17. A Thousand Lightning Strikes

A THOUSAND LIGHTNING STRIKES

EVERETT

I 'd always thought finding "the one" would be like lightning striking—instant, electric, unmistakable. But as I gazed down at Penelope, her skin flushed and her eyes shining with trust and desire, I realized love could sneak up on you, building that electricity up until it exploded and was impossible to ignore.

"You're so beautiful," I murmured, trailing kisses down her neck. "So fucking sexy."

And she was. Every curve, every dip, every mark on her skin told a story, and I wanted to learn them all. My hands roamed her body, reveling in the softness of her skin, the generous swell of her hips, the fullness of her breasts.

I was going to make love to her, but as much as I wanted to be inside of her, to claim her with my body, this night wasn't really about me. I realized that the second she admitted that no guy had every eaten that sweet, plump pussy.

That was completely unbelievable to me, given how absolutely sexy and sensual she was. I loved pretty much every woman's body. And I wasn't afraid to admit, I could admire some men's too. It didn't matter their size, shape, or what the scale said, I thought they were all beautiful.

But I also wasn't completely obtuse. I full well knew that there were real dumbasses out there who thought it was cool or funny to disdain big girls. And it was very fucking clear that Pen had been on the sharp end of that shit stick.

Which really pissed me the hell off. Guys like Odin, or any stupid fucking asshole like him, deserved to be eaten by a snake.

I was claiming the job of repairing at least a little of Pen's trauma by showing her exactly how sexy, beautiful, and wanted she was.

She was mine now, and I was going to prove to her every day that she was the supreme sex goddess that ruled over my world.

And my heart.

When my fingers traced a stretch mark on her arm, I felt her tense. I knew she would. I looked up, meeting her eyes. "These are beautiful too, you know," I said softly, pressing a kiss to the silvery line. "They're part of you, and every part of you is gorgeous."

I saw the flash in her eyes that said she was trying to believe me but wasn't quite there. "Ev, I know. I do."

"Mmm. I'm going to keep telling you so until you actually believe it." I smiled, but kept my tone serious, because I never wanted her to think I was poking fun at her. "I mean it, Pen. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

And it was true. Not just because of her physical beauty, which was undeniable, but because of who she was—kind, funny, brilliant Penelope, who had stolen my heart without me even realizing it.

I kissed her again, deep and passionate, pouring all my feelings into it. My hands continued their exploration, wanting to worship every inch of her. When my fingers dipped between her thighs, she gasped against my mouth.

"Ready for more?" I asked, my voice rough with desire.

"I don't really think it's my turn again but," she breathed, "please, don't stop."

I didn't. I couldn't strip my eyes away, awed as pleasure bloomed across her face. She clung to me, her body arching into mine, and I'd never get tired of watching her take her pleasure from me.

"Ev," she panted. "I need... I need..."

"What do you need, sweetheart?" I asked, my lips brushing her ear.

"You," she said simply. "I need you. Inside of me."

"I am inside of you." I teased her with my fingers, and she groaned.

"Everett Kingman, let me be very clear. If you don't put your dick inside of my pussy, I'm going to?—"

I didn't let her finish her sentence and gave her a quick but hard kiss. Then I jumped off the bed and reached for my pants, grabbing a condom out of my wallet. Because I'm a safety boy.

For the first time since I was a flirty teenager, my hands shook slightly with anticipation and emotion. I got the thing rolled on and saw a flicker of a question cross Penelope's face. I pressed my forehead against hers, wanting to reassure her. "I will always keep you safe, sweetheart."

"I trust you," she whispered, and those three words meant more to me than any ‘I love you' ever had.

Slowly, carefully, I entered her. The feeling was incredible, but what took my breath away was the look in Penelope's eyes—vulnerable, trusting, and filled with the same overwhelming emotion I felt. I paused, giving her time to adjust, my hand cupping her face tenderly.

I meant to tell her how amazing she felt, how perfect, but she squeezed her inner walls around my dick, and I lost my fucking mind. "Fu-uck, Pen. Fuck."

She giggled. She actually goddamn giggled. "Now you know how I felt five minutes ago."

I kissed her again, and again, and again. I was never going to get enough of her.

And then we were moving together, finding a rhythm that felt as natural as breathing. It wasn't just physical—it was like our souls were connecting, laying bare every vulnerability, every secret part of ourselves.

This wasn't just sex. This was making love in every sense of the word. And I realized, with startling clarity, that this was what I'd been searching for all along.

As our movements became more urgent, I watched Penelope's face, mesmerized by the play of emotions across it. She was letting go, I could see it—letting go of every insecurity, every doubt. And in doing so, she was more beautiful than ever.

I wasn't going to last very much longer, and I wanted to push her over the edge one more time before I even thought about coming inside of her. I reached between us and found her clit, stroking her even as I drove into her heat.

"Ev," she gasped, her body tensing beneath me. "I'm... I'm..."

"That's right, sweetheart, let go again," I encouraged, feeling my own release approaching, my balls screaming. But I wasn't fucking coming before she did. "I've got you."

She cried out, her body arching into mine, and the sight of her coming undone pushed me over the edge, taking me with her. I followed her into bliss, her name on my lips like a prayer. I'd follow her anywhere.

I buried myself deep inside of her, not ready to let go. She wrapped her knees around my hips, and her ankles notched into my back, holding me as tight to her as I needed. We both gasped for breath, I felt a sense of rightness I'd never known before.

"This is going to sound ridiculous, Everett, but thank you," she whispered into the quiet.

I propped myself up on an elbow, looking at her quizzically. "For what?"

She smiled, tears glistening in her eyes. "For making me feel beautiful. For the first time in my life, I actually believe it."

My heart swelled with love and protectiveness. I leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "You are beautiful, Pen. Inside and out. And I'll spend every day reminding you of that if you'll let me."

I lay there, Penelope's warm body curled against mine, her soft breathing the only sound in the quiet basement. My fingers traced lazy patterns on her skin, marveling at how right this felt. How perfect.

She stirred slightly, nuzzling closer, and I dropped a soft kiss on her forehead. How had I not seen it before? This amazing woman had been right in front of me all along, hidden behind the label of student or friend or... older brother's fiancée's assistant.

We'd deal with that later. Right now, she was mine and I was hers, and nothing could take that away from us.

I reached up to tuck a stray curl behind her ear. "This is... I don't even have words for how amazing this is."

"For me too," she said softly. "I've never felt like this before."

I wanted to tell her right then and there that I loved her. I wanted to ask her to marry me. The words were on the tip of my tongue, desperate to be spoken. But it was too soon, wasn't it?

We'd only just crossed this line from friends to... whatever we were now. And while I was certain of my feelings, a small part of me worried that Pen might not be quite there yet. I needed to give her enough space to grow, to feel secure.

It's not like I was going anywhere.

But we also couldn't risk staying in bed together like this. Not all night like I wanted. I forced myself to move, finally pulled out of her soft, hot body, and took care of the condom. I'd have to make sure I took out the trash and did some laundry before Declan realized there'd been any hanky panky going on in his basement.

The moment I returned back to the bed, Pen melted into me, her body soft and pliant against mine. "This still feels a bit like a dream. I meant what I said before. I never thought... I mean, someone like you with someone like me..."

I frowned, cupping her face in my hands. "I know you feel that way right now, babe. And I'm not going to try and tell you that your feelings aren't valid or real. But I absolutely believe you're amazing, Penelope Quinn. Smart, funny, kind, sexy as hell. I'm the lucky one here."

A blush crept across her cheeks, but she held my gaze. "You really mean that, don't you?"

"Every word," I assured her. "And I'll keep saying it until you believe it."

She nestled back into my arms, her head resting on my chest. "I'll work on it. I promise."

As we lay there in comfortable silence, I found myself imagining a future with Penelope. Lazy Sunday mornings, game nights with my family, her cheering from the stands at my games. It all seemed so clear, so right.

Even though I couldn't say the words out loud just yet, I made a silent promise to myself and to her. I would do everything in my power to make her feel loved, cherished, and beautiful. Every single day.

Because that's what she deserved. And that's what she was to me—everything.

What felt like a moment later, I jolted awake, disoriented by the unfamiliar surroundings. Then I felt Pen's warm body pressed against mine, and everything came rushing back. A smile spread across my face, quickly followed by a beat of panic as I realized where we were.

"Pen," I whispered urgently, gently shaking her shoulder. "Pen, wake up."

She stirred, blinking up at me with sleepy eyes. "Ev? What's wrong?"

"We fell asleep," I explained, already scanning the room for our scattered clothes. "In Declan's basement."

Her eyes widened as the implications sank in. "Oh shit."

We scrambled to get dressed, the peaceful afterglow of last night shattered by the reality of our situation. I strained my ears for any sound from upstairs, praying we hadn't already been discovered.

As Pen buttoned up her pajama top, I ran a hand through my disheveled hair. "Pen, we need to talk about what we're going to do about us."

She paused, looking at me with a mix of happiness and apprehension. "I know."

I took a deep breath. "We need to tell Declan and Kelsey. I know it's not going to be easy, but?—"

"Wait," Pen interrupted, her voice tinged with panic. "Do we have to tell them right away? Like now? This morning?"

I frowned, confused. "Well, yeah. I mean, Declan's my brother, and Kelsey's your best friend. And given how protective Dec is of you, I've probably got a black eye coming but..."

Pen bit her lip, a habit I was starting to recognize as a sign of her anxiety. "It's just... my whole life is always out there for everyone to see, Ev. Being the Besties' Bestie, everything I do is public knowledge. Once this gets out, we'll be under scrutiny hard core. For once, I'd like to have something that's just... mine. At least for a little while."

My heart softened at her words, even as worry gnawed at my gut. But we just needed to talk this through. "I get that, Pen. I do. But don't you think they're going to be pissed if they find out we've been sneaking around? We don't need to hide our feelings from them. I'm sure they can keep a secret."

"I know, and we'll tell them. Just... let's wait until after Christmas. Give me just a few days to float in this blissful new place where it's just the two of us. Please?" Her eyes pleaded with me, and I felt my resolve weakening.

"All right, Penny. It's not like I want to share you with the world either." The words were still there, right on the tip of my tongue. I wanted to say that she was mine, that I loved her, that I wanted to marry her.

Before I could get out another word, we heard footsteps on the stairs. Panic shot through me as I frantically looked for a place to hide Pen.

"Ev?" Declan's voice called out. "You up, bro? We've got practice."

"Uh, yeah," I called back, my voice embarrassingly high-pitched. "I'll be right up."

I turned to Pen, speaking in a rushed whisper. "Okay, here's the plan. I'll go up first and distract them. You wait five minutes, then sneak up and act like you just woke up and came down for coffee. Got it?"

She nodded, her face pale but determined.

I took a deep breath, then headed up the stairs. Declan was in the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of coffee. He raised an eyebrow as I emerged from the basement.

"Rough night?" he asked, taking in my rumpled appearance.

I forced a laugh. "Yeah, that couch isn't as comfortable as it looks."

Declan chuckled. "Uh, there's a whole ass bedroom down there, buttface. Well, that's what you get for letting a snake chase you out of your own house."

If only he knew the real snake in this situation was me, sneaking around with the girl he saw as a little sister.

"Listen, Dec," I started, knowing I needed to say something, even if I couldn't tell him everything yet. "About Pen..."

But before I could continue, Kelsey bustled into the kitchen. "Morning, boys. Oh, Ev, you look terrible. Didn't sleep well?"

I caught a flash of something suspicious in Kelsey's so-happy-to-be-awake-this-early attitude. But a movement behind them—Pen, sneaking up the stairs as planned—kept me from examining that further.

"Uh, no, not really," I mumbled, trying to keep their attention on me.

"Morning, everyone," Pen's voice rang out, sounding impressively casual. "Is there coffee?"

As Kelsey fussed over Pen and Declan returned to his breakfast, I caught Pen's eye over their shoulders. The look we shared was filled with relief, excitement, and a touch of guilt.

This couldn't last. Eventually, we'd have to come clean. But for now, I'd respect Pen's wishes. She deserved to have something that was just ours, even if only for a little while. We didn't even really know what this something was yet.

I headed back downstairs to shower before practice, and my mind raced. How were we going to navigate this? How long could we keep it a secret? And most importantly, how was I going to convince my family—especially Declan—that this wasn't just another fling but something real and important?

I know they all thought my love guru persona got laid all the time and left a trail of tears after one-night stands. But I wasn't that guy. I didn't sleep with even a quarter as many women as they all thought I did.

And maybe I played it all up a bit. But only because I didn't need anyone to see how often my own heart was broken when the women I went out with turned out to want my money, fame, or body more than me.

Penelope wasn't like that. She was the one I'd been searching for since I was eight years old. And I'd face anything—even my overprotective big brother—to keep her in my life and happy.

Just because I was ready to shout from the rooftops that I'd finally found real love, didn't mean she was. She'd been burned so badly by stupid douchepotatoes that even the thought of finding a date, much less real love, scared her.

I had no doubt that's what this not telling anyone about us thing was really about.

I had to be okay giving her space to feel comfortable in our new relationship. But the Kingmans could smell secrets from a hundred yards away. We'd be lucky to make it past Christmas before someone in my family figured it out.