Page 31 of Once Upon A Second Chance (Once Upon A Time…To Happily Ever After #2)
Chapter Twenty-Six
Richard
The tab on my laptop reads: “Unique engagement rings – handmade, ethical stones.”
It’s the fourth one I’ve opened tonight, and I’m still no closer to deciding than I was an hour ago. Gold feels too flashy. Platinum too cold. The halo settings are too busy. The minimalist ones feel a little sterile.
I’m not looking for perfect. I’m looking for her.
Something quiet but striking. Warm. Real. Something that catches light in unexpected ways but doesn’t need to scream to be noticed.
My fingers hover over the track pad as I scroll slowly, trying to picture Penny’s hands—not the hands in ring ads, but her hands.
The ones that rebuild shoulder joints and knead sore muscles and once pulled me down by the collar of my shirt to kiss me breathless after a ten-hour shift. I don’t want something that dazzles. I want something that fits into her life, not just her finger.
The front door opens with a soft click.
I close the laptop gently—not slamming it shut like I’m doing something wrong, but careful enough to keep it a secret a little longer.
“Hey,” I call out. “You home?”
Her footsteps are quiet. Then she appears in the doorway to the living room, still in the same clothes from this morning but now with a weariness in her shoulders that says today demanded more than it gave.
“Hey,” she says, dropping her keys into the bowl by the door. “Coffee with Jesse turned into a surprise visit from my father.”
I raise an eyebrow. “What?”
She walks over, flops onto the couch beside me, and leans into my side with a heavy sigh. “Long story. Complicated. Potentially good? I don’t know. I’m too tired to have the right emotions.”
I kiss the top of her head. “You want to talk about it?”
“Maybe later,” she murmurs. “Right now I just want you to hold me for a bit.”
Without another word, I pull her into my arms, my hands finding their way to her hips, drawing me closer to her. I feel her warmth, her strength, and I can't resist the urge to melt into her.
My lips find her neck, sending a rush of desire through me as I pepper kisses along her sensitive skin.
"You're so fucking beautiful, Penny," I murmurs against her skin, my breath hot and heavy against her ear.
My words send a jolt of need through her, and I feel her body respond to my touch, her nipples hardening beneath her shirt as I trail kisses down her neck.
She lets out a soft moan, unable to hold back the sounds of pleasure that escape her lips.
She feels my fingers trace the curves of her body, my touch sending shivers down her spine as I unbutton her shirt, baring her skin to my hungry gaze.
"I love you, Penny," I whisper, my lips brushing against her ear, sending a rush of emotion through her.
She feels my body tremble with anticipation as my hands find their way to her breasts, my fingers teasing her nipples through the thin fabric of her bra.
"Richard," she gasps, her head falling back as I trail kisses down her chest, my lips leaving a trail of fire in their wake. "I... I need you."
I smile against her skin, my fingers never stopping their movement as I unbutton my jeans, my touch sending a jolt of desire through her.
She feels my fingers graze her pussy through her panties, and she knows I can now feel how wet she is, how much she needs me.
"Tell me what you want, Penny," I murmurs, my lips finding her ear, my breath hot and heavy against her skin. "Tell me how you want me to touch you."
She moans, her body arching into my touch as my fingers slip under her panties, finding her clit.
"I want you to make me feel good, Richard," she whispers, her voice trembling with need. "I want you to touch me, to taste me, to fuck me."
I chuckle, a deep, rumbling sound that sends a shiver down her spine, and she feels my fingers begin to move, slow and deliberate, as I tease her clit, sending waves of pleasure through her.
She feels her body respond to my touch, her pussy clenching with need as I slip my fingers inside her, filling her with a sense of fullness that sends her over the edge.
"Richard," she gasps, her body trembling with pleasure as I start to move my fingers in and out, my thumb finding her clit once more.
My touch is expert, my fingers knowing exactly how to make her feel good, how to push her to the brink of orgasm. She feels her body convulsing around my fingers as she cums, her pussy clenching and releasing as she rides out the waves of pleasure.
I pull my fingers out, a wicked smile on my face as I stand up, my eyes never leaving hers. "Now it's my turn," I tell her, my voice low and husky, sending a thrill through her.
She can feel her body still trembling, her breath coming in short gasps as she reaches out to me, her fingers tracing the contours of my chest.
"I need you, Richard," she whispers, her voice barely above a whisper."I need your cock inside me. Please."
I smile, a slow, seductive curve of my lips that makes her heart skip a beat, and she can feel my hands on her hips.
She lays back, her body still buzzing with the aftermath of her orgasm, as I position myself between her legs.
She can feel my hardness pressing against her thigh, and she reaches down, her fingers wrapping around my cock, guiding me to her entrance.
I enter her slowly, my eyes locked on hers, my expression a mix of desire and tenderness.
She can feel my cock slide into her wetness, stretching her, filling her, and she lets out a soft moan, her nails digging into my shoulders as I begin to thrust.
I move with a slow, deliberate pace, my eyes never leaving hers as I fill her, my cock sliding in and out of her pussy with a rhythm that sends shivers down her spine.
She can feel her body responding to mine, her walls clenching around me as I hit her sweet spot, sending waves of pleasure through us both.
"You feel so good, Penny," I groan, my voice thick with desire as I start to move faster, my hips snapping against hers.
"So fucking tight, so wet..."
My words send a jolt of need through her, and I feel her body responding to mine, her pussy clenching around my cock as she meets my thrusts, her nails digging into my back as she rides out the pleasure.
The room is filled with the sounds of our passion, our moans and gasps echoing off the walls as we move together, our bodies a tangle of limbs and desire.
She feels my cock throbbing inside her, and she knows I’m close, my body tensing as I near the edge.
"Cum with me, Penny," I pant, my voice a rough whisper as I looks into her eyes, my expression intense. "Let go, baby..."
My words are like a trigger, sending her over the edge as her body convulses around my cock, her cunt clenching and releasing as I cum, her voice a loud, keening cry that fills the room.
I follow in short order, my body stiffening as I thrust deeply, my cock pulsing inside her as I fill her with my seed.
As our breathing slows, and our hearts return to a steady rhythm, I collapse onto her, my weight a comforting pressure as I nuzzle her neck, my lips brushing against her skin.
She smiles, her fingers tracing the contours of my back, feeling the warmth of my skin beneath her touch.
Afterward, we lie tangled in the blankets, the windows cracked to let in the cooling night air. The room smells like cedar soap and her skin, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt more anchored to a moment than I do now.
Penny rests her head on my chest, fingers tracing slow circles over my ribs. Her breath has evened out, but she’s not asleep. Neither am I.
I press a kiss to her forehead.
“I’m proud of you,” I whisper.
She doesn’t respond right away, but her fingers tighten just a little, like the words landed somewhere she needed them most.
I’ve performed eight-hour surgeries. I’ve replaced joints, rebuilt bones, and once kept calm through a power outage mid-operation while the anesthesiologist panicked and a resident nearly fainted.
But nothing—nothing—makes me more anxious than sitting in this beige, too-warm OB office with my hand clasped tightly in Penny’s and a clipboard full of intake forms half-filled out on my lap.
“Are you sure we didn’t forget anything?” I ask for the third time.
Penny looks over at me, one eyebrow raised. “Yes. Again.”
“There was a question on your supplement intake. Did you put down the magnesium?”
She leans closer, lips brushing my ear. “Richard. Breathe.”
I do, sort of.
We’re here for the first official prenatal visit, and the stakes feel impossibly high for something so routine.
Penny’s only about nine weeks along, and according to the twelve thousand articles I’ve accidentally read since she took the test, that makes this a critical visit.
Confirmation of viability. Baseline vitals. Due date estimate. Possibly even a first ultrasound.
I’ve spent most of my adult life being the expert in the room. Today I’m a wreck in jeans and a gray button-down that I changed into three times before deciding it looked “trustworthy but not smug.”
The door opens, and a nurse calls Penny’s name.
We stand together, and I immediately overcorrect by grabbing the clipboard, the empty water bottle, and her purse before realizing she doesn’t need a personal valet.
She smirks at me, takes back her purse, and laces our fingers together.
“C’mon, Dr. Hogan. Let’s get your blood pressure checked.”
We follow the nurse down the hall into a clean, soft-lit room.
Penny’s weighed, vitals taken, and asked the usual battery of questions. I hover nearby, trying not to loom. The nurse is kind, efficient, and blessedly unbothered by my close presence and constant eye contact.
The door clicks shut behind her, and for a moment we’re alone.
“You’re doing great,” I say, kissing Penny’s temple.
“I haven’t done anything yet.”
“You’re doing everything,” I reply, meaning it more than she probably knows.
She squeezes my hand.