Which set Flynn to more worrying. That look Adam had given her showed how much his boy already felt comfortable with Ally. Though, to be fair, he was comfortable with just about everybody. But was this a good idea, having Ally drop by for lunch and a drive around the island? His boy didn’t need to lose anyone else in his life. It was only recently that he’d got past that debilitating grief after Anna’s death. He must not get close to Ally. He could not.
‘Flynn, you’ve caught the sleeping-on-your-feet bug.’ Ally had crossed to his side and was nudging him none too gently in the ribs with her elbow. ‘You with us?’
He relaxed. Let the sudden fire in his belly rule his head. ‘You bet. Do you want to come back for dinner tonight?’ Afterwards we could have some more of that bedroom exercise.
‘Did you have anything else in mind for the evening? There’s a wicked glint in your baby blues.’
‘Dessert maybe.’
‘With whipped cream?’ Her tongue slid across her lips and sent heat to every corner of his body.
So this was what it was like to wake up after a long hibernation. Not slowly, but full-on wide-awake and ready to go. Making love with this woman had been like a promise come true. Exciting and beautiful. He wanted to do it again and again. Making love as against having sex? Now, there’s something to think about.
‘Can I have ice cream, too?’ Adam asked, bringing them back to earth with a thud.
‘We can get cones when we’re out this afternoon.’ How many hours before Adam was tucked up in bed fast asleep? How long until he could kiss Ally until she melted against him?
‘Flynn,’ she mock growled. ‘We have plans for this afternoon. Let’s get them under way, starting with lunch. My shout at a café or wherever you recommend near this penguin colony. The busier we are, the quicker the day will go by.’
‘Can’t argue with that.’ She was so right he had to drop a kiss on her cheek as a reward. It would’ve been too easy to move slightly and cover her mouth with his. Thank goodness common sense prevailed just in time and he stepped back to come up with, ‘I’m thinking of getting our flippers out of the cupboard in the garage so that you two human penguins can flip-flop along the beach.’
‘Can we, Dad? Ally, want to?’ Adam yelled, as he ran in the direction of the garage internal door.
Flynn waved a hand after him. ‘Go easy on that cupboard door. You know what happened last time you opened it.’
‘I’ll help him.’ Ally was already moving in the same direction, her fingers tracing the spot on her cheek he’d just kissed.
‘Good idea. Things tend to spill all over the place when he starts poking through the junk on the shelves.’ He relaxed. Adam was excited, and Ally was just being a part of that, helping make his day more fun. It wasn’t like she’d moved in or would see him every day of the week. She’d be gone soon enough, and Adam would still have all his playmates and the many adults on the island who enjoyed spoiling and looking out for him. He’d be safe. He wasn’t in danger of getting hurt.
Flynn paused. Neither was he. Despite being equally excited as his boy. Ally hadn’t said anything about calling their affair—if that’s what it was—quits yet, so he’d carry on for three more weeks and make the most of her company. It wasn’t as though he’d be broken-hearted when she went, mad, crazy attraction for her and all. He’d miss her for sure. She was the woman who’d woken him up, but that didn’t mean he had to have her in his life permanently.
CHAPTER SIX
‘WHERE’S DAD?’ ADAM bounced into the bedroom and jumped up on the bed, effectively ending any pretence of Ally sleeping.
Groaning, she rolled over to stare up at this little guy. Something warm and damp nudged her arm. Turning her head, she came eye to eye with Sheba. Another groan escaped her. So this was what it was like to wake up in a family-orientated house. Kind of cosy, though it would’ve been better if Flynn were here.
‘Why are you here?’ Adam asked, looking around as though he might find his father in the wardrobe or on the floor beside the bed.
‘Dad had to go to work so I stayed to look after you.’
‘Did someone have a crash?’ No four-year-old should look so knowledgeable about his father’s work.
‘Yes, during the night.’ The call had come through requesting Flynn’s presence as Ally had been about to walk out the door to return to the flat. They’d agreed she shouldn’t be there in the morning with him when Adam woke up. But when the call came Flynn had been quick to accept her offer to stay, so apparently he could break his own rules.
Jerome had picked up Flynn ten minutes later. Teens had been racing on the bridge in the wee hours of the morning after too much alcohol. Two cars had hit side on and spun, slamming into the side of the bridge, injuring four lads. Carnage, Flynn had told her when he’d phoned to explain he wouldn’t be back until early morning as he was accompanying one of the boys to the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
‘He doesn’t like going to crashes. They’re yucky.’ Adam patted the bed and the next thing Ally felt the bed dipping as Sheba heaved herself up to join them.
‘Is she allowed on the bed?’ Ally shuffled sideways to avoid being squashed by half a ton of Labrador.
‘Sometimes.’
‘Right, and today’s one of those times. Why did I not see that coming?’ She chucked him under the chin. About to sit up, she stopped. Under the covers she wore only underwear. Definitely not the kind that decently covered all the girl bits. ‘Adam, do you think you could take Sheba out to the kitchen while I get up?’ Her clothes were in a tangled heap on the floor where she’d dropped them before climbing back into bed after Flynn had left.
‘Do you want Dad’s dressing gown? It’s in the wardrobe. He never uses it.’ Adam leapt off the bed, obviously unperturbed that she was there. Maybe he could explain that to his father. ‘He walks around with no clothes on when he gets up in the morning.’
Too much information. At least while Flynn wasn’t there and this little guy was. But she could picture Flynn buck naked as he strolled out to put the kettle on. Seriously sexy. ‘I’d love the dressing gown.’
Adam had just dumped the robe on the bed when they both heard the front door opening. ‘Dad’s back.’ He raced through the house, Sheba lumbering along behind him.
Making the most of the opportunity Ally slipped out of bed and into the dressing gown, tying the belt tightly around her waist. A glance in the mirror told her that as a fashion statement, an awful lot was lacking. Her face could do with a scrub, too. All that mascara had worked its way off her lashes and smudged her upper cheeks.
In the kitchen she plugged in the coffee maker and leaned her hip against the bench, waiting for the males of this house to join her.
Flynn sloped into the kitchen, with Adam hanging off his back like a monkey. Sheba brought up the rear. ‘Morning, Ally. Sleep well?’
Huh?
Then he winked and she grinned. ‘Like a lizard.’
‘Like your outfit,’ he tossed her way.
‘I’m not sure about the colour. Brown has never been my favourite shade of anything. Want a coffee?’
‘I’d kill for one, but can you give me five? I want to leap under a very hot shower.’ His face dropped and his eyes saddened. ‘It was messy out there,’ he said quietly.
She nodded, wanting to ask more but reluctant to do so in front of Adam. Instead, she reached a hand to his cheek, cupped his face. ‘Go and scrub up. I’ll have the coffee waiting.’ Cosy, cosy.
‘Ta. You’re a treasure.’ For a moment she thought he was going to kiss her. His eyes locked on hers and he leaned closer. Then he must’ve remembered Adam on his back because he pulled away. ‘I won’t take long.’
He returned in jeans and a polo-neck black jersey that showed off his physique to perfection. His feet were bare, his hair a damp mess. He couldn’t have looked more sexy if he’d tried. It came naturally.
Passing over a mug of strong coffee, she picked up the container she’d f
ound in the pantry. ‘Feel like croissants for breakfast?’
‘Croissants it is. I’ll heat them while you have a shower if you like.’ He didn’t like her lounging around in his dressing gown? Then his eyes widened and she realised he was staring at her cleavage. An exposed cleavage.
Grabbing the edges of the robe, she tugged them closed. ‘As soon as I’ve finished my coffee I’ll get cleaned up.’ Then what? Did she head home after breakfast? It would be fun to hang out with these two for a while. Talk about getting used to this cosy stuff all too quickly. Today she was simply ignoring the lessons learned and taking a chance. At what?
‘We always go for a walk on the beach after breakfast in the weekends. You coming?’ Flynn asked.
‘Love to. Were you having a late breakfast when Sheba bowled me over last Sunday?’ she asked around a smile, suddenly feeling good about herself. A chance at some normal, everyday fun that families all over the country would be doing. She wouldn’t think about how often she’d stared through the proverbial window, longing for exactly this. She wouldn’t contemplate next Sunday or the one three weeks away when she was back in Melbourne. Instead, she’d enjoy the day and keep the brakes on her emotions.
‘No, two walks in one day. Makes up for the weekdays when she gets short-changed. I don’t like dragging Adam out of bed too early. Marie walks her occasionally, but I think she’s worried about being knocked over in her pregnant state.’