No Vacancy (The Aveline Series Book 2)

Chapter 83

DARCY

Pennand I had settled into a routine over the past month, now that he had been living in Aveline...with me. We had decided he would move in since it made more sense than staying long term at Green Gables Inn. We had discussed everything from favorite colors—his was blue, which explained all the shirts that brought out his eyes—to expectations of the future...marriage, kids, etcetera.

“Would you ever want to get married?” Penn asked as he played with my hair. We were on the couch, my head in his lap, as we finished up a romance movie starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds.

The answer to that question was easy, but it was different than what it had been. If I had been asked that question before Penn, the answer would have been no. A simple and firm absolutely not. I had never wanted the whole wedding or marriage thing with anyone, and I hadn’t been able to understand how people did it. How could they find one person they liked enough to spend all their time with? How could they live with someone and not get so sick of them that they wanted to throw them off the roof?

The idea was so foreign to me.

Until Penn.

“Yeah.” I looked up at him. “Yeah, I would. Why? Are you asking me to marry you, Penny Bear?” I teased him.

He shuddered. “That name still gives me chills.”

I giggled. “Sorry . . . too soon?

“Just a little,” he replied, twirling my hair between his fingers.

“So.” I turned to my side, facing him. “Is there a reason you are asking me?”

I didn’t like surprises or secrets, and I had a sneaking suspicion this question wasn’t random. I thought Penn might be feeling me out, that he might want to ask me something but was afraid of rejection. That was something we both had in common.

A crippling fear of rejection.

I watched Penn’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed hard. “I was just wondering.”

I nodded, feeling a little disappointed but not wanting to show it. “What about you? Would you ever want to get married?”

Penn scrunched his nose and paused for a moment before replying, “Nah...”

I reached up and pushed his forehead, playfully. “You would be so lucky to be married to me. I’m adorable.”

Penn scoffed. “You’re a pain.”

“Yeah, well, you bug me,” I replied.

“I think you might have mentioned that before.” Penn leaned down and kissed me softly. “But to answer your question truthfully...yes. I would want to get married, but only if I’m marrying you.”

“Well, I would hope it would be me, otherwise you have some explaining to do on what exactly this is.” I gestured between us.

“Oh this? I thought we were just good friends. You know, roommates and what not,” he teased.

I laughed and began pinching his sides. “You are unbelievable!”

Penn was swatting my hands and wiggling as much as he could until he grabbed hold of my hips and pulled me onto him. As I straddled his lap, he kissed me, and I felt my stomach jump. He pulled away and ran his fingers along the side of my face and into my hair. “I have never wanted anyone the way that I want you, Darcy.”

I leaned my forehead to his. I knew what he meant. I knew exactly how he felt. “I want you, too.”

Penn’s hand made its way to the back of my neck, and as he cupped it, I gasped. He pulled me closer. “You’ve already got me, beautiful. I’m all yours.”