Page 56 of Home Town Knight

“Honestly? Not really. I didn’t think River would go that overboard. I just wanted to be upfront with you. But I’m not sorry you know.”

“It’s lonely, isn’t it? Being stuck in between, like you said. Wanting to do what’s right. Not always knowing what that is and not having anyone who understands.”

He nodded slowly. “So damn lonely.”

I knew how that felt. “What if it didn’t have to be?” Even if this connection only lasted for a few days more, a blink in our lives, I didn’t want to let it go. We’d already revealed so much of ourselves. Why not the rest?

Owen’s eyelids were heavy. His fingers twisted in my hair. His lips nudged mine. A request for permission, but this time, I made the move myself.

I closed that millimeter to seal our mouths together.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Owen

We’d been dancingaround this since I’d sat next to Genevieve in the Alpine bar. Inching closer to one another only to pull away. We’d each had our reasons to fight it.

I wanted to show Genevieve how good we could be together with nothing standing between us.

I broke the kiss and asked, “Want to finish breakfast later?”

She licked her lips. “What did you have in mind?”

“Shower to start. And then we could go back to bed, but without that barrier in our way.”

“I’m up for that. What about the station? Are they expecting you?”

“There are a few benefits to being sheriff. They’ll survive without me for an hour.” I caressed her chin. “As long as you’re sure.”

“I’m suddenly unemployed, and a killer is after me. I’m not sure about much of anything right now. But…the wild thing is, I think I like it.” She stretched up to press another kiss to my lips. “No, I definitely like it.”

I switched off the oven, grabbed her hand, and tugged her toward the bathroom.

When we stepped inside, I turned on the water to heat. Though there was already plenty of heat between us. Anticipation. Need. I saw it in the way she openly studied me from head to toe. “You undressing me with your eyes?” I asked.

“Only because you’re so slow. Why are you still wearing clothes?”

Chuckling, I pulled my tee over my head, then went for her top. It was obvious she wasn’t wearing a bra beneath, but still, I sucked in a breath when her pink nipples appeared. Pointed and eager for me.

I tossed our shirts aside and backed her against the counter. I had to take her mouth again. Our naked skin rubbed together, her nipples brushing my chest, and she shivered.

“Don’t worry,” I said, “I’ll get you nice and warm in just a minute.”

She wrapped her arms around my waist. “I’m sure you will.”

While we kissed, steam began to fill the small space. “Let’s get under the water.” I shoved my sweats down, doing the same with her tiny sleep shorts and her panties. Then I walked her backward and into the shower through the open glass door.

I put her under the water. She tipped her head back so it wet her hair, droplets cascading over the column of her neck and collarbones and over her breasts. I couldn’t resist bending down to chase those drops of water with my tongue. When I licked her pulse point, I felt it thrumming. My own breathing was labored.

If I was making a mistake, then how could it feel this damn good?

After almost two days of wanting this, I finally had her naked. We were exposed to each other. Genevieve knew the truth about me. My friends. It was scary how quickly she’dfigured it out once I’d filled in just a few of the blanks. She’d figuredmeout. I could’ve thrown more misdirections in her way if I’d wanted to. Clung to those secrets like a man afraid of drowning if he let go.

But then where would I have been? Safer, maybe. And so fucking lonely with the truth. Exactly like she’d said.

She’d seen through me because I’d let her. I hadn’t realized how much I’d craved that. And now here we were, stripped all the way down like there was some deeper, essential truth we could only reach together. Like we could find it written on the other’s skin or encoded in the frantic beating of the other’s heart. Hell, maybe we could. I wanted to explore every part of her.

My cock was half hard as I lathered up my hands and washed her body. I let Gen handle the shampoo, since I didn’t want to risk getting it in her eyes. Meanwhile I quickly ran suds over myself, using my shower gel on my hair too in order to speed things up.

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