Is he hot?
I don’t know.I replied, equally curious.
“Bre, look!” Seanan squealed. “It’s Dusty, he’s figured it out.”
“That’s great!” I cheered, putting away my phone. It wasn’t fair to Seanan to be giving her only half of my attention. Poor little girl without a mother deserved my very best.
As soon as the show finished, the front door opened. I turned around to see Flynn, briefcase in hand, setting down his keys.
“Daddy!” Seanan yelled, flying off the couch and into her father’s arms.
I got up, going to greet the man. He scooped up his daughter, planting her on his hip. Locking eyes with me, his gaze was unreadable. Was he happy to see me? He seemed angrier than usual.
“You’re home early,” I said, not meaning to be confrontational, just curious.
“Things didn’t go the way I expected,” he answered cryptically.
“We’re glad to see you.” I put myself in the mix, meaning it.
It almost felt like we were a family, even though there was enough tension between the two of us that you could have cut it with a knife. He narrowed his eyes, unsure what to make of my statement. I was being honest, so I squared my shoulders and dared him to contradict me.
He didn’t take the bait. Setting Seanan down, he removed his coat. I stepped forward to take it out of his hands, crossing to the hall closet to hang it up. I could feel his gaze following me as I did, wondering what the hell had gotten into me that I was acting so domestic.
“Why don’t you put Seanan to bed tonight?” I suggested.
“Daddy, read me a story!” Seanan jumped up and down, clapping her hands.
Flynn shot me a glance that told me everything I needed to know. Something had happened at work that he wasn’t pleased about. He had come home early to drown his frustration in the loving arms of his daughter. My pleasant mood was disarming, but not unwelcome.
“I’ll fix you a drink,” I told him, smiling as Seanan took her father by the hand.
Flynn nodded appreciatively, walking his daughter to the stairs. They disappeared onto the second floor, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I considered texting Millie again, but she didn’t need a blow-by-blow of my day. Although she seemed pretty interested in the love triangle I had going on.
I went to the liquor cabinet and selected an expensive scotch. Pouring a glass, I set it aside. I wondered if he would want something to eat. I didn’t actually know what he ate. The cook handled that part of the deal, but she had clocked out for the night. I supposed he probably ate at the office, and he hadn’t said anything about a meal, so I decided to just stick with what I had offered.
About half an hour later, he came back downstairs. His tie was loosened, and his jacket was missing, but other than that, he was in prime condition. His white button-down shirt neatly hid all his tattoos. The beard remained, a singular reminder of his feral heart.
I handed him the glass, watching seductively as he took a sip. He stood in the kitchen doorway, not moving. If I wanted to leave the room, I would have to go past him. It was a stalemate of sorts, and I held my breath, waiting to see how it would resolve.
Was he going to kiss me again? We were alone with no distractions. He looked as handsome as ever, and I knew that if he put even the slightest pressure on me, I would cave in. All thoughts of my Sunday lunch date with Connor flew out the window. Flynn was here in my orbit, looking as sexy as ever.
I licked my lips, scavenging through my brain for something to say. “How was work?”
“Difficult,” he answered. “Aren’t you going to drink?”
“I hadn’t thought about it,” I answered honestly. I liked a good drink, but I could take it or leave it. He, on the other hand, looked like he needed one.
Flynn shrugged, finally turning away. He walked back through the foyer, into the living room. I followed behind him, not because I was invited, but because I wanted to extend our interaction.
He took a seat on the couch and I sat down beside him, leaving one cushion between us. I didn’t have to do more than just be there before he began to open up. He told me about a deal he was working on, the acquisition of a smaller company. All the details had been agreed upon in an agonizing negotiation that had lasted several weeks. On the eve of the signing, the other company had pulled the plug. Suddenly they didn’t want Flynn’s money or the notoriety he could bring to their single product.
“Wow,” I exclaimed when he was done. I hadn’t ever heard him speak that much. It was as if my ability to listen had let loose a torrent of pent-up anger, and he was just getting it all out.
“It’s fucking ridiculous,” he cursed. “They have no right to do what they did. All the time and effort I put into that deal, and now they think they’re sitting on a gold mine.”
“Is it really worth that much?” I asked.
“No,” he spat. “It’s a cute idea that could make a few million dollars, but it’s not worth the hassle. I’ll just put some of my development guys on it, and we’ll push them out of the market a year from now.”