With my body sated and her skin against mine, I drifted for a while. I was relaxed, but more than that, I was happy. In a way I hadn’t been in a long time.
Or maybe ever.
CHAPTER 30
Penelope
The warmthof Theo’s body lulled me into a deep state of relaxation. I didn’t know how long we’d been lying in his bed together, but I probably needed to get up. Otherwise, I was going to fall asleep.
I started to move, but he held me tight. His embrace made me smile, and I wondered if he was awake. I lifted my head to find him looking at me with a hint of a grin puckering his dimples.
“Trying to get away?” he asked.
“No. I just thought I should get up before I fall asleep on you.”
“But this is so comfortable.”
“True.” I nestled my head against him and ran my fingers across his dusting of chest hair. “But…”
“Stay with me tonight, Pen.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. I wanted to—so badly. But was it a good idea?
“How about this?” He moved, rolling me onto my back, and braced himself over me. His mouth dipped to mine in a slow, wetkiss. “How about I fuck you again? Then we’ll see if you want to go anywhere.”
I was powerless to resist. Letting my legs fall open, I drew him onto me, my body inexplicably hungry for him.
And he was right. When we finished, he’d taken everything out of me. I fell asleep in his arms, languid, warm, and utterly satisfied.
I woke slowly and stretched, wondering what time it was. Theo lay on his side, facing me, his breathing slow and even. Moving carefully so I wouldn’t disturb him, I rolled over and grabbed my glasses from the nightstand.
With the world in focus, I turned onto my back and looked at the ceiling. I was in Theo’s bed, after doing exactly what I’d told myself I was not going to do again—not once, but twice.
But oh my word, it had been amazing. The couch? Unreal. Two orgasms. Two! As if that hadn’t been enough, a short time later he’d done it again in his bed.
Three orgasms in one night? That had to have been a dream. But my body told me it was very real.
I glanced at Theo, still sleeping soundly, and my mouth turned up in a smile. I liked waking up next to Theo Haven. Especially after a night like that.
My heart tried to speak up, fluttering with barely suppressed emotion. I tamped it down. I knew those feelings were there, but for now, the best thing I could do was ignore them. I’d gone into it with my eyes wide open. Theo and I were friends, and we weren’t going to be more.
Friends with benefits? That was fine. I’d enjoy what we did have while I could. It would be worth it.
I hoped.
It wasn’t long before he stirred. Seeing me, he smiled and drew me against him. Spooning with him in the morning after a night of mind-blowing sex wasn’t exactly making it easy to keep my heart out of it. But he felt so good, I couldn’t resist.
Eventually, we got up and started our day. There wasn’t any tension or awkwardness like the first time we’d slept together. There were smiles, a few touches, and even a kiss in the kitchen.
After we’d showered and dressed, we took a trip to the grocery store. And when we got back, he helped me prep our lunches. We chatted about the upcoming week—what we had going on at school and the game coming up on Friday. Everything between us felt natural. As if we’d passed into a new phase of our friendship and both knew—and understood—that it was temporary.
I invited Theo to visit Grandma with me again, and he accepted. So once the kitchen had been cleaned up, we put on our coats and went to the assisted living center. Like it was all the most normal way to spend a day together.
We didn’t see Grandma in the common area downstairs, so went up to check her apartment. She opened the door with a smile and didn’t seem at all surprised to see Theo.
“Come in, come in,” she said, wheeling herself back into the living area. “If you’re hungry for a snack, we can go downstairs, but otherwise, we can have tea. I even have hot water ready.”
“Tea is perfect,” I said. “Theo, do you want anything?”
