Penelope
I slept like crap.
And it wasn’t the drink that did it.
Nope, all signs pointed to the amazing guy that refused to let me in. Not that I’d asked, but I’d at least been wondering if we could go in that direction. I mean, we’d held hands, kissed. Oh God, now I sounded like a stupid teenager with her first crush.
The point, I thought as I got out of bed that morning and put on my clothes to head into work, was that there were feelings. Big time feelings. And he’d looked pissed about Drew, but that was it.
No, hey we kissed let’s talk about it.
No, hey so I like holding hands but I swear it’s not a hand fetish.
It’s a you fetish.
Let’s get married and make sweet love and fill this house with our offspring!
Okay, so he wasn’t going to say that, but he could at least say that there was something—anything.
I mean, there was something there. I felt the way he looked at me, the way I looked at him, that kiss. I almost started fanning myself—people don’t just kiss people they hate. At least in my world. You kiss them because you want them, because you’re attracted, because something exists in time and space between two human bodies, two souls, that must be recognized.
And although he kind of acknowledged it, I had been shut down so fast that my head spun.
The more I thought about it, the angrier I became, until I realized I was stomping down the stairs into the living room.
I quieted my steps and walked by the couch, only to stop and frown down at it.
Trevor was sleeping.
Remote in hand.
TV on.
And because the universe hates me, he chose that moment to open his eyes and stare up at me then fall to the floor. “Son of a bitch, you scared the shit out of me.”
I covered my face with my hands. “I’m sorry, I was just walking by and trying to figure out why you were sleeping on the couch and—”
“I didn’t want to miss you.” He rubbed sleep from his eyes. “I was supposed to give you a car or a ride, remember, since Drew dropped you off?”
“Well, yeah, but—”
His eyes darkened. “Please tell me your plan wasn’t to walk two miles at five a.m., in the dark, with predators lurking?”
I smiled. “There are no predators lurking, especially in a place that doesn’t even have Uber!” Predators. He was adorable. Wait, no, stop.
He snorted. “You’re taking the Jeep, give me your keys and I’ll have Drew grab your car later. It’s the least he can do.”
“Jeep?” I tried not to sound too excited as he shot me a pointed glance over his shoulder then walked over to the counter and handed me the keys.
“Try not to crash it.”
“Thanks, Dad.” I grinned.
He glowered. “Not funny.”
“Wasn’t trying to be funny.” I folded my arms and gave him a challenging glare.
He pressed his hands down on my shoulders and then pulled me against him. My arms dropped to my sides. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Does anyone in life?”
“I want—”
“Daddy!” Malcom made his way into the kitchen rubbing his eyes. “Can I watch a movie?”
“Sleep, I just want sleep,” he muttered under his breath. “No, buddy, you have to go to bed.”
“I’m scared.”
“Sleep with your brother.”
Malcom’s bottom lip trembled a bit.
“Hey!” I intervened. I hated his tears. “Why don’t you go sleep in my room a bit? I left the fireplace on, and my favorite bear’s in the bed guarding my things!”
“You sleep with a bear?”
“It protects me.” I winked. “I mean, you don’t have to, but there is a TV in there. Maybe after you sleep a few hours, Dad will let you watch?”
“Yay! Dad, can I?”
“Yeah.” He kissed the top of his head “Off you go.”
Malcom ran full speed toward my bedroom, and part of me felt sad that I couldn’t stay home and cuddle with him while watching Sesame Street.
His little hands and feet would be under the covers, limbs taking over the entire bed. Malcom slept like he was trying to use as much space as possible.
My heart ached.
Trevor shook his head in what looked like frustration. “I need to do something about their sleeping arrangements. Kid’s not sleeping. He keeps trying to sneak into Eric’s room.”
“So let him,” I piped up in a strong voice. “They’re twins, and Malcom needs comfort. Honestly, putting them together might help Eric just as much as Malcolm. He’s hurting too. He just lashes out, whereas Malcom…”
“Malcom has a tender heart.” Trevor took the words right out of my mouth.
“Tender but still strong, just like his dad,” I said softly.
Trevor reached for me.
I stumbled back. “Okay, so I’ll just be heading to the garage now.”
“Running away?” he taunted, looking deliciously sexy in no shirt and a low pair of track pants that hugged his hips.
I dangled the keys in the air. “I’ll try not to get a ticket.”
“If you get a ticket in Seaside, I’ll be more impressed than pissed.”
I flashed him a wide smile. “Thanks for this.”
“Thanks for…” He stopped and then whispered, “…everything.”
My throat clogged up a bit as I nodded, not trusting myself to speak without confessing how much I was falling for him and his family, and I quickly made my way to the garage and the waiting Jeep.
He had brought three cars with him.
I was taking one.
And I was going to pretend it was normal.
This was normal.
Employer.
Employee.
I clicked the key fob to unlock the doors and let out a little gasp when I saw the caramel colored lush leather seats.
It was normal to moan when getting into your employer’s car, um…right?
I sighed and gripped the steering wheel just as the garage door went up. Trevor stood next to the door, waving me off.
His friggin’ eight pack flexed for the world to see.
Yup. Normal.
I turned on the SUV and drove out of his million dollar beach house toward my job, with fresh tracks of his voice playing in the background. And his abs in my rearview mirror.
So normal it was almost scary, right?