Penelope stepped off of the dancefloor, reaching Colin's side of the booth in an instant. Even under the neon blue lights, he could make out the bright red hue of her cheeks, flushed from the dance and the awkward display that followed.
Penelope threw her face into his shoulder, or at least as close to it as she could reach. "Poor Greg must be so embarrassed. I'm embarrassed," she groaned, her words muffled through his shirt and vibrating against his skin. She looked up, glancing at the other two men in front of her, her eyes wide and vulnerable. "Should I go apologize?" She asked, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth in a way that kept Colin quite distracted.
Benedict chuckled, knocking back the rest of his drink. "Trust me, Penelope, little Greg is anything but sorry about what just happened." Anthony snickered along with him, failing to keep his usually stern expression.
Colin shook his head, snapping himself back to reality. "He will be when I get ahold of him," he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.
Penelope smiled softly at him, running a hand along his bicep in a way that could be seen as innocent but left a trail of fire in its wake. "It's not a big deal, Colin," she replied. "I just can't believe it. That's never happened to me before," she confessed, blushing harder.
"What?" He wondered, genuinely confused. He hoped she'd never given his baby brother a boner in the middle of a crowded dancefloor before.
"I've never, well I don't think I've ever given a guy a...you know what in public," she whispered.
"Yes, you have," both he and Benedict answered instantly. Colin shot his brother an angry look. "Ben, what the fuck?"
Benedict snorted out a laugh. "Sorry, bro, just the truth. Greg's not the first, and definitely not the first Bridgerton."
"What?" Penelope made a gasping, choking sound next to him. He couldn't bare to look at her to see the face she was making. As it was, he wanted to run off and hide just as Gregory had.
"Alright, quit making Pen uncomfortable," Colin barked.
"Oh it's fine!" Benedict slurred, the effects of his several drinks clearly catching up to him. "It's completely natural," he insisted. His desire to get people to express themselves with their bodies and open their minds had clearly not been tampered down with the alcohol. "I mean, at least for Anthony and I cause it only happened a few times. But for Colin it's borderline obsessi---"
To Colin's utmost gratitude, Anthony slapped a hand over their brother's mouth, cutting off the rest of his sentence. "Benedict!" Anthony exclaimed, equally as mortified as he was. "Sorry, Penelope, he's had a bit too much to drink tonight. Please don't listen to him," he begged, barely able to look her in the eye either. Ah!" He hissed, yanking his hand away. "Jesus Christ, he licked me!" Anthony yelled, wiping his hand on Benedict's sleeve in disgust.
"Ask Colin about his boners, Penelope!" Benedict yelled, doubling over in laughter.
"For Christ sake, Ben, shut up!" Anthony growled, hauling him up by the shoulders and dragging him away from the booth. "Sorry, we're leaving!"
When they were finally gone, Colin still kept his eyes trained on the floor. "I'm so sorry," he muttered. "I really wish I was an only child," he said, only half joking.
"Borderline obsessive, eh?" Penelope asked. He could hear the smirk through her voice and dared to look up.
"Oh God, don't you start," he grumbled, rolling his eyes.
She was full on grinning now, her hands folded under her chin in childlike wonder. He wanted nothing more than to replace those hands with his own. To trace her soft skin, kiss her lush lips, pull her into his lap, and show her just how obsessive he could be.
