Touch Him (ManTrap Book 3)

by Olivia Jaymes

  "And?" Owen prompted with a grin. "I have to know the ending. Did she get him or did she find someone even better?"

  "She got him," I confirmed. "But she had to be tough on him at first. He was a real ass in the beginning, sort of wishy washy. He wasn't sure he wanted to be in a relationship with her so she packed him off and sent him home. It was so brave of her but she did it. Josh realized what he had and they ended up together. In fact, they're in Scotland right now while she's in a teacher exchange program."

  "That's a terrific story. Love always finds a way."

  "Spoken like a true romantic," I teased. "For a man who uses a test to put people together, you're awfully fanciful."

  His brows shot up and he reached into the pocket of his suit jacket. "Speaking of tests...I have your results, Emmy. Do you want to see?"

  I did, and I didn't. From the smile on Owen's face, however, it appeared that we were compatible. That was good. Right?

  "Of course, I want to see," I replied, holding out a hand as he pulled out a single sheet of paper. "I've been wondering about it."

  Not in the last hour or so but it had been in the back of my mind as the day had gone on. When he didn't say anything by lunch, I'd assumed that the results weren't good and he was going to pretend that I'd never taken the test.

  There was just enough light to see the printing on the paper. Scanning it from top to bottom, it was a summary of where Owen and I fell on their continuum.

  Sixty-nine percent.

  "I have a much more detailed report of your results on my laptop and I'll happily send that to you if you like. Those results are short and to the point."

  "Sixty-nine percent. Is that good?"

  From his smile it must be but the results didn't really make that clear.

  "I think it's very good. Dan and Lisa were at seventy-two percent, only three percentage points higher. Anything over eighty is as rare as hen's teeth, and anything below forty is probably a relationship that may be more work than a person is willing to put in. We don't tell a participant what a good percentage is, though. It's up to them to decide what's acceptable to them."

  "But you think it's good?"

  "I do."

  "Emmy..."

  I raised my gaze to see Owen watching me closely.

  "Emmy, are you okay?"

  "I am."

  It was just...what did this mean? Geez, that was such a girly question and I hated myself for even asking it in my head. Where is this relationship going? Does he like me? Do we have a future? Why did this one man make me insecure?

  Reaching across the table, he plucked the paper from my hand before taking both of them in his. "Dance with me."

  What? Talk about a non-sequitur.

  "You want to dance?"

  "I do. Will you dance with me, Emmy? Even though I have two left feet?"

  There was music playing from invisible speakers. Something slow and sexy that I couldn't identify.

  "I will."

  He stood and helped me to my feet. There was a small area right next to our table and that's where he pulled me into his arms, pressing my body against his. After two nights in his bed, you'd think being this close to him would be no big deal. Old hat.

  It wasn't, though. His scent was still intoxicating, all citrus and spice, turning my knees to jelly. The warmth from his skin permeated the thin material of my dress and it was like being skin to skin. I placed my hands around his neck, my fingertips brushing the tiny curls at his nape. His lips pressed against my temple and the oxygen seemed to leak from my lungs even as my heart kicked into gear. Surely no one could live very long not breathing while their heart beat like a big brass drum in a marching band. It sounded like a lethal combination.

  "Emmy..." His voice was soft and low, his lips next to my ear. "I haven't felt this strongly for a woman in a long time. If ever. I don't want this weekend to be the end. I want to keep seeing you when we get home. I want to find out where this goes. I know we haven't discussed what happens after tomorrow but I want to keep seeing you when we go back home. Do you?"

  The answer slipped off of my tongue so easily, no effort whatsoever. It was a foregone conclusion.

  "Yes, I want that."

  Chapter 15

  Emmy

  I don't remember much of the rest of the evening. There was champagne, dancing under the stars, and kisses in the moonlight. Nothing too crazy, though. We weren't alone on that yacht and neither one of us was the type to make a spectacle of ourselves.

  When we returned to the resort we went straight to my room as if we'd discussed the alternatives and made a decision. We barely spoke in the elevator as it swiftly and silently rose but our steps were rushed as we exited and walked down the hall. The closer we came to the door the faster my heart sped in my chest. I couldn't wait to rip those fancy clothes off of him and push him down on the bed. We only had tonight left.

  Scratch that. We were going to continue the relationship back home so theoretically we had many more nights like this. But this one still felt special. There was so much unspoken, hanging in the air between us. We cared about one another to make an effort past tomorrow morning. In my world, that was a big deal. I couldn't remember the last time a man got to me this way.

  As soon as the hotel room door swung shut behind us, Owen flipped the lock on the door and walked me backward straight to the bed, tugging at my clothes on the way. By the time I fell back onto the mattress I wasn't wearing anything but my panties.

  His shoulders rose and fell as he stripped off his own clothes and tossed them carelessly aside. He was hard and ready and I hadn't even touched him yet.

  I wanted to remedy that slight immediately.

  Sitting up on the bed, I reached for him, running a hand up and down his velvety shaft, drawing a tortured moan from his lips. I loved that I could affect him this strongly with the simplest of caresses. It made me feel sexy and powerful and I couldn't wait to do it again. Leaning forward, I swiped around the tip with my tongue as he tangled his fingers in my hair. Taking the head into my mouth, I slowly slid down as far as I could before retreating and lifting back up. I did it twice more before his hands cupped my face and pulled me off with a pop.

  "I don't want this to be over yet."

  I didn't either but being in control was kind of fun. My fingertips grazed his cock and it jumped, his body shaking with the force of his reaction. Before I could do it again, Owen immediately lifted me and gently tossed me back onto the bed, lowering himself on top and caging me in with his strong arms.

  Not that I wanted to escape. I was quite content at the moment to stay exactly where I was.

  The moon peeked through a tiny opening in the curtains, throwing a shadow across Owen's face. He was such an amazingly beautiful man. If he'd been born hundreds of years ago, he would have been rendered in marble, his image captured for all to see.

  Reaching up, I caressed those high cheekbones and then ran my fingers down the bridge of his nose, slightly crooked as if he'd broken it a long time ago.

  "I'd love to tell you that I hurt myself playing football or something macho like that but it would be a lie," he laughed, dropping kisses on my neck and shoulders. Luxuriating in the attention, I let my eyelids flutter shut so I could fully immerse myself in the pleasure. "I fell down a flight of stairs in college helping one of my buddies move. Ended up in the emergency room. It's why I snore."

  So far Owen had so thoroughly exhausted me that I'd fallen asleep immediately each night. I'd had no idea that he snored.

  "You were doing a friend a favor. That's kind of macho."

  His slid an open-mouthed kiss down my torso, between my breasts and over my belly. I could feel his warm breath on my slit and his fingers drawing patterns on the sensitive flesh of my inner thigh. My entire being trembled inside and out while my heart pounded against my ribcage.

  "You have a strange definition of macho, honey, but I'll go with it."

  If I'd been predicting what Owen was going to d
o next, I would have been wrong. Turning my expectations on their heads, he scooted to the bottom edge of the bed and lifted up one of my feet. Cradled in his large palm, he leaned down to press a kiss at the sensitive arch, almost sending me up off of the bed in response.

  Taking a leisurely path and not in one bit of a hurry, he continued to drop wet kisses on the top of my foot and ankle before following a path up my calves and thighs. Twisting on the mattress, I groaned and sighed with every kiss and caress. His touch was feather light but somehow, he managed to only arouse me and not tickle. Flames licked at my flesh and blood roared in my ears, building my arousal higher until I was panting and dizzy with need.

  With an evil smile on his face, he did it all over again with the other leg, his gentle touch moving me closer to the precipice. It wouldn't take much to send me over and I was desperate to fall. My fingers curled into his hair, tugging his head where I wanted it but the bastard wouldn't cooperate. "Don't tease me. It's mean."

  He only chuckled and continued his sensual foray, now exploring my rib cage and bellybutton.

  "You don't sound like I'm being mean. You sound like you like it. Do you want me to stop?"

  No, I didn't unless he was going to do something even better.

  Jackpot. His lips finally traveled in the right direction, his shoulders insinuating themselves between my thighs.

  With the first touch of his mouth I would have sworn angels sang in the distance. My body bowed on the mattress as his clever tongue did naughty, talented things that had me going up in flames. He lapped at my clit and that was it. I fell over the cliff and didn't look back. White lights strobed behind my lids and the world tilted on its axis. I didn't fight the rush of pleasure, simply letting it take me wherever it wanted me to go. When I finally came down I was limp, panting, and begging. I needed him inside of me now. To my surprise, the orgasm hadn't sated me in the least. I wanted more.

  Luckily, Owen seemed to be of the same mind. I heard the crinkle of foil and then he was there right where I needed him. He pushed relentlessly forward, not in a hurry but slowly and deliberately, letting me feel every delicious inch of his invasion. When he was in to the hilt, we both paused for a moment to catch our breath. I was so full of him and it was amazing. I didn't have the words to describe it; I only knew that this wasn't just ordinary sex. This was something different, something better.

  "What does it feel like?"

  Shit, I couldn't control my mouth at times like this. We didn't need to talk about it, but the thought had drifted through my mind and now I'd actually spoken the words out loud.

  "Being inside you?" he asked, his voice hoarse and low, like ground glass. "It feels like heaven. So hot and tight. I never want it to end."

  He'd begun to move and that took any thought of answering away. Frankly, it was hard to speak when I could barely breathe. Instead, I wrapped my legs around his lean middle as his strokes sped up, hitting that spot inside of me that made me see stars. He rode me fast and hard and I loved every minute of it, exhorting him along the way. We'd both have bruises in the morning, mine on my hips and his on his shoulders, but they'd be wonderful reminders of our time on the island.

  The lewd sounds of fornication rang in our ears - the slapping of damp flesh on flesh, the carnal groans, the ragged breathing. It all added to the pleasure and I found myself once again teetering on the brink, ready to fly into the clouds.

  Reaching between us, Owen ran his thumb around my clit. Once, twice, three times. The last time was the charm and I rocketed into space, calling out his name. He followed me right after and I forced myself to keep my eyes open, wanting to see him go over the edge.

  His teeth were gritted together, his jaw tight and his head thrown back, exposing the cords of his neck. He was incredibly beautiful and I watched as the pleasure ran through him over and over until we were both wrung out and exhausted.

  He collapsed on top of me as we both sucked oxygen into our aching lungs. I ran my fingertips along the damp muscles of his back and simply savored the moment. In my hectic life I didn't often have times like this where I could simply be. I'd spent a good portion of my adult life working and being in charge of every little detail. I wasn't in charge of shit right now and it was fantastic.

  Being with Owen might be better than I'd ever thought it could be. We were now in a real relationship, not just a vacation fling.

  I'd taken a chance and it had paid off. I was...happy.

  Chapter 16

  Emmy

  The plane would be landing soon and I would be back to my normal, everyday life.

  When I'd woken this morning - cuddled close to Owen in his bed - I'd realized that the fantasy of this little vacation was over and we were returning to reality. Monday morning and time to throw my clothes into a suitcase and board a flight for the snow and cold of the Midwest. The only comfort was that Owen had come with me, at least until Miami. From there we were on different flights. To be on his preferred airline, he had a much longer layover and would be arrive later in the day.

  I wasn't the greatest traveler by air. I was constantly frustrated by the hurry-up-and-wait culture in the industry. Add in the uncertainty of weather and mechanical issues and it was a recipe for pulling out my hair one clump at a time. But you can't drive to a Caribbean island so every now and then I had to shut the hell up and deal with it. My friend Ashlyn travels all the time and I don't know how she does it. She's a lot more chill than I am, clearly.

  The plane dipped down and hit the runway at Chicago's O'Hare with a few hard bumps that rattled my teeth. My hands clenched the armrests until the plane came to a stop at the airport. I'd arrived alive and in one piece. I could breathe easily again.

  Pulling my phone out of a side pocket of my bag, I quickly sent a text to Shelby that my plane had touched down. She was picking me up and driving me the two and a half hours to Arborville. Did I mention that she was an awesome friend? If she hadn't offered, I would have had to leave my own car parked here and the last time I did that I walked around the parking garage for over an hour in the freezing cold dragging a suitcase, a carryon, and a purse before I finally found my vehicle. To this day I swear someone moved it from where I'd left it.

  After exiting the plane, I made my way through the hustle and bustle to the baggage claim area. I hadn't checked any bags but Shelby was picking me up here curbside. I'd shot her another text and...

  There she was, driving her shiny blue BMW sedan that she'd named Otto. She pulled up and waved, honking her horn in case I wasn't paying any attention. Since she already had four or five cars on her tail, I jumped into her car, shoving my luggage into the backseat.

  "Let's go before you get a ticket or rammed from behind by an impatient driver."

  Shelby loved to drive Otto - that's why she'd offered to pick me up - and she obediently pressed down on the accelerator, shooting the powerful car forward and into airport traffic. We missed a yellow cab by about three centimeters. I grabbed onto the door handle but Shelby simply laughed.

  "I wasn't even close to him. We had plenty of room."

  "If you call less than an inch plenty of room than yes, you did. Seriously, I'm grateful to you for picking me up but let's get home in one piece, okay? You're going to be a bride soon, so you should have a lot to live for."

  My friend only spared me a brief glance as she navigated toward the exit. "Isn't it you that's always reminding me that I only get one day to feel special?"

  "I am and that's why you'll want to live to see that one day."

  We didn't speak until Shelby was safely on the interstate traveling south. There was nothing between Chicago and Arborville but corn and cows.

  "Are you going to talk about it?"

  I didn't like to make things too easy for Shelby.

  "Talk about what?"

  She didn't even take her gaze from the road but I could hear her guffaw of amusement.

  "Dr. Owen Campbell, of course. What's the latest? Are you going to see him no
w that you've both returned home?"

  "Oh...that." Settling back into the leather seat, I tried to appear nonchalant. None of this was a big deal, right? "Yes, we're going to continue to date and just see how it goes."

  As if the outcome didn't matter to me in the slightest.

  "See how it goes? That sounds very...casual. Are you planning to be non-exclusive then?"

  Shit, that hadn't occurred to me. I'd assumed... Double shit.

  "You two didn't talk about that?" Shelby guessed. "If you'd read the book all the way through you wouldn't have made that mistake."

  "Thanks for pointing that out. I've read most of it. I admit that I've skipped around a little."

  "So you're not sure if you're an exclusive couple?"

  I thought back to everything that Owen had said and done, especially last night. He'd gone all out and it wouldn't make sense to do that for a booty call. Or a hookup. Whatever it was called these days. He'd also said that he hadn't felt this strongly in a long time. That was true for me as well.

  "We're exclusive," I finally replied, this time with certainty. "I'm sure of it."

  "But you don't know for certain?"

  "I don't need to interrogate a man to know, Shel. We're a couple. He made a big deal last night about saying that he wanted to continue our relationship back home and see where it went. I don't need to get it in writing. At some point I need to trust him. At least that's what you'd tell me."

  "Agreed, but just make sure that he's as committed to the relationship as you are. That's all I'm saying."

  "I will," I promised. "I know you're just trying to make sure I don't get hurt. I'm not sure that I'm really that far gone, if you know what I mean. I'm not in love. Not yet."

  Shelby's gaze flickered to me and then back to the road. Reaching down, she turned off the radio that had been humming softly in the background. "You're not in love? You sound quite sure of that."