Page 75 of Someone You Deserve

Her gaze turns icy. “Is there something wrong with great?”

“I mean, I feel like there are better adjectives you could use. Stupendous, transcendent, mind-blowing…”

“I’m sorry. Did I hurt your fragile male ego?” She scoffs. “Forgive me, please.”

I find her ribs beneath her robe and tickle her, making her squeal. “Stop!”

“Shhh. You’re so loud.”

“Ha! That’s funny. You didn’t seem to be complaining when you were inside me.”

I press a finger over her lips, rise to sit on the bed next to her now, and stare down into her eyes. “I loved every minute of it, every noise and every time you said my name, Astrid.” She relaxes. “But I really wanna know where your head is at right now.”

When I lift my finger from her mouth, she stares up at me. “I…I don’t know.”

“You’ve got to give me more than that, sweetheart.”

“I mean…we had sex, Penn. You said things the other night…”

“Like what?”

“That you’ve wanted me for a long time, that you wondered how it would be when we were together…”

“Did you think I was just saying that in the heat of the moment?”

“No, but it was a lot. And I haven’t really heard much from you since…”

I take her hand and place it on my chest, holding it there. “I meant every word of what I said, Astrid. That night three years ago wasn’t just the tequila talking. My feelings for you are real. They always have been. And I’m tired of pretending like this isn’t something that we both fucking want.”

“There are so many reasons why we shouldn’t though, Penn.”

“But do you want me?”

God, please say yes. Please don’t leave this magic between us to die.

Her eyes bounce back and forth between mine. “Yes, I want you. I did that night too…”

“Then let us explore this. I can’t go back, Astrid.” I lean down and give her a soft kiss. “And I don’t want to. Everything is different now and I know what I want.”

Chewing on her bottom lip, she says, “I’m scared of what people may think.”

“About us?”

“Yeah. And not because I’m ashamed of you, but because of Brandon, and now the bakery.” Her throat bobs as she swallows roughly. “I’m starting a business and I don’t want to tarnish my reputation.”

“So what are you saying?”

She brushes a hand through my hair, pushing it away from my face. “I’m saying, if we do this, I think we should keep it quiet for a while.”

My gut instantly protests the idea. I want to claim her in front of everyone, show her affection in public, take her out and spoil her the way she deserves. But I also get where she’s coming from, and as someone who’s also starting a new business, it might be smart for us to lie low for a while.

“I understand.”

“Not forever, obviously. But just until our lives smooth out a bit.”

“Do you think that will ever happen, babe?”

The corner of her mouth lifts. “You called me babe.”

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