called and Flynn broke out in one of his familiar lopsided smiles that always reminded her of a mischievous little boy. It was popular with his female fans and she was tickled to see it at all, let alone directed straight at the camera with the other three looking appreciatively at the girls who were now just leaving the frame. She prayed that one of those would turn out as she expected.
For the next hour she tempted the band and they played along beautifully. By the palms , hiding in the hibiscus, standing casually and unsuspecting by the sea wall until a large wave crashed too hard and splashed them with water. She couldn’t have hoped for what happened next and quickly motioned for Troy to grab his camera and join her when Flynn and Drew started taking off their wet shirts.
Twisting their shirts , the two heartthrobs started the age-old fight men played in locker rooms with wet towels: whipping each other and backing away before they got hit in return. The playfulness was fantastic, but their toned, tanned bodies made it even better.
Troy stood off to one side and Lexi to the other, both trying to capture every moment of the mayhem.
Lexi motioned for Nicholas to grab the girls again.
“You ready?” She asked Troy with an impish grin.
“ The girls?”
Lexi nodded and turned to the girls as they approached.
“Now, you are lovely young ladies with an arsenal of genetic weaponry. Go break it up.”
She motioned the girls on and was gratified to notice their nightclub walks as they approached Flynn and Drew. Zane saw them coming and started to laugh uncontrollably . A moment later Charlie joined him. Flynn and Drew were still absorbed in their battle and didn’t notice until the girls were closer.
Flynn noticed first because of the direction they were coming from. He paused , giving Drew the opening for one last shot across his abdomen. Flynn clutched his side and both girls ran to give him comfort, much to Drew’s annoyance. One girl knelt with a hand on Flynn’s ripped stomach, lower than strictly necessary. The other girl snuggled under one of Flynn’s arms with a hand on his chest. Zane and Charlie laughed harder as the girls draped themselves across Flynn and Drew rolled his eyes.
“ Nicholas, call Flynn,” Lexi prompted. Flynn looked from the girls to the camera on cue.
“ That’s perfect,” Troy said.
“ Well, I’m worn out. Have at it,” Lexi told Troy. “If nothing else, they should be in a better mood.”
“ And I appreciate that. Next time, I’ll remember to hire some girls,” Troy laughed and lowered his camera.
“Hey, Flynn! Put some clothes on, man. You’re driving the girls crazy.” Drew laughed and threw Flynn’s damp shirt at him, hitting him in the face. Flynn caught it as it fell down into his hands. His eyes never wavered from watching Troy and Lexi talking. Troy was still taking some pictures, and Flynn knew he should be paying more attention to the two girls hanging on him. Lexi’s playfulness was still fresh in his mind as he sized up the woman kneeling in the sand.
Drew took a couple of steps to stand beside Flynn and looked to see what had him so enthralled.
“I might have known it would be a woman,” he shook his head in amazement. He reached down and took the wandering hand of the girl on her knees by Flynn.
“ What’s your name, honey?”
“ Wendy.”
Startled , Flynn remembered he was married. His third wife, also named Wendy, was at home with her daughter from a previous marriage. Wendy had some riding competition she was training for, so he was traveling alone. He looked back to Lexi as Drew encouraged the girls to go put a smile on Charlie’s face. Flynn wished them luck on that endeavor.
“ She’s different,” Flynn said casually.
“ Lexi? Yeah, she’s successful and creative,” Drew put a hand on Flynn’s shoulder. “I hate to say it, but she doesn’t need you.”
“ Go to hell,” Flynn responded automatically to Drew’s
Marguerite Henry, Bonnie Shields