Hidden Flames (12 page)

“Owen…” Prue breathed, resting her forehead on his chest.

He didn’t take his arm off of the doorframe, but he did grab a handful of her wet hair into his grip. He pulled her head back and kissed her like she’d never been kissed. It was full of passion, hunger, and need that had built over a year. Never once did he stop stroking her clit, taking her higher and higher than she’d ever been. Why was he so special? Over and over, round and round, her pleasure mounted until she felt ready to combust. She wasn’t a woman who came easily, and here she was doing so with just his fingers.

“I definitely like you better without that cap. There’s something powerful in being able to wrap your hair around my fingers,” Owen whispered, dragging his mouth from hers. Prue forced herself to open her eyes, finding him watching her closely. “Now come for me.”

She detonated, flying into a million pieces. How she stayed upright she didn’t know. Prue parted her lips to say Owen’s name, but nothing came out. Her body was in control and her mind was only somewhat able to process the intense pleasure it was receiving. She would have done this with him a long time ago if she’d known that they were this explosive.

Owen released his hold of her hair and wrapped his arm around her waist, ever so slowly easing his hand away from her sensitive clit. Prue was finally able to draw in some oxygen and allowed him to hold the majority of her weight. She had no doubt she would be a puddle on the floor if he were to let go. He held her close, eventually turning them so that his back was against the doorjamb while he tucked her against him.

Prue didn’t argue, needing some time to compose herself before they moved things into the bedroom. She was grateful now that he’d thought to stop here at this abandoned house instead of out in the open where ash could fall on them at any moment. She was surprised to see that her towel was still in place. It wasn’t more than two minutes when she felt she had enough strength to lift her head. He had a small smile on his handsome face along with a devilish glint in his eye. He was well aware of just how much she’d enjoyed herself.

“That was very nice,” Prue said softly, running a hand down his chest and cupping the bulge in his cammies. She smiled, every intention of returning the favor. She was impressed. “
This
is very nice too.”

Prue frowned when Owen slowly shook his head and took a hold of her wrist. He tucked it behind her, resting her right arm on her lower back. His grin faded, although the side of his mouth was upturned in a wry smirk. It was the same one he’d given her when she’d walked out of his office the other night when he’d kissed her.

“Friends with benefits,” Owen stated carefully, as if they hadn’t just gone over this topic. “As much as I’d love to agree to that…I’m going to have to compromise.”

“Compromise?” Prue stiffened and would have pulled away at Owen’s change of heart, but he didn’t release her. Irritation slowly replaced the gratification she’d just received at his hand. This was almost laughable. “Would you care to explain or just leave me standing here in a towel?”

“You want the benefits along with my friendship,” Owen explained needlessly once again. Prue had gotten it the first time he’d said it. She gritted her teeth as anger replaced her annoyance. Wasn’t this just great? The moment she’d decided to open herself up to him he pulled this shit. “I want more.”

“More?” Prue tugged against Owen’s hold and he released her, watching her carefully as she backed into the other side of the doorjamb. It was too close, because she felt like decking him. Did he think she was going to go off on him too? Well, she could be just as composed as he was…although a little more colorfully. “Are you fucking kidding me? I just bared my soul to you and then offered you my body, along with maintaining our friendship and you’re going to take some fucked up moral high ground about needing a commitment first?”

“This has nothing to do with puritanical moral definitions, Prue,” Owen said, his small smile totally vanishing when it was apparent he didn’t get the reaction he thought he should get. She secured her towel a little tighter, wishing she were actually dressed in clothes. What a bullshit move he just pulled. “I gave you what you wanted and I’ll continue to do so, but I want more than a quick fuck. I want you—not just your body. I’ll make love to you when you realize that we can have more than just sex.”

“You’re an ass, do you know that?”

Prue pushed herself off of the wood and went back into the bathroom before he could stop her, slamming the door behind her. She dropped the towel and snatched up her clean panties, jerkily putting one foot at a time through the leg openings. She felt violated and that was something she’d thought he’d never do. Trust. He was the one who asked her if she trusted him and she’d foolishly said yes. She reached for the clean pair of jeans she’d gotten out of her bag in the living room and thought about packing her things and leaving. She could make it to California on her own, but what then?

“What gives him the right to think he’s holier than thou?” Prue muttered as she finished dressing. She sat on the toilet to put her boots on, picturing a footprint on his forehead. It didn’t make her feel any better. “And what the hell is wrong with just sex without having to own the cow first?”

Prue stood once her laces were tied securely and then hung up her borrowed towel to dry. She had only brought one of her own and she didn’t want to pack her latest acquisition wet. She could use that as an excuse to stay for another hour or two, but she’d already made her decision to stick with Owen throughout the trip. She just had to set some more barriers into place and somehow, someway forget what had just taken place. Maybe she needed to stipulate what she was willing to do and not allow him footing to dictate her position. As much as she tried to ignore it, her body was still aroused from his touch…and that was what made her mad most of all.

Prue gathered her dirty clothing and yanked open the door before she talked herself into staying in the bathroom a little longer. She wasn’t a coward and she wasn’t about to hide from the fact that he had some ethical problem with sex. How could she not have been aware of that? She wouldn’t have made the offer had she known he needed to possess her first.

“What kind of man turns down sex?” Prue asked, entering the living room and tossing her things into her bag. She didn’t bother to zip it, knowing it would remind her of the towel still in the bathroom. What she did do was grab her utility cap and twist her hair up underneath. Feeling more secure, she turned around to find that he was sitting on the couch not looking too pleased. Well, he could join the crowd. “You’re fucked up, Owen. Foster mommy and daddy didn’t fill in the blanks quite right for you, big boy.”

He looked at the finger she was pointing his way and he somehow turned the tables by a lift of his eyebrow. He didn’t get that right when she was so pissed off, but that didn’t stop Prue’s stomach from fluttering when he stood up and started to walk her way. Hell would freeze over before she backed down, so she stayed where she was, not giving an inch of ground.

“I told you multiple times that sex isn’t what I want,” Owen said softly, his promise lingering in the air and causing her to think he actually meant it. “I want you—every piece of you and everything you have to give. I’m a patient man, Prue. You want sexual relief? I’ll give it to you. You want friendship? It’s yours. I’ll wait until—”

“Aren’t you just full of charities,” Prue interrupted sarcastically, lifting the bill of her cap so that she could meet his gaze and state her case. She could barely hear her words over the blood rushing through her ears. No one had ever caused her to have this many mixed emotions in one day. “I don’t want more than sex, Owen Quade, and I certainly won’t be coming to you for relief ever again. You made yourself perfectly clear and we’re obviously at an impasse. You think you’re going to have a wife with a nice house and a white picket fence? We’re facing a worldwide apocalypse. There won’t be any more picket fences. Sex is the most you’ll ever get from me. I don’t do relationships.”

“I spent my entire childhood watching foster families get their houses and white picket fences, Prue.” Owen had the audacity to lift a hand and caress her cheek with the back of his finger—the same one he pleasured her with. His next words practically deflated her because she didn’t want to picture him as a little boy with hopes and dreams. It made her feel bad that she was another person in a long line to tell him he couldn’t have what he wanted. “The places they lived weren’t what made them have homes. It was the people in them. Experiencing that didn’t make me resent what I didn’t have…it made me desire what they had. I won’t settle for less than what I want, so I’ll wait until you’re done punishing yourself for not being able to keep your own family together. I might have had it wrong before. You aren’t penalizing me for the actions of others. You’re blaming yourself for something you had no control over.”

“Stick to being a garage shop owner, Owen.” Prue managed to get the words out around her closed throat. She wasn’t the type of woman to cry and she wouldn’t start now. She was a big girl and could accept the fact they wanted two separate things. “You suck at psychiatry.”

“Let me know when your self-imposed punishment is over,” Owen counseled gently, walking back toward the couch. Prue wasn’t one to leave a conversation without having the last word, but her throat had completely shut and she was afraid of what would happen should she try to say anything else. “Take the bed and try to get some sleep. We’re going to need it for the next leg of the trip.”

O
wen barely slept.
He could have kicked himself in the butt for how he’d handled everything with Prue. He’d been aware of his mistake the moment she’d called him an ass. That’s what he was too. He shouldn’t have even allowed the situation to progress past a kiss and he could only blame himself. He sat up and rested his elbows on his knees, rubbing his face and hoping to wipe out the exhaustion that had settled in. He certainly didn’t get any rest and he was betting from the squeaks of the mattress that she didn’t either.

“Prue, we should head out,” Owen said loudly, resting his forehead in his hands. He heard her boots hit the floor and the steps it took her to reach the bathroom, which she closed quietly. He grimaced at the suggestion she was beyond angry and now just hurt. He did his best to explain where he was coming from, but all he’d done was fuck it up that much more. Sleeping with her would have created more problems in the long run, so he didn’t regret his decision to wait. He just should have handled it better than he had. He could only imagine the reaction of Berke, Van, and the others if they could see the situation he was in by his own choice. The blood in the water would have made for a pretty sight. He wasn’t sure how long he sat there ruminating over the corner he’d backed himself into, but Prue was already at her bag and zipping it shut. “Give me a couple of minutes.”

Owen stood and stretched his sore muscles, only succeeding in making the aches worse and getting a charley horse. Prue still wouldn’t face him and he wasn’t going to press the issue now. They had a long trip ahead of them and he would do everything he could to rectify the damage he’d done after she had some time to cool off. It didn’t take him long to take care of his business and he dried his hands on the small hand towel as he walked from the bathroom through the bedroom and back into the living room…where there was no sight of Prue.

“Son of a bitch,” Owen muttered, grabbing his gear and marching quickly to the door. He hadn’t heard her bike start up, but then again he wouldn’t put it past her to roll the beast down the lane to then rev her up. He threw open the door and stopped. “What the hell?”

Ash was falling in the darkness through the lone beam of Prue’s flashlight. She had it pointed in his direction while covering her mouth with her shirt. It wasn’t heavy enough just yet for them to be afraid, but he could understand her need to do so. Owen held out his hand and waited for a couple of flakes to fall into his palm. He then closed his fingers to feel the texture, surprised at the granule sensation. Shards of glass and pulverized rock…wasn’t that how Berke had described it?

“This will certainly make traveling interesting. At sixty miles an hour, a raindrop feels like smacking a bug. This stuff will hit like a rock on exposed skin,” Owen said, trying to carry on as usual. He didn’t want her to forget what had happened, although he wouldn’t have minded if she forgave him for how he’d handled himself. That was for another time to discuss. Right now, they had more pressing issues. The previous smell of burning firewood didn’t seem to hang in the air anymore. The stench of sulfur was present and he figured the odor would only get stronger until they were used to it. “How are you on fuel?”

“That’s what I came out here to do. We need to top off the tanks and our reserves from that farm pump. Maybe add some octane boost if we can find some,” Prue said, her words muffled by her shirt. She looked cute all huddled inside of her clothes, but he couldn’t allow her to continue thinking she was going to suffocate in the amount of ash that was falling. “Cover your face, for crying out loud.”