Bad Boy (Invertary 5)

“Run? I’d be ecstatic if I could run. No, Da, I’m just going to hobble away. Feel free to continue the character assassination once I’m gone.”

His dad started to bluster as he rose from his seat.

“Let him go,” Matt said. “I knew this was a waste of time. Flynn only cares about Flynn. And right now he’s too busy feeling sorry for himself to notice anyone else. I just hope he can live with himself when they take Abby’s kid from her.”

Flynn clenched his jaw at Matt’s words. To hell with him. To hell with all of them.

He stalked down the hall, threw open the front door and barrelled straight into Abby.

“Sorry,” she said as he caught her around the waist to stop her from stumbling.

Her cheeks were flushed as though she’d been running. Flynn’s fingers curled into soft flesh as he fought the urge to bury his nose in the crook of her neck and breathe deeply. He knew Abby’s scent would wash away the hour he’d spent being attacked. He knew it would bring him peace.

Big chocolate eyes looked up into his. “Did I miss the meeting?”

He snorted. “You mean the character bashing? Aye, you missed it.”

The look of uncertainty she gave him made him want to hug her close. She licked her rose-coloured lips. “Did they tell you I need help?”

“Mainly they told me to grow up. Then they detailed my humiliating and annoying behaviour, just in case I missed any of it while it was happening.” He clenched his jaw as the words from earlier swam through his mind. “But aye, they told me about your sister’s visit.”

Abby let out the breath she’d been holding. He noticed she hadn’t moved from his hold. He wondered if she even realised she was still wrapped in his arms. It felt natural for her to be there. It felt right.

“Why didn’t you just talk to me yourself? Why the three-ring circus?” He nodded behind him to his parents’ house.

She let out a frustrated sigh. “Would you have listened? I’ve been traipsing over to your place for weeks asking you to turn down your music and you never paid any attention.”

“I didn’t think you were serious.”

The look she gave him was half incredulity and half anger. “Really? That’s what you thou

ght?”

He relaxed slightly at the sight of her passion. “Okay, maybe I didn’t want to take you seriously. Plus, I liked watching you tell me off in that prissy tone of yours.”

“Now that sounds more like it.” She stuck her nose in the air. Pleased she was right. It was cute.

“But this is different, Abby. You think I’d just ignore you asking for help with your sister? You think I wouldn’t care about someone wanting to take the terrorist from you?”

“Flynn.” She patted his chest above his heart, and he was suddenly sad that this was one of the few days he’d buttoned his shirt. He would have killed to feel her touch on his skin. “I know you don’t understand this, but I don’t really know you at all. Of course I thought you’d ignore me. You ignored everything else.”

He frowned down at her.

She cocked an eyebrow and it made him grin.

“This situation is different. Of course I’ll help you keep your kid.” He’d already decided he would. Which he would have told his damn, interfering family if they’d shut up long enough to listen.

Abby’s lips trembled, and he realised just how much she was holding inside. For someone who normally didn’t notice other people’s feelings, the sudden insight into Abby’s fragile emotional state almost knocked him off his feet.

“Really?” she said quietly. “No more parties, loud music, cars and rubbish? No more half-naked women?”

He noticed the dark circles under her eyes. She’d tried to cover them with makeup, but they were still sorely out of place on her creamy skin. The circles bothered Flynn more than they probably should have. He traced one with his fingertip.

“No more noise. No more parties. No more Ball Babes. It’s done. I’ll be good. I won’t screw things up further for you and the kid.” I hope.

His body trembled slightly as panic hit him. This was insane. How the hell was he supposed to keep his word? What was he thinking? He felt Abby’s fingers clench on his chest as she leaned into him. Her relief was so obvious it made Flynn heady with the knowledge he’d done something right—for once.

“Good,” she said. “That’s good.”