Unfinished
Page 10
“You mean you tolerated listening to me play,” he laughed.
“No, you are good. And I loved the songs that you wrote. They had depth and they always meant something.” I kept my tone casual as we walked along the streets.
“Yeah? Well, I guess I felt more inspired back then,” he said.
“Not inspired now?” I asked eying him quizzically.
“Been too busy to be inspired. But you never know, maybe I’ll find my muse again,” he smiled at me and I felt the familiar stomach flip.
“I hope so,” I managed. I felt it then, that charge that seemed to always find its way back to us. It was exciting and scary and very much confusing.
We spent the day like that, browsing shops and talking about random things. It was easy and exciting at the same time. I couldn’t really explain it. I felt so comfortable with him that I often forgot to be nervous about what I was saying or how I was acting. All things I found myself doing when I was on a date. Of course, this wasn’t a date. I had to keep reminding myself that each time he would take my hand or randomly brush against me. Because when that happened, all of my sensible thinking kind of disappeared and my stomach turned into butterfly central. It was an odd feeling, but not one that I was ready to let go of.
Hours later I stood in front of the full length mirror, staring at my reflection, wondering if I was dressed appropriately for this reunion. It felt a little bit like I was getting ready for prom. I was dressed up in my deep purple halter dress with awesome heels and I was heading to a fancy hotel with music, a handsome guy on my arm. Only, this time my date was Owen. Not a date, I reminded myself. Still. I knew he would look amazing.
My dress hit me a couple of inches above my knee and had a nice swing to it. I thought it would be fun for dancing. And well, really, it was an excuse to wear the shoes. I’d had them in my closet for months with no real reason to wear them out. So the mere fact that I was able to do so tonight was enough of a reason to venture out.
Satisfied with my reflection I grabbed my clutch and headed out to find Owen. As I came into the living room I saw him, his back to me, leaned against the bar. His suit was black and his back and shoulders were broad. The vision was enough to make my stomach flip flop and he hadn’t even turned around yet.
“Ready to go?” I asked. He turned to face me and I couldn’t help but feel a little happy at the look on his face. He cleared his throat and set down the beer he’d been drinking.
“Wow, Kit Kat, you look great.” He gave me a warm smile and moved towards me. He looked amazing. He’d paired his dark suit with a gray tie and the look was classic. He still sported the hint of stubble across his chin and the contrast with the elegant look was nice. It was all Owen.
“You don’t look so shabby yourself,” I smiled. He gave a little spin to show off and I laughed.
“Come on…let’s go, can’t waste the shoes.” I gave him a wink as I grabbed his arm and headed towards the door.
The hotel was beautiful. The room that our graduating class had reserved was way nicer than anything we’d ever had while we’d been in school. Maybe they had more money these days. Maybe they were going to hit us all up for donations now that we were all working adults. Either way, it was an amazing setting. There were white twinkle lights hanging all over, casting a soft glow on everyone in the room. There was a band, a bar and room full of well dressed people that all looked somewhat familiar.
“Well, this is a fancy shindig,” Owen said from beside me.
“Right? And to think I almost missed this,” I smiled at him teasingly.
“I guess we have the shoes to thank, right, Cinderella?”
I took his arm and smiled up at him as we moved through the crowd. “Hey, that girl knew the power of a good pair of shoes.”
We’d graduated from a pretty big school. I hadn’t even known all of the people when I had been in school, I really didn’t know them all now. I let Owen lead me to the bar.
“Want something to drink?” he asked. I nodded and I took in the crowd around us.
“White wine, please,” I smiled.
“Look who is over there.” Owen handed me my wine and nodded his head towards the dance floor. I scanned the people dancing, landing on a familiar mop of blond hair. Granted it was a neater style now, but still perfectly styled. Brendon. My ex. I had seen him once in college at a frat party. He had suggested we hook up for old time’s sake. I’d declined. He had always been a douche. I could see that a lot more clearly now.
I studied him from across the room. Like Owen, he was dressed in a suit. But it didn’t fit him nearly as well. Then again, maybe I was being critical. Or partial. Or both. He looked good though, very much the same boy he’d been years earlier, only no longer lanky as he’d once been.
“Wanna talk to him?” Owen asked raising his eyebrows at me. He liked teasing me. This was fun for him. I wish he’d had ex girlfriends that I could torture him with, but no, he’d been the big mysterious loner back then. Still was, in a way.
“Not especially,” I muttered.
“Wanna dance? Mingle?” He took a sip of his beer.
“Um…Dance. I’m not ready to be social just yet,” I offered him a smile, took a long drink of my wine and set it down on the table. He followed suit and then led me out to the dance floor, away from Brendon.
The upbeat song was nearing its end, but we still picked up the rhythm and began to move. Owen was a good dancer. I wasn’t surprised. We’d danced together before. We didn’t touch, but he was close enough that I could smell his cologne. It was deep and woodsy and very masculine. It made me want to move in closer.
Then, as if the universe had read my mind the music shifted and a slower beat took its place. I saw a smile flash across Owen’s eyes as he held out a hand to me. I laid mine in his and he pulled me against his chest, keeping our joined hands against his chest as his other arm wrapped around my waist. It had my heart beating faster. He held my gaze for a long moment and I tried to figure out what was behind it, but then he smiled and began to sway us to the music. I settled against him and smiled as he began to hum the John Legend song softly in my ear. It caused goosebumps along my skin. The words of the song, the vibration of his lips against the skin of my neck were enough to intoxicate me. The truth was, if we didn’t talk to a single person here tonight, I’d be happy, because this was feeling pretty close to perfect.
The song ended and I felt the brush of his lips against my temple before he stepped back. I was still caught up in our dance so it startled me when he started laughing.
“Holy Shit! I think Marcy Johnson is with Derek Wilson!” His eyes were huge as he looked over my shoulder. I had to look. Marcy had been the head cheerleader and super popular. Derek had been a nerdy book worm that had always been little socially awkward. Once in our sophomore year he’d tied himself to his desk with a belt, just to see if he could get himself untangled. I always knew he’d grow up to be some famous brainiac who would save the world. I hadn’t managed he’d end up with the school homecoming queen. I smiled at the thought. Owen was still shaking his head at the bizarre couple.
We left the floor, headed to our table for a breather and ran straight into Brendon. So much for avoiding him. I gave him a bright smile as we neared.
“Hey, Ally. It’s so great to see you. You look amazing,” he smiled. I could feel Owen right behind me, standing so close that I could feel his chest move with his breathing. He left a protective hand on the small of my back. I couldn’t help but warm at the thought.
“Hey Brendon,” I smiled. “You remember Owen?” I asked companionably. He nodded and I felt Owen grunt behind me in hello. He’d never been a fan of Brendon and apparently that hadn’t changed.
“Yeah, of course. Good to see you again,” Brendon said before turning his attention back to me. “You’ll have to come meet my wife, Laura, at some point. She’s getting a drink,” he said. I glanced at the bar and noticed the blond woman he’d been dancing with there.
“I’d love to meet her. So how have you been?” I asked the obligatory question and settled in for the answer about work, wife, and kids. I listened and smiled, asking all of the right follow up questions and laughing at all of the stories that came with them. It was the same story all night. Catch up with strangers that used to be friends. It was nice to see some of them, but really I was just exhausted and ready to leave after a bit. I caught Owen’s eye and silently asked if we could escape. He caught on instantly and smiled his approval.
We grabbed our coats, made some polite goodbyes and headed out to the car. “Wanna go meet up with some of my friends? They are at a bar not far from here,” I asked.
“Sure. Sounds fun. Plus, I bet the shoes haven’t had their fill yet,” he smiled.
“They are pretty important shoes,” I agreed. He gave them an appraising look before looking at me again.
“Definitely,” he smiled. I grabbed my phone and sent a quick text to Cassie and told her we were headed her way. She responded with a big smile emoticon. She was anxious to meet Owen face-to-face. I only hoped she wasn’t so drunk that she’d say something I’d regret.
Chapter Fifteen
The club was busy and the music was loud as we made our way to the table that Cassie and her crew had taken over. We were a bit overdressed, but Owen had shed his tie and jacket in the car. He’d unbuttoned the top couple of buttons from his dark gray dress shirt and it left me completely distracted. It made me want to unbutton a few more.
“Hey you,” I said giving Cassie a hug.
“I am so glad you guys came! How was the reunion? Lame? Oh my God you must be Owen. You are yummy.” Her questions ran together and I didn’t even bother answering any of them. I couldn’t even blame it on the alcohol she’d been drinking. She was always like this.
Owen laughed and shook her hand. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you. Cassie, right?” he asked giving her one of his classic, charming Owen smiles. I laughed as I watched it dazzle Cassie just a little bit.
“Yeah. Cassie. I’ve heard so much about you. Good stuff mostly. Let’s get you guys a drink,” she bubbled over with personality and I couldn’t help but laugh at her. You put Cassie in a party atmosphere and she pretty much became the party. She was the epitome of living it up. I admired that about her. Somehow she always made me feel a little uptight. She was good for me.
“I’ll go grab us something,” Owen offered. “What do you want?” He leaned into me and I had to swallow hard before I was able to answer him. Anytime he got this close to me it made my stomach flip. I had to get control of that.
“I’ll take a vodka tonic,” I smiled. He nodded and headed off to the bar.
Cassie grabbed me as soon as he was gone. “Oh my God, Ally, he is hot. I mean, I saw his picture, but damn…you have got to jump on that,” she ordered.
I laughed. “Cassie…it’s not like that. We are just friends, remember?” I stole a glance over my shoulder to see Owen talking to the bartender.
“Bullshit. Have you seen how that man is looking at you? And let’s just be honest here…you didn’t wear that dress for your buddy,” she accused. I glanced down at the purple dress, with its plunging neckline and knew she was right. But what’s so wrong with wanting him to think I was attractive. It was only natural. Granted, I knew we had agreed not to do anything about it, but I couldn’t help myself. I liked him. I liked him a lot. I felt such a pull towards him that it made me make questionable choices.
“I know. I couldn’t help myself,” I said, trying to look ashamed. We both knew I wasn’t. Cassie laughed loudly, throwing her head back.
“Seriously. Let your rules go for a bit, Ally. If you don’t explore this thing, you’ll be sorry. He looks at you like you are candy,” she pointed out. She took a sip of her martini and nodded over my shoulder to signal that Owen was making his approach back to the table. “Think about it.”
I smiled up at Owen as he handed me my drink. “Thanks.”
“Anytime,” he said taking a seat beside me, running his hand against my thigh as he did. It felt intimate, leaving a hum across my skin. I took a long sip of my drink to try and distract myself, but I was so keyed up that it wasn’t helping.
I was only halfway listening as my friends engaged Owen in conversation. I was too focused on how close he was to me. Maybe it was the alcohol or the atmosphere, or just the way I could smell his intoxicating scent beside me. Whatever it was, it had left me in a bit of a fog.
“Were you thirsty?” Owen laughed bumping my shoulder with his. His eyes were amused as he nodded to my now empty glass. Huh, that had gone down way too easy.
“Guess so,” I smiled up at him sheepishly.
“You wanna dance?” he asked. Dance with Owen…a hot, sweaty, hard bodied Owen? I chewed my bottom lip at the thought.
“Okay,” I finally managed.
“Wait! Shots first!” Cassie called out giving me a smirk. As if on cue, our waitress set down a large tray of tequila shots and a stack of limes. While the still rational part of me knew it might not be a good idea, I loved tequila. We each grabbed a shot glass and a lime.
“Don’t forget the salt,” Owen caught my hand and ran his tongue against the skin above my thumb. I felt it clear down to my toes. I held his gaze, surprised, as he gave me a mischievous grin and sprinkled the salt where his tongue had just been. “Drink up,” he murmured. I watched him lick the salt off his own hand and down the shot. He put the lime in his mouth and sucked. If it hadn’t been for the loud music, I’m pretty sure he would have heard the soft whimper that escaped me. That was so incredibly sexy. I stood frozen for a moment just staring, until he nodded at me, urging me to follow suit. I did and the burn was welcome.
He gave me a big smile and then took my hand. “Dance,” he said as he tugged me behind him towards the dance floor. There was already a crowd moving to the loud, thumping beats. I stood in front of Owen, mesmerized by his gaze as he ran his tongue across his lips and his hands down my bare arms. The familiar tingle lit me on fire as we began to move. I’m not sure what was happening between us, but ever since we got to this club, things had taken on an intensity that was hard to deny. I could feel the buzz of the drinks and the shots that we’d taken and I began to lose myself in the music. Owen pulled me closer to him, his knee between my legs, our bodies touching at every point. I slipped my arms around his neck and relished the feel of his as they skimmed along my sides and rested at my hips. The soft satin of my dress kissed my legs, leaving me lost in a wave of sensation. Owen held on to me, taking control of our dance. I loved it. I turned in his arms, pressing my back against his body, feeling the hard lines as they moved against me. I slid down and then turning slowly made my way back up. Owen grabbed my wrists and leaned me backwards, supporting my waist with his strong hand. When he pulled me back to him I found myself fitting perfectly into his chest. I could feel his deep breathing, matching my own. I was so turned on by this dance. I just wanted to get closer to him, but he was already hard against me.
“You drive me crazy,” he said huskily into my ear. His hot breath left chills across my skin. “I can’t get enough of you.” I looked up and found his eyes, just as he lowered his forehead to mine. My heart was beating out of my chest. We were playing with fire, and it felt so damn good.
As the song ended he grabbed my hand and pulled me towards a long hallway. I followed him willingly. I needed air, or space, or a dark closet where I could lose myself in him. I wasn’t sure which. My head was fuzzy and I was a mess of desire. I wanted this man. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t supposed to have him; it didn’t make the want go away.
He kept walking until he reached a small dark room just off the hallway. A storage closet, maybe? I didn’t care, because all at once he had my back pressed against the wall and his arms were caging me in. I forced my gaze to him
and saw my own feelings mirrored in his.
“Owen,” my voice came out as a breath. I sounded needy even to my own ears. I should be embarrassed by that, but I couldn’t take the time to be. He was so close.
Keeping one hand against the wall, he ran the other one down my cheek, my throat, and then he began to skim my bare shoulders. “This dress is sexy as hell, Ally.” His voice was husky and it caused heat to rush straight to my core. The effect he had on me was instant and strong.
“I’m glad you like it.” My hands moved to his chest of their own accord. I needed to feel him. His fingers traced delicate trails across the skin of my shoulders and along my collarbone, making me catch my breath.
His fingertips left fire lingering on my skin. He continued to brush his fingertips along my skin. Funny how the fire left goosebumps in it’s wake. He moved slowly, brushing his fingertips down my arm. When they reached my wrist they encircled it and then he let his thumb drift lazily across the delicate skin there. The movement left my skin hypersensitive and a shiver went through me.
Pressed against the wall as I was, there was nowhere for me to escape. Not that I wanted to. His touch felt too nice. His breath, hot against my throat as he leaned into me, felt too amazing. He smelled amazing. It was a unique mix that I couldn’t quite put my finger on, but it was all him. I knew it was being imprinted onto my brain and that I would forever long to be near enough to inhale it. It was intoxicating and sexy as hell. I had no idea I could be so turned on by a scent alone.
“Ally,” his voice was husky in my ear. “Do you have any idea just how beautiful you are?” he asked. I opened my mouth to speak, but no sound escaped. I was a complete puddle of mush. Maybe it was the cocktails, or the old crush, or maybe it was just him. “Even back in high school you took my breath away and you had no idea,” he said. His free hand moved to my face, brushing a stray hair from my eyes. He smiled when he saw the bewildered look in my eyes. “You act surprised,” he smiled closing in a little more.