Free Imperfect Penelope (Wild Crush) by Sami Lee Page B

hand through his hair, his stomach roiling. “Penny, I’m sorry.”
    “It’s fine.”
    Her voice was terse and flat—very unfine-like. “Please let me explain. I know it’s no excuse, but it’s been a while since… Well, it’s been a while. If I hadn’t been tired I might have realized kissing you was a mistake. But I am tired and you smelled so good…”
    He couldn’t quite pinpoint the fragrance, but it reminded him of lilacs in a summer garden. He closed his eyes and it was like he could smell it. Was it a memory or did the scent permeate the whole house? He inhaled and detected the distinctive aroma of cat. He felt a bump on his lower leg and opened his eyes to see the tabby—Mr. Rumplepants—darting away from him as though to escape the scene of the head-butt crime.
    Greg sighed and looked at Penny. She was on her feet, facing him squarely with her arms crossed over her chest. The look on her face told him she wasn’t buying his excuses. “I can only repeat my apology. I’m overwrought. And I didn’t expect you to respond like that, or I would never have kissed you.”
    Her stare was flat and cool. “You kissed me because you thought I wouldn’t like it?”
    “No.” Greg frowned. “I wasn’t thinking, that’s all. And you took me by surprise.”
    “I took you by surprise?”
    Had he thought her stare was cool? Greg saw the flash of fire in her eyes and realized he’d misjudged. Again. Was he ever going to get it right with this woman? He straightened to his full height. “Frankly, the way you’re looking at me, I’m shocked you didn’t slap me for touching you.”
    “I should have. But I’m a very responsive woman. I just couldn’t control myself, I guess.”
    She was outright glaring at him, and the sarcasm was oozing off her words like oil out of a shipwrecked tanker. Was she taking a shot at how out of control he’d been? Wasn’t it good enough he’d admitted wrongdoing and apologized? She didn’t have to humiliate him. “Penelope—”
    “Oh, it’s Penelope again, is it? And with that touch of derision I’ve come to expect.”
    A muscle in Greg’s jaw ticced as he clenched it. He’d call it frustration, not derision, but he didn’t want to get sidetracked splitting hairs over nouns. “I don’t know what else you want from me.”
    “I want you to get out.”
    She turned away the second she said it, and Greg was glad she didn’t see the way he flinched. Her words were venomous, and despite everything that had already happened between them, it surprised Greg. Penny didn’t seem to have a nasty bone in her body—he was mystified as to how he’d been led to believe she was a callous gold digger. One look around her home told him she didn’t bother with expensive things, but he should have realized she was too decent a person to do what his brother had said before seeing her house. He should have known it from looking into her eyes, or from the way she’d helped him despite the fact he’d acted like a pig.
    Penny was at heart a good person. When she spoke and her tone was still full of bile, it continued to perplex Greg. “I’m not going to teach you yoga anymore either.”
    Forget perplexity. For some reason that hurt. “I won’t touch you again if that’s what you’re worried about.”
    She snorted as she stalked past him to the kitchen. “Oh, I’m not worried about that. I just don’t want to do it anymore. I’ll refund you the fee for the last two lessons. Not this week. I’ll have it next week.”
    “I’m not worried about that. If anything I owe you money for what Bryan took.”
    She turned from where she was running hot water into the sink to scowl at him. “That’s your brother’s debt.”
    “I doubt you’ll see it from him anytime soon. If you tell me what he owes you, I’ll be sure you get the money.”
    “I’m not your responsibility, Greg,” she snapped. “And I can’t be your convenient fuck either.”
    “Jesus.” Greg sucked in a