Owen deftly flipped them over so Brooke was now on her back beneath him. Her legs slowly wound around him as he settled over her. His mouth left hers and quickly traveled down to the neckline of her nightie. She wanted to rip the garment off and feel his mouth all over her heated skin.
Her hips lifted as she rubbed against him, silently begging him for more. Rather than acknowledge that movement, he cupped her breast as his mouth moved along all of her exposed skin.
He was killing her.
“Owen,” she panted. “Please.”
Lifting his head, his gaze met hers. “I dreamed of this,” he said, his voice like gravel. “All night. Every night since I met you.”
Oh…
“It’s never been like this. I’ve never felt so…out of control. I’ve been trying to go slow. To be a gentleman…”
Brooke lifted a hand and raked it up into his hair and gripped it gently. “Right now…I don’t want a gentleman.”
His eyes widened for barely a second. “You’re sure?”
She couldn’t help the giggle that came out. “About not wanting a gentleman?” she teased. “Yes. I’m sure.”
The sexy grin he gave her made her feel even achier than she had a minute before.
Her name came out like a plea right before he lowered his head and reclaimed her lips with his. The kiss went on and on, and as much as she wanted more—more stripping, more moving, more…everything—the way Owen kissed was its own brand of foreplay.
Delicious.
Then finally—finally!—his hands started to wander again, this time to the hem of her nightie. His hand slowly made its way under the fabric and rested on her hip, and she almost felt giddy at the touch. Silently she urged him to move, to stroke, to touch her where she so desperately wanted him to. She was so close to tearing her mouth from his and begging when…
Beep…beep…beep…
No. No, no, no, no, no!
Beep…beep…beep…
The sound must have finally registered with Owen because he lifted his head and looked around as if he couldn’t remember where they were. With a muttered curse, he rolled off her and slapped the alarm clock. Then he was on his back beside her and breathing heavily.
As much as she knew she wasn’t an overly emotional person, she wanted to be one right then and pitch a fit. Damn alarm clock. Why did it have to bring everything to a halt? They were awake already, so…why stop? She turned her head to look at him, saw the pained expression on his face, and knew she wasn’t going to push him. Instead, she reached for his hand and slipped her hand against it until he clasped hers.
“You okay?” she asked softly.
He nodded.
“We…do we need to start getting ready, or do we…you know…have some time?”
Owen didn’t look at her, but he opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. “They’re picking us up in an hour. I told Tom Donnelly how important it was for us to get as much time as possible in the canyon for you, and we need to do the flyover of Red Rock first.” He muttered another curse, rolled off the bed, and stalked across the room until he was at the windows before he turned around. “I’m sorry.”
Brooke sat up and looked at him as if he were crazy. “For what?”
Rather than answer, he raked a hand through his hair and turned back to open the drapes.
“Owen?”
“This weekend was supposed to be about you and your painting, and I…” He shook his head again. “I wasn’t thinking clearly this morning.”
She climbed from the bed, walked over, and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his back. “But I was,” she admitted. “I knew exactly what we were doing, and it was what I wanted. You don’t owe me an apology, Owen.”
He turned and looked down at her. “We have two days before we have to be back, and I want you to have all the time you need to explore and take pictures. I feel bad enough that I’m cutting into your time by meeting with the astronomical society at Red Rock.”
“I don’t mind it. I imagine I’ll get some great pictures there too.” She wanted to ask him about his intentions with Red Rock—if he was going to come back and do the trip—but now wasn’t the time. And then the reality hit—they weren’t going to finish what they started. They were going to be responsible and meet the people they needed to meet and be where they were supposed to be.
Dammit.
Seeing the struggle in his eyes, Brooke got up on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “I’m going to go and take my shower and get ready. I promise not to hog the bathroom so you’ll be able to get in there too. Why don’t you order breakfast so we can eat a little something before we have to go?”
He nodded. “I can do that.”
She smiled. “Thank you.” Stepping away from him, she walked over to her suitcase and pulled out clean clothes and her makeup bag. Placing everything in the bathroom, she heard Owen moving around. Peeking her head out, she called out to him. “I would love some coffee and maybe some fruit and yogurt, please.”
Looking up at her, he smiled and nodded again. “Anything else?”
“Do we need to bring our own lunches for later?”
“I’ll call Tom and find out,” he said, reaching for his phone.
When he started speaking, Brooke ducked into the bathroom and quietly shut the door. And braced herself for the cold shower she was definitely going to need to take.
* * *
“Wait…what?”
“Camping. You should totally take advantage of the mild weather and the clear skies tonight and camp out. I’ve got tents and supplies you can use. You’ll probably want to get your own sleeping bags, but we have everything else you’ll need, including some telescopes. You interested?”
Was he? Owen wasn’t so sure. It wasn’t something he’d even considered for this particular trip. He’d camped out before, but he had no idea if Brooke ever had or if she’d even want to.
“Do you need to know right now, or can you give me a few minutes to talk to Brooke?”
“Let me know when I get there. If you want to do it, we’ll stop at the Walmart and pick up sleeping bags. And just bring something warm to sleep in. It tends to cool down a bit at night.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you in a bit. And, Tom?”
“Yeah?”
“I appreciate everything you’re doing.”
“I’m looking forward to working with you, Owen. I’ve heard a lot of great stuff about you.”
Great or embarrassing, Owen had to wonder. But he refused to let his mind go there. He had things to do and decisions to make about the night. Fast. “Same here. We’ll see you soon.”
He hung up and paced the room, listening for the shower to turn off so he could talk to Brooke. He picked up the hotel phone and quickly called in their breakfast order. It was a good thing they weren’t ordering anything big because they were already short on time. Room service assured him the order would be delivered in twenty minutes, and that helped him to relax. Walking over to his suitcase, he pulled out his clothes and jerked to a stop when he heard the water turn off and the shower curtain scrape against the rod.
Brooke, naked and wet, instantly popped into his head, and he groaned.
If they camped out tonight, there would be no repeat of this morning or even a continuation of it tonight. However, if they didn’t camp out, they would miss out on an opportunity for her to experience the desert in a way that would benefit her work the most.
Which was why they were here in the first place.
For art, not for sex.
In his semi-aroused state, Owen couldn’t help but wish he could have both.
Possibly at the same time.
The bathroom door opened, and Brooke stepped out—her hair was in a towel, but she was fully dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a white T-shirt.
Her face was still void of makeup, and she gave him a wide smile.
“I was fast this time, right? I know we don’t have a lot of time, so I wanted to make sure you had plenty of time for your shower.” She fluttered around, putting stuff in her suitcase and pulling out a pair of sneakers. “Is breakfast on its way?”
“It is,” he said distractedly, too engrossed in watching the way she moved—so graceful. “I…um…I spoke to Tom, and he had a suggestion for us.”
Brooke stopped what she was doing and looked at him expectantly.
“We can camp out tonight. At Red Rock. It would be like how we’ll do it for the meteor shower except with just us.” He looked at her, trying to gauge her reaction.
She didn’t seem to have one.
He cleared his throat. “They have a tent, but we’d have to get sleeping bags—I imagine using someone else’s sleeping bag is frowned upon—but we can stop and purchase some on the way out of town this morning.”
Nothing.
“You’d have some time to paint. We could even pick up canvases and paints—probably not the quality you were looking for, but if you were anxious to create something while we were there, you could do it.”
Still nothing.
Now he began to fidget and forced himself to look away and busy himself with going through his suitcase. “Of course, we don’t have to do it. We can go on the helicopter tour today and see the sights, take a ton of pictures, and be done with it. It’s not a big deal. I just thought—”
“Will there be any lights? Like streetlamps?” she asked.
It seemed like an odd question, and he looked at her in confusion. “Um…probably not. There are campfire circles, so we’ll have light from those.” He sighed and figured he’d better give her all of the facts up front, so there wouldn’t be any surprises later on and she could make an informed decision.
“Okay, there are no electrical, water, or sewer hookups. There are public restrooms, but nothing at our site. There are no showers, but there are water faucets for drinking water that are located throughout the campground.” He paused again and noticed her expression hadn’t changed much. “It’s pretty rustic. Basically, we’d be sleeping in a tent in the middle of the campground. What do you think?”
She pulled her cosmetics bag out of her suitcase and faced him again, her expression full of dismay. “I…I have some issues with—”
“Camping?” he finished for her, figuring it made the most logical sense. “I know it’s not for everyone, and I will completely understand if you’re not into it. I was just thinking about you getting the extra time to paint.”
She shook her head, and her shoulders sagged. “Owen…remember last night I told you I need the television on to fall asleep?”
How could he have forgotten? Instantly he dropped the clothes he was holding, stepped forward, and wrapped her in his arms. “I’m sorry. I guess I had forgotten about that. With no electricity, it would be hard for you to fall asleep. I get it.” He placed a small kiss on her temple and stepped back. “We’ll just go ahead as planned.”
“But—”
“I need to get in the shower before we’re out of time. Breakfast should be here any minute. Charge it to the room.” And he scooped his clothes up once again and went to take his shower.
And tried to keep telling himself it was all for the best—staying in the room tonight meant maybe, just maybe, they’d get to finish what they’d started.
* * *
It wasn’t rational, and it was going to require an enormous leap of faith, but Brooke wasn’t feeling particularly rational, and maybe this was the impetus she needed.
While Owen showered, she transferred a few things into the small carry-on bag she’d brought with her on the plane to carry her purse, Kindle, and some essentials to keep by her seat. She eyed Owen’s luggage and thought better of rifling through it for him. He would be able to do it quickly on his own, she was sure.
With nothing left to do, she walked over to the mirror and put on some light makeup and then towel-dried her hair. By that time, Owen was coming out of the bathroom. He looked at her and smiled. Brooke walked over to him and took his hands in hers.
“I want to go camping,” she blurted out.
His eyes went wide. “Really? Are…are you sure? You seemed pretty certain about—”
“I know. I know. But I think this could be the perfect solution to help me stop using the television as a crutch. Plus it’s like you said, this is a perfect opportunity for me to get some extra time to paint. I’d be crazy to pass it up.”
He studied her for a long moment. “We’ll have to pack.”
She motioned to her small bag. “I’ve already taken care of that. At least my stuff. You can put yours in there too. We’ll essentially be roughing it, so there isn’t too much to bring. I’m guessing we’ll get up fairly early and head back here, so we can shower before our flight home tomorrow night. So what do you say? Are we doing this?”
His gaze was serious—as it normally was—but for a minute she thought he was going to say no. With her breath held, she waited.
And then his features softened and he smiled. “Yes. We’re going camping.”
* * *
“So…”
“Yeah…so…”
Tom stood up and wiped his hands on his jeans. “So the tent is done.” He chuckled.
Owen gave him a lopsided grin. “I would have figured it out eventually.”
Making the okay sign, Tom continued to chuckle. “I’m sure you would have, but I didn’t want to risk you losing daylight before you were done.”
Beside them, Owen heard Brooke laugh softly too.
“So I’m not great with mechanical stuff like this. It’s not a bad thing.”
“Except when you’re camping and need to set a tent up,” Tom teased and then picked his backpack up off the ground. “There’s a Jeep in the parking lot for you if you need it. But I’ll be back in the morning around eight to pick you up and get the tent and supplies. Is there anything else you need?”
Owen looked at Brooke, and they both shook their heads. They had purchased food and supplies earlier in the day, and while Tom had been setting up the tent, Brooke had been setting up her art supplies. There weren’t a lot of campers on-site, and for that Owen was grateful. Their campsite wasn’t far from the restroom, and they had a spectacular view of the park.
“All right,” he said with a smile. “Then you two have a great time, and I’ll see you in the morning.”
Owen and Brooke both thanked Tom, and once he was out of sight, Owen turned back toward the tent. Tom had explained it was the perfect tent for watching the night sky, and Owen could see why—it was big enough to sleep three, and it had a mesh roof that was perfect for stargazing. He walked over to their pile of supplies, took out the sleeping bags and pillows, set them up inside, and then went to work on getting the campfire set up as well.
“Let me help you with that,” Brooke said, coming up beside him.
When they were all finished, Brooke pointed to a small box next to the tent. “What’s that?”
Smiling, Owen walked over, picked up the box, and handed it to her. She looked at him curiously, and even after she looked inside, she still didn’t seem to understand what she was looking at.
“It’s a solar-powered battery pack,” he said. “It means we can have a little light in the tent if you need it, and you can probably use your Kindle if you want to—at least for a little while.”
Her response was to carefully put the box on the ground and then fling herself into his arms. And Owen wasn’t complaining. His arms banded around her as he lifted her off her feet.
“You are the sweetest man in the world,” she said against his neck. “Do you even realize that?”
Sweet? Owen had never thought of himself quite like that. He was just tr
ying to be considerate of her needs. Which is what he said to her as he lowered her back to the ground.
Reaching up, Brooke cupped his cheek, and her smile was so full of gratitude that Owen didn’t know how to respond.
“Who takes care of you?” she asked, her voice soft and full of concern.
“What do you mean?”
“You do so much for everyone, making sure people have what they need. Who does that for you?”
“I… No one’s ever asked me that before,” he replied honestly. Other than his family, there had never been anyone who looked out for him, and he never thought about needing anyone to do it.
Brooke was studying him, and the subject was making him uncomfortable, so he did his best to change it.
“I’m going to take the battery out and make sure it’s fully charged. Tom thought it was, but it won’t hurt to let it get some time in the sun. Why don’t you see what you can get done while it’s still light out?” He hoped he wasn’t coming off like a jerk.
That morning they had spent an hour shopping for supplies and another hour touring Red Rock in the helicopter, and then it was easily four hours round-trip to the Grand Canyon, including their time in the canyon. By the time they’d landed at Red Rock, collected the camping supplies and tent, and made their way to the campground and set up, the day was almost over. Looking at his watch, Owen saw it was close to six. They maybe had another hour of decent daylight.
Brooke took a step back and nodded. “Okay. But what are you going to do with yourself?”
He shrugged. “I’ll get the campfire going, and Tom also left me a telescope, so I’m going to see where the best place is to set it up. I’ll be fine.”
With another nod, she turned and walked over to her supplies and went to work. Owen was tempted to watch her but was keenly aware he had things of his own to do. Forcing himself to turn away, he went to work with the small telescope. For a portable, it was remarkably powerful, and soon he was lost in his own world.
The sky was starting to darken sometime later, and it wasn’t until Brooke walked around him murmuring about needing the keys to the Jeep that he stepped away from his viewing through the telescope.
A Sky Full of Stars Page 15