Unfinished (11 page)

Chapter Fifteen

The club was
busy and the music was loud as we made our way to the table that Cassie and her
crew had taken over. We were a bit overdressed, but Owen had shed his tie and
jacket in the car.  He’d unbuttoned the top couple of buttons from his dark
gray dress shirt and it left me completely distracted.  It made me want to
unbutton a few more.

“Hey you,” I
said giving Cassie a hug. 

“I am so glad
you guys came!  How was the reunion? Lame?  Oh my God you must be Owen. You are
yummy.” Her questions ran together and I didn’t even bother answering any of
them.  I couldn’t even blame it on the alcohol she’d been drinking. She was
always like this. 

Owen laughed
and shook her hand. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you. Cassie, right?” he asked giving
her one of his classic, charming Owen smiles.  I laughed as I watched it dazzle
Cassie just a little bit.

“Yeah.
Cassie.  I’ve heard so much about you.  Good stuff mostly. Let’s get you guys a
drink,” she bubbled over with personality and I couldn’t help but laugh at
her.  You put Cassie in a party atmosphere and she pretty much became the
party.  She was the epitome of living it up.  I admired that about her. Somehow
she always made me feel a little uptight.  She was good for me.

“I’ll go grab
us something,” Owen offered.  “What do you want?” He leaned into me and I had
to swallow hard before I was able to answer him.  Anytime he got this close to
me it made my stomach flip.  I had to get control of that.

“I’ll take a
vodka tonic,” I smiled.  He nodded and headed off to the bar. 

Cassie grabbed
me as soon as he was gone.  “Oh my God, Ally, he is hot.  I mean, I saw his
picture, but damn…you have got to jump on that,” she ordered. 

I laughed. 
“Cassie…it’s not like that. We are just friends, remember?” I stole a glance
over my shoulder to see Owen talking to the bartender. 

“Bullshit. 
Have you seen how that man is looking at you?  And let’s just be honest
here…you didn’t wear that dress for your buddy,” she accused. I glanced down at
the purple dress, with its plunging neckline and knew she was right.  But
what’s so wrong with wanting him to think I was attractive.  It was only
natural. Granted, I knew we had agreed not to do anything about it, but I
couldn’t help myself.  I liked him.  I liked him a lot. I felt such a pull
towards him that it made me make questionable choices.

“I know.  I
couldn’t help myself,” I said, trying to look ashamed. We both knew I wasn’t.
Cassie laughed loudly, throwing her head back.

“Seriously. 
Let your rules go for a bit, Ally.  If you don’t explore this thing, you’ll be
sorry.  He looks at you like you are candy,” she pointed out.  She took a sip
of her martini and nodded over my shoulder to signal that Owen was making his
approach back to the table. “Think about it.”

I smiled up at
Owen as he handed me my drink.  “Thanks.”

“Anytime,” he
said taking a seat beside me, running his hand against my thigh as he did.  It
felt intimate, leaving a hum across my skin.  I took a long sip of my drink to
try and distract myself, but I was so keyed up that it wasn’t helping.

I was only
halfway listening as my friends engaged Owen in conversation.  I was too focused
on how close he was to me. Maybe it was the alcohol or the atmosphere, or just
the way I could smell his intoxicating scent beside me.  Whatever it was, it
had left me in a bit of a fog.

“Were you
thirsty?” Owen laughed bumping my shoulder with his. His eyes were amused as he
nodded to my now empty glass.  Huh, that had gone down way too easy.

“Guess so,” I
smiled up at him sheepishly. 

“You wanna
dance?” he asked.  Dance with Owen…a hot, sweaty, hard bodied Owen?  I chewed
my bottom lip at the thought. 

“Okay,” I
finally managed.

“Wait!  Shots first!”
Cassie called out giving me a smirk. As if on cue, our waitress set down a
large tray of tequila shots and a stack of limes.  While the still rational
part of me knew it might not be a good idea, I loved tequila.  We each grabbed
a shot glass and a lime. 

“Don’t forget
the salt,” Owen caught my hand and ran his tongue against the skin above my
thumb. I felt it clear down to my toes.  I held his gaze, surprised, as he gave
me a mischievous grin and sprinkled the salt where his tongue had just been.
“Drink up,” he murmured.  I watched him lick the salt off his own hand and down
the shot.  He put the lime in his mouth and sucked. If it hadn’t been for the
loud music, I’m pretty sure he would have heard the soft whimper that escaped
me. That was so incredibly sexy.  I stood frozen for a moment just staring,
until he nodded at me, urging me to follow suit.  I did and the burn was
welcome.

He gave me a
big smile and then took my hand.  “Dance,” he said as he tugged me behind him
towards the dance floor. There was already a crowd moving to the loud, thumping
beats.  I stood in front of Owen, mesmerized by his gaze as he ran his tongue
across his lips and his hands down my bare arms.  The familiar tingle lit me on
fire as we began to move.  I’m not sure what was happening between us, but ever
since we got to this club, things had taken on an intensity that was hard to
deny.  I could feel the buzz of the drinks and the shots that we’d taken and I
began to lose myself in the music.  Owen pulled me closer to him, his knee
between my legs, our bodies touching at every point.  I slipped my arms around
his neck and relished the feel of his as they skimmed along my sides and rested
at my hips.  The soft satin of my dress kissed my legs, leaving me lost in a
wave of sensation.  Owen held on to me, taking control of our dance.  I loved
it.  I turned in his arms, pressing my back against his body, feeling the hard
lines as they moved against me.  I slid down and then turning slowly made my
way back up.  Owen grabbed my wrists and leaned me backwards, supporting my
waist with his strong hand.  When he pulled me back to him I found myself
fitting perfectly into his chest.  I could feel his deep breathing, matching my
own.  I was so turned on by this dance. I just wanted to get closer to him, but
he was already hard against me.

“You drive me
crazy,” he said huskily into my ear.  His hot breath left chills across my
skin. “I can’t get enough of you.” I looked up and found his eyes, just as he
lowered his forehead to mine.  My heart was beating out of my chest.  We were
playing with fire, and it felt so damn good.

As the song
ended he grabbed my hand and pulled me towards a long hallway.  I followed him
willingly.  I needed air, or space, or a dark closet where I could lose myself
in him. I wasn’t sure which.  My head was fuzzy and I was a mess of desire.  I
wanted this man. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t supposed to have him; it didn’t
make the want go away.

He kept
walking until he reached a small dark room just off the hallway.  A storage
closet, maybe?  I didn’t care, because all at once he had my back pressed
against the wall and his arms were caging me in.  I forced my gaze to him and
saw my own feelings mirrored in his.

“Owen,” my
voice came out as a breath.  I sounded needy even to my own ears.  I should be
embarrassed by that, but I couldn’t take the time to be.  He was so close. 

Keeping one
hand against the wall, he ran the other one down my cheek, my throat, and then
he began to skim my bare shoulders.  “This dress is sexy as hell, Ally.” His
voice was husky and it caused heat to rush straight to my core.  The effect he
had on me was instant and strong.

“I’m glad you
like it.” My hands moved to his chest of their own accord. I needed to feel
him. His fingers traced delicate trails across the skin of my shoulders and
along my collarbone, making me catch my breath.

His fingertips
left fire lingering on my skin. He continued to brush his fingertips along my
skin. Funny how the fire left goosebumps in it’s wake. He moved slowly,
brushing his fingertips down my arm. When they reached my wrist they encircled
it and then he let his thumb drift lazily across the delicate skin there. The
movement left my skin hypersensitive and a shiver went through me.

Pressed
against the wall as I was, there was nowhere for me to escape. Not that I
wanted to. His touch felt too nice. His breath, hot against my throat as he
leaned into me, felt too amazing.  He smelled amazing. It was a unique mix that
I couldn’t quite put my finger on, but it was all him. I knew it was being
imprinted onto my brain and that I would forever long to be near enough to
inhale it. It was intoxicating and sexy as hell. I had no idea I could be so
turned on by a scent alone.

“Ally,” his
voice was husky in my ear. “Do you have any idea just how beautiful you are?”
he asked. I opened my mouth to speak, but no sound escaped. I was a complete
puddle of mush. Maybe it was the cocktails, or the old crush, or maybe it was
just him. “Even back in high school you took my breath away and you had no
idea,” he said. His free hand moved to my face, brushing a stray hair from my
eyes. He smiled when he saw the bewildered look in my eyes. “You act surprised,”
he smiled closing in a little more.

Finally, I
found my voice. “You never saw me that way,” I managed.

“Didn’t I?
Hmmm…” He brushed another hair aside. “You were always so sweet. Innocent.
Always too good for someone like me. I couldn’t bear the thought of spoiling
you, even if I thought about it…often,” he admitted, a smile forming at his
lips.

“I wasn’t that
innocent,” I said, thinking back to all of those years ago. I can’t help but
think about graduation and the night we’d almost had.

As if guessing
the direction of my thoughts, he said, “But you were too innocent for me. I
hated seeing you with those other guys. You were too good for all of us.” His
eyes locked on mine.

“What about
now,” I managed as he held my gaze. The air between us was a thick fog.

“Well, you’re
still way too good for me,” he said roughly, his voice low. He ran his thumb
across my bottom lip and my breath caught as I sagged against the wall. He
leaned in closer, eyes hooded. I was a goner. “I’m just not sure that I care anymore.
In fact, I’m pretty sure I can’t stay away from you. I know that I don’t want
to,” he breathed.

At this point
he was mere inches from my lips. I was spinning with his closeness. His fingers
continued across my skin, leaving a warm hum. I could simply shift my body and
I’d be kissing him. God, I wanted to kiss him. But was it a good idea? Did I
even care anymore if it was a good idea?

“Owen.” His
name came out breathy. I couldn’t help it. I was completely lost in this
moment, completely under his spell.

He closed the
gap, his lips barely brushing against my own. It made my heart pound. I was
sure he could feel it, the sound thundered in my ears in an excited roar.
“Ally,” he said against my lips, teasing. This was torture. I couldn’t take it
anymore, I had to give in. I leaned into him, finally feeling him completely.
His lips were soft and firm at the same time. Taking my cue, Owen deepened the
kiss and pushed into me. Thank heaven for that wall. His hands moved to my
hair, my face and I gasped as I heard a low moan escape him. His tongue began
to dance with mine, sweet and rough at the same time. We were trying to
carefully explore each other, but the passion kept overtaking the moment,
leaving us breathless again. It was dizzying. I didn’t want to stop. I clung to
him, needing him closer. Too soon he broke apart from me, resting his forehead
on mine, both of us panting heavily, unable to speak. I wanted to kiss him
again. I wanted to feel him pressed against me. This was all very dangerous. I
was playing with fire. I wanted this man, but he had already told me that he
wasn’t available. Yet, here we were in the back hall of a smoky club, clinging
to one another in a lustful embrace. This couldn’t end well.

“We should
probably get back to the table,” he said, his voice still husky. I managed a
weak nod. He stepped back from me and I felt a sudden surge of disappointment.
He didn’t look at me and it felt like cold water being doused onto the moment.
He regretted it, obviously. I suppose that I should too, but I hadn’t gotten
that far yet. I straightened my dress, making sure everything was in place. My
cheeks were heating in embarrassment. I stepped around him and made a move to
go back to the table.

“Ally,” he
said pulling me to a stop by my fingertips. I turned to look back at him. I saw
it then, a whole range of confused emotions. He wanted me, I could see it. It
was written all over his face. But he was trying to abide by the rules we’d set
for ourselves. He wanted to keep the promises that he had made to himself. I
could see him being pulled in separate directions. I got it. I understood it.
But just because I understood it and I felt it too, didn’t mean I had any clue
how to deal with it. I just needed to put some space between us.

I gave him a
weak smile. “I know,” I said softly, turning and retreating down the hall.

I made it back
to the table and put a smile on my face as I slid in next to Cassie. “It’s
about time that you got back. I thought I was going to have to come and hunt
you down,” she teased, sipping on her drink.

“Nope, right
here,” I smiled, grabbing my drink and taking a long draw. She eyed me
curiously, her friend intuition firing.

“You okay?”
she asked studying me a little more closely.

I waved her
off, “Yes, I think I want to dance some more. Wanna join?” I asked.

“Hell yeah!”
she said swallowing the rest of her drink and sliding out of the booth.
Distraction is always best. I followed her and we headed to the floor just as
Owen walked up to the table. His eyes met mine questionably for a moment and I
gave him a small smile.