Page 115 of The Nanny and the Nerd
“Your heart is my heart, Penny,” he rasped as their mouths met in a feverish kiss.
“Always,” she whispered, and then, the need for words faded into the rainy night.
He pistoned his hips. Hard and fast, their lovemaking dissolved into a heated frenzy. He placed one hand on her hip as the other twisted into her tangle of blond hair. Completely in control, he let go, knowing what she needed to reach orgasmic bliss. He pulled her close and worked her body into a writhing, fevered state like he was built for nothing else. His senses heightened as Penny became his entire world. And he waited, waited for her sweet moans that fed his dirtiest of fantasies. The sign that she was close, so very close to meeting her release.
“Yes, yes!” she panted against his mouth, her breath hot against his lips.
And like a freight train barreling ahead, out of control, breaks failing, there was no stopping them. She tightened around him, and he swallowed her gasps, her moans, her sexy little sounds that drove him over the edge. He spilled into her as they crashed into their release. Two became one, dissolving into eternity, lost in a storm of ravenous pleasure. He held her close, not wanting to break the invisible thread that connected them through time and space. The thread that formed the moment he’d seen her in the park.
Chest heaving, Penny pulled back a fraction, catching her breath. “Who knew that Rowen Gale was a poet.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, tracing lazy circles across the small of her back.
“Your heart is my heart. It’s beautiful. It’s the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me.”
He grinned up at her. “It’s not as good asthis arrow might have pierced my heart, but you’re the one who’s stolen it. But my version’s not too bad for some gaming nerd.”
“Not bad at all,” she replied, leaning forward to press a whisper-soft kiss to his lips.
He brushed a lock of hair from her forehead when a buzz from the console caught them off guard. Penny gasped. They bumped around, but in the snug space, there wasn’t really anywhere for her to go.
He chuckled, holding her steady. “It’s my phone.”
Penny shook her head, laughing. “You’d think I’d be used to the buzzes and pings by now. Still, it’s like nothing else exists when we’re together, isn’t it?”
“That’s exactly what it’s like,” he answered dreamily as Penny reached down and plucked his phone from the console.
“It’s a text from Jerome,” she said, frowning at the screen before handing him his cell.
“He probably wants to let us know Phoebe’s asleep,” he answered, but he couldn’t ignore the thread of worry that knotted in his belly.
Penny nodded, then glanced into the parking lot. The rain had let up, at least momentarily, and the pavement sparkled under the dim light. “There’s a changing cabana over there. I’m going to pop in and get cleaned up.”
“Okay,” he said, helping her off his lap, unable to shake the notion that something had gone wrong. But he didn’t want to worry Penny. He worked to keep his expression neutral as she grabbed her tote, then slipped out of the car. He took a minute to get himself together, then checked his phone.
Jerome: Sorry to interrupt your evening, but Phoebe is upset. We can’t get her settled down.
Before he could reply, another text appeared.
Jerome: She keeps saying sink or float. David and I aren’t sure what to do. Do you know what that means?
Sink or float?
Rowen rubbed the back of his neck and blew out a tight breath. Why was he always waiting for the other shoe to drop? Why couldn’t he just enjoy knowing Penny loved him? Why did that part of him, the part that was ready for everything to fall apart, kick in when things were at their best?
Rowen: No, sorry. We’re heading back to the boat. Tell Phoebe Penny and I will be there soon. We’ll figure it out.
Penny opened the car door, and her dreamy expression morphed into concern when she met his eye. “What is it? Something with Phoebe? Is that why Jerome texted?”
He tried to mask his unease. “He says she’s upset. They can’t get her settled down.”
Penny slid into her seat and closed the door. “Was there a loud noise on the boat? An alarm? You know what that does to her.”
“I don’t think so. Jerome didn’t mention anything about an alarm. He mentioned sink or float.”
Penny raised an eyebrow. “The experiment Phoebe missed at school?”
“I’m not sure,” he answered as the twist in his belly tightened. Despite the most magical of evenings, he couldn’t shake the notion that something was wrong—very wrong.
