“Let me shut the lights off,” she murmurs, rubbing herself against me.
“Don’t move,” I beg. “The lights are fine. The plants need a show.”
Her laughter is intoxicating as I dip my tongue along the V of her scrub top.
I pull at her top again, and she groans my name, “Owen, please.”
Really loved the part when she moaned my name, but the second part annoys me. I pull back, looking down at her. “Angie, sugar, I want to see you. All of you.” Pure terror fills her eyes, and it’s like cold water splashing on me. We hold each other’s gaze and I wait for her, but I know she won’t say what I know she’s thinking. “I want to see you, Angie.”
“Can I leave my shirt on?”
“Come on, Angie,” I beg.
“Or cut a hole in my scrubs?” I give her a blank look, and she shrugs. “What? Just a suggestion.”
“No. I want to memorize everything about you. I want to taste every inch of your skin.”
Her eyes widen as she squeezes my hips with her thighs. “Can we do that in the dark?”
“Pax, believe me, you’re so beautifully made,” I insist, begging her with my eyes. “I want you—all of you.”
“And you can have me. In the dark,” she promises. “I’ll even take off my clothes.”
But that isn’t right to me. “No. You’ll be hiding. I don’t want you to hide yourself from me.”
“But I’ll be more comfortable and won’t be thinking about what you think of my body the whole time.”
I nod. I know this isn’t going to work. “Then I’ll wait.”
Her brows come in. “Wait?”
“Yeah,” I say with a shrug. “I want you to be comfortable. No matter what.”
She blows out a breath, frustrated, as she takes ahold of my cock, hard. I gasp, jumping against her. “You want it, and I do too.”
I cup her hand, holding it as she holds me. “You’re right. I want you so bad I can’t see straight, but when I make love to you, I want to enjoy it. I can’t if I know you’re worried about if I’m looking at this dimple or that fluff or that stretch mark. I probably will be because that’s the place I’ll be licking and biting next.”
She presses her lips together, and I can see the guilt on her face. “I don’t know when that’ll be.”
I cup her jaw, running my thumb along her bottom lip. “Good thing I’m good at waiting.”
Her eyes fall shut, and I kiss her softly. I roll to the side and hold her to me. She lies on my chest, her legs tangling with mine as our breathing starts to slow. I kiss her on the top of the head, and while I’m sexually frustrated beyond belief, I’m good with my decision. I’m aware it’ll be hard, and I’ll be getting myself off daily, but I know it’ll be worth it in the end. She’s worth it.
I know it, and I just need her to realize it.
Chapter Nineteen
Owen
* * *
I’m not sure what feels better, the sun on my face or Angie in my arms.
I blink awake to find the TV on, Netflix asking if we’re still here, and Angie snuggled deeply in my arms. Her legs are tangled with mine, and her hands are tucked up underneath her chin. She looks utterly perfect and safe. I lean in and kiss her forehead just as her alarm sounds. She jumps awake, smacking me in the face.
“Ow!”
She cries out as I cover my mouth where she got me. “Oh my God! I’m so sorry!” She moves my hand and kisses my lip. “I’m so sorry. I hate my alarm.”
I nod. “It’s loud as fuck.”
“I know it is. I’m sorry,” she says once more, and I can tell she’s trying not to laugh. Soon, it’s too much, and she bubbles with laughter. “I’m sorry. I can’t help it. Your face.”
I shake my head. “What the hell? You abuse me and then laugh about it?”
She snorts. “No. It’s just you were so surprised, and I was surprised, and wow, what a way to wake up together, huh?”
I wrap my arms around her, pulling her in close. “Perfect way, actually. Well, minus the abuse.”
She snorts loudly, and I kiss her laughing mouth. She leans into me, and I want her even more than I did last night. I love her little sleepy eyes, her rosy cheeks, and her messy hair. Fuck, she’s gorgeous, and my need for her is out of this world. But I am sticking by my word. I will not put it down on this girl until she knows how unbelievably gorgeous she is. Just the way she is. Pretty sure Bruno Mars sang a song about that, but considering it’s my parents’ song, I will not be using it on Angie. Even though it’s a classic and a damn good song.
“What time is your first class?” I ask once we part.
“Ten.”
I make a face. “So, why the hell are we waking up at seven?”
She laughs. “I’m on a schedule. I like to make sure my plants are okay, I journal, and I work on homework.”
I blink. “Okay, we took care of the plants last night, so I’m taking you to breakfast.”
She nuzzles her nose in my chest and says against it, “I’m sure you have something better to do this morning.”
“Um, even if I did, I’d rather spend it with you.”
She looks up at me, and I honestly don’t know how she doesn’t realize I want this. I want her. “Really?”
“Really. Get ready. Let’s go.”
I use an extra toothbrush she has, and twenty minutes later, we’re getting breakfast from a food truck that does breakfast burritos and churros. After we get the goods, we head back to my place and set up on the back porch because it’s beginning to get really hot. Since I know she loves the ocean, I wanted to give her both worlds without us becoming sweaty messes.
The only times I want to be sweaty with her are in the gym and in bed.
“Where is Dart?”
“Sleeping in. He doesn’t wake before noon on a non-skating day.”
“Must be nice.”
“Yeah. I usually wake up around nine, but I’ll take a nap this afternoon so I can meet you at the gym tonight. If you don’t mind,” I add quickly when I realize I invited myself.
“Absolutely. I’ll be there right at eight.”
“Awesome. What are you going to do about London?”
She sighs loudly, letting her shoulders droop. “I don’t know. I guess just let things play out. See what happens.”
“Sucks. Again, you can move here.”
She snorts, shaking her head. “No way. I would never impose myself like that. Ruin your bachelor life.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m not a bachelor. I’ve got a super-hot girlfriend.”
“Yeah, okay, but Dart is a bachelor.”
“And believe me, nothing and no one can interfere with that,” I say, knowing my friend. “What are you doing after the gym?”
“Not sure. Probably going home and going to bed.”
“Cool,” I say since I don’t want to sound needy and invite her over or myself to her place.
“You?”
“Same, probably, since we have an early morning skate and tape meeting.”