Owen’s throat was working hard as he repeatedly swallowed. Maddie could see the reluctance flickering in his sexy gray eyes, but she also glimpsed a spark of anticipation, a flash of heat. He did want her. Her gaze dropped to his crotch, which now sported a thick bulge, and a burst of satisfaction went off inside her. Oh, he wanted her, all right.
She hadn’t been sure what she’d say when she’d decided to come here. At first she’d thought of simply ripping her clothes off and seducing him, but at the last minute she’d opted for the honesty route. Why not tell him how she felt about him, that she’d been lusting over him for years? After all, she had nothing to lose. As she’d walked over from her apartment, she’d realized that, instead of sitting on the sidelines and waiting for him to notice, she should have told him a long time ago how she felt.
Now, she was glad she’d told him the truth. She might have slept with Cooper on Friday night in order to gain some new skills, but she wanted so much more from this man. Sleeping with Cooper had been fun, had made her feel brazen and sexual, but she wanted more with Owen. She wanted his heart, damn it.
She just had to convince him to give it to her.
“This can work out,” she whispered, cupping his chin with both hands. “It can, and it will, if you’d just open yourself up to it.” A pang of apprehension tugged at her gut when he didn’t answer. “Do you want me, Owen? Really, truly want me?”
Another silence, and then the word “yes” shuddered out of his mouth.
A wave of pleasure swelled in her belly. “Then let’s take a chance,” she said softly. “Let’s…see what happens.”
He didn’t respond again, but he did cover her hands with his own and stroke her knuckles. She took that as a positive sign, and, before he could say another word, she leaned in and kissed him.
He kissed her back. Hard.
Maddie gasped for air as their mouths fused together in reckless abandonment. Emotion flooded her body, heat sizzled in her veins, and the only thought running through her mind was this. This was what had been missing with Cooper. No matter how fun and dirty the sex had been, the emotional connection hadn’t been there.
As their tongues danced and tangled, Maddie grabbed Owen’s shirt with one hand and shoved it up his chest. She broke the kiss and moved her mouth to his pecs, kissing his bare skin, enjoying the spicy, salty taste of him. He groaned when she swiped her tongue over his nipple, his head lolling to the side. He offered no resistance when she kissed her way down his body and tugged on the drawstring of his gray sweatpants. She had him naked in three seconds flat, then got on her knees in front of the couch and took his thick erection into her mouth.
She was rewarded with a low growl of appreciation, along with a rush of heat that settled between her legs. God, she loved the taste of him. The feel of his steel hardness and velvety softness. The confidence that had been missing in that first encounter now poured out in bucket loads. She wasn’t caught off guard this time, wasn’t second-guessing a single thing. A part of her suspected her night with Cooper had helped, but on another level she knew that fear had played a role the last time. Fear that Owen would always see her as an unfeminine tomboy, even during sex.
Well, she wasn’t scared anymore. If anything, she was even more determined to prove to this man that they could have something good together, if he would only open his mind—and heart—to the possibility.
Cupping his balls with one hand, she squeezed them gently, while dragging her tongue along the sensitive underside of his cock. His soft groans made her dizzy with pleasure. When her core clenched, she realized she was seconds away from a spontaneous orgasm and he hadn’t even touched her.
“You don’t know how much I’ve wanted to do this,” she murmured as she licked up and down his shaft.
His fingers threaded through her hair. “Yeah?”
She lifted her head and their eyes locked. “I used to lie in bed at night, wondering what you’d taste like. How it would feel to have you in my mouth.”
She ran a finger along his sac, summoning a low curse from his lips. “So what’s it like then?” he choked out.
“Best feeling ever.” Grinning, she lowered her head and took him into her mouth, sucking gently.
“Can’t disagree with that,” he said between groans.
She loved the rough sounds he was making, the way he played with her hair and whispered her name. God, she loved every last thing about this man.