6. Chapter Six
Chapter Six
LUCAS
L etting myself into the cabin, I put the groceries away and get my bed ready. It’s been a long and mentally challenging day with Penelope. Man, that woman has been a pain in my ass. I finally get the peace and quiet I came here for.
I put a kettle on the stove to boil water for tea. I wonder how Penelope is doing without a working stove? Shaking myself out of the thought, I pull a mug from the top cupboard. Why is she on my mind? She’s no longer my problem.
Except ever since leaving the bar, she’s all I’ve been thinking about. Even in the bar my eyes were drawn to her. Her body, her lips. The way she licked sauce from her fingers made my balls tighten with the thought of her sucking my dick into her mouth. And when that douchebag guy approached her, I sprang from my seat so fast to get him away from her.
I place my hands on the counter and hang my head. What the fuck is wrong with me? When I look at her, I’m supposed to feel disgust—want her the hell away from me. Yet it’s the opposite. Lust burns through my veins, and I have to control myself to keep my hands off her.
I should have gone back to Allie’s place and fucked all thoughts of Penelope from my mind. It’s so messed up that I’m even thinking that way. Except my dick didn’t even stir when Allie touched me. Besides, when we hooked up the last time I was in Oaks Valley, she knew we were only having fun—no commitment. A one-time thing. That’s all I can offer. Today felt different. There was a possessiveness about her. Like I was her man.
I don’t belong to anyone.
Never will.
When the water boils, I pour it into the mug and take it out on the porch. I breathe in the warm air pungent with forest scents. Dense darkness surrounds the cabin. I gaze up at the bright stars, and they seem close enough to touch. You don’t get a sky like this in the city.
This time every year I come to the cabin for the anniversary of Garrett’s death. He loved this place. It was our escape from the drama in our lives. It’s never been the same without him. In two days it will be eight years since the car accident that killed him. The heaviness of that night and the years leading up to it sit heavy on my shoulders. I doubt I’ll ever feel light again.
Finishing my tea, I head inside and put the mug in the sink. I kick off my boots and strip out of my clothes. Dropping naked on the bed, I stare up at the ceiling. It’s not long until my eyes drift closed from the exhaustion of the day. A moment later—or it could be hours after I’ve fallen asleep—a noise outside wakes me.
Groggy with sleep, I sit and listen to my surroundings. Was that a car I heard? No one ever comes to the cabin, especially at night. Then the sound of shuffling feet hit the porch, and all dredges of sleep instantly vanish, and I bound to my feet. There’s someone out there.
I don’t have time to grab the gun from the closet and load it, so I snatch a knife from the butcher block next to the sink. With light footsteps, I slink to the door. Just as I reach it, the hinges creak as it slowly swings open. A dark figure steps into the room. Before they can move any further, I push my forearm against the intruder’s chest, backing them against the wall and holding the knife to their neck.
“What the fuck do you want?” I thunder into their ear.
“Lucas…it’s me…Penny. Don’t…hurt me.” Penelope’s voice is whisper quiet, like she’s too scared to speak too loud in case I slice her throat open. It’s then that the scent of her floral perfume and the softness of her body—her breasts under my arm—registers. Fuck! I drop my arms and step away.
“Jesus, Penelope. Why are you creeping around the cabin?”
“I didn’t want to wake you.” Her voice is louder and stronger now that the threat of a sharp blade at her throat has been taken away.
I rake my fingers through my hair. “I could have killed you.”
She gives a sheepish smile I can just make out from the dim light of the moon shining through the open door. “I’m grateful you didn’t.”
Tossing the knife onto the counter, I stomp to the side of the bed and flick on the lamp.
Penelope’s gaze drops to my crotch, and her eyes widen. With a loud gasp, she spins around. I’d forgotten I was naked. In my rush to get to the intruder, I had no time to dress.
Finding my jeans on the recliner, I pull them on. “You can turn around.”
She peeks over her shoulder like she’s checking to make sure I’m telling the truth. When she seems satisfied, she faces me. I haven’t put a shirt on, and her gaze scans my chest. Is that an appreciative expression on her face? No, my mind can’t go there. Not when I’m trying damned hard to stop thinking of her without her clothes on.
“What happened to your room at the bar?” With her bags sitting on the porch in front of the door, I’m guessing she’s here to stay. And just when I thought I’d gotten rid of her.
She fiddles with a button on her blouse. “It was horrible. The place was filthy. There was no linen, and the bed was so stained it looked like someone had died on it and hadn’t been found in days.” She shudders.
“It’s rumored that old Mr. Duffy drank himself to death in that room.” Penelope’s mouth drops open, and I add, “No one has ever confirmed it though.”
“I’m not surprised. It was disgusting. I’m sure the mattress is riddled with bedbugs and other bodily fluids.” She scratches at her arms like insects are biting.
“So you thought you could come back here?” There goes my peace and quiet.
She shuffles her feet. “You did originally offer to let me stay. I didn’t think it would be a problem?” She says it as a question, like she’s wondering if I’m retracting the invitation.
I scratch the back of my head. After the reaction I had in the bar, having her here might be a problem.
When I say nothing, she quickly adds, “It’s only for a few days. You won’t even know I’m here.”
I doubt that. “You’re still sleeping on the recliner.”
She smiles with relief. And damn if it doesn’t shoot into my chest. Then a thought hits me. “How did you get back here?”
Pulling her luggage inside from the porch, she closes the door. “Mitch from the bar gave me a ride.”
“Who’s Mitch?”
“The guy you threatened to leave me alone.” She pushes her palms on the cushions of the recliner like she’s testing it for comfort.
My body stiffens. “You got into a car with a stranger?” A stranger who wanted to jump her bones. “He could have been a serial killer for all you know.” Is she nuts?
She nibbles at her bottom lip. “He seemed nice enough. Plus, Alison assured me I was in excellent hands. Mitch has even offered to take me hiking. Apparently there’s a natural hot spring around here.”
My jaw clenches. “You didn’t accept his offer, did you? Just because Allie has given Mitch the thumbs-up doesn’t mean he won’t dispose of your body off the nearest cliff.”
She rolls her eyes. “I thought that would make you happy. Then I’d be out of your life permanently.”
“Normally, I’d be ecstatic. But as I’ve said before—since I’m the last person you’ve been seen with, that will make me the number one suspect.”
Shaking her head, she says, “You’re so dramatic.”
Lifting the luggage onto the bed, she opens it. A bunch of multicolored, lacy bras and panties get tossed around among skimpy bikinis and silky clothing.
“What the hell have you packed?” I swallow hard at the thought of her wearing any of those scraps of material.
She looks at me and back at the luggage. Understanding at my question springs to her face. “Oh, I was supposed to be in Bora Bora. I never expected to be staying in a cabin in the woods.”
“Weren’t you going with a friend?”
“Yes. Why?”
“You packed all that kinky stuff for a girlfriend?”
She picks up a long, white, silky negligée. “This was the bag I was taking on my honeymoon. I never got the chance to repack it.” She lays the garment over her arm. “Where’s the bathroom so I can change?”
Holy fuck! She’s wearing that? Tonight? While my dick is getting harder by the second? Oh hell no. “As you can see, the cabin is only one room. It doesn’t have a bathroom. There’s only an outhouse.”
Her lip curls. “An outhouse? Like outside ?”
“That’s where you find them.”
She hugs her arms around her waist and glances out the window. Without a flashlight she won’t be able to see two feet in front of her if she goes out there. “I guess I’ll have to get changed here.”
“You’re not wearing that, are you?” I point to the negligée on her arm.
“I have nothing else.”
“I have a t-shirt you can use…you know, so you’re more comfortable.” And to cover up as much of her body as possible.
“That would be great. Thanks.”
At the dresser, I take out the first t-shirt I find and hand it to her. She looks at me and doesn’t move. “Is there something else you need?” I ask.
“Can you turn around please?”
“Sure.” I turn. The rustling sounds of her removing her clothes has me itching to take a peek.
After a moment, she says, “I’m decent. You can turn around.”
When I do, my tongue gets stuck to the roof of my mouth. She is anything but decent. I thought seeing her in a t-shirt would be better than the sexy negligée. Man was I wrong. There’s nothing sexier than a woman wearing a man’s t-shirt. Why didn’t I remember that? The neck of the white top slips off her shoulder, exposing her creamy skin. The hem falls mid-thigh, showing off a decent amount of leg. Holy shit! I can’t drag my eyes away from her.
She adjusts the neck of the top so it covers her shoulder. “Thanks for this.”
I clear my throat. “No problem.”
Pointing to the recliner, she says, “I should get some sleep. Do you have a blanket?”
I nod toward the small closet in the corner of the room. “You’ll find them in there.”
She gives the closet a dubious glance. “Nothing furry and creepy is going to jump out at me, right?”
“Last I checked it was safe.”
As Penelope walks to the closet, I get the back view of her in my t-shirt and my gaze lands on her ass. The fabric rises with each step she takes, threatening to expose what panties she’s wearing. It makes me want to tell her to forget the recliner and join me in my bed so I can take it off her and explore her body.
This is Penelope Aldin . Why am I thinking of her this way? It’s the last thing I want to do.
Except once there was a time I did.
Then everything turned to shit. Instantly, my dick deflates. My back stiffens. I move away and get into bed. Turning my back toward her, I flick off the light. Let her manage to get back to the recliner in the dark.
There’s a bump and a hiss like she’s hit something. Then a moment of silence before she says, “Goodnight.”
I don’t answer. If she hadn’t gotten me expelled from high school, my life would have taken a different route. I wouldn’t have fucked around for months with no purpose.
I wouldn’t have called Garrett one drunken night.
And Garrett would still be alive.