“What’s so complicated about it?” Maggie asks.
“It’s a moral issue,” I reply.
Her brows furrow. “He’s of age?”
I gasp, Gavin and Ben laugh, and Jessa covers her mouth next to me.
“Ew, yes, he’s of age. What the fuck?” I whisper the last line.
“You said morality,” Maggie says, waving her hands.
“Nothing that deplorable, Jesus.”
“Then forget your morals. Go get the guy you want,” she says.
Lincoln squeezes my thigh again, and I smile at my aunt Maggie softly. The woman has no idea that she just inadvertently gave me the green light to fall for her son.
28
DELICIOUS PAYBACK
“That wasthe longest three-day weekend of my life,” I complain, my hand on Penny’s thigh as I drive us back to our building from the small airport.
She squeezes her thighs together and her hand rests on top of mine.
It feels like I can finally breathe. I can finally have Penny in the way that I want—in a way we both desperately need.
“I’m glad to be home,” she says.
It’s later than I’d wanted it to be when we got home, but all that matters is we’re off that island, far enough away from our family, and we can finally just be us.
There’s clear anticipation thick in the cab of the car as we drive home.
We haven’t had sex since that one weekend, and it’s different now. We might not be fully out in the way I want, but it’s in the right direction. There’s no morewe should stop, or this is a bad idea.
Though I’m not opposed to reverting back to that to play at some point. Right now, I want Penny in a visceral way I can’teven explain. I feel like a fucking caveman with the way I want to drag her by her hair to my apartment and have my way with her.
She traces the tendons and veins on my hands, and doesn’t say much.
We both know the moment we step out of this car and go to one of our apartments this is real. This is us agreeing to give it a real shot, and neither of us wants to fuck it up.
There’s also so much pent-up want and desire I’m trying to decide what exactly I want to do with her. Do I want to fuck her quick or slow? Do I want to toy with her like she’s been doing to me for weeks on end, or do I want to give into this need immediately?
I squeeze her thigh before releasing her leg and putting both hands on the wheel to park the car and we head into the building. I grab my duffle and her suitcase and bring them into the building.
She seems shy, maybe nervous.
I like it more than I should. I didn’t know how desperately I needed her to be all in. Maybe I’m more needy than I ever realized.
The elevator opens, and I automatically hit her floor, bypassing my own. Penny doesn’t comment as the doors close and it travels up.
When the doors open on her level, I grab her by the waist and use my arm to keep the elevator from shutting.
“You’re going to go and get ready for bed. You need a goodnight’s sleep for work tomorrow,” I whisper in her ear.
“What?” she says, confused, and I know she can feel the smile I press against her hair.
“Our building is so safe, isn’t it? You can sleep soundly with the door unlocked, can’t you, Pen?”
