Page 18 of Reluctantly Yours

She was fucking stunning last night in nothing but a nightshirt and yoga pants.Yet that vision of her had nothing on her now.

The ride to SoHo went quickly, with Sofia asking a million questions and barely waiting for an answer before she asked the next one.It was what I needed to put things into perspective.No way could I give in to the desire to reach across the seat and test the softness of Penny’s knee once she crossed her legs.Her porcelain skin gleamed, begging to be touched.

After that, there was the whirlwind of entering the restaurant and being escorted to the private room that Colton had reserved for the evening.Walking in and finding everyone arranged at a long table, already deep in conversation as children played, turned my thoughts away from the woman beside me.

“Ah, there they are.”Colton Black was the warm host, greeting us as we entered the room.His wife, Rose, stood holding their six-month-old daughter, Charlotte.Penny immediately melted at the sight of the kid.And who could blame her?Charlotte was adorable, smiling like crazy at the attention before the women introduced themselves.

Colton’s sister, Sienna, looked like she was due with her first baby any day.There had to be something in the water around here.“It’s so nice to see you,” she said as she shook my hand, pressing the other to her lower back.“I don’t know if you remember, but we met when Spencer brought you out with him… oh, around five years ago?”

“I do remember,” I assured her, and I remembered thinking she was kind of cute.

“You’ll have to refresh me,” Penny suggested with a light laugh once the two of them introduced themselves.Goddammit, she glowed.I longed to touch her, to stand closer to her.I was a moth, and she was the flame, tempting me when I knew I’d get burned.

“Spencer is cousins with Colton’s and Sienna’s mom, Lourde,” I explained.

“And my dad,” Lucian Diamond added, shaking my hand while his fiancée, Ivy, introduced herself to Penny and Sofia.My poor kid was beyond overwhelmed, almost glued to Penny’s leg.

“It’s great to meet you all.”Penny introduced herself to Aria and Valentina, the Miller twins, and their husbands.I needed to stop thinking of them as the Miller twins now that they were married.Valentina carried her daughter on her hip, finally setting her down when she clamored to be released.Isabel was around two years old, whereas Colton’s Eloise was three.

“You’ll have to be a good example for the younger kids,” Penny advised.“Show them how to behave like a big girl.”Sofia lifted her chin, clearly taking her role very seriously.

The women shared a quiet laugh that told me they’d already brought Penny into the fold.It was that simple for her to make friends.

Who was this woman?I lost track of the number of times I reminded myself not to stare at her with my mouth hanging open once we sat down to eat from the lavish feast laid out in front of us.A kid around her age stepped up next to her chair and flashed a grin that left me wanting to knock his teeth out.“Can I get you some wine or another beverage?”he asked while his eyes roamed over her body.

“Oh, I’ll have whatever wine everyone else is drinking.”Penny gestured to the bottles lining the table.

“Are you sure?”he asked.

“You heard her,” I grunted out, holding his gaze when he looked away from her.Move along, fuck face.His spine straightened, and he wasted no time leaving the table.My fists were in my lap, itching to make contact with his face, and all because he spoke to her like he was worthy of breathing the same air as this luminous creature.

She was gorgeous, yes, but it was her natural charm and humor that left me gaping as we settled in and she got more comfortable.“You grew up in London?”she asked Miles, Aria’s husband.“That’s fascinating.I’ve always dreamed of going there.”

“Now that Travis is setting up partnerships out in the UK, you should have him take you along,” he suggested in his clipped British accent.

“One thing at a time,” I begged.“We still have months to go.”

“No talking about business tonight,” Penny reminded me, almost chiding the way she would Sofia.Before I could quirk an eyebrow, she turned to Rose.“What’s it like, running your own store?”

Rose laughed gently, helping herself to a slice of garlic bread.“It used to be challenging.Now, it’s an adventure, especially with this little one.”She smiled down at the baby bouncing on her lap, asking, “Are you familiar with the line?”

“Who isn’t?Farrah Goldsmith?That’s like dream level.”Penny slapped a palm to her forehead, laughing at herself.“Listen to me.But I guess you hear stuff like that all the time.”

“It’s still very nice of you to say.”They shared a smile, and I had the strange feeling of being on the outside, looking in.She related to these people not as my employee, but almost like she was one of them.She didn’t let their differences get in the way.And there I was, thinking she would be all fingers and thumbs, so to speak.That she would get flustered and check out, turning her attention to Sofia instead.She seemed to make it her mission to surprise me.

I was surprised by many things, like the driving need to get her alone, where only I could drink in the sight of her body and bask in the warmth of her smile.Suddenly, I couldn’t wait for the night to end, almost counting the minutes.

“Is this your first time on the East Coast?”Valentina asked.

“It is.”The way Penny giggled was charming.Normally, I would roll my eyes and consider getting another drink when I heard it.“I’m such a tourist.I took Sofia shopping today, and just stepping into the store was like a major experience.”

“Beverly Hills is pretty ritzy,” Ivy pointed out.

“Please,” Penny countered, laughing gently.“Before now, I wouldn’t dream of stepping foot into a store like the ones out there, either.I’d be too afraid they would tell me to leave.”And I’d burn the store down if they did.Better yet, I’d buy it and fire the fuckers.

“What do you have planned for tomorrow?”Aria asked, prompting Penny to launch into a list of possibilities while I sat back with my scotch, lost in thought.

This was tricky territory.I had to hit the brakes before things spun out of control.I had already seriously considered assaulting a server.

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