She couldn’t have shocked him more if she’d tried.
Bowie stared at her, stunned as her words echoed through his mind, the sheen of tears in her eyes tearing at his insides.
This time she glanced away, as if she couldn’t bear to maintain eye contact. “I used to be kind of shallow and into the social scene. A party girl, all about being a fashion influencer on social media, running with the rich and popular crowd, doing anything to fit in with them because with my background I knew I’d never really be one of them. I worked at a popular club, made enough to pay my bills, and blew the rest on having fun, whatever would get me invited to the next big event and boost my popularity or social media following.” She winced. “You have no idea how ashamed I am of all that now.”
He didn’t respond, trying to imagine her that way and unable to reconcile the former her with the woman he saw now. She was so real and down to earth, anything but shallow.
“Anyway, I was high on life, believed the hype about myself and thought nothing could touch me. One night, Nat and I were getting ready to leave one party to hit another, bigger one out on the coast. We’d both been drinking, but I’d had less than her and we’d driven tipsy tons of times without any problem. It was raining. The roads were slippery. I came around the corner on the coastal highway and a car pulled out in front of us. I swerved at the last second to avoid being hit head on, but didn’t see the semi in front of me until it was too late.”
She shook her head, her free hand plucking at the folds of her dress in her lap. “The last thing I heard before Nat’s side hit the end of the semi trailer was her scream. An off-duty cop was only a few cars behind us. He raced over to help but there was nothing he could do to save her. She died before the ambulance got there.”
Hell. Bowie pulled his hand free of hers and wrapped his arms around her instead, pulling her to his chest, one hand on the back of her head, wishing he could take her pain away. “It was an accident.”
“I shouldn’t have been driving.” She took a shaky breath. “The other driver was found mostly to blame, but it was my fault too. I never should have been behind the wheel, and Nat paid for my selfish mistake with her life.”
“I’m sorry.”
She nodded, her cheek rubbing against his chest. “Me too. My whole life fell apart after that. I made myself go to the funeral, and everything went to hell. Nat was an only child. Her parents blamed me just as much as the other driver for her death. People I’d thought were my friends suddenly cut me out of their lives, not wanting to be associated with me because I was under a cloud of suspicion. I sank into a total depression. I even thought about killing myself a few times.”
He understood that too. Although he’d never seriously thought about suicide, because he had Harper and Chase to think of. “I’m glad you’re still here.”
“Harry saved me. He was the only one who truly gave a shit about me. He forced me to take a long, hard look at myself, and my life. He was the one to encourage me to go finish my business diploma and suggested the food truck idea. Basically, I had to reinvent myself, bit by bit. And then he got sick, and after he died, the whole shit storm about his will and estate blew up.”
She sighed and sat up, wiping at her eyes. “So that’s why I’m here, and why I’m still not on social media. It’s not just about escaping my crazy family, it’s about trying to escape my past too.”
Bowie trailed his fingers through her hair. “And is it working?”
Her smile was so sad it made his heart catch. “Not yet. But every day I’m learning to live with it a little easier and be a better person.” She cocked her head slightly. “What about you, is it easier to live with now than it was?”
He nodded, holding her gaze. “I think so. Finally.” Because of her. She’d made him face what he’d become, and admit that he wanted more than that.
“I’m glad.” She leaned her cheek into his palm, gazing up at him with those pretty eyes. “Who knew we had so much in common, huh?”
“I know.” Although maybe he’d sensed it on some level. Not that he was into that woo-woo shit, but he couldn’t deny that something inside him had gone completely still when she’d walked into his garage that day. As if he’d recognized her somehow. Now, having heard about her past, it was clear they understood each other in a way no one else could.
She blew out a breath, gave him a small smile. “This was a really heavy date conversation, Bowie.”
It shouldn’t have been funny, but it was, so he grinned. “Yeah, it was.”
“Now that it’s all out in the open, how about we go inside and stuff our faces with butter, sugar and whipped cream?”
“Good idea.” He stood and tugged her to her feet, feeling lighter inside than he had in years. Younger, somehow.
Gathering her close, he tucked his face into the side of her neck and hugged her tight. She felt so damn good, and he was touched that she’d opened up to him so much. “And just so you know, nothing you just told me changes the way I see you.” Or felt about her.
“Are you…sure?”
He squeezed her harder. “Positive.”
He felt the tension melt out of her. “Thank you. And same for me. I guess the hardest part is learning to forgive ourselves, huh?”
Bulls eye. “Guess so.”
“Yeah. Okay, time for you to try my banoffee pie.” She pulled away and went into the kitchen to slice them each a big piece, then came to sit next to him on the couch in the living room.
Setting one plate on the coffee table she’d painted, she cut a bite from the other with her fork and held it out to him, the look in her eyes soft and full of female appreciation as she held his gaze. “Here.”
Bowie leaned forward and slowly parted his lips, accepting the mouthful. The instant the creamy confection hit his tongue, he moaned. “Oh my God.”
“I know, right? Here, have another. Make sure you really like it before you start on your own piece.”
He slid the bite from the tines with his lips, the cool whipped cream blending with the tang of the banana, the sweet softness of the toffee, and the golden, crisp graham cracker base. He growled low in his throat, savoring the explosion of flavors and textures.
Aspen’s eyes darkened, the pupils dilating. “Good?” she whispered, staring into his eyes.
Yeah, it was good. But he was even hungrier for her. He wanted to taste her, take away her sadness and show her just how desirable she was.
Curling a hand around the back of her neck, he covered her lips with his. Aspen set the plate down and deepened the kiss, leaning into him while her hands moved over his shoulders, up his neck to twine in his hair. She tasted sweet, like sugar, and she was so damn sexy, her full, soft curves driving him insane with the need to see them naked.
He kissed her again and again, one hand holding the back of her head while the other slid down to cup her ass and pull her flush to him. The softness of her breasts pressed to his chest, making the front of his jeans even tighter. He was rock hard already, aching for relief, and he wanted it to come from Aspen this time instead of his own hand while thinking about her.
She moaned when he trailed his tongue down the side of her neck, tipping her head aside to give him more room. The motion pushed the tops of her breasts up higher, taunting him with the view of her cleavage. He slid his hand around to cup the underside of one breast through her dress, then lowered his face until he could nuzzle the tempting valley between the mounds.
“Unzip me,” she whispered breathlessly, gripping his head tighter.
The desire in her voice made the fire in him burn even hotter. He found and tugged down the zipper at the back of her dress. The fabric loosened and fell away from her shoulders and chest, revealing the sheer, lacy black bra encasing her breasts. His mouth went dry, lust blasting through him at the sight of those hard pink nipples pressed against the cups.
He slid his thumbs across them, more blood rushing between his legs at the unbelievably sexy sound she made, her eyes dropping closed in pleasure. He’d give her a whole hell of a lot more pleasure than that before they were through tonight.
Hands around her ribs, he shifted and pushed her back against the sofa cushions. She gazed up at him through heavy-lidded eyes, an inviting smile on her lips. He nipped at them, kissed a wet path down her chin and jaw to her chest, and reached beneath her to unhook her bra.
Her full breasts spilled into his hands. He growled low in his throat and nuzzled them, rubbing his beard over the tender skin before touching his tongue to a luscious, tight nipple.
Aspen gasped and gripped his hair, her body lifting toward him as she held him close. Begging for more. Demanding it.
He obliged, cradling her in his hands as he lavished attention on each breast, flicking his tongue over the nipple, teasing it until her nails dug into his scalp and he finally took it into his mouth. Her loud, shaky moan filled the room, pouring heat into his gut.
Bowie eased to the side slightly and knelt on the floor next to the sofa, easing his right hand down her body while his mouth kept busy pulling those sexy sounds from her. He wanted to immerse her in pleasure. Make her cling and cry out as she came. Make her want him as much as he wanted her.
The hem of her dress hit her just below the knee. His fingers found it, stroked her bare skin gently before edging beneath the fluffy underskirt and gliding upward, along the top of her thigh. She shivered and parted her legs. He stopped sucking at her nipple to look up at her, and the molten desire on her face made his cock twitch.
Holding her gaze, he slid his fingers higher, pausing at the junction of her hip and thigh where a scrap of smooth fabric guarded her center. Aspen bit her lip, her gaze simmering with need and excitement, her gorgeous breasts rising and falling with her quickened breaths.
He grazed his fingers along the front of her panties. Her eyes closed, her head tipping back on the cushions, and he couldn’t wait a moment longer to see the secret flesh he was teasing.
Withdrawing his hand, he reached for the hem of her dress and began pushing it out of his way. Layers and layers of frothy fabric, until it was piled so high on her hips he couldn’t see her face. He lifted his head to peer at her over the top of the wadded up underskirt in exasperation. “How the hell many layers do you have under here?”
She laughed, a low, sultry sound that made him hard all over. “Just those.”
Bending back down, he shoved the last of the fabric out of his way, a rough groan of approval coming from him when he at last saw the sheer black scrap hiding her center. He hooked his fingers into the sides and drew the flimsy fabric down her legs, his attention riveted to the flesh he revealed. She was pink and slick and swollen already.
He licked his lips, dying to taste her. “Aspen,” he grated out. If she didn’t want this, she had to tell him fast, because he was so damn hungry.
Her hands slid into his hair. Caressing. Holding. “Yes.” Permission and plea, all in one.
Bowie gripped her hips in both hands and pulled her forward as he leaned down. The instant his tongue touched her she groaned and opened more for him. He was so hard he hurt, every muscle in his body rigid, his heart thudding as he settled his mouth against her soft folds and found the swollen bud of her clit.
She gasped out his name, her fingers clenching in his hair. But he wasn’t going anywhere. He was transfixed, totally focused on attending to that sensitive spot, wanting to drive her out of her mind. He stroked his tongue against it slowly, then across it, following her breathless cues and the pressure of her hands in his hair to guide him.
When she whimpered and squirmed, he eased one hand between her legs and pushed a finger into her, then two. Her knees clamped around his shoulders, her core squeezing at his fingers greedily as he stroked and licked her to heaven.
“Oh, I’m already close,” she gasped out, and pushed at his shoulder.
It took a second for the pressure of her hand to register through the haze of lust filling his head, but as soon as he eased up she grabbed his face and pulled him up into a ravenous kiss. He went willingly, his heart pounding out of control, and didn’t resist when she pushed him backward until he was sprawled on the floor next to the sofa.
Aspen rose over him like something out of his most vivid wet dream, her full breasts exposed as she shoved the top of her dress down to her waist, her dark hair tumbling over her shoulders and her lips pink from his kisses. He drank in the sight of her like that, his hands reaching out to curl around her hips beneath the bunched-up skirts of the dress, and squeezed tight.
Her eyes smoldered down at him for a moment, then she leaned to the side and reached for her purse. She came up with a condom, and his cock immediately flexed against the front of his jeans in desperation and relief. He was dying to get inside her, feel her squeeze around him.
He ripped his jeans open, shoved the denim and his underwear down enough to expose him. Aspen made the most incredibly sexy sound as she stared at his cock, then curled her fingers around him in a firm grip that threatened to make his heart explode.
Bowie sucked in a breath, his entire body going rigid. Pleasure swamped him with each confident stroke of her hand. He was breathing fast already, his hands reaching out to grip her thick, soft hair as she bent her head toward him. She paused to meet his gaze, her mouth inches from his cock.
His fingers flexed in her hair helplessly, his heart threatening to come out of his chest, and then she slowly enveloped him with those sweet, full lips.
The back of his head hit the rug, his eyes slamming shut. Ecstasy shot through him, obliterating the ability to think or breathe. There was only pleasure, the hot, wet pull of Aspen’s mouth and the deliciously naughty swirl of her tongue across his most sensitive spot.
His muscles locked, the air halting in his lungs. Then Aspen stopped.
He peeled his eyes open, his breath catching when he saw she was rolling the condom down him and realized what she was about to do. He released his grip on her hair as she sat up, her tongue gliding along her swollen lower lip, her eyes glowing with want.
His hands clamped around her hips as she moved upward, pulling her into position, her thighs straddling his hips and her gorgeous, full breasts right in front of his face.
She tossed her dark hair over one shoulder, thrusting her breasts out. Then, still staring into his eyes, she slowly lowered herself onto him, inch by inch.
A low, throttled groan tore from him, his hands tightening on her hips. Soft, wet heat enveloped him, delicious waves of pleasure spreading outward from where she gripped him.
Sweat broke out along his spine, his breathing harsh in his ears as he stared up at her, waiting. On fire and desperate for the relief only she could give.
Slowly sliding one hand down the center of her body, Aspen paused briefly to play with a tight pink nipple before dipping down between her splayed thighs. He watched, spellbound, burning up with need as she circled the rosy bud of her clit.
A soft sigh escaped her. She closed her eyes, her head dropping back a bit as she slowly began to rock. Riding him so goddamn perfectly he couldn’t breathe.
It took everything he had not to explode right then and there. He reared up, one hand splaying across the middle of her back so he could pull her breasts closer and pull a nipple into his mouth. He sucked at her feverishly, drowning in sensation while she rode him with sensual abandon, her sighs and moans like a whip on his fraying control.
She began rocking a little faster, her breathing turning unsteady as she stroked herself and continued to ride him. He forced his eyes open to look up at her face, his cock swelling at the ecstasy he saw written there.
Her core clamped down on him as she neared the edge, her slick fingers circling her clit faster. She whispered his name, making him shudder, then started to come, her body undulating over him while her cries surrounded them.
Bowie gritted his teeth and lay flat, his hands clenching her hips so he could thrust deep inside her. Each stroke was better than the last, the tight, slick feel of her quickly pushing him past the point of no return. Release tore through him, ripping raw groans of ecstasy from him with each pulse.
When they finally faded into gentle ripples, he lay there beneath her, eyes closed, struggling to catch his breath. He had the presence of mind to ease his grip on her hips, gently stroking the tender flesh he’d probably marked.
Aspen made a quiet humming sound and leaned her upper body over him, her breasts settling against his chest as her arms came down on either side of his head. “That was so good,” she whispered, her lips brushing his before they closed over them completely and her tongue slid inside to caress his.
Bowie smoothed a hand up her bare back and stroked her hair as he returned the kiss. A lazy, languid blend of lips and tongue that made him never want to move from this spot on her floor again, still buried inside her.
Damn, he’d been right about her. He’d already been in deep before. Now he was in over his head and sinking fast.