Page 5 of Owen's Heart

“Yeah, I’m ready.” I back away from Owen, and I’m just about to turn away when he grabs my wrist and pulls me back to him.

“Are you leaving without giving your man a goodbye kiss? I don’t think so,” he answers his own question and pulls me into his arms.

Owen’s lips slam down on mine. My mouth automatically opens to receive his thrusting tongue. His kiss is deep and seductive as his tongue slides against my own. A soft moan slips past my lips, but Owen swallows it.

“You do know that you are the only woman for me, right?” He mutters against my mouth.

I can only moan my agreement as the kiss deepens even further.

“Ahem,” the clearing of Janae’s throat penetrates through my foggy brain. Then chants of Owen’s frat brother’s across the room have me pulling away from him.

“Get a room, you two,” his friend Brad calls out.

Owen shakes his head as if to clear it. One side of his mouth tilts into a sexy grin. “That’s not a bad idea,” Owen says, searing me with his hot gaze.

“No way!” Janae pulls me away and out the door before I can make up my mind to stay or go.

“I’ll call you later,” Owen calls out as I glance over my shoulder.

I smile and nod. At that moment, I know that there was no way I would give my boyfriend up to the likes of Chantel. It doesn’t matter how many tricks she pulls by trying to get with him. Owen is mine, and I am his, and nothing else matters in the scheme of things.

“Don’t you think we have enough sliced lemons?” Aunt Mildred’s question pulls me out of my trip down memory lane.

Coming out of my reverie, I glance down at the table. I have cut every lemon in the refrigerator and put them in five large containers. “Too many, huh?” I ask.

She shakes her head in disbelief. “Young lady, one day you’ll realize what your problem is.” She nods toward the bustling dining area. “And it just walked out the door.”

“Who, Owen?”

“Don’t turn into an owl on me. Yes, your guy is gone.”

“He’s not mine,” I protest.

A harumphing sound is my aunt’s reply.

I shrug. “I have more prep to do, so I should get back to it.”

“Whatever you do, please don’t slice up any more fruit or vegetables. I think we have enough to last for the entire week. It would be better for you to go out with Owen than to make all of my perishables go bad too soon.”

“I won’t cut anything else today.” I chuckle and walk out of the kitchen to stock the worker stations. There will be no date with Owen. I know that, but I have to keep reminding my aunt that he’s not mine.

Once upon a time, I never would have been able to say that Owen wasn’t mine, but now it’s a harsh reality that I have come to grips with. No matter what my aunt is up to, I can’t allow coming back to Prattville to drag those old feelings out of me. I can’t.

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