Page 128 of Someone You Deserve

“I don’t deserve you,” I tell her, waiting for someone to pinch me.

But she cups my face and says, “Yes, you do, Penn. We deserve each other. And now we get to love each other for the rest of our lives.”

Chapter twenty-two

Astrid

Three Months Later

“Happy birthday, dear Lilly! Happy birthday to you!” My eight-year-old girl blows the candles out on her cake as our family and friends clap and cheer.

Eight. How on earth is my daughter eight already?

“Is it time for presents now?” she turns to me, the impatience in her body amplifying the longer I make her wait.

“Yes, baby. You can open presents now.”

“Yay!” She hops off her chair at the table and all the other kids in attendance follow her to the living room.

“Mom, can you make sure to take pictures of her, please? I’m going to slice up this cake.”

“Sure, Astrid. Although it’s a shame you’re about to cut into that beautiful cake.” My mom steps into the living room, her phone poised up, ready to take pictures as Lilly reads the card on the first present.

“How long did that cake take you to make?” Penn comes up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind. And I don’tthink I’ll ever get tired of this feeling—safety, warmth, and lust. All he has to do is touch me and my body wants him.

“About four hours.”

“And now everyone is going to eat it?”

“Yup.”

“How does that not make you irrationally angry?” he asks, a teasing lilt to his voice.

“Because the best part of making something like this is watching people taste it and enjoy it.” I pick up the knife from the counter and cut into the Frozen themed cake that my daughter requested for her birthday. Elsa’s castle stands tall on the top layer, with all the characters positioned in front of it. The icing is sky blue to mimic ice, and the crystal details make it shimmer when the light hits it.

It truly is beautiful, but I know that it tastes amazing too.

Penn’s lips find my neck. “Funny. I was just thinking about howIwant to tasteyou.”

“Penn…” I groan as my eyes close, which probably isn’t smart considering I’m holding a knife.

“Hey. No hanky panky around the cake.” Willow enters the kitchen, interrupting our moment.

Penn lifts his head. “Who the hell calls it hanky panky?”

Willow shrugs. “I don’t know. That’s just the word that came to my mind.”

“That’s fair,” I say, pointing the knife in her direction before I go back to slicing the cake. Laughter and screams filter out from the living room as Lilly holds up her latest present and tissue paper goes flying everywhere.

“Penn, could you…”

“I’m on it, babe.” He kisses me on the cheek, heads to the pantry to grab a trash bag, and then moves into the living room to start picking up the mess that Lilly is making with wrapping paper and bags.

“Look at you. You speak and he moves.”

I roll my eyes at Willow. “No, we’re a team. He helps. I help.” I sigh wistfully. “It’s amazing.”

“And how’s it been living together? You still think all of his weird quirks are cute?”

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