Covered In Lace

chapter FOUR





Flynn turned the screwdriver by hand, slowly twisting the screw into the painted wall boards adjacent to the screen porch door of Lacey’s cottage. Headlights illuminated the gravel driveway and he cursed to himself. All he needed was five more minutes and he would have been done fixing the porch light and long gone, without Lacey ever knowing he had been there.

Since their last exchange, the conversations between them had been sparse and awkward. It wasn’t the way he wanted it, but the alternative scared the hell out of him. He had expected her to be another ego-driven artist; pretty on the outside, but devoid of anything of value on the inside. Instead, each new layer he peeled away on her revealed vulnerabilities he found refreshing, a sense of humor, and a powerful sensuality. She truly was comfortable in her own skin but managed to carry that off with an air of casual elegance versus arrogance.

And, Jesus, her kiss had stolen the air from his lungs and turned his emotions upside down. He couldn’t remember ever feeling that from a kiss. She was warm, sweet and delicate but, with the slightest hint he wanted more, he felt a hunger surge to the surface of her skin; her heat burning him from the inside out. He closed his eyes for a moment, imagining what that heat might feel like wrapped around his cock.

“Get a grip,” he told himself.

He heard the back door get kicked open. Flynn peeked around the corner of the doorway and saw two people stumble inside, and ducked back before they saw him. Heavy breathing and laughter could be heard as they banged around the kitchen in a tight embrace, eventually coming to a rest with Lacey’s backside pressed against the edge of the kitchen table.

“Come on, baby,” the man said. “You spent the last twenty minutes teasing me in the car. Don't play hard to get now.”

Flynn dropped the screwdriver he was holding and heard the kitchen fall silent. Lacey sat upright on the table.

“Did you hear that?” she asked. She followed the direction of the noise and found Flynn crouched on the floor loading tools into his metal tool box.

“Flynn? What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Porch light was flickering,” he said, without looking at her. “I replaced some old wiring to make it stop.”

“I wasn’t aware it was flickering,” she said.

“It’s not anymore.”

Flynn shut the cover on his tool box and stood up, holding the heavy box in his hand. His eyes went to Lacey then shifted to the man standing behind her. She turned, looking briefly at the tall, dark-haired man with a neatly trimmed goatee.

“Flynn, this is Greyson Blake, my friend from New York,” she said. “He’s here for a visit.”

Flynn shook the man’s hand and nodded, his eyes going back to Lacey. “I’m all set,” he said. “Sorry for the interruption.”

Lacey followed him outside and caught up to him beside his truck. She watched him set his tool box into the bed of it.

“Sorry about that,” she said. “But I had no idea you’d be inside the house.”

Flynn rubbed at his forehead. “No need to apologize.” He turned and walked toward his house.

“Then why do you seem so mad?”

Flynn stopped and faced her. “Do I seem pissed off?” he bit out.

Lacey nodded; hating the sting of tears pooling in her eyes, hating the look of irritation written all over Flynn’s face.

“I’m tired,” he said, trying to soften his tone. “Just really f*cking tired.”

“And that’s all?” she asked.

“Yeah, that about sums it up,” he said. “Enjoy your evening.”

Lacey watched Flynn disappear into his house and the door shut behind him. She wiped beneath both eyes and walked back to her cottage. Her fists clenched as rage began to bubble in her bloodstream. Why did she allow him to get to her like that? Who the hell did Flynn Beckett think he was? She entered her cottage and slammed the door behind her.

“You two have something going on?” Greyson asked, when Lacey entered the kitchen. He pushed his long, walnut hair off his face and sipped from a bottle of beer.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Lacey said.

“Then what would you call it?”

Lacey looked at Greyson. The rugged features of his face creased with question. His dark eyes liquid and inviting. He had been a friend - a very good friend, for a long time. And every once in a while, if they were unattached and so inclined, they would fall into bed to release some sexual tension. He knew her moods, knew how to read her body language, knew what made her tick. It was an arrangement that had worked for years but now when Lacey visualized rolling between the sheets, Flynn was the man accompanying her. Sharing her bed with anyone else didn’t hold the same appeal.

Lacey held on to her head. What the hell was happening to her, she thought. Even when she was married, she didn’t have such singular thoughts of being with one man; which was part of the reason the marriage ended.

“Talk to me, Lace. I can tell something's up - and unfortunately I’m getting the feeling it’s not gonna be me.”





It was a relief to get Annie’s phone call with a confirmed arrival time at the private airstrip just outside of town. Lacey relished the distraction Annie’s visit would give her from dismissing Greyson only hours after his arrival and the constant struggle of trying to ignore the sexually overcharged, and often times negative, undercurrent that now seemed to flow between her and Flynn.

It had been nearly two weeks since Flynn comforted her through the electrical storm, using his mouth to distract her from the fury raging outside her cottage. Then the unexpected visit from Greyson seemed to have built a wall between her and Flynn; the distance so great she couldn’t see a way to scale it to get to him.

She slid into her car and drove toward the airport; it felt like she had just returned from such a trip. Her thoughts went back to Flynn and that perfect mind-blowing kiss. It was twenty of the most erotic minutes of her life, with Flynn gently but firmly holding her against him, his tongue softly probing her mouth, and the subtle caress of his fingertips across her throat, collarbone, and breast. The memory of his touch made her shiver. She wanted more – so much more, and couldn’t understand why he was choosing to ignore the boiling pot of chemistry they had going on between them.

It was completely irrational, she thought; two consenting adults doing what very obviously was something they both wanted. What kind of man turns his back on that? She scoffed at the notion. No matter what he said, his kiss went far beyond the bounds of ‘shutting someone up’. He was just as hungry for that kiss as she was, and damn, what a kiss it had been; one of the hottest she’d ever had the pleasure of receiving.

Lacey turned into the parking lot at Langdon Airstrip and glanced at her watch. She was thirty minutes early for Annie’s private plane and the last thing she needed was more time alone with her thoughts.





“This guy’s word is good?” Earl asked his co-worker.

“He’s cool,” Spence said. “Been cleaning toilets at the airport for years and no one lies when they’re in the can.”

Earl picked at a zit on his chin. “Dunno if I should risk it,” he said.

“Look, you asked me to keep an ear out and I did,” Spence said. “Talk is, Annie's headed north to work with Lacey Sheridan. They’re hiring a fancy private jet, security team – the works.”

“But you don’t know when or where,” Earl said.

“That’s the part they weren’t real clear on,” Spence said.

“Yeah, and those are the important parts, a*shole,” Earl said.

“That’s the best I got for you, Earl.”

“Don’t call again until you have more!”

Two weeks later Earl had the information he needed. He tossed the essentials into his old four-door Buick and hit the road heading toward Massachusetts. The Berkshires were his intended destination – whatever the hell that meant. A map he bought at the local Piggly-Wiggly store told him he needed to drive to the western part of the state - almost to the New York border – to find the tiny town where Annie Logan was supposedly working with Lacey. It would be a hellishly long haul - longest Earl had ever taken by car, but like Earl’s daddy always said: revenge is a dish best served cold. Annie would never see it coming.

Earl took the County Road out of the hick town in Florida he’d called home since his release from prison. He glanced at the torn front seat and surveyed the items strewn across the filthy fabric. Beef jerky, cigarettes, several maps outlining his trip, pistol concealed in a paper bag, and a bottle of Jack Daniels.

The sneer on his pockmarked face pulled the skin tight, creating deep, dirty creases in half moon crescent shapes around his lips. He took delight in knowing his vendetta against Annie would soon be followed through to a very satisfying end.

He had spent the last few days planning out his trip. No sense in running north half-cocked, Earl thought. He’d decided to travel the interstate highways to keep a low profile. The back roads might draw too much attention, he thought. He'd only venture down the smaller county roads when his money or food rations ran low. Then he’d use his pistol to roll-over a gas station or convenience store and hop right back up on the interstate. Easy-peasy, he thought. Hell, this road trip might actually turn out to be fun!

The first gas station he hit didn’t even challenge his old robbery skills. He merely waved his gun at the attendant and drove away with almost sixty dollars in his pocket and a free tank of gas. That score hadn't lasted long. The second time he chose a mom-and-pop convenience store on the outskirts of a South Carolina town. Earl displayed his pistol and the owner reached for a shot-gun from beneath the counter forcing Earl to blow the guy away with one shot to the head. No witnesses. No worries. But he could have done without the mess involved.

Shit, he’d never killed a guy at point-blank range before and the adrenaline rush that came with it was huge. He drove away from the bloody scene laughing with a wad of cash that barely fit in his fist. The brutal encounter played in his head for the next several hours, each time providing him with more satisfaction.

Before he took the on-ramp to the highway, Earl turned onto a desolate road to urinate and stretch his legs. When he returned to the main road, he spotted a young, female hitch-hiker, wearing a short jean skirt, sandals, and a tube top. She couldn’t have been more than eighteen or nineteen years old, he thought. He pulled up along side of her and flashed the gun on the front seat.

“Get in,” he said.

She hesitated and Earl lifted the gun taking aim at her face. The girl quickly opened the door and sat down on the seat. Earl sped off before she had a chance to fully shut the door, spewing dirt beneath his tires.

“Where you headed?” Earl asked, eying her bare legs and trying to remember the last time he’d been with a girl. She ignored his question and adjusted her skirt; her eyes locked on the gun poised in his hand.

“You like it?” he asked, waving the gun in the air. “This little piece comes in handy on road trips.”

“I don’t want no trouble, Mister,” she said.

“Do I look like trouble to you?”

The girl looked down at her lap and shook her head.

“I didn’t think so,” he said. “Now be polite and answer the question. Where you headed?”

A long moment passed, then Earl jabbed the gun into her ribs.

“Myrtle Beach,” she said in a soft voice.

Earl smiled, revealing chipped, crooked teeth. “Then it looks like we’ve got time to get better acquainted,” he said.

The girl leaned away from him. “Please - just let me go.”

“Now, why would I want to do that?” he asked. “Especially before we become friends.” Earl drove past the entrance to the interstate and turned off onto a narrow dirt road; drove about a mile, and parked his car. Ignoring the girl’s whimpering, he balanced the gun on his thigh and unbuckled his belt and pulled down the zipper on his pants. He watched his erection unfold and jut from his lap, then looked at the girl.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“Peg-Peggy,” she stammered.

Earl smiled and pressed the barrel of the gun to her temple. “Ever suck a cock, Peggy?”

Ten minutes passed and Earl still had not achieved what he had assumed would be a quick release and the temperature inside the car was making him roast alive. At the rate she was going, he’d die before he got off.

“Jesus, I said: no teeth!” He forced her head back down and held it in place, heard her gag, then pulled her upright by the hair. “Outta the car,” he demanded.

Gripping her by the back of the neck, he tugged her across the seat, banging her hip bone on the steering wheel as she slid, and around to the back of the car. “Bend over,” he said, pressing her chest to the trunk.

His dirty hand pushed between her thighs. A flashback of Annie Logan being in a similar position came back to mind. And, if he had his way, he’d have her back in this same position real soon. His cock grew another inch at the thought of it. He twisted his index finger beneath the crotch of the girl’s panties and yanked, ripping the garment from her body, then tucked her panties into his back pocket for safe keeping.

He thrust into her again and again and closed his eyes, picturing Annie beneath him. He came with a roar, lifting Peggy off the ground when he did and collapsed against her.

Earl exhaled slowly beside Peggy’s ear. As tight as the girl had felt, he knew Annie would be even better; the ultimate cherry on top of his cake. F*cking Annie would make up for the countless times he was raped in prison…and then he’d kill her. Plain and simple.

Earl stood upright and tucked himself back into his pants. Peggy remained motionless against the car, fear holding her in place. He squeezed the back of her neck again and lifted her to a standing position.

“Best we be hitting the road if we want to make Myrtle Beach anytime soon,” he said and dragged her around to the passenger side door.



Lacey walked toward the airport terminal, smiling at it's small size. The building resembled more of a plane hangar than an actual terminal. The bulk of the arriving and departing traffic was made up of corporate jet service shuttling rich executives back and forth to NYC.

Lacey saw a small executive jet land and taxi toward the terminal. She watched the side door of the plane fold down and waited, expecting Annie to appear on the top of the stairs. She let out a squeal of delight when she saw the blond hair swirling around in the breeze and started running toward the plane. A tight embrace followed and the tears began to flow.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” Lacey said.

“So good to see you, Lace,” Annie said. “It’s been way too long!”

Lacey led Annie toward her car and helped load her suitcase into the backseat. They giggled and talked endlessly all the way back to Lacey’s cottage. It was dusk when they arrived. Lacey took the turn into her driveway and noticed Flynn’s truck parked in front of his garage.

“Is that where the stud lives?” Annie asked.

Lacey grinned and fanned her face. “Yes, and it looks like he’s home from work, too; which means you might get to meet him.”

“He does this to you?” Annie asked, her eyes focused on the blush in her friend’s cheeks.

“Does what?”

“You’re tied up in knots!”

“I don’t know about that,” Lacey said. “It might have more to do with the fact it's been a while since I’ve had a man in my life.”

“Are you saying he’s in your life?”

Lacey parked the car and looked at Annie. “I wish, but I don’t think so.”

“Well, either way, I have to meet him.”

Annie followed Lacey inside and got the grand tour, ending in the upstairs bedroom overlooking the lake.

“I can’t believe you’re not using this bedroom,” she said. “The view is breathtaking.”

“The bed is bigger downstairs,” Lacey said. “But, if I get bored with that one, I might move up here for a change of pace.”

“You mean, if you get lonely in that big bed,” Annie said.

“Lonely and bored.”

Lacey walked down to the kitchen and poured two glasses of white wine. She handed one to Annie and clinked the rim of her glass.

“Here’s to yet another adventure,” she said.

“I’ll drink to that!”

“Are you getting hungry?” Lacey asked. “I have steaks to throw on the grill.”

“I’m starved! Let’s do it.”

Lacey moved to the porch and attempted to light the gas grill. Three tries and no flame appeared beneath the grate.

“Maybe it’s out of propane,” Annie said.

“That’s probably it,” Lacey said. “I’ll go see if Flynn has an extra tank.”

Lacey jogged across the lawn and knocked on Flynn’s back porch door. He answered a moment later, extending his arm at shoulder height to grip onto the wooden edge of the screen door. He was bare-chested with his pants partially undone. Lacey’s eyes drifted across his tanned arm. She noted the bulge of shoulder muscle that eased into a knot of a well defined bicep. Then her eyes skimmed over each cord of stomach muscle before settling on the loosened waistband of his jeans and the dark line of hair that fed into it.

“I was just about to shower,” he said, as if he needed to explain his appearance.

Lacey’s gaze seemed in no hurry to move up to his face nor did she seem embarrassed by her obvious inspection of his physique. The smooth, swirl pattern of chest hair over each pectoral and the dark circles of his nipples now had her full attention. She licked her lips and lifted her eyes to meet his.

“I’m sorry to bother you,” she said, stumbling over each of her words. “But I think I’m out of propane for the grill.”

“Oh, I keep extra tanks in the garage,” he said. His fingers went to his zipper, pulling it closed, then buckled the worn leather belt. He reached behind him and retrieved a t-shirt hanging on the back of a kitchen chair and pulled it over his head, then stepped out onto the steps.

Lacey walked with him to the garage and watched him bend to pick up a white tank set just inside the door.

“I picked up Annie at the airport a few hours ago,” Lacey said. “How about you join us for dinner and I’ll introduce you?”

Flynn headed toward Lacey’s cottage and contemplated her invitation. “I wouldn’t want to intrude on your girl-time,” he said.

Lacey laughed. “We’ll have plenty of time for that,” she said. “I have two huge steaks to grill - way bigger than she and I could ever eat. Please. Come for dinner.”

Flynn stopped beside the grill sitting in the grass at the bottom of the back steps and bent to attach the fresh tank to the grill hose. He stood up and pressed the ignition button. The burners flamed to life on the first try. “Looks like you’re good to go,” he said.

“Dinner in thirty,” Lacey said. “Go take your shower and come back.”

Flynn’s lips lifted on one side in an easy grin. “If you insist.”

“I’m insisting,” she said. “Now, hurry up so we can eat.”

Lacey returned to the kitchen and found Annie tossing the ingredients to a green leafy salad into a hand-painted ceramic bowl.

“Mind if Flynn joins us for dinner?” Lacey asked.

“Judging by the look on your face, I suspect your question is more of a statement,” Annie said, then laughed. “I told you, I’m anxious to meet him.”

Lacey sat down at the kitchen table; her head slumped on the table top, her head resting on her folded arms. “I don’t understand what’s happening,” she said.

“I thought you said there was nothing going on?”

Lacey lifted her head and looked across the room at Annie. “We kissed.”

“Just now?”

“No, a while ago,” Lacey said. “We were having a really bad thunder storm and he…comforted me.”

“By sticking his tongue down your throat?”

“He said he did it to make me stop screaming.”

Annie tipped her head. “You mean he implied it served no sexual purpose?”

Lacey nodded and covered her face with her hands. “Oh, God! I’m really messed up over him. Just standing beside him rattles me,” she said and flopped forward onto the table again. “He’s driving me crazy, Annie. I don’t think I’ve ever felt like this before.”

“Well, first of all, he’s lying if he said the kiss didn't mean anything,” Annie said. “No man kisses a woman to shut her up.”

Flynn arrived a few minutes early and handed Lacey a bottle of chilled white wine. Annie dried her hands on a dish towel and extended one for Flynn to shake.

“Annie this is my neighbor, Flynn.”

“Very nice to meet you,” Annie said.

Flynn nodded and gave Annie’s hand a firm squeeze before letting go. “Will your

husband be joining you?” he asked.

“Not this trip,” Annie said. “But maybe later on.”

Flynn’s eyes went to Lacey and softened. “Lacey mentioned you might need a place to rent,” he said. “If that's the case, I’ve got a couple of places available across the lake that might work.”

The cell phone attached to Flynn’s hip began to ring. He lifted it to his ear and said hello.

“Did you check the breaker panel?” Flynn asked. “Okay, I’ll be right over.”

He reattached the phone to his belt and looked at Lacy. “I’ll have to take a rain check on dinner,” he said. “Duty calls.”

“I hope it isn’t serious,” Lacey said.

“Let’s hope not,” he said, walking toward the door.

Lacey stopped him by the door and touched his forearm. “I’ll save a plate for you,” she said.

“You don’t have to do that,” he said, his voice lowering.

“It will be here when you get home,” she said.

Flynn smiled and waved at Annie, then stepped outside.

Lacey walked back toward Annie and reached for the bottle of wine on the counter.

“You’re disappointed he’s not staying,” Annie said.

“I wanted you to spend some time with him; get to know him.”

“I don’t need time,” Annie said.

“What do you mean?”

Annie took a sip of wine and laughed. “He’s crazy about you.”

“Doubtful.”

“I can tell by the way he looks at you, Lace. It’s written all over his face. You move and his eyes follow.”

“You’re full of shit.”

“Not this time,” Annie said. “Mark my words. He wants you more than it sounds like he’s willing to admit.”

“Then why would he act so uninterested?”

Annie shrugged. “In order to solve that mystery, I would have to spend some time with him.”

Lacey ran her fingers through her long hair. “Give me strength.”

Annie set the tiny table out on the screen porch with plates and silverware for dinner. She carried the wine bottles out and sat down across from Lacey. Her mouth was watering as she surveyed the items on her plate. A good-sized piece of steak with just the right amount of pinkness in the center, baked potato, and tossed salad greens all decorated the glass plate in front of her.

“I don’t know what to eat first,” Annie said.

“Let’s hope it tastes as good as it looks,” Lacey said. “Especially since I promised Flynn the leftovers.”





The sound of water splashing made Flynn change direction and head for the dock. It had been over a week since he had talked to Lacey at any great length; one of the longest weeks he could remember. He found himself missing her and the long-winded discussions that were often spurred after she flashed him one of her heart-stopping smiles.

He could see Lacey sitting alone at the end of the wooden dock, her feet dangling in the water, shoulders slouched forward. Lord, he didn’t want to have this particular conversation with her, but he knew it had to happen or he’d never have another decent night’s sleep.

No more dreams, he thought. His body couldn’t stand waking up with the raging urges she was making him face. This was it. Things needed to be said and he hoped to hell she was the one that tossed the first stone. After that, he’d have man-up and deal with whatever it was he was feeling. Simple as that.

He walked up behind her, a pair of long, cotton shorts covered his thighs; his bare feet making subtle thudding sounds on the wooden planks. When he was almost beside her he watched her fingers wiping tears from her face.

“Mind if I sit?” he asked.

“It’s your dock,” she said.

Flynn sat down beside her, shifting on the wood to allow her enough room. His legs dangled over the edge, his bare feet dipping into the cool water beside hers.

“What's the matter? Did you break-up with your friend Greyson?” he asked.

Lacy drew in a long breath; her body tensed. “There wasn't anything between me and Greyson to break off,” she said, annoyance making each word curt. She watched him nod and run his palms down his thighs. “And here’s another news flash for you,” she said. “I didn’t sleep with him while he was here, either.”

He looked at her; irritation clenching her jaw. “Because I interrupted?”

“Hell no. I knew long before that point it wasn’t going to happen,” she said, and rubbed at her temples. “I had the opportunity for some decent, no-guilt sex and I turned it down,” she said. “Who would have thought I was capable of that?”

“And that’s why you’re pissed off?” he asked.

“I’m upset for a lot of reasons, none of which I’m sure you want to hear about.”

Flynn shrugged. “I’ll listen if you want me to.”

She looked at him, tears pooling again in her eyes, wondering why he suddenly seemed to give a shit about her feelings. “You’re not really interested in what I have to say.”

“Actually, I am,” he said.

Her eyes dropped to her lap, then switched to his muscled thighs. He was closer to her than she thought. She could feel the heat of him now; smell the bath soap he had showered with.

“Annie went home,” she said. “If her flight's on schedule, she should be home in time to have cocktails with her husband.”

“She’s coming back though, right?”

“Yeah, in a few days,” Lacey said. “I’m hoping she’ll stay longer next time.”

“Sounds good,” he said. His eyes drifted across the calm lake. The croak of frogs could be heard in the cove; along with the lulling hum of the Summer heat bugs.

“I want what she has,” Lacey finally said.

“Her husband?”

Lacey laughed. “I don’t think so! Annie’s the perfect match for Michael.”

“Then what is it?” he asked.

“I want her life. Kids. A real home. A man that’s my partner in every sense of the word.”

“Can’t you have that?” he asked.

“It’s not that easy.”

“Maybe not easy with the career you have, but certainly not impossible.”

“Bingo,” Lacey said. She laid back on the dock and covered her face with her hands. “I think it’s time for me to make some serious changes in my life.”

“How so?”

Lacey inhaled loudly. “I’ve been in the music business for twenty plus years,” she said. “I’ve accomplished every goal I set for myself and made a ton of money doing it.”

“That’s more than most ever manage in a lifetime,” he said.

“Yes, but the personal cost of doing that job required me to give up certain things…things I am just now realizing are more important than the money.”

“I see your point,” he said.

“I’m getting to that age that if I’m going to have kids, it needs to be soon or someone else is going to have to have them for me. I want to settle down, grow some roots, maybe even grow the hell up and that would mean no more touring.”

“None?” he asked.

Flynn tried to calm himself and not give away the impact Lacey's words were having on him. Truth was, what she was expressing was exactly what he wanted in his life, too. He glanced at her and for a moment, he allowed himself the fantasy of what it might be like to have Lacey in his life and he in hers. Soon as the thought registered in his brain, he turned away, surprised at himself and his obvious lack of emotional control.

Lacey shook her head. “Maybe a reduced schedule, like Annie’s doing,” she said. “She somehow manages to balance family and career and she’s happy. After listening to her talk about her kids and Michael for the last five days, I realize how empty my life has been. I want more,” she said and rolled her head to look up at Flynn. “Don’t you want more?” she asked. “Don’t you want kids? A wife waiting for you at the end of the day? The same warm body to wake up against every morning?”

The smile faded from Flynn’s face. His fingers combed through his hair, then scratched at the scalp. Was it possible she was able to read his mind, he thought? Her sentiments were hitting just a little bit too close to home for him.

“It all sounds perfect, Lacey, but that doesn’t mean it’s meant to be for everyone.”

Lacey’s fingers pressed into her eyes. “You’re right,” she said. “The picture I’m seeing in my head is probably nothing more than a fantasy.”

Silence fell between them like the fog gathering across the water. So far the conversation had felt relaxed. Easy, he thought. But the subject he wanted to talk about most hadn’t come up. Yet.

He looked at her reclined on the dock; her feet made sloshing noises as they sliced through the surface of the water. Her tight tank top had risen up and exposed her lower belly, revealing skin that shimmered like silk in the dimming daylight. He licked his lips, aching to kiss that bare expanse of flesh, run his tongue along the skin at the waistband of her cotton skirt. He watched her breathing for a moment. Arousal was knotting his groin, making it painful to sit. He needed to shift his focus away from the many ways he wanted to devour her and get back to the conversation at hand. He closed his eyes and turned away. Before he exposed too much of himself, he needed to know more about her.

“What does performing offer you?” he asked.

“The biggest and best adrenaline rush you could imagine,” she said, rising up on her elbows. “Nothing else compares.”

She looked at him, watched the soft pulse in his neck, the flex of muscle in his jaw, then tried to imagine the taste of the skin at the hollow of his throat. “There was something recently though that came close,” she said. A long moment passed before he looked at her.

“It was your kiss,” she said. “It nearly melted my bones, left me breathless and lightheaded, just like you read about in romance novels. I’ll never forget it and apparently for you it was merely a way to shut me up.”

And there it was. Open and raw. Flynn swallowed hard. How could a simple kiss hold such weight; such meaning, and feel so impossibly hot, he thought.

Lacey lay back down and stared at the darkening sky. In a few minutes dusk would turn to night. The first flickering of distant stars were beginning to light the blue-black twilight sky. Another tear trickled from her eye and disappeared into the hair covering her temple.

“I wasn’t exactly telling the truth when I made that comment,” Flynn said. “And I'm sorry I said it.”

“Why would you lie about something like that?” she asked.

“Fear.”

“I don't understand,” Lacey said, and sat upright beside him.

“I needed time to process it,” he said.

“You felt it, too,” she said on a sigh, elongating the words. “And all this time and you led me to believe otherwise.”

A slow smile lifted his lips. He tossed a small sliver of wood he’d managed to pick from the dock into the water. It was time to jump into the deep end and see who surfaced first. “Hell yeah, I felt it.”

Lacey pressed her shoulder to his. “You don’t sound happy about that.”

He stared at his hands pressed to his thighs. His throat feeling like it was constricting and dry. “Honestly, it scares me.”

Her fingers curled around his wrist and squeezed. The warmth of him shot through her veins like a drug. She waited until their eyes met, then touched his face. Her thumb pad ran across his bottom lip. She watched his eyelids lower, his eyes cloud with lust. She inched closer and watched him moisten his lips.

“Do you think the sensations we felt from that kiss was a one time thing?” she asked. Her hand eased around the back of his neck and massaged. “And maybe a second kiss wouldn’t feel nearly as good?” She pressed her cheek to his and heard his breathing deepen. The scent of his herbal shampoo and aftershave filled her nose. She pulled back and held his face with both hands; her lips brushed his. Heat pulsed between them with every beat of their hearts.

“Something tells me it wasn’t a fluke,” Lacey said. She felt his mouth open to her, felt his breath come rushing out. “Really makes me wonder…” she cut off, the tip of her tongue reaching to touch his. “What a second…kiss...might feel...”

Flynn covered her mouth with his and any doubts there would be a lack of sensation were all but forgotten. The gentle friction of his lips against hers made her hum. His tongue stroked and tasted every soft ridge and wet corner of her mouth with a slow fascination. When she gave the same attention to detail back to him, he moaned; easing her down onto the dock. He levered partially over her; resting on one elbow, a muscled leg draped over her thigh, his groin pressed into her hip.

His index finger traced a line through the moisture on her lower lip, then onto her throat. His thumb dipped into the soft hollow at the base. He paused, feeling the beat of her heart beneath his hand, her chest rising up in invitation. His hand inched lower, the tips of his fingers dancing over a hardened nipple before cupping her breast through the thin fabric of her tank top. His eyes bounced up to hers and held, nervous of what her reaction might be.

Lacey set her hand on top of his and started rubbing; forcing his to massage her breast. She pressed herself into his open palm and bit her bottom lip. If he stopped now, she would have to hurt him.

He watched her hand rotating his and wished he was touching bare skin. He swallowed hard at the thought of it. His eyes darted up to hers. He couldn’t believe he was doing this; touching her like he’d only done in his dreams. Every second that passed lifted and stretched his cock to new lengths behind the safe confines of his shorts.

She pulled his head down to her chest and heard him inhale. The heat of his exhale taunted her nipples. She combed through his hair with her fingers. The cool, silky waves curled around her fingers. He rubbed his cheek in the valley between her breasts, then lifted; his lips burning the length of her throat, gently nipping and sucking until his mouth found hers again. The kiss was primal, sparks of light exploding behind her eyelids with every connection their tongues made.

Kissing her was an ecstasy he hadn't known, liquid electricity flaming every nerve ending he had, making his entire body ache with arousal. Part of him wanted to rip the clothing from her and take her in one deep, mind-blowing thrust. Another part wanted to touch and taste every new square inch of her he exposed, savoring the slow progression, no matter how painful the wait for his release turned out to be.

His hand skimmed over each bump of rib along her side until he reached the curve of her hip. His fingers fanned on the smooth warmth of her thigh, then traversed to her knee cap before inching along the inside toward the heated pool he imagined was waiting for him at her center.

Lacey rolled slightly toward him, bending her legs at the knee and setting her feet onto the dock. She rose up and took his mouth again, just as his fingers discovered she was bare beneath the skirt. A moan sounding much like a curse escaped his lips.

“No panties?” he bit out.

“Too hot.”

“You’re killing me,” he said.

How could she expect him to maintain any amount of self-control when she made herself so ready to be taken? His mind swirled with the many different ways he wanted to pleasure her, some he visualized doing several times and all before sunrise.

Two thick fingers explored her slippery folds; while his tongue did much the same to her mouth. Lacey's hand wiggled between their bodies and gripped the hard length of his erection through his shorts. He flinched from her touch and broke their kiss.

“I can think of a dozen reasons why I shouldn’t be doing this with you,” he said, his voice rough and strained.

“And I’m feeling one, big reason why you should.”

Flynn rolled between her thighs; his weight resting on his elbows. His eyes bore into her. “This isn't how I imaged it,” he whispered.

“You imagined this happening?” she asked.

“Many times, but never on the dock.”

Lacey ran her thumb over his bottom lip. “I'm not opposed to reclining on a bed,” she said.

Flynn rocked against her; the fabric of his shorts creating the most amazing friction against her bare skin. She could feel the entire length and thickness of him. She arched; wanting so much more, aching for him to be inside.

Three beeps followed by a high-pitched squeal came from Flynn's cell phone. He swore and sat back on his knees, pulling the phone from the holder attached to his belt. He glanced at the caller ID box and cursed a second time.

Lacey rose up on her elbows. “Another plumbing emergency.”

“Nope. Brush fire this time,” he said.

“What does that have to do with you?” she asked.

“I'm a part-time firefighter,” he said. He came to his feet and offered her a hand.

“How many more jobs do you have?” she asked, a slight tinge of sarcasm in her tone. She stood up beside him and smoothed her clothing back into place.

“There isn't much time leftover to do anything else,” he said.

“You can say that again,” she said.

Lacey walked beside Flynn up the pathway toward their cottages. Once again, she was feeling like she was being kept at arms length with him. When they reached her driveway, she lifted her hand to wave and Flynn grabbed her wrist. He tugged her against his chest.

“This call sounds minor,” he said. “I shouldn't be long.” His lips softly brushed hers. “Maybe you could leave your back light on, if you're interested in company later?” he asked.

“The back door will be unlocked, but I can't guarantee I'll be awake when you get back,” she said.

Flynn smiled against her mouth. “Then, I'll have fun waking you up.”

Lacey shivered at the thought. “Don't make promises you can't keep.”

His hand slipped beneath her skirt and cupped her bare bottom. “I'll see you later.”

She stepped away from him and smiled.





The brush fire went to three alarms and involved several other abutting towns. It took dozens of firefighters and machinery to bring the blaze under control, but in the end, they were able to save numerous homes and most of an old apple orchard.

It was almost noon the next day when Flynn finally returned home. Lacey heard his truck on the gravel driveway and met him outside. He stepped from the truck; bone weary exhaustion slouching his shoulders. His face was covered in black smears of soot; a gentle breeze blew ash and dirt from the waves in his hair.

“You're just getting home?” she asked.

Flynn nodded. “Fire took longer than we thought to knock down,” he said. “I hope you didn't wait long.”

Lacey's face lit up at the memory. “No, I showered and went to bed.”

“Which is exactly what I'm going to do now,” he said. He gave her a weak wave of his hand and smiled, then turned to walk toward his house.

“Flynn, I probably won't be here when you wake up,” she said.

He faced her and tipped his head.

“Annie invited me to perform with her at a benefit show in Boston,” she said. “Rehearsals are today and tomorrow and the show is Saturday night.”

Flynn digested her words, almost too tired for the information to make sense in his brain.

“Okay,” he said. “I'll see you when you get back.” He started walking again and felt Lacey's fingers curl around his bicep.

“I was wondering if you'd like to come to the show, as my guest,” she said.

“In Boston?” he asked.

“Yes, at the Fleet Center,” she said. “I can leave your name with security and they'll let you backstage with me.”

“Backstage?” he asked, realizing he was repeating almost everything she said to him.

Lacey laughed. “I'll call you later, after you've gotten some sleep.”

He lowered his head and chuckled. “Good, because it's doubtful I'll remember what you're saying.”