Wow 20 chapters! Thank you to all my readers and especially to those who follow, favorite and take the time to leave reviews. Speaking of reviews I know I owe several guest reviewers responses and I will get to those by this weekend.

Ch.20 We'll Make a Lover Out of You Yet

(CLARE)

Knock knock knock the rapid pounding of knuckles on Owen's bedroom door draws me out of sleep early Wednesday morning.

"Owen, Clare you two need to get up and get ready for school, Clare and I need to leave in half an hour," Laura calls through the door.

We hear her walk off and Owen groans squeezing me a little tighter, I kiss his chest and try to get out of his arms but he won't let me go.

"Owen we have to get to school and I have an appointment remember," I laugh.

"No let's never go to school again we'll just stay in my bed all day, you can go to your appointment tomorrow. Then we never have to see Dallas, Asher or Eli again," he yawns.

"Owen your parents will never let us stay in your bed all day and we have to face the rest of the world at some point. I'm not exactly looking forward to going to school with everything they're saying about me but we can't shut out the rest of the world because we want to," I tell him but he only holds me tighter. Trying to get him to let me go I lightly nip his chest.

"Nyaghh," he shrieks and his eyes shoot open as he scowls at me slightly, "yeah like doing that is going to make me want to let you go and get out of bed."

"We have to get up, we have to get to school I'll come back and be here after your practice, we'll have all night together. I love you Owen," I remind him.

"I love you too which is exactly why I don't want you to go to school. If you go to school Dallas will be there, possibly Eli and you'll have to go to co-op with that prick pedophile that abused his power," Owen growls.

"I'll be careful around Asher; I won't be alone with him and besides your mom is going in to talk to Simpson remember?"

"Yeah but she's not using your name, she's not really giving any details it's just to see what can be done," he says.

"I won't be alone with Asher, I won't even talk to him if I can help it," I assure Owen.

"Yeah and what about Dallas," he asks.

"I'll try and avoid Mike, it's all I can do," I reply.

"Yeah but he won't try and avoi…" Owen is cut off by more knocking at his bedroom door.

"Hey stop having sex and get up we need to get to school," Tris calls through the door.

"Okay now I'm getting up gotta kill my brother," Owen says letting me go and grabbing his pillow as he leaps out of bed.

I giggle as Owen runs to the door in nothing but boxers; he opens the door and Tris screams running down the hall. I get up still laughing and put on Owen's bathrobe following them out to the living room. They're on either side of the sofa facing each other down, each waiting for the other to make a move but it's all done in light hearted fun and both are smiling. I smile watching them, I remember doing similar things with Darcy but not since we were very young. I watch from the hall grinning contentedly, their family is so different from mine I can tell they're all close, it makes me wonder why Owen used to be a bully, if it was just teenage rebellion or something more was going on. Even their parents are watching and laughing at their playful interaction. Finally Owen leaps over the sofa arm landing on the other side and getting one good thwack of the pillow on Tristan's back.

"Don't interrupt time with my girlfriend," he grumbles but he's not angry and Tris is laughing.

"Alright you two need to get ready for school and Tris needs to eat breakfast," Steven says and Owen gets off the sofa.

Tris gets up, Owen hugs him with one arm and tousles Tristan's hair, Owen walks to me looking me over in is bathrobe and gives me a lustful grin.

"I like you in my clothes," Owen says then bends down a little and picks me up over his shoulder causing me to shriek and giggle.

"Owen we have an appointment to make and you need to get to school, you can see Clare tonight," his mom scolds him.

Owen grumbles slightly but sets me down again; I grab my clothes and go into the washroom to change. When I come out Owen is dressed and he kisses me quickly before going into the washroom.

"Mom is taking you to co-op; I'll have Adam sign in for you at Miss Oh's class because he's better at doing your signature. I'll pick you up at lunch and if Asher tries anything call me and I'll come get you," Owe stipulates.

"Owen you can't leave class to come pick me up," I argue.

"I can and I will if something happens I want to hear about it right away," he asserts and I nod.

I finish getting ready and eat toast for breakfast quickly before leaving with Laura to get to the clinic. I don't know how long this will take so I call the interpreter and tell them I have an appointment and might be late. I have to fill out a bunch of paperwork and then I'm taken back, they take my vitals, draw some blood and do a pap smear but it's a male doctor so I'm rather uncomfortable. After going over safety and dosing and a few other things the doctor just hands me six months worth of birth control and I put it all in my backpack. The whole thing takes about an hour and half so I'm nearly an hour late by the time we reach the Interpreter but at least Asher isn't here. Nor do I see him at all while I'm there and when I leave Owen is waiting for me in his car. I get in and he gives me a sweet and passionate kiss.

"So nothing happened?" Owen questions as he starts driving back to school.

"I would have called you if it had, Asher wasn't even there. How was school?"

"Lots of whispers and rumors, we've been trying to quell them but they're still going and they're pretty bad. I think I managed to scare anyone away from approaching you but I can't guarantee it. You sure you want to go back to school we could always go back to my house, avoid it for one more day," Owen offers.

"No I can't run away forever, I have to face them all sometime, they can say whatever they want only three people know what really went on last summer," I sigh looking out the window.

I really am dreading going to school and facing everyone after the dance and everything that's happened the last few days. I touch the bandage on my cheek and cringe remembering how angry Eli was and how determined he was to hurt me. Owen reaches over and takes my hand, breaking me from my thoughts and I smile at him.

"Why don't we avoid it just a little bit longer and go have lunch somewhere besides school," Owen suggests.

I smile at him and nod; he drives a little farther and stops at a little Mexican café. It's not much for décor but it sure smells good. We get fajitas to share and sit down, we're silent for a couple of minutes and then he looks at me.

"How was your appointment this morning?" He asks.

"Fine, long but fine, I got birth control, enough for six months so I won't have to go back for a while. They did say it would take a couple days for the STI results to come back though," I inform him.

"I saw mom at school but I didn't see her leave so I don't know what she told Simpson or what he said," Owen tells me.

"I'm sure we'll find out tonight," I reply.

"What about your mom and Jake?" Owen asks after a few more silent minutes.

"I don't know, it's not like I've really been home all that much and my mom doesn't really seem to care. Although I have to think at some point she's going to want me to come home but then she might not. As for Jake I barely see him even when I am home so I wouldn't worry about him," I state.

"Jake attacked you and I don't give a flying fuck if he was high he attacked you because he wanted you. Not even because he likes you but because he knew Dallas had you and he saw us kiss. In my book that makes him just as bad as Eli, possibly worse!" Owen grouses in a growling voice.

"Okay Jake can be a jerk but he's not our biggest problem right now, one bad guy at a time," I advise.

"I'll try but I don't think the bad guys are going to come at us one at a time," he responds.

We finish lunch and make the drive to school; it feels like such a long drive because I am very much dreading all that I'm going to be facing. We have about ten minutes before the bell and I need to sign in at Miss Oh's class and get some books from my locker. Owen parks and puts his arm around me to walk into school, even from this distance I can see the kids staring, whispering and pointing. I bite my lip trying to ignore them, trying to put on a brave face but it's not easy. I feel better because Owen's with me and I have other friends too. Adam, Drew, Bianca, Maya, Tris, Cam, Zig and Tori all walk over to us and we walk into school together. I hear a lot of whispering but with Owen, Drew and Bianca glaring at every person that looks at me very few of them look up. I sign in at Miss Oh's, get my books and everyone walks with Adam and I to biology. Owen kisses me at the door and tells me he loves me, Adam links his arm with mine and we go sit at our table. I set my backpack down and get on the stool, Jenna comes in with K.C. both give me a little smile but don't say much. It's like I've suddenly become horribly disfigured and they don't want to be seen with me anymore. Well at least they aren't whispering rumors about me so I suppose I'll call that a win.

Luke and Becky walk in, Becky smiles at Adam with doe eyes all a glitter by a crush. Adam grins back with a wink, his grin so wide it looks like it might stretch off his face. Luke on the other hand is giving a rather lascivious look; I can tell that he's not really seeing me but envisioning that one picture he's actually seen. He licks his lips and I glare at him, then he grabs my backpack from the floor before I can stop him.

"Got any more pictures?" He asks pulling my backpack open and rifling through the contents with no car for anything.

"Give it back," I demand hopping off my stool and trying to grab it but Luke turns and shoves me.

"Whoa that's a lot of birth control guess the rumors are true," he snickers pulling out all the birth control I got this morning.

"Dude give me the bag," Adam demands.

"Not cool," K.C. says taking the bag from Luke when he turns away from Adam.

"Luke don't be a jerk!" Becky admonishes her brother looking rather ashamed of his behavior.

"I have birth control so I want get pregnant you idiot, if the rumors about me being the school prostitute were true don't you think I'd be carrying around condoms? I guess Dallas told you nothing about last summer, he showed you one picture you don't know anything," I snap at Luke and turn to see Mr. Bettankamp at the front of class.

"Problem Miss Edwards?" He asks.

"No Sir," I shake my head.

"Why don't we all take our seats then," he says and we all sit down silently.

Mr. Bettankamp starts class as soon as the bell has rung and at least no one else bothers me in class. Adam, Jenna and K.C. walk with me to math since we all have that class next. Luke and Becky aren't in this class with us but Alli and Connor are. Alli thankfully remains silent but Connor does not give me that courtesy.

"Did you really do all those things the kids are saying you did?" Connor asks.

"I don't know Connor I haven't heard all the rumors yet," I reply with a huff.

"Leave her alone Connor, it's none of our business," Adam says in my defense and I smile at him.

Math thankfully goes by quickly; I say goodbye to Adam and run to my locker to grab my books and meet Owen out front, doing my best to entirely ignore everyone's whispers and comments. I don't quite make it to my locker as I get suddenly grabbed and pulled into a dark classroom; I think it must happen an average of once a day now. The door closes and Mike leans over me, one hand on the door to keep it closed.

"Asher's back and he wants more," Mike says to me so close I can feel his hot breath on my skin.

"I know I saw him yesterday but that's his problem he's not getting more," I respond moving away from Mike as his proximity starts to work its magic and I bite my lip. Mike catches my arm, turning me around and leaning me against a student desk. I brace my hands on it, my ass teetering on the edge, he manages to push my legs open and get between them without me realizing it. I lean back a little as he leans closer to me.

"You want my help to stop him?" Mike propositions with a voice so dripping with lust my pulse quickens. "Him, Eli even Luke, I'll stop them all you know I can. What Eli did," Mike whispers with his lips hovering above my skin, "he'll pay for I'll make sure of it."

Then his lips touch down on my skin just above the bandage, I bite my lip, my stomach muscles tighten, I can feel the heat between my legs. The tingle rushes through my body and my mind begins to turn off except for one primal, carnal desire it knows Mike can fulfill. I wish I didn't feel this way, I wish Mike didn't do this to me, I swear he's like some sort of sexual vampire, hypnotizing me with sexual mind control so I will heedlessly do anything he wants. I want to only react this way to Owen ever again. Well at least it's better because while my body is aching to touch Mike and be touched by him my mind, heart and soul are screaming NO! If I could just get those words to come from my mouth everything would be fine, at least I think Mike will stop when I tell him no.

Mikes lips drift over my skin caressing softly but not quite kissing; I hitch a breath and can feel the word no on my tongue. Sitting there trying to climb out of my lips but struggling. I grip the desk and open my mouth trying to speak, trying to make words, trying to get my brain to communicate with my lips.

"Mike n…" okay it's a start I got one letter now I just need an o, come on mouth make an o. Just then Mike's fingers rub my clit through my jeans and panties, "ooooooh!" That moaning o was not the o I wanted. I feel Mike's lips curling into a satisfied grin as he knows he's baited me into the trap but I'm still fighting. "I love Owen," I assert, it's not quite a no and my voice falters slightly when he kisses my neck and rubs my clit at the same time but it's a start.

Just as I'm trying to find words again and tell my arms to push Mike away the door bursts open and Owen comes in.

"Stay the fuck away from her!" Owen growls grabbing Mike by the shirt and shoving him away.

I smile at Owen in relief, gripping his Ice Hounds jacket and pulling Owen to me for a loving, grateful and salacious kiss. Owen lifts me all the way on the desk and we keep kissing, my body gets hotter, I want Owen to rip off my clothes to feel his skin on mine. When Mike starts to audibly growl we pull out of the kiss and look at him, I lick my lips savoring Owen's flavor.

"Just whose side are you on? You want to hurt Eli, Asher and Luke but you're the one that brought them all into this," I point out to Mike.

Anything my body was feeling for Mike a short time ago is totally gone, replaced by bigger and stronger desires for Owen. Now I have no problem saying whatever's on my mind to Mike.

"I'm on the side that matters, I'm on my side. Get your butt in gear twenty-two we have to be at practice in ten," Mike says and saunters out of the room with an amused grin.

"I'm really starting to hate him," Owen grumbles when Mike is gone. He looks at me and our eyes lock, I smile at him, biting my lip, my hand rests on Owen's face and I give him a soft chaste kiss.

"You came right when I needed you, how did you know I needed you?" I ask him.

"I don't know just did," he grins.

"You always know when I need you," I smile putting my head on his chest.

He kisses the top of my head and helps me down from the desk, taking off his jacket he puts it around my shoulders and takes his keys from his pocket handing them to me.

"Take my car, and my brother, and go to my house. I need to get practice but I'll see you there after," he tells me.

"How will you get home if I have your car?"

"I'll get a cab or catch a ride, don't worry about it, I'll see you at home Gorgeous," he says tipping my chin up to kiss me one more time.

We part in the hall and I walk to my locker before I go to find Tris to take him home.

(OWEN)

I get to the Ice Hounds bus and Dallas checks me off on his clipboard but he's also talking in a low voice to Luke which can't be good.

"You were absent yesterday Twenty-Two you'll have to do laps and drills to make up for the missed practice," Dallas says as I get on the bus. I'm the last one so they get on the bus after me and sit in the front seat.

"Because I was gone yesterday or because you can't stand to see Clare enjoying the touch of someone else?" I question in a low growling voice.

"Standard procedure Twenty-Two, you have an unexcused absence from a practice and you have a penalty. The fact that she swoons when she kisses you now and almost said no to me today, for that you will pay later and in a much bigger way than running laps and drills," Dallas tells me and Luke snickers.

"You do anything to hurt Clare, me, my family or my friends and I will personally tear out your heart and feed it to you," I tell him but he only smirks.

When the bus parks at the arena we get out and go into the locker room, change into our gear and get out to the ice. The coach makes me skate laps with weights and run suicide drills all practice since I missed yesterday. I'm exhausted by the end of practice, ready to drop and go to sleep but I want to get home and see Clare. I shower and change faster than anyone else and one of assistant coaches gives me a lift home. My car is here and when I get into the living room I see my brother on the sofa doing homework and smell dinner in the oven.

"Where's Clare?" I question.

"Doing homework in your room," Tris replies.

I pat his head and then go back to my room, Clare is sitting on my bed doing homework, she gives me a big smile and it crinkles the bandage on her cheek. I sit on the bed next to her and kiss her wonderfully red lips, so soft and pert.

"You look exhausted was Dallas hard on you at practice?" She inquires.

"I didn't tell them why I didn't show up yesterday so it was marked as an unexcused absence and I was punished for that. Dallas did threaten me for being with you though," I tell her, she tightens up her entire body looking very sad and very scared all at once.

"I'm sorry I never meant for you to be brought into this, what did he say? What is he threatening to do?" She queries and I hear the fear and regret in her voice. I brush my finger along her unscathed cheek and lock eyes with her.

"Nothing specific and he doesn't frighten me, don't worry about it. I'm starving I'm going to get some dinner and I'll be back in a second," I tell her and kiss her forehead before getting off the bed again.

I go out to the kitchen and grab a plate; mom made pot roast and roasted veggies which sounds so good right now. I take my plate back to my room and sit with Clare, she's still got my laptop on her lap and her book open like she's doing homework but she's just staring blankly at the screen.

"What's wrong?" I question sitting next to her again.

"I'm just worried about what Mike will do," she tells me trying to smile for my comfort.

"Don't be, I can handle Dallas and anything he tries. Did Mom say anything about her talk with Simpson?" I ask Clare.

"I would have to come forward, there'd be an investigation and I couldn't go back to co-op," she grouses with her nose wrinkled up to show that she doesn't like this option.

"I don't want you back there or anywhere near him, I know being a reporter is your dream but I will find another way to get you to that dream. As long as Asher is there that place is poison to you. If you're worried about fighting him alone you know me and my whole family will be there to fight with you. Not to mention Adam, Drew, Bianca and I'm sure some of your other friends," I remind her.

"I know, I just…" she starts and then stops, cutting off her sentence as she bites her lip.

"Just what?" I inquire with a mouth full of pot roast.

"Just don't know if it's all worth it, I did this to myself by being with Mike last summer and now everyone is mixed up in my mess," she sighs.

"We're mixed up because we care and anyone that doesn't care can walk away. You didn't know what you were doing last summer and you had no idea where it all lead. You are worth the fight Clare and it will be a fight but you're not alone," I remind her before kissing her and she giggles instead of kissing me back.

"Your breath smells like onions and pot roast," she says pushing me away playfully so I exhale on her. Her face winces in disgust and she hits my arm lightly.

I kiss her cheek and finish eating; she's nearly done with her homework and helps me with mine. By the time I'm done it's after ten and we both get ready for bed. It's early yet but I'm dead tired after practice and I really just want to hold her in my arms. Both of us ready for bed I turn out the light and get in bed with Clare, lying on my back and she rolls on her side cuddling up to me and draping her arm over me, her head on my shoulder.

"I wish I didn't react to Mike that way, I'm sorry that I do, I'm sorry that I don't react to your touch and your closeness like that," she apologizes after a few minutes.

"Don't be I'm not, that's not what I want Clare. The way you react to Dallas' proximity and his touch it's heedless and automatic. Dallas found you when you were broken Clare, torn down and beyond vulnerable. You've said it yourself your mind shuts down and only the basic instincts of your body take over. Dallas conditioned you into a…a sex zombie at his touch and that's not what I want, that's not what I fell in love with. I love all of you Clare, I want all of you and I want all of you to react to my touch and my proximity. Mind, body, heart and spirit I want it all to thrill at me and want me. You can't help yourself when you're around Dallas but you turn off, I'm not exactly happy about it nor do I totally understand it but I know that's not what I want and I know it's not your fault. I don't want you to totally turn off and just do as I say that's not love Clare. You are not just a body, a sex toy for my pleasure; you are so much more than that. Your body is not an object, not a toy for my pleasure; it is a wonderful and sexy gift, part of the bigger gift that is you. I will never take your body to make myself feel better; you give it to me when you want and I will eagerly and willingly accept. I want your mind and your body, I want you to say no if I go too far, I want you to tell me when you're afraid I want us to share everything and you are not a sex toy to me. Besides Dallas said you almost said no today and that's progress, it'll take time and I'm fine with that because you're worth it Clare and I love you."

She smiles up at me and kisses me tenderly, "I love you Owen, I deeply truly love you and I do. I do thrill at everything I do with you, every part of me, from the deepest part of my soul, mind and heart to every part of my body. I feel safe with you, want to always be in your arms, to be holding you and kissing you, to feel your skin against mine is the most amazing feeling. I almost said no to Mike but only got as far as the n, I did tell him I love you but I'm not sure he cares. I don't think he's going to give up Owen."

"Dallas is like a child with a toy, he got you, lost you, got you back and then lost you again. Now all he sees is me with you and he wants you back, he wants to play with you again. He's going to throw a fit for a while but he's not getting you back, this body, these beautiful curves, this soft skin these are mine," I tell her but now that I'm caressing her and touching her I'm getting horny and it's pushing my tiredness away. I shift and try to hide it but Clare knows; I feel her hand reaching for me, feeling my stiffening erection under my boxers. I moan just a bit and feel her start to move, her body rubbing down mine as she starts to disappear under the covers to take care of me but I stop her.

"Don't," I tell her grabbing her arm and pulling her up again.

"But you're horny I can take care of that, I'm really good at blow jobs," she tells me and it almost kills me the way she says it. Her voice is soft and submissive, she feels obligated and that's not what I want.

"Clare I'm not Dallas and I'm not Eli, I don't want you to do it because you feel like you have to. I'm a guy I get horny every five seconds it will pass; I don't want an obligatory blow job from you. As I said you are not a sex toy, I won't treat you like one and I don't want you to feel like one," I affirm.

"I know Owen but I love you and I want to take care of you," she says.

"It's nothing okay, I got horny touching you, I told you I'm a guy it happens a lot. The only thing we're going to do tonight is sleep unless you're horny too in which case we'll make love," I assert.

"Let's make love then," she says sitting up and then getting on her knees, "I know all kinds of positions, Mike preferred doggie style or me sitting on his lap. I can stand or…"

"Clare stop," I cut her off sharply and grab her arms so she'll look at me. "Do you even hear yourself? You sound like a courtesan, you are my girlfriend Clare not a toy, not a hooker, not a sex zombie, my girlfriend, the girl I'm in love with. We will make love only if you want to or we can go to sleep and I can hold you all night long."

"I'm sorry I don't mean to sound that way I just…"

"It's how Dallas trained you, he got deep into you Clare and it's going to take time to heal I know that and I'm here," I remind her kissing her nose softly and she smiles.

"I really would like to make love, we were so badly interrupted by your mom yesterday," she tells me brushing her fingertips along the short hairs just above my ear.

"Then we'll make love," I smile gripping my shirt that she's wearing to sleep in and taking it off over her head. I kiss her softly and turn her so that she's lying back against the mattress. I part our lips and sit up a little and prop myself on my arm. "Lie back and enjoy this is about us and tonight I'm going to pleasure you," I inform her.

"But you were h…" she starts and I put my finger on her lips to silence her.

"I didn't say I won't enjoy it too," I point out.

I toss my blankets to the floor as they'll just get in the way and slowly kiss my way down her body. I get to her belly button and take off her panties and my boxers, then I kiss along her thighs and my tongue delves just barely between her pussy lips. I open her up and inhale her scent, sweet, spicy and soft just like she is. I lick once and then move up kissing along her torso until my lips attach to hers and then I very slowly start to penetrate her. Her breathing hitches and then she deepens the kiss, her thighs tightening around me, her back arching. I inch into her slowly, very slowly opening her up and enjoying the feel of her. I stop kissing her lips and kiss her neck, then her chin, down her jugular, along her clavicle and down to her breasts.

As I ease my way all the way into her I cover her breasts in open mouth kisses. I feel her back arching more as her head lulls back into the pillow. I'm all the way in now, I stop kissing her skin and look up at her locking my eyes with hers as I start to pull out. Moving one of my arms under her lower back to arch it more and make it more comfortable for her. Clare's body begins to tremble, her hips bucking as her body wants more and I stop to look at her again.

"Is this what you want Clare? Not just your body but all of you?"

"Yes it's what I want Owen, I want you, make love to me," she says sitting up slightly putting her hand at the back of my neck and taking my lips with hers.

Our bodies moves together, in tandem, making love in rhythm and we become one. Slow and gentle at first but as our orgasms begin to build we move faster and faster. She grips onto me and her back arches high pressing her body into mine. She deepens the kiss moaning against my lips, I hold her close and tight, kissing her hard and deep as we climax together. Our bodies slow and I pull out gently kissing her one last time, I lie next to her and take her into my arms again. She kisses my chest gently and stroke my fingers along her back.

"That was amazing Owen thank you," she smiles with a yawn.

"I love you Clare, get to sleep," I tell her and feel her nod.

My eyes close and I'm asleep before I feel her breathing become regular and steady again.

Update next Wednesday with all the stuff from the protagonists I didn't fit into this chapter, but hey at least you got some uninterrupted sexy time!