Danielle’s heart squeezed tight at the thought of Flynn’s childhood. She could just picture him as a dark-haired boy picking up after his drunken father, making them something for dinner, from the meager scraps in the cupboard, his clothes threadbare.
“Why didn’t anyone help him back then, Louise? He was so young.”
“We all tried, but his father was a proud man and wouldn’t accept help and somehow the authorities never seemed to take any action.”
How could any parent make their own children suffer in such a fashion? In any fashion?
“How did his mother die?”
“In childbirth.”
Danielle gasped. “Flynn’s mother died having a baby?”
“Yes, but it won’t happen to you,” Louise quickly assured her. “She died a long time ago. They have much better medical treatments now.”
Danielle sat there, stunned. And he hadn’t told her? For a moment an incredible hurt clutched at her throat.
Then she realized that perhaps he had told her, but not in words. There had been his seeming anger when he’d found out she was pregnant and living alone. He’d stayed away from her, not because he’d thought she was trying to trap him as she’d suspected, but because the child she carried was a painful reminder of how his mother had died. An agony he didn’t want to deal with every day.
Yet here they were now.
“You love him, Danielle,” Louise said, interrupting her thoughts. “I know you do. I can see it in your eyes every time you say his name.”
Danielle blinked. “That’s ridiculous. You’ve got it all wrong.”
“No, I haven’t.” With that, Louise picked up an empty dish from the table and went back in the house.
Danielle sat back in her chair and stared after her. Louise was wrong. So totally wrong. She didn’t love Flynn. She wouldn’t let herself fall in love again, no matter how attracted she was to the man. She was stronger than that. Stronger and…a fool.
A fool in love.
Something unfurled inside her, came full circle and completed what had begun the day she’d met Flynn. Louise was right. She loved him. The thought staggered her, sent her reeling. Thank goodness she was sitting down.
She loved Flynn Donovan.
Oh, my God! She’d been too blind to see it before. Or maybe she just hadn’t wanted to know. Because loving Flynn meant making a commitment. And commitment meant something inside her had changed.
But had she changed enough to lay everything on the line and marry him? Certainly if he learned to love her, too, the rewards would be great. But if it all went wrong? The pain would be unbearable.
She swallowed hard. Could she marry a man who may only lust after her for the next twenty years…if that long? Dear God, she just didn’t know.
Suddenly her skin prickled and her heart began thudding in her chest. Her gaze shot to the patio door. Flynn stood there, his look so captivating in the fading light it sent a tremor through her.
“Flynn!”
In one fluid movement, he came toward her, tilted up her head and kissed her with a thoroughness that made her heart roll over. She melted into him, letting him take her lips as an offering of her love.
“You’re pleased to see me,” he murmured, easing back, a purely masculine look of satisfaction in his eyes.
She tried to act nonchalant. She needed more time. “I was bored. You break the monotony.”
The corner of his mouth quirked upward as he straightened. “I’m glad I’m useful for something.”
She moistened her lips. “Have you fixed the problem at the Brisbane office already?”
“No. I fly back first thing in the morning.”
She frowned. “So why are you here?”
His gaze held hers. “I wanted to see you.”
For a heart-stopping moment she savored the words. Then she released a slow breath. “Thank you for your concern, but I’m fine.”
His expression held a note of mockery but before she could catch her breath, his eyes turned probing. “Tell me. Do you still think I smother you?”
All at once she realized something. His concern wasn’t about stifling her. It was about caring for her. And he wasn’t someone who wanted to control her for his own purposes, but someone who wanted to protect her because he genuinely had her welfare at heart.
No wonder she had fallen in love with him.
Her throat closed up and it took a moment to speak. “No, I don’t feel smothered by you. Not anymore.”
His eyes darkened. “I’m glad.” Then he turned to face the pool and, if she didn’t know better, she’d have said his movements were somewhat jerky. Because of her? Or slight jetlag?
“I could do with a swim,” he said, loosening his tie. “Want to join me?”
The thought was far too tempting, but she didn’t know if she’d be able to control her words if she was in his arms right now. She might blurt out she loved him.
“Er…no. I’ve already been for a dip today.” She watched as he started stripping off his suit. “Um…what are you doing?”
He gave a half-smile, full of confidence again. “Taking off my clothes.”
Heaven help her. “But Louise?”
“Is in the kitchen making me dinner. Don’t worry. I’ll leave my underpants on. I’d hate to shock her.” But his eyes said he knew it wasn’t just Louise he wanted to shock.
As if mesmerized, Danielle watched as he stripped, then walked over to the pool, the garden lights having turned on automatically as dusk descended, the palm trees and ferns almost hugging him as he stepped onto the edge.
He stood there for a moment, looking down at the crystal clear water, his tight black underpants leaving little to her imagination as the underwater lights reflected his superb physique, all sinew and muscle, giving him a commanding air of self-confidence.
He plunged into the water as he had plunged into her heart, surfaced, then began to swim up and down the pool with long, powerful strokes that sliced through the water as he sliced through life, determined to thrust through any obstacle in his way to get to where he wanted.
Or to what he wanted.
He wanted her.
He’d told her so with words, with his eyes, with his actions. The thought both thrilled and frightened her, because now she knew his wanting her made her stronger, not weaker. To belong to Flynn in the truest sense of the word would be wonderful.
She swallowed. Oh, God. She wasn’t ready for all these feelings overwhelming her. She had to think.
Pushing herself to her feet, she ignored the ache in her back and went into the kitchen, hanging around while Louise prepared steak and salad for his dinner. She could feel Louise’s knowing eyes on her while Thomas chatted on about their nephew’s new job.
Ten minutes later Flynn strolled into the kitchen and fell into conversation with the older couple. He’d wrapped a white towel around his lean hips, his tanned skin beaded with water. Danielle wanted to lick every drop off him, smooth her palms over the dark springy hair on his chest, rip that towel away and touch lower.
Make love to him.
She gave a silent moan and made for the door, intent on going up to the bedroom, putting some space between them.
He stepped in front of her, stopping her from leaving. “Come talk to me while I eat dinner.”
Her eyes darted down to his broad chest. Big mistake. They darted up again. “I think I’ll call it an early night.”
His lingering gaze sent warmth creeping up her neck. “Then I’ll join you later,” he murmured, and stepped aside for her to leave.
Swallowing, she said good-night to the older couple and forced her legs to walk out of that room. She doubted she would sleep. Not when she wanted Flynn with every breath in her body.
Flynn scowled as he watched Danielle leave the kitchen. She was very beautiful and very pregnant now, but there was something different about her tonight. She seemed more on edge.
About the baby? Perhaps.
About each other? Definitely.
He swallowed tightly. He’d missed her last night. Nothing had seemed the same without Danielle in bed with him. He’d become used to her soft skin against his own. Her scent. Her quiet breathing. And, yes, her frequent trips to the bathroom.
He hadn’t felt right when they weren’t even in the same city. Hell, make that the same room. Without her beside him it was as if something vital was missing. It was the reason he’d arranged for his jet to bring him home tonight. He couldn’t spend another night without her next to him.
But despite a strong urge to go to her now, he had to attend to some urgent business calls first.
It ended up being late by the time Flynn got to bed, so he showered in one of the spare bathrooms so as not to wake Danielle, then made his way to their bedroom. He crossed in the moonlight to the other side of the bed, quietly sliding in next to her.
She lay sleeping on her side facing away from him and he closed in on her but didn’t touch. He wanted to pull her around to face him, but she was sleeping heavily and didn’t have the heart to wake her.
Instead, he lay there for ages, breathing in her special fragrance. His gut ached to make her his own, yet oddly it was enough just to lie next to her, knowing there was no place else on earth he’d rather be. Eventually he fell asleep from sheer exhaustion.
And was awoken in the early hours by her cheek rubbing against his chest. He froze as he lay on his back. She had burrowed up against him, her soft breath sighing over his skin.
“Flynn?” she murmured half-asleep.
“It had better be,” he muttered, his arms tightening around her. Just having her ask if it was him beside her made him want to possess her until she never asked again. He wanted no other man in her mind. No other man belonged there but him.
When he knew she had fully woken, his blood heated, ready to flow over her, merge with her, storm her if necessary.
A moment crept by and from out of nowhere she placed her lips against his chest and kissed him there. He sucked in air, then growled, “Danielle?”
“It had better be,” she mimicked huskily, the caress of her fingers on his chest putting him on full alert. Her satin-covered br**sts pressed against his arm as her fingers trailed down the center of his chest. In the moonlight streaming across their bed, he saw her smile.
Then her fingers slid across his abdomen and curled around his straining erection. He gave a moan from deep in his throat. He’d wanted her to initiate their lovemaking for a while now…to touch him first and not the other way around. Yes, she’d always welcomed him and responded to his passion, but that initial touch…that initial wanting…had always been his.
Until now.
“Are you sure?” he rasped, barely able to say the words but managing it all the same.
“Yes.” She kissed him briefly on the lips. “Now lie back and enjoy this. Let me pleasure you,” she said, sliding her hand along him, arousing him even more.
With a rough moan of surrender, he gave in.
Surprisingly, for all her insistence, she wasn’t quite as sure in her movements, telling him she hadn’t done this particular aspect of lovemaking before. A triumphant heat ran through him before he took charge, his hand over hers, guiding her, showing her what he liked and how he liked it. Together they stroked him, first with long slow movements, then picking up speed.