His pupils were dilated to the size of marbles and they were drinking her in. “Home?”
Penny nodded, her hands trembling as she gathered her things and slipped on her sandals.
ChapterTwenty
Penny couldn’t think straight asthey walked to the car. Any executive functioning was hijacked by the trails of liquid fire still smouldering in the top layers of her skin. She tried to access all the reasons why she shouldn’t be planning to go home and pick up right where she left off with Brett in the steam room, but couldn’t. Kissing Brett had felt like the most natural thing in the world—the hottest, most exciting thing in her world—and she desperately wanted more.
They dropped into their seats, and it took Penny three tries to start the car properly. Then she put it in neutral and revved the engine twice before realizing her error and finally knocked it into reverse.
“Do you need me to drive?” Brett smirked.
“No.” Penny bit her lip to force herself to focus on the road.Three blocks.She could drive three blocks without pulling over, couldn’t she? Gooseflesh rose on her skin as she hit the second stop sign, and she rubbed her hands over her arms.
“Your lips are turning blue.”
“Probably because all the blood in my body is being directedelsewhere.”
Brett laughed. “Or because you’re cold?”
“Probably a lesser factor.” Penny leaned over the steering wheel like Cruella DeVille, willing the car to get up to speed faster. Finally, she parked against the curb and flung her door open.
“Penny.” The tone of Brett’s voice made her freeze.Oh shit, did he regret this?Was he about to tell her he wasn’t interested, and— “I need to know what to expect when we walk through that door.”
“What do you mean?” She swallowed hard and turned with one foot still on the asphalt.
“I mean, I’ve got a hundred things running through my head right now, and all of them stipulate that you accompany me to my bedroom and don’t leave until morning.” Blood rushed in Penny’s ears, and she could barely see straight.Praise the heavens.“You told me you couldn’t—that you didn’t want something like this with anyone in recovery, and I promise I heard you. But—”
“That’s fine.”
Brett’s eyes snapped up. “Which part, Penny?”
“The first part. About your plans. For tonight.” Penny’s mouth was so dry she grabbed the water bottle in the cup holder and took a swig.
“It’s fine,” Brett repeated, motioning for her to pass the water to him. Penny watched as he tipped it to his lips.Ugh, he was even sexy when he swallowed.She handed him the cap, and he took his time screwing it on and setting the bottle back in the cupholder.
Penny waited for him to open his door, then stepped out onto the street. Realizing she forgot her waist bag in the car, she leaned back in and grabbed it, then hit the lock button twice and slammed the door shut.
She followed Brett to the steps, then waited, shivering, while he opened the door. Her stomach swooped as she followed him into the house. Brett pushed the door closed, then caged her in with his arms as he slid the deadbolt into place. Penny wrapped her arms around his waist, feeling his muscles flex as he lowered his head and caught her lips between his.
“Your hands are freezing.” He hissed air through his teeth.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, beginning to pull back before Brett grabbed onto her wrists and held them in place. His skin prickled under her touch. Brett pulled her back from the door and scooped her up from the floor. Penny wrapped her legs and arms around him, but as he took a step back, she stopped him.
“This isn’t a good idea.” Brett’s expression darkened, and Penny breathed a laugh. “Tocarry me. With your knee.”
Brett’s hands pressed into her thighs. “What if I don’t care about my knee right now?”
“You don’t get to not care about your knee because I’ve put in way too much work for you to blow it out showing off.”
Brett’s throat worked. “But you see that Icouldcarry you back there, right? So I still get to add that to my man card?”
Penny laughed as Brett buried his face in her neck and nipped at her skin. She dropped her legs and slid down the front of him then hooked her thumb in his board shorts as he turned. The towel fell from his waist.
This was happening.She’d spent weeks trying to fortify herself against the attraction she felt for Brett, but that had only left her vulnerable to who he was behind the mussed hair, thick build, and inked bicep. She loved talking to him more than she loved inspecting his ass in those faded jeans, and that was saying something.
“Do you have condoms?” she asked, and Brett quickened his pace.
“As long as they aren’t expired.”
