Falling for Owen

by Jennifer Ryan

  That earned him a smile and a thoughtful look. “You spoiled me last night.”

  “I didn’t do anything but stop by for my goodnight kiss.”

  “You stopped by for that and to make sure I was okay.”

  “I needed to know you were okay,” he confirmed.

  She stepped between his legs and pressed her hands gently to both sides of his face, staring at him, studying his eyes. “Yes, I believe you.”

  Not just for last night, but about Shannon too, he understood. “That’s because I’m telling you the truth. I’ll always tell you the truth.”

  She leaned in close and kissed his cheek. The side of her head pressed to his and she held him for a moment. He rubbed his hands up her back and down in long sweeps, letting her know how much he liked having her close and wishing they had more time.

  As if on cue, Janine knocked on his door. “Mr. McBride . . .”

  She used his last name, which meant his next client had arrived for their meeting, which he was not prepared for due to the interruptions and his aching arousal.

  “Mr. Calloway is here to see you.”

  “I’ll be right out.”

  “Have a good day,” Claire said next to his ear, her lips brushing his cheek with another light kiss. He wanted much more, but she stepped out of his embrace, and he let her because he needed to cool off and get a handle on his raging desire for her.

  “Any day I get to see you is a good day.”

  She smiled. This time, it didn’t hold any hesitation.

  “Please tell Janine I need five minutes.”

  “To eat your lunch?” she asked, pointing to the bucket of food.

  “No, to stop thinking about you and sex.”

  Her gaze raked over him, stopping momentarily on the bulge in his slacks before shooting back up to his face.

  “Run, while you still have a chance,” he teased, though his voice held a deadly serious note.

  “You’ll only catch me, won’t you?”

  “Yes,” he confirmed, telling her just how much he wanted her and nothing was going to stop him from getting her.

  “I’ll see you Saturday at the game.”

  He sighed. Saturday seemed so far away. He wanted to ditch the rest of his appointments, cancel dinner with his client, and go home with Claire and take her to bed. Not going to happen.

  “I’d walk you out, but . . .” He shrugged and she giggled.

  “Why don’t you eat half your sandwich and think about baseball.”

  “I could try, but all I ever think about these days is you.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  * * *

  CLAIRE LEFT OWEN’S office with a shake of her head and a chuckle at his predicament. She had to admit, the thought of him hot and wanting her made her feel sexy and wanted in a way she hadn’t felt for a long time. She liked that they could have a serious conversation one minute and laugh and tease the next. She especially appreciated his honesty. Not only about his lunch with Shannon and what it really meant, but about his feelings for her.

  With a light heart and a smile on her face, she stopped by Janine’s desk. “He’s, ah, finishing up some paperwork for me. He’ll need another five minutes.”

  Janine smiled up at her. “No problem. Did you settle the misunderstanding?”

  “The partnership still stands.”

  Janine winked and nodded with satisfaction. “Wonderful. I’ll see you at your next appointment.”

  “What does his Monday look like?”

  Janine clicked a few keys on the computer and stared at the screen for several seconds. “Looks like he’s in the office from eleven to one with no appointments. He’ll probably work on paperwork and catch up on his casework.”

  “Thank you so much.”

  Claire turned to leave and spotted the older gentleman waiting in one of the chairs in the sitting area, his leather briefcase on the coffee table, a stack of papers in his lap. He glanced up at her.

  “My apologies for cutting into your appointment time. I’m sure he’ll be out in just a minute.”

  “I never mind waiting on a beautiful woman.”

  She beamed him a smile, and he returned to reading his papers.

  She opened the front door and turned back to see Owen standing by Janine’s desk, smiling at her.

  “Goodbye, Claire, I’ll see you soon.”

  That promise sent a shiver up her spine.

  She stepped out, but before the door closed behind her she heard Owen’s deep voice. “Sorry about the wait, Mr. Calloway.”

  “She was worth it.”

  “Yes, she is.” His voice turned husky. “Come on back.”

  Claire went down the stairs, smiling like a lunatic. She rounded the corner to the small parking lot and dug her keys out of her bag. Ten feet from her car the smile died on her lips. She sucked in a breath and scanned the parking lot, turned and studied the street. Her heart pounded hard against her chest, the sound filling her ears. Nothing. No one.

  Someone had slashed her tires.

  Dale.

  She couldn’t escape him.

  Hands shaking, she gripped the keys tighter, the car key sticking out between two fingers to use as a weapon if she needed it. She cautiously approached her car and walked around to the other side. Those tires were flat as pancakes, too.

  “Damnit.”

  Furious. Scared. She sucked in a deep breath to calm her nerves and slow her racing heart. She squelched the overwhelming desire to run back into Owen’s office and straight into his arms. She’d been on her own for too long to go cowering back inside to get Owen to help her out with yet another Dale-created mess.

  You are a strong independent woman, she reminded herself. Not Shannon, chasing after Owen to solve every little problem.

  She pulled out her cell phone and dialed 911, giving them her name and Owen’s office address.

  Someone touched her arm. She whirled around to confront her attacker, but stopped short with a gasp.

  “What?” she asked, surprised to see the woman jogger standing behind her. She hadn’t heard her approach.

  “Sorry I scared you. Do you need some help?” she asked, her gaze straying to the flat tires.

  “No. I’m on the phone with the police.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m fine. Thank you.”

  Claire tried a reassuring smile, but even she felt it fell short. The woman jogged off to finish her run, leaving Claire a mass of raw nerves.

  “Yes, I’m sorry. Someone startled me. My tires have been slashed. I need to make a report,” she told the dispatcher.

  The rush of fear subsided to weariness. She pulled the tailgate down on Owen’s truck and hopped up to wait for the police. Disheartened, she called for a tow truck, then she called Gayle.

  “Claire’s Café and Bookstore, this is Gayle.”

  “It’s me. I’m going to be late getting back.”

  “Take your time. Told you Owen would want to have lunch with you.”

  “He’s in a meeting. Someone slashed all my tires. I’m waiting for the cops and a tow truck.”

  “Are you okay? Do you need me to come and get you?”

  “I’m fine,” she said, despite her voice cracking on the last word.

  “Does Owen know what happened? Why isn’t he with you?”

  “He’s with his client. He’ll know soon enough when his parking lot is overflowing with people and cars.”

  “Do you think this has to do with the other night?”

  “I don’t know for sure, but who else would slash my tires?”

  “This guy has a serious fixation on you.”

  “He thinks hurting me will hurt Owen. The thing is, this just punishes me.”

  “I’m coming down there.”

  “No. Stay. I’m fine, just mad. And a little scared,” Claire admitted.

  “I don’t like this, Claire.”

  “I’m not thrilled about it myself. I’ll be back as soon as I can
.”

  “Call me back if you need anything.”

  “I will. Thanks for covering for me.”

  “You need a break, Claire, some time to have some fun. You work too much.”

  “Yeah, well look what happens when I take an extra hour for lunch.”

  “This isn’t your fault. Or Owen’s.”

  “I know that. It’s just . . .”

  “It sucks. I know. Do what needs to be done. That’s all you can do. Oh, and watch your back.”

  “I will. See you soon.”

  Claire held on to her phone and leaned against Owen’s truck, staring at her flat tires. The police arrived and pulled into the lot. She breathed a huge sigh of relief and hoped she stopped jumping at every little sound.

  OWEN SAT WITH Mr. Calloway and went over each section of the contracts, detailing what each meant and how it would affect Mr. Calloway’s businesses. He made sure his client understood all the terms and conditions. Deep in thought, he didn’t register the red and blue flashing lights sweeping across the wall until Mr. Calloway looked out the window and asked, “What’s with all the police cars?”

  “Claire.” Owen didn’t hesitate: he ran out of his office and sprinted out the front door and around the side to the parking lot. The cop car scared him, but not as much as not seeing Claire, until he moved further into the parking lot and spotted her beside his truck, in between her car and his. He rounded the tailgate, pushed past the policeman, and grabbed Claire by the shoulders, holding her at arm’s length.

  “Are you okay?” He scanned her face and her whole body, checking for any sign she’d been hurt. Aside from the bandages still on her feet, she looked fine, except for the trembling and her wide, scared eyes.

  “I’m fine.”

  He pulled her into his arms and held her close, trying to calm his racing heart and assure himself she was safe and sound.

  “Mr. McBride, someone slashed Miss Walsh’s tires. She mentioned a client of yours may be involved.”

  Owen swore, but didn’t let go of Claire. He couldn’t. Not when everything in him wanted to keep her close and protect her from any and all threats. He didn’t have time to contemplate the depth of his fear when he thought she’d been hurt and the overwhelming relief that replaced it when he found her safe and unharmed.

  “Dale Monoghan. Shannon, his ex-wife, is a client. She was here earlier. He’s been stalking her, though nothing I can prove substantially.” Owen gave the officer the rundown on Claire’s attack the other night.

  Claire slipped from his grasp and leaned against his truck, arms wrapped around her middle, watching the other officer dust her car for prints. He hated to let her go, but understood how this latest incident pissed her off, and how some of that anger might be directed at him.

  “So you think he saw Mrs. Monoghan here this afternoon. Saw Claire arrive to see you and slashed her tires to get back at you, through hurting her.”

  “That about sums it up.” And put him in the category of “too dangerous to date” in Claire’s book. He had to agree, but didn’t want to end things with her. In fact, everything in him wanted to spend more time with her. He wanted to know her like no one else knew her. Right now, she wanted to be left alone. The wall of ice she’d erected around herself chilled him. He had to break through, because losing her and what they had together wasn’t an option. It may be new and undeveloped, but that’s what made him want to hold on with both hands. Because if it was this good now, what would it be like when they really did know each other better? What would it be like after they slept together? If kissing her made him burn, making love to her would be like touching the sun.

  “We don’t know if it was him,” Claire commented, though she never took her eyes off the officer sweeping a small brush over her fender.

  “It makes sense. Shannon visited earlier. You’re here. I thought I saw something out the window when you and I were talking in my office, but I dismissed it as a bird or something disturbing the bushes. I think maybe Dale saw us together, confirmed you and I are seeing each other, and made good on his threat to hurt you to get to me.”

  “Why did he wreck my car and not your truck?” she asked, meeting his eyes for the first time. “Your truck is right here. Why not destroy your tires to piss you off?”

  “I don’t know, sweetheart, but I’ll make this right.”

  “It’s not for you to make right. You didn’t do anything to me or my car. I’m upset and angry, but not at you.”

  “Then why are you over there and I’m over here?”

  She bent at the waist and bounced off his truck to walk to him, but stopped two feet away and stared past him. “Tow truck is here.”

  “You called them already?”

  “While I waited for the cops. I can’t very well drive back to the shop.”

  “You’re going back to work?”

  “Owen, what do you want me to do? Go home, lock myself up in my house, and hide away?”

  “Yes. Something like that. Stay here with me, where I can keep my eye on you.”

  “This happened on your property, twenty feet from your office window,” she pointed out. “Last time, I was at home. Doesn’t seem to matter where I am, he finds me.”

  “Claire . . .”

  “We’re all done with the car,” the officer interrupted. “I’ll check in with Sheriff McBride and update him on this latest incident.” The officer handed him a copy of the incident report.

  Claire grabbed it and stuffed it into her purse. “I’ll need that for the insurance company.”

  “I’ll call them and take care of everything,” he offered, knowing by the set of her jaw she’d refuse.

  “I’ve got it. You’ve done enough.”

  That one hit him right in the chest. He couldn’t breathe around the noose tightening around his throat.

  The officer gave him an apologetic look and went to his cruiser to leave. The tow truck moved into place to hook up Claire’s car and pull it up onto the flatbed.

  Claire walked up to him and let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m sorry. That came out all wrong. You’ve done everything you can to fix the damage at my house and help me feel safe when I’m there. I don’t want you to keep fixing things for me because you think it’s your mess to clean up. It’s not.”

  “I just want to help you. If not for me . . .”

  She pressed her fingertips to his lips. “Stop. We aren’t going to keep going round and round about this. He wants me to get mad at you, leave you, so you’ll know how he felt about his wife leaving him. Well, I’m not going to play right into his hands.”

  Her words penetrated and she tried to backtrack. “Well, I’m not your wife, and you don’t feel . . .”

  This time he stopped her with a kiss. He pressed his lips to hers and sank his fingers into her hair at the side of her head, tilting it to get just the right angle to make her fit to him perfectly. Surprised, she settled into the kiss and her eyes fluttered closed. He indulged his raging need for her, pulled her close, and dove in for more.

  The kiss ended with both of them sighing out their frustration and holding each other close. He kissed the side of her head. “It kills me that he’s hurting you. I want to stop him and everything that’s going on, so that you and I can be together without all this hanging over us. Don’t think for one second that this doesn’t bother me. It does.”

  She leaned her forehead to his chest and he rubbed his fingers through her hair to the knotted muscles in her neck.

  “Pop, thanks for coming,” Owen said, holding out his hand to shake.

  Pop took it and gave him a solid pump before letting go. “Owen. This is some kind of trouble.”

  “Yes, it is. Claire, this is Rain’s father, Eli. Pop, this is my very good friend, Claire. I’d appreciate it if you hooked her up with some new tires and got her back on the road.”

  “My pleasure.” Eli gave him an approving nod. Normally, Owen would have smiled with pride for having Claire plastered to his s
ide. In this case, he barely managed a halfhearted grin.

  “If you’ll sign here, we should have your new tires installed by close of business today.”

  “I really appreciate that, Eli. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I enjoyed meeting Rain the other night at dinner. Your granddaughters are wonderful.”

  “Yes they are.” Eli beamed.

  Claire backed away from Owen, took Eli’s clipboard, and signed the paper.

  “I’ll drive you to your shop,” Owen offered.

  Claire pointed to Janine, Mr. Calloway, and another couple, his next client meeting, standing at the end of the driveway, watching everything go down. “You’ve got your hands full today. I’ll walk.”

  “I’m not letting you walk back alone.”

  “I can drop you,” Eli offered.

  “Thank you,” Claire said, though she knew Owen would rather take her himself.

  “Claire, I’ll reschedule my appointments.”

  “Why? So you can babysit me? So he wins, because he’s disrupted both our lives. Go back to work, Owen. We’ll talk later.”

  Owen stuffed his hands in his pockets, hating that she scrambled up into the truck cab and leaned back, staring out the windshield lost in thought.

  “I’ll make sure she gets back safe.” Eli gave his shoulder a squeeze and went around the truck, climbed in, and drove away.

  Owen pulled out his phone and made a call, ensuring her safety until she got home.

  CLAIRE’S HEAD SNAPPED up when the bell over the door rang out. Gayle squeezed her arm to reassure her everything was all right. Eli had dropped her off at the shop twenty minutes ago. She liked the older man and his no-nonsense, efficient way. He didn’t mince words when he told her Owen was one of the best men he knew, and he hoped to see her again soon.

  Her nerves were still shot, everything made her jump for no reason, and now she had a very large male to deal with.

  She walked to Brody’s table and glared. He ignored her and set up his laptop.

  “Did Owen send you?”

  “He’s worried about you, and since you didn’t want him here, I’m here.”

  She did want Owen here with her, but hated how much she wanted to rely on him. She needed to stand on her own. To know that she could, no matter the circumstances.