“I don’t think you need to be worried,” Casey replies. “She’s crazy about you. I’ve never seen her like this.”
“People will say it’s too fast. But I don’t care. I don’t give a damn what people say. The people closest in her life, you and Juliana, you both approve.” I’m not used to feeling this hint of hesitancy. “Don’t you?”
“We do. When Penny explained it, sure, we were a little shocked. But anybody could see how obsessed you two are with each other. She wants this.”
I turn, looking across the rooftop garden. Freddie sits next to his wife, their baby on his knee. Past him, Penny sits at the glass table, talking with Juliana.
My throat tightens as I study her.
She combines beauty and sexuality in the most gorgeous way, with her form-hugging spring dress, the fabric like smoke as it floats around her. It settles against her curvaceous form perfectly.
But then my gaze moves to her face, full and red-cheeked, causing my heart to grow, to expand in my chest.
I swallow as she waves her hands, talking animatedly, making Juliana laugh.
Penny must feel me staring at her because she turns and glances over, her smile spreading even wider when she sees me looking.
Even after just a week, her confidence is soaring, her natural vivacity breaking through her anxiety. I raise my glass, and she giggles, the sound just about audible from here.
“I’ve never seen her this happy,” Casey says from beside me. “And… and thank you, Preston.”
I glance at my woman’s sister, head tilted.
She glares at me. “Don’t look so confused. You’ve made it so Penny doesn’t have to work that crappy office job. You’ve helped me with a new apartment, which is more than I ever could’ve asked for. You’ve done a lot of good for both of us.”
“I’d do anything for Penny,” I grit out, the emotion getting to me. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her. She deserves to live the life she chooses, to follow her passion. I’m just glad I can give her that chance.”
The clouds move in the sky and a ray of sunlight shines down directly on Penny. It’s like a spotlight, highlighting her, causing her dark hair to glisten.
Before I know it, I’m striding across the rooftop.
I didn’t plan on doing it now.
I was going to wait until dinner when we were all seated around the table.
But I can’t take it anymore. If I delay any longer, I won’t be able to contain all the love and devotion and lust and need bubbling up inside me.
She looks up at me, with her lips parted slightly as if begging for a kiss… or something else, something more carnal. These are the sorts of thoughts I can’t allow myself to think about when we’ve got company.
Every moment is a battle, a struggle not to unchain the animal inside of me.
Juliana looks up at me, then at Penny, her eyebrows raised. I didn’t just get Casey’s blessing… I got her friends too. I don’t want any resentment in my woman’s life, any unnecessary conflict.
“Penny. Can I talk to you for a second?”
She giggles, narrowing her eyes. “Uh, yeah, sure. Why are you acting so weird?”
I try for a grin, but it’s more like I’m baring my teeth. The ring box presses into my thigh as if telling me to speed it up.
Reaching down, I take her hand, helping her to her feet. She laughs again, a sound that will never stop lighting me up inside. Cradling her hand in mine, I lead her to the edge of the rooftop, near the railing, away from the party.
She looks up at me with those wide beautiful eyes of hers. “Is everything okay?”
I smile, lean down and kiss the corner of her lips. She turns her head and we kiss properly, our mouths opening until we both step back with shivering breaths.
Our eyes meet and we grin.
We’re talking silently, agreeing that we can’t kiss, not fully, because it will lead to other things. We simply can’t help ourselves.
“Everything’s fine,” I say. “Better than fine. Better than I thought life could ever be.”
When she lets out a shuddering breath, I wonder if part of her knows what’s coming. It’s in the way she looks at me, with her gorgeously innocent eyes growing even wider. But I can’t call her innocent anymore, not after all we’ve done.
Taking both her hands, I squeeze them softly, a smile spreading across my face.
It’s not a smirk or a near smile.
My days of not being able to properly smile are long behind me. As I stare at her, my lips spread until I’m beaming, as though all the barely contained joy is brimming out of me. I can’t help it.
“I didn’t plan on doing it this way,” I say. “But looking at you sitting there, so beautiful, so perfect, so you… I can’t wait any longer. It doesn’t help that I’m nervous as hell.”