The Pleasures of Summer (46 page)

He raised his head to tell her so.

She whimpered. ‘Flynn, Flynn, oh god, I was so frightened.’

He tightened his arms around her. ‘It’s okay, you’re safe now.’

‘Ahem.’ A polite, and obviously fake, cough alerted him a moment before a policeman tapped him on the shoulder. ‘Sir? You need to come with us.’

Flynn raised his head and glared at the young officer. ‘What do you want?’

‘We need to question you, sir. You discharged a firearm and shot a suspect.’

‘Suspect?’

The officer had the grace to look embarrassed, given that his colleagues were staring at what looked like a body
in the rear seat of Fielding’s car. Flynn quashed a murderous rage that threatened to flare out of control at the thought of Robert locking her in the boot of the car. He had done that to his precious Summer. He wished that Fielding was still alive so that he could shoot him again.

‘I’m sure it will be fine, sir. But we need to interview you.’

Flynn scrawled his signature on the last of the police paperwork and pushed the clipboard across the desk to the middle-aged detective. ‘That the last of it. You’re free to go now,’ she told him.

‘Great,’ Flynn muttered. He was stiff and sore from sitting in an interview room for hours. He hadn’t seen Summer since the motorway and the need to be with her gnawed at his gut. He stood up, eager to find his orchid girl. Despite the support brace, his leg wobbled like jelly and he almost missed his crutches.

He pulled his collar up as he exited the building, ignoring the reporters hanging around outside and hoping that they hadn’t seen him. Flynn stepped into the street and tried to hail a passing taxi. As soon as he did, a swarm of reporters thrust microphones and cameras in his face. ‘Are you the man who shot Robert Fielding? Would you care to make a statement, sir?’

One of them tried to shove a business card into Flynn’s face. Damn it. This was why Niall insisted on a low profile. Flynn refused to answer them. Just as he was about to curse his boss, a dark limousine pulled up and the rear door opened. ‘Get in and stop making a show of yourself.’

‘I hope you didn’t dress up for me,’ Flynn said as he climbed awkwardly into the back seat beside Niall, who was wearing a tailored suit instead of his usual jeans.

‘Fuck you,’ Niall said and punched him on the arm. ‘We got out of this one by the skin of our teeth – from zero to hero in an hour. I thought O’Sullivan would have my nuts for sure.’

‘Where is she?’

‘If you mean the principal, she’s installed in a penthouse in Claridge’s. The last time I saw her, she was surrounded by personal shoppers, and Teflon Tim was cracking open the champagne.’

Flynn shook his head, remembering his last encounter with Summer’s personal shopper. Was that only a month ago? Now she was back in her own world. The enormity of it hit him like a punch in the gut. The job was over. The bad guy was dead. There was no reason for them to be together any longer. But the memory of her kiss on the motorway made him ache with hunger.

‘She wants you delivered ASAP.’

‘What?’

Niall grinned. ‘You heard me. Ms O’Sullivan has requested your presence and you know it’s unforgivable to let a lady down.’

Summer glanced around the suite. Where had all these people come from? Sinead was deep in conversation with Flynn’s friend Andy. The phones were ringing off the hook with reporters looking for an exclusive. The police were still here and her dad was pouring champagne as if there was no tomorrow. The couch was littered with dozens of bags from her favourite stores, but none of them held a scrap of interest for her. She was still wearing the same
grubby clothes she had worn for the past few days and all she could think about was Flynn. She had to see him.

Niall promised that he would collect Flynn and bring him here, but she didn’t want to see him with all of these people here. Surely it couldn’t take this long to deal with the police? As if sensing her distress, Sinead abandoned her companion. ‘I just got a message from that arrogant ass, Niall Moore. He said to tell you that the package is on its way.’

‘Oh thank god. Sinead, can you, um …’

‘Get rid of them?’ Her cousin gave her a conspiratorial wink. ‘No problem.’ In her best impersonation of a schoolmistress, she clapped her hands loudly until she got their attention. ‘Can we take this downstairs please? Summer needs to rest. I’m sure you’ll appreciate that it’s been a very difficult week for her.’

Within minutes, the suite was hers again. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Flynn was on his way, and she looked like she’d been dragged through a hedge.

She washed quickly in the glass-walled shower and hurried back to the lounge. The shopper had thought of everything. Moisturizers, serums, lingerie. The Scot was in for a surprise seduction. She pulled on an aubergine-coloured corset, heavily embroidered and decorated with lace. Someone had helpfully provided a matching dressing gown and length of silk ribbon. Maybe she could use it on Flynn. Digging further into the pile, she located some hold-up stockings. Another bag contained a pair of skyscraper heels.

A month in the croft had given her some insight into his tastes.
Operation Flynn
was under way. She would make
him hers again and this time she wasn’t letting him go. Summer closed the curtains and switched on a bedside lamp before hurriedly shoving the bags out of sight. She had almost finished drying her hair when a knock on the door announced his arrival. Her stomach fluttered like a dozen butterflies as she opened the door.

The tall, blond man from the car park at York Minster leaned nonchalantly against the doorframe and beside him was Flynn. The delight in his eyes didn’t hide the pallor of his skin. Why hadn’t she noticed that earlier? Summer stepped back to allow them inside and winced when she saw Flynn limp to the nearest couch, where he sat down heavily.

She looked to Niall for an explanation.

‘He has a few scrapes from his last outing. Don’t be too rough with him.’

A dark cushion sailed across the room and bounced off the door. ‘Watch it. Even with one working leg, I could still beat the crap out of you.’

‘Temper, temper.’ Niall laughed. ‘If the lady decides she wants a real man, I’ll be downstairs in the bar. I’ll be back with your crutches later.’ He dropped a kiss on her cheek and closed the door behind him.

Summer turned nervously, unsure what to say to him. After the kiss on the motorway, she had foolishly thought that they would fall into each other’s arms and things would be exactly as they were at the croft. But there was a nervousness about Flynn, a reserve that hadn’t been there before.

She had dressed up like a femme fatale for him. Why didn’t he react? Flynn did care for her. He had to.

‘Nice place you’ve got,’ he said, glancing at the barrel-vaulted ceiling and sumptuous pale furnishings.

‘It was Dad’s idea.’ Summer shrugged as she crossed the room. ‘He wanted to celebrate and he’s organized dinner for later, to thank you.’

‘A farewell dinner?’ The edge to his voice made her uneasy. Flynn might be resigning himself to not being her bodyguard any more, but she was damned if she was giving up on them.

She had missed him so much. The awful time when she had been trapped in Robert’s car, thinking that she was going to die, had made her realize that Flynn was the only man for her. She had to break through his reserve tonight or she might never see him again. She couldn’t risk that.

If Flynn wouldn’t make the first move then she would. She had to convince him that they had a chance together, even if it meant stepping outside her comfort zone. She pressed on before she lost courage. ‘I had a lot of time to think about things while I was … while I was away,’ she said. ‘You know me better than anyone else. I’ve never felt so close to another person in my life. But you don’t know everything about me yet. So maybe we should keep exploring.’

‘Exploring?’

Summer perched on the edge of the couch, relieved when his glance strayed to the lace at the top of her stocking. ‘And I believe you have something that belongs to me.’

‘Oh? And what would that be?’

She took a deep breath. ‘You owe me a fantasy.’

‘Is that right?’

The hint of danger in Flynn’s tone made her swallow. ‘Tonight, I want to be in charge.’

His expression barely changed, but his eyes warmed. ‘In charge?’

‘Yes. You know, you do what I say, when I say it. That kind of in charge.’

The dancing amusement in his eyes was tinged with something else and Summer couldn’t decide whether it was anticipation or lust. ‘You really are …’

‘A kinky wee bitch?’ she mocked. ‘Oh, but you knew that already. You’ve always known.’

‘Summer, I have a brace on my leg that makes me look like RoboCop, and I doubt if I can make it as far as the fireplace without help. Niall wasn’t joking about the crutches.’

Disappointment mingled with relief. He did want her, but Flynn was afraid. This might not be the reunion she had longed for, but the only thing she was certain of was that she wanted Flynn now more than ever before.

A tingle of anticipation fluttered low in her belly.
You’re the notorious Summer O’Sullivan
, she told herself
. And it’s not as if he can run away from you.
She stood up and offered him her arm. ‘That’s okay. I can move for both of us.’

Flynn whistled when he saw the four-poster bed. If he wasn’t injured, she was willing to bet he would have found some creative uses for the wooden posts. Her nipples peaked with excitement.

Flynn sat on the edge of the bed. His hooded expression gave her little confidence. She brushed her mouth against his in a teasing kiss. ‘Haven’t you missed me? Even a little bit.’

‘My little bit missed you a lot,’ he admitted grudgingly. ‘But I warned you what would happen if you ran away
again. If I weren’t injured, you’d be in for a punishment spanking right about now.’

She nipped at his jaw, tiny biting kisses as she opened the buttons of his shirt one by one. Encouraged by his murmur of approval, she tugged it down his arms and dropped it to the floor.

‘Your turn to take something off,’ he ordered.

She let the silk dressing gown fall to the floor, relishing his hungry expression when he saw what she wore beneath. ‘Your turn.’ She gave a throaty laugh.

‘I think you’ll have to help me.’ Flynn unstrapped the brace on his leg, then lay back on the bed and opened his pants. Summer pulled them off and gasped when she saw his leg. He hadn’t been kidding about being injured. ‘Holy hell. What happened to you?’

‘Afghanistan. Somebody didn’t want me there.’

‘Does it hurt?’ she asked.

Flynn shrugged. ‘The only thing that hurts more than my leg right now is my cock. Now, come here and kiss me.’

Conscious of his injury, she straddled his hips, enjoying the feeling of his hard shaft rubbing against her clit. The kiss turned open mouthed, hungry. Her tongue duelled with his and he dragged one hand through her hair while the other gripped her hip, holding her in place as he raised his hips and ground against her. He reluctantly broke the kiss and ran his finger along her lace-covered breast, leaving a trail of goose bumps in his wake. ‘Much as I appreciate the thought, take the damned thing off.’

She scooted off the bed and wriggled out of the corset, watching Flynn’s eyes narrow when he glimpsed the hard pebbles of her nipples and the tiny triangle of silken thong.

His nostrils flared as if he was scenting her. ‘Leave on the stockings and the heels.’

‘Just whose fantasy is this?’

Summer cupped her breasts as if she was offering them to him. ‘Like them?’ she purred in her best imitation of a sex kitten. ‘If you’re a good boy, I might let you touch them later. Now place your hands behind your head.’

Flynn stretched his arms up as if he was yawning before folding them behind his head, the very picture of insouciant indolence.

Conscious of his eyes on her, Summer played with the lacy edge of the thong before shimmying out of it. Ignoring the heat in his eyes, she looped the thong around each of his wrists as he had once done with rope.