I sigh and allow myself to relax into his touch, closing my eyes as I lean into his chest, resting my head against it.
There’s a moment of silence between us—neither of us really knowing what to say or how to say it—given the fact that this totally goes against what we agreed to.
How dare he? After what he pulled, he comes strutting in here and pulls a stunt like this? And then scolds me?
“So did you come here just to give me a spanking and make me feel bad?” I ask, turning my gaze upwards to meet his. “Or did you just want to rub this all in my face?”
I see his expression soften, and he frowns, brows furrowing together in what almost looks like hurt.
“I was worried about you, actually.”
His words hit me like a brick in the chest and I gasped softly, my lips forming an O in surprise.
“Oh,” I say. “Well, I wasn’t expecting that. After everything, I mean.”
He says nothing and instead just smiles softly, sending a warm fuzzy feeling through my body. I’m not used to feeling cared for, and I have to admit…it’s kind of nice.
I could easily get used to this—the feeling of having someone. I know it’s not right being with Owen, but for now, I’m going to let myself enjoy it.
I curl myself into him further, snuggling my face into the soft linen of his shirt and sigh, closing my eyes again.
“Thank you,” I sigh, gently running my fingers along the hem of his shirt.
“Don’t mention it.”
I hear the ding of the elevator, and I startle slightly when he moves forward, so I grasp the collar of his shirt.
We make our way through the main floor, and between the swaying of his footsteps, the warmth of his body against mine, and the steady beating of his heart against my ear, I feel myself start to drift off.
Being in his arms feels good, however taboo it may actually be. The heat radiating off his strong body, the way he nearly swallows me up when he wraps me in his arms, and the concern he showed me when he woke me up is a wonderful combination.
As I continue to relax and drift in his arms, I realize something.
He makes me feel safe.
He halts to open the door, and the loss of movement startles me awake and I gasp, once again tightening my grip on his collar.
I don’t quite hear him laugh, but I can feel the soft rumble through his chest, and it sends a tingle through me, warming my thoughts and relaxing me even further.
“Let’s get you out of here,” he says, shaking his head.
I feel the cool night air hit my skin as we walk outside through the door of the office building, and I glance up just in time to see Owen’s limo waiting.
I know it’s not right, but right now I don’t care; I’m just happy to be in his arms.
Chapter 25
Owen
I carefully place Mira in the back of the limo, allowing her to stretch her legs across the back seat. Not wanting to be tempted by her any more than I already am, I take one of the side seats next to her and buckle myself in.
I watch her start to drift off again for a moment, gently stroking her hair and wondering what she’s dreaming about. She looks so peaceful there, lying motionless while passing street lamps send beams of light dancing across her face.
“Sir? Where to next?” The driver’s voice cuts in through the backseat speaker, interrupting my thoughts, but he’s speaking so softly that my pretty little passenger doesn’t even stir.
We can’t go back to my place. Lis Langley has been camped out there so long she probably has squatter’s rights by now. I once caught her fighting a raccoon for my trash bags.
I consider telling the driver to take us back to Mira’s place instead, but I can’t bring myself to do it. While I’m sure she’d like to sleep in her own bed at some point, I’m not quite ready to let her go.