Page 33 of Owen

He broke the kiss, panting. “How did you know about my injury?”

“Helen told me the entire story. She’d gotten it from Ethan.”

“Why would she?” he asked.

Sophie dropped her head against his shoulder for a second, hating what she was about to admit. “Because I was belittling you, saying that you didn’t take anything seriously. I’m sorry I ever thought that. I know now, it’s not true and never was.”

Helen had told her how he’d gone into a dangerous situation to rescue a fellow SEAL. A bomb had exploded nearby, knocking down the wall of a building on Owen and severely injuring his shoulder. Despite that, he’d carried his teammate to safety.

His finger went under her chin, lifting her face so he could see it. “It’s okay. I only let you see part of who I am. That’s all that I show to most people.”

“You need to show the world, show your family, all of you. Don’t hide anymore.” Even as she said it, she knew that letting go of what was clearly a longstanding defense mechanism wouldn’t be easy for him.

“I’m not hiding from you. You’re seeing the real me.”

“And I like the real you,” she said. This time she initiated the kiss. It flashed with heat instantly. Owen backed her slowly until she was against a wall, his lips never leaving hers. His hands slid down her sides, brushing against the outer curve of her breasts, making her gasp. She wanted more of him, so much more. His lips moved to her neck, nibbling her skin, and making her moan.

She was gripping his shoulders, waiting for what came next when her phone rang.

“No,” she wailed. “Not now.” For a second, she thought about ignoring it. Then reality snapped back in. “It could be Helen or Julia.” If itwasone of them, then it could mean they were in trouble since it wasn’t their scheduled time of day to communicate. She got the phone from her back pocket and answered it. “Hello.”

“Hey, it’s Luna.” Her friend’s cheerful voice greeted her.

“What’s wrong?” She’d given Luna the number in case of emergency. Had someone shown up at the retreat looking for her or Owen?

“Nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to make sure you two will be at tonight’s retreat activity. It’s at eight.”

Sophie rolled her eyes, making Owen smile. He was close enough to hear Luna’s half of the conversation. “We’ll be there. I promise.”

“That’s all I needed. Thanks.” Luna hung up.

With a sigh, Sophie realized that maybe the interruption had been for the best. She’d been on the verge of doing something crazy like seducing Owen in a closet. A few more minutes and she just might have.

Owen kissed her lightly and stepped away. “Let’s head back. I don’t want to disappoint Luna.”

“Thanks for being a good sport about the sessions.” She hadn’t said that to him prior to now, and she realized she should have. The two of them had been guilty of miscommunications or just lack of communication. Sophie wanted to remove that barrier between them.

“I don’t mind. It’s been enlightening. Wonder what tonight will bring.”

“We’ll find out,” Sophie said. Whatever it was, Luna was excited about it.

After stopping for dinner on the drive, they arrived back at the retreat not long before the evening session and made their way to the main lodge. Inside, the lights were dimmed, and soft music played in the background. A camp employee met them at the door and escorted them to a place in the dining room that was isolated. As they walked to their spot, Sophie could see each couple in a little oasis just for them. Hers and Owen’s had a soft rug on the floor with cushions and a candle in a glass lantern creating a glow.

“What’s this about?” Owen asked, stretching out on the rug with his head resting against a pillow.

“No idea.” The vibe was definitely romantic. Or maybe that was where her mind went automatically since that mind-blowing kiss they’d shared that afternoon. Sophie sat and curled her legs underneath her. “I guess we’ll see.”

A minute later Luna made her way to them. “I’m glad you’re here. Tonight’s session is about creating and sustaining sexual intimacy.” She smiled at them as she spoke.

“How does that work?” Sophie didn’t addfor us.It wasn’t like they could admit to the whole group that they weren’t married and hadn’t had that intimacy, but Luna knew what she meant.

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Here’s a guide to get you started.” Luna handed them a booklet and moved on.

“Well, this is going to be interesting,” Sophie said and flipped to the first page, curiosity getting the better of her. She’d thought plenty in the past few hours about sexual intimacy with Owen. “Step one: trade compliments with your partner. We can manage that, I think.” She stole a glance at Owen. Should she tell him how attractive she found him? How crazy hot he was?

“I’ll start,” Owen said before she could go on. “You have beautiful hair. I love how soft it is and the color. It’s like a flame.”

“Really?” She touched her hair. “It’s definitely bright.” She’d been teased as a kid about it and called all sorts of names—Ginger, Carrot-top, Ronald McDonald. His compliment was sweet, so she tried to think of one that was comparable. “All right, my turn. You have great eyes, both the color and how expressive they are.”