Chapter 18
Anna hardly registered walking out of the penitentiary or Owen opening the passenger door for her and getting them on the road. She stared out the window as he drove, taking in the staggeringly high Sierra mountains completely surrounding them as they made their way along the deep azure, whitecapped waters of the lake, which was dotted with sailboats.
What would it be like to be out there right now? With the wind and spray of water in her face, the rush of adrenaline clearing her mind...
Why had she never seen Shady Joe for who he was when she’d been younger? Or, for that matter, Will? And what did that say about her dad and her memories of him? Of them as a family?
And then there was the biggie... how would Wendy take all of this? Anna drew a deep breath, shaken to her foundation, feeling heavy with a grief she didn’t know how to process—all of which left her unsure of who she even was. She could feel Owen glancing over at her with concern, but she couldn’t have summoned an I’m-okay smile if there’d been a gun to her forehead.
She stayed in his truck while he made a quick stop at a grocery store, and then he was back and driving to her place. Peering through the windshield, she stared at her dark condo, dreading being alone, dreading even more having to fill Wendy in. She had two missed calls from her and some “you went in without me” texts. Anna had sent her a brief answer, saying everything was okay and that she’d call soon.
But it wasn’t okay. Yes, she’d promised to try to be more communicative, but she needed a minute. Sometimes having an older bossy, demanding, caring sister wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. But the thought of going through this alone tightened her throat and made her eyes sting.
Only she wasn’t alone.
She risked a glance over at Owen, whom she found turned in his seat, looking at her, his expression dialed to serious—intense, even.
“We need a plan,” he said.
She nodded her head. “I think the next step is obvious.”
“We need to start at the beginning, at the scene of the crime.” He said this grimly, clearly not wanting to face it.
Because the scene of the crime was Ruby’s house.
He called the memory care facility and asked how Ruby was doing today. He listened, then thanked whoever he was speaking to and disconnected. Lifting his head, he met her gaze. “Apparently, the Tooth Fairy also came by and stole something from her room.”
“Oh, Owen. I’m so sorry.”
He shook his head. “Me too. I should’ve known better. Sorry I connected the Santa reference to your dad.”
“It’s okay, it’s totally understandable.”
“You’re being kind.” He gave her a small smile. “I’ll wait for a better day and then see if she’s up for a visit to the house. Having her with us will be helpful because we might be able to nudge something from her memories. If she’s lucid.”
Anna couldn’t imagine any other man she’d ever met being willing to open up a vein and bleed for her. It put a lump in her throat and made her want to hug him tight, but he’d pulled back, into himself. He started to get out of the truck, but she stopped him with a hand to his arm. Sliding that hand up to his jaw, she kissed him on one corner of his mouth, then the other. And then cupped his face and kissed him properly.
“What was that for?” he asked when she’d pulled back.
Overheated and needing far more than just that kiss, she managed to speak. “It was a thank-you. I don’t think I’d be doing this without you.”
“Your sister asked you to help preserve your dad’s reputation, and you stepped up. You’d definitely have done this on your own. Anna, you’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met.” Leaning in close, he kissed her this time, until she could barely remember where they were. “You’re amazing,” he said quietly. “I hope you know that.”
“Stop it. You’re discombobulating me.”
“Cute.” He smiled, but his eyes were intense and never strayed from hers.
“What did I tell you about calling me cute?”
“You are,” he insisted. “You’re amazing and strong and cute and hot—”
She put her hand over his mouth, making him laugh. “It’s just the truth,” he insisted. “And you told me I was smart, remember? So you can take all of it to the bank.”
“What I told you was that you’re a smart-ass,” she muttered, but smiled against his lips when he leaned in for another kiss.
“Can I walk you in?” he asked.
“You want to check under my bed for the boogeyman?”
“I want to feed you.” He smiled at her surprise. “I got some stuff at the store. Can I cook you dinner?”
She looked a little stunned. “Um...”
“It’s okay to tell me no.”
She rolled her eyes. “Well, duh. It’s just that you cooking for me feels... I don’t know.” She stared at him. “Intimate.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “Cooking for someone is intimate. But you’ve done it for me, and I loved it. I felt cared for, and I want to give you that feeling back. It can be just a friendly thing though. No pressure.”
She held his gaze, bit her lower lip to hold the truth in, but apparently, with Owen, the truth couldn’t be held back. “And if I want it to feel... more than friendly?” she asked softly.
He gave a slow smile. “I won’t try to change your mind.” He got out of the truck and came around for her, opening the door before she managed to get her limbs in working order.
Taking her hand, he beeped the truck locked. She led the way to her front door, thinking about how easy it’d been to lose themselves in each other that night on the roof. Just thinking about it, remembering how she’d felt wrapped around him, how he’d looked at her, the way he’d said her name as they’d nudged each other over the edge... had her dropping her keys.
He scooped them up, waiting for her to step over the threshold. She loved the way his eyes looked in the low, ambient lighting, a deep green, filled with the same hunger and desire that had awoken all the butterflies in her belly.
Clawdia sat in the entry, her eyes narrowed with displeasure and suspicion as she took in Owen. “Mew.”
“Who’s this?” Owen murmured, hunkering down, balanced on the balls of his feet as he smiled at her cat.
“Clawdia,” Anna said. “She’s Jennifur’s sister. And careful, unlike Jennifur, she’s not fond of strangers—”
Clawdia charged at him and... headbutted him in the forehead. Surprise had him falling to his ass.
Anna gasped. “I’m so sorry! When I first got her, it took her a long time to understand that me kissing the top of her head was a gesture of affection. Problem is, now she thinks the best way to signal she wants a cuddle is to mash the top of her head against my face. It’s like a very affectionate punch in the mouth.”
He laughed and stroked her cat along her back. Then the feline love of her life fell over and exposed her belly.
Owen dutifully stroked her there too, and then the loud rumble of a purr filled the air.
“Show-off,” she said when Owen rose and smiled at her.
“Don’t worry, I’m happy to stroke you too.”
She laughed, then dropped her head to his chest.
“What do you need?” he asked quietly. “Tell me and it’s yours.”
“You.”
With a groan, he kicked the front door shut, nudging her up against it so that the wood was at her back, his warm, hard body at her front. Flattening her palms to his chest, she felt empowered when she found his heart racing as fast as hers. Unable to help herself, she took a nibble just beneath his jaw, trying to decide where to touch next. Up?
Or down...
“Don’t look, Clawdia,” she whispered, because down, she decided. His stomach tightened under her touch, while hers hollowed out. She heard the lock click and realized he’d reached around her to bolt them safely in before cupping her face in his hands and kissing her, soft and serious. Then he pulled back, looked into her eyes, and... kissed her again, all fiery passion and erotic desire.
When they broke apart for air, he took his mouth on a tour to that sweet spot just beneath her ear, then down her throat, taking a playful bite of her shoulder, making her gasp.
His chuckle sounded both amused and wicked as he laced his fingers with hers. His next kiss was a full-court press and she couldn’t get enough. Arching her back, desperate to get closer, she tugged her hands free to get into his jeans.
“Wait,” he said, pressing his forehead to hers, breathing ragged. “I wanted to get you into an actual bed this time—”
“Noble goal,” she said breathlessly. “Next time.” And then she tugged him down onto the soft rug in front of her fireplace.
“Anna—”
“Let me save you some time,” she murmured, shoving his shirt up his chest until he tugged it over his head. “I want this. I want you. Clear?”
Crawling up her body, he flashed her a grin. “Crystal.” He was pushing her skirt up her thighs while simultaneously dragging his lips down her belly, trailing lazy, open-mouthed kisses in his wake. Her hands in his hair, she moaned his name.
Lifting his head, he took in the sight of her silky black undies and let out a ragged breath. “You’re so beautiful, Anna.”
She was glad he thought so, but to rush him along, she wrapped her legs around him. For the record, this didn’t galvanize him into hurrying. In fact, he took his sweet time, despite how she begged. And she did beg as he gave her everything she’d wanted. When she could uncurl her toes, she rolled him to his back, claiming the top, closing her eyes at the feel of his hands on her, the exquisite stretch as he filled her, the sound of them both breathing heavily. She had no idea how it was possible to feel such a deep connection with someone she hadn’t known very long, but it was a very real connection, and that was new for her.
New and shockingly terrifying.
By the time she came back to herself, the last of the bricks around her heart lay in rubble at her feet. They were still on the rug, both of them breathing wildly. Opening her eyes, she found Clawdia staring at them, brow furrowed in judgment. “I told you not to look.”
With a half laugh, half groan, Owen rolled to his side and pressed his mouth to the curve of Anna’s shoulder. “I like this,” he murmured, running a finger over the delicate scripted tattoo she’d gotten on her eighteenth birthday.
Let it go...
“I got it to celebrate exiting my wild-child impulsive days, because of what it represented.”
“And what’s that?” he asked.
She smiled wryly. “My era of stupidity.”
Dragging her to him, he pulled her in close. He cradled her face in his hands, then brought her mouth to his for a tender kiss before resting his forehead against hers. “If anything about your era of stupidity—or mine, because trust me, you weren’t the only one—brought us together for this, then I’m grateful for what we’ve been through.”
The words moved her far more than she wanted to admit. He seemed just as overwhelmed as she, and that had a wave of affection rushing through her. Affection and something far more. He had her splayed across him, his hands trailing lazily up and down her back, his heartbeat steady and comforting beneath her ear.
Tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, he nuzzled his face close to hers. The man was a cuddler. Who knew? Not her. And before now she might’ve said she wasn’t a fan.
Turned out she was most definitely a fan.
With one last sweet kiss, he got to his feet. “Water?”
She nodded and watched him head toward her kitchen, biting her lower lip at the sight of her nail indentions on each ass cheek. “Um...”
He stopped and glanced back at her.
“I marked you. I’m so sorry.”
He grinned. “Are you?”
“Yes!”
“Well, I’m not.”
She smiled as he vanished into her kitchen, followed by Clawdia, who might be suspicious but was no dummy. No doubt she had high hopes of conning Owen into feeding her. “Hey,” she called out. “What about Turbo? Will he eat your house?”
“When I stopped at the store, I called Ky, who went and got him for a sleepover with him and Sami.”
“Are you okay with that? With Ky and Sami?”
“Of course.”
Relaxing, she closed her eyes, delaying reality by replaying what they’d just done, Owen’s voice a rough whisper against her ear, his silky hair falling across his forehead as he’d loved her. She’d never thought of sex as being loved before, but she’d never been with a man like Owen either. She was still thinking about that, feeling a little stunned, when he handed her a bottle of water, then scooped her up, carrying her to her bedroom.
“Why does this keep happening?” she asked when he playfully tossed her to her bed.
He climbed onto the mattress and crawled up her body. “Let me explain the birds and bees to you...”