Page 62 of Sparks Still Fly

Truly, I thought the tea and the snacks were sweet and thoughtful, and here he is buying the donuts I told him a lifetime ago that I liked. A lifetime ago. The last time we even really talked was so long ago now. Nothing is the same anymore. We’re not the same.

Are we?

I look down at my lap, and the words running through my mind slip out. “I’m not sure I’m the same person you knew anymore. We don’t even really know each other.”

“Maybe not,” he says as he tips my chin up so I can look at him. “But I want to know you, Maeve. All of you. I want to learn all the ways you’ve changed, and I want to relearn every part of you that has stayed the same.”

All these years, I thought he didn’t care, that all our tiny moments that added up to some of my most meaningful and beautiful memories had meant nothing to him.

He looks down at the box of donuts on his lap, closing it and setting it on the coffee table. “You don’t like sprinkle donuts anymore?” He looks embarrassed, and my heart breaks a little at the sight.

“No, I still love sprinkle donuts, O. I just don’t eat them as often anymore.” I place my hand over his, and he turns his head toward me.

“Sorry, I just thought?—”

“Not because I don’t like them, but because they made me think of you too much. Made me miss you too much. And I didn’t like missing you. I didn’t want to miss you.” His green eyes shine as his lips settle into a frown. “But it’s been nice getting to enjoy them again. With you.”

I watch as his lips tip up into a small smile. “Yeah?” His earnest tone melts me, and when his head moves an inch closer to mine, I stand up quickly and move to sit in the chair I was in earlier.

As I settle into it, I look up and see Owen looking rightfully confused.

“I can’t kiss you again. I want to. Badly. But remember what I said earlier? We won’t stop, and we still have things to talk about.” I fix my hair and pull it back into a ponytail, then I reach for the box on the coffee table because those donuts are calling to me.

“What do we need to talk about, Maevey?”

“No! I told you, no nicknames allowed. I meant it, Owen!” I take a big bite of the donut with purple and pink sprinkles and send a few flying onto my lap with my less than graceful eating. Owen rubs a hand across his jaw, covering what I’m sure is a smirk beneath his hand.

“We need to sort out what we’re doing here. We don’t speak for several years, then we get married, and now you’re about to become someone’s legal guardian. Not to mention there’s the issue of our friends and family, who know this whole thing was a big drunken accident, and now we’re...what? Dating? Are we together? Or do we not have a name for this yet? And how do we do this when we’re already bloody married? What happens when we get divorced in a few weeks? And what, do I keep living in your guesthouse and only occasionally come here to make out with you or when I need an orgasm?” Another big bite of donut gets shoved inside my mouth as I try to breathe through my thoughts. I’m pretty sure there’s sweat beading on my forehead, and as I wipe at it and look up, I find a perfectly calm Owen sitting across from me.

“You want a name for what we are now? I’m yours. There. Call it what you want. That’s a fact.” His elbows are casually resting on his knees, and he licks his lips while I continue to inhale this exceptionally large and delicious donut. “I don’t want to get a divorce. I won’t want to. Ever. If we hadn’t gotten married in Vegas, I’d be begging you to marry me as soon as possible. Today. Tomorrow. But like I said before, if all I get is a short time with you, I’ll take it. I’ll take whatever you want to give me.” Without breaking eye contact with me, he takes a slow breath and smiles. “I don’t expect you to want the same things as me, Maeve. I just need to make it clear to you that this is where I stand. I don’t really know what happens beyond this.” His smile grows more confident, he clasps his hands together, and I swallow the last bite of my donut. “And you could move in here right now. Sleep in my bed and make it ours. Or stay in the guesthouse. Drop by whenever you want to make out. I’ll make you come any way you like. I’ll give you whatever you want because if we’re together, everything else will fall into place.”

“You really believe all that?” The tears at the corners of my eyes sting, and I stare at him unblinkingly so they’ll stay put.

“Every word, fengári mou,” he answers simply. My heart thrashes wildly inside my chest, its quick but steady beats like a kick drum inside my ears as it sends all the blood in my body directly to my core. I’m a living, breathing contradiction of feelings and emotions. I want him. I want him so wildly and completely that it hurts not to be near him, and I’m also terrified of getting too close. I’m so scared of the unknowns, of not being enough for him, of being too much. And the love that was there, that never left, that I just kept hidden far, far away is now peeking through. That love is like sunshine trying to be kept out by flimsy curtains. It finds a way to peek through the cracks, and while I’m not ready to open them up all the way yet, I’m feeling very tempted.

“I’m scared,” I whisper, my voice cracking.

“I know,” he answers steadily.

“You’re not?”

“Oh, I’m fucking terrified of a lot of things. Of failing, of losing you, of not knowing how to care for a baby. But of being with you? Of falling more in love with you every day? Not even a little bit.” With a shake of his head, he sits back on the couch, and I lunge for him, landing on his lap. He catches me with strong hands on my hips as the air whooshes out of his lungs.

35/

what even is my life?

owen

She buries her face in my neck, hugging me tightly as she straddles me and God, it makes me feel whole. Complete. I pull her close, my fingertips digging into her skin through the soft fabric of my T-shirt that she’s still wearing. The warmth of her skin against mine is a comfort I haven’t felt in so long I almost forgot it. Her scent, now mixed with mine on my clothes, fills my lungs, and I close my eyes, savoring every sensation, so I’ll never forget what this feels like again.

Her grip on my shoulders loosen, and I already miss her warmth before she pulls away. I prepare myself for the loss of her heat, but she readjusts, her soft lips brushing against my neck. Then her head shifts, and her lips are on my skin again, gentle kisses landing everywhere they can reach until they start to move up to my jaw. Without a word, she trails kisses to my lips, her tongue immediately seeking entrance to my mouth, which I freely give.

We stay like this for a while until her hips shift, and I hiss at the contact. I’ve been so desperate for her that even the friction through layers of clothing feels like it might be my undoing.

“There’s something I’ve wanted for a very long time. Will you give it to me?” She shifts again, whispering the words in my ear. I grab her ass with both hands, holding her still.

“I’ll give you anything you want.” I feel her smile on my neck, and then she’s moving down my body, hands roaming over my chest and stomach as she kneels on the floor in front of me. Her hands go to the waistband of my shorts, fingers sliding beneath my boxer briefs as she tugs. My eyes go wide, and I shake my head. She smirks and nods, licking her lips and tugging down again. When I lift my hips, she pulls my bottoms down to my ankles. I’m helpless. Hopeless. I can’t say no to her. I don’t want to.

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