“Financial issues?” I whisper.
He waves a hand. “Don’t worry about it.”
Oh sure. Now I am worried. And curious. Vince has always had money. I pull in a shaky breath. “Is everything okay, Vince? Are you okay?”
“Oh, yeah. Fine.” He pauses. “You can move home if you want.”
Oh. My. God. My head becomes an empty space. Then I shake it and say, “I appreciate that. But no. I need to look after myself. I still want to look after Cat. But she’s becoming a young woman, and it’s time for her to grow, too. And…time for you to be more of a presence.”
“You’re okay?” he asks gruffly.
I nod and smile. “I’m great.” I look at Owen.
His eyes glow with love and pride. He holds out his hands to me.
I love him.
I go to him.
He wraps me up in his arms, and the feel of him soothes me. I breathe in the scent of him, the heat of his skin. His heart thuds against me, as hard and fast as my own, and when his mouth finds mine, I melt into him. I slide my arms around his neck and hold on while the world fades away around us. All I can hear is static, all I can taste is him.
His mouth slides over my cheek and he whispers in my ear, “I love you, Emerie.”
“I love you, too.”
We draw back to peer at each other, both of us shaking, both of us near tears.
“I’m so sorry,” he says again.
I touch his cheek. “Thank you.”
Vince clears his throat. “The second period’s starting,” he says gruffly.
Owen and I look at each other “Wow,” I say.
“Yeah. Wow.”
Cat and Kevin return. Kevin sees me in Owen’s arms, grins, and flashes a thumbs up.
“Wait. This was planned?” I ask Owen.
“Yes. Thanks for getting her here, Cat.”
She beams. “You’re welcome. Did you two make up?”
“We did.”
“Yay!”
“You may as well watch the game here,” Vince says to Owen.
Their eyes meet.
Owen lifts his chin and says, “Thank you, sir.”
34
Owen
We walk into my place later that night. Vince shocked the hell out of both of us by offering to take Cat home.
I left the foyer light on, but the rest of the place is dark except for the city lights glittering through the windows. Once the door is shut and my keys are dropped on the console table, we turn to each other.
“I have something to show you,” I say.
She bites her lip on a smile. “And I can’t wait to see it.”
A laugh cracks out of me. I pull her close and hug her tight. “You have a dirty mind, babe.”
“What? What did you mean?”
I hear the laughter in her voice and give her ass a little tap. “Come on. In here.”
I lead her into the living room and snap on a lamp.
She stops. “What the…?”
She’s staring at the glossy black baby grand piano now sitting in the corner. Open-mouthed, she turns to me.
“It’s for you.” I gesture to it.
Her head slips side to side in disbelief, her eyes huge. “I don’t understand.”
“You were so sad that you had to leave your piano. So I got you this one. I know it won’t fit in your apartment, but it can stay here, and you can play it any time.” I walk to the piano and pick up the apartment key I left sitting on it. “You can have this back.”
I feel like I’ve taken off all my hockey gear and I’m standing in front of her naked, while she’s holding a stick. I’m defenseless. Exposed.
“Are you serious?” She takes a few hesitant steps closer. “Oh my God, Owen.”
“It’s just a baby grand,” I say.
“Just a baby grand? It’s a Steinway!” She runs a hand over the sleek surface. “This is crazy!”
“Possibly,” I agree. “I didn’t know what was going to happen tonight. You could have told me to fuck off and die.”
Her lips twitch. She takes a seat on the stool.
“I had it tuned. They said you have to do that after you move it. But I don’t know the difference.”
“Yes.” She plays a quick scale. “Oh my. It’s…beautiful.” She holds both hands over the keys, then starts playing something I don’t recognize. Her slender fingers move gracefully on the keys, creating melodic magic. She pauses and looks up at me. “It’s like it has its own voice. It sings.”
I watch her, my chest full of emotion as she plays part of another song. “Do you like it?”
“I love it. I can’t believe you did this.” She slides off the stool and stands. Then she runs at me and jumps me.
I have a split second to prepare, and I catch her. She wraps her arms and legs around me and kisses me. Hard.
“I want to do you so bad right now,” she mumbles, peppering kisses over my cheeks, my eyes, my forehead. “Oh my God. I can’t even…”
“I won’t put up a fight,” I say, and I carry her into the bedroom.
I carry her to the bed where I lay her down gently, reverently, as if she’s fragile and precious. She is precious. I’m still in my suit, and I strip out of my clothes and join her on the bed to remove hers, tugging her jeans down her smooth legs along with her panties. I pause when they’re off, tracing the tattoo on her delicate ankle—a fine line swirled into the shape of a treble clef and music notes. “Love this,” I murmur.
I help her sit up to lift the sweater over her head. She reaches behind her to undo her bra, and I toss it aside, my gaze wandering over her lush body.
“My gorgeous girl,” I whisper.
She reaches up to push my hair back off my forehead, letting her fingers trail over my cheek and jaw. The tenderness of her gesture makes me feel like a fist is squeezing my heart.
“I love you, Owen.”
“I love you too.”
I hold myself above her on my arms and kiss her, my tongue sliding into her mouth. Her taste hits my veins like a drug—she tastes like sweet longing and dirty sex and Emerie. She tastes like her music sounds—soulful, smooth, and rich.
Fire lights up every nerve ending in my body, and I lift my mouth from hers and kiss her bare shoulder, sliding my open mouth over her skin. Her soft moan inflames my senses even more.
I kiss her throat and lick my way down between those gorgeous breasts. Her back arches and I close my mouth over one nipple, loving the sweetness, the feel of it on my tongue, the soft resilient flesh pressed to my lips.
Heat pours over my body, liquid pleasure running through my veins.
We roll and twist together, mouths fused in long, deep kisses. I worship her with my tongue, my hands, everywhere I can reach. I slip my hand between her legs, find her velvety wet center, and circle my thumb over her clit until she vibrates.
Her body ripples under my hands, and I’m swept away in sensation, in the almost unbearable sweetness and erotic pleasure, but also in the emotion of it, something powerful and huge swelling inside me.
I lifted my head. “Do we need a condom?”
She gazes back at me, trust glowing in her eyes. “No.”