She shrugged as she put her seat belt on.
“You look rested,” he pointed out when she faced him. “I was afraid you might not have slept well after I pissed you off.”
Heat rose up her cheeks. “I was pretty angry, but not with you. With myself.” She hadn’t meant to reveal so much. It just slipped out. She waved a hand between them. “I got over it and then slept late.”
“Good. Lunch then? There’s a taco stand on the beach I like to go to when I just want good food and an amazing view.”
“Sounds perfect.”
He pulled away from the hotel slowly, glancing around again.
She knew what he was looking for. “Do you think I should have called the police?”
“Yes.” He didn’t hesitate answering, but he immediately sighed and continued. “However, it won’t do much good since I can’t give a description. All I know is the make and model of the truck. I didn’t get the plate. I don’t even know if the driver was male or female.”
“Yeah.”
“But you should pay attention to your surroundings from now on. Okay?”
“I will. Promise.” She wasn’t shitting him. She understood the serious nature of this problem. Maybe the guy had picked her at random. Maybe he hadn’t even known she’d come out of Club Zodiac. However, it was far more likely that he had known where she was and even worse—what if he’d been inside the club? What if she’d spoken to him?
She didn’t really believe the truck had been driven by a woman. It was possible, but her gut told her it had been a man.
Flynn drove them to the beach in silence, leaving her with her rambling thoughts. It wasn’t until he pulled into a parking spot that she shook her mind free and forced herself to focus on the breeze, the sun, and the waves. “It’s really gorgeous here,” she admitted as they walked toward the food truck.
“Yeah. It’s one of my favorite spots. I come here when I need to clear my head.”
She held a hand over her face to shade her eyes from the sun as she looked at him. She wished she knew why he’d brought her to one of his favorite spots. She needed to think. That was for sure. But maybe he didn’t mean anything by his selection other than good food and a great view.
“You want to grab us a picnic table? I’ll order some food. Is there anything you don’t like?”
“Nope. Anything you choose will be delicious.” Elizabeth tried to slow her racing heart as she found a table. This lunch felt much more like a date. She was even letting him order and pay. It was super casual too, as if they’d been a couple for months instead of never.
Hell, until recently she’d loathed the man.
Flynn wove through the crowded picnic area carrying a tray of food that looked like it would feed ten people. He set it down with a chuckle. “I didn’t know what to order, so I got a variety.”
“We’ll never be able to eat all this.”
He shrugged as he sat across from her. “Just eat whatever you want. Hell, take a bite out of everything.” He grinned.
His expression made her laugh. Or maybe it was the absurdity of the monstrous pile of food they were about to waste. Either way, she started chuckling and couldn’t stop.
When she finally pulled herself together and wiped her eyes, she found him staring at her, his expression content. “I’ve never seen you laugh.”
She rolled her eyes and reached for a can of soda. “Whatever. You’ve really only seen me at work. I’m all business when I’m at work.”
“That’s an understatement.”
She jerked her gaze to find his eyes dancing. He wasn’t making fun of her, just stating the obvious. No reason to get bent out of shape. She smirked. “I don’t work well with others.”
“Ya think?”
Oh, so this banter was going to continue. She grabbed a chip and stuffed it in her mouth while deciding what to say next. “I don’t recall you laughing in the five years we worked together. Usually your face was beet red from wanting to kill me in my sleep.”
Flynn tipped his head back and laughed too. When he regained enough control to face her again, his voice was deep and filled with promise—one of the two things she didn’t accept. “If I ever get the opportunity to watch you sleep, I promise, though I might have a bag full of items that could possibly end your life, I’ll only use them for your pleasure and mine.”
Elizabeth shivered as the blood drained from her face. She swallowed several times and then took a sip of her soda before responding. “That’s never going to happen. Don’t waste your time dreaming.”
He lifted a playful brow and leaned closer, lowering his voice. “Which part? The part where I get to watch you sleep or the part where I swat your bottom until it’s a hot pink and then take you out of the stratosphere?”
Elizabeth nearly choked on the bite she’d just put in her mouth. She jerked her gaze away from his, unnerved by her reaction to his words. Her nipples were tight beads, making her worry that he could probably see them through her pink tank top and lace bra. She had hesitated when she got dressed, deciding on casual white shorts, a tank top, and sandals when she saw the weather report.
He was still staring at her, waiting undoubtedly for a witty response. “Flynn…”
“E…”
She shivered again at the nickname he’d obviously decided upon. “Nothing is going to happen between us,” she said as she reached for a taco even though there was a lump in her throat.
“That’s fine. I have thick skin. But you can’t fault me for trying. Nor can you deny we had explosive chemistry last night. That kiss knocked my socks off.”
She swallowed over the lump. He was right, but she wasn’t about to agree with him. “We were emotional. Angry, in fact. I was scared. You were furious. All that caught on fire. It was a fluke. Won’t happen again.”
“Why not?”
She sighed. “Because I say so.”
“Hmm. I think you’re going to have to do better than that, but I’ll drop the subject for now. We have more important things to discuss than your submission to me.”
She had just taken a sip of her soda and was forced to turn to the side as she spewed it out of her mouth at the shock from his words. She wiped her lips with her napkin and met his gaze. “The one thing less likely to happen than me ever kissing you again is me submitting to you.”
He lifted one shoulder and cocked his head to the side. “We’ll see.” Then he pointed at the food. “Eat.”
He left her alone with her thoughts while they ate. Surprising even her, they made a serious dent in the huge mound of tacos, burritos, chips, taquitos, rice, beans, and various salsas. He was right. The food was excellent. And she’d been starving. So, she ate. Most of the time she was fully aware he was watching her, but she ignored him in favor of satisfying her taste buds.
When they were finished, Flynn put all their trash on the tray and took it to dump in the waste can. He returned to his spot and met her gaze. “Now we’re going to talk. Can you think of anyone you’ve pissed off lately?”
She chuckled. “Everyone. Including you.”
He smirked. “I’m not mad at you. Promise.”
Another promise. Great. Those were so useful. She sighed. “I’m not exactly warm and fuzzy. Not many people like me. Anyone I’ve come in contact with could potentially have a bone to pick.” That was a sad admission.
Flynn reached across the table and covered her hand with his, giving it a squeeze. “That’s not true. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
“Just stating the facts.”
“Let’s just say for the sake of argument that you don’t make friends easily in a work environment. I’ll give you that. But you don’t have a job yet in Miami, and you haven’t had one since you got here. All you’ve done, as far as I know, is drive around scoping out potential business opportunities and spend time at Zodiac enriching people’s lives. You haven’t had the opportunity to show your don’t-fuck-with-me persona.”
“True,” she conced
ed.
“Is it possible someone followed you here from Atlanta? Did you get out of a relationship recently? Bring some poor guy to tears?” His voice was half serious and half joking.
She shook her head. “Nope. No relationship. I hadn’t been to a club in several months before moving here. And when I bring people to tears, it’s because they deserve it.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’m sure. So, if we eliminate the possibility that someone followed you to Florida, that leaves us with two possibilities. A random fucker saw your sexy body heading to your car and decided he might get lucky. Or, someone inside the club didn’t like something you said or did.”
“Don’t forget it could have been a woman,” she pointed out, even though she didn’t believe that herself.
“Haven’t forgotten. But my gut tells me otherwise. Have you dominated any other women besides Belinda since you arrived in Miami?”
She shook her head. “No. She didn’t seem too disappointed either.” Elizabeth grinned.
“That’s for sure. You have no idea how many jaws dropped when you brought her to orgasm. Belinda doesn’t let her guard down for anyone.”
“Maybe she doesn’t let her guard down for men,” Elizabeth pointed out.
“Oh, I’m clear on that. Not a doubt. I’ve known her for a long time. She has secrets. I assumed she only needed release from impact play and wasn’t interested in orgasm. Guess I was wrong.”
“Or you aren’t the right gender.” Elizabeth eased her hand out of Flynn’s grasp. It was awkward letting him hold on to her like that.
“Could be,” he mused, nodding slowly.
Elizabeth didn’t actually believe that. She simply said it to make Flynn feel better. Elizabeth had enough experience in the world to recognize a fellow abuse victim. She’d bet her last dollar someone had hurt Belinda. That someone was a man. It wasn’t that Belinda was necessarily interested in women so much as being unwilling to give her power to a man. She might let a man dominate her, but she drew the line at letting him make her lose herself in pleasure. Elizabeth had no trouble understanding that dynamic at all.
“You okay?” Flynn asked, pulling her out of her musings.
“Yep.” She shook off the maudlin thoughts and glanced over her shoulder. “Let’s walk on the beach.”
He nodded and rose from his seat.
There was nothing else to say concerning either of his favorite subjects for the day. She wasn’t going to sleep with him, and she had no idea who would follow her. Time to move on.
Chapter 14
Flynn felt a sense of contentment as he led Elizabeth down the beach. They’d removed their shoes and left them in his SUV. The bottom of his jeans occasionally got wet when a wave came too close, but he didn’t care. What he cared about was watching Elizabeth enjoy herself. He’d never seen her so carefree and happy.
She seemed to have completely forgotten what happened last night as she strolled along the water’s edge while Flynn pointed out various points of interest along the way. The only thing that would make the afternoon better would be if he were holding her hand. Considering how adamant she felt about him kissing her again in this lifetime, he figured holding her hand was out of the question.
And then he saw an opportunity and couldn’t resist taking it. She was facing the water, her head tipped back, watching a parasail overhead, one hand shielding her eyes from the blinding sun.
Flynn saw the wave that was going to come in farther than the last several. The water was going to hit high on her shins and surprise her. He inched closer, waiting, waiting…
The moment the wave hit her legs, making her squeal, he swept in and grabbed her by the waist, swinging her up into his arms and threatening to toss her into the water.
Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight. “Don’t you dare.”
Flynn walked out farther as the water receded. His jeans were going to be soaked. He didn’t care. It would be worth it.
“Flynn,” she screamed. “Put me down.”
“Here?” he teased, holding her out above the next wave as it lapped at his legs.
“No.” She held him tighter, stiffening, arching her body as if the water were somehow going to cause her to melt if it touched her.
He walked out farther.
Elizabeth squirmed in his arms, squealing, the sound the most delightful noise he’d ever heard.
The next wave came to his knees. He released his grip for half a second, pretending he would drop her.
“Flynn,” she shouted again.
“What? Don’t tell me you can’t swim.”
“I’m not wearing a bathing suit. Plus, I have on white shorts.” Her eyes widened as she met his gaze. “Do you want everyone on the beach to know what color my thong is?”
His cock jumped to attention, and he nearly groaned. “Hmmm.”
“Put me down.”
He shook his head. “I think you just gave me leverage. Tell me what color your thong is, and I’ll consider it.”
She rolled her eyes and then glanced down at her chest. Her tank top had twisted several inches to one side, exposing the corner of a hot pink bra nearly identical to her shirt. “It matches my bra. Happy?”
He closed his eyes for a moment. This experiment had backfired on him. Now he was fucking horny. As he slowly backed up out of the splashing waves, he held her gaze again. “Very.”
The moment he set her down in the sand, she gave him a playful shove. “That was mean.”
“As mean as you tormenting me with a visual of your thong?”
She giggled and then shrugged. “That wasn’t my fault. It was yours.”
When he lunged for her again, she jumped out of his reach and took off skipping leisurely down the beach in the direction they’d come. Flynn watched her, not wanting to miss a moment of this playful woman who was quickly capturing his heart.
He was in so much trouble, but he never took his eyes off her, wanting to remember this afternoon for the rest of his life. No matter what happened in the coming days and weeks, he would have this time with her. Even if she broke his heart and never gave him a chance.
When his phone buzzed in his back pocket, he ignored it. When it happened again and then again, he finally pulled it out to glance at the screen. The texts were coming in from his mother in rapid succession. Something had her up in arms at the restaurant. She was the world’s worst texter, so it was hard to fully grasp what had her so upset, but he knew this afternoon was over.
“Everything okay?” Elizabeth asked as he lowered the phone and found her watching him.
“Yep, but I need to go in to work. That was my mom. Something’s got her all riled up.”
“Your mom?” She tipped her head to one side. “Does she work with you? You’ve never told me what you do, only that you moved back here to take over when your dad died.”
His phone rang now, and he lifted it to his ear as he answered. “Mom, I’m on my way.”
“Okay. You don’t have to be so curt. I didn’t know if you got my texts.”
Flynn rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Sorry. I got them. I’m coming now.”
“Where are you? The beach? I can hear the waves. Oh. Oh, shit. Are you on a date?”
“No, Mom, I’m not on a date. I’m with a friend. I’ll drop her off and be there in half an hour.”
“Her?” His mother’s voice lifted an octave. Shit. “Don’t drop her off. Bring her with you. I want to meet her.”
Flynn met Elizabeth’s gaze. She had moved closer to him so that now she could probably hear his mother. He groaned. “Mom, I told you she’s not my date.”
“Fine.” She audibly humphed. “Bring her anyway. We need you.”
“We?” His spine stiffened. Whatever his mother was up to, he didn’t think he was going to like it.
“Shelly and Matt are here. As well as Damon and Paula. Rick is on his way. Family meeting.”
Great. “I’ll be there soon. Stop texting me unless
you want me to read them while I’m driving.” He knew that would get her to stop. Flynn ended the call and stuffed the phone back in his pocket.
Elizabeth’s brow was furrowed. “Who are all those people your mom listed?”
“My brothers and sisters.”
Her eyes shot wide. “Holy shit. How many do you have?”
“Two brothers. Two sisters. I’m the oldest. My sister Shelly’s husband, Matt, is apparently there too. They’re attached at the hip. She’s eight months pregnant.”
“Wow. That’s a lot of people.” She grabbed his hand and gave a tug. “Don’t just stand there. They need you.”
He chuckled. He’d have given anything to hold her hand earlier. Now she threaded their fingers together as if it were no big deal. He wasn’t about to stop her. In addition, he was considering the logic of bringing her with him. It would be faster. She lived in the opposite direction of his family restaurant.
No way was he going to make such a suggestion though. It could prove detrimental to any possibility he had convincing Elizabeth to go out with him again. People tended to take a step back when faced with his obnoxious family.
As soon as they were back in the car, he faced her again. “I’ll drop you at home.”
She shook her head. “Take me with you. I’m curious. I was an only child. I’ve never known someone with that many siblings.”
He groaned. That made it even worse. She would surely stop answering his phone calls after today. On the other hand, if they scared her off, it never would have worked anyway. He started the engine. “Fine, but I’m warning you. It sounds like pandemonium. It’s been a while since my mom got in this big of a tizzy.”
“I’m a big girl. I can handle it.”
Flynn wasn’t sure he could handle it. He gripped the steering wheel hard as he drove, glancing at Elizabeth every once in a while. “I don’t bring women to meet my family.”
She shrugged. “Okay.”
“They’re all going to think we’re about to get married if you’re with me. They’ll have china picked out in five minutes.”
She laughed. “No worries.”
Tempting Elizabeth Page 7