottom lip. “And he’s not the only one.”

So much for the theory she didn’t want him around.

“Careful. Compliments like that might go straight to my head.”

“I’m counting on it,” she said, turning to face him as he pulled the car over in front of the theatre, a coy smile curving her lips as his heart thundered in his chest.

Taking things slow sucked when all he could think about was making this incredible woman his now and forever.

“You’re in a playful mood tonight.”

Leaning forward, she placed a hand on his arm in a possessive gesture that thrilled him.

“Don’t you remember how much fun it is to play?”

Struggling to keep his libido under control, he closed the short distance between them to slant a slow, lingering kiss across her tempting lips.

“I remember,” he said, instant erotic images of their one and only sexual encounter flashing through his head.

It had been an eon ago and it had blown his mind. What would it be like now to make love to the woman who had once captured his heart?

“Guess we should go in?”

“Yeah,” he said, taking great delight in her flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes as he escorted her from the car and into the theatre.

However, five minutes after they entered the foyer he wasn’t feeling as cocky. Three guys besieged her. They seemed friendly enough though as Lori introduced them and he smiled politely and shook hands, what he really felt like doing was choking each and every one of them for the way they looked at her.

“Lori, we should go in now.”

He held her lightly beneath the elbow, intending to steer her toward the theatre and away from her band of merry men.

“Bye, fellas.”

She waved at her admirers while he silently wished he’d never left town all those years ago.

“What’d you think of the guys?” she asked, looking up at him from beneath her lashes.

“They seemed nice enough,” he managed to say, while he kept her moving with an insistent pressure under her elbow.

“Why aren’t you with any of them?”

Her glossy lips curled upwards, her smug smile sending his heart hammering. “Because I’m here with you.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” he grumbled, a surge of pride she’d chosen to be his date tonight making him walk that little bit taller.

“They’re friends from school committee.” She laid a hand on his sleeve, her light touch resurrecting memories of last week under the high school gum tree when those same delicate hands had molded to his chest with burning curiosity. “Let’s leave our regrets in the past tonight, okay?”

“Fine, though are you ready to face the future?”

With me?
Hovered in the air, unsaid, as he willed her to want this as much as he did.

“Ready, willing, and able,” she said, leaning toward him, her familiar vanilla scent drifting around them in a sensuous cloud.

She wanted him to kiss her.

He could read the signs a mile off and just when his befuddled brain overrode his common sense and he was about to do just that a hand slapped him on the back.

“Hey, Flynn. Didn’t know you liked a bit of culture.”

Amazed at how close he’d come to kissing Lori in front of half of Melbourne, he waved at Michael, torn between wanting to thank his accountant for interrupting and telling him to shove off and leave them alone.

“And you look lovely tonight, Lori.”

“Thanks. How are you?” Lori stepped back and Flynn missed her closeness. Man, he was definitely losing it.

“I’m fine, now such a big client has come to town.” Flynn stiffened as Michael sent him a conspiratorial wink Lori didn’t see. “The army, you know.” He clarified and Flynn relaxed slightly.

“I’m sure Lori isn’t interested in hearing our business,” Flynn said, eager to escape before Michael put his big foot in it. He’d warned him about keeping his secret and Lori was no fool. If Michael accidentally slipped up, she would pick up on it in an instant.

“Actually, I’d love to hear about it some time. Flynn doesn’t talk about the training center much.”

Michael waved away her concern. “Not to worry. You know what these soldiers are like: big, strong, silent types who blow into town, create havoc and then go AWOL.”

Flynn forced a laugh at Michael’s description. However, as he glanced at Lori, she wasn’t laughing. In fact, she’d paled.

“See you tomorrow, Michael.”

He glared at the accountant, who got the message this time.

“Sure. Have fun, you two.”

Michael walked away, leaving them alone as Flynn took hold of Lori’s upper arms and turned her to face him.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she mumbled and avoided his eyes, her gaze fixed on the chandelier behind his head.

He placed a finger under her chin and tilted her head up.

“The truth this time.”

She shook her head, breaking their tenuous contact. “Michael’s right. You’re here but for how long? You haven’t given me any indication if you’re planning on sticking around.” Her voice dropped to a murmur. “For Adam’s sake, I need to know.”

Lori knew what she wanted to hear. She wanted to hear Flynn say he was here for the long haul, that he wanted them to be a family in every sense of the word.

Though she’d just lied to him. No matter what happened between them she knew Flynn would be there for Adam from now on. She didn’t know if that picture included her and she needed to know for
her
sake, not Adam’s.

“I don’t know what you expect me to say.”

He took her hand and she wrenched it back, knowing his touch would distract her. If ever she needed to focus, it was now.

“I want the truth.”

She watched the shutters descend over his eyes, her hopes plummeting. She’d been a fool to read more into the time they’d spent together. Of course, he’d invited her along to his dinners with Adam. What better way to ease into a relationship with his son than by having the mother along to smooth the way?

Instead of seeing those intimate evenings for what they were, the deepening bond between a man and his son, she’d read way too much into them and built a stupid little happily-ever-after fantasy in her own head.

Flynn sighed and thrust his hands in his pockets.

“The truth is I came here to open the training facility. I didn’t expect to see you let alone discover we have a son. And now I know about Adam I fully intend to be a part of his life whether I’m here or not.”

But what about us?
She wanted to scream.
What about my life?

“For Adam’s sake, I think it’s vital we get along.”

Get along?

She’d been dreaming of weddings and more children, he wanted to
get along?

So much for her one big happy family fantasy. Time to start living in the real world.

Pasting a bright smile on her face while her heart ached, she nodded. “I agree. It’s important we present a united front to Adam, as friends.”

As much as she wanted to hear him correct her, to say he wanted her as part of their family along with Adam, he didn’t.

And her heart broke all over again.

Lori was a sucker for a fairy tale. Always had been since the age of five when she’d picked up her first picture book of Cinderella and fallen into the make-believe world that promised a happy ending every time. Sadly, she’d been a hopeless romantic ever since.

So, despite her earlier conversation with Flynn in the foyer before the play, as soon as the curtains lifted and the actors began reciting their lines, the magic of theatre captured her in its spell. She laughed, she frowned, and shed a few tears as the story drew to a close, wishing she could stay in the darkened theatre holding Flynn’s hand forever.

He’d surprised her by reaching out for her hand and intertwining his fingers with hers during the second act. Though his action probably had something to do with the sniffle she’d tried to hide as the heroine lost her heart to the hero rather than any romantic notion on his part.

As the lights came on, he turned to her with a smile. “Enjoy that?”

“Loved it,” she said, wondering if he remembered her passion for a good story, whether it be in written, screen or theatrical form.

“Thought you might.”

He reached out, wiped away the remnant of a tear that had seeped from the corner of her eye. “Still a fan of this stuff?”

“That obvious, huh?”

He glanced down at their clasped hands and she wondered if she imagined the wistful expression that flitted across his face and vanished just as quickly.

“I remember the first movie we saw.”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t remind me. You didn’t stop teasing me about it for a month afterward.”

“Hey, you weren’t to know they changed the program at the last minute. And I forgave you, remember?”

She smiled at the memory of attending the promised romantic comedy, which had turned out to be a children’s animated feature complete with talking trees and caterpillars. Rather than walking out, Flynn had sat through it with her though she’d known he’d probably prefer to be anywhere else.

“Do you remember the rest of it?”

His eyes darkened as his gaze locked with hers. “Afterwards, you mean?”

She nodded as the barely suppressed attraction between them flared to life with a mere glance. “I loved that old car of yours.”

“When I think of our time together after that cartoon the car isn’t the first thing that springs to mind.”

His grip on her hand tightened, his thumb brushing gently against the back of it.

Dry-mouthed, she saw his gaze drop to her lips and she knew exactly what part of that evening during their last term at high school, he was thinking about. And four years later, the night before he left for the Middle East, when they’d returned for old time’s sake.

“I haven’t been to the Lookout since then.”

“Neither have I.”

Right then, with the air fairly crackling with electricity between them, Lori knew they were delusional if they thought for one minute they could keep their relationship platonic.

Friends didn’t stare at each other with desire in their eyes.

Friends didn’t lean closer until their shoulders touched.

And friends sure didn’t look at each other’s lips like they’d seen a prize morsel they wanted to nibble.

“Time to go, folks.”

An aging usher pointed toward the door and they leapt apart as if caught in the throes of passion rather than merely staring at each other.

“You young folk,” the old man muttered, shaking his head and shuffling away.

“I guess we better do as he says.” Flynn clasped her hand, all but dragging her toward the exit.

“Hey, wait up. I know you’re in a hurry to drop me home but this is ridiculous.”

She smiled at his determination, wondering if his mind had drifted along similar lines to her own. And if so, ending this evening had suddenly become the last thing she wanted to do.

He slowed his pace and chuckled. “Sorry, I’m used to rushing around in the army. No time to dawdle, as my first sergeant used to say.”

“You love it, don’t you?”

She heard the pride in his voice whenever he spoke about his career yet wondered why he rarely discussed it with her. He’d divulged a few tidbits of information to Adam, who’d been thrilled to learn of his father’s exciting career, but hadn’t been so forthcoming with her.

Not that she’d pushed him when a huge part of her didn’t want to acknowledge the fact his career would probably drive them apart in the end.

“Defending my country seemed the right choice back then. And it hasn’t steered me wrong.”

He released her hand as they reached the car and turned to face her.

“A lot of things have come and gone in my life but the army has been the one constant. That’s why I want to run this training school for recruits. Hopefully, I can give a little bit back to a career that’s given me everything.”

She respected his loyalty but where did his zeal leave her and Adam? Was there room in his life for emotional commitment to anything other than his job?

“How long will you run the school for?”

There, she’d asked the million-dollar question that had been plaguing her for weeks. The more time they spent together, the closer she came to giving this man her heart again and this time she wanted forever, not a fleeting taste of happiness. He wanted to be friends, she wanted to be a heck of a lot more and one of them wouldn’t get what they wanted.

He didn’t reply until they’d got into the car and he’d started the engine.

“I don’t know. The army hasn’t given me any indication how long this posting will last.”

Flynn hoped his answer would suffice. He wasn’t ready to tell Lori the truth yet, for he knew she’d read more into it.

“So your time here is just a posting?”

Damn, he could even hear the hope in her voice, tugging at his conscience.

“Yeah. I have no idea when I’ll be moving on.”

He focused his attention on the road, tired of lying to her yet knowing it was vital to protect him — and her.

The plan he’d devised needed a lot of variables to align to work so no way in hell would he mention any of it to her until he had confirmation.