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A little gasp escapes Penelope, followed quickly by the sweetest giggle.
“I can attest that is, in fact, very true,” she smirks.
“Now come, let me wow you with my mind-blowing culinary skills.” I slide my arm around her as we head toward the kitchen. “And I believe we have a bit of a duck problem…”
The ducklings waddle after us, unwilling to let us out of their sight.
We grab the food off of the counter and then settle in at the table.
“So, tell me about your family,” she requests, and I gladly share.
We spend lunch laughing as I tell her all the embarrassing stories I can about the twins and their antics. The meal is relaxed, and I can’t remember a time when I felt so comfortable around another person.
She regales me with tales of rescuing small animals and shares about her gran. Listening to her fills me with happiness, and I love that she’s sharing so much of herself with me. I can tell her family is a bit of a sore spot, so I don’t pry, knowing she will tell me when she’s ready. But I can’t get Lizzy’s face out of my head; she looks so much like Briar. Then Penny and Rosie. It can’t be a coincidence. Can it?
“This was amazing. Thank you so much for making lunch,” Penny cheerfully remarks.
“It was my pleasure.” I roll the last word around my tongue, and the innuendo causes her cheeks to pink. Her tongue licks along her lower lip, and I reach up, cupping her cheek with my palm, running my thumb over her rosebud lips.
Her computer makes sudden beeping noises and Penny jumps back, as though scalded.
“Oh, shoot,” she yelps. “I forgot about work!”
“The rescue isn’t your work?”
“No, I’m actually an online accountant. My job pays for the rescue.” She gives a little shrug, and I can’t help but watch as her breasts bounce.
“It’s okay; I should probably be getting back to the shop anyway. Your car isn’t going to fix itself. I’m just going to use the restroom first.”
I head into her bathroom, and while I’m washing my hands, her glossy blue hairbrush catches my eye. Before I even know what I’m doing, I tuck it into my back pocket. It’s psychotic, but clearly, there is something fishy going on, and something faint tugs at my memory. We’re too new for me to tell her my suspicions…
Stopping in her room, I toss on the rest of my clothing, making sure my shirt covers the brush as I head back out to say goodbye. Penny is hard at work, gnawing savagely on a Twizzler as her hands fly over the keyboard.
So. Fucking. Cute.
So. Fucking.Mine.
Bending down, I kiss her deeply, pulling her up into my embrace for a crushing hug.
“You gonna go on a date with me this weekend?” I ask, nodding my head. She mimics my motion, her eyes glowing.
“I’ll text you with details. Gonna miss you tonight,” I grunt, having zero chill.
“Same,” she sighs, walking me to my borrowed truck; the ducks waddling after us.
I give her one last kiss, trying to memorize her scent, the way she feels in my arms.
“See you soon, little bird,” I call out, enjoying the view of her perfect ass as she bends over to scoop up ducklings on her way back into the house.
The door to my house slams open, banging loudly against the wall behind it. Completely unphased, I shout to my brother.
“I’m out back.”
He walks through my house, his giant elephant feet pounding the floorboards. Tucker has always moved so loudly that I seriously wonder how he ended up passing the cop tests. A flash of brown and black fur catches my eye as it comes hurtling around the corner and into my lap.
“Oomph,” I exhale as he slams into my stomach. “Well, hello to you too, Mayhem.”
Ruffling his scruff, I try to push him off my lap but get nowhere as he digs his claws into my pants, refusing to budge. Mayhem does what Mayhem wants.
