Some Like it Easy (10 page)

When they arrived at the museum, she fished out a few crumpled bills from her purse. Thank God she’d grabbed it out of habit and she hadn’t had time to count out her tips from her last shift. Cold wind cut into her as she jogged up the steps to the front door. At the entrance, she fished out her student ID and season pass, then handed over her purse for searching. Once she was on the inside of the metal detectors, she walked blindly through the exhibits on her way to the impressionists’ gallery.

Her phone vibrated several times during her walk, but she didn’t open her purse. Didn’t look at her phone.
Why did he say he loved me?
George Dagmar had a playboy reputation. How many online videos had she seen of him at parties? Drinking? Carousing? No one girl photographed with him over and over?

Armand had been a playboy. So had Sebastian. What the hell was wrong with George? Why wasn’t he one, too?
Did I get the dud prince?
Wincing at the thought, she scrubbed a hand over her face. George was so not a dud. He was a
good
guy. But she didn’t want the
good
one. She’d wanted the fun, thank you ma’am, see you later guy.

“I’m certifiable.” She folded her arms and walked through the gallery, focusing on the art. Okay, so the obvious solution would be to break up. He still had a few years left to get his degree. She could finish hers this term, apply for graduation, and move to Greenland.

Greenland was nice this time of year, right?

When she reached Monet’s
Bodmer Oak
, she stopped to stare at the forest. Did Greenland have forests? Maybe she could find a good wooded area. France?
Except the Sorbonne doesn’t want me. Maybe I could be a freelance artist along the Seine. Or a mime. Mimes don’t complain about things.

“Excuse me.” A soft feminine voice intruded, and Penny glanced over her shoulder. A blonde with a rainbow of purple, blue, and pink streaks sat on the bench facing the
Oak,
an open sketchpad on her lap.

She didn’t know her, and it took her a moment to process the expression on the blonde’s face. “Oh. Sorry.” Penny blocked her view of the oak, which she clearly sketched. Sidestepping and retreating from the painting, she took a seat on the bench and went back to staring at the painting.

Her purse buzzed again. Thankfully, she’d left the damn phone on vibrate, so while the feeling was irritating, it didn’t bother anyone else.

“Thanks,” the blonde said and her pencil began to scratch lightly against the pad. “Bad day?”

Was she talking to her? “No,” she lied. She certainly didn’t need to have this discussion with a total stranger.

“Okay, you just look like you’ve had a bad day.” The conversational tone seemed utterly at odds with her focused sketching.

“Well, I’m not.” She needed to talk to George. Set him straight. Maybe he’d just been drunk on his success. Seriously, less than halfway through the semester and he got offered a chance to publish his paper.
In fairness, he wasn’t offered a chance. He was encouraged to submit. Which is cool. Really cool.
Still, she remembered the first time one of her professors encouraged her. She could’ve walked on water that day.

“If you don’t want people to think you’re having a bad day, you shouldn’t scowl at the painting. Maybe you need to check out his haystacks or a lake scene. The woods aren’t doing it for you.”

Seriously, why was this woman talking to her? “I’m fine where I am. Also, your perspective is off. You’re making the oak too large.”
From zero to bitch in twenty seconds, way to go, Pen.

“Probably, if I were hoping to emulate his style, but I’m not. The focal point should be the oak, but Monet tends to blur the lines.” A reasonable response. “If you want to talk, I’m a great listener and obviously cannot tell anyone because I don’t know you.”

Weirdest conversation ever
. “Why?”

“Why don’t I know you? Because we haven’t been introduced?” She turned her sketch to focus on shading.

Amusement twined with her annoyance and Penny stood. It was kind of like having a conversation with herself. She was pretty irritating. “Good luck with it.”

“Thanks. Just remember hope.”

“What?” Could this woman be any more vague?

“Hold on, pain ends.” The rainbow-streaked blonde glanced up. Her smile was infectious.

“I’m not in pain.”

“If you say so, but you are sad. It’s really harshing my vibe.”

Blowing out a breath, Penny tried for a moderate tone. “I’m not sad. I’m not in pain. I’m frustrated. Even more so now, thanks for that.”

“Anytime.”

She made it a couple of steps before glancing back. The girl had a smile on her face and a phone in her hand. Pacing back, she gave her a sideways look. “Were you recording me?”

“I was going to,” she said in a moment of such blatant honesty it actually set Penny back. “I recognized you right away. Your sister is married to that prince. I’m a huge fan, by the way. Yes, it sounds as weird. Thought I’d try to sneak a photo for Facebook. But you’re really sad and I don’t think it’s fair to take a picture of you while you’re sad.”

Her teeth came together with a click.

“And now I’ve offended you. Sorry, I wasn’t trying to offend.” She held up her phone and turned it around so Penny could see the dark screen. “I didn’t record you, I promise.”

A fan?
“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” The woman smiled, then eyed her sketchbook. “You should go look at the haystacks, though.”

“Why is that?” Really, hadn’t they already chatted enough?

“Because you need to calm down and think. His haystacks are peaceful and the
Oak
? The
Oak
is mysterious, scary and the road you aren’t sure you want to travel. It’s just making you more agitated.”

A fair answer and an even fairer assessment. “Penny Novak.” She held out her hand.

“Virginia Green.” The woman gave her hand a quick shake, enthusiasm giving her smile another sunny burst. This time, Penny didn’t try to fight her smile in return. “Thanks for not thinking I’m crazy.”

“Thanks for not thinking I’m a bitch.”
Self-deprecation, Penny-style
. “See you around.”

“Would love that.”

Leaving the artist to her work, she took her advice and headed deeper into the impressionists’ gallery. She knew which one was the haystacks and, unlike his other works, it wasn’t littered with detail. The aforementioned haystacks had a lot of detail, but the emptiness surrounded them—the sky, the land—seemed quiet and restful. Pieces like them were why she loved art. Standing in the middle of the one of the busiest cities on earth, wrestling with the idea that she was about to hurt someone she genuinely liked, but it transported her away.

“Are you all right?” Mallory’s voice was a welcome one in the quiet.

“How’d you know where to find me?” She didn’t turn around, sighing when her best friend leaned against her and slipped an arm around her waist. Though she was taller than Mallory by a couple of inches, Penny took vast amounts of comfort from Mal resting her head on her shoulder.

“You come here when you need to think. Since George and his suit troop are freaking out right now because you disappeared, I figured you headed here to think.”

“He said he loved me.” The words came out quiet, especially after meeting the ‘fan’ Virginia. She didn’t want to shout any of their private business from the rooftops.

“Oh boy.” Mallory squeezed her a little. “What did you say?”

“Not much.” She’d stuttered and fled.

“First things first, we call him and let them all know you are safe and sound and not kidnapped.”

“What? Why the hell would they think I’d been kidnapped?” Even better question, why would someone
want
to kidnap her?

“Because you disappeared, Pen. Justin went to get his coat and apparently George wanted to go with you. You mentioned Milo…”

“Oh my God, please tell me you didn’t tell them who Milo’s is.”

Mallory winced. “I did. George was worried. They’re ready to involve the police. You’re not answering your phone. You vanished…He is really scared.”

Oh.
Could this day get any worse?

“Miss Novak?” Justin’s crisp voice held a strong note of disapproval.

Yes, apparently it can.

“Crap,” Mallory turned. “Did you follow me?”

Penny kept staring at the haystacks, desperately needing the peace they offered.

“Yes, ma’am. We have a car outside when you’re ready to go.”

Of course they did.

“I’m sorry,” Mallory whispered. “I didn’t think they would.”

“It’s all right. I should go talk to George.” Looking away from the haystacks, she met Justin’s cool, implacable gaze.
Yeah, he is pretty pissed.
“I’m sorry I ditched you,” she told the bodyguard. “I needed some time.” Unfortunately, she still needed time.

Arm in arm, she and Mallory headed for the front of the museum with Justin in close attendance. “What are you going to tell him?” Her best friend asked, hopefully too low for the guard to hear.

“I don’t know. I didn’t want serious. I didn’t want this to change. I…”
I didn’t want him to fall in love.

“Then tell him that,” Mallory advised. “But you have to tell him something. We’re neighbors and he really is unavoidable.”

“Yeah.” But more than that, she didn’t
want
to hurt him. So how could she avoid that part? The question haunted her all the way back to their building, a ride that went too swiftly. When the elevator arrived on their floor, Mallory squeezed her hand and headed to their apartment.

“I’ll be here after…”

Penny nodded to her and stared at George’s closed door. Blowing out a breath, she raised a hand to knock.

P
enny’s clasped hands
, tight expression and constantly wandering gaze made it the most difficult conversation George ever sat through. Her safe return let his heart begin beating again, but she’d pulled out of his embrace and paced the room without sitting down. So far, she’d said very little and he couldn’t figure out what he’d done wrong.
What happened?

“Do you want to sit down?” Maybe if he could get her to relax, then she would tell him what was wrong. He’d gone to Milo’s after getting Mallory to reveal the information. The dealer did indeed have Penny’s rings—two of which he’d recognized from their time in St. Moritz. Milo had informed him Penny still had another two weeks to claim the rings by paying back the value of the loan she’d taken on them plus twenty-five percent. A steep markup, but apparently less than what he charged others. He wanted to ask her about them, but considering her current state of mind, he decided to wait. “Or maybe you want to get some sleep and we’ll talk in the morning, when you’re fresher?”

The last had been a gamble. Frankly, in the weeks since he’d moved in, he’d noticed Penny thrived on the craziness of her schedule. Even tired, she was usually a bottomless well of cheer and quips.

“I’m going to get some sleep,” she said, speaking finally. “But I’ll be staying at my apartment tonight.”

I, not we
. He focused on her syntax and phrasing. “All right.” Tired of the distance, he crossed to her and slid his arms around her waist. Pulling her against him, he cradled her in his arms and rested his chin against her head. “Penny, whatever is bothering you—whatever I said, whatever it is—we can figure it out together, but I can’t help if you don’t talk to me.”

“You so have to stop being perfect.”

He chuckled at the groan elongating her words. “Believe me when I say I am far from perfect.”

“No, you’re not. That’s the problem.” No humor softened her declaration.

“Penny…”

She shrugged her shoulders and pulled away, walking forward a couple of steps. “Look, George. You and me? We’re a lot of fun and what we’re having is fun. But—you broke the rules, and I don’t want to be the girl who led you on.”

The concern cresting inside of him turned to guarded worry. “I have never believed you were doing anything of the sort.”

“Really?” She turned, her eyes dark and tortured. “Then why did you say you loved me?”

“Because I do.” Was
that
the problem?

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “You don’t.” When he would have said something, she held up her hand. “No, I mean it. You can’t.”

Withdrawing a step, he tried to ignore the pain flexing around his heart. Locking his jaw, he fell back on his training and his upbringing to school his features. He needed to find a modicum of control because nothing in Penny’s manner suggested play or teasing. He knew her well enough to recognize the difference. “Why can’t I?”

“Because you’re George, and I’m Penny. We’re
friends
. We’re having fun. We’re neighbors. We hang out.”

More puzzled than angry, George frowned. “Not sure I’m hearing why I can’t love you.”

“Because you loving me screws everything up.” She was so utterly serious. He couldn’t help it, he laughed. Her expression darkened, before she stormed past him toward the door. He caught her arm and pulled her back.

“Don’t run away, not again.” Swallowing back his humor, he cupped her cheek. “I promise you, nothing is changing. I’m still living in this apartment. We’re still going to school. You still sleep here or I sleep there. We still have fun.” Slipping his hand beneath her chin, he nudged her face and dropped the lightest of kisses on her mouth. “Nothing will be screwed up.”

“You don’t understand,” she said, and the sadness in her tugged at him. He wanted to erase it, to bring back her laughter. “It already has.”

“You’re right, I don’t understand. We are the same two people we were when you came in here last night and crawled over me to get into bed. We’re the same two people we were when you woke up.”

Penny closed her eyes and shook her head. “No, we’re not. I’m going to go.”

“Why?” The last thing he wanted was for her to leave.

“Because if I stay, it sets a dangerous precedent.”

Hating the defeat in her voice and the distance her words suggested, he kissed her again. Whatever the hell scared her, they could fix it. Being apart repaired nothing. She flattened her hand to his chest, then fisted his shirt and pulled him closer. Her mouth opened, and he swept inside.

The world narrowed to their kiss. He tasted her hunger and need. They were a wild spice to his senses. When he picked her up, she twined her arms around his neck. His whole body leaned into her, needing to feel her closer. Breaking the kiss slowly, he met her eyes. The tears shimmering on their surface slayed him. “Stay.”

“You want…”

“You.” He didn’t wait for her to finish. “I want you. Here. With me.” He’d never tell her he loved her again, but she had to stay.

“You make me crazy,” she whispered, and light glimmered from beneath tears. She wrapped her legs around his waist. Though he was very well aware of her muscles, she was light in his arms.

“How crazy?” He nuzzled the corner of her mouth, kissing a path along her jawline. So many hidden layers to his Penny. Complicated and intense one breath, passionate and playful in the next. He’d touched a hot button in her, something in his confession had upset her. Something that demanded further exploration. Right now, his only goal and focus was keeping her in the apartment with him. No separation, no closed doors.

She groaned when he found a particularly sensitive spot along her jaw, near her ear. “Very. We shouldn’t be doing this.”

“But we’re so very good at it,” he reminded her, using her own words.

Fisting his hair, she made a sound verging on a moan as he grazed his teeth along her lobe.

“I want you,” he said, tracing his tongue along the whorls of her ear. “Tell me you don’t want me and I’ll stop.” It was a promise, one that would likely leave him with a permanent case of blue balls, but he would. When she didn’t reply immediately, he released her ear to meet her eyes. Heat scorched her gaze. Lips parted, she sighed.

“George…”

“Yes or no,” he told her, throwing down a passionate gauntlet. “Do you want me? Or do you want to go?”

Biting her lip, she appeared indecisive, something wholly un-Penny like. “I think I hate you right now.” Her words lacked heat, so he smiled.

“No, you don’t.” She didn’t hate him at all. She was confused, maybe a little scared, and more than a little unpredictable. “Yes, or no,” he reminded her, letting his hands explore her curves. She was still molded to him, the grind of her hips keeping them intimately connected. If not for all their damned clothes, they could resolve the discussion faster.

“Yes, I want you, dammit.” She slanted her mouth across his. He let her have control of the kiss for the length of time it took him to walk her into his bedroom, close the door then lower her to the bed. Stripping her leisurely pleased him. “You’re killing me.” Her complaint made him chuckle.

“I’m making sure you don’t confuse this for a mistake.” Her arms were supple, taut definition borne from her work. Tracing a path up her arm to the crook of her elbow, he kissed and nibbled the softness of her skin.

“George…”

“Shut up,” he whispered and loosened her bra so he could rub his palms over her curves.

“Excuse me?” Rising to her elbows, she glared with passion drenched eyes and a fresh wave of irritation. Darting closer, he covered her mouth and silenced her with a tongue twining kiss that left them both breathless.

“Hush,” he whispered when he abandoned her mouth to continue his explorations. He had to get her jeans off. When she tugged at his shirt, he paused to pull it free and then returned. With hot hands, she stroked his shoulders. Catching one of her nipples, he drew on the hardened point until her breath came in short, hard pants. All that mattered was the woman in his arms.

Nothing prepared him for her—or the sudden, burning fear when she’d disappeared. The moment he returned to the hallway and found her missing, he’d forgotten how to breathe. His security had gone to work, but every long, drawn-out second had been filled with an inescapable sense of dread.

On a groan, she dug her nails into his shoulders. Accepting the plea, he left one nipple to lavish attention on the other. She moved restlessly beneath him. Penny was a force of nature; she lit his heart and his soul. Tracing a path over her belly, he peeled her jeans away.

“George…” Impatience echoed in the syllable of his name, but he refused to be hurried. Being forced to wait for her while his security hunted, hearing the evasion in Mallory’s voice and her halting explanation about Milo—even finding her rings at the pawnshop—all did very little to ease the gnawing fear in his gut.

Only when she’d knocked had he experienced an iota of relief. Teasing her legs apart, he lavished her with long teasing strokes using his mouth and fingers until he coaxed her toward orgasm. In a fit of pique, he denied her that last push over the edge. Instead, he rose and rid himself of his clothes. After rolling on a condom, he nudged between her thighs, making a place for himself.

Fisting her hair, he waited until her eyes opened and met his before easing inside her. The little sounds she made, the way she flexed around him, and the harshness of her breathing weren’t manufactured. The urge to tell her he loved her burned in his blood. He wanted to tell her why she meant so much to him. How her spirit challenged him and her acerbic attitude left him charged. How she saw
him,
not his title or his place as the family fuck-up, but he swallowed every single thought unspoken.

She’d run once. He wouldn’t give her a reason to run again. When they finally collapsed together, he lay with his face pressed against her throat. Eyes closed, he wanted to drown in her scent. Awareness of her gentle caresses along his spine penetrated the lazy, sensual haze. The minutes ticked by and doubts crept in. Had he mistaken physical compatibility and closeness for real intimacy?

He’d had lovers before. Faceless, nameless women so interchangeable he’d failed to acknowledge them the following day. Some he could attribute to the reckless abandon of youth, but more…apathy. Why get invested in a person when he wasn’t allowed close friends or involvement? His closely monitored movements weren’t under his control.

If Armand said get on a plane, he got on a plane. If he said go to this school, George went to that school. Three times in as many years, security descended on him and
removed
him from situations deemed too dangerous or which left him too exposed.

He lived life forever at Armand’s whim. At the sobering thought, he disentangled himself from her warmth. He slid from the bed to deal with the condom and returned with the washcloth. He enjoyed the little ritual of cleaning her, of caring for her. Penny watched him through slanted eyelids, her expression utterly unreadable.

They might have just had sex, but she seemed even further away than when she’d disappeared in the hall. “You don’t have to stay,” he said, and rose to return to the bathroom. Maybe a shower would clear his head of all the thoughts assaulting him.

“George…”

“No, really.” Controlling his response was all he had left. “You don’t have to.” He would have added more, but he didn’t trust what he would say, so he headed for the shower. Once beneath the steaming water, he braced his hand on the wall. Baring his heart to her had been a mistake, one he wouldn’t again make so easily.

The door opened and Penny slid in behind him. Frowning, he glanced over his shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“Not leaving,” she told him. “We’re friends, right?”

Still not quite sure what he would say, he gave her a guarded nod.
Friends.
A pale description for what he felt.

“You said we don’t have to change…” She ran her hand up his spine and the sluggish pound of his heart increased. The simplest of her touches brought him to life. “We can be friends, hang out—and I’m going to introduce you to college life. Really introduce you this time. Girls. Parties. The fun side.”

He said nothing. Instead, he simply turned his face up to the water. She didn’t understand. He’d had girls. He’d had parties. The so-called fun side wasn’t that damned fun. When she wrapped her arms around him and pressed against his back, he covered her hands on his abdomen.

But she was still here. Maybe two could play her game…“Sure,” he said, proud his voice remained even.
I’ll show you I’m not interested in any of those things.

Her relieved huff aggravated him beyond measure, but he buried his reaction. He was damned good at keeping his responses under control.

“Oh, good.” She rubbed her cheek against his back, and the fracture in his heart bled a little harder. “It’s going to be fun, I promise.”

No, it was going to be hell, but it kept her close until he could figure out what the hell to do to convince her he was serious—and she could be, too.

Turning, he dragged her under the spray and her laughter filled the room. The free sound of her mirth acted as an aphrodisiac. Tiring of her was an impossibility, being attracted to someone else an anathema. He would simply have to make every effort to prove those simple facts.

Deep bass throbbed from the speakers in the Delta Pi Delta common room, the February Hawaiian Splash party in full swing. Skimpy clothes, bikinis, and grass skirts made up the dress code, and the alcohol flowed freely. Penny dabbed a touch of glitter to the butterfly eye she’d finished on a really drunk redhead and took her twenty dollar bill in payment.

Stretching, she picked up her glass of water and took a long swallow. Despite frigid temperatures outdoors, the inside of the Frat House was a sauna. Her string bikini and sarong wraparound still felt like too much clothing. Across the room, George stood face to boob with a blonde wearing a string bikini that might as well have not existed.

Topless would’ve been less pornographic.
She contented herself with the fact George came and partied at all. A guy settled into the chair for his face painting and Penny raised her eyebrows. He was even drunker than her last customer, if that were possible.