Page 73 of Bad For A Weekend

I don’t know why but a bubble of laughter spills out. I’m quick to cover my mouth with my hand, trying to keep it in. “You didn’t.”

“I did.”

“Is he okay?”

“He’s fine. Nothing a nose splint can’t fix.”

“You broke his nose?”

“I’m fairly certain I did.”

“What a night,” I mutter and sit down next to him.

“It was a doozy.” He stares down at his hands that are splayed on his thighs. His right knuckles are swollen and purple. I can’t believe he punched that guy. “Will you tell me where you went?”

I tell him all about my night as a normal teenager on vacation in Mexico and how it made me feel.

“I’m pissed you ran, but I’m glad you got to experience that,” he says when I finish.

“Me too. It was fun, but all night, all I could think about was how much I wanted you there.”

“I would’ve loved to see it.” He gives me a soft smile.

“I’ll talk to Hudson and get him to change his mind.” If I explain things, I’m sure he’ll see why I did what I did and realize it wasn’t Owen’s fault.

“No. Even if he didn’t fire me, I was going to quit.”

“I promise I won’t do anything like this again.”

“It’s not that. Me being your bodyguard when my feelings for you are this strong isn’t a good thing.”

My heart skips a beat before sinking in my chest. “I can be better. I won’t come to you when I’m upset. And no more trips to The Grove. We’ll go back to the beginning when you barely said a word and didn’t even look at me.”

I’m rambling, but thinking about not seeing him every day fills me with dread.

“Do you know why I wasn’t looking at you?” He turns to face me.

“Why?”

“Because you were so goddamn beautiful, it hurt. And do you know why I wasn’t talking to you?”

I peer up at him through my lashes. “Why?”

“Because I already knew you’d be the most amazing person I’ve ever met.”

I say nothing, worried if I opened my mouth, I’d drop the three words that shouldn’t be said.

“I couldn’t help myself, though,” he says. “The temptation was too strong. After that first night at The Grove, it was like skidding on black ice. There was nothing I could do to stop it, even knowing I was headed for a crash.”

“Owen,” I murmur.

“You’re special, Baylor Hope Giles.” His eyes squeeze shut.

I can’t take his sadness and regret, and before I think about the consequences, I’m straddling his lap, cupping his cheeks and kissing him. I taste our shared breath as his lips part, and his tongue slips inside. My heart nearly pounds through my chest as I feel him hardening beneath me.

I loop my hands around his neck, running my nails through the short hair on the back of his head. He undoes the fold holding my towel together, and cool air hits my still-damp skin as it falls away. My nipples harden to points but that has nothing to do with the temperature. It’s him.

He fists my hair and yanks my head back, giving him access to my throat, where he leaves biting kisses. His other hand palms my breast, kneading it and making my clit pulse even harder.

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