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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

I DID. I DO.

PENN

The door clicks shut behind us, sealing us in our own little world. The air crackles between Addy and me, more electrified than ever.

We spent the night in the same bed last night.

Woke up tangled together, her breath warm against my skin, her fingers curled against my chest like she belonged there.

But tonight feels brand new. The kisses at the party changed everything.

And maybe the vows we said have something to do with it too.

The realization that, for now anyway, in this moment, for this time, we’re committed to each other.

I can’t begin to know what is next for us.

But a switch flipped tonight between us, and now we stand here, looking at each other in anticipation.

I clear my throat, not sure where to put my hands because I want them all over her more than I want my next breath. “Did you mean what you said about giving me permission?”

She meets my gaze, her lips parting slightly. “I did. I do.”

We both acknowledge how fitting her wording is with a smirk.

Relief washes over me so strongly that I almost have to sit down. Because I want her…more than anything. Maybe it’s crazy to let this boundary fall, but I can’t even bring myself to care right now.

“I do too,” I say.

I take a step toward her.

“You look so beautiful tonight,” I tell her, my voice hushed in the stillness of the room.

A blush rises in her cheeks, and I hum the melody to “Lady in Red” under my breath.

Her lips curve in the faintest of smiles, and I step even closer, lifting my hands to rest on her waist. We move together, a slow, gentle sway, as the moonlight spills through the window, casting a glow over her skin and highlighting the way her eyes shine when she looks at me.

I cup her cheek, brushing my thumb over her skin.

She leans into my touch, and that’s all it takes.

I close the space between us, and it feels so fucking good to kiss her.

She sighs against my mouth, and I breathe her in, tasting the sweetness of our wedding cake.

I deepen the kiss, my fingers threading through her hair, and she grips the front of my shirt.

Time stands still, our bodies drawn together like magnets dying for contact.

I feel like a guitar string about to break, the tension so taut in my body that I have to remind myself to relax, slow down… we have all night.

I pull back just enough to see her face, my chest heaving. She watches me, waiting, her eyes lust-drunk. I slide my hands to the straps of her dress, easing them down over her shoulders.

“You still want this?” I ask. “I won’t hold you to anything beyond this night, if tonight is all you want. At any point, we can put our focus completely on Sam and the marriage being about that, if that’s—” my voice trails off.

She nods. “I want this. I want you. Now.”

Relief floods through me.

“Get on the bed,” I say, my voice hoarse with craving her. “Let me make you feel good.”

Her breath catches, but she doesn’t hesitate. She steps back, eyes still on me, and slips out of her dress. Underneath the dress is a red lacy bra and panty combo that is hot as fuck and I tell her so.

“I hoped you might get to see this little ensemble tonight,” she says, her voice flirty now.

I groan. “I am beyond grateful right now. And I’m going to make you so happy that you married me, I promise you that.” I move toward her and lean down to tongue the lace over her nipple. It pebbles under my tongue and I move to the other side, giving it the same attention.

I look up at her, centering myself in her cleavage, one of the best places on Earth. “Tell me anything you want and it’s yours.” My tongue licks up the center of her breasts and she shivers. I straighten and run my hands over her arms.

“I want you,” she says simply.

She turns and I’m struck senseless with the view of her ass. Every angle of her is like a whiplash to my senses.

I haven’t even been with her yet, but I already know once won’t be enough.

A night won’t be enough.

Is this how people feel when they commit to forever?

Damn. I never dreamed I’d feel this way about someone.

But the fact that I feel this way about someone I’ve never even had sex with?

Impossible. Hell, the guys have been trying to tell me, but now, seeing her moving toward my bed—and holy shit, her bra just came off.

She tosses it to the side of the bed and her back looks like smooth silk.

It’s the combination of who Addy is, the way we talk and laugh together, the way she looks at me, and yes, okay, the way she looks, period…everything about her sends me flying high. Whatever it is about this woman, I need her.

And it feels pretty goddamn surreal, because I’ve never needed anyone.

She smiles at me over her shoulder and then turns around and lies down on the bed.

I’m mesmerized by the display of her full, rosy-tipped tits of perfection and put a hand on my dick to steady myself.

My dick is straining painfully, desperate to be free, and I don’t even know where to start.

I want to be in too many places at once.

I take a deep breath, telling myself to just slow down and enjoy every bit of this.

I slowly unbutton my shirt and toss it aside.

“I’m obsessed with your tattoos,” she says, her voice husky.

She reaches out to touch the small compass over my heart, and I’m sure she can feel it pounding out of my skin.

“It’s a good thing,” I say, grinning, “because I have a few.”

I lean over her, bending down to kiss her lips first, and then chaste kisses on both of her nipples. She gasps at the feel of my mouth on her skin, and I lift up again, smiling at her as I slide the red lace down her legs until she’s fully bare.

“There,” I say. “That’s exactly how I want you.” I take her in, my eyes drinking her up. “Holy hell, Siren, you’re luring me out into the deep waters, aren’t you?”

“Doing my best,” she says, her voice raspy.

I stand back and undress, enjoying the way her eyes light up with interest. She sits up, her fingers tracing the outline of my abs, the V that disappears under my boxer briefs.

Her thumb curves over the tip of my dick that’s made its way out and now I’m the one hissing back a breath.

She licks her lips and pulls the briefs down the rest of the way, leaning in to press a kiss on my tip.

“Fuck.” My hand clutches her neck before she can wrap her mouth around the rest of me, and I tilt her face up. “The feel of your lips on me like that is enough to knock me sideways, but there are too many things I want to do to you before that ever happens.”

Her lips poke out in a slight pout. “But you look good enough to eat.”

My dick bobs between us, all about those words.

“And so do you,” I tell her. I slide my hand down my face. “Are you sizing me up like Capone the flamingo?”

She giggles. “Yep,” she says, the p popping.

I put my hand on her chest with a slight nudge. She pretends to be annoyed as she falls back on my bed, her dark hair splayed out against my sheets, looking so fucking stunning it takes my breath away. She looks up at me with something like trust in her eyes.

I swallow hard and follow her, moving between her legs and spreading them apart, loving how pretty she is everywhere I look. Her pink slit glistens and I rub my thumb lightly over her, spreading her wetness around.

It’s like a match being struck for both of us.

She lets out a little whimper and I lean into her, ignited.

When my tongue makes contact, there’s no more holding back, no more boundaries.

Only this moment.

Only us.

I explore her with a greedy mouth, sucking her and exploring her with my tongue.

She writhes against the bed, arching into my mouth, and I can’t get enough of her.

The sweetest taste. My tongue dives into her and then I move back to sucking and let my fingers get in on the action.

It’s almost too much. I could come just hearing the sounds she’s making, feeling the way she’s reacting to everything I’m doing, it’s all so fucking good .

When I slide one finger inside her, and then another, and another, she starts chanting my name.

It’s quiet but fervent, like a prayer…or a plea.

“Penn, Penn, Penn, Penn —” an anguished whimper.

I don’t tease her for long. My fingers work fast, with the pressure and tempo she wants.

My tongue and mouth don’t let up either, and her entire body trembles with the buildup.

When she freezes, her body going rigid as she leans into me, I feel the rush on my tongue, the flutters of her against me, and I ride it out with her until she collapses into the bed.

Her head moves from side to side as she throws her arm over her mouth to stay quiet.

I press one more kiss against her puffy lips with a promise to be back and kiss my way up her torso, stopping for another indulgent exploration of her breasts.

“Are you okay?” I ask, looking up at her as my fingers tweak her nipples.

She presses a hand to her chest and takes a deep breath. “Penn,” she says, still breathless. “I’ve never felt anything like that in all my life.”

I perk up. “What do you mean?”

“It felt like there was nothing more important to you than making me come so hard that I saw stars.”

I smile against her skin, kissing my way up her neck until I’m hovering over her, my face an inch from hers. “And did you? See stars?”

“I saw whole galaxies.”

We stare at each other for a long moment, and God, what is this? Honestly, I feel a little shaken.

When I kiss her, it’s sweet and soul-stirring. All these moments with her that make this feel new . Which is a mindfuck, if I let myself think about it. It’s jarring and unsettling, the way this feels so much more …in every way, and yet, I’m not about to pump the brakes.

Her hand wraps around my dick and I feel drunk. Just every sensation that I could possibly feel, bam .

“We probably should’ve talked about birth control before we got this far,” she says, fisting around me. I hiss in a breath. “I’m on birth control, clear tests, all that.”

“Me too,” I say. “Never had sex without a condom, tested regularly, all clear...and I was telling the truth when I said I haven’t been with anyone since I met you.

I was a little slut before I met you,” I admit.

She grins and squeezes me tighter and I groan.

“But you’ve got me right in the palm of your hand… literally.”

She gives me a smug look, her lips parting as she strokes me up and down.

“You’re so beautiful,” I tell her.

“You are. I can’t believe—I mean, I knew you were because…

look at you, but…it’s a good thing I didn’t know what was underneath your clothes all this time.

” She giggles and I swell into her hand, so hard I might pass out.

She leans up and whispers in my ear. “I kind of love that you’ve never done it without a condom.

Neither have I. And I love it even more that you haven’t been with anyone since meeting me.

” Her lips move to mine and she says, “Neither have I,” against my mouth.

“I need to be inside you,” I tell her. “Is it too much?”

“I’m dying for you to be inside me,” she says.

She guides me to her entrance and when I nudge inside just a little, we both gasp.

“You’re like silk and a fever and the best feeling in the world,” I tell her, a little too mind-blown to be talking right now.

“You make me crazy,” she says. “You feel too good. We feel too good. Why is everything so big with us?”

I dip in a little deeper, my eyes never leaving hers. “I know. We do feel too good. And I’m not sure why or how this is happening. I’m…just—” I give up trying to say what I’m feeling because it’s like she said, so big.

There’s a little crease between her brows every time I slide in more, her tongue pressing against her bottom lip, and then I glance down where I’m sliding into her and groan.

“Oh, you’re perfect,” I rasp. “I want to draw this out and I want to fuck you so thoroughly you’ll feel me for days.”

“Both can be true.”

She starts to meet my thrusts, trying to get more of me, and I keep holding back, teasing her until she’s flushed and greedy and all grabby hands, and I fucking love it more than I thought possible.

When I go deeper, she’s relieved and satiated for a second, until I pull back out, and then she’s hungry for more.

I become addicted to filling her up and hollowing her out and then depriving her, only to do it all over again.

We’re relentless, our rhythm punishing and profound, like we’re the only two people who exist and we exist only to bring each other pleasure.

“I’m so close,” she cries out when I go in the deepest yet.

“I feel you clenching around me and I’m right there, Addy. Don’t stop. Don’t fucking stop.”

“Harder,” she says. “Don’t hold back.”

I don’t hold back another second. I thrust inside her, all restraint falling away, and when she starts coming, I kiss her, both of us swallowing up each other’s cries.

Spots dance over my vision when I spill into her, and I’m lightheaded as unreal sensations sweep over me.

It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced.

And I think, I surrender.