Chapter 17 Foundation and Fire
FOUNDATION AND FIRE
Archer
Archer Bellamy: Running structural tests on my emotions.
Bank Account: Considering a loan on forever.
Heart: Rebuilding one brick, one breath, one night with Penny at a time.
We had nothing to fear at Friendsgiving. Not once did my past with Brianne come up. Everyone behaved, and they welcomed Penny with open hearts.
Richard’s turkey—something he was weirdly proud to have raised himself—was perfect, not dry. No surprise given Vivian’s culinary training and expertise in the kitchen.
Keaton’s latest fall brew Pumpkin Spice Is Nice flowed like water. The place was loud with kids and laughter. Everett got passed around, snug as a burrito in a blanket wrap.
Sophie swept Penny into kitchen cleanup duty after the meal, and I teased that since I’d once washed dishes at Brier’s, it was only fair she take her turn here.
The guys all went downstairs to start the traditional football watching, but I hung around, biding my time.
After all the dishes were done, I brought Penny into the butler’s pantry under the pretense of helping put the china away.
As soon as the slatted door swung shut behind us, I pinned her lightly against the cabinets and pressed my mouth to hers.
She giggled, half in protest, half invitation.
“Archer,” she whispered, breath warm against my cheek as I sucked in her perfect earlobe, my tongue playing with her simple jeweled stud. “They’ll hear us.”
“I don’t care. Just wanted to check in with you. Things are going well, don’t you think?”
She arched an eyebrow. “You mean Friendsgiving or us?”
“Both. But mostly us.”
Her fingers toyed with my tie, a wicked smile curling. “I’d say both are dangerously close to perfect. Except you’re supposed to be helping, not mauling me in Vivian’s pantry.”
“I multitask,” I murmured, kissing her again.
She melted into it for a minute, heat building between us, then shoved at my chest with a laugh. “You’re terrible.”
“Terribly efficient. Kissing, quality assurance of the china after washing—call it an inspection.”
A burst of laughter from the kitchen made her stiffen, biting her lip.
I sighed, resting my forehead against hers. “Fine. I’ll stop. Before we end up as the entertainment.”
When we slipped out, Vivian was setting out pies on the counter and shaking her head. “Why does everyone think my pantry is the best place for a make-out session?”
Richard came up behind her and stole a cookie off one of her perfect platters. “Because it is,” he said, grinning at us with a wink. “Don’t let her fool you—we’ve hidden in there from the kids plenty of times.”
Vivian swatted at him with a towel, muttering about men and their appetites. Penny flushed red beside me. I placed a quick kiss on her temple before following Richard downstairs to his man cave.
Surprisingly, among the guys, there was no talk of work, no talk at all of my love life, and that suited me fine. Later, when I came upstairs to replenish our snack tray, I stopped dead in the doorway.
The fire in the big stone hearth threw golden light across the room, spotlighting Penny sitting in a gliding chair. She held Everett in her arms, rocking as if she’d done it a thousand times. A smile so pure on her face… I couldn’t have designed a more unforgettable moment if I’d tried.
Rex and the others came up behind me at halftime and caught me staring. We all stood there for a second like idiots, watching the women and wearing the same goofy expression.
“So,” Rex said. “You bringing Penny to Christmas, or are we still pretending you’re single?”
I smirked. “Depends—what are the odds up to?”
Keaton grinned. “No bets this time, Arch. We’re just happy for you, man. Glad to finally meet her.”
“She’s amazing,” Brooks added. “Good to see you this way.”
“Which way?”
Richard lifted his beer stein. “Happier. Look, I know we all gave you hell before about her, only because we care. But it’s clear now—you’ve got something good going here with Penny. Don’t ruin it.”
“Be sure to invite us to the wedding,” Keaton tossed in, and they all laughed their way into the kitchen for dessert, leaving me speechless in the doorway.
Across the room, Penny looked up just then. Everett’s tiny hand was curled around her finger, and when our eyes met, time stopped. My heart flooded with something I couldn’t name.
Game over.
I’d built skyscrapers for a living, but nothing came close to that image—Penny Fair holding the future I wanted.
Later, we left Richard and Vivian’s and settled into their guesthouse for the night.
I built a fire while she stacked blankets and pillows into a nest on the rug in front of the hearth.
I stirred up some hot apple cider tea for us, a gift from Maisy, who loved to create all kinds of things with spices and fragrance.
Last Christmas, it was a bottle of men’s cologne that came with a survey she asked me to complete, all in the name of her research.
By the time I turned on soft jazz in the background, Penny was cross-legged near the flames, staring into them. Her face flickered with light and shadow, lost in thought.
I sat beside her on the floor and startled her. “You okay? You’ve gone quiet.”
She smiled faintly, taking the mug in hand. “Just thinking about… Brier and Westley. He flew her out to Vegas for the holiday. It’s possible they’re heading toward marriage. I’ve never seen her this happy.”
“Yeah.” I stared into the fire too. Weddings, marriage and babies. After today, those ideas didn’t sound as foreign as they used to.
Her hand drifted onto my thigh. “Now you’re quiet. What are you thinking about?”
“Honestly? You, us.” I sent her a smoldering glance.
Her brow lifted. She set her mug down, fingers tracing the neckline of her ivory sweater, sliding lower. “I was hoping you were thinking about this.”
She brought it over her head and tossed it aside. The white satin underneath short-circuited my brain.
“Yeah,” I said, voice rough, moving in on her. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
Our kisses started slow, tasting the spices between us. The fire popped; snow whispered against the windows. Time stood still for us.
“Naked, Archer,” she whispered, voice low and sure.
Her jeans, her leg warmers, her panties—I didn’t stop peeling away the layers until I had her bare before me.
I tossed my clothes on top of her pile and fisted my length. She watched, hand disappearing between her thighs, moaning my name.The fire painted an amber glow on her body as she arched. Tempting candy for my eyes. I nearly lost my sanity before I ever touched her.
I sheathed myself in a condom. I wanted to show her how much this day meant to me. How grateful I was that she’d walked straight into my life and turned it upside down.
We adjusted until she was under me, skin to skin, the blankets like a secure nest beneath us.
Her pulse drummed, and I nipped and sucked there at her neck. I traveled the blueprint of her body I’d memorized, lingering to worship her nipples, then further down to the apex of her thighs.
I slid my fingers through her slick seam, finding her clit swollen and waiting for me. She gasped at my tongue flicks, her fingers threading my hair. Purrs and whimpers guided me exactly where to linger, or how fast to pace. She pulled me deeper, gyrating her hips, until I couldn’t breathe.
I kept her on that edge and lifted. My tongue melded with hers, letting her taste her arousal, in no hurry to reach the finish line.
“Need you, Archer. Now.” I waited until she begged on my lips, and when I finally slid my cock inside her, everything slowed. We’d been needy all the times before—fast, desperate, sneaking moments wherever we could—but tonight wasn’t that. Tonight was deliberate. Worshipful.
I laced our fingers above her head and kissed her like a promise. Each stroke into her hot, tight walls, long and dragging them out, became something more meaningful. A claiming ceremony to make her mine.
“You’re ruining me, Pen,” I rasped.
She met my eyes. “No, Arch. I’m rebuilding you. Brick by brick.”
I huffed a shaky laugh. “You’re the only woman who’s ever managed it.”
Her smile tilted, and she rolled her hips. Our pace shifted from slow burn to steady climb. She wrapped her legs around me, scoring my back with her nails. The muscles in her thighs trembled and pulled me closer until there was no space left to think, just feel.
Her hand glided between us, strumming her clit. My hand circled her neck, and I whispered in her ear, “Come with me, Penny. My Penny. My good girl.”
Her breath hitched, and the world funneled to the sound of her moans, the slide of our bodies with every thrust, her quickening pulse under my thumb.
When she broke, she shattered beautifully for me—her head thrown back, a scream of my name that tore through the quiet. I followed right after, grunting, buried deep, every muscle straining until the room went white behind my eyes.
For a few seconds, there was nothing but our breathing and the snap of the fire.
I pressed my forehead to hers. “Best Thanksgiving ever,” I managed, half-laughing.
She smiled drowsily. “We should probably send your friend Dax a thank-you card for his app matching us.”
“Noted,” I murmured. “Send him my eternal gratitude.”
I pulled her against me, spooning into the warmth of our makeshift bed, letting the world come back one slow beat at a time. I wanted to tell her everything crowding my chest—three words that felt too big to say.
But I didn’t.
Because Monday was coming. The office. Our secret hookups. Reality waiting.
It had started as fun, something easy. Now I wanted her in every way a man could want a woman—body, mind, soul, future. Out in the public eye, where I could claim her for everyone to see.
Something had to change soon, or I’d go out of my damn mind.
She drifted off, her breath slow and even. I brushed a kiss across her hair.
The unfamiliar weight of happiness kept me awake, wary of it—like holding the sun but knowing it could burn out any day. Still, if we were a structure, I trusted the foundation. Trusted her. I never thought I’d trust again after my ex, after the past.
Now, my way ahead with Penny seemed solid enough to last. I wouldn’t bet against us.