| |
OWEN PULLS ME TO HIM and our lips meet for the first time and immediately I know I never want to kiss another person on this planet. His lips are soft as butter and taste just like I thought they would; strong, manly. I instantly want Owen in the most carnal way, which is weird because I can’t remember the last time I wanted anyone. I haven’t felt desire in years.
He pulls back and looks at me. “Are you okay?”
I nod.
“Are we okay?” He sounds hesitant.
I nod again.
“Did I steal your voice, Little Mermaid?”
My entire life, I’ve been called every rendition of that character because of my red hair. I never particularly cared for it, but coming from Owen’s lips... it sounds magical. I nod again, but this time I smile.
“That won’t do. How on earth am I going to give it back to you?” He smirks at me.
I shrug my shoulders, but then lean in to kiss him again. This time, I part my lips. He takes the opportunity immediately to explore my mouth.
With both his hands framing my face, Owen moves us against the refrigerator. His entire front is against mine, and I can feel his hardness against my stomach. Apparently, I’m not the only one feeling desire.
“I want you, Mallory, in the worst way.” His forehead is against mine.
“I want you, too.”
“Am I going too fast? Because if I am, just tell me and I’ll back off. You’ve been through too much lately. I’ll completely understand.” Owen bends at the knees to look me directly in the eyes. “I promise.”
I appreciate him looking out for me, but right now, he’s all I want. Instead of telling him this, I push him back against the counter. Snaking my hands under his shirt, I feel every ridge of his six-pack. The same ones I tried desperately not to stare at this morning when he got out of bed and left my room.
I was unsuccessful.
“No. You’re not going too fast. I’m good.” I lean up and kiss him with as much force as I can muster.
Then his phone rings. Of course it does.
Owen takes a deep breath and pulls me against his chest, wrapping his arms around me. He kisses the top of my head and reaches for his phone.
“Yeah?” he quips. “Yeah, okay. Thanks.” He hangs up the phone and places it back on the counter. We stand there in a tight embrace for a few minutes. I don’t want to let go.
“That was my brother, Gabriel. He’s coming by to pick me up. We have to go do a walkthrough for an event we’re working in the next few days.”
I nod against his chest, and he kisses the top of my head again. I really like that.
“Olivia and maybe Piper will be around later this morning, if you’re feeling like company. But I need you to promise me you’ll not leave the block. It’s not safe out there for you.”
I only nod again.
“I need to hear the words, baby.”
He called me baby. It’s not something I’m used to or ever really cared for, but from his lips... I love the term of endearment. “I promise not to leave the block.”
He pulls me off his chest to look into my eyes. “I want to continue this tonight. More than you can imagine.”
I smile, “Maybe. We’ll see.”
The front doorbell rings, and Bella loses her mind and starts barking and trying to hide between us. We are forced apart and I laugh at her. “I’m going to leave her here with you, if that’s okay.”
“Of course.”
Owen steps away and I feel the emptiness immediately. I watch him collect his phone, keys, and a gun I didn’t realize he had. Of course, he has a gun. Probably several. God, I can be so naïve sometimes.
I follow him towards the front door, but he stops in the entryway and pulls me into his arms again. “I don’t want to leave. Just know that I’ll be thinking about you all fucking day.”
“Me, too. But I’ll be here when you get back.”
“You better be. I’ve got plans.” He wiggles his eyebrows, and it makes me laugh. “What a beautiful sound, your laughter.”
The doorbell rings again and Gabriel yells from the other side of the door. “I can hear you in there. Hurry up!”
“Go.” I push Owen towards the door.
He pulls me back to him and he kisses me. “I’ll see you tonight. If you need me, call me on the landline. I programmed my cell number as speed dial one.” “I will. Now go before your brother breaks down the door.”
“I’m about to.” Gabriel yells from the other side.
Owen opens the door. “Hold your damn horses.”
“Have fun, you two.” I tell them as I hold Bella’s collar. She’s whining as she watches Owen climb into Gabriel’s SUV.
“It’s okay, little girl. He’ll be back.” I promise the dog.
~~~
I wander Owen’s house for about an hour. It’s big and quiet. Bella gave up on me and went and laid down in her dog bed. Now, I don’t know what to do with myself. For the last few years, it’s been about working and being with mom. Now I don’t have either.
I decide to go over to Olivia’s house and knock on the door. Owen said she’d be around.
“Oh, hi! I was just about to come over. I’m just waiting for Piper. We have crafts and thought you’d like to help, or at least listen to us argue.” Olivia laughs as she opens the door to let me in.
“I’d love to, although I suck at crafts.” I smile as I walk into her house. It’s nothing like Owen’s place. This one is bigger, for one, but it has a different feel. It’s not as comfortable or homey as his place.
“Come on in. Don’t mind the mess. The girls never cleaned up their toys before school today.” Olivia waves at a handful of toys on the floor in the kitchen.
“So, what crafts are we doing today?” I ask for lack of anything else to say.
“Well, Piper and I want to learn how to crochet. We found some videos online that we can watch. We got the yarn and the hook things, so we’re going to attempt to make some blankets or scarves or something.”
“You have a need for a scarf?” I laugh. “In Florida?”
She stops messing with the toys, stands straight up, and looks at me. “Well... I didn’t think of that. You’re right. Blankets it is!”
“Knock, knock. You ready to go over to... oh, hi there.” Piper says, as she sees me standing in the living room. “We were just coming over.”
“Yeah, I figured I’d break the ice and come to you this time. If that’s okay.” I tell her.
“Absolutely! Did Olivia tell you what we’re attempting to do?”
I nod, “She did and I’m game. Let’s see if we can granny up this place.”
“Ha! I love her already!” Piper says as she plops down on the couch in front of the television and starts messing with the remote. I’m assuming she’s looking for the videos Olivia was talking about.
I grab a seat on the other couch as Olivia comes out with bottles of water and passes them to us. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.”
“Here.” Piper hands me a brand new package of crochet hooks and a thing of yarn.
“Thanks.”
She throws Olivia her supplies. “We ready to do this?” Piper asks.
“Ready.” Olivia and I say in unison.
“Here we go.” Piper pushes the button on the remote and we start to learn how to crochet.
~~~
“We’ve just spent four hours and all we have are blankets that are crooked.” Piper says, holding up her blanket.
“They’re not crooked. They’re stylish.” Olivia tries to placate her.
Piper gives her a dirty look.
I hold mine up and see it’s just as crooked as theirs. “I’m calling it art. That way, no one can criticize it.”
“Oh. I like that better. Art.” Olivia holds hers up with a look of pride on her face.
Piper shakes her head. “I’m hungry. Does subs sound good for lunch?”
My stomach growls at the sound of subs, but fortunately, no one hears it but me. “Sounds good to me. What can I do to help?”
We forget our blanket art in the living room and follow Piper to the kitchen. “You are our guest. Just sit and relax.” Olivia points to the barstools at the kitchen island.
I do what she tells me as I watch the two of them make subs. “I have a question, but I’m not sure how to ask it.”
Piper looks at me. “Shoot. No holding back here.”
I think about my question and realize it’s none of my business. I shake my head. “Never mind.”
“No, go ahead. It’s fine.” Olivia encourages me, but I decide against it.
“Nope. Forget it. I’m good.”
Piper stands with her hip against the counter with a knife covered in mayo and a look in her eye like she’s trying to read my mind. Her look is so intense, I have to look away.
“Ham good for you, Mallory?” Olivia asks, holding up the package of meat.
I nod, “Yes. Please.”
Piper’s knife moves through the air and points at me. “You want to know if Alana and Owen were a thing, don’t you?”
“Piper!” Olivia yells as she takes the knife out of her hand and spreads the condiment on the bread. “She said she didn’t want to ask, so stop being so... so...”
“So, what?”
“So, you! Leave her alone.” Olivia looks at me. “If you have questions, we are happy to answer just about anything.” She turns back to Piper. “And you stop being such a pest.”
“A pest? I’m not a pest. I’m intuitive.” Piper says with a big smile while looking at me. “Am I right?”
I feel embarrassed for even thinking about this, but after our kiss this morning, I’m just feeling insecure. Shaking my head, I say, “No. I’m good.”
Olivia puts my sub on a plate in front of me. “Here you go.”
“Thank you. It looks delicious.”
Piper sighs, “Mallory. I get it. Three brothers and three friends. Makes sense, right?”
I look up at the both of them and nod.
“Well, you’d be right. Alana and Owen had a thing. But we’re not too sure what that thing was because neither one of them spoke about it.” Piper turns to Olivia. “I think I only saw them together a few times. What about you?”
Olivia nods in agreement. “Yeah, me too. I think they had more of a casual thing rather than anything like what Piper and I have with Matt and Gabriel. But, you should know Alana was more of the lone wolf of the group. She was our best friend, but it was almost like she had a separate life we knew nothing about, sometimes. Like when she went to work at a women’s shelter. It was months before we even knew about it. She was just very reserved.”
“Yeah. And back then, Owen was always away working on a case for Hughes. He was almost never around and when he was, I saw him more with his friends than I did with Alana.”
I nod as I take in all of this information. “How did he take her death?”
Both women look at each other and then at me.
Piper answers. “It was a dark, dark time for both him and me.”
It’s quiet between the three of us as I process this information and realize none of this makes a bit of difference. Alana’s no longer here and it’s been a few years since all of that happened. Plus, this is absolutely none of my business. I should never have even thought about asking.
“Sorry for bringing the party down, but thank you for telling me. I appreciate your honesty.”
Piper smiles at me. “You didn’t bring down the party, but I’m glad you asked.” She takes a bite of her sub. “Besides, Olivia has a cake in the fridge and cake fixes everything. Am I right?”
Olivia and I laugh and agree.
I wish cake could fix everything.