Falling for Flynn (7 page)

“Mom’s pretty keen on eating meat and veggies,” Adam said, eyeing off the last remaining pizza wedge with longing. “We don’t eat good stuff like pizza or hamburgers very often.”

Lori’s mouth twitched with barely concealed amusement as she pushed the box toward Adam.

“No, we don’t, because
good
stuff like that isn’t as great as broccoli and carrots and lamb chops.”

Adam mouthed “yuck” at Flynn and he laughed, enchanted with the byplay between mother and son. Lori was a natural at this parenting stuff and he hoped he’d be half as good.

Lori smiled as she scooped the last piece of pizza onto Adam’s plate.

“Here you go. Enjoy your treat, particularly when you rarely complain about all that great stuff I usually feed you.”

“Thanks, Mom. You’re the best.”

Flynn silently agreed as their eyes met and held while Adam demolished the pizza wedge in record time.

Flynn wanted to look away, to gain some control over his expression, which must’ve read somewhere between goofy and smitten but the sparks he glimpsed in her luminous eyes held him mesmerized.

“May I be excused now?”

Lori blinked and he sighed in relief, caught up in something he knew was bigger than the both of them.

They’d always shared a special connection but now, with Adam completing their circle, every emotion intensified.

“Sure thing, sweetheart. Do you have any homework to finish?”

Adam rolled his eyes, his exasperated expression so like his mother’s Flynn had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop from laughing out loud.

“I finished it all before dinner so is it okay if I read a bit before bed?”

“Go ahead.”

“Later alligators.” Adam waved as he bounded up the back steps and into the house, leaving Flynn with a silly grin on his face.

“He’s some kid.”

Lori nodded and reached for her soda. “Sure is.”

Flynn wanted to say more. In fact, he wanted to ask a millions questions, like when had Adam taken his first step, when he’d uttered his first word, what was his favorite subject at school and did he like cars and trucks over dinosaurs and pirates.

However, he didn’t want to break the contented silence that had descended upon them, the balmy evening air wrapping them in an intimate cocoon that felt safe and comfortable and free of conflict.

“We should talk about that kiss.”

Just like that, the illusion of peace shattered.

“Uh-huh.”

He deliberately kept his voice devoid of emotion, ignoring the rush of heat as he remembered it in every tempting detail.

She sighed, a soft, plaintive sound that shot straight to his heart.

“You’re right about us needing to get reacquainted.”

Her gaze drifted to the back door where their son had vanished. “Tonight proved it.”

“But you’re not happy about it?”

“It’s not that.”

Longing shifted across Lori’s face, as expressive as ever in the low light cast from a mosquito lamp in the center of the table.

“Tell me.”

She fiddled with the condiments, buying time, and he let her. He’d been foolish in turning up here unannounced, hoping she’d forget that little aberration under the high school gum tree last night.

When she finally raised her gaze to his, what he saw there snatched his breath.

Fire. Daring. Challenge.

“That’s the second time you’ve kissed me.” She unconsciously traced her bottom lip. “And I let you, which pretty much proves we’ve got unresolved issues. And the more time we spend together odds are things will intensify.”

Risking a quick glance over her shoulder, she placed her palms on the table and leaned forward.

“Is that what you want?”

Damned if he knew.

Until now, the army had been the only family he’d known. Pop barely acknowledged him after he’d enlisted, an irony in itself considering he’d done it for him. He’d like to think it was early onset dementia that caused Pop’s withdrawal but in reality, it was the ongoing aloofness of a man who’d given up everything to raise him and had resented it every day since.

Considering his upbringing, could he be the family man Lori expected? Deserved?

“Let’s see how it goes.”

The corners of her mouth drooped and he felt like the biggest bastard in the world.

“I don’t want to make any promises I can’t keep.”

He didn’t add,
not after last time.

She nodded, the fire in her gaze replaced by a sadness he wished he could banish.

“I know this situation is difficult, but I’m doing the best I can.” He reached out, covered her hand with his, surprised when she turned hers over to grab hold tight.

“None of this is your fault.”

Her guilt was palpable as she squeezed his hand, tears shimmering in her eyes, and it took all his willpower not to haul her into his arms.

“Lori, look at me.”

He placed a finger under her chin and gently tilted her face up, leaving her little option but to look him straight in the eye.

“We can’t change the past. We both messed up but the important thing is I’m here now, you’ve done an incredible job with Adam and we’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

She blinked, once, twice, a single, fat tear rolling down her cheek before she swiped it away, a tremulous smile lightening her somber expression.

“Catching up, huh?”

“You bet.”

He slanted a gentle kiss across her lips, keeping it much briefer than he would’ve liked. Way too brief considering every cell in his body cried out for her, needing her with a staggering fierceness he’d never felt before even in the hormonal hunger of their youth.

Lori’s eyes fluttered open as Flynn pulled away, his kiss the barest whisper against her lips.

She knew it wasn’t the time or place to push for more considering Adam might pop his head out the back door any moment to say goodnight but that didn’t stop the raging need burning her up from the inside out.

She’d always reacted this way to him, even as a teenager: one touch and he’d send her up in flames.

“We’ve got a lot to catch up on,” she murmured, reaching up to cup his cheek, savoring the rasp of stubble against her palm.

His steady gray gaze held hers, mesmerizing in the soft light, enticing her to do all sorts of crazy things like lose herself in the moment.

However, the loud beep of the microwave signaling Adam was warming a cup of milk before bed intruded and she dropped her hand, unsure whether to be grateful for the reality check or not.

“This is a great place to bring up kids,” he said, gesturing toward the backyard and she smiled, appreciating his efforts at restoring some sense of normality after their heated moment.

“Yeah, we love it. The house may be small but the yard more than makes up for it.”

She glanced around, thrilled he appreciated the garden as much as she did. A wide expanse of lawn punctuated with cricket stumps and a soccer net was bordered by native trees and wildflowers. Throw in the huge trampoline in the far right corner, a tree house to the left and a small veggie patch she’d done from scratch with Adam and it was the perfect outdoor area.

She’d spent countless hours with Adam out here, weeding in the sunshine while he foraged for bugs, pruning while he invented elaborate make-believe games in his tree house. The place held nothing but good memories and maybe she’d added to them tonight.

“What are you thinking?”

She turned back to him, wondering if he could still read her moods. He’d been a master at it years ago, more in tune with her than her own father.

“Just remembering all the good times we’ve had here.”

He stiffened and she knew she’d said the wrong thing the second the words left her mouth.

Darn it, she’d felt so comfortable being with him, had slipped into their old camaraderie so easily she’d let her guard down and said the first thing that popped into her head. The first thing guaranteed to make him feel bad considering he’d missed out on so much of Adam’s childhood.

“Flynn, I — ”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m glad Adam’s got such a great mom.”

He glanced at his watch. “And speaking of Adam, guess I better say goodnight and hit the road.”

Silently cursing for inadvertently ruining their evening, she nodded.

“Sure, go ahead. Tell Adam I’ll be in shortly.”

“No worries. Thanks for a great evening.”

They stood at the same time, gauche and stiff when they’d been close and comfortable a few moments earlier.

She couldn’t let him leave this way.

Not when they’d been re-establishing a bond that had been incredible as teenagers and had the potential to develop into much more now.

He took a step toward the house and she laid a hand on his arm, unprepared for the swift rush of longing coursing through her.

“Spending time with you like this means a lot to me. I hope you know that.”

Compassion sparked his eyes for a moment before he dropped an all too brief peck on her lips.

“Me too,” he said, his poker face inscrutable as he ran a finger slowly down her cheek before disappearing into the house.

Lori pirouetted in front of the floor-length mirror for the fifth time, not quite believing she still fit into her one formal dress that had seen better days. Thankfully, the simple black sheath was a classic and wouldn’t be out of place at the premier.

After a week of family dinners with Flynn, mainly at his place where he’d cooked for her and Adam, he’d asked her to the opening night of a well-known play.

A real date. Not that either of them had specified it as such but he knew it as well as she did. Tonight, they wouldn’t have Adam acting as an unofficial buffer between them, the focus of their attention.

Tonight was all about them. Two adults dancing around each other and the promise of what once was?

The doorbell rang and she cast a final glance in the mirror, poked her tongue out at her reflection and picked up her wrap. She’d been looking forward to this evening all week. It had been a long time since Lori the mom and Lori the schoolteacher had taken a back seat to Lori the woman with desires.

She opened the door, a welcoming smile on her face.

“Hi there … ”

The rest of her greeting died on her lips as she stared at Flynn and tried not to drool.

Delectable.
The black tux accentuated his height and broad shoulders while the white shirt set his tan off to perfection. The good-looking young guy he’d been was nothing to the devastatingly handsome man standing before her — and he was all hers, at least for tonight.

He stepped into the doorway and dropped a light kiss on her cheek.

“You look beautiful.”

He picked up her hands and held her at arm’s length, his gaze roving from head to foot and lingering on several areas in between. “Stunning.”

Heat sizzled her skin beneath his stare, setting her alight as she wondered for a brief moment what it would be like to have no responsibilities and lose herself in this madness.

Not that she would trade her life with Adam for anything but with Flynn staring at her with obvious desire, she’d love nothing better than to throw caution aside, invite him in and ravish him on the spot.

“We better go,” she murmured, eager to break his hypnotizing stare before she did something crazy, like drag him inside by the lapels of his jacket and slam the door shut on the world.

His lips curved into a wicked grin as if he could read her mind.

“If you insist.”

“I do.” She nodded her shaky voice less than convincing.

His eyes darkened to pewter as she suddenly realized the implications of those two simple words. Though she’d had many offers to take her dates to the next level over the last few years, no man had inspired her enough to entertain the thought of entering a relationship with the possibility of leading to marriage.

No, only one man had ever stirred her interest enough to contemplate being tied to one person for life — and he now stood before her, holding her at arm’s length.

Did he feel what she was feeling? If so, he would’ve made some sign, some overture toward her since that kiss they’d shared last week. Instead, he’d behaved like the perfect gentleman, reinforcing how much he enjoyed her company as a friend, as the mother of his child.

She might’ve settled in the past but not anymore. Though she valued the newfound tentative friendship they’d developed and admired his effort in getting acquainted with Adam, it was time to discover exactly where she stood in the grand scheme of things. She’d lived a staid life — and happily done so — raising her son to the best of her abilities.

Having Flynn back in her life had never entered her thoughts of the future but now he was here … time to have a little fun. And she knew just the man to help her do it.

Flynn struggled not to gape like the overwhelmed teenager he’d once been when it came to Lori.

As he held the car door open for her, he couldn’t tear his eyes away. He glimpsed a shimmer of silky stocking as she slid into the car, the side split of her dress providing him with a tantalizing view of long, lean leg and all he wanted to do was drag her back inside, peel those stockings off and caress the skin underneath.

Dragging his gaze away with effort, he reminded himself he intended to take things slow as he walked around the back of the car.

He couldn’t put his finger on it but there was something different about her tonight, as if she
wanted
to taunt him, to drive his libido skyrocketing. If so, she was doing a damn fine job of it.

The simple black dress highlighted her curves — curves that would tempt a saint — while her dark curls cascaded around her shoulders begging to be touched. However, it was more than her physical appearance. He’d seen it in her eyes, a glimpse of something akin to mischief bringing out the golden flecks in their hazel depths.

Though his heart urged him to match her in whatever she had in mind tonight his common sense warned against it. He had a long way to go to prove himself and he’d be damned if he jeopardized his long-term prospects with her now.

“Is Jane minding Adam tonight?”