Wednesday, he’d dropped her off again with nothing more than a kiss. Granted, it had been late by the time they finished at Zodiac.
So, now it was Thursday, and her chest tightened at the thought of not seeing him tonight. She didn’t want him to think she was desperate or too needy, so she didn’t ask him to come over after work, no matter what time it was. But God, she wanted to.
An hour later, Flynn stood, headed for the door without a word, shut it, and locked it. She spun around at the sound of the click to find him stalking toward her, grinning. “You’ve been driving me crazy all day with that skirt.”
She squirmed in her seat, tugging the sides down. “Is that so, Sir?”
He inhaled deeply when she called him Sir, and two seconds later, she was out of her seat, his hands at her waist, her ass on the desk. He shoved her papers out of the way and lifted her skirt. His fingers found her panties and tugged. She had to set her hands on the desk and lifted her ass so he could get them off.
And then he was on his knees in front of her, his mouth sucking her pussy.
She bit her lip, trying not to moan. He nibbled on her clit and thrust a finger into her channel. His mouth was relentless. Her body stiffened as she went all the way to fully aroused in seconds, gritting her teeth now to try not to come so damn fast. He didn’t let up, however, plundering her with his tongue and lips, sucking in her clit hard over and over.
She stiffened. “Flynn,” she moaned.
He didn’t stop, and the damn room was spinning as she came. Hard. Tremors wracking her body. He continued to lick her until the pulses stopped, and then he rose to his feet, pulled her skirt back down, lifted her off the desk, and sat her back in her chair. He picked her panties up off the floor and put them in his pocket. “I’ve been wanting to do that all day. Thanks.” He winked before leaving her sitting there too stunned to react.
After unlocking the door, he settled behind his desk once more and set his hand on his mouse. There was no way he was able to concentrate on the computer in front of him, but all she could do was smile. Yeah, he’d so totally made up for the fact that she wouldn’t get to see him tonight. And then some.
Chapter 29
Elizabeth’s phone yanked her out of a deep sleep the next morning. She glanced at the clock as she reached for the cell. It was six-thirty. The screen indicated it was Flynn. She sat up as she answered. “Flynn? You okay?”
“Yep. I’m great. Shelly had her baby a few hours ago. I’m so excited for her. Shit. What time is it? Oh, God. It’s early. I woke you.” He was talking so fast, she struggled to keep up, but she got the gist.
“Don’t worry. I’m awake. That’s great. Your family must be over the moon.”
“Yeah. They are. So, the reason I called is because I’m going to go to the hospital in a few hours before I go to the restaurant. Do you want to come with me?”
Elizabeth swallowed. She would do anything with Flynn. It already seemed like they’d been together a lifetime. But this particular event felt like it had doom written all over it.
“E? You still there? You don’t have to go. I’m being silly. I mostly just wanted you to know why I wouldn’t be at work at my usual time.”
“No. Of course I’ll go. I can’t wait to see the baby. Is it a girl or a boy?” She slid from the bed, heading for the bathroom. She needed to do this. Support him. Test these waters. Hell, she needed to talk to him about the future. Sooner rather than later. If he really wanted kids, she needed to let him go. The longer she held on to him, the longer she was also holding him back.
“It’s a girl. Adriana. I’ve seen pics. She’s adorable.” He sounded so animated. The happier he was, the more nervous Elizabeth became.
She forced her voice to sound as excited as he was. “That’s awesome. I love that name. You’re going to pick me up?”
“Yep. I’ll be there at about nine, okay?”
“I’ll be ready.”
“’Kay. Bye.” He ended the call, and she stood there holding the phone. Instead of getting in the shower right away, she turned back to her bed and crawled under the covers. She had plenty of time. It was early.
She couldn’t go back to sleep though, and when her alarm went off at eight, she was a ball of nerves. I’m being ridiculous. There was no reason for her total panic just because Shelly had a baby. People had babies. Their families went all googoo over them. It was part of life.
It just wasn’t part of her life.
Elizabeth was a ball of nerves, but she was ready when Flynn picked her up. She even forced herself to be as animated as possible to match his exuberance. He was excited enough that he didn’t notice her stress. Thank God.
When they got to the hospital, the entire family was there, and Elizabeth felt a little intrusive. Why hadn’t she thought of that? This was a private moment for all of them. The first grandchild. Contrary to the ongoing joke, Elizabeth wasn’t married to Flynn. It wasn’t even on the table. She felt awkward intruding on this special day.
No one else acted like her presence was strange, however. They pulled her right into the fray as they passed the baby around. The tiny little life was only a few hours old and yet everyone was taking their turn.
It was impossible not to smile at the excitement, and when Flynn took his turn, Elizabeth watched with a clogged throat at how gently he held his niece, cooing at her and counting her little toes and inhaling her sweet baby scent.
Yeah, this man needed kids. Her heart fell. She couldn’t do this. She shouldn’t be here. She didn’t belong in this world. It had all been a dream. A fairy tale. Maybe if she’d stepped into their lives ten years ago, she could have made it work, but not now. She would only hold Flynn back.
Elizabeth was deep in her thoughts when Julie suddenly held the baby out for her to take. Without wanting to hurt Julie’s feelings and because she couldn’t come up with a legitimate excuse, Elizabeth instinctively took the little bundle in her arms, and tipped her face down to stare at the squirming baby.
She was so cute. Her face was red from the birth and from probably screaming already, but she was settled now, her little mouth suckling at nothing. Her eyes were closed, and she seemed to fall into a deep sleep as Elizabeth rocked her back and forth.
“You okay, E?” Flynn’s voice pulled her from someplace far away, and when she lifted her gaze, she realized she was crying. Flynn was frowning. He looked concerned.
She carefully handed the baby to him and turned around to flee the room. Too many people. God, she was such an idiot. They must all think she was out of her mind.
She rushed down the hallway, found the stairs, and took them two at a time to get to the ground floor. It wasn’t until she stepped outside that she finally took a breath as if there hadn’t been oxygen in the hospital.
Uncertain what to do next, Elizabeth leaned against the brick wall and inhaled deeply. She wiped the foolish tears from her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. How the hell was she going to explain that scene?
When two hands landed on her shoulders, she jumped. Flynn. Of course. It wasn’t like he would let her run from the hospital without following her. He drew her into his arms and held her against his chest. He said nothing for several moments and then pulled back to meet her gaze. “Let’s go.”
She nodded, still worrying about what she would say to him. She had to say it though. All of it. All of her concerns. She had to let him go.
He held her hand while he drove away from the hospital. Instead of taking her home, he headed for his own neighborhood.
She was grateful that he left her to her thoughts until they got inside his house. It was time for her to speak however, so she cleared her throat. “I’m so sorry. That was… I mean your family must think I’m from another planet.”
He shook his head and led her to the couch. “Of course not. Babies make people emotional. Everyone was crying. You’re human.”
She lowered her head. He was kinda right. Everyone had been emotional.
She met his gaze, twisting her body to the side so she was facing him. He did the same, giving her plenty of space. “No. But I need to.”
He nodded slowly and then swallowed. “You told me the other day that you didn’t care if we had sex without a condom. Can you not have kids?”
A tear fell. And then another. Finally, she shook her head. “Not like you’re thinking. There’s nothing wrong with me. Except my age.”
He furrowed his brow. “Your age? You’re not that old.”
She shrugged. “Flynn, I am. The chances of someone my age getting pregnant are slim.”
“And this is stressing you out today because of the baby?” His eyes were still drawn together as he tried to understand something she was doing a shitty job of explaining.
She shook her head. “No. Not exactly. I’ve been a little freaked out for a while now, actually.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ve been excited about your sister’s baby since we got together. You clearly want kids, and you deserve to have them, and that’s not likely to happen with me, and you deserve to be with someone who can give you that.” She said all that in a rush of words that probably jumbled together and made no sense.
Flynn flinched and sat up straighter. “Wait. Slow down. This is about me? You’re worried about me?”
She nodded. “Of course.”
“You don’t want kids yourself?”
She shrugged. “Never even thought about it. Not until I met you and then your sister and then spent the last two weeks living in a pretend world where everyone has moved on from planning our wedding to acting like we’re already married. This isn’t about me. It’s about how selfish it’s been for me to allow this to go on. It just felt so good.” She swiped at the tears that were falling rapidly now, sobbing on her next breath.
He reached for her hands.
She drew them back, letting his palms fall on her thigh. She had more to say, and if he touched her, she would fall completely apart. “No one has ever treated me like you do. Like your family does. Like I belong.” She sobbed again, finding it harder to speak. Words tumbled out unbidden. “I’m falling in love with you. With everything about you. Even with your family. And you deserve better.”
He lurched forward and grabbed her, hauling her onto his lap while she tried to shove away from him. But he grabbed her wrists and pulled them behind her, holding her trapped on his lap. “E, stop fighting me and let me speak,” he whispered gently.
She stopped squirming and tipped her head down, not meeting his gaze.
“You’re wrong. You’re wrong about so many things I don’t even know where to begin.”
More tears fell, but she couldn’t wipe them from her cheeks because he wouldn’t let go of her wrists.
He squeezed them for emphasis, reminding her she was his audience now. She owed him that. “First of all, I’m not falling in love with you.”
She flinched, struggling even harder. How humiliating.
He kissed her forehead and said. “I’m already in love with you. Head over heels. I love everything about you. The way you laugh. The way you cry. The way you feel so hard on both ends of the spectrum. I love that you’re bossy and demanding. I love that you’re so damn sexy when you let yourself go and enjoy life. I love that you’re always so worried about what other people will think.” He lowered his voice. “I especially love that you’re concerned about what I’m thinking. But…” He lifted her chin with his free hand. “You’re going to have to learn to talk to me. Don’t keep shit all bottled up, presuming how you think I feel. That’s not fair to me.”
She swallowed. He was right. But that didn’t change the facts.
“Now, about kids. Sure, they’re cute. I’m beyond ecstatic for my sister. Babies that belong to other people are the cutest by far. When they cry, you can hand them back to their parents.”
She rolled her eyes. “You don’t mean that.”
He smiled, breaking through her resolve a bit. “Not entirely. But, Elizabeth, there is no way in the world I would end things with you over something as minuscule as whether or not you could have kids. Life doesn’t work that way. There are never guarantees. People get married every day with grand ideas. Some of them get pregnant; others don’t.”
“Yeah, well, at least they go into it assuming the odds are in their favor,” she countered, knowing she was being obstinate.
He sighed. “So, what’s the plan here? To sabotage what we have until you convince me you’re not good enough for me? Because that will get exhausting, and I still won’t let you walk away.”
She flinched. He meant it. He was serious. More tears. When she tugged on her arms this time, he released her. She wrapped her arms around him and shoved her face in his neck. “I’m such a mess.”
He hugged her fiercely. “And I love you anyway. You’re my mess.”
She continued to cry. He wasn’t going to leave her. Not for this or any other reason. “I’m going to fuck up,” she informed him.
“We both will. People do.” He pulled back and nudged her to look at him.
“I’m forty-two. That baby was cute,” she admitted out loud. “I thought I could stuff any maternal instincts deep and ignore them. That’s always been my way. My parents were shitty parents. I never wanted that for any kid.”
“Okay, once again, that’s a lot to respond to. First of all, you could never be a shitty parent, so stop that nonsense. Just because your parents didn’t give you as much love as you deserved doesn’t mean we wouldn’t.”
She gave a sob when he said we.
“We would be amazing parents. And we will. If that’s what you want. Either they come naturally, or we adopt them. If you want to have kids, let’s make it happen. ’Course we might want to call my siblings and tell them to put that imaginary wedding together, but it’s probably organized enough that they can pull it off by Saturday,” he teased.
She couldn’t stop the ugly combined laugh/snort/sob/groan.
“The point is, if your biological clock just kicked into gear, I say we go for it.”
She laughed at him now. “You can’t be serious. We’ve been dating like two weeks.”
“Yep, and I only needed about six hours to know I wanted you in my life. And you just pointed out we aren’t getting any younger. Let’s do it. People have gotten married in less time than us.” He shrugged. “Besides, it’s not like I didn’t already know you for years.”
She groaned. “That woman was a bitch. This new improved Elizabeth is nothing like her.”
He chuckled. “She wasn’t a bitch. She was driven and hardworking and didn’t want anyone to get in her way.”
She bit her lip, thinking about his proposal. His non-proposal really. He seemed to be waiting on her to respond. “Okay, first of all, it’s really too soon.”
He rolled his eyes dramatically.
She gave him a shake. “Just listen to me. What I really mean is that if you want to marry me, then you better freaking plan something special and ask me the right way, preferably on a day when I’m not a blubbering mess crying on your lap.”
He gave her a narrowed look. “I don’t know, E. That happens pretty often. You’re limiting me.”
She laughed, feeling lighter than she had in days. Weeks. Her entire life perhaps.
He kissed her, making it last for several moments before speaking again. “Okay, I’ll plan something special. In the meantime, I’m going to assume the answer is going to be yes, so let’s lose the condoms and see what happens.”
She swallowed. “Flynn, that’s a lot of pressure. I don’t want you to be disappointed. The odds are seriously bad.”
“And I don’t care. Pretend nothing’s changed except I’ll be the one coming too fast inside you when my cock feels skin on skin action for the first time.”
She grinned. �
��So, you’ll be like a teenager. You’ll probably want to have sex all the time.” Yeah, her heart felt lighter. She could do this. Have unprotected sex. Not worry about the outcome. At least for a while.
“We won’t let it bother us or even discuss it for one year. If you aren’t pregnant by then, we’ll see a doctor and then come up with a plan B. Deal?”
She nodded, unable to keep from smiling. They were really going to do this. It was crazy. It was reckless. It was right.
“Oh, and another thing.” His expression was a bit chagrined now, like he had something to say she wasn’t going to like.
“Yeah…”
“Would you please please please get my mother off my back?”
Elizabeth frowned. “How can I do that?”
“Agree to take over the catering side of the restaurant.” He pulled his bottom lip in, wincing a bit.
She gave him a similar look. “That seems like a terrible idea. I don’t mind finishing this event, but I should find something somewhere else. We’ll end up killing each other. We worked together before, and I’m surprised we survived it.”
He shook his head. “That was different. We’ve been doing great for the past two weeks. I know you love the restaurant. I can see your excitement every time you get all organizey and start making phone calls.”
“Organizey? I don’t think that’s a word.”
“It is now. Just listen to my proposal. It would be like a separate company. I won’t say a single word. It’ll be your thing. Run it however you want. Turn it into a catering or event planning or however big or small you think you can handle. Do your own hiring. If you need me, just ask. But I won’t butt in.”
She stared at him for a long time. He wasn’t wrong about the last two weeks. He hadn’t interfered a single time, but could he keep that up indefinitely? She cleared her throat. “I would need my own office. We shouldn’t work that close together all the time and then spend evenings together too.”
“Done. You can use one of the spare bedrooms for an office and work from home if you want, but speaking of evenings, please leave that dinky long-term and move in here. Now. Today.”
Tempting Elizabeth Page 19