Sierra shivered.
His dick throbbed at the sight. At her whole-body shiver, and at the view of her exposed nape. Right on the spot where, ifhe put his lips, Flynn knew he could tease another shiver out of her.
Then he noticed how her hair looked in his fist. He flashed ahead past a million impossibilities to a scene that he couldnever let happen. Sierra on her knees. Naked. Looking over her shoulder at him with that shy smile while he fisted her hairand drove into her.
The ice slid off her ankle, tinkling as it tumbled out of the towel onto the floor. The moment was gone.
Although Flynn knew he’d never be able to get that image out of his mind.
Carlos reappeared in the doorway. “Flynn, will you take her home?”
“I can get myself home,” Sierra protested.
“Did you ride that bike of yours here?” At her nod, Carlos fished his keys out of his pocket and tossed them to Flynn. “Here.Take my truck. Load her bike into the back. I’ll have Jeb drive me home once we close.”
“That’s really not necessary.”
“And it’s not up for discussion.” Unbelievable. First of all, a bike? Seriously? Secondly, he had to prove to Sierra it wasokay to let him help. Despite the stubbornly independent streak she had. “I’ll grab my jacket and be right back.”
Carlos shut the door to the office behind them, then rounded on Flynn. He brandished a stubby finger in his face. “Be carefulwith her.”
What the hell? “I always am.” He headed to his locker at the end of the hallway, right before the dry storage. Unfortunately,Carlos dogged his heels.
“No, you’re polite. To everyone. That’s not the same as being careful.”
Damn it, he bent over backward to be careful with Sierra. Flynn spun the combination on his locker. He didn’t really get into personal conversations these days. The easiestway to keep a life of lies straight was to say nothing at all. But he couldn’t blow off his boss without a reason. “I won’tgive her the wrong idea.”
“What? That you’re a decent human being?”
“No. That I’m interested.”
Carlos’s swarthy features twisted into astonishment, and then humor. His laugh boomed out, echoing off the pans hanging fromhooks above the prep counter. “Because you’re God’s gift to womankind? One smile and she’ll lose her common sense, her goodtaste, and her ability to resist you?”
“Something like that.”
“So far as I can tell, you’ve got exactly one strength. Making up weird and wonderful cocktails. People go ape-shit for them.You know what they don’t go nuts over? Your looks and barely noticeable charm. If you can squeeze out a smile, I promise thatSierra will be able to withstand it. She’s strong.”
“She’s fragile.”
“Doesn’t mean she’s not strong. People are often more than just what they look like.” Carlos cocked his head to the side.“Guessing you already know that.”
“What you see is what you get.”
“A guy with a chip on his shoulder?”
“Yeah. That’s it.” That’s all he was anymore. Flynn couldn’t risk being anything but the empty shell of a man.
This move into WITSEC had hollowed him out. Hollowed out everything he thought he was, who he was. No point filling that backup. No point deciding on a new persona.
All Flynn believed now? Was that it wouldn’t last long enough to matter. Because hope was a luxury he’d lost.
Chapter Two
Sierra Williams knew that letting Flynn take her home was a huge mistake. No, it was several mistakes compounding into a giganticone. Being alone with Flynn was . . . a horrible idea. Because Flynn was gorgeous. Chiseled, from his knife-sharp cheekbones to his ripped physique. Dark and sexy, with a quietly brooding bad boy vibe thatpushed all her buttons.
Which was exactly what got her in trouble with her last boyfriend. Rick. Who then sucked her unknowingly into an art counterfeitingring. And that led right into bad mistake number two. Letting Flynn know where she lived.
When you were on the run, trying to be incognito, you didn’t invite someone over to your house.
Not that Flynn had waited to be invited. No, he’d just issued the edict that he was taking her home.
Which had been kind of hot, come to think of it. Rick’s reasons for everything he said, did, and made Sierra do always cameback to himself. Tonight, Flynn seemed hell-bent on helping Sierra. None of it benefitted him.
She’d made him lose tips by leaving early. Given his poor brother a mess to clean up. And now his evening was hijacked bytaking her home. He got nothing out of it for himself. Less than nothing.
Probably why it felt so good that he insisted on helping her . . .
On to bad mistake number three. Letting herself get distracted by Flynn. Oh, Sierra noticed him all the time. How could any woman with a pulse not notice him? If she’d still been safely back in art school, all herfriends would’ve been trying to get Flynn to model nude for their life drawing class.
The way he stood, with one hip canted forward as if he was about to command a Roman battalion to ride into battle. Powerful.In control of anything and everything within his sphere. Even though he rarely asserted that power, it rolled off of him.Gave him a sense of authority that sent shivers down Sierra’s spine. On top of the stunning way his close-cropped, jet-blackhair contrasted with his pale skin and almost navy blue eyes. Black Irish. That’s how her art books would’ve characterizedhim as a portrait subject.
Just plain dreamy is how Sierra characterized him. Height that topped six feet and made her feel tiny and feminine. Musclesthat bulged in all the right places. Forearms, with those long, thick blue veins running down them that popped out even morewhen he sliced the garnish fruit. Sierra had become an expert at rationalizing reasons to head over to the bar whenever sheheard the knife snick against the cutting board. Just to watch. Ogle. Drool. All of the above.
But tonight she’d wallowed in Flynn on a
