Owen had one carne asada down and the other in his hand when Murphy finally made his way to the table, a scowl on his face and his bandaged hand pressed to his chest.
“You okay?” Jake asked around a mouthful of pork taco with extra onions.
“My fucking hand hurts,” Murphy growled low before using his left hand to start eating. Considering that all of them were right-handed, Murphy had to be getting annoyed at this point.
“It hasn’t been that long since you got your stitches,” Graham said slowly. “You’re not healed yet.”
“I know that,” Murphy bit out. “They’re just starting to itch, and it’s killing me that I can’t do anything about it. Liz said I should be fine, and the doctor agreed, but I want to get this damn bandage off so I can go about my business.”
Owen choked on his soda and coughed as he tried to catch his breath. “Liz?”
Murphy’s eyes brightened as he set down his drink. “Oh, right, I haven’t talked to you really since it happened. Yeah, Liz was my nurse.” He grinned. “Too bad she was going off shift before I could ask her if she wanted to play nurse with me.”
Owen let out a growl before he caught himself. “Don’t talk about her like that.”
Jake and Graham shared a look but stayed out of it.
“Why, big brother, got a crush?”
“Murphy,” Owen warned. “Watch it.”
Murphy just grinned. “Oh, get over yourself. I didn’t do anything to her and didn’t say anything that would make her feel uncomfortable. She was working for freak’s sake. All I’m saying, brother mine, is that maybe you should do something about that jealous streak of yours when it comes to your new sexy neighbor instead of growling at me for letting her look at my hand when I was in the ER.”
Once again, Jake and Graham shared a look, and Owen wanted to throw something at them. He didn’t know why he had this fascination with Liz, but he knew that one day soon, he would either have to forget about it completely or actually do something about it.
“If you’re done ragging on me, I’m going to finish eating so I can get back to work. And don’t think I’ve forgotten the mess you guys left for me.”
“You like organizing things,” Graham explained. “Think of it as a welcome back present.”
Owen flipped him off and continued to eat, ignoring the way his brothers continued to tease him. Well, at least things were getting back to normal. His brothers were being assholes, and he was making lists on what to do about them and the job.
Getting hit by a car could only slow him down so much, damn it. Soon, he’d be back to fighting form and then…and then he might just see how friendly his neighbor would let him be.
5
Water slid over her skin, and she moaned, wishing her hand were something far better than it was just then. Liz needed to come, and for some reason, she couldn’t get there that morning.
It probably had something to do with the fact that every time a certain bearded and inked neighbor slid into her mind, she pushed him right back out, interrupting any thoughts of orgasm along the way. She’d already washed her hair and the rest of her body, as well as shaved her legs—something she hated when only half awake—and had decided to at least try and get herself off a little bit before the rest of the day. She had a rare day off and wanted to unpack some more and maybe even do something others called relaxing.
But before she could relax, she wanted to have just a tiny bit of bliss.
If only she could get Owen out of her mind.
And at that thought, images of him on his knees in the shower in front of her slid into her mind, and she was powerless to stop them. He had his big, calloused hands on her thighs, slowly squeezing into her flesh before spreading her before him. He’d lick up her inner thigh and the place where her leg met her hip before nibbling down to her mound. His beard would scrape her skin in that sensual way that sent shivers down her spine, and he’d lick her as he kept his eyes up, wanting to see her face as he tasted her.
She’d run her hand through his hair and press him closer, loving the way he sucked on her clit before biting down. She’d throw her head back into the tile, holding onto the soap dish with one hand as she came so she wouldn’t fall.
And as she rubbed her hand furiously against her clit, she came, thinking of Owen’s mouth on her pussy, his hands molded to her flesh. Her legs shook, and she forced herself to slide down and sit on the floor so she didn’t fall and break something.
That was one thing she did not want to explain to her coworkers at the ER.
With a fumbling grace, she reached up for the nozzle and turned off the cooling shower, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.
Holy hell.
She’d come freaking hard just thinking of Owen Gallagher—a man she should not be thinking about at all. He was only her neighbor and a former patient. Nothing more. She didn’t even know the man, and for some reason, every time she was around him, he put her back up. She had no idea why, but if some internal part of her wanted to push him away, she should just go with that and ignore any attraction that flared between them.
And that meant no more getting herself off to thoughts of his mouth on her pussy.
Her clit throbbed, and she glared down between her legs.
“For the love of Pete. You just got off. Stop wanting more.”
And she’d officially gone crazy. She’d just chastised her clit for daring to want a Gallagher to get her off. And not just any Gallagher. Owen freaking Gallagher. With that sad thought, she pulled herself up and got out of the shower, standing on the rug and toweling off so she wouldn’t end up with a puddle in the middle of the floor and slip on it later. She’d seen so many household accidents run through her ER that she tried her best to not become a statistic. With a sigh, she pushed those unhealthy thoughts from her mind and went about making a mental list for the day. There were still countless things to do around the house to get it fully unpacked and looking like a home. Standing around naked in her bathroom was not one of them.
By the time she got dressed and headed into the kitchen to make coffee, her list had grown past a mental one, and she was already writing things down in order on her phone. She didn’t know what she would do without the note app and the ability to move things around on it. As she sipped her coffee, she looked around her new kitchen and let herself smile. They might not be completely unpacked, and she and Tessa would have to move things around to paint in a year or so, but it was hers.
She no longer had to pay rent, and she didn’t have to deal with landlords who liked looking at her breasts rather than her face, or never being able to change anything because she didn’t own it. And while it was Tessa’s first home, as well, Liz had never truly owned anything in her life at all. This place and all its faults were hers, and she couldn’t wait to put her stamp on it.
Tessa had left early that morning for work so today would be Liz’s day to put things to rights. They had a master list they worked from so they didn’t redo things or miss something important—thankfully, Tessa loved lists as much as she did. Tessa might be a little wilder than Liz, but she loved order in some things just as much as Liz.
Liz carried her coffee toward the front of the house, wanting to do something she quite possibly had never done in her life—sit on her front porch and take in the morning. That had always seemed so…unproductive to her, and while it still probably was, she was going to try it out if only for one morning.
Tessa had brought home the ugliest outdoor chairs Liz had ever set eyes on to put on their front porch. They didn’t match each other, let alone the house, or the set they had in the back yard. Liz wanted to either upholster and paint them or get rid of them altogether, but Tessa would hear nothing of the sort. Apparently, it was Tessa’s project, and Liz would just have to deal with it.
This is what came with buying a house with your friend and not your spouse.
Liz shrugged as she sank into the surprisingly comfortable chai
r. She’d just get her way on something else inside the house since that’s how they worked. She sighed and took another sip of her coffee. Even though they were ugly, the chairs weren’t uncomfortable. In fact, the one she rested in seemed to mold to her butt quite perfectly, and now she didn’t want to get up.
Maybe Tessa had a plan, after all.
The morning was just settling in, and from her position on the porch, she could see the beauty of the Rocky Mountains as well as the foothills that seemed so much closer in their new place than in the small apartment they used to share. She’d wanted this house because of the view alone, and Tessa had been right there with her. There was truly nothing as majestic and beautiful than the Rockies on a clear morning.
As soon as that thought had entered her mind, a certain bearded neighbor filled her vision. But this time, it wasn’t just her imagination. He’d taken off his sling and wore a tight t-shirt as well as a worn pair of jeans that clung to his very thick and muscled thighs as well as that firm butt of his that made her mouth water. She wasn’t sure if he could see her from where he stood, but the fact that he probably couldn’t made her feel like a lecher.
That didn’t stop her from staring, however.
She took another sip of her coffee, her gaze no longer on the mountains but on the man she’d just come thinking about. The man she shouldn’t be thinking about at all. He was too close to her life, too gruff, too…just too everything. When she was ready to settle down, she’d find a nice, calm man that didn’t make her go crazy for no reason. She didn’t want to be with a man with large hands that could use them for any purpose he desired.
Liz closed her eyes and let out a breath, pushing those thoughts from her mind. She hadn’t thought about those days for a while now, and she wouldn’t start now. And for one thing, she above all others knew that it didn’t take a man with large hands to inflict the kind of pain she tried not to think about.
Smaller hands with a firm disposition could do well enough if they wanted to.
Especially on someone much smaller.
The coffee now bitter on her tongue, she set her cup down on the small table that separated the two armchairs. It wasn’t very stable, but as long as she kept the mug in the center and didn’t wobble the table, it should be fine.
Liz rubbed her temples, trying to get her mind into gear and out of the past, but it wasn’t easy. She didn’t know why she kept thinking about that, especially since it had been so long since she’d dealt with any of it, but, apparently, her brain didn’t want to quit down that path anytime soon.
Determined to think of other things, she looked up right at the same moment that Owen did, but instead of making eye contact, he went down like a bag of bricks. His muffled oath reached her ears as she jumped out of her chair and ran toward him.
“Owen?” she called out, her bare feet pounding through the grass, the morning dew sliding over her skin.
“I’m fine,” he groaned, rolling over onto his back. “Just tripped over the damn newspaper that I canceled a year ago and they keep periodically sending.” He had his eyes closed and his good arm up and over his forehead. His other one, however, lay at his side stiffly. He’d bent one leg up, the other one lying straight while he took in deep breaths.
She went to her knees at his side and shook her head. “You shouldn’t be out and about yet. And you really shouldn’t be without your sling.”
Owen cracked open an eye and glared at her. “Actually, I’m allowed to do both in small bursts. I figured going out to check the mail I didn’t have a chance to get yesterday because I got home too late would be a good time to do it. But since I was barefoot and stupid, I tripped.” He groaned as he lifted his bad arm, but she didn’t see any signs of shocking pain over his face.
“Don’t move,” Liz ordered. “Let me check you over.”
Owen smiled then. “You’re welcome to check me out, Nurse Liz.”
She rolled her eyes, forcing herself not to smile. Damn man always got under her skin, and not always in a bad way. “Let me know if this hurts.”
She poked and prodded him, but he didn’t move out of her way. If anything, he leaned into her touch, and she forced herself not to keep her hands on him for long. Damn it, she needed to keep this professional. It didn’t matter that they weren’t in the hospital. She had a responsibility to her job, and feeling up Owen Gallagher was not part of it.
“I’m fine, Liz,” Owen said softly. He reached out and wrapped his hand around her wrist. “Just a little embarrassed that I bit it like I did. I saw you walk out to your porch earlier so I figured you saw me fall. That’s why I was lying down like I was. Not because I actually hurt, but because I’m an idiot.”
She frowned, studying his face. “You’re not an idiot. Everyone trips.”
Owen rolled his eyes as he forced himself to a sitting position. She tried to help him, but he waved her off. “I trip more than others recently. Or, at least, it feels like that. Thanks for checking me out, though.” He wiggled his brows. “And not just now.”
She swore she could feel herself blush and she hated her pale skin. “Let’s get you inside.”
“Anything you say, Nurse Liz.”
“And stop calling me that.”
“But you are Nurse Liz,” he said with a smile as they both stood up. “But I guess every time I call you that, I remind you that you used to be my nurse and that means it would be wrong to check out my butt. So I guess I’ll stop doing that.” He turned and shook his ass in her direction, looking over his shoulder as he did. “What do you think? You like the jeans? They’re pretty old, but you should be able to get a nice glimpse of my assets.”
She couldn’t help herself.
She laughed and looked down at his butt. “Yes, I guess I can get a nice glimpse. But that’s the only thing I’m getting. Just a glimpse.”
“Whatever you say,” Owen replied and took her hand. She was so surprised, she didn’t pull away. “Can I offer you a cup of coffee? To say thanks for running to my aid?”
She thought of the bitter cup she’d left on her porch, but for some reason, she didn’t answer as she should. “Okay.”
Surprise filled his eyes for a moment, and it matched her own. “Okay.” He smiled and pulled her toward his front door and inside. She hadn’t gotten a good look at it last time, but now that she did, she liked what she saw. Strong lines and colors filled his home, and it looked like someone cleaned up daily.
In fact, she was pretty sure the place was cleaner than hers had ever been, and she might have been a little jealous of that fact.
“Cream and sugar?” Owen asked as he poured two cups.
“Both please,” she said. “I can drink it black and usually do at work, but I have a sweet tooth.”
Owen’s eyes flared. “Good to know.”
Liz licked her lips, and his eyes dropped down to follow the movement. This was so not a good idea. She shouldn’t be here, and she sure as hell shouldn’t be following up on any attraction they might share. He wasn’t good for her, and she damn well knew she wasn’t good for him.
And yet when he set her coffee cup next to her hand on the kitchen island, she didn’t move to reach for it. Instead, she stood still, and he moved closer, so close she could feel his breath on her lips, the warmth of his body achingly close to hers.
“Tell me to stop,” Owen whispered. He moved even closer, resting his hand on her hip. Her heart raced, and she tried to say no, tried to remember that she shouldn’t do this.
She didn’t tell him to stop.
He leaned forward, taking her mouth with his, and she let him. Let him have her, let him kiss her, let him do what she knew she shouldn’t.
And she kissed him back.
It wasn’t a soft kiss, wasn’t one from fairy tales with fair maidens and handsome princes. Instead, it was a meeting of mouths, heavy breathing, teeth, and tongues fighting for control. He gripped her hip with one hand and dug the fingers of his other hand into her hair, pulling he
r impossibly closer.
She’d imagined his mouth on her lips, on her skin before, and yet those dreams had nothing on the real man. She wrapped her arms around him, needing him on her, in her, with her. When she found herself rocking against the hard length of him, she didn’t stop. Instead, she just kissed him harder.
Owen’s mouth was like nothing she’d had before, and she knew if she didn’t stop soon she’d have sex with him right in his kitchen and not even care.
So it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that it was Owen who stopped the kiss, pulling away with ragged breaths before resting his forehead on hers.
“Holy shit,” he panted.
She couldn’t say anything, could barely breathe herself.
“Don’t say you regret that. Don’t say we shouldn’t have done it,” Owen pleaded quickly. “If you don’t know what to say, just don’t say anything at all. But know that holy hell, woman, that kiss? That kiss was fucking everything. So if you’re unsure about what to do next, you can walk away without saying a word. I totally get that because this was kind of a surprise. But, Liz? You walk away now without saying anything, you’re telling me that I can find you again. Soon. So you make the choice. Just know that I want you. I fucking want you. But I won’t take you, won’t let you take me unless you want it. Got it?”
She swallowed hard, her breath finally calming.
And because she couldn’t get him out of her head, couldn’t stop thinking about what they’d just done, she turned and walked away.
But she didn’t say anything.
That meant only one thing.
She wanted him to follow her. Wanted this to happen again.
She just hoped that she wasn’t making the biggest mistake of her life.
Again.
****
Passion Restored Page 6