by Hailey North
She nodded. “I intended to be out of your way before you returned from your meeting. I apologize for continuing to inconvenience you.”
They were walking toward the hotel. Traffic was fairly heavy on the street. Flynn figured if he rang her neck for acting in her stubbornly independent fashion, some passerby was bound to notice. “Ever think I might enjoy your company?”
“Oh,” Sami said. “We do seem to travel fairly well together. But I know my presence, not to mention that of Shelby, Rusty and Ruby, cramp your style. I would guess that last night was the first time in ages you went to bed before eleven.”
Flynn glared at her. She might as well have added “and alone.” “Never mind,” he said. “I have some great news for you.”
“You do?”
“Yep. Idea came to me last night.” He paused as they reached the hotel entrance. “Let’s go up to the suite. I’ll tell you there.” Flynn wasn’t sure why, but all of a sudden it occurred to him that Sami might not appreciate what he’d arranged for her and the dogs.
Sami walked into the lobby and halted. “We could sit down here,” she said. “The maid might still be cleaning.”
Maybe it was better in public. Flynn headed them toward a couple of chairs off to the side just as a white-haired lady walking a white standard poodle crossed in front of them. Ruby leapt toward the poodle. Flynn pulled the Corgi up a few inches short of the poodle’s back leg ruff.
“I’ll thank you to maintain control over your animal,” the woman said in a frosty voice. “I don’t appreciate other dogs agitating Edgard.”
“Sorry,” Flynn said, backing away dragging the Corgi.
“Upstairs,” Sami said. “Ruby hasn’t adjusted to the stimulation of travel yet. It will be better to get her out of the lobby.”
They headed to the elevator. Flynn noticed the other occupant, a man in a suit, glancing at Sami. He smiled at her as he stepped off the floor below their suite. The woman could have a string of men hounding her. Flynn couldn’t believe how oblivious Sami appeared to be to her appeal.
Or did she know and didn’t care? Flynn frowned, pondering that question. She didn’t want to be wanted for her sexy, beautiful body. But what was wrong with that as a starting point for a dialogue? Not that he was one to bother with words after a conquest had been completed.
“If you keep frowning, you will find yourself forced to resort to Botox treatments,” Sami said.
“Sorry.” Flynn realized the elevator doors had opened on their floor. He waited for Sami to step out first and followed with Ruby in tow. “Thinking.”
“I see,” Sami said and headed down the hall.
She walked with such a lovely swing to her hips. More of a gentle sway. Even in those boring capris her body screamed out “made for seduction.” Flynn gritted his teeth. The sooner he helped her find the kind of man she was longing for, the sooner he’d be forced to remove himself from the tempting vision of Sami Pepper.
Back in the suite, Flynn waited till Sami had removed the leashes and given each dog one of the biscuits he’d included in the morning tray. Sami fanned her face and disappeared into her bedroom, returning wearing a sleeveless tank and a ribbon holding back her hair.
“That top suits you,” Flynn said. “Much better than that stuffy blue blouse.”
“Thank you for the fashion advice,” Sami said. “I simply happen to be hot from the walk.”
“You are hot,” Flynn said. “100% hot.”
Sami made a sound in her throat that Flynn interpreted as an objection to his observation. He lifted a hand. “No, I am not hitting on you. Simply stating a fact.” He dropped onto the loveseat and patted the space. “Sit?”
“Woof,” Sami said, but she smiled and joined him. “What is it you’re dying to tell me?”
“Found you a place for the summer. You and the dogs.”
“Excuse me?” She sounded haughty, which surprised him.
“Thought about it last night,” Flynn said. “I’m a personal manager. I make a lot of money solving people’s problems, handling business and finances. Not to brag, but I have numerous clients who make fortunes. Many of them have more houses than they can keep track of. So I set my Nashville assistant to work to locate someone who is on tour or simply living in another one of their big-ass houses.”
“But I didn’t ask you to assist me in my housing search.”
Flynn stared at Sami. “Am I getting that you’re upset because I helped or because I didn’t ask your permission?”
“That is a compound question.”
“Compound. Confound. Right now that’s what you’re doing to me.” Flynn jumped up and paced across to where the dogs had sprawled on the carpet. “Finding a place on short notice that is both affordable and dog-friendly is not going to be easy.”
Sami shifted on the loveseat. “Thank you, Flynn, for your help. But I simply could not accept such an offer, even if you were able to find a place. I’ve a call in to a professor I used to house sit for. I’m optimistic.”
“But I did find a place. In Belle Meade. It’s an estate with a separate guest house. Fenced, of course. The live-in caretakers have their own suite in the main house. You can move in today.”
“I couldn’t possibly afford a gated estate in Belle Meade. That’s celebrity territory.”
“If it’s money you’re concerned about, nothing to worry over. They offered it to me for free.”
Sami stared at Flynn. She honestly didn’t know if she was more infuriated or astonished at Flynn’s taking over her hunt for summer housing. “They offered it to you,” she said. “Not to some unknown woman.”
“Oh, I said it was for a friend of mine.”
“No doubt they figured it was for a girlfriend.”
Flynn laughed and sat back down on the loveseat. “Anyone who knows me knows better than that.” He stretched a hand towards her. “I’m the king of the one-night stand.”
Sami’s phone rang. She snatched it and answered.
“If it isn’t my brightest student,” her old professor said, his voice booming so loud Sami winced. “How’s life treating you, Dr. Pepper?”
“Lovely,” Sami said. “In addition to teaching a summer course I’m focusing on my review of AI literature.”
“Sounds good professionally,” he said. “How’s your personal life?”
“Lovely,” Sami said.
“I hope you’ve learned the importance of contentment and life balance,” he said.
Sami was surprised by his comment. Professor Golding had lived, breathed, and slept philosophy. “Of course,” she said. “All work and no play, you know.”
Flynn made a face at her.
She stuck her tongue out at him.
He smiled and did the same.
“I’ve undergone a profound change in my outlook on life,” her professor said. “As a matter of fact, I’m on my honeymoon.”
Sami almost dropped her phone. Then she realized he must be out of town. His house would be empty. “That’s wonderful. Where are you and your bride spending your honeymoon?”
“David and I are in Italy. From here we’re heading to Thailand.”
“Oh,” Sami said. “You must be planning an extended time away. Do you need someone to check on your house?”
“Always thoughtful,” Dr. Golding said. “I’ve leased it for the year we’ll be traveling. Sorry we won’t connect in person this summer. Remember to enjoy life.”
“Sure,” Sami said and put her phone down.
Flynn was looking at her the same way the dogs did when they thought they were about to get a long walk along the levee or a game of Frisbee.
“Ready to check out your new digs?”
“The professor wasn’t my last resort,” Sami said.
“Don’t be stubborn,” Flynn said, in a nice way.
“Why do you want to help me?” Sami looked him straight in the eye. He couldn’t be trying to win her affection. He couldn’t make it plainer he was a playboy,
the very opposite of the man she sought to fulfill her quest for True Love.
“Damned if I know,” Flynn said.
“That’s not a good enough answer,” Sami said.
“Right, Professor.” He ran a hand over his hair. “Think about this, Sami. You knew my brother. I don’t like to talk about Sean. It’s too damn painful. But if you hadn’t freaked him out on your second date running on about physics and formulas and God-only-knows what scientific facts, you might have ended up my sister-in-law.”
“I did not freak him out!” Sami glared at Flynn. “I merely did what I always do, which is prepare myself for an intellectually stimulating discussion of my date’s interests.”
“Scared him off.” Flynn sighed. “Okay, Sami “Sweet Stuff” Pepper, here’s my real reason for helping you find a place.”
“This better be good.” Sami crossed her arms over her chest.
“I lost our wager. So I’m making it my business to help you find your True Love.” He looked embarrassed. “Get you settled in. I’ll know where to find you when I’m back in town. I can check on your progress.”
Sami stared at Flynn. She couldn’t have been more surprised unless he’d gotten down on one knee and proposed. “You do not have to do a thing. It was a silly wager and yes, you lost, but it’s over.”
“Believe me,” Flynn said, “I’m just the guy to help you learn how to hook a man and how to unlearn your bad habits.”
“What bad habits?”
“Freaking out your dates with your onslaught of information instead of just relaxing and being your lovable self.”
“I haven’t freaked you out, have I?” Sami rose and planted her hands on her hips. She felt a need to win this point.
Flynn stood up, tipped her chin up and smiled into her eyes. Her tummy flip-flopped in a surprisingly agreeable way. “Not in the same way you affect the guys you date,” he said. He touched her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. “But yes, more than I care to admit.”
Sami leaned toward him. “Oh,” she said, drawing out a long, breathy sigh. She liked the way his touch felt.
Flynn dropped his hand and practically jumped back from her. “Okay, so that’s settled.” He glanced around the room. “Let’s get your bags together. I’ll call the valet for your car.”
Sami stepped away, feeling foolish. Her mind told her Flynn was helping her out of some need to work out his grief about losing his brother. Not exactly logical, but coping with grief and death didn’t have to satisfy analytical algorithms. Her body, however, assured her Flynn the man wanted something more from her, something her traitorous senses seemed only too ready to give up to him.
Surely he’d be heading back to L.A. soon. But as long as he was around her, she’d have to make sure it was her mind in charge of her behavior. “I haven’t said ‘yes’ yet,” she said.
“When does your class start?” Flynn was petting Shelby. The traitorous pup rolled onto her back, waved her feet in the air and wagged her tail against the carpet. Flynn stroked her tummy.
“Mid-June.” Sami said. “I have everything prepared.” She sighed. “As upset as Nathalie and Emile make me at times, I’m glad I have some time to spend with them before the session begins. They seemed hurt that I didn’t visit them at Christmas.” Sami pulled the ribbon from her hair and combed through it with her fingers, something she did when thinking hard about a topic. “Nathalie was harsher than usual, but Emile’s illness must be really hard on her. We don’t have a typical family dynamic, but I do care about them. ”
Flynn stroked Shelby’s ears. “I understand.”
Sami watched him with Shelby, his strong, slender fingers moving over the Lab’s head, sending Shelby into blissful doggie pleasure. She rolled the ribbon and stuck it in the pocket of her capris. “I believe you do,” she said. “I will accept your generous offer of a place to stay, though if I find an affordable option elsewhere, I’ll let you know my departure date.”
Flynn grinned and rose from the floor. “Wait till you see this place, and then we’ll see if you plan to rough it elsewhere.”
“I am not a freeloader,” Sami said. “I always pay my own way.”
“Yes, yes,” Flynn said. “Go pack. I’ve got a busy day.”
“Oh, of course. I apologize for creating an impediment to your schedule.”
Flynn moved toward her, placed a hand over her mouth, and with the other pushed her fanny in the direction of her bedroom. “Enough words.”
CHAPTER TEN
The elegant estates that dominated so much of the rolling, wooded hills of Belle Meade belonged to a world of their own. Once during college, Sami had accompanied Nathalie to a fundraising event for The Frist, a cause Nathalie supported not so much out of a love of art but of a desire to be seen supporting what she deemed a proper civic cause. As she drove her small Honda along the manicured roads, Sami glanced over at Flynn. “I remain skeptical about your plan for my residence in this neighborhood.”
“Next driveway,” Flynn said. “About a mile up.”
Sami rounded the curve. “That comment illustrates why I am hesitant.”
“You mean you feel like the hired help?”
She nodded. “Perhaps I wouldn’t choose precisely those words, but yes, I do sense that I am out of my element.”
“Good to get kicked out of the old comfort zone once in a while.” Flynn grinned at her. “A few years back, my buddy Cameron did nothing but those rock ‘em sock ‘em action flicks.”
Sami wrinkled her nose. “I went to one on a date and I must say I prefer his more recent films.”
“Had to trick him to force him out of his comfort zone,” Flynn said. “I signed him kicking and screaming to do Mister Benjamin.”
“I loved that movie,” Sami said, slowing to watch for her turn.
“Yeah, well, the s.o.b was afraid he’d fail. It was easier to stick to the formula flicks.”
“Didn’t he meet Jonni when he was filming that movie in New Orleans?”
Flynn scowled. “Yeah.”
“Aren’t you happy for them?” Sami was surprised at the scowl.
“This driveway,” Flynn said. “Don’t get me wrong. Those two are made for each other. It’s just that I never thought he’d fall and fall that hard.”
“They are perfectly romantic,” Sami said, halting at an imposing wrought iron gate that guarded the drive. “But I can understand that you miss the guy friend that Cameron Scott was before he met his wife. I have learned that after each of my three best friends married, our relationships changed in a number of ways. For you, it must be difficult to have to carouse without your side kick.”
“I manage,” Flynn said, and winked. “Here’s the code for the gate. You enter it on that covered keypad.”
Sami followed the instructions and the double gates swung inward. Ruby barked at the movement, but the gates made no sound.
The drive curved, and once around the first bend, Sami spotted a three-storied brick mansion with imposing columns gracing the broad front porch. She followed the drive around the circular sweep to the back of the house, stopping in front of a five-car garage topped by an upstairs living space. A pool glittered in the distance.
“The guest quarters are above the garage,” Flynn said. “There’s a pool house, too. The caretakers live in the main house.”
“I hope they don’t mind dogs,” Sami said. “Or I will have no choice but to leave.”
“Relax,” Flynn said. “You just got here.”
“I do wonder if anyone has ever mentioned to you the degree of bossiness you exhibit.”
“Nah,” Flynn said. “Let’s put all the windows down, leave the dogs for a few minutes and go meet the caretakers.”
Sami lowered the windows. Then she paused. “Are you telling me you have never met these people?”
He shrugged. “My people know their people’s people’s people. And they play in a band I’ve heard once or twice. No worries.”
“Academia d
oes not operate in such a casual fashion,” Sami said, realizing she sounded a bit too prim and proper for someone fairly desperate for a place to stay. “But perhaps I can learn from this experience.”
“That’s the spirit,” Flynn said. “Shake yourself out of that comfort zone.”
A silver-haired man with a trim goatee strolled toward the car. He waved.
“Show time,” Flynn said and got out of the car.
Sami joined him and they walked toward the man. Ruby set up a vocal protest at being left behind and the other two dogs joined in. Sami grimaced and walked more quickly toward her host.
“You must be Sami,” the man said, extending his hand.
Sami smiled at him somewhat nervously, and shook hands.
“Flynn Lawrence,” Flynn said.
“William,” the man said. He tipped his chin toward a younger man walking up beside him. “And this is Kyle. Welcome to Stone Lake. We’ll show you around and help you two get settled.”
“Thanks,” Flynn said. “But it’s Sami and her dogs who are staying. I’ve got to get back to L.A. Though I hope it’s good if I drop by when I’m back in town.”
“Absolutely,” William said. “Any friend of our employer is welcome anytime.”
Sami figured it was rude to ask who owned the palatial estate. Stars needed their privacy and Flynn probably would have told her if it was the acceptable practice to reveal such information. Still, she admitted to curiosity. And she needed to confront her biases. She’d assumed a caretaker couple would be a male and a female. Funny how those old stereotypes came so readily to mind, even for someone who considered herself a seeker of truth and meaning.
“Thank you so much,” Sami said. “Can you meet the dogs first? I hate to leave them in the car longer than necessary.”
The four of them strolled toward the car. The dogs raced around exploring as Sami followed the men up the stairs to the apartment over the garage.
“Wow,” Sami said as she gazed around the spacious open living room and to what looked like a gourmet kitchen beyond. “Apartment hardly describes this lovely interior.”
Kyle laughed. “That’s very gracious of you. We’ll be putting in a real guest house farther back on the property, but for now we have to make do with this space.”
