Page 13 of Uniquely in Love

His eyes dipped down to my lips, and I wondered if he was thinking the same thing. How easy it would be to fall back into what we’d been before. How much we both wanted it.

I reached up a hand and ran my fingers through his hair.It was longer than it had been when we were together, though that shouldn’t have been surprising.

“What if—” I started, at the same time he opened his mouth.

“We should?—”

Pulling back, I motioned for him to go first.

“We shouldn’t.”

I frowned, starting to pull away. The rejection stung. “Oh. But…”

“We shouldn’t, butdamnif I don’t want you.” Owen’s hand wrapped around the back of my neck, dragging us closer together. If I moved even a hair, my lips would be on his.

“I know,” I murmured, trying to resist the pull. The urge. There was a magnetism between us, pulling us together. That was how it had been our whole lives. The only reason we’d been able to stay apart for this long was avoiding each other. It was a cruel fate to have each other, to want each other, but not be able to keep each other.

“What if we just have tonight? One night,” I promised. “You’re going back to Seattle, anyway.” And then he’d be gone, back to his life of hockey and models, and I’d be here.

“One night,” he agreed.

And then his lips were on mine.

Everything else melted away.

Because Owen Harper kissing me was better than anything else.

The kiss was soft at first, a gentle press of his lips against mine, like he was re-acquainting himself with my mouth. His palm was warm against the back of my neck, and I slipped mine around his as I shifted my position, climbing onto his lap. The first stroke of his tongue against my lips, encouraging me to open for him, and I melted, kissing him back with just as much fervor. I needed more. Rocking my hips against his, Imoaned when my core pressed against his length through his jeans.

It brought back memories I tried not to think about unless I was alone in the dark. He was big back then, too, and right now, I wanted to feel him everywhere.

“Fuck,” he groaned, as I rubbed myself against his erection. “Baby, you have to stop.”

I whimpered. “Why?” It wouldn’t take much for me to come. Not like this.

“Because I’m not fucking you in this treehouse, Ellie. Not when anyone could come outside and hear us.”

Oh. I supposed that made sense. “Right.” I ran my tongue over my lower lip. “Then where…”

“You said you were spending tonight at your apartment, right?Alone?” Owen quirked an eyebrow.

“Yes,” I said in a rush. There would be no chance of interruption. Penelope was spending tonight at with her parents. That was where I’d expected Owen to stay, too. But I liked the idea of him staying with me.

Closure. It was all that we could offer each other, but I would take it.

“Let’s go, Hockey Boy.”

His eyes were dark, full of heat. He pressed his lips against mine once more before standing up, taking me with him.

“Wait,” I murmured, before he could angle us towards the stairs. “The snacks.”

Owen laughed, and the sound was a balm to my aching heart.

An hour later,Owen’s car was parked in front of the apartment I’d rented with Penny near campus. After a quick stop at the store, there was a bag in the back, and it had beenhard just to keep our hands off of each other long enough to make the drive here.

“Are you sure?” he asked, resting his forehead against mine. Neither one of us had moved to get out of the car, and I knew the second we did, everything would change.

But I wanted his mouth on mine. Wanted his weight over my body, surrounded by his warmth. Wanted to feel him inside of me one last time. If this was all of him I got, I wanted to savor it. Part of me knew I’d remember this for a long time.

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