Chapter 19
A whirlwind week later, Anna was so exhausted after long, stressful days at work, and then longer, decidedly not stressful nights in Owen’s arms, that she was now deep in a dream that she never wanted to wake up from. A man was nibbling his way over every inch of her body. And not just any man.
Owen.
His touch awakened things inside her she hadn’t known she could feel, and in this lush, erotic dream, she gave him every inch of her, gave him everything she’d hidden from others, sharing herself with him to the depths of her soul.
“Anna.”
“Shh, she’s sleeping.”
His voice sounded amused when he said, “Anna, wake up.”
Whoa. Not a dream. Owen, really in her bed, leaning over her, his white teeth flashing in the dark. “I was having a really great dream,” she grumbled.
“I noticed. You were moaning my name.”
Oh boy.
He flicked on her lamp and, at whatever he saw in her face, laughed huskily. “Later, you’ll show me what Dream Owen was doing to you so that I can give you a repeat.”
Embarrassed, she closed her eyes. “Why are we up at...” She cracked open an eye. “Oh dark thirty?”
“Because I need to show you something.”
She found a smile. “I believe you’ve already showed it to me.”
He gave a rough laugh. “This is something new. But we have to hurry. It’ll take a few minutes to get there.” He pulled her from bed, and when she opened her mouth to protest, a pair of her sweats hit her in the face.
He was at her dresser. “Where are your socks?”
“Top drawer. And you forgot a bra and undies.”
“I didn’t forget.”
She went hands on hips. “You want me to leave the house commando?”
His eyes heated as he slowly took her in. “If you keep standing there like that, we’re not going to leave at all.”
She had to admit, it made her feel incredible to be looked at the way he did. Smirking, she pulled on the sweats over her nude body. “This better be worth it.”
He just smiled. Ten minutes later, they were sitting on a dark beach waiting for the sun to come up. She hated to admit this, but the predawn was gorgeous. She could smell the pines, hear the water hitting the sand rhythmically somewhere just in front of them. The water reflected the stars and silver-edged clouds. Dawn was approaching. She shook her head, surprised. “You’re a closet romantic.”
“Don’t tell anyone.”
It felt so easily intimate to sit on a beach under the stars, leaning back against him, his arms around her. She didn’t realize she’d drifted off until he gently nudged her awake.
“Look,” he said softly against her temple.
In stunned silence, she watched the color of the sky change right before her eyes, becoming richer and deeper every second. The air felt cool on her skin, the sound of the water soothing. And then the sun peeked over the mountaintops to the east, silhouetting them against the sky, turning it crimson. Rays of golden light streamed overhead, and the cottony clouds looked like fire. “Wow,” she breathed. “I’ve never come to the lake for sunrise.”
“Never?”
She shook her head. “It’s been a long time since I even saw a sunrise. I’ve never been a morning person.”
“I know a way to get you to enjoy them.” His voice had deepened to that sexy timbre that made her think of his promise to reenact her dream.
“Owen?”
“Yeah?”
“I’ve got three hours before my first meeting,” she said.
He smiled. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” She smiled back. “Take me home.”
Anna woke to find daylight peeking through the blinds, muting the dark shadows with hints of soft yellow and orange.
Owen was on his stomach, face turned away from her, his hair dark against the ivory of her sheets. She needed to go. A quick shower and she’d head into work, where she could think about anything else. The blanket rode low over his bare back as she gently and very quietly slid from the bed, careful not to shake the mattress as she did. She tiptoed across the cold hardwood floor. At the bedroom door, she stole one last look over her shoulder at the bed. Her bed. With Owen in it. She found it hard to keep a smile from forming.
Or her heart from warming.
This, them, what they’d done last night and this morning... it was turning into something she wasn’t ready for.
And yet still, she let her gaze linger. Every time they were together, she could feel the change stirring inside her. The change that signaled she was getting in too deep. This wasn’t casual. This wasn’t a friendship with benefits.
It was more.
She had no idea if Owen realized it. Maybe he did. That gave her pause. She was putting too much into this. Things were changing between them, evolving into something she wasn’t ready for and didn’t want.
And look at her lying to herself.
Whatever, it didn’t change anything. What she felt for him scared the hell out of her.
Owen stirred and sleepily, eyes still closed, reached out for Anna. He came wide awake when all he found were cold sheets. Sitting up, he looked around. “Anna?”
Nothing from the woman he’d slept with, but he did hear a “mew,” and then Clawdia climbed up the side of the bed and sat perched at his hip, staring at him.
He was a light sleeper, very light. Which meant Anna had to have stealthily sneaked out.
On purpose.
The silence of the condo seemed to mock him. He pulled in a deep breath and let it out slowly, taking the pulse of the room. Sunlight slanted in the windows, casting the room in a golden glow. Looking around, he found not one but two clocks on her nightstand. They both read 8:00 a.m. Clearly the morning had started without him. And just as clearly, given the stillness of the place, Anna was gone.
She’d run off. From her own home. Which he figured could mean only one thing—she’d had every bit of an amazing time as he.
“Meow.” Clawdia headbutted him, looking for love.
“Your owner’s running scared,” he said, stroking the cat.
Clawdia’s expression said the woman clearly didn’t know much.
He couldn’t say he was surprised Anna was gone. But he was definitely disappointed. Slipping out from beneath the covers, he stretched and... caught sight of his clothes neatly folded on a chair with a handwritten note on top.
Owen,
Thanks for last night. It was fun, but I think we both know it shouldn’t happen again.
Anna
He had to laugh. Polite, even as she dumped his sorry ass. Had she gotten called into work early? Or had she left because he’d made her feel something, because she was feeling too much?
“Right back atcha, sweetness,” he muttered to himself, then froze because he heard water running. Moving quickly down the hall, he stopped outside the bathroom. She was in the shower. He didn’t really want to admit just how relieved he felt, but his knees were definitely a little weak.
He let himself into the bathroom and leaned back against the sink, enjoying the sight of her behind the glass shower door. “Fun, huh?” he asked. Which hadn’t been what he’d meant to say. He’d actually planned on not saying anything about the note at all, but apparently he had more feelings on this subject than he’d known.
He had to give her credit: she didn’t even jump. Though she did grimace, which faded when she took in the sight of him and realized that he was as naked as she. Her gaze ran slowly down his body and back up again, even more slowly on the second pass.
Flattering. As was her involuntary inhale. The frown lines between her eyes eased, a softer expression replacing them.
“You know,” she said, “I might’ve forgotten the details. Maybe we should do it one more time to remind me.”
“Just one?”
She met his gaze. “We can’t get too attached, right?”
And wasn’t that the problem, because he was beginning to realize he was already very attached, and... he wanted more, far more.
As in everything.
In the past, he’d always itched to make his escape. But for the first time, he didn’t want to escape at all. He was falling for her.
Hard.
Which was ridiculous. It hadn’t even been a month. While he was still overthinking that, she reached out and yanked him into the shower.
Happily crowding her up against the wall, he pushed her wet hair back from her face.
Her expression went wary. She was afraid he would push her on the attached thing. But he had no intention of pushing her. Either she wanted him or she didn’t. And in that moment, she did. He was going to take what he could get. “Why do you have two clocks?”
Surprise replaced wariness. “It’s more about having two alarms,” she said. “One for the person I want to be and one for the person I am.”
He was still laughing when she tugged him down and kissed him stupid.