Page 26 of Homecoming

Owen knew he was a man’s man, but freaking out like that pissed him off. It made him feel weak. If it had been one of his men, he wouldn’t have thought twice about the incident. They all had triggers. Up on the mountain, it was easy to get away. Hell, up on the mountain they didn’t have nearly the same amount of triggers, even.

He felt Grace leave the coffee shop, and he grimaced as he looked up. He wasn’t embarrassed, per se, but he was cautious about her response.

“I have something for you,” she said when she stopped in front of him. “I debated whether to even give it to you.”

So, she wasn’t going to mention his freak out. He wasn’t sure if he was appreciative or not. Was she not acknowledging it because she didn’t want to deal with it? Or was she trying to be considerate?

Grace had kind eyes, but he could see worry in them now as she held out a small gift wrapped in red with a silver bow. Surprise rolled through him. “You didn’t need to get me anything,” he said, his voice more gruff than normal. “I didn’t get you anything.”

She shrugged lightly, her smile broadening. “It makes me happy to give.”

He stared at that smile for a long time before he slid a finger under the tape on the end and ripped the paper off. She held her hand out for it as he opened the box. He didn’t understand what it was, at first, until he drew the length of beaded leather out of the box. “Is this a hat band?”

She nodded. “The black hat is very cool, but it needs just a little decoration.”

The beaded strap was beautiful. It had a bit of a native American, maybe Cherokee? flavor, but with more sedate colors,browns and tans and black, with a touch of deep blue. It was stunning, and he was struck speechless.

“I’ve never been given anything like this. It’s beautiful.”

Owen immediately removed his hat and wrapped the band around the crown. She showed him how to tie the leather thongs, then she tucked a tiny pin through the leather to keep it in place, one on each side. He held the hat out at the length of his arm and grinned. “It looks like it belongs there,” he said, and plopped the hat back on his head.

Grace grinned and nodded her head knowingly. “I thought it would.”

“Thank you, Grace.”

Before he even thought about his actions, he leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek. Grace drew in a breath and turned her head toward him, as if looking for more. The tension between them snapped with possibility. Owen drew back, staring into her eyes, and he could feel what she wanted. What they both wanted. Leaning in, he pressed a kiss to her plump lips.

It was meant to be a quick kiss, but that’s not what happened. As soon as his lips touched hers, he knew there was no way he could stop there. And then she cupped the back of his neck, holding him to her, and he knew she felt the same way.

Owen lost himself in Grace’s taste and her peppery ginger scent. The world around him faded away as he kissed her, the bustling street and busy coffee shop disappearing into a soft blur. Even though she was a lot smaller than him, her warmth seemed to envelop him. And he didn’t need his enhanced senses to feel her heartbeat quickening in tandem with his own. It was electrifying, thrilling, and utterly unexpected.

When they finally pulled apart, both breathless, Owen searched her eyes for any sign of hesitation. Instead, he found excitement. And appreciation. “Wow,” she whispered, her cheeks flushed.

“Yeah, wow,” he replied, still reeling from the kiss. He hadn’t meant for it to become so intense, but she drew him in, igniting a fire he hadn’t felt in years. Or maybe even ever.

“Maybe I should get back to Angela,” she suggested, glancing toward the entrance of the coffee shop. “Are you okay?” she asked softly, concern lacing her voice.

“Yeah, just… a lot happening,” he admitted, running a hand over his jaw. “It’s been a while since I felt anything like that.”

“Me too,” she confessed, a shy smile creeping onto her face. “It’s nice to feel something real, isn’t it?”

“Absolutely.” He took a moment to appreciate the vulnerability in her words. “I’m sorry I walked out earlier. I’m usually better in crowds.”

Grace waved a dismissive hand. “You don’t have to explain. I get it. This place can be overwhelming. Anyway, I just wanted to check on you, and maybe distract you from whatever you were feeling.”

His throat tightened. Shehadrealized what he’d been dealing with, and she’d tried to give him something else to think about. “Thank you, Grace.”

“No problem,” she said. “Maybe if we didn’t have a third wheel…” She gave him a saucy wink before she turned and went back into the coffee shop.

Owen watched the way her ass moved in her jeans and knew he was in deep trouble.

Angela pretendedto fan herself when Grace walked back into The Bean Scene, and Grace winced. She knew her cheeks had to be brilliant pink. There were a lot of people in here that knew her, and she would definitely be the prime piece ofgossip at the bistro tonight. “Stop it,” she gasped, but Angela just laughed.

“Girl, you almost match your coat,” Angela said as she sank back down into the chair she’d vacated.

“In my defense,” she told her new friend, “the man can kiss.”

Angela’s eyes widened, and she wiggled her brows suggestively. “I bet he can do other things, too.”

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