Yes, you did. Way too far. You’re frightening me. Forcing a smile, she laid her hand over his. ‘Thank you. That was a lovely compliment.’
‘A heartfelt one. Now, let’s enjoy ourselves and I’ll stop the sentimental stuff since it seems to be upsetting you.’ He hopped out of the car and strode around the front to her side.
She’d let him down. But what was a girl supposed to do? She couldn’t take in what he’d said and start believing. That would be dangerous, but at the same time she couldn’t walk away from Flynn tonight, or tomorrow, or any time during the next two weeks. No, she couldn’t. Pushing out of the car, she laced her fingers through his and walked up the path to the welcoming door of the restaurant. ‘I see the tide’s farther in tonight. We won’t be having our wicked way on the beach.’
Grinning, Flynn held the door wide and ushered her inside, whispering as she passed, ‘You give up too easily.’
Did she? ‘I’m not going to ask what’s on your mind. I want to eat first.’ She ran a hand over his delectable butt before turning to follow the same young waiter they’d had last week.
Giuseppe was there before they’d sat down. ‘Welcome back, Ally. I’m glad you enjoyed our food enough to return.’
‘Come on, Giuseppe, how could I not?’ She kissed her fingertips. ‘That carbonara was superb.’
‘The carbonara or the company you were keeping?’ the older man asked with a twinkle in his eye. ‘By the way, you might be wanting this.’ He held up the half-full bottle of Merlot they’d left on the beach.
Flynn laughed loudly. ‘You old rascal. Who found that?’
‘I go for a walk along the beach every night after I close the door for the last time.’ Giuseppe kept the bottle in his hand.
Uh-oh. What time had he closed the restaurant last Friday? Ally glanced across at Flynn, saw the same question register in his eyes. Had Giuseppe seen them making out? She croaked out, ‘Thank you. It seemed a waste not to have finished a good wine.’
Giuseppe nodded, his eyes still twinkling, leaving her still wondering what he’d seen, as he said, ‘Tonight you will try something different. Something I recommend to match the meal I have arranged. This half-finished one you can take with you when you leave.’
Ally watched as he walked away, pausing at other tables to have a word with his guests. ‘Do you think he knows?’
‘That we made love on the beach? Yes, I suspect he does.’ Flynn reached across and took her hand in both his. ‘You know what? I couldn’t care less.’
‘Then neither do I.’ And she wouldn’t worry about anything else tonight either.
The meal was beyond superb and the wine excellent. The company even better. Flynn made her laugh with stories from his training days and she told him about going to school as an adult. It was a night she’d remember for a long time. It was intimate, almost as though they had a future, and she refused to let those bleak thoughts refuting that spoil anything.
‘Here.’ She twined her arm around Flynn’s, their glasses in their hands. ‘To a hot night under the stars. Tide in or out.’
Flynn smiled, a deep smile that turned her stomach to mush and her heart to squeezing. ‘To a wonderful night under the bright stars with a special lady.’
But when they stepped outside there were no stars. A heavy drizzle had dampened everything and was getting heavier by the minute. ‘You forgot to order the weather.’ Ally nudged Flynn as they hurried to the car.
‘Never said I was perfect.’ He held the car door while she bundled inside.
No, but he wasn’t far off. Leaning over, she opened his door to save him a moment in the rain. ‘How long will it take you to drop off the babysitter?’
‘Ten minutes.’
‘That long?’
‘You can warm the bed while I’m away.’ Flynn laid a hand on her thigh. ‘Believe me, I’ll be going as fast as allowed.’
Heat raced up her thigh to swirl around the apex between her legs, melting her. ‘Pull over.’
‘What? Now? Here?’ The car was already slowing.
‘Right now and here.’ She was tugging at his zip. Under her palm his reaction to her move was more than obvious.
‘I haven’t done it in a car since I was at high school.’
‘Hope you can still move your bones, you old man.’
He growled as he nibbled the skin at her cleavage. ‘Just wait and learn.’ His hand covered her centre, his fingers did things that blanked out all the doubts and yearnings in her mind and made her cry with need, followed with release.
Flynn rolled onto his side, his arm under his head and his gaze fixed on the beautiful woman sleeping beside him. He was addicted to Ally Parker. There was no other word for what he felt. Addiction. He’d never known such craving before. The more he had of her, the more he wanted. His need was insatiable. If it wasn’t so damned exciting it would be frightening. Frightening because it was filled with pitfalls.
He’d loved Anna beyond reason and had still failed her. If he hadn’t been so damned determined to follow his career the way he’d wanted it she wouldn’t have been in Melbourne that day and the accident wouldn’t have happened. If he’d listened to her wishes, instead paying them lip service, his boy would still have his mother. That, more than anything, he could never forgive himself for. Every child deserved two parents, and especially their mother, to nurture them as they grew up.
And this had what to do with Ally? Ally already enjoyed being with Adam, didn’t treat him as a pawn to get to his father but rather as an individual in his own right. She’d nurture and mother Adam if they got together.
A chill lifted goose bumps on his skin. He withdrew his arm and rolled onto his back to stare at the ceiling. They could not get together. Firstly, Ally didn’t do settling down. That was so clear he’d be a fool not to acknowledge it.
He glanced across at her sleeping form. ‘What happened that you can’t stop in one place for more than a few weeks? Who hurt you so badly that you’re prepared to miss out on what life’s all about?’ he whispered. ‘Someone other than your mother?’ That would be enough to knock anyone sideways for ever. But he had this niggling feeling he hadn’t heard it all.
As the chill lifted and his skin warmed back to normal he ran a hand over her hair, rubbed a strand between his fi
ngers. ‘I would never hurt you, let you down.’
Huh? Hadn’t he just reminded himself of how badly he’d let Anna down? Yep. And Adam. Adam. The crux of the matter. He’d do anything for his son. Anything. Which meant not getting too close to Ally, not seeking the answers to those questions in case they drove him on to making her happy, not sharing his life with her.
Ally rolled over, blinked open her eyes and smiled in a just woken up and still sleepy way. ‘Hi,’ she whispered.
‘Hi, yourself.’ He leaned in to place a light kiss on her brow, then her cheek, her chin, her lips. Two weeks. Make the most of them. Stop analysing the situation and enjoy what’s left.
As he reached for her, the door flew open.
‘Dad. Why was the door shut?’ Adam shouted, loud enough for the whole island to hear as he pushed it wide.
‘Good morning to you, too.’ Flynn smiled and pulled the bedcovers up to Ally’s chin. ‘Hope you’re okay with this,’ he whispered to her. ‘I forgot to relock the door after I went to the bathroom.’
‘Not a problem, unless he wants to get in here with us,’ she whispered back. ‘Hello, Adam. How long have you been awake?’
‘A long time. I’ve been watching cartoons.’ Adam started to climb onto the bed.
Hell, Ally was buck naked. Adam was used to seeing him in the nude, but not a woman. ‘Adam, can you pass Ally my robe? She’s getting cold.’
‘She should wear pyjamas to bed.’
How did Adam know she hadn’t? Distraction needed. ‘Let’s have pancakes for breakfast.’ That’d get his attention, pancakes being his all-time favourite breakfast food. Unhealthy. Tough.
‘Ally, are you coming for a sleepover every night now?’
Flynn mentally threw his hands into the air. If pancakes didn’t work, then he had to get serious. ‘Adam, go out to the lounge while we get up.’
Ally shook her head as though trying to make sense of everything. ‘Sometimes when it’s late I don’t go home, but not every night. I’ve got my own place to go to.’
Adam nodded. ‘I thought so. But if you want to stay every night we don’t mind, do we, Dad?’