Chapter 14 #3
Laura didn’t want to talk about it—now or ever—but Owen had been so good and so patient. She couldn’t allow her mess to cause him unnecessary pain. “He . . . He implied the baby wasn’t his.”
Owen’s entire body went rigid. “What? I hope that’s when you smacked him.”
Laura couldn’t help but laugh. “You saw that, huh?”
“Um, the whole place saw it—and heard it.”
“Good. It was the least of what he deserved.”
“What an awful thing to say. I’m sorry you had to hear that, honey.”
“He had me followed. He knew all about the baby, the island, the hotel. And you.”
“Shit.” Owen released a long deep breath. “Will that screw up the divorce?”
“No more than it already is. He made all sorts of threats and demands until I mentioned my father would make his life a living hell if he didn’t sign the papers. That seemed to get his attention.”
“Whatever it takes.”
“It’s pathetic.”
“What is?”
“I am. I’m thirty-one years old and still relying on my dad to get me out of scrapes.”
“This isn’t your garden-variety scrape, and there’s nothing wrong with taking advantage of your connections to solve a problem. That’s what anyone would do.”
“I guess.” She wriggled free of his embrace and sat up, propping the pillows behind her.
Lying on his side, Owen rested his head on his upturned hand and studied her. “What else?”
“That was it.”
“No, it wasn’t.”
Glancing at him, she found gray eyes watching her keenly. “What do you mean?”
“I think he said some other stuff that has you suddenly thinking our relationship is a bad idea.”
Stricken by his insight, Laura looked away from him.
“Ah-ha, just as I’d suspected.” He surprised her when he sprang to his knees, straddled her legs and reached for her hands. “Tell me.”
Laura bit her lip and shook her head.
Raising his hands to her face, he compelled her to meet his gaze. “Did I ever mention I was so good at getting secrets out of my brothers and sisters that they got together and made a pact to never lie to me, because the punishment wasn’t worth it?”
A hint of a smile found its way to her lips. “No, I don’t think you mentioned that.”
“I should warn you that my tactics are underhanded and dirty and involve tickling and other forms of torture.”
“That sounds quite frightening.”
“My skills are not to be trifled with. It would be easier—especially for you—if you tell me what I want to know so I don’t have to get rough with you.”
Knowing he never would, knowing she was safer with him than she’d ever been with any man, Laura looked up at him. “While I’m not one to give in to intimidation tactics, I do have the baby to think about.”
“That’s right. So you’d better start talking.”
Sighing, Laura said, “Justin implied I can’t function without a man in my life.”
Owen was so startled he went completely still. “Wanna run that by me one more time?”
“In a way, he’s right. I’ve always had boyfriends. Before him I lived with a guy for a couple of years. Before that, I lived with my dad.”
“You’re a gorgeous, sexy, adorable woman.
It’s no surprise to me that you had a lot of boyfriends.
” Pausing, he added, “And why does knowing that make me insanely jealous?” He looked away from her, as if contemplating the question, before he returned his attention to her.
“So let me get this straight . . . Because your douchebag soon-to-be ex-husband implied that you can’t get by without a man in your life, you’re thinking you should take a step back from me in order to prove something to him. Do I have that right?”
“Something like that,” she said sheepishly.
“You’re a dope.”
“Hey!” She never imagined she’d feel so lighthearted this morning after what had transpired the night before. Leave it to Owen.
“Listen to me.” He glared down at her. “Are you listening?”
“Do I have any choice?” she asked, amused by him.
He shook his head. “You are, without a doubt, the strongest, ablest, sexiest, cleverest, funniest, sexiest—did I mention sexiest—woman I’ve ever met in my life.
There is nothing, absolutely nothing, you couldn’t do or handle on your own if you had to.
It’s no sign of weakness to choose to have people you care about in your life.
Anyone who implies otherwise does so because his life is empty and meaningless, and he knows what a treasure he’s losing. ”
Even though she was moved by his heartfelt words, Laura said, “You don’t have to say that stuff to make me feel better.”
“If you imply I’m blowing smoke up your skirt, you’ll make me mad.”
The sinister scowl he attempted made her laugh.
Owen bent to kiss her neck, drawing a surprised gasp from her. “We had some big plans for this hotel room.”
“I’m sorry I messed things up.”
“You didn’t mess anything up.”
As his lips left a trail of heat on her neck, Laura arched into him, drawing him down to her.
Filled with desire for him, it occurred to her that she’d intended to push him away.
Leave it to him to not let her get away with that.
Maybe Justin was right. Maybe she didn’t know how to be without a man.
While that might be true, it was becoming more impossible by the day to imagine her life without this man.