Page 83 of Oblivion

“Three!What am I supposed to do for three hours at a damn hair salon?”

“Sudoku?”

“Su-” I bit off the retort and took a deep breath to bring my pitch back down to acceptable male levels. “I ain’t doing Sudoku for three hours.”

“Busk?” Penny suggested.

“And I ain’t fucking busking either.”

I shoved in a now-tasteless mouthful and chewed with frustration. I figured I’d take my laptop and get some work done while waiting. Surely, that would fill three fucking hours.

Penny hummed loudly. “Mm, thank you. That was just what I felt like.”

I narrowed my eyes and deadpanned, “You’re welcome.”

My justified glare slipped from her face to her ass when she bent to load her dishes into the dishwasher. I huffed and redirected my attention to my forgotten coffee, realizing it had grown cold.

Day one, and Penny was already turning my world upside down, shaking it, and handing it back in a paper bag withOpen at your own riskscribbled across the front.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-THREE

Dante

While I kicked back and surveyed the salon, my eyes kept drawing back to Penny sitting in the chair, biting back tears. The hairdresser seemed to know her well, and gave her a comforting hug each time Penny’s emotions got the better of her.

Fuck, it made my heart tug, especially after the heated argument back at my apartment over whose car we were riding in. She verbally sparred with me until I finally caved, and I folded myself into the passenger seat of her fucking Mini while muttering and cussing under my breath.

With all the sass and attitude gone, Penny looked so little and forlorn. Devastated over her hair when, to most people, it wasonlyhair.

For hours, I shifted in my seat and engaged in playful banter with the flirtatious hairdressers loading me up on instant coffee. Funnily, though, I only had eyes for one woman in the room; I couldn’t even go more than a few minutes without my gaze seeking Penny.

As more long hair was woven into her short locks, Penny’s smile widened. It brightened and charged the room with the same dazzling light that had captured my attention in Vegas.

I absentmindedly rubbed at my chest when the hairdresser whipped off the cape and ran her hands through the new long, glossy strands now belonging to our girl.

I rose to my feet when Penny began to cry. An overwhelming urge to comfort and protect governed my actions. It was never like that with Sadie. I never felt the need to wrap her in my arms and kiss away her tears.

The hairdresser glanced across with a tear-filled smile. She gave a small nod of reassurance, one that had me backing down and sitting my ass in the faux leather chair again.

I watched Penny’s movements, utterly entranced at how real and natural the extensions looked swaying around her waist.

After paying, she sauntered toward me with the most radiant smile on her face. It slowed time, increased my pulse, and hit me square in the gut. Fuck, she was beautiful.

She halted just out of arm’s reach, and blinked away the moisture in her eyes. “What do you think?”

I puffed out an astonished breath. “It looks so real.”

“Right!” She tilted to the side and ran her hands through the length. “Feel it. It’s actually real hair.”

Pushing aside how creepy it seemed, I wove my hand into her new golden locks. Each silky strand glided over my fingers as if made of satin, and I plunged my hand deeper to recreate the sensuality I’d hungered for since Vegas. I unconsciously leaned closer, drawn into Penny’s orbit by the underlying pull.

Thoughts breathed from my mouth. “You’re breathtaking.”

A shuddering inhale filled her chest as her crystal blue eyes locked with mine. She was just as affected as I was—I saw it in her gaze.

“Really?”

I cleared my throat and snapped my hand away. “Really. You look happy again. It’s nice.”

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