One month later...

Cassian

"Penelope!" I call over my shoulder. "Hurry! Jake and Gemma are calling soon."

"Just a second!" Pen calls from the bathroom.

I glance over my shoulder, catching her reflection in the mirror. The bathroom door is open, making it easy to see. She's wearing her purple bikini and is just pulling her swimsuit cover overtop.

Looking away, I draw my bottom lip between my teeth and focus on the blank screen of my iPad. Jake and Gemma will call any second now. It's giving me a sense of deja vu. This time, Pen and I are somewhere tropical. Jake and Gemma are freezing their asses off in Vancouver Island's damp cold. When Jake and Gemma were on their honeymoon, we were in West Kelowna. It wasn't cold.

Feeling smug, I lean back against the pillows and cross my arms. Skipping out on shitty weather...

"What are you grinning about?" Pen asks.

My head falls as I glance to the side. Pen's swimsuit coverup is white and sheer. I can see the outline of her bikini. The urge to bite my knuckle is strong. After four days of laying on the beach and drinking ice-cold Coronas, Pen's rocking a summer tan. Her hair falls mid-back and is curled with beach waves from the saltwater. I'm glad I convinced her to come to Mexico with me.  I'm glad Patrick helped me convince her. There's nothing better than taking a vacation with the woman you love.

Uncrossing my arms, I tuck them behind my head. "Jake and Gemma are suffering through winter while we're here in the sunshine."

Pen gives me a look. "Jake and Gemma would've come. The only problem is Gemma can't travel. She's due in March. Besides..."

She trails off and wanders to the French doors. White curtains billow with the tropical breeze. She pulls back one curtain. Our rental place has direct access to the beach, giving us a prime view of palm trees and ocean. On the horizon, a storm is brewing. Instead of seeing endless sky and ocean, dark, menacing clouds are there. There will be a wicked thunderstorm later.

My gaze flicks to Penelope. Her feet are bare, showing the coral-pink pedicure she got before we left. Her cheeks are pink from sun exposure. She looks like a beach bum. A sexy beach bum. Hell, I bet if I were to saunter over there and kiss her neck, she'd smell like coconut tanning oil. Her lips would taste like Sun Bum's banana-flavoured lip balm. She uses that shit constantly.

Penelope gestures to the view. "This weather will not last long. We're in a for a wicked storm, Cassian."

"Jake won't know that," I wink.

She releases her grip on the white curtain. It goes back to billowing in the tropical breeze. Turning to face me, she cocks an eyebrow. "Guaranteed Jake is monitoring the weather cam here. The first day we were here, you took Jake on a digital tour to rub it in."

Scoffing, I wave off her comment. "He did the same to me when they were in Thailand for their honeymoon."

Jealousy saturates my voice. I'm still jealous of them. Thailand, just like Mexico and Greece, has been on my bucket list for years.

Sauntering over to me, Pen climbs up onto the bed and straddles me. The potent scent of coconut tanning oil hits me. It makes me feel woozy in a good way. Almost high. She leans down and brushes her nose against mine. The smile on her face is enough to kill me. It's so beautiful.

I reach up, brushing my thumb across her top lip.

"I love seeing you smile," I murmur.

She presses a hand against my bare chest. "I always smile."

Tapping her single dimple, I say, "You do, but it didn't reach your eyes for a while."

Penelope blushes through her sun-kissed cheeks. "I'm glad you're happy again."

A small, strained laugh escapes her full lips. She runs her hands over my bare shoulders, giving them a squeeze. I shift beneath her, feeling the crisp cotton sheets beneath my back. It reminds me of last night. A smile tugs at my lips. Last night was the best night of my life. Sex with Penelope was everything I thought it would be—and more.

"Things were difficult," Pen sighs. "Seeing Patrick struggle like he did..."

She trails off, shaking her head. "I was worried about him. But he rebounded. He's strong. I'm glad he vent on vacation, too."

My mouth quirks up. "Of course he is. He's related to you."

Smiling, Penelope slaps my shoulder.

I mock a wounded face, pressing my hand to my shoulder. "Pen. My ego is suffering."

She tosses her head back and laughs. It's a beautiful, melodic sound. I laugh along with her, tickling her sides. She squirms and squeals, telling me to stop tickling her.

Surprise, surprise, I don't listen.

Rolling us over, I pin Penelope down. I pin her arms above her head. Lock my thighs around her hips. These actions earn me a death glare. I shoot her a sheepish grin. Later, she'll invoke revenge. For now, I'm content with her being completely vulnerable to me.

But I still double-check.

Cocking an eyebrow, I ask, "You're okay with this, right?"

Pen draws her bottom lip between her teeth. She nods, purposely shifting her hips beneath mine.

Fuck.

A giggle slips free from her lips. She wiggles her hips again, and my body reacts. The sly look on her face makes me groan. Fucking Pen. She's killing me. It's something she loves to do.

Leaning down, I release her hands.

She loops her arms around my neck, pulling me down to connect our lips. Just like I guessed, her lips taste like Sun Bun chapstick—the banana flavour. It's fucking delicious. With her coconut oil and chapstick, she has this tropical vibe going on.

"Keep doing this, Pen," I murmur. "And we'll miss that video chat with Jake and Gemma."

A soft, warm breeze trickles in. In the distance, I swear I hear a crack of thunder.

"Would that be a bad thing?" she asks, curling a lock of my hair around her finger. "Something tells me it wouldn't."

Even before she slides her hand down and cups me, I know she's referencing my hard-on.

I choke on a cough. Or a strangled gasp. I can't tell.

"This isn't a good idea, Pen," I choke.

She tightens her grip, loosens it, and then slips her hand down my navy blue swim shorts. Her hand is warm and calloused. Calloused from the rock climbing we did yesterday.

"Fucking hell," I murmur, closing my eyes.

When she brushes her thumb over the tip, I almost swat her hand away. As much as I love Pen's hand being wrapped around my cock, I'd rather be inside her again.

Just then, the iPad starts making stupid noises.

Because Penelope enjoys teasing me, she removes her hand from my boxers and slides out from beneath me. Groaning, I flop face-first into the pillows, muttering a string of profanity. Revenge will be sweet tonight.

"Jake! Gemma!" Penelope exclaims. "How are you guys?"

"Pregnant!" Gemma replies. "I can't wait for him to come out. My lower back is killing me."

Although I'm not sitting next to Pen, I can picture Gemma on the tiny screen. I bet she's looking down at her bulging belly and patting it. Personally, I can't wait to meet the kid. Even when we were kids, Jake wanted a family. He fucked that up for a bit, but could eventually remedy the mistakes he made in high school. He's still trying to. Although Gemma has forgiven him, I don't think he's forgiven himself yet.

"I bet," Penelope replies. "How's it going, though? You're still healthy? The baby's still healthy?"

There's a slight pause. Jake's muttering some incoherent words. The guy's probably complaining about being able to do nothing for Gemma. He won't shut up about it.

"Everything's good," Gemma nods. "There was some spotting the other day, but nothing to be concerned about. He's a healthy baby boy."

Rolling over, I prop myself up on my elbow. Just to be a jackass, I call out, "That's glorious news, Gemmie. But how is Lover Boy doing? Still fretting over being useless?"

Jake curses at me.

Gemma laughs. She also takes Jake's hand and squeezes it.

Penelope rolls her eyes and says, "Don't mind him. He's frustrated." She throws a devilish grin over her shoulder.

My gaze connects with hers. I hope she can see the tension. As soon as this call is over, and if she wants to, we're not leaving this bed. After I-

Gemma snorts. "Poor Cassie. His ego has been brutally harmed." On the screen, she turns to Jake, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "These men and their egos. So fragile. I've teased Jake countless times. Don't feel alone, Cassian."

My mouth twists to one side. "Gemma. What did we discuss? You're not supposed to call me that."

I hate that nickname. Gemma gave it to me in elementary school. It stuck with me until high school. The guys used to tease me about it. When I made the football team, I could finally shed it. I don't hate Gemma for using it. What I hate is the toxic context the boys in my class gave it.

She shoots me an apologetic grin. "I know, but you gave me to opportune moment. It won't happen again."

Sitting up, I slide off of the bed and saunter over to where Penelope is sitting. "It better not," I say, staring into the camera. "Or else I'll refuse to babysit."

A worried look crosses Jake's face. He glances at Gemma. "He's a good babysitter. He babysat Hanna a lot. We need him, Gem."

"Dude," I say, wrinkling my nose. "What the hell is wrong with you? You look green."

Gemma presses her hand over her mouth. "He's experiencing pregnancy sickness."

Penelope and I exchange a what the fuck glance.

"Huh?" we asks.

Jake rests his elbows on the table so he can rub his temples. "I have sympathetic pregnancy." Gemma rests a hand on the back of his neck, giving it a small rub. "My doctor thinks it's because I have deep empathy toward Gemma. It makes me more prone to couvade symptoms. Apparently, I have a strong connection to this child already, which we think may stem from losing my parents."

Silence passes between us while I process this. I wanted to crack a joke about Jake getting sick. Now, I can't do it. I remember all too well what happened after Jake lost his parents. He was not in a good place, and the doc isn't far off. His trauma is why he develops such strong relationships with others. He's scared to lose them again. Although he won't admit it, Pen and I think Jake's worried he could lose Gemma during the birthing process. It's very slim, but deaths have happened before.

God, I feel bad for him.

"Has this been scientifically proven?" Penelope asks. "Not that I'm downplaying it, Jake. I've just never heard of it."

"Uh-huh," he nods. "Something to do with the neurobiology of love and attachment."

Pen taps her bottom lip. "Huh. That's actually amazing."

"Isn't it?!" Gemma exclaims. She wraps her arms around Jake, pressing a kiss to his temple. The worried look on his face vanishes as melts into her.

"Fuck," I groan, leaning back in my chair. "You're gonna make me puke."

Jake snorts. "Says the one who fucked his girlfriend last night."

"Jake!" Gemma smacks the side of his head. Her actions don't wipe the cocky-ass grin from his face.

Even I can't prevent myself from grinning. His comment is payback. If I do recall, I said the same thing to him once. Around a campfire. The morning after Jake and Gemma had make-up sex.

"What?" Jake laughs. "He deserved it! Just like he deserves the upcoming thunderstorm. You can't always escape shitty weather, bro."

"Fuck you, Jacob Adam Swift. Go throw up. You're looking a little green."

Jake presses his lips into a flat line.

Pen glances at me. "See? I told you he was tracking the weather." She directs her gaze to Gemma. "They're children."

Gemma rolls her eyes. "I know."

On the other side of the screen, I hear some shuffling in the background. There's a loud thump. Then, a few seconds later, another face joins Jake and Gemma.

It's Patrick.

"Patrick!" Penelope exclaims. She inches her way past me, pushing my body out of the camera's frame. "What are you doing there?"

Unlike last time I saw Patrick, he looks great. Instead of having dark half-moons beneath his eyes, he looks well-rested and healthy. His cheeks have colour. His wild, curly hair is under control. The scruff of his beard is tame. After the fallout with his family, Patrick needed time to heal from the damage. He left and did some travelling for a month. It was to clear his head.

Now comes the hard part. He'll be heading back to the Okanagan soon to deal with the fallout. I hope all goes well with him. I don't want Penelope anywhere near her biological family (minus Patrick and Ophelia), but Pen is stubborn. If Patrick needs support, she'll be there. The bond that's formed between these two is incredible.

"I just got back from Scotland," Patrick grins. "Jake and Gemma said I could spend the night here instead of at the airport. I'll be back in the Okanagan tomorrow."

The smile on Pen's face falters.

I slide my hand to hers, lacing our fingers together. She squeezes my hand.

"But we can discuss this later," Patrick continues. "How is Mexico?"

"Amazing," Penelope replies. Her smile returns as she glances at me. "I'm glad you and Cassian convinced me to come. The ocean... I have no words. And the fruit and food? I'm in love."

I cock my head to the side. My mouth twists to one side. "With me or the food?" I tease.

"The food," she frowns, rubbing her chin. "You were my ticket here. I had to inflate your ego with something." Leaving me gaping at her (even though I know she's teasing me), she turns to Patrick. "How was travelling across Europe?"

Pen and Patrick talk for the next few minutes. The rest of us don't mind. We know the importance of family. The thought almost makes me tear up. Every time someone is added to our family, my heart grows bigger. Aside from Mom, Jake, Gemma, Pen, Hanna, and Patrick are the only other people I consider family. If Hanna meets someone, he or she will be in there, too. Jake and Gemma's son will soon join. Perhaps Penelope and I will have a kid. Who knows? Either way, I fucking love this family.

Just as the topic switches over to upcoming Easter plans, the lights here flicker. It's followed by a loud grumble of thunder. Penelope and I glance up at the lighting. It flickers again.

And before Jake can say a word, I turn back to the screen. "Keep your mouth shut, Jacob."

All he does it laugh.

"It looks like we should let you go," Gemma says. "Take some photos of the thunderstorm! I heard they're amazing to watch in tropical places."

"Yeah," Patrick snorts. "'Cause there's no extreme risk of fire. Unlike in the Smokanagan."

Penelope wrinkles her nose. "That's one thing I don't miss about West Kelowna. The smoky summers. They didn't happen every year while I was growing up there, but they were terrible when they happened."

"Agreed," Patrick nods.

Thunder rumbles again. It's followed by a quick flash of lightning.

"Well," Gemma continues. "We'll call you before you leave. Have fun, lovebirds!"

After we've said our goodbyes, the video chat ends. Penelope and I are welcomed back to the quietness of our bedroom by another crack of thunder. Rain is pelting the roof, too.

"Looks like our day at the beach is cancelled," Pen pouts, gazing out the window.

I follow her gaze. No blue sky is present. It's covered by dark clouds. The ocean waves are rough against the shore. Palm trees bend with the wind and rain. "Looks like it," I reply. "However..." I jerk my thumb over my shoulder. "The bed is free."

Her lips curl into a seductive, sexy smile. "Hmm... keep talking."

I saunter over to Pen, resting my hands on her hips. Rubbing my thumb against the thin strip of bare skin, I say, "Our schedule would include no clothes and a few condoms. Blankets and pillows don't need to be included, but they are available.

Thunder shakes the small building we've rented. The noise causes Pen to jump. She wraps her arms around me. "I like the sound of that. A distraction would be good. This storm sounds severe."

"Yeah," I shrug. "But it's like Patrick said. Lesser risk of fire because of the rain." I glance at the ceiling. The lights flicker again. "We should hurry. The power might go out."

My girlfriend hesitates for a moment.

Then she makes the first move.

Pen unties my swim shorts and pushes them down. They pool around my ankles.

"I was mean to you earlier," she says. That devilish grin returns to her face as she drops to her knees. My hands grip the edge of the desk. I expel a soft curse from my lips. "And you're right. We should hurry."

Pen kisses the inside of my thigh.

"Well," I whisper, "we better get started."