Page 58 of Someone You Deserve

His question catches me off guard. “What?”

He moves a step closer. “Why are you so hurt? I know for a fact there are things you keep close to the vest, so why amIthe bad guy?”

I stare up at him, watching his eyes bounce between mine. He smells fresh from the shower, which doesn’t make sense because I know he’s about to get dirty tearing up the floors of my bakery. But his scent—it’s intoxicating—masculine, rugged, and drugging me, pulling me closer to him on instinct.

“I asked you a question, Astrid.”

“I…I thought we were better friends than that, Penn,” I manage to say through the emotion and arousal coursing through me simultaneously.

Penn huffs out a laugh. “Friends? That’s why you’re pissed? Because I’m yourfriendwho didn’t tell you that I bought a house to fix up and try to rent out? That I’ve had a business plan for rental properties and my own contracting business for years and have been too chicken shit to pull the trigger on it?” My mouth falls open slightly. “Or is it really because I’m yourfriend,but you and I both know there’s something more between us that we’re both too afraid to fucking do anything about?”

My heart and stomach plummet at the same time. “What are you talking about?” I whisper.

Penn stands so close to me now that I can feel his breath on my lips. He’s so much taller than me, but he’s leaning down so close to my face that I can see every eyelash framing his dark, hypnotizing eyes. “Tell me why you didn’t go out with Dick last night.”

His question stuns me for a moment. “Because Bentley needed me.”

“No, that’s an excuse. Tell me why youneverwanted to go out with Dick in the first place.”

“I…”

“Tell me that you’ve never wanted him because it’smeyou’ve wanted all this time.”

The floor feels like it’s falling out from underneath me. My brain is malfunctioning, tripping over itself because I’m having trouble processing that Penn is saying these words to me right now.

What the hell is happening?

“I’ll tell you what you and I both know, Astrid.” He swallows roughly and then bends his knees so our eyes are at the same level. “That kiss three years ago wasn’t just a drunken mistake. It wasn’t just a fluke.” He shakes his head as his eyes dip down to my lips for a beat and then back up. “And I’m tired of pretending that it was.”

“Penn…”

He inhales deeply, looks down at my lips again, and then mutters, “Fuck it.”

And then his lips are on mine.

It’s dizzying how intense the kiss is, especially since it’s just our lips touching. But it’s not just our mouths that are tripping my balance. It’s Penn’s calloused hands moving under my shirt and up my back as he pulls me into his chest. It’s the way his arms feel wrapped around me.

And it’s the way when our tongues do collide, every nerve ending in my body comes alive, a euphoric pleasure coursing through me that is unparalleled.

Penn lifts me up and sits me on the metal counter, shoving cupcakes and utensils to the side. Luckily nothing falls, but at this point, I wouldn’t fucking care.

“Tell me that you want this,” he growls against my lips. “Tell me that you’ve thought about this as much as I have.”

“Yes,” I reply instantly because the filter is gone. It left long before we ever got to this point and I’m tired of feeling like I’m wearing a muzzle.

My mind is telling me this is moving too fast, but then Penn lifts the hem of my shirt and pulls it over my head, revealing my chest to him. His fingers trace the edges of my bra, and I instantly wish I had on something sexier.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting this…and my body…”

He presses a finger to my lips. “Don’t you fucking dare.” He licks his lips and then traces his fingers over every inch of my arms, chest, and even the soft flesh of my stomach that’s covered in stretch marks while his eyes follow the path of his fingers. Then he buries his fingers in the hair at my neck, and he’s pulling my head back, exposing my neck to him so he can lick, kiss, and tease the sensitive flesh there.

It never crossed my mind that Penn would be seeing me like this, even though I fantasized about it so many times. But now that it’s happening for real, I’m suddenly very aware there’s only one other man that’s seen me naked.

But I don’t want to think about that right now.

“You are so goddamn perfect, Astrid.” He takes my hand and places it over the rock-hard erection in his jeans, shocking me but lighting my need for him on fire. “Do you feel this? This is what I’ve been fighting for years. I want you so fucking badly that I can barely think straight. But right now, the last thing we need to be doing is fucking thinking. I’m tired of it.” He cups the side of my face. “And I’m tired of waiting for the right time. Tonight I’m going to take what I want.”

My mind says we’re crazy, but my body—she is so fucking ready to feel everything Pennhas to offer.

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