Chapter 14：Ch 14: Around there

All her senses suddenly burst into life with that touch. Her heart pounded in her chest like a freight train, her lips parted, and her skin began to prickle with Goosebumps under his fingertips. All the while his eyes remained on her face, studying her response.

Then he spoke in a deep sensual voice that she'd never heard before. It saturated her soul and caused a warm sensation to wash through her.

"As uncomfortable as that subject is, we are no longer children and I won't have a problem with it." Her eyes flew wide, "However," he added at her expression, "I won't pressure you in that department.

Like you, I would like children, but you are still young, and I don't mind waiting until you are ready." Oh Lord, she couldn't possibly address that subject.

So instead she redirected, "Owen, it sounds like you are offering me nothing beyond friendship, companionship and a bed mate. It sounds like a business proposition."

She was glad she was sitting down at his confession because she doubted that her legs could hold her.

Not that he wouldn't have a problem with intimacy, because she was sure he was a legend in that field, but she thought he may with her because she was Joseph's little sister.

Yet he just confessed that he wouldn't practically be causing her heart to leap into her throat.

One thing was for sure, she certainly would have a problem with it. She'd never been to bed with a man in her life.

Of course, she always thought of him and sized up men according to him, which narrowed her dating field tremendously.

In turn, she couldn't bring herself to sleep with another man, because they never gave her that wow factor. Just sitting next to him made her skin tingle.

"I can't offer you anything else at this point, but it's a good start, don't you think?" He said honestly.

"Also at the risk of sending you flying out of here, I'm going to be blunt and say that I'm pretty sure that sex between us would be a hell of a lot better than your term of 'bedmate'." He grinned when she flushed at his choice of words.

Okay, maybe he didn't have difficulty with the intimacy part, but she sure as hell did. I want more, she thought. I want you to tell me you at least care about me more than the little sister of a dear friend. She looked down at her hands that were neatly folded on her lap.

Then she recalled his confession, "You said you'd been thinking about this for more than a year?" He shrugged a shoulder, "Around there." "But Joseph was still alive."

He stiffened as insulted. "I told you that had nothing to do with it. I gave my reasons Abigail. Quit making this out to be a pity request or a business proposition.

If her Jaw wasn't attached to the rest of her face it definitely would have toppled to the floor and rolled around her feet at that confession. "You were going to ask me even if Joseph was still alive?"

It may have taken her a moment but his words finally got through her thick skull. "Yes, I was." He admitted softly. She paled in disbelief. Just when she thought she knew him, she didn't.

To even think that Owen had his sights on her completely blew her away. He could, and probably has, had every woman a man could dream of having.

His last girlfriend was a movie star for crying out loud and the one before that was some Austrian princess or something like that. There was no way she could compete with that kind of fame or experience. Quite frankly it scared the hell out of her.