Chapter 27 #2
He wraps an arm around my shoulder and places a kiss on the top of my head. “I think we should talk, yeah?”
“Owen, I don’t know what to say.”
“Not now, Daisy. Let it sink in.”
Is this his way of telling me he loves me? Is that what I’m letting sink in?
I open my mouth to speak, but he continues before I can.
“Not now. Just live in this moment with me.” He slips his arm from my shoulder to slide his fingers between mine.
He brings them to his mouth and kisses the back of my hand.
“Let’s just take in the city. We’ll enjoy the show tonight and be there for Knox on this momentous occasion. Then we’ll talk.”
____
Owen nudges me with his elbow. “Here comes the man of the hour.”
“Fashionably late, as always.”
The after-after party has been in full swing for quite some time already.
Owen and I have been waiting in the massive open kitchen of a penthouse that belongs to the drummer of the band we’re here to celebrate.
Finally, the man we flew across the country to see graces us with his presence.
Knox searches the room, and his smile matches mine when he spots me, and Owen next to me.
Owen walked me to my room this afternoon and left me with nothing but a kiss on my forehead.
An hour later we met Mom, Angus, Mia, and Sawyer in the lobby, and he’s been within reach every moment since.
He’s kept his hands to himself, behaving as he always does around our family.
It seems easy for him but is anything but for me.
When I first saw him waiting in the lobby with Mom, I stumbled my way out of the elevator.
I was a shaking mess as I approached them to hear him telling my mom about how we had the Big Apple’s best pizza and about the walk we took around the city.
When my brother and best friend joined us, I took Sawyer in my arms and let him distract me.
Since then, I’ve followed Owen’s lead and compartmentalized his declaration to the back of my mind.
But it’s never completely gone, it’s just buried deep enough that I can enjoy my brother’s special night.
Knox holds onto my friend's hand like she’s his lifeline as they navigate the throng of people.
Every other person stops them to congratulate the lead singer of one of the biggest bands of the last two decades.
He hates this part of it, but he’s handling it well with Ryan by his side. I’m so damn glad they found each other.
“Hey, big brother! I thought it might be past your bedtime, and you weren’t coming,” I yell over the crowd and loud music when he finally reaches us.
His reply is to wrap an arm around my neck and rub his knuckles across the top of my head. “Hilarious.”
“Hey, I’m thirty-three years old!” I swat him away. “How about for my birthday you let this childish behavior fade into the distance? Noogies are forever banned.”
“You’re not thirty-three yet.”
I tap my nonexistent watch. “It’s after midnight.”
His face pales. “Holy shit, Dais. I am so fucking sorry. I totally forgot. It’s your damn birthday, and it’s been all about the band.”
“Nah, at this age, who really cares? I got to have a birthday lunch in the big city while you were working. It’s all good. It’s only been my day for the last 43 minutes.”
He pulls me in for an actual hug, apologizing again. It’s sweet that he cares, but it’s really no big deal.
“Don’t worry, your mom prepaid for her lap dance. She still has a birthday gift to open.”
Freaking Owen. He can never leave well enough alone, and he loves to play with fire. But then, I do too. He’s proof of that.
Knox releases me to turn on his friend. “Owen Swift, if you give my sister a lap dance... So help me God!”
Playing along, I saunter over to Owen, where he casually leans against the counter, his dimples on full display, loving the reaction he’s gotten from my oldest brother.
“I mean, if Mom already paid for it, we don’t want her money to go to waste.” I make a show of dragging my hand down Owen’s chest, avoiding his healing tattoo.
For a second, Knox looks like he might be sick, but much to my surprise he recovers quickly. “I’m too old for this shit. Beer me.”
With me still pressed against him, Owen grabs a beer from the ice bucket and hands it to him. “Seriously, though. I’m glad I could be here, Knox. I know Cal wishes he could have come.”
“I know he does. And I’m glad you’re here too, Swift. Once I’m back in Goose Hollow, we’ll have to get a beer at Gus’s place.”
“I’d like that.”
The moment between the two men sends a burst of hope through my chest. With my dad gone and Knox being the oldest of my siblings, it somehow feels meaningful.
Knox isn’t my father, and he isn’t the brother who will lose his ever-loving mind if he ever finds out about my secret rendezvous with Owen, but it still feels nice.
Knox grabs Ryan, leading her away, but she sends me a knowing look over her shoulder. I’m not sure what she thinks she knows, but the heat burning my cheeks likely confirms she may be on to something.
Shit.
When my brother is out of sight, Owen slips his hand into mine. “C’mon. Time to celebrate your birthday.”
For my birthday, Ryan got Owen and me on the list at one of the hottest clubs in the city.
She has connections all over town thanks to all the people she’s met as a journalist. Last week we were on the phone, and I jokingly said that if she was going to date my brother, the least she could do was take me for a night on the town.
This was her way of granting my wish. Except instead of going out with her, Owen is my plus one for the evening.
There’s no way she’s leaving Knox’s side.
As nice as her gift is, leaving this crowded party to go to a crowded club has lost its appeal.
Not after this afternoon.
Owen guides us through the penthouse out into the hallway where people are loitering. The elevator opens the moment he presses the down arrow. Instead of hitting the lobby button, he presses the number for our floor.
“Did you need to stop by your room before we head out?”
“Nope.”
He doesn’t elaborate, and when the elevator reaches our floor, we walk hand in hand until he flashes his room key in front of his door and motions for me to enter.
“So, you do need something from your room.”
“I need to give you your birthday present.”
I should tell him that his tattoo was plenty, but I don’t bring it up. “You didn’t need—”
His lips silence me with a tender kiss. “Happy birthday, Daisy Brianna McKinnon.”
He lifts my small crossbody bag over my head, setting it on the table, then leads me to his bed where he pulls the covers back. Standing in front of me, he places a kiss on my forehead before slowly undressing himself and then me.
He’s touched me a hundred times before, but tonight every tender caress takes ownership of another piece of my heart. Every touch lights me on fire in a new, more significant way.
He doesn’t tell me what to do, or where he wants me on the bed.
There’s no need. My body follows his lead as I lay my head on the pillows.
He rests his body against mine, not putting his full weight on me, as he brushes my hair from my face.
His eyes search mine and I can tell tonight is different for him, too.
Owen worships every inch of my body, bringing me pleasure with his mouth that I didn’t know was possible.
When he finally thrusts into me with slow and measured movements, his hands tangle in my hair and his eyes stay locked on mine, not rushing the moment.
He takes his time to ensure we both feel every sensation. Every emotion.
It’s fun and exciting when he bosses me around, feeding into the kink I only indulge in with him.
Every encounter before tonight was sex. Right now, Owen Swift is making love to me, and he wants to make sure I know it.
He’s using his body to say the words he doesn’t dare.
I take him into me, matching his gaze so he can see that I feel it too.
I don’t mean to let my tears fall for a second time today, but they do.
His hips still, and he brushes my tears away before taking my hand and placing it over the gauze covering the design on his chest. “This is yours. Nobody else’s.”
His beautiful words squeeze my heart. The pain I know will follow when I eventually lose him threatens to seep in and ruin the gorgeous moment.
I circle my hips, encouraging him to move again, wanting to push the noise out of my head.
Thankfully, his body responds to mine, as we touch and kiss until we’re panting each other's names.
And then we do something I’ve only ever done with Owen. We climax together.
Once we’ve caught our breaths, he doesn’t roll away. Instead, he stays inside me while he kisses me senseless. I tighten my legs around his waist hoping to keep him right where he is. The thought of this being over saddens me. I need to stay connected to him like this.
I don’t want to let go.
Ever.
Unfortunately, reality comes between me and what I want because he pulls out.
He plants a kiss over my heart. “You’re beautiful.”
My hands run through his hair. “You aren’t too bad yourself.”
“Let me clean you up,” he says, attempting to get up, but I hold tight to him.
“Don’t go.”
He drops his head onto my chest, letting his chuckle vibrate through me. It feels like a luxury I don’t deserve.
“We’re just getting started, birthday girl. I plan on worshipping you until the sun comes up.”
A beam of early morning light streaks across the hotel room floor thanks to the space between the curtains.
Not that either of us is asleep. Owen kept his promise and worshiped me until the sun came up.
I’m blissfully exhausted, but I don’t dare close my eyes.
It feels too good to be the little spoon to his big spoon, especially when he has his leg over me, ensuring I can’t make an escape.
Where in the world does he think I would rather be?
“Do you think they’d notice if we missed our flight?” I pout.
“There’s a good chance since it’s a private plane and we’re two of the eight expected passengers.”
“I don’t want to leave.”
“I want you to fall asleep in my arms every night too, baby.”
“Owen, stop.”
“Daisy, I don’t know how many trips we have to take or how many ways I need to say it, but I want you. I want us.”
“It’s not that easy?”
“But it is.”
“You’re in a post-orgasm fog.”
“Clover, for me, you’re it.” The warmth of his whispers tickles my ear. “I’m so damn stuck on you it’s not even funny. Whether you like it or not, I’m yours. I pray sooner than fucking later you’ll finally admit to yourself you’re mine too. Until then, I’ll be stuck here, waiting for you.”