Page 55 of Love, Untangled

He wanted a relationship, a future. He wanted Penelope square in the middle of both.

He pulled back, studying her, expecting that to concern him, but it didn’t. “I’ll definitely cook for you, Sunshine. Any time you want.”

Shyly, she nodded. After a brief hesitation, she lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck. “And I’ll clean up.”

He leaned in closer, so that their lips nearly brushed. “A perfect partnership.”

“I like the sound of that.”

Pen surprised him by surging forward and settling her lips against his. Up until this moment, she’d seemed reluctant to push him, but maybe, like him, she’d felt the shift this morning. He felt it, the shift between the two of them as they moved past friendship to something more.

Much more.

He slid his lips along hers, getting to know the texture, the plumpness. She slid her fingers into his hair, gripping his head tighter as he tilted her head, giving him better access. He paused a moment, smiling when she made a breathy, hungry sound. Then he slipped his tongue along the seam of her lips, teasing, tasting, learning Pen.

She was as sweet and soft as the first rays of dawn. Her lips trembled a little before she threw herself into the task, her tongue rubbing against his. He released the edge of the counter and slid his palms up and down her linen-clad hips, enjoying the soft flex of her muscles there. As he pulled her flush against his chest, moaning at the feel of her breasts, he licked deeper into her mouth.

The kiss turned carnal. Carlo’s skin heated, sweat gathering at his hairline. Pen made him hard, made him want to devour her. He continued to kiss her, mixing up thrusts of his tongue with soft nibbles along her lower lip.

When he finally pulled back, her eyelids remained at half-mast, her breathing ragged.

He stared at her, enjoying the red fullness of her freshly-kissed lips, berry-stained cheeks, and hazy eyes.

“I wouldn’t say no to morning kisses like that one either,” he said. His voice was rough with need.

Chapter 27

Penelope

Wednesday morning, Pen settled against her countertop, stirring her coffee, considering the changes in her life. Carlo had spent most nights during the past week with her, and she’d loved every minute of their time together.

He romanced her, giving her the very dreams she’d always wanted. He made her dinner and didn’t let her help with the preparations, which made them both happier. He kissed her, cuddled her, and made her feel desirable and beautiful. But he also kept his distance, seeming to need time to work through whatever continued to worry him, and he’d left early every morning this week—before Pen managed to get up.

Pen’s phone rang and she picked it up, noting the bank’s name on her ID. “Hello?”

“Hi, Pen. It’s Marvin from the bank.”

Penelope’s heart fluttered. “Oh hi, Marvin. Is this about my mother?”

“Yes. I wanted to talk to you about it. Do you have time to stop by the bank today?”

Pen glanced at the clock. “Absolutely. After my class at the café.”

“Sounds good.”

She clicked off, the achy feeling in her stomach spreading outward.

* * *

From the looks on her students’ faces, Pen had missed the mark on the day’s class, but she simply couldn’t focus.

“I’m sorry today wasn’t more fun,” she murmured to Eva.

Eva waved her off. “I don’t think it was you—that stitch is difficult. Maybe we should go back to the basic one.”

Pen nodded, her heart as heavy now as her belly. Eva had every right to be frustrated with Pen. In fact, Eva’s frustration, though out of place in the cozy coffee shop, might have alleviated some of Pen’s guilt.

What if Marvin told her that her mother managed to empty her bank account too? Much as Pen wanted to believe it was protected, she worried.

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