Touch Me (One Night with Sole Regret #4)(14)

"Can I make you naked now?" she asked as her hands slid over the fabric of his shirt.

His chest muscles flexed of their own volition. "Yeah."

"Are you as nice to look at under those clothes as I imagine you are?"

"Only one way to find out."

He held very still as she slowly unbuttoned his shirt. Her fingers started at his collar and made their way down, slowly, slowly, toward his waist. He was always self-conscious about his body. It didn't help that she stared up into his eyes while she worked at the buttons, as if she wasn't sure if she wanted to see him naked or not. But soon he didn't care. He was too lost in her gaze to feel anything but desire.

Owen fought his urge to drag her body against his. To kiss her. He fought other urges as well-like talking. He wanted to ask her about herself. To get to know her. He legitimately enjoyed women. He could talk to them for hours. Unfortunately, he'd learned long ago that anonymous sex worked better when he kept a certain distance from his lover. He couldn't get attached to Caitlyn and so he needed to be careful not to give her the wrong idea. It would be an easy mistake to make. He already liked this woman-those few glimpses he'd seen of her true personality-and he would love to know what made her tick. Maybe he could even convince her that getting to know each other was a good idea.

But it wasn't a good idea. It was never a good idea. He'd learned from past entanglements that unless he enjoyed getting his heart broken, he shouldn't throw it into the equation. Ever. And he didn't enjoy getting his heart broken. He'd allowed it to happen far too many times in his youth. And it always hurt. He was sure a mangled heart hurt far worse than getting it up the ass by a woman with no thrusting experience.

Caitlyn opened his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. It fell to the floor at his feet. She glanced at his body and drew her tongue over her sensual lips. She made a little sound of pleasure in the back of her throat and then held up a hand to shield her eyes.

"My God, Owen, you're so gorgeous it hurts my eyes to look at you," she said. "Do you have a pair of sunglasses I can borrow?"

He laughed. This was one of the main reasons why he found himself liking her more than he cared to admit; she made him laugh. "Fresh out. If my friend Jacob was handy, I'm sure he'd have a spare pair or three. He's never without his shades."

"Hmm," she murmured, looking reflective. "First you, then Kellen, now Jacob. Tell me, is Jacob as attractive as you are? Because you hotties seem to travel in packs."

"Most would argue he's better looking than I am," Owen said. "But I don't think he's your type."

"How do you know my type?"

"Well," he said, "when I touch you, you show signs of attraction. To me."



       
         
       
        

"I do?" she said, her mouth dropping open as if she were shocked by his claim.

He nodded and lifted his hands to her shoulders. He slipped the flimsy wrap from her body, and it fluttered to the floor. She shivered and the darkened tips of her breasts grew hard beneath the transparent white lace. God, even her nipples were perfect. He so wanted to nibble them and then suck them raw.

"You do," he said. "So either you're attracted to me or it's been so long since a man has touched you that your body would respond to anyone."

She frowned. "I don't think I'm that desperate."

"So that means you're attracted to me. And Jacob and I are very different. He's sort of a caveman type."

"A caveman in sunglasses?"

Owen chuckled as he imagined Shade Silverton in a loincloth and sunglasses. "Exactly."

Her gaze dropped to his chest, and she made that little sound of pleasure in the back of her throat again. The tone made shivers race down his spine. He couldn't wait to hear what she sounded like when she came. His cock twitched in anticipation making her call out in ecstasy.

"I like your tattoos," she said as her eyes explored his chest. "Do they mean anything special?"

"Some of them, but we're not discussing personal details, remember?"

Her finger traced the cross tattoo on his left pec. "You must work out constantly."

"I'm working out right now as a matter of fact." He flexed his pecs in an alternating pattern.

She giggled and tilted her face up at him, looking a bit more at ease. When they'd been walking to the room, he'd thought she was going to bolt.

"Are you less nervous now that we've shared a few laughs?" he asked.

She nodded. "How did you know I was nervous?"