Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

Mitch

The karaoke had resumed, and I could see Miguel forcing our sister up on stage as the crowd roared.

“Drink up, Cream Puff. Because class starts now.”

“Come on, Penn, you have to take a turn!” Archie, Penn’s friend, begged.

“Absolutely not,” Penn said, shaking his head, his cheeks rosy and his smile damn near contagious.

Nolan chimed in with his rescuing stance, as usual. “Guys, if he doesn’t want to, leave him alone. ”

I had to admit, the pencil pusher was a nice addition to the group. Like Cade, he was a natural empath.

“Thank you,” Penn said as Dawson rolled his eyes.

We’d gravitated toward my friends, if only because Cade and company didn’t seem to take kindly to me keeping Cream Puff all to myself.

They are worse than a throng of teenage girls.

But there was a part of me that felt like maybe Penn could fit in here.

With us.

With me .

I watched him drain his third Angry Orchard, his pretty blue eyes sparkling with the glaze of good old-fashioned drunkenness.

At that moment, Will called him to the stage.

Penn’s eyes widened in shock, and Archie grinned.

“Archie... No...”

“And leave your adoring fans waiting?” he said with a dismissing wave.

I watched Penn bite his lip, weighing what to do .

I didn’t know his friend well—hell, I didn’t know Penn well—but from the little I did know, I had a feeling he was just trying to push Penn out of his comfort zone.

New experiences and all.

“I’ll go with you,” I said definitively, setting my drink on the table.

Penn’s gaze shot to me.

“What—”

“Just... let me do the singing, okay. You can just stand there and look pretty.”

I watched the blush spread on his cheeks as Archie grinned.

“I—”

“What are you waiting for, get up there!” Archie laughed, taking a sip of his beer as I headed up to take the stage.

I half expected even in my drunken state, that Penn would sit it out and let me take over, so I was thoroughly surprised when I heard his footsteps on the platform behind me.

“All right what did Archie Comics pick out for you to sing?” I drawled as I squinted at the teleprompter as Will queued the song up .

Into The Groove by Madonna .

I cast Penn a glance, raising my eyebrow. “Didn’t peg you for a Madonna fan.”

But there wasn’t enough time for him to answer me. Not when the first few notes came across, and I had to speak into the microphone, “You can dance.”

I glanced at Penn, watching his glassy eyes focus on me and then the mic. Deciding if he wanted to be a pretty standby or part of the show.

I continued my first few lines, watching him with intent.

I sang on about getting into the groove, and how a boy had to prove his love.

Penn licked his lips, his gaze flashing from my eyes to my mic. The vibration of the stage and the loud speakers drowned out everything else.

Everything but him.

Just focus on me, Cream Puff, you’ll be fine.

Suddenly, I wasn’t sure if I was convincing him or myself.

Will shouldered him, drawing his attention away as I continued to sing, turning to face the crowd .

Over the bright lights, I could see Cade smiling, Weston’s arm slung around his neck.

Dawson and Nolan were fighting at the table, while Archie hollered and screamed.

And then I felt a nudge against my arm. I turned, facing bright blue eyes and rosy cheeks that gazed into mine like I had the answers to everything.

He sang, his voice clear and strong as he belted out the lyrics about feeling free only when dancing.

I watched as he swallowed harshly, closing his eyes and I picked up where he left off. I lit out the words about locking the door and no one else seeing, watching as Penn opened his eyes and he moved back and forth, finding the rhythm. The groove, as Madonna would say, I guess.

He sang about being tired of dancing by himself, licking his lips as he focused on me.

A smirk spread across my face as I leaned into him, my microphone between us.

I sprang forward with the next line and focused in on his bright blue eyes .

The rest was a blur.

As far as I was concerned, there was no one else in the room but Penn.

We sang in tandem like that, building off of one another until the music faded.

I grabbed him by the back of the neck, pulling him to me as I whispered in his ear, “Good job, Penn.” I slapped him on the back appreciatively before handing Will my microphone.

I exited the stage, my body feeling flushed from the heat of our proximity mixed with the harsh stage lights, and my own building desire.

Penn followed after me, calling my name.

“Huh?” I turned around, just as his foot caught on the last step, causing him to pitch forward like a clumsy little lamb.

Despite my inebriation, I reacted first.

I leaned forward, catching him in my arms, preventing his fine ass from complete embarrassment.

The heat that blossomed between us was like an inferno as he looked up at me, eyes glazed with liquor and something else I couldn’t place.

His fingertips sank into my heated flesh as he steadied himself .

“Lightweight,” I teased as I righted him, but I didn’t remove my hands from his hips, and he made no move to stop his fingers from clutching my biceps.

Looking at him in my arms, feeling his grip...

Fuck, I could get used to that look.

My cock twitched as a grunt escaped my throat, mingling with a soft sigh that escaped his.

“Uh, yeah. Guess I’m a mess, huh?” he said wistfully.

I steadied his frame as I shifted us further into the shadows of the empty pool room to let the next contestant—a woman I didn’t know—up on the stage.

The shift pulled us into the low-lit corridor adjacent to the game room, which lead toward one of the three emergency exits.

It was close enough to hear the woman wailing on her rendition of Carrie Underwood’s Before He Cheats , but not so close that we didn’t have a modicum of privacy for the moment.

“You’re having fun. Fun can be messy sometimes,” I said, licking my lips as I focused my gaze on his perfect pout.

I wanted to kiss him .

I wanted to tell him that messy or not, he deserved to have a good time.

I wanted to be the one to show him just all the fun we could have.

Together, if he’d give me the chance.

Somewhere in my mind, I knew it was a bad idea. For starters, he was technically a client, and pursuing any sort of romance was unprofessional.

Then there was the whole question about whether or not Penn was even remotely into the idea of any sort of romance or relationship with someone like me.

Because I wasn’t a tall, tanned, pretty blonde woman.

I was the furthest thing from that.

But caught up in the shadows, with Penn in my arms, looking like a bedazzled wedding cake with his plush lips and rosy cheeks and glittering eyes...

I couldn’t resist.

The words fell out of my mouth without warning.

“I want to kiss you right now,” I whispered, my voice catching in my throat.

Penn stood upright, his entire body stiff as a rod.

“I think... I think I want to kiss you too... but...”

I reached out, sliding my hand through his damp, sweaty hair.

“But what?” I asked, trying to breathe.

“I’ve never kissed someone like you... before,” he admitted.

In my drunken stupor, I stupidly asked what I already knew. But perhaps I just wanted to hear him say it.

Out loud.

“Like me?” I drawled. “I think I need you to elaborate, Cream Puff.”

Penn squeezed my side as his breath shook.

“I mean... I’ve never kissed a guy,” he whispered, licking his lips as he swallowed harshly.

“There’s a first time for everything,” I said, ignoring all the alarm bells sounding in my head.

I ran my hand down his neck, cradling the back of his head as I used my thumb to nudge his chin up.

Penn fell into me with ease as I brought my mouth to his.

Like he’d been waiting for my kiss all his life.

His lips against mine were soft and lush, and as sweet as a literal cream puff.

A deep groan escaped him, igniting me like a firework on the fourth of July.

I took his groan as permission to go further, slipping my tongue into his mouth as I pulled him by his hips, moving him closer, brushing my hardness against him.

“Fuck,” I whispered, feeling lightheaded as his tongue responded in unison.

The sounds of Will announcing last call rang out, and shattered everything.

Penn broke away, his eyelashes fluttering as he opened his eyes and immediately stiffened once more, pushing away from me.

“Oh fuck, I’m so sorry. I?—”

“It’s okay, I?—”

“I have to go,” he blurted, anxiety taking over.

Fuck!

I pushed too hard, I ? —

“Penn...”

“I... I’m sorry. Thank you for the drinks, but I need to go. I need to go...” he said, and then he took off like a bat out of hell.

All I could do was watch as he found Archie, and then they headed out the door.

“Fucking asshole!” I snarled, chastising myself as I punched the damn Love Meter machine. It went off with a whir, buzzing and vibrating.

“Shut the fuck up!” I snapped as the meter sounded off, hitting the “Scorching” setting.

“There you are,” Cade said as he found me nursing my sore fist.

“Wes and I are headed out. Was wondering if you needed a ride home? I know you came by yourself, but I don’t think your brother will care if you leave the car here overnight,” he said softly.

I cursed silently, feeling the effects of my alcohol and my shame.

“Yeah, I could use a ride,” I said as he settled his hand on my shoulder.

“And maybe while you’re at it, you can dig my fucking grave too.”