“Yes, absolutely,” I promised.
“I’ll never keep anything from you again,” Flynn swore.
“So, did you take my little brother’s virginity?” Axel asked abruptly.
Flynn’s eyes got huge. “Wha— No, I… um—” He sent me a panicked look. “That’s Bailey’s business.”
I glared at Axel. “I wasn’t a virgin, jackass. You already know that.”
Axel smirked. “Just testing the honesty policy.”
“Okay, on that note, I think we should call it a night,” Holden said.
I nodded. “We’ll be back for Thanksgiving. Meal at around one like usual?”
Holden frowned. “You’re not staying? Your room is all ready for you.”
I glanced at Flynn. “Well, yeah. I want to be with Flynn tonight. Most nights, in fact. He gave me a key, so…”
“Oh.” Holden swallowed. “Right. Of course.”
“We need some time together. Being miles apart is hard. But I’ll be over here all day on Thanksgiving, and I’ll be out of school and working in the shop soon. You’ll get to hover nonstop.”
He chuckled. “All right, okay. I’m notthatbad.”
“Right,Dad,” I teased. “I know it’s hard to see your baby grow up.”
“You’ve got no idea,” he muttered. “Flynn, I’m trusting you to take care of him for me. I think you know what this kid means to me.”
“I do,” Flynn said seriously. “He’s safe with me. I promise you that.”
Holden nodded. “All right, then. We’ll see you for Thanksgiving.”
I drove Flynn home. The man was emotionally and physically drained. He’d worked a fourteen-hour shift, then fought with Snake, then poured out his painful secrets to my brothers.
By the time we got to his place, he was in a zombie state. I led him to the front door, used my key to let us in, then nudged him toward the bedroom.
“Need a shower,” he mumbled. “Feel so grimy.”
I detoured to the bathroom. Flynn leaned against the sink, staring off into space, while I turned on the water and adjusted the temperature.
I turned back to him. “Let’s get you undressed.”
He blinked, as if coming out of a sleep state. “I can do it.”
I pushed the leather jacket off his shoulders. “Just relax, honey pie. I’m going to take care of you now.”
The corner of his lips tilted up. He never knew how to take it when I called him that. Which was partly why I did it. Flynnhadn’t had enough sweetness showered on him. He was a big guy, a strong man, and somewhere along the way, he’d gotten the idea that he had to carry everyone else.
Well, not on my fucking watch.
His jacket dropped to the floor, and I grabbed the hem of his T-shirt and tugged it up. Flynn lifted his arms and helped me pull it over his head.
His chest was gorgeous. Big, built, and furry. I pressed a kiss between his pecs while I unbuttoned his jeans. Item by item, I stripped him, revealing muscled thighs and a mouthwatering ass.
Every inch of the man was strong and powerful, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t soft too. I thought of the boy he’d been, the one who’d suffered abuse. It wasn’t something I’d thought about until Holden pointed it out.
Flynn wasn’t just a fighter and a protector. He was a survivor too.
