by Evie Hunter
‘I can’t believe he made you stay at the croft.’
Flynn had a sneaking sense of pride when Summer smiled sweetly back at Lorna. ‘Actually, I enjoyed it.’
‘But you’ll be going home soon, I’m sure. Once your father’s difficulties are over.’
‘My father is a businessman, not a crook. This inquiry has been blown out of all proportion by the media. He’s in Atlanta as a businessman. He’s not on trial.’
‘Lorna,’ David shot her a cautioning glare. ‘I don’t think that Summer wants to talk about that.’
She gave David a grateful glance, before returning her attention to her meal. His mother didn’t notice that Summer only picked at her food while Flynn and David reverted to their usual eating contest.
‘I see that Irish chappie, what’s his name? has gotten married.’
David rolled his eyes. ‘Mum, Summer has no idea who you’re talking about. Give her a clue. Which Irish chappie?’
‘The dark-haired one. The actor from that film. Oh dear, what’s it called?’
‘Total Recall?’ Flynn offered, unhelpfully.
Morag gave him a scathing glance. ‘That’s Colin Farrell, dear. No, not him. The other one. You know,’ her voice dropped to a theatrical whisper which could probably have been heard in Edinburgh, ‘the spanking one.’
David choked on his food and Flynn pounded him on the back with more enthusiasm than was necessary. ‘I think you mean Jack Winter.’
Morag nodded. ‘That’s the one. He married her, you know. That reporter girl.’
Flynn sighed. His mother might be as sharp as a tack about some things, but she found it almost impossible to remember names.
‘Abbie Marshall,’ Summer said. Occasionally it was useful to listen to Maya and Natasha.
‘Yes, they were all talking about it at the Kirk this morning. They’re coming here for their honeymoon.’
‘To Turlochmor?’ David recovered enough to shove Flynn away.
‘Of course not, dear. Why would anyone want to honeymoon here? No. They’re coming to Scotland before they go to visit his family in Ireland. I thought that Summer might like to see the wedding photographs. I have the magazine somewhere.’
David’s lip curled with amusement. ‘I’m sure she’d love to. The only alternatives are some of me and Flynn lying bare-arsed on rugs.’
After a frosty glare at her son, Morag turned her attention to Summer. ‘Of course, you’ll be used to a lot of media attention yourself.’
His mother’s comment was innocent enough – Flynn knew she loved to read the latest celebrity gossip – but after Lorna’s snide remarks he expected Summer to snap back.
Instead, she politely changed the subject. ‘David mentioned that you’re planning a wedding?’
Over dinner, his mother launched into a detailed description of dresses, bridesmaids and flowers while Summer nodded politely. Flynn could feel his eyes glazing over. He glanced across the table at his brother, who was stifling a yawn. Lorna poured another glass of wine.
‘You look tired,’ she said to David. ‘You should have an early night. Why don’t you show Summer the magazine, Morag? Flynn and I can clear up.’
In the kitchen, Flynn rinsed the plates and stacked the dishwasher. As he moved towards the cupboard to get detergent, Lorna blocked his path, wine glass still in hand.
‘Not your usual type, Flynn.’ Her eyes were bright and her speech was slightly slurred. That was all he needed to complete his evening – a lecture from a tipsy bride-to-be.
‘That’s none of your business. I’m sure I don’t have to remind you that this is my home and Summer is my guest.’
‘Oh, it’s Summer now, is it?’ Lorna took another sip from her glass. ‘David said that you were … busy guarding her. You used to be a lot more choosy.’
Fuck his brother and his big mouth. The last thing he needed was Lorna mouthing off to her friends about Summer. He caught her by her upper arms and forced her to meet his eyes. ‘Meaning you, Lorna? If I hear one word about Summer being here, you can go straight back to Edinburgh. And you can take your damned wedding plans with you.’
Her face crumpled and she wrenched herself free. She set the glass unsteadily on the table before running from the room. Damn. He shouldn’t have said that. Flynn switched on the kettle. He was too wired up to go to sleep. He would make his mother a cup of tea before he went to bed. He dropped a tea bag into a cup and was pouring boiling water when David came into the kitchen.
‘You couldn’t leave her alone, could you? You had to go and make her cry.’
‘Don’t,’ Flynn warned him as he removed the tea bag and poured in milk. He didn’t need a lecture from his brother. ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about. Lorna is …’
Flynn stopped. This was not the time to have a showdown with his brother, especially with his mother in the next room. He dragged in a deep breath to calm down.
David looked at him with scorn. ‘I know exactly what Lorna is.’
Flynn didn’t think his face betrayed his reaction but David gave a grim smile. ‘What? You thought you were the only one with kinks? Lorna and I are a great match. And I don’t disappear for months on end, leaving her on her own.’
‘I was doing my job –’
‘Fuck your job. It’s a great excuse to screw up your relationships. You did it with Lorna and I bet you’re all set to do it again with Summer.’
His brother’s words hung in the air like the sound of a slap. Flynn lunged across the table and grabbed a handful of his brother’s jumper. ‘Don’t you talk about Summer.’
David slapped his hand away. ‘Then stay away from Lorna. She is mine.’
27
Summer rolled over, trying to fall asleep in her new bedroom but she couldn’t get Lorna’s words to Flynn out of her head. ‘You used to be a lot more choosy.’
It wasn’t unusual for people to make judgements about her before they got to know her. The constant attention of the paparazzi and her father’s wealth saw to that. It was almost an occupational hazard, but tonight it hurt. These people weren’t strangers, they were Flynn’s family and she had wanted them to like her.
David was nice and Morag was a woman with a serious case of granny fever. But Lorna had looked at her as if she was something Flynn had scraped off the bottom of his shoe and it niggled at her. Was Lorna the type of woman that Flynn liked? A skinny blonde submissive? Summer punched her pillow and closed her eyes again.
The door opened and Flynn slipped into the room. She didn’t want to talk to him so she kept her eyes closed and pretended to be asleep. To her fury, he climbed into bed beside her and spooned against her back. How dare he? She would kick him out in a minute. Just as soon as he had warmed her up. One more minute. Then she’d make him sorry. She fell asleep still planning what she was going to say to him.
The following morning she slept late and only Lorna was in the kitchen when she went in search of coffee.
‘I suppose you’ll be glad to get back to London? I can’t believe Flynn took you to that dump.’
The croft might have been basic but she was missing it already. At least she didn’t have to put up with Lorna. ‘It wasn’t too bad.’
Lorna gave a disbelieving laugh. ‘I can imagine.’ She stirred her coffee and then set the spoon down on the table with a clatter. ‘Look, don’t take this the wrong way, but try not to fall in love with Flynn.’
Summer sat back in her chair. What? It was barely nine-thirty in the morning and already the battle for Flynn had started. ‘Thanks for the heads up but I don’t –’
‘You might find it exciting to be roughing it up here for a while but you’re not what Flynn needs.’
‘How do you know what he needs?’
A faint blush stained Lorna’s cheeks and she shot Summer a look that was less than friendly. ‘I’ve known David and Flynn for years. I’m almost part of the family. Take my advice. Don’t make an idiot of yourself over him. When Flynn’s working on something, it
takes him over, but when this job is finished you won’t see him for dust.’
Lorna rinsed her cup at the sink and placed it in the dishwasher. She closed the kitchen door behind her, leaving Summer alone.
Summer didn’t like the woman one little bit. God help David being married to her. But what if she was right? What if she was just a job? She had seen examples of Flynn’s ruthless focus. In many ways he was a bit like her dad. They were both single minded when they wanted something.
But what would happen when the want was satisfied? What would he do then? She had less than a week before her dad returned from Atlanta and they had to return to London. Once, the thought of it would have made her jump for joy. Back to her friends, the shops and the clubs, but none of that seemed to matter now. When she went back to London, Flynn could hardly share her bed again. The prospect of lying alone in the giant antique bed filled her with misery. She wanted to be back in the croft, in the bed under the eaves, lying against Flynn’s chest, listening to his breathing.
‘What’s producing that expression?’
Flynn’s voice startled her and she jumped. ‘Are you trying to give me a heart attack?’
‘And you’re cranky. What’s up with you? I thought you’d be pleased to be back in a proper house.’
‘I am. It’s just that …’ She couldn’t tell him the real reason: that every day they spent here was another day closer to going home and that they never seemed to be alone for a minute.
‘Everyone’s busy with the wedding. I’m in the way.’ It was an easy truth, but not a complete one. She wasn’t part of his family. She and Flynn came from two different worlds.
‘Hey.’ Flynn cupped her face and leaned in for a kiss. Barely a brush of his lips against hers but it made her shiver. She angled her head, seeking for pressure from his mouth. For a moment he obliged with a searing kiss that was as possessive and invasive as any he had bestowed on her at the croft.
Summer slid her arms around his neck and clung to him, returning his kiss as if it was the last she would ever have from him. A discreet cough brought her back to reality and she pulled away.
David stood in the doorway, a smug grin on his face. ‘Don’t let Mam see you doing that or she’ll be planning another wedding.’
She expected Flynn to release her, but he kept his arms possessively around her. ‘I don’t suppose you’d like to take Mam and Lorna for a drive today? Maybe take them shopping?’
Summer wanted to giggle at David’s expression. It was almost enough to make up for him bursting in on them the day before.
‘Ach, Flynn. If I have to look at more dinner sets, I’ll crack up. This wedding thing has grown out of all proportion. I don’t know why we couldn’t just go to the registry office.’
‘Summer and I need to have a business meeting.’ Flynn kept a straight face but the corner of his mouth twitched. The thought of some time alone with him was tempting.
David sighed. ‘Fine, but you owe me, bro. You have until tea time.’
Flynn followed him out to the kitchen and after a while, Summer heard a car driving away. Through the bedroom window she heard footsteps on gravel. Flynn was firing up the hot tub.
He returned a few minutes later with a pile of fluffy white towels and a wicked smile on his face. ‘Is madam ready for her bath?’
‘Madam is,’ she agreed and began to unbutton her top.
‘Ah-ah.’ Flynn shook his head and moved her hands away, taking over her undressing with strong fingers. ‘After my shameless assault on your person yesterday, I’m going to make it up to you today.’
She liked the sound of that. ‘What did you have in mind? A morning business meeting in the hot tub?’
Flynn tugged off her shirt and dropped it on the bed. ‘It’s not a hot tub, it’s called an ofuro. The Japanese believe that sharing a bath encourages communication and builds better relationships between colleagues.’
Naked business meetings. She could imagine her father’s face if she suggested that at the next AGM of O’Sullivan Airlines. Flynn unzipped her jeans, leaving her standing in her underwear.
‘Do you need help with those?’ The challenge in his voice was unmistakable, but if she let him get her naked now, they would never get to the tub. She shimmied out of them and stood naked before him. Flynn opened the door to the connecting room and she followed him inside.
The gigantic glass shower could have held six. ‘I thought we were going outside?’
‘We are,’ he said as he tugged his shirt over his head and reached for the fastening of his pants. ‘The idea is that you wash before getting into the bath.’
The image of the last time she had seen Flynn in a shower flooded her head. She sucked in a breath.
He kicked off his shoes and socks and stood unashamedly naked before her. Was it only twenty-four hours since they had made love?
‘Did anyone ever tell you that you have a very expressive face? You’re a very naughty girl.’
‘So spank me.’ She couldn’t help wanting to provoke him, but Flynn resisted the challenge.
‘First I’m going to wash you.’
True to his word, Flynn ushered her into the shower and turned it on. A torrent of water flooded them and Summer gasped. Flynn eased the pressure of the water and poured a dollop of shampoo into his hand. ‘Turn around; I don’t want to get soap in your eyes.’
She stood with her back to him as he massaged the shampoo into her scalp, working the tips of his fingers in a circular motion. He rinsed and repeated the pleasurable head massage before turning her and moving downwards.
With a damp washcloth, he tended to her arms and legs before turning his attention to her torso. Dispensing with the cloth, he used his bare hands to massage the suds into her breasts. She didn’t know how much more of this she could take. She wanted his mouth on her.
As if he could read her thoughts, he dropped his head and placed a tender kiss on her left breast. The slow water torture continued as he soaped the cloth again and washed between her thighs. She squirmed beneath his touch and received a sharp tap and a caution to behave.
He was touching her but it wasn’t the kind of touch she craved. Flynn turned off the water and, grabbing a large towel, dried her off and covered her naked body with a robe, before drying himself roughly.
Outside in the pebble garden, a cool breeze drifted in from the loch, but the steam rising from the bath water was tempting. She slipped off her robe and stepped into the pool, followed by Flynn. The temperature was perfect. They sat in silence. Around them, the air was cold, but somehow that made her feel more alive.
‘The Japanese have an expression: Hadaka no Tsukiai,’ Flynn said. ‘It means “naked relationship” or “naked communication” because when we are naked, the barriers between us are gone and we are all the same.’
Summer nodded. She supposed that it did make sense, but there were certain things that she wasn’t prepared to communicate with anyone, especially Flynn.
‘You were sad last night and this morning. Do you want to tell me what’s up with you?’
Bugger. There were times she felt that Flynn could see right through her. He had gotten her alone and naked and now he was going to interrogate her. ‘Nothing,’ she said. ‘I’m fine.’
Flynn snorted. ‘It must be worse than I thought. When a woman says that nothing is wrong, a man is usually in big trouble. You’re angry about being taken to the croft?’
‘No, I loved –’ She closed her mouth. She didn’t want to acknowledge how much her time at the croft had meant to her. They had never spoken about having feelings for each other. Flynn would probably run a mile if she told him that she loved him.
The physical bond between them would break when they parted. It could never be anything more than that.
Flynn was waiting for a response, but she had none to give him. His eyes narrowed. ‘I could always torture you,’ he reminded her.
‘Really? What did you have in mind?’
‘Well,
let’s see, we could try Nyotaimori.’
Summer looked blankly at him.
‘Body sushi,’ he explained. ‘Eating food off a naked body.’
She flushed at the idea. It was tempting.
‘Or Shibari,’ he continued. ‘But I seem to remember that you liked being tied up.’
Summer giggled. ‘You’re so thoughtful. Anything else you learned in Japan?’
Flynn leaned back against the edge of the pool. ‘Well there is this thing with live eels …’
It took a moment for the penny to drop. ‘Flynn Grant! That is … Oh, you are so horrible.’
She stood up and splashed, sending a small tsunami in his direction. He moved more quickly than she expected and launched himself at her, so that they both ended up beneath the water. They surfaced again in a cloud of steam and spray and he took her mouth in a searing kiss that left her breathless.
‘I think that bath time is over,’ he announced in a husky tone that sent a shiver down her spine, despite the heat of the water. He clambered out and offered her his hand. The shock of cool air made her nipples peak, a sight that wasn’t lost on Flynn. The look he gave her was one of pure hunger. ‘You better run.’
Ignoring the damp robe, she raced for the house, with Flynn in pursuit. She shrieked as she hurried through the kitchen and into the safety of the bedroom where she threw herself onto the bed. Panting, she waited for Flynn to follow.
‘I have something for you,’ he said.
The orchid was beautiful. Its petals invited her touch. The centre was tinged with a flush of pink.
Flynn tucked the flower into her hair. ‘It reminds me of you,’ he said as he caressed her face before taking another kiss. ‘The creaminess of your flesh and the pink at the centre, but it could never be as beautiful as you are.’
28
Niall rang him early in the morning. As soon as he heard the Tardis ringtone, he took the phone outside. Niall talked, and Flynn realized he had lost his enthusiasm for the job he was offering.
‘What the fuck is wrong with you?’
‘Nothing.’ Flynn laughed, but it was forced. He should be over the moon. A new job. One that involved travel, danger and a chance for some real action. Except that it would mean leaving Summer.