“Need more,” she whined.
Owen found her clit and worked her over, adding the stimulation she craved to bring her over the edge. He inhaled the citrusy-sweet smell of her hair and committed to memory the sound of their skin slapping together.
“Almost there, Owe–,” she cut herself off, her orgasm washing over her. “Oh, oh, oh.”
She strangled his cock, and he stopped fighting the urge to come. The base of his spine tingled and overrode his senses as his orgasm overtook him. Ava captured his groans in a kiss, tangling her tongue with his. He came so hard, he swore there were fireworks exploding in his vision. He broke their kiss, blinking his eyes open. The sky behind Ava lit up in a shower of red and blue sparks, raining down on the town of Cedar Falls.
“Am I hallucinating or are there actual fireworks going off right now?” Ava asked.
Owen laughed, tugging her into his chest and laying back on the blanket. She turned her head to rest her cheek on his chest, looking toward the sky above them. Eventually he slipped free of her warmth and used one of the cloth napkins to clean them both up, tenderly wiping between her legs and then tucking his cock back in his pants. They lay back on the blanket, Ava cuddled against his chest as they watched the fireworks over Cedar Falls.
“Tell me about your tattoos,” she said, tracing patterns over his heart.
He debated what to tell her before deciding on the truth. They were giving this a real shot, which meant no secrets.
“After we broke up, I always thought about how you were the one to get away. My bird that flew away. I had the idea of migrating birds,how they fly from north to south for the seasons, kind of like you did between South Carolina and Maine. The idea stuck.”
Ava pressed a kiss to the underside of his jaw.
“Then Avery was born, and he was perfect. Maddy and I were friends, so in those first few months I wasn't sure what kind of custody agreement we'd have, but I knew he was the best thing to happen to me. I wanted him close. So, I got his name across my heart, where your birds end. My two greatest loves. You and Avery.”
“Owen,” she sighed. She pushed up to her elbow, looking down at him. Tears filled her beautiful hazel eyes. The light of the fireworks made them shine even more. “I'm so sorry about how things ended. I never meant the words I said. We were young, and I was scared. So scared of disappointing my parents.”
Owen brushed his thumb under her eye, catching a tear as it fell. His heart ached seeing her cry, but they needed to have this conversation. The unspoken ghost between them. Their breakup.
“I'm sorry, too. I never meant what I said. And then they were too late to take back, and you were gone. I never should’ve told you to not come back. Before I could even process, Maddy was pregnant and my whole life became about Avery. Being a parent. I had to put his needs above mine. And I did until you came back to town again.”
She gave him a watery smile. “So you and Maddy haven’t since…” she trailed off.
He shook his head. “She has no interest in me or my cock. Trust me. It was a drunken mistake out of heartbreak on both our parts. It never happened again, and it never will.”
Ava bit her lip as she considered his words. “Okay.” She laid her head back on his chest, wrapping an arm around his waist. “You really are a good dad, Owen,” she murmured against him.
He kissed the top of her head, and they relaxed together, watching the fireworks over Cedar Falls in contented silence. As the show exploded into the finale and night fell over the town, Owen didn't want his time with Ava to end.
“Come home with me,” he said against her ear, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. She snuggled against him, rubbing her head against his chest like a cat seeking attention. “I'll go anywhere with you.”
Chapter 26
The Tipping Point
Ava blinked away the sleep from her eyes, worried for a moment she was still dreaming. The ceiling fan above came into focus, as did the warmth under her cheek. She traced the tattooed birds in flight across Owen’s chest. Owen grumbled in response, tightening his arms around her. She buried her face in his chest and snuggled closer, inhaling the subtle notes of coffee that always clung to him.
Definitely not dreaming.
After a few moments, she felt the call of nature. She pulled back to roll away from Owen, but his arms banded tighter around her, tugging her back to his chest.
“No.”
Ava laughed and tried to pull away again. His arms refused to budge.
“Let me up, I have to pee,” she begged.
“Nope. Not allowed to leave,” he grumbled against her hair. He wrapped his leg around her hip, flipping them so he pinned her to the mattress beneath him. “That’s better.”
Ava huffed in exasperation and ran a hand through his hair, using her nails to scratch his head. She loved the length of his hair. She hoped he never cut it.
Owen sighed in contentment but still didn’t move.
