“I think I liked you better when my brother hated you,” he tells me.
“Well, that would make one of us.” I stick my tongue out at him.
“I never hated her.” Penn makes a point to say.
“On that note, we should go.” I usher them both toward the lobby.
THE REHEARSAL AND DINNERare over in what feels like the blink of an eye. One minute, we’re walking into the church; the next, Penn and I are pulling into the driveway of our home.Ourhome. I’ve been living here for four months, and it still doesn’t feel real.
“Did you see the way Alec was looking at Josie?” I ask Penn as I slide out of the passenger side of his truck. “He rivaled a wounded animal.”
“To be fair, I don’t think anyone has ever said no to my brother. I can’t believe he’s still sulking all these months later.”
“Because he loves her,” I say like it should be that obvious.
“Love or lust?” Penn asks, following me up to the house.
“With your brother, I’m not sure there’s a difference.” I laugh, waiting for Penn to unlock the front door before following him inside.
I no more than close the door before Penn turns and pins me to the cool wood.
“Josie is going to be here in thirty minutes,” I remind him, tilting my head to give him better access when his lips brush the side of my neck.
“I can accomplish a lot in thirty minutes.” He purrs against my skin, my entire body reacting to his words.
“I still have to pack,” I half-heartedly object.
“You’re already packed,” he reminds me, his lips moving to the other side of my neck.
“How do you know that?”
He draws back, meeting my gaze.
“Because I know you.” He gives me a half smile, trailing my jaw with the back of his hand ever so gently.
“Then you also know that I still need to shower and change before she picks me up.”
“I can help with that.” His hazel eyes twinkle with mischief.
“You can, can’t you?” I wrap my arms around the back of his neck.
“I think you’ll find I’m quite thorough too.” He kisses me slowly and deeply, making my toes curl in anticipation.
“Thoroughandquick?”
“I can do that.”
“Deal.” Before I can even get the word all the way out, he hoists me off the ground, my legs going around his middle as he carries me through the house, removing articles of clothing as we go.
By the time we reach the bathroom, I’m naked from the waist up and so ravenous I swear I feel borderline animalistic. That’s what Penn does to me. He drives me absolutely mad in the best possible way.
Penn flips on the water, then makes quick work of removing the remainder of my clothes as well as his own before backing me into the shower. The spray of water feels amazing on my skin, but not nearly as amazing as Penn’s hands feel. As his lips feel. As he feels as he slowly enters me, filling me so full I feel at risk of splitting apart.
He keeps his word. Quick and thorough... very, very thorough. And yet, by the time we exit the shower, I still only have about five minutes before Josie is supposed to arrive.
Running around like a chicken with my head cut off, I throw on clothes, finish packing my toiletries and makeup, and have a small meltdown when I can’t find the necklace my mom gave me to wear tomorrow, my something old as it belonged to my grandmother.
I’m about to ask Penn if he’s seen it when I look up and see the necklace dangling from his finger as he stands in the doorway, shoulder resting against the frame like he doesn’t have a care in the world.
