Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 61037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Owen’s smile reaches into my soul. “Keep me. Please, keep me,” he says, and all I want is to cozy up with this man who lets himself be so beautifully vulnerable with me. It’s such a privilege to get to love a man like him. And I plan to treat this love like the great gift it is. I slide a palm through his lush hair, and bring him in for a kiss.
Our lips touch in the cold as the chill wraps around us, but I’m warm inside. Warm from the center of my being as I kiss Owen, and he kisses me back, and this doesn’t at all feel like any of our other kisses.
It feels like a whole new promise.
One where we’re saying we’ll look out for each other’s hearts. We’ll protect our friendship. And we’ll cherish this brand-new love.
Owen’s lips drive me crazy. His taste lights me up. The sweep of his mouth on mine, coupled with his greedy murmurs, sends sparks crackling down my body.
So the kiss doesn’t stay soft and tender long.
It turns more urgent. More hungry. Soon, we’re both moaning and gasping . . . and then, we’re laughing.
“I’m getting so turned on kissing you,” he rasps out.
I yank him against me so he can feel what he does to me. “Join the club, pal.”
Owen laughs again, but doesn’t let me go. His hands slide down my arms, rubbing them, warming me up.
“River, I thought I would say something later tonight, but I couldn’t take it any longer,” he says, and it’s like a dam is breaking, and my guy just can’t stop talking. I am good with that because I’m here to catch all the things he’s saying. To treat them as precious, since they are, and so is he. “I’ve had so many feelings for you for so long, and they’re all kind of spilling out tonight. You just . . . make me . . . I can’t even think straight . . .” He presses his forehead to mine. “I just love you. I just do.”
And my whole world is brighter, bigger, better.
Because of him, and this, and us.
I kiss the corner of Owen’s smile. “Last night took me by surprise, but I also think maybe it’s been happening all along.”
“Definitely,” he says.
I pull back, meet his gaze, and confess. “Lately, I’ve been thinking about you in all new ways.”
His smile grows impossibly sexier. “That so?”
“It is so so. Not just yesterday on the road trip. But a few days ago at my bar. Honestly, every time I’ve seen you recently, my mind has started wandering.”
“And where does it travel to?”
“Your lips. Your face. Your body. You. Just you. All of you, Owen,” I say, serving up the full truth to this man I absolutely adore.
He sighs softly, like I’ve made him so happy. “I want it to keep wandering, River.”
“Oh it will, hottie. It will. My body likes wandering with you. And my heart sure does too. We both want all of you . . . but I also think I’m about to become a leading candidate for a human icicle if we stay outside any longer, so what if we return to dinner?”
“Let’s get you inside.” He takes my hand, and we go back to the house.
We head through the living room to the dining room. Nisha is lifting a forkful of carrots, TJ is clinking glasses with Jillian, and Reese is laughing at something Holden said.
The noise dulls as we reach the table.
Owen stops, and I do too. He clears his throat. “So, I wanted introduce all of you to my boyfriend. This is River.”
I squeeze his hand, then smile at the Friendsgiving crew. “So great to meet all of my boyfriend’s friends. I’ve heard so much about everyone, and I can see why you adore Owen, because he is the best.”
I drop a kiss to Owen’s chilly cheek.
TJ slow claps, and in seconds, everyone joins in.
Owen and I return to our chairs and finish dinner, and it tastes fantastic.
Including the pecan pie I bought at a store.
23
Owen
TJ waves a card in front of his face. “And now, the first question,” he says in his baritone voice to the whole crew gathered around the fireplace later that night.
Flames from the hearth flicker across his dark eyes. “Would you rather be kinky or romantic?”
I squeeze River’s shoulder. Something that’s really easy to do, since he’s curled up next to me in the corner of the couch and my arm is wrapped around him.
And this is all I’ve ever craved. To be affectionate with him like this. Freely. I brush his hair from his ear, lean in close, and whisper, “Both.”
River hums appreciatively, turns his cheek to mine, and murmurs, “You are so both, and I love it.”
I press a kiss to his soft hair.