Page 18 of Possessive Mr. Pen

The big guy—Sebastian—approaches Penelope again.She cranes her neck to look up at him.Their size difference couldn’t be more extreme.He’s always the biggest guy in the room, while she’s always the smallest woman.

He gave her her ring back, but then monopolized her attention before the tour.

I don’t trust him any more than I do the high-handed asshole beside me.

Penelope makes a cutting remark—the tone strange from her usual soft-spoken manner—but the discomfort in her eyes pushes me into action.

Even as Sebastian speaks in his low, gravelly voice, I stomp across the aisle and stop beside him just out of his periphery.

“Is he picking on you again?”I demand.

Penelope pales and grabs Sebastian’s arm.Worry builds in my chest as she tugs him toward the couples’ side.

“No, not at all.His request is completely reasonable.I don’t mind,” she rambles.

Sebastian stops walking.She jerks to a halt.

The gentle reverence in his tone when he says her name arrows straight to my soul.

He could never hurt her.A lump forms in my throat.

He speaks, and she responds, but their words don’t matter.She already has something I’ll never get to experience.

Sebastian loves and cherishes Penelope.He’d rather cut his dick off than hurt her.The truth shines from his eyes and echoes in the way he protects and shields her with his body.

I swallow my envy, nod, and spin on my heel back to my jerk of a boss.

When Connor grabs my wrist and links our arms, I give him a disgusted side glare but decide to ignore the infraction.With my emotions frayed and my hold on my control tenuous, I stand in tense silence as the wedding coordinator pairs the remaining bridesmaids and groomsmen together.

Weight lifts from my chest when she ends the tour before choosing the order of couples, but when I try to step away from Connor, he tugs me back to his side and refuses to let go of my arm.My anger returns full force, and I lean into the power of it.

“The wedding rehearsal is over, Mr.Pen,” I say through gritted teeth.

He quirks a frustratingly goodlooking brow at me.I sigh and give him what he wants.

“Let go of my arm, please, Connor.”

He accepts my compliance even though it drips with overdone politeness and sweet mockery.I drop my arm and rub my hand on my leg as though to rid myself of germs as I walk away without a backward glance.

I’m not sure I can handle much more today.Maybe if it were a weekday and I expected to be on the clock at all times, but to have my boss amidst my friends is disorienting.I don’t like it.

Audrey steps into the room, and we flock around her.In her normal no-nonsense manner, she announces she’s pregnant.

My head spins.I clasp my hands in front of me and swallow as I work through the implications of her news.Karey squeals with excitement.Millie’s calm smile radiates joy with a hint of sorrow underneath.Penelope’s dermal piercings accentuate her wide, startled eyes.

Amidst hugs and exclamations, I gather myself and give Audrey a heartfelt hug when it’s my turn.

“Congratulations!”I say, and I mean it, even though a pit of tar bubbles in my gut.

“Thank you!I can’t believe I’m pregnant already.”

“How far along are you?”Brook asks.

Their excited shrieks peel through the banquet hall as they realize their due dates are fairly close together.

I blend into the background as much as possible.Babies are a happy subject, I know, but I never want any of my own.No man is worth that torture, and I refuse to be that vulnerable to anyone.Ever.

My mother’s screams echo in my mind.Nightmares creep into the day, but a demon with striking features and crystal-clear green eyes strides into my periphery.Dripping gold and wearing dark slacks with his blouse halfway unbuttoned and his sleeves rolled to reveal his veiny forearms, he expels my terrors and replaces them with versions of his own.