Read Online Sweets to the Sweet by Jennifer Greene - Free Book Online
Authors: Jennifer Greene
Ads: Link
down at her. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” he whispered.
A faint flush darkened her cheeks. He smiled. His arms went around her, holding her, like a velvet cage, his chin nuzzling the top of her head. “I thought I could behave myself if I brought you to a public place. Obviously, I was wrong.” He tilted back his head. “You’re not safe, you know.”
“Owen—”
“Yes, I know all about your stitches,” he said dryly. “Just…stay still for a minute. Let me hold you.”
He held her until he again felt her relax in his arms. His eyes turned pensive, thoughtful. She so fiercely held back that inner Laura. But when she let loose, he had treasure. She was richly abandoned in giving—loving and needing love like no other woman he’d known.
“Owen?”
“Hmm?”
“Your arm has to be cramped.”
“It is. And your baby is undoubtedly getting hungry.” He sighed. Moments later, they gathered up the blanket and slipped on their shoes. On the drive home, he couldn’t stop stealing glances at her. Her hair was wind-tumbled; there was a sleepy flush on her cheeks that he knew he’d put there. Still, her eyes shied away from his; she was careful not to touch him.
At a traffic light, he leaned over to press a whimsical kiss on her nose. “Stop thinking, would you?” he teased, but there was a layer of seriousness in his voice.
“I’m afraid…I misled you,” she said quietly. “Owen…”
“Know something?”
“What?”
“I’d like to believe we’re past pretending. I’d like to believe you and I don’t need any kind of pretense between us.”
He reached out a hand, and after a moment’s hesitation she took it, perhaps because she badly wanted to believe, as he did, that they had something special together.
Still, shadows clung to her mind; she felt a rush of nameless anxiety. Already, he meant too much to her. It was easier to believe she cared for him because it was a time in her life when she needed someone—anyone—just to be there. But no other man was like Owen. He sparked feelings she shouldn’t feel; he made being wanted seem like a gift.
Laura fed Mari in Paige’s back bedroom, and when she returned to the kitchen, there was a picnic-style dinner spread out on the table. Toddlers were helping themselves to vegetables and dip; Owen was standing with a beer in one hand and a hefty plate of potato salad and ham in the other. Paige promptly stole Mari from Laura’s arms, flitted around the kitchen putting more food on the table, and never stopped talking.
“ Eat now. There’s no point in waiting for Gary. My dad’s got him adding a room to their house—they take advantage, I swear. The baby was an angel, did I tell you that? And, Laura, you can see I’m set up for babies—I’m also tied down here as sure as if there were a rope around my neck. Have you ever tried to take three toddlers to the grocery store? So I thought up this great plan while you and Owen were gone. From now on, you come over here on Tuesday mornings, you watch my monsters for an hour so I can shop, then you can take off while I watch Mari. Life is so much easier when you know other mothers.”
Laura listened and occasionally got in a word of her own; her glance kept wandering to Owen and she smiled. From across the room, he hadn’t taken his eyes off her. She felt his look, like the pull of a magnet, like a secret that no one else knew or could even sense. His mouth was twisted in a patient grin as he listened to his sister-in-law’s bubbling chatter, but his eyes communicated private messages to Laura.
Mine, Laura.
The next time, there isn’t going to be anyone around.
Button by button, I want to take that blouse off…
A two-year-old climbed on Laura’s lap; she hugged her, still listening to Paige, still conscious of Owen as if they were alone.
“…it isn’t colic, you know. Colic is when a baby’s stomach knots up harder than a rock; you can tell. Mari wasn’t
A faint flush darkened her cheeks. He smiled. His arms went around her, holding her, like a velvet cage, his chin nuzzling the top of her head. “I thought I could behave myself if I brought you to a public place. Obviously, I was wrong.” He tilted back his head. “You’re not safe, you know.”
“Owen—”
“Yes, I know all about your stitches,” he said dryly. “Just…stay still for a minute. Let me hold you.”
He held her until he again felt her relax in his arms. His eyes turned pensive, thoughtful. She so fiercely held back that inner Laura. But when she let loose, he had treasure. She was richly abandoned in giving—loving and needing love like no other woman he’d known.
“Owen?”
“Hmm?”
“Your arm has to be cramped.”
“It is. And your baby is undoubtedly getting hungry.” He sighed. Moments later, they gathered up the blanket and slipped on their shoes. On the drive home, he couldn’t stop stealing glances at her. Her hair was wind-tumbled; there was a sleepy flush on her cheeks that he knew he’d put there. Still, her eyes shied away from his; she was careful not to touch him.
At a traffic light, he leaned over to press a whimsical kiss on her nose. “Stop thinking, would you?” he teased, but there was a layer of seriousness in his voice.
“I’m afraid…I misled you,” she said quietly. “Owen…”
“Know something?”
“What?”
“I’d like to believe we’re past pretending. I’d like to believe you and I don’t need any kind of pretense between us.”
He reached out a hand, and after a moment’s hesitation she took it, perhaps because she badly wanted to believe, as he did, that they had something special together.
Still, shadows clung to her mind; she felt a rush of nameless anxiety. Already, he meant too much to her. It was easier to believe she cared for him because it was a time in her life when she needed someone—anyone—just to be there. But no other man was like Owen. He sparked feelings she shouldn’t feel; he made being wanted seem like a gift.
Laura fed Mari in Paige’s back bedroom, and when she returned to the kitchen, there was a picnic-style dinner spread out on the table. Toddlers were helping themselves to vegetables and dip; Owen was standing with a beer in one hand and a hefty plate of potato salad and ham in the other. Paige promptly stole Mari from Laura’s arms, flitted around the kitchen putting more food on the table, and never stopped talking.
“ Eat now. There’s no point in waiting for Gary. My dad’s got him adding a room to their house—they take advantage, I swear. The baby was an angel, did I tell you that? And, Laura, you can see I’m set up for babies—I’m also tied down here as sure as if there were a rope around my neck. Have you ever tried to take three toddlers to the grocery store? So I thought up this great plan while you and Owen were gone. From now on, you come over here on Tuesday mornings, you watch my monsters for an hour so I can shop, then you can take off while I watch Mari. Life is so much easier when you know other mothers.”
Laura listened and occasionally got in a word of her own; her glance kept wandering to Owen and she smiled. From across the room, he hadn’t taken his eyes off her. She felt his look, like the pull of a magnet, like a secret that no one else knew or could even sense. His mouth was twisted in a patient grin as he listened to his sister-in-law’s bubbling chatter, but his eyes communicated private messages to Laura.
Mine, Laura.
The next time, there isn’t going to be anyone around.
Button by button, I want to take that blouse off…
A two-year-old climbed on Laura’s lap; she hugged her, still listening to Paige, still conscious of Owen as if they were alone.
“…it isn’t colic, you know. Colic is when a baby’s stomach knots up harder than a rock; you can tell. Mari wasn’t
Similar Books
