CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Monday morning, while darkness still covered him, Flynn had crept out of the garage apartment feeling like a criminal. As well he should have. He’d taken what he knew he had no right to touch. He wasn’t the man to fulfill Sami’s dreams. Sweet, trusting, adorable Sami, who beyond a doubt would be expecting him to be right there beside her when she opened those gorgeous green eyes of hers.
Fifty laps in the hotel pool did little to wash away his sense of guilt.
And desire.
He hadn’t wanted to slip out of bed. He’d wanted nothing more than to wake her slow and easy and watch her explode with crazy, joyous sex. But it was as if he operated on autopilot, and even as he sneaked his clothes out of the pitch black bedroom, he couldn’t force himself to remain with her.
Not that his body hadn’t wanted to. It was his mind, his damned stubborn programmed-to-escape brain that did him in.
Damn but if he didn’t want to head straight back to Sami.
That guilty, double-crossing feeling had no place in his life. He’d slaked his thirst. It was time to move on.
Poolside, Flynn wadded his towel and tossed it onto a chaise, sprawled down and crossed his arms over his damp chest. Closing his eyes, he pictured Sami there, lying atop him, riding him. God if he wasn’t getting hard just remembering how passionate she’d been.
“Hey,” said a silky, female voice. Flynn opened his eyes. A brunette babe with a body to die for stood close enough to him that he could have reached out and shimmied a finger along the line of her scanty bikini. The way she had her hip cocked out made him consider she’d welcome the touch. But it felt like too much trouble to lift his hand.
“Hey,” he said, taking in her curves with his gaze and trying to force an interest he didn’t feel. Maybe this was exactly what he needed. The next hot sex. And this babe looked like she had the equipment to drive Sami out of his misbegotten brain. Flynn patted the chaise next to his waist.
She lowered her lithe body, her cheeks cozying up to his hip. “Didn’t I see you in the lobby a week or so ago?”
“Maybe,” Flynn said.
She leaned toward his chest. “I never forget a face. Or a man with a body like yours.” She widened her eyes and ran her tongue over her lips. Damned if those weren’t the same tricks he’d instructed Sami to employ. “You were with a woman. And some kind of dog.”
“Yeah,” Flynn said. “Then. Not now.” He vaguely recalled a hot brunette in the lobby bar. But he’d had eyes only for Sami. The damn mutt had interrupted them at exactly the right moment. So where in the hell was Ruby last night when he could have used a referee blowing a whistle?
“In that case, I’m Karynne,” the brunette said, running one red-painted nail in a line down his chest. “917.” She rose, stretched her arms overhead, treating him to a pretty dance of her butt and back and long silky hair. “Come help me change.”
Flynn grunted. “917.”
She swayed toward the changing room.
Flynn closed his eyes. The erection he’d gotten just from thinking about Sami had died. He should get his ass off the chaise, head up to 917 and do what needed to be done.
He kept his eyes closed. After a few minutes, the brunette’s touch and presence faded. He took a deep breath. He felt like a spoiled child demanding someone else’s toy. He wanted Sami. He couldn’t have Sami. He wanted to drum his heels on the chaise.
Instead, he opened his eyes, got up, and dove into the pool again. Maybe another fifty laps would do the trick.
At least he was too tired to do anything other than put one foot in front of the other when he finally hauled himself out of the pool and returned to his suite. He dressed, drove to the CMA meeting, and thought only of his client’s interests.
Later that day, sitting with Violet Abernathy and waiting for Rod Parks, Flynn let his mind flitter briefly back to Sami, and then only because Violet asked after her.
Or so he told himself.
“She was down,” Violet said.
Flynn nodded, understanding Violet’s lingo enough that he took her comment as the compliment she intended it to be. “She got your music,” he said.
Violet inclined her chin. Her purple hair was done in a knot atop her head. She wore three diamond studs in one ear and a dragon ear cuff on the other. Instead of a caftan, today she sported a mini skirt and a Peace Sign T-shirt. Flynn knew other personal managers would encourage her to dress in a more temperate style, but he believed Violet’s unique looks worked for her.
Rod strode into the room, rubbing his hands together, beaming. “Glad you two could make it,” he said. “Thought maybe you’d jumped a boxcar and headed west.”
Violet gave him a look.
Rod chuckled and pointed at Violet. “Exactly like my niece Cosey. Can slay you with her eyes.” Glancing around, he said, “You didn’t bring that pretty Miss Pepper with you.”
“She’s not my associate,” Flynn said.
Rod winked. “All work and no play does make for a dull fence post.” He pulled out a chair next to where they were seated at a small conference table. “Not that it seemed you two were doing the nasty.”
Flynn wished he knew whether Violet was going to listen to any of Parks’s advice. If not, he could simply lean over and strangle the jerk. “Sami isn’t interested in love ‘em and leave ‘em men,” he said, rather sternly. It felt a bit odd to be lecturing this guy who could be his dad. Probably had a lot in common with the loser. “What she wants is the ring on the finger, the house in the ‘burbs, and the dual infant seats in the Volvo.”
“Ah, hell,” Rod said. “And she seemed like she was all set to ride the rodeo.”
Flynn frowned. “Wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for her to call.”
“What the hell,” Rod said. “If that’s what she wants punching her ticket, I’ll hold off playing conductor.”
“Do you always talk that way?” Violet gazed at Rod as if he had three heads rising above his Polo shirt.
“No need to sass,” Rod said.
Violet stood up. “I’m doing the Scott movie.” She wrinkled her nose. “Despite his being almost as old as you two.”
“We haven’t even started the discussion,” Rod said.
“No need.” Violet shook her head. “I’m hiring you, Flynn. You at least don’t talk about Sami Pepper as if she’s a hole to swing your putter toward.”
Rod pushed his chair back. “Good expression, Violet. I hope you don’t live to regret your rash decision. You young people never want to listen and learn from those of us who’ve been around the block a couple of hundred times.”
Violet had made it almost to the door. She glanced back. “We have our reasons.”
Flynn got up. “She knows her own mind,” he said. “Catch you ‘round.”
“Humph,” Rod said. “Thanks for the tip on Sami. I mean, who the hell wants two damn infant seats?” He sighed. “She’s got some fine boobs, though. I’d sure like to—“
Flynn whirled and grabbed Rod by the shirt collar. “Don’t even think about her body.”
“Let go,” Rod said.
Flynn dropped his hand.
“It’s like that, is it?” Rod grinned and held out his hand. “Wish you luck when you’re tied down like a lobster in a trap.”
Flynn turned and walked away, breathing hard.
He needed to get back to L.A. In Nashville, he just wasn’t his normal self.