Meant for You

by Michelle Major

  “It’s fine, Jenny.”

  She shook her head. “That’s not the same thing.”

  “I believe you,” he said, and was rewarded with a softening of her features.

  As he’d wished minutes earlier, the world shrank until it was just the two of them. And he had no other purpose in life than to claim this woman for as long as she would have him. He leaned in and kissed her, the connection turning instantly incendiary. His hands traveled down her body to press her closer.

  She gave a little moan and he felt the shiver that rippled through her. He lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist. All he could think about was getting her to the house and his bed. It was better that they were coming together while in West Virginia. He wasn’t sure if he took her to his bed in Colorado that he’d be able to let her go.

  She’d turned on a few lights when she came through the house and he didn’t bother with them now. Not when their kisses were making him wild with need.

  As soon as he stepped into the bedroom, she hopped down and started to tear at his clothes. He encircled her wrists and lifted them high above her head, turning and backing her against the door.

  She whimpered, her eyes darkening. “Owen, I need—”

  “You’ll get everything you need,” he told her, bending to place hot, slow kisses along her throat as his free hand skirted up under the hem of her shirt. “But we’re not rushing things this time. We’ve got all night, Jenny, and I’m going to take advantage of every minute.”

  His words almost drove Jenny over the edge, and he’d barely touched her. He released her hands as he dragged her shirt up and over her head.

  Then his mouth, which had been working wonders on her overly sensitive skin, closed over the tip of one breast. There was something about the heat and pressure coupled with the gentle scrape of lace across her nipple that drove her crazy.

  She dug her heels into the carpet and locked her knees, worried she’d melt into an embarrassing heap on the floor before the good stuff even got started.

  But with Owen, all of it was amazing. To have the entire night felt exciting and indulgent and she had no idea how to pace herself for so much pleasure. Owen licked and nipped, his attention fully on her body. His hands and mouth were everywhere, as if he was trying to memorize every inch of her.

  When he dropped to his knees, she let out another soft groan. Slowly his palms skimmed down her legs and he took her foot out of one and then the other sandal, his thumbs caressing the sensitive arch of each foot. Then he reached up and curled his fingers in the waistband of her panties, pulling them down over her hips.

  “Bed,” she whispered, her voice hoarse.

  “Not yet,” he answered, and she heard the smile in his voice. “I’m not finished here.”

  He took his sweet time with her, as if his only goal in life was to draw every exquisite sensation out of her. Her legs finally gave up the ghost when she spiraled over the edge of pleasure. Owen was there to catch her, which made her melt for an entirely different reason. He scooped her into his arms and, pulling back the covers, settled her gently onto the bed. She felt weightless and boneless, barely able to lift her head from the pillow.

  Her senses sharpened again as he did an efficient striptease, tossing his shirt to the side. When he started on the buttons of his jeans, she gasped.

  Owen paused. “Problem?”

  “Come here,” she said, crooking a finger. “And explain to me exactly where in the hell you got all that.”

  He looked down, the outline of his erection clearly straining against the denim. “Can you clarify ‘all that’?” A smile played around the corner of his mouth.

  “These . . .” she lifted herself onto one elbow, then reached out, tracing a finger along the muscles cut into each side of his abs, forming a V as they tapered down toward his pelvis. “I don’t even know what they’re called, but they go with that six-pack you’ve miraculously developed, like chips go with salsa.”

  He sucked in a breath as her finger continued to play across his skin. “Not sure if my body falls in the miracle category,” he said with a tight laugh. “But I’m going to actually give credit to less chips and salsa and more time in the gym.”

  “They’re my favorite thing.” She found herself mesmerized by his body, the rough texture of his skin to her touch.

  She popped open one of the buttons on his fly but before she could go further, he pressed her back to the bed with a heated kiss.

  “Now that I’m in the favorites category,” he said, his voice a sexy rumble, “let’s not ruin it by finishing this before we’ve even gotten started.” He shucked out of his jeans and boxers, put on a condom, then climbed onto the bed and covered her with his body.

  As his mouth met hers, she instinctively arched toward him, and he drove into her. They both gasped and their breath mingled, sweet and hot as he said her name. It was difficult to know where Owen ended and she began, but for once the intimacy didn’t scare Jenny. She craved it. She craved more, and he gave her everything she needed.

  Their movements were slow and languid, a discovery of sorts. A dance that seemed choreographed to each sound she made. The pressure inside her began to build and the pace Owen set increased, like he knew what her body needed better than she did.

  She gave herself over to the bliss, and minutes later, cried out his name, earning a low growl and a deep kiss. As he found his own release, she wrapped her arms and legs tighter around him, wanting to feel every tremor that shook him. Wanting everything she could give and take from this man.

  This time when he curled her into his arms, she didn’t resist. She didn’t let the fear that fluttered across her stomach take hold and drag her down. She might not have Owen forever, but tonight was hers.

  “You are incredible,” he murmured into her hair, tucking her closer.

  “Says the man who founded one of the most famous technology companies in the world.”

  “A company is one thing, Jenny.” His thumb traced a lazy path over the curve of her hip, lulling her with its rhythm. “But you’re raising a son. Plus, you’ve started your own business.”

  “Out of a dilapidated barn,” she said with a laugh. “And barely that.”

  “It will become more.”

  A chill ran up her spine at the thought of how and why. It still made her feel cheap and needy to know she was taking Owen’s money. Like she was, indeed, selling herself.

  “The ring speeds up the process,” he said, once again startling her with his ability to read her mind, “but you would have made it work. It’s what you do.”

  Happiness, sweet and refreshing like strawberry ice cream on a hot summer day, moved through her body. Her life in the past year had been messy and constantly bordering on unrestrained chaos, but Jenny was making it work. Sometimes she had difficulty comparing herself to her friends who seemed to be much better than her at the whole adulting thing. But Owen was at the top of the success pyramid by anyone’s standards.

  Yet he gave her the compliment so matter-of-factly, and she knew he wasn’t simply trying to placate her or blowing post-coital smoke up her butt.

  She shifted onto her back, grabbing at the sheet and pulling it up over them both. This moment had quickly shifted to a place where she felt too emotionally exposed. It was dangerous territory, because typically, being vulnerable made her stupid.

  She didn’t want to be stupid with Owen.

  “I need to apologize to you,” she said softly, placing her hand on his chest above his heart.

  His jaw clenched but his eyes stayed gentle. “You don’t—”

  She shook her head. “If I could change one moment in my life, it would be those few minutes in the coat closet.”

  He sifted his fingers through her hair, spreading it over her neck and throat like he was arranging a work of art. “Just so you know, I’ll never check another coat at an event as long as I live.”

  A sound that was a mix between a laugh and a sob rose in h
er throat. “Me neither,” she agreed. “It meant nothing to me, Owen.”

  “Is that supposed to make me feel better?” There was no anger in his voice but she felt the lash of a whip just the same. “To know that you publicly humiliated me for a guy who meant nothing to you?”

  “No.” Of course not. Where was she even going with this? Was it another form of self-sabotage? A way to ruin the connection between them by the reminder of what a heartless bitch she’d been? “I just want you to know I’m sorry. The way I felt for you . . . it scared me. When I’m scared, I act stupid. I sabotage the good things in my life. Like us.”

  He didn’t meet her gaze but continued to play with her hair, tickling her skin with the ends of it. “You suck at pillow talk,” he told her. “Would you like a do-over?”

  She searched his expression for something that would tell her whether he was talking about this conversation or the whole of their relationship.

  His eyes gave away nothing.

  “Yes,” she said, answering either or both questions and deciding to save face and go for the easy out. “You have mad skills in bed.”

  What man didn’t like to have his ego stroked?

  Owen only chuckled. “It’s not me,” he countered, “and it’s not you. It’s the two of us together.”

  His gaze slammed into hers and the intensity in his dark eyes made her chest ache. “You get that, right?”

  Mesmerized by his attention, all she could do was nod. “Yeah,” she admitted. “I do.”

  He smiled, and propping himself up on an elbow, leaned over to kiss her. As soon as their mouths touched, she was lost again.

  It was easier to communicate with their bodies than words, Jenny thought. She had no problem getting that right with Owen. So she rolled him to his back and straddled him. His mouth still fused to hers, he groped blindly for the nightstand drawer.

  She pulled it open, took out a condom, and rolled it down Owen’s length before lowering herself onto him with a sharp intake of breath. The way she felt joined to this man was the opposite of stupid. It was freedom, bliss, and a thousand starry nights come together in one perfect moment.

  Jenny was determined to savor it as long as she could.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  “I just need a minute to figure it out.”

  “Mom, you’re going to strangle me.”

  Cooper yanked at the tie around his neck at the same Jenny tried to straighten the lopsided knot she’d fastened.

  It was the morning of the wedding, and she was struggling to get both of them ready through a flurry of nerves that had taken flight inside her chest. While she knew Kristin’s claim that everyone in town would be attending the wedding was exaggerated, such a public outing on Owen’s arm made her both skittish and jumpy.

  “What kind of department store doesn’t have clip-on ties for kids?” she muttered.

  “The one at the mall in Hastings, West Virginia,” Owen said from the bedroom doorway. “Can I help?”

  “Yes,” Cooper shouted and took a quick step away from Jenny. Traitor.

  “I almost had it,” she said, turning to Owen. Her breath caught as he grinned. Would she ever get used to how he made her feel with just a look—like everything she’d never even realized she wanted from life was in his eyes?

  “You look lovely,” he told her, and she couldn’t hide the blush that rose to her cheeks. She smoothed a hand over the soft fabric of the floral-print dress she’d allowed Sam to choose for her on another pre-Owen shopping trip. The dress had a V-neck and was fitted at the waist before flaring to a hemline just above her knees. It was pretty and feminine and made Jenny feel like she was playing dress up in a way she surprisingly enjoyed.

  “We don’t normally wear fancy clothes,” Cooper announced helpfully.

  “Count yourself lucky,” Owen told him. “Ties are never comfortable, but there’s an art to tying one. I’ll teach you.”

  “I’m not sure we have time for that.” Jenny moved from the side of the small bed to make room for Owen next to where Cooper stood in front of the dresser.

  “There’s time,” he said and brushed one finger across her wrist as he moved past. The touch was gossamer light and subtle enough that Cooper didn’t notice, but it sent a whirlwind of sparks fluttering over her skin.

  “What do I do first?” Cooper asked, holding out the two ends of the shiny fabric.

  “Start with shortening the skinny end,” Owen answered. “We’re going for the classic four-in-hand knot today.”

  “There are different kinds of knots?” Cooper asked, fascinated.

  “Yes, but this is the only one you really need to know.” Owen stood behind Cooper, hands resting on the boy’s shoulders. “It’s the one James Bond uses,” he said with a wink at the mirror above the dresser where her son was watching him.

  “Cool,” Cooper murmured. “I wouldn’t have learned this at sleepaway camp. I’d probably be making stupid crafts and stuff.”

  Owen’s gaze darted to Jenny over Cooper’s head. She gave a small nod, then moved to the doorway and grabbed the knob tightly in her fist. She’d tried to broach the subject of camp with Cooper several times since they’d arrived in West Virginia, but he’d managed to avoid giving her an adequate explanation.

  “I thought you were excited about camp,” Owen said casually.

  Jenny backed into the hallway as Cooper glanced toward the door. “I didn’t know Brad and Emmett were going to be there,” he answered. “They’re trouble.”

  “What kind of trouble?”

  Cooper shrugged. “Emmett’s older brother is in high school and smokes a lot of pot. I overheard Emmett talking to Brad about how he had a joint in his bag. Maybe it was just talk, but I didn’t want to deal with that.”

  Jenny sighed. And she’d thought potty-training had been tough. Guiding Cooper through his teenage years was going to be a million times more difficult. She’d heard that kids were experimenting with drugs in junior high, but the idea of her son being exposed to it made her crazy.

  She watched as Owen crouched down to eye level with Cooper. “You made a smart choice, buddy. I’m glad you told me. You’re going to need to talk to your mom, too.”

  “She’ll freak out.”

  Owen laughed and Jenny felt one corner of her mouth lift at how well Cooper understood her. “Maybe,” Owen agreed, “but tell her anyway. She loves you.”

  “I’ll tell her.” He pulled at each side of the tie. “So what do I do next?”

  Owen patiently instructed her son on wrapping the wide end around the narrow and looping it through.

  It took several tries before Cooper ended up with anything that looked like a decent knot, but Owen quietly encouraged him and gave hints on how to hold the knot as he pulled and tightened.

  The moment was a small one, but the significance of it crashed through Jenny like an emotional wrecking ball. This was what she wanted for Cooper, someone to teach him how to be a man, from big things like character to something as basic and essential as tying a tie.

  He could have that with Owen. She could have the love she’d secretly craved if only she was brave enough to open her heart to this man.

  She pasted a bright smile on her face when Cooper stepped around Owen to show her his handiwork. “I’m like James Bond, Mom. It wasn’t even that hard.”

  “Not when you’ve got an expert on hand to teach you,” she agreed. “Did you thank Owen for the lesson?”

  “Thanks,” Cooper said, still gazing down at the result of his newfound skill.

  “Any time,” Owen said, reaching out to make a small adjustment to the knot.

  He lifted his gaze to Jenny’s and her heart hammered in her chest. “Any time,” he repeated, and the way he spoke the words felt like a promise. It was a promise she very much wanted to return.

  Owen sat with Jenny and Cooper in a center pew of the church he grew up attending and watched his brother recite vows to the woman Owen had once planned to marry.
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br />   He felt nothing.

  Not quite nothing. There was a vague sense of relief floating through him, like his insides were an antigravity chamber with random feelings and thoughts bouncing off the edges. Jenny had told his parents that it was a blessing Owen and Kristin hadn’t worked out because it had allowed Jenny time to find him.

  The opposite was true.

  He’d discovered her, as if she were a secret garden at the end of an overgrown path, just waiting for him to come along. He still remembered their first meeting. She’d been new to the design end of the landscaping business, unsure and defensive about her lack of education and experience.

  But the plans she’d drawn had been perfect for his company’s headquarters, exactly what he’d envisioned to complete the space. The longer they’d spoken the more she’d relaxed and opened up to him. He’d watched, fascinated as her defenses had slowly dropped, a thousand veils drifting to the ground. There had never been anyone like Jenny in his life.

  Then she’d broken him, and he’d assumed he’d unwittingly played the role of Icarus in their story, ascending too close to her bright sun and paying the ultimate price.

  Now he understood the truth was more complicated than he’d realized. Jenny had also been burned by love, and she still nursed the scars, faded as they might be.

  But she was wearing his ring. He tried not to consider Cooper’s plan to sell it. In the halcyon glow of the past two days, it was easy to forget that what was between them was only pretend.

  After the scene with Jack in the alley, Owen had decided that he’d done more than his fair share of fawning over the happy couple. His first idea had been to leave town before the wedding, but Jenny convinced him that would do more harm than good.

  She did agree, however, that forgoing the rest of the pre-wedding festivities was in everyone’s best interest. They’d picked up Cooper and headed to the reservoir tucked at the far end of the state park about fifteen miles outside town.

  They’d bought a picnic lunch from a gourmet deli and driven out to spend the day the way Owen had always wanted to as a kid. They swam and skipped rocks, jumped off cliffs and got eaten alive by mosquitos.