I swallowed the tears down.
No. This was Owen. He would never hurt me like Grayson did. He would never use me and then discard me once he’d had his fill of me.
If only I could convince my battered heart of it.
Owen raked his fingers through my hair while chatting on about sweet nothings, the calm of his voice lulling me into a deep sleep.
And this time, Grayson didn’t rule over my dreams, as always. It was Owen and me, on his sailboat, laughing, watching the sunset across the endless horizon.
Ava
Owen’sshoulderswerelowas we exited the FBI’s holding cells. Liam had gone quiet. He hadn’t spoken a word to anyone in two weeks, ever since that first interrogation. We had decided to go to his cell instead, hoping he’d talk. But nothing. He didn’t even look at us.
We’d sent a new forensic team to all the Apparitions’ houses, hoping that Liam had lied about there not being any forensic traces, but he hadn’t. They still couldn’t find anything.
And it was breaking Owen. Another dead end and his best friend being loyal to his enemy.
That was what Grayson had become to Owen. He’d become more than just a perp, a job. He was an enemy. One Owen had formed an obsession towards. After everything, it was deeplypersonal. To the point where his hatred for Grayson rivalled my own.
Sometimes, like today, his hatred scared me. It would consume him like it had consumed me. I could see it in his eyes. He was staring down that dark void, ready to jump.
I stopped and opened the janitor’s closet, pulling him inside.
“Ava, someone saw—”
I kissed him, cutting off his protest. I laced my arms around his neck and pulled him close, feeling him relax against me as he moaned into my mouth.
It was working. I could feel his mood lifting.
His heart beat frantically against me as his hands roamed my body.
It felt so good having him touch me like this. I wanted more. So I pushed my hand between us, rubbing my hand over his erection.
He groaned and swiftly pushed me up against the supply rack, making things topple over and fall to the floor.
“Shit,” Owen panted, grinning at my giggling.
He tried to pull away but I held on tight, pulling his mouth back to mine. “Don’t stop.”
He kissed me again, but just for a few seconds. “We have to. If we don’t stop now, I won’t be able to anymore.” He trailed kisses down my neck, making me shiver.
I pushed my fingers into his hair, keeping him close, hoping his mouth would continue to explore a little further down. My chest was heaving in anticipation. “Then don’t. Fuck me, O.”
He moaned against my clavicle, painfully squeezing my ass as he pressed me against his hard-on.
Yes. I loved the feel of his arousal against me, and how it swirled in the air around us, sharp and desperate.
“No. Not here.”
My stomach dropped. What?
“I’m not letting our first time be in a janitor’s closet.”
I huffed an annoyed breath and let my head fall backwards. “I don’t care where we are.”
He kissed both my cheeks, smiling at my frustration. “I know. But I want to take my time with you. I want to hear you moan my name without worrying about keeping you quiet.”
My stomach fluttered. “And when will that be?” I grumbled. I wanted him so bad, it was to the point of embarrassment. Look at me practically begging to be fucked in a closet.
