Unfinished (12 page)

As we made our
way into the sea of bodies it only took me a few moments to get lost in the
thumping beat. Cassie and I moved and some of the tension began to leave my
body. I just needed a little bit of distance to clear my head. It didn’t have
to mean anything. We had both been drinking. It didn’t mean
anything
. We
could just forget it and go back to normal. Of course, the memory of kissing
him was something that I couldn’t easily get out of my head. I already knew
that from past experience. His kisses had a way of staying with you, making you
needy for more.

 I hate to
admit that I tried to keep my distance from Owen for the rest of the evening. I
tried. But we kept catching each other’s gaze and more than a few times he
would find a reason to touch me. I was really trying to be rational. Logical
thinking. That is what I needed.  I had to keep a clear head. Stay smart.  I
kept reminding myself that he had other priorities. He’d told me this. There
was no room for me in his plan. He had his
arrangement
and I just wasn’t
in a place where I could work with that kind of situation. It was complicated.
It was further complicated by the fact that my need for him was continually
growing. I probably could have pretended like I didn’t have any feelings, or at
least hidden them pretty well, if we didn’t seem to be continuously adding to
our list of stolen moments. Just those few encounters left me needy and I
wasn’t positive I’d make it through my life without seeing it through. Yep,
that line of thinking was going to get me nowhere but trouble. 

I was startled
from my thoughts when Owen leaned over, his breath tickling the skin against my
neck. “Are you ready to get out of here?” I turned to look at him. Damn, he was
so beautiful. His eyes held me while I thought about his words. Get out of
here. Leave this club with its lack of inhibitions and head home.  That was
probably a good idea, except, home meant alone. Together. I’m not sure that was
my safest bet, but suddenly the idea of being back home with him seemed like the
most appealing choice.

“Yeah, it’s
late. Let’s go,” I agreed, hoping he couldn’t see where my thoughts had
unwittingly gone. He stood and offered me his hand. I took it as he helped me
to my feet. He didn’t let go. I said my goodbyes to Cassie and then we made our
way outside.

The cool air
was welcome. It hit my damp skin and helped me shake off the buzz that had my
brain foggy. I watched as he hailed a passing cab with his free hand. “I think
a cab is safer,” he smiled. We had both had a bit to drink, and more than a
couple of shots. Neither of us should be driving. I climbed into the waiting
cab and smoothed my skirt around me. Owen climbed in behind me.  He was careful
not to sit too close, but his hand sat in between us, his fingertips barely
touching my leg.  It was like we were in junior high again, pushing the limits
and testing the water.  Only, I knew the game we were playing had a whole
different set of rules.

We didn’t talk
on the way home.  I stared out the window as the city passed by us. This night
had been fun.  Owen had fit in so well with my friends, and he was so easy to
be with.  It had been an amazing memory.  I tried my best not to think about
what had happened in the back room, but my thoughts kept returning to the way
his mouth had felt on mine.  Each time he kissed me it was as if he had seared
himself into another piece of my heart.  I knew that if things were different
that I could fall for him so easily.  Hell, maybe I already had.  I was good at
trying to convince myself differently, but here in this quiet cab, with my mind
clear of all of the garbage I usually tried to pack into it, I was free to let
the truth in.  He did something to me, something deeper than I was comfortable
with, something that was going to take me down if I wasn’t careful.

Chapter Sixteen

We arrived at
the house about ten minutes later.  I unlocked the door as Owen paid for the
cab.  He followed me in and I shut the door behind us kicking off my heels in
the foyer.  I was still feeling pretty tipsy.  I liked it.  I giggled as I
stumbled.  Owen’s strong arms reached out and held me steady.  “Thanks,” I
smiled sweetly, batting my lashes at him. He raised an eyebrow at me.

“You alright
there, Kit Kat?” He smiled down at me.  Man, his eyes were something. I
couldn’t seem to pull my gaze from him.  Was it my imagination or were they
taking on that dark steamy expression that they had held earlier?

“Mmm hmm,” I
finally managed, steady on my feet again.  Once more we were locked in a
stare.  I could feel my heart rate quickening as the air between us began to
charge. “Um, I’m going to go shower all of this smoke off of me,’ I managed
turning from him.  I needed distance. Quick.  I left him there and scurried
into my bedroom.  My face felt flush either from the alcohol or the closeness
of Owen wearing that gaze, I wasn’t sure, but I definitely thought my shower
should stay on the cool side.

I grabbed some
pajamas and made my way into the bathroom.  I stared in the mirror and took in
my pink cheeks and too bright eyes. How is it that I was wanting this man so
much when I knew he wasn’t available?  It was so frustrating and when he looked
at me like that it was dangerous.

The water from
the shower felt nice.  I let it wash away the grime from the club.  But I also
found myself pretending that the trailing droplets were Owen’s fingers brushing
across my skin.  Ugh, this was having the opposite effect that I needed it to.

I huffed and
turned off the water.  Why did he have to be so damn sexy? I grumbled to myself
as I towel dried my hair and scrunched up the natural waves, hoping to tame
down the frizz. I dressed in a tank top and some boxer shorts and ventured back
out to the living room.

Owen was
leaned back on the couch, flipping through channels on the television.  He
stopped when I came in; I must have startled him because he jumped a little. I
didn’t miss his gaze take me in and I self consciously crossed my arms across
my chest, realizing I was no longer wearing a bra. “Um, the shower is open if
you want it.  I’m just going to grab an extra blanket for your bed.” I tried to
sound normal, but the way that he was looking at me was making me nervous.

“Sure,
thanks,” he offered standing up. I moved aside as he headed down the hall
toward the bathroom. He brushed against me as he moved by, even though there
was plenty of room.  The simple contact sent sparks through me. I was pretty
sure he knew that. 

      “There
are towels in the cabinet,” I called out.  This was ridiculous.  I really
needed to pull myself together.  I scolded myself a moment longer before making
my way to the spare room to make sure there were plenty of pillows and
blankets.  I was still muttering to myself twenty minutes later as I sat on my
bed putting lotion on my arms.

I jerked my
head up when I sensed movement in my doorway.  “Hey,” he smiled.  Holy shit,
where was his shirt?  Was he trying to kill me?  God, he was beautiful.

“Um, hey.” I
gave him my best smile, but seeing him there in nothing but a pair of dark gray
lounge pants was enough to do me in.  Damn, who would have thought a barefoot
man could be so sexy.  I was staring and the realization made me blush.

“Mind if I
come in for a second,” he asked. 

“Not at all,”
I smiled patting the bed beside me.  Wow, Ally, just invite him right into your
bed, I scolded myself silently.  I watched as he came over and sat next to me. 
Dear, God, a drop from his still damp hair fell to his shoulder and slid a
torturous path to his well defined chest.  My mouth went dry.  This was too
much.

“Thanks for
letting me stay here,” he said.  He was sitting really close and I was starting
to feel a little off kilter.  He, on the other hand, looked relaxed and
unmussed. Perhaps I was the only one feeling anything here.  Of course I was
alone in this.  But that damn kiss. 

“Of course,
what are friends for?  I’m glad you are here,” I said giving my hair a nervous
twirl. 

“Friends,” he
said thoughtfully.  I dared a glance at him and shrugged.

“What would
you call it?” I asked quietly.

This time it
was him who shrugged. “I don’t know.  You
are
my best friend,” he said. 
I smiled.  I felt the same way.  “But at the same time, we are more than that. 
We keep dancing on this line between friendship and something more.  It’s that
something more that has me…has me all over the place,” he admitted. He was
studying me and I knew that he was looking for some clue as to how I was
feeling.

“I know,” I
admitted.  I wasn’t sure how much to say aloud, how much to admit.  I heard him
take a breath and then he placed a hand on my thigh.  My breath caught as his
fingertips touched my bare skin. I forced myself to look at him, heart beating
fast again.  I tried to ignore the warmth of his fingertips on my skin, but it
was too much. “Owen,” I started, my voice came out low and the sound surprised
me.

“Ally, I know
that things are complicated,” he started, searching my eyes.  I wasn’t sure
what he was looking for.  Maybe he was asking for permission, maybe he was
waiting for me to push him away.  Knowing him, part of him was hoping that I
would. I understood that part.  I really felt like I was in a battle of wills
at the moment, and honestly, I had no clue which side I wanted to root for. 
So, I waited for him to continue. I held my breath as he moved in a little
closer.

“I really want
to kiss you again,” he said softly.  I bit my lip nervously. 

“But you
probably shouldn’t,” I offered even though I really wanted him to, no matter
how bad of an idea it might be.

“Probably
not,” he agreed, but he left his hand on my thigh and seemingly closed the
space between us a little more.  “But I still really want to do it,” he
breathed. I held his gaze, refusing to look away.  In this moment we had to
decide.  Even with the kiss earlier, this moment felt different.  It felt more
deliberate which made it feel more important somehow. 

The truth was
that if I were to let it go and just do what I really wanted, without thinking
about all of the complications that it could bring, I would just go for it.  I
would lean in and close this gap.  I wanted him.  But it was more than that.  I
was falling for him.  All of our talks, all of the shared moments of the past
few months had my feelings way beyond lust and attraction.  I knew I was
falling for him in a dangerous way.  It was that kind of falling that you
didn’t come back from, at least not without your whole world changing in some
way.  I loved so much about who he was.  There were all of these details that
made the man; these were the things that really got me.  It was the way he
listened to me and dug in to find out the details of me. I didn’t want to lose
all of that.  But even more, there was this insane physical attraction.  It was
a pull that I couldn’t deny, and really, how often do you get both sides in a
relationship?  How could I really walk away from that without giving it a try?
Oh, that’s right…because he has told you that he isn’t available. He has Anna
and his job and there is no place for Ally in that equation.   This was so
tough. 

“Ally,” he
said my name and there seemed to be a thousand questions there.  I knew he
could tell there was an entire monologue going on in my head.  It made me smile
and with that I moved the rest of the way and brushed my lips against his in a
soft kiss.  I left it at that and then pulled back slightly.  I needed him to
make the decision too.  He took only a moment and then his lips were against
mine again, more urgent, needier.  His hands moved to my hair, steadying me
close to him.  A small moan escaped me as his tongue began to explore.  The
noise seemed to unravel him further and suddenly we were falling back against
the pillows.  I loved the way the weight of him felt against me.  It brought
out something primal in me and I kissed him harder.  His hands moved up my
body.  His touch was fire.  I could feel the flames dancing across my skin.  I
gasped as his mouth moved across my throat devouring me.  I was lost in the
sensation. Yes, this was definitely the right choice.  It would be a shame to
miss this. 

I moved my
hands across his back. His skin was warm.  I gently ran my nails across the
hard surface and he let out a deep groan pressing into me. I could feel his
erection pressing into me and loved the pressure. The sensation was
intoxicating.  His mouth traveled down my throat then against the thin fabric
of my tank top.  His breath was hot and my nipples instantly hardened.  His
hands ran along my body and a flash of memory from the first time this happened
skitted across my conscious.  But this was different.  As much as he had known
what he was doing back then, he knew more now.

“Your skin is
so soft,” he murmured as his hands pushed the tank top up, exposing the flesh
of my stomach.  He kissed me, a trail of soft kisses from hip to hip and then
up my torso, lifting my shirt further as he went.  When he reached my breasts
he stole a glance up at me. His eyes were hooded and I bit back a whimper at
the power his gaze had on me.  He moved the shirt off of me completely and then
gazed down at me.  I watched as his tongue moved across his bottom lip as he
took me in.  Then his mouth was on me again, his tongue circling the sensitive
bud and then taking it and tugging at it with his teeth.  It was intense and I
felt my insides tighten at the sensation.  He knew exactly what he was doing. 
He moved over to the other breast and gave it the same attention to detail.  My
whole body was brimming with tension.  His lips moved back up to my throat,
licking, sucking, and kissing his way along my jaw and back to my lips.

“Ally,” he
breathed, “God, I want to taste you all over.” I groaned a little as he took my
bottom lip into his mouth and tugged at it with his teeth.  He moved then,
leaning back on his knees and just staring down at me, naked expect for my
short boxer shorts.  I felt a little shy, but the heat in his eyes made me
forget about it just as quickly. “You are perfect,” he said, his voice husky
and deep.  He traced his hands all along the bare skin of my torso.  His hands
were large and they covered so much space. His touch felt so amazing, but I
longed for more. His hands rested at the waistband of my shorts and I saw the
question in his eyes. I lifted my hips, slightly in response and his dark eyes
focused in on me.  He pulled them down along my legs until they were off and I
lay there, exposed and wanting. 

“Fuck, Ally,
you drive me crazy,” he admitted.  I watched his gaze take me in, but instead
of feeling shy again I just felt needy with desire.  I needed his mouth on me again,
his hands on my body.  I reached up to run my hands along his chest; I also
wanted him out of those pants.  I wanted to see him the way he could see me.

Before I could
manage to slide them away, Owen moved back over me and began to kiss me again. 
I was instantly distracted as the weight of his body pressed into me again.  I
bucked up to try and find some friction between us, even with the pants between
us I could feel how hard he was and my body was trying to find a way to get
closer.

I moaned
loudly as Owen’s hand moved down my body once again, this time letting his
fingers linger at the sensitive spot between my legs.  I cried out as he rubbed
the sensitive bud. “I love the way you feel beneath me.  I want to do so many
things to you, Ally.  I want to take you to the edge and watch you tumble
over.  I want to make you scream my name,” his voice was a low rumble against
my throat and it only added to the pleasure as he pushed one finger into me.  I
cried out at the sensation and began to move with him, my body responding to
him instantly.

“You are
already so wet for me.” He kissed my throat as I continued to whimper, with a
second finger he pushed me a little further up that cliff he’d mentioned.  “I
want to taste you. I’ve wanted to taste you for so long, since that night in
the barn.” He moved back down my body, a trail of kisses and nips on his way. 
When he reached his destination he gently pushed my legs apart and blew a
breath against me. It was sweet torture.  When his mouth covered me he got his
wish as I called out his name. I was so keyed up and wound tight that I was
instantly being taken higher.  His mouth sucked and licked, exploring each
delicate fold until I could feel my body begin to tremble.

“You’re so
close, I can feel it.  You’re trembling.  I want to watch you fall apart, Ally.
I want to know that I brought you to the brink. I want to feel you.” He went
back to his assault, fingers, tongue and then I was falling.  My hands gripped
the sheets and I fell to pieces, oblivious to any other thoughts except for the
pleasure that was coursing through me.

He kissed his
way back to me and lay beside me.  “You are so beautiful.  That was amazing to
watch,” he said.  He brushed the hair off of my forehead and ran his fingers
across my skin in a lazy pattern.  I was still coming down from my orgasm as he
tucked me into him.

“Owen,” I
managed, my voice sounded far away to me. 

“Yeah, Baby?”
he ran his hands through my still damp hair. It was relaxing after my release.

“I want to see
you come over the edge too,” I managed a look up at him and he smiled.

“Not tonight,
Baby. Now we sleep,” he said.

I wondered why
he didn’t want to go further or let me reciprocate in some way. I wanted to.  I
didn’t want to go to sleep.  Well, that’s a lie. My eyes were heavy and I was
feeling so relaxed and content and now that he had me pulled into him, my head
on his bare chest, smelling his delicious Owen scent I was falling into a
slumber before I knew it.  For a moment I wondered if I had been dreaming all
along.