Free One Penny: A Marked Heart Novel by M. Sembera, Margaret Civella Page A

don't."
    "No?"
    Seth lowered his voice, almost whispering, "Kieran said it's because I have a thing for Penny."
    Penny was speechless.
    On the one hand, how could she not ask and find out for sure. On the other hand, Penny wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know the answer. Her idea of making friends with him wasn't to end up with him. Honestly, she was leaning towards the smitten side herself but that didn't change the fact that they were neighbors. If she did let it go farther, when the inevitable happened, she would still have to face him every day. No, friend's was what they were and that was all they were going to be.
    Parked in the apartment complex parking lot, Penny got out of the car and walked around to the passenger side.
    Opening the passenger door, Seth swung his legs out saying, "I need to lay down."
    "Okay just a minute. You're doing good. All you have to do is make it up the stairs," she said watching as he placed his head in his hands and rested his elbows on his knees.
    He started to shake his head as he leaned forward.
    Moving directly in front of him, she placed her hands on his shoulders to brace him saying, "No, no. You can't pass out in the parking lot."
    Penny had to take a deep breath when he wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned into her.
    Seth sat halfway out of the car holding onto her without moving or making a sound. She started to wonder if he had passed out.
    "Seth?"
    Without answering, his hands gripped the back of her shirt as he tugged her closer.
    "Seth."
    All thoughts of friendship were drifting away. As much as she would have liked to relax and move even closer, Penny reminded herself he was drunk.
    His voice was smooth and low as he lifted his head and looked up at her saying, "Anything you want."
    "Please don't do this to me," she whispered.
    Seth stared at her for a long moment before letting go.
    The second she stepped away, he held onto the car door and stood up. When she reached for his arm, to help him, Seth took off towards the stairs. Penny stood at her car watching him walk the short distance to the bottom of the stairs. In the moment she didn't want to turn him down but what choice did she have. He probably wouldn't remember anything tomorrow anyway. Still the look on his face, like he had been lost and finally found what he was looking for, was something she would never forget, no matter what.

 
    Thirteen
    Pulling a blanket over his head as he rolled over, Seth couldn't recall his couch being this comfortable or having a blanket. Pressing his head against the couch cushion, he didn't have to open his eyes and look around to realize he wasn't in his apartment.
    Events from the previous day and night rolled through his mind. That was the most fun he'd had in his entire life. It wasn't like he'd never been drunk before but it was more than drinking. It was being laughed at and laughing back. Playing elementary school playground games, which is harder than you would think after several glasses of whiskey. Then as he heard a familiar laugh come from another room, Seth recalled his ride home with Penny.
    Why in the world would he tell her what Kieran said? Now understanding what Auggie meant when he said 'whiskey'll make a honest man of ya', he wondered if it made him an idiot too. Mentally scolding himself he thought, 'Anything you want'. Who says stuff like that? Not to mention the fact that it made no sense. Sure the first time he said it, he was answering her. But when she was looking down at him like he was he only man in the world, that was his response. All the things he could have said and 'anything you want' was what came out of his mouth.
    In the back of his mind, he was hoping Penny would tap him on the shoulder and say she was leaving and he could let himself out. He was off because of the holiday but he doubted a tattoo shop would be closed for it. If she needed to go to work and he appeared to still be sleeping, that would have been ideal. It would have been so