Page 64 of Penny & Royce

She nodded because what else could she do? Even if technically it was a lie. “Yeah. It’s has.”

At least that was true.

“I don’t want to lead you on. Clearly, my family thought it would be great to set us up, but…” She lifted a shoulder. “Sorry.”

“And they don’t know about him, I’m guessing.”

Penny swallowed hard and looked down. “Yeah. And if you could keep it to yourself, that’d be great. I don’t want them rushing this. I’d rather not scare him off.”

Another lie.

There was nothing, it seemed, that could scare Royce off.

“Of course. Thanks for letting me know.”

Emerson looked almost heartbroken, and Penny wished she could do something to ease the pain. Things were only going to get more complicated the longer she kept this marriage a secret, and the ambush of the double date made that even more clear.

“Have a good day, Emerson.”

He nodded, and she watched him walk away before she trudged forward.

Just as she passed an alleyway, Royce stepped out from the shadows and motioned for her to come over.

She gasped in surprise, but the second she saw him, she relaxed and walked into the alleyway with him. His eyes flashed with something that could only be described as desperation.

“I heard,” he said.

Penny’s stomach dropped. “Royce?—”

He stepped closer, his gaze moving over her face. “Can I kiss you right here, please?”

Her breath caught at the rawness in his voice.

She nodded, and he closed the distance, his mouth claiming hers like he’d been holding himself together by the thinnest thread. He kissed her like he needed to remember she was real and she was here and she had chosen him.

She lost track of time and feeling. If it wasn’t for him holding her up, she might have collapsed right there in the alley. When he pulled back, they were both breathing hard.

“Penny,” he rasped. “You don’t know what it did to me, hearing Emerson ask you out.”

Her eyes widened, and guilt swept over her. He didn’t sound mad. If anything, that desperation from before seemed to seep into each syllable he spoke. “I’m sorry?—”

“Don’t apologize to me.” He brushed his thumb along her cheek. “You didn’t do anything wrong. This is on the situation, not you.”

Her throat tightened.

“We…” He exhaled and rested his forehead against hers for one brief moment. “This is getting harder.”

“I know.”

“And I don’t want you carrying the worst of it alone.”

She searched his face. “What does that mean?”

“It means I’ll figure it out. I promise you, we won’t have to keep this a secret much longer.” His hand slid from her cheekto her shoulder, gentle but sure. “I think I’ve figured out how to ease our families into this.”

“How?” she demanded, hope washing away some of the anxiety that had managed to leach her energy during lunch.

Royce shook his head. “Let me figure out the details, and then I’ll tell you.”