“If you don’t want me to come to Austin—”
“I do. I just hope it doesn’t come to that. We won’t leave for Austin unless there’s no way to fix things before the concert.”
“Then I hope to see you in Jackson.”
“I’ll let you go back to bed,” he said. “Sorry I woke you.”
“I’m glad you called.” She felt that he needed her support, and she was happy to offer it.
When they hung up, she cra
wled back into bed, but couldn’t sleep. Her heart ached for him. His entire career had been turned upside down by the thoughtless actions of two people he considered friends. She could only imagine how devastating that would be. Caitlyn decided she’d be making a nuisance of herself and going to Owen no matter where he happened to be the next day. If he decided to take a trip to the moon, she’d find a way to join him.
Since sleep wasn’t happening, Caitlyn got up and fired off an email to her staff, canceling their morning meeting and vaguely citing an emergency as her excuse, and then she packed a small suitcase. She couldn’t predict where she’d be going the next day—Mississippi or Texas or the moon—but wherever Owen was, that was where she wanted to be.
~~~
Caitlyn didn’t know what she’d expected Owen’s house to look like, but as soon as she pulled into his drive, she realized the meticulously maintained blue cottage was perfect for him. She wasn’t sure if he’d made it home yet—his flight from Jackson had landed a while ago, but she wasn’t familiar with Austin’s layout or how far the airport was from his house. He had texted her when he’d landed safely, but she hadn’t heard from him since. His Jeep wasn’t in the drive, but it might be in the small garage off to the side of the house. She’d try knocking and if he wasn’t home, she’d wait for him in her car. Or maybe in that inviting porch swing that was swaying gently in the warm spring breeze.
She rang the front doorbell, and after a moment, a woman’s voice called, “Who is it?”
Her heart froze in her chest.
Lindsey? Caitlyn had forgotten the woman was her boyfriend’s temporary roommate. She shook off a spike of jealousy and said, “It’s Caitlyn. Has Owen made it home yet?”
The door swung open, and Lindsey stood framed by the small foyer behind her. She placed a hand on her pregnant belly and smiled—it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Oh, he’ll be home soon. He’s such a sweetheart, he ran to the store to get me some chocolate ice cream. You know what these pregnant cravings are like.”
Caitlyn didn’t, actually, and she wasn’t sure if Lindsey’s comment was meant to be a barb or just small talk. Lindsey wouldn’t know how much Caitlyn had longed to have a baby. Even Owen didn’t know that.
“That must be rough,” Caitlyn said, hoping she sounded nicer than she felt. “At least you aren’t craving pickles dipped in peanut butter.”
“Actually,” Lindsey said with a giggle, “that doesn’t sound half bad.” She stepped aside. “Come in. I’m sure Owen would be upset if he knew I’d kept you waiting on his doorstep.”
Lindsey showed Caitlyn around the small yet homey interior of Owen’s house as if she lived there—probably because she did. Caitlyn had left her suitcase in her trunk, but was now wishing she’d brought it inside so she could not-so-nonchalantly stow it in Owen’s room. On his bed. The one he would share with Caitlyn and not with Lindsey that night.
Caitlyn mentally rolled her eyes at herself. What was she, thirteen? She took a breath and blew it out slowly, trying to assure herself that this beautiful, young, and pregnant roommate of Owen’s wasn’t a threat.
“Caitlyn?” She hadn’t realized Owen was home until she heard him call her name.
“Upstairs!” she called back. He thundered up the stairs, and Lindsey was shuffled to the side as he pulled Caitlyn into his arms and kissed her as if it had been months rather than days since they’d last touched.
“I showed her around a little,” Lindsey said.
Owen tugged his mouth from Caitlyn’s, rolled his eyes, and then turned. “Thanks for entertaining my guest. Your ice cream is in the freezer.”
He pushed Lindsey out into the hallway and closed the door in her face.
“Any word from Adam?” Caitlyn asked.
“He’s in Dallas. His girlfriend fell off a horse.”
Caitlyn cringed. “Sounds painful. Is Jacob ready to forgive him?”
“No one can find Jacob, so I guess not.”
She touched his face, delighting in his beard stubble which was rough against her fingertips. The beard growth made him look a bit older. A bit rougher. She could easily get used to his less polished look. “I’m sorry you’re dealing with this.”
He kissed her again and tightened his hold, one hand sliding up her back to cradle her head and press her face closer to his neck. She inhaled his slightly musky scent and sighed in contentment. This was where she belonged. In his arms.
“Should I admit to you how excited I was to see a yellow Camaro parked in my driveway?”
“Probably not,” she teased.
“Should I tell you how much I need to see you naked in my bed right now?”
“How about you show me instead?”
He undressed her slowly, filling his strong hands with her curves, his warm mouth with her flesh. He was trying out the technique Caitlyn had used on M at the sex club when an unfamiliar voice echoed through the house.
“Owey?” the woman called. “Come down and help us pick out tile.”
Owen stopped moving, his fingers sliding out of Caitlyn’s overexcited pussy, his suction going slack on her throbbing clit.
“Just how many ladies live with you?” she asked, lifting her head to look down at him and finding his face flushed with something other than excitement.
“That’s my mom,” he whispered.
“Does she know you’re seeing me?” Caitlyn asked.
“Yeah, but just so you know, she’s pulling for Lindsey.”
Caitlyn bit her lip. Everything she knew about Owen pointed to him being a mama’s boy. She wondered how much influence his mother’s wishes held over his decisions. “And who are you pulling for?”
“You have nothing to worry about,” he said as he slid from the bed. “Get dressed. I’ll introduce you.”
Caitlyn could still feel the thickness of his fingers stretching her pussy and the tug of his mouth on her clit. In addition, the rawness of his beard stubble had scratched into the skin of her thighs, turning her on, so she didn’t much feel like meeting his mother at that exact moment. But when he collected her clothes and dropped them on the mattress beside her, she supposed she had little choice.
“Owey? Are you up there?” His mother’s voice carried up the stairwell.
“Coming, Ma!” he yelled before turning to Caitlyn. “Hurry, baby. She’s liable to come up here looking for me if we don’t go down quickly.”
Caitlyn struggled into her clothes, noting that Owen didn’t help her even though he was still fully dressed. He basically stared at the door as if the thought of her naked with his mother in the house was completely mortifying. When Caitlyn was mostly presentable—assuming his mom didn’t recognize her incriminating tousled hair for what it meant—Owen took her hand and opened the bedroom door.
“This shouldn’t be my decision,” Lindsey said, her voice drifting up from somewhere below them. “I’m just a renter.”
“Oh, please,” the other woman—his mother—said. “You’re family, Lindsey. You can help me pick out tile for your bathroom.”
“Hey, Mom,” Owen said to the woman sitting on the sofa beside Lindsey.
She looked so much like her gorgeous son that Caitlyn’s breath caught. When his mom rose to offer him a kiss, he quickly turned his head so that her peck landed on his cheek rather than on his lips. If the woman had any idea where her son’s mouth had just been, she would definitely thank him for brushing her off.
“This is my girlfriend, Caitlyn.”
Caitlyn’s palms grew damp and her mouth dry. Wow, Owen, way not to beat around the bush.
“Oh!” His mother’s eyes opened wide as they focused on Caitlyn.
“Hello,” Caitlyn said with an awkward little wave.
“This is my mom, Joan.” Owen nodded at his mom.