Page 10 of Flynn (Foxy’s Rent-A-Date #4)

Hours later, we’d been lucky enough to swim with wild dolphins—an experience I would never forget—and been treated to couple’s massages.

Being mostly naked in a room with Flynn should have been an amazing experience, but it was awkward and a little frustrating.

Watching another woman run her hands up and down his back and shoulders had ignited a spark of jealousy in me I didn’t know I had.

Because of that, I found it hard to relax, even with the Fabio look-a-like running his hands over my body.

I wasn’t usually a fan of strangers touching me anyway, but normally I’d have made an exception for the Adonis willing and ready to rub me down with baby oil.

But no. My attention was constantly stuck on the woman running her hands across Flynn and making no effort to hide her glee that he was her client.

I mean, this was a couple’s massage. This implied a serious relationship between the clients, and she made no effort to conceal her lust for Flynn.

I hadn’t stayed for the full hour, instead opting to spend some time in the sauna before showering and meeting everyone in the lobby of the massage parlor.

Most of the wedding couples looked thoroughly relaxed, and I wished I could have enjoyed it more.

After the massage, we’d been corralled onto a bus and driven to a beach-side tavern named The Sandy Bar & Grill .

Inside was a welcome surprise. The cooler atmosphere was a relief from the humidity outside.

There was a bar that stretched across most of the right side of the building, a stage at the back, and a large open space for dancing.

Tables and chairs were to the left with comfortable looking boots lining the right side of the building.

“Hi, everyone,” a man greeted, and I’d be lying if I didn’t notice how hot he was.

Tall, with tattoos running up and down his right arm, shoulder-length surfer hair, and a freaking dimple in one cheek, he was good looking and knew it.

“My name is Liam Mathews, and this is my place. We have seats reserved for you all this way, and I’ll have a server come by in a few minutes to collect your drink orders.

If you need anything, just call out and we’ll do what we can to help.

” Flynn wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me to his side, and when I looked up at him, he was dragging his gaze from Liam to me.

I raised an eyebrow. Had he noticed my attention temporarily hung on our host?

“Also, where are the bride and groom?” Liam called, his gaze bouncing between me and Flynn to Sofia and Ellis who stood on the other side of the group holding hands.

Everyone looked their way and Liam grinned at them.

“We have a special set-up for you two, if you’ll follow me.

” A server popped up then, a beautiful woman with bright eyes and a wide smile.

“Hi, I’m Melanie, and I’ll be helping you all this afternoon.

You’ve all met my husband, Liam, and as he said, if there’s anything you need, just give us a shout.

” We followed her to the other side of the tavern and took our seats, and I smiled politely as she handed us our menu and left.

“I’m starving,” I said with a small groan.

“Me too. I hope the food’s good,” Flynn agreed, flicking open his menu.

We ordered our drinks and food, and I sighed when we were finally alone.

I was surprised when a band started playing, and the smooth, smokey voice that sounded came from none other than our host, Liam Mathews.

I angled my chair so that I was a little closer to Flynn, but so I could watch Liam sing and play the guitar, and I found myself tapping my foot to the beat.

His bandmates were equally good looking, just in another way, and I wondered how they’d come to be on this tiny island.

After the first song ended and the second one started, I leaned back in my chair and looked at Flynn from the corner of my eye.

He was watching the band as well, his posture relaxed, head nodding gently along to the music.

Our day together so far had been really nice.

He hadn’t stopped touching me since we’d left the pottery studio, little grazes here and there, or his fingers tangled with mine.

He kept us close because we were selling a relationship, but I was soaking in every moment of it.

I knew this was fake, and I knew it was dangerous for my heart to let myself get dragged too far into this, but I just wanted to live in our bubble a little longer.

Slowly, I reached across the table to take his hand, but I couldn’t bring myself to lift my gaze to see his face.

What was he thinking right now? Was he confused?

Worried? Did he like that I’d been the one to reach for him this time?

Was this all one giant mistake I’d regret?

Inwardly kicking myself, I began to pull my hand away, but his grip tightened on mine.

“Look at me, Angel,” Flynn ordered gently, his voice a low rumble.

God, the way he issued that command was so soft, but I found myself eager to obey.

Slowly, I raised my gaze to his, clinging to my courage with my fingertips.

I had no idea why it felt like an act of courage.

We were playing a part, this was all for show, but in this moment, I felt like all pretenses were off the table.

This was the real Flynn and Chiara. Deep green eyes locked with mine and I stilled.

I knew everything I was thinking had to be written all over my face.

I’d never been good at lying or hiding my feelings.

But whatever Flynn saw there only seemed to feed the hunger I saw building in his eyes.

Flipping my hand over, he traced gentle circles on my palm, and the small move sent my heart thudding hard and fast. He kept his eyes locked with mine as he continued touching me, and I desperately wanted to know what he was thinking.

I wanted to ask him to give me these next few days, but I also knew it was a bad idea.

I’d always played by the rules, always done what needed to be done.

I’d been the responsible one since I was a little girl, always living within the lines of society and never doing things that were not good for me or leading toward the wilder side of life.

My entire life, I’d been safe, sheltered, predictable.

But Flynn made me want to be different. Something in me yearned to be a little wild with him, to let myself go and drop all inhibitions.

I wanted more, but I worried I’d regret it when everything was said and done.

Could I keep my heart in a box and just enjoy what we could have here?

“Come,” he said softly, and I frowned when he stood from his chair.

When I didn’t move, he smiled softly. “Come dance with me, Angel.” I wasn’t even going to pretend I didn’t want to dance with him.

I was suddenly desperate to feel his arms around me, and didn’t that just make me a little bit pathetic?

Ah, who cared? I was okay with being a little pathetic if it meant I got to be in his arms again.

I stood up but hesitated. “I can’t dance well,” I warned.

His smile was small but completely sinful.

“At this very moment, I need to feel you against me, Angel. I just want a reason to hold you, and I don’t want to wait.

” Goddamn, that was a good response. Smiling, I let him lead me to the empty dance floor.

Knowing we were the only ones out there made me feel self-conscious, but when Flynn pulled me in close, I forgot about everyone else.

He kept both arms wrapped around my waist, and I raised mine to link my fingers behind his neck.

Flynn began swaying us back and forth, our feet shuffling slowly so that we weren’t really dancing, but we were moving.

Those green eyes scanned over my face, and I desperately wanted to know what he was thinking.

In the years we’d been apart, he’d learned how to hide his thoughts behind a mask.

“What do you want, Ara?” he asked softly.

I frowned in confusion, and he gently shook his head.

“I’m not alone in this, am I? In what this is between us?

You feel this too. I know you do.” Swallowing hard, I nodded.

“Yes.” “So, what do you want, Ara? I don’t want there to be any confusion here.

The last thing I ever want to do is hurt you, so I need to know what you want.

” “I…” I hesitated, unable to put it into words.

We were really having this conversation, weren’t we?

The truth was, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted from him.

Instead of answering, I tipped my head back further.

“What do you want?” “You,” he answered without hesitating.

My heart skipped a beat, but he continued talking.

“I want you, Ara, for as long as you’ll have me.

For as long as this job lasts. I don’t want to only touch you when we have an audience or to sell our story.

There’s chemistry here, a pull, and I want to explore it…

if you want that too.” I ducked my head so he wouldn’t see the stab of disappointment I felt at his words.

He wanted me for the duration of this job, but not after.

I don’t know why it hurt to hear that when I’d been thinking along the same lines not long ago.

I wanted him too, and I knew we weren’t a permanent thing, I knew we wouldn’t actually make something of this.

So, what was worse? Living with the regret of not taking what he was offering?

Or having to say goodbye to him when this was all over?

“Angel?” I slowly lifted my gaze to his, and I felt like I was about to step off a cliff with no assurance of a soft landing.

“I want… you, Flynn. Whatever you are offering, I want it. If it’s one night, the next few days or something else, I want it.

As long as it’s you and me, I want it,” I answered, stepping off the cliff.

The pupils of his eyes nearly eclipsed the green, and I almost melted on the spot.

“Angel?” “I need you to kiss me, Flynn,” I urged on a breathy whisper, sliding my fingers up into his hair.

He didn’t make me wait, and as his mouth lowered to mine, I pressed up on my toes and for the first time, let myself embrace the fall.