The corner of his perfect mouth curls up in a smile. “Well, you should know I have a plan to cast a spell on you so you start seeing all my annoying habits as cute little quirks. That way, by the time we get home, we’ll actually be able to spend time together without me driving you insane.”
I roll my eyes, feeling terrible yet again for the way I’ve been such an asshole to him for such a long time.
“Oh, Penn, I already told you, my shitty attitude is all on me. It has nothing to do with you,” I say.
He chuckles, but it’s important to me that he knows I'm being sincere.
“Honestly, Penn. I’m serious.” His laugh dries up, and he looks at me, the mischief gone from his eyes, replaced instead by vulnerability. “I hate hearing you put yourself down. And I hate even more that I’ve contributed to you feeling like that. Especially since you are so, so damn wrong. Penn, you are an amazing person. It only took a couple of days of meactually tryingto get to know you to see it. I’m sincerely sorry for how I’ve treated you.” My voice wavers a bit, but I swallow the lump in my throat before reaching across the table to grab his hand.
“I’ve… I’ve got my own set of hang-ups. I had a bunch of stupid preconceived notions about you, all based on my own bullshit. I was clearly wrong. But even if what I thought was true, there’s no excuse for treating you like you didn’t matter all this time. That was me being an asshole. I’m really sorry.”
He swallows hard, his eyes glassy. “Okay. Um. Thanks, Hunter. That means a lot to me. Thank you.” He pulls his hand away from mine and looks down at his plate, shifting uncomfortably in his chair.
Feeling the need to lighten the mood, I rub my palms together and waggle my eyebrows at him. “Okay then!” I say, shooting him a grin when he looks up in surprise. “Project Vacation Fling activated. The rules are all laid out, and we’re in agreement. Sounds foolproof!” I leer at him playfully. “ And just so you know, I plan to make excellent use of our time together. I promise, you will not be disappointed,” I tease, raking my eyes down his body. It earns me a laugh, but I’m ignoring the stab of disappointment digging into my gut and the little voice in the back of my head. The one telling me Penn is special and I’m an idiot if I let him go in a week. But the voice is wrong. Making surewe don’t fuck up our friendships is the best, safest thing for both of us. This way, no one gets hurt.
Chapter eighteen
Penn
After finishing dinner, we sit on the balcony quietly, the tension hanging between us thick enough to cut with a knife. I’m glad we made this deal, truly I am, because it means, for this week, we’re free to do what we want without worrying about what everyone will say back home. So why don’t I feel great about it? I move to the railing, enjoying the feeling of the smooth metal under my palm. I steal a glance at Hunter as he comes to stand beside me.
“So, yeah, I guess it's all laid out on the table,” I say.
He grins at me, but I can see the heat in his dark eyes. “Again, not awkward at all.”
“Right? Damn, we’re bothsosmooth,” I say, turning my body so we’re standing chest to chest.
“Considering we’ve put an expiration date on this, we probably shouldn’t waste time, right?” I quip, trying to cut some of the tension crackling between us like a live wire.
Hunter chuckles, low and husky. “You’re right. Time’s ticking.”
His teasing voice sends a shiver down my spine, straight to my balls. I let out a breathy laugh. “Well, you know what they say about procrastination.”
“Something about it being the thief of time?” His grin has turned wicked.
“Right.” My voice wobbles slightly. “Wouldn’t want to be robbed.”
“Definitely not,” he murmurs, now just a breath away.
His scent invades my senses—a mix of sea air, shampoo, and sunscreen, combined with Hunter’s own unique smell. “I mean, it would be irresponsible to waste the opportunity, right?”
“Oh, for sure. And you know me, I’m Mr. Responsible. It’d be a terrible shame to waste any opportunity to... His voice trails off, his breath catching. The way he’s looking at me sets my whole damn body on fire, like there’s lava coursing through my veins.
He leans in, closing the space between us and crashing his lips onto mine.
The kiss is searing, sweeping away the remaining awkwardness. His lips are firm, and he tastes like wine and possibilities as his tongue tangles with mine. My hands find the sides of his face, tugging him closer and deepening the kiss even further.
He groans into the kiss, the sound vibrating through me, filling me with want. Fuck, do I want him. I don’t remember ever wanting anyone this much. I’m desperate, clinging to him like I’m afraid I’ll die if he gets away from me.
I feel like last night unlocked something inside both of us, like the lid’s been torn off our desire for each other. I need to get closer to that heat, even though I know it could still burn me—deal or no deal.
“Jesus, Penn,” he gasps when we finally break apart, our chests heaving. He presses his forehead into mine as we catch our breath.
“Yeah. Me too,” I pant, feeling dazed.
We’re a tangle of limbs as we stumble through the sliding glass door, back into the room. Our hands are everywhere, fumbling, grasping, unable to get close enough.
“Upstairs,” I gasp between kisses, desperate to feel his skin against mine. There’s a hum in my chest, and my skin feels charged, setting off sparks everywhere Hunter’s hands touch me.
