Penny sighed, leaning back on the couch. She had just called in sick to work, and she knew that it wasn’t going to go over well when Doug heard about it. There was no doubt in her mind he was going to call her back and let her know how he felt about it, but she didn’t have the time to worry about that.

The fact of the matter was that she felt like shit, and she wasn’t going to spend her night walking around and trying to make as many tips as she could while she felt that way. Being around the stench of alcohol wasn’t going to help matters, either. She needed a few days to get back on her feet, and when she finally did, she would go let Doug know that she was expecting.

Penny didn’t expect Doug to be understanding of her situation, but she wasn’t going to worry about that right now, either. Right now, she had other things on her mind—like feeling better. Penny was about to get off the couch when she suddenly realized she had received a new message.

It was from Chase. She threw the phone across the couch, not wanting to talk to him or anyone else. But especially him. She threw her arm over her face with a sigh, lying back on the couch. Suddenly, her phone started ringing and she sat up.

She shook her head when she realized it was Chase. Though she missed him, she still felt she had been used by him and didn’t want to talk to him about it. She didn’t know how she was going to tell him about the baby, and she still didn’t even know if she was going to keep it or not. She just wanted to be left alone, but she was also being driven insane with his incessant messages.

Perhaps if she were to tell him enough was enough, he would finally get the hint.

With a sigh, she brought the phone up to her ear. “What do you want?”

“I want to talk to you. Penny, I’ve got to tell you how sorry I am about everything. Really, I am. You didn’t deserve that, and I don’t want you to think that you were nothing more than a conquest to me.” Chase was speaking so quickly, she didn’t get the chance to interrupt.

“Chase, listen,” she started, but he cut her off.

“No, I need you to listen to me. Really. I have feelings for you, Penny. I can’t say that to very many women on this planet, but it’s true for you. I really do,” Chase said earnestly, and she nearly dropped her phone.

“You don’t,” she said, but he cut her off once again.

“Penny, please believe me. I have cared for you since the first day I met you, and it’s only grown since then,” he said. “The two weeks we spent together…that meant more than anything else.” She sighed.

“Chase, I don’t know what to say to you,” she said quietly.

“Tell me anything. Tell me everything. I don’t care what you say, just talk to me,” he said.

Penny sat up. No one in her life had been this insistent on being with her, on truly getting to know her, and she could feel her resolve melting.

“Tell you what?” she asked.

“Tell me about you. I want to hear more about your hopes and dreams. I know you want to build a business in fashion, and you already told me a bit about it,” he said. “Tell me more.” She sighed as she sat back on the couch.

“Well, you know I want to open a clothing store. I want to be a clothing designer, and I want to have my own line of clothing,” she said.

“I think you would be great at that—so, what are you doing to make it happen?”

“I’ve met a lot of well-connected people at the nightclub, people who would be able to help me someday. I keep getting turned down for now, but I want to make it, so I’m going to!” Penny spoke with determination in her voice, and Chase heartily agreed.

It felt good talking to him, and she suddenly realized just how much she missed him.

“Can I come over?” he asked suddenly. He caught her off guard, and at first, she didn’t know what to say. But before she had the time to really think about it, she agreed.

“The place is sort of a mess, but if you don’t mind that, then sure,” she said uneasily.

“Great, I’ll be over before you know it,” he replied. She hung up the phone and sat back on the couch, wondering if it was a good idea. But when the doorbell rang not even fifteen minutes later, she flew to her feet and hurried over, ignoring the wave of nausea that washed over her once more.

“You came,” she said, lacking anything good to say.

He didn’t answer. Instead, he took her in his arms and pressed his lips to hers, pushing her back into the apartment. She kissed him back, their kiss growing more urgent with passion as she fell backward onto the couch. As always, he supported her in his arms as he fell on top of her, kissing her with a growing passion.

They tore each other’s clothes off, letting them fall to the floor. Chase unclasped her bra, releasing her huge breasts that bounced as he pulled her toward him. He grabbed her tits, squeezing her nipples and causing her to moan. Penny loved it when he did that, and she sat back on the couch, leaning her head back as he put his mouth to her nipples. She put her hands around his head, running her fingers through his hair.

He pulled his lips free, then began kissing down her body, taking her pants off before crawling back up to meet her lips. She lifted her hips, begging him to enter her. Though it hadn’t even been a week since they had last been together, she wanted to have him inside her with such a desperation it almost hurt. Without a word, he lowered himself on top of her, thrusting into her with a stifled groan. It was clear to her how much he’d missed her, and with each thrust, she moaned and gasped, writhing under him.

“Chase,” she breathed, her eyes fluttering shut as he pumped into her.

“That’s it, baby, say my name,” he grunted, his eyes drinking in the sight of her breasts bouncing with each thrust and her hair fanning her pink-cheeked face.

He continued to thrust inside of her, moving with a greater speed. She felt the heat building deep inside her body, and she grabbed onto him, sinking her teeth into his shoulder as she came, harder than she had come in a while. As the waves of ecstasy washed over her, she clung to his body harder than before, feeling him intensely as he thrust into her with a renewed vigor.

He pumped himself into her a couple more times, then Penny felt the jump of his cock as he filled her up, dumping his load inside her. She sighed, holding him in her arms and kissing his neck as he slowly grew soft within her.

Chase decided to stay the night, but Penny spent most of the night staring at the ceiling. There were so many thoughts running through her mind, she didn’t even know where to start. She was happy to be back with Chase, and she wanted to trust him fully, though it was difficult for her. She didn’t know if this was just because they missed each other’s touch or if he had truly come back to her.

And she wasn’t sure how to ask him. She sighed as she rolled over, laying her head on his muscular chest. Then, all at once, a new thought washed over her, and she knew without a doubt everything was going to be okay. Perhaps she wouldn’t have Chase in her life or she maybe she would find that he was her soulmate and the two of them would live happily ever after.

Whatever was going to happen, she was going to keep the baby, and she was going to make things work. She was going to pursue her dream of being a clothing designer, and she was going to be the badass mother while she did it. For the first time in her life, she had met someone who hadn’t shut down her idea as soon as she presented it, and she felt that she had a real chance of making it happen.

She put her hand on her stomach with a sigh, thinking about what her first move was going to be. Then, as if it was inside her all along, she knew.

She had a game plan now, and she was going to follow it. Everything would be okay.