“Don’t knock it until you try it.” She started forward to the glass cooler filled with lemon-cucumber water. Flynn noticedher approach and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back flush against his chest.
“Don’t punish me with that stuff when I’ve brought you a present.”
Sierra didn’t get presents. Her foster families never had cash to spare to celebrate birthdays or Christmas. Her friends inart school definitely couldn’t afford to splurge on gifts. She rose onto her toes in excitement. “Really?”
“That’s why I’m here.” Flynn brought his other hand out from behind his back. He handed her a plastic grocery bag. “For you.”
Surprised—and flustered, and caught off guard—that he’d stop by to bring her anything, Sierra dug into the bag. When her hands hit terry cloth, she started giggling. Her laughter grew as she pulled out a navyblue bath towel. It was funny and sexy and absolutely perfect.
“Why, thank you ever so much. I wonder what I should do with this?” She rubbed it against her cheek, trying to look innocent.No, trying to look sexy. In a shapeless spa robe and slippers. Probably not even a supermodel could pull that off.
“Anything you want. You could use it after your shower tomorrow. Or . . .” Flynn stroked his chin as if deep in thought. “. . . Youcould model it for me. Later.”
Sierra was well acquainted with nude models—or life models, as they were called in artists’ circles. She had zero problemstaring at the naked human form.
But stripping down in front of Flynn? This paragon of masculinity and handsomeness? Who was 1) out of her league, 2) older,and thus undoubtedly 3) more experienced. It gave her . . . pause. Skittered nerves across her belly like ants marching acrossa gingham tablecloth. Sierra wasn’t a virgin. Or a shrinking violet. She just didn’t want to disappoint him. Turn him off.Do anything to stop all the fun they were suddenly having.
Life and Karma would undoubtedly pull the plug on it soon enough. She didn’t want to hasten the process by screwing somethingup.
“Hey.” Flynn took her empty hand and squeezed it. “You disappeared there for a second. I’m not trying to pressure you.”
And just like that, her on-edge nerves smoothed out. Her breath whooshed in and out easily. His touch was all it took. Flynngrounded her. Calmed her. Made Sierra feel comfortably herself, instead of a panicked person she barely recognized.
“I know. Really.” Sierra waved the towel in the air, letting it unfold. “I love it. Thank you. You made me laugh and feelsexy at the same time, which is a first.”
His eyes opened wider. Surprise was an expression she hadn’t seen on his face before. Like everything else on Flynn Maguire,it looked good. “That’s a damn shame.”
“Why?”
“Laughter and sex go together. If it isn’t fun and funny at least some of the time, you aren’t doing it right.” Slowly, hetrailed a finger from her chin, down her throat, all the way to the V where her bathrobe’s fleece lapels met. He left a trailof goose bumps in his wake. “Or—and I’d put money on this being the case—you weren’t doing it with the right person.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” But Sierra couldn’t imagine laughing during sex.
She thought back to the fast and altogether unexciting couplings with Rick. Sierra had stayed with him for the sense of belonging,the tenderness that had been there—at least, in the beginning. She’d always assumed that sex was like a summer blockbustermovie. Loud. Euphemistic penis measuring. Didn’t come close to living up to all the hype.
Until Flynn.
Flynn made her believe in the flash and bang and romance and thrill of a big, old-school Hollywood ending that made you sighand tingle down to your toes.
And that was just from kissing him.
Gently, he tightened her sash. “The towel can be just a towel.”
“No. I want it to be more. I want it to be fun. Just . . . not quite yet.”
“There’s no rush, Sierra. Plenty of fun to be had along the way to towel-level adventures. I like to take my time.” Flynnbrushed another kiss across her lips. “I don’t want to keep you from your party any longer. See you tomorrow.” He disappeareddown the thickly carpeted hallway.
She’d come out here to catch her breath. Only now, Sierra was breathless for a whole different reason.
Flynn’s gesture had changed everything. Or maybe, it just helped all the feelings within her burst out of the cocoon of fearin which she’d been living for so many months.
Turning in a circle, she looked for somewhere to sit. Barring that, something to steady her balance. Her ankle wasn’t givingout, but the earth did feel like it was shifting beneath her.
On the counter, next to the water jug, was a stack of wet rolled hand towels. She grabbed one. Its coldness shocked her, alongwith the zingy peppermint scent. Sierra touched it to her forehead, inhaled deeply a few times, then laid it on the back ofher neck. It turned out that major life revelations heated her up as much as a session on the couch with Flynn.
A burst of laughter teased out from behind the closed door. Her new friends were great. They cared. How could she have leta little thing like being cared for drive her out of the room in a near-panic attack?
Well, because she was exhausted. Tired of hiding who she really was. Worn-out from clamping down on thoughts and emotionsand the basic truths of her life and who she was.
No more.
Not everyone was lucky enough to have the sound of crashing waves and seagulls as appropriate background music to a life-alteringdecision. Sierra cocked her head, listening. Taking a mental video of the moment when she put her foot down. Took a stand.Took her life back.
Finally.
Because as of this moment, she was done running. Rick—and his dangerous stupidity—forced her to give up so much. Her chanceat finishing her graduate degree. Her home, no matter that it was just an RA suite in a dorm. Her sense of peace. Safety.Courage. She’d had exactly enough courage to run from her old
