Owen could sense the change in Tabitha and was no longer willing to wait, so he captured her mouth in a kiss that told her how much he wanted her. His tongue ravished her mouth, his teeth biting her lip then his tongue soothing the spot until she thought she’d explode with need. Owen took them on dance, tasting and teasing, exploring the passion between them until only more could have satisfied them.
Owen gently stood Tabitha on her feet and pulled her into his arms, his heart thundering in his chest, his body suffused with the pleasure of simply having her in his arms. But he wanted so much more, tipping her head up, he smoothed the hair back from her face and looked deeply into her eyes.
“I want you sweetheart, but only if you want this too.” He said, the act of being gallant costing him.
“I want you too Owen.” She said, reaching for the buttons on his shirt.
Owen’s heart was racing so fast he couldn’t respond to Tabitha’s words, so he let her unbutton his shirt and slide it from his shoulders. When she ran her hands over his chest, he sucked in a deep breath imagining those hands touching other places. Needing to feel her bare skin under his hands, he unbuttoned her shirt and stripped it off her shoulders, her bra quickly following it to the floor.
In the firelight, he took just a moment to look at her, before dipping his mouth to first one breast then the other, making her nipples stand in stiff peaks and a whimper escape her parted lips. When Owen’s mouth left her breast to trail kisses up her neck and reclaim her mouth. She felt a desperation unlike any she’d ever felt before and knew that only Owen would ever make her feel this way.
When Owen sank to his knees in front of her, her heart began to slam in her chest, her knees threating to collapse. He ran his hand up the inside of her leg, the heat of his hand burning through her jeans and making the tight coil of desire deep inside her begin to bloom. His hand brushed the sensitive spot between her legs, making her spread her legs, but he continued up to the button of her jeans. He paused only long enough to make Tabitha whimper before slowly stripping her jeans off, then her panties.
This time when his hand slid up her leg, his thumb found her clit and pleasure burst through her, nearly taking her down. She braced herself on Owen’s shoulders as he rubbed her clit in little circles, each subtle movement of his thumb intensifying the pleasure, until she exploded, her body shaking with the force of her orgasm. But Owen wasn’t finished; after giving her precious seconds to recover, he slid one finger deep inside her, growling when her body clamped around him.
Tabitha had no idea that her body was capable of the things it was doing, she’d never experienced pleasure this intense before, nor had she ever experienced an orgasm like the one Owen had just given her. She’d have been satisfied with just that, but when he slid his finger inside her, an even deeper need erupted in her loins and she knew what she wanted.
But first she wanted to give Owen as much pleasure as he’d given her, not sure what she was doing, she mimicked his earlier actions, until he was standing naked in front of her. His throbbing erection tantalizing close to her mouth, and she desperately wanted to taste him so she took him into her mouth. Owen groaned when her mouth slid over him, the heat and moisture almost making him cum right then.
Owen was only able to withstand a few minutes of the torture Tabitha’s tongue and mouth was putting him through. He pulled her to her feet, swept her up in his arms and carried her back to the bedroom where he laid her on the bed. Covering her body with his, he took a few minutes to kiss her, making love to her mouth with his tongue, until she was writhing underneath him in need.
“Please, Owen. I need to feel you inside me.” She panted, when his mouth finally left hers to trace kisses down her neck.
“Oh, Tabitha, those are the sweetest words I’ve ever heard.” He said, then slid between her legs and slowly entered her.
Once inside her, he paused, the feeling of her hot wet core nearly making him come undone. But he got control of himself, not willing to let it be over so soon, and slowly began to slide in and out of Tabitha. With each stroke of his powerful hips, he drove himself deeper and deeper inside of her, each thrust driving her higher and higher toward something she’d never experienced before.
Owen knew that he couldn’t hold out much longer, but sensed that Tabitha wasn’t quite ready, so he drove himself deeper, then found her clit with his thumb and began to rub her. Tabitha had never experienced so much sensation all at once and she was sure that she was about to break apart from the sheer pleasure. Holding on to Owen’s shoulders, she dug her nails in as the first wave hit her, making the room spin until she was forced to close her eyes. As the intensity of her pleasure increased she clung to Owen, panting his name as wave after wave washed over her.
The intense pleasure of Tabitha’s body shuttering beneath him drove Owen over the edge, no longer able to hold himself back, he buried himself deeply inside Tabitha and let go. His body beyond his control, Tabitha’s body only intensifying his pleasure, he came with a force he didn’t know was possible, the pleasure like noting he’d ever felt before.
Stunned, they laid entwined for a long time, neither able to speak, the intensity of what they’d shared beyond anything either had ever imagined. Tabitha listened to Owen’s heart racing, then begin to slow, smiling because hers was doing the same. She’s begun to think that Owen had fallen asleep, his breathing had become slow and deep, but he was far from asleep.
“Thank you.” He said, leaning up on one elbow to look down at her. When she just looked up at him, not sure what to say, since she felt like she was the one who should be thanking him, he added. “Thank you for trusting me enough to come up here with me.”
Chapter 8
Tabitha didn’t have words to explain to him what she was feeling, so she pulled his head down and kissed him, a gentle kiss that she hoped would convey everything she was feeling right then. Owen let her kiss him, knowing that it could possibly be the last kiss he ever got from her. It was time to tell her about Sarah, he should have done it sooner, but things had happened so fast he hadn’t been able to. He couldn’t explain why he was so scared to tell her about Sarah, she was old news, a part of his past, but he’d never had to deal with a situation like this before.
“Tabitha,” He finally said, when they’d been silent for a long time. “I need to tell you about something.”
She knew what was coming and braced herself, she’d almost convinced herself that there was nothing standing between them, but the tone of his voice told her that she’d been deceiving herself. “I’m listening.” Was all she said.
Owen took a second to collect his thoughts, then said, “I had a fiancé back in Australia, we’d been together since we were kids, started dating when we were fifteen. I always thought that we’d be together forever, it was something I counted on. When we got engaged the plan was simple, I’d build us a house and then we’d get married, but life kept interfering and when I came to America she wasn’t willing to wait for me to come home. She married my best friend last spring and didn’t tell me for months.”
Tabitha was silent for so long Owen began to get nervous, but she managed to muster some courage. “Is that what you were upset about the night we met at the wedding?”
“Yeah, she told me earlier that week, but it really hit me when Jack and Chloe got married that I’d lost her.” Owen said, sitting up in the bed.
“What really happened between you two? Why didn’t she come to America with you?” Tabitha was having a hard time understanding what had happened. If they loved each other, it didn’t make sense that Sarah would stay behind in Australia.
“Maybe I should start at the beginning.” Owen said, with a big sigh, knowing that it was the only way Tabitha would understand.
For the next half an hour, Owen talked and Tabitha listened, not only to his words but to what he wasn’t saying. When he’d finished, she was silent for a long time, but then she said, “The one thing I didn’t hear y
ou say during that whole story is how much you loved her. You talked about her fitting into your plans and being the perfect woman for the life you wanted, but never love.”
Owen thought back on his words and realized she was right. “But I did love her, I think.”
Tabitha was relieved to hear him use the past tense, but still thought there was something he needed to understand. “Owen, you talked so much about hating change, but I don’t think you hate it so much as you fear it, and the way you deal with that fear is to fight it.”
“That’s not true, ask anyone I hate change.” He protested.
Tabitha held up her hand, “Hear me out. Every time something changed in your life you fought it, but eventually you adapted to that change. You’ve done that here — just look at your life. Change is scary and some of us adapt faster to change than others, but what matters is what happens in the end.”
“Maybe, but that still doesn’t explain why I couldn’t adapt enough to change to marry Sarah. What if that’s something I can never do?”
“If you want my honest opinion, you knew deep down that although Sarah seemed to be the perfect women for you to marry, you didn’t love her. Sure you might have been scared, but if you really loved her you would have married her. Think of all the times you pushed it off and the reasons why you did.” Tabitha said, hoping that her words were right, knowing that if they were wrong she might have just driven him out of her arms and back to Sarah.
Tabitha’s words slowly penetrated the confusion he was feeling and after some careful thought he realized that she was right. He’d been making excuses not to marry Sarah, if he’d really loved her none of that would have mattered. In fact, he should have wanted her with him all the time, especially when his parents died. But thinking back, all he’d wanted was for her to leave him alone.
The thought should have depressed him, but then he realized that if things had turned out differently he never would have met Tabitha, and it was quickly becoming apparent that she was the best thing that had ever happened to him. “How did you get so smart?” he asked, needing a little more time to think about the past.
Tabitha pulled Owen back down next to her and rested her head on his chest, “It’s easy for me to see it, I’m looking in from the outside.” She said, happy that Owen had finally shared all of his past with her.
Owen leaned up on one elbow and gave her a strange look, one that had her scared for a second, but then he said, “The last place you are is on the outside. I’ve never felt this way about anyone, Tabitha. I hate it when I’m not with you.”
His words shocked them both, but Tabitha smiled up at him and said, “I feel that way too, but I was afraid it was only me.” Her heart soaring with joy to know that Owen felt the same way she did.
Owen was so overcome by emotion that all he could do was kiss her until they were both breathless. When they came together again, it was slow and passionate, the bond between them only fueled by Owen’s honesty and vulnerability. They finally fell asleep wrapped together late that night, each with thoughts of the future they could share.
They arrived home on a cloud of passion and mutual desire, each moment not spent together filled with longing. Whether at the restaurant apartment or Owen’s cabin, they came together each night to explore the passion they shared, the bond between them only growing stronger day by day. Now that so much of the uncertainty had been resolved in both their minds, they were free to explore the gift they’d been given.
Both were clearly aware that life wouldn’t continue to go on so perfectly, but they refused to worry about the day that they had to face the real world and the disappointments that would test them. They’d been home for two weeks when the first problem surfaced, one that Tabitha had never anticipated, but as it turned out would be the first test of their relationship.
That night they were at the restaurant sitting on the porch watching the sun go down. “I have to go with Jack and Chloe up to the pasture to do a health check on the new sheep.”
At first, Tabitha didn’t think it was a problem, he often when up to the pasture for a few days to check on the sheep. “How long will you be gone?”
“It’s going to take about two weeks.” He said, hoping it would bother her as much as it bothered him that they’d be separated for that long.
“Oh, that’s a long time. Do you really have to be gone that long?” Tabitha knew it was wrong to whine, but she didn’t want him to be gone that long.
“I’m afraid so. We have to give every sheep a full physical and that means rounding them all up, which is part of why it’s going to take so long.” Owen explained.
“I wish you didn’t have to go. I’m going to miss you.” Tabitha said, curling up closer to him. “When do you leave?”
“We were supposed to leave in a few days, but there’s a storm coming in so Jack wants to leave tomorrow.” Owen said, pleased that she would miss him, but not wanting to leave her. Suddenly the perfect solution popped into his mind, “Why don’t you come with us. It would be great, you’d get plenty of riding in and we could be together.”
Tabitha loved the idea of two weeks in the mountains with Owen, but she had the restaurant to think about. “I wish I could, but I can’t leave the restaurant for that long.”
Owen was silent for a few minutes, then he said, “Joe can handle things and you’ve got a full staff now, you hardly ever have to cook anymore.”
“I wish it was that simple, but I have so many more responsibilities than just cooking.” She said, a little surprised that he didn’t understand just how hard she worked.
“But it’s only two weeks, besides it’s not like you need the money, I’ll buy you anything you want.” Owen said, thinking it was the right thing to say, but knew that he’d messed up again when Tabitha pulled away from him.
“Did you really just say that? I can’t believe you think this is all about money.” She said, getting up from the swing to stand at the railing, trying to control her anger. “This restaurant is the culmination of all my hopes and dreams. I’ve worked too hard to get where I am to just leave it to follow you up to the mountains.”
Owen was a bit shocked by Tabitha’s anger, but he got up from the swing and stood next to her, “I just thought it would be fun to have you along.” He said, thinking that would smooth the waters.
“It would be fun, but life’s not always about fun, some of us have to make our own way in the world.” She said, frustrated that he couldn’t see how important the restaurant was to her.
“Are you saying that I don’t make my own way. I work hard too.” Owen was beginning to get angry too.
“I’m not saying that you don’t work hard, but if you chose to quit right now, you wouldn’t starve.” Suddenly Tabitha saw a huge divide between them.
“It’s not like you would starve. I can take care of you.” Owen said, still not sure why she was making such a big deal of this.
“I don’t want you to take care of me, nor do I need you to.” She said, wishing he could get that through his head.
Tabitha’s words were like a slap in the face, making him take a step away from her. When she saw the look on his face, she closed the distance between them and put her hand on his arm. “I’m sorry that came out wrong. I know you could take care of me if I let you, but Owen my work is important to me. Do you have any idea how much I’ve sacrificed to get where I am? I left home at 18, worked as a dishwasher for years until someone gave me a shot. Since I was just little, my dream was to own my own restaurant and Coldwater Canyon has given me that chance, I have to see it though, I want to. Can’t you understand that?”
“I’m trying.” Owen said, the frustration in his voice pulling at her heart strings, but she knew that now was the time to make him understand that she had her own dreams to fulfill and giving them up was out of the question.
“I don’t want to fight with you about this, maybe we’ve been going a little too fast. I love being with y
ou and I hate it when we’re apart, but it might not hurt for us to have some time away from each other.” She hated to say those words, but knew that it was what they needed, a chance to step back and put some perspective on their relationship.
That was the last thing Owen expected her to say and he felt a stab of pain deep inside. To cover the hurt, he did what he always did and backed away, “Fine with me. I have an early morning tomorrow so I think I better get home.”
“Oh, Owen don’t go away mad.” Tabitha practically begged, but she could see that he’d made up his mind to leave.
“I’ll see you when I get home.” He said, kissed her on the cheek and walked away.
Tabitha stood motionless on the porch, a bit shocked that he could blow her off so easily. When Owen drove off without even a wave, she went back into the restaurant and straight up to her apartment and cried until she had no tears left. She’d know that there would be problems, no relationship was perfect, but she’d never expected that it would be such a big one so soon. If Owen couldn’t understand how important her career was to her, they had no chance of making it.
They’d been on the trail for hours, but it already felt like days. Owen hadn’t slept more a couple of hours the night before. His fight with Tabitha had upset him more than he could have imagined it would and all he wanted to do was turn around and make up with her. But the problem was he just couldn’t understand what had upset her enough to suggest that they needed to spend some time away from each other.
Jack had been giving him questioning looks all morning, but the last thing he wanted to do was talk about his love life with his older brother, especially with Chloe right there. The fact that Chloe was with them frustrated him even more, he’d finally found a woman he couldn’t live without and she was more concerned with her career than him. If she really cared about him, she would have found a way to have both; Chloe seemed to have no problem doing that.
You're The One: BWWM Romance (Brothers From Money Book 12) Page 8
