Piece by Piece (The Riggins Brothers #2) - Kaylee Ryan Page 0,47

to the side and opens her mouth to speak but is interrupted by the sound of Owen’s voice. “Ask me what?” he asks, as we both turn our heads to look at him.

“Um, well, we wanted to get together and just hang out.”

“Girls’ night,” Sawyer adds. “Your brother is being an ass, and Jase will hover. Aria will be there because Sam is still nursing. We asked Layla if we could do it at her place,” she fills him in.

“Lay?” Owen speaks, and I turn my head to look at him. “It’s your home, baby. You don’t have to ask me for permission to invite someone over. You don’t have to ask my permission to change the paint on the walls or buy a blanket for the couch. It’s our home, baby.” His voice is low, and his deep blue eyes bore into mine, willing me to accept the words he’s saying.

“Perfect.” Sawyer grins. “Sam, be at Layla and Owen’s at six. I know you can’t drink, so I’ll bring the supplies for virgin daiquiris. Oh, and we’re going to need your guacamole,” she tells her. They talk for a little longer, but I tune them out as Owen takes one step, then another until he’s standing right in front of me.

“Hey.” I smile up at him.

He shakes his head and reaches for my hand. “Come with me.” I don’t hesitate to follow him down the hallway and into his office. Once we’re inside, he shuts the door, and the sound of the lock clicking into place echoes throughout the room. With my hand still in his, Owen leads us behind his desk, where he moves everything to the side with the push of his hands, before resting those same hands on my hips and lifting me up onto his desk.

I let out a squeak of surprise that has him grinning. “What’s it going to take, Layla?”

“What do you mean?”

“To trust that this is real? What’s it going to take for you to feel comfortable in our home?”

“I do.” I say the words, but we both know that my insecurities are rearing their ugly head.

“Baby, it’s me you’re talking to. Tell me what’s going on?”

“Why won’t you have sex with me?” I blurt out. Now that the words are out there, I can’t take them back, and to be honest, I don’t want to. It’s something that’s been bothering me. He lets me touch him, and he will kiss me until we’re both breathless. He’s touched me over my clothes, but he never takes it any further. “Is there something wrong with me? How am I supposed to relax and accept us if you haven’t?”

I watch as his face goes white, and his eyes turn an even darker shade of blue. “Is that what you think? Layla, no,” he’s quick to add, not letting me answer his question. He grabs his hand and places it over his hard cock. “This, baby, this is what you do to me. It’s taken every ounce of willpower I can muster to take things slow with you. I know you’ve never….” His voice trails off.

“You let me touch you.”

He hangs his head, almost as if he’s ashamed. “I know.”

“Owen, look at me. Please.” He lifts his head, and I place my hands on either side of his face. “I want you, Owen Riggins. You are the only man to ever make me feel desired. You are the only man who I’ve ever trusted enough to have access to me… like that.”

“Like what?”

“Sex, Riggins. I want it to be you. Only you. How can I trust that we’re both in this when you’re holding back? I’ve given you all of me. At least I want to. I moved away from the life I built to be with you. The family that I chose, I left to be with you. I took a chance on the feeling I get here.” I remove a hand from his face and place it over his heart. “Anytime I think of you, I have to catch my breath. My heart gallops in my chest, and my body… my body tingles at the thought of being with you. I want there to be an us, Owen, but I need to know that you’re in this too. You say all the right things, and you treat me like I’m made of glass, but I’m not. I’ve lived through so much, fought to be where I am, and I’m not going to shatter