Chapter Thirty #2
"That I love Ben and Spencer to the moon and back. Nothing will change that. I didn't think I was ready for this kind of love, at least not this fast, but I am. I'm completely and utterly prepared to love both of them forever."
"You're a great woman. I couldn't have wished for anyone better for my grandson.”
A sound outside the door startled us both.
"I think Spencer is back," Jeannie said.
I tensed. Ben began to fuss in my arms, but I kissed the top of his head, and he immediately relaxed. When Spencer stepped inside, my breath caught.
"Hi, Grandmother. Hi, Penny." He lowered his eyes to Ben, who was now giggly, moving his nose and lips over my chest.
"Hey! I just came to say hi to your grandmother and to cuddle this little guy."
"Right. You know what? Cal's going to come in a few minutes to pick me up," Jeannie said.
"And I'm not nearly done with this cutie.
Do you mind if I take him with me tonight?
" She glanced between me and Spencer. Her intention was clear.
She wanted to give us space. "I feel very alert," Jeannie went on.
Spencer narrowed his eyes, considering this for a few seconds. "I‘ll message Agatha to come straight to your house.”
“Oh! You think she’ll be available?” Jeannie asked.
“Yes. I asked her to be on call for us a while ago.”
“I’m sure Abe and I can handle the little one for the night,” Jeannie continued.
“Nah, I’ll feel better if Agatha is there too.”
Jeannie pouted as Spencer sent a text message. His phone pinged.
“She’ll be at your house in one hour.”
“Okay,” Jeannie said.
My heart rate accelerated in the anticipation of us being together, alone.
"I'll pick him up tomorrow."
"No need. I'll talk to Cal, and I'll bring him back. You just tell me when."
I felt a shift in the air. I tensed up, and my breath caught when Spencer trapped my gaze in his. He went upstairs, presumably to get Ben's bag, and Jeannie immediately took the baby from my arms.
"Oh, you’re going to spend some more time with your great-grandmother.
I didn't have nearly enough of you." She winked at me.
"Use this time well. I have a feeling about these things. I know my grandsons. They are no fools. Spencer is—” She stopped abruptly as we both heard footsteps coming downstairs.
"Here is the bag. Everything you need is inside," Spencer said.
Jeannie looked out the window. "Cal is already outside. How long has the poor guy been waiting there?"
"The car was already here when I arrived," Spencer said. "I'll walk with you to the car." He picked up the car seat from the hallway. Then he turned to me. My knees weakened when he laid his gorgeous eyes on me. "Can you wait here? I'd like to talk to you."
I opened my mouth to say, "Sure," but nothing came out, so I just nodded, lacing my fingers behind my back and twiddling my thumbs.
I quickly went into the kitchen, downing a glass of water.
My throat was suddenly very dry. When I heard the front door open, I carefully lowered the glass and turned around.
Spencer stood in the doorway for a few seconds.
Oh my God, I couldn't take the tension anymore. Please say something, anything.
"Grandmother and Ben already left.”
“I just came in because I noticed Jeannie outside and got to talking with her. One thing led to another, and then she asked me in here."
"Are you staying with Taylor tonight?" he asked, walking toward me slowly.
"Yes. She's gone for an event and wanted me to watch the pets."
"I'm so fucking glad you are here," he said, stepping right in front of me.
I gripped the edge of the counter. "You are?"
"Fuck yes. I've wanted to see you so damn bad." He smelled faintly of alcohol.
"Were you playing tennis?"
"That's right. Then my brothers and half brothers ambushed me, and one thing led to another.”
"What thing led to what?" I asked. "What do you mean, they ambushed you?"
He ran a hand through his hair. He was so close. I desperately wanted to kiss him.
"I had trouble focusing. Then I found the whole gang gathered there and giving me advice."
"About what?"
"About us. My brothers weren't very helpful. But Meredith and Natalie were."
"Really?" I whispered.
He nodded and cupped my cheek. I leaned into his touch. I never wanted him to stop touching me.
"I love you, Penny. I can barely breathe when you're not with me."
"I wanted to hear that so much."
He moved his hand further down, kissing the spot where he pressed his thumb before. "I shouldn't have doubted you when you said you knew what you wanted."
"No, you shouldn't," I said, standing my ground even though I was melting for him. “I don't say things I don't mean, Spencer."
He swallowed hard, stepping back an inch or so. "I thought…" He shook his head. "I don't even know.”
"Spencer," I said, and my voice was even stronger now. I was so proud of myself. I wasn't mumbling. I wasn't even hesitating, "Your grandmother said something that I think was very smart."
He lifted one corner of his mouth. "She's usually full of great advice. But she doesn’t know everything.”
“Apparently, she does. Gabe told her.”
Spencer jerked his head back. “Right. Okay. What did she say?"
"That she knew right away that your grandfather was the one. And that back in her time…"
He was smiling now.
"What?" I asked.
"People didn't need much time to decide to be together?"
I frowned. "Yes, something like that."
He threw his head back, laughing. "I've heard that speech. Gabe recited it this afternoon. She prepped my brother well. I love you so damn much, Penny."
He pressed his forehead to mine, placing one hand on the side of my body. I felt his warm palm against my ribs. "I know this is fast, and I don't care. What I feel for you is… I don't even know how to describe it. I've never felt anything like this before."
"It's the same for me," I whispered. "And I know that I said before that I wasn’t ready to move in with you…"
His smile was back, even wider than before. "Yeah?"
"But if you ask me again, I'm going to say yes."
He swallowed hard. "Are you serious?"
"Yes. Yes, I am."
“When can you move in? Today?"
I laughed. "I think we can make that happen. It's not like I have much stuff. I even sold the dresser."
He growled, coming closer and putting his other hand on my left side. "We can bring all your things later on, but right now, I have other plans."
He kissed my left cheek and down the side of my neck before moving to the right side, giving it the same treatment. I shivered, feeling as if every cell in my body came alive.
"I'm going to keep you here for the rest of the day and do everything I want to you."
"Yes, yes, please," I whispered. It sounded like a dream. "All I need," I confessed, "is to be yours."
"You've got me completely, Penny. I'm yours, I belong to you, every part of me."
His words reached deep inside me, lodging themselves there.
"I need you. I can't exist without knowing that I can come home to you," Spencer said.
"Spencer," I whispered. He kissed back up my neck and then feathered his lips along my jaw until he captured my mouth. I pressed my body into his and wrapped my hands around his shoulder blades. Every muscle in my body was strung tight. At the same time, even my bones seemed to melt.
It was the strangest feeling. I deepened the kiss and pulled him down to me because I needed to touch more of him.
He bent at the waist, rounding his shoulders.
I wrapped my fingers in his hair, loving how he felt at the touch.
He was mine. This gorgeous, amazing man was mine, and nothing was going to come between us.
I'd never felt so happy in my life. He kissed me wildly and pushed the straps of my dress down my shoulders, devouring my neck and kissing the patch of skin that was now bare.
I felt him get hard, and a deep hunger formed inside of me instantly.
There was nothing gradual about it. It simply slammed into me.
I was desperate to get him out of his clothes, and I tugged at everything I could: his T-shirt, the button of his jeans, the zipper.
With a low growl, he stepped back. Damn!
I hadn't made any progress at all. Actually, I'd managed to undo the button of his jeans and lower the zipper, and that was about it.
He seemed to read my thoughts, because he reached one hand behind his back, pulling his shirt over his head.
He looked like a god. Absolute perfection.
I couldn't believe he was mine. Every muscle was sculpted.
To my surprise, he got rid of his pants too. He stood in front of me in his boxers. Suddenly, I wondered what lingerie I'd chosen this morning. I hadn't cared one bit. Mental note: never choose your underwear before you have coffee again, Penny.
"Tell me what's on your mind. I can feel you overthinking."
I laughed nervously.
"Whatever it is, I want to know."
I felt completely silly as I said, "I think I've got very unsexy underwear on."
"I don't give a crap what you're wearing. You're the most beautiful woman to me. Always will be."
I licked my lip as he undid the zipper of my dress. It fell to the floor. I risked a glance downward. Okay, it wasn't too bad—a simple cotton bra. At least it wasn't a sports bra.
"Stop overthinking it. I told you: you’re beautiful to me no matter what you wear."
I felt more vulnerable than usual, standing like this in front of him. He took my hand, pulling me closer. He kissed down my collarbone and drew a line between my breast and my navel. I looked down at him to see his eyes were dark. And I was so turned on.
With a wry smile, he straightened up and grabbed my ass. "Put your hands on my shoulders to steady yourself."
"For what?"
"Going to lift you up onto the kitchen island. I want to feast on you, Penny—right here."
I didn't think that was possible, but I got even more turned on than before. Anticipation pulsed through me. He pushed my panties down right before lifting me up and placing me on the counter. My panties hung between my thighs.
"Fuck, you're already wet," he said.