Chapter Twenty-Four
Darcy
The waves lapped gently against the sand, the dark grey water streaked with dazzling lines of pink and gold and orange as the sun rose slowly, bathing Heather Bay in its brilliance.
After all the rain, seeing the sun again felt like letting out a long, anxious breath. I smiled as the rays touched my skin, closing my eyes and soaking in the warmth. It washed over me, dispelling the early morning chill and calming the thoughts that had been racing around my head.
None of them were important, and it felt good to put them aside for a moment, letting myself just exist in the here and now.
When I opened them again, blinking against the sunlight, my gaze roamed across the bay, searching for the outline of Owen. It baffled me that he’d still wanted to come down to swim, despite the fact it couldn’t be more than ten degrees in the water.
He’d tried to convince me to get in with him again. Even offering me a wetsuit and promising me it would keep me warm, at least once I got in and got used to the chill. And while I appreciated the gesture, there was no way in hell I was going in.
I hadn’t done it over the summer, and I wasn’t doing it now. Freezing my balls, and my toes, off in the North Sea was not my idea of a good time. I was just here to watch him, enjoy the quiet, and get a hot drink afterwards.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come in?
” Owen asked, calling to me from about ten or fifteen meters out.
His head and shoulders were a little above the water, hair slicked back and a wild smile across his lips.
I assumed it was probably more of a grimace from the cold.
Because he couldn’t be enjoying it that much, could he?
“No, thank you. I’m fine here,” I said with a grin. “This is close enough.”
I was already standing by the edge of the water, wrapped up in my jacket and beanie. Any closer and the water would be running over my trainers. And the last thing I wanted was wet, cold feet.
“It’s nice when you get in. Very refreshing.”
“Still a no. I’d rather stay warm. And dry!”
Owen laughed. “Fine. Can you grab my hoodie please? I’ll get out.”
I bent down quickly to open his bag and grab the giant towelling hoodie he’d stuffed in there. It was the same dark green one he’d worn the first morning I’d seen him here. That felt like so long ago now. Almost an age away.
So much had changed, all of it for the better, but I was glad we still did this. It felt like part of our routine now, and I knew wherever we went in the world, we’d keep doing something similar.
Although maybe some days we’d just do a walk along the beach instead. I couldn’t imagine Owen wanting to go in the water when we came back to Heather Bay in February. Then again, if he was armed with a wetsuit, who knew what he’d do.
The water sloshed and splashed as he waded out towards me, arms out wide. I laughed and threw the hoodie at him, dodging out the way before he could shake off like a Labrador and spray me.
Owen flipped his hair over and squeezed it out before shaking it back and forth, like he was headbanging to music I couldn’t hear.
I loved how long his hair was getting now, and I kind of hoped he’d keep it like this.
Especially as it was the perfect length to sink my hands into whenever he fucked me.
Which I hoped he’d do as soon as we got home.
We definitely had time for a quickie before work.
“Coffee?” Owen asked as he pulled his hoodie over his head and shot me a grin.
“Sounds good,” I said, holding out my hand for his as Owen slung his bag over his shoulder. “Does Wendy close over the winter? Will we be forced to go home and make our own coffee at some point?”
“I don’t know,” Owen said. “We can ask. But I can’t picture her closing, just ’cos I feel like she’d try and out-stubborn the weather.”
“True. I can’t imagine her closing either. I’d have thought a lot of people want something warm in their hands while they’re walking.”
We pottered along the sand hand in hand, chatting idly about nothing in particular. It was one of those gentle, everyday conversations, where nothing really happened but that didn’t matter. We were simply enjoying each other’s company.
Climbing the steps at the end of the beach, we headed towards Wendy’s coffee hut.
She laughed when she saw Owen because she couldn’t believe he still wanted to go swimming, but she also confirmed the only time she closed was on Christmas Day.
“Otherwise I get bored,” she said. “And I do quite well in winter, especially with the hot chocolates.”
Taking our coffees, we walked along the front, sipping them slowly as the town quietly came to life around us.
“I need to do my new passport application tonight or this weekend,” I said. “Then we can look at booking some flights as soon as it arrives.”
“Sounds awesome! I’ll find some options for us to look at. And I promise, I won’t only find the ones with huge layovers. I know you’re not up for sleeping in the airport.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.”
“No worries. I wanna make this the best fucking trip ever!” Owen was practically dancing with glee, his smile so bright it was like the summer sun had returned.
His excitement seemed to be growing with every passing day, his feet itching to get out of Heather Bay again.
Only this time, the thought of him leaving didn’t fill me with dread.
We got to go together, and I couldn’t wait to see the world with him.
I knew it would make me fall even deeper in love with him than I already was.
I just had to figure out how to tell him what I felt because I still hadn’t managed to.
The feeling had been lingering in my chest for so long, I almost hadn’t realised it was there.
But looking back, it had been part of the reason why him wanting to leave had hurt so much.
I’d known I had feelings for him, but I hadn’t realised how deep they were.
Now everything was settled, and we’d started to figure out what our future could look like, my heart was finally revealing its secrets.
Although maybe secret wasn’t the right word. It was more like I was finally revelling in the emotions I’d been too scared to explore or accept.
Fear had kept them under lock and key, but now I was free to enjoy them.
“What time do we have to be in today?” Owen asked as we reached my front door, a few drops of water running down the side of his neck. I stood there, transfixed, as I watched them, imagining tracing their path with my tongue.
“Eleven?” I said, not completely sure what question I was answering.
Owen chuckled as he held out his hand for my keys. “Are you sure?”
“No.”
“What’re you thinking about?” he asked, lowering his voice and leaning in close. I’d thought he wanted a kiss until I realised he was pulling my keys out of my coat pocket, and I blushed as it finally sank in how distracted I was.
“You.”
“What about me?”
“Many things,” I said softly as the door clicked open and we stepped inside. “Like how gorgeous you are, especially like this, and how lucky I am to have you in my life. And how much I really want you to fuck me.”
“Better get upstairs then, angel. Before Milo opens the door and sees us,” Owen said, drawing me in for a kiss. I sighed at the taste of salt on his lips. It was one thing I’d forever associate with him, no matter when or where.
I almost wanted to put salt on everything, just to be reminded of him.
My feet clattered on the stairs as I raced up them with Owen hot on my heels. He still had my keys, which was good because I didn’t think my fingers would be able to turn them in the lock without dropping them.
The door opened and closed behind us in the blink of an eye, and my fingers found the front of Owen’s hoodie before he’d even managed to put his bag down. Our mouths met in a searing kiss that melted me from the inside out, a deep groan rumbling through my chest as his tongue pushed into my mouth.
There were so many things I needed, I didn’t know where to start. I wanted Owen inside me, claiming me, and I wanted to scream his name to the sky, so the whole world knew how much I adored him.
“I’m still wet,” Owen said as he wiggled his arm out of his bag straps and dumped it on the floor. “And sandy. I should shower.”
“The sheets need a wash anyway, and I need to hoover.”
He smirked as he kissed me again. “I thought you didn’t want to get wet?”
“No, I didn’t want to get in the sea. That’s different.”
“Is it?”
“Yes.” I grinned as I kissed him, my hands sliding down to grab the bottom of his hoodie. “Take this off, I need you to fuck me.”
“Mmm, feeling bossy this morning, aren’t you, angel?”
“Not bossy. I just know what I want,” I said as I tugged at his hoodie insistently, dragging the thick material up a few inches.
“What if I want to go slowly? Take my time with you. Make you beg for more as I take you apart with my tongue.” His voice was a decadent caress as he leant in to press his lips to my neck, trailing kisses across my skin.
Each one sent a fresh bolt of pleasure running down my spine until I was practically boneless.
“Want to show you how much I love you, Darcy. Want to worship every inch of you so you know how much I adore you. Then I want to make love to you until you fall apart underneath me with my name on your lips, so you know I belong to you. Because I do. Every single part of me is yours, angel. I might never have all the words to say it, but I’ll show you every day in every way I know how. I love you, Darcy.”
My emotions swelled as I gazed at him, my mouth slightly open in shock. Not because I hadn’t wanted to hear it, but because I’d never heard something so beautiful. And so him.
“I love you too,” I said, putting my hand on his chest so I could feel the beating of his heart.
Like mine, it wasn’t racing. It was beating in time with perfect clarity and calm.
He was so certain of his feelings, just as I was of mine.
“Loving you is easy, Owen. You see me, not as the man I sometimes pretend to be to the rest of the world, but the man I actually am. You love so many of the same things as me, and getting to share those with you… fuck, it’s everything I’ve ever wanted.
To have someone who doesn’t think I work too much or—”
“No, you definitely work too much, angel. But I’m good at distracting you when you need a break.”
I laughed. “Exactly. You know when I need to stop but you’re also the one right there next to me when I have a million ideas I want to try, helping me make them come true. You make every single day brighter, Owen, just by being you. And I love you so much it almost hurts.”
“If it hurts, then I’ll have to kiss it better,” Owen said as he brushed his lips against mine.
“You will.” I groaned, my fingers tightening on his hoodie again. “Please, Owen. Show me… show me what you meant. I belong to you too, so please, make me yours.”
“You say the sweetest things, angel.” His hand cupped my jaw as he deepened the kiss, his fingers sliding into my hair.
We kissed for a long time before we finally broke apart, but it was only so we could stumble towards my room.
Our clothes hit the floor, the pair of us dissolving into laughter as Owen peeled himself out of his wetsuit.
He refused to leave it on the floor, so he took it into the bathroom to drape over the edge of the bath, and I heard him start the shower to quickly rinse his feet, despite me saying I didn’t care.
Because he knew I did.
I smiled as I spread myself out on the bed, pouring lube onto my fingers so I could slowly start toying with my hole, knowing Owen would tease me playfully for my inability to wait.
But I loved being on display for him, moaning and gasping as I put on a show so he could see exactly what he did to me.
I didn’t think he’d rush this morning, though. I’d probably be begging by the end of it.
Or within five minutes, especially because he knew exactly how to make me scream.
But I wanted every second of that perfect torture because the pleasure Owen gave me was truly unlike anything else. It was love and adoration made real. With desire poured into every touch, every kiss, and every thrust.
He was smiling when he walked back in, eyes dancing with hunger and his cock hard between his legs.
“I should tell you to stop,” he said, lips curling in a way that made my dick throb as he stroked himself slowly.
“But?”
“You look so fucking hot like this, I don’t think I can.”
I smirked and beckoned him with an outstretched finger. “You should come here. You’ll get a better view.”
“Mmm, true. And I can do this.” He closed the gap and climbed onto the bed, crawling between my legs and blanketing me with his body so he could kiss me again, stealing the breath from my lungs and making me gasp. “Look at you, angel. So fucking perfect for me.”
He kissed all down my neck as I sank my fingers into his hair, moans dripping from my tongue.
“Let me hear you,” he murmured as his mouth moved down my body, his chest rubbing against my cock. “Let everyone. I want them to know you’re mine.”
I gasped, the last of my inhibitions melting away as Owen took me apart, his perfect mouth pressing adoration into my skin and love into my bones. I wasn’t sure where my body ended and his began. There was only the two of us.
And when Owen finally pressed his cock inside me, it felt like I was almost coming apart at the seams. Moans and pleas for more echoed around us as I clutched at him, my cock dripping precum across our skin.
Time seemed to stretch out, pleasure etching itself onto my soul, and I revelled in every second. Owen’s voice, the sounds of his desire and need, the feel of his body, and the scent of him enveloped me, and nothing had ever felt more perfect.
“I love you,” Owen said, kissing me over and over as he drew me closer to the edge. “My beautiful angel. My Darcy.”
“I love you too,” I said, the words soft and breathless. “More than anything.”
I didn’t know how long Owen made love to me for. Time had become meaningless, at least for the now.
I knew we couldn’t be here all day, even if I wanted to be. There was work to do, plans to be made, and terrible passport photos to be taken.
But, for now, there was love and sex and kisses that reminded me of the sea.
Owen would always taste sweet like salt to me.
And I couldn’t wait to savour that on my tongue, every day for the rest of my life.