My Salvation Read online

  She raced into the living room to grab the cell phone. She dialed the number to the land line of the cabin next door, and hoped the call would be answered.

  “What?” asked a groggy voice on the other end of the line.

  “Owen, it’s Cali,” she whispered.

  “Cali? Why are you calling me in the middle of night?”

  Her voice shook. “I think someone is trying to break into my cabin.”

  “Lock yourself in the bathroom in the hallway. I’ll be right over.”

  Cali ended the call and clutched the phone to her chest. She ran straight into the bathroom with no windows. She hoped he remembered the spare key was in the spot it had always been, under a loose board on the porch.

  Shaking, she sat in the bathtub. She heard his voice. “Cali, open the door.”

  Cali rushed to the door and pulled it open. The sight made her gasp. “Owen, what happened? Are you okay?”

  He was covered in mud and his shirt was ripped. “Holy shit, Cali. You should have seen this guy. I caught him while he was trying to get in through the window,” he said, taking deep breaths between every few words.

  “Oh no! Did you get into a fight with him?”

  “I did, but he was fast. I couldn’t land one shot! He took off running.”

  “He took off?” she yelled. “We have to call the police. What if he comes back?”

  “Oh, I think he will, but the police won’t help us.”

  “What are you talking about? Why wouldn’t they help?” Cali was getting an uneasy feeling.

  She watched him fight a smile. “I think animal control might be more appropriate.” He was bent over laughing.

  “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  “Your intruder was very hairy and standing on the log pile outside your window. He did look like a burglar though with the black mask on, but human he was not.”

  “You aren’t making any sense. What does that even mean?” Her face turned red.

  “It was a raccoon! I chased it off.” Owen had tears streaming down his face from laughter.

  “Stop laughing at me. I was scared,” she glared.

  “I know you were, but the look on your face was priceless.”

  “You suck,” she laughed a little.

  Owen was a mess. His shirt was ripped and he had mud caked everywhere. Damn, he really had me going, she thought.

  “Did you seriously rip your shirt and wipe mud on yourself? You could have just come in here and said everything is fine, not make a production out of it.”

  He smiled wide. “Now what fun would that have been?”

  “Shut it.” She pushed his stomach to shove him, but he didn’t move.

  Her fingers slid to the small patch of exposed skin. She could feel his well-defined abdominal muscles, and slowed the motion. After lingering a moment too long, her hand withdrew.

  Owen looked at her with heat in his eyes. The mood shifted from humor to sensual in a matter of seconds. Cali was rooted in place. His expression had her wondering if something was about to happen. He took a step forward. Instead of staying in place, she snapped out of the trance and retreated.

  Owen closed his eyes and exhaled. “You’re safe, Caliana. You can go back to bed. I’ll put the key where it was before I leave.”

  When he turned, Cali placed a hand on his forearm, “Thank you for coming to my rescue. Even if it was just from a harmless raccoon.”

  “I will always come to your rescue.” He walked out the door.

  His words left her spinning. She wondered if the feeling of heat between them was mutual. Cali decided to think it over later. Exhaustion was taking over and she needed to go back to bed.

  * * * * * * * *

  After putting the key into the hiding place, Owen stared at the door. He wasn’t sure if he was reading too much into what happened. Something might have passed between them, but then again, maybe not.

  Her touch made his cock twitch and come to full attention in a matter of seconds. He left before being noticed. A cold shower was needed to help calm him down. Plus, there was mud everywhere. He wanted nothing more to take her into his arms and kiss those plump lips.

  Going to his cabin, Owen retreated to the bedroom. He stripped and threw the clothes onto the bathroom floor. He turned on the shower, hot water streaming over his hair and face. He still felt Cali’s hands.

  He washed and stood with his head down, letting the water beat on him while his hands were braced on the shower wall. Turning, Owen ran his hand down his washboard abs and stopped when he found his cock rock hard and demanding attention.

  He slowly stroked himself from base to tip over and over, all the while thinking of Caliana and imagining it was her hand on him. Her fingers wrapped around his length. He threw his head back as the fantasy took over.

  Thoughts of Cali on bended knees, her mouth was taking in the full length of him while she stared into his eyes. Warm, brown eyes he could never forget.

  Moving his hand faster and faster, he came with a loud moan. The orgasm went on forever. When it subsided he realized he hadn’t gotten off like that in a long time.

  Fuck, he thought. I need to go to sleep and stop thinking about something that would never happen. Shutting off the shower, he quickly dried, threw on a pair of boxer briefs and crashed for the night.

  ~ 3 ~

  Cali didn’t sleep well. She tossed and turned the remainder of the night. Dragging herself to the kitchen, she made a pot of coffee. Thoughts drifted to Owen and the words sent chills over her body. I will always come to your rescue.

  She never forgot the summer Owen had kissed her. She never stopped thinking about him through college. Her eyes would close at night and she envisioned his face or touched his body in her dreams.

  Those dreams had been forgotten. The dreams where they would make love. She would wake sweating and breathing heavily with an ache down below. It was a good thing her roommate was gone most of the time, because she would wake and make herself come while remembering them. Touching him the night before made the dreams fresh in her mind again.

  She grabbed a mug, poured a cup of coffee and walked out to the front porch to enjoy the view of the lake. Cali was never more at peace than she was there, her sanctuary. The one spot she could go no matter how bad life got and would feel better. Even with Rhea gone she still felt that way. The cabin was Rhea’s sanctuary too and it was where she felt closest to her aunt.

  Cali leaned her head back, closed her eyes and let the sun chase away the goose bumps that had formed. The grass still had dew on the blades from the night before and the birds had begun to sing. Hearing a door shut, she glanced to the right and saw Owen leaving.

  He was dressed in jeans and a fitted navy t-shirt. She enjoyed the view and decided to sit and enjoy the way his ass looked when he bent to tie his shoes. She groaned loudly at the sight, then immediately brought her hand up.

  * * * * * * * *

  Hearing a sound, Owen looked around until his eyes met Cali’s. Damn, she looked good, he thought. Her brown hair was messy and she was wearing a tight white tank top and short black shorts. He waved and went to his truck.

  It was Monday morning and he needed to get to work. Normally he would have spent last night at the house in the suburbs, but seeing Cali made the decision of where to sleep easy. He would stay as long as she did. The hour drive to the coast was going to be rough every day, but it was worth it.

  He didn’t care if it took longer to get to work since the company was his. Owen arrived at work at fifteen minutes to eight. There was a meeting on his calendar with the head of finance at eight o’clock and he arrived just in time.

  Owen walked into the office to find a slender blonde in a sleek navy business suit sitting on his desk. Her skirt was pushed partly up her thigh to show off her slim, toned legs. As he walked in she shifted, uncrossed her legs and then moved them again, one over the other. He knew the game that was being played and he wasn’t biting.

 
“Avery, kindly remove your ass from the desk,” Owen said, nodding in her direction.

  “Whatever you say, Boss.”

  “You know I don’t want you to call me that. Sit in the chair, and let’s get to work.”

  They discussed the quarterly sales, projected growth over the remainder of the year, and various other matters on the agenda. The hour also consisted of Avery flipping her hair over her shoulder, more repetitive crossing of her legs, and biting on her lower lip. He grew aggravated from her actions.

  Owen stood and she followed. Gently placing her hand on his forearm, she leaned in and said, “Thank you for meeting with me this morning.”

  Taking a step back so her hand fell away, Owen said, “Avery, you have to knock this off.”

  Batting her eyelashes, she said, “I don’t know what you are referring to.”

  “The only relationship I’m interested in with you is a professional one.”

  He had told her over and over, but she wouldn’t take the hint. Other guys fell over her, but she just didn’t turn him on. He found her attractive, but not someone that he could see spending his future with and a fling was out of the question.

  Avery waved her hand in the air and said, “I hear you loud and clear, Boss.”

  “Yup, sure you do. Thanks for the numbers.”

  She all but purred, “You’re welcome.”

  She ran her finger across her bottom lip and her eyes shifted to the area below his belt. She looked, turned and in the very best catwalk strut, left. If she hadn’t been so good at her job he would have fired her a long time ago. But the results that she provided were undeniable. That only would guarantee a job.

  Owen rubbed his hands over his face, as if to wipe the sight of Avery away, and sat down to get some work done. He turned on the computer and looked out of the picture window behind him to take in the view of the ocean. Some boats were docked, others were setting out for a day of fishing or relaxing at sea.

  When he bought the company it was nothing more than a small fishing boat manufacturer. A lot of hard work was put into the company, making it the multimillion dollar company before him. OLM Yachts was his pride and joy. Everything he had was invested into the company and it showed.

  He didn’t have a huge workforce, but what he did have was the best of the best. People who were dedicated to the company and he was sure to take care of his employees in return. They had excellent benefits and if something was needed, they knew who to talk to. The employees weren’t just his workers, but his extended family.

  The rest of the day flew by and by six o’clock he was back in the truck ready to leave for the day. He had to stop at the house and pick up a few things. Owen didn’t expect to be staying at the lake all week, but the chance to see Cali was well worth the extra work.

  He drove to Dalia Lake and kept daydreaming about Cali. What his lips would feel like to kiss hers after all of these years, to feel her body in his arms, velvety skin against his own. A plan began to form and he hoped that Cali would go along with what he had in mind.

  * * * * * * * *

  Cali spent the day lounging and getting nothing done, but that was okay. The break was well-deserved. She was at the dock with her feet hanging over the edge when the sound of a truck door being shut was heard. Turning, she saw Owen walking up the stairs to his cabin.

  As if knowing she was looking at him, he turned and looked right at her. Cali blushed and refocused on the water. Having known him most of her life, the affect he was having on her was new and hard to understand.

  She was lost in thought and didn’t hear him come to the dock and walk up behind her. “Hi, Cali.”

  She jumped. “Shit! You shouldn’t sneak up on people.”

  Owen chuckled and said, “I just saw you two minutes ago. I don’t call this sneaking up.”

  His dimples stirred something within. “Yeah, well, I do. You scared the hell out of me.”

  “Still jumpy from your intruder last night?” She didn’t miss the look of mischief on his face.

  “You aren’t ever going to let me live that down, are you?”

  Owen smiled wide and said, “Nope.”

  Cali smiled as well and slowly brought her legs around to stand. Owen held out his hand to help her up and she gladly accepted. Standing, she was shorter than him and had to look up to meet his eyes.

  “Good day at work?” She didn’t know where he worked, but doubted it was the same place from when they were younger.

  “Not bad. Hey, what are you doing for dinner?”

  “No idea. I only have to cook for me so I hadn’t really given it much thought.”

  “Come out with me tonight.”

  Cali raised an eyebrow, looked into his eyes and said, “Like a date?”

  “Yes, like a date. Nothing fancy, just the two of us catching up, talking about raccoons.”

  “Real funny. Fine, I’ll go. Give me thirty minutes to get ready.”

  “Sounds good.”

  They walked side by side to the cabins, but neither said a word. Cali did glance up at one point and saw a small smile on Owen’s face which made her smile in return.

  Cali came out thirty minutes later, on the dot wearing a long, light blue summer dress. Her wavy hair was swept into a ponytail, and she had silver hoop earrings on. The look Owen was giving made her self-conscious. She brought her hand to her hair and slowly felt the silky strands as if to make sure nothing was out of place.

  Owen gave her a brilliant smile and stepped off of the porch to walk toward her. He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, placing a light kiss on top. “You look beautiful, Caliana.”

  Cali blushed and whispered, “Thank you.”

  “Come on, let’s go.”

  Owen led her to the truck and opened the door on the passenger side. They only drove for a few minutes before pulling off of the road into a dirt drive. After driving through some dense trees and tall grass what emerged was beautiful. She had never seen this side of the lake.

  They came to a stop and Cali jumped out. She walked to the shoreline to take in the surroundings. The area was a completely hidden part of the lake in a small alcove and the view was breathtaking.

  She looked out onto the lake, taking in how serene the water was. No boats or swimmers were around, only nature, the sound of the water gently hitting the shore, and Owen.

  Turning, she saw Owen pull out a cooler and a large quilt. He spread the small dinner on top of the blanket. There was brie, apples, grapes, sandwiches and a couple bottles of water. Nothing fancy, but Cali thought the meal was perfect.

  “I can’t believe you did all of this,” she said.

  Cali saw him look at her. Not like a curious look, but one she thought was almost adoration. She didn’t know why he was staring so intently, but the look was starting to make her feel a little awkward and a blush spreading over her face.

  “Owen, why are you looking at me so seriously?”

  “You’re very beautiful, Caliana.”

  Unable to speak from embarrassment, she ducked her head down. Receiving compliments wasn’t something she was used to.

  “Are you hungry?”

  She nodded. “Yes, I’m starving. The food all looks so good.” They both took seats on the quilt and started to eat. “How did I not know about this place?”

  “I only found the alcove a couple of years ago. I was driving around the lake and saw the brush was parted. I pulled off of the road and walked back. The next day I came by and cleared out enough to get the truck down here. I come to this spot when I want to be alone and think.”

  Cali smiled. “And yet you shared your secret spot with me.”

  “I wouldn’t want to share this view with anyone else. We spent the end of every summer at the lake. You are always on my mind when I’m here.”

  She didn’t know what to say, but was surprised by his honesty. The Owen she remembered was more of jokester, not serious. Instead of responding, she bit into the sandwich and spread som
e brie on the apple. “Mmm-mmm, so good.”

  Owen winked at her before biting into his own sandwich. They ate in a comfortable silence. The date wasn’t like a typical first date where she didn’t know the man and the topics of conversation were forced. Although, she didn’t know what he’d been doing the last ten years. Cali heard things from Rhea about how he was, but never with much detail.

  “So, Owen Matthews, tell me what have you been up to?”

  “Work mostly, nothing too exciting.”

  “Are you still working for Mr. Stewart on the coast?” She didn’t think he was, but was curious.

  “Something along those lines.”

  “Something along those lines?” she asked, laughing. “Tell me. I really want to know more about you.”

  “Okay. Well, Mr. Stewart was getting older and couldn’t keep up with the demands of the company. He didn’t have any children so he asked me if I wanted to buy it and take over. His idea of me buying the company felt like I was stealing from him. Mr. Stewart asked for a ridiculously small amount of money and wouldn’t hear of giving him anything more. I had the money saved and took him up on the offer. I’ve changed the business quite a bit over the years. It’s no longer a small fishing boat manufacturer.”

  Cali could tell by the tone of his voice that he was proud of what had been accomplished. “What is the company now?”

  After eating a few grapes he said, “We build yachts. I streamlined the process and updated the equipment. We only use high-end materials and the best craftsmen. I hired the best on the coast to help build the best yachts. We do okay. I’m very happy with the way things have been going.”

  “Only one yacht manufacturer is nearby and they build luxury yachts.”

  Owen nodded in agreement, continuing to eat dinner.

  “So you’re saying you own OLM Yachts?”

  “Yeah.”

  “OLM,” Cali said, more to herself than him. The pieces were all coming together. “Owen Lee Matthews. Get out! How did I not know?”

  Shrugging, he said, “When people ask what I do, I tell them I build boats. That’s the same thing.”