I’m skeptical. “Seriously? Just hang out. No sex? No expectations?”
“I sinceriously swear, no sex. Although if you want to throw that option on the table, I wouldn’t turn it down.”
“Sorry to bruise your ego but that won’t be happening. I guess I can stick around a bit longer. Thanks for being so nice about it.”
He winks at me and then walks back to the other end of the bar where more of his fan club is waving him down for another drink. From where I’m sitting, I would guess that the very red cocktails are cosmos but the girls drinking them are not a Carrie, Samantha, or Miranda, and very far from a Charlotte.
They are way too trashy for that. They give off a groupie vibe, which makes sense since Flynn is a musician. I don’t understand dressing that way. Don’t they have any self-respect? I like to have my fun but I don’t dress like a whore or throw myself at random guys just because they’re hot and can carry a tune.
It’s kind of comical. These girls are wasting their breath because all he has done in the short time I’ve been in here is brush them off. He’s been shameless with his flirting but anytime a girl comes in physical contact, he ignores it. Maybe he isn’t a typical guy after all.
Chapter 2
Ashtyn
We’re strolling through a nearby empty park. Leaves are dancing in the light breeze, and a creek is babbling gently nearby. It’s quiet and peaceful but it isn’t doing anything to help calm my nerves. Although we came out here to talk, we haven’t said a word. I open my mouth and immediately close it. My mouth is dry like I just spent all day rocking out at Warped Tour, leaving my tongue like a sheet of sandpaper.
I lick my lips hoping to produce some saliva and ask, “Are there any drinking fountains nearby?”
Flynn gets a shit-eating grin and points to a giant statue with fountains on all sides. “Over there.”
I take a giant gulp that I immediately spit right back out. Unfortunately, Flynn is standing within shooting range and gets a mouthful of the nasty liquid, which tastes like coppery rotten eggs. I’m not sure which one of us is more shocked but I can’t hold in the laughter. The pain in my side is almost unbearable. I almost don’t hear Flynn say, “You think that’s funny, do you?”
Not understanding his tone, I look up to a blazing green fire. I don’t know whether to be scared or seriously turned on. I turn to run but he grabs me and flips me around. My body shakes with fear and desire as Flynn rubs his hands up and down my arms. I don’t speak, too terrified of what I would say but even more terrified of ruining whatever is happening. I nervously gnaw on my bottom lip and he zones right in on it and licks his own.
Leaning forward, I run my hands through his silky hair. He lightly presses his lips to mine, stopping everything around us. Not satisfied with the featherlight kiss, I greedily run my tongue along his bottom lip and use my teeth to gently tug on his lip ring. A guttural groan escapes him, causing my entire body to tingle, right down to my toes. Suddenly I understand what all those girls are feeling in the romance novels I devour. This single kiss will ruin all future kisses for me.
Letting go of his piercing, I push my tongue against his mouth and he grants me access. The moment our tongues tangle, the air around us thickens and everything shifts. Flynn’s hands trail my body. Everywhere he touches, my body is on fire. My back hits cold stone, and I wrap my leg around his waist. Flynn lifts me and both legs hook around him. His hardness hits my sweet spot and I let out a husky moan, causing him to rock against me. My eyes roll back into my head and I throw it back, unable to control myself any longer.
A car alarm sounds somewhere, and it’s like a bucket of ice water, bringing me out of the haze. I pull back and push Flynn away at the same time, panting like a dehydrated puppy. Trying to pull it together, I lean down and take a sip of water, reminding me of how this all started in the first place. Flynn lets out a small chuckle behind me and when I turn around he’s trying his hardest to hold back further laughter. Unable to keep a straight face, I laugh right along with him.
We end up lying in the grass side by side, using up all the energy we have left with laughing. My curiosity gets the better of me and I ask, “Okay, so what’s the deal with the water?”
Thoughtfully he turns to me and replies, “It’s called Lithia water. At one time it was marketed as being like the fountain of youth. A lot of the hippies drink it but mostly kids just use it to prank each other.”
I’m not sure whether to be pissed off or just laugh so I go with the latter. Although I never want to taste that again, I’m not disappointed in the result of the prank.
He looks at me like he’s about to say something and then doesn’t. After a moment of silence he says, “Yeah, well, it’s time we get you home. It’s pretty late and I don’t want whoever is at home to be worrying about you.”
I don’t want to go back there, but at least at this point, Mom is most likely already in bed. It’s a good idea for me to head back.
As he helps me up from the grass, I honestly tell him, “This has been the weirdest night of my life but thank you, Flynn, for helping distract me for a few hours. I was in need of some major head clearing and you helped immensely. But you’re right, it’s time for me to face reality again.”
“Glad I could help.”
Grabbing a hold of my hand, he entwines our fingers together, and I hope he never lets go. I never thought I would be one of those girls obsessed with hand holding but here I am, and I can’t focus on anything other than where our skin is touching. My entire hand is exploding with tingles that travel all the way up my arm and throughout my body.
Somehow we’ve already made it to my front door. I guess I was telling the truth when I said he was a good distraction for the evening.
“Wow, I didn’t even realize we’d already walked here. When I walked to the bar, I felt like it took me hours to get there and just now it felt like we walked here in minutes.”
Flynn’s eyes flash toward the house and back to me. “This is where you live? Did you just move here or are you in town visiting?”
“It’s a very long story but I didn’t move here. Just here for a ‘family’ vacation.” I air quote family for an emphasis on the total lack of family involved with this vacation. “I’m very much a Cali girl, born and raised.”
Nodding his head he says, “Okay. Hey, give me your phone real quick.”
Reaching into my pocket and removing my earbuds, I hand it over. He types something into it and then hands it back to me.
“I added my number and also sent myself a text. Now we have each other’s phone numbers if you want to hang out again while on your ‘family’ vacation.”
Well, even if he doesn’t know why I hate my current situation, he now has an idea what it is. Suddenly, I grab Flynn and pull him to me. Aiming my phone the right way, I take a selfie with him.
“I have so many different contacts in here, it will just make it easier for me to have your picture along with your contact information.”
I don’t know why I lie out of my ass with Flynn but I do. I’ve never wasted my breath telling stories to guys before, but I never cared what they thought either. For some reason, I care what his opinion of me is and I’m not sure why. Now I have a very nice picture of the gorgeous guy in front of me. Even if I never see him again, I can look at his face and remember this night and the amazing kiss he gave me. I text the photo over to him too.
“I just sent the picture to you so you don’t confuse me with one of your many groupies.”
He looks at me fiercely and I don’t know what he’s thinking but it isn’t what he says. “I would never confuse you with them. Trust me.”
Then he pulls me into another earth-shattering kiss. I moan into his mouth and lose all focus on reality. Sadly, it ends way too soon and I’m suddenly cold without him wrapped around me. When I finally open my eyes, he’s staring right back at me.
“Goodnight, Ashtyn.”
“Night, Flynn.”
I
turn the knob on the door but it doesn’t budge. Shit! Mom locked the door and when I left earlier I was so pissed I didn’t stop to grab a key. I guess I forgot everything tonight. Maybe I can get in through the door that leads to the pool. I don’t remember if I opened the doors when we got here or not but if I did, maybe I didn’t lock them back up.
I start walking around the back when Flynn reaches out to grab my arm. Somehow I forgot he was still standing there with me.
Staring at me confused, he says, “Where are you going? Don’t you have a key?”
Trying to look the least amount of pathetic as possible I say, “No, apparently on top of forgetting my purse tonight, I also forgot to get a key. I thought maybe I could try the French doors off of my bedroom. Unless you have a better idea?”
“Nope. Lead the way. Maybe I can help you get back in.”
“Well, aren’t you just turning out to be quite the knight in shining armor? Am I your damsel in distress for the evening?” I laugh and place my hand against my forehead, pretending to be in distress.
He mumbles, “Nobody would refer to me as a knight in shining armor.”
“Okay, well, Mr. Knight, let’s go break into my bedroom.” That gets a little chuckle out of him.
Luckily, there aren’t any fences in our way so we get to the back of the house easily. I didn’t pay much attention to the pool before but it’s like something straight out of that old MTV show, Cribs. It has a waterfall coming down over the boulders and what appears to be a grotto built in.
Maybe I can spend the summer here, especially if Flynn is around. But no longer than that.
Flynn calls my name, pulling me out of my head. He’s standing next to the French doors, and he has one of them open. I fling myself right into his arms out of excitement. He stiffens slightly before wrapping his arms around me. Relaxing into his strong arms, I forget what’s going on around me for a minute as I become engulfed in his spicy, masculine scent.
“I can’t believe you got my door open. You are my hero! Thank you so much, Flynn. I would have had to sleep outside if it weren’t for you.”
“I wouldn’t have let you sleep outside. I would have just brought you back to my place for the night. Besides, I’m not a hero. You left the door unlocked, so I just opened it.”
My neck and face heat up at the mention of going back to his place, and I silently curse myself for leaving the door unlocked. If only I’d been smart and locked the door. I guess I’ll just have to imagine for now. That will make for some sweet dreams tonight.
“Either way, thank you again. You stayed to make sure I was able to get in. That was very hero-like in my book.”
Leaning over and kissing me on the cheek, he whispers in my ear, “I’m not the hero you think I am. Have a goodnight, Ashtyn.”
He turns and walks back toward the front of the house. I watch as he walks away, trying to figure out why he’s so adamant on making me think he isn’t a good guy. Most guys would have done everything they could to get in my bed. Flynn walking away was pretty gentlemanly.
Turning toward my bedroom, I head in and shut the door behind me. I plug my phone in and flop myself onto bed. I quickly fall asleep without even changing my clothes or getting underneath the covers.
Chapter 3
Flynn
I’ve never been much of a morning person. I usually only get four or five hours of sleep a night, so mornings are a bitch. I should be happy Conner wants to give me more responsibility at the pub, but this is not what I want to be doing for the rest of my life. As soon as the band takes off, I’m outta here.
But here I stand, at the ass crack of dawn, supervising the beer delivery so Conner can get his precious beauty sleep. I won’t be able to get any sleep after this so a run will be in order.
When they finish, one of the guys comes over for me to sign the paperwork. I don’t remember what his name is but he remembers mine.
“Hey, Flynn, I think we’re all set here. You look like shit this morning.”
I just chuckle because it’s true. “Thanks for pointing that one out, man.”
“Lady issues?”
“You could say that.”
Technically, I’m not lying. I just don’t need to tell him it’s not the kind he’s thinking. I don’t know this guy so I’m not going to explain which female is keeping me up every night. The same one that has always kept me up. My past has a way of forcing itself to the front of my mind when I lay down at night. But this guy doesn’t need to know that. If Ashtyn knew me, there’s no way she would want to have anything to do with me.
“I hear you, man. My wife is always riding my ass for this or that. I wouldn’t have it any other way, though. You know what they say, Can’t live with ’em¸ can’t live without ’em.”
I just nod my head. I honestly don’t have any idea what he’s talking about. I wish my problems were as simple as having a nagging woman. Luckily, I’ve got my music. I hope one day it can help others like it helps me.
Once the guys finish, I lock up and take off on my run while “Scars” by Papa Roach blares in my ears. I don’t even pay attention to where I’m going. I just go. I lose myself in the music and for the briefest time, I lose my demons right along with it. My feet pound the pavement with the beat, and I focus on my breathing.
I’m not a major workout junkie and I hate running. But like all of the hardest things in life, I find running has been the best therapy for me. I don’t have to sit in some chair while some person with way too many degrees psychoanalyzes me. I just take off and escape reality for a while. I’ve been running for so long now that I barely even recognize the hatred that I once had for it. The familiar burn in my muscles starts around the five-mile mark but unfortunately all good things must come to end, and I find myself right back where I started.
The worst part about going for a run is the moment you stop. The music shuts off and all the noise in my head starts up again like it never stopped. When I’m running, everything is pushed to the back of my mind, and I shut myself out of reality.
I crank the hot water all the way up on my shower and hop in. I rest my hands against the cold tiled wall and the water from the spray flows over my head and down my body. Worn out, I just stand there and let the water wash everything away.
With nothing to distract my mind, it starts wandering to Ashtyn and last night. I should stop things before they even start. She doesn’t even know who I am. I can’t get those rich Guinness-brown eyes out of my head or the feel of her body against mine. I sound like a girl but it felt right when she was in my arms. I won’t deny she’s hot, but I actually enjoyed hanging out with her too.
Remembering her laugh and the kiss in the park gets me all hot and bothered. I move one hand away from the wall and grab my already growing erection. Letting out a groan, I imagine it’s Ashtyn’s dainty hand as I start to take care of things. But then I turn the water to freezing cold instead. It doesn’t feel right jerking one off thinking about her when I’m flat out lying. She knows nothing about me and I shouldn’t be allowed to use her for my own fantasies.
I exit the shower tense and in worse shape than when I entered. So much for that. Now what the fuck am I going to do with my day? Jax and Hudson are still on their family trip, so no band practice. I guess another day staring at the wall it is, until it’s time for work.
Chapter 4
Ashtyn
Rolling over, I grab my phone and there’s a text waiting from Mom.
Mom: Ashtyn, I’m sorry for springing this trip on you. I had to go down to the studio site to make sure all of the remodeling is going smoothly. We still have a lot to talk about. I’m going to bring some dinner home with me and I hope we can have a conversation like adults. I love you. Mom.
Even though I don’t want to talk, she’s right. We need to talk things through and I need to tell her how pissed off I am. With a heavy sigh, I text her back so she at least knows that I got her text.
Ashtyn: I’m still pissed Mom but okay
we can talk. I’m just going to hang out by the pool today.
I don’t expect a reply back because I know she’s working. Opening up my pictures, I look at the one of Flynn and me from last night. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think that we were a cute couple in love. When I took it, Flynn was looking at me and not the camera. I melt a little inside and I can already feel the attachment growing. Tossing my phone onto my pillow, I let out a loud groan and then hear my phone ding.
Mom: I hope we can work this all out. I love you and just want the best for you. Mr. Wilson had his son stock up the fridge and pantry before we got here so there’s plenty of food if you get hungry. I love you and will see you later tonight. Text me if you have any special requests for dinner. If not I’ll just pick something up on the way.
Ashtyn: Okay Mom. TTYL. Love you too.
Hmm, that’s interesting information. Mr. Wilson has a son and he lives here? Is he hot or somebody I could hang out with? He’s probably an entitled spoiled brat like most other rich kids. Thinks he’s God’s gift and all that. It gets annoying after a while.
Doesn’t matter because I have my sights set on Flynn. I might as well have some fun while I’m here. I push myself out of bed in search of my swimsuit. After quickly changing, I head into the kitchen for a quick snack before going out to pool. Before I can talk myself out of it, I send a quick text to Flynn.
I stand there staring daggers at my phone for five minutes waiting for a reply but when one doesn’t come, I let out a loud huff and head out to the lounge chairs. He could totally be busy right now or still sleeping. I don’t know what else he does besides being a bartender so who knows what he could be doing. He wouldn’t be ignoring me.
Finding Flynn Page 2
