Chapter 15
Penelope
Cas is picking me up for our second date, and the memory of that goodnight kiss on the porch after dinner the other night has my stomach doing flips.
What does he have planned for today? Last night, when he came over for dinner at the B&B after his shift, he just smirked when I asked.
That sexy, knowing smirk that makes my heart leap every time.
I head downstairs, and just as I take the last step, the door opens. My mouth goes dry. Damn. He looks like a GQ model, black shirt, blue jeans that hug every muscle, black Stetson tilted low, and that wicked smirk when he sees me blush.
“Hello, Sunset.”
The nickname makes me smile. “Hi, cowboy.”
His gaze slides down my body, and the smirk softens into a devastatingly sweet, panty-melting smile. Dimples and all.
“You look…perfect.”
He pulls me into a hug, and I breathe in his scent. Safe. I feel so damn safe in his arms.
“I like you in black,” I say when I pull back. “It makes your eyes pop.”
He chuckles. “You saying I’ve got sexy eyes?”
I flush red hot. “No, I…uh…I mean…”
“Relax, Sunset.” He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, his knuckles grazing my cheek. My eyes drop to his full lips, and I have to drag my gaze back up.
Get your head out of the gutter, Penny.
“Is this outfit okay?” I ask, smoothing my dress. It’s a long-sleeved button-up, cinched with a belt, cowboy boots to match.
“You look stunning, as always. Bring a jacket, though, the forecast says it may rain. I’ve got something outside planned.”
“Okay.”
When I reach for my jacket, he takes it from my hands. “Let me.” He slides it over my shoulders, then leans down and presses a kiss to my cheek. This man.
We wind through the mountain roads for nearly twenty minutes before Cas finally slows, turning onto a narrow dirt lane that dips toward a hidden clearing. Pines tower overhead, their shadows stretching long across the gravel, and when the trees break, the sight steals my breath.
The lake spreads out like glass, rimmed with dark green forest, its surface shimmering with hints of gold as the sun filters through the clouds.
A few men stand fishing on the far bank, their voices carrying faintly across the water, but otherwise it’s still, so still it feels like the world is holding its breath.
“Cas…” My voice is soft, reverent. “It’s beautiful.”
He kills the engine, tips his Stetson at me with that crooked grin that’s pure trouble. “Not bad, huh?”
When we step out, I notice a small wooden dock tucked against the shore. A white rowboat waits there, bobbing gently with the current. Cushions line the seats, a wicker basket rests in the center, and at the back, a folded blanket is tucked neatly like he thought of everything.
I stop dead, staring. “Wait. We’re going on a boat?”
His grin widens. “Yep.”
“You planned all this?”
“Course I did. Told you I wanted to spoil you, Sunset.”
My heart does a stupid flip as he offers his hand to help me in. I take it, and the warmth of his grip makes my pulse skip. He steadies me like I’m the most important thing he’s ever carried, then climbs in after me and takes the oars.
He rows us out onto the lake, strong strokes pulling us into the stillness. I watch the play of his muscles beneath that black shirt, the way the water shifts around us, the sunlight glinting on his arms. My mouth goes dry imagining them wrapped around me.
“Like what you see?” His voice is low, teasing, but his eyes are sharp, catching everything.
Heat rushes up my cheeks. “Yeah,” I whisper. “I do.”
His smile fades, replaced by something darker. “What were you thinking about?”
I hesitate, but I’m tired of hiding. Tired of living small.
“I was picturing your arms around me.”
His strokes slow, the oars dipping lazily into the water before he sets them aside. He leans closer, steady even as the boat rocks beneath us.
“I love the way you make me feel safe,” I murmur. “Like I can breathe again.” I bite my lip, heart pounding. “But now I’m thinking about your lips.”
His mouth hovers just over mine. “What about them?”
“I liked how they felt when you…”
Before I can finish, Cas’s mouth claims mine, hot and hungry. The kiss devours me, steals every thought but him. His hand cradles my head while the other grips my hip, dragging me closer until I’m practically in his lap.
“Penny…” he rasps between kisses, forehead pressed to mine. “You undo me.”
I shiver at the rawness in his voice. His lips trail down my jaw, to the corner of my mouth, lingering like he can’t get enough.
Then he pulls back suddenly, chest heaving. “Okay,” he mutters, voice rough. “Time to stop.”
My breath catches. “Why?”
He grins, wicked and boyish all at once. “Because I brought sandwiches from the deli. And I actually want you to eat before I lose every ounce of restraint.”
I laugh, shaky, and take the sandwich he hands me. The first bite is so good I can’t help the tiny moan that slips out.
Cas freezes. His gaze drops to my lips, heat sparking in his eyes.
“You make that noise again, Sunset,” he warns, voice rough, “and I’ll forget patience.”
My cheeks flame. “Oh.”
“Yeah, oh.” He smirks, eyes blazing. “Finish your food, Penny. Right now, you look so damn tempting it’s taking every ounce of control I’ve got.”
Before I can reply, the breeze shifts. Clouds roll in, heavy and dark, dimming the sunlight. A low rumble echoes across the mountains.
Cas glances up at the sky, smirking. “Looks like rain.”
The words are barely out when the heavens open.
We scramble to shove the food back into the basket, laughing as fat drops pelt us. The rain soaks through my dress in seconds, my hair plastering to my face. Cas fights to row us back, but I throw my head back and laugh harder, loving the wildness, the freedom of the storm.
When I glance back at him, he’s not rowing anymore. He’s just watching me. Watching like I’m the storm itself.
“You…” His voice is rough, reverent. “I’ve never seen anything more breathtaking.”
He rises, crossing the space in one stride. With deliberate slowness, he lifts his Stetson from his head and settles it onto mine. It’s far too big, the brim dripping with rain, shading my eyes. But the way he looks at me, like I’m a miracle, makes me feel like I wear it better than I think.
“You’re so damn beautiful, Penny,” he murmurs, voice rough as gravel. “Dancing in the storm like you own it.”
Before I can answer, his hand finds mine, tugging me up. He hums softly, the familiar tune of our song, she’s my kind of rain, and twirls me right there on the rocking boat.
My breath catches as he pulls me against his chest, moving slow and steady while thunder crashes overhead. Rain pours down, soaking us, but all I feel is him: his warmth, his strength, his heartbeat pressed against mine.
He sings the last words, and then his mouth is on mine, searing, hungry. The world disappears. No storm. No lake. Just him.
I melt as he lowers me onto the drenched cushions, tugging the folded blanket free and spreading it beneath me in one smooth motion. It’s damp at the edges, but I don’t care. Neither of us does. We’re already lost.
His weight hovers above me, lips brushing mine again and again, softer this time, reverent. His hand laces with mine, pinning it gently beside my head as if to say I belong to him and him alone.
"Look at you,” he murmurs against my mouth. “Flushed, freckles glowing, hair wet and fanning out like fire. I wish I were a painter… so I could capture you like this and keep you forever."
By the time the storm breaks, streaks of gold light scatter across the lake.
We lie tangled, laughing breathlessly, soaked to the skin on the rocking boat, the blanket half-sliding into the water.
The cushions are drenched, hair plastered to my cheeks, but I don’t care. None of it matters. It’s ours.
Eventually Cas shifts, brushing a wet curl from my face. “C’mon, Sunset. Let’s get you warm.”
He pulls me up, steadying me as the boat wobbles, and rows us back with sure, strong strokes. I watch him in silence, chest still fluttering, body still humming from his kisses. The storm’s passed, but I swear the air still crackles around us.
When we reach the dock, he jumps out first, tying the rope with practiced hands before lifting me out like I weigh nothing. My soaked dress clings to me, the night air cool against my skin. I shiver, and immediately he hugs me to him before steering me toward the truck.
Inside, he digs behind the seat and pulls out a hoodie. “It’ll drown you,” he says with a crooked grin, “but I like you in my clothes.”
Warmth blooms in my chest as I pull off my wet dress and tug the hoodie over my head. Cas has his back to me, giving me a moment of privacy, and I can’t help but notice how big it feels on me, sleeves swallowing my hands, the hem grazing my thighs.
It smells like him: pine, rain, Cas. My head spins a little, heart racing.
“Done,” I murmur. He slowly turns to look at me, lingering for a beat, eyes dark, soft, and unreadable.
Finally, he slides back behind the wheel.
The hum of the engine fills the space between us, but I can still feel him, close, silent, alive.
He drives slowly, headlights glinting off the wet pavement as the late afternoon sky darkens.
One hand grips the wheel, while the other slips over to rest on my bare thigh, thumb tracing lazy circles across my skin.
I lean into him, cheek against his shoulder, breathing him in. His hoodie is warm, his touch steady, grounding me in a way I never knew I needed.
“Better?” he murmurs.
“Perfect,” I whisper.
His lips twitch like he’s holding back more, but he just squeezes my leg gently, keeping me close as the truck hums along the mountain road. And I notice I don’t feel lost anymore. With Cas, I feel at home.