Not Mine

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Penny rolled over and jammed her headphones over her ears forcefully, desperately trying to drown out the rhythmic pounding against the wall behind her and focus on the heavy bass hammering through her brain instead.

This was the third night in a row that she had been kept awake by the sound of her step-father fucking her mother in the next room over.

In the six months that they had been married they had always made a conscious effort to wait until she fell asleep before they did this. At least, Penny assumed they had. She had never heard them before the start of the week. Then again she never used to spend this much time at home; but since graduating college and being unable to find a roommate or a decent apartment she didn’t have much choice.

So here she was: twenty-two years old, living with her parents and wishing she was anywhere else.

It’s not that she didn’t enjoy being home. She got to spend time with her friends from high school and since her mom was out of state on business fairly often she got to live most of her life with relative independence. And it’s not that she didn’t like Jeremy. He was a nice guy, always kept a tidy house, made sure the bills and mortgage were paid; and he seemed to be more interested in her opinions and future than her own mother. But on nights like tonight, with the never-ending squeaking of their mattress floating uninvited through the thin plasterboard, she almost wished that he would go back to wherever her mother had found him.

The more she thought about it the more Penny wished that he would wise up and see her mother for the woman she really was. Although he had been around since she was fourteen, embarking on a tumultuous relationship with her mother that had ended and restarted more times that she could keep track of, their wedding had been spur of the moment after a shock pregnancy that no one could have predicted. Especially after Jeremy drunkenly confessed to her that he had been sure to use protection throughout their relationship during her brief trip home for spring break.

Penny felt for the guy, she really did, he was far too sensitive for his own good and was completely submissive when confronted. Her mother knew it too. Which is why she had accepted his proposal without a second thought. Well aware that she could disappear for several nights a week and not have her actions questioned by him. Ultimately the pregnancy had ended in a miscarriage, and even though it had been the sole reason for their marriage in the first place, Jeremy had refused to walk out on her due to his infallible, yet misguided, sense of honour.

She fell asleep with the music still playing in her ears and when she woke up the next day her mother had already left to catch a flight to Chicago. Penny knew she wouldn’t be back for at least a week and she was thankful to have a break from her incessant criticism for at least a few days. She assumed Jeremy would be thankful for the break too, finally able to visit his family and friends without being chewed out for it.

As she made her way downstairs she heard sizzling coming from the kitchen and her nose was assaulted with the unmistakable smell of bacon. Penny could practically feel herself salivating. This was the other major benefit of out of town business trips. Her mother was a vegetarian and insisted that the entire household follow her beliefs; it had been almost a month since Penny had had bacon and she knew that she wouldn’t be able to resist it this morning.

She wasn’t surprised to find Jeremy, dressed in a sharp suit, grilling an entire pack of bacon and frying half a dozen eggs, sharing at least one breakfast in her mother’s absence was slowly becoming a habit for the two of them. She was surprised, however, when her eyes were drawn to the curve of his ass in his form-fitting, grey trousers and even though she had been almost drooling a moment ago her mouth suddenly felt dry.

Penny cleared her throat and he turned towards her with a bright smile, his brown eyes seemingly twinkling behind his glasses.

“Good morning.” He said, serving up four rashers of bacon and three eggs onto a plate and passing it to her.

“Morning…I’m not sure I’ll be able to eat all of this.” She replied with a small laugh as she accepted the plate and took a seat at the breakfast bar.

Jeremy looked down sheepishly and fiddled with the spatula in his hands. “Yeah I kinda went overboard, just eager to start my reprieve I guess.”

Penny raised an eyebrow in question as he took a seat opposite her and his head dropped in shame.

“I meant in regard to eating meat.” He muttered, shaking his head a couple of times before lifting a rasher and eating half of it in one bite. His eyes fell closed and he practically moaned in satisfaction. Penny’s eyes were drawn to his adam’s apple as it bobbed up and down. She forced herself to look away and instead focused on the food in front of her, wolfing down an egg in less than a minute before starting on the pile of bacon.

“So what are you doing today?” Jeremy asked as he poured them both a cup of coffee.

Penny shrugged and added cream and sugar to her mug before bringing it to her lips and sipping it slowly. “I’ve got that job interview…”

“Oh that’s right!” He interrupted quickly. “So what’s the plan if you get it?”

“I guess I’ll just save up enough money for a deposit on an apartment and move out as soon as I can.”

His face fell and he took a long sip from his unsweetened coffee. “You know there’s no rush for you to leave.” He said eventually. “We don’t mind having you around the house. And I enjoy your company.”

Penny snorted. “Yeah I’m sure. It’s fine, I know I’ve been cramping your style lately.”

This time it was Jeremy who laughed. “What style? I’m twenty-nine years old, stuck in a dead-end job and my wife is a fucking…”

Penny dropped their eye contact and looked at her plate again.

“Shit. I’m sorry.” He said quickly. “Things just…haven’t been that great lately and I…”

“Sounded pretty great last night.” Penny muttered, causing Jeremy to drop his fork loudly onto his plate.

“You can hear us?” He asked, mortification clear in his voice.

Penny shrugged again. “You’re newlyweds, I expect it.”

“I’m so sorry, Penny.” He said genuinely, reaching a hand across the countertop between them and placing a hand on top of hers. She inhaled sharply at the contact and felt heat rush up to colour her cheeks. She felt something very similar to guilt pooling in her stomach and forced herself to not pull her hand from under his lest she embarrass him further. “I have no idea what’s going on with your mother lately. She just…”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Penny interrupted quickly. “Honestly, I don’t care.” She pulled her hand away and grabbed her knife and fork again, shovelling the rest of her meal into her mouth as quickly as she could.

“Let’s talk about something else.” Jeremy says as she lowers her cutlery back to the table. He was looking towards her with a bemused expression on his face, probably shocked at her lack of table manners but too polite to say anything, she mused.

“Sure. Like what?”

“Where’s your interview?”

“That new art gallery just off of Main Street.”

“Seriously?”

He was still smiling widely and his eyes were twinkling again.

“Yeah, well, art major.” She said lamely.

“I am so fucking jealous.”

“Why? It’s minimum wage and no one around here cares about art.”

“I care!” he said loudly. “I was an art minor, I wanted to make a career out of it but my parents made me do business and well…here I am.”

“Really?” she asked, genuine curiosity clear in her voice. “You’ve never mentioned it.”

He shrugged and took another long drink from his coffee. “You know your mom, she doesn’t have time for galleries and exhibitions.”

“And now you know why I chose to study art.” Penny said with a small laugh.

“You did it to piss off your mom?” He asked, laughing loudly when she nodded in response. “She’s gonna freak if you get this job.”

Penny shrugged. “It’s got good prospects I guess, so long as the business doesn’t go under.”

Jeremy opened his mouth to reply when the strong buzzing of his cell phone on the countertop between them interrupted him. “Oh shit.” He muttered, checking his watch and rising to his feet. “I’ve got to go, I’ve got a meeting in a half hour but, uh, come home and tell me all about your interview, I’ll have my fingers crossed.”

“I’m not going to be home tonight.”

He stopped as he reached the door and turned to look back at her. He was clearly disappointed but tried to cover it by checking his cell phone again. “Where are you going?”

“Uh, just to a party. You’ll probably be asleep when I get back so…”

Jeremy nodded and licked his lips slowly in thought. “That’s…that’s a shame but I’ll just see you tomorrow, I guess.” He left the room before she could respond and Penny was left alone to clean up the mess from breakfast.

**********************************************************************

Penny’s brain was clouded by the shots she had taken at the bar about ten minutes ago and she was dancing within a large group of her friends. The smile on her face hadn’t faltered since she had been offered the gallery job on the spot at the end of the interview and she had immediately rushed home to get changed so she could meet her friends at the bar as soon as possible. Jeremy wasn’t there when she got home after her interview, probably at a late meeting, so she left him a note to say that she had good news to share with him.

She checked her phone and was slightly surprised to see that he had still not text her. Perhaps their conversation this morning hadn’t meant as much to him as she hoped it had. Penny shook her head to get rid of those thoughts. Of course it meant nothing to him; he was her step-father, he had to be nice. Assuming that there could be anything more there was pointless.

After shoving her phone back in her bag she looked towards the bar and noticed a dark haired man in a white shirt watching her closely. He nodded towards her and raised his drink with a warm smile. Penny looked away and bit her lip. It had been a while since she had last gotten laid and the frustration was beginning to take its toll, probably manifesting itself as some weird obsession with Jeremy’s eyes and hands and…ass.

Penny sighed.

She needed to stop thinking like that. To stop looking forward to their breakfasts together and stop anticipating his reaction when she tells him she got the job. She just needed a good lay. Then everything would go back to normal.

With a wink towards her friends she sauntered over to the guy at the bar and introduced herself. They took a couple more shots together and before she knew it they were making out furiously against the wall behind them. Penny was practically grinding herself against his crotch and his hands slid to her ass, pulling her more firmly against him. He was starting to grow hard against her stomach and she pulled back from their kiss, taking in his swollen lips. His brown eyes were dark and his throat bobbed up and down as he licked his lips and swallowed.

“Want to go back to my place?” She asked, trailing her fingers down the side of his neck to his collarbone.

He nodded dumbly before grabbing her hand and leading her outside. They hailed a cab fairly quickly and as soon as she had given her address Penny was being pulled into his arms, his mouth pressing against hers clumsily and his tongue working its way into her mouth quickly.

She stumbled as she tried to fit her key in the front door, a combination of the alcohol she had consumed earlier and the warm, wet kisses being pressed against her neck making it hard to concentrate. They fell through the door and both giggled loudly as Penny stumbled in her heels. She shushed him quickly, mindful of the fact that Jeremy was probably sleeping upstairs.

They were heading up the stairs when Penny heard the sharp scrape of wooden chair legs against the tiles of the kitchen floor. She sobered immediately and the house seemed eerily silent. The guy behind her leant and pressed his lips to her neck, muttering that they should go to her room. She reached down and pushed his hands from her hips.

“Uh, just wait here for a sec.” She said, walking back down the few steps she had climbed and making her way to the kitchen. “I just need to check something.”

She pushed the door open and gasped when she saw Jeremy slumped at the kitchen counter, an empty bottle of whiskey lying knocked over beside her and an empty glass loosely clutched in his hand. His brown hair was a mess on top of his head and she could tell he had been running his hands through it for a while.

He startled when she placed a hand on the centre of his back and turned to look towards her, his chest was heaving with effort and she held her hands up to try and calm him. He let out a long breath and then looked towards her, his eyelids drooping after a couple of seconds before he forced them open to focus on her again.

He smiled dopily. “You’re home early.”

Penny frowned. She hadn’t even left the club until just before three. “Are you ok?” she asked eventually.

“I’m fucking fantastic!” He said loudly, his arms flailing almost wildly as he gestured to his surroundings. Penny’s eyes were drawn to a bunch of brightly coloured flowers on the table in the corner and frowned again.

“Let’s get you to bed.” She said, grabbing his bicep and attempting to help him to his feet.

“No. I don’t want to go to that fucking room.”

“Did you and mom have another fight?” She asked carefully.

He snorted in frustration. “We didn’t even have the chance to.” He muttered darkly, reaching for the whiskey bottle and then slamming it down on the counter next to him when he realised it was empty.

“Jeremy…”

“She hasn’t answered my calls all day. I’ve called her six fucking times and text her more than any sane person should and I haven’t heard back. She could be lying in a ditch dead somewhere I wouldn’t even know it.” He groaned and lowered his head onto his arm.

Penny frowned again. He knew as well as she did that it was more likely that she was lying on her back and entertaining her newest business partner. Not that he needed to hear that right now.

“I’m sure she’ll call in the morning.” Penny said quietly, her hand rubbing circles on his back in a soothing manner.

He leant towards her and threw and arm around her waist, dragging her closer to him and bringing his head to rest against her stomach. Penny hesitated, her hand pausing it’s motions against the soft material of his shirt before starting again in a slower and wider pattern. His skin was warm beneath the thin cotton and the heat radiating from the skin of his arm on her lower back was far more enjoyable than she should admit. But he needed this. He needed to feel close to someone right now and be reassured that someone cared.

But that person couldn’t be her. Not right now.

With a heavy sigh she grabbed his hand and pulled his arm from around her, placing it on the counter in front of him instead.

“Why do you let her do this to you?” She muttered, running her fingers through his hair.

“What other choice do I have?” He replied bitterly, his head still buried against his own arm, causing it to sound slightly muffled.

She sighed again. “You could have so many choices, Jeremy. You deserve so much more than this.”

He shook his head and sat up, unsteadily propping himself up with his elbows. “She’s not so bad really…”

“Are you fucking kidding me? She’s awful!”

“Hey!” He interrupted loudly. “That’s my wife and your mother you’re talking about.” He angrily thrust a finger in her face and she struggled not to laugh at his actions and his pathetic attempt to defend his wife’s behaviour.

Penny was about to retort when the sound of a throat clearing loudly from the doorway distracted her. She turned around and swore under her breath when she saw the guy she had brought home staring at the two of them with a confused frown.

Jeremy was slower to react and saw the guy as he walked over to stand next to Penny. He looked down at Jeremy, the frown still firmly on his face.

“Is your brother ok?” He asked, directing his question at Penny.

Jeremy shakily rose to his feet and squared up to the younger man in front of him. “Who the fuck are you?” He asked, his voice full of anger and his eyes surprisingly focused considered how much he was struggling to balance on his feet.

“James. I came home with Penny.”

Jeremy scoffed in disbelief. “No.” He said, shaking his head slowly. “You have to leave.”

James turned towards Penny who was staring at Jeremy, desperately trying to decipher his actions. This wasn’t like him, she had brought guys home before and he had been ok with it.

“I’m not telling you again.” Jeremy said. “Get out of my house.”

Penny remained silent and chewed on her bottom lip nervously.

“Whatever.” James muttered. “Can I at least get your number?” He added to Penny who just turned towards him with her eyebrows raised in question.

“I don’t think so.” She replied eventually.

“Seriously?” James said. “You were about to fuck me ten minutes ago.”

Jeremy shook his head and brought a hand to James’ shoulder. “She said no, man. It’s time to go.”

James pushed Jeremy’s hand from him and stalked from the room, slamming the front door as he left the house.

An awkward silence fell over Penny and Jeremy as stood staring at each other.

“You shouldn’t bring guys home that you just met.” He said quietly. “It’s dangerous.”

Penny rolled her eyes and went to leave the room.

“Come back here.” Jeremy said loudly and Penny turned to face him.

“Are you seriously trying to parent me?” She said with a humourless laugh. “I’m an adult.”

“I know you’re an adult.” He said loudly. “Fuck. Believe me I know…I just…that’s no way to live your life.”

“Oh and I suppose you’re the expert on how to live a happy and fulfilling life.”

Jeremy’s mouth dropped open in shock and Penny was about to apologise for her harsh words but then he was walking towards her quickly. He stopped less than a foot away and she found herself pinned to the doorframe behind her, his breath warm on her face as he stared down at her.

“That’s not fair.” He said lowly, his eyes dropping to her lips suddenly. “You have no idea about my life and the choices I’ve made.”

“I know you’re not happy.” She replied quietly. “Unless all well-adjusted men stay up drinking alone until three in the morning.”

Jeremy lifted his eyes to hers again and she noticed they were full of tears. “I don’t trust her.”

Penny nodded slowly, inadvertently bringing their faces closer together.

“And I’m so fucked up by everything she does that no one else would even want me now. So what other choice do I have? I stay.”

“You’re a great guy, Jeremy.” She said. And then she was leaning forward and pressing her lips to his softly.

He inhaled sharply through his nose before he responded to her kiss eagerly. He drew her bottom lip between his and sucked it gently. Penny ran her tongue along his bottom lip, urging them to part before she pressed her tongue into his mouth. He met it with his own and sucked it between his lips, but then he was pulling back suddenly. He was breathing heavily.

“I’m sorry.” He said quickly. “I’m so sorry.” He repeated before rushing from the room and locking himself in the downstairs bathroom. Penny vaguely heard him retching into the toilet bowl and her cheeks flamed in mortification. God, she had kissed him and now he was puking his guts out, how fucking embarrassing.

She lingered awkwardly against the door frame. Lust was still curling hot in her stomach but was being quelled by the continuing noises of violent vomiting coming from down the hallway. She made her way across the room to get a glass of water. On her way back towards the hallway her eyes fell on the bouquet of flowers on the kitchen table and then more specifically to the small card propped up against it.

Congratulations on the job! I’m sure your mother will be proud of you when she finds out. I am. J.

Tears clouded her vision as she was immediately reminded of the fact that she had just made a move on the closest thing she had to a dad. And as much as a bitch as her mother could be, she didn’t deserve her world to be torn apart by a drunken mistake.

After downing the glass of water she ran upstairs, slammed her bedroom door closed and climbed into bed fully dressed.

She was mortified at her behaviour and buried her head into her pillow before a loud sob escaped her lips. A moment later she heard Jeremy make his way up the stairs. His footsteps paused outside her door and she could hear him breathing as if he were in the room with her. She held her breath as she waited for him to do something.

When he continued shuffling down the hall to the bedroom he shared with her mother she didn’t know whether to cry with relief or sadness.

**********************************************************************

Penny woke up the next morning with a pounding headache and barely made it to the bathroom before throwing up. She threw herself away from the toilet bowl and leant against the bath behind her, breathing deeply and trying to fight the lingering feeling of nausea. Her eyes fell closed and she thought about how she should really go and get a drink of water and some aspirin before her hangover really kicked in before passing out again.

She woke up as her shoulder was shaken gently and groaned as Jeremy’s concerned face came into focus. He was crouching in front of her and looked as bad as she felt. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair was a mess and she could tell that his forehead was clammy just by looking at him.

“Go back to bed.” He said quietly, rising back to his feet and passing her a glass of water and a box of headache tablets. Penny swallowed a couple of pills and gulped down the water. Her eyes were drawn to his bare thighs, the material of his tight boxer briefs clinging to his thighs and outlining the shape of his cock graphically.

“Fuck.” She muttered, licking her dry lips and forcing her eyes away again.

“Still feeling pretty rough, huh? It’ll pass, just get more sleep.” He looked down at her and smiled softly; patting the top of her head before walking out of the bathroom and heading back to his bedroom.

Penny wandered back to her room and closed the door. The rest of the day passed in a blur but she was vaguely aware of the shower running and then the sound of Jeremy leaving to go to work. She awoke again when the front door closed loudly and she swore quietly when she realised it was nearly seven in the evening and she was still hungover.

With a groan she climbed out of bed and went to have a shower. The hot water soothed her pounding head and the fog clouding her mind started to clear. Her stomach groaned loudly as she rinsed the shampoo from her hair and she knew that she’d have to wander downstairs to find food very soon. As her mind continued to clear she desperately tried to think of how she could apologise to Jeremy for kissing him. It had been a huge mistake and she needed to let him know that she accepted full responsibility for what had happened.

She emerged from the shower and covered her body with a towel before grabbing another one and wrapping it around her hair. After a brief look in the mirror and a quick wipe under her eyes to remove the residual makeup smeared there Penny rushed out of the room and almost walked straight into Jeremy.

He threw his hands up to stop her before she collided with him and graze her breast accidently. Penny felt herself blush deeply as he swore under his breath and pulled his hand away again.

“I’m so sorry, Penny.” He said, avoiding looking at her eyes out of embarrassment but then lingering on her exposed legs for much longer than he should have. He sighed and rushed off down the hall as Penny felt herself blush in turn as she padded softly towards her room.

The thought of Jeremy admiring her in her towel sent a rush of heat to her centre but she made herself ignore it. Pleasuring herself to the thought of her stepfather wasn’t going to improve the situation and she needed this ridiculous crush she had developed to disappear as soon as possible. He had had a hand in raising her since she was a teenager and regardless of his responding to her drunkenly kissing him she knew that there was no way he looked at her the way she had found herself looking at him lately.

Penny decided to avoid Jeremy for as long as possible to allow the awkward tension between them disappear before her mother returned home.

They only had to last for three more nights. She didn’t think it would be that difficult.

And it wasn’t.

Jeremy had ignored her and left her in her room all evening. He then text her the next day to inform her he would be visiting his parents the following evening so she would have to arrange dinner for herself. And on their final evening alone Penny had been invited for a trial shift at the art gallery and then gone out to dinner with her new manager.

After her mother returned the avoidance seemed to have become second nature. Her eyes still lingered as he entered a room and she quite often found him watching her much more closely than he used to but their conversations had grown stunted and formal. Penny found herself longing for his company in a way she never had before.

Something had changed between her mother and Jeremy too. The night after her mom came home she had heard them screaming at each other from behind their locked bedroom door. The words were muffled and unintelligible but she could tell by the tones of their voices that something serious must have occurred. Her heart plummeted as she realised that Jeremy must have told her about their drunken kiss and she waited at her desk with bated breath throughout the entirety of their argument; expecting her mother to rush to her room to kick her out of the house and maybe even throw in a couple of slaps for good measure. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time.

But it never happened. They yelled for close to an hour and then an eerie silence followed. Penny rolled her eyes and grabbed her head phones, ready to drown out the inevitable banging of the headboard and the protest of the squeaking bedsprings as Jeremy and her mother worked through their problems in the only way they really knew how.

But they never came.

Luckily she was able to distract herself with her new job and picked up any extra shifts that were available, effectively allowing her to get away from the permanently uncomfortable atmosphere at home. The visitors to the gallery seemed to appreciate her knowledge of the subject and her manager was highly impressed with her performance. Even though she had only been working there for a month she felt like she had been fully accepted by the entire staff and could honestly say that she loved her job.

She was working a double shift one evening, leading a group of potential buyers around the store and pimping out the local artists who were displaying their work for the night.

To say that she was shocked to see Jeremy walk through the entrance to the gallery was less than an understatement.

Her mother had left town the previous day and Penny had been disappointed when she woke up that morning to find Jeremy rushing out of the front door without making her breakfast. Disappointed but not altogether surprised. She supposed it had been a pipe dream to assume that he would still want to spend their mornings together following their misguided kiss.

He met her eyes across the room and offered a small smile and nod of the head before walking in the opposite direction and checking out the art for himself. She tried to focus on her tour around the exhibit but more often than not found herself watching him as he moved around the store. He was wearing a formfitting polo shirt and a nice pair of jeans that accentuated the curve of his ass deliciously.

Penny’s mouth went dry and she stumbled over her description of the work in front of her. She apologised profusely and then excused herself to the back room. She was ten yards away from the door when she felt the warmth of another body close behind her and then a soft voice in her ear.

“I quite like this one.”

She turned quickly towards Jeremy who looked down at her briefly and smiled toothily before raising his eyes to the painting over her shoulder. It was beautiful. The painting depicted a ship harbour with a decidedly European feel to it, the setting sun reflecting in the clear blue water and giving the entire image a warm orange glow.

“You have good taste.” She replied quietly.

He chuckled quietly. “I’m getting there…I think.”

She turned towards him sharply and gasped at the intense way he was staring at her. His brown eyes were warm and clear and she audibly moaned as his tongue peaked out to wet his bottom lip.

“What time do you get off?” he asked. His tone was suggestive and Penny knew she hadn’t imagined the way his eyes raked over her body before resting on her lips.

“I need half an hour.” She replied carefully.

Jeremy nodded. “I can wait. I’ll walk you home.”

Penny nodded dumbly in reply and walked into the store room. Her heart was hammering her chest and she felt heat pooling in her centre.

Avoiding Jeremy hadn’t helped at all. And she now knew that she craved his closeness and his voice in her ear in the most decadent way possible. Fuck, even the scent of his cologne and the warmth of his breath against the back of her neck had caused her clit to throb to the point of pain.

She continued the rest of her shift on autopilot, only talking to patrons when approached and always keeping an eye on Jeremy as he wandered the gallery. She could feel wetness gathering between her thighs as she watched him, the look on his face as he studied the various displays fuelling the desire coursing through her veins.

He approached her again after half an hour and asked if she was ready to go. She immediately nodded and grabbed her coat from the back room before rushing out to meet him at the front door. He had pulled his jacket collar up to shield his neck from the cold wind and she admired the way the curled ends of his hair were forced into disarray.

They walked silently for several minutes, reaching the corner of Main Street before Jeremy turned to address her.

“You seem to be enjoying your work.”

Penny smiled to herself. “It’s good. I’m not exactly going to complain about more time out of the house right now.”

She heard Jeremy inhale sharply and frowned when she realised she had made him uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry…” She started, turning to look at him more fully.

“No, I’m sorry.” He interrupted suddenly coming to a stop next to her and grabbing her arm to make her stop walking also. “I know that you’ve been avoiding me and I’m sorry I made you feel like you had to.”

Penny stared at him dumbly. “I never apologised for kissing you.”

Jeremy scoffed. “I don’t ever want you to apologise for that…oh god, Penny…don’t tell me you regret it.”

She was silent for a long moment, becoming aware of his body edging closer towards hers. She leaned away from him and her back came into contact with the brick wall behind her. Jeremy took a step closer and his leg came to rest between hers, his thigh dangerously close to making contact with her crotch, which had swiftly flooded with wetness again due to his close proximity.

“I don’t.” She muttered, her throat dry and her voice hoarse.

Jeremy raised a hand to play with the ends of her hair. “Please don’t tell me I’m imagining this thing between us.”

Penny forced her eyes from his and stared at the ground to her side.

“Please.” He whispered, his face drawing closer to hers. “Please, Penny.”

Before she could even consider her answer, Jeremy had cupped her jaw and turned her face to his again. His eyes dipped briefly to her lips before he leaned forward and kissed her.

She gasped sharply before responding. Her lips parting against his and allowing his tongue to force its way into her mouth. He moaned as she met his tongue with her own and delighted in the way his body fell heavily into hers. His hand came to rest on her hip and he pulled her closer towards him, finally pressing his firm thigh against her aching clit. The pressure felt amazing and she pulled her mouth away from his as she moaned loudly.

Jeremy grinned down at her, his pupils wide, and then he was leaning down to press his lips to her neck. Penny sighed happily at the sensation as he caressed the sensitive skin there with lips and tongue and she subconsciously started to grind herself against him, rubbing her wet slit up and down his thigh and creating a wonderful friction against her clit.

“I’ve dreamed of this.” Jeremy whispered against her ear. His breath was hot against her skin and she shuddered at his words. “You’re all I can think about…”

“This is wrong.” Penny said. But her actions belied her words and she clutched his hips and pulled him closer still. She felt the clothed bulge of his erection against her stomach and dragged a hand around to cup it through his jeans.

Jeremy’s head fell back and he moaned loudly, thrusting himself against her hand steadily. “I don’t care anymore. She never cared about me…but you do…I can see it when you look at me…”

Penny remained silent and took in his words. “I want you.” She said before gasping at her escaped confession.

“Oh fuck me.” He said quietly, pressing his lips to hers again. “I’ve wanted you for so long.”

His hand slid beneath the bottom of her shirt and her cupped the bare skin of her waist before running his palm up her back, his thumb stroking the skin softly as he moved.

The cold metal of his wedding band made her shiver and brought her out of her cloud of lust.

“We can’t do this now.” She said, placing her hands on his chest and moving him away.

“But…”

“Soon.” She said, pushing her shirt back into place. “If we do this…you need to leave her.”

Jeremy stepped back and rubbed his eyes. “She needs me.” He muttered lamely and Penny felt her anger flare.

“Fine. Then stay with her and let her walk all over you like she always has. But you can’t have me too.”

His face twisted in anguish but she couldn’t find it within her to care.

“You’re a fucking moron.” She spat. “My father drank himself to death because of her and she actually loved him…”

“Penny…” He said, the pain clear in his voice.

“If you want me as much as you claim to, you’ll figure it out. But don’t expect me to sit and wait for you to grow some fucking balls.”

And with that she stormed off down the street and headed home. She ignored him as he called after her but he didn’t follow her.

She lay awake in her bed for hours but she never heard Jeremy come home.

**********************************************************************

He came home the following morning. Penny assumed he had crashed at his parents’ house or with one of his brothers.

In the days that followed Penny and Jeremy went back to avoiding each other. And by the time her mother returned the atmosphere in the house was uncomfortably tense.

She ignored Penny and dragged Jeremy straight to their bedroom. Penny continued watching TV in the living room for a while before she heard a loud crash from above her. She startled in her seat and then listened as Jeremy raced down the stairs and out the front door, slamming it behind him and causing the glass within it to crack.

Penny ventured into the hallway and watched her mother descend the stairs, a strangely unreadable expression on her face.

“What was that about?” Penny asked with a vague gesture to the recently slammed door.

Her mother sneered but remained silent.

Penny repeated her question but her mother simply walked away and went to her study, locking the door behind her. She ran a hand through her hair and knocked on the door firmly. She tried again for several minutes and each time she was met with silence.

She prepared herself to yell through the door to get her mother’s attention but she was distracted by her cellphone vibrating in her pocket. She sighed in relief when she saw Jeremy’s name flashing on the small screen

Sundown Motel, 2 miles, room 8. I need you.

She frowned in confusion but grabbed her car keys and made the short drive to the motel, parking up next to Jeremy’s BMW and making her way to his room.

The brass number eight on the door was hanging loosely to one side and she hesitated before knocking. She had barely pulled her hand away from the chipped paint of the door before Jeremy was throwing it open and leading her inside.

He looked terrible. His eyes were bloodshot and she could tell that he had been crying.

“I did it.” He said, looking towards her expectantly.

“You did what?” She asked, watching as his face broke into a huge smile.”

“I left her…for good.”

Penny frowned in response and shook her head. “It’s really that simple?”

“She’s pregnant.”

Her mouth fell open in shock.

“And there’s no way it can be mine.” He added, practically giddy with excitement.

“You can’t know that for sure.”

“Oh Penny.” He said, walking towards her and cupping her face with both hands. He leant down and kissed her forehead gently. “She’s five weeks along…and I always use protection.”

Penny did the math in her head. Her mother had been away on business five weeks ago and she was also aware that Jeremy refused to not wear a condom.

“That doesn’t mean it’s not yours.”

His smile just grew wider. “I haven’t been with her since the night you kissed me. I couldn’t do it anymore…not when I knew there was a chance you wanted me.”

She smiled softly, finally looking up to meet his eyes. Their first kiss had occurred nearly nine weeks ago. “You’re sure?” She asked, her smile growing as he kissed her forehead again.

“I’m positive. And I’m filing for divorce first thing Monday morning.”

Penny couldn’t control herself any longer and launched her body towards his. Her legs wrapped around his waist and he caught her easily, backing her into the wall behind her as their tongues tangled together almost violently.

His hands dropped to her ass to support her weight and hers moved to run through his hair, cupping the back of his head and forcing him to keep his mouth against hers.

“I want you on the bed.” He said quietly as they broke apart for some much needed air.

He lowered her to the ground and Penny walked around him before taking a seat on the edge of the mattress. Her eyes were drawn to the slight bulge in his jeans but then he was grasping the bottom of his T-shirt and whipping it over his head before dropping it to the floor beside him. He had a small patch of dark hairs in the centre of his chest that lead down to his belly button before continuing down into his jeans.

She wanted to trace that trail of hair with her mouth, to run her tongue along the enticing skin of his hips before taking his cock in her mouth and hearing him moan her name.

He advanced on her and knelt down in front of her. His hands ran up her bare arms until they wound into her long, dark hair and pushed it clear from her face. And then he just paused for a long moment. His eyes darting from feature to feature until she started to feel self-conscious.

But then he was kissing her again, rising up slightly and encouraging her to lie down on the mattress behind her. His body followed her movement and he came to rest between her thighs, the evident ridge of his cock pressed into her centre through the layer of their jeans and Penny felt her body begin to react.

Heat flooded through her veins and she pushed him away. He began to protest and ran his tongue down her neck. She indulged him for a moment, allowing his lips to close around her collarbone and gently suck before she grabbed his hair and yanked his head away. His hips thrust forward as she did so and he smirked down at her when she moaned in pleasure.

Her hands immediately found the hem of her own shirt and she pulled it up and over her head, dropping it off the side of the bed without a second thought. Jeremy grinned toothily, his eyes raking all over her body before focusing on her tits. He descended on them, his lips finding the top of one as a hand groped at the other.

She didn’t need the foreplay. Her pussy was throbbing with her need for him and she had started getting wet the moment he had pressed her against the wall. But she didn’t want to stop him either. Especially because his hands were sliding beneath her body and undoing the clasp of her bra, easily removing the obstructive garment and revealing her naked chest to him in its entirety.

Jeremy groaned out loud when his mouth closed around a nipple and his tongue circled it teasingly before he sucked the beaded skin forcefully. Her hands dropped to the back of his head again and Penny whined in pleasure as his hand found her other breast and started to squeeze it gently.

He spent an obscenely long time playing with her tits and reduced her to a writhing mess beneath him before pulling away and pressing his lips to hers again.

His kiss was teasing and brief. “Are you wet for me?” He asked quietly, sliding a hand down her stomach until his fingers were caressing the soft skin just above the button of her jeans.

Penny nodded forcefully, her eyes never leaving his. She raised her head and brought their lips together again, sucking his thin top lip between hers as his hand slid underneath her jeans and into her panties. A single finger traced the seam of her lips and he groaned as it was coated with her wetness.

She thrust her hips upwards and his finger slipped into her slit, landing on the hood of her clit and causing her to moan against his mouth.

Jeremy pulled his hand out of her underwear and brought his finger to his mouth. Lapping at the evidence of her arousal and moaning in delight.

“You taste so fucking good.” He whispered, moving to stand before her. She was still lying on her back but lifted her head to watch as he unbuckled his belt and pushed his jeans to the floor. He kicked off his shoes and then stepped out of the pants pooled around his ankles.

His cock was straining against the thin material of his boxers and Penny stared towards it longingly. She licked her dry lips and reached for his erection with her hand. But Jeremy grabbed her wrist and placed a gentle kiss on the inside of it before placing it gently on the mattress next to her.

“Not now.” He said quietly. He knelt in front of her again and slipped off her shoes. His hands ran up her denim clad legs until he was popping the button on her jeans and pulling them, and her panties, off in one smooth movement. He groaned as her pussy was revealed to him for the first time and he leant forward and pressed his face into her folds. He inhaled sharply through his nose before leaning back and smiling up at her.

“I want you to know how long I’ve wanted this.” He said, his lips finding the inside of her knee and pressing a gentle kiss to the soft skin there.

He started to trail soft kisses up her thigh, pausing every few seconds to continue his speech. “I knew you were something special when you left for college…I couldn’t stand it here without you.”

She sighed as his mouth reached her hip and he nibbled the skin above her hip bone gently. A hand rose to play with her breasts again and Penny could do nothing but lie there and let him pleasure her.

“I left so many times but I always came back…and it was never for her. I never wanted you to forget me…”

“I could never forget you.” She replied immediately. She felt him smile against her skin and then his hand grasped the back of her knee and threw her leg over his shoulder. His hand came to rest on the soft skin of her inner thigh and she felt her pussy lips part before him

“But I couldn’t risk it. What if I never found you again?” He mused, his lips found the top of her thigh and he sucked the skin into his mouth. “I’d never have forgiven myself if I lost contact with you. I love you so much, Penny…but never like a father…I could never make myself see you like that no matter how hard I tried.”

The anticipation was killing her. He exhaled against her wet slit before transferring his lips to her other thigh. He kissed the skin there gently too and nuzzled his face into the sinewy gap between her leg and her pussy.

“Please.” She begged softly, raising her hips in invitation.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted this.” He continued, seemingly content to tease her forever. “You have no idea how many times I made myself come thinking about you.”

“Oh god.” Penny sighed.

“Tell me you want me.” He said, pulling back from where he was nuzzling her thigh and looking up at her face instead.

She looked down at him and smiled, her hand moved from the back of his head to cup his jaw and her thumb rested on his bottom lip. His lips pursed and pressed a gently kiss to it.

“I want you, Jeremy.”

He grinned again and then buried his face in her pussy. She groaned loudly in relief as his tongue made contact with her clit. He circled it several times before sucking the small nub between his lips and using the tip to flick over it quickly.

Penny’s hips started to gyrate against his face and he leaned back again, replacing his tongue with his fingers and circling her throbbing clit with his thumb.

“Sorry…It just felt so good and I…”

“Don’t apologise.” He replied. “I want you to fuck my face…if it feels good then do it.”

She nodded. Jeremy smiled again before lowering his face back to her pussy. He left his thumb on her clit and pressed his tongue inside her instead, thrusting it in and out of her and noisily drinking her juices as they seeped into his mouth. He continued his actions for a long time, alternating between pressing his tongue inside her and then dragging it up to flick against her clit.

Her orgasm started to build and she was almost thrashing against his face by the time he finally took mercy on her and pushed her to the brink. Three of his fingers were pumping inside her forcefully and his mouth was closed around her clit, his tongue working against it diligently until she was crying out loudly with her release. Her entire body tensed with the force of her orgasm and she felt a rush of fluids escape her, running down Jeremy’s hands and soaking the bed sheets beneath her.

When her body finally relaxed again she became aware of the fact that Jeremy was still perched between her thighs, licking and sucking her sensitive pussy and cleaning her of her sticky release.

Her chest was heaving as she tried to catch her breath and she opened her eyes to gaze down at Jeremy as he climbed onto the bed between her thighs. He had shed his boxers in the process and his hand was steadily stroking the length of his cock. His eyes were fixed on her chest and his hand moved noisily with his movement; Penny realised he was using her wetness to lubricate his quick strokes and sighed again.

“Don’t make yourself come.” She muttered and he slowed his strokes down, reaching a hand underneath his shaft to cup his balls. She watched as he squeezed them gently several times.

Penny hoisted herself from the mattress beneath her and shuffled on her ass towards him. Her movements were lacking finesse due to the fatigue that was slowly starting to take its toll on her muscles. She hadn’t come that hard in ages, in fact, she couldn’t remember having ever come so hard and for so long before in her life. No wonder her body was protesting her efforts to move just now.

But she persisted until her face was within inches of his glorious cock and she looked up at him through her eyelashes. His face was flushed and his eyes were intensely focused on hers. Penny leant forward and took the head of his cock between her lips, sucking firmly around his hard flesh and rejoicing in the loud moan that escaped him as she began to bob her head up and down his shaft.

She had never particularly liked giving head before, her previous boyfriends always grabbing at her head and trying to force her to move the way they wanted it. But pleasuring Jeremy was different. His hands rested on either side of her head but he wasn’t attempting to guide her movements. Occasionally he played with her hair or simply caressed her head with his fingertips as she worked over him.

He was thrusting slightly into her mouth, however, and Penny brought a hand to grasp the base of his shaft so he didn’t go too deep and cause her to choke. His breathing started to quicken after several minutes of her attention and he pulled back sharply until he slipped out of her mouth. Penny looked up at him expectantly, but his eyes were tightly closed and he was biting his bottom lip forcefully.

His hands left her head and one came to rest on her shoulder, squeezing gently, the other cupped his dick and ran up and down the length a couple of times.

“Was that not…good?” she asked quietly.

Jeremy’s eyes flew open and he immediately started shaking his head.

“It was perfect.” He replied quickly. “It was a little bit too good.”

Penny frowned. “You could have come in my mouth.”

He groaned loudly and his hand started moving more quickly up and down his shaft as he imagined the possibility of that happening.

“Not this time.” He said eventually, reaching down to the floor beside him and grabbing his wallet from his discarded jeans. His fingers quickly fished out a condom and he sheathed his length.

“How do you like it?” He asked, leaning over her body and bringing his lips to hers again.

She allowed him to kiss her for a while, enjoying the combined taste of the two of them on her tongue.

“I want you on top.” She replied when he pulled away from her kiss and looked down at her expectantly.

He nodded and watched as she lowered her body to the mattress again and spread her legs in invitation. Jeremy hovered over her for a moment, bringing a hand to press two fingers into her dripping pussy briefly before pulling them out and using them to rub her clit.

Penny groaned in frustration and pushed his hand away, instead grabbing his cock and bringing it to her entrance. Jeremy took her hint and pressed his length inside her until their hips were flush against each other. He paused and allowed her to adjust to his size for a moment, enjoying the feeling of being surrounded by her tight, hot pussy.

When she lifted her hips slightly he began thrusting in and out of her slowly, trying to prolong the feeling of being inside her for as long as possible. Penny was meeting his movements easily and he rose more fully to his knees, cupping her thighs and bringing them to rest against the length of his chest. Her feet ended up over his shoulders and he kissed the skin of her calf gently before beginning to thrust harder into her.

Penny couldn’t believe that this was actually happening. The feel of Jeremy’s cock inside her was better than she had allowed herself to imagine it ever could have been and another orgasm was beginning to build as he pumped into her enthusiastically. He was so deep inside her, the head of his cock was nudging her front wall and his balls were slapping loudly against her thigh. The look on his face was driving her closer to climax too, it was relaxed and he looked almost serene, his eyes focused on her face throughout his movements.

His head dropped forward suddenly and his thrusts faltered in their rhythm for the first time since entering her.

“I’m gonna come.” He warned. “Are you close?”

Penny nodded desperately and Jeremy brought a thumb to his lips. His tongues darted out and licked it several times before he lowered it to her clit and started rubbing it in fast circles. Her back arched dramatically and he slipped even deeper inside, causing Penny to cry out loudly in pleasure.

She could feel her thighs shaking against his chest and her toes curled tightly and then she was coming again. The contractions of her internal walls were strong and pulled Jeremy to his climax. He shouted out as his pleasure consumed him and his cock pulsed within her as his come filled the condom.

He collapsed heavily on top of her, her legs dropping down to circle his waist. After a moment to recover Jeremy rose on his elbows and smiled dopily down at her. He leant forward and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips before pulling out of her and rolling onto his back next to her. She whined softly at the empty feeling between her thighs and Jeremy chuckled softly.

Jeremy’s hands were quick as they removed and tied off the used condom before he dropped it onto the floor beside the bed. He opened his arms to her in invitation and Penny moved into his warm embrace.

His hand grabbed hers and she threaded their fingers together, her mind immediately noticing the absence of his wedding ring now that her mind was no longer clouded with lust.

“I took it off before I left the house.” Jeremy muttered, seemingly reading her thoughts. “Actually I kind of threw it towards your mom before I ran the hell out of there.”

Penny couldn’t prevent the laugh that escaped her at the thought of what her mother’s face must of looked at as her toy-boy husband finally stood up to her.

But she didn’t have to think about it anymore. Because now Jeremy was laughing with her and kissing her forehead and telling her that everything was going to be ok so long as they stuck together.

And she believed him. Her eyes fell closed in fatigue and she fell asleep, wrapped in his strong arms. Happier than she had ever been.

A/N - So this kind of got away from me a little bit, congrats if you actually made it to the end! Hopefully you enjoyed it despite how ridiculously long it is.