"Yes, I am. No worries on that part." Keelin could have kicked herself. She had never been so impetuous before. What had come over her? Flynn gave her a small kiss and rolled so she was on top of him. She looked down into hisgorgeous face and smiled. Flynn was what had come over her, that was what, she thought.
"I'm famished. Ready for dinner?" Keelin asked.
"Oh, I am. Just one more thing though," Flynn said.
"What's that?" Keelin asked, and shrieked as he pulled her to him, already ready for her again. "No, really?"
"Really."
CHAPTER 21
Later, Keelin used the small restroom below deck. She had pulled her dress back on and examined her face in the mirror. Her skin looked dewy from a healthy, make that two healthy, rounds of sex, she thought. A small flush of color highlighted her cheeks and her brandy eyes looked bright. She smiled at herself. She looked happy for the first time in a long time. She was happy, she thought.
After refreshing herself, Keelin came upstairs to the scent of scallops. Flynn must have seared them while she was using the bathroom. The table was set with a small board of cheeses, fruits, and brown bread. Small bowls held salads and he plated the scallops on pretty stoneware dishes. A bottle of white wine chilled in the bucket.
"Wine?"
"Yes, I'd love some." Suddenly shy, Keelin blushed as he moved towards her with a glass. Flynn laughed at her and gave her a small kiss.
"No need to blush now, my love. I've seen every part ofyou." Keelin groaned as he laughed at her. There it was again, the love word. She'd have to pay attention and see how often he used it around other people or if it was just with her.
They settled around the table and soon Flynn began to regale her with his boyhood tales of growing up in the hills. He told her of his love for dogs and how it had grown into an avid hobby of his. Keelin told him what life was like growing up in Boston – a single kid with a single mom. His childhood seemed much richer than hers. She said as much as she let the butter and scallops melt on her tongue.
"It seems like the perfect childhood."
"I have no complaints. I'm not sure how well I would have done in a city. A boy needs the hills to roam and learn. Luckily, my parents indulged me and allowed me to develop a variety of interests. Hence the fishing, the restaurants, the dogs. I have a hard time focusing on just one job."
"Well, that is very admirable of you. Tell me about your restaurants." Keelin sipped her wine and listened as his eyes lit up and he talked about creating jobs in small villages that needed the tourist attractions. She admired how committed he was not only to his businesses, but also to the struggling Irish economy. "How do you juggle so many businesses?"
"I have managers that I trust at each place. They all own a percentage of the restaurant so they are just as invested in it as I am." Flynn gestured with his fork as he speared another scallop.
"That's smart. I have to say, you really are a kind man.I see how you are with your dog, and now with your employees. Fiona loves you."
"And I her." Flynn nodded at Keelin as he broke off a crust of brown bread.
"Does the healing thing freak you out?" Keelin asked casually as she popped a piece of cheese into her mouth.
"Why would it? People have been using herbs for natural remedies for centuries. It isn't that uncommon." Flynn dismissed their powers easily, Keelin thought.
"No, I mean, well of course that. But you know, the whole other stuff." Keelin wasn't sure how to say it.
"What, the rumors that she is a witch? That woman is no more a witch than my dog is." Flynn laughed as he got up to clear their dishes and headed below deck.
Keelin was stunned. She sat there and stared at the darkness of the cove. He didn't know. Fiona had never told him of her ability to heal with her hands. Heat flushed through her. She didn't know if she should tell him. She was scared to. What if he would hate her?
"You know all of that stuff is just nonsense. And people who subscribe to that line of thought are just nuts," Flynn said as he came upstairs with small slices of cheesecake on plates. "Don't worry, I would never believe anything so horrible about Fiona."
Keelin nodded and quietly took a gulp of her wine. She trembled. She couldn't tell him. He would think she was a freak. Could she have a relationship with Flynn and hide this from him? She looked at him as he smiled and proudly presented her with the cheesecake. Oh, yes. She wanted this. She wanted a chance with him. Deciding to keep hermouth closed, she took a quick bite of the cheesecake and groaned as the sweetness exploded onto her tongue.
"This is amazing."
"I know. Isn't it? This old woman in town who looks like a troll makes the most delicate of desserts. I use her to supply all of my restaurants with baked goods. It tastes like heaven."
Keelin devoured her piece along with her glass of wine. She wondered if tonight would be all she would get with Flynn before he found out about her true identity. It would come out at some point. Suddenly desperate, she jumped up.
"You haven't shown me the downstairs yet, Flynn." Keelin raised an eyebrow at him and cocked her hip. Flynn's plate clattered to the table and he jumped up to wrap his arms around her waist. His lips tasted of cheesecake and she smiled against them as he led her downstairs.
She didn't want to look at the cove this time.
