by Kait Nolan
“Child, you only live once. If you want more cake, you can have more cake. Besides, Mrs. Lowrey won the state fair with this recipe five years running. It’s worth two pieces.”
Flynn watched as the two of them moved off toward the cake table, arms linked, dark heads bent toward one another. Something warm moved through his chest, seeing how easy they were together. Pru really was going to make a great mother.
By the time he made his way to the cake himself, another girl had bounded up. She gestured wildly with her hands, then the two girls turned pleading eyes on Pru, hands clasped in total adolescent supplication.
“Here now, what’s going on?” he asked.
The second girl’s eyes went wide at his accent. “You are not from around here.”
“Indeed, I’m not.” He grinned. “Is this begging for more cake? For I’ve not yet had my share.”
“Your cake is safe,” Pru assured him. “Kacy just invited Ari to go on a trip down to Nashville with her and her family. Tomorrow.”
“I know it means me missing out on the cleanup after the wedding. But I swear I’ll make it up with the rest of my chores around the inn. Please, Pru?”
“We’d only be gone a couple of days,” Kacy added. “And I can help clean up when we get back.”
Pru’s face softened. “I want to have a word with Kacy’s mom first to clear up some things, but you can go. You’ve worked quite hard enough the last few months to earn some time off.”
Both girls whooped and practically knocked Pru over with their enthusiastic hugs. Then they were off again, racing, Flynn imagined, to tell Kacy’s mom the good news.
He leaned in to get himself a slice of cake. “Seems the Universe had a backup plan after all.”
Chapter Four
“DO YOU HAVE ALL your stuff?” Maggie asked Athena.
“I’m the one who’s been standing down here with a fully-packed suitcase for half an hour.” Athena eyed the stack of Maggie’s luggage. “You never could travel light.”
“Some of us had non-wedding related work to do while we were here.”
And some of us have work to do after you go. But Pru didn’t share that particular thought.
The house couldn’t empty fast enough.
After she’d cooked what felt like the world’s largest breakfast—enough pancakes and sausage to feed the literal army under her roof—the first wave of her former foster siblings headed out. Right on their heels, Kacy and her parents had picked Ari up. Those who remained had helped with clean-up in the barn. The tables and chairs were folded and stacked, waiting for pick up by the rental company on Monday, and the other detritus from the reception had been swept up or cleared away. Mostly. The lights would take longer to pull down, but later. It could all wait for later. Pru just needed them all gone so she could have a minute or five to breathe. And maybe have a nap, since she didn’t sleep a wink last night.
“Y’all should get on,” she urged. “There’s construction on I-40. You don’t want to miss your flight.”
“In a hurry to get rid of us, sis?” Athena’s lips curved in the sort of loose, relaxed grin that only came from being thoroughly sated. Not that Pru would know anything about that since she hadn’t been.
“Honestly, I want an afternoon of quiet where nobody wants anything from me. I’ve been going ninety miles an hour since we started the inn, and throwing Kennedy’s wedding into the mix, on top of maintaining my own business, has meant no breaks for me.” She came off harsher than she’d intended.
Maggie frowned. “The burden of the everyday running of things has absolutely fallen on you. That was never our intention. Maybe we should revisit the idea of hiring you some help.”
“We can’t afford it yet.” It would be into the fall before they were truly in the black. “And it’s fine. I’m just crabby and tired right now. Now that the wedding is over, things will slow down. Ari and I can manage fine, while Kennedy’s away.”
“What about Flynn?” Athena asked. “Is he sticking around now that Kennedy’s off on her honeymoon?”
“He’s here for a couple more days, while he lines up some new gigs. I expect he’ll be gone by midweek, when the next reservations are booked.” Pru refused to analyze the pang she felt at that.
“Where’s he gotten off to?” Maggie looked around, as if just realizing Flynn had disappeared. “I haven’t seen him since we finished with the barn.”
“If he has any sense, he probably hid so we couldn’t put him to more work. Now come on, you need to go, and I need to get started turning every room in the place. The laundry alone is going to take hours.”
“Seriously, Pru, we can at least spring for some help while Kennedy’s gone,” Maggie insisted.
“If I need someone, I’m sure I can find someone. Now, I love you both, and I’m kicking you out.” To solve the matter, Pru hugged each sister in turn and opened the door.
“We’re going. We’re going. Go have a nap,” Athena suggested. “You’ll feel better.”
“I’ll do that. Text me when you get back tonight.”
They promised they would. Pru stood on the porch until they got the rental car loaded up and waved when they pulled out of the drive. As their taillights disappeared down the street, she shut the door, leaned back against it, and closed her eyes.
“Are they gone, then?” Flynn’s voice came from the general direction of the stairs.
Pru exhaled a long breath. “They are. Thank you, baby Jesus.”
She should really get started on those rooms, strip the beds, gather the towels… Even the thought of the remaining work made her want to curl up into a ball. But, of course, she shoved away from the door and started for the stairs.
Her phone vibrated with a text. Pru pulled it out to find a picture of Ari and Kacy strapped into…was that some kind of space shuttle simulator? The two of them were grinning and mugging for the camera.
Flynn peered over her shoulder. “Looks like she’s having a good time.”
“They’re at the Discovery Center, I think. It’s a science museum in Nashville.” Pru blinked back sudden tears.
“Here now, what’s wrong?” Flynn’s arm came around her shoulders.
“I’m sorry. It’s just, this is the first time she’s asked to do anything away from us overnight since Mom died.”
“I’m sure it doesn’t mean she loves you any less.”
“No, no. These are happy tears. It means she’s feeling comfortable and safe. This is huge.”
“You did that,” he told her. “You and your sisters.”
She turned into him, wrapping her arms around his waist and burrowing in because she needed to share this with someone. “That little girl means everything to me.” Beyond being the last link to her mother, Ari was simply a joy.
“You’re doing an amazing job with her.” He ran a hand down her hair. “You’re doing an amazing job with everything. Is there anything else you need to do right now?”
“I can think of at least a dozen things I should be doing.”
“Things are all sorted with the wedding clean up. Give yourself some time.”
Her heart began to pound as she realized that the house was, at last, empty and likely to stay that way for more than twenty-four hours. Nerves tumbled over themselves in her belly. It was one thing to proposition a man under the influence of alcohol and temper. But it was broad day and she was stone cold sober.
If Flynn noticed her nerves, he gave no indication. “Come on. I want to show you something.” Tucking her hand in his, he led her up the stairs to his room on the third floor.
“Now that the inn has cleared out, we can move you to one of the bigger rooms.”
“This one’s fine.” He opened the door and Pru went speechless.
There were candles—dozens of them—flickering from every corner. He’d rounded up some of the flowers from the wedding and scattered those around the room as well. Little pops of color and scent. She recognized the iPhone dock from the kitc
hen sitting on the dresser.
“Well,” she managed. “Someone’s been busy.”
“I got into your stash of candles in the treatment room. I hope you don’t mind. I wanted to set the stage.”
Last night she’d thought to have some fun, get a quick release, and do something entirely out of character. But this was something else. Something more. And that was terrifying.
Flynn lifted her hands, kissed them. “I wanted you from the first moment I saw you.”
Pru winced. “When I was hurtling down at you?”
His lips curved. “When I saw you up there on that ladder. Heard you singing.”
“I don’t have your voice.”
“You’ve a perfectly charming voice. And a magnificent ass.”
That surprised a laugh out of her. But nerves still tap danced in her blood. Because it seemed she could say anything to him, she gave them voice. “Flynn, I—It’s been a very long time for me. And I’ve never been with anyone like you.”
“Like me?”
“Someone who’d trouble with the trappings of romance. Who’d even think to set the stage for anything.” Her previous lovers—and they’d been few—hadn’t been quite so bad as wham, bam, roll over for sleep. But they’d been ordinary. Nothing about Flynn was ordinary.
“Then you’ve been with the wrong men.” He turned her hands palm up and kissed the center, keeping those wild blue eyes on hers. “You’re worth the effort and the time.” He pressed his lips to the other palm. “And you deserve to be thoroughly seduced.”
Moved, aroused, she could only stare at him. She’d wanted to do something for herself, to be selfish for once. What he offered was the most decadent indulgence she could imagine. And—for today, at least—there was no reason to stop. More, she didn’t want to stop.
“Ari won’t be back until dinner tomorrow, and there are no new reservations until midweek. We have the house entirely to ourselves.”
He smiled. “Then let’s make the most of it.”
~*~
Because he could see the nerves so near the surface, Flynn left her only long enough to turn on some music. To please himself and in hopes of relaxing her, he pulled Pru into a dance, circling her slowly as Erin Boheme crooned from the speakers. He liked how she fit with him, liked, too, how she ultimately relaxed into his lead. There was a trust in that. But this went so far beyond a dance. That she’d trusted him enough to ask for this, when asking was so very hard for her, humbled him. He intended to prove himself worthy.
Breathing in her scent, he pressed a soft kiss to her brow, lingering until he felt the tension there drain. Unhurried, he moved to her temple and down her cheek, repeating the simple brush of his lips, waiting for those tiny surrenders. Her head fell back on a sigh, exposing her throat so he could continue his gentle path downward. He murmured approval, encouragement, defaulting to Irish.
Sliding her hands beneath his t-shirt and up his back, Pru laughed a little. “I swear, you could read a grocery list in Gaelic and it would sound sexy.”
Flynn smiled against her throat. “It’s a language for flattery and curses.”
He nudged the strap of her tank top down and found an intriguing hint of lace. “Let me see you, ceann álainn.”
She lifted the shirt off herself, letting it drop to the floor. Flynn drank her in, the sight of that smooth, olive skin against the black satin and lace of her bra.
“Were you wearing that earlier, while we were cleaning the barn?”
“I certainly haven’t had a chance to change.”
“Saints be praised.” He traced the edge first with his finger, then gave in to temptation and followed with his tongue. Her shuddering breath lit all kinds of fire in his blood. He repeated the motion until her nipple tightened to a peak beneath the satin and took it into his mouth.
Pru’s hands speared into his hair, holding him to her breast. He lingered there, suckling her through the fabric, as he busied his hands unhooking her shorts. He wanted to know if the underwear matched. Switching to the other breast, he drew the zipper down and eased them over her hips. Then he cursed reverently. The matching boy shorts were almost entirely lace, giving tantalizing hints of what lay beneath.
“If I’d known you were running around in something like this—Jaysus, woman. We’d have ended up naked in the hay loft.”
“We wouldn’t have been the first. Full disclosure—”
“Oh, we’re getting there, to be sure.”
Her throaty laugh underscored the music. “These aren’t the norm. I wore them for you.”
“Sure, and I have every intention of showing you how much I appreciate it.”
He tugged his shirt off and moved in, grasping her by the hips and slanting his mouth over hers. Pru rose to him, wrapping around him and opening her mouth to his. Flynn’s control slipped a notch at the taste of her. They pivoted, backing toward the high, four-poster bed. As lovely as the wrapping, he wanted what was underneath. With one hand, he flicked open the clasp at her back and drew the lace away. Her breasts were heavy in his palms, the nipples pearling beneath his touch. She moaned, reaching between them for the fly of his jeans. She had the zipper down almost before he could take another breath.
Flynn grabbed her wrist before she could snake her hand inside his boxers. “Wait.”
In response, she twisted in his grip to bring their hands between them, urging him inside her panties.
“Does that feel like I want to wait?”
He cupped her, drawing a finger through her wetness, until she dropped her head back on a curse that had his erection straining.
“God, it feels so good to be touched.”
“We’re only just getting started, love.” Flynn brought her mouth back to his, as she began to move against his palm. It only took him moments to match her rhythm, adding a pressure that made her whimper. As tension began to coil through her again, he urged her higher, sliding in one finger, then two. “That’s it, darlin’, take your pleasure.”
When she shattered on a scream, it was one of the most beautiful sounds he’d ever heard.
Pru clung to him, trembling. He kissed her gently, easing her back down from the crest, as he tipped her back onto the bed. She watched him from hooded eyes, while he shucked the rest of this clothes and climbed in after her. He moved up her body with long, lazy strokes of his hands, his tongue.
“Flynn?” Her voice held a little gasp as he nibbled at the sensitive flesh of her inner thigh.
“What?”
“That feels amazing.”
He smiled against her skin. “Good.”
“But if you don’t hurry up and get inside me, I may have to kill you.”
Flynn rested his chin on her hip and stared up the length of her body. “Is that the way of it then?”
“That is definitely the way of it.”
“Well, then, as I value my life…” He leaned over to grab a condom from the bedside table, hurriedly protecting them both before settling in the cradle of her thighs. He searched her face. “All right?”
She reared up, hooking an arm around his shoulders and pressing her mouth to his. “Yes. Hurry.”
Planting his arms on either side of her shoulders, he began the careful slide into her, watching those gorgeous eyes blur as he filled her. Her hands clamped on his shoulders and her legs tightened, her heels digging into his ass and pulling him flush with her body. She was tight and wet and so damned hot, he thought he’d lose his mind as he held still, giving her a chance to adjust.
She wriggled her hips, and he slid a little deeper. “Oh God, more. I need more.”
Taking her mouth, he began to move, listening to her whimpers and moans, learning to play her body like a new instrument. And what an instrument. She matched his rhythm, shifting the angle of her hips to take him deeper, and he felt his control begin to fray.
She opened her eyes, cheeks and lips flushed with pleasure, and he thought she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. He said as
much, the words tumbling out in Irish, as he continued to move, to send her higher. She reached up, framing his face in her hands, and said his name. Just his name. And he felt something beyond arousal, beyond pleasure. A sense of homecoming he hadn’t anticipated. It pulled at him, stealing his breath. Then she shattered, and the pulse of her release shot him over the edge, scattering his thoughts.
Flynn came back to himself listening to gradual slowing of Pru’s breath. There was a comfort to the sound and to the feel of her in his arms. A peace he’d never felt with another lover. It was new and tantalizing, a drug he knew he’d be craving again, before he he’d even forgotten the taste of her.
“I think I have to have this bed bronzed or something, so I can remember this moment after you leave.” She sounded happy and sated, exactly as he’d planned.
Flynn drew lazy patterns on her shoulders. “I want to keep my existing reservation.” The words popped out before he could think better of them, but he didn’t want to pull them back.
Pru went very still before propping herself up to meet his eyes. “That’s two more weeks.”
Two more weeks, while Kennedy and Xander would be abroad. Two more weeks he could romance her as she deserved. “You said this was the last chance you had to take something for yourself. Why should you stop with one day?”
“Why would you do that?”
Flynn pulled her close again, brushed his lips over hers. “Because once would never be enough.”
She hummed and stretched against him like a cat. “But what will you do? I mean, you have to work, don’t you?”
“I will work. When I’m not actively performing, I write my own music. It’s been some time since I’ve slowed down long enough for that. And, music aside, I’d like to help you with the inn.”
Somewhere across the world, his sainted mother had just stopped to cross herself. But Flynn knew from long experience what it took to run such a place, and her doing it on her own, even with Ari’s help, was a lot.
“Help with the inn?” She sounded utterly baffled by the suggestion.
“It’s something I know a bit about.”
