“Oh. Oh. Oh.”
His hips pumped harder. “That’s it, baby. Take it all. Touch yourself again, make yourself come.”
She lifted a hand between her legs, overwhelmed by all the sensations threading through her, and moaned as her fingers encountered her moist flesh, her clit swollen and throbbing. “Mmm.” Turning her head, she rested her cheek on the pillow and watched him thrust, his gaze drinking in the view as he guided the vibrator inside her. “Oh Owen, what are you doing to me?”
“Fucking you,” he said, and slapped her butt, laughing as the shock of the slap made her clench around him. Then he bent forward and gently kissed her back. “Loving you.”
She bit her lip and closed her eyes. Loving… No, no, no. They mustn’t go down that road. This wasn’t about love.
Moving her knees apart as wide as she could bear it, she pushed back against him, opening her eyes to look at their reflection. “Fuck me harder, then.”
He paused, and she watched him consider her words, then saw his expression turn darker, heat rising inside him. “Whatever the lady wants.” He pulled back and thrust, this time harder, faster, his hips meeting her butt with a sharp smack. At the same time, he mimicked the movement with the vibrator, teasing the tight muscle.
She turned her face into the pillow and bit it, swirling her fingers over her clit. “Oh,” she said, her voice muffled.
“Come on, beautiful. Come for me.”
Beyond speech, she could only wait and let him take her, crying out with each thrust, then letting out a long groan when her internal muscles clenched around him. The vibrator intensified the orgasm so it seemed everything tightened and pulsed, and she was only partly conscious of his exclamation and the jerking of his hips as he came, his fingers digging into her skin as he thrust so deeply she thought he might pin her to the bed.
When he’d done, he removed the vibrator and pulled out of her, and they both collapsed forward onto the bed.
Skye lay on her front, Owen half on top of her, his heavy form pressing her into the mattress. His skin stuck to hers from the heat, his breath was hot on her ear, and she could feel the rapid beat of his heart against her back.
“You’re squishing me,” she mumbled, feeling as if she ought to complain, but loving the weight of him, the feel of his glowing body.
“Don’t care,” he murmured back, and he gave her butt a half-hearted smack.
Skye rested her cheek on the pillow, and let a small smile curve her lips.
Chapter Sixteen
“You girls only wear those to distract us,” Owen grumbled.
He was having trouble keeping his eyes on the road. It was the next morning. He’d taken Skye back to her sleep-out, and she’d changed into the netball dress she’d borrowed from Elle. His eyes had nearly fallen out when she’d come out wearing it. It clung in all the right places, and it barely covered her panties, leaving a long expanse of tanned leg for him to ogle over.
“Damn straight,” she said, and grinned.
He huffed a sigh, but he wasn’t really annoyed. The day promised to be fun. They’d brought Mozart with them, and Owen thought he might do a demonstration at the school to raise awareness of Search and Rescue and perhaps get some teenagers interested in volunteering.
Plus, of course, he’d be spending the day with Skye, and that gave him a glow he couldn’t ignore.
He reached out and took her hand in his, steering the car with the other as he headed toward Stuart’s high school. Waking that morning to find her still by his side had filled him with a strange mixture of relief and pleasure. He’d enjoyed waking her by kissing her all over, which had led into a leisurely lovemaking session he’d tried to make last as long as he could.
She’d been quiet that morning, but she’d lost the haunted look that had appeared when she’d seen Kim at Aqua Blue. Had he helped her through that little patch of insecurity? He hoped so. His plan at the moment was to try and show her that although the difficult moments might not disappear, together they could deal with them, and she didn’t have to cope alone.
So far, it seemed to be working. Whether it would be successful enough to make her stay after Christmas would remain to be seen.
They arrived at the high school, and Owen parked in a side road. They got out, and he clipped on Mozart’s leash and let him out too. The place was heaving, with people swarming from all directions, heading for the fields and netball courts where most of the action was taking place.
It was an old-fashioned school fair, with stalls selling products made by the students, cakes baked by the PTA, lots of activities for the kids, face painting for the little ones, and various events taking places throughout the day to raise money for charity.
They found the others easily enough, over by the sausage sizzle, the smell of the cooking meat drawing Mozart there even before they spotted the group.
“You made it then?” Maisey looked fresh and young in her netball dress, her brown hair pinned up in a ponytail.
“Only just. Owen had trouble keeping his eyes on the road.”
“It’s a common problem.” Joss slid an arm around his fiancée. “These dresses were obviously invented to keep the male population at heel—no offence, Mozart.”
Owen grinned. Luckily, Mozart was far too interested in a sausage that had fallen to the ground than in being offended by a comment comparing men to dogs.
“I have to say, I think they look far better on you girls than on Fox,” Kole said, walking up with Tasha. He pointed to the court, and Owen glanced over and laughed as he saw the inimitable chef, standing there wearing a netball dress, talking to a couple of guys.
“That takes some balls,” he said, glad it hadn’t been compulsory. He was sure he couldn’t squeeze into a dress.
“Oh, he has plenty of those.” Caitlin rolled her eyes.
“He’s just hoping to distract you with a view of his hairy legs,” Elle said.
“It won’t work.” Caitlin had a determined glint in her eye. “Hell will freeze over the day I let Fox beat me at a game of netball.”
“Elle and Caitlin play in a Northland team,” Maisey explained. “And Fox does like to tease Cait that it’s a game for girls.”
“Well, it is a non-contact sport,” Owen said. He was half-joking. He’d seen the Silver Ferns play and there was no question of anyone not taking the game seriously. However, nobody could say it was as physical a game as rugby.
The girls, including Skye, exchanged amused glances. Skye reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. “If you say so, dear.”
Aware he was being patronized, he raised an eyebrow at Joss, who shrugged, and Kole, who waved a hand in the air as if to say ‘Don’t worry about it’.
“This is going to be a disaster,” Owen said, and everyone laughed.
“Where’s Stuart?” Skye asked Elle.
“Organizing his Year Thirteens in a tug-of-war competition. He’ll be over soon.”
Sure enough, after another five minutes the English teacher joined them, hot and perspiring under the warm December sun. “Hey guys, thanks for coming.” He shook Owen’s hand and kissed Skye on the cheek.
“How did the tug-of-war go?” Elle gave him a hug.
“Yeah, good. They’re raising some decent money today—it’s going to be great for the charity.”
“I wondered whether Mozart and I could do a demonstration,” Owen suggested. “Mozart’s pretty good at drawing in the cash.”
Stuart looked delighted. “That would be great. What do you need?”
“Not much. Any hoops or sticks around? A tennis ball would be good, too. And one of your students as a volunteer.”
“I’ll go and organize it.”
Within ten minutes, they were ready to go. There was already a crowd growing around the square Stuart had marked out, and when Owen led Mozart across to it, more students and their families flooded over, keen to see what the dog could do.
“Are you sure he doesn’t mind perform
ing?” Skye murmured to Owen.
“He’s a show off. He adores the attention.” It wasn’t a lie. Mozart was already excited, prancing around and knowing perfectly well he was the center of attention. Owen stopped at the edge of the square and bent to kiss her. “Wish me luck.”
“Good luck, but I don’t think you need it.” She smiled, and he squeezed her hand and walked into the square. The group of friends gathered by her to watch.
Stuart called for attention and introduced them, and Owen did his usual quick spiel about Search and Rescue, and how important the organization was for rescuing people and saving lives. Then he asked for a volunteer to come forward. Stuart had already picked a sensible senior lad, and as everyone cheered the young man walked into the square and introduced himself as Robert.
Owen hadn’t expected that, and it made him catch his breath for a moment. The Robert who had found the body of his sister, and who had befriended him and made him want to work for Search and Rescue, had died four years ago. That last connection with his youth, and with Sammy in particular, had hit him hard. Owen wasn’t sure he believed in an afterlife, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was a sign Rob was still with him, guiding him in his work and being there to comfort him when he occasionally felt low about the past.
Clearing his throat, he welcomed Robert and asked him to pick up the hoop in the center. Then, for about five minutes, he directed Mozart through a series of tricks the dog knew inside out—jumping through the hoop and over sticks, fetching and carrying, weaving between objects, and even jumping rope, which had the crowd cheering and clapping. Then he went into some more difficult maneuvers—getting him to count, to follow complicated instructions involving sitting, lying, walking forward and backward on command, and, when Mozart made a mistake, saying “I’m ashamed of you!” at which the Lab hung his head and put a paw over his nose, making everyone go “Awwwww!”
Owen laughed and gave the dog one of the treats he always carried in his pocket, and told Mozart to take a bow, which he did to the delight of the audience. “If you enjoyed this performance,” he called out as the crowd began to disperse, “please consider leaving a donation. Thank you!”
He gave Robert a Search and Rescue sticker. “Thanks for your help.”
“No worries. I enjoyed it. You have a cool dog.” Robert bent to stroke Mozart. “Does it take long to train him to do those things?”
“Not really. We work on one trick at a time, with lots of repeats and rewards. He’s pretty smart.”
Robert nodded and straightened. “My friend’s dad went missing a few months ago in the Waitangi Forest. You helped find him, I think. Alan Kent?”
“Shortish? Graying hair with a bald patch?”
“That’s the one.”
“Yeah. His compass broke and he got lost. Highly embarrassed.” Owen smiled at Skye, who came up to him and slid her arms around his waist.
Robert scratched his nose. “How would I become a dog handler?”
“First you need a dog.” Owen grinned. Inside, his heart lifted at the thought that Robert was interested in being involved.
The young man chuckled. “Yeah, I guess. Mum’s been talking about getting a puppy. Are there any good books on how to train them?”
“Oh yes, loads. I can recommend a few. But the best thing would be to take him or her to lessons. I run courses, and I’ve been thinking about starting one up in Mangonui.” He gave Robert his business card. “Why don’t you email or text me when you get your puppy and we’ll arrange something?”
Robert nodded, they shook hands, and the young man wandered off.
“A new recruit?” Skye smiled.
“Maybe. I hope so. If the branch stays open.” A pang of wistfulness swept over him. There was a need for a branch here—they’d already saved many lives. The threat of its closure hung over him like a cloud across the sun.
“Hey.” She caught his chin in her hand and turned his gaze to hers. “It will. They’ll realize they need you.”
He looked down at her. Maybe. Will you? He bent his head and kissed her, wishing his future didn’t depend on other people so much.
“Get a room, for God’s sake.” Maisey appeared at their side and dropped to stroke Mozart, who was thoroughly enjoying all the attention. “That was so cool, Owen. You’re a clever boy, aren’t you?” She kissed the Lab’s head.
“He is a clever boy.” Skye kissed Owen’s nose and chuckled at his wry look.
“I love that you’re a chocolate Lab. So appropriate.” Maisey was rewarded with a wet kiss on her cheek, and she laughed and stood. “You two ready for the game?”
“Yep.” Owen was determined not to make this as easy for the girls as they thought it was going to be.
They headed over to the netball courts with the others, who all said how wonderful the demonstration had been. Owen settled Mozart in the shade of a fence, looped his leash around one of the posts, and gratefully accepted a bowl of water for the dog from Robert, who promised to look after him. The Lab had a drink and lay down, happy to be petted by the student, tired out from his energetic performance.
They all made their way onto the court. Two other male teachers had joined the five guys to make the boys’ side, and two female teachers joined the girls. More games were beginning on other courts, but they had quite an audience.
“I’m nervous,” Joss said as the guys gathered to put on their bibs. “Every time I tell someone we’re playing the girls, they laugh.”
Fox waved a hand and tugged down his bib that displayed a C for Center. “How difficult can it be? It’s like basketball but without moving your feet.”
“It’s difficult to take you seriously when you’re standing there in a dress,” Kole said.
“It wouldn’t be so bad if your feet weren’t so big,” Stuart pointed out.
“Aren’t we supposed be talking tactics?” Owen gestured to the girls who were standing in a huddle, pointing around the court.
“Here’s the tactic,” Kole said. “Men win. Girls lose. And if you need an incentive, we’ve agreed on a prize. The losers have to act as the winners’ slaves for the rest of the day.” He arched an eyebrow.
They all thought about that for a moment. Even the eyes of the two teachers who weren’t part of a couple glazed over.
“Yeah,” Owen said. “That works.” The notion of Skye being his slave for the evening—of having to do exactly what he wanted—gave him goose bumps.
“Right.” Fox put out a hand, and they all placed theirs on top of it. “Let’s do it!”
With a triumphant roar, they broke up. In spite of the guys’ teasing, it was common when the Silver Ferns were playing for everyone to meet up in the local bar and watch the game together, so they knew all the rules.
The girls also broke up with a cheer and walked onto the court, and the guys paired up with them. Owen and Skye were playing Wing Defense and Goal Attack, so he knew part of his role was to stop her either scoring or getting the ball to Elle to score.
“Ready to be my slave for the evening?” He murmured the words as they took their positions.
Skye just turned bright eyes to him. “We’ll see.”
Across the court, the others were getting ready. Fox stood opposite Caitlin in the center. He was trying to distract her, presumably with some sexy talk, judging by the smile she was trying to hide, but she wasn’t having any of it.
The umpire flipped a coin, and Caitlin won the toss. Fox whispered something in her ear, and she whacked his arm before pushing him away. “Behave!” she snapped, her cheeks flushing. He backed off with a grin and winked at Owen.
The umpire blew the whistle, and the game began.
Chapter Seventeen
To the guys’ embarrassment, for the first five minutes the only time they managed to touch the ball was when Fox took a center pass after the girls had scored. Almost immediately, one of the girls whisked the ball away, and that was the last the guys saw of it before Elle or Skye popped it
into the hoop at the end.
“This is going to be humiliating.” Joss mumbled to Owen on the way back to his position after the girls scored yet another goal.
“Tell me something I don’t know.” Owen stood next to Skye. Her cheeks were flushed a pretty pink, and her eyes danced as they exchanged a glance. “You’re enjoying this far too much,” he said.
She leaned in close. “I’m having fun planning how I’m going to make you my slave.”
He tipped his head from side to side. “Actually, it doesn’t sound so bad.”
“You haven’t heard what I want you to do yet.”
He pictured her lying on the bed issuing instructions for where he should lick her. “Honey, just say the word and I’ll be there.”
“I was going to get you to do all my ironing and then weed the flowerbeds.”
His jaw dropped. “You’re kidding me.” She giggled, but didn’t answer him, and then the ball was in play and he had to concentrate as he raced around the court.
Saying it was a non-contact sport was a joke. Although a player had to be three feet away from their opponent when they had the ball, it didn’t stop players knocking into each other and sending them off balance. Owen was shocked by how physical the girls were, and he wasn’t the only one who ended up on his butt on several occasions.
Usually, a netball game consisted of four quarters of fifteen minutes, but today they were only playing two fifteen minute halves. Ten minutes in, the umpire paused the game so Kole could get a Band-Aid for a grazed elbow after Tasha tripped him up.
“This isn’t working.” Kole winced when the first-aid attendant wiped the area clean and covered the graze with the sticking plaster.
“Maisey’s never moved so fast to get away from me.” Joss grabbed a bottle of water and drank half of it in one go. “I didn’t realize how quick she was.”
“At this rate, I’m going to be cleaning the fridge for the rest of the evening,” Fox said sulkily.
The guys exchanged a look as it sunk in that all the girls were going to punish them for their arrogance by using the slavery prize to force them to do housework.
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