Page 59 of Love, Untangled

Chapter 29

Penelope

He continued to hold her and she soaked up the warmth of his embrace. This was what she’d always wanted—to be cherished.

After a while, his fingertips trailed up over her hip and across her lower back, finding the notch in her spine.

“You are so soft. So sweet and warm. My Sunshine.”

Carlo’s lips trailed from her shoulder, along her neck to the sensitive skin just under her jaw. At her soft inhalation, he paused to lick and nuzzle into the spot, causing her tummy to clench with need.

She felt like malleable wax in his large, gentle, capable hands. He shifted her a little, nudging her cheek so that his lips slid over hers. He’d kissed her before, but this time… Pen gasped as the sensations flowed through her, from her.

He pulled back, checking her expression. “You okay?”

“Y-yes.”

“I won’t go any further than you’re comfortable—”

Pen laughed, a deep belly chuckle of delight. “I’ve wanted you from that very first night.”

Carlo scowled. “I was an ass to you.”

“True. But you were a handsome ass.”

He smiled and dipped his head, kissing her again. Pen turned in his arms, wending hers around his neck and spearing her fingers through his too-long hair. His palms cupped her shoulder blades before drifting down her back to mold her hips to his.

“Penelope. Sunshine. You feel…”

“This is right between us, Carlo. It’s right because I…” She inhaled unsteadily. She met his worried gaze. He held her with such gentleness. He kept her safe but made her burn. “I love you.”

His eyes lit up and the smile that curved his lips was sheer joy. He kissed her again, this time letting his tongue dance over her lips. She moaned, restless as she moved against him.

He slid his large, callused palm over her bare skin and she reveled in his touch. Nudity had always made Pen self-conscious, but not with Carlo. Everything about this moment was natural. Right. Perfect.

And when he laid her back on the bed and eventually slipped inside her body, the glow of pleasure blossomed further, unfurling like a fern to the sun. She loved him. She felt his love in each caress, each stroke, each gasp they shared.

And later, when she drifted off to sleep, she knew he’d be there, ready to love her again, when she woke.

Chapter 30

Carlo

Carlo held Pen in his arms, warm, sated, and happy. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this happy. He stared up at his ceiling, just as he did every night before he fell asleep, but tonight his thoughts were of the future.

One he wanted to build with his Sunshine. The alpacas were much better pets than he’d anticipated, but Carlo still disliked the early morning pee runs. Maybe, eventually, if Alpaca Man could handle sharing Penelope, they’d get a dog. A big black-and-white mutt who loved to follow Carlo through the orchard, long pink tongue lolling. Carlo would name him Shep and they’d be as close as Penelope and Alpaca Man.

Carlo could already see the synergies in their businesses. They’d be able to use one of the houses as a tasting room and store to sell his many types of cider and her fiber arts. He could already see the customers wandering through the warm, sun-drenched space sipping some hot spiced cider as they debated between one of Pen’s wall hangings or the thick wool coat, only to buy both—along with a jug of his cider.

He smiled at the image. Pen snuggled closer, and he tightened his arms around her slender body. She’d lived through so many years of constant moving, and though she’d never said it, her mother’s disinterest. Now his Sunshine created roots and community. And love.

He rubbed his nose into her hair, drinking in her shampoo. He’d never thought he’d feel this way again, but excitement and joy gave him more energy than he’d had in years.

“I love you too, my Sunshine. I can’t wait to tell again so I can see those big brown eyes widen and soften. You’re so special. So special. And I wouldn’t change a thing about my past because it led me to you.”

Still smiling, Carlo slid into a deep, dreamless sleep.

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