Chapter fifteen Penn #2
I kiss the back of her hand again. “I don’t want you to worry about anything this weekend, okay? We both need this time away, and you deserve to have someone take care of the little things, Astrid. I want to be that someone for you.”
She grows silent and for a second, I wonder if I said something wrong. But then she leans over the middle seat and kisses my cheek. “Thank you, Penn.”
“No thanks necessary.”
She drags her nose up the side of my neck. “I still plan on thanking you, that’s for sure. I have some ideas I know you’ll be a fan of.”
Groaning, I feel my dick grow hard against my zipper. “Astrid…I’m gonna fuck you all over that fucking cabin.”
“Promise?” she whispers as she nibbles on my earlobe.
“I promise. And I never break a fucking promise.”
***
“I can’t believe this is our view for the weekend.”
“The drive was worth it just for this to be our backyard, huh?”
Miles of open fields roll before us, small hills covered in patches of snow and brown grass, leading to the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance, indigo peaks dusted with white.
I can only imagine what this place must look like in the summer when everything is green.
But for now, for us—it’s offering just what we need—peace.
The drive went by in a blur once I gave Astrid control of the music and she started playing songs from when we were in high school.
We laughed, she danced, and then we talked a lot about our memories.
But every time she mentioned Brandon, I could tell she felt uncomfortable.
And I wish there was something I could say or do about that.
Hopefully by the end of the weekend she’ll feel differently.
I cage Astrid in against the railing she’s leaning over on the deck.
The house I rented is two stories with the bottom level reserved for the garage and den.
But the top level is the entire living area—a quaint kitchen with granite counter tops, two large sofas you can sink into positioned around a giant television, three bedrooms and two bathrooms, which is way more than we need.
But it was the view that sold me on this place, and now I’m glad I went with my gut.
The sound of silence fills the air around us. We’re the only house for miles and the main hub of the little town we’re in is about a seven-minute drive from here.
We’re alone. Away. Distanced from our lives back home.
And that’s exactly what we needed.
Astrid pulls her beanie down further over her ears as I press her back to my chest and circle my arms around her. “I can’t wait to watch the sunrise out here,” she says almost breathlessly.
“You plan on being up that early?”
“I mean, I’d love to be able to sleep in, but my internal clock probably won’t let me.”
I drag my cold nose against her neck. “Then I’ll just have to tire you out so you don’t have a choice.”
Giggling, she turns in my arms, her smile blinding and her eyes shining in the midday sun.
She’s so fucking stunning, natural and pure, strong and gentle all at the same time.
She’s the woman I crave every minute, the company I want at the end of each day, and the person I’m meant to be with for the rest of my life.
I love her.
I think on some level I always have.
And I’m terrified that she may never be able to open herself up to me completely because she loved my best friend first.
“Thank you again for planning this, for forcing me to take time away.”
“Believe me, it was a struggle for me too.” I pull a strand of her hair away from her face that the breeze blew across her lips.
“But now we’re here and we’re going to make the most of it.
” I take her by the hand and lead her back through the double French doors, closing them behind us.
“I’m gonna start a fire in the wood burning stove.
Why don’t you go unpack and then we can go grab some lunch? ”
“Sounds good.”
After I get the fire going and the heat starts to warm up the space, I head to the master bedroom where Astrid’s unpacking. I intend to take her into town to grab some lunch and groceries, but when I enter the room, I decide the first thing I need to eat is her—every fucking inch of her.
Astrid is taking her toiletries out of her suitcase, walking to the master bathroom when she sees me standing in the doorway, my body rigid and about to snap. And she stops. “Penn?”
“Take your pants off.”
Her eyes go wide, her lips part, and the small bag that she’s holding falls to the floor. “Oh…”
I strip off my flannel, rip my beanie from my head, and reach behind my neck to bring my shirt up over my head. Astrid’s eyes darken right before me. “I’ve waited all week to taste you again, and I’m not waiting any longer.”
“But I thought we were going to lunch?”
“I’m going to eat my appetizer right now.” She smirks at me. “What part of me wanting to fuck you all over this cabin did you not understand?”
She starts to laugh, but I race toward her, pick her up and toss her over my shoulder before throwing her on the bed, her giggles ringing out around us.
She starts stripping off her shirt as I pull down her black leggings, finding her pussy covered in black lace that hints at the prize hiding underneath.
I drag my nose over her slit, pushing her thighs open to make room for my shoulders.
“Fuck, I can smell you. You like the idea of me licking your pussy, don’t you, Astrid?”
“Yes…” she mewls, burying her hands in my hair.
I hook my thumbs under the string on her hip and pull the fabric down her legs, kissing up her calves and knees, the inside of her thighs, before I make my way back to her core, dragging the entire length of my tongue through her wetness.
“Penn…”
Fueled by the desire in her voice, I take my time building her up—worshiping her the way she deserves, reminding her of our insane chemistry, proving to her the way we want each other can’t be wrong when it’s this fucking good.
I’m tired of feeling guilty. I’m tired of wondering “what if?”
I just want to be here, in the present, drowning in this woman and proving to her that us together is right.
It has to be.
Flicking her clit softly, I look up at her from between her legs, watching her come undone as my fingers and tongue bring her over the edge.
And when she’s spent, when her breaths return to normal, she sighs contently, and I wonder if she’d rather just order in.
I’m not sure if we have that option given our remote location.
But when her head pops up and our eyes meet, she licks her lips and pounces on me. “Now it’s my turn.”
***
“This town is amazing.” Astrid takes a sip of her beer and looks around the pub we stumbled in after we were done exploring for the day.
We bought food for tomorrow that we stored in a small cooler in my truck, she bought herself a new hat and some chocolates from a local shop, and we ate soup and sandwiches at the one café that served lunch.
We were able to catch the sunset from one of the main streets in town, and then decided to get some drinks and dinner before heading back to the cabin for the night and probably all of tomorrow, if I have my way.
“I’ve spent so much time in Carrington Cove that I forget there are other little towns like this, ones even smaller than ours.”
“Carrington Cove isn’t as small as it used to be,” I say as I take another drink of the IPA I ordered.
“True. Tourism has been good to us.”
“It has.”
“Is that why you want to tap into that new venture?” she asks, broaching the first of many topics we need to discuss.
“Yeah,” I admit. “The contracting part is just so I have steady cash flow, but investing in real estate is something I’ve been interested in for a while.” I draw a finger through the condensation on my glass. “I’m ready to make my plans a reality.”
When I look up, I’m met with Astrid’s understanding smile. “You deserve that, Penn.”
Staring at her intently, I say, “Thank you. Honestly, if it weren’t for you, I probably wouldn’t have done it.”
“Then why did you hide it from me?” she asks, reaching out for my hand and covering it with her own. “That day at the bakery, when I found out…” She shakes her head. “I was hurt.”
Be honest with her, Penn. No secrets. No lies. That’s not how you want to start things with her.
I take in a deep breath and then admit, “Because I’m scared of failing, Astrid. And the last thing I want is for you to see me that way. As a failure.”
Her brows draw together. “I could never, Penn. With your work ethic, your strength, your heart? You could never be a failure in my eyes.”
I scoot closer to her and our foreheads meet. “Thank you. I needed to hear that.”
She presses her lips to mine and then leans back. “Tell me more about your plans. What do you see for your business long term?”
As I lean back in my chair and take a sip of my beer, I imagine where I could be in five years if I took the risks I need to.
“I want to establish a name for myself in town and the surrounding towns as a high-end contractor. Adding more rentals to my portfolio is a must, obviously. I’m just not sure if it’s realistic given the market and the fact that not many people leave Carrington Cove. ”
“Yeah, I get that. Have you thought about branding? Business cards? A website?”
I run my hand through my hair. “Fuck. I mean, yeah, but I’m not actively pursuing that. Should I be?”
She tilts her head at me and smiles. “Eventually, yes, especially if you want to bring in high profile clients. But I can help you with a lot of that, you know…”
I lean toward her. “You’d do that?”
“Penn, of course I would. If you would have just told me about your idea in the first place, I could have been supporting you and helping you all along.”