Page 53 of The Anaconda Downstairs

I propped myself up on an elbow, looking at her quizzically. “For what?”

She smiled, tears glistening in her eyes. “For making me feel beautiful. For the first time in my life, I actually believe it.”

My heart swelled with love and protectiveness. I leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. “You are beautiful, Pen. Inside and out. And I’ll spend every day reminding you of that if you’ll let me.”

I lay there, Penelope’s warm body curled against mine, her soft breathing the only sound in the quiet basement. My fingers traced lazy patterns on her skin, marveling at how right this felt. How perfect.

She stirred slightly, nuzzling closer, and I dropped a soft kiss on her forehead. How had I not seen it before? This amazing woman had been right in front of me all along, hidden behind the label of student or friend or... older brother’s fiancée’s assistant.

We’d deal with that later. Right now, she was mine and I was hers, and nothing could take that away from us.

I reached up to tuck a stray curl behind her ear. “This is... I don’t even have words for how amazing this is.”

“For me too,” she said softly. “I’ve never felt like this before.”

I wanted to tell her right then and there that I loved her. I wanted to ask her to marry me. The words were on the tip of my tongue, desperate to be spoken. But it was too soon, wasn’t it?

We’d only just crossed this line from friends to... whatever we were now. And while I was certain of my feelings, a small part of me worried that Pen might not be quite there yet. I needed to give her enough space to grow, to feel secure.

It’s not like I was going anywhere.

But we also couldn’t risk staying in bed together like this. Not all night like I wanted. I forced myself to move, finally pulled out of her soft, hot body, and took care of the condom. I’d haveto make sure I took out the trash and did some laundry before Declan realized there’d been any hanky panky going on in his basement.

The moment I returned back to the bed, Pen melted into me, her body soft and pliant against mine. “This still feels a bit like a dream. I meant what I said before. I never thought... I mean, someone like you with someone like me...”

I frowned, cupping her face in my hands. “I know you feel that way right now, babe. And I’m not going to try and tell you that your feelings aren’t valid or real. But I absolutely believe you’re amazing, Penelope Quinn. Smart, funny, kind, sexy as hell. I’m the lucky one here.”

A blush crept across her cheeks, but she held my gaze. “You really mean that, don’t you?”

“Every word,” I assured her. “And I’ll keep saying it until you believe it.”

She nestled back into my arms, her head resting on my chest. “I’ll work on it. I promise.”

As we lay there in comfortable silence, I found myself imagining a future with Penelope. Lazy Sunday mornings, game nights with my family, her cheering from the stands at my games. It all seemed so clear, so right.

Even though I couldn’t say the words out loud just yet, I made a silent promise to myself and to her. I would do everything in my power to make her feel loved, cherished, and beautiful. Every single day.

Because that’s what she deserved. And that’s what she was to me—everything.

What felt like a moment later, I jolted awake, disoriented by the unfamiliar surroundings. Then I felt Pen’s warm body pressed against mine, and everything came rushing back. A smile spread across my face, quickly followed by a beat of panic as I realized where we were.

“Pen,” I whispered urgently, gently shaking her shoulder. “Pen, wake up.”

She stirred, blinking up at me with sleepy eyes. “Ev? What’s wrong?”

“We fell asleep,” I explained, already scanning the room for our scattered clothes. “In Declan’s basement.”

Her eyes widened as the implications sank in. “Oh shit.”

We scrambled to get dressed, the peaceful afterglow of last night shattered by the reality of our situation. I strained my ears for any sound from upstairs, praying we hadn’t already been discovered.

As Pen buttoned up her pajama top, I ran a hand through my disheveled hair. “Pen, we need to talk about what we’re going to do about us.”

She paused, looking at me with a mix of happiness and apprehension. “I know.”

I took a deep breath. “We need to tell Declan and Kelsey. I know it’s not going to be easy, but?—”

“Wait,” Pen interrupted, her voice tinged with panic. “Do we have to tell them right away? Like now? This morning?”

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