Falling for Flynn by Nicola Marsh Read Free Book Online Page A

in and put her size eight feet into her mouth along with the paella. Why had she interrogated him about how long he’d be staying around?
    For Adam’s sake, of course.
    Though she knew deep down that wasn’t entirely true. She was drawn to him, had been on some hyper-awareness since they’d bumped trolleys in the supermarket and it wasn’t waning. Fine for soldier boy to talk of getting reacquainted but she had a sneaking suspicion having him back in her life, if only for their son’s sake, would send her into a serious tailspin.
    She’d been in love with him once and though six years had passed, the fire hadn’t died. All it needed was a little stirring of the coals, a light blowing on the embers and it would turn into a raging inferno that could easily burn out of control and devour her in the process.
    It would’ve been easier if he’d hung onto his anger, had continued to blame her for withholding the truth of Adam’s existence. But he’d accepted her rationale and slowly thawed over dinner, to the point where she’d seen glimpses of the guy he’d once been. Funny, cute, endearing.
    Not good.
    The way she saw it, she had two options.
    Run scared, like she had last time.
    Or suck it up for the sake of her son.
    So she had residual feelings for Flynn? Nothing she couldn’t handle in the face of Adam finally having a father in his life.
    Squaring her shoulders, she popped the lip-gloss and compact in her bag and snapped the lock shut. Yeah, she could do this. For Adam.
    Flynn was staring out the window when she reached the table, though he quickly stood and pulled out her chair on her return.
    “Thanks.”
    She smiled, the first genuine smile all evening and he stilled, his hands on the back of the chair briefly touching her bare upper arms, a sizzle of unexpected heat licking her skin.
    Her smile faltered. Making a decision to get reacquainted for Adam’s sake was one thing, maintaining control on her traitorous feelings another.
    “Do you fancy dessert?”
    He returned to his seat and handed her a menu, a slightly bemused expression on his face.
    Mentally cursing her inability to play this cool, she shook her head.
    “No thanks, couldn’t possibly fit another thing in. We can always have coffee at home?”
    His lips compressed in an unimpressed line and she knew why. Home consisted of her and Adam, a place he’d wanted to be. She should be grateful his animosity had returned, for it put some much-needed distance between them. Instead, she couldn’t help but wish her every word didn’t have the potential to slash a hole in their fragile truce.
    “Fine. Let’s go.”
    Once he’d taken the care of the bill — she wasn’t foolish enough to offer to pay half considering his thunderous expression — they stepped out onto Johnston Street, a hive of bustling café culture and restaurants and Spanish dance clubs.
    They had a ten-minute walk back to the car and as they fought their way through a crowd of rowdy teenagers, he placed a hand in the small of her back, the heat from his chivalrous touch penetrating the cotton of her dress and branding her skin like an iron.
    “This place has changed a lot.”
    She gestured toward the street, grasping at any topic of conversation to distract her from the havoc his touch created.
    “For the better thankfully.”
    “Does your grandfather still live here?”
    She’d never visited his home, hadn’t been invited despite her frequent hints. He’d always clammed up when she’d pushed to meet his grandfather, his only family, and by his surly expression, looked like nothing had changed.
    “No. End-stage dementia. He’s in a nursing home. Blames me for putting him there, on the rare occasion he’s compos.”
    She heard the concern in his voice, an instant sliver of guilt stabbing her. Family was important to him, always had been. And she’d robbed him of a major part of his family.
    “It’s hard when they can’t see you’re doing stuff for their own