“We’ll go with you, but I’m leaving if either of you brings this up,” Penny says, her cheeks hot from embarrassment.
Ben holds his hands up in surrender.
I grab Penny’s hand and she nearly pulls it away. “They already know, they’re okay with it. Please give me this,” I ask her.
She takes a deep breath and eventually laces her fingers with mine. I squeeze her hand, enjoying the domesticity of it all as Gavin orders a car and we make our way over to the beach bar.
We order food and drinks, though for me at least, I will stick to only a few. My brothers on the other hand have different thoughts as they throw them back—it is vacation.
“Bachelorette party, ten o’clock,” Ben says to Gavin nodding his head.
Ben grins and Penny scrunches her nose.
“Which one are you interested in?”
“Whichever one wants to go to Paris,” Ben says plainly.
Penny’s mouth drops as she stares at my brothers and I shake my head. Ben looks over at her shocked expression and shrugs.
“It truly can’t be that shocking.”
“Um, yes it is. Is this a common thing with you two?” she asks and Gavin and Ben both pick up their drinks at the same time chugging them back.
“I think it’s best if we keep some secrets between us, wouldn’t you agree?” Gavin says pointing between me and Penny.
“Yes, please,” Penny says, grabbing her margarita and sipping it.
“Well, you two do whatever it is you do, we may or may not be back tonight,” Ben says as they get off their stools and head over to the bachelorette party.
“I don’t think I’ve ever wanted a vacation to be over so badly,” Penny says.
I grab her chair and spin her so she’s facing me.
“They already know, we’re two random people at this bar in The Bahamas, we can be whoever we want tonight,” I tell her, hoping she plays along.
I want my free, happy Penny. Not the one who’s constantly looking over her shoulder worried about what people will think about her.
“Is that so, Mr. Wayne?”
“Damn right it is, Honey.”
27
FORGET YOUR MORALS
It’sdifferent being out with Lincoln like this.
Not being a secret. It feels more real than any other date I’ve been on, and I somehow feel at peace.
His hand is freely roaming literally anywhere it can touch; my hair, my thighs, my waist, while we drink and eat.
“What’s the first thing you want to do when we get home?” I ask him.
“After I fuck you senseless?” he jokes and I nod, sipping on my margarita. “I want to take you out on a proper date. Go see some stupid movie and talk about it over dinner and then take you home and wake up next to you.”
“I do like sleeping next to you,” I say. My heart flutters over his answer.
“My bed misses you,” he says.
