Page 34 of The Games We Play
A feeling I’d never had before. A sensation I wasn’t sure how to name, but one I knew, without a doubt, belonged to her.
Without thinking, I gave in to the temptation and reached out, tucking a stray wisp of hair behind her ear. My fingers grazed gently against her ear as I did.
“What can I do to help?” I asked, my voice a little rougher than before.
Penny scoffed, turning away, but not before I caught the smile playing on her lips. She moved with a sway that was impossible to ignore, her fitted leggings hugging her curves, her cropped sweater teasing just the smallest sliver of skin.
I was done for.
“I already kneaded the dough for both pizzas,” she said, placing the rose into the pitcher on the table. “You can add the sauce.”
Snapping myself out of whatever daze she’d put me in, I pushed off the counter, moving toward the drawer. I grabbed a spoon, popped the lid off the jar sitting nearby, and tried to focus.
Tried.
Because Penny Hudson made it real damn hard to concentrate on anything other than her.
Like we’d fallen into some unspoken rhythm, Penny came up behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist and resting her cheek against my back.
The warmth of her, the way she fit so easily against me, settled me.
“How was your day?” I asked, taking a dollop of sauce and spreading it in the center of the dough.
“Pretty calm,” she murmured, giving me one last squeeze before slipping away, leaving the heat of her touch lingering. “Boone came by today and readThe Cat in the Hatto a group of kids.”
Behind me, the fridge door opened and closed, and then Penny was beside me again, her shoulder brushing mine as I worked the sauce over the dough.
I huffed out a laugh. “Are you shitting me?” That man was too damn much for his own good.
“Nope. All the moms stayed for once, too.” I slid the first pizza toward her, a knowing smile playing on her lips. “I can’t blame them. A man in a cowboy hatanda mustache?”
My hand stilled, fingers tightening around the spoon. My eyes cut to hers, narrowing slightly. I knew she was teasing, but something in my gut twisted at the thought of her thinking of anyone else besides me.
Penny let out a soft laugh, clearly enjoying herself, and sprinkled cheese onto the pizza before reaching for the next one.
“Not to mention,” she added, sliding the first pizza into the oven. I turned, my back pressing against the counter, grabbing a towel to wipe my hands. “Reading to little kids?”
She was testing me.
Taunting me.
Penny loved knowing when she had me right where she wanted me—wrapped around her damn finger.
I let out a slow, measured breath, my gaze raking over her as she came back toward me. She was waiting for me to take the bait, but I held my ground, saying nothing. Instead, I watched, arms crossed, as she layered cheese over the last pizza, then placed the pepperoni just how I liked it before sliding that one into the oven as well.
Satisfied, she turned, wiping her hands on the towel I hadn’t even realized she’d taken from me. Strong eye contact. A teasing grin.
“You know,” I drawled, stepping closer, placing my hands on her hips, and pulling her flush against me, “I can come read, too. If you ever need someone.”
Penny tilted her head, her arms looping lazily around my neck.
“You can read? Maybe you’ll have to come visit me at work to sign up for a library card,” she teased.
Damn woman.
“Ha-ha,” I said, locking eyes with her deep brown ones. That sparkle—playful, full of mischief—never dulled. “You’d be surprised. There’s a lot I can do that you don’t know about.”
Penny arched a brow, amusement flickering across her face. “Is that so?”
