Page 12 of Sparks Still Fly

“Yes, Owen.” Hearing those words for the second time, I know for certain that it’s the best thing she’s ever said to me. My new favorite words coming from her lips strung together. I want to hear, yes, Owen, every day for the rest of my goddamn life.

I pull out almost all the way and push back in slowly. Her lips part on a gasp, so I do it again, a little faster this time, gauging how she’s feeling. “You’re incredible, sunshine. Better than I’ve ever imagined.” I kiss a spot under her ear, licking a slow circle there that has her mewling. “Perfect for me, like I knew you’d be.”

My words spur her on, and she arches her back, then wraps her legs around me. We move in sync with one another, her moans growing louder as I lose a piece of myself in her with every thrust. No, fuck that. I freely give it away to her. She can have it all. All of me. I’m hers.

“Shhh,” I whisper against her lips. Her eyes narrow in annoyance as they meet mine. I chuckle, loving her little display of defiance as her moans quiet.

“That’s my girl,” I say, nipping at her jaw. I speed up my movements, and she gasps as her fingertips dig into my arms. I swallow her moans with a kiss, keeping my thrusts unrelenting.

She breaks the kiss on a gasp. “Owen! Oh fuck, Owen.” She bites down on my shoulder again. I feel her tighten even more around me, and I completely lose it. My orgasm hits me so hard that I see stars, growling into her neck, willing this feeling to last forever.

We come down from our highs together, remaining in our embrace, panting and holding on to one another. It’s as if she feels it too, this need to be connected, to not let go, because if we do, reality will sink in, and the spell will be broken.

I move quickly to dispose of the condom. When I get back to the blanket, Maeve has already got her bra and panties back on. She looks up at me, and there’s wariness in her gaze. I give her space to redress, and quickly throw my clothes back on, but when she tries to get up off the blanket, I gently grab hold of her wrist. Her vulnerability may as well be painted in thick, dark streaks on her skin right now.

“Come here.” I lay back on the blanket and spread one arm out, motioning for her to join me.

She moves closer, but before she settles next to me, she looks down at the blanket. “We don’t have to, Owen.”

“Please,” I add when she still looks unsure whether to stay or go, though I’m not sure where she’d take off to this time of night in a town she’s unfamiliar with.

She nods, lying next to me with nothing but her head touching my body. I let out a low chuckle and pull her closer to me, pulling her leg over mine until we’re a human pretzel. I let out a deep breath, and she finally relaxes onto me, her hand settling right over my heart.

“Thank you,” I whisper and feel her smile on my chest. I know she understands what I mean. That I’m not thanking her for sex, but for this. For just being here with me.

We lie silently, staring up at the night sky while I run my fingers through her hair. It’s even softer than I had imagined, and the smell of her lavender shampoo is so soothing I nearly doze off. It’s the most relaxed I’ve been in a long time, being here with her like this. But the moment my heart starts to feel settled, a warning bell goes off inside my brain, reminding me that this isn’t real.

I stiffen, and she moves her hand off my chest. I don’t stop her because I’m an asshole. An asshole who can’t give her everything I want to give her right now. Who can’t give her a future or a promise of more because I don’t know what my tomorrow looks like. I’ll be across the world for months, and then who knows where after that, if I even make it back. I can’t make her wait for me. I can’t ask that of her, and I won’t. It’s bad enough that Lainey and Ma already do that. I can’t have one more woman waiting for me.

I clear my throat and let the inevitable words come.

She deserves better, and fuck... it nearly breaks me in half to walk away from her, but I have no other choice.

“Maevey, you know I care about you, but this can’t happen again. It won’t.” Now she’s the one who goes rigid, moving her leg off mine.

“All right,” she says quietly.

“I’m being deployed again soon. I don’t know when I’ll be back. The best thing for you to do would be to forget about me. We got this out of our systems, and now we have to let it go.”

God, I’m such a fucking asshole.

“Of course.” She sits up and smooths her hair down. “I didn’t expect anything more, Owen. Why do you think I didn’t want to cuddle? This doesn’t have to mean anything. It was just sex.” Her blue eyes are icy, but to her credit, she looks right into mine as she says all of this.

She stands and walks to the truck, effectively shutting down while shutting me the fuck up.

Maybe having her once will be enough. Maybe this will make her hate me enough to move on and not expect anything from me. Maybe that’s exactly what I want. Maybe I’m just so full of shit that I can’t even stand the sight of myself right now, so I avoid my reflection when I walk past the truck window.

When we get back to my parents’ house, she calmly exits the truck, shutting the door gently. Ever in control. Before she opens the front door, she looks back at me.

“Goodbye, Owen.” I can’t find the words to speak, so I just nod.

Goodbye, Owen. Not goodnight. She’s fucking done with me. Fuck.

7/

she feels nothing.

owen

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