Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 36820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 184(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 184(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
Owen flips absently through the apps on the television, but I can tell his mind is reeling, because he doesn’t settle on anything. I wonder if he’s still thinking about the kiss in the bathroom.
It was mutual.
We both let it happen.
“Can we talk about the other night?” he asks, voice gruff.
“I suppose we should.”
He leans forward to set the remote down and then angles his body toward me. As his navy-blue eyes drag over my face, my lower belly flutters with desire. So much for thinking the kiss was a mistake. I’d like to kiss him again.
What about Mom?
Even though their relationship is fake, there’s still just something decidedly wrong about pursuing her husband.
“I’m sorry for what I did,” he blurts out with a huff. “That was fucked up on my part.”
His words sting and I can’t help but flinch. “You didn’t do it alone, Owen.”
He doesn’t move away when I take hold of his hand. It’s easily the size of both of mine. I feel like a fairy princess beside this guardian angel of a man. Tiny, fragile, safe.
“I think I’ve just been lonely for a long time,” he admits in a whisper. “Leah, my ex-wife, was cold and often bordering on cruel. And what me and Jin have is transactional. With you…”
My heart catches in my throat.
With you.
Two words that sound so intimate and blazing with intensity.
I squeeze his hand to encourage him to continue.
“With you, I can feel parts of me waking up from a deep slumber. Or maybe it’s as if I’m finally being freed of the shackles I put on when I signed up for this life.” He swallows hard. “But it’s wrong to let myself get pulled into your orbit. Wrong for so many reasons.”
His words make sense, but I don’t like them. I’m beginning to realize that I like Owen as a human, but also more. He says he feels as if he’s been woken up when he’s around me. For me, it’s like I’m finally thawing after eighteen years of living in a cold, ice-covered world.
“Naturally the first guy I catch feelings for is someone unattainable,” I grumble, half playful, half not.
He reaches up with his other hand to stroke my cheek with his knuckle. “Just so you know, I feel the same way.”
We stare into each other’s eyes long enough that lava starts to flow through my veins, settling in my core. Owen breaks the silent, heated stare-off with a clear of his throat.
“Guess we should watch the movie.”
I give him a small, clipped nod. When his hand pulls from mine, I scoot a hair away from him so I’m not directly touching the man.
Distance is good.
But if it’s so good, why do I feel so cold again?
Chapter 7
Owen
My feet hurt.
Tiny prickles of pain pierce through my haze, dragging me into full awareness. The sound of chattering teeth are what fully pull me from my slumber.
I’m in the backyard again.
In my boxers and nothing else.
And I’m not alone.
“Owen, please come back inside,” a panicked voice says over the hiss of the frigid wind. “You’re scaring me.”
Her words fully snap me out of it. Standing in nothing but her pajamas is Mei. Sweet, worried Mei. My brain goes from being confused straight to fixer mode. She lets out a squeak of surprise when I scoop her into my arms bridal style. I trudge through the snow with my ass on fire and nearly slip on the icy porch steps on my ascent. Mei clings to me as if I might drop her.
Not going to happen.
As soon as we’re inside, I set her to her feet and then lock up the house. The alarm makes its familiar beeping sound as it engages again. My feet really hurt and I wonder how long I’d been standing out there.
“I’ll get a fire going,” I rasp out as I hobble toward the living room.
“Are you awake awake?”
The concern in her voice for me makes me want to hug her. So, I do. I tug the slight girl to me and crush her in my hold.
“I’m sorry for scaring you,” I murmur against her honey-scented hair. “I just want to get the both of us warmed up.”
She nods and then I release her, hating how hard she shivers. While I start the fire, I note that she disappears. I can hear her rummaging around in the kitchen and then the microwave beeps. As I lay out a blanket to sit on in front of the fireplace, Mei emerges from the kitchen with two mugs in hand.
“Carol sent me with some tea. She says it’ll help you sleep.”
I’m skeptical, but I accept the drink she’s made for me. We sit close on the floor, our legs stretched out and feet pointed toward the fire. The fiery warmth makes my toes sting as the feeling returns to them.