Page 62 of I Love You, I Hate You
He walked her backwards down the hallway to the third-floor bedroom, not willing to break the kiss even to talk. She clung to him with each step and eventually he lifted her into his arms, her legs wrapping around his waist. Her heat against his aching dick was almost a relief but not enough, and he had hardly deposited her on the bed before he yanked her underwear down. She was so wet already, her scent as indelible in his mind as his own name, and he swiped his tongue through her folds, eager for a taste.
Her hands knotted in his hair, pulling him towards her, and he let her, enjoying the way she would take charge when she wanted it. He sucked her throbbing, tight nub between his lips, and the moan it wrenched from her lips was almost as delicious as she was. He gave her two fingers to clench down on, and the vise of her around his fingers made his vision waver at the edges. Suddenly she was falling apart, her thighs shaking and her back bowing with the strain.
He didn’t give her time to recover, just rolled the condom on and thrust inside her. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she urged him down, her mouth chasing him while his thrusts set her breasts bouncing. He nuzzled at her neck, kissing her jaw and nipping at her ear, and with each thrust he felt himself go deeper and deeper into her until he had completely lost himself in her.
Victoria’s nails dug into his backside and he growled, half-feral. He pushed her thigh up and out so her knee was almost at his shoulder, and when he saw the look in her eye he knew it felt as good for her as it did for him. The shift in angle made her drag just right against him, and he watched her fingers start drawing tight, perfect circles over her clit. “Fuck, again?” he gritted out, and she nodded helplessly.
He wanted to feel her come again so badly he slowed down, just enough to lessen the heat building at the base of his spine. “No no no no,” she whined. “Faster.”
He was powerless against her commands, and sped up. “Like this?” he managed, and she nodded, closing her eyes and pressing down hard. Her peak came just as his was approaching, and when she clamped down on his cock that was all it took.
Owen managed to catch himself on his elbows before he crushed her, but only barely. His body was limp and his mind was floating, and he didn’t know how long they stayed like that before her gentle touches brought him back to himself.
She was stroking his back, murmuring nonsense into his ear, and he slowly regained full consciousness. He pulled out, tossing the condom into a trash can near the bed and foggily reminded himself to empty it before the rest of the family came home. Victoria clawed back the sheets and helped him under them, and even though he knew there were still things to talk about, she had worn him the fuck out.
But Victoria didn’t seem to think there was anything left to discuss, because she simply curled up against him and tangled their legs together. It was like being back in the hotel room, close and peaceful, and just as he was drifting off he felt her press a soft kiss to his shoulder.
Chapter Twenty-three
Waking up with Owen felt right. Victoria stretched languidly before curling back against him, eager to chase his warmth. Owen made a sound halfway between a sigh and a grunt that made her grin. She nuzzled his jaw, breathing in his clean, masculine scent. “You know, I don’t think I actually said thank you,” she realized out loud.
Owen preened. “For the multiple orgasms? You’re very welcome.”
She laughed and let him pull her half across his chest. “No, I meant for suggesting me to Reproductive Justice.”
A beat of silence fell. “What?”
“I got a job offer from them. Or an offer to apply, I guess. I can’t because I still owe so much on my loans, but I know you suggested me to them even though we weren’t really getting along, so thank you.” She frowned and craned her neck. “I told you I knew.”
All the color drained from Owen’s face. “Wait, what?”
“It’s not a big deal, I just appreciated the olive branch,” she explained. “I’ve been really unhappy at Smorgasbord, and if things were even just a little different, RJ would be perfect for me, you know? So thanks for thinking of me, even if it didn’t work out.” She pushed herself up to look at him.
But Owen was inching away. “So wait, last night, when you said you knew, you were talking about . . . that?”
“What else would I be talking about? And I don’t know anyone else who’s all over RJ’s Facebook page like you.”
“It was Cassie,” he mumbled, swiping a hand across his face. “I didn’t have anything to do with that. But—oh, fuck. I thought you knew.” He looked terrified and it sent her stomach tumbling.
“Wait, what wereyoutalking about?”
“The night—the night we hung out. Went skating, karaoke.”
“The night you wouldn’t even kiss me goodnight for no apparent reason,” she said, now clutching the sheet to her chest. It wasn’t a very good shield, but it was better than nothing. Dread built in her throat and she didn’t know why, because this morning should have been perfect. But something was going wrong, everything sliding sideways out of her control. “Owen, what the hell is going on?”
“Maybe we should get dressed,” he said, no longer looking at her. “This wasn’t—I shouldn’t tell you like this—I thought we—”
She reached out and caught his face, making him look her in the eye. “You’re making it worse,” she pleaded. She wasn’t sure how she had gone from happy and peaceful to falling apart in a matter of seconds, but whatever it was, she needed him to stop stammering and just tell her.
Owen’s eyes were inexplicably sad. “I thought you knew,” he said again. He took a deep breath. His hands fisted the sheet and he looked her straight in the eye. “I wouldn’t have done this if you didn’t know, I need you to know that up-front. I was going to tell you last night, but then you said you knew, and I—I should have checked, or clarified, or whatever, and that’s all on me, but—”
“Owen. Say it.”
“I’m Luke.”
The words hung in the air, inexplicable. “What?” It wasn’t adding up. How would Owen even know about him?
“I’m Luke.”