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He led her upstairs, pointing out his two guest rooms before guiding her into his bedroom. “And this is the master suite.”
Her eyes widened as she took in the large space in silence. “That’s the biggest bed I’ve ever seen in my life. Do you know how many cats you could fit on there?”
Gage laughed loudly. He’d suggested once that she would probably sleep more comfortably if she kicked the cats out of the bed. Penny had looked at him like he’d suggested she put them all out on the street to fend for themselves.
He reached out, his resistance in tatters—she was just too fucking adorable—and pulled her into his arms. His original intent had been a hug, but then he decided he wanted a quick kiss. In the end, he grabbed her and held on, wrapping his arms around her waist as he kissed her senseless.
Penny had taken some special pains with her appearance tonight, managing to pull off a perfect blend of new and old versions of herself. She was wearing a muted pale-green blouse, one of too many he’d bought for her at the boutique before realizing he hated her in plain, boring clothing. She’d paired it with a black pencil skirt he’d bought as well, but because it was short and showcased her ass and legs, he didn’t mind it at all.
Old Penny shone through in her shoe choice, which was a pair of black high-top Chucks. She’d failed to master the art of walking in heels, though to be honest, he wasn’t certain she’d tried again after the night at Enigma.
“I like your shoes,” he murmured, his lips still touching hers.
Penny grinned. “I took the El.”
“You and your public transportation.”
She rolled her eyes. “Forgot I was talking to Richie Rich.”
Gage didn’t feign offense. He had a lot of money and it showed. In his apartment and in his chosen way of traveling around the city—typically with a driver. He got a lot of work done in the backseat of his SUV.
He kissed her again, and once more, it lingered as his hands found their way to her face. He cupped her cheeks, angling her face just right to deepen the kiss even more.
“Maybe you should have savedthisroom for after dinner too,” she whispered after several minutes of playing tongue tag. Penny’s enthusiasm for kissing was contagious.
He placed his forehead against hers and forced himself to take several slow breaths. She wasn’t wrong. He’d been a minute away from saying to hell with dinner and tossing her onto his bed so they could continue with their… He forced himself to use the wordlessonsin his mind. Maybe if he practiced calling it that enough, he’d start to believe that’s what all of this was.
But that wasn’t the plan. And he really wanted to stick to his plans for her tonight. He glanced at his bed, aware that Penny hadn’t spotted the straps attached to his headboard. He’d tucked them out of sight, under the pillows. He wanted to explore bondage with her, suspecting she’d enjoy the sensation of being held captive, helpless, at his mercy.
But first…sustenance.
“Come on. You can help me finish making dinner.” He took her hand, grinning when she groaned and murmured, “Great. More cooking,” in a disdainful tone.
When they reached the kitchen, he tossed an apron over her head, reaching around her to tie the strings at the back. Penny leaned in, her hands resting on his chest, letting him know that—like him—she preferred a lot less personal space when they were together.
She looked down and laughed when she read the apron, which said, “I like my butt rubbed and my pork pulled.”
“Christmas gift?” she asked.
Gage nodded. “From my brother Conor.”
“Well, that’s good to know.”
He gave her a curious look. “What is?”
“That Conor has a sense of humor. I haven’t been around him enough to get a feel for his personality. Matt, on the other hand…”
“Is the poster child for serious workaholic and miserable bastards everywhere,” Gage finished.
“Yeah.”
Gage turned toward the stove and started making the sauce, while Penny leaned against the counter and watched.
“Matt wasn’t always that way, you know. When we were younger, the three of us boys were close, tight knit. Matt was the ringleader, the one who always had a plan. We built tree forts in the backyard, waged hellacious Nerf gun battles that lasted days, built cathedrals out of Legos. He was legit the best big brother ever. Always had ideas for how to fill our days, and they were always epic. He laughed the loudest, ran the fastest, and made every single second fun.”
Jesus, Gage thought. Where the hell had that come from?
“Wow. I’d love to meet that guy. What happened to him?”
