Chapter Three
Owen walked back into the room with bottles of water under his arms, and fresh whiskey poured into the heavy glasses. He looked at Nadine spread out on his bed. She looked beautiful after sex, with a soft flush over her mocha-colored skin and her eyes closed. He knew that he wanted her again and pushed the idea of her leaving in the morning away as he walked over to the nightstand and set the whiskeys down. “You alive down there?” Owen kept his voice soft as she nodded and smiled softly before stretching her arms over her head. He sat beside her as he felt his body respond to her peaked, dark nipples and soft skin. Nadine looked around and moved to the pillows to sit weakly as he passed her a glass. Owen opened the water and she gave him a grateful smile as she sipped the cold, bottled water.
They sat quietly together on the bed as the liquor settled in their veins and led to more kissing. They ended the night making love with him draped over her body and thrusting between her legs, after getting another condom. Their lips met with each thrust as he watched her face contort in another orgasm before they came together with low moans and heavy sighs. Owen moved to his side as he pulled her against him and watched her as she closed her eyes.
“Tell me about yourself,” Nadine said, as she snuggled against his chest and breathed in his scent.
“I live on this property with my family. Mom is in the main house with my kid sister Cindy while my brothers Jacob and Tommy have their own trailers on the other side of the house. My dad…he passed recently. This is one of the largest ranches in Texas, and it’s kept my family doing well. I don’t know what will happen now.” Owen swallowed slowly. “I am not really into the family business. I graduated with a degree in agricultural science, but college was about drinking and gambling at the local casinos. My brothers think I’m a fool and Cindy thinks I am her whole world, particularly since Dad is gone now. I don’t know who has it right.”
“You don’t seem all that bad to me,” Nadine told him, as she felt him brush his lips against hers.
“I am a womanizer and completely irresponsible in the eyes of my brothers.” Owen sounded defeated, and she wrapped her arms around his waist as she turned further towards him. “The ranch needs to keep going, and I couldn’t even go to the lawyer today. I came to the rodeo to get drunk. I can’t say that was a terrible decision since I’m here with you now.”
Nadine smiled as she wished for a fleeting moment that this could go on. In reality, she needed to go back home to Chicago where her family was and just start over. Owen was nothing more than a night for her.
“What about you?”
“I am an accountant. I had a great job in Chicago before Cole decided he wanted the simple life and told me that he was moving here. I thought we were strong, and I came with him, but now I don’t think he wanted me as much as he wanted my money to support him,” Nadine said in a shaking voice, as he kissed her again.
“You’ll be steady again real soon, Nadine. You’re a tough kind of woman,” Owen assured her, as she pressed her head into his chest and fought the sleep that was taking her over.
In the morning, Owen woke up first and made some coffee as he looked over his family’s land with heavy eyes. Owen had a lot to deal with today, and he knew that Nadine was likely leaving Texas. The thought made him sink deeper into the depression that was threatening to overtake him, and Owen raked a hand through his messy hair as he took a deep breath.
Owen knew that he wasn’t the kind of man to ask her to stay here and take care of him. That wasn’t his nature, and it had never been. He would just go on living the way he was and try to get through the loss of his dad. It was certain to be a mess with his family, especially his brothers and poor Cindy, who was heartbroken. If anything, Owen needed to become a better man for her, since she looked up to him so much already. He felt like he was living a double life, pretending to be responsible in front of her when he was a mess.
Owen shook his head to clear his thoughts as he heard footsteps in the hall. Nadine poked her head into the kitchen and gave him a shy smile before she stepped in wearing a shirt of his. “Good morning.”
“I like you in that,” Owen said, before he could think about it, enjoying when she blushed and glanced at the coffee pot. “Want some?”
“I’d love some.” Nadine stepped forward and fixed a big cup before she sat in the breakfast nook. Owen busied himself fixing some bacon and eggs for them and sat next to her as he slid a full plate in front of her. “Thank you.” She had only eaten a few bites before she looked at him. “I had a great time last night, Owen. It got my mind off of things, but I was doing some thinking this morning.” She sighed. “I have nothing here. I think I just want to go back to Chicago and be with my family, start over. I don’t even want to get my stuff since it’s just a few clothes. I’ll ask him to ship them to me and, if he won’t, I can get a job there and buy more. I just know I can’t stay here in Texas now. I hate it here.”
“I’ll take you to the airport,” Owen offered, and she let out a bitter laugh.
“I don’t have the money for a plane ticket. I was supporting him.”
“I’ll get that for you. It’s the least that I can do, Nadine. You need to be there.” She smiled at him before promising to send him the money as soon as she could. She showered and dressed before they left with just her purse in hand and headed to the airport. Nadine was on her phone trying to find cheap flights and was even considering a bus ticket, but he assured her that he didn’t want her sitting on one of those for hours.
He gave her the money after he assured her that he was okay without it, not mentioning his family’s financial status. They stood at the door away from the hustle and bustle, and she gave him a grateful look before she moved to wrap her arms around his neck. “Thank you so much. You’ve done so much for me, considering you don’t even know me.”
“I got something out of it as well,” Owen assured her, as the idea to ask for her number crossed his mind. That was the last thing Nadine needed, not to mention him. He felt her lips press against his slowly and slipped a hand into her hair to deepen the kiss before she pulled away with a ragged breath.
“I need to get out of here before I make you take me back to that trailer,” Nadine smiled, as she slid her hands down his chest in a slow gesture. “You are a saint among men, Owen. Take care of yourself and know that I will forever be grateful to you for everything that you’ve done.” A brief kiss and she was gone, disappearing into the crowd that was going towards the counter to buy their tickets.
Owen watched her for as long as he could see her before he walked to his car and headed back to the ranch to deal with reality. He already missed her, but it was just another girl and just another night. At least, that’s what Owen told himself.