Chapter 29
The Ticking Clock
At the front of the café, members of the Historical Society gathered around the large wooden table and benches in the window. Tori stood at the head of the table in a position of power, a stack of papers clutched between her bright red nails.
Owen would much rather be at the back where Ava and Noah sat working on their laptops at the corner table.
Ava was still working on her board presentation, which made Owen equal parts proud and anxious the closer August loomed.
He didn’t know what Noah spent each morning working on, but he suspected it had more to do with taking a break from Lucas.
“We’re ready when you are, Owen,” Tori called out to him.
Owen put a lid on the last coffee he’d prepared for the group and resisted rolling his eyes at her tone. In all fairness, she wasn’t as bad as normal. In fact, she’d hardly flirted with him at all since her date with Lucas. It still didn’t mean he enjoyed working with her, though.
A zing of awareness rippled over Owen’s neck.
He turned toward the source, catching Ava’s glance across the café.
She gave him a smile and rolled her eyes playfully, tipping her head toward Tori.
Owen smiled back and sent her a wink, already feeling better about spending the next hour around Tori and the rest of the Historical Society.
He gathered up all the coffees and brought them up front then distributed them to everyone before sitting in the only seat available between Tori and Mrs. Byrd.
The older woman patted his hand and thanked him. She was a retired middle school history teacher Owen had known since sixth grade. Most of the Cedar Falls Historical Society members were former teachers, except for Tori, who had nothing better to do than be in everyone’s business.
“Thank you for finally joining us, Owen. Let’s get started.”
Tori handed out the stack of papers to everyone and resumed her spot at the head of the table. Owen looked down at the flier advertising the annual Cedar Falls Historical Society gala next weekend.
In August.
Owen pushed away the rising anxiety about how his time with Ava was slipping away.
“We still have two tables available that need to be filled. Terrence–I need you to take point on outreach to get those tickets sold.” At the man’s nod, Tori continued.
“On the back of your fliers, I printed the tentative schedule for the evening’s events.
Owen–you’ll be the presenting speaker, so I need your speech and slides this week documenting the renovation of the Agatha Building with the Historical Society grant.
I need you to impress our attendees so they see the impact of our efforts in the community, and they’ll open their wallets. Can you do that?”
“I’ll do my best,” Owen said.
Tori narrowed her eyes at him. “See that you do.”
Owen gave her a nod, hoping to appease her, so she’d move on.
The meeting went for far longer than it should have as they went through each item on Tori’s agenda.
By the time they finished almost two hours later, Owen’s head hurt and his coffee had long worn off.
He made small talk with everyone as they lingered to chat, clearing the table as he went.
When it was socially acceptable to excuse himself, Owen slipped away and approached the back table where Ava sat.
Noah was now gone, leaving Ava alone.
Perfect.
“You busy?” Owen asked her.
Ava finished typing and lowered the laptop screen to give him her attention. “Never too busy for you.”
That was just the answer he wanted. “Come with me.”
Owen grabbed her bag that hung off the chair and waited for her to close the laptop. He grabbed that too, then took her hand and pulled her along with him to the back of the café and into his office.
“Close the door,” he instructed Ava, since his hands were full.
“Yes, Daddy,” Ava teased.
Owen chuckled, and his cock swelled at her response. Though she could say anything in the right tone, and he’d likely get hard. God knew it had happened plenty of times when they were young and horny.
He deposited her things on his desk, partially smashing his keyboard, but he didn’t care.
Then he sat in his leather rolling chair and pulled her into his lap.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his face against her neck, breathing in her lemony sweetness.
Her fingers threaded into his hair, and she gently scratched his scalp, further relaxing him.
This was just what he needed.
She was just what he needed.
“Did you whisk me away in here to have your wicked way with me?”
Owen smiled against her neck and felt her shiver in response. Her neck had always been so sensitive. He pressed a kiss on her skin and pulled away to look at her. She dropped her hands from his hair and laced them around the back of his neck, toying with the strands in his bun.
“Not exactly, but I’m not opposed.”
Ava gave him a smirk and ground down on his obviously hard cock pressing against his jeans. He groaned and held her still. “Don’t tease me, or you’ll find yourself in a different position.”
“Like on my knees?”
Owen threw his head back against the chair, stifling his groan at the image. That was not why he’d brought her back here, but he was only a man.
Ava laughed and unlaced her hands to run them down his chest instead. She stopped just above his jeans and gripped his belt buckle.
With an incredible amount of self-control, he grabbed her wrist to stop her. “Despite the growing evidence, I did not whisk you away for that.”
Ava stuck her bottom lip out in a pout. He leaned forward and bit it, causing her to squeal.
“Okay, okay. Can’t help it. We’ve barely gotten alone time like this since Avery came back from camp. I love the kid, but he’s a cockblock.”
Warmth exploded in Owen’s chest. It was likely hyperbole, saying she loved Avery, but his heart couldn’t help but want to make it a bigger deal. Ava didn’t backtrack on her words, so he let them hang in the air, not acknowledging them.
“Come to the gala with me.”
“Is that a question or a command?”
“Both. I don’t want to go without you. The bed-and-breakfast exists because of you. I want you by my side when I unveil it to the community.”
Her hazel eyes crinkled at the corners when she gave him a wide smile that reminded him of the Ava he fell in love with all those years ago. The Ava who was open and full of life and love for him in return.
She broke his grip on her wrists and placed one of her hands over his heart. “There’s no place I’d rather be.”
She kissed him and all the anxiety and uncertainty he felt about their future vanished, replaced with the surety of her in his arms now.
Their kiss was slow and sweet, each pouring their unspoken words into it.
The words they still felt but weren’t ready to give to each other again, not until they were permanent.
Then she bit his bottom lip in retaliation for earlier and pulled away, a mischievous smile on her face. “Now let me show you the other place I’d like to be.”
Owen’s breath came out in a hiss as she climbed off his lap and lowered herself to her knees in front of him.
When they finally emerged from his office, their cheeks flushed and hands intertwined, Owen didn’t know how he’d be able to look at his office chair the same.