Chapter 21 #3
The kiss took on a new urgency, as need overtook them both. Before she had time to register his intent, she was under him, clinging to him as he kissed her with deep, sweeping strokes of his tongue.
Even though it was the last thing she wanted to do, she turned away from him to suck in greedy breaths and to gather her sanity. “We can’t do this with your mother in the next room.”
“Yes, we can.” His lips were hot on her neck as his erection throbbed against her core. “We’ll be so quiet.” He rolled the tendon at the base of her neck gently between his teeth, setting off a wave of reaction at all her pressure points.
She bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out from the intense burst of longing and pushed hard against him.
“I knew I could convince you.”
Her unsteady laugh drew a smile from him. “You think you’re so clever.” She hooked her feet around his legs, giving in to his passionate persuasion.
All at once, he stopped moving and dropped his forehead to her chest, drawing in deep breaths.
Confused, Laura combed her fingers through his hair. “What is it?”
“I have something else I need to tell you.” He raised his head and looked into her eyes. “Your dad called earlier.”
Surprised, Laura said, “Why didn’t you tell me? Did he want to talk to me?”
Owen shook his head. “He wanted to tell me that he’d talked to Justin.”
“And?” Laura asked, sensing she wasn’t going to like this.
“Justin agreed to the divorce and the custody arrangement you wanted for the baby.”
She gasped. “Are you serious? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because it came with a condition.”
A sense of dread overtook her. “What condition?”
“You have to give me up, and greedy bastard that I am, I didn’t want to tell you because I need you so damned much. Especially right now.”
Laura was filled with outrage. “I’ll never give you up! He’s crazy if he thinks he can blackmail me that way.”
“You need to think of what’s best for you—and the baby.”
“That’s exactly what I’m doing. You’re what’s best for us.”
His eyes went soft at her pronouncement. “Your dad is talking to the senior partner at Justin’s firm on Monday. Apparently, they’re old friends.”
“Yes, they went to Mount Saint Charles together.”
“Your dad didn’t want to upset you any more than you already were yesterday, which is why he called me. He’s hoping his friend will agree to exert some pressure within the firm.”
“Let’s hope it works. I’ve had just about enough of Justin Newsome.”
“What if he won’t give you the divorce?”
“Then you and I will live in sin for the rest of our lives, and I’ll fight him with everything I’ve got for custody of a baby he doesn’t even want.” As Owen’s mouth curved into a sensuous smile, she let out a huff of aggravation. “Why is that funny?”
“It’s not funny,” he said, kissing her again.
“Then why are you smiling like a crazy fool?”
“Because you’re so fierce and sexy when you’re pissed. I’ll have to remember to make you mad as often as possible.”
Before she could form a response to that outrageous statement, he had captured her mouth in another sensuous kiss.
His hand found its way under her pajama top to roll her nipple between his fingers, drawing a response from her despite her reluctance to make love with his mother in such close proximity.
“Take this off,” he said, tugging on her top and lifting to give her room to move.
“Owen . . . What if your mom wakes up?”
“She won’t.”
“What if she does?”
“We’ll hear her.”
He helped to pull the top over her head. “God, I love the way you feel.” Rubbing soft chest hair over her nipples, he made her whimper with the need that coursed through her.
She couldn’t believe they were doing this, but before she could make another feeble attempt at protest, he was tugging at her pajama bottoms as well as the thin bit of lace that covered her.
“Owen . . .”
“Shhh. It’s okay. I need you so much, Laura. So damned much.”
“I’m here,” she said, surrendering at last. After all he’d shared with her and all he’d been to her, there was nothing she wouldn’t give him. She pushed her hands into the back of his flannel pajama pants to cup the muscular globes of his ass.
His groan became a tortured moan when she shifted a hand to the front to stroke him. Remembering how it had felt earlier to take him into her body had her straining against him, wanting him desperately.
“Easy, baby,” he whispered, his breath against her ear setting off a whole new series of shock waves. “Nice and easy.” He entered her slowly, stretching her almost to the point of pain before torturing her with his retreat. “Are you sore from before?”
Unable to form words, she shook her head and squeezed his ass again, hoping to encourage him to move faster.
He took the hint and entered her fully on the next stroke, drawing tense gasps from both of them. “Nothing has ever felt so good,” he said, his raspy, sexy voice telling her how deeply affected he was by their lovemaking. Remaining buried in her, he throbbed and pulsed as he kissed her senseless.
“So much more than your share,” she said as she moved her legs farther apart and struggled to accommodate him.
His soft laughter rocked them both, sending him deeper into her.
All their problems faded away, and Laura was consumed by the heated glide of their skin where they were joined, the friction of his chest hair against her nipples, the scent of his appealing cologne and the dip and dive of his tongue into her mouth, mirroring the movements of his hips.
They came together in a moment of perfect harmony that left her heart pounding and her body throbbing.
“Thank you,” he whispered after a prolonged period of charged silence.
She knew he was talking about far more than their explosive lovemaking.
Tightening her arms around him, she closed her eyes and let sleep claim her.