Falling for Owen (25 page)

“Well, come on, woman. Eat. I’ve got plans for you for later.”

“Really?” she asked, wondering if this was real or just wishful thinking.

He traced a finger over her forehead and down the side of her face, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, and unveiling even more of her breasts from behind the curtain of hair that fell over her chest when she got up.

“I was hoping you’d want to hang out here today. With me. It’s Sunday. We don’t have work. I’d like you to stay,” he finished, a touch of hesitation in his voice.

“You mean that.”

“That’s why I said it.”

“Okay.”

“Okay, what?”

“I’ll eat. I’ll stay.”

Since she was plastered to the front of him, she felt his exhale of relief all the way through her body. She hid the smile and gave him another quick kiss.

“Let me use the bathroom, and I’ll be down in a minute. Can I borrow some toothpaste at least?”

“I found a spare toothbrush and left it on the counter for you.”

“A toothbrush today. My clothes in the closet tomorrow. Before you know it, this might be a real relationship. You sure you wouldn’t rather I run home, clean up, and come back later?”

She kept her tone teasing and light, but his eyes narrowed and his hands came up to cup her face.

“This is a real relationship. You and me and the possibility of forever. So brush your teeth. Put the toothbrush in the garbage can or in the holder, whatever makes you comfortable at this point, and come down and have breakfast with me.”

She stopped him when he reached the door. Naked, sitting in the middle of his bed, she bared her soul. “Owen, do you know why I like being here with you?”

She expected a smartass remark like “Great sex,” but he surprised her and asked in a solemn tone, “Why?”

“Because I know you want me here with you, and that scares me just a little bit.”

“We understand each other then, because it scares me just a little bit how much I want you here. The thing is, you not being here scares me more.”

She cocked her head and smiled, because she knew how hard it was for him to make that admission.

“If I had a camera, I’d take your picture right now. God, you’re beautiful.”

He walked back to the bed, planted his hands on the mattress, and leaned in for a kiss. She caught his face in her hands and held him in the kiss for a moment before touching her forehead to his, taking in the moment.

“Come down to breakfast when you’re ready.”

This time he did walk out the door, leaving her wondering about how fast this thing between them was moving. Where did she really want it to go?

She walked into the bathroom and stopped short at the sink, taking a step back when she saw what he left her. Not only did he find her a toothbrush, but he left her a towel, washcloth, a comb, and a hotel-size bottle of cucumber-melon lotion. She smiled and put her hand over her fluttering stomach.

“Damn the man makes it hard not to want to leap.”

She turned on the shower taps and stepped into the hot spray to wash away the makeup she’d slept in. She used his soap and shampoo, wishing for more time to indulge in the huge white marble stall. She’d love to turn on the other shower across the way and have both of them work on her sore muscles. Owen had certainly given her a workout last night.

Finished in the shower, she used the towel he left her to dry off and squeeze as much water as she could out of her hair. She used the comb to get out the tangles and let it all fall down her back to air dry. She opened the bottle of lotion, smelled its sweet fragrance, and used some on her legs, arms, and hands. She grabbed Owen’s toothpaste and used her new toothbrush to brush her teeth. She smiled at herself in the mirror when she automatically put the toothbrush in the holder on the sink without even thinking about it. She stared at the two of them together and shrugged the whole thing away.

“You never know. I might need it later.”

Again, without any real thought, she opened the medicine cabinet and tucked the small bottle of lotion away. Done, she hung the damp towel on the empty bar next to his and walked back into the bedroom. She didn’t have anything but her clothes from last night. Warm after her shower, she pulled on the tunic and left the room feeling sexy and flirtatious.

O
WEN DIDN’T KNOW
what had come over him this morning when he came back in from feeding the horses and saw her lying in his bed. He rushed through his chores because he wanted to be back in that bed with her. Instead of waking her with another round of morning sex, he’d showered and changed and rummaged through the cupboards to find her some supplies. He’d had to stop himself from grabbing her keys and going down the road to her place and packing her a bag.

The shower went off upstairs and he smiled, liking the fact she’d made herself at home and jumped in without even asking if he minded. Hell no, he didn’t. That’s why he left her the towel and supplies.

He cracked six eggs into the pan and scrambled them up with the spatula. He pushed the lever down on the toaster, added salt and pepper to the eggs, grabbed the shredded cheese from the fridge, noticed the bin of mixed greens, opened it, and pulled out a bunch of spinach to add to the eggs. He may not be a gourmet cook, but he could make her a decent meal. If she felt as ravenous as he did after last night, she needed the food as much as he did.

He folded the eggs and spinach over in the pan and added the cheese to the top. She walked up behind him, wrapped her arms around his middle, and looked over his shoulder, standing on her tiptoes. “That looks wonderful.”

“You smell good.”

“Thanks. I smell like you plus the lotion you left me. I used your soap and shampoo.”

“Use whatever you like.”

“Thanks, I knew you’d say that. I need coffee.”

“I left you a mug by the pot.”

She kissed his neck and walked over to the pot on the counter, giving him a nice view of her long, toned legs. He hadn’t seen her walk in half-naked, but he sure did appreciate it.

“Honey, you’ve got the best looking legs.”

She turned with the mug in both hands and blew on the steaming brew. She leaned back against the counter and crossed her ankles, completely at ease standing in his kitchen half-naked. God, he liked her.

“I like the way you go barefoot at home.”

“Don’t want to be walking through the house in my mucked-up boots.”

“No, you wouldn’t. You like things neat and tidy.”

“Probably because my father lived a messy life, and Brody and I were always the ones to clean it up.”

He dropped the subject and turned back to the eggs. He cut the omelet down the middle and slid each half onto a plate. The toast popped and he set the pan on a cool burner and grabbed the toast and buttered it. Claire opened the drawer behind him and pulled out silverware. He took the plates to the table and set hers next to his. He took the chair, and she sat in the padded cushion in the window seat. Before he took a bite, she leaned in and kissed his cheek.

“Thank you. This smells really good.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Eat. You must be starved.”

She giggled and took the first bite. “I am. Oh, man, that is so good,” she said around the mouthful.

He laughed with her and dug into his own food. It didn’t take either of them long to work their way through the meal with nothing but smiles and small talk.

Her phone buzzed and she rose to grab her purse off the counter and check it. She dug through her purse and pulled out a round plastic case, pulling a pill out of it and popping it in her mouth, chasing it with her coffee as she came back to the table. So, that answered the question about whether she was on birth control. Not that he hadn’t protected her last night and this morning, but it was good to know they had backup.

Or was it?

He thought of his nieces, Dawn and Autumn, and the way they loved Brody. He wanted children of his own, but things with Claire were far too new to discuss having a family someday.

“Can I take your plate?” she asked, completely casual about everything this morning.

“I’ll clean up.”

“You cooked. I clean up. Finish your coffee. Relax. You got up a lot earlier than I did. Which I thank you for,” she said, leaning down to kiss him.

“No sense both of us getting up on a weekend.”

She brought the dishes to the sink, gathered the pot, spatula, and butter knife from the stove and put them all in the sink. Efficient as ever, she turned on the taps, soaked the dish cloth and drizzled soap over it, scrubbing the plates and all the rest, rinsing them, and setting them in the strainer.

He couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Done with the chore, she leaned on the counter and stared out the window at the bright day. Sunlight caught the gold in her hair and brightened her softly pink cheeks. She used the back of her foot to rub a spot on her other leg and everything in him went tight at the sight of her long legs and the way the sweater barely covered her pretty bottom, exposing just the curve of her ass at her thighs, but only hinting at what lay beneath. Heaven.

“The asshole we’re never to speak of was a complete idiot for ever leaving a good woman like you.”

She turned her head to him and planted her chin in her palm. “I was never like I am with you with him. Last night, you weren’t satisfied unless I was satisfied,” she explained awkwardly. “Because you gave me the time and attention I needed, it made it easy for me to do the same for you.”

“Are you telling me that asshole never gave you an orgasm?”

“Not never, but it was mostly up to me to hurry up before he got done. After a while, it wasn’t worth trying to hurry up when he could care less if I was satisfied and happy.”

“Are you shitting me?”

She didn’t respond, telling him she told the God’s-honest truth. “He should be shot. On second thought, let him live the rest of his life stupid and ignorant to what he gave up. You like sex.”

She laughed and blushed but stayed where she was, looking oh so pretty and alluring because she didn’t strike a pose, so much as she was comfortable with him now.

“I mean, you really like sex.”

“I got it. But let’s clarify. I like sex with you.”

“That’s what I mean. With a partner who matches you, reads you, you give and take and make love in a way I’ve never experienced.”

That wiped the smile right off her face.

He rose and walked to her then, standing directly behind her. He pulled her hair away from her back and dropped it over her shoulder to puddle on the counter. She still didn’t move, but let him move in behind her and press his hard cock to her backside. He clamped his hands on her shoulders and rubbed at the tense muscles, sliding his hands down her back. One hand raised the sweater and held it in the middle of her back. He got a lovely view of her heart-shaped bottom. She stopped breathing and he rubbed his other hand over one side of her bottom and dipped it lower, sliding one finger, then two into her already-wet core.

“I’m not an idiot. I know what I want. You. Happy. Always.”

“I am whenever I’m with you.”

That last sentence sent him over the edge. He unzipped his jeans, pushed them to his knees, and took her from behind in one hard thrust that made her gasp. Hands planted on the counter for balance, she spread her legs wide and let him take her. Born from some need to convince her she belonged with him, it took him a minute to realize if she didn’t feel that way after everything they’d shared, nothing he said or did would make her. But she did feel that way. Why else would she give herself this way and all the ways she did last night.

He shifted his thinking and the way he made love to her and slowed things down. He pulled her sweater over her head and trailed his fingers lightly down her back. She glanced over her shoulder, and he leaned over her, pushing his cock deep, and kissed her gently once, twice, three times. He saw the question in her eyes. Things started out one way, but he’d changed things up and she adjusted to his mood with a sigh that sent her bottom brushing against his hips. She rotated her hips and he thrust again, pulled out slow, and thrust hard, staying seated in her heat. She responded to the contrasting moves, and he gave her more, sliding his hands around her ribs to cup her breasts and squeeze her hard nipples. She arched her back, offering up her breasts to his roaming hands and making her rump push against him even more. She moaned and he slid one hand down her belly to the spot they were joined. He rubbed the soft nub and thrust into her hard and fast. She let go in an intense orgasm that had her body squeezing every last drop out of him as he came in a blinding white-hot orgasm. He collapsed on her back as she lay braced on her arms in front of him. He rolled his forehead on her spine between her shoulders and sighed.

“Well, you certainly make me happy,” he teased.

She laughed, easing the tension.

He backed away from her long enough to pull up his jeans and zip them. She put on her sweater again and turned to face him, her back against the counter.

“Claire, I’m sorry, the way that started . . .”

“Was your way of trying to prove something. I get it. It’s a guy thing. I’m happy and you’re happy. So we’re good, but let’s get one more thing straight.”