The Setup and the Substitute by Jiffy Kate

Chapter 16

Sophie

I honestly don’t knowwhat came over me, except when Owen admitted he’s attracted to me, I felt this surge of urgency, like it’s now or never.

Typically, I’m not quite that forward, but I don’t have time to overthink it.

One second we’re both racing toward the stairs laughing like loons, and the next thing I know, Owen is pressing me to the wall and devouring me with his mouth.

Oh, God.

This is one of those out of body experiences.

I didn’t plan for this.

I didn’t even shave my legs.

It’s like one of those nights when you go out, saying you’re only going to have one drink and ending up dancing on a table with half your clothes off.

Not that I’ve done that before, but—

“Oh, God.”

Owen’s mouth has left mine and traveled down my chest. His tongue is circling a nipple and my core is aching for release. To say it’s been a while is an understatement.

Maybe this is exactly what we both need.

A good fuck, get it out of our systems, and move on with our lives.

Yeah, that’s it.

“Owen,” I moan, wrapping my legs around his lean torso. “I need—”

He pulls his head away from my boobs and the lazy smile on his face makes my insides flip. “What do you need, Sophie?”

“You… more. I need to be in your bed.”

Without another word, he turns and carries me the rest of the way up the stairs. Once we’re inside his room, our clothes seem to disappear on their own accord and the next thing I know, Owen is turning and walking to his bathroom, giving me a perfect view of his tight ass.

It’s a work of art, with muscled indentions in all the right places.

I want to bite it or at least dig my heels into it.

A few seconds later, he walks back out with a strip of condoms, bringing my attention to his full erection. I’m caught in a trance as I watch him sheath himself, making me pulse with need.

Our eyes lock as he stalks back to the bed and when hovers over me, I see a moment of hesitation. I’m worried he’s going to call the whole thing off, but then his mouth is on mine and the intensity from the stairs is back.

His tongue does wicked things as it moves down my body. First, to my nipples and then lower, as he makes his way to my pussy.

My hands go to his hair as I thread my fingers through the soft strands. I knew it would be soft, and the feel of it brushing my inner thighs, paired with his stubble on the most sensitive part of me, drives me wild.

Owen takes his time, lazily running his tongue up my slit and then back down, as though he’s savoring me. When he slides two fingers into me, every nerve in my body lights up. Warmth spreads across my skin and just when I think it can’t get much better, he spreads my knees farther apart and devours me—sucking my clit and making me moan.

Good lord, this man can has a talented tongue.

My orgasm rushes over me but he doesn’t let me go. Wave after wave hits me while his mouth remains latched onto my clit, and when my second orgasm comes, I grab the closest pillow to me and scream into it.

Is death by orgasm possible?

I hear Owen’s deep chuckle as he removes the pillow and throws it on the floor.

“I think you killed me,” I say.

“Well, that’d be a damn shame,” he murmurs while brushing his fingertip across my nipple, making me shiver.

“You’re right,” I agree. “I’d hate to die before feeling your cock inside me.”

“Fuck, I love it when you talk like that.” Owen kisses me deeply and when he leans over me, I feel his dick, heavy on my thigh.

And just like that, I’m ready to go again.

“Owen, I need you.”

“I got you.”

He settles himself between my legs where I’m wet and eager. Not wasting any more time, he pushes inside me, filling me completely in one swift move. Owen slides his arms under my own, grabbing onto my shoulders, keeping our bodies perfectly aligned and connected.

When he doesn’t move right away, I begin to worry.

His face is buried into the crook of my neck, so I whisper, “Owen?”

“I wanted to make sure you felt good first because I may not last very long. It’s… been a while,” he admits.

“Hey,” I place my hand on his cheek so that he’ll look at me. “This is amazing. All of it. Please, don’t worry about anything.” I kiss him gently at first, but it doesn’t stay that way.

Owen’s mouth becomes demanding as he starts moving inside me, finding his rhythm and pushing harder and harder with each thrust. Sweat breaks out across his back and I assume he’s close to coming, so I decide to take over.

“Roll over. Let me on top,” I grunt out, as he pounds into me. I almost change my mind because it feels so damn good but I want to prolong his pleasure like he did for me.

He doesn’t question me; he simply grabs me and rolls us over and I hurry to get situated on his cock. He’s so deep I have to circle my hips a few times to adjust to this new position. This causes a deep groan to escape Owen’s mouth and I can’t help but smile.

I really like making him feel good.

I start moving up and down, squeezing my inner muscles as I ride him.

“Holy shit,” he gasps out before sitting up and pulling my nipple into his mouth. The suction of his lips around my sensitive nub while my clit rubs against Owen’s body brings me even closer to the edge, but I don’t want to come until he does, so I move faster.

I’ve never been shy when it comes to sex but being with Owen like this makes me feel freer than I ever have. I only hope we can do this again. And again.

But just in case this is it, I want to make it something that neither of us will forget.

Owen lays back down and grabs my ass, moving me up and down, at the pace he wants.

“I’m so close, Sophie. Are you?”

“God, yes. Make me come, Owen.”

He presses his thumb firmly against my clit and that’s all I need to fall into complete bliss. Owen wraps his thick arms around me and holds me to him as he comes, his body convulsing and shuddering around me.

As euphoria settles around us, a hint of reality seeps in and mixes with it.

I’ve never felt so reckless and safe at the same time.

* * *

When I wake up,it’s with a jolt because I don’t know where I am.

Sitting up, the sheet slips off my body—my very naked body—and that’s when I remember.

Owen’s bed.

The best sex of my life.

Visions from last night dance through my mind and quickly warm my skin, causing a pull deep inside my body. Looking over to Owen’s side of the bed, I pat the spot where he slept and it’s cool. He’s obviously been out of bed for a while.

I can’t help the flood of disappointment I feel, but for a brief moment, I hold out hope he’s still in the bathroom. But when I climb out of bed and push open the door, that hope fades and my sadness swells.

Last night was amazing, at least it was for me, and I’d be lying if I didn’t want a repeat this morning. Maybe I shouldn’t have expected him to stick around this morning but he could’ve at least woke me up… anything to make me feel better than I do right now.

Don’t be so dramatic, Soph.

I knew this was going to be a touchy situation when I threw caution to the wind last night on Owen’s couch. And in all honesty, I didn’t mean to sleep in his bed, but after round two, I can’t remember much. Owen’s skilled tongue and cock delivered so many orgasms I couldn’t keep up.

It’s been a while.

And when I say it was the best sex of my life, I mean it. Nobody has ever made me feel so vulnerable and free and sexy and wanted as Owen Thatcher. The way he paid attention to every inch of my body, listening to cues, and making my pleasure his pleasure is something I’ve never experienced.

Sure, I’ve had great sex.

But last night was...unexpected and out of this world.

Falling back onto the pillow, I throw an arm over my eyes and then peek over at the alarm clock.

The kids will be up soon, so I guess it’s time to do the walk… not of shame, because I have zero… but somehow, I need to make it to my bedroom without being seen by Molly and Ryan.

And I need to find Owen.

I’m sure he’s still here. His flight doesn’t leave for a couple hours and he never leaves without a goodbye.

So, he wouldn’t start this morning, right?

There’s a lump in my throat at that thought, but I swallow it down and slide out of Owen’s bed. As I walk across the room, I gather my clothes, putting them on one by one.

Panties at the foot of the bed.

Shorts on the rug.

Shirt by the door.

By the time I walk out into the hallway, I’m clothed but I’m sure I still look exactly like I feel—royally fucked.

In every sense of the word.

When I reach the bottom of the stairs, I don’t see Owen in the kitchen, so I pop in and make a cup of coffee.

The kids' rooms are still quiet when I tiptoe down the hall to my bedroom, but I notice the door to Owen’s gym is ajar.

That must be where he’s hiding.

Or avoiding me?

Having regrets?

God, I hope not.

He promised this wouldn’t be awkward and that we wouldn’t ruin things by what happened last night. One of the many things I admire about Owen is he’s true to his word. So, I’m going to hold him to his promise.

Even if it was a one-time deal, I refuse to mess up what we’ve got going. Things have been so good with the kids. I love my job. They seem really happy. Outside of mine and Owen’s sexual tension, life has been great.

And we solved the sexual tension, right?

Or perhaps we made it worse?

As I step into the shower, I smell him—us—and I want to bask in it, put it in a bottle and savor it forever. When I close my eyes and tilt my head back into the stream of water, I see him—hovering above me, thrusting into me.

Every muscle of his sculpted body.

Every low groan.

The way he said my name.

Shit.

This could be bad.

Once I’m finished washing my hair, I rinse and jump out, quickly running a towel over my body and then wrapping up my hair. When I step out of the bathroom, I hear little footsteps in the hallway and I breathe a sigh of relief that I woke up when I did.

Quickly, I throw on some clothes and let my hair fall out of the towel, finger combing it and then twisting it into a bun.

Opening the door, I practically run right into Owen, my hands on his biceps, his on my waist.

“Sorry,” I say, sounding as breathless as I feel. It’s not just being startled, it’s the way my body remembers. The second our skin comes into contact, all five of my senses are on high alert.

“You okay?” he asks, his voice a low timber, and there’s more to his words than just casually asking me if I’m okay after running into him. It’s loaded with questions and worries.

I put on my best smile and give it to him. “I’m good, yeah. You?”

“Fine,” he says, a bit stand-offish, but still somewhat vulnerable as his eyes bore into mine. That little peek into his soul gives me hope that this will be okay. “I need to shower before I catch the bus to the airport.”

Glancing down, I notice the sweat soaking his t-shirt. His hair is flopping onto his forehead, tempting my fingertips to brush it away.

“Early morning workout?”

It’s not that Owen doesn’t usually work out in the mornings. He has a very specific schedule that I’ve slowly started picking up on. But he typically doesn’t put in a hard workout on travel days. From what he’s told me, he usually waits and works out with the guys when they get to the field or at the hotel.

“Uh, yeah,” he says, running a hand through his damp hair. “Woke up a while ago.”

There’s something else that passes between us, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.

Did he wake up wanting another round?

Or did he wake up thinking we shouldn’t do that again?

When Molly calls out from the kitchen, we both break apart and start trying to walk down the hallway at the same time, causing us to both let out a short laugh.

“After you,” Owen says, stepping back and holding out his hand like a gentleman.

Which he is.

Owen is one of the most gentlemanly men I’ve ever met.

But he’s also a beast in the bedroom, demanding and strong.

God, I can not go there.

Thankfully, when I make it to the kitchen, the kids are ready for breakfast and it’s the perfect distraction. By the time I’ve made scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast, Owen is back with his travel bag tossed over his shoulder.

Molly and Ryan both hop down from their seats and go to him, saying their goodbyes.

This road trip will be one of the longest they’ve had since I’ve been working for Owen. They’ll travel today, play four games in Philadelphia, three games in New York, and then another travel day home.

“Did you pack my pictures?” Molly asks, bouncing on her tiptoes.

“Yep,” Owen says, patting the side pocket of his bag. “And I’ve got yours too, buddy.”

Ryan beams, hugging Owen’s leg. “Do you want to take Ducky?” he asks, holding up the stuffed dinosaur.

“I’ve got Bob,” Owen assures him, patting his bag again.

I love the way he is with them. For some people, they might humor a kid by taking a coloring page or stuffed animal, but with Owen, he’s not just humoring his kids. He loves them so much and I think he takes the things they offer just as much for himself as he does for them. It’s a way for them to be connected even when they’re miles apart.

When Owen glances up at me, I realize I’m hugging my body, wishing we could have a moment before he leaves, but we can’t.

His gaze lingers for a second, but then he just nods, turning his attention back to the kids.

“Be good for Sophie,” he instructs. “And I’ll call you tonight, okay?”

“I love you, Daddy,” Molly says, holding on tight.

“Love you too, Molls.”

“Me too, Daddy. I love you too,” Ryan says.

Owen gives a small, sad smile and leans down, kissing him on the head. “Love you too.”

With that, he’s gone and I feel like a small piece of myself walked out the door with him.

That’s crazy.

Get it together, Sophie.