Accepting Owen (Emilia's Perspective)

Chapter Eleven

Owen's hand slipped through the slit in my dress so his hand rested on my thigh.

"It's going to be a long drive," I whispered.

"You look so beautiful." His voice sounded raspy and appreciative. "I have no words."

"Then I'll talk. I promise I'm good at filling up silence."

"Please do. Tell me anything to keep me driving."

"Well, for one thing, I'm not doing anything with you in this car in a parking garage. You're going to have to get me home first." I took a deep breath. "My brother is so sad. I think he's really lonely. I never actually thought about how it would affect him to have to wait so long for her."

"You said she's fourteen right?"

"Yes, and he's known he's going to marry her for just about as long as she's been alive. He's losing his mind thinking about how she might hate him because she'll never have a chance at a real life."

"So, why doesn't he tell your dad no?"

I shook my head. "It's not like that. He's so in love with her. Our whole family is. He talks about her all the time. He's just feeling depressed. She'll be fine."

"Elijah is a good guy from what I know. I'm sure he'll take care of her," Owen said, squeezing my thigh slightly.

"He's loyal. Above all else, he protects his family. I think that weighs on him, too, not being able to be in her life and check in on her."

"Does she know she's going to marry him?"

"I don't even know if she remembers he exists. She was so little when they last saw each other that she probably has no idea," I answered honestly.

"Why doesn't he tell her?"

"If you were fourteen, and found out your future had been decided for you by your father that died when you were very little, how would you react? Because when I was fourteen, I had a plan. I knew exactly what was going to happen and how I was going to be the happiest, prettiest princess to ever walk the earth."

"You are."

I smirked at him. "We're almost there."

"You're killing me. I just want to hold you. I don't like sharing you with everyone else."

I pulled my seatbelt looser around me and leaned over so my mouth was close enough to his ear I knew he could feel my breath. I put my hand on his thigh, and whispered, "We're almost home."

"I know, I know. Why are you torturing me?" His voice was soft.

"Because I have been waiting for this night my entire life. I want you to think about all the things you're going to do with me when we get home."

"I've been thinking about it all day long."

"I know you have." I kissed his neck as I moved my hand a little higher on his thigh. "Now I'm just feeding your imagination."

"It should be about five more minutes," he said mostly to himself.

"Five more minutes of me whispering in your ear. I wonder what else I should say."

"I think you probably would do better to sit back in your seat so I don't have to worry about you flying out the windshield," he said, but not in an unkind way.

I dragged my bottom lip against his neck for just a second, and a rumbling sound resonated from his throat. I settled back into the seat, feeling tingly all over my body.