AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“When did you start calling her Penny?”
Gage frowned. “What?”
“She’s worked here for six years and never—not once—have you ever called her anything other than Beaumont.”
Fucking astute bastard. If Gage’s blood wasn’t boiling over Penny’s duplicitousness, perhaps he would have found a way to answer. As it was…he couldn’t think of a goddamn thing to say.
“You danced with her at Enigma,” Matt mused, speaking to himself more than Gage. It felt like his brother was starting to put together pieces better left far, far apart.
“So what?”
“Whywereyou at Enigma? Alone? What did you mean when you said you lost a bet?”
Gage didn’t respond, so Matt forged on.
“She’s been dressing differently…wearing contacts, makeup, leaving her hair down.”
“Is there a point to this?” Gage asked, aware he was perilously close to losing his shit. With Matt. With Penny. With the whole fucking world.
“Just an observation. Would her change in appearance have anything to do with the two of you spending time in your new gaming room together after hours?”
“Of course not. Penny is helping me start an e-sports team. I told you that. Besides, who…”
Gage didn’t even have to finish asking the question. Connie had obviously reported back to Matt about him and Penny.
“You said no more office hookups.” Matt’s comment didn’t sound as angry or annoyed as Gage would have expected.
Before Gage could respond, there was a knock at the door. Matt gestured for Gage to remain seated as he walked over to open it.
Matt’s gaze missed nothing as Penny stood at the threshold. “Ah, Ms. Beaumont. So…You’reback,” he observed, taking in Penny’s outfit.
True to his word, Gage had pulled Penny into the shower with him this morning, the two engaging in a very steamy, very wet quickie before they drove by her place for work clothes. Penny had pulled one of the boring ensembles he’d bought for her out of the closet, and Gage had finally had enough. He’d rummaged through her clothing until he came up with what she was currently wearing, one of her faded T-shirts from Goodwill—that said Run, Forrest, Run, in honor of her cat—and an extremely distressed, oversized pair of bib overalls.
For the first time in weeks, she looked like his Penny, and he’d fucking loved it when they’d arrived at the office.
Right now, he was struggling to find any of those fond feelings.
She was trying to leave him…er, Russo Enterprises.
“Back?” Penny asked, flummoxed by Matt’s comment.
“Never mind. Just an observation. I was on my way out.”
“Oh. Okay, well, have a great day, Mr. Russo.”
Matt looked at her for a long moment, his brow creased. Then his gaze slid to Gage—and he realized his brother had completed the puzzle, snapped the last piece into place, seeing the big picture that Gage refused to acknowledge.
“I think perhaps you should call me Matt from now on.”
Penny, clearly taken aback, stumbled for a moment. “Um, uh, yeah. You can call me Penny,” she hastily added.
Matt nodded just once, the humorless bastard sending him a knowing smirk before turning to leave.
Penny walked in and shut the door, leaning against it. “Even when he’s saying nice things, he’s pretty fucking terrifying.”
“You should have met my father,” Gage muttered.
“Given the things you’ve said about him, I’m not sure I would have wanted to.”
