The Sound of Consequence (Puget Sound ~ Alive With Love Book 1) (19 page)

During those talks while they recovered from making love, she never imagined he would buy these things for her. If she wasn’t careful, those three words that had crossed her mind earlier might become a reality, something she definitely wasn’t ready for. On that note, she turned the tide, reminding him, and herself, that this was just sex. The best gifts she’d ever received didn’t change that.

Her hands started exploring his body. He slowed the kiss, and while his lips were still brushing hers, he said, “You either need to return to your clouds or we need to find someplace more private.”

“Mmm,” she moaned, kissing him again. She didn’t have the fortitude to remove herself from his lips.

“Baby,” he moaned and pulled away. Leaning back, Owen put some reasonable distance between them.

Stacie smiled and returned to the sketchpad, feeling a little satisfaction that he was as aroused as she.

Afternoon faded into evening as Stacie continued to sketch. She was finishing her fifth drawing when the aroma of Chinese food wafted across her nose. Looking around, she spotted a young man in some kind of uniform walking toward them with a brown bag. He stopped at the edge of the blanket. “Owen Landry?” he asked.

“You got it, kid.” Owen took the bag and handed the kid a small wad of cash. The delivery boy quickly counted the bills, and satisfied that it was enough, he sauntered off.

“You ordered in?” Holy Romeo, he was full of surprises.

“Or ordered out. I guess it’s all about perspective.” Owen reached into his ruck sack and pulled out a plastic bag. Inside were two plastic plates and a couple of serving spoons. He also took out two wine glasses and a bottle of wine.

Owen uncorked the wine, poured two glasses, then discreetly placed the bottle back in the ruck sack, careful to not let it topple over. Then he served up two plates from the contents of the bag, handing Stacie the first plate and a set of chopsticks. He picked up the two glasses of wine and handed one to her.

“Here’s to the beating hearts of every cloud in the sky,” he offered in toast. Stacie smiled and lightly tapped his glass.

“And to the beating hearts on the ground too,” she responded before she could think better of it.

The dinner was delicious and though she’d probably tasted better Chinese food, nothing could top the atmosphere of being in the park and sharing this romantic picnic with Owen.

When they finished, Stacie started to clean up the dishes.

“I’ll take care of it. You go back to your drawing.” Owen cleaned up then poured the last few drops of wine into their glasses.

The full moon was rising over the Cascade mountains behind Bellevue. In the nearly clear sky, with the sun setting and giving way to dusk, Stacie felt gloriously trapped in a fairy tale. She imagined all the planets were aligned, the day was just that magical.

“What are you smiling at?” Owen asked as he settled back on the blanket.

“The moon,” she said. “My favorite of all the celestial bodies.”

Stacie collected her supplies and moved off the blanket, just a few feet away so that Owen became part of the view. The grass was cool on her bare legs, a complete contrast to the heated blood racing through her veins. She mockingly framed Owen with her hands, making him chuckle, then gathered her focus and started sketching. Her eyes moved from the remnants of the gas plant that inspired the name of the park to the pad, to Owen, and back to the pad.

Owen’s intense gaze burned into her, causing her to smile each time she glanced at him.

“Unbutton your shirt,” she said playfully. He was leaning on one arm, one knee bent. The pose was incredibly sexy, and Stacie couldn’t help herself, knowing what was underneath.

Owen complied with her command, taking her body temperature to an even higher extreme. He took his time, taking care with each button as he moved from top to bottom. When all the buttons were open, he pulled one side of the shirt up to rest on his torso. Gravity took care of the other side and Stacie smiled at the sculpted perfection lounging in front of her.

With the sun setting behind her, vibrant oranges and reds swooped across the sky over the Cascade Mountains. A canvas could never capture this beauty, and pencils certainly weren’t worthy, but Stacie continued to draw her own interpretation of the amazing scene. When her gaze came back to Owen with his shirt open, she started feeling playful again.

“Unbutton your pants.” He’d quickly complied with her request to open his shirt, but she knew what he wasn’t wearing under those jeans, so she wasn’t sure he’d succumb so easily to her new request.

Owen smirked and skimmed one hand across his stomach. Anticipation pooled between Stacie’s legs, a wave of desire so strong it was like being hit by a tsunami. She realized she was licking her lips as he grabbed the top of the jeans at the first button and swiftly separated the button fly.

The first three buttons came loose and he stopped there, only hinting at what lay beneath. The remaining buttons were taut, indicating he, too, was aroused. He adjusted himself to keep all the good parts hidden beneath the fabric.

The tidal wave of desire carried a fever through her body, her blood hot as lava flowing through her veins. She bit down on her lip, imagining where this would lead if they were back at Owen’s condo. All the while, her hand never stopped moving the pencil across the pad.

~~~

Owen watched, aroused by Stacie’s focus and passion. She exercised precise skills as she exchanged the pencils and cupped the sketchpad in her elbow. She seemed to know which colors were where and always pulled out precisely the one she wanted. Her hand started to slow, probably adding the final details and when it stopped completely, she studied the picture. Then her eyes moved up to Owen, the sexy half smile returning as she bit down on her lip.

She closed the pad and crawled across the blanket, her movement slow and sleek like a cat hunting prey. Owen angled his body, leaning back on both elbows as she knelt between the spread of his thighs. He exercised every last ounce of restraint as her fingers smoothed over his chest. When they skimmed down his stomach, he fisted his hands, knowing that if he put his hands on her soft skin, he wouldn’t be able to stop.

“Stacie,” he muttered on a breath of desperation. Damn, he wanted her. His body ached for her. Her lips stretched into that sexy smile that told him exactly what was on her mind. When her fingers reached the opening of his jeans, he didn’t have the will to stop her. Public park or not, he wanted her hands on him. Instead of gripping his arousal, her teasing caress fastened the third button of his jeans.

Then with the same precision she used while drawing, she buttoned the next. Finally, she fastened the top one. Stacie moved her hands back up his chest, leaving a trail of tingling warmth in their wake. Owen pushed off his elbows and brought his arms around her, pulling her to him. Their mouths locked in a deep kiss as Owen fell to the ground.

After several minutes, they recovered from the heated moment. Stacie pulled away and sat back up. Owen needed a distraction from the need surging through is veins, so he reached for the pad. “Do I get to see your masterpiece?”

Stacie grabbed the pad from him and clutched it to her breasts. “No.”

Pink flooded her cheeks. Owen wondered exactly what she had drawn that would make her blush like that. Although if she didn’t want to share, he wouldn’t pressure her. It was already too easy to make her run. He didn’t want to toss her unneeded ammunition. At least not to run. He was completely willing, and able, to feed the desire burning in her eyes.

Pushing his body off the ground, he flipped her onto her back and hovered over her. “It’s getting dark. There’s someplace else I want to take you.”

“Where?”

“It’s a surprise.”

Twenty minutes later, after a quiet drive down Highway 99 and across the bridge into West Seattle, Owen parked at Alki Beach. Stacie seemed anxious, fiddling with her hands, gazing out the window toward Elliot Bay. He wondered if it was for the same reason he was nervous.

Stacie slipped out of her sandals and stepped onto the sand. Owen grabbed the blanket and fell in step beside her. He wanted to hold her hand, but he didn’t want her to notice his sweaty palms. “Have you seen the full moon over Elliot Bay?” he asked.

“No.”

Perfect.

The whole day had worked out just as he’d planned. Better, in fact. He’d hoped she’d be excited about the gifts and that she’d draw. He’d been curious to see her at work. He wasn’t at all disappointed. Her focus and passion were just as he’d thought they’d be. And her talent was amazing. He figured she could make a living just selling her drawings. He couldn’t wait to see her paintings.

Owen spread the blanket on the sand between two pieces of driftwood. West Seattle occupied a hill that mostly blocked the view of the city from the beach, leaving only a view of Queen Anne hill and the sparkling lights of the Space Needle. The horizon glowed with the ambiance of the city lights. Above the glow, the faint twinkle of stars couldn’t compete with the glow of the full moon.

Even though the sky was clear over Seattle, clouds were moving in over the Olympics in the west. The two mountain ranges were magnificent. He always felt humbled by the majesty created by the glaciers that had traveled through this part of Washington.

Owen sat an arm’s length away, trying to gather his thoughts. He stared off toward Bremerton, resisting the nee to move closer to Stacie, to touch her in some way. If he did, he was afraid the comfort of her touch and the desire it stirred would cause him to lose his nerve. He had something important to say and didn’t want to get sidetracked by the way touching her always made him feel.

“Stacie, I,” he paused and looked at her, stumbling on his words. She was stunning in the moonlight, her simple beauty overshadowing the splendor of Puget Sound. If he’d been a sailor instead of a soldier, he’d think her a siren, that soft smile and those bright hazel eyes calling out to his heart. Only this time his heart wouldn’t get wrecked. “I had a great time today.”

“Me too,” she said, still fidgeting.

Owen was losing his nerve. He’d brought her here to tell her how he felt. It was a huge risk. If he told her he had fallen in love with her, he might send her running for the hills. She’d been adamant about keeping their relationship casual. With any luck, after the day they had, she might reconsider that position. A man could hope, anyway.

He could hardly believe he was here, in love with a woman. Wrecked after Kristina, Owen had sworn off women and love. He was a broken man with a shattered heart and never wanted to travel down that road of betrayal again. Twice was certainly enough for one lifetime. Especially when it had cost him his career.

But he was in a good place now. And Stacie wasn’t just any woman. She was likely the first woman he had ever truly fallen in love with. Teenage love was just that, and his feelings for Daphne hadn’t grown as they got older. Neither had their relationship, which was probably why it had imploded. In hindsight, Owen didn’t think he’d ever really loved Kristina either. She’d manipulated him from the first day and he was so desperate to be loved that he fell into her trap.

The world was different now though. He was smarter, wiser, and he no longer felt that desperation in his heart, despite his heart beating faster every time he thought of Stacie. Every time he touched her. Every time she touched him. It wasn’t just the physical passion they shared. She nurtured his soul. And he was about to make the leap, to give him her trust.

His internal voice told him to stop being a pussy and take the risk. It was the same voice that had told him marrying Kristina was a bad idea. He’d ignored it then, and swore he’d never ignore it again.

Just as he was about to blurt the words, Stacie gasped, her eyes wide as she peered over his shoulder. Owen turned to find a wisp of clouds moving in front of the bright moon, the combination creating a magical glow in the sky.

Owen lost his courage and shifted on the blanket so he could cradle Stacie’s body with his. He remembered her words, about the clouds telling stories and of the moon being her favorite of all the celestial bodies. He wanted to share this moment with her. They sat in silence, Owen’s arms wrapped around her as she sank further into him.

“Amazing,” Stacie whispered as the full moon continued to glow behind the clouds, its light still bright enough to reflect off the water.

“Beautiful,” Owen drawled, but his comment was for the woman in his arms, not the splendor of the night sky.

Stacie turned just enough to brush her lips across his. He welcomed her kiss, the soft caress making his heart race even more.

This was it, the perfect time to drop the bomb. She’d stopped fidgeting, completely relaxed in his arms and under the night sky. She had to be as swept up in the romantic atmosphere as he was. He had to tell her.

“Stacie,” he started.

“Shhh,” she said against his lips. “Don’t ruin the moment. Just kiss me.”

The atmosphere was so romantic
, too romantic, just like the whole day had been. Owen was sweet and affectionate, and he preferred conversation before he seduced her. Stacie was caught up in all of it. From the gifts he’d given her to the picnic dinner and now watching the sky come alive from this magical spot on the beach.

She understood his motives. She wasn’t so inexperienced or naïve that she couldn’t interpret what was happening. He wanted to ask more from her, to acknowledge that they had more than just a sexual relationship. If she let him say the words, she wouldn’t be able to deny him a promise. Avoiding it was the best plan and with enough luck, the moment would pass and he’d lose his inspiration.

Not that committing to Owen was a horrible thing. With promises, though, people changed. He’d expect more from her, try to control her life. She’d just left that behind and wasn’t ready to deal with that kind of a relationship again.

His heart thumped wildly against her palm. Stacie inched up his body and Owen relented, giving in to the passion. He slid his hand behind her neck, pulling her into his mouth. The kiss started slow yet firm and she knew the passion would quickly explode between them. It always did.

Stacie welcomed the weight of his body as Owen eased her onto the blanket. Against her thigh, she felt the press of his erection. Images of the drawing flashed through her mind, his shirt off, the buttons on his jeans open, teasing her with the arousal that hid beneath the denim.

Going on a blind faith that they were still alone on the beach, she reached down and opened the button fly in the same slow way Owen had in the park. When she released the length of him from the confines of the tight denim, he groaned, teeing Stacie up even more.

“Touch me,” she urged as she stroked his velvet skin.

As Owen’s warm lips and wet tongue drew random patterns on her neck and his strong hand massaged her breast, Stacie felt a sprinkle on her face. She opened her eyes to see the moon dimming behind thick clouds as it continued to rise in the sky. That was exactly how she felt, Owen’s touch elevating her higher and higher, the fog of desire engulfing her.

Owen’s hand slid down Stacie’s body, the electricity flowing from his touch. Lightning danced high in the clouds, as if in tune with the passion they shared on the beach.

Stacie tightened her grip around Owen’s erection, her fingertips skimming the underside of his sack as she stroked his shaft, her palm moving over the tear weeping from the tip of his arousal. Heat surged between her legs and she longed to have Owen’s hand caress the ache.

“Touch me,” she whispered again, drunk on the sensation of his touch, craving more.

That amazing hand of his eased down her belly until it reached her shorts. He skimmed his fingers along the waistline, first over the top, then moving under the fabric. When he reached the button, he released it with a masterful flick of his fingers, but to Stacie’s disappointment, he didn’t slide those strong fingers where she wanted them. Instead, he moved back up her belly, this time under her shirt.

Thinking ahead, she had worn a front-clasp bra and Owen was just as quick to release that as he had been with her shorts. He moved his hand slowly, deliberately, easing the lace away from her breast. His touch was teasing and if Stacie’s hand wasn’t otherwise occupied with its own seduction, she’d have moved his to the hard nipple that demanded attention.

Patience wasn’t a trait she had at the moment and fortunately Owen didn’t torture her for long with his gentle caress. The moment his palm, then each finger, skimmed over the tight bud, her breath caught and her body jerked. The sensation catapulted her desire and she opened her eyes to be sure the electricity was from his touch and not the lightning finding ground.

Flashes of light still danced in the clouds. The rain had gone from a sprinkle to a steady drizzle. Owen pushed Stacie’s shirt up and captured her breast with his mouth. His warm tongue was a stark contrast to the cool drizzle as he flicked her nipple, his lips caressing the curve of her breast.

Stacie’s free leg stroked Owen’s in greedy anticipation. This time when his hand moved down her belly, he unzipped her shorts and slipped his hand in over her panties. He groaned deep in his throat, obviously catching the heat between her thighs.

Owen lifted his head from her breast, his breath short as his eyes focused on her mouth. “Maybe we better take this back to the condo.”

Stacie didn’t really have a bucket list, but if there was one thing she knew she wanted, one fantasy she could turn into reality, it was this. She wanted Owen, right here, on the beach, in the rain, under the full moon that still glowed behind the clouds.

In this moment, she didn’t give a damn about the consequences.

“I like it right here,” she said, hardly recognizing the breathy sound of her voice.

Owen smiled, looked up at the clouds as though reveling in the drizzle, then focused his gaze back to Stacie. “Baby, I would love to make love to you right now, right here. I just didn’t come prepared.”

Wrapping her fingers deliberately around his erection, Stacie smiled when he expelled a groan. “You feel prepared to me.”

“I don’t have any condoms.”

Like the lightning dancing in the clouds,
I don’t care
flashed through Stacie’s mind. “I’ve got the birth control covered,” she admitted. “And I was being honest when I told you I’ve only been with one other man. If you’re willing to trust me, I’m willing to trust you.”

Owen’s hand came out of her shorts and he propped himself up on his elbow. “How do you have the birth control covered?”

“I’ve been on Depo for years. Had my last shot two months ago.” That appointment had been just a few days before the accident. “That’s also when I had my last exam. Everything was clear.”

Even though Stacie was a little embarrassed by the lack of sexual activity in her relationship with Greg, she was desperate enough for Owen that she was willing to own up to how cold the relationship had been. “I, um…I wasn’t with my ex after that exam. So, I really am all clear.”

Owen dropped back on the blanket and stared up at the sky. Stacie regretted revealing that little tidbit. Her life had been so boring before Seattle. She’d known all along that if she shared any of it with Owen, she’d more than just put him to sleep. She’d be a total turn off. Who wanted to be with a woman who hardly ever had sex with her fiancé?

Stacie let go of her hold on Owen and started to fasten her bra. Before she could pull the cups together, he was on top of her.

“I trust you,” he said. “And I’m clean too. I had my ETS physical when I was discharged from the army. You’re the only one I’ve been with since then.”

“OK, I don’t know what ETS means, but I do trust you.”

Owen laughed. “Sorry, ETS just means when I got out. Expiration of time in service. A little bit of the army acronym soup. It’s hard to let go of the lingo.”

Stacie moved his hand to the outside of her hip. “OK, so can we get back to where we were?”

Owen looked up and down the beach. When he seemed satisfied that they were alone, he pushed himself back onto his knees and removed his shirt. Then he pulled Stacie off the blanket and removed hers, also pushing the bra off her shoulders.

“You are so beautiful,” he said in that slow southern drawl that turned her body to putty.

She felt beautiful, both sexually and simply as a person when she was with Owen. It was a new feeling for her, one she’d never really experienced. The way he looked at her, as if she was the only person on earth, made her want him even more. If that was possible.

She pushed his jeans down his hips and his erection fell forward, hard and ready to take her.

“Make love to me,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.

Owen finished removing his jeans, then shimmied Stacie’s shorts and panties down her thighs until she could kick them off. For a moment he just knelt there, looking at her body as though it was a work of art.

The rain made their skin shimmer under the clouded moonlight. The cool drizzle was invigorating and erotic. Owen skimmed his fingers over her skin, from her breast down her belly, then tracing over her hip and thigh.

“I want to take this slow,” he sighed, “but I don’t think I can.”

Stacie moved her hands to his hips, urging him forward. Owen didn’t budge. He just knelt there, looking at her.

“I don’t care if it’s fast or slow, Owen,” she admitted. “I just want you.”

When he still didn’t move, she took his velvety skin in her palm. Owen’s head kicked back, then an animal instinct took over. He fell onto her body, pushed her hand out of the way, and moved the head of his erection against the wet core of her. The teasing caress was too much, yet not enough and when Stacie pushed her hips off the blanket toward him, he plunged into her with a hard, smooth thrust.

He didn’t feel that much different without the condom, but she’d been so desperate to have him inside her that she could barely stifle the pleasured cry as their bodies joined. As always, his arousal filled and stretched her, but there was something even more erotic knowing that there was no barrier between her flesh and his.

Owen moved slowly. After he pushed deep inside, his hips moved in slow circles. His lips moved across her breasts and up her neck until he was kissing her in that sensitive spot behind her ear.

“You feel so good,” he slurred.

Stacie felt like the lightning in the sky, every nerve ending on fire, her skin tingling, muscles tense. She knew what was coming, the explosion of her release. A couple of weeks ago, these sensations had been foreign, elusive. Then, from the first moment Owen had touched her, her body had come alive.

It was more alive now than ever. Between the rain and the moon and the lightning, the way Owen felt inside and on top of her, the heat of his skin, the warmth of his mouth…she was dizzy, spiraling out of control. She had enough sense to remember they were on a public beach and buried her face in his chest as her body ignited with the sensations, every tingle and spark culminating at her core in a glorious explosion. The pulses of her release gripped at Owen’s arousal, pulling him in, pushing him out, demanding and pleading for the pleasure to go on forever.

When Stacie finally leveled out and came back to semi-consciousness, she opened her eyes to find Owen smiling. “That was intense. Is that because of the rain or do I get to take some credit.”

Fulfilling her fantasy was probably part of it, but she couldn’t imagine it would have been that good with anyone other than Owen. “You can take full credit.”

“Good.” He pushed her hands over her head, tangling his fingers with hers. “I want to make you do that again.”

Lifting his body, he turned his gaze down to where their bodies were joined. Stacie followed his gaze, her release coiling again as she watched him move in and out of her.

With her hands pinned, Owen showed no mercy, driving himself inside her with such passion, then pulling away ever so slowly. Watching him move in and out only made her want him more.

No one existed outside of the small world of passion they had created on the blanket. She could tell by his breathing that Owen was on the cusp of his climax. She was right there with him and when she called out his name, her body ignited again, pulling him in, demanding his release, which exploded inside. His orgasm did not end quickly, the bare velvet skin of his arousal throbbing inside of her until it was drained of all its pleasure.

They lay together, breathing heavily as they recovered. Steam rolled off their wet, sweating bodies. “Ever since you told me about this little fantasy of yours, I haven’t been able to think of much else.” Owen said, “I never imagined it being this good.”

“This was better than the fantasy.”

~~~

Stacie’s body lurched upright in a swift motion. When her scream lost momentum, panicked breaths had her gasping for air. A shiver ran through her sweat-soaked body, but it wasn’t the chills making her body shake.

Owen sat up slowly. “Baby, are you all right? What’s wrong?” His arms encircled her body, protective and comforting, while he kissed her temple.

Pain throbbed across her forehead. She concentrated hard to try to slow her breathing and ease the pain.

When her breathing slowed and the pounding of her heart calmed, Owen released his tight hold and brushed the sweat soaked hair away from her face.

“Stacie,” he said, his Cajun drawl low and concerned. “Do you want to tell me about it?”

Stacie shook her head. She’d been reliving the same nightmare since Audrey’s funeral, though this was the first time since moving to Seattle.

In the dream, she was at the church, at Audrey’s funeral. Stacie was sitting in the front pew, Audrey’s open casket right in front of her. Audrey’s head was turned, her eyes open, staring at Stacie. A pain circled Stacie’s arm as a hand came at her swiftly. It seemed to go straight through her body. Audrey’s mouth moved, whispering a single word.
Remember
.

Then the car accident played in reverse. Stacie’s head was moving toward the dashboard, bouncing off, then she could see the moose walking backwards in front of the car. Her head turned to look at Audrey who at first had a shocked look. As the car moved backwards Audrey’s expression morphed from horror to happiness. She was even laughing. That’s the point when Stacie awoke from the dream.