Page 36 of Petting Penelope
Rachel was relieved, because it meant that she didn’t have to answer any more questions aboutthatphrase. Because it meant that she had some time to consider why she’d said it in the firstplace. To interrogate what it meant before she went shooting her mouth off anymore.
Penny was curled up next to her, soft curls framing her face and her mouth slightly open. She looked like the cutest dork, and Rachel knew that she’d do anything for the submissive.
Somehow she’d fallen into a relationship with a woman that she half-suspected she might have already been in love with for a couple of months. But the last few days… getting to see how Penelope opened up for her, trusted her, well. It damn near changed everything.
If she’d thought that she cared about Penelope before, it was a hundred times more intense now that Penny was being vulnerable with her.
And sure, the sex was great. No, the sex wasphenomenal. But that didn’t change the fact that this was more than sex. More than kink.
Both of them were emotionally involved in this. Emotionally invested in this thing between them that was blossoming in ways that Rachel didn’t know if Penny knew how to process.
But either way, she loved her.
And she’d promised Penelope that they’d talk about it the following morning. So, trying to ignore the scrunchy feeling in her stomach, Rachel closed her eyes and chased after dreamless sleep.
She must have achieved it at some point because she found herself blearily blinking into a suddenly sunny room as Penelope pulled back the curtains and smiled sunnily in her direction.
“Huh?” Rachel said, ever articulate.
“Morning! We slept in a bit, so I’ve made us some breakfast, but best not to waste the day!”
Rachel stared at Penelope. Shelookedlike the same woman who’d been wobbly and ever so slightly “merry” the night before, and yet… such smiles. Such warmth.
“You’re not hungover!” accused Rachel.
“Of course not!” said Penny. “I never get hangovers!”
Rachel growled and rolled over, pulling the covers over her head.
“Doyouhave a hangover?” asked Penelope, lowering her voice to what she clearly thought was a more moderate volume.
“No,” said Rachel. And it was true, she didn’t. It was just early and she was sleepy still. “Just tired.”
“Ohhhhh,” said Penny, and Rachel heard her shuffle over to the window and redraw the curtains. “Why don’t you sleep in for a bit? Breakfast can be reheated in the microwave when you’re feeling a bit more human, and I might go exploring. That okay with you?”
Raising her head, Rachel offered Penelope an apologetic grimace. “You really don’t mind? Yesterday was so much fun, but there was also a lot of peopling, and I think I need a bit of recovery time.”
“Absolutely!” Penelope clambered onto the bed and crawled over so that she could drop a gentle kiss on Rachel’s lips. “You rest up, and we can catch up over lunch?”
“Perfect,” said Rachel, and then let herself fall back into the depths of slumber.
CHAPTER 31
Penelope
Exiting the suite, Penelope paused for a moment, unsure of where to go first. She knew there was a library, and the Ranch grounds were beautiful, but really she just wanted to chat with someone.
The words that Rachel had said the previous night were floating around in her brain, and she knew that if she didn’t speak tosomeoneabout them, she’d get all in her head about it. And that was the last thing she wanted.
When Rachel and she had a conversation about the word “love,” Penelope wanted to be fully ready, and know exactly what it was she felt.
She wandered into the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor. When the doors dinged open, she almost walked into Tay who was just passing by.
“Whoops! Are you okay?”
“I’m all good,” said Tay with a grin. “How’re you this morning?”
Penelope must have paused a tad too long because Tay slipped their arm through hers and said firmly. “Come with me.We’ll perch you on a stool in the kitchen and you can test-taste all of the ice cream and pasta that we’re prepping.”
