Hidden Flames (17 page)

It was such a Prue comment that it made him laugh. Owen leaned down and kissed her upturned nose at the same time securing the peanut butter cup into her hand. She took a step back and was already unwrapping the package by the time he’d closed the door behind them. He didn’t waste time grabbing his pack that he’d set just inside the door and made his way through the darkened house.

The temperature was somewhat chilled and Owen didn’t look forward to the cold water, but it was better than nothing. He lifted the handle and immediately the spray came out of the showerhead—ice cold. He’d bathed in worse and quickly discarded his clothes and snatched a small bottle of body wash out of his toiletry bag. He was done in less than two minutes, using the same wash for his hair. Damn, but that was brutal. He’d just wrapped a towel around his waist when Prue got the better of him. She must have opened the bathroom door while he’d been in the shower. Either that or he was slipping in his skills.

“No need for clothes.” Prue was standing in the doorway definitely not wearing the clothes he’d seen her in earlier. She had one hand perched on her hip and the other slid gracefully against the doorframe. Owen took a moment to catch his breath as well as let his eyes settle over her body. She was so elegantly beautiful underneath those practical clothes she wore that her loveliness outshined any image he’d conjured up in his mind. “I don’t know about you, but I would really like to celebrate the fact that we’re alive.”

Owen heard every word she said, but he was still soaking in her beauty. Her breasts were heavy, yet quite pert, with hardened peaks that were a shade darker than her lips. Her waist curved in, but not too much—curvy was the perfect description for her hourglass figure. Her bare mound was exactly as he’d pictured it…bare with her lovely swollen clit displayed for him to see. His fingers itched to touch her, yet he held back. He smiled when he saw that she still wore her multi-colored striped socks.

“What can I say?” Prue shrugged with a cute little smirk. “My feet are cold.”

“You could be wearing a burlap sack and it still wouldn’t detract from how stunningly beautiful you are, Prue.” Owen forced himself to lean against the sink and cross his arms. He noticed that her eyes followed his movements, but he refused to take a step toward her until he’d heard the promise he needed fall from her pretty lips. “We had a really rough day, one that started out with you saying that you only wanted to be friends with benefits.”

“That is very true. I did say that,” Prue admitted with a nod of her head, seemingly not fazed that he wanted to have this conversation while she was nude and he was wearing nothing but a towel. He was a tad bit uncomfortable, but he’d never show that beyond the growing bulge under the fabric. “I’ve changed my mind.”

“See, you might think you’ve changed your mind, but—”

“How long have you known me?” Prue asked, slowly dropping her arm and sauntering his way. Owen did his best to keep his eyes on hers instead of her swaying, tantalizing hips. “Over a year and have I ever said anything that would make you doubt my sincerity? You were a complete ass with the way you handled my suggestion earlier—getting me off, but not allowing me to do the same for you? That wasn’t the best thing you could have done considering it made me feel cheap. Technically, I’m not so sure I’m over being angry with you for that, but it is what it is. We’ll work it out because we are all we have. You have a few things to learn also. And before you say that’s not a good enough reason or maybe even it’s wrong to look at it like that…you have proven me wrong time and time again. Not all men are like my father, my ex, or the numerous other assholes that weren’t worthy of my time. I witnessed the lengths you are willing to go to in order to keep me safe, and actions speak a hell of a lot louder than words, Marine Boy.”

Owen didn’t know quite what to say to that, but he did believe every word she just said. He’d waited for this moment for a very long time. He wasn’t surprised when her impatience got the better of her and she reached for his hand, lacing their fingers together as she drew him away from the sink he was leaning on. She led him into the bedroom where she’d lit a couple of candles. She’d already stripped the bed and his bedroll had been spread out over the mattress.

“Prue…”

“Looking for this?” Prue asked, leaning forward slightly to pick up the small square package from the bedroll that certainly hadn’t come from his stash. Owen always carried, regardless if he was involved with someone or not. “Don’t be so surprised that I have my own. I like to be prepared…just like a Boy Scout.”

“You like to keep me on my toes, I’ll give you that,” Owen said, slipping the foiled packet into the palm of his hand while wrapping his arm around her lower back. He gently brought her body to his, wanting to close his eyes and relish her softness. He didn’t because he still had something to say. Prue looked up at him in silence, one of the few times he’d witnessed it, and she lifted a hand to his face while he managed to get the words out. “You really, really had me scared when you drove off on the motorcycle with
him
behind you. I don’t think you truly understand how much I care for you or that you have a very special place in my life. I do believe you that this reaction isn’t inspired by the moment and I don’t ever want you to lose faith in me. I would walk to the ends of the earth for you, Prue Whitaker.”

“I don’t want you walking anywhere just this moment,” Prue whispered, so unlike the woman who worked in his garage. This was her softer side—the one that few people had the privilege of knowing and he wouldn’t take that for granted. “I want you right here with me, inside of me.”

Owen was confident they’d said all that needed to be said. He leaned down and kissed her. He didn’t brush his lips across hers or take his time. Their passion had broken to the surface. She tasted sweet with a hint of peanut butter and he couldn’t get enough. He turned her so that he could slowly guide her down onto his bedroll, grateful they weren’t making love on the cold hard ground.

“Drop the towel,” Prue whispered into his ear, nipping it with her teeth.

Owen smiled and gradually pulled away. He placed his knee in between her legs to give him leverage, lifting up on his hands, which were on either side of her head. It was more than apparent by the sweep of her hand that she was waiting expectantly for him to follow her order. She was definitely a firecracker, but she was about to learn that he wasn’t as laid back in bed as he was with life in general. There were few indulgences he awarded himself—a woman’s pleasure was one of them.

“No.”

Owen firmly gave his answer and then went back to loving Prue, ignoring her surprise. He brushed his lips across her shoulder and then tasted her with his tongue. Her smooth skin was sweet from the body wash she’d used.

“What do you—oh!”

Owen took her nipple in between his lips, sucking the hardened peak into his mouth. Prue arched and didn’t finish her question, which undoubtedly had to do with the fact that he wasn’t removing his towel. She didn’t get to control this situation the way she did his shop or everything else in her life. He wanted her to let go of responsibility and enjoy everything he was about to offer her.

Prue’s fingers dug into Owen’s shoulders, but he didn’t mind at all. He wrapped his fingers around her left breast, massaging her ample flesh while he continued to nibble on her nipple. One of her hands wrapped around the back of his neck, but he ignored her tug. She also didn’t get to rush this. Who knew how long it would be before they had another moment like this in a secured environment?

“Owen, I need more,” Prue murmured, running her fingers up into his hair and tightening her grip. “Now.”

“Relax and enjoy my pace, sweetheart,” Owen reassured her, trailing small kisses over the swell of her chest until he got to her other breast. He drew her other nipple into his mouth, garnering a low moan from her that went straight to his cock. His towel might very well come off on its own. “We don’t know when the next time will come.”

“Then we’ll do it twice.” Prue wrapped her legs around his waist, using her strength to pull him toward her. He laughed and resisted, releasing her breasts and kissing her abdomen until he was settled in between her legs, the towel still wrapped around his waist. “Oh God, yes.”

Owen had used his fingers to separate her folds and then gently licked her clit. He thought about responding to her comment with the overused reply most men used that he wasn’t God, but he didn’t want take time to stop what he was doing. Her skin might have tasted sweet, but it wasn’t nearly as delicious as her cream. She hooked her heels over his shoulders and buried her fingers into his hair, completely lost in this of all moments. Her innate response to him made up for the long, lonely nights that he’d waited for her to surrender.

Prue was totally abandoned in her reaction and true to her nature, she was every bit as passionate in bed as she was out of it. He watched mesmerized when she released her hold on him and brought her hands up to her breasts. She rolled her nipples between her fingers and pleasured herself, arching and moaning with unabashed ecstasy.

Owen shifted so that he could bring his hand underneath him and add to her indulgence. He slid his middle finger inside of her, arching it just so in order to rub her sweet spot in concert with the stroke of his tongue. Prue dug her heels into his back a little harder, letting him know that he’d succeeded. He added a second finger and then slowly continued to thrust in and out of her, all the while suckling gently on her clit while she lightly pinched her nipples. It must have been enough to send her over the edge, judging by her reaction.

“Owen, Owen, Owen,” Prue chanted in a whisper as he slowly brought her down, gradually decreasing the pressure of his tongue and removing his fingers. She didn’t move for a good minute. She finally lifted up on her elbows to look at him, the candlelight highlighting her sensual form. “Condom?”

Owen smiled, although he didn’t reply right away. Instead, he stood up from the bed and took a moment to take in her beauty. Her dark eyes were watching him intently, waiting for his fingers to do her bidding. It was more than apparent one orgasm hadn’t taken the edge off for her and he would do his damndest to make sure that happened. One thing was for sure…

“At least you know my name now.”

I
t took Prue
a moment to understand what Owen had been referring to and she had to laugh, albeit somewhat shakily. Her orgasm had risen up so quickly that she wasn’t so sure she’d be able to stand anytime soon. She’d never experienced something so intense and was grateful when he’d given her time to recover. She narrowed her eyes as she realized he still wasn’t removing the towel.

“You can lose the towel any time, Marine.”

“Really? You did mention that before,” Owen replied, capturing her ankle in his warm hand when she tried to use her toes to grab ahold of the terry cloth material. “I’m not big on following orders in bed, sweetheart. I tend to be the dominant one when it comes to that area.”

Owen’s voice was like molasses and literally seeped into every pore of Prue’s body until several shivers overcame her. It might have been how he’d said those words—so commanding—but it didn’t matter in the end as long as he eventually dropped that towel. How could he be that sexy and how the hell had she resisted him for this long? He was purposefully making her wait and damn if that didn’t make her clit throb even more. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t just had an earthshattering orgasm, and yet she was practically gasping for another one.

Owen’s body could have been sculpted from clay. The way his skin contoured over his muscles made her want to touch him and memorize every square inch of him. She was about to sit up when she caught the slight shake of his head. Her stomach fluttered at another one of his subtle directives, causing her to discover something new about herself. It was exciting to be with a dominant man who knew how to handle himself.

Prue loved how Owen made her feel as if this moment between them was more important than anything else. The world was in chaos and society had broken down, yet he’d given her this gift of time. He lifted her ankle and then tenderly pressed a sensual kiss against her sensitive skin, not rushing and allowing both of them to enjoy this.

“Lay back down. Relax,” Owen affectionately directed, guiding her leg back down until the underside of her foot was supported by the bed. His hands appeared to move in slow motion until his fingers slid in between the soft fabric and his Florida sun-kissed flesh. Prue wanted to be the one to kiss his skin, but that would have to wait for another time because he definitely had other things on his mind. His outlined abs drew down into a V and she was finally able to see what he’d been hiding underneath that towel…and what a view it was. “This is what you do to me, sweetheart.”

Owen’s cock was long and hard; the width was quite impressive as he took his time rolling on the condom that he’d just extracted from its wrapper. His upper thighs were cut in that masculine way she’d only ever seen on an underwear model. He could have made millions, but now he was all hers thanks to the apocalypse. Wasn’t he always telling her to look on the brighter side of things? Was this her silver lining?