Chapter Seventeen

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Ruby sat at the counter in Owen's kitchen and signed yet another police statement, her third dealing with the SOB abuser, Rocco Culpepper.

But this report would be the last.

Because Rocco was dead.

His partner in crime, one of his friends, had been captured and arrested. The idiot still had the makings of more Molotov cocktails in his truck. And since tossing those had been part of an attack meant to kill Owen and her, he would be charged with two counts of attempted murder, along with a laundry list of other crimes. He would be locked away for decades.

Killing a criminal was never a mental piece of cake. Ruby was certain that it would haunt her for the rest of her life. But if Owen and she hadn't stopped Rocco and his thug friend, then heaven knew how many other people would have been hurt.

"Rocco won't be abusing anybody else," Owen muttered, signing his own statement and then handing it back to Marty.

Marty made a sound of agreement. "Yeah. And we got lucky. Damn lucky. A whole lot of people, including some kids, could have gotten hurt. Or worse." He shook his head and cursed. "My sister's grandkids go to that school."

Yes, and that would be a gut punch that would no doubt stay with Marty and everyone else in Outlaw Ridge for a long time. It was the stuff of nightmares. And for what? So a coward abuser could get back at the man who'd doled out some payback to him.

"You two all right?" Marty asked, sliding glances at both of them. "Because I can get a couple of EMTs here to take a look at you."

"I'm fine," Ruby insisted. She had a couple of bruises from where she'd landed hard on the porch, but other than that, she wasn't injured.

Owen echoed her, "I'm fine," and he went to the liquor cabinet to pour two shots of scotch. He offered a third glass to Marty, who shook his head.

"I'm on duty but maybe later," Marty replied. "But you two go ahead. I figure your nerves need steadying right about now."

They did indeed. But what riled Ruby was that this crap with Rocco was a pain in the ass distraction. It yanked Owen and her away from their focus on finding Brynn.

Owen took his shot of scotch in one gulp. Ruby took hers in two, and they set their glasses on the counter.

Marty nodded as if satisfied that would do the trick to steady them, and with their signed statements in hand, he headed for the door. Across the street, the county CSIs were searching for spent shell casing, something they'd already done in Owen's front yard. Still, they might be back, and that was perhaps why Owen shut and locked the door after they said their goodbyes to Marty.

"Deckert, secure the house," Owen instructed. She heard the slight snicks of sensors and window locks being activated.

"You're not worried about more of Rocco's friends showing up, are you?" she asked.

He shook his head, met her gaze, and repeated the headshake. On a heavy sigh, he slipped his hand around the back of her neck and eased her to him.

"Shit, Ruby. I'm sorry," he muttered.

She realized she should have known an apology was coming, and now, she was the one who sighed. Ruby pulled back enough so she could reestablish eye contact with him.

"The fight with Rocco and his thug companions became my fight when one of those jerks hit me with a baseball bat," she spelled out. "So, no apology needed. It's not your fault," she added, and then she repeated it two more times because Owen didn't look convinced.

Ruby was on the fourth it's not your fault repeat when Owen stopped it. With his mouth.

He kissed her.

It was both a shock and a jolt of pleasure all rolled into one. And he didn't keep it short and sweet. Nope. It was all heat and need. A stew of raging lust and spent adrenaline.

Not a good mix.

Well, theoretically, but Ruby couldn't deny that it gave a punch to an already powerful kiss.

His hand slipped into her hair, and he angled her head to deepen the kiss. He tasted of expensive scotch and so much more. Of course, Owen himself was so much more so it stood to reason that his taste, and his kiss, would, too.

Ruby didn't even attempt to put the brakes on what he was doing to her mouth. And her body. Because it didn't just stay a kiss. His other hand dropped to her butt, and he pushed that particular part of her closer.

Against him.

Body to body. Center to center. Heat to heat.

Mercy, she wanted him. Bad. And that wasn't good. Because her body was already insisting she have him right then, right there. Of course, her body didn't care squat about consequences.

And there would be some.

But suddenly Ruby didn't care squat about them either. She only cared about getting more of Owen. About letting him do something to satisfy this scalding heat and need that he had built inside her.

All of her resolve snapped. Just flat-out vanished, and she hauled him to her. Not that she had to haul far since they were still plastered against each other. But she made sure his erection was right in the vee center of her body. In the right spot to cause the pleasure to spike. To cause her to start to grapple for more.

And that meant getting him naked.

Ruby pushed all doubt aside, and without breaking the kiss and grinding of her body against his, she managed to get off his shoulder holster. Owen used his clever hands to do the same to her.

The clothing removal battle began.

It wasn't pretty, and it sure as heck wasn't that comfortable. But speed seemed to matter, and she felt like a horny teenager who couldn't wait.

Owen won the first round by yanking off her top from over her head. He sent it flying, and in the same motion, he shoved down her bra and acquainted her nipples with his mouth and tongue.

She heard her own moan of pleasure. Heard the needy edge to it, and she fisted her hand in his hair while he gave her that sweet torment. While he kicked up the need and urgency even more.

When that urgency went too high, Ruby had to put a stop to the breast kisses, and she went after his zipper. Owen clearly had something else in mind because he scooped her up in his arms and kissed her into oblivion as he carried her to the bedroom.

He dropped her on the bed, the soft mattress swelling around her, but again, he took control. He went after her boots, then her zipper. Her pants and, yep, her panties. In the speed of a magician, he had her naked in no time flat.

Owen leaned down, running his tongue from her throat all the way down to her very needy center. And he gave her a kiss there that nearly caused her to climax. She wanted that climax more than anything.

Well, almost.

Her climaxing need had one condition. She wanted it with Owen inside her and not with his mouth.

That required her to take control of the situation. Ruby took hold of him, flipping him down onto the bed, and she went after his clothes.

It was like the dirtiest of striptease.

She got off his boots. Then, his shirt. All those incredible muscles, a reminder that, yeah, the man was built.

Ruby had to take just a moment to tongue kiss a few of those muscles, but her body insisted she quit playing around. Maybe that was something she could do post-sex. For now though, she went after his pants. She didn't have Owen's clever hands or his speed, but she got them off.

And that dirty striptease went up a whole bunch of notches.

What a sight to have a naked, aroused right in front of her. Hers for the taking.

But he put the pause button on that when he reached over to the nightstand and took out a condom. Safe sex flashed in her mind. Good thing though that he'd remembered it because she certainly hadn't.

The moment he got on the condom, Ruby took him. She just straddled him and dropped down on his erection. Now, this was something beyond pleasure. It was an avalanche of fire, and she rode him hard and deeper.

Then, she rode him some more.

She was on the verge of that much needed climax when Owen turned the tables on her. Or rather he turned her. He flipped her onto her back, rolling on top of her and then back inside her.

His weight on her was glorious. And he played dirty in bed. He nipped her mouth with his teeth, and his fingers tormented her nipples while he thrust inside her. Harder. Deeper.

Until there was no way she could have held back on her release.

She came in a flash, the climax claiming every inch of her, and the pleasure spearing and pulsing through her. Owen kissed her mouth then, muttering her name while he gave a final thrust.

And Owen went over the edge with her.

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