Virtuous(69)

My insides quiver the same way they did when he first said those words to me. Though my inclination is always to be skeptical, with him I’m not. I believe him when he says he’ll wait for me, no matter how long it takes me to get there. He’ll wait. Knowing that takes the pressure off and allows me to relax enough to enjoy this adventure he’s taking me on.

I walk through the house to the living room and notice he’s left the door open for me. The lights are now on inside the pool, casting a glow over the deck where Flynn waits for me, dressed only in a pair of board shorts. His back is to me, but I can tell he’s checking his phone while he waits.

“Hey.”

He spins around, and once again, his mouth opens and then snaps shut. After a short pause in which he only stares at me, he says, “You’re so beautiful, Nat. You literally steal the breath from my lungs.”

Equally taken in by him, I cross the pool deck. “You’re quite beautiful yourself.” His chest and abdomen are ripped with well-defined muscles that make me want to run my fingers—and my tongue—over them.

“I ain’t got nothing on you.”

“I know a few million women who would disagree.”

He slips his arms around me and brings me in close. “The only one who matters is right here.”

I go up on tiptoes to kiss him.

“What did I do to deserve that?”

“You’re very sweet.”

He scowls at the term. “No, I’m really not.”

“Yes, you really are.”

“Natalie…” He seems tormented as he appears to weigh whether he wants to say more.

“What is it?”

“Nothing, sweetheart.” He kisses my forehead. “Let’s swim.”

Despite what he says, I can see something is troubling him. I decide to wait for another chance to ask him about it.

We swim, we snuggle underwater, and we laugh—a lot—when we’re not kissing, which is most of the time. As promised, he’s a perfect gentleman. His hands never wander from my hips or back. By the time we get out of the pool more than an hour later, my skin is pruned and my body is craving more of what he gave me on the plane.

My first orgasm. It’s beyond embarrassing to admit, even to myself and especially to him, that at nearly twenty-four, I’d never experienced that particular bliss until he took me there. I’m so accustomed to keeping everything to myself that sharing something like that will take courage I don’t have quite yet.

I’m beginning to believe, however, that I’ll get there. Eventually. I’m beginning to believe the day will come when I share most of my thoughts with him.

With the sun long gone, the evening air is chilly. Flynn wraps a big towel around me and leads me straight to the massive shower in the master bathroom. There are knobs and valves and a wide variety of showerheads as well as room for a family of six. “I’m going to need a shower tutorial here.”

“I gotcha covered.” He turns on the water and sets it to fall from the rainforest showerhead above.

“I left shampoo and stuff on the counter. Would you mind grabbing it for me?”

“No problem.” He returns with the shampoo and the conditioner bottle he’s opened to smell. “Mmm, so that’s the source of the most incredible scent.”

I take the bottles from him, but he shows no signs of leaving.

“Want some help with the shampoo?”

“Is that a metaphor?”

His laughter echoes through the bathroom. “No, that’s my genuine attempt to get my hands on your gorgeous hair.”

“In that case, come on in.”

Still wearing the board shorts, he steps into the stall and takes the shampoo from me. He takes his time massaging my scalp and running his fingers through the length of my hair. By the time he’s finished with the conditioner, I’m leaning against him because my legs no longer feel sturdy under me.

The cloud of steam around us adds to the erotic atmosphere. His every touch and caress sets me on fire for things I thought I’d never want from any man. But in his arms, I’ve discovered that underneath the trauma and the scars on my soul is a normal young woman with all the same desires other women have.

I turn to him, slide my hands from his chest to his shoulders and draw his head down for a kiss. “Flynn?”

“Hmmm?” His eyes are closed and his jaw is tight.

“Every time you touch me, you take me apart, piece by piece. And then you kiss me and put me back together.”