Not sorry, though. I crave to run my finger along her forearm, up over the curve of her small bicep, around her shoulder, and to her neck.
I sling an arm over the back of the sofa behind Penny, leaning in so I can still look at Emilia. At first, Penny is stiff, but she relaxes, talking softly to Emilia.
With my free hand, I gently stroke Emilia’s hair again. She’s just so soft and cute. My leg starts aching, so I stretch it out, only wincing slightly. Penny nudges me with her thigh, sending currents of heat straight to my cock.
“You’re hurting,” she says, frowning my way.
“Always.”
Emilia opens her eyes, pinning us with amber ones that match her mother’s. Her face scrunches and then she lets out a grumbly-ass fart that sounds wet.
“Ew,” Penny whines. “Take her.”
“All yours, babe,” I say with a laugh.
Her eyes are fiery. “I’m serious. I hate poop.”
“And I like it?” I challenge.
“You’re a boy. Boys are gross. Just take her.”
Jordy appears, looking fatherly as fuck as he holds his hands out for his baby. “Hand her over. Roux wants to feed her anyway. I’ll go change her.”
Penny happily passes her back to her daddy. As soon as he leaves us, I realize with my arm on the sofa behind Penny and sitting so closely, we might be seen as a couple. And, for some reason, I don’t hate that fact.
Penny, however, must.
She flies off the sofa and heads toward the kitchen. Before I can go after her, I’m bombarded by Cal, who sits down in Penny’s vacated seat and proceeds to give me shit about lusting over jailbait.
I’m in so much trouble with this girl.
Penny
I’m antsy. Wired. Over it. I should leave, but it’s one of those moments where I know I’ll get more shit about leaving than staying. Everyone will want to know what’s wrong and then they’ll draw conclusions that it has to be Terrence.
I don’t want them blaming him for my pissy mood.
Even if he is the reason.
Being mad at him makes no sense. He’s done nothing wrong, but I can’t help but feel edgy and bursting with energy whenever he nears me. All night, he’s been right there beside me with his intoxicating scent and addictive smile.
He makes me feel warm, but with each passing second, the heat inside me increases tenfold, leaving me a burning inferno of…something. It makes me feel out of control. For a girl who desperately needs control to feel somewhat normal, this is stressful.
I catch his dark-eyed stare as he laughs at something Loden says. They’re standing near the kitchen table, absently picking at snacks there. Loden, of course looks good in all his rock star glory, but he pales in comparison to the way Terrence’s energy pulsates like rays from the sun.
Terrence is too much…everything.
And I still can’t decide if it’s a good thing or a bad thing.
His dark jeans hug his muscular thighs, fitting him in all the right places. Rather than a hoodie, tonight he’s wearing a pale blue Henley that seems painted on his muscular frame. I’ve been captivated all night by the way the material stretches over each bulge of muscle.
Heat zaps through me again.
Like I said, he’s the sun.
Burning the fuck out of me from the inside out.
Needing an escape, I rush to the bathroom. Once inside, I splash cold water on my neck to cool off. It’s nearing midnight, which means once this countdown is over, I’m going to bail. Jordy already took Roux and Emilia home hours ago. No one will care when I sneak out too.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. I yank it out to find a text from Tierra.
Tierra: Oh my God. I’m in hell.
Me: Why did you get grounded anyway?
She’d texted last minute earlier today saying her grandma grounded her and she wouldn’t be coming to the party. I thought it was strange, but she didn’t elaborate.
Tierra: I texted him.
Me: Who?
Tierra: Tim.
Oh, fuck no. That old man who works with her dad? The same Tim she sent nudes to?
Me: Bad idea. What about the investigation?
Tierra: It was a weak moment. No need to judge.
Me: I get it, but won’t you get in trouble? Did he text back?
Tierra: He misses me too…
Me: Back away, Tee. He’s bad news. You’re in all kinds of shit over him. Don’t get pulled back into it.
Tierra: I know. I won’t.
It feels like a lie, though.
Me: Next time you feel like texting him, just text me instead.
Tierra: Yeah, I know, girl. Love you.
I’m not a gushy, lovey-dovey girl, so I just send her some thumbs-up emojis because it seems like my equivalent of a “love you.”
Tierra: Bitch.
I smirk and then send her a middle finger emoji instead. This earns me a lot of crying laughing emojis and then a sassy selfie of her in her jammies, grinning like an idiot. I give her my own selfie. I’m like her alter-ego, the unsmiling, bitchy version.
Tierra: Why you gotta be so hot, Pen? Gonna turn Queen Tee gay!
Me: Better than you texting with old perverts.
Tierra: He’s not old.
Me: Stop talking.
Tierra: Such a bitch, but you’re my bitch.
Me: Bye, bitch.
Tierra: Bye, Sociopath Barbie.
This time, I send her a mixture of thumbs-ups and middle fingers.
After wasting as much time as possible in the bathroom, I finally slip out. Everyone has migrated to the living room. The music has been turned off as they get ready for the ball to drop in New York City. Of course, it’s already flipped over into the new year hours ago and pre-recorded because we’re on opposite sides of the US. Our new year, however, is about to start.
To avoid the loud laughing and cutting up, I make my way into the kitchen. I lean my ass against the counter, crossing my arms over my chest. Waiting. Counting down. Ready to leave.
And just like that…he arrives.
Terrence James.
The beautifully broken one.
Look away, Penny.
You can’t look at the sun. You’ll go blind.
Yet, I can’t help it. My eyes lock on his as he prowls my way, something feral and ravenous in his stare that makes me shiver in a way that doesn’t feel uncomfortable.
“Hiding from me?” he asks, his lips quirking up on one side.
I roll my eyes. “Just waiting until midnight so I can leave.”
His amusement fades as he steps closer. “Then who will I talk to?”
“Cal?”
“He talks too much,” he teases, his words soft, just the way I like them.
“He does,” I agree. “He’s the mouthiest Hoodlum.”
Terrence laughs, a deep, husky sound that sends currents of electricity zapping through every last one of my nerve endings. “The guy never shuts up.”
I fixate on his neck. How can a neck be so interesting to look at? Terrence’s neck keeps my attention. Corded with muscle. Prominent Adam’s apple. Dark, golden kissed brown skin. I wonder what he smells like along his jaw line that’s trimmed neatly with short black hair.
I should be weirded out that I wonder what he smells like. It’s out of the ordinary for me to wonder such things. I’m way out of my depth, in an unknown territory of my mind. My head’s already a fucked-up, murky place. Now, I feel as though I’ve discovered a new piece of it. It’s dark and deep and I don’t know what the hell is hiding in this part of me.