Page 108 of Someone You Deserve

“No thanks to your nagging.”

“Hey, I think my nagging helped, actually.” I arch a brow at him. “If I hadn’t kept bugging you about it, do you think you would have actually made a move?”

I don’t want to give him the complete satisfaction of knowing that his pep talk at the restaurant when Dick came in is what forced me to make a fucking decision. But I have to at least throw him a bone.

“It may have helped.”

His smile is smug. “That’s what I thought.” He wraps an arm around my neck and pulls me into a chokehold against his chest. “Just don’t forget that your older brother will always be smarter than you, all right?”

Struggling to break free, I push against him, finally managing to escape his grip. “Fuck you.”

“Oh! Uncle Penn said a bad word!” Lilly calls from the grass below us.

“Uncle Penn, you’d better watch your mouth now,” Dallas chides beside me. “Especially if you plan on taking on a fatherly role with those kids.”

His comment should make me sweat, but all it does is renew the purpose I feel in my veins—the purpose I have to love those kids like my own and love Astrid the way I’ve been wanting to for years.

***

By the time we finished dinner and finally left, I could tell the kids were exhausted and Astrid was spent too. I drove them all back home since we came together in my truck.

My siblings now know that Astrid and I are together. My mother looked up at me with tears in her eyes several times, pleased that I’m making choices in my life that make me happy.

And the woman beside me has been smiling all night, even though I haven’t been able to show her the affection that I wanted to because of the kids.

All in due time.

I help her and the kids take their things inside, but don’t plan on staying. Tomorrow’s a school day, the kids need to get to sleep, and I know Astrid needs to as well.

I’m standing by the front door, waiting for her to get Bentley and Lilly settled and ready for showers before I head out.

“You’re still here?” she asks when she sees me standing with my hands tucked into my jean pockets.

“Yeah. I wasn’t going to leave without saying goodbye properly.” Reaching out for her, I pull her into my chest by her waist and plant a kiss on her lips. “It’s going to be weird not sleeping next to you.”

“Well, you can come by tomorrow and cuddle me for a while.” She smiles up at me.

“What if I stopped by the bakery and gave you an orgasm in the middle of the day?” Her smile drops and suddenly the confidence I felt earlier dissipates. “What? You don’t like that idea?”

“No, I do. I was just thinking…” Fuck. Astrid thinking is not necessarily a good thing. “I know you said you wanted to tell everyone, but could we please wait until after the benefit?”

“Okay…”

She brushes her hair back. “I just know that this week is going to be insane, and we haven’t even talked to the kids yet.” She drops her voice. “I don’t want them to find out from someone else with the way people talk in this town, you know?”

Fuck. I didn’t think about that.

But I want to kiss her, hold her, let it be known that this woman owns me.

You can, Penn. Hell, you’ve waited this long, what’s a few more days?

“Makes sense,” I say as convincingly as I can. Disappointment rests in my gut and I’m trying to hide it, but I don’t think I’m doing a very good job.

“Are you sure you’re okay with it?” She cups the side of my face, staring up at me.

“Yeah, babe. It’s fine. But you best believe that at that benefit, my hands will be all over you so everyone in that room knows who you belong to.”

Her lips spread in a smile that makes me feel slightly less irritated. “That I am totally on board with.” She looks over her shoulder to make sure we’re still alone, and then kisses me deeply before I open the front door and leave a piece of my heart behind.

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