Just a Number Read Online Free PDF Page B

Owen laugh, his chest rising and falling against mine. “I mean, I’m not sorry like I think it’s my fault—she was a bitch long before this.”
    “That she was,” Owen concurs with a chuckle, releasing his hold on me a little. His hands remain on my waist, and mine slide down to his chest as we begin to pull apart. “I’m just sorry I didn’t see it until now.”
    “Love is blind,” I tell him softly, my fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt without my brain’s permission. The mood in the room shifts the second our eyes lock. He’s so close that I can feel his heart begin to race, and the warmth of his body against mine makes me tremble slightly.
    “I’m beginning to get that.” The low rasp in his voice excites me, the gravelly sound of it vibrating deep to my bones, and his fingers curl against my back, holding me closer. “Amelia...” The way he says my name affects me in an unexpected way. I’ve always just been “Amy” to him and everyone else, so this makes me feel special in some way—worthy of his affection, even.
    “Yes?” I ask breathlessly as he lowers his face to mine slowly. We’re mere inches apart, and I mentally will him to come closer. I beg. I plead. I shouldn’t, but I do.
    “We shouldn’t...” The conflict is back in his eyes, but the fact that he refuses to let go of me bodes well for me experiencing what it would be like to kiss Owen Cavanaugh—correction: consciously kiss Owen Cavanaugh.
    “Maybe not,” I whisper, bringing one of my hands up and stroking his jaw in an effort to coax him closer. It’s shameless, but I can’t find it in myself to care. “But why fight it?”
    My entire body hums and vibrates with anticipation as he draws near, and when his nose brushes mine, I inhale a shuddering breath.
    “Tell me to stop,” he pleads, his lips ghosting mine with every word.
    “I can’t,” I confess, locking eyes with him again. “I’ve wanted this for so long, Owen.”
    This seems to shock him, but not in a bad way. Instead, he smirks and shrugs one shoulder. “Well then, I guess that makes two of us.”
    Before I can declare my own surprise, his lips are on mine, working fervently as his tongue sweeps over my bottom lip. Kissing Owen is better than I ever could have imagined, and he tastes like a heavenly combination of salty and sweet as we deepen our kiss, our tongues mingling and sliding with one another. He tastes sweet, and his strong arms tighten around me as I thrust my fingers into his hair to hold him close. With a deep groan, he bites my bottom lip and walks us toward the island until the edge bites into my back.
    I arch my body toward him when he brings his hands around and grabs my breasts, and I whimper when he lets them creep down and over my ass. Gripping firmly, he prepares to lift me up onto the kitchen counter…and then the front door opens.
    “Amy?” Dad calls out, forcing Owen and me to part like the Red Sea. We’re both wild-eyed and panicked. This is far worse than this morning. “Owen?”
    “I’m so sorry,” Owen rushes to apologize, and I shake my head, silently telling him he has no reason to.
    When I see that my handprints are still clearly all over Owen’s shirt, I look down at my own shirt and begin to swat at it frantically in an effort to get rid of any incriminating evidence. Owen does the same, and we’re successful in hiding most of it when Dad enters the kitchen.
    He looks between Owen and me, one of his eyebrows arched suspiciously, and his eyes widen. “What the hell happened here?”
     

6. My Sacrifice

    M y heart races, and I can’t seem to get enough oxygen as panic takes a firm hold of me and squeezes. Alan is going to kill me. He’s going to beat me to death and then force his daughter to help him hide the body as her punishment.
    Okay, so this is probably pretty far-fetched, but the room does seem to be getting darker around the outer corners of my vision, and my chest feels tight with every