Page 48 of Somebody To Love

“That was probably the most delicious meal I have ever eaten. Sure beats the store-bought stuff I buy.” Penny giggled. “With Chef Pines in charge of the kitchen, you guys will have a packed house every night.”

“That’s the dream.” Charlie said, scraping the last bit of cheese from the pan.

“Thank you for inviting me to dinner.”

Ace dipped his chin in a slight nod. “You’re always welcome, Penny.”

She smiled, turning to face him. In a soft, hesitant voice, she asked, “Will I see you later?”

He cupped her cheek, rubbing his thumb along a spattering of freckles he always thought resembled the big dipper. “Yeah, honey. I’ll come by after I’m done at Jacks. Won’t be too late. Wait up?”

She nodded and he couldn’t explain what possessed him—except for the fact that her sexy little noises had been driving him wild for the last half-hour—but he tilted her face up, bending down to place a warm, soft kiss on her lips. He kept it brief since his siblings sat a foot away, but it was obviously more than a friend kiss.

When he pulled away, her eyes fluttered open, hazy with desire. He planned to sate the need he saw gazing back at him the moment he got done with work. He watched as she blinked, clearing away the lust and realizing where they were. Her eyes darted to his brother and sister nervously, but she quickly ducked out of his hand.

“Ok, see you later then.”

Faster than a wink, Penny rose from her seat and hightailed it out of the restaurant. BJ turned to face forward in his seat again. He glanced over to see Charlie staring slack-jawed at him. His twin simply sat in his chair, arms crossed, face an unreadable mask as always.

“What the hell was that?”

Charlie. Never one to let something go.

“What?”

“Don’t you what me, Jackassson! That! You and Penny with the kissing?”

“I guess the plan changed then?” Ace asked.

Charlie glanced back and forth between them. “Plan? What plan?”

His twin could be such a dick.

“Yeah, the plan changed.”

“Dammit, what freaking plan?” Charlie slammed a hand on the table, rattling the dishes.

“It’s not a big deal. Penny and I are…” he let out a breath. He knew they were going to have to tell people, especially his family, but they hadn’t discussed how to tell them. “Penny wants a baby, and she asked me to…donate the…second set of DNA.”

“Sperm? She wants your sperm to have a baby?”

Of course his sister could say it when he couldn’t.

“Yeah. I agreed to help her, but instead of doing the whole thing in a doctor’s office, we decided to do it the old-fashioned way.”

“So…you’re getting married?”

“Hell no!” No offense to anyone who wanted to, but the institution of marriage was not for him.

“Dating?”

“No.”

“Seeing each other?”

Shit, his sister was like a pit bull after a juicy steak. “No.”

“Then what the hell, BJ!”

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