8. Hawk
8
HAWK
From behind the stove, I look over at Penelope, who is on the couch, wrapped up in my warmest wool blanket. She’s hugging her knees and watching me as I make pesto while the pasta boils and the chicken slowly simmers in the cast iron skillet.
She looks so content and happy, and that makes my heart warm.
“My grandma taught me this recipe,” I tell her as I pluck basil leaves from its stem. “I always loved it as a kid.”
“You really don’t have to go through all this, Hawk.”
“I want to.” I smile. “Besides, you’re worn out. You need some energy. Gotta get some food in you.”
Penelope smiles adorably at me. “I do love a man who can cook.”
“Well, don’t get used to it, gorgeous. You’ll be the one doing all the cooking once we’re married with two children.”
Her jaw drops, but she quickly covers her mouth with a hand and lets out a cute little giggle. I toss her a wink to let her know I’m kidding–sort of.
It’s nearly impossible to believe she’s here now. Having watched her from afar for so long, the woman of my dreams is now sitting in my living room.
I finally did it.
I made Penelope mine.
“Is…is that a proposal?” she asks slyly. I shake my head and grin.
“Oh, no. A proposal should be much more romantic. I’m just letting you know what your future holds.”
She’s blushing now, which I really love. It just makes her that much more enchanting.
She gets up from the couch and walks over to the counter where I’m prepping our meal.
Even her bare feet on the hardwood floor turn me on. It’s not a fetish or anything; it’s just that everything about her is sexy. There isn’t an inch on her body I wouldn’t kiss or put my tongue.
She silently watches me put the basil, pine nuts, garlic, and Parmesan cheese into the food processor. I watch her eyes as I drizzle in the olive oil. She’s actually interested in what I’m doing.
“So, Hawk,” she says slowly. “You own this cabin?”
“I sure do.”
“And when Anna and I were lost, I remember you saying something about us having wandered off the land reserved for hiking?”
“That’s right.” I nod.
“So…do you own this land as well?”
“Yep. I actually own hundreds of thousands of acres.” I smile, pressing the on-switch to blend the ingredients. I stop after a few seconds and look at her. “Why do you ask? Never met a large landowner before?”
I’m entranced by Penelope’s doe-eyed innocence as she looks back at me and shakes her head. Her eyes are like wells of alluring beauty, tugging at my heartstrings.
“I don’t think so.”
I smile back as I pull a noodle from the pot and hold it out to her. “Try this. Tell me if they’re ready or not.”
Penelope leans forward and takes a bite, tests it with her teeth and tongue, then nods happily.
“Al dente. Just how I like it!”
I smile and drain the noodles into the colander, then begin slicing the chicken into small pieces.
“So tell me more about being a landowner,” she asks, looking slyly at me. “Sounds like an old term for being part of the British aristocracy.”
I laugh. “You know, I’d never thought about it like that before. That would be interesting–having Duke or Lord before my name.”
I add the noodles, chopped chicken, and pesto back into the pan to warm it and toss it all until everything has a nice green tint to it.
“You’re going to love this,” I tell her as I plate both of our meals and bring them over to the table.
Penelope starts to sit down in front of me, but I realize instantly that I need her closer, so I pull her chair right up beside mine. She giggles and smiles as I hand her a fork.
I’m already yearning to take her again.
I know that beneath that blanket is the most perfect female body to ever exist, and I’m dying to have my hands all over her.
Penelope takes her first bite, and instantly her eyes light up.
“Good?”
She nods and covers her mouth with her hand. “It’s amazing!”
“You can thank my grandma.” I smile as I dig in, never taking my eyes off her.
Watching Penelope do anything is spectacular. Her beauty is so entrancing that even if she was just taking notes or studying at a desk all day, I’d still be addicted to watching her.
I know it sounds crazy, but hey–I’m crazy about her.
When I began watching her from afar, it was a simple necessity so I could find a time when she went hiking again and I could put my plan into action.
But slowly, stalking Penelope became part of my daily routine–one that I welcomed, even relished in.
I became an addict, and when I was away from her, it was as though a cold void would fill in the center of my chest. I could physically feel a sense of loss when I no longer had my eyes on her. It’s almost surreal now that she’s sitting here next to me, eating a meal that I cooked.
“So…” she says slowly. “What do you do, Hawk? How is it you’re able to own all this land?”
I chuckle. She’s inquisitive, but I can’t blame her. In fact, I actually like that she’s asking questions about me.
“You know, asking a guy how rich he is is usually more like a first-date question–”
“And not a right-after-sex question?”
We both laugh.
“I guess being chased through the woods isn’t really a first-date, though,” she ponders, twisting her fork through her noodles. “Is it?”
“Why not?” I tease. “But don’t worry. I’ll take you out to the movies this week, and we can cuddle.”
She giggles again, and I light up inside.
God, it feels so good to be around her. Even watching her give me the eye while she pulls another pesto-covered noodle through her lips is captivating.
“I actually used to be a stock broker in New York City,” I explain. “I made a lot of money, lived the lifestyle, but I was miserable. So I busted my ass until I had enough money to quit, then I started investing in land, nature preservation, tree farms–”
“Tree farms?” Penelope asks. “Like…you farm trees?”
“Basically.” I nod. “They grow a lot slower than say…tomatoes, but you can make good money if you do it right. And if you hold on to the land, there’s a lot of generational wealth potential there. Say for your children.”
I indicate down at Penelope’s stomach with my eyes, teasing her just a little and reminding her of the massive load I pumped into her earlier.
Man, did that feel incredible. And the thought of Penelope with a sexy pregnant belly just gets my heart pumping faster.
Penelope blushes and lowers her eyes, allowing her hair to fall across her face as she takes a sip of her lemonade.
“I…know what we did earlier, Hawk,” she says, a slight tremor in her voice. “But you barely know me, and you’re already planning this future for us. How can you be sure you won’t… not like me?”
I have to laugh before leaning in to brush aside her hair so I can see her beautiful face. I cup her chin gently and kiss her ever so gently.
“That’s impossible, Penelope. I know you a lot better than you think.”
It takes a second for my words to register, but when they do, her eyes go wide, and a naughty little smile forms on her lips.
“You’ve been watching me!” I nod, saying nothing, waiting for her next reaction. “That’s how you knew I’d be out here today!”
Again, I nod and wait, watching her thought process play out through her eyes.
“Hawk. How long?”
“How long do you think?” I reply.
“I don’t know…a month?”
I shake my head and watch her face as she gets more and more turned on. She loves the idea that I’ve been stalking her. It thrills her.
Lord, we’re going to be perfect together.
“Six weeks!?” she asks, leaning in and squeezing my hand with both of hers.
“Since that day I met you.” I smile. Her eyes flash, and her jaw drops. “My life changed the moment I saw you in the woods, Penelope. I knew I would never be the same. And when I heard you talk about your fantasy–”
“The one you said you hadn’t heard?!”
“That’s the one,” I chuckle. “I knew I had an obligation to you.”
For the first time, her eyes show signs of confusion. “Obligation?”
I nod and squeeze her hand back. “To fulfill your fantasy for you.”
My words hang in the air, and I let them, as I calmly wait for Penelope’s response. It’s not hard, as watching her means gazing at the most beautiful woman on Earth. I could stare at her for hours–I have stared at her for hours many times in these last two months.
After a moment, she turns away and takes another drink, temporarily obscuring her face from me. When she turns back, I see tears have begun to well up in her eyes once more.
“Hawk…” she whispers. “Do you think it’s possible to fall in love with someone without…you know…taking a long time to get to know them?”
A rush of pure joy grips me, like flames rising to great heights within my chest. I nod firmly, allowing my feelings for her to gleam from my eyes.
“I’m sure of it.”
Penelope pauses. “H–how are you so sure?”
I lean in close, press my forehead against hers, and inhale, blessing my lungs with her sweet, feminine scent.
“Because it happened to me when I saw you.”
Tears spill from Penelope’s eyes, dripping down onto my thighs as I pull her in tight.
“You love me?” she asks.
“Of course I do, beautiful. Of course I do.”
Penelope wraps her arms around me, letting the blanket fall to the floor. I lift her into my lap, cradling her soft, naked body.
“Good,” she whimpers. “Because I love you too.”