Free Outmatched in October (Spring River Valley Book 10) by Clarice Wynter

her here because you’re afraid you’ll lose her if she leaves.”
    Owen met Taylor’s gaze. He wanted to deny the accusation, but he couldn’t. “I lose her either way, don’t I?”
    “Owen, give her a chance.”
    “I want her to have a chance. Every chance. I never told her not to go.”
    “But you never told her she had to go.”
    “How do you tell someone you love to get out of your life for their own good?”
    Taylor shook his head. “I don’t know. I’ve never had to do that. But why don’t you start by telling her you love her?”
    “Because if I do that, she’ll never leave.”

Chapter Ten
     
     
    Claudia raced down the stairs the moment Owen’s car pulled up at the curb in front of her apartment. She’d been waiting at the top, leaning her elbows on the rail like a kid waiting for the ice cream truck to appear. Her pulse had been running amok since he’d called and told her he wanted to pick her up and take her out to dinner at Landry’s Pier.
    She couldn’t wait to go, even though she wasn’t the least bit hungry. She felt like a teenager again, full of sweet secrets that made her smile when no one was looking. Butterflies careened in her stomach , and twinges of sensual awareness came over her at the most inappropriate times. It was all so silly, to be this blown away by having spent the night with him. They were friends first and foremost, kindred spirits, and now lovers. Finally her world was complete.
    She almost tripped on the bottom step again, and caught herself, laughing nervously aloud at her clumsiness. Years of studying and teaching yoga had trained her to move gracefully and deliberately , and one unprecedented event in her life had wiped it all away and turned her into an awkward, overzealous geek.
    And she didn’t care.
    Naughty thoughts forming in her mind, she practically skipped to the car. She opened the passenger door and slipped into the seat next to him, offering what she hoped was an unmistakably lascivious grin. “Lily’s home tonight, and she’s in a weird mood, so after dinner, how about we go to your place?” She let her fingers trail along his jean-clad thigh, then patted her extra bulky purse. “I stopped at the club store today. They don’t carry cases, but I got a good deal on a dozen.”
    In response to this, he sighed. She caught the barest hint of a smile lifting his upper lip, but the expression didn’t reach his eyes. In fact, he looked more worried than turned on by her sexy confession.
    “What’s up?”
    “Ah…why don’t we go eat first, then we can talk?”
    “ Uh-oh. That sounds serious. I was going to suggest we do something else first and work up an appetite.” She leaned close, ready to kiss him, hoping in fact to make out in the car a little bit. Whatever had come over her, she felt liberated, crazy, uncontrollably in love, and she wanted—needed—to make up for lost time.
    When he took her roaming fingers in his and squeezed, her ardor cooled a few degrees. He wasn’t acting like a man who was only a short car ride away from having sex a dozen times before dinner.
    “Owen? Maybe you should tell me now, whatever’s bothering you.”
    “Claudia. I was wrong about something the other day. Very wrong.”
    “About what?”
    He put his hands on the steering wheel but left the car idling. “I told you I didn’t want you to leave town , and I had no right to do that. I can’t ask you to give up your chance in New York because of me.”
    Relief flooded her. Of all the things he could have said, this at least was something she was prepared for. “You’re not. You didn’t.” She reached up to smooth his hair where it curled over his ears and resisted the urge to climb into his lap and kiss away all his doubts. The tension in his muscles bothered her; he clearly wasn’t convinced by her reassurances.
    “What happened the other night wasn’t supposed to make you change your mind about the job.”
    “You telling me Jacob just