Loving Rowan (12 page)

M
oving
in with Kyle was the easy part; going back to work was tricky.

On my first day, Kyle’s dad greeted me , and he asked me to go to his office. Kyle had wanted to come in with me, but this was my conversation to have.

He sat at his desk, smiling nervously as I sat opposite.

“Rowan, I’m glad you’re back. Your job is as it was, and your office. I’m truly sorry for what happened. Kyle tells me that you are together, and I am happy for you both. He was just so wrecked by his last relationship, and I wanted to protect him. I went the wrong way about it, and I hope you can forgive me.”

I sighed, shrugging. “I love Kyle, Mr Warner, and I want to make him happy and be happy.” I chewed my bottom lip as I summoned up the courage for the next words. “Kyle told me my job was here, but I don’t know if I can come back. Maybe I need to find something else.”

He shook his head. “No way. We need you, Rowan. This whole new system is turning out to be a real nightmare, and it is really clear to me now that Ross can’t handle it by himself. While you were working on your project, you got to know it better than anyone.”

“I didn’t screw up. You know that now, don’t you?”

He nodded. “It became more and more obvious after you left.” He grinned. “Welcome to the family, Rowan. I’m glad you’re back, and not just because of this place. I’ve never seen Kyle so empty, so deflated, than he was without you. If he hadn’t found out the truth, he might well have taken off overseas again.”

We left his office, and he walked me through to mine. Ross was walking in the opposite direction, and stopped when he saw me.

“Rowan?”

“Rowan’s coming back to work. She’ll be taking back over the new system and iron out any bugs,” Mr Warner said.

“I see,” Ross said. He was suddenly a spectacularly pale shade as the colour drained from his face. That he hadn’t been told this was happening filled me with joy. This was better than any revenge plot I could have thought up.

I sat down and started work. The system was a mess. It would take some time to go through and tidy things up, but it would keep me busy, and soon I would get it running smoothly.

My favourite part of the whole day was going home with Kyle. We went back to his apartment, and cooked dinner together, before curling up on the couch to play games.

The console had brought us together, and now we laughed and loved our way through the evening. Nothing felt better than snuggling up in bed at night with him. Every night was an adventure as I caught up on all those years I’d wanted to be loved.

The feeling of knowing where I stood with him was indescribable. There was never any doubt between the two of us, and our friendship had helped us form this deep, loving relationship. For the first time in my adult life, I was truly happy.

He was my best friend, my lover, and all of a sudden, my organised life was turned upside down by a man who made me feel more free than ever before.

There were times when we met up with his old friends. They were understandably cautious after what he’d been through with his last girlfriend, but they soon warmed to me when they realised I was nothing like her.

Before Kyle, my life had been lonely and quiet. Now it was filled with fun and noise, and chaos. And I loved every minute of it.

Whatever we did, I spent every night in Kyle’s arms, feeling wanted and loved. I couldn’t imagine being any happier.

I
still heard
from Andrew from time to time, the odd email, or text message, always apologetic about what happened, always reassuring me that he missed my friendship and that was it. Kyle knew about it all, just as he knew about my decision to keep Andrew at arm’s length.

It wouldn’t be fair to Kyle after everything that had happened to renew my friendship with Andrew. And it wasn’t fair for Andrew to think that I wanted the closeness we had once shared. Although as time went on, I realised that it was a long time since we’d actually had that closeness as opposed to how I had once perceived things.

I’d never had so much clarity in my whole life. Kyle’s love had brought that to me because now I knew what it was like to really mean something to someone.

And it felt wonderful.

E
very day
she grew in confidence. Being loved and knowing it did wonders for Rowan’s self-esteem, and it flowed through to every aspect of her life, including work.

She’d already had that confidence in her skills, now it flowed through to her behaviour, and it made me so proud to see her sticking up for herself. Ross never stood a chance once she was back.

Dad was delighted when she came up with new ideas for all the computer systems, without the need for him to spend huge amounts of money. When she got the green light for those ideas, she glowed with excitement. Now, she not only got to prove that she knew what she was talking about, but she got a certain amount of payback for being stitched up before.

And then I got to go home with her.

She was still reticent at times, but bolder and more decisive. The shyness showed through when she was being flirtatious, looking out at me under those eyelashes. She made my stomach do flips and all I could think about was possessing her.

I loved her more and more each day, and best of all? No crazy stuff. We’d both found what we were looking for in each other.

My friends, who had been driven away by my ex’s antics, had begun to renew their friendships with me, and were pleased to discover I was with someone who wasn’t nuts. Rowan’s gentle ways soon won them over, and she suddenly had her pick of friends to choose from. Surrounded by people who adored her, she thrived, and the world became so much bigger than the tiny bubble she’d created around herself. And yet, if they all disappeared tomorrow, and it was just the two of us again, we’d cope fine.

S
he lay on the bed
, sucking on her fingers, keeping eye contact as I stripped off. I went straight in, my head between her legs, giving her what we both needed: my tongue inside her, probing her wetness as she relaxed and sighed, giving in to the demands I placed on her body. As I flicked my tongue over her clit, gently sucking on it, she bucked her hips, moaning, gripping my hair, and pulling me in to her climax.

I moved over her, kissing her lips and meeting her tongue as she kissed me. Where she was once shy and tentative, we now did battle for supremacy, for ownership, and I confess to giving in to her. Always.

She pushed me, flipping me onto my back and rocking her groin against mine. Once again, she had me just where she wanted me, and there was nowhere else I wanted to be. “Rowan,” I said, running my hands from her neck down her breasts, and pulling her up to my torso so I could slide my fingers into her.

Rowan leaned back, giving me better access as I rubbed her clit with my thumb. She shuddered, rolling off me and moving beside to go down on me, taking me in her mouth and lovingly running her tongue down my length. Grinning as she came back up, she bit down on her lip rather than keep going. What a tease. “I love it when you do that,” I said, stroking her hair. She was in full command, whether she realised it or not.

She sat up, grabbing the box on the bedside cabinet and taking a condom from it, rolled it down my cock as I watched her. She frowned as she sat astride me, lowering herself slowly. I filled her and she leaned forward to kiss me.

“You don’t have to look unhappy about it.” I laughed. I knew why she was looked that way, but in a few moments, I’d get that smile back on her face.

I pulled her over, flipping her onto her back this time, and she smiled, her eyes warm with the love she felt for me. When our eyes met, and I saw that look, I knew I was home.

“I just …” Her sentence went unfinished as I pulled back and thrust hard into her. Distracted, she moaned, meeting my hips for the second thrust, her body possessed by our joining together, and I knew I had her.

Our lovemaking had become more energetic as the confidence she had in her body grew. I worshipped every inch of her, and once she’d accepted that as fact and not as me trying to make her feel better about some imagined flaw, she had become more bold in bed. It was amazing; she was amazing.

I pinned her to the bed, holding her arms as I pounded into her, deeper and deeper as she thrust back. I let go with a groan, crashing my lips into hers with another kiss that consumed us both. She hooked her legs around mine, not letting me pull out, and I laughed, rubbing my nose to hers and planting tiny kisses on her face.

“Got you,” she whispered.

“Always.” She let me go so I could roll to the side, panting at the effort.

I reached for her, pulling her face towards me to keep kissing her. “I love you,” she said. Not that she needed to; it was written all over her face.

“I love you too.” I ran a finger down between her breasts, and she wriggled over to snuggle.

“Hang on, gotta go sort this out.” I climbed out of bed, pulling the condom off. When I came back, she was frowning again.

“I hate having to stop for those things.” She pouted, and I kissed her nose.

“I know.” She had tried going on the pill, but had a bad reaction to it. Back to the drawing board we’d gone, so we were using the rubber interrupters, as I liked to call them. “Rowan, we’ll work it out. If this is all we have to worry about, we don’t have that many issues.”

I climbed back in to bed beside her, and pulled her into my arms for a kiss. “As long as we’re together, none of the other shit matters. It’ll do for now. Thank fuck you’re not allergic to latex.”

She laughed, pinching my butt.

I sighed. “Look, if you’re going to sexually harass me, I’ll have no choice but to have sex with you again.”

“What a shame,” she said straight-faced, pinching me once more.

“You’re just asking for trouble, aren’t you?”

“Maybe.” She poked her tongue at me, and I grabbed it between my teeth, wiggling my eyebrows as she laughed. I let go, shaking my head.

“I’m just a sex object to you, Rowan. That’s all I am.”

“Oh, woe is you.” She rolled over onto her side. “Look, I’m facing away so I don’t objectify you.”

I reached over her, pulling her against me, rubbing my already hardening cock between her legs. “You know I love it when you use big words.” I sucked on her earlobe, fondling a breast, and she giggled as she pushed back against me.

“So, forgetting the slight disruption, are you ready for round two?” I whispered in her ear, my fingers probing her and finding the answer without her using words.

I’d never thought I’d find someone so perfectly suited to me, but Rowan and I, we were destined to spend our lives together. If I was ever sure of anything, that was it, and she felt the same way.

Two hours later, we sat, naked and cross-legged in the middle of the living room floor. Rowan had challenged me to a race, and I was trying my best to keep up as our cars zoomed around the track on screen.

I didn’t care if I lost; the sight of her relaxed and enjoying herself brought me more joy than I would ever admit to. We laughed and loved, revelling in the blissful serenity of our relationship.

There was one thing that I was certain about. I was going to marry this girl, make her mine until the end of time. And I was sure she loved that idea too.

I
watched
her sleep as I climbed into bed beside her. She was so peaceful, her hair a mess from our earlier activities. All she’d ever needed was an outlet for the love she had to give, a partner to share with her rather than taking what they could and throwing her away. Now, she had me.

Taking her hand in mine, I looked at the ring in my other hand. Dad hadn’t been surprised when I’d asked for it, even gave us his blessing, though that was never really a problem. He adored her too. This had been my mother’s ring, and she had long, slender fingers just like Rowan. Most memories I’d had of Mum had faded, but I still remembered those fingers, stroking my cheek as she told me she was proud of me, and that Dad would take care of me now.

I fought back the tears that threatened as every piece of emotion that connected me to that memory came to the surface and smiling, I slid the ring onto Rowan’s left ring finger. The thought of her waking up to find it there filled me with a warm buzz, and I closed my eyes, trying to let the good vibe take over the sadness that threatened to engulf me.

Over the years I’d thought about Mum often, but now more than ever, I wished she were here to meet Rowan. She’d love her too, I knew that for a fact.

I’d even called Rowan’s father, and he was only too happy to give us his blessing too. Our parents all knew we were just meant to be.

The ring was a little loose, but would stay in place, and I placed Rowan’s hand back under the blanket where it would be warm. In the morning I’d get her answer, but placing the ring on her finger was enough for now. I’d go to sleep a happy man, dreaming of our life together.

She woke me with kisses, her soft lips brushing across my face and giggled when I opened my eyes.

“Are you okay, Rowan?” I asked, trying hard to contain the grin that threatened to break out.

Holding up her hand, she pressed her lips to mine before breaking away and squealing again.

“You like it, then?” The diamond glistened in the morning light, and she squeezed me tight, clearly unable to verbalise how she was feeling.

“Rowan, talk to me.” I laughed, nuzzling her cheek with my nose.

“It’s beautiful,” she finally said, almost whispering the words.

“Not as beautiful as you.”

I hadn’t made her blush in a while, but at that she did, her cheeks flushing with colour as she tried to bury her face in my chest.

“Don’t believe you’ve given me an answer, Miss Taylor?” I already knew the answer from her reaction, but wanted to hear it from her lips.

She raised her face and smiled. “That depends on the question.”

I laughed. “The rock on your finger isn’t enough? Do you really want me to ask?”

Rowan planted a kiss on my chest. “Ask me the question, Warner,” she whispered. She looked up at me, those beautiful eyes of her pulling me in.

“Will you marry me, Rowan?” I said, stroking her face with my fingers.

“You know I will,” she whispered, pushing me back on the bed, rolling on top of me as if claiming me.

“So that’s a yes, then?” I ran my fingers down her back, feeling her lips on mine as we got lost in one another again.

I could spend the rest of my life doing this with her, and I would never have anything to complain about.

“That’s a yes,” she whispered, pressing her nose to mine.

God, I love her.