by Erin Osborne
Looking up, I see Flynn standing over me in a pair of shorts and nothing more. His eyes are covered by a pair of dark sunglasses while stubble covers his usually clean-shaven face. Letting my gaze drift lower, I take in his chiseled abs on full display. He’s got one of those sexy V’s every woman is always drooling over in the books I read. Flynn is the first man I’ve seen have one in real life. I feel as if I’m drooling all over myself just taking in his appearance. I see the marking of a tattoo on his shoulder, but I can’t make out the details of what it is. As my gaze roams back up his body, I see his face covered in that sexy smirk I’ve witnessed once or twice when he’s talking to Tommaso about something in hushed tones.
“Flynn, you scared me,” I say, jacking up in the chair so I’m sitting.
Flynn slowly removes his sunglasses and I finally get to see his eyes. Only they aren’t on my face, he’s staring at my chest. A sigh escapes me as I realize he’s looking at my chest. Leave it to him to zero in on my tits only covered by the material of my bikini. It doesn’t cover me enough to hide my nipples which are hardening under his intense stare.
“Yeah, we’re done for the day, so I thought I’d come out and join you by the pool. Are you gonna swim soon?’ he asks me, not removing his eyes from my chest.
“Oh, um, I’m not sure if I was going to get in today,” I respond, averting my gaze as my skin continues to heat under his gaze.
I can still feel the same electricity flowing through my body that I do whenever he’s in the same area as me. He simply turns on his heel after tossing his shades on the seat next to me. My eyes are glued to him as I watch him dive into the water. His dive is perfect except for the water coming up to splash me. The cold water hits me dead in my chest as I quickly lift my arms, so Rosa’s book doesn’t get wet.
“Flynn!” I shriek out as a few of the guys making rounds stop and look on in amusement.
“I’m sorry,” he answers with mock innocence as I stand up and walk to the edge of the pool.
“No, you’re not. What were you thinking?” I question him, crossing my arms over my chest.
Once again, his eyes zero in on my chest and I look down. With me crossing my arms, it does nothing except for push my tits up, almost spilling out of my bikini top. Instantly, I drop my arms and let them hang at my side. Flynn still doesn’t remove his eyes from my body. I can feel my bikini bottoms becoming wet from something besides the water that’s been splashed on me. My nipples are hardening even more as I continue to feel his eyes on me.
“I was thinking that you looked awfully hot laying out there in the sun,” he says, that smirk back on his face making him look younger and even sexier than normal. “Was I wrong?”
Again, with the mock innocence. I don’t believe Flynn has an innocent bone in his body. He wouldn’t be in his line of work if he did. However, he knows how to pull the look off. I’m sure it’s gotten him into countless pairs of women’s panties over the years. It’s easy to fall in his trap. Especially with water dripping down his body as he moves smoothly under the crystal-clear water.
Without a second thought, I toss the book back on my lounge chair and jump in the water right next to Flynn. He’s not expecting me to jump in almost on top of him. I come up out of the water and find him looking down at me. Yes, he can stand where I jumped in. I only can if I stand on my tiptoes. That’s how much shorter than him I am.
“You think that’s funny?” he deadpans, his face completely serious and void of any emotion.
“Actually, I do. I think it’s only fair since I was dry and you got me wet,” I tell him, not thinking about the words actually coming out of my mouth.
Flynn’s gaze turns heated as he continues to look down at me. Instead of his eyes being the bright blue I normally see, they’ve turned to a stormy blue, almost a gray with the bright blue only showing around the outside. His eyelids droop down as I stick my tongue out and slowly lick my lip. My mouth is suddenly dry as our eyes remain locked on one another. Electricity continues to shoot between us as I begin to shiver in the warm water. There’s no reason for me to even be cold. This trembling has nothing to do with the temperature and everything to do with the man less than a foot from me.
It wouldn’t take much for Flynn to lean over and kiss me. To take what he wants from me and what I want from him. See, that’s one of the other things I’ve been thinking about over the last two weeks. There’s an obvious attraction between the two of us. Just because I don’t like what he does for a living, doesn’t mean I know anything about the man behind the suit. I’m also not hanging onto my virginity until I find the right man or any romantic notion like that. I honestly don’t think I believe in love. So, why not use Flynn for his body? He obviously knows how to please a woman based on everything I’ve heard and the women I see lined up around the corner to get a chance in his bed. There’s no rule here that says I can’t have sex with Flynn if he wants me.
What feels like hours pass us by but in reality is mere minutes. Our breathing is labored and the only thing I hear as I wait with anticipation to find out what’s going to happen. After another few minutes, Flynn turns his back and begins to swim away from me. Tears immediately fill my eyes as I watch him swim away. The attraction I’m feeling, the one I’ve been agonizing over, is only being felt by me. I can’t believe I ever thought about giving into it and letting Flynn have his sinful way with me. Turning around, I begin to leave the pool. I didn’t want to swim anyway and now I really don’t want to be anywhere near him.
As I get to the stairs, I hear Flynn slicing through the water close to me. I don’t give into my desire to turn around and watch him. My only goal is to get out of the pool, grab my things, and get to my room before the dam breaks and tears fall. I will not give that part of myself to Flynn. He won’t ever get to see my tears or feel my pain. That’s something reserved for myself. No one ever gets that part of me and I’ll be damned if I let him in that much. Flynn doesn’t deserve to be let in. I was only fooling myself to think he felt anything close to what I’ve been feeling since coming fact-to-face in my father’s restaurant.
An arm wraps around my waist as I step my foot on the first step. I’m so close to my getaway. Flynn has other ideas as he pulls me back in the water with him. His hard body is pressed up against mine while he doesn’t remove his arm from my body. I’m trapped against him. I don’t even bother fighting him because we’re in the water and I have nothing on the man holding me. Not to mention I know he won’t hurt me. Flynn will never hurt me or any other woman. I’ve met guys who have no qualms about hurting a woman and that’s not the vibe I get from the man surrounding me with his body and the smell of man and sunshine.
“W-What are you doing?” I ask him, my voice trembling.
“We’re going to swim for a while and then have dinner. Tommaso wants us to go to some night club with him and Sal tonight. You’re invited to,” he tells me, still not releasing me from his body. “For now, we’re gonna relax and swim.”
“I don’t want to swim,” I tell him, forcing my voice to be stronger than what I’m feeling right now.
“Yeah, you do,” he states, no teasing in his tone.
“I really don’t. The only thing I want to do is go to my room and read,” I assure him, letting my body go lax.
“What are you reading?” he questions.
“A book Rosa gave me. I don’t know what the title is,” I say, embarrassment flooding me.
Reading is my guilty pleasure. Something I don’t share with another soul I know. My own parents don’t even know I read as much as I do. I’m not sure why I’m hiding it from people, it’s just something that’s all mine. No one can take it away from me.
“You don’t have to be embarrassed by it,” he tells me, still not letting me go. “If you enjoy reading, own it. Don’t hide yourself from anyone. You don’t strike me as the type of woman to hide from anyone or anything. You certainly haven’t backed down from showing me how much you hate me.”
“I don’t hate you. I don’t know you. The only thing I hate is your business. I don’t like someone who is willing to hurt others for his gain. You’re entire family has built a business centered on hurting other people for the money it makes you,” I tell him honestly how I feel.
For minutes we don’t say a damn world. Flynn simply continues swimming pulling me deeper into the pool with him. I’ve been around people who get so angry you can feel it vibrating from them. I don’t get that from Flynn. He’s not radiating any feeling or giving me any indication about what he’s truly feeling in this moment as I spew the truth as I know it. Not that actual truth because anyone on the outside of the Mackay family looking in will never know the truth.
“Imogen, we don’t hurt people for money. We own several different businesses and when people get in too deep, they have to pay that back. Your own father borrowed money from me. He owes it and doesn’t have anything to give me. Because of that, he handed you over on a silver platter to me. A man I’m sure he knows you loathe,” he tells me, finally spinning me in his arms to look at me. “I don’t put my hands on anyone who doesn’t deserve an ass whooping. Liam and Henry may do my dirty work as a lot of people would call it; they don’t make a move without me. Even now when we’re so far away.”
A part of me wants to believe what he’s telling me right now. Honestly, it doesn’t make it any better, but I understand him a little bit better. It lines up more with what I’ve been reading in the books Rosa gave me. They care about loyalty and while they have a hierarchy, they take care of the men working with them and for them. It reminds me of a completely dysfunctional family. One who stands above the rest and takes the world by the balls to get what they want.
“Imogen, this isn’t the life I wanted to lead; it’s the one that was dumped in my lap. All I know is I give out loans and collect any money owed on that loan. Imogen, I help people who can’t go a traditional route to get the money their family desperately needs. Still, they have to pay that back at some point in time. I also run a casino. An underground one. Yes, it’s illegal but it’s another way for people to make the money they need. Do they lose at the tables? Yes. However, I make sure it’s all as above board as I can make it. We don’t stack the deck against them just to make a quick dollar. Everyone has a fair chance to win money,” he continues to tell me, giving me a glimpse of his world when he truly doesn’t have to.
“Flynn, stop,” I tell him, placing a finger against his lips to stop him from talking. “You don’t owe me anything.”
“Yeah, I do. Because this hate you have in your heart against me isn’t something you need to feel. My brothers have other parts of the business they take care of, but they’re good men. Men who are simply trying to find their way in the world. Yeah, we could overpower my father and lead different lives. He’d simply pull in outsiders to take over for us. We do it because we need to keep his greed and hunger for power in control. That’s not easy to do,” he says after pulling my finger away from his lips.
Flynn releases my body and swims away from me. I let him. After everything he just gave me, I give him this time alone. Something he needs because, like I said, he really didn’t have to tell me all of this. Turning around once more, I make my way toward the end of the pool and finally get out. I leave my stuff where it rests on the lounge chair, heading directly inside. Making my way up to my room, I head to the shower so I can begin to get ready to go out with the guys tonight. I’m not even sure if I want to go out, but Flynn’s already made plans. So, I’ll go along with them.
The next few hours are spent showering, doing my hair, make-up, and finally finding a dress to wear out. If Flynn can divulge everything he did today, the least I can do is look good enough to be seen in public with him, Tommaso, Sal, and whoever else is going out with us tonight. It’s been a while since I’ve been out anywhere.
Tonight, I’ve got half of my hair up in a twist with curls filling the remaining hair flowing down my back. It falls almost to my ass these days. My make-up is kept light with only smokey eye shadow on my eyes while my lashes are coated in mascara. The dress I put on is a dark green. It shows off a little cleavage while sliding down to my knees. To complete the outfit, I put a pair of black high heels on my feet. Tonight, I’m dressing for me. While I don’t want to embarrass the guys I’ll be with, this is all for me. A part of me I’ve missed since the death of my mom.
Chapter Eleven
Flynn
TONIGHT, I’M TAKING Imogen out. Yes, Tommaso, Sal, and whoever else will be there, but I’m the one who will be by her side. If she wants to dance, I’ll be the man dancing with her. I’m the one who will get her drinks and make sure she has a good time. No one else will get close to her. Am I being a selfish fuck? Yeah. Do I care? Not in the slightest bit.
Tommaso actually came up with the idea. He told me about having a conversation with her about the things to do in town. And what her response was. About her not thinking I’d let her do anything while we’re here. That’s the last thing I want to do. If Imogen wants to get out of the house, all she has to do is open her mouth and tell me. This is why I wanted to get why she hates me out in the open. Give it life so we can talk about it and ensure she knows everything that’s written about me isn’t always the truth.
After letting her go in the pool and swimming away so she could process everything, I did some laps as a way of getting a quick workout in. Once I was done and made sure Imogen was in her room, I made my way up to my own so I could shower. Getting dressed, I didn’t want to put another suit on. Tonight, I’ve pulled out a button-up shirt with a pair of faded jeans. I’ll wear my boots on my feet. No one has seen me this dressed down in a long time. Not since I started taking on more responsibility for the family business. I always make sure I’m on point with every single aspect of my life. Until this very moment.
I don’t linger in the shower as I wash and quickly dry off once I’m out. heading back into my room, I put on the clothes I’ve already laid out on the end of my temporary bed. After dressing, I head back into the bathroom to finish getting ready. Imogen has no clue what I have planned tonight. Including the special dinner I asked Rosa to make us.
I’ve been watching Imogen since she tried to call her father and he blatantly disregarded her. She’s been lost in her head and hiding away in the books Rosa continuously switches out for her. While there’s a variety in the ones she gets, there’s also a lot of mafia books. I can only imagine she’d be trying to get inside my head and find out more about the life I lead. Instead of coming to me and asking me what she wants to know. I did that by not bringing her in sooner and letting her know she can talk to me about anything she wants or needs to.
No, this is a part of my father’s plan to seduce her. This is something I want to do because Imogen deserves to have someone around she can talk to. Someone she can be honest with and know they’ll have her back. Not something I’ve ever tried to do for another female I’ve encountered. I’m giving Imogen a piece of myself no one outside the family gets. A piece no one has ever gotten.
Imogen has wormed her way under my skin and there’s nothing I can do about it now. I feel the same attraction she does. Yes, I saw her in the pool when I swam away from her. She had tears in her eyes because she doesn’t believe I want her. Wanting her isn’t the problem. It’s pulling her into a world where she will end up hating me for my job. A job I may not have wanted when I first found out my father was going to be training all of us to take over for him. That all of fates were sealed and we had no say in it. Lachlan, Hunter, and I were just expected to take over and do his bidding because we were his sons.
I’ve used my power and money more than I’d like to admit. For reasons that were simply for my gain. See, I have gotten more women in my bed because of my last name than for who I am. That won’t be the case with Imogen. When we share a bed, it will be because that’s what she wants. All I have to do is look at her and my cock is instantly hard and ready to go. It’s not the w
ay she looks or how she constantly fights back against me, it her as a person. Imogen is sweet, innocent, and a slice of peace I’ve never known in my life. She’s the type of woman you make a wife and give her everything in the world she wants. Just because she deserves it, and you want to give it to her.
Yeah, I had Liam run her background. I know every little detail there is to know about her. How she didn’t party in college, her concentration was on her studies so she could get back to her mother. A mother she truly adored and wanted to spend her last days and minutes with. Something she didn’t get to do because they didn’t let her come home from school. I know she’s never had a serious boyfriend in her life, only a few casual dates. Which leads me to believe I know how truly innocent she is. Usually that would have me running as far away as fast as possible in the opposite direction of her. Instead, I’m going to pull her in close to me.
I want to protect Imogen with my life. To bring her into my world in a way I know she won’t continue to hold it against me. Everything I want with Imogen is all because it’s what I want. Not because my father is demanding I seduce her before eventually marrying her. If Imogen is the woman I think she is, she’ll become my wife because it’s what we both want. I have always claimed not to want a wife, kids of my own. Imogen is changing that in me. One, tiny slip of a woman is changing the way I think about everything in my life.
Taking one final look in the mirror, I try to see myself the way Imogen sees me. I’m not sure what she thinks or sees when she looks at me. Other than the hard lines of my jaw, the stubble on my chin I don’t want to shave off just yet, and the life that’s only now coming back to my eyes. A life Imogen is giving me.