Page 84 of Head Over Skates

“I missed you, Kitten,” he growls in my era.

“Since this morning?”

Owen leans in, his lips brushing the sensitive skin just below my ear. I shiver, every nerve ending feeling electrified by his touch. His breath is warm against my neck, sending delicious tingles racing along my skin.

My pulse quickens as Owen's nose grazes my cheek, his lips hovering tantalizingly close to mine. I can feel the heat radiating from his body, the solid strength of him pinning me against the wall. Slowly, torturously, Owen pulls back just enough to meet my gaze. His eyes are the darkest blue now, smoldering with an intensity that steals my breath away. After a year and a half with him, he still has the same effect on me.

My heart pounds against my ribs as I drink in the rugged angles of Owen's face, the sensual curve of his lips. I can almost taste the intoxicating blend of his cologne and the faint pine scent that is uniquely him.

His fingers tangle in my hair, cradling the back of my head as he devours my mouth.

"You're intoxicating," he murmurs against my lips, his voice low and gravelly with desire. I pull him flush against me, kissing him back, getting lost in everything Owen.

He pulls back slightly, his eyes dark and smoldering as they roam over my features. A roguish grin tugs at the corners of his mouth. "I can’t wait any longer. Let's just say our vows right here, right now."

I laugh at his playful impatience, even as I’m tempted to find a preacher to do the job right here, right now.

"I think we can hold out seven more days." I wind my arms around his neck, playing with the soft hair at his nape. "Then you can have me all to yourself, and we don’t even have to go out for a whole month if you want."

The impish gleam in Owen's eyes tells me he likes the sound of that idea very much. He leans in, capturing my lips in another hot kiss that has my toes curling in my shoes. I melt against him, lost in the dizzying sensation of his solid warmth surrounding me.

Suddenly, a bright splatter of neon pink explodes against the wall beside us. We break apart with twin gasps of surprise, only to find ourselves surrounded by a ring of our friends—each brandishing their paintball guns at us and wearing matching mischievous grins.

"Attack!" Maggie crows, her gun aimed squarely at us.

Before I can react, a volley of vibrant splatters rains down around us. I shriek with surprised laughter as streaks of red, blue and purple explode across my shirt and face. Owen lets out a playful growl, immediately shifting to shield me with his larger frame.

"They’ve gone rogue!" he hollers over the chaos, raining a hellfire of paint bullets aimlessly at our friends. We’re back-to-back, shooting like gangbusters as everyone starts to scatter. Brilliant blue splatters coat the ground around Sawyer and Hendrix as they duck for cover.

I cling to Owen's back, peering over his shoulder to take aim at Shannon. A well-aimed shot nails her on the back with a neon yellow splatter. She lets out a dramatic groan, falling onto the ground in an overly theatrical display.

The battlefield erupts into absolute chaos. Nobody seems to care about teams or rules anymore—it's an all-out war. Paint splatters fly in every direction as the guys let out raucous battle cries.

"Every man for himself!" Sawyer hollers, ducking behind a barrier before popping back up to rapid fire a round of red pellets at Griffin.

I duck instinctively as a streak of pink whizzes past my head. Owen's arm encircles my waist, pulling me flush against his solid warmth as he shields me from the onslaught.

Sawyer lets out a mischievous whoop before breaking away from his bunker, sprinting full force towards Maggie with his gun raised. She doesn't even have time to react before he launches himself at her, tackling her to the ground in a tangle of flailing limbs.

For a split second, he just looks at her. Then the moment passes. Sawyer blinks rapidly, rolling off of Maggie as a grin stretches across his face. He aims his paint gun and splatters a vibrant red streak across Maggie's shirt with a triumphant crow.

It's absolute pandemonium. The guys are shouting and hollering, dodging paint pellets as they careen around the arena like a bunch of overgrown kids.

No one seems to be working as teams anymore. Well, except for Owen and me. He pulls me behind the safety of a nearby bunker, his eyes gleaming.

“Hey future Mrs. Jablonski. Wanna get outta here and recreate that chapter in your favorite book?”

“Thatchapter?”

He glances down at my paint-covered body. “You know the one.”

“Won’t they miss us?”

“Miss us? We could be halfway to Niagara before they realize we’re gone.”

“Why aren’t you at your bachelor party, anyway?”

“Don’t change the subject. Come on. I’ll take you out to Shawarma on the way home.”

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