Penelope Levine has been "promised" to notorious mafia boss, Brock Rumlow, in order to pay a family debt.
The night before her wedding, she meets James Barnes, the owner of Underworld, one of the most infamous nightclubs in New York. Their spark is...
When I put the original warnings up on Instagram, this chapter was going to go a different way. I decided to do something different. Also, sorry, this is like 9k words and most of them are smut. I got a little carried away. Please vote and comment!
My baby never fret none About what my hands and my body done If the Lord don't forgive me I'd still have my baby and my babe would have me When I was kissing on my baby And she put her love down soft and sweet In the low lamp light I was free Heaven and hell were words to me - Hozier, "Work Song"
The night is slow and beautiful. Penelope's bare feet dangle off of the bar stool in the kitchen. James and Steve cook for her. Neither of them know how, so they try something simple.
Steve is in charge of reading the recipe off of James's phone while James cooks everything, but instead, he's too busy feeding pieces of cooked shrimp and chicken to Goose and Alpine.
"Are they supposed to be eating that?" Steve asks as Alpine hoovers down her fourth piece of shrimp in 15 minutes.
They're standing by the stove top, Goose on one side and Alpine on the other as they stare at James while he cooks, and leans over to give them kisses every so often. He and Steve are still in their swim trunks. The three of them stayed in the pool until the sun went down.
"I like it when they're well fed," James replies. He turns his head and frowns at Steve. "Leave my children alone."
"Our children," Steve corrects him as he turns to Penelope and winks.
She blushes and munches on a grape from the charcuterie board that James set out for them.
"Jamie, what are you making?" She laughs. "It looks like you're trying to do five things at once."
"He is," Steve remarks.
"I'm making lemon pasta," James tells her.
"With chicken and shrimp?"
"Chicken or shrimp," James corrects her as he looks over his shoulder. "So that we have some options, and then leftovers for tomorrow."
"So that you can feed some to the cats," Steve tells him. "Be honest about why you picked the shrimp."
"I told you to leave them out of this, Stevie," James says as he points his spatula to the left.
"It says it's supposed to be simple," Steve sighs.
"It is simple, if you would read the directions properly."
