I didn’t see Flynn very much for the first few weeks. As promised, he abandoned the house every morning and didn’t return until late in the evening. I wore myself out trying to keep up with my little charge and ended each day gratefully in bed by nine.
One time I was upstairs, near the primary bedroom. I was trying to get Seanan to go down for her nap, and I needed a fresh roll of toilet paper. One of the routines I’d set up was regular bathroom visits. She was already potty trained, but I wanted her to get in the habit of relieving herself before sleep so that she could maximize her down time.
Seanan had her own bathroom in the nursery, and I sent her in there to do her business. A moment later, I heard her little voice asking for more paper. Instead of going all the way downstairs to the hall closet, I decided to steal a roll from Flynn’s room. It was a poor choice, and I regretted it the moment I walked in on him.
I was expecting him to be at work. I didn’t even know he was in the house. I barged right in like I owned the place, determined to get what I came for. He was standing in the middle of the room, a towel wrapped around his waist. The air was full of steam, the walls of the shower dripping wet.
My jaw dropped open in surprise as I beheld his nearly naked form. His hair was cropped short, the dark amber color accentuated by the heat. His beard wove around his jaw, disguising the straight cut of his chin. His neck was a firm trunk of muscle, and beneath that, his naked chest was covered in tattoos. I had never seen so many. They crowded together in intricate loops and whirls, Irish crosses with bands of lattice work.
His shoulders sloped down to generous biceps, his abs a rack of pure pleasure. What was hidden beneath the towel was bound to be just as magnificent, and I couldn’t take my eyes off the scene.
He growled at me, literally growled like a wild animal. I didn’t understand. It was such a ferocious and carnal sound, it cut through the careful civility we had established. I felt my heart leap into my throat, and I slammed the door shut.
Cursing myself for betraying his trust, I hurried away. I located a package of toilet paper downstairs and rushed it back up to Seanan, who was still waiting. When I saw Flynn next, he was fully dressed, and he didn’t bother to acknowledge me.
I held my tongue. He was like the beast in that fairy tale, all power and sharp edges. I did my best to make it up to him, smiling whenever he was in the room. But he pretended that he didn’t care. I tried not to let it bother me. If he wasn’t so damned hot, it would have been easier.
I pictured him in the nude when I went to bed at night. It was crazy; he was my boss. But those tattoos and the beard together—the combination made my heart race. I felt a little thrill each time I saw him.
* * *
Sunday was my day off,which meant that Flynn would be home to take care of Seanan. Hud had promised to help me get my license, but the wait time was typical of government bureaucracies. I had the chauffeur drop me off downtown so that I could do some sightseeing. Dublin was a big city, but it was nothing like LA. Most of the buildings were older, and there was much more plant life in and around the high rises.
Every so often, I came across a tavern, snuggled in between more modern buildings. Some of them went back centuries. As an American, I was astounded to learn that what the Irish considered new would pass for ancient across the pond.
I received my first paycheck via direct deposit. I arranged to get a bank card, so I had money to spend. The salary was generous. I wasn’t going to make a fortune as a nanny, but I was banking much more than I could have back home. I chose one of the homey, lavishly decorated cafés for lunch.
There were a few tables scattered across the dining area, which surrounded the café and pushed out onto the sidewalk. There was a guard rail erected around the eating enclosure to separate diners from pedestrians.
I grabbed a seat near the entrance. Being in Dublin made me feel like I had stepped back through time, into a magical realm where adventures would quench their thirst before beginning a year-long quest. The cell phones in the hands of most of the patrons broke the illusion, and I had to remind myself that historical buildings were commonplace in this city.
The waitress came around and asked me what I wanted to eat. I could hardly understand her, her accent was so thick. I managed to place my order and settled back to enjoy the view. I noticed another woman sitting at the table beside me, having an equally hard time communicating.
“You’re not from around here?” I guessed as soon as the waitress was gone.
“Oh my God, are you American?” She seized on the common frame of reference, revealing herself as a fellow expat through her voice.
“I’m from California,” I said.
“Illinois.” The other woman held out her hand.
We shook and I invited her to take the empty chair at my table. She hopped from one seat to the next, happy to have found a kindred spirit. We talked about the weather and about the public transportation. She said she had been there for two months, transferred as part of her job. I explained what I was doing and how I had found this family to live with. We exchanged phone numbers after lunch was over, promising to keep in touch.
I didn’t realize how much I missed American conversation. Playing with Seanan was great, but I had no adult friends in the neighborhood. Flynn couldn’t rightly be called a friend. He was my boss, and I didn’t see him that often. I didn’t even know if he had any friends. He seemed stern and gruff, two adjectives that didn’t call friendship to mind. Still, there was something about him I found intriguing. I was determined to spend the rest of my day off getting to know Dublin, but in the back of my mind, there was another thought. I really wanted to get to know Flynn.
CHAPTERFOUR
DECLAN
I set a muffin down on the wrought iron table outside a café. My friend Connor, two years my senior, looked up in surprise.
“What’s this?” Connor asked.
“It’s a gift from the break room fairy,” I said, taking a seat.
“Thank you?” he asked, as if I had handed him something questionable.
“It’s not gonna hurt you,” I told him.