Over the next few hours Penny got a chance to see a different side of Matt. He was more serious with his friends than he was with her. It made her wonder if he found it as difficult to let down his guard as she did.

“So how long have you and Ace been dating?” Cora asked. The guys had migrated to the kitchen, leaving Penny, Cora, and Danielle in the living room. Loud trash talking and laughter spilled into the room every few minutes.

“Not very long. It’s all still sort of new. Have you been with Saul long?”

“We’ve been married for five years now, and it’s been tough at times. I miss my family back home in Colorado. When he’s deployed, I feel like I’m living life in a constant state of limbo. Like I’m sort of stuck in a holding pattern, waiting for him to come home. But at the same time, I’ve lear

ned that I’m a lot stronger than I thought I was. I can hold down the fort while he’s out there doing his job. I love him so much that it’s worth it.”

“My dad was a captain in the Army. He just retired last year. We moved a lot growing up, so I know how hard it can be. How isolating.”

Both Cora and Danielle made soft sounds of agreement.

“If you ever need someone to talk to, feel free to call me or Danielle. Military wives stick together. No one else understands how hard it is. Don’t be shy about asking for support if you need it.”

Penny sat stunned as the other woman got up to refill her drink. It was stupid, but once again she was being caught off guard because she hadn’t thought about the future. She’d come down here impulsively because she couldn’t stand the thought of Matt not being a part of her life. But when you were in the military, your life wasn’t your own. She knew this from experience. If she and Matt stayed together, she’d have to live it all over again. A military wife. That’s what she would be eventually.

The one thing she’d sworn she wouldn’t do.

* * * * *

AFTER EVERYONE LEFT, Matt closed the door and walked back to the living room where Penny was curled up on the couch. She’d been extremely quiet the last hour. His friends could be a bit much, so he’d tried to hurry them along. Penny wasn’t as extroverted, so he was worried they’d overwhelm her. Or that they’d tell her something he didn’t want her to hear. There were certain embarrassing stories that he’d prefer stay buried. Penny finally seemed to see him as a man instead of the bratty kid she used to babysit. He didn’t want anything to change her opinion.

She looked up when he entered the room. “Is everyone gone?”

“Yeah. Sorry about that. I didn’t know they would be here that long. Shep said they were just passing through.”

“That’s okay. They were all really nice. So nice that it made me feel bad.” Penny hugged her arms close.

He sat on the couch next to her and pulled her into his lap. “Why would you feel bad? I want you to like my friends.”

“I feel bad because I’m not like Cora and Danielle. I can’t keep a smile on my face as we move from city to city and base to base. I’ve done it too many times already.”

“I know. But, Penny, I’m not asking you to do that.”

“You aren’t asking me right now, but there’s going to come a day when you’re reassigned somewhere far away and then I’ll be stuck in the same situation. Caring about someone that I can’t have. Worrying about you all the time.”

Hope burst forth in his chest. Matt could feel that the smile on his face was too big, but he couldn’t seem to rein it in. She didn’t even realize it, but she’d just sealed her own fate. Now that he knew she cared for him, there was no way he’d let her go. Ever.

“Now that I know you have feelings for me and it’s just fear holding you back, I have hope. We can overcome fear. I can’t overcome lack of interest.”

She elbowed him playfully. “You knew I was interested. I doubt I’m that good of an actress.”

“Well, no, you’re not. You make this little sound in the back of your throat.” He stroked her behind the ear with the tip of his nose and she let out a little murmur.

“Mmm hmm. That’s the one.”

“Matt! You’re always teasing me.”

“Trust me, I’m not teasing you, pretty baby. You’ll know when I’m teasing you. I might do this.” His hand slid down her front to rest right between her legs. The heel of his hand nestled against her and she let out another soft, arousing sound. “Or this.” His fingers pressed through the cotton fabric of her jeans, rubbing the seam against her in a circular pattern.

“Matt, we can’t.”

He could only assume she’d meant it to come out sounding like a denial, but to his ears, it sounded more like a plea. “Oh, but we can.” He laid her back on the couch and tugged on her jeans. After a few wiggles of her hips, they slid easily down her long legs. He used his teeth to pull at her panties and she reared up off the couch. The motion allowed him to pull the cotton down her legs. He tossed them over his shoulder.

She wiggled halfheartedly in his arms. “I need to get on the road.”

“I know. I’ll be fast.” He punctuated the statement with a soft nip to the skin on her inner thigh. She shuddered and bit her lip while he settled himself between her thighs.

Tags: M. Malone The Alexanders Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net