I shook my head and held up my hand, making the sign of the Scouts.
“Scout’s honor.”
Her eyes narrowed even farther. “Were you even a Scout?”
I laughed and put my other hand on my chest over my heart. “I swear, I was. Both my brother and I were Eagle Scouts, actually.”
Penelope’s jaw dropped a little, and her face smoothed out, morphing from disbelief to shock. Then she giggled. “Wow. I wouldn’t have pegged you for the outdoorsy type.”
I could feel the smolder in my gaze as I stared at her with deep intensity. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, angel. But you will. We’ll know absolutely everything about each other.”
She flushed prettily again, and it had my body burning with desire. I was desperate to see if I could make her blush all over her body. However, it wasn’t the right time to be going in that direction, so I steered the conversation in another direction as we sat down to eat.
The meal was fantastic, and I asked her questions about her perfect kitchen, keeping mental notes in case I needed to renovate. After dinner, I refused to let her clean up, and Tucker was making it very clear that he was ready for his own food. I hated to send Penelope home, but I was only so strong. I wasn’t sure I would be able to stop myself from doing something stupid if we were alone after I put Tucker to bed.
We watched her walk next door from the front porch, waiting until she was inside before retreating into our own home. Tucker kept looking around as though he was expecting someone. “I know, little man. Trust me. I wish she was still here, too. We’ll just have to be patient. In four months, she’s all ours.”
Chapter 6
Jonah
Over the next three months, Penelope, Tucker, and I developed a routine. She watched him in the evenings and cooked for us on most nights. It turned out, she knew quite a bit more about babies than I did, so I happily let her teach me how to be a better dad. Tucker and I lived for the moment she arrived.
However, I made sure we were never together without Tucker and always sent her home before I put him down for the night. Or at least until he woke up and demanded to be fed...which was usually at about two o’clock in the middle of the night.
When I dropped him off at daycare for my weekly meetups with Justice, and sometimes Thatcher or Jamison, I made sure she was the one in charge of his care. The weekly appointments quickly escalated into two or three because they were my only opportunity to expend enough energy to exhaust myself, so I wasn’t bursting with so much repressed sexual tension. Between that and the dreams she starred in every night, I wasn’t quite as worried that my balls would shrivel up and fall off. I stripped the bed every morning so the housekeeper wouldn’t have to deal with the mess I made in my sleep. Although, she probably wondered why I’d suddenly decided to rotate my bedding nightly...
I hated every moment that Penelope wasn’t with me, but I managed to stay sane for Tucker. It also helped that I could watch her at the center and in my home. And when she wasn’t visible to me, I’d hired a guard to tail her, reporting her movements back to me so I always knew she was safe.
It was past Tucker’s bedtime when I closed out my computer and headed down to the first floor. I’d worked a little longer than usual because there had been an attempted hacking into one of the companies whose cybersecurity my team handled. I wasn’t hands-on with the projects very much these days, but there were times when certain clients expected to be handled directly by me.
Once I hit the bottom of the stairs, I started for the kitchen but altered my course when I heard the murmur of Penelope’s voice. “It’s pointless, Mallory.” I stopped outside the den and listened, quickly realizing that Penelope was on the phone. With her sister from the sound of it. “I don’t need to see a doctor about this. Why waste time when I don’t need it and will most likely forget to take it so often it would be ineffective anyway?” There was silence for a minute, then Penelope sighed. “Mal, not everyone does the casual sex thing.”
What the fuck? I walked straight into the room, but Penelope was facing the large fireplace on the opposite wall and didn’t see me.
“Can we talk about this later? Tucker will be up from his nap any minute, and I like to be the first thing he sees.”
Damn, I loved her. The way she had fallen for my son was as sexy as the sway of her delectable ass. The thought had my eyes straying down to said ass, and I licked my lips, reminding myself I only had a little under four weeks to go until she was officially mine. When she turned around, the distraction was gone, and I immediately refocused on her conversation with Mallory.
“I’m sorry to have eavesdropped”—not really—“but is everything okay? You mentioned going to the doctor?” And what the fuck was that about casual sex? I almost yelled the question but was able to contain it at the last second.
Penelope’s face flushed redder than I’d ever seen it. “Nothing. I’m not sick. It’s nothing.”
I prowled over until I was directly in front of her and lifted her chin with my thumb and index finger, tipping her head back until she was looking up at me. I kept my grip firm, so she was forced to meet my gaze. “I expect you to always tell me the truth, Penelope. I promise, you won’t like the consequences if you ever lie to me again. Do you understand?”
Her blue eyes became wide and round, blinking owlishly, while her mouth widened. I could see her pink tongue, and I swallowed hard to stop myself from taking a taste. “C-c-consequences?” she stuttered.
I nodded, never taking my eyes from hers so she could see I was dead fucking serious. I gave in to a small impulse and leaned closer until our lips were barely a breath apart. “Yes, angel. Your punishment will be begging for forgiveness.” And orgasms, but we still had weeks to go before I could tell her that.
My right hand caressed her shoulder and slid over her collarbone and down where I rested it over her heart, just above one gorgeous, buxom breast. Her breathing sped up, and my cock swelled to epic proportions. “You’re curious, angel, aren’t you? I think there’s a naughty, dirty-minded little girl inside you, and she’s dying to know what it would feel like to be punished by me.”
I was playing with fire, and I needed to stop before it got out of hand. But fuck, her heavy breaths and racing heart had my cock dripping with desire and begging to be released. I didn’t let her answer because her response would more than likely have me throwing all of my good intentions out the window and showing Penelope right there and then what it felt like to be dominated by her man. I raised my head and took one step back. “Now, answer my original question. Why do you need to see a doctor?”
“I—um—I don’t. Not really. It’s just Mallory being overcautious because she thinks everyone sees the world the same way she does.”
“Being casual about sex?” I figured I might as well jump right to it. No sense in pretending I hadn’t heard everything and taking time to drag it out of her.
Penelope gasped and tried to look away, but I still had a strong hold on her chin. “Yes. She thinks I need to go on birth control since, in her words, I’ll ‘be old enough to fuck around’ and need to protect myself.” Her face twisted in disgust, which gave me a small measure of comfort.
However, rage warred with desire, and I squeezed my eyes shut as I counted to twenty, hoping it would put a damper on both emotions. Hearing such filthy language falling from the lips of my angel was like an injection of lust straight to my cock. I loved how sweet and innocent she was, and I didn’t want to hear her talk like that to anyone else. But the thought of dirty talk coming out of her sexy mouth while I played with her tits and she bounced up and down on my dick was almost enough to have me coming in my pants like I was fourteen again.
The other part of me, which helped to control the lust, was furious with Mallory for even talking to my girl about casual sex. And for trying to stop my boys from knocking her up the first time I got my fat cock balls deep in her virgin pussy. I wanted Penelope’s body ripe and ready for bree
ding because I had every intention of filling her teenage womb with so much come, it would be sliding out of her for days.
“I don’t want you on birth control,” I growled.
Penelope blinked rapidly; her expression confused. “Well, um...I told her it wasn’t necessary.” Her lashes lowered, and her hands fidgeted at her sides as twin spots of pink appeared on her cheeks. The way she was always blushing around me gave me a perverse sense of pleasure. I liked seeing her squirm, especially when I knew it was from desire. “I don’t plan on having se...um...sleeping with anyone anytime soon.”
How wrong she was. Now wasn’t the time to tell her that, although I decided to confirm my suspicion. I let go of her chin and took her hand before leading her over to one of the large, overstuffed couches. “Have you ever been with someone like that, angel? Are you a virgin?” I asked as I gently pushed on her shoulders until she took a seat.
She cleared her throat and looked everywhere but at me, leaving me free to smile at her shyness. “Yes,” she whispered. Then she peeked up at me through her lashes, and her bee-stung lips turned up into a coy smile. “Are you?”
I couldn’t help but laugh at that. She was so fucking adorable. “No, angel. I wish I had waited for the right woman, but honestly, it’s been so long, I might as well be a virgin again.” She giggled, and when her head lifted, her blue eyes danced with happiness even though I could tell she was trying to hide it. I loved that she couldn’t shield her emotions from me. I moved to stand directly in front of her, letting her see just how much she affected me. “I think someone is going to be popping your sweet cherry very soon, angel,” I said in a low, gruff tone.
I don’t know what possessed me to say that because it certainly had all the blood in my brain rushing straight to my cock. My eyes strayed down, and I swallowed a groan when I saw the amount of cleavage on display at this angle. Her tits bounced a little with each rapid breath and...fuck. I needed to get the hell out of there. Her pert nipples were hard and poking through her orange striped tank top. I whipped around and stalked toward the door that led to the kitchen. “Thank you for staying a little later today. You can go home.”
There was silence behind me, and I felt a pang in my chest knowing I’d confused her, at the very least, and probably hurt her. There was a covered dish sitting on the island, and I sighed. My sweet girl had left me dinner again. I swore to myself that once she was mine to take, I’d make up for every bit of hurt I’d caused while I’d struggled to keep her at arm’s length.
* * *
My phone buzzed on the end table, but the soft knock I heard on my front door had me glancing at my watch in surprise. It was almost eleven at night. Who would be at my door at this hour? Luckily, they hadn’t rung the bell and woken my son, or I’d have been kicking someone’s ass up and down my street. My phone buzzed again, but I ignored it. I’d just finished feeding Tucker and was about to take him upstairs, so I cradled him in one arm and padded down the hall to the front door. I looked through the peephole, and my breath caught when I saw Penelope standing on the other side. The moonlight was bouncing off her auburn hair, making it even more red. It floated around her shoulders when she turned to glance back toward her house. She was wearing a thin, faded T-shirt, some kind of tight, stretchy pants, and pink flip-flops on her feet. She looked comfortable yet so sexy, I wanted to slowly peel every article of clothing from her body and feast on what was underneath. The train of my thoughts had me cursing softly, then glancing down at Tucker guiltily. “Sorry, little man,” I whispered.
With a deep breath, I steeled myself against her allure and opened the door. A quick, closer visual inspection made me realize she wasn’t wearing a bra. It looked as though she’d just rolled out of bed. I frowned and looked around to make sure no one else was seeing my girl in a way that should be for me alone. When my eyes landed on her face, my frown deepened. She looked...uneasy...and the smile on her lips was forced.
She spotted Tucker sleeping in the crook of my arm and sighed. “Oh good, I didn’t wake him. I’m so sorry to bother you. Especially this late.”
“You’re never a bother, angel,” I declared, and her smile became slightly more genuine.
“Hey, Penny!” A male voice had my head whipping to the side. “Where’d you go, babe? I found a bottle of wine.”
The owner of the voice was standing on the porch of Mallory’s brownstone, looking around until he spotted Penelope. I didn’t know what the fuck was going on, but from the expression on Penelope’s face, it was clear that this asshole made her uncomfortable. If it hadn’t been for Tucker and Penelope, I’d have marched over there and broken his nose, but my son and my love would always come first. “Inside,” I commanded as I stepped away from the door.
“Penny…”
I almost slammed the door but caught it at the last second and shut it quietly, cutting off whatever else that son of a bitch was going to say. Penelope shifted from foot to foot, chewing on her plump bottom lip. I both hated and loved when she did that. Loved it because she looked so fucking adorable. Hated it because I was ridiculously jealous of that lip. “Wait for me in the den,” I ordered. “I’m going to lay Tucker down, and then we’ll talk.”
Assuming she would do as she was told, I didn’t wait for an affirmation and jogged up the stairs. Tucker could sleep through a freight train in his room most of the time, so he didn’t stir in the slightest on the trip up or when I gently lowered him into his crib. I flipped on his noise machine on my way out the door and logged into the monitoring app on my phone as I descended the stairs.
As expected, Penelope was in the den waiting, curled up on one of the recliners. Forgoing any small talk, I began pacing in front of the fireplace and jumped right to the point. “Who was that?” I grumbled.
Penelope shrugged delicately and grimaced. “Some guy my sister was with once.”
I stopped wearing a path into my carpet and raised a brow as I faced her. “With once?”
She nodded and waved a hand carelessly in the direction of the wall shared between our townhomes. “You know Mallory. She doesn’t see guys often, but when she does, repeats are usually avoided.” Penelope dropped her hand, and her face twisted with disgust. “I don’t know what she saw in that guy. I think he’s kinda creepy.” My fists clenched at my sides, pissed as fuck that this motherfucker had made my girl uncomfortable. “He’s been trying to get back with Mallory, and tonight, he showed up just as I was about to go to bed, refusing to leave until he talked to her.”
Where the fuck was Layne? She was supposed to be watching over Penelope and reporting back to me. The sound of my phone vibrating broke through the haze of anger and reminded me that I’d been ignoring it. Shit. I stalked over to the table and snatched my phone. Yup. Layne had been trying to call, and I had about twenty missed texts from her.
“I…”
I stopped staring at my phone and looked up when I heard the timid note in her voice. She bit her lip, her blue eyes shifting nervously.
“I know it’s a huge imposition, but would you mind if I hung out here? Just until Mallory comes home?” I should’ve said no. I should have pawned her off on one of my married friends or had Layne remove the fucker from Mallory’s place and stay with Penelope until morning. Or I could have simply let her wait in the den until Mallory returned.
Instead, I shook my head and closed the space between us. “You’re not going back there tonight.” Holding out one hand, palm up, I waited for her to place hers in mine. Without hesitation—which made me extremely happy—she accepted my assistance and got to her feet. The sparks that emanated from where our skin touched induced tingling in my balls and cock. Before she could take one step, I bent over until we were eye level and held her gaze intently as I spoke. “You’re never a bother, angel. Never an imposition. Do you understand?” Penelope’s cheeks dusted with pink, and she nodded. “Good. Now, I don’t want you traipsing around this time of night, especially when you’re wearing that.” I glowered as I
gestured up and down her delicious body.
She frowned as she looked down at her clothing. “What? I’m completely covered up.”
I growled and tugged her close. Calling myself seventeen types of idiot, I ignored my brain and slid a hand over her hip and around to cup one firm, round butt cheek. “These things leave nothing to the imagination, angel.” I flexed my hand and smirked when she gasped. “I can tell you aren’t wearing underwear,” I grated out through clenched teeth. The flat of my palm slipped under her shirt and traveled up the smooth, hot skin of her back until it was resting just below her shoulder blades. “I don’t ever want to see you in public without a bra or panties, ever again. Or you’ll be sitting on a red ass the next day. Do I make myself clear?”
Penelope’s eyes were so wide, they took up practically her whole face. Her mouth gaped, her skin flushed, and she stood frozen. However, I didn’t miss the flash of lust in her deep blue pools or the shiver that raced down her spine. I couldn’t fucking wait to get my angel dirty. For now, though, I needed to get her settled in the guest room on the fifth floor. As far from my bedroom as possible.
“You can sleep in one of the guest rooms, and I’ll make sure that fucker is gone for good by the time you wake,” I told her as I guided her toward the elevator at the back of the house. I rarely used it since I lived mainly on the first three floors and basement, so it wasn’t a surprise to me that Penelope didn’t seem to be aware that it was there.
The door opened silently, and we stepped inside. I pushed the button for the fifth floor, then, without thinking, I quickly punched the number two. “I just want to look in on Tucker first,” I explained. I wasn’t sure if that excuse was more for her or myself. Particularly since the monitor app was open on my phone and in my pocket.
The second floor was split into two halves, with one-half being divided again into three bedrooms. The rest of the space made up the master suite. Tucker’s room was directly next to mine, and the others were set up for guests. I went straight to my son’s room and stealthily opened the door, poking my head in to see he was still fast asleep. Then I turned around and came to a halt just before I trampled Penelope, who was standing only inches behind me. I sidestepped and went around her, intending to go back to the elevator. My feet had other ideas, and they took me to the bedroom situated right next to Tucker’s.
Unexpected Love Page 4