Stranded in the Woods Read online

  She giggled. “No need to despair. Just grab my purse from the floor there. And I don’t want to ever hear any more snide comments about the size of my purse or the amount of necessary items I keep in it.”

  “Oh thank God,” he muttered, stepping back and leaning down to snag the strap of her purse. “You’ll never hear me complain again.”

  She was smiling and shaking in excitement as she dug into it to find the zipper pocket and then pulled out the one remaining condom packet she kept in it.

  She’d definitely have to restock.

  When he took the packet from her hand and looked like he would rip it open, she said, “Uh, Kent. I don’t know if I’m quite ready. I can see you’re rarin’ to go, but you might need to do a little more work first.”

  He chuckled and set down the condom packet on the table before he took her face in his hands again. “I’ll do any amount of work you want me to do, Penny. I’ll spend the rest of my life working if you need me to.”

  She was so touched that her eyes burned, but she managed to say, “I don’t think it will take quite that long for me to be ready, but that’s good to know.”

  He kissed her again, more slowly this time. His tongue did all kinds of amazing things in her mouth as his hands began to move over her body. After a few minutes, he was pulling her sweater over her head, and she flushed deeply as he stared hotly down at her breasts and royal blue bra.

  “You’ve seen them before,” she said with a smile, wondering how it was possible to be so aroused and self-conscious at the same time.

  “I know I have. But if you think I’m ever going to get used to seeing them, then you’re out of your mind.” He reached around to unhook her bra, and his expression got even hotter as he pulled the fabric away from her skin to expose her breasts. “Shit, honey. You’re definitely a masterpiece.”

  She arched toward him—blown away both physically and emotionally—as he lowered his face to kiss the hollow between her breasts and then mouthed his way to one of her nipples.

  He teased and suckled with a patience that surprised her, given how tense and aroused she knew him to be. She’d been turned on to begin with, so it didn’t take long until she was hot and wet between her legs, the ache growing until it was torturous.

  “Okay, Kent,” she said at last, leaning backward and supporting herself on her arms, her hands planted on the table.

  “Okay what?” He was twirling a nipple with his tongue and fondling the other breast with agile fingers.

  “I’m ready now. I’m about to lose it here.”

  “Really?” He raised his head with a pleased expression.

  She choked on a laugh and straightened up so she could kiss him. “Yes, really. I want to feel you inside me now, and I definitely don’t want someone to start pounding on the door and interrupt us before we finish. So don’t take too long.”

  “Good point.” He was flushed and grinning as he unfastened his jeans and took the condom she handed him. “We can take our time later on.”

  She thrilled at the understated promise in his words. She hiked her skirt up even more and moved aside her panties as he pulled her to the edge of the table and bent his knees to position himself at her entrance.

  It wasn’t the most comfortable position in the world, but she was too aroused to care. She inhaled sharply as he started to penetrate her, and he groaned uninhibitedly when he’d eased his way inside completely.

  She wrapped her legs around him as he rocked into her. Not thrusting. Just pushing very gently.

  “How’s this?” he asked hoarsely.

  “Perfect. It’s perfect. But if you want me to come, you’re going to have to move a little more.”

  He huffed in amusement and started to thrust for real, holding her bottom in position as he withdrew and pushed into her rhythmically.

  Penny had never had sex on the edge of a table before—and certainly not in the storeroom with only a door separating her from a very crowded store. It was surprisingly hot—carnal and intense and almost naughty. Kent’s body was hot and hard and big, and she was wrapped all around it, doing her best to move with him although he was mostly in control of their motion.

  It didn’t take long for him to fall into urgency. He made the hottest little grunts as he thrust hard and fast, and her breasts and the flesh of her thighs and bottom were jiggling deliciously.

  “Oh, oh,” she gasped. “I’m gonna... I’m gonna...”

  “You’re gonna come.”

  “Yeah. Yeah. Gonna come.” One little part of her mind hoped no one outside this room could hear their grunts, the slapping of their bodies, the rocking of the table. But the rest of her thought it was the sexiest thing to ever happen to her. “Gonna come. Now. Now!”

  Her body shuddered helplessly as the pleasure exploded, and Kent bit back a loud exclamation as hips jerked hard with his own release as she contracted all around him.

  They rocked together, panting and moaning softly until all the spasms had worked their way through them. Then Penny’s body relaxed deliciously at the exact same time the muscles of her thighs started to hurt.

  “Oh God,” she gasped.

  “Yeah.” Kent was even hotter than before, if that was possible.

  “Oh God.”

  “Yeah.” He was nuzzling her neck, and his beard was tickling her skin.

  She managed to unhook her ankles and straighten out her legs. “Wow.”

  He reached down to take care of the condom as he pulled out of her with a wet sound. “That’s one way to put it.”

  She felt better as she was able to slide farther back on the table so the edge wasn’t poking into her butt. She lowered her skirt and smiled up at him. “I wasn’t expecting that this afternoon.”

  “Neither was I.” He was tying off the condom and looking around for somewhere to put it.

  There was a trash can in the corner. Maybe if they put it farther down under other trash, no one would notice it was there.

  “I thought you came here to talk,” she said.

  “I did. But you didn’t let me.”

  “You can talk now if you want to.”

  The truth was, as much as she’d enjoyed the sex, she still really wanted to talk things over with him.

  Because if he wasn’t ready to commit to a relationship, then the sex they’d just had would have been a mistake.

  And she hoped by now she wasn’t stupid enough to do that to herself again.

  Twelve

  KENT’S BODY AND HEART felt so good that he was afraid he might just fall over.

  He hadn’t realized for the past couple of years how lonely he’d been, how unhappy, how unfulfilled in so many ways. But being with Penny like this proved to him how much more in life he wanted.

  Her. In all her soft, warm, lovely goodness. Her deep eyes and her irresistible dimple and her lush breasts and her big heart.

  All of her.

  And it seemed—despite all his failings—he might actually have a chance with her again.

  She was waiting for him to say something, and the smile in her eyes faded as the silence stretched on too long.

  If he didn’t say something now—right now—he was going to blow it.

  He wasn’t going to do that again.

  “I’m sorry!” he burst out.

  She blinked, reaching over to smooth down the ruffled hairs of his beard. “You’re sorry about what?”

  “About everything. About shutting you out a few years ago. About not being your friend. About not realizing a long time ago how much more there could be between us. About refusing to admit how much I want a relationship with you a few days ago. About saying goodbye to you instead of asking if I could see you again. About all of it. I’m sorry.”

  Her face changed as he rambled on—from surprise to understanding to affectionate amusement.

  He felt like an absolute fool when he finished his earnest declaration, but he wasn’t sorry he’d said it.

  She looked like she was
about to cry.

  “You mean it?” she asked, her voice cracking.

  “Yeah. Of course I do. You know how I feel about you, right?”

  “Well, yeah, but none of that means anything if you aren’t willing to do anything about it.”

  “I am. I wasn’t before, but I am now. I don’t want to lose you, Penny. I’d regret it for the rest of my life if I lose you. I know I’ve been a world-class asshole and idiot, but please don’t say I’ve already lost you.”

  “You haven’t.” She stretched her arms up and hooked her fingers around his neck. She was beaming now, her face so full of feeling that his breath caught in his throat. “You haven’t lost anything but a day or two, as long as you mean it. Because I want you too, Kent. You know I do. I think we’re... perfectly matched. But I’m not going to go into this unless I have some assurances from you that you’re... you’re...”

  His eyes glazed over, wondering if she wanted him to tell her he loved her.

  He could do it. He’d known her all his life, and he was halfway there already—but it felt too soon. So soon, so rushed that it would devalue the beginnings of what they could grow together.

  “Unless I know you’re in it for real,” she concluded.

  He let out a breath, smiling as leaned down to kiss her. “I’m in it for real, Penny.”

  She giggled against his lips in that way she had. Like an overflow of emotion. “Okay. Good then.”

  “Good?”

  “Yes, good. I’m in this for real too. So you can ask me out on Saturday night if you want.”

  He frowned. “Saturday night?”

  “What’s wrong with Saturday night.”

  “What’s wrong is that it’s many days away. Am I not allowed to see you before then?”

  She laughed and pulled him into a hug. “You can see me as often as you want, Kent. I just didn’t want to rush you. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. You can come over then if you want.”

  “Okay, I will.”

  “You know there’s going to be a lot of people there, right? Phil and Rebecca are coming back into town. Scott and Olivia will be there. Laura and Tommy and some of the Holiday Acres staff. Russ will be there, I’m sure. Is that going to be okay?”

  Kent gulped, wondering how he was going to handle a hot, cramped room full of people after being on his own for so long. But he said, “I’m sure it will be fine.”

  “If it’s too much for you, just let me know. I’m not expecting you to transform overnight. I’m not an unreasonable person, you know.”

  “Penny, you’re the least unreasonable person I’ve ever known. But I want to be everything you want me to be. I want to at least try.”

  “All I want is for you to be yourself,” she whispered, clearly emotional again.

  He nuzzled her face, wondering what he’d ever done to be granted this kind of miracle. “Then myself is what I’ll be.”

  THE FOLLOWING EVENING, Kent was on the verge of shutting down.

  He’d never been the most social person in the world—even when he was younger, he’d always needed a lot of time alone—but the past few years had evidently intensified this characteristic in him.

  Everyone had gotten together in the big living room in the upstairs residence in the main farm house at Holiday Acres. And by everyone, he meant everyone. His entire family and Penny’s entire family and a lot of people who worked here, some that had been working here so long he remembered them from his childhood.

  The room was packed full of bodies, everyone eating and drinking and talking and laughing.

  And Kent had never felt so claustrophobic in his life.

  It was too much noise. Too many bodies. And the big fireplace was putting off too much heat.

  He was in a far corner beside Penny, and they were talking to Scott and Olivia. Or rather, the three of them were talking, and Kent was standing here trying not to scream and run out of the room.

  It was ridiculous.

  He was happy. He didn’t want to be anywhere except at Penny’s side. She had her hand on his back, and she was rubbing it in little circles that felt incredibly good.

  Intimate.

  And he liked Olivia, who was funny and smart and the best talker he’d ever known. He loved Scott and was glad to see him so openly happy.

  But he still really wanted to get out of this room.

  He wasn’t going to do it though. Penny might be understanding, but this was important to her. She wanted him to be part of the family get-together, and whatever she wanted Kent was going to try to give her.

  So he going to stay here until he blacked out, which hopefully wouldn’t happen anytime soon.

  “You okay there?” Scott asked, breaking off whatever it was he’d been saying. Kent had stopped listening a few minutes ago.

  Kent blinked when he realized his brother was talking to him. “Yeah,” he grunted. “Of course.”

  “You look kind of sick.”

  “Just hot.”

  Penny’s hand had grown still on his back. “It is kind of hot in here. Let’s go outside for a minute and get some air.”

  Kent grabbed for the offer like a lifeline. “Sounds good.”

  “We can come too,” Olivia offered. “It is rather warm in here.”

  Penny gave her sister a poke. “We don’t need company.”

  Kent wouldn’t admit it, but he was vastly relieved she’d stopped the others from coming along with them.

  More than the air he needed a little breathing space, quiet.

  Penny held on to his arm as they walked out of the room, down the stairs, and then out the french doors at the back that led onto a large patio.

  Kent sucked in the cold air and closed his eyes.

  Penny let go of his arm. “Are you okay?”

  He opened his eyes quickly. “Yeah. I’m fine. It’s just a lot.”

  “I know it is. We probably should have eased you into it instead of dumping you into that crowded room after years of being a hermit.”

  “It’s fine. It is. I don’t mind. But to tell you the truth, I’m glad to be alone for a minute.”

  She rubbed his chest gently. “I’ll go inside so you can be alone.”

  He grabbed her before she could get away and pulled her into a hug. “Silly. I didn’t mean I wanted to be away from you.”

  She giggled and hugged him back. “Okay. But I really don’t mind. I’m not an introvert myself, but I totally understand sometimes needing to be alone.”

  “I can be alone later. Right now I want to be with you.”

  “Okay. Sounds good to me.”

  They stood on the patio in silence for about five minutes, wrapped up in each other’s arms, and Kent was in no hurry to go back inside, even though it was dark and chilly.

  When one of the french doors opened unexpectedly, he straightened up his head to see who was coming out of the house.

  It was Laura.

  In the artificial patio lights, her face was twisted with emotion that wasn’t at all like her.

  She took several steps out onto the patio before she saw them. “Oh. Sorry.”

  “It’s fine,” Penny said, pulling away from Kent’s chest. “Is everything all right?”

  “Laura!” The voice was male and urgent and coming from inside the house, from the doorway that had just opened again. “Laura, don’t run away again.”

  Kent turned to see Russ standing at the door.

  Laura’s face twisted again. “Sorry,” she mumbled. Whether the word was directed to him or Penny or Russ, Kent didn’t know.

  Laura kept walking out into the darkness of the yard.

  With an impatient sound, Russ followed her.

  Soon they were both out of sight.

  “Poor Russ,” Penny said with a sigh. “Laura is never going to make it easy for him.”

  “No. But I don’t think he’s going to give up on her.”

  “Good. I don’t think she wants him to.”

  Kent reached over to cup her c
heek. “I didn’t want you to give up on me either.”

  “I didn’t.”

  “You’ll never have to wonder about me again.”

  THEY KISSED FOR A WHILE, and Kent wouldn’t have minded finding a convenient bed. But Penny obviously wanted to return to the Christmas Eve celebration, so they went back upstairs for a while.

  Just because Kent had deprived himself for so long didn’t mean he was owed sex whenever it crossed his mind. This was important to Penny, so it was going to be important to him too.

  They could have sex later.

  Hopefully.

  Kent felt a little better when they returned to the crowded room, and he lasted another hour and a half before the walls started to close in on him again.

  By that time, the festivities were wrapping up anyway, and it wasn’t long until people started to leave.

  “You can stay over tonight,” Penny said when they walked out into the big hallway. “If you want.”

  Kent hesitated. He did want to spend the night with her. Desperately. But the house still felt crowded. And Penny’s room was wedged between two of her sisters’. It was hard to feel alone and private in such a situation.

  “It’s fine,” Penny said before he could answer. “I totally get it. You’ve done more than your duty here tonight in socializing. You go home. I can see you tomorrow.”

  She didn’t look angry or upset. She looked deeply sympathetic, and it touched his heart.

  He should just say okay, kiss her, and leave. She would want to spend Christmas Eve at her family home. The holiday had always been important to her and her family. Their whole business was built around it.

  He could see her tomorrow. They could have sex tomorrow. It would be fine.

  “What’s wrong, Kent?” Penny asked softly. “It’s really fine if you need to go home.”

  “You want to come home with me?” he burst out.

  Her mouth fell open slightly. “Really? I thought you needed to be alone.”

  “Don’t you get it yet, honey? I’d rather be with you than be alone.”

  She giggled and wrapped him in a hug. “So it’s okay if I spend the night with you?”