Pretty Penny, the Sweet One, the apple of her grandpa's eye. Yes, it would be good to get back on more familiar emotional ground.
The warm peach tones of the old-fashioned bathroom soothed her instantly as she balanced her tray on the rounded edge of the big claw-footed tub. That's why she'd chosen the color, to remind her of sunsets and seashells and the way the sun's warmth could lull you into total relaxation. Going to the old pedestal sink, Penny splashed cool water on her face, glad she'd conquered her tears, then poured a long stream of Sunny Peach bubble bath beneath warm running water. Finding a scrunchy, she knotted her hair in it, then scurried to the foyer to turn the radio back on. The same station from earlier still played slow soul. She didn't bother changing it, though, concentrating on the song's tranquil rhythm.
When the tub was almost full, she turned off the water, slipped out of her clothes, then stepped into the luxurious bubbles. Sinking into the suds, she leaned her head back and let the music sedate her. She occasionally reached for a strawberry or brownie, dipping it in either the softening ice cream or the smooth whipped cream before putting it in her mouth.
As the sudsy water caressed her skin, however, the rich foods somehow heightened her sensual awareness. The sensations hardly brought back Normal Penny, but instead seemed to invite the newer, more daring version of herself she'd so recently uncovered.
After eating her fill of the sweets, she stretched out in the tub, sinking deeper into the moist bubbles, and let her mind begin to wander. She thought about Ryan and the foyer, although she refused to dwell on the hurt that still lingered, so instead she found herself imagining the things that might have happened if the phone hadn't rung. She even imagined placing a sexy call to Ryan, using her feminine wiles to somehow lure him back.
Then other outrageous pictures entered her head, more fantasies, some she was familiar with already, others that were brand-new. Just envisioning them somehow made her feel unfettered, free. Admittedly, none of this was doing much to lower her level of frustration, yet she couldn't stop her mind from exploring all the stirring new possibilities that floated through her thoughts.
And then she gasped, bolting upright in the tub and sloshing water over the edge.
Was it possible? Could it be true?
All these fantasies, running rampant in her head… The sexy undies she always wore, even though no one usually saw them… And she'd seduced a man in a limousine. She'd done that, really made it happen.
And, oh, the positively wicked things she wanted to do to Ryan, if only he would let her.
A sharp tingle whisked through her body, traveling from the top of her head to the tips of her fingers and toes, and Penny knew without doubt it really was true. Everything inside her pointed to it, and she couldn't believe she'd been so blind for so long. She could only assume this was something that had been buried deep inside her for years, and it was finally fighting its way free. She bit her lip at the stunning revelation that she didn't know herself at all … that she really wasn't such a good girl.
* * *
Ryan stood peering into his refrigerator, wishing he saw something to eat. Instead, he found beer, soda, orange juice and margarine. He'd stayed so busy at work that he hadn't even gotten unpacked yet, much less found time to make a serious trip to the grocery store. Closing one door and opening another, he explored the freezer with a little more success. He'd grabbed a box of pizza rolls and some frozen garlic bread at a convenience store the other night when he'd stopped for drinks. Turning on the oven, he found a pizza pan and emptied the contents of both packages onto it. Not exactly pot roast, but all things considered, it would do.
While the food was in the oven, Ryan shed his suit and tie, changing into a pair of old gym shorts and a T-shirt. Moving back through
The warm peach tones of the old-fashioned bathroom soothed her instantly as she balanced her tray on the rounded edge of the big claw-footed tub. That's why she'd chosen the color, to remind her of sunsets and seashells and the way the sun's warmth could lull you into total relaxation. Going to the old pedestal sink, Penny splashed cool water on her face, glad she'd conquered her tears, then poured a long stream of Sunny Peach bubble bath beneath warm running water. Finding a scrunchy, she knotted her hair in it, then scurried to the foyer to turn the radio back on. The same station from earlier still played slow soul. She didn't bother changing it, though, concentrating on the song's tranquil rhythm.
When the tub was almost full, she turned off the water, slipped out of her clothes, then stepped into the luxurious bubbles. Sinking into the suds, she leaned her head back and let the music sedate her. She occasionally reached for a strawberry or brownie, dipping it in either the softening ice cream or the smooth whipped cream before putting it in her mouth.
As the sudsy water caressed her skin, however, the rich foods somehow heightened her sensual awareness. The sensations hardly brought back Normal Penny, but instead seemed to invite the newer, more daring version of herself she'd so recently uncovered.
After eating her fill of the sweets, she stretched out in the tub, sinking deeper into the moist bubbles, and let her mind begin to wander. She thought about Ryan and the foyer, although she refused to dwell on the hurt that still lingered, so instead she found herself imagining the things that might have happened if the phone hadn't rung. She even imagined placing a sexy call to Ryan, using her feminine wiles to somehow lure him back.
Then other outrageous pictures entered her head, more fantasies, some she was familiar with already, others that were brand-new. Just envisioning them somehow made her feel unfettered, free. Admittedly, none of this was doing much to lower her level of frustration, yet she couldn't stop her mind from exploring all the stirring new possibilities that floated through her thoughts.
And then she gasped, bolting upright in the tub and sloshing water over the edge.
Was it possible? Could it be true?
All these fantasies, running rampant in her head… The sexy undies she always wore, even though no one usually saw them… And she'd seduced a man in a limousine. She'd done that, really made it happen.
And, oh, the positively wicked things she wanted to do to Ryan, if only he would let her.
A sharp tingle whisked through her body, traveling from the top of her head to the tips of her fingers and toes, and Penny knew without doubt it really was true. Everything inside her pointed to it, and she couldn't believe she'd been so blind for so long. She could only assume this was something that had been buried deep inside her for years, and it was finally fighting its way free. She bit her lip at the stunning revelation that she didn't know herself at all … that she really wasn't such a good girl.
* * *
Ryan stood peering into his refrigerator, wishing he saw something to eat. Instead, he found beer, soda, orange juice and margarine. He'd stayed so busy at work that he hadn't even gotten unpacked yet, much less found time to make a serious trip to the grocery store. Closing one door and opening another, he explored the freezer with a little more success. He'd grabbed a box of pizza rolls and some frozen garlic bread at a convenience store the other night when he'd stopped for drinks. Turning on the oven, he found a pizza pan and emptied the contents of both packages onto it. Not exactly pot roast, but all things considered, it would do.
While the food was in the oven, Ryan shed his suit and tie, changing into a pair of old gym shorts and a T-shirt. Moving back through
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