Unfinished (21 page)

Before I could
pull away, there was a loud banging on the window beside me.  We jumped apart
and I squealed in surprise.  “What the hell?” Austin was on his way out of the
car before I could process what was happening.  My door opened and I sat
open-mouthed in surprise.  There he was, the man that had been invading my date
all night, standing there in the flesh, glaring at me.

“Get out of
the car, Ally.” His voice was serious and cold.  What was he doing here? I
huffed and got out of the car.

“What are you
doing, Owen?” I glared right back at him as I shut the car door behind me. I
noticed Austin rounding the car.

“You are way
out of line, man,” Austin said angrily as he stepped up to Owen. “You need to
leave.”

“I’m not going
anywhere,” Owen said, but his glare was still focused solely on me. 

“Why are you
even here?” I spit out the words.

“We need to
talk.” His voice was commanding.

“We don’t. 
I’m busy right now. I’m on a date.” I turned to Austin who had come to stand
between us. 

“I can see
that. But it’s over now.” He eyed me up and down. “Nice dress,” he said with
anything but approval. 

“Look, I don’t
know who you are, but it’s obvious that Ally doesn’t want you here.” Austin stepped closer to Owen, causing his jaw to clench.  I was starting to wonder if Owen
might throw a punch.  I could feel the anger rolling off of him in waves.

Owen gave Austin a sideways glance, like he was an annoying mosquito, before turning his focus back
to me.  “Let’s go inside,” he demanded and I felt my skin prickle.   

Austin took another step closer, “I don’t think you heard what I said.  Ally doesn’t want
you here.  You need to leave.”

Owen turned to
him then, glowering and intimidating.  I was impressed to see that Austin didn’t flinch. This was obviously way beyond first date expectations. “Don’t tell me
what she wants. I know her a hell of a lot better than you ever will.  You’re
not needed here any longer.  Go.”

I felt anger
fire within me.  Who did he think he was?  “Excuse me?  You don’t get to decide
for me.  I still don’t even know what you are doing here.” I sidestepped Austin and moved closer to Owen. 

“I told
you…I’m here to talk. Send your friend home,” he said. I had never seen his
eyes so dark.  His entire body was tense and it made the air between us heavy
and thick. 

“Is this guy
your boyfriend?” Austin asked me. Owen and I stood, toe to toe glaring. 

“NO!” I said
automatically.

Just as Owen
answered, “Yes.”

I actually
roared, so beyond frustrated at this bizarre moment. 

“Are you
kidding me?  What the hell is wrong with you?  You can’t do this!” I was so
angry I could feel my insides shaking. Owen just stared at me.  Unflinching. 
Uncompromising.

“Ally?” Austin asked.  I could tell he was completely at a loss as to how to handle this
situation.  We barely knew each other and he was having to deal with this
escalating argument.  I tore myself from Owen’s penetrating gaze and grabbed Austin’s hand and pulled him away. 

“I’m so
sorry.  I had no idea he’d be here. He lives in Chicago,” I said.

“I’m not
leaving you here with him,” he said seriously.  I smiled at his good
intentions.  He really was a good guy.

“It’s fine.
He’s not going to hurt me.  I promise.  I’m sorry about this whole thing,” I
said.

“Just get back
in the car. You can come to my place,” he offered. I smiled at his chivalry.

“Thanks. But I
need to stay and deal with this. I am so sorry for this.”

He studied me
and I could tell that he was struggling with the idea of leaving me here.  He
looked over me and glared in Owen’s direction.  I followed his gaze and saw him
standing there, hands in his pockets and glaring back at us.  I didn’t even
recognize him.  This was not the Owen I knew.

“Ally, I don’t
feel good about this. Do you even know this guy that well?” His concern touched
me.

I sighed.  “I
used to,” I said quietly.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Austin reluctantly got back in his car and I watched as he backed out of the drive.  I
waved at him and gave him a smile that I hoped was reassuring.  When he was out
of sight, I turned on my heel and stomped past Owen and headed towards the
house.    

“Who the hell
was that?” he asked following me inside, door slamming behind us.  I threw my
keys onto the table, ignoring it when they slid off the other side and fell to
the floor. I spun to glare at him.

“Excuse me?”
My voice cracked a little.  My entire body shook with the fury within me.

“You heard me!
Who the hell was that jackass?” He spit the words like they left a bad taste in
his mouth.  Was he serious right now? 

“What are you
even doing here, Owen?” I sighed, exasperated. 

“Just answer
the question,” he demanded.  He was a little intimidating, towering over me
with fury rolling off of him.  I wasn’t afraid of him, but I had never really
seen this side of him targeted at me. 

“It doesn’t
matter.  It’s none of your business who it was,” I shot back, determined not to
falter, determined not to admit that the steel in his eyes was hot as hell.     

“It doesn’t
matter?” He was fuming.  “You were practically crawling onto his lap!”

“So, what? 
That’s my business.  You don’t have any claim on me. Isn’t that what you said? 
So don’t stand there like some alpha caveman and try and tell me what I can and
can’t do or who I can do it with,” I yelled, holding my ground and refusing to
back away from him.  I gasped when he grabbed my wrists and stared down at me,
nostrils flaring.  I glared back, daring him to say I was wrong.

“That’s where
you’re wrong.  I do have a claim to you,” he said, his voice even, but still
intense.  I pulled at my wrists trying to break free of his hold.

“Let go,” I
said coolly.  I was so sick of his mixed signals.  Instead of letting go he
moved me back a few steps and I felt my back hit the wall.  He leaned into me,
breath hot on my neck.  It made me shiver.

“I do have a
claim.  Just like you have a claim to me,” his voice was thick, heavy with
tension.  I opened my mouth to protest, but he wasn’t finished. “I don’t want
you to see that asshole again,” he said quietly. 

“He’s not an
asshole,” I managed.  He was distracting me from my fury.  His scent was wrapping
itself around me and, as always, it was intoxicating.  It took away my ability
to think rationally. 

“He’s an
asshole,” Owen said firmly.  His forehead lowered and found mine.  “I don’t
want him touching you.”  The words were a command and left no argument. 

“That’s not
fair.  You can’t have it both ways,” I said.

“I don’t want
anyone touching you, but me,” he breathed.  “You are mine.” 

I sighed,
feeling defeated.  “Owen,” I said, moving to push him away, but he only pushed
in closer.                          

“Please, Ally,
I can’t take it,” he said.  That fueled my anger again and I shoved at him. 
This time he let me. 

“You can’t
take it?” I asked incredulously.  “Are you serious, Owen?  What about Anna? 
Have you forgotten that you have a commitment to someone else?  You have no
right to tell me that I am yours.  You already belong to someone else. You
chose your job. You chose her.  Did you ever stop to consider that maybe I
can’t take it?” My voice was going up with each word. 

“Ally,” he
said, his voice softer. 

“No!  Why are
you doing this to me?”  I could feel the hot sting of the tears betraying my
anger.  I dropped my face into my hands, not wanting him to see the tears. 
Damn my weakness.  I hated showing it to him.  It made me feel foolish.  I had
gotten myself into this mess, but I was working to get myself out of it.  When
he told me that we needed distance and that he needed to be the stand up guy I
let him.  I let him push me away and I was doing my best to move forward.  But
what did any of that matter when he was standing here in front of me trying to
claim me as his.  It wasn’t fair.  He was playing with my emotions and my
feelings for him. 

I felt his
arms wrap around me and I fought the urge to sink into him.  “I’m so sorry, baby,”
he whispered.  I shook my head against his chest, his endearment causing my
heart to break a little more.  “It’s just…I need you.  I know it’s not right. 
I just can’t.”  His voice was a soft whisper against my skin.  “I just lost it,
watching him touch you.”  I felt his hands tighten against me.

“You’re not
being fair to me,” I said softly against him.  He held me tighter.

“I know,” he
admitted, his voice catching on the words.  I managed to look up at him,
meeting his eyes.  They looked haunted, just the way I felt. 

“We can’t keep
doing this.  You can’t push me away and get mad when I try to go. I can’t take
it.  You are breaking my heart,” I admitted.  He closed his eyes as if my words
caused him pain.  But he needed to know.  He had a power over me and it was
breaking me.           

“I don’t want
to break you.” His voice broke on his words, thick with emotion.  “You mean so
much to me.  It’s killing me, not being with you.  I keep trying to be strong
and do what is right, but I can’t stay away from you,” he said.

“Owen, I’m
trying.  I am.  But this whole thing is too much.  You can’t keep stringing me
along and telling me how much you want to be with me.  Not when you are
unwilling to make that happen. I am not willing to wait around for you to change
your mind.”

Owen swallowed
hard.  I could feel him calming down, the tension leaving his body.  He took a
step back from me and ran his hands through his hair. 

“I’m sorry.  I
don’t mean to be such an asshole.  I just…Fuck, Ally, I’m losing my mind over
this whole thing.  I’m not cut out to be the boyfriend or the husband.  It’s
just supposed to be me.  Look out for number one and don’t worry about getting
hurt or hurting someone.  But you turn it upside down.  You make me want those
things.”  He shook his head, “Not the hurt, but everything else.  My heart
aches for you,” he said clutching at his chest.  His eyes had taken on a
slightly crazed look, desperation to make me understand.  I understood it all
too well.  “I have tried holding on to the pieces that I am allowed and making
it be enough. But it’s not enough.  It will never be enough until we are
together.  You are what steadies me.  You are the only place I feel like me. 
With you, I remember what is important.  I’m just so afraid I’m going to fuck
it all up and lose you completely,” he admitted.

“I want to
believe you.  I want to believe that you feel all of those things.  But you
still have all of the same commitments.  What about Anna?  Are you just going
to walk away from the commitment that you have with her?  Are you just going to
walk away from the partnership that you’ve been working for for years?  For
me?  For us?  Because I know you, Owen.  You walk away from that and you’re
going to resent me.  You’re going to question it always.” I hated that the
words I spoke felt like absolute truth to me; absolute with no room for hope. 
I wanted to believe that he would walk away from all of it so that we could be
together. But life wasn’t that simple.  And to be honest, I had my own career
aspirations so asking him to leave his own was too much.

“Anna knows
about us.  I told her about us a long time ago.  I told you, it’s just an
arrangement, a way for us to get what we wanted with the company.  We aren’t
together.  She knows I have feelings for you and that I want out of it.  I’ve
been honest with her,” he said.

“You told Anna
about us?” I was surprised. I wanted to believe that meant something, but I was
nervous.  I didn’t want to get wrapped up in empty promises and make the same
mistake that so many other girls did.  I didn’t know what to think.

“Ally, I know
that I have a lot to prove to you. I know that I’ve screwed up a lot already,
but I want to find a way to make this work. I can’t take being away from you.”
He moved and stepped closer to me again and I realized that I was holding my
breath.

“I haven’t
heard from you in a month.  Nothing.”  My heart was beating hard against my
chest.  My heart wanted to fall back into him.  It would be so easy. 

“I know.  I
was trying to let you go. I can’t stand being the one that is hurting you over
and over.  I don’t want to be that person. I’m not going to lie, my life is
still complicated. I still have shit I have to figure out.  I have to get out
of this public thing with Anna, I have to nail down the partnership, but I want
to do all of that knowing that I have you.  I want to do it for us and for a
future that I never dared dream about until you. Please.  Give me the chance to
make it work.  I know I don’t deserve it, but I want it. I want you.  I want
you so fucking much.” He was leaned into me, pressing me back against the wall,
his eyes continuing his argument even after his words had stopped.

I could think
myself out of this situation and go back to my life without Owen, but this
feeling I had right now, with him so close and looking at me like he needed me
like air was enough to push all of that ridiculous logic out the window.  “I’m
scared,” I admitted softly.  I needed him to know that. I needed him to walk
away if he wasn’t serious, because I was starting to realize that I wasn’t
strong enough to do it myself.

“I know, baby. 
I am too.  But I promise to keep your heart safe.  I promise to do my best to
be what you deserve.” His hand moved to caress my face and I closed my eyes at
the gentle touch. It sent electricity shooting through me, while at the same
time it calmed my nerves and made me feel safe and whole.  He took every
emotion I had and put them together in a way that made sense.  All of the
pieces began to connect and fuse together. The decision was made before I could
think any more about it. I was his. I had been since he’d shown back up in my
life.  I guess I might have been his long before that.  Nothing really felt
right when he wasn’t here. 

“Okay,” I said
finally. 

“Okay?” I could
hear the surprise in his voice. He’d actually expected me to turn him away.

I opened my
eyes and shrugged, “Okay.” I gave him a soft smile, giving in completely.  I
saw the flash in his eyes just before he closed the space between us, his mouth
finding mine as he devoured me like a starving man.  This is what I had missed.
This is why Austin had never stood a chance.  I belonged to this man and there
was no going back now that I’d had him.  Wrong or right, I was in it. 

My arms
encircled his neck as he pressed his body into mine.  “I’ve missed you so
much,” he murmured against the skin of my throat.

“Me too,” I
sighed as his mouth moved across my jaw before finding my lips again.  His
tongue found mine and began an erotic dance that left me feeling weak in the
knees.  I was pretty sure that if he hadn’t been supporting me I would have
melted to the floor. 

“I need you,
Ally.” His eyes were dark as he stared down at me.  The steel gray contrasted
with his dark hair made him look intense and the passion that waited there was
enough to set me ablaze.

I pushed at
his chest gently and he looked at me confused until I took his hand and led him
down the hall and back to my bedroom.  As we reached the room he pulled at my
hand and turned me towards him.  His hands moved down my sides to rest at my
hips, tugging me closer to fit against him. I could feel him hard against me
and I pressed closer to feel him. I heard a moan escape him just as he kissed
me, deep and hungry.  My skin was hot and hypersensitive as he ran his hands
down to my bare thighs and up to push my dress up and over my head.  The cool
air against my hot skin caused instant goosebumps.

I moved my
hands up his chest and worked to lift his sweatshirt over his head, followed by
the t-shirt underneath. His skin was hot beneath my fingertips and I leaned
forward to press soft kisses against him.  His hands moved to my hair, grabbing
handfuls.  I loved it. I wanted more of him. 

He moved to
unhook my bra and he let it fall to the floor.  His eyes were hooded as he took
a moment to take me in.  I watched as his tongue moved across his swollen
bottom lip as if he were plotting his attack.  It made my insides clench with
anticipation.  His hands moved to cover my breasts.  “So soft.  You’re like
satin,” he moaned as he took one hardened nipple between his lips and sucked. 
I whimpered as he worked it expertly before moving to the other breast to do
the same thing.  I needed him.  Now.  My insides were tight with the tension
and want and I moved to unbuckle his belt.  I wanted to feel him, I needed to
get all of these layers between us gone. 

He watched me
as I pushed his jeans down, past his hips, taking his boxers down with them. 
He sprung free and as he kicked the jeans off and out of the way I couldn’t
help but take him into my mouth to taste him.  I smiled as I felt his body tense
at the sensation.  “Fuck, baby, you feel so good,” he moaned his hand on my
head, but allowing me to take full control of the moment.  I loved to hear the
sounds he made, knowing that I was bringing him so close to the brink.

“Wait.” He
pulled me up and I gave him a tiny pout at not being able to complete my task. 
He gave me a wicked smile and shook his head.  “Not yet. I want to be buried
deep inside you when I come.  I’ve missed you and all I’ve been able to think
about is how you feel, how we feel.”  His voice was husky and raw and I tingled
at the sound.  He picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist as he
moved us to the bed.  He lowered us down, holding me to him, his strength was
impressive and it made me feel protected.

I felt my head
hit the pillow and I stared up at Owen’s handsome face as he hovered above me.