The Sound of Consequence (Puget Sound ~ Alive With Love Book 1) (11 page)

“Who was your best kiss?”

Her sexy smile answered the question, but he was glad when she leaned in and pressed her lips to his in a slow, sensual tango. His body fired up with need and he groaned when she pulled back and smiled, holding out all ten fingers.

Despite the needy ache, Owen smiled back at her. That was the answer his ego had hoped for. She had certainly shown him the best kiss he had ever known. Hell, if he was going to be honest, it didn’t stop with the kiss. Maybe if he was her best kiss, he was also the best she had been with. Whether it was really just one other guy or some factor of three. His ego drew a small sense of satisfaction at the thought.

“One more,” she said, holding up ten fingers.

“But you’re all out of fingers. Maybe we should count back down.” He smirked at her.

“I’ve got it under control,” she replied, her lips curved into the playful smile again.

Owen thought for a moment. He wanted to make the last question count. Although he wanted to know where she lived, she had made it obvious that he wasn’t going to get that information out of her. He reached out and gently caressed her face.

“Will you spend the night with me again tonight? And ride the ferry with me in the morning?”

Stacie smiled. “That was two questions.”

“Answer whichever one you want.”

Stacie pondered the questions for so long he wondered if she’d ever answer. Then her body shifted so she was on his lap, her arms moving slowly around his neck as she kissed him. She pulled away slightly to speak.

“Yes,” she said.

“To which question?”

“Whichever one you want.”

~~~

The next night, Owen stood against the rail in Bremerton as the ferry docked. The sun floated high in the cloudless April sky, making Stacie’s hair look more gold than brown as she stood waiting near the front of the boat. She looked beautiful in the distance with her hair pulled back loosely. He preferred her long hair down. Specifically, he liked it fanned over his bare chest after he made love to her. He’d be sure to remove the clip later if she didn’t do it herself.

Stacie wore rave green, the signature color of the Seattle Sounders, which made him smile. She waved so furiously when she spotted him that it made him laugh. Her enthusiasm was intoxicating. He could only imagine how much fun they were going to have at the game.

She ran out of the terminal and leaped into his waiting arms. The momentum of her embrace had him swinging her around as her tongue dove into in his mouth. He’d changed into jeans before leaving work, and now regretted the decision as the erection Stacie always inspired pressed painfully against his button fly.

Hell, if she kept kissing him like that, they weren’t going to make it to the damn game.

Stacie finally released his mouth and looked at him with a smile that stretched the width of her face.

“You missed me today,” he said, drinking in her smile as if it was the only thing that could parch his thirst.

“I’m excited about the game,” she said. Although it was obvious by the bounce in her step as they headed onto the ferry, the response disappointed him. He should just be happy with her affectionate greeting, but he needed more from her. He needed her to give him some sign that she was feeling the same way he was and that it wasn’t just a fantasy.

At this moment, however, with fingers intertwined and arms swinging naturally with each step, the mystery of who this woman was didn’t seem important. He knew her. Annastasia Noelle Nightingale was passionate about life, about simple things like riding the ferry, and painting, and soccer. She was also the reason his pulse raced.

“Sigi Schmid really needs to get Seattle’s defense in order,” she declared as they sat on a bench at the back of the boat. “They have a great goalie and a strong offense, but there’s something lacking with the defense.”

Owen gaped at Stacie. The commentary was confident, spoken like a coach. Or a really big soccer fan. She was so beautiful, and perhaps it was his fault for stereotyping. He never would have expected someone who looked like her to have an opinion, a very accurate one at that, about a major league soccer team.

“What?” she asked.

Owen shook his head. “You’re just full of surprises, that’s all.”

“What, because I know a thing or two about professional soccer?”

Owen shook his head. “There’s so much I don’t know about you.”

“You know enough,” she kissed him hard and eased onto his lap. It was her signature move, a tool she used for avoiding conversation.

Owen decided not to give up this time. He reluctantly pulled his mouth away and held her close as she remained on his lap. “Baby, I could know you for a hundred years and still not know enough about you.”

Stacie ran her fingers over his lips, a subtle caress that had his jeans growing tighter. Again. “Sometimes, everything you need to know is simply what’s in front of you.”

Owen wanted to believe that, but the more she evaded talking about herself, the more suspicious he grew. He knew the secrets he kept. He had well-justified reasons for not telling her yet. It still hurt him to think that she might be keeping something from him.

“So who’s your favorite player?” he asked, trying to focus the conversation on something that might tame his arousal.

“Zakuani. Definitely. He’s got finesse.”

“Really? I figured you’d be into Zach Scott.”

Stacie raised her brow, looking slightly annoyed at the comment. “Why, because he’s hot?”

Despite the fact that he opened the door wide, that wasn’t what Owen wanted to hear. “He seems popular with the ladies.”

Before Owen finished the sentence, Stacie was off his lap. She took a few steps, then peered at him over her shoulder. “You think I’m that shallow?”

He hoped not. “I don’t really know.”

For a moment, he thought he might get something out of her. Something personal. Then she lifted the corner of her mouth into a coy grin.

Next thing he knew, her lips were on his, her tongue searching for his again. She was on his lap, this time straddling him.

“You,” her fingers circled his nipple as her eyes narrowed and focused on his mouth, “are way hotter than Zach Scott.”

The hard-on that had softened only moments ago returned. He pulled her into him, his hands low around her waist so he could hold her firmly in place. “Baby, if you keep this up,” he paused, pressing into her enough so she knew exactly what he meant by
this
. “We aren’t going to make it to the game.”

She dropped her head back and laughed. It was another tease, her beautifully exposed neck inviting him to kiss her. The soft skin led his eyes down to the low-plunging neckline of the tight-fitting jersey. He knew what lay beneath. He’d had his lips and tongue on every part of her body. Now that knowledge enflamed his hunger.

He lifted her off his lap and stood to iease the painful throb in his pants. She watched him with narrowed eyes and a smile that said she was ready to devour him.

“Stacie,” he said on a groan. “Baby, you’re killing me here.”

“Sorry,” she laughed. “I’m just really excited about the game. And you really are hotter than any guy on that team.” She winked playfully, his body finally relaxing as the erection softened.

“So is that all I am to you, a piece of meat?”

“Pretty much,” she responded with another wink.

He grabbed her again and pulled her back into him, giving her a playfully harsh look. “Damn, woman, have you no shame?”

Her laugh made him smile again. “I slept with you without even knowing your name. So apparently not.”

“I guess you’ve got a point. We’ve made some progress since then. We could make even more progress. You could tell me where you live. Give me your number.”

“Let’s not ruin our fun with petty logistics.”

“The logistics aren’t petty to me, Stacie. This thing between us, it doesn’t just have to be about sex.”

Stacie pulled away and stood near the window. “Owen, I told you before that I’m not looking for anything serious. If you’re going to try and turn this…” she paused as though unsure how to label their relationship. That was reasonable. Owen didn’t know how to label it either. That’s what he was trying to fix.

She shook her head, then gestured to the two of them. “This thing between us into something that it’s not then I’m going to have to walk away.”

Owen was willing to do anything to prevent that from happening. He raised his hands in surrender. “I’m just trying to fill the time when we have our clothes on,” he explained, hiding his panic. Then he followed up with a total lie. “I’m not trying to push you into anything.”

He sealed the lie with a kiss, the kind with tongue and intentions. Let her try to walk away from that.

The tension in her body slowly faded as the heat grew between them. She molded herself to him, their tongues dancing in a way that was now familiar without being routine.

Her lips relaxed in a slow return to reality, a joyful sigh escaping on her next breath.

“You could fill the time by telling me more about that painting of yours. I’d really love to know who the artist is. Who gave it to you? Maybe they know who painted it.”

Dammit, she was good at turning the tide. That had him a little concerned that the warning bells weren’t ringing. Right about now he oughta be poppin’ smoke and calling in reinforcements to get him away from her.

The problem was he was falling for her. He refused to believe that she was playing him for a fool. He also refused to believe that she was just looking for sex. There was something more between them. He felt it. She might be unwilling to admit it, but he knew she felt it too.

Of course, by asking about the painting again she’d opened the door for him. Owen stood at the threshold, knowing this was the perfect opportunity to tell her everything. Right here, right now. Then she’d have no reason to keep her secrets. The dread that filled him conjured all kinds of images. He could already see her brilliant smile fade. His baggage was more than he could handle some days. How did he expect a woman who’d been in his life for mere days to accept all that shit? He couldn’t. Not yet.

His mouth was on hers without another thought. She didn’t seem to mind that the conversation had ended as she wrapped her arms around his neck and stretched herself up to him. He bent his knees to help her effort, which also brought his waist closer to hers. Damn, it was going to be a long night before he got her alone.

At some point Owen remembered they were on the ferry and he pulled himself away from the warmth of her body. They took a seat and for the rest of the journey across Puget Sound, enjoyed the sights under the rhythmic music of the ferry pushing through water.

The silence wasn’t completely uncomfortable. In fact, it was somewhat peaceful. Owen caressed the soft skin of her arm. Her body relaxed against his. He wasn’t one for small talk and obviously neither was she. Of course, she wasn’t into big talk either, and he desperately wanted to establish their relationship as something more than just fantastic sex. It was obvious, however, that he would have to wait.

Stacie’s excitement returned when they reached Seattle. She practically dragged Owen off the ferry and through SoDo to CenturyLink field. She radiated enthusiasm as they climbed the stairs toward the three hundred level. Between the one hundred and two hundred levels, she pressed herself against the rail and looked out over the field.

Pre-game activities were underway, rave green streamers and confetti flying everywhere. Owen reached into his backpack for a camera and found the Sounders scarf that Bryan had given him. After grabbing the camera, he placed the scarf around Stacie’s shoulders, then stepped back to snap some pictures. Stacie playfully posed like a super model on a cover shoot.

She had a sweatshirt tied around her waist and Owen decided that she’d look better without it hiding the curves under dark, low cut jeans. After he untied the sweatshirt and draped it over his arm, he moved his hands slowly up her body and removed the clip that held her hair back.

“That’s better,” he said, giving her the once over.

When Stacie reached around her head and swept her long thick hair over one shoulder, Owen felt his jeans get tighter again. He wasn’t even sure that she did it consciously, but he thought it was sexy as hell. It was one of the reasons he preferred her to wear her hair down. That and he liked to tangle his fingers in the silkiness of it. He snapped a few pictures as Stacie tilted her head and smiled, her arms braced on the rail behind her.

X-rated images flashed through Owen’s mind. It had been a long ferry ride. It was going to be a true test of will to keep his hands off her during the game.

He put the camera away and Stacie skipped over to him. “Let’s go find our seats,” she said, grabbing his hand and leading him in a jog up the stairs.

Being with Stacie at a soccer game showed Owen a completely different side of her. She had shown a lot of excitement when she talked about her stories and painting and soccer. Most of the time, however, she’d remained relatively reserved and quiet. Except for when they made love, of course. That obviously wasn’t a side of her he would ever see in public.