The Blogger and the Hunk by Jane Matisse Page B

in circles. He stuffed in a forkful of steamed vegetables to stop himself from talking.
    Penelope smiled at him. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not some fragile flower that will lose its petals at a single touch. I’m built like a tree, with the height of a stump,” she added, poking fun at her barely over five-foot height.
    That got a laugh out of Jack. Unfortunately, he had taken a sip of his wine when she said it and was currently choking on the alcohol. “Oh God... it... burns!” he barely managed to wheeze out. Penelope quickly handed him a glass of water, urging him to drink a little, all while reaching over to pound his back.
    Jack was finally breathing normally again. “Thank you for that. I think I might have bruises all over my lungs now,” he joked, taking another sip of water. His eyes were still watering, and Penelope reflexively grabbed a napkin and began dabbing his eyes, wiping away the tear streaks on his cheeks. Jack froze at the action; he held his breath, not wanting to disturb Penelope’s concentration. She had a gentle touch. It reminded him of that night many weeks ago. She could be a hellion, but when she was naked underneath him with her guard down, she was as sweet as candy.
    There was a light clearing of a throat and Penelope jumped, pulling her hand back and looking up to find the waiter standing with a bottle of wine in his hands. Jack took a moment to take a deep breath and looked up at the waiter. He wore a small smile.
    “Any more wine for either of you?” he asked.
    “We’ll actually take the bill now, thank you,” Penelope replied.
    “I’ll be right back.”
    Jack looked down at his glass of wine. “Don’t you dare make another joke,” he warned.
    “I wouldn’t dream of it,” Penelope smiled.
    “Here you go.” The waiter placed the bill on the table. “Thank you for coming in, and have a wonderful day.”
    “Well, I guess we can thank Celeste for lunch,” Penelope replied. Jack could tell from the high tone of her voice she was masking her discomfort. He only nodded and stood, placing the cash inside the booklet and starting for the exit.
    * * *
    H ow could she be so stupid? Why did she have to be so obvious about her attraction to the guy? Yes, he was handsome, and yes, he had the ability to arouse her, but geez. You’d think the girl would get a fucking grip. Penelope was berating herself in silence when Jack spoke up, catching glances of her from the driver seat.
    “So, what is a maid of honor in charge of when they plan a bachelorette party? I thought booze, chips, and salsa would be a great idea for a night in.”
    Penelope scoffed. “Uhh, I don’t think so. What you just described is a sports gathering for men. Booze is a good start. God knows Celeste loves her alcohol. A few games, maybe some bar hopping, funny gifts, and maybe a few strippers,” she mumbled the last part.
    “Strippers? I thought women were ‘above’ all that? I thought it was too taboo to even discuss.”
    “Yikes, you’ve obviously forgotten it’s the twenty-first century. Well, just to clue you in, women work high-end corporate jobs, become their own bosses, and yes, they watch porn and own vibes too,” Penelope sarcastically explained.
    Jack lost control of the steering wheel for a second and the car swerved a bit. She supposed he was a little surprised at her outburst.
    He swallowed before responding. “Would it be safe for me to assume that you’re included in the modern women category as well?”
    “Yeah, I am. And damned proud of it.”
    “So, you watch p-porn and own a v-vibrator?” Jack asked, stumbling over the words.
    Penelope froze. Did she actually say that? “Uhh, no. I don’t do that.”
    “But you just said—”
    “I know what I said . It doesn’t mean that I’m included in the generalization.”
    “What color is it?” he pressed, a smirk on his face. Penelope sputtered, trying to form a coherent sentence. “Come on. You were the one who brought it