30. Abi
30
ABI
I hear Flynn’s ute in my driveway just as I’m finishing getting ready. I grab my bag—fully loaded with anything I could think of that I might need today—and head for the door, locking it behind me before Flynn even has a chance to get out of the ute.
I shove my bag into the backseat and climb into the front where there’s a coffee sitting in the cup holder and a paper bag on the console between us. Flynn’s already taking huge bites out of a toasted roll filled with bacon, eggs, cheese and spinach. There’s aioli or some kind of sauce at the corner of his mouth and I want to lean over and lick it off.
“Breakfast,” he says between mouthfuls, gesturing to the bag.
“That smells and looks amazing,” I say.
“It is.”
I laugh. “I can tell.” Before I have a chance to stop myself, my hand is reaching out, swiping that stray bit of sauce off his mouth with my thumb .
He freezes as my skin connects with his. His eyes are wide and fixed on mine. I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m supposed to be giving him space and time to get his head around everything. I’m not supposed to be pushing all his buttons.
But the way he’s watching me … it’s like he wants to devour me instead of the sandwich in his hand.
Before I have the chance to pull my hand back—because this whole interaction is happening in a weird slow motion—Flynn turns his head and sucks my thumb into his mouth, licking the sauce off.
Okay, so maybe he doesn’t need as much time as I thought.
As soon as I have the thought, Flynn’s eyes fly wide, a look of panic on his features.
I pull my hand away, tangling my fingers in my lap and pressing my hands firmly into my thighs so I don’t climb over and straddle him right here in the driveway.
At least I’m sure where I stand on the situation.
I want his hands on me again. I want his mouth on me. I want to explore every inch of his body, feel every part of him. I want to feel the hard cock I had in my hand last night in other places.
I have to rein in my thoughts. Today is not the day for thinking about sex. Today Flynn is my co-worker. He’s going to help me pull off this wedding and another time … Another time we’ll get back to the sex stuff. If he wants.
I buckle my seatbelt and unwrap my sandwich, then glance at Flynn, who’s sitting in the driver’s seat, staring at the house.
“Are you okay?” I ask, unsure I want to hear the answer.
Flynn blinks, shakes his head and turns to me, plastering a smile on his face. “Great,” he says. “Let’s go deal with this wedding, huh?”
Somehow, Flynn and I make it through the day without me climbing him like a tree.
Fuck he’s hot.
But also, I’ve been very, very busy. It’s been all on from the moment we arrived back at the farm. Because of the flower mix-up and our late night, my day started a lot later than planned. But with Flynn’s help, we managed to get everything set up in time for the wedding couple’s family to arrive and add their touches.
The wedding itself went off without a hitch and the last guests have just driven out of the driveway, along with the bar and catering staff. I watch their taillights disappear over the hill and release a huge sigh of relief.
We did it. The Barclay wedding is over.
“Great job,” Olivia says, coming to stand next to me as I stare out into the night. The sky is so clear tonight that I can see every one of the bazillion stars in the sky. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before.
“You smashed it, Rosie,” Flynn says, rushing around the corner after helping the bar staff pack everything into the outside chiller and scooping me into a hug, spinning me around once before realising I’m not alone. “Oh, hey Liv,” he says. “Didn’t Abi do great?”
Olivia stares at him for a moment, eyes wide and jaw dropped, then shakes off the expression and looks at me and smiles. “She sure did. We’re celebrating on Wednesday. Dinner at home, then line dancing at the hotel.”
Flynn punches the air. “Yes! We’re there.”
Olivia gives him another look. “I hope you can make it,” she says to me. Then she yawns. “Oh my god. I’m exhausted. I’m going to bed. You should too,” she says. “I don’t want to see you here tomorrow.”
“But who’s feeding the cows?” Flynn asks, a cheeky grin on his face.
“I was talking to Abi, you dumbass. You’re still expected to turn up to work.” She reaches up and ruffles Flynn’s hair. He bats her hand away and tries to pin her arms by wrapping her in a giant hug.
I frown, not at their familiarity, but at Flynn having to work tomorrow. “Flynn’s been a huge help to me,” I say. “I couldn’t have done this without him. Does he get some time off soon?”
Flynn and Olivia immediately stop messing around.
“Don’t worry about it, Rosie,” Flynn says. “I’m only feeding out tomorrow. I get the rest of the day off.”
“Oh, okay. That’s alright then.”
Olivia is giving me the same look she was giving Flynn earlier when he picked me up and spun me in a circle. “Right. Well, I’m going to go. Do you want a ride, Flynn?”
He shakes his head. “Have my ute. See you tomorrow, Liv.”
Olivia walks away, shooting us another look over her shoulder as she goes.
“She’s super suspicious,” I say to Flynn and even in the half-dark outside the barn, I can tell his face pales .
“About us?” He kicks his boot in the dirt. “Shit. How would she even know about last night?”
“I don’t know. It might not have been about last night specifically. But when you spun me around her face was … something.”
Flynn rubs his hand over the back of his neck. I’ve known him long enough now to know he does that when he’s uncomfortable.
“It might be nothing,” I say. “It’s probably nothing. There’s nothing for her to know.” I wish I hadn’t said anything. I hadn’t meant to freak him out about it.
“Say nothing again.” Flynn’s tone is teasing and I’m relieved he’s shaken off the worry and is back to his usual sunny self.
I roll my eyes at him, then turn serious. “Thank you for your help, Flynn. I really appreciate it. Couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Anytime, Abigail,” he says, voice low and suddenly husky. “Do you need anything else done tonight?” I shake my head and he points over his shoulder, indicating the direction his ute is parked in. “I should get going then.” He gives me a small smile that’s a little shaky around the edges. He shuffles his feet, like he’s not sure if he should leave or not.
This is my moment I guess. If I don’t want him to go, or if I want to go with him, this is my chance.
I open my mouth, ready to ask him how he’s feeling about last night. We’ve avoided it all day. There hasn’t been anything more than friendly between us since he sucked aioli off my thumb this morning. But before I can throw myself at him again, I need to know where he stands .
Instead of words coming out when I open my mouth though, I yawn. It’s huge and loud and the most unsexy thing I’ve potentially ever done.
“Are you okay to drive tonight?” Flynn asks. “Olivia would let you stay. You have a reason she can know about tonight.”
I guess that answers my question about his opinion on last night. One time only apparently.
Then he yawns too. It’s far more adorable than the one I just let out. “I’m absolutely beat. You must be too.”
Maybe I’m reading into all this too much. Maybe he just needs some sleep. After two late nights in a row, I know I sure do. Or maybe he’s worried because I mentioned Olivia being suspicious and he wants to keep a little distance so no one finds out.
That’s probably for the best. While everyone at Wildflower Ridge has been welcoming, including Katie who was the one I was most worried about, their opinions of me might be skewed if they find out the things Flynn and I have done, and the things I really, really hope I get the chance to do with him.
I smile at him, trying to be reassuring, to convince him and myself that everything between us is fine. “Yeah, I am. Goodnight, Flynn.”