Page 22 of It Was Always You

“Yeah, we can call it a day. You managed to get it down from over twenty minutes to ten so I’m calling that a win and cause for celebration,” he remarks, walking over to me and holding out a hand to pull me up.

“Any chance that celebration can happen outside? Seeing all that greenery and not being able to go out is torture.” The cabin fever is real right now after just over three weeks here.

“Tell you what, why don’t you shower and I’ll sort out dinner? And I’ll see what I can do about getting you outside soon,” he suggests just like he does most days.

“You sure?” At his nod, I stand on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek before leaving.

Maybe I’ll put on one of the lingerie sets I bought with Abbie and use that to show him my appreciation.

Chapter 18

Cora Montgomery deserves the world and I’ll be damned if I give her anything less. If a romantic picnic date is the best I can pull off for now, then I’m going to make this the best damn picnic she has ever seen.

Blankets and pillows in place, I set about twisting some fairy lights around the nearby trees and finishing off the setup by scattering and lighting candles around the edges to add to the atmosphere.

Finding a heart-shaped serving board at the back of one of the cupboards, I use the wine glass trick to make little flower- shaped bundles of deli meat and then create a meat and cheese board. I plate up an array of finger food, including some of the mini quiches I made last night along with chocolate-dipped strawberries.

After popping everything into a basket with a bottle of wine, I toss the pizza in the oven and have a quick shower in the downstairs bathroom, then pull on some dark jeans and a dark grey Henley.

My girl likes to drool over my muscles, after all.

I finish setting everything up just as I hear her footsteps descending from the bedroom. My heart skips a beat when I see her. She’s wearing a white off-the-shoulder knit dress that shows off just the right amount of cleavage, paired with a chunky cardigan and knee-high socks, her hair flowing in soft waves. Fuck, she’s beautiful. It’s all I can do not to jump on her then and there.

I walk over to her and grab her hand, leading her into the kitchen as she asks me, “You look handsome. Do you need any help with dinner?”

With a grin, I cover her eyes with my hands. “It’s all taken care of.” I lead her outside, only uncovering her eyes when we’re a foot away from the picnic setup. Her gasp has me feeling like I’m on top of the world for putting a look of such pure joy on her face.

“Owen…this…it’s beautiful,” she says, her eyes glistening with emotion as she pulls me into a deep, searing kiss. I wrap my arms around her, pulling her into me, and enjoy the taste and the feel of her pressed up against me.

“You’re beautiful,” I tell her, pulling away before taking her hand and leading her over. “And just in case, if there’s any misunderstanding. This is a date, our first of many, I hope.” Her cheeks take on a red hue as she blushes adorably.

We settle down and make small talk as we eat before lying down and stargazing, with her pointing out star constellations. But as the night deepens, we fall silent, content just to hold hands and watch the stars.

After a while, Cora turns to face me, cardigan slipping off one shoulder as she says with a heated look, “Are you ever going to do more than tease me, Owen Jameson?”

“What kind of gentlemen would I be if I didn’t honour the traditional three-date rule? And by my count, this is only our first.” I roll over to face her and prop my head up on one hand while I trace patterns on her bare shoulder with the other.

“Now, you’re just being mean.” She pouts, shifting closer to me and tilting her head to kiss me. Wine and cheese never tasted so good. With a moan, I thrust my tongue into her mouth, wishing air wasn’t a necessity and I could stay here forever.

Needing more, I gently push her back onto the blanket, my body pressing down on hers and enjoying the feel of her soft curves against my hard edges.

Devouring her mouth, I kiss her desperately, and she arches up to grind herself against me. The feeling of her tugging on my hair has my balls drawing tight with the need to bury myself inside her.

“Owen, please,” she begs, and fuck if that’s not the prettiest sound I’ve ever heard.

“Are you going to be my good girl?” I hum, kissing down her neck, stroking her nipple over her little dress. Fuck me, she’s not wearing a bra.

“I’ll be so good, I promise, just please touch me.”

I move further down, licking her exposed chest before locking eyes with her as I gently brush her neckline down to reveal her gorgeous tits to me. Fuck. They are perfect. A perfect handful, topped with the tightest pink nipples just begging for my mouth to wrap around them. Which is exactly what I do after she nods, thrusting her chest towards me. Nipping and sucking at one of her nipples, I play with the other, kneading and squeezing and loving her reactions. She makes the hottest noises that I’ll never get enough of.

“Please, Owen, I need more, I need you.”

“You’ll take what I give you, when I give you. Only good girls get rewards.” I quirk an eyebrow at her before teasing her some more and then stripping my shirt off. For a few seconds, I just look at her, soaking this moment in. For years, I’ve dreamed of having a chance to show her how I feel about her and now that she’s laid out in front of me, I’m scared I’ll fuck this up and she’ll realise she can do way better than me.

Shaking that thought away, I focus on the here and now.

I’ll be damned if I don’t make the most of this, and treasure every second she allows me to worship her.

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