Page 79 of Oblivion

“That’s not the only place that has goosebumps.”

Her eyes flared, and if it were daylight, I swear a blush would have tinted her cheeks.

My grin pulled wide and I held up an arm. “My arms have them too.”

She snorted and playfully slapped my arm. “Very funny.”

Chuckling and following her into the living area, I pulled the door shut behind me, then watched her track across the apartment.

She paused at the bottom of the stairs. “Will you be okay now?”

I smiled sadly despite being cloaked by the shadows. “Goodnight, Penny.”

Her shoulders slumped with my dismissal, making me feel like an ass. Truth was, I was okay right this second, but who knew what sleep would bring? While I hadn’t sleepwalked twice in one night, stranger things had happened. Like, me opening my loft and a tiny piece of my heart to a girl twelve years my junior.

Above me, the barn-style door on her bedroom coasted closed. I took the stairs two at a time, while stretching out my upper back. Pausing at my bedroom, an unusual urge to check on Penny hit from left field. Or, maybe it was purely desire to be close to her again after waking with her in my arms. Either way, it wasn’t happening.

I grabbed my strewn bed cover from the floor and flopped into bed. Unable to settle, I rolled onto my stomach and impatiently flicked the covers down to my waist. No amount of tossing and turning allowed me to find a comfortable position. Not with Penny on my mind.

Returning to my back with my fingers linked behind my head, I stared at the ceiling, mulling over how much I dreaded facing her in daylight.

* * *

Movement on the mezzanine level caught my eye. I looked up from my laptop and almost choked on my damn tongue. Tiny sleep shorts I hadn’t noticed last night gave me a VIP view of Penny’s never-ending legs as she made her way down the stairs. I tried my hardest to maintain eye contact, but failed miserably when my gaze dropped to the braless outline of her breasts and peaked nipples under the white tank. Even with short, sleep-tousled hair, she was a vision from daydreams.

“Sleep good?” I murmured, and received a hummed reply.

“Coffee?” I ventured.

I for one, was dying for coffee, but hadn’t made it yet out of respect for Penny’s sleep. I’d ruined it last night, so the least I could do was be as quiet as possible this morning.

She paused out of arm’s reach. “Yes, please. I’ll just take a quick shower first.”

“Of course.”

When she disappeared from sight, I slid from the barstool with a heavy sigh. I was so far out of my goddamn depth it wasn’t funny. To make matters worse, I’d received a photo from Forrest this morning of him and the guys kitted up and brandishing sub-machine guns. A bitter kick of jealousy clenched in my gut, and I had to mentally remind myself of all the reasons I’d declined another enlistment.

At times like this, I missed my old life so badly, my soul ached. However, my old life also meant no Penny… and that thought made me growl out loud.

I was pouring a second cup of coffee when the woman herself whipped through the kitchen wrapped in a towel, drawing not only a warm stream of air with her, but also my attention.

“Don’t mind me,” she called.

I snorted. “Thank God for towels, right?”

“Well, I thought drip-drying would be unacceptable here, so…”

I cursed to myself and practically drooled over the backs of her legs as she climbed the stairs. Maybe I needed to invest in jumbo towels for the duration of her stay. Less skin to see… and want.

I shook my head and sipped the coffee, returning my focus to the morning news on my laptop. Surprisingly, Penny emerged from her room mere minutes later. Unfortunately, she was dressed in not much more than what she’d worn when entering it.

Tiny shorts and an oversized, loose-knitted pink sweater hung off one shoulder and had me pursing my lips hard. Her neck seemed so slender with the short haircut, and I bit back visions of wrapping my hand around it to draw her close.

“So,” she started, perching on the barstool and reaching for her mug. “What do you want to talk about first? Last night or today?”

My eyes narrowed. “What’s happening today?”

I received a blank look. “My hair appointment at ten-thirty.”

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