The Babysitter Beta Part 09

After a shower and a shave, I returned downstairs to find Penny and Abby playing in her playhouse in the backyard. I smiled and waved to Penny from the kitchen window. She and Abby waved back, then quickly returned to what they were doing. 

I let them play and returned to my book, sitting and reading the afternoon away. The book Lana had chosen was okay, but I didn’t think it would end up on my top ten list anytime soon. The story was slow, and the four different character perspectives didn’t come together until the very end of the book, which meant the whole thing was just the prelude to a sequel. I should have expected that. Every fantasy book was a series now, and there was no getting around that. Still, constantly switching perspectives annoyed me and slowed everything to a crawl. 

Also, who used third person past tense with a semi-omniscient narrator anymore? First-person past tense and limited perspective were much more modern. Audiences were so accustomed to it nowadays, too. It made the book feel outdated. 

I sighed, shrugging away my concern. Abby and Penny had come inside since I started reading, and they let me sit in the living room undisturbed as they played in Abby’s room upstairs. I would have to pay Penny for her efforts today, even if she was using Abby and myself as a distraction from the parental drama raging next door. They descended the stairs, laughing as they did and giving me enough warning to close my book and set it aside. 

“Rowan should be here soon.” Penny said as Abby ran toward me and jumped into my lap. I grunted at the sudden impact, and Penny sat on the corner of the sofa and smiled at me. “What did you want to do for dinner?” 

“I was thinking of pizza.” I said. “Is that okay?” 

Penny frowned. “Rowan is gluten-free.” 

“Of course he is.” I nodded. He was probably one of those gym-rat, fitness-nut college guys who had all the girls they could possibly want. 

“What?” Penny asked. 

“I mean, uh… steaks it is!” I’d have to run out and get some more for tomorrow’s cookout, but I wasn’t about to say no to steaks and veggies on the grill twice in a row. “Come on, Abby! You can help me cook.” By which I meant she could help me carry things out to the grill, but her enthusiasm suggested I’d told her she could play with knives this one time only. 

Penny laughed, her eyes never leaving Abby and me as we walked hand in hand to the kitchen. I handed Abby one thing at a time, the tongs, the spatula, the sauce brush, a plastic bowl, steak sauce, etc. She ferried each item to the patio and put them on the table for me. 

Penny watched the proceedings and tucked the front of her shirt, my gray t-shirt, into the waistband of her jeans, letting the hem skirt around her hips and behind. It was a sexy look, given her shorts were short enough to show off her legs. 

“Do you need my help?” Penny asked. 

“Nah.” I said as I pulled the steaks from the fridge. “You go ahead and relax until Rowan gets here.” 

She shrugged and hopped onto the counter, sitting and watching me as I worked. I pulled on my “Kiss the Cook” apron and got everything ready. 

It wasn’t long before the doorbell rang, and Penny hopped from the counter to answer the door with Abby. My daughter was excited to greet our guest, but hid behind Penny’s legs as the stranger entered. 

“Well, hello sexy.” I heard Rowan’s voice from the door and paused momentarily, tilting my head. I entered from the kitchen in time to see Rowan and Penny pulling away from a hug. 

The first thing I noticed about Rowan was his hair. It was buzzed on the sides and fluffed on the top, swept back from his forehead in a wave of bright pink. It looked like toothpaste, and he looked like a cartoon character. The choker around his throat was an aquamarine fishnet with a dangling pearl as white as his smiling teeth. A tight pink t-shirt that came to the bottom of his abs framed his narrow torso and skinny arms. He was fit but not nearly as gym-fit as I’d imagined. The shade of his shirt almost matched his hair. He wore tight blue jeans that looked impossible to pull on, with the band of his boxers peeking over his belt line. Bright red sneakers finished the ensemble, and he stepped toward me with his hand outstretched for a shake. 

“Mister Castillo! I’ve heard so much about you!” He said, shaking my hand. 

I stared at him and shook his hand. My initial thoughts of intimidating him on our first meeting failed to materialize due to shock and confusion. His voice was high and oddly feminine. This was not who I pictured Penny dating at all if I fit into her taste in men. 

“Oh, you were right.” Rowan said to Penny in his light, effeminate voice. “He’s hot.” He winked at me, then looked down to see Abby peeking out from behind Penny’s calf. “And you must be Abby!” He crouched down, which must have been a feat in those jeans, and smiled at Abby. “You’re even cuter than I thought! Look at you! You’re almost as adorable as I am, and I bet you only put in half the work.” 

Abby might not understand all of his words, but his manner in saying them and getting on her level to speak with her made her smile. She glanced up at the tuft of his hair, and he looked up to follow her gaze. 

“You like my hair?” He asked. “I wasn’t sure about the shade, but Miss Penny was right. It’s cute, right?” 

Abby nodded. She liked pink. She reached for his hair, groping with tiny fingers until he tilted his head forward and let her clasp his forelock. 

“Don’t pull too hard now.” He said. “My boyfriend isn’t into bald guys.” 

And there it was. Confirmation that I was an idiot. 

Penny’s smile broke into laughter. She’d been watching me the entire time, waiting for me to realize how much of an idiot I’d been. The jealousy I’d felt regarding Rowan over the last week turned from growling monster to sparkling confetti, as harmless as it was silly. I shook my head at her and sighed. 

“What did I miss?” Rowan asked as Abby released him and retreated once more behind Penny’s legs. 

“Nothing.” Penny said, putting his concern aside. “Come on. Julio was just about to put steaks on the grill.” 

“Mmm. I love a man who knows what to do with his meat.” Rowan laughed as Penny smacked his arm. 

“Don’t make jokes like that in front of Abby!” Penny protested, and Rowan had the decency to look ashamed. 

“Sorry. I’m not used to kids.” Rowan said, following me into the kitchen as Penny and Abby moved to the living room. “Do you need any help?”

“Don’t worry about it.” I said, regarding both his apology and his offer. I lifted the baking tray I’d placed the marinated steaks on. “I’m going to throw these on the grill. How do you like yours cooked?” 

“Medium.” Rowan answered confidently. 

He followed me out to the patio. “Oh, nice pool.” 

“Thanks.” I said. “It’s a lot of work and money, but I enjoy it.” 

He nodded. “I’d kill to have a pool at my complex, but my apartment building is too cramped. I’d even settle for a hot tub on the roof.” 

I gestured to the other side of the pool, where the spillover hot tub sat perched above the pool. 

“Oh my god, I love it here. If you ever need a house sitter and Penny’s not available, call me.” He laughed and watched as I threw the steaks on the grill. Penny and Abby came outside, both in bathing suits. Penny wore a bikini that was more conservative than her typical fair. Abby wore her usual bathing suit with its frilly skirt, the arm floaties, and the inner tube. 

“I’m jealous.” Rowan said. 

“I have some spare suits in the guest room.” I pointed toward the house. “I’ll show you where if you’d like to go for a swim while I do the cooking?” 

“Sure.” Rowan said, nodding. “If that’s okay.” 

“Absolutely.” I said and showed him the selection. A few minutes later, he joined Penny and Abby in the shallow end of the pool, my watchful eye on my daughter despite the precautions. It wasn’t her first time in the water, but it was the first time I’d let her in the pool without me. I was ready to dive in fully clothed at the first sign of trouble, but none arose. 

Their playful laughter and chatter made me smile as I cooked the food, and the activity tired Abby out enough for her to enjoy dinner and willingly go down for bedtime after an hour of playtime with Penny and a bath. Rowan and I hung out on the patio, sipping whiskey. 

“Thank you for hosting us tonight.” Rowan said. “I offered to go clubbing with Penny, but she said she’s worried we’d run into her mom.” 

I chuckled at the idea of Amanda being at a club in the city, but Rowan didn’t, so I stopped. 

“Really?” I asked, surprised. 

“Apparently, she’s out celebrating her divorce with her girlfriends.” Rowan said, rolling his eyes. “Penny’s been going through it, but she said you and Abby have been the bright spots. She adores that kid.” 

“Yeah.” I said. Penny had an evident love for my daughter that I appreciated. I relied on her as the nanny, but it was good to know Abby was in loving hands, not someone there for the paycheck. 

“And she seems particularly smitten with you.” Rowan said, raising his eyebrows in what might have been a challenge. 

Confusion overtook my features. “What do you mean?” 

“Look, you haven’t done anything wrong or anything, but I’d have to be blind not to see the way she looks at you.” Rowan said. He took a sip of his water. “Just don’t break her heart. She’s going through a really rough time right now.” 

“What?” I asked. I knew her parents were going through their dramatic divorce, but the first part of what he’d said confused me. “How does she look at me?” 

“Like she’s in a meme.” Rowan laughed. “That, find someone who looks at you like this, meme.” 

Pride swelled in my chest at that, though I hadn’t noticed her looking at me that way at all. “Really? I don’t know. I haven’t seen it.” 

“Trust me.” Rowan said. “It’s in her eyes everytime she looks at you. Just… be careful. Okay? If you hurt her, I’ll have to come back and beat you up in front of your toddler.” 

I laughed, and not just because this young stick of a man punching me would tickle more than hurt. “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t hurt Penny for the world.”

“Oh, really?” Rowan asked as if I’d surprised him and said something entirely different. 

“Yeah?” I said, suddenly uncertain. “I mean… she’s great.” 

“Yeah. She is.” Rowan said. “You must see her like a surrogate daughter or something, right?” 

“Uh, yeah.” I said, suddenly uncomfortable. 

“You’re like a father to her.” Rowan said.

“Yup. Sure am.” I nodded, drinking my own water and guzzling it down. 

Rowan didn’t seem convinced. I couldn’t blame him. I wasn’t a gifted liar, and I was far from a father figure to Penny. At least, I hoped she didn’t think of me that way. It’d be weird if she did.

“You’ve lived next door for a while, right?” Rowan asked. “You must have known her for years now.” 

“Uh… not really. My late wife and I were friendly with her parents, but you know teenagers, they don’t really hang out with the adults. We only ever saw each other in passing.” I said, nodding. 

“Right, right.” Rowan said, drinking his water. 

“But you knew her, right? The two of you are friends from high school?” I asked. 

“Oh, sure. I transferred in my senior year. She introduced me to my boyfriend, and we grew pretty close. Same taste in music, movies, and boys.” Rowan said. 

“Right… you’re gay.” I said, stating the obvious. 

“Is that a first for you?” Rowan asked. “I guess you don’t meet a lot of gay guys out in suburbia?” 

“I think there’s a LGBT couple down the block.” I gestured in the general direction. “They have a rainbow flag, but I’ve never met them. I’m not sure which uh… which flavor they are.” 

Rowan laughed. “Which flavor?” 

“I mean, I don’t know if they’re lesbian, gay, trans, or…whatever the other letters are.” I said. Worried that I might have offended him. I knew what the other letters stood for but was too nervous to remember them. 

“Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual, queer, intersex, asexual, and the plus sign is for anything not covered by the acronym.” Rowan said, smiling as though amused by my ignorance rather than offended by it. I took that as a good sign. 

“Oh.” I said, pondering what he said. “Okay. But then, couldn’t it just be L-G-Plus?” 

Rowan laughed. “You know, I never thought about it…” He shrugged. “But I’d say they probably add the letters to be more inclusive. Part of the whole ordeal is raising awareness, you know? It doesn’t really help raise public awareness of sexual identities if they’re all included in the plus sign.” 

“Yeah…” I agreed. The wisdom struck me and made me second-guess my initial impression of him as an airhead. “That makes a lot of sense.” 

“So are you… any of those?” Rowan asked. 

“No.” I shrugged. “Not that there’s anything wrong with it, I’m just… basic.” 

Rowan laughed. “We love a basic bitch who owns it.” 

I laughed, unsure if that was a compliment but unwilling to press the topic and find out. “So Penny introduced you to your boyfriend?” 

“Yeah. He’s her dad's friend, but a good guy, not a skeezball.” Rowan said. “Younger than her dad, of course, by a few years.” 

“Well, I’d hope you’re not into skeezballs if you have the same taste in men.” I said, laughing. 

“Yeah.” Rowan said. “Exactly. We both like nice, older guys.” 

The tone in which he said it made me stop laughing. I glanced at him. Penny said she didn’t tell him anything, but did he know? Had he figured out something sexual was going on between me and Penny? Had I glanced at her too often during dinner? Too seldom? 

“Just let her down gently.” Rowan said, assuring me. “She’s crushing on you hard. The way she looks at you? She’s long gone. Head over heels smitten.” 

He’d picked up on something, at least. I already knew Penny was attracted to me, but… head over heels? Smitten? No. She was just sleeping with me to help me feel better and for fun. That was what young people did now. They had recreational sex. Not that I could tell Rowan we were sleeping together. 

“I’ll do my best.” I said, which cracked me up. Rowan laughed, too, though not as hard or as long. 

Penny emerged from the house while I was still laughing and smiled. She seemed amused that Rowan and I were getting along. 

“How’s everything going?” She asked. 

“Just great.” Rowan said. “But I think I need to head back if I’m going to get enough sleep for tomorrow.” 

“What’s tomorrow?” I asked, curious. 

“Oh, a community soccer game my boyfriend and I are in.” Rowan said as he stood up and brushed himself off. “It was nice meeting you, Mister Castillo.” 

He offered me his hand, and I stood and shook it. He tightened his grip, which made me smile. I appreciated his protectiveness over Penny but was confident I could take him if it ever came to a fistfight. “Have fun.” I said. 

Rowan gave Penny a look, and she gave him a hug. “Come on, I’ll walk you to your car.” She said, linking her arm through his. They walked around the house rather than through it, and although I wanted to follow them, I stopped myself. I cleaned the patio instead, clearing away the dishes. I was nearly finished with them when I heard Penny enter the kitchen. 

“Are you still okay with me staying over?” She asked. 

“Yeah.” I said, not looking up from the sink and the dishwasher. “Are you sure you don’t want to sleep at home though? Your mom might appreciate the company.” 

“She texted that she was out with the girls. Her book club is throwing her a divorcee party, and she’s crashing with them tonight. They’re getting drunk on wine and hitting the clubs, I think.” Penny said, closer than before but behind me now, probably moving toward the kitchen table. “You know how wild divorced moms can get.” 

I nodded as if I knew or had first-hand experience with them. I suppose I did, with Amanda. Though, if she was still acting like she had last weekend, chances were good she’d wake up with quite a hangover tomorrow. 

“How did you like Rowan?” Penny asked. 

“He was great. Seems like a nice kid.” I said, shrugging. 

Penny chuckled. “He’s my age. Am I a kid?” 

I hesitated. No. She was nineteen. So was Rowan. They were adults. Penny especially had proven herself quite an adult over the last few weeks. “No, I guess not.” 

“You guess not.” Penny said. The mocking tone in her voice sounded amused, but I didn’t rise to the bait. “Just because I’m wearing a babydoll doesn’t mean I am one.”

Wait, what? I turned to see and stopped. 

Penny stood in my kitchen, with smooth skin and pale curves, wearing lingerie. Actual lingerie. A dark red flyaway babydoll set of sheer lace covered her large breasts in two tiny triangles of embroidered flowers. Her breasts spilled over the material, and her pale pink eraser-tipped nipples lurked behind the veil of embroidered lace. 

The golden heart connecting the two triangle cups held the fabric string beneath her breasts that held a curtain of red lace. It parted at the heart between her stomach and breasts, showing her navel and the flat lines of her torso until it met the low waistband of a tiny sheer red thong. 

The straps of the thong ran high over her curvy hips, disappearing into her heavy round ass cheeks as she spun on the ball of her foot and gave me a show. Her back was bare on the top half and covered by lace on the bottom half, which failed to reach her bottom. Her luscious thighs and pointed calves ended in soft, bare feet. 

My mouth hung open in silence. She looked adorable and sexy at the same time. I knew she’d planned to spend the night here tonight, and I assumed that meant sex, like when she’d fallen asleep here by accident, but I was not expecting lingerie or seduction. She looked out of place in the kitchen with its harsh lighting. Her outfit begged for the soft, romantic lighting of the bedroom. Her outfit might offer camouflage against the deep red rose petals I imagined scattered across the mattress. 

I wanted to lay her back on that bed and ruin her makeup. She’d fixed her hair, brushed it, and it fell in waves over her shoulders, obscuring the straps that held up her top. Her makeup was delicate but present, drawing attention to her bright, beautiful eyes and soft, dark red lips. 

“You like it?” Penny asked. “I wasn’t sure about the color.” She held the hem of her babydoll lingerie and twisted it, showing off how the lace stretched and became more transparent. It also showed a certain rhythm of her body that had me hard and straining against my shorts. “Oh, you like it.” Penny said, her eyes dropping. “Good.” 

I swallowed. “Yeah.” I said, my voice more hoarse than I meant it. “Do you uh…” 

“Yes, Julio?” Penny asked, stepping forward to me as though she were on a balance beam, each foot directly in front of the other. Her hips swayed with the motion, and I wet my lips with my tongue. She did the same, licking her top lip from one side to the other in a sweep of her tongue that made me want to kiss her, to wrestle that tongue in my mouth and pull her to me. 

I closed the dishwasher with my foot behind me and stepped back against the counter, pressing the start button with my hand. 

“Do you… want to…” I started to say. 

Penny closed the distance between us, stepping around the island to stand before me. She touched my chest, pressing her hand gently flat against me. She dragged her hand southward, hooking her fingers into the waistband of my shorts. My belt pressed her fingers against me, trapping them. She slid her hand to the strap of my belt and lifted it, unbuckling.

Her perfume drifted to my nose, the amber smell of vanilla spiced with something suggestive. I had to devour her lips. I wanted her. I grabbed her arms, holding them in my hands, but she didn’t stop. She unbuttoned my jean shorts and reached inside. Her narrow fingers wrapped around me, the palm of her hand squeezing my girth as her thumb swept the skin. 

“Oh.” I said as if this was unexpected.

She moved her arm, pumping me and pulling me free.

The shorts fell to the floor, crumpling. I stepped out of them as Penny’s other hand gripped my arm, and she started walking backward. 

I followed since her hand around my dick could only pull so far before I had to walk with her. She smiled, leading me by the dick. She spun, walking forward and reversing her grip on me. She alternated between stroking me and guiding me, step by step, out of the kitchen and into the hallway. 

She started toward the guest room downstairs, but I hesitated. I put my hands on her shoulders, stopping her. Curious, she looked over her shoulder at me, and I gestured upstairs. 

“It’s okay.” Penny whispered. “All that swimming and excitement tuckered Abby. She’s out for the rest of the night, I’m sure of it.” 

I shook my head. I didn’t disagree with that, but I didn’t want to sleep in the guest room tonight. My bed was softer, warmer, with better bedding, larger, and I didn’t have the whole recent awkward memories of my confession to Penny about sleeping with her mom. 

“Are you sure?” Penny asked, looking upstairs. 

My bedroom had also been my bed with my late wife, Charlie. We hadn’t done anything in there yet, and it was a sacred space to me. I nodded. I felt ready. It didn’t feel like a betrayal to lust after Penny. And as strange as it might sound to others, the idea of fucking her in my bed felt more legitimate than the torrid rendezvous we’d had in the rest of the house. My room was the more adult option, and my bed the more permanent choice. 

Penny swallowed as if nervous. I could see her trying to decide which she would prefer, but she turned toward the stairs. She released my dick since holding onto it while we ascended was awkward, but she placed my hand on her ass. I groped her asscheek ahead of me for our entire climb, and she retook me in her hand at the top of the stairs. I was still firm and ready for her, but this time I guided her, my hand on her ass sliding to the small of her back. 

Step by step, we journeyed from the top of the stairs to my bedroom door. I opened it for her, and she stepped inside. 

As a general rule, I kept the room tidy, washed the bedding once a week, and swapped out the old sheets for fresh cotton from the closet. Beige high thread count sheets beneath a sizeable red comforter adorned the queen-sized bed in the center of the far wall. The nightstand on the left had an alarm clock and a lamp. The nightstand on the right had a pile of parenting books. The trunk at the foot of the bed had more blankets and bedding. The dresser sat on the left, and the closet door shut against the wall on the right. The wall nearest the door had a TV hanging on it and a fake electric fireplace waited beneath it.

Penny stepped into the room ahead of me as if walking into Narnia, her head turning to see everything, her eyes wide. 

I turned the dimmer switch by the door and left the room half-lit. The ceiling fan light overhead provided a gentle glow, illuminating us despite the summer sunset’s red sky still visible through the window. I closed the curtains, and Penny sat on the bed, scooting to the middle and resting her back against the slotted headboard. She spread her legs and patted the space in front of her. 

I used the remote to activate the fireplace, turning on its light feature. It gave a convincing illusion of fire dancing atop the unburning logs without heat. The soft glow of orange and red flickers joined the ambiance of the room. 

I pushed my boxers to the floor, stripped off my shirt, and tossed it toward the hamper. The shirt fell against the side of the tall wicker basket and dropped to the floor. I crawled onto the bed, and Penny gestured for me to turn around, so I turned, sitting with my back against her. 

Her body pillowed mine, making me the little spoon. The odd arrangement was strangely comforting, offering heat from every inch of skin. Her naked thighs on either side became my armrests. Her breasts cradled my neck and head while her stomach supported my spine. The thin lace between us didn’t scratch as much as I expected. The soft and slippery chiffon was hardly a barrier but added to the comfort and sensations of intimacy. 

I closed my eyes as her soft, firm hand slid from my chest to my stomach. She flattened my chest hair and stroked her fingers through it in gentle brushes of her hand. Lower and lower, each pass shifted until she came to my pubes and finally wrapped her hand around my cock once more. 

She tightened her grip and drew out a groan of relaxed pleasure. It took me longer than it should have to realize the groan came from my throat. Her lips pressed against my neck and parted, so her mouth opened against me and closed, her plump lips biting me softly. My fingers fluttered against her leg, and she shifted, laughing slightly at the tickle. 

I smiled, reveling in the overwhelming sense of familiarity. Having Penny here, in my bed, felt natural and comfortable. She was hot and sexy, but something about this felt radically different than what we’d done before. There was no rush, or feverish anticipation. This wasn’t the hot, sneaking-around sex that we’d done before. This wasn’t giving ourselves over to passion and riding it out together. We laid each moment of pleasure, building something together brick by brick. The slow heat built between us, with every passing moment a taste of ecstasy. 

“I love you.” Penny’s voice was a whisper so soft I didn’t believe I heard it. It must have been my imagination, wanting her to say those words. She didn’t love me, not the way I knew love. We had fun together, and she might have a bit of a crush, but love? We couldn’t be in love or date. People would think she was my daughter, not my girlfriend. 

I shifted, looking behind me to see her staring at me, her eyes hesitant and her gaze anticipating my rejection. I saw love in her eyes, brimming to the point of overflowing. She looked at me as though I were her whole world, and I couldn’t deny the love in my gaze either. Had she said those words? 

“What did you say?” I asked, my voice a mere whisper like hers had been. 

She stopped stroking me and slid her hand to my thigh, gripping my leg in a hug of her hand. 

Penny swallowed to clear her throat. “I…” 

Her eyes dropped to my lips. She surged forward, throwing her arms over me and kissing me with a hungry passion that took me by surprise. The awkward angle caused me to twist, and I fell sideways against the mattress. My feet hung over the side, but she didn’t stop. She rolled on top of me and parted her legs over my hips. I felt her slick warmth against my cock through the thin lace thong, and I shivered in anticipation. 

Penny lifted her mouth from mine and sucked in a breath, shifting as she brought her lips to the front of my collarbone this time. She kissed and nibbled in tiny love bites against my skin that drove me wild. I flexed my right fingers against her hip, gripping her and pulling her against me. My other arm wrapped over her back, hugging her to me. Her breasts crushed against my chest, trapping the embroidered lace triangles and squeezing her plump breasts enough to make her moan. 

She rocked her hips, grinding her paltry thong against my cock. I took a deep breath and rolled over, taking her with me. She squealed in surprise but didn’t protest as I lifted myself over her. I reached between her and pulled her thong down. She kicked her legs up as I rocked back to a kneeling position. Her thong came off in a rolling pull over her thighs, kicking calves, and pointed toes. 

I tossed it toward the hamper, where it joined my t-shirt on the floor.

Penny giggled beneath me and reached for me as I lowered myself against her. I pulled the straps of her top down, revealing her breasts as I laid against her. She wrapped her legs over my torso, but I wasn’t aligned to enter her yet. I sucked on her breast instead, causing her to arch from the mattress and press against me as she moaned and grabbed my head with both hands. 

I switched breasts, and she rubbed herself against my waist between her legs. She was panting by the time I looked up at her. 

“Please.” She said. “I want you inside me.” Her voice was still high and quiet, but I crawled toward her mouth and held myself over her. 

I kissed her as I entered her, sliding into her tight tunnel with almost no effort as she spread herself for me. Her warm insides soaked my cock as her tongue wrestled its way past mine. She moaned, rolling her eyes and fluttering her eyelashes as I rolled my hips, thrusting into her in slow, steady strokes. She shivered, but not from the air conditioning. 

The slow and steady strokes continued as we made out and fucked on the bed. I almost laughed at fucking outside the covers and how the babydoll top she wore had become a ring of lace around her waist. Her arms free of the straps, wrapped over me, scratching my back as she clung to me. 

“Harder.” Penny whispered. “Fuck me harder. Fuck me like you mean it.” 

I did my best to oblige, putting more force into every thrust but keeping my pace slow, which seemed to produce good results as she groaned and arched beneath me. Each pounding thrust jostled her body, making her breasts bounce in the gap between us. She pulled me to her, stilling them but making it more challenging to fuck. I pulled away. “Grope them if you want to hold them still, but I’m only going to fuck you harder until you cum for me, Penny.” 

Penny moaned and grabbed her breasts between us. Her palms hid her areolas, but the press of her hands from below swelled her breasts in the center of her chest. I flexed inside of her, and she moaned in response to the stimulation. 

“I’m going to–” Penny warned me, but I didn’t stop. 

I fucked her, pumping hard and slow into her with heavy thrusts that drove her to new heights with every beat. 

She moaned, releasing her ecstasy as she shuddered around me. I stilled, holding myself inside her as she squeezed and fluttered against me. Her clenching muscles relaxed, and her natural lubrication between us seemed double what was there a moment ago. I smiled as she took a deep, relaxed breath but didn’t stop. 

“Oh.” Penny said as I started up again. She shuddered against me again and again. Her body responded to every few thrusts with a new, albeit much smaller, shudder of pleasure against my cock. Tiny orgasms that made her grip the blanket beneath us as though she was clinging to it for her very life. “Julio!” She gasped and placed a hand on my chest. “Please!” 

Her voice was a throaty, husky whisper of desire. She wanted me to fill her, to empty myself into her. I wanted to obey, but I didn’t know why I hadn’t already. For whatever reason, as hot as everything was, I wasn’t on a hair trigger tonight. I felt amazing like I was in my twenties again and could last for hours if she could endure it. 

Chestnut hair splayed out behind her on the bed. Sweat glistened on her forehead. Goosebumps dotted her arms and breasts from the kiss of the air-conditioned air. Arousal slicked her smooth skin. Her natural perfume mingled with whatever she’d worn tonight, and every inhale drove me wild with desire for her. I wanted to release myself into her, but I wasn’t ready. 

“Please?” Penny begged. 

I groaned, kissed her again, and sped up. The slow but forceful pumping hastened into a frantic staccato I knew I couldn’t keep for long. Luckily, I didn’t have to. She shifted, rolling her hips against me, and her body tensed as another large orgasm struck through her. 

Her entire body clenched against me, but I was moving too fast, and she was too slick for me to stop this time. I pumped through it, and she shifted, lifting her hips to meet me. The new angle, combined with her surprised gasp and exhausted-by-pleasure expression, drew my orgasm from me. 

Blast after blast left me as my clenching muscles twitched in ecstasy. I forgot to breathe, pulling in a long breath as dizziness struck, and my body spasmed against her. 

Penny slumped against the bed as I lowered myself against her, and relaxation overtook me. She hugged me, and I hugged her, resting my head on her chest. I slipped from her, shifting before I got too relaxed. I knew if I fell asleep on top of the blanket, I’d wake up in the middle of the night with frozen feet. 

I shifted to my knees, pulling the blanket corner away and slipping under it. I lifted the blanket on the other side and pulled it for Penny, who looked at me. Confusion overtook her features as she blinked through the post-orgasmic haze. Her grin dimpled her cheeks as she looked at me, and I felt my face match hers as we locked eyes. 

She shifted, rolling to her side with a grunt of protest. She rolled the babydoll top over her hips, kicking it away. She crawled under the covers with me, and I wrapped my arm around her. She rolled to her side, resting with her head on my arm and shoulder, her hand and forearm on my torso, and her leg over mine.

She stroked my chest hair in gentle, rubbing motions. “I like your chest hair.” 

“I like yours.” I replied. 

Penny giggled. “I don’t have any chest hair.” 

“I know.” I kissed her forehead. “I was being silly.” I laid my head back on my pillow and closed my eyes. The silence in the room felt nearly as heavy as the blanket, but it was warm and comfortable. The pleasant post-orgasm relaxation washed over us with our shared body heat, further relaxing every tired ache and protest from our exertions. 

“Julio?” Penny asked, her voice quiet and her eyes closed. 

“Yeah?” I asked, barely able to answer her for sleep, tugging at my soul. 

“Thank you.” Penny said. She yawned and shifted, getting even more comfortable. Then, a tiny whisper, barely audible over the hum of the air conditioner. “I love you.” 

I wanted to reply, but my lips didn’t move. Our slowing pulses beat together, our chests rising and falling in steady steps toward dreamland. Had she said it? Had I dreamed it? Maybe I’d dreamed more than this. My whole life had seemed like a dream since Penny and I first started having sex. But it wasn’t supposed to be more than that. It was supposed to be fun, with no strings attached. No love. Only sex. 

But I loved her too. 

That was my last thought as I left her embrace for dreamland, where my dreams were of a different life. The kind of life I might have if Penny were older or I was younger. A life we could only have in our dreams.