Chapter Thirty-Six
Penny
I ran just a few steps behind him all the way into the bedroom, casting off clothes as I went. By the time I had reached his bed, I was wearing only an orange bra and a pair of embarrassingly plain blue underwear.
I slid into bed beside him. He had stripped down to his boxers and turned to face me with a look of mingled excitement and hunger. “Sometimes I forget what you look like when you’re not wearing all those clothes.”
“Do you really?” I asked, laughing.
“No, of course not. Do you remember when we made love in the grass outside the auto parts store? I’ll never forget the sight of you sitting there cross-legged in just your underwear.”
“We’re lucky we didn’t get caught.” I rolled over until I was lying on top of his belly. He smiled and placed his hands on my hips, but didn’t attempt anything more than that. “Sometimes my dad used to go out and inspect the place late at night, just in case there were robbers. He stopped doing it as much after he got cancer, or I would have advised against having sex in the open.”
“Yeah, I’m glad you didn’t tell me that before,” said Darren.
“Really? What would you have done?”
His eyes twinkled with barely suppressed mischief. “Probably the same thing we ended up doing.”
“Mmmm. I guess it is more exciting when you know your dad could walk in and catch you at any moment. One time, Nic walked into my room when I was dancing in just my underwear—I had forgotten to lock the door—but that’s the worst thing anyone’s ever caught me doing.”
Darren leaned up and kissed me, stroking my back with his calloused hands. “Is that the worst thing you’ve ever done?”
I batted my eyelashes with an expression of innocence. “Well, one time I knew this guy…”
“Oh, yeah?”
I ran my hands along his collarbone and down against his chest. “And he was always trying to talk me into doing these terrible things.”
“Like what?”
“Like leading the police on a high-speed chase, and jumping out of a plane, and making love under the stars…”
“Sounds like a great guy. As I recall, most of those things were your idea.”
“Maybe, but he definitely egged me on. I think he was trying to corrupt me, maybe because he thought it was funny?”
“Maybe he just liked seeing your wilder side,” said Darren, running his fingers along the band of my underwear. “You’re so innocent that there’s a thrill in seeing you drink a whole shot of whiskey that there wouldn’t be if somebody else did it. Nic could do naughty things all day, and I would just roll over and take a nap. But when you decide to be naughty, the world sits up and takes notice.”
“Well, I hope they haven’t taken too much notice,” I said, blushing. “Otherwise we’ll probably end up in jail for evading arrest…and for making love under the stars…”
“Is there a really law against that?” asked Darren, absently twining one finger around a lock of my hair.
“There ought to be. That would make it more fun.”
“As I recall, it was plenty fun on its own. You were so nervous and scared those first couple times, and now look at you—you just climb on top of me with such confidence, like we’ve done this a hundred times.”
“Maybe you really have corrupted me.”
“Do you mind?”
“No,” I said laughing, and bent low to kiss him, my hair falling into his face. He made a noise that was halfway between a guffaw and a giggle, taking my chin in his hands and caressing it.
I straightened myself up so that I was sitting on his tummy. “Do you like my belly button? Nic says it’s one of the better belly buttons she’s seen, but I haven’t seen a lot of other belly buttons, so I can’t really compare it.”
“It’s my favorite belly button,” said Darren, lazily tracing a circle around it with one finger. “I always forget how skinny you are until we’re like this. You tend to wear very loose-fitting clothing that makes you look thicker than you really are.”
“Do I?” I grinned and placed my hands over my eyes as though trying to hide. “Thank you for saying that.”
“Saying what?” Darren smiled that bemused smile he always seemed to have when we were together.
“That I’m skinny. I sometimes worry that I’m not skinny enough.”
“Girl, you’re tiny,” he said, raising himself to kiss my belly button. “To me, you’re perfectly proportioned.”
“I’ve always been self-conscious about my looks, but it’s gotten a lot better since we’ve started dating. One time I was babysitting for a family that goes to my church. They had the two most adorable little boys, ages three and eight. I was cuddling with the baby when the older one grabbed a tape measure and informed me, ‘Penny, your butt is twenty-three inches wide.’ I was like, ‘Thanks…’”
“It’s perfect,” said Darren. “Everything about you is perfect.”
I smiled down at him bashfully, feeling very pleased. “I’m glad that you think that. I could have a boyfriend who didn’t like my butt or thought I was annoying or talked too much in bed, and that wouldn’t be very much fun.”
“I love how you just talk and talk,” said Darren, eyes bright with amusement. “You don’t really do that with anybody else.”
“No, just you and Nic because you’re my squad. It’s so funny to me because people who don’t know me really well think I’m really quiet. But with you and her, I’m the opposite of that.” I shrugged, and his smile widened—I don’t know what it was about my shoulders that delighted him so much. “I’m glad you don’t mind.”
“I don’t. I love the expressions you make when you’re talking. Like the think-face you make when you squint with one eye, and the squinty grin you make where you scrunch up your nose and face. You’re just the most adorable human.”
“Thank you!” To show him my appreciation, I leaned over and shook my head wildly from side to side, smothering him in hair and giggles. “You know, you’re not so bad yourself.”
“Oh yeah?” said Darren, slowly stroking my leg.
“No, you’re very good to me. I’m quite lucky to have someone who appreciates me so much.”
“Well, you’re a good person to appreciate. Sometimes I don’t know where to begin looking at you.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, blushing.
“Well, there’s just so much to take in at once. There’s your cute, hilarious face… your hair falling just over those tiny shoulders… your pale, perfect nips… your baby abs… your wide hips and little legs that were made for dancing… just everything about you. How could God make something so perfect?”
I shrugged. “I guess he must’ve spent a lot of time on me.”
“Must have.” Grabbing my wrists gently, he slowly rose until we were both seated on the bed facing each other. Then, without any prompting, he leaned down and planted his lips just below my shoulders, beginning to kiss me aggressively.