by Shae Scott
“Fuck, Ally, you drive me crazy,” he admitted. I watched his gaze take me in, but instead of feeling shy again I just felt needy with desire. I needed his mouth on me again, his hands on my body. I reached up to run my hands along his chest; I also wanted him out of those pants. I wanted to see him the way he could see me.
Before I could manage to slide them away, Owen moved back over me and began to kiss me again. I was instantly distracted as the weight of his body pressed into me again. I bucked up to try and find some friction between us, even with the pants between us I could feel how hard he was and my body was trying to find a way to get closer.
I moaned loudly as Owen’s hand moved down my body once again, this time letting his fingers linger at the sensitive spot between my legs. I cried out as he rubbed the sensitive bud. “I love the way you feel beneath me. I want to do so many things to you, Ally. I want to take you to the edge and watch you tumble over. I want to make you scream my name,” his voice was a low rumble against my throat and it only added to the pleasure as he pushed one finger into me. I cried out at the sensation and began to move with him, my body responding to him instantly.
“You are already so wet for me.” He kissed my throat as I continued to whimper, with a second finger he pushed me a little further up that cliff he’d mentioned. “I want to taste you. I’ve wanted to taste you for so long, since that night in the barn.” He moved back down my body, a trail of kisses and nips on his way. When he reached his destination he gently pushed my legs apart and blew a breath against me. It was sweet torture. When his mouth covered me he got his wish as I called out his name. I was so keyed up and wound tight that I was instantly being taken higher. His mouth sucked and licked, exploring each delicate fold until I could feel my body begin to tremble.
“You’re so close, I can feel it. You’re trembling. I want to watch you fall apart, Ally. I want to know that I brought you to the brink. I want to feel you.” He went back to his assault, fingers, tongue and then I was falling. My hands gripped the sheets and I fell to pieces, oblivious to any other thoughts except for the pleasure that was coursing through me.
He kissed his way back to me and lay beside me. “You are so beautiful. That was amazing to watch,” he said. He brushed the hair off of my forehead and ran his fingers across my skin in a lazy pattern. I was still coming down from my orgasm as he tucked me into him.
“Owen,” I managed, my voice sounded far away to me.
“Yeah, Baby?” he ran his hands through my still damp hair. It was relaxing after my release.
“I want to see you come over the edge too,” I managed a look up at him and he smiled.
“Not tonight, Baby. Now we sleep,” he said.
I wondered why he didn’t want to go further or let me reciprocate in some way. I wanted to. I didn’t want to go to sleep. Well, that’s a lie. My eyes were heavy and I was feeling so relaxed and content and now that he had me pulled into him, my head on his bare chest, smelling his delicious Owen scent I was falling into a slumber before I knew it. For a moment I wondered if I had been dreaming all along.
Chapter Seventeen
I woke slowly the next morning. I was in that warm and cozy mode where I didn’t even want to move. The fog in my head began to fade as memories of the night before became clear in my head again. It was then that I became aware of the warm arms that had me encircled.
His skin was warm against me, like a personal heater. I liked it more than I probably should. I felt him stir behind me and then his breath warm against my ear. “Good morning.” His voice was raspy from sleep. I liked the way it sounded.
I turned in his embrace so that I was facing him. His hair was a mess and his gray eyes were still sleepy. I wanted to take this moment and freeze it. I wanted to be able to remember him just like this. This was a side of him that I had never seen and it was quickly becoming one of my favorites.
“Hi,” I smiled, a little shy.
“You’re wearing a shirt.” His fingers pulled at the strap of my top and he frowned. I giggled.
“I put it on last night. I was cold,” I admitted. Really, I’d just had to pee and the idea of getting back into bed completely naked had left me feeling a little vulnerable. So I’d put my panties and tank back on before crawling back into bed.
“I wasn’t keeping you warm enough?” he asked moving me in closer to him. I snuggled into his warm chest, taking in his scent and loving the warmth of his skin against my cheek.
“No worries, I am toasty warm right now,” I said.
Owen ran his fingers down along my arm, leaving a familiar hum along my skin. I was content and happy laying here. I didn’t want to think about anything else, just that I felt blissful lying in his arms. Last night had moved us forward on this confusing path, but I wasn’t ready to examine what it all meant just yet. I could do that later, when I was alone.
“So, I was thinking,” he said, pulling me from my fog. I could feel his voice against his chest and the sensation made me smile. “You want to go with me to see Granny today? I told her that I’d come see her, and I know that she would be thrilled to see you.”
I looked up at him and smiled. “Yeah?” I asked. I adored Owen’s grandmother. Owen and I had spent a lot of time out there when we were younger and when I’d lost my own grandparents I had kind of adopted his. They were genuine and I loved them.
“Yeah. I mean I don’t know what you have planned for today, but I’d love for you to come with me.”
“I would love to go see Granny. It’s been so long. I miss her.” The idea made me excited. It felt right. “Let’s go!” I moved to get up, but he pulled me back down.
“Hold on. I’m not done with this yet,” he said pulling me to him again. I settled myself back into the crook of him and sighed, content.
“I guess we can wait a little longer.”
After I showered and dressed, I made breakfast and coffee while Owen showered. We had somehow settled into a nice comfortable space together. I tried not to give it too much thought. That was my motto for now. I knew there was a lot of complicated mess around us, but for now, I just wanted to enjoy this time with him. I didn’t want to think about where it was going…or where it wasn’t. So I locked it all away and decided to just enjoy our day and whatever it brought to us.
We had to take a cab to pick up the Jeep from the bar. Once we had it retrieved we started out towards the small town of Butler, where we’d grown up. I was excited to see Granny. She was a special lady and had always been kind to me. Sometimes, I would go over with Owen, and while he’d be out working on the old cars with his grandpa she would teach me to cook her southern specialties and we would talk for hours. I hated that I had lost touch with her too. I especially hated that I hadn’t been around when she’d lost Grandpa. She had spent many afternoons telling me all about when they’d fallen in love and I hated that I hadn’t been there when she and Owen had gone through that loss. It would be strange to be there without him.
“How is she doing without him?” I asked. I had let him drive after he insisted. I liked letting him drive me around.
“She’s good. She’s always been a fighter. It was hard at first. I still worry about her being out there all alone, but she has a good group of people looking out for her. She misses him. We both do.” His eyes took on a sadness and I was sorry that I’d brought it up.
“I’m sorry, Owen. I know how much you loved him,” I touched his arm and he turned and gave me a smile.
“Thanks, Kit Kat.” He took my hand in his and rested it on the console between us.
We pulled up to the house and it was just as I remembered. It was a big farm house, painted white with dark blue shutters. I spotted the porch swing on the big wrap around porch and smiled. I had a thing for porch swings. Owen pulled up to the house and parked. I could tell he was excited to be here too.
“Let’s go see Granny.” He gave me a grin and jumped out. He came over to my side and opened my door.
“Th
anks,” I smiled as he helped me from the car like a gentleman. Granny had taught him well.
Owen kept my hand as we walked up towards the house. He didn’t bother knocking and we went in. I was suddenly washed in memories. It was like a blanket of comfort and home. I squeezed his hand as I took it all in.
“Gran, we’re here,” he called out.
“In the kitchen, Honey,” her voice greeted us. Owen led us through the living room and back to the kitchen. My smile was huge when we turned the corner and saw her at the counter, hands in the flour as she worked dough into a pie crust. ,
“Hey Granny,” he moved towards her and her face lit up.
“Oh, Boy, it’s about time you were here. I have missed your face.” She gave him a big hug; careful not to get him covered in flour.
“Me, too, Gran. I brought someone with me.” He winked at her and then Granny looked over in my direction.
“Dear, Lord, it’s Ally!” She moved towards me and I laughed.
“Hi, Granny,” I smiled, giving her a hug. Her body felt fragile, but welcoming.
“I can’t believe it. Where have you been? It’s so good to see you. You sure are a beautiful girl,” she smiled warmly at me.
“It’s been too long,” I agreed.
She shook her head and looked from me to Owen. “It’s good to see you two together again,” her eyes sparkled as she moved back to her pie making. “Now, Owen, grab us some sweet tea and take a seat. We have lots to catch up on.”
Sweet tea in hand, Owen and I each took a seat at the counter to watch her work. “What kind of pies are you making, Gran?” Owen asked her as we settled in.
“This one is apple, but I’m also gonna make a lemon one,” she smiled, pressing the crust into the glass pie pan.
“Yum. I have sure missed your pie,” I admitted. I’d tried to make my own versions over the years, the way she’d taught me, but they never tasted as good.
“Well, you can help me with this one if you want. Just like old times,” she said giving me a wink.
“I would love to,” I said.
“Grab yourself an apron so you don’t get that pretty dress dirty. Owen, honey, do you mind doing me a couple of favors? I have some lights that need changing and there is a loose board on the back steps that needs fixing. I hate to make you work while you are here, but I’d love it if you could help me out,” she gave him a sweet smile and I saw a bit of Owen in it. It was one of those smiles that could get you to do anything.
“Of course. I’ll do it now, while you two catch up.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek and headed off to grab some tools for the porch.
Granny gave me a conspiratorial look and grabbed a big mixing bowl for the pie filling. She pushed some of the ingredients my direction and a faded recipe card that I knew that she had no need for.
“So tell me, Ally, what have you been up to? How have you been?” she asked me as she returned to her dough for the second pie.
“Oh, just the normal stuff. I live in Nashville now. I work for a marketing company there. I really love it,” I smiled peeling up some tart green apples.
“That’s good. It’s good to enjoy your work. But what else? You aren’t married?” she asked nodding to my hands, where there was no ring.
“No. Haven’t crossed that off the list yet,” I smiled at her.
“It’s nice to see you and Owen spending time together. He sure did miss you when you stopped coming around. I always thought that the two of you had something special,” she gave me a pointed look and I felt the blush creep across my cheeks.
“Oh, Granny, we’re just friends, you know that,” I smiled. She gave me a look that said I wasn’t fooling her.
“Maybe you have always been friends, but you are good for him. I worry about him sometimes, up there in that big city. All he does is work and try to make more money. I worry that he’ll forget about the important things that make a life. But seeing you here with him, I worry a little less.”
I thought about her words. I’d like to think that I could remind him of the important things, but I knew him and the intense need he had to make something important of himself. He needed that kind of security. It was important to him. He let it define his success.
“He works hard. He’s always wanted to do big things,” I said.
“I know. He had a lot of bad examples in his life. I can’t fault him for putting those things first. But I wish he’d let go a little. There is a lot more to life than money and success. Those are the things that I always wanted to teach him. I don’t want him to miss out on those things. When it’s over, those are the things that matter,” her voice took on a reminiscent one and I smiled at her.
“He’ll get there. He just has to prove something to himself first,” I assured her. I wasn’t sure that I believed that, but I knew it was important to her. It was important to me too.
By the time that we had the pies in the oven, Owen had returned from his chores and had joined us at the kitchen table. We chatted away and got caught up on local happenings and told old stories. It was nice and I clung to the moment and the sense of peace and home that came with it.
As the afternoon wore on Granny started to get tired and told us she needed to rest a little before dinner. Owen wanted to go and check on the barn where his Grandpa’s old cars were stored. I followed him outside where he had parked an old four wheeler.
“Hop on, Kit Kat,” he smiled patting the seat behind him.
“You aren’t going to let me drive?” I asked giving him a pout. He laughed.
“Uh, no. Sorry. But I’ll let you hold on tight,” he waggled his eyebrows at me and I rolled my eyes.
“Lucky me,” I said sarcastically. But as I climbed on and wrapped my arms around his waist, feeling the hard muscles beneath his shirt, I knew that I was indeed very lucky.
We rode down to the old barn and parked. “I kind of wish that it had taken longer to get here. I like the way it feels when you hold on to me like that,” he said, keeping my arms wrapped around him, pulling them tighter. I liked it too.
“Well, you get to drive me back eventually,” I laughed.
“True. I’ll take the long way,” he grinned as he released me and got off of the 4 wheeler. He turned to help me off. “Ally, you know you and these sundresses are going to be the death of me,” he gave me a serious look and I laughed.
“What? It’s warm. I have to take advantage of it while I can. It’s gonna turn cold soon,” I said swinging my leg over so that I was sitting in front of him. He placed a hand on each thigh and I shivered as he moved them across the bare skin beneath my skirt.
“Hmmm, well, maybe I should take advantage of the warm weather too,” he offered, rubbing his thumb across my skin. I felt the fire begin to heat. It was always lying in wait, close to the surface, waiting for a simple touch to ignite it to full flame.
“You could,” I agreed. I saw his gaze darken as he moved closer to me.
“You are dangerous,” he smirked. He moved one hand to my face, brushing my hair behind my shoulders. “I want to kiss you…but with you I always get carried away.” He made no move to put space between us. I rested my hands against his chest and held his gaze. I ran my teeth against my bottom lip at the anticipation of his kiss.
“You aren’t playing fair,” he said darkly.
“Kiss me,” I said, my voice quiet.
He didn’t question me. He brought up his other hand and cradled my face and then covered my mouth with his. It was sweet, tender. I could feel the passion building, but he held back and kept the kiss slow and gentle. It melted me. His tongue moved slowly against mine as he took his time tasting me. It was perfect.
He broke the kiss and smiled down at me. “Killing me,” he muttered. I smiled and he helped me down to my feet. He kept my hand in his as we moved to the old barn. Owen opened up one of the stalls and as we walked in, I noticed the row of old gems lined up in a row.
“Wow, look at these!” I took in the history and the
pride of Grandpa Jack. I counted six old beauties. I couldn’t identify what they all were but they were all amazing.
“They are great aren’t they? He loved these cars. He had a story behind each one. I used to love coming out here and working on them with him. Those are some of my favorite memories. I should come here more and finish what we started,” he said. His voice sounded far away as he ran his hand across the black paint of an old Chevelle. That one had always been my favorite.
“I bet he would like that,” I agreed. I followed him down the line as he inspected the old cars. “Tell me about them.” I wanted to hear the stories that he’d grown up with. I felt like he needed to tell them. He smiled at me and I watched as he took in the barn. I saw the smile spread across his face, the memories flashing in his eyes. I loved seeing this side of him. He’d been good here. Carefree. This was his family, his foundation.
He walked me down the line, stopping at each classic to tell me a story about how he and his granddad had worked at fixing it up, or where it came from, or why he loved it so much. With each story the lines around his eyes would crinkle and it made my heart melt. This was him, pure and simple. Listening to him had me falling for him more and more.
We reached the end of the line and Owen helped me up into the bed of an old truck. And we each took a seat on the wheel wells across from one another. “I miss that man. He was one of the best people I knew. You know, growing up and spending all that time out here with him, I never gave it much thought, it was just good times. I never realized he was teaching me about life while we were out here,” he chuckled as he thought about it.