by Naomi Martin
She flashes me the first warm smile I’ve seen on her face in what seems like forever. Finally, I’ve managed to crack the wall of ice she’d thrown up between us.
“I’d really like that,” she says.
“Yeah, so would I.” I smile. “What about next Saturday?”
“Sounds perfect.”
The tension that had saturated the air between us finally evaporates and we’re able to sit with each other companionably again. We make small talk and things seem like they’re back to normal . Honestly, it makes me happy – and fills me with a huge sense of relief. I don’t want my friendship with Olivia to get in the way of my relationship with Bonnie.
“Well, hey,” Owen says as he drops down onto the grass beside me.
Immediately, I see Bonnie tighten up and a frown pulls down her lips. She chews on her sandwich, probably to give her mouth something to do other than spit venom at Owen. I know she said he’s not nearly as bad as Asher, but it’s clear she still thinks he’s an asshole – it’s the whole guilt by association thing at work.
I clear my throat, trying to temper the excitement that’s bubbling up inside of me. Even in the face of Bonnie’s sudden dark mood, I’m having a hard time keeping the smile off my face. My heart is slamming into my chest and I feel that vapid, giggly girl doing her best to claw her way out. I fight hard to keep her at bay. The last thing I want is for Bonnie to see me like that. It would only be rubbing her face in an obvious sore spot.
“Hey, yourself,” I reply.
He gives me a smile and then glances at Bonnie. “Hey, Bonnie. How are you?”
“Fine,” she says sullenly.
Bonnie’s response irritates me. Owen is trying to include her, and she’s basically spitting in his face. I think it’s one of the most immature reactions I’ve ever seen from her. But I bite it all back, not wanting to upset her any more than she already is. Plus, I don’t want to cause a scene in front of Owen.
He clears his throat and looks over at me. All I can do is raise my eyebrows – and stop myself before I roll my eyes.
“Anyway, I just wanted to see if we were on for tonight?” he says.
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it.
“Good. I am, too,” he replies. “Pick you up at six?”
I nod. “Sounds good.”
He cuts another look at Bonnie, who is studiously ignoring him, and then back at me. The air between the three of us is only growing more uncomfortable by the second until Owen gets to his feet. He pulls on my hair and flashes me one of those heart-melting smiles of his.
“I’ll see you later,” he says.
“Okay.”
He looks over his shoulder at me once as he walks off, pulling a smile onto my face. But when I turn back to Bonnie, I catch her rolling her eyes and looking none too pleased. I sigh and pull on the end of my hair – which I’ve been wearing down since Owen mentioned that he liked it at Blackjacks. Yet another piece of evidence that I’m turning into one of those girls. I take a hair tie out of my bag and quickly pull it back into a ponytail.
“Are you sure Owen’s going to let you wear it like that?”
It’s hard to miss the scorn in Bonnie’s voice. I honestly hadn’t thought she noticed that I’ve been wearing it down lately, but she apparently doesn’t miss a thing.
“I wear it how I like it, thank you very much,” I respond.
“Mmmhmmmm,” she murmurs, her voice thick with disbelief.
“Bonnie, can we not do this?”
“I’m not doing anything.”
I sigh, crumpling my sandwich up in the bag in frustration. I throw everything into my brown paper bag and try to rein in my anger.
“You know exactly what you’re doing,” I tell her. “I can feel the disapproval coming off of you.”
“I already told you what I think, but you apparently aren’t going to listen to me.”
“I like him, Bon,” I confess. “And you yourself said he’s not a bad guy.”
“No, I said he’s not as bad as Asher. That’s not the same thing as saying he’s a good guy.”
“Am I not allowed to form my own opinions, Bonnie?” I demand, exasperated.
“You clearly are.”
I feel my temper rising, dark and abiding, and I don’t want to unleash it on Bonnie. I know she’s just feeling insecure, and the last thing I want to do is pile on and make her feel worse than she’s making herself feel.
“Just because I’m hanging out with Owen–”
“And Olivia. Don’t forget princess Olivia.”
I sigh and pull so hard on my hair, I’m half-afraid I’m going to yank it right out of my skull. Forcing myself to relax, I let out a long, deep breath and loosen my grip.
“Just because I’m hanging out with people other than you, it doesn’t mean I don’t value you or the time we spend together any less, Bon,” I explain. “You have other friends, too, you know. And it hasn’t changed the way you feel about me. Right?”
She purses her lips and looks down at the ground beneath her, looking slightly abashed. She can’t really refute my point and she knows it.
“No, it doesn’t change the way I feel about you,” she finally relents.
“That’s my point. We can have other friends but still be every bit as tight as we are together.”
She sighs. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt, Winter,” she tells me. “You don’t know what they’re capable of.”
She’s right, I don’t know what they’re capable of. But, by the same token, neither does she. The truth of the matter is that none of us really knows what anybody else is capable of. It’s just part of the human condition. It’s not that I don’t appreciate her sentiment or concern, but she doesn’t know what’s best for me. And she’s letting her personal issues with Olivia and Asher color everything in relation to them.
“I’m not naïve and I’m not walking into this blind, Bon,” I assure her. “I appreciate that you’ve got my back and are looking out for me, but I’m a big girl. I’ve been around the block a few times.”
She picks at some imaginary lint on her pants and finally nods. “I know you’re a big girl. And I know you’re not naïve,” she says quietly. “I just care about you, Winter. And honestly, I think you can do better.”
Better than stunningly gorgeous, super popular, star baseball player Owen Maddox? Fat chance. But that’s my vapid girl brain chiming in again. I almost want to smack myself. I look up and give Bonnie a smile.
“I know the shelf life on high school romances isn’t very long. It’s not like I’m sitting here planning my wedding to Owen or anything,” I promise with a chuckle. “But I don’t see anything wrong with hanging out with somebody I get along with and having a good time. If I don’t take it too seriously, I’m not going to get hurt. Right?”
A grin pulls one side of her mouth upward. “No, I suppose not. As long as you don’t let yourself get all sucked in and don’t take it too seriously.”
I shrug. “And if I do, at least you’ll be able to say, ‘I told you so.’”
She finally laughs and I feel the ice begin to thaw again. “And you can guarantee I’ll say it.”
“Oh, I know you will.”
We pass the rest of the lunch period on far better terms. The cold front she’d been throwing up dissipates, and we’re able to laugh and joke together again. By the time we’re walking back across the quad and toward the classrooms, it’s as if nothing happened between us.
We part with a hug and I feel far better about things. I think Bonnie is finally understanding my position and maybe – just maybe – she’s learning to respect it. At least, that’s what I’m hoping.
Chapter Ten
“God, it’s beautiful up here,” I murmur.
“Nowhere near as beautiful as you.”
I roll my eyes and laugh. “That was smooth. But nowhere near as smooth as you think it was.”
Owen laughs along with me and shrugs. “Can’t blame a guy for tr
ying.”
“I can blame a guy for not having better lines.”
“Fair enough.”
A chill sweeps over me and I shudder. Owen tosses a jacket over my shoulders, and I smile gratefully. He scoots a little closer to me, slipping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me a little tighter to him. I look up to meet his eyes, quirking my mouth into a teasing smirk.
“What? It’s a fact that maintaining body warmth is vital to survival,” he replies. “It’s science.”
“And it might be valid science if we were on the slopes of Everest or something.”
He chuckles. “I can let go, if you’d prefer.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“That’s what I thought.”
I laugh. “I’m only doing it for science.”
“Oh, of course.”
I can’t deny that I am enjoying the feeling of having his arm around me and feeling his toned, taut body pressed close to mine. I breathe deeply, savoring the scent of him. It’s masculine without being overpowering.
We’re sitting on a cliff that overlooks the Pacific Owen called the Bluffs. It’s a local make-out spot, from what I’ve gathered. With the tall, thick redwoods behind us and nothing before us but the endless expanse of the ocean, I can see why. It’s private, and romantic as hell. In the sky, I can see stars dotting the inky blackness. To me, they look like chips of diamond, spread out on a piece of black velvet that stretches to the horizon. There’s a sliver of moon that doesn’t provide much light, but what it does cast down sparkles upon the ocean below.
After catching some dinner in one of the restaurants in town, we grabbed a couple cups of hot cocoa and brought them out here. Honestly, I’d thought he was going to take me back to Blackjacks, but I’m really glad he decided to bring me here instead. It’s absolutely gorgeous – I could sit out here looking at the stars for hours on end.
I get the idea, though, that Owen didn’t bring me here for the stars. And the mere thought of what might be on his mind sends chills – of a warmer variety this time – rolling through me.
“So, I take it Bonnie doesn’t approve of us seeing each other,” Owen ventures, never taking his eyes off the ocean.
“How did you guess?”
“I think it had something to do with her contemptuous glare, or the utter disdain in her voice when she spoke to me,” he replies. “I kind of took those as a sign.”
“Nothing gets by you, does it?”
He grins. “Not much. Especially when it’s that obvious.”
We share a quiet laugh together, but I can tell it’s actually bothering him. More than I would have expected. I didn’t think Owen cared one bit about what anybody, let alone Bonnie, thought of him. It surprises me. And it provides me with a possible opportunity to maybe begin smoothing the waters between them. If I can get Owen and Bonnie to get along, who knows who else I might be able to get her to get along with.
“She thinks you hate her, you know,” I inform him, going out on a limb.
“I don’t even know her. Why would I hate her?”
“It’s because of what Asher did to her back in sophomore year,” I explain. “She thought you were all involved and–”
He shakes his head, cutting me off. “That was all Asher. He wanted to show off and thought it would be funny.” He looks over at me, his gaze serious. “I told him he was an asshole after he did that. We actually got into a fight about it.”
“Yeah, well, she’s still traumatized about it,” I press. “And honestly, I can’t blame her.”
“Neither do I. And, for whatever it’s worth, I know that Asher feels bad about it,” he goes on. “He feels like an absolute shithead about it.”
“So why doesn’t he tell her that?”
He shrugs. “That’s not his style, Winter. I mean, he apologized, but Asher isn’t the kind of guy who’s going to beg anybody to forgive him,” he explains. “From his point of view, he apologized and if she can’t get over it, then that’s on her.”
I sigh. “That’s kind of a douchey attitude to have.”
Owen nods. “I don’t disagree. But it’s who Asher is.”
Pulling on the ends of my hair, I stare out at the ocean wondering why, in such a romantic spot, with such a gorgeous boy, I’m talking about Bonnie and Asher.
“Let’s not talk about them anymore,” I suggest. “It’s giving me a headache.”
“Well, we can’t have that.”
I shake my head. “No, we can’t.”
“So, what would you like to talk about then?”
I give him a smile. “Who said we had to talk?”
“Good answer.”
Owen takes my face in his hands as he leans forward and presses his mouth to mine. I part my lips and the moment his tongue touches mine, I feel like I grabbed hold of a live wire. The most intense and delicious jolt of electricity lights me up inside, running from the top of my head to the tip of my toes, setting fire to every point in between.
Our kiss deepens as Owen’s tongue swirls and dances with mine, and he gently lays me down onto the blanket beneath us. I run my fingers through his hair, moaning softly as he kisses my neck. He plants a line of kisses down to my collarbone, then slides the tip of his tongue from the hollow of my throat back up to my chin, and I feel my head start to spin.
I jump and let out a gasp of surprise when his hand slides under my sweater and the freezing cold tips of his fingers touch my skin. He quickly withdraws his hand and I look up at him to see his face etched with concern that he’d overstepped. I laugh, biting my bottom lip.
“Your hand is freezing,” I point out.
His smile is warm. “Sorry.”
We laugh together for a moment before our mouths find each other again. He slips his hand back under my sweater, sliding it up until he’s cupping my breast. He kneads it softly as his kiss grows more forceful, his tongue dashing against mine. My head swimming and my own passion inflamed, I reach down and grip his hard cock through his jeans. He moans as I start to stroke him over his pants.
I roll over slightly as Owen reaches behind me to unclasp my bra. He pushes my sweater up and his mouth finds my stiff nipples. I gasp as he swirls his tongue around one before giving it a firm nip with his teeth. He flashes me a smile as he slides down my body, and my stomach churns with the anticipation of what’s coming next.
He pushes his hands beneath my skirt, his fingertips leaving trails of fire along the skin of my thighs. I raise my hips, allowing Owen to slide my panties down my legs, his eyes locked on mine the entire time. He drops them onto the blanket beside us and lays back down as he parts my thighs, burying his face between my legs. I moan softly, biting my bottom lip so hard I’m surprised I’m not tasting blood. The tip of his tongue touches the swollen, wet center of me and I cry out, my voice echoing out across the Pacific.
When I look back down, I see him looking up at me, his eyes visible over the pushed-up fabric of my skirt. He laps at me eagerly, his tongue pushing past my lips and plunging deep into my core. His tongue and fingers are working their magic on me, licking and touching, plunging into me softly and then harder. Owen takes my clit into his mouth, sucking on it as he pumps his fingers into my wetness.
The pressure inside of me quickly builds as he swirls my swollen bud in his mouth, driving his fingers even deeper into my molten core. I press my head back against the blanket, the ground hard beneath me, and cry out. My entire body stiffens and when I feel Owen’s tongue plumbing my warm, wet depths, the dam inside of me breaks.
Gripping his hair hard, I grind my wetness against him. I tremble and shake, my loud, stuttering cries carried away on the breeze off the ocean. The intensity of my orgasm is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before, and it lights me up in ways I never imagined possible. And through it all, as my body alternates between stiffening and liquid fluidity, Owen continues lapping at me greedily, making small, appreciative noises that rumble against my sensitive bud and swollen lips.
Finally, I can’t take it anymore and I pull him up to me, kissing him with an intensity born of my passion and desire. I make him stand as I get to my knees and quickly unbutton his pants. I yank them down, pushing them all the way to his ankles. He quickly kicks his shoes off, which are followed by his pants. And when I pull his boxers down, letting them fall to his feet, I find myself staring at his long, thick cock.
Taking it in my hand, I squeeze it hard at the base, drawing a gasp from him. I start to pump my hand up and down, my eyes never leaving his as I stroke his cock. Leaning forward, I run the tip of my tongue around the head, teasing the soft, sensitive underside. I swirl my tongue around the tip, tasting the saltiness of his precum, and it makes Owen gasp. Then, I take him into my mouth, inch by inch, until I’m at the base of his length. Tightening my lips around his rod, I start to work my hand and mouth in unison, sucking and stroking him. I feel his body stiffening as I work him over, his gasps ragged and breathy.
Owen slides his fingers through my hair then grips it tightly as I move my mouth and hand up and down on his stiff cock. He whispers my name urgently when I cup his balls, squeezing them with my other hand. I lose myself in the moment, letting the twin fires of passion and lust consume me, and relish the power and control I have right now.
His voice grows hoarse, his breath even more ragged, and I feel his body stiffening beneath my touch. I know he’s close. Owen lets out a loud gasp and staggers backward a couple of steps, a wide grin on his face.
“I’m not done with you just yet,” he growls.
I give him a salacious smile as he collapses on top of me. He kisses me and I wrap my legs around his waist, letting his tongue fill my mouth. I feel myself growing hotter and wetter as the tip of his cock presses against my opening. Suddenly, he pulls back and looks down at me, uncertainty evident on his face. I tilt my head and look up at him.
“Are you sure?” he asks softly.
