Page 98 of Staying for You

“Of course I do. But you need to realize I had a hand in it, also. I mean, it’s mostly you,” she teases and I smirk. “But yeah, I was the one who said the things to Gretchen that made you react the way you did in the first place. I didn’t mean it, either. Just like you, I was scared.”

“You were scared, sweetheart?”

“I was. But I’m not anymore.”

“No?”

“Nope.”

“Good. I’m not scared, either. So you’ll stay?”

“For you? Yeah. I knew all along that one day, I’d be staying for you.”

Epilogue

Cami

Six WeeksLater

“I love you.”

“I love you.” My leg is up on Owen’s shoulder, the good one that doesn’t get looked at later today to make sure he’s completely healed up and he can finally ditch the sling. My other leg is bent, foot planted into the mattress next to my butt at the corner of the bed. How he’s managing it in the cast still on his lower leg is beyond me, but he doesn’t seem to mind. Right now, I don’t either. As long as he’s not in pain or uncomfortable, I’m good with it.

He drives hard into me, grips my thigh and grunts, repeating himself, “Love you.”

Since we said the words just last week, we say them often. It’s hard not to when you’re feeling what we’re feeling.

A deep love that’s meant to last. He’s incredible and has been by my side with every single detail of the case against Scott, which, we have learned, is quite complicated because he’s crossed so many state lines in his path of crimes. Between the assault against Owen in Minnesota, assault on Helen (who thankfully agreed to press charges and even though it was past, because her friends stepped up and said what they saw, she was able to make progress there) in Tennessee, ordering a hit on me with a man who lives in Arizona, and money laundering from my business in Tennessee, he’s got a laundry list of crimes to pay for. Having myself incorporated seemed like a pain in the ass at the time, but since that’s where Scott was stealing and hiding away money from, it turns out that it’s a positive. And when I go back to Tennessee, Owen’s promised to be right there with me.

Since I arrived back at The Escape, things have moved quickly. And that’s fine with me. My heart had been divorced long ago, so even though technically it’s just recent, I don’t feel like I’ve rushed into a new relationship.

We have Helen staying in the cabin I spent my weeks in, and eventually, if it comes to that, she’ll move into a two-bedroom cabin so she has room for the baby. While Owen and I are progressing together quickly, things with Helen haven’t moved forward. She’s confused, scared, and unsure of her next steps. We both understand that and are here just to offer up support however we can.

She’s a hard worker and loves to clean and said she wouldn’t stay here for nothing. If she was going to get something, she was going to give in return. Her return is helping out by cleaning cabins and greeting guests, checking them in. She also has quite the green thumb and loves to plant flowers so she has been using those skills to really make The Escape look beautiful. Owen told her to “have at it” and she did. Went a little hog wild with his credit card at the nursery but he didn’t even blink an eye. Just smiled at her and said to have fun and right then I fell a little more in love with him.

It might seem strange, that I would accept her so easily. But she came to me, open and honest about where she’d screwed up. Laid it all on the line and was up front about her mistakes. Owned them and apologized. To me, that says a lot about a person’s character. She wasn’t on my doorstep asking for a handout or wanting me to help her in any way. She was there because she needed to be rid of the guilt that was plaguing her.

She made a mistake, just like every single person walking this earth has done also. Just like I have done many times and will continue to do many more. What kind of person would I be if I just turned her away without listening and hearing her side of the story?

And besides, Owen and I both believe that actions speak louder than words and right now, her actions are speaking volumes. So is the smile on her face every time she’s working hard.

Owen hits a spot that sends me almost tipping over the edge but not quite. He doesn’t want me there just yet and he knows how to prolong the orgasm and hold me back.

“Fuck, you feel good,” he growls, gripping my thigh a little harder. I might have a mark from it and I’m totally okay with that.

I moan, slide my hands up his firm stomach and grip his strong chest, lifting my hips just a fraction of an inch in the process.

“The best,” I mutter and pant then I feel his hips drive even harder into me again and I’m soaring. Loving every single second of the way he can make me feel.

He moans and then calls out my name on a shout before he powers into me through his release, drawing my own out.

We get our breathing under control then he pulls out, letting me quickly make my way to the bathroom while clutching everything tight so I don’t leak everywhere. He cleans himself up with a towel then hobbles into the bathroom on his crutches.

It’s funny how comfortable we are around each other. He washes his hands while I continue cleaning up then I step into the shower. He brushes his teeth and then stays to talk to me while I shampoo and condition my hair.

When I got back to The Escape, it took us both a few days to be ready to have sex again. Me, because my head was rushing off in so many different directions. Him, because he needed to be sure that I was with him. That he and I were on the same page.

We talked. A lot. A lot a lot. To the point where I was annoyed with talking.

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