Rainwater Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story (6 page)

A shiver of pleasure ran down my
spine, and I began rocking back and forth, taking as much of him into me as I
could. I never wanted this to end, but I heard the driver open the door and
start the engine. Owen pulled me closer to him, thrusting his hips upward with
a need that couldn't be stopped. His hands pulled my hips and back into him,
our bodies pressed together, skin rubbing against skin.

The limo slowed to a stop, and I
knew we didn't have much time.

"Sir, your flight is in less
than twenty minutes," the disembodied voice came through the intercom.
Owen's mouth opened as he panted for breath, his body beginning to shake with
exertion. I kissed his ear, feeling the velvety softness across my lips as I
whispered his name. I wanted him so badly, my entire spine was on fire with
longing.

We locked eyes, and his mouth
dropped open. I nodded silently, quickly, letting him know it was okay. With a
groan of release, Owen spasmed underneath me. I leaned my head against him, his
shoulders heaving with effort. He wrapped his arms around me, keeping me close
for a moment longer, absorbing me into him.

"That wasn't quite what I
expected when I came out here," he murmured into my ponytail as it ran
down my back. "I really did just come to bring you flowers."

I giggled and sat up, looking into
his perfect face. His hair was mussed and his cheeks flushed, but his eyes held
mine like a magnet. I didn't want to ever look away.

"Just don't go telling anyone
that all it takes is flowers," I said, only half joking. Owen stretched
his neck and kissed the tip of my nose.

"Never."

A knock on the privacy glass broke
into our moment as the driver reminded us that we couldn't stay like this
forever. Owen kissed me once again before helping me slide onto the seat and
back into my pants. We were both dressed again in moments, hardly a trace left
behind as Owen opened the door to let me out.

It was dark and cold outside, and
all I wanted to do was jump back into the limo and back into Owen's arms. One
look at him told me that he felt the same way, but he dutifully opened the
driver's door to my beaten up little Neon. Emma had offered to buy me a new
one, but this one worked just fine, other than an old battery.

I set the bouquet of flowers and
the bags of extra Chinese food in the back seat, coming back around for one
more kiss. Owen pulled me close, his lips and tongue hot compared to the
winter's night. I kissed him like I was drowning and he was air. Like I needed
him in order to breathe. I wasn't sure anymore that I didn't.

The chauffeur coughed discreetly
after too short a time. Owen cupped my cheek and gave me one last quick kiss
that made my lips tingle for more before turning away. I got into the warm
driver's seat and watched as he hurried into the limousine. I raised my hand,
not wanting to wave goodbye as the door closed and he drove off into the night.

I drove home, unable to decide if I
was happy or sad. The two emotions played tug-of-war, pulling me toward glad I
had seen him back to gloomy he had left. I barely made it into pajamas before
collapsing in bed, drifting into dreams of Owen.

S
ix A.M. came far too early the
next day. I groaned and rolled out of bed, the wood floor creaking and cold
under my feet. I heard the automatic coffee pot sputter, and I trudged into the
kitchen, wishing I could just go back to my dreams with Owen.

The flowers were still in the
plastic on my kitchen table. At least I had put them in water before collapsing
into bed, so they were still beautiful and vibrant. I lowered the cellophane
wrapping and took a deep breath. The soft floral notes didn't remind me of the
ocean anymore. They reminded me of someone with blonde hair and deep blue eyes.
I smiled, enjoying the memory. I wondered what Owen was doing right then.

I snapped myself out of my
thoughts, quickly drinking my coffee so that I could get in the shower. I had
another twelve-hour shift in front of me, and no matter how much I would rather
spend my morning daydreaming, I had work to do.

***

T
he ER was busy for the first half
of the morning. Patients trickled in at a steady rate, keeping me busy as I
raced around between the rooms. Despite the work, I was walking on air. I knew
I had a silly smile on my face as I went through my routine, but I didn't care.
I had seen Owen last night and it had been fantastic. There was nothing that
could spoil this day for me.

"Hey, Kaylee, you have a
visitor in the waiting room," Allie called from the desk. I frowned
slightly. It couldn't be Owen, he was probably in the middle of a desert by
now. No one else would need to come visit me at work, or at least they would
know to call first.

"Who is it?"

"Security didn't say."

I handed her the chart I had just
finished and told her I would be back in a minute. Visitors weren't allowed in
the actual ER, so I headed out to the waiting room to see who it was. The heavy
metal doors dividing the waiting room from the ER clanked shut behind me and my
heart sank. Standing there joking with the security guard was my ex-boyfriend.

"What are you doing here,
Michael?" I asked, trying to stay polite. I had told him a hundred times
not to bother me at work. I had been the one to break it off with him, but I
got the feeling that he wasn't ready to let me go.

"I came to see you, Kay! I
thought we could get lunch." I hated when he called me Kay.
You mean,
you thought
I
would buy
you
lunch.
He smiled at
me like he was doing me the favor. I motioned him away from the security guard
to a quiet corner so that we could talk privately.

"Michael, I am really busy
today. You know that I've asked you not to visit me at work." I was trying
very hard not to get angry. This was just so typical of him.

"I just wanted to see you,
Kay. Things have been really hard, and I miss you," he said. His big brown
eyes begged me to forgive him, to just love him. I had fallen into those eyes
too many times, but never again. This relationship was not healthy. I had spent
too much time falling for his tricks to make me do things for him while he did
nothing in return.

I thought of all the times he had
asked me to take care of things, but how he was always busy or too tired to
help me when I needed it. All the condescending comments and cruel teasing. The
lack of compliments. How he had made me feel like I was never going to be good
enough for anyone but him, but he would keep me because he was just that good
of a guy. The way he put me down so I would do anything to please him. An anger
I didn't even realize was there bubbled up.

"No, you don't miss
me,
"
I said, my voice rising. "You miss me taking care of you. You miss me
feeling sorry for you because your life is so difficult. You miss me doing all
the work to fix it. I am worth so much more than what you tell me I am. I'm
tired of it.
I'm tired of not being appreciated!
The only time
you come around is when you want something." I surprised myself by
actually saying it out loud. I had thought those words so many times, but I
never had the guts to say it before.

Shock registered in Michael's face.
I had never yelled at him like this. "Kay, I do appreciate you! I really
do! It's just that things are hard right now. I hate being away from you. My
car broke and that job fell through and-"

"I don't care, Michael,"
I said, cutting him off. "I told you we're done. I meant it. I don't want
to take care of you and your problems. It is always all about you. When's the
last time you helped me out? Because I can't remember. I can't remember the
last time you got me flowers or made me dinner or even offered to help do the
dishes. I'm tired of taking care of you and getting nothing in return. I'm
going back to work now, and I don't want you to visit me again." I hoped
he couldn't see that I was shaking in my Crocs. Everything I hated about our
relationship had just kind of spilled out.

As he stood there gaping at me, I
realized just how much he had neglected me. Owen flew three hours in the wrong
direction just to bring me flowers. In just the week since I had met Owen, he
had done more nice things for me than Michael had done in the two years we were
together. It wasn't about him spending money on me, either. It was about how he
treated me. Owen complimented me. Michael teased. Owen put other people first.
Michael never thought of anyone but himself. I didn't like myself when I was
with Michael, because he was always putting me down. I was so much better than
what Michael told me I was. Looking back, I was shocked that I had let the
relationship go on as long as I did.

"Kay, I don't understand. You
know things are bad for me right now," he said quietly. His shoulders
slumped and he looked so dejected and broken that I almost apologized.
No.
I stood up straighter.
I'm better than this. I deserve someone who wants to
take care of me.
Someone like Owen. Just because I felt bad for Michael and
his situations didn't mean I had to fix them. Lord knew I had tried enough
times, and yet he was still having the same exact problems. They weren't
problems I could fix.

"Michael, things are
always
bad for you. You've got to fix it yourself this time. I have patients to see.
Goodbye, Michael. Please don't come back. Ever." I turned quickly and
headed back toward the ER. I knew if I turned around and saw his face, I might
change my mind. He knew exactly how to look at me to make me cave, and I didn't
want to see it. I hurried quickly through the ER doors and back into the safety
of the nurse's station.

"You okay?" Allie asked
as I leaned against one of the walls. "You look a little pale."

"I just told Michael that I'm
tired of taking care of him and that I don't want to see him again," I
said weakly. I pressed the palms of my hands against my eyes, shocked that I
had actually said those things out loud to him. Allie snorted.

"About time."

I dropped my hands and looked at
her. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, her blonde ponytail falling
over her shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"Kaylee, you are too nice
sometimes. Especially to Michael. He's no good for you. Since the two of you
broke up, you've been happier than I've seen you in a long time. And now, you
said no to those puppy-dog eyes of his? I don't know what they put in the water
in the Caribbean, but if it finally made you get rid of Michael for good, I
hope you brought home buckets of it."

It wasn't exactly the water
,
I thought to myself.

"Thanks Allie." I took a
deep breath and smiled. She was right. It was like I had taken a weight off my
shoulders that I had never even known I was carrying.

"Don't mention it. Now, since
you're back and in the mood to tell people off, Dr. James is on hold for your
patient in Room Three." She winked and headed back out toward one of the
blinking call-lights. 

I sighed and tried to summon up
some more of the same fire I had a moment ago. Instead, the only thing I could
summon up was the image of Owen smiling.

I
rolled over in bed, listening to
the hum of the heater. It was too cold to want to wake up. I smiled as I pulled
the covers back up over my head. Since it was my day off, I didn't have to get
up at all! Winter was giving its last parting shots at spring, and these would
be the last few cold days before warmer weather hung around for good. I
snuggled deeper into my blankets, replaying my last phone conversation with
Owen.

***

"A
re you free Friday?"
Owen's voice crackled a little over the long distance connection. I knew he
couldn't see me through the phone, but I nodded anyway.

"It's my day off. Why? You
want to do something?" I hoped I didn't sound too eager.

"I was thinking I would
take you out on a real date. Not just Chinese food in the back of a limo."
I could hear the smile in his voice as he remembered exactly what we did in the
back of that limo.

"I don't know, I kind of
liked Chinese food in the back of the limo." I stopped myself as I started
twirling my hair between my fingers. I couldn't help the giddy happiness that
bubbled up inside of me at the thought of seeing him again.

"Don't plan anything on
Friday, then. I'm taking you out. I want to spoil you."

***

T
he idea that I would see him
tonight, that it would be for a real date night, brought a smile to my face. I
was planning on taking a hot shower to shave my legs and everything.
Maybe
I'll even go shopping for a new dress
, I thought. I stretched out under the
pile of blankets on my bed, debating whether I really even wanted to get out of
my very comfy bed at all. Maybe Owen could just join me here.

The buzzer to my apartment building
decided that staying in bed was not an option. With a groan, I rolled out of my
warm bed, fuzzy socks gliding across the wood floors as I went to the intercom
by the door.

"Who is it?" I was
expecting that the voice on the other end would be a delivery guy or the
neighbor that continuously locked herself out of the building.

"Mr. Owen Parker sent me to
come get you, ma'am. I have the car ready for you," answered a light
masculine voice. I glanced down at my pajamas, and hit the talk button.

"Mr. Parker sent you? I'm not
really ready." I was pretty sure my hair looked like a tornado had whipped
across my pillow, and I hadn't even had my coffee yet.

"I can wait, ma'am. I was told
to tell you to just wear something comfortable and to come as you are."
The intercom crackled and I chewed my lip.

"I'll be down in a
minute," I said into the speaker, and then hurried to find a pair of
jeans. If Owen was going to have someone come get me first thing in the
morning, then there was no way I was going to look my best. I did run a brush
through my hair and swish some mouthwash before grabbing my purse and heading
down.

Parked in front of my apartment
building was a dark blue town-car with some sort of leaping creature as the
hood ornament. I didn't know what kind of car it was, but I knew it was
probably very expensive. As I opened the main entrance security door, I noticed
the man standing in the entryway. He was a young and handsome in a crisp blue
uniform.

"Ms. LaRue? If you'll follow
me," he said courteously, leading me to the town-car. He opened the door
and I slid across the heated leather seats. The car had that new car smell, and
it was far nicer than any car I had ever been in. The man hopped in the
driver's seat, and pulled out onto the road heading downtown.

"Where are you taking me? Is
Owen here already?"

"Mr. Parker will be here this
evening. Until then, he has arranged the day for you. Everything has been taken
care of, and he would like you to enjoy yourself." The driver grinned at
me as he turned on one of the side streets of downtown Des Moines and parked in
front of a cute little brick building that housed the best spa in town. He ran
around and opened my door, lending me a hand to step onto the street.

"Here we are, ma'am. Have a
wonderful time."

"Thank you," I said, and
he smiled as he jumped back in the car. It seemed a waste to have such a nice
car hired for the five minute drive, but then again, Owen could afford it. The
engine purred as the driver pulled away and I hurried out of the cold and into
the warm building.

The door chimed softly as I stepped
inside, my cheeks rosy. Soft classical music played overhead over the sound of
the waterfall fountain in the corner. I had looked through the brochure for
this place before, but I had never stepped inside. I had thought many a time of
getting a massage here, but I could never seem to justify spending the money on
myself.

"Kaylee! We thought you were
going to sleep all day," Marissa shouted at me from across the room.
Typical, boisterous Marissa. She sounded so loud in contrast with the quiet
tranquility of the spa. I turned to see her and Allie sitting in white
terrycloth robes sipping tea in comfortable looking chairs.

"What are you two doing
here?" I asked, slightly confused as to why my two best friends would be
sitting in a spa at eight in the morning waiting for me.

"Your new beau said you were
getting pampered today and that we were invited to keep you company."
Marissa grinned.

"Yup. He called and made sure
we would come keep you entertained for the day until he got here. Is this the
guy I saw give you flowers in the ambulance bay the other night? He's
hot," Allie chimed in.

"And apparently loaded,"
Marissa added, gesturing to the room. She pushed a tendril of fiery red hair
behind her ear and gave me a wicked grin. "He got a brother? I mean, I'd
go for this Owen guy directly, but he seems pretty smitten with you. Plus, I
like you too much to do that."

"Sorry, just a sister." I
stood there looking at my friends, wondering just how Owen had known to invite
these two women. Emma must have helped. "How long have you two been
here?"

"Just long enough to put on
these awesome robes. It's so soft, go gets yours quick. The massage lady is
just getting the stones and the mud bath heated." Marissa leaned back and
put her feet up on a stool. Allie pointed to a cute little door off to the side
where I could put my things and change.

"He rented out the whole place
just for the three of us, so don't worry about taking up too much room. Marissa
here used four cubbies," Allie said. She and Marissa had a cubbie battle
going on at work, so it was no surprise that she would pick up on Marissa's
tendency of using multiple cubbies.

Marissa rolled her eyes. "And
why not?"

I left the two of them to banter
back and forth about how many cubbies a person should reasonably use to store
their things and stepped into the room to change. I could see Marissa had used
the cubbies to organize her shoes, clothes, and purse, while Allie had neatly
stowed all her things in a single spot. I shook my head, wondering how the
three of us ever stayed friends, considering how different we all were. But
perhaps it was because we were so different that we got along so well.

When I stepped out of the changing
room, the massage therapist was waiting for me with a smile. She took the three
of us back to a quiet room with three tables set up and instructed us each to
lie down and relax. Allie giggled and hopped up on a table, Marissa and I right
behind her. As the three of us slipped under warmed sheets, I grinned. This was
going to be a fabulous day.