CHAPTER FIFTEEN
You cannot miss what you have never had. – Christopher Paolini
Sebastian’s date started at exactly nine in the morning when he picked Penelope up at the motel she was staying in and drove towards the center of the town. A quick tour was what she requested, and he was very accommodating with that as he wanted to show off Sunnydale’s best spots and warm people.
Penelope was smart and gorgeous, and she obviously knew it from the way she moved and talked. Apparently, she had just graduated with a Master’s in Economics and had plans to follow in her uncle’s footsteps when the time was right. He was the governor of Wyoming and right now she was just enjoying her two months off before she went to work in her uncle’s office in Cheyenne, just a three-hour drive away from Sunnydale.
One of the town’s best spots was the park at the center of the business establishments, so he parked the car there and took her for a stroll. She wore a red dress that hugged her figure and heels that she was able to walk in even on grass and she was politely enchanted by the lake and the swimming ducks there. Penelope liked talking about art—something he was familiar with and enjoyed discussing with her as they sat on the bench and let the tree shade them from the sun. While Penelope was somewhat coming on to him, she did it subtly enough that he could pretend she wasn’t doing so and ignore it completely.
As a pastor, he had never gone on a date with anyone the moment he had chosen this life, unless it was for business purposes. He’d never even gone out on a public date with Lily, so this was a first for him in so many years.
The thought of Lily made him miss her and wonder what she was doing at the moment. She was probably still at home, sleeping off the night’s exhaustion. A fleeting smile appeared on his face at the thought of her rolling around sleepily in bed, the urge to join her strong. Penelope noticed his smile and asked him what he was thinking about, to which he responded evasively before diverting the topic back to art.
They walked around some more until Penelope complained she was tired and wanted to sit somewhere and just hang out. She mentioned an ice cream shop that she spotted when they were driving around, claiming that the heat would be more tolerable if they got a glass of iced tea or some ice cream together and took a break.
The ice cream shop was the last place he wanted to go to, considering he knew Lily worked there. But Penelope was very adamant about it, claiming that she needed to have ice cream to cool down. In the end, he had to concede and take her there.
Besides, it was Saturday. Lily was off for the weekend.
The owner usually manned the shop on Saturdays, and Sebastian knew it was a relaxed atmosphere after noontime, when everyone finished their visit for a quick lunch or snack. They went around almost one and were laughing about something funny on the way inside, the bell chime signaling their entrance. Sebastian looked up to greet Russ and ask how he was doing, but the words got stuck in his throat when he saw who was manning the counter.
Lily didn’t look up as she greeted them cheerfully, but she looked up when she heard Penelope laugh. The expression on her face was one of shock as she stared at them before she schooled it to a placid reaction that was hard to read.
Penelope made a graceful beeline for the counter, swaying her hips seductively and heels clicking on the tiled floor. There was a selection of ice cream flavors on the counter and a menu on the wall as well, and she placed a finger on her chin, moving to her lips in a practiced pose as she eyed the wall. Then she glanced at Lily and spoke, tone distantly polite.
“Do you serve salads?”
Lily shook her head, not looking at him. Penelope pouted for a few seconds before turning to him.
“I’ll just have whatever you’re having,” she said sweetly.
Sebastian gazed at Lily, waiting for her to look at him. When she finally did, he spoke out. “Chocolate sundae and a cheeseburger, please. Hey, Lily.”
“Hey,” she replied before rattling off the price. Their hands brushed when he handed her the auction coupon and an invisible spark passed between them. “I’ll serve it in two glasses in a bit. And the burger, of course.”
“Make that one tall glass, please,” Penelope declared before turning to him. “We’ll share. I’m on a diet.”
Lily pressed her lips together and smiled before directing them to a table. Sebastian wanted to ask why she was the one working today, but she was making a point of avoiding eye contact with him that he didn’t want to cause any further issues.
Penelope was very chatty, obviously already comfortable with him enough to sit very close. He was asked about his life at church and his passion for it, but he felt that she wasn’t really listening to his answer and was merely preparing him for another set of questions.
He was right.
Just as the sundae, burger, and free french fries were served, Penelope leaned forward with a gleam in her eye.
“So, have you ever…sinned after you became a pastor?”
The glass rattled on Lily’s hand, enough to have Penelope shooting her a raised brow. Sebastian cleared his throat to divert the seated woman’s attention.
“Not that I know of,” he said lightly, watching out of the corner of his eye as Lily placed the food on the table between them and straightened up. He caught her outfit before the counter hid her bottom half—low rise jeans hugging her legs, a plain white shirt that rode up her stomach and sneakers—and inwardly smiled in appreciation. Then a napkin fell out of her hand, and she bent down to pick it up.
He went hard immediately.
Penelope was still making some follow-up questions in a playful manner about the thrill of sinning and all that, and he forced himself to pay attention. Still, it was only half of his attention, as the counter was in his line of vision. Lily sat back in front of the counter, bringing out a book while waiting for customers and concentrating on reading it. She bit her lip, and his eyes trailed to it, which was slightly shiny with lip gloss.
The ache inside him increased, and Sebastian had to consciously shift in his seat to adjust himself. Penelope took the first spoonful, licking the spoon deliberately before nudging the glass closer to him.
“Hmm,” she murmured, staring into his eyes. “Delicious.”
There was an innuendo there somewhere, and he knew enough to ignore it, too. Lily’s brow raised, though her eyes were still on her book.
“I love licking,” she whispered, sidling closer. “Ice cream.”
“Good to know,” he said innocently.
Sebastian forced himself to eat the rest, wanting to get out of here as fast as possible. Maybe if they continued touring the town and he distracted her with the great spots, she would forget all about trying to subtly seduce him and actually pay some interest in Sunnydale.
It was a solid plan.
*****
It wasn’t a solid plan.
Penelope did her very best to impress him with her smarts while they were touring, barely paying attention to her surroundings whether they drove or walked. It was like a complete shift had happened, from the polite and interested woman in the park to the woman right now who simply wanted him. Sebastian was used to such kind of attention, but mostly from the town girls—those like Darla and Hanna, who flirted and worded things too boldly oftentimes, but mostly did it in public and never followed through. Penelope was different in the sense that she did follow through with actions, though she was obviously still testing the waters.
When dinner came, she requested to be taken back to the motel so she could change, and tried to invite him up. He declined politely, knowing her father had left that morning and the room was hers for the day. Patiently, Sebastian waited in his car, and minutes later, Penelope emerged wearing a black little number that was partly conservative—unless you looked at the back, which was totally bare.
He decided to take her to the town’s main Italian restaurant, which was another treasured spot in Sunnydale. To his surprise, Lily was also there, sitting with her uncle at a spot near the door. Sebastian went over to them and greeted Reverend John in general, who was pleased to see them. Penelope warmed up to him immediately, obviously not recognizing Lily from earlier. While they chatted for a bit, he let his gaze travel to Lily, and their eyes met.
The woman he had been thinking about for most of the day was wearing a black dress that was covered by a jacket, and all he could think about now was peeling it off and kissing every inch of her skin. As was with thoughts like this, his arousal made a reappearance, and it was just a thing that he was wearing black jeans and it wouldn’t be so obvious.
He couldn’t concentrate on dinner anymore after that. He tried his best, and Penelope didn’t seem to notice a thing, but the point was moot as he simply wanted to go home—or to her home. Her, as in Lily.
He missed her.
After dinner, he didn’t think it would be rude to return her home early—not that nine was that early. Penelope leaned forward to give him a kiss on the cheek, placing her hand on his thigh and lingering there. He let her be, then went on to open his door so he could get to hers, but mostly just to avoid any further contact. She looked disappointed, but didn’t pursue it further when he also declined her invitation for a nightcap.
He went home right away.
A quick shower and change of clothes quickly fixed the heat problem, and he settled on the couch and dialed a number. Lily’s voice on the other line sounded surprised at his call.
“You’re home early,” she commented.
“Been missing you.”
“Even with your…date?”
“Auction date,” he clarified. He leaned on the couch head, the sight of her firm ass in her jeans coming back to him. His cock stirred to life, and Sebastian’s hand moved down to settle on top of his boxers. The feathery touch made him groan, which he tried to stifle. But she heard it all the same and her silence filled the other line.
Then she whispered. “What are you doing?”
Sebastian slid his hand inside his boxers and wrapped it around his cock. This time, the groan that came from his mouth reverberated around the room. “Take a guess.”
Her breath hitched.
He tugged firmly and closed his eyes as the pleasure spiked. On the other line, he heard her move. Heard her moan.
Sebastian smiled into the phone. He had a very naughty idea.
*****
It didn’t take long for him to climax, and her too—but they lasted on the phone for two more hours after that, just talking.
Lily fell asleep first, muttering something about cats before she snored inelegantly and had him smiling on his end. He wished her a good night, to which he heard her stir. But she was fast asleep.
Sebastian hung up the phone, still leaning on the couch.
When he finally fell asleep, blue eyes filled his dreams.