“Though lovely andfair as the rose of the summer
Yet, ’twas not her beauty alone that won me.
Oh no! ’Twas the truth in her eye ever dawning
That made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee.”
Hmm,Keelin thought. So Flynn was quoting poetry to her now? She hid a small smile as she contemplated the line about the truth in her eye. Did Flynn want her to tell him about her gifts? She wasn't sure if she was ready to share that part of herself. Heck, she was still figuring it out for herself. Keelin wasn't certain if she was ready to tell people, well, regular people, about it.
Keelin scrounged in the cupboards until she found a lovely crystal vase for the flowers. She continued to hum to herself as she cut the flowers for the vase. It was a softly beautiful summer day and the windows were thrown open to catch the sea breezes. Keelin heard Ronan's barks grow closer as Fiona made her way up the path and into the cottage. Fiona stopped and exclaimed at the flowers as Ronan ran over to lick Keelin's feet.
"Well, well. That boy was raised right." Fiona fussedover the flowers and placed them on a small table by the open window. "These are just lovely."
"I know. He did good, I'll give him that." Keelin eyed the flowers warily.
Fiona turned and gave Keelin a hug. "It's intimidating to be pursued. And, really exciting too. Embrace it, enjoy it, and go with the flow. You'll have fun tonight. And, if my guess is correct, Flynn knows how to show a woman a good time." Fiona raised her eyebrows at her. Keelin laughed and touched her forehead to hers.
"I love you. I really do. I'm so glad that I came here and got to know you."
"You too, my dear. Now, let's get you ready for your date." Fiona bustled over to Keelin's room and pulled out the dress she had pressed for her. "You should wear your hair down, messy-like. Minimal jewelry I am thinking. Just skin, that gorgeous hair, and this dress. Much sexier of a statement. Do you have any flat sandals?"
"I do; I was going to wear these gold-threaded ones." Keelin pulled out a pair of flat, intricately woven gold sandals. They would allow her to walk around the boat without tripping on things or losing her balance.
"Perfect. Now, go shower. Don't forget to shave!" Fiona winked at her and Keelin laughed and shook her head. It seemed like the whole village wanted her to get laid tonight.
Keelin took her time in the shower, enjoying the steam and the warmth. Afterward, she worked a natural lotion into her skin. It smelled faintly of vanilla and was a product that Fiona had helped her to create. She was proud of her work and smiled down at the small jar. Keelinfigured she could probably sell it for a nice chunk of change back in Boston. She'd label it as all-natural herbal Irish products. The Boston Irish would eat it right up, she thought. Keelin realized that that was actually a fairly smart idea and she grabbed her iPad by the bed to jot down some notes. With a cute website and some expertly culled products, she suspected that she could have a neat little side business going. Thinking about becoming an entrepreneur kept her mind off of the nervousness of her date as she dried her hair and let it tumble in loose waves over her shoulders. Keelin scrunched her nose as she examined her face in the mirror. She decided on eyeliner to pop her eyes, a hint of blush for her cheeks, and kept her lips bare. The dress would be the showstopper tonight.
Keelin was just pulling the dress over her shoulders when she heard the knock at the door and Fiona's voice as she answered. She could have sworn she heard Fiona giggle like a girl and she rolled her eyes. Flynn could charm a rabid dog, she thought. Keelin felt a bolt of nervousness shoot through as she straightened in the mirror and examined herself one more time before she went into the living room. The red dress fulfilled the promise it had made in the store and accentuated all of her curves. Fiona had been right about Keelin leaving her hair down and messy. With just a light touch of makeup, messy hair, and the pretty gold sandals, Keelin looked sexy, carefree, and confident. She took a deep breath and went to meet Flynn.
CHAPTER 20
Flynn's eyes widened as Keelin entered the room. She smiled shyly at him as he broke off his conversation with Fiona and traced his gaze over her. For once, the man had nothing to say.
"Hello, Flynn," Keelin said shyly as she gathered her wrap and a small bag. Flynn nodded at her as Fiona reached up and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. She picked up a book and wished them both a good evening before retiring into her bedroom. Flynn moved quickly around the table and stood before Keelin. She backed up a step, feeling a little unsteady. He had yet to say a word and it was making her stomach twinge.
Slowly, Keelin raised her eyes to Flynn's. The deep blue of his eyes bored into her own as he leaned down and nipped at her mouth. Gently, and ever so sweetly, he pressed his lips to hers.
As he eased away, he smiled at her. "You're gorgeous. If you wanted to punish me, this dress certainly does it. I'll barely be able to carry on aconversation tonight without wondering what you are wearing underneath it." Flynn raised an eyebrow at her.
Keelin's mouth went dry. She swallowed quickly. "Not much fits under this dress." She squeaked as he grabbed her to him and leaned to kiss her again. "Stop, stop. Come on, I want to see this boat of yours." Keelin glanced towards Fiona's door, certain the old woman was leaning against the door, listening.
Flynn groaned. Grabbing her hand, he dragged her from the room and out to a late-model truck that was parked in the drive. He stopped at her door and helped her to get in the truck, his hand sliding down her leg before he shut the door. Keelin took a shaky breath. If this was the type of tension between them, she doubted that they would make it through dinner.
"So, where do you dock this vessel?" Keelin asked as Flynn reversed and headed his truck in the other direction over the hills. The sun was just beginning to meander towards the horizon and a soft breeze blew the sea scents in through the window.
"On the other side of the cove. I have several docks there for a variety of my boats. It all depends on what I am fishing for that day."
"Oh, and what are you fishing for tonight?" Keelin said cheekily.
Flynn turned his powerful gaze on her. "The grand prize, of course."
Keelin gulped and didn't answer him. He chuckled as he wound his truck down the hill to the glistening shoreline below them. Several docks held a myriad variety ofboats from small two-seaters to a large gleaming white yacht.
"The two-seater, I presume?" Keelin poked at his chest as he helped her out. Flynn laughed at her and held her hand as they walked down to the docks. It was surprisingly comfortable – the way her small hand felt in his rough palm. Little tendrils of heat seemed to curl up her arm from where they connected.
Flynn ushered her onto the dock that held the yacht. Though the boat was far larger than any of the others in his fleet, it was still manageable by one captain. Keelin saw nobody else on board as he guided her up the smooth gangplank to the first level of the boat. Warm teak wood panels ran the length of the boat and the floor. White leather cushions wrapped around the entire boat and various sitting spaces invited a visitor to lounge as wanted. At the front of the boat, a small table was set with flowers, small candles in mason jars, and a bottle of champagne icing in a bucket. Flynn motioned to the table.
"Would you like to pop the champagne while I get us on our way?" he asked as he finished untying the ropes that held the boat to the dock. He moved quickly to the steering wheel and a series of beeps sounded before the powerful hum of the engine trembled beneath the boat. Keelin watched him as he competently maneuvered the boat from the dock and switched their direction to facing outwards. It seemed like he did everything competently. If anything, this was a man who knew his own power. He must have been reading her thoughts because he sliced a glance at her and she took a quick sip of her champagne to cool the heat in her stomach.
