“This is fantastic. Did you do this yourself?”
“Yes.” Sierra nodded, suddenly uncomfortable with the attention. She hadn’t been trying to show off—just find some way tobring something special to the party. Something special enough to thank Mollie for including her.
Mollie held it up for everyone to look at, and a chorus of oohs and aahs filled the room. “I love it. I’ll frame it and putit out every year during my birthday month.”
Omigosh. Did Mollie think that was it? Sierra bit her lip, trying not to giggle. “That’s just the wrapping. Your gift is inside the envelope.”
Lucien handed over a knife so that she could slit it open. Mollie slowly drew out the piece of thick paper. It was a sketchof her and her boyfriend, Rafe, Flynn’s brother.
They came into the Gorse together all the time. Sierra had noticed as soon as they started dating, because they were so into each other. When Rafe and Mollie looked at each other, they acted as though all the other people in the bar didn’t exist.Like they were in a private bubble of love.
So she’d done a pencil sketch of them, just like that. With enough hints of furniture, jukebox, and a bar to show they wereat the Gorse. But then, inside a shimmery, heart-shaped bubble, she’d drawn Mollie, with her chin in her hand staring at Rafelike he hung the moon in the sky. And Rafe kissing the knuckles of her other hand. His head was down but his eyes were up,fixed on Mollie and beaming with adoration.
“Sierra. My God, this is incredible.” Mollie passed it to Elena and vaulted off the lounge chair. Two quick strides broughther over to Sierra’s. Fat tears clung to her bottom lashes. She threw her arms around Sierra in a long, tight hug. “Thankyou.”
“You’re welcome.”
She sat back down, hand pressed together over her heart. “This is huge. We don’t have any pictures together.”
“Rafe’s ridiculously camera shy. I don’t know why, since he’s so freaking gorgeous,” Elena said, fanning herself dramatically.
Mollie’s gaze shifted back and forth between the two, before her lips thinned, too. It was weird how she almost looked likeshe was trying to hide something. Did Rafe have a real phobia of cameras? Did he think he was a vampire and thus unable tobe captured on film? Sierra bit her lip to keep from giggling.
“Anyway, this means a lot to me. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”
Sierra dipped her head. “It means a lot that you invited me to your party.”
Lily peered at her from behind pink cat’s-eye glasses. “Sierra, you’re so talented. Not like a hobby. This is art. The realdeal.”
“It’s just a sketch. It only took half an hour.”
“Did you learn how to do this in school?”
“Do you ever sell your work?” Questions popped at Sierra from every side of the room. The kind of questions she’d have toanswer with lies. The kind of questions that had forced her, for months, to not engage with anyone.
Here she was, finally splurging in a few basic human connections, and after only an hour she’d been trapped. Trapped by well-meaning,interested people. Trapped by people who wanted to know more about her.
How could that be a bad thing?
How could she live her life avoiding that?
That question was a sucker punch from her brain straight to her stomach. Sierra bent forward, pulling a hand to her belly.Air became impossible to draw into her lungs. Because tonight had been wonderful. Between Flynn and this party, she felt morealive than she had in the past few months.
Attentive, caring people were staring at her. Waiting for an answer. Waiting for Sierra to share what should be the most basic information in the world. Instead, it was basically giving her a panic attack.
“I’ll be right back. Which way’s the bathroom?”
Lucien pointed at the furthest of five doors from her. Of course. Hoping that nobody noticed her fast, shallow, guppy-likegasps for air, Sierra hightailed it across the room as fast as the backless slippers would let her. She slid sideways throughthe door. When she turned to face front, she almost jumped out of her slippers.
Flynn stood right in front of her. He looked decidedly out of place in the driftwood and cream hallway that smelled of lavender.He wore black cargo shorts, a black tee, and flip-flops. Sierra was so used to seeing him in jeans that yes, her gaze dippedback down twice to take in the legs—or rather, thickly muscled legs—covered in dark hair.
“Oh. Wow, this is a surprise. Hi.”
He didn’t speak. Only bent down to brush his lips against hers. Once. Twice. Then Sierra gave up counting as he tunneled onehand through her hair to pull her even closer.
She surrendered to the dizzying, knee-melting sensation of being kissed senseless by Flynn. The way he started slow and thenjust consumed her with his passion that ignited even more of her own. It felt so good to be wanted so much. To hear the low growl that crawled up from his throat. To notice his growing hardness against her belly. To openher eyes and meet his fierce, burning blue stare.
Finally, Flynn eased back with one last kiss on the tip of her nose. “Hi.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m hooked on the cucumber water. Can’t get enough of it,” he deadpanned.
Sierra didn’t believe him for a second. Flynn’s muscles and tan didn’t give him the look of a man who came into the spa fora buff and polish. “Have you ever even tasted cucumber water?”
“God, no,” he said with a shudder. “Cucumbers already taste
