Page 85 of Lovestrung

Seeing her in such a vulnerable state made me feel like shit. I hoped to god her outburst didn’t have anything to do with me, but I had a nagging feeling it did.

My cell pinged, and I looked down at the lit-up screen.

Penelope: I miss you, too. So much, in fact, that I’m standing outside your apartment building right now. Please hurry home. xo

Blown away by her words, I flew into action. I reversed out of my space, ignored Callum’s chin lift when he saw me, and drove away from Privé for the last time. I swore I’d never come back here. It only took me ten minutes to get to my apartment, but it felt like an eternity. Had something happened between Penelope and her parents that had caused her to come running to me? Trepidation settled in my gut as my thoughts ran wild, but when I saw her next to my parking space, her face serene and happy, my nerves settled down a little. I turned off the ignition and grabbed my bag.

“Are you all right?” I called to her as I jumped out.

“Of course.” She beamed at me. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

I wrapped her up in my arms. “Fuck, your text made me worried.”

“I’m sorry.” Her arms squeezed my neck and she pulled back. “Everything is fine. Was it wrong of me to show up here?”

I crushed her to my chest and buried my face in her neck. “Fuck no.” She shivered when my lips found the sensitive spot behind her ear, and I groaned.

“Good,” she whispered.

I raised my head and moved my hand to rest on her cheek, tilting up her face. “You can come to my place whenever you want. I have a spare key – it’s yours if you want it.”

Her eyes lit up with joy, but she bit her lip, seeming unsure.

“Don’t you think we’re moving too fast, Ethan?”

I shook my head. “We’ve been moving toward this moment almost all our lives, Pen. Hell no, I don’t think it’s going too fast.”

Happiness flooded her eyes, making me feel like I was ten feet tall. “Thank you, baby.”

I grinned and kissed her nose. “Come on, let’s go upstairs. After we’ve walked Freya and Thor,” she beamed at me when I said their names, “it’s just you, me, and my bed all night.”

Another delightful shiver passed through her, and at the sight of her eyes as they darkened with desire, I pushed my hardening dick into her belly. The need that flared to life inside me whenever she was within reach made me curse the fact that I had to tamp it down for now.

“Come on.” I stepped away and took her hand in mine. “Let’s get going. We’ll hit the grocery store when we walk the dogs. Can’t forget to eat.”

She tilted her head. “It’s funny how often you seem to be obsessed with feeding me.”

I slapped her gently on the butt, grinning wickedly at her when she jumped. “Have to keep you fueled up so I can have my wicked way with you, darlin’.”

Her lips twitched at the same time she tried to keep a straight face.

“Hmm.”

My dick swelled as I watched her pert ass walk up the stairs – fuck, her jeans were so tight, they looked as if they were painted on. I couldn’t wait to rip them off her. For the first time in my life, I wished to fuck I didn’t have a couple four-legged furry friends waiting for me.

I didn’t know what it said about me, but I didn’t give a damn.

Penelope made me forget everything and everyone else, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it.

22

The Past - Planning

Ethan & Pippa – ages twenty-two & nineteen

“You have to quit looking at my sister like that.”

The grin I’d been sporting before Max spoke up vanished, and I whipped my head around.