Page 79 of Finding New Dreams

My stomach flip-flopped like a fish on dry land. To distract myself, I smiled at Chloe. “So remind me again what the plan is for the rest of the weekend?”

Gina nudged me under the water. “Nice one,” she muttered out of the corner of her mouth as a beaming Chloe launched into a blow-by-blow schedule of the weekend.

It basically boiled down to a group dinner at the steakhouse attached to the casino and hotel tonight before we split for some girls’ and guys’ time with movies, snacks, and drinks in our rooms. Tomorrow, we girls would pamper ourselves silly with massages and mani-pedis at the hotel spa while the guys would be off doing paintball. Chloe had only okayed that one because she knew any battle wounds that occurred would probably be healed before wedding pictures.

Then it would be a Roaring Twenties theme night at the casino, which meant we’d get dolled up accordingly. Then we’d head home Sunday morning.

I was most excited for tomorrow night and the casino. Plus, a fabulous flapper dress with ruby-red sequins and long fringe, and a feathered headband to top it off? Yes, please. I loved any excuse to wear a costume.

And I’d only pictured what Flynn would look like in a ’20s suit, fedora, and black-and-white Oxfords—oh, about a dozen times. Would he slick back his long hair? Let it loose?

I sighed, a dreamy smile curling my lips. He’d be the hottest guy in the casino any which way.

“Oh, there they are!”

I jerked out of my fantasy, splashing water up to my chin. Ignoring Gina’s snort of laughter, my eyes zeroed in on Flynn.

He’d burst through the door, his long hair a little wild. He was dressed in black from his t-shirt to his jeans to his boots. He looked like my favorite kind of chocolate bar, dark and tempting.

He tasted just as good too.

Heat that had nothing to do with the roiling water around me rose from my neck to my hair as his eyes found me through the steam. A smirk dented his cheeks. His gaze roamed over me—the parts above water, anyway. Whatever he saw made his teeth drag over his lower lip. I had the sudden urge to glide out of the pool like a mermaid and let him see all of me.

What would he do then?

“Flynn!” Chloe waved at him as if he hadn’t seen her. Which maybe he hadn’t.

Giving his head a shake, he smiled and walked toward her. He squatted by the hot tub. “Wyatt said you have our keys.”

Wyatt and Owen stood on the other side of the glass door holding their luggage, bemused smiles on their faces.

“Yep, I’ll grab them.” Chloe climbed out of the tub to fish the card keys out of her purse. “You and Wyatt are together, and Louis is already in his and Owen’s room. I put everyone’s room numbers in the group text.”

“Got it.” Flynn looked like he was about to say something else, but Chloe cut him off.

“Dinner reservation is in thirty minutes, so we should get changed.”

Everyone in the tub murmured in agreement. Except me.

As the rest of them clambered out of the water to dry off, I hesitated for a split second, meeting Flynn’s narrowed eyes over the steam. His lips formed a quick, silent plea: “Wait.”

I gave the smallest nod and slowly got out, facing him, so I could see his reaction.

His nostrils flared as he took in my string bikini bottoms, complete with a little black bow on the front. His jaw worked up and down like it was crushing granite until Carter bumped into him. On purpose, from the pointed look he sent Flynn.

“Easy there, Carter,” Flynn said, giving his back a wet smack. “Little slippery right there. Love your black shorts. Really matches your beard and brings out the sparkle in your eyes.”

I slapped a hand over my mouth to cover my laugh, but Hunter and Gina didn’t bother hiding theirs. Sarah rolled her eyes at Flynn and shoved Carter on his way before he could retaliate.

I grabbed my towel as Gina passed me.

“I can buy you two minutes,” she muttered. Then she wrapped her arm around Chloe’s shoulders. “Okay, future Mrs. Erickson, so I brought a few selections for movie night…”

They filed out of the pool area, where I didn’t miss the fact that Gina walked by Wyatt with her towel simply hanging around her like a cape. And judging by his wide eyes, he hadn’t missed a single nanosecond of her sashaying by him either.

Once they were out of sight, I glanced back at Flynn, my heart pounding in my throat. His eyes snapped up from wherever they’d been lingering on me.

Clutching my towel around my chest like a strapless mini dress, I moved closer to him. “We have about two minutes before Chloe’s realizes we’re missing.”

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