Chapter 44：Ch 44: I love you too

His large hand rubbed her shoulder and silence fell between them. She thought he was almost asleep when he spoke again, "We're going to have to get married soon because I don't think I could sleep next to you anymore without resisting the urge to put my hands all over you." "What?" she lifted her head to stare down at him, just to find he was looking at her and unmistakably his eyes were smoldering.

"Surely you know the effect you have on a man?" he adjusted his head to look at her better. Then he read her confused expression, "Wow, you don't, do you?" She shook her head with more enthusiasm than she meant causing him to smile then it changed to a frown. "I didn't like Hudson touching you. I would have certainly fired him on the spot if he wasn't so good at his job.

If he touches you again I probably won't hesitate." "Owen? This isn't like you." "No, I know it isn't. I've been watching you since you were a teenager, waiting for you to grow up. And boy did you grow up." She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Joseph was like a brother to me. I could never touch you when he was alive out of respect, but I wanted to. Badly." His hand moved to her hair gently threading his fingers down their silken locks. "Of course I eventually would have asked him if I could marry you, but not for a few years yet."

"You never said anything." Her mouth fell open. "I couldn't. You were too young, but I knew I wanted you. I was willing to wait." He said. "You were so beautiful back then, now as a woman, you are startling." "Oh my Lord." She whispered.

All these years, she thought it was just her that felt that way. "I never knew. You always seemed so indifferent." "Is that what you thought? Lord, I thought I was an open book. I followed you around like a love-sick teenager. How the hell do you think I knew which party you'd be at that night with that boy?"

"I don't know. I never thought about it." "I followed you when I heard through one of your friends that you were going out on a date with him. That little bastard had been saying things about you." He tightened his embrace, "And he touched you.

My Lord, I wanted to kill him." "I was so ashamed that you found me like that." "Not once did I blame you little cheetah, even though I took it out on you. Back then I considered you mine. It was then I realized that I had to let you grow up and experience life.

So I backed off. It wasn't easy." "I was never the same, not because of you, but because of my experience that night. I wasn't very trustworthy of men. I was so grateful that you saved me but ashamed of my actions.