Passion Restored

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  Liz narrowed her eyes. “You say that, but I don’t see you sleeping with Murphy.” Liz hadn’t missed the way the two of them flirted when they thought no one was watching…and even when they thought others were watching for that matter.

  Tessa scoffed. “We’re flirting because it’s fun. But I’m not as sex-deprived as you, and I don’t know if I want to sleep with Murphy. I like him as a friend. And you know how I tend to fuck things up once I sleep with a guy.”

  “Then why do you think it’s okay for me to sleep with Owen?”

  “Because things are different. You’re different. And hell, you’ve already kissed him. Just make it happen and stop overthinking it. You’re stressing me out.”

  “You can’t just push me into having sex with a guy so I’ll stop stressing you out.”

  Tessa rolled her eyes. “No, I can’t. And I’m not. I’m pushing the other shit out of your way so you can do what you want to and not freak yourself out about it. If you want to sleep with him, date him, pour hot wax on him after you tie him to the bed, go for it. Just don’t stay away because you’re scared. You need to live a little, Liz. It’s okay to do that.”

  “Hot wax?” Liz asked, pointedly ignoring the rest of Tessa’s statement.

  “I don’t know your kinks. I mean, I know some of them since the walls have been pretty thin in our apartments, but the hot wax thing might be a secret fetish.” She grinned, and Liz threw the dishrag at her.

  “I hate you.”

  “No, you don’t. You love me. Now go shower and put on those skinny jeans I bought you. You’re going to look hot as fuck and maybe get fucked.”

  “One, you’re crude when you’re pushy. Two, I’m not going to fit my very large ass into those jeans. I don’t know why you bought them for me.”

  Tessa just used the dishrag to clean up the mess from the potato salad mixings. “You love me. And all you need to do is lay down on the bed and wiggle them on. I’ll help you if you need it, but your ass looks freaking amazing in them. Owen won’t be able to stop looking at it.” She frowned. “Though maybe you should wear another pair because they’ll probably be hard to get off in a hurry. Though he could like that, you know. The ripping and tugging as you guys are all panting and trying to get to each other’s private parts.”

  Liz held up a hand. “Please, stop talking. I beg you.”

  Tessa grinned. “You love me,” she repeated. “Now shower, get dressed, and actually brush your hair. Then we’re heading over to Owen’s. The Gallaghers will all be there, and they want us over there.”

  “Murphy wants us there,” Liz corrected. “We don’t know about the others.”

  “Get a move on!”

  With a sigh, she went back to her bedroom and pulled out the jeans she didn’t think she’d actually fit in. She would not be sleeping with Owen tonight, and not ever for that matter. Maybe wearing jeans that were hard to get out of would ensure that she stuck to that.

  Hopefully.

  “You made it!” Murphy said as he opened Owen’s front door. She knew the man didn’t actually live here, but he sure acted like it. “I was afraid Tessa wouldn’t be able to convince you to come.”

  Tessa hip-bumped her as she handed over the potato salad to the large Gallagher at the door. “Of course, I convinced her. I’m good at convincing people to do all manner of things.”

  Murphy winked at Tessa, and Liz wanted to bang her head on the doorframe. And people thought Liz and Owen flirted. Holy hell.

  “Good to know, Tessa. Good to fucking know.”

  Liz cleared her throat, and Murphy turned to her, his smile in place. Nothing seemed to faze him, and she kind of liked that.

  “Come on in,” Murphy said as he moved out of the way. “Everyone is in the back since Owen had us put those built-in heaters out there. It’s not too chilly but with him still being on the mend and Rowan wanting to play outside, we wanted to be careful. I’ll go put the salad in the fridge since we’re still working on cheese and veggies and things. Drinks are outside so make sure the crew shows you where they are.” He hurried off, and Liz watched as Tessa followed his movements.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to bang him?” Liz whispered.

  “Who has the dirty mouth now?” Tessa asked with a laugh. “And as much as I love watching that man move, I’m having more fun flirting.” She held up a hand before they made their way to the back of the house where the French doors led to the patio. “It’s not the same as you and Owen. I’ve already gone over this. Now put a smile on your face and be prepared to have fun. You need it.”

  “I don’t know how you convinced me to show up here when I have so many things to do at the house. Plus, I can’t drink since I’m on-call tonight. And I don’t know how I ended up in these jeans. I can barely breathe in them.”

  “I can barely breathe watching you walk in them.”

  Liz froze at the sound of Owen’s voice, and Tessa grinned. “Hey, Owen. Thanks for inviting us.”

  Liz turned, her body on fire from Owen’s mere presence alone.

  “Thanks for coming,” Owen said, his eyes on Liz and not on Tessa.

  “Come on, Tessa,” Murphy put in as he shuffled past them. “I think I see a drink with your name on it.”

  “Hell, yeah,” Tessa said as she pushed past Liz. “Have fun, you two!”

  With that, the French doors slammed shut, and Liz was left alone in a hallway with the man she’d told herself she would stay away from. From where they stood, no one could see them, and Owen’s doors seemed to be thick enough that she couldn’t hear a thing going on outside. It was as if they were the only two people in the world, and she didn’t know what to do about that. She hadn’t even said hello to the other guests, and yet, the only thing she wanted to do was move closer to this particular Gallagher.

  “So…Murphy invited us. I hope that’s okay.”

  Owen took one step forward, the heat of him so close she knew she’d singe if she touched him. “Murphy seems to have ideas about us, and I wasn’t going to stop him from asking you and Tessa over.”

  He reached up and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear, and she licked her suddenly dry lips. How could this man do that to her? She didn’t even know him, and yet she wanted to, wanted to know the feel of him, the way he tasted, the way he moved.

  “Where is your sling?” she asked, her voice annoyingly breathy. “Shouldn’t you be taking it easy?”

  His finger traced her jaw, and her breath caught. “I’m allowed to move without it. I’m almost fully healed as it is other than the road rash and some aches and pains. And as for taking it easy, I’m pretty sure you’ll be the judge of that, don’t you think?”

  She blinked, unaware that he’d moved closer, their hips now brushing, the long, thick, line of his cock pressing against her belly.

  Holy hell. She was in over her head, and yet she wasn’t sure she cared.

  “What are we doing?”

  He cupped her face, his head lowering. “I don’t know, Liz. I don’t fucking know.”

  When his lips touched hers, her eyes closed, and her mouth parted. He tasted of soda and Owen, sweet and salty. She wanted to devour him, but with the way he kissed her, she knew it would be the other way around.

  Before she could think, he’d pulled her toward the open door behind them and had her back pressed to the other side of it, his hands on her body, her hands on his back. The quick snap of the lock told her he’d locked them into the room, and she couldn’t focus on that. Instead, she slid her hands up his back, under the thin knit of his sweater, and moaned into him. His skin was so hot, so soft, and yet she wanted more.

  Owen pulled away, his breath coming in pants as he reached under her shirt, cupping her breasts over her bra. “You’re so fucking sexy, Liz. Did you think about what you were going to do to me when you showed up in those jeans? I want to pull them down ever so slightly so I can cup that thick ass of yours as I fuck you. Are you going to let me do that? Are you going to l
et me sink my cock into that pussy so we both can come hard against this door?”

  She shuddered in his hold, gasping as he pinched her nipple. “We shouldn’t.”

  His eyes darkened. “Tell me why.”

  “Because…because…” Well, hell, she couldn’t think of a good reason right then. “We’re neighbors!” she blurted. “It would make things complicated.”

  He licked her lip before biting down. “We can make sure we don’t complicate things. I like you, Liz. I want to get to know you. I want to feel you.”

  “You say that, but people always complicate things. It’s how it works.”

  He bit her earlobe, and her legs went weak. “Then we’ll be careful. Kiss me, Liz. Kiss me back.”

  And because she was weak, she kissed him back. Her hands slid up his back again, her body shaking as he molded and cupped her breasts. When she tilted her head back, he latched on to her neck, kissing and licking until she was on the edge of coming already, and he hadn’t even touched her core.

  As soon as she thought that, he had his hand on the button of her jeans, trying to work them off. “These are fucking tight, babe. No wonder you look hot as fuck in them.”

  She groaned and reached out to cup him through his jeans. When he hissed out a breath, he grinned. “I wore them on purpose you know.”

  “To fuck with me?” he groaned, pumping into her hand.

  “Maybe…but more to make sure I kept them on with you around.”

  His eyes darkened. “That’s not going to work, babe. I’m going to tear these off if I have to. But the idea that you thought tight pants would keep me from wanting to fuck you? Honey, you have no idea.”

  She leaned forward and bit his lip. “Does it help you to know that I want you to fuck me? That your jeans cup your ass so well that I’m going to have visions of your thick thighs and cock for weeks to come?”

  Liz wasn’t averse to dirty talk, but her previous lovers hadn’t really wanted her to speak during sex. Owen, however, groaned and tugged a belt loop on her jeans.

  “Keep talking like that, and I’m going to end up dry humping you against the fucking door.”

  She laughed, revved up and not even embarrassed. She might have reservations, and knew this was probably a mistake, but she couldn’t care right then. Like all things that worried her, she’d deal with it later.

  He slid his hand between her legs and used the seam of her jeans to press against her clit. “Help me take down these jeans, Lizzie. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “Only if you do the same,” she breathed.

  He smiled then, looking even sexier than before, and nodded. “Deal. I like the way you think.” He pulled away to undo the zipper on her jeans while she worked on his. They wiggled and grunted, shifting to pull down their pants just below their hips. It probably wasn’t the sexiest looking thing in the world, but hell, she had never been more turned on.

  She froze as she caught sight of his cock. “Holy hell. You’re pierced?”

  Owen played with the tip of his dick, rubbing his fingers over the two metal bars. “It’s a dydoe piercing. Is that going to be a problem? I can take them out right now if you want.”

  She shook her head, her gaze on his cock. “I want to know what that feels like in me.”

  She looked up as Owen smiled widely. The light coming from beneath the blinds on the window behind them not only glinted on his brow ring, but the metal on his dick, as well. She’d never known she wanted a man so pierced, but hell, now she needed to know what she’d been missing.

  “Since I’m guessing you’ve never had a man with them before, I’ll be careful. I have condoms that work well over them and don’t split. But if you were going down on me, I’d take them out the first time to protect your teeth.”

  She licked her lips, imagining his cock sliding down her throat as she teased him. “Okay.” She wasn’t sure she had enough brain cells right then to think of something else.

  Owen reached between them again, and she let out a whine. “You’re so fucking wet for me,” Owen growled. “I can see the spot on your panties.” He pressed his knuckle over the damp cotton, and she panted. “You’re going to make me come just by looking at you.” He tugged her panties out of the way and speared her with two fingers before she could respond. He had one hand on her neck, keeping her in place, and he kissed her brutally. Her body shook. She reached between them and grasped his cock, using the semen dripping at the tip to keep from rubbing him too hard.

  Their bodies close together, their mouths never leaving each other, she jerked him off, her hand not quite big enough to reach fully around him while he fucked her hard with his hand. With each movement, her back slammed against the door, the sound echoing in the small room. She knew anyone standing outside it would know what they were doing, and she didn’t care. She just wanted Owen.

  When his thumb pressed firmly against her clit, she came, her eyes rolling back, and her hips unabashedly riding his hand. She kept her grip on his dick, needing him to come with her, but he pulled away at the last moment, his body shaking.

  “I need to come inside you, not on your belly.” He kissed her, this time softer, as if he couldn’t get enough of her. “Let me get the condom from the dresser. Don’t move.”

  She was still shaking from her orgasm, but didn’t know what to think, she just needed him. He left her standing there, her jeans still high up on her legs and her shirt rucked up so the undersides of her breasts were bare. She knew she could fix herself, make it look as if she weren’t so wanton, but she didn’t care. Instead, she slid her hand between her legs to play with herself, wanting to be near the edge again. If Owen didn’t like it, well, he could just get himself off.

  When he turned, back, his cock slapping his belly since he’d stripped off the rest of his clothes at some point, he froze.

  “You have got to be the sexiest fucking woman I’ve ever seen in my life,” he panted. “Do you make yourself come a lot? Are you thinking of me right now?” He gripped the base of his cock as he slid the condom on, his eyes never leaving hers. “That’s it, Lizzie. Slide those fingers through your wet folds.”

  “Owen,” she breathed, her hand moving slowly. “I need you.”

  “You need me, Lizzie? Need my cock?” He bit down on his lip as he cupped his balls.

  “Get in me already before I make myself come,” she ordered, and he smiled widely.

  “Well, since you asked so nicely.” He moved to her quickly and cupped her face with one hand, the other coming over hers to help her get off. He kissed her quickly, their tongues tangling as he rocked his cock against her. “You taste so fucking good. And next time, I’m going to see how you taste between your thighs. I’d do it right now, but I can’t wait. I’m sorry for being so selfish.”

  Next time?

  She pulled away, panting. “You got me off, and I haven’t been able to reciprocate. That’s not selfish.”

  He grinned, and she let out a breath. He was so freaking beautiful it wasn’t fair. “Turn around for me.”

  She raised a brow. “Excuse me.”

  “I told you that I wanted to fuck you in those jeans. You going to let me?”

  Liz smiled, her heart racing. “Oh, yeah. I forgot.”

  “Orgasms can do that to a person.” He slapped her ass as she turned, and she let out a moan. “Oh, yeah, your ass is so fucking sexy in these jeans when you have them on, but rucked up right under your butt like this? I’m going to come just looking.”

  She looked over her shoulder as she pressed her hands to the wood of the door. “No fucking my actual ass, Owen. Not on the first date.” She winked as she said it, and his eyes widened. She watched as he gripped the base of his cock, squeezing so tightly she knew he was on the verge of coming.

  “I think you’re my new favorite person. Ever.” He pressed closer, his cock sliding between her cheeks before going lower. “I won’t even touch you there with my fingers this time.” He paused. “Okay, fine, maybe m
y fingers if I can’t help myself and you’re into it. But no butt sex our first time. That I can promise.”

  She laughed, unaware that she could laugh when she was so horny. Owen did things to her she couldn’t explain, and yet she wanted more of it. He made her laugh, made her think, make her angry, and yes, made her want to come more than she’d ever wanted to before. He was a complicated man, and she knew that was dangerous, but right then, she couldn’t care.

  She just needed him.

  He hovered over her, his front to her back, and he took her mouth, her head over her shoulder. She arched into him, and his cock slid even closer, the tip playing dangerously with her folds. She could feel the piercing beneath the condom, and just the thought of it pushed her even closer

  “Fuck me, Owen. Please.”

  He bit her lip. Hard. “As you wish.” He slammed into her in the next instant, and they both called out, freezing as he got to the root.

  “Holy hell.”

  She wasn’t sure which of them had said it, but she had a feeling it was both of them.

  “You’re so fucking tight, Liz. I’m not going to last long.”

  She reached behind her and gripped his ass, her nails digging in. “I don’t care. Just make me come.”

  He let out a rough laugh before starting to move. She pressed back into him with every thrust, meeting his flesh, her ass pressed against his hips. He was so big that he stretched her, filling her up until she could barely breathe, but she didn’t care.

  When he slid one hand around her to rub her clit, she came, her inner walls tightening around him. He captured her lips and her scream as he came as with her, his body pumping, the warmth of him creating an inferno between them.

  And as he slowed his movements, both their bodies shaking, he kissed up her neck and toward her mouth, sweetly, caringly, as if they hadn’t just fucked like animals against the door.

  “I…” he trailed off, and she let out a breath. Not knowing what to say either.