“No, I definitely don’t want to be bitten.” Not by mosquitoes anyway.

  They headed out beyond the yard with Bettie on their heels. The dog stayed right next to them as they strolled past where the cattle grazed in the pasture. Their gentle mooing was a balm to Honor’s normally frenzied, to-do-list-filled brain, allowing her mind to settle as they slowly made their way toward the other side of the road where the horses nuzzled in the grass.

  It was so serene here, the orange glow of the setting sun shifting below a bank of clouds, casting a breathtaking purple glow to the horizon. She was so lucky to be able to view that kind of vista. It brought a peace to her soul that she desperately needed. She imagined that was one of the things that appealed to Owen, too.

  “I’m so glad you bought this place,” she said. “It fits you.”

  He looked over at her. “Yeah? How so?”

  “You always liked open spaces. That’s why you were always hanging out at our place when we were kids—it sure wasn’t because you liked us girls.”

  He laughed. “I did like it there a lot. If you remember my house, it didn’t have the biggest backyard, and yours was extra large—like endless.”

  “Yes, it’s the best. So when you and Erin got engaged and leased the condo, I just couldn’t see the two of you there. I mean, I could see her there, because it was small and efficient, and that suits Erin’s sensibilities. But definitely not yours.”

  “She thought it would be a jumping-off point.”

  “And you agreed.”

  He shrugged. “I guess I went along. It didn’t seem like a big deal at the time, and I wasn’t planning on it being long term.”

  “But did the two of you ever discuss what would be long term? Did she know you wanted all this acreage?”

  “We talked about it. She didn’t want cows or horses or a lot of land, that’s for sure. It’s one of the many things we didn’t have in common that we both ignored, hoping it would somehow work itself out.”

  She cocked her head to the side. “Right. And how did that end up?”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, well, everything worked out, didn’t it? She’s happily married to Jason, the two of them have an amazing house and a couple of great dogs and a decent-sized backyard. Kinda perfect, right?”

  For her sister, yes. She had ended up with the right guy after all.

  “What about you, though, Owen? Are you happy?”

  He slipped his hand in hers. “Right now? I’m walking down the road with the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known, on land that I own, with my dog by my side. I don’t know what could make me any happier.”

  Her breath caught and it took her a minute to unscramble her thoughts. “Do you always say the right thing?”

  “Hey, you know me. I can fuck things up more than anyone. Ask your sister.”

  She squeezed his arm. “You’ve got to let that go. Shove it in the past, where it belongs. She’s happy now. And you’re happy, too. Time to move on.”

  “You’re right, I guess. But a part of me will always feel like shit for the way I hurt her. It’s hard to let go of that.”

  She wrapped her hands around his arm and leaned against him as they walked. “It’s because you care so much. People who care have a difficult time hurting someone. If you were a heartless bastard it would be easy to walk away from what happened and not think twice about it.”

  “If I weren’t a heartless bastard, I wouldn’t have done it in the first place.”

  Honor had no idea that Owen was still dwelling so hard on what he’d done to her sister. And sure, at the time, it had been awful and Erin had been heartbroken and really angry. But once they’d found out his reasons for calling off the wedding and pulling his disappearing act, everyone understood, Erin most of all. Not that they’d agreed it had been the right way to go about it, but no one had stood in his shoes with a cancer diagnosis, either. So how could they judge his actions in the moment? She felt for him, for the ache he’d been carrying.

  “It still hurts you, doesn’t it? The breakup.”

  He stilled. “With Erin? No. The pain I caused her and you and your family? Yeah, that hurts. We all used to be so close.”

  “And we’re all close again. No one holds a grudge against you, Owen. You have to know that. To the Bellinis, you’re still family and always will be.”

  “Right. Until they find out I got you drunk and married you in Vegas.”

  She stopped in the middle of the road and turned to face him. “Excuse me. But I don’t recall you forcing those shots of tequila on me. In fact, if I recall, I was the one who started it.”

  “I’m still a little fuzzy about that part. I’m pretty sure I suggested the first shot.”

  “And then I egged us both on to continue.”

  “So, you got me drunk and took advantage of me.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I don’t think either of us got taken advantage of.”

  Now his eyes twinkled when he smiled. “Ohhh, now what you’re saying is we were secretly hot for each other all along and we couldn’t hold back once we got a little alcohol in us.”

  She leaned forward and tipped her finger down the center of his chest, lingering at his abs. “I don’t know, Owen. Just how long have you been hot for me?”

  He bridged that short distance between them and tugged her against him. “I can’t answer that question on the grounds that it might incriminate me. But I can say that I’m extremely hot for you right now.”

  They were wading into some dangerous waters. Looking into his eyes, she realized she’d had a profound crush on Owen for a very long time, something she’d never admitted to anyone—including herself—until now. Once he’d decided that her sister had been the one for him, that crush had crumpled and died like a thirsty, unwatered flower. So this grand tease he was doing with her right now had her riled up and turned on in the worst—or maybe the best—kind of way.

  It felt good to be wanted. Chosen. Showered with attention.

  Loved.

  Whoa. No one had said love. They were married, but there was no love in this equation. Love was scary and no one had talked about love.

  She needed to keep all of those deeper feelings bundled up and locked inside. She had no idea what was going to happen after the divorce. Maybe they’d just walk away from each other and it’d be the end.

  And that’d be okay, because that was the kind of relationship she was used to having.

  Fun and done.

  That was all they were doing here, and she needed to keep reminding herself of that.

  * * *

  • • •

  THE MIX OF emotions across Honor’s face was a combination of curiosity, desire and confusion. Owen didn’t know what to make of it. He also didn’t know whether right now, when he was holding her in his arms, was the right time to ask her what was going on in her head. Because she was warm and soft and all he wanted to do was kiss her, and having a deep-dive conversation about her thoughts seemed like a giant mood killer. Probably the right thing to do, but also—mood killer.

  Deciding to table that question until later, he cupped the side of her neck and kissed her, and all the angst and doubt fell away. Honor always made the rest of the world disappear, so that it was just the two of them and the way her body felt against his, the sweet taste of her, her lemony scent, all combining to ease away any tension he might feel.

  Now all he wanted was to touch her, dive in further and slide his tongue alongside hers, soak in the sounds she made and the soft sensation of her hands gliding up along his arms.

  Thunder rumbled, low and menacing, and the flash of lightning off to the east was bright enough to make him pull back from Honor. The wind started to pick up, swirling dust around. Bettie barked and danced around them, sounding out a warning.

  “Storm’s coming,” he said. “We should head back to the house.”

  She nodded, and they made quick paces toward the yard. By the time they reached the gate, the first drops had started to fall. When they made it to the covered patio, the skies opened, and a deluge of rain came down.

  They got inside and Bettie went to her water bowl, got a long drink, then settled on the kitchen floor and passed right out, ignoring the rumbling maelstrom going on outside. Owen fixed them glasses of iced tea and carried one over to where Honor stood looking out the window.

  She took a long swallow from the glass, then said, “Great storm.”

  He watched the skies light up with each crack of lightning while the thunder rolled loud and long. “Yeah, it’s pretty impressive. Rain’s coming down hard. You might be stuck here.”

  She turned and tilted her head back, looking up at him, a half smile on her face. “Oh, that would be a shame, wouldn’t it? Having to stay here with you all night.”

  He saw the invitation, felt the vibe between them. It rocked him hard to feel that intimacy. He took the glass from her and laid it on the table next to his, then pulled her into his arms. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.”

  She dug her nails into his chest. “I don’t doubt it for a second.”

  His mouth came down on hers and suddenly it was like the storm moved inside the house. They both took and gave as shirts and shoes came off and he could touch her skin, lick her neck, and her hands roamed his body freely, causing his desire to rise just as the storm rose in intensity outside. As pieces of clothing were tossed to the floor, they made their way to the bedroom, never once losing contact with each other, with their mouths fused together as if neither one of them wanted to ever let go.

  They were nearly naked by the time they fell onto the bed. Honor still wore her panties and he had one sock still on, which he shoved off with the other foot. He made quick work of her underwear so he could palm her sex. He felt the heat of her as he began to stroke her gently, easing her into a frenzied state as his movements became more focused on her clit. He needed to taste her, so he spread her legs and put his mouth on her, breathing her in, taking a long, slow lick. Her skin was hot, she was wet and she writhed against him, saying words that made no sense, but sounded so damn sexy all the same. She tasted like fire and salty cinnamon, and he’d never wanted a woman more than this one.

  He took her right where he wanted her to go—up and over as she rocked against him, letting go with a loud cry. She was beautiful in climax, her body shaking all over as she came.

  He was doing a little shaking of his own, and more than a little breathless as he felt her movements. He licked her gently, kissed her thighs and the top of her sex, then climbed up next to her. She rolled over and slid her fingers into his hair and put her lips to his. They didn’t say anything to each other as he rolled the condom on. She lifted her leg over his hip and he slid inside her, feeling that connection he’d experienced with her since the beginning. It had always been perfect with Honor, that sense that they belonged together. They just . . . fit.

  He grasped her hip and rolled into her, watching her eyes widen, feeling her clutch his shoulders as they moved in unison.

  As the storm continued to pound the windows, Owen fought back the one spiraling out of control within him. Touching her, tasting her, had just about done him in. He was close, but he wanted Honor to get there first. And when he felt her tighten around his cock, he gritted his teeth and gave her what she needed. Only when she climaxed did he let go, pulling her against him and grinding against her, holding on to her like he never wanted to let her go.

  Because in this moment, he didn’t.

  Maybe he never wanted to.

  He felt the beat of her heart against his chest, fast at first, then regaining normal rhythm. He took a short trip to the bathroom and came back, pulling her right back into his arms.

  The storm outside was still heavy. “This could go on all night,” he said.

  Honor tilted her head back to look at him. “Well, aren’t you confident.”

  He laughed. “I meant the storm.”

  “Oh. And here I thought you were making some hefty promises.”

  He bent and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, teasing his tongue with hers before pulling back. “Hey, I can definitely go all night.”

  “I’m game if you are.”

  He slid his hand over her breasts, teasing his fingers down her belly, ready to explore every inch of her that he’d missed the first time. “Game on.”

  CHAPTER

  seventeen

  I THINK WE’RE going to have a get-together at our house on Sunday to tell everyone about the baby, since there’s no wedding scheduled.”

  Honor looked up at Erin, who was leaning against the doorway. “Really? How exciting. Who are you inviting?”

  “The families, of course. And a few friends. Mae, because oh my God it’s been so hard not to say anything to her. Jason wants to invite people from work because he keeps stumbling over not telling anyone there. And then let’s see, Clay and Alice.”

  “I know it’s been really difficult not to tell Alice.”

  “You have no idea. Fortunately, she’s in and out of town all the time so she hasn’t seen my issues with nausea, which are mostly over now, thankfully. Oh, and I definitely want to invite Owen. He’ll come, don’t you think?”

  She felt the flutter in her stomach at the mention of Owen’s name. “Of course he will.”

  “Anyway, we’ll have drinks and cook up some food, and then make the big announcement.”

  “I’m so excited for you, Erin. For you and Jason.”

  “We’re pretty excited, too. You should have seen Jason’s eyes light up when he saw the little peanut on the ultrasound. It seriously just looked like a peanut, but he got all teary eyed when he heard the heartbeat.”

  Honor could feel that love. “Aww. That’s so sweet. And the pic of the little peanut is quite adorable.”

  “True. I can’t wait to frame it, which is why it’s time for the announcement. Doc says baby looks good and I’m further along than I thought, so we’re good to go.”

  Honor was ecstatically happy for her sister. “I can’t wait for the party.”

  “What party?” Brenna asked as she poked her head in the door.

  “At my house on Sunday. We’re going to do the pregnancy announcement then.”

  “Oh. Cool. I assume Finn and I are invited.”

  Erin nodded. “You assume correctly.”

  Brenna grinned. “I do love a party.”

  After they all dispersed to their respective offices, Honor texted Owen to give him a heads-up about the invite. He texted back shortly after.

  You’re going to be there, right?

  She replied with: Of course.

  It didn’t take him long to send his response: Then I’ll be there, too.

  She smiled, and there was that warm feeling, the one that felt as if someone had just covered her with her favorite blanket.

  Ridiculous. But there it was, and she wasn’t about to try to decipher what it meant.

  They were slammed on Friday and Saturday with weddings, so she hadn’t had a moment to even breathe. She was exhausted. But by Sunday she was filled with renewed energy, knowing that she was going to get to see Owen. She spent at least an hour showering and shaving and primping, ignoring the fact that this wasn’t a big event she should even be fussing over. But she wanted to feel good, so she went with it. She chose a cute sundress since it was hot as Hades today, along with her white sandals. Then she made some sangria, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic since Erin had told her she’d been craving it and she’d decided not to drink alcohol right now. And since one of the veterinarians that Jason worked with was also pregnant right now, as was another vet’s wife, it would make perfect sense to have a nonalcoholic sangria, so no one would be suspicious. Perfection.

  Once she had packed everything up and put it in her car, she headed over to Erin’s house. By the time she arrived, there were already several cars parked in their oversized driveway, and more than a few on the street. She recognized Owen’s truck right away—not that she was looking for it specifically or anything.

  She was surprised to see him walk out of Jason’s open garage. He looked amazing in his shorts and a white T-shirt that clung to his chest. She took a deep breath as she admired his tanned skin and muscles.

  “Saw you pull in,” he said as he made his way to where she’d parked. “Need any help?”

  “Actually, I do,” she said as she popped the lid on the trunk, then grabbed her bag from the front seat. “Can you get the cooler back there?”

  “Yup.” He hefted the cooler with both hands as she followed him into the garage and through the door to the house.

  It was nice and cool inside. Erin was in the kitchen looking gorgeous with her hair flowing around her shoulders. She wore a full-length sleeveless maxi dress and sandals. She could swear her sister glowed. Maybe that was what pregnancy did to a person. If it was, then Honor was not pregnant because all she felt was the oppressive heat of impending summer. She was definitely not glowing. Just sweating.

  “Where do you want this?” Owen asked.

  “On the counter would be great.” She smiled at him. “Thanks for bringing it in.”

  “Hey, no problem.” He looked around at the crowd of women in the kitchen. “I’ll . . . talk to you later.”

  She nodded, wishing they could have some alone time, but it wasn’t going to happen right now. After he walked out the back door, she went to her sister and hugged her.

  “You look breezy and stunning.”

  Erin grinned. “Thank you. And you look hot as hell, and I don’t mean the sweaty kind of hot. I mean, damn, girl. Did you bring a date or something?”

  “No. Just me. And thanks.”

  “You do look amazing,” Brenna said as she made her way into the kitchen. “Both of you, actually. You look so fancy. And here I am just in shorts and a tank top.”