Falling for Owen (21 page)

The glint in his eyes turned sultry and narrowed on her flushed face. “If you think I look good dressed, wait until I take it all off.”

She swallowed hard. He’d unnerved her, but two could play that game. She let her gaze roam over him in a slow sweep. She took her time and savored every hard plane and rippling muscle outlined beneath his well-fitting clothes and revealed in his strong arms. She pointedly let her gaze settle on his waist and dip lower to his crotch. She swore his thick erection plastered to the front of his fly twitched beneath the barrier she wanted to rip away with her teeth, right after she tore off his shirt.

Yep, maybe the lace panties and bra started her mind down Dirty Road this evening, but she didn’t need the frippery to want him the way she did. She just needed this man to look at her like that to make her nerves hum, her blood heat, and her body ache to have his hands on her.

“The anticipation is killing me, but right now I’m enjoying the dirty thoughts.”

“Any one of them you want to act on, just say the word and I’m all yours.”

The teasing tone didn’t hide the fact he was dead serious, but she appreciated him keeping things light. Because of that, she walked to him. A step away, he took a quick step back.

“Don’t touch me.”

She raised her eyebrow, confused.

“I’m filthy. I don’t want to mess up your pretty clothes. God, you smell like heaven.”

She smiled at the compliment.

“You smell like a horse, but I’m going to kiss you anyway. Come down here, cowboy.”

She didn’t touch him, and he didn’t touch her, but he did lean down and plant his mouth over hers in a sultry kiss made all the more intense because they both wanted to take things deeper, but held back from reaching for each other, pouring everything into the connection they made with only their lips.

The horse tugged on the rope, yanking him sideways, breaking the sweet kiss.

He held her gaze. “I’m sorry I’m running late.”

“I’ll wait.”

“Come inside with me.”

“Are you sure?” She eyed the giant beside him, nervous. She’d seen horses before, but never up close.

“This here is Luke. His buddy, Bo, is in the pasture.”

“As in Bo and Luke Duke.
Dukes of Hazzard
.”

“I like you even more for knowing that. I’m totally picturing you in a pair of Daisy Dukes.”

She laughed. “Not going to happen.”

“Now I’m picturing you naked.”

She smacked him on the arm, noticing how hard it was beneath her hand. “Stop. Put your horse away. You promised me dinner.”

“I’ve got most of it ready inside. Come with me. You can see the kittens,” he practically sang in a teasing tone.

“Tempting me with furry fluff balls. Not fair.” She followed him into the barn not expecting much, but quickly changed her opinion when she saw the neat, orderly, and clean interior. The pungent odor of manure she expected didn’t exist. She smelled hay and horses, but the odor was rustic, even pleasant, not caustic. Owen took care of his animals, his things. He cared for them.

“I’ll just be a minute brushing him down.”

“Take your time.”

A mewling kitten drew her attention to the stall on the right. “Go on, sweetheart. They’re in there.”

The kittens played on a blanket, tumbling over one another in a bundle of tan striped with black fur. All except the orange-and-white one attacking the mother’s tail.

“Ah.” She unlatched the gate and stepped in. Not frightened by her intrusion, the kittens bounded over on their tiny legs to attack her boots. One tried to climb up her. She settled on the floor and crossed her legs. Two tabbies bounded into her lap and pawed at each other in the circle of her legs. The redhead came over and she scooped him—no, her, she discovered with a quick look—up and hugged her close. “Hello, sweetheart.”

She lost herself playing with the kittens, the redhead settled on her thigh to sleep. She pet her often, but used the feather on a plastic stick to tease and play with the others. The mother settled in for a nap beside her foot, keeping warm and enjoying the respite from the energetic babies.

One of the cats raised up on his hind legs, front arms outstretched, and pounced on the feather, grabbed hold with his tiny teeth, and shook his head like he was killing it. Claire giggled and tried to make him do it again.

“He’s fierce,” Owen said from the stall door.

She looked up and there he stood, arms crossed on the top of the door, his chin on his arm. He spoke of the kitten but stared at her.

“You’re really beautiful when you laugh.”

She didn’t know what to do with such a compliment, delivered with so much honesty and charm. Her stomach fluttered and a shy smile stole across her face.

“This is playing dirty. I can’t resist them. I’ll have to come back to see them again.”

“I’m not playing at anything, Claire, and you can come back any time you like. Maybe you’ll even get used to the horses.”

“They make me nervous.”

“Do I make you nervous?”

“A little, but you’re more predictable than they are.”

“I’ll have to work on that,” he teased.

“No, you don’t. I hate surprises.”

“Some surprises are fun and make you happy. Like opening a Christmas present on Christmas Eve.”

“My experiences say otherwise.”

“I want to make you happy. Nothing I do will ever be designed to hurt you, Claire. I hope by now, you at least know that much about me and who I am.”

She gently put the kittens crawling on her leg and shoulder on the blanket next to their mother. She took the sleeping redhead and tucked her next to a stuffed teddy bear. The toy made her smile, because Owen had bought it for the kittens to play with and cuddle. She rose and walked the few steps to him, his gaze always on her. She liked that about him, too. Whenever they were together, his focus always remained on her. Like at the baseball field when she stood to go to the concession stand. He’d known immediately, despite her being out of his line of sight.

Stopped in front of him, barred by the door between them, she stood with her face a few inches from his, since he leaned down on his forearms. She looked into his gorgeous blue eyes and studied him for a moment and thought about all she knew about him. All the things she wanted to know about him. Whatever this was between them, she wanted to hold on to it, explore it further. Know all there was to know about this fascinating man, who may have been a lawyer, a little-league softball coach, a rancher, but under it all was a kind and decent man who bought teddy bears for his kittens.

“I know who and what you are, Owen. I’d like to come back here, again and again, to see the kittens—but mostly to be with you.”

That brought a smile to his handsome face. She put her hand to his jaw. His whiskers scraped against her smooth skin. She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss, keeping it light and poignant for the moment they shared. She leaned her forehead to his and sighed before opening her eyes.

“I like being with you,” she admitted.

“Come up to the house and be with me.”

“I’d like that,” she said simply, knowing he meant for dinner, for company, for whatever else this night held for them.

Chapter Twenty-Two

O
WEN WALKED UP
the porch steps and stopped at the front door. Claire waited beside him, sneaking a peak at his ass while he leaned over and pried off his boots. He hid the smile, but enjoyed the thrill in his gut, the anticipation coursing through him that maybe tonight they’d take that next step. He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted any other woman. Kissing her made his head spin and his body hum. He could only imagine what making love to her would be like. Nothing compared to touching her. He needed to touch her and feel her body against his. This thing between them was different. Because it was so unique and new, it made it all the more fun to wait, because he wasn’t looking to get it over with, scratch the itch and move on. No, this time making love to a woman, this woman, would make him want even more.

He craved her.

Everything about her appealed to him, right down to her sweet smile and delightful laugh. With kittens crawling over her legs and one on her shoulder, she’d looked so happy and content. Just about weaned from their mother, he’d find homes for all of them, except the little redhead Claire so obviously adored.

He opened the door and let it swing wide, allowing Claire to go in ahead of him. He walked in behind her and stopped short when she paused in the wide entry. The empty living room to their left. Family room to the right. She looked from one to the other and glanced over her shoulder, one eyebrow raised in question.

“I’ve made all the needed repairs to the inside and outside of the house and barn, but I haven’t had time to furnish and decorate all the rooms.”

“Empty living room because you don’t entertain here. Leather sofa, big-screen TV, wood tables in the family room. Guy comfort.”

“Brody comes by to watch a game sometimes, but otherwise, I’m mostly alone out here. Why? You don’t like it?”

“Actually, it looks rather comfortable. I like the simplicity of it. You need a rug to cover the hardwood floors and anchor everything. Maybe some colorful pillows to brighten things a bit, but I love the black wrought iron lamps with the amber glass shades.”

“I saw them in a shop downtown. I wanted something that didn’t seem so bright.”

“I imagine after reading legal briefs and law books all day, the muted light helps with your tired eyes and helps you relax after a long day.”

She paid attention. He liked her insight. The one thing he liked about living out here was the peace and quiet. His days were hectic and filled with meetings and court appearances. Here, he could relax.

Right about the rug, maybe some pillows, some kind of art on the walls in soft colors to brighten things but still keep it relaxed would round out the room. Maybe she’d help him out with those things.

Did he want her to help him decorate his house? He’d never really cared what anyone thought about his place. Yeah, he wanted her to like it here. He wanted her to want to be here with him.

“What’s your favorite color?” he asked.

“Green. Blue. Purple.”

He thought of the grassy fields outside. The blue sky he loved to sit on the porch and stare at for hours. The purple sunsets in spring. He liked her way of thinking. Or at least the way she made him think.

Yeah, those colors would work really well in here.

“Come on back to the kitchen. I’ll get you set up before I take a quick shower.”

Owen led the way down the short hall that opened into the wide kitchen with the windows off the back of the house. He loved this room and the way the light streamed in at dawn.

“Owen, this is beautiful. I love the white cabinets with the light sand-granite countertops. The pale green walls are bright and warm. I love the hardwood floors throughout. This place is really great.”

“I’m glad you like it.” He pulled the bottle of pinot grigio from the fridge and grabbed the corkscrew from a drawer.

“Don’t pour that for me.”

He turned to her with a wine glass in his hand. “No?”

“White wine gives me a migraine.”

“Really? But you drank the red the other night.”

“Red doesn’t have the same effect on me.”

“I’ll be darned. Okay, I have a bottle of the red. Would you like that instead?”

“Sounds great. So, what’s for dinner?”

“I’ve got a couple of steaks in the fridge. I’ll grill them up after I shower. I still need to make the salad and potatoes.”

“I’ll do that while you get cleaned up.”

“Sit down. Relax. I won’t be but a few minutes, and I’ll take care of it.”

“Don’t be silly. I’ll do it. Unless you don’t want me rummaging through your cupboards.”

“The house is yours. If you want to see the rest of the place, be my guest. Of course, the only room upstairs that’s furnished is mine.”

“You really did only do the rooms you needed.”

“It’s just me, rambling around this big house. Didn’t seem necessary. There’s a half bath past the stairs. The salad stuff is in the fridge. You’ll find some bowls in the cabinet to the right of the stove. Potatoes are in the pantry. Whatever else you need or want is probably around here somewhere.”

“Go. Clean up. I’ve got this. The kitchen is my domain.”

He liked seeing her here, drinking wine, making herself at home in his kitchen. She pulled out the tub of mixed greens, carrots, tomato, cucumber, and red onion from the fridge and set them on the counter. Her head came up and she stared at him.

“Really, I’ve got it.”

“I see you do. It’s just I wanted to do it for you, then the horse . . .”

“Owen, it’s very sweet you wanted to make me dinner, but I don’t mind. You got caught up taking care of your chores. No big deal.”

“Claire.”

She looked up from opening the bag of carrots.